2019 Atlantic Boys Track at State

The Atlantic boys track and field team is hoping to hit the ground running this season despite the year hiatus from competition. The Trojans picked up a team runner-up finish in 2018 and a 3rd place finish at the 2019 State Meet at the end of Head Coach Jordan Mullen’s tenure. Abby Becker was set to take over the program before last season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Coach Becker is hoping that recent success will help the upperclassmen show this year’s team the path to success.

Collin Mullenix and Craig Alan Becker are a couple of those seniors that experienced that State success as members of winning relay teams, and Coach Becker feels like they have a number of other key pieces ready to step in. The other dynamic missing last season has created for all teams is two classes that are new to high school level competition. Coach Becker said it will all be about establishing baselines early.

Goals will certainly be lofty for the team given the recent history of success, but Coach Becker hopes they can focus on steps to reach big goals.

The Trojans were set for their first full team meet on Tuesday at Denison but that meet has been postponed due to expected weather conditions. Their next scheduled meet is Thursday at Dowling Catholic.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – For the second year in a row, University of Iowa national champion Spencer Lee has been awarded the WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy. The award is presented annually to the nation’s most dominant college wrestler.

For the just the second time in its 27-year history, the Hodge committee determined two wrestlers worthy of recognition. Minnesota heavyweight Gable Steveson is also being recognized as a 2021 Hodge Trophy winner. The only other time two trophies were awarded in the same season was 2001, when Cael Sanderson and Nick Ackerman were both recognized.

Lee won the 125-pound NCAA Championship on March 20. He outscored his five opponents at the national tournament, 59-8, capturing his third career NCAA title and leading Iowa to the team title for the first time since 2010.

Lee was 12-0 in 2021, scoring bonus points in 11 matches and recording five first-period falls. He outscored his 12 opponents, 141-15, and his 91.6 bonus-point percentage led the country.

Not one of Lee’s first eight matches went the seven-minute distance. He had five first-period falls and recorded three technical falls, including a 21-3 win by technical superiority in the finals of the Big Ten Championships. He did not allow a point in the NCAA finals, winning 7-0, the largest margin of victory of any of the 10 NCAA finals matches.

Lee finished the season riding a 35-match winning streak, outscoring his opponents 432-42 during the stretch.

The winner of the Hodge Trophy is determined by the Hodge Trophy Voting Committee, made up of past Hodge winners, a retired college coach from each region, and national media members. A fan vote winner receives five additional first-place votes. Primary criteria for the award are a wrestler’s record, number of pins, dominance and quality of competition. Past credentials, sportsmanship/citizenship and heart are used as secondary criteria in years where two finalists’ stats are nearly equal.

Lee is one of five multi-winners in the history of the award. He won the Hodge Trophy in 2020, earning 51 of a possible 56 first-place votes. He dominated the 125-pound weight class in 2020, posting an 18-0 record and outscoring his opponents 234-18. He scored bonus points in 17 of 18 wins last year, recording four first-period falls and nine technical falls.

Lee is one of three Hawkeyes to win the award since its inception in 1995. Mark Ironside was honored in 1998 and Brent Metcalf earned the award in 2008.

Kyle Green

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger has added longtime Northern Iowa assistant and 25-year veteran of college basketball Kyle Green to his staff as an assistant coach.

Last summer, Green was named Stadium’s top assistant coach in the Missouri Valley Conference in a poll of coaches in the league.

“Kyle has tremendous integrity, is hard-working and one of the best teachers of the game that I’ve been around,” Otzelberger said. “He is an innovative defensive mind with a gift for implementing schemes and concepts. Kyle is an elite recruiter with a dynamic personality. The experience he has gained as both a head coach and assistant coach will have a great impact on our program.”

“It is exciting to get a chance to work in an environment like this and work with T.J., who I’ve known and respected for a long time,” Green said. “When the opportunity presented itself, we just felt like this was something we couldn’t pass up.

“We’ve lived in Iowa for a long time and know how great of a school Iowa State is and how passionate the fans are. I’ve experienced Hilton Magic and it is special. I’m really looking forward to working with T.J. and the rest of the staff.” 

Green, who spent 16 seasons at Northern Iowa and was a part of more than 300 victories, had three stints at the school and was elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2017-18 season. He also coached in Cedar Falls from 2001-03 and 2006-11.

While on the UNI staff, the Panthers have won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title twice, reached the NCAA Tournament four times and made seven total postseason appearances. In 2009-10, UNI went 30-5 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with wins over UNLV and top-seeded Kansas.

On 33 occasions, a UNI player has earned All-Missouri Valley Conference accolades during Green’s time at the school. He has also coached three MVC Player of the Year award winners, including his son A.J., who is a junior for the Panthers. He has also coached a pair of MVC Defensive Player of the Year winners, four MVC Sixth Man of the Year recipients and three scholar-athletes of the year.

UNI has frequently ranked in the upper echelon nationally in team defense, with Green working primarily with the Panther post players.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native has experience as a head coach, having led programs at Wisconsin-Eau Claire during the 2011-12 season, Lewis University from 2004-06 and Western State College in 2000-01. He also served as an assistant coach under Tom Crean at Marquette during the 2003-04 season, helping the Golden Eagles reach the quarterfinals of the National Invitational Tournament.

Green was a player/coach for Frederica (Denmark) Basketball Club in 1992. He earned Denmark Serie Coach of the Year honors after leading Frederica to a 30-3 record.

Green graduated from Hamline (Minn.) with a bachelor’s degree in social studies and psychology in 1992. He earned his master’s degree in athletic administration from St. Thomas University in 1999.

Denison schools announced on Monday that the Co-Ed Monarch Relays that were scheduled for Tuesday night have been postponed. The forecast on Tuesday is calling for continued high winds and cooler temperatures so officials have decided that will find a better day to compete. This was the first big opening meet for many area full team squads including for Atlantic. A makeup date has not yet been decided.