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Midwest Sports Headlines: 12/27/2019

Sports

December 27th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes will remember former coach Hayden Fry when they play No. 22 USC in the Holiday Bowl. Iowa will remove the Tigerhawk decals from its helmets to honor Fry, who died on Dec. 17 at age 90. Fry introduced the logo during his 20-year tenure, which included trips to the Holiday Bowl in 1986, 1987 and 1991. The Hawkeyes will continue to wear a sticker to honor American farmers and will add a sticker to honor former athletic director Bump Elliott, who died Dec. 7 at age 94. USC will try to win its fourth straight game.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs head into their regular-season finale against the Chargers knowing that a win coupled with a Dolphins upset of the Patriots would give them the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. Kansas City long ago wrapped up the AFC West for the fourth straight year. The Chargers have struggled through a season marked by injuries and inconsistency, and could be playing their final game with Philip Rivers. Their longtime quarterback’s contract expires after this season, and the franchise could move on from him as it moves into a new stadium in Los Angeles.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The indoor football team in Wichita is leaving its downtown arena for another home north of the city built specifically for the sport. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Wichita Force has announced that it will leave the Intrust Bank Arena downtown and move to Hartman Arena in Park City. The first of six home games at the new venue is set for April 3. Wichita oilman and restaurateur Wink Hartman developed the 5,000-seat arena largely as a home for the Wichita Wild. Hartman owned the Wild, and it played there from 2009 until it folded in 2014.

UNDATED (AP) — Gymnast Simone Biles is the 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year. The reigning world and Olympic champion edged U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe for the honor in a vote among AP member sports editors and AP beat writers. The 22-year-old is the first gymnast to win the award twice and the first to do it in a non-Olympic year. She was named the Athlete of the Year in 2016 after winning four gold medals at the Rio Olympics. Biles is preparing for the 2020 Games in Tokyo and says she’s eager to finish her career with a flourish.