GRINNELL, Iowa — Ned Postels, a three-year basketball letterman at the University of Iowa and a member of Iowa’s 1945 Big Ten championship team, passed away on April 8. He was 96.

A native of Mankato, Minnesota, Postels graduated from Loyola High School in Mankato. He attended South Dakota State for one year, where he was a member of the North Central Conference championship team. He then transferred to Iowa, where he was a letterman from 1944-46. The Hawkeyes posted a three-year record of 45-9, including a 17-1 mark during the 1945 championship season. Under Hall of Fame coach Pops Harrison the Hawkeyes finished second, first, and third in the Big Ten over the three-year period. Postels served as co-captain on the 1944-45 team.

Postels earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa in civil engineering and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. During his career, Postels was employed as a civil engineer for Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois, where he was a part of their College Graduate Program and worked in field research for two years. He was employed by Beatrice Foods from 1949 until 1975. Returning to Grinnell in 1975, he took ownership of Grinnell Beverage, while he and his wife, Reba, also owned and operated Wayside Florist and the Grinnell Nursery. The Postels endowed the Ned & Reba Postels Family Basketball Scholarship at the University of Iowa.

During his time with Caterpillar, Postels played basketball for Caterpillar’s AAU team, which won an Illinois State AAU championship and competed in the national tournament in Denver.

Postels is survived by his two children, Dick (Bev) Postels of Montezuma, Iowa, and Joanie (Arnie) Heimsoth of Grinnell; six grandchildren, three great-granddaughters, two step-grandchildren, and three step-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Reba; and a brother, Benjamin Postels.

Memorials may be designated to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, UICA (University of Iowa Center for Advancement), or to Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration Enrichment Fund, mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with Ned’s family online at www.smithfh.com.

A celebration of his life will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 1, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Grinnell. Interment will be held at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. A full obituary can be found at https://legcy.co/2XKmSJj.

TRAER, Iowa – James Youel, a three-year football letterman at the University of Iowa in the 1940’s, passed away on April 9. He was 98.

Youel was born February 13, 1922 in Vinton, Iowa, before growing up in Fort Madison. He graduated from

Fort Madison High School, where he lettered in football, basketball and track. He attended Iowa on a football scholarship as a freshman in 1939 and later becoming a three-year letterman. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering.

Youel served in the United States Navy from 1944-45. He was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, where he played quarterback for Coach Paul Brown, later of the Cleveland Browns. After his time in the Navy, Youel was drafted into the National Football League, where he played for the Washington Redskins and served as the understudy for three seasons to NFL Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh.

After retiring from the NFL in 1948, Youel worked in Washington, DC as an engineer. In 1954, Jim returned home to Fort Madison, and started a career at Ft. Madison High School as a mathematics teacher and head football coach, eventually adding athletic director to his duties.

Fort Madison has had three undefeated football seasons, including Youel’s teams of 1961 and 1966. He finished his teaching and coaching career at Danville High School prior to retiring in 1987. In 1988, Youel was inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Hall of Fame and the Fort Madison High School Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2008, FMHS honored Youel by naming the high school’s football stadium field ‘Jim Youel Field’.

Youel is survived by four children, seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and his long-time friend and companion, Carolyn Elwell of Fort Madison. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Jolie Youel of Paisley, Florida, in 2019, and his granddaughter, Maggie Youel of Crystal Lake, Illinois in 2015.

In accordance with his wishes, Youel’s body has been donated to the anatomy department of the University of Iowa and there will be no service or memorial fund. Sympathy cards can be sent to: Josh Youel, 209 Taylor St., Traer, Iowa 50675.

A full obituary can be found at https://legcy.co/3csRDH0

Former Iowa Hawkeye basketball player Cordell Pemsl has committed to transfer to Virginia Tech.

Pemsl decided earlier this month to graduate and transfer to another school after spending four years in Iowa City.

Pemsl played in 96 games for the Hawkeyes, starting 14 of those. He averaged 5.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Pemsl has fought through a number of injuries throughout his career and took a medical Redshirt in the 2018-19 season after having knee surgery.

Virginia Tech went 16-16 this past season and finished 7-13 in the ACC.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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(Radio Iowa) — Former Iowa standout Kathleen Doyle is ready for the next challenge which is landing a roster spot with the Indiana Fever. Doyle was taken in the second round of the WNBA draft by the Fever after a senior season in which she averaged more than 18 points and six assists in being named the Big Ten player of the year.

Doyle is looking forward to the opportunity to prove herself.

With the season in limbo right now Doyle is not sure when training camp might begin.

Doyle says playing in a league as good as the Big Ten will help her chances of earning a roster spot.

(Radio Iowa) — During his time as Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has had 70 players taken in the NFL Draft and that list will grow this week. Several Hawkeyes are expected to be taken in the draft which begins Thursday night.

Tackle Tristan Wirfs and defensive end A.J. Epenesa are possible first round selections but Ferentz says this past Super Bowl showed you don’t have to be taken early to make an impact.

Iowa’s Pro Day was cancelled due to the COVID-19 shutdown and Ferentz says that may impact players who were not invited to the Scouting Combine.

Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley has been projected by many as a fifth round choice and says leading the Iowa offense for three years is a plus.

Stanley says spending three years as a starter has prepared him for the next challenge.

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(Radio Iowa) — The lights will blaze to life tonight (Friday) in high school athletic stadiums across Iowa, but there won’t be any crowds in the stands. The “Light Up The Stadium” initiative is an effort to send a message to students, teachers, parents and the whole community, according to Webster City school superintendent Mandy Ross.

“It’s showing solidarity in these times of the COVID virus,” Ross says, “but also, we want to use it as a way to celebrate our seniors whose senior year has been disrupted through all of this.” Schools across the state are being encouraged to take part in the display every Friday night for the next several weeks, through the end of the school year.

“At 8 PM, we’ll be turning on the stadium lights,” Ross says. “It’s not to celebrate athletics. It’s to celebrate our students, our seniors in particular, and to show solidarity through the pandemic.” The plan is to switch on the lights for one minute for every day school has been cancelled by the virus.

“Tonight it will be 19 minutes,” Ross says, “and then we’ll continue to do that through Friday, May 15th, which would be the Friday before our seniors graduate.” Some communities are planning car parades past the lighted stadiums, but Ross encourages people to remain in their vehicles and not to congregate, as social distancing rules are still in place.

Governor Kim Reynolds announced at her daily press briefing Friday that schools will not reopen for the rest of this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with that announcement comes the cancellation of the spring sports season throughout the state.

Director of Education Ann Lebo said “Closing schools to the end of the year is not an easy decision, and we do know the challenges this creates. But we also know this decision is necessary to ensure the health and safety of those we serve.” Governor Reynolds said the data just doesn’t support a safe return to school in early May.

School districts and spring sports participants were holding out hope that school and activities could resume on May 1st, the previous target date.

Director Lebo said that the possibility of summer sports will be reevaluated by June 1st. The IHSAA and IGHSAU had previously announced a tentative schedule if school could resume on May 1st but that is now scrapped. June 1st was the intended first competition date for softball and baseball but it seems now if a season is allowed to take place, it would be pushed back a bit further.

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