By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com
SEISC Winter Sports Policy Announced:
The SEISC has adopted a policy for the upcoming basketball and wrestling season.
The conference will require all spectators to wear a face covering in the facility where a conference (sport) activity is being conducted.
The conference is also requiring coaches and bench personnel (including the scorer’s bench) and athletes not on the floor or mat, to wear a face covering.
A face covering must be worn to meet the most recent quarantine requirements.
Cheerleaders are also required to wear a face covering.
Super Conference winter athletics will begin in just over two weeks with girls’ basketball heating up in late November.
Mount Pleasant’s Mears’ Resigns from Softball Position:
Mount Pleasant head softball coach Troy Mears has resigned from the position, accepted last night by the Mount Pleasant Community School Board.
Mears helped guide the Panthers to the State Softball tournament and several conference championships over his tenure.
The Panthers finished last year 4-18.
Hawkeyes Ranked 5th in Latest Preseason Poll:
The Associated Press ha released its men’s basketball preseason poll, which includes the University of Iowa at No. 5 nationally.
The No. 5 ranking is Iowa’s highest preseason position in 65 years.
The Hawkeyes return seven players with starting experience, including National Player of the Year and All-American Luka Garza.
Also returning are upperclassmen all-conference honorees Jordan Bohannon and Joe Wieskamp, and Connor McCaffery, who led all Division I players in assist-to-turnover ratio a year ago.
Other Hawkeyes with starting experience include CJ Fredrick, who was an All-Big Ten Freshman selection last year, Joe Toussaint, and Jack Nunge.
Iowa State Pair Honored by BIG 12:
Iowa State’s Breece Hall and Mike Rose were both honored with weekly awards by the Big 12 Conference on Monday.
Hall was picked as the league’s Offensive Player of the Week, rushing for 133 yards and a career-high three touchdowns during a win over Baylor.
Rose was named the Defensive Player of the Week, tying his career-high with 11 tackles, including seven solo tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback hurries.
Iowa State is off this week but remains atop the Big 12, with a conference record of 5-1.
Iowa’s Jones Named Special Teams POW:
Iowa junior receiver/return man Charlie Jones has been named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.
Jones had a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown during Iowa’s dominant win over Michigan State this past Saturday.
It was the first punt return for a score for the Hawkeyes since 2018.
Iowa is set to take on Minnesota this Friday night, with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m.