w/ Chris Parks
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.7MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Here is the Skyscan Forecast for Saturday, December 31st of 2011:
Today: Isolated showers after 3pm. Cloudy. S @ 15-20 then W @ 25-30 w/ gusts up to 35. H 54.
Tonight: Rain in the evening, then a chance of snow between 9pm and Midnight. NW @ 25-30 w/ gusts up to 50. L 27. Less than half inch snow possible.
New Years Day: Sunny. NW @ 20-30 w/ gusts up to 50. H 36.
Monday: Sunny. NNW @ 15-20. H 29.
Tuesday: Sunny. H 36.
EVANSTON, Ill. — University of Iowa junior Matt McDonough earned his second Midlands title in three years to help the Hawkeyes win their tournament record 22nd team title at the 49th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championship. McDonough pinned eighth-seeded Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech in the 125-pound finals. Iowa piled up 152 points, 46.5 more than tournament host Northwestern (105.5). Oklahoma (94.5), Virginia Tech (76.5) and Edinboro (74.5) rounded out the top five.
The Hawkeyes finished the 49th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships with 11 place-winners and a combined 60-26 record.
The top-ranked Hawkeyes return to the mat Friday, Jan. 6, at Indiana. Iowa will put its 83-dual unbeaten streak on the line against the Hoosiers at 6 p.m. (CT) inside University Gym. The Hawkeyes then host Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 7. The Cowboys visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, contact the UI Ticket Office at 800-IA-HAWKS or online at hawkeyesports.com. Admission is $13 for adults, $7 for children, and $2 for kids five and under.
Mother Nature took Iowans on another wild ride in 2011. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the summer long flooding along the Missouri River certainly topped the year’s weather news, but strong spring storms and drought conditions also garnered headlines. The tornado season started early, with eight twisters touching down on March 22nd. “The biggest outbreak of the season came on April 9,” Hillaker said. “We had 20 tornadoes on that afternoon and evening. The most damaging one hit Mapleton that evening.” Around 100 homes in Mapleton were destroyed while 14 residents were injured. An even 50 tornadoes touched down in Iowa this year – the last one on July 7.
“We had the earliest end to our tornado season since 1962,” Hillaker said. Following four straight years of extremely wet weather, 2011 was marked by a lack of significant rain across much of the state. Hillaker said sections of eastern Iowa had above normal precipitation, but it was very dry elsewhere. “Especially northwestern sections of the state where a pretty big part of Iowa is classified right now as (having) severe drought conditions,” Hillaker said.
On average, Iowa received 32-inches of precipitation in 2011. That’s about three inches below normal. Dubuque recorded the most precipitation over the year with 46 inches. Much of city was pounded with roughly 12 inches of rain in a 24-hour period between July 27 and 28. Ida County in northwest Iowa had the least amount of precipitation over the year with 20 inches, according to Hillaker. The year is ending with a rather unusual December featuring warmer than normal temperatures and just two-and-a-half inches of snow, on average, statewide. Snowfall totals over the previous four Decembers, between 2007 and 2010, have averaged between 13 and 24 inches.
(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)
Iowans who will be whooping it up for New Year’s Eve tonight need to remember that not all alcoholic drinks are created equal. Alcohol counselor John Smith says it isn’t necessarily a good rule of thumb to assume you’re okay to drive if you’ve only had one drink an hour, at least if you want to avoid being nailed for driving drunk. “Certainly, there are things like a Long Island iced tea that might have five shots of different alcohol in them,” Smith says. “You could easily have a drink that has five to seven standard drinks in one drink.” He teaches classes to those convicted of drunk driving and he’s advising people on ways to avoid getting tipsy, like eating a good meal and pacing your drinking. Smith says Iowans should make it a point to watch the alcohol content of their drinks.
Smith says, “A typical, standard drink is a 12-ounce American beer at about 5% alcohol and that’s about the same amount as about an ounce and a half of 80-proof liquor, or about the same as 5-ounces of table wine at 12-percent.” Smith says any one of those drinks would put a man weighing 180-pounds about one-fourth of the way to exceeding the legal limit for driving. On the other hand, he says just one Long Island iced tea could result in a drunk driving charge. Smith says it’s important to keep an eye on just how much booze actually goes into your drink.
He says if you order a double or if a friend tries to make you a special drink with extra booze, it could hit you much harder than just a single, standard drink. The only sure way is to avoid getting charged with drunk driving after a night of drinking, Smith says, is to simply not get behind the wheel.
(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Friday night the Hawkeyes (8-5, 1-0) made 12 3-pointers and defeated Northwestern (10-4, 0-1), 86-55, in the Big Ten opener on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
With Iowa trailing 13-12 eight minutes into the first half, senior Kamille Wahlin nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key that gave the Hawkeyes the lead and ignited a furious run. Soon after Wahlin’s 3-pointer, Jamie Printy stole a Northwestern pass, threw a deep outlet pass to Wahlin, who then pulled back and found a trailing Printy for a deep triple that gave the Hawkeyes a 19-15 lead with 9:52 left in the half.
Printy led the Hawkeyes with 20 points, eight assists and three steals.
The Hawkeyes now travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face unbeaten Ohio State on Monday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. (CT), and it will be televised live on the BTN.
Insight Bowl – Oklahoma 31, Iowa 14
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Blake Bell ran for three touchdowns to help No. 19 Oklahoma survive a late rally and a crashing camera to beat Iowa 31-14 in the Insight Bowl.
Oklahoma (10-3) didn’t get a particularly great game from quarterback Landry Jones and wasn’t effective on the ground, either. Once considered national-title contenders, the Sooners grinded it out against the gritty Hawkeyes, ending a difficult year that included the death of linebacker Austin Box in the offseason.
Jones threw for 161 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and Bell put the game away with a 21-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds left.
Iowa (7-6) fell into a 21-0 hole before rallying behind two touchdown passes from James Vandenberg. The Hawkeyes came up just short and dodged a potential disaster when an overhead camera crashed to the field next to receiver Marvin McNutt in the closing minutes.
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State’s Chelsea Poppens notched her second-straight double-double (19 points/13 rebounds) and the Cyclones stifled Buffalo to just 14 second-half points en route to a 65-45 victory Friday night in Hilton Coliseum.
Iowa State improves to 9-2 on the year and the win clinched the Cyclone Challenge tournament title. ISU is now 31-0 in regular-season hosted tournaments under Bill Fennelly. The win was the 600th victory in Iowa State women’s basketball program history.
Poppens had another monster game, as the junior averaged 16.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in the two tournament games to earn Cyclone Challenge MVP honors. Poppens also recorded a career-high four steals.
Lauren Mansfield finished the game with 10 points and handed out a season-high nine assists.
Hallie Christofferson was also named to the all-tournament team. She had 10 points and six rebounds on the evening.
The Cyclones forced 21 turnovers and held the Bulls to 28.6 shooting (6-21 FG) in the second half.
Iowa State opens Big 12 play on Wednesday at Oklahoma with a 7 p.m. CST tip off.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS