Wednesday March 27th Local Sports

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes can claim another record — the most-viewed first-round game in women’s NCAA Tournament history. According to Neilsen, the Hawkeyes’ 91-65 win over Holy Cross averaged 3.23 million viewers on ABC. The viewership surpassed the 2.50 million who watched last year’s Elite Eight game between Iowa and Louisville, making this the most-viewed women’s tournament game ever — excluding Final Four contests and title games. It was the third Iowa game this season where the viewer average was over 3 million.

 

IOWA CITY — Caitlin Clark has been named as a finalist for the 2024 Wade Trophy, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced on Tuesday. The prestigious award is presented by the WBCA each year to the best player in college women’s basketball. Clark won the award last season. Clark owns a career 3,800+ points and she recently became the first Division-I player to record 1,000+ points in back-to-back seasons. A native of West Des Moines Clark is once again a finalist for every major national player of the year award. Clark leads the nation in assists (8.7 assists per game) and in scoring (31.8 points per game) after becoming the first player to finish No. 1 in both categories in back-to-back seasons. She is also the only player in NCAA DI men’s or women’s basketball history to lead her conference in scoring and assists in four consecutive seasons.

 

 

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Karly Gustafson scored 16 points, Gracie Schoonhoven added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Dordt (Iowa) claimed the program’s first NAIA championship with a 57-53 victory over Providence (Mont.). Dordt (35-2) was appearing in its second national championship game in three years after losing in 2022 against former NAIA member Thomas More (Ky.). Providence (27-9) was in the championship game for the first time in program history. Schoonhoven grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back to give Dordt a 50-49 lead with 2:29 left. After a Providence turnover, Schoonhoven scored again off a nice pass from Macy Sievers. Bailey Beckman made two free throws with 33.2 seconds left for a 54-51 lead and Providence stepped out of bounds at the other end.

 

 

IOWA CITY — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz says he was not surprised offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor left the team after only two months on campus. Proctor transferred to Iowa after playing his freshman season at Alabama.

Ferentz is not sure if Proctor is still enrolled in classes and if he will need to finish out the semester. The former Southeast Polk star apparently had a change of heart after spring break.

Ferentz says while dealing with the transfer portal can be frustrating, the Hawkeyes have benefitted by adding several key players in the past few years.

The Hawkeyes are in their second week of spring practice.

 

 

LINCOLN — Former University of Northern Iowa athletic director Troy Dannen has been introduced as the new athletic director at Nebraska. Dannen spent the past six months at the University of Washington.

The Iowa native says Nebraska is set up to succeed.

Dannen also served as the head of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

 

 

MASON CITY — NIACC’s TIm Castle has been selected as the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Division II men’s golfer of the week for his play last week. The sophomore who prepped at Newman won the Graceland University Spring Invitational in Maryville Missouri on March 22nd with a 76. Castle is the 22nd different NIACC men’s golfer to earn an individual medalist honor in coach Chris Frenz’s time heading up the program, which started in the fall of 2006. NIACC returns to action on April 12th and 13th at the Iowa Central Spring Invitational at the Fort Dodge Country Club.