Photo Credit: Emmaus Athletics

Atlantic native Tiffany Williams recently completed her college basketball career at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque and received many honors in the process. The Eagles finished the season with an 18-10 record and bowed out of the National Christian College Athletic Association Division II Tournament with two close losses. Williams said it was a team that had a lot of fun playing and spending time with each other.

Williams was honored as the NCCAA North Region MVP for the second straight year and was named a NCCAA Division II First-Team All-American this season. Pretty impressive honors considering Williams wasn’t sure she was even going to compete in sports during her college career.

Williams led the Eagles this season with 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 4.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. She shot 54% from the field and was a 72% foul shooter. Williams said her coaches really helped her grow as a player throughout her career.

Williams also received the NCCAA Scholar-Athlete Award and is finishing up her Intercultural Studies program. She was planning on an internship in Spain this Summer but that is up in the air during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tiffany finished this season ranked in the top 10 of six different statistical categories in the NCCAA. She finishes her career having played 111 games for the Eagles and scoring 1,659 career points.

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

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(Radio Iowa) — Former Iowa standout Jeff Horner won a conference championship and defeated cancer this past season as the coach at Truman State. Horner underwent several months of chemotherapy as the Bulldogs improved from 14-15 his first season at the helm to 23-8 this past season.

After struggling out of the gate to a 6-5 record Truman State turned it on to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship.

Horner announced in late August he was battling testicular cancer and he was proud of the way his players handled it.

With his treatment behind him Horner says he gets regular scans to make sure he is cancer free.

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

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(Radio Iowa) — There is plenty of debate about how much of a preseason is needed before a college football season could begin. That will be determined by when players and coaches are allowed to return to campus when restrictions due to COVID-19 are lifted. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says this summer could be similar to the early 80s when he joined Hayden Fry’s staff.

And because of that Ferentz would like to see a month of strength and conditioning before players hit the practice field.

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell played and coached at Division III Mount Union of Ohio so he is familiar with having a month to get ready for the season.

Campbell says a month was plenty of time to get ready.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The cancellation of this year’s College World Series because of the coronavirus pandemic isn’t hurting Omaha just economically. The eight-team tournament that decides the Division I baseball championship each June has long been a point of pride for the city of just under a half-million.

In this June 13, 2018 file photo, grounds crew prepare TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., for the NCAA baseball College World Series. The Division I baseball championship, decided in this city of just under a half-million for the past 70 years, is among the many sporting events canceled or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, file)

Total attendance for the 15 games in 2019 was more than 330,000. Thousands more gather outside the stadium. The move to TD Ameritrade Park 10 years ago sparked development near the stadium. The event packs a $75 million economic impact each year.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union announced on Friday a new timeline for the baseball and softball season. Practices for those summer sports will not begin on May 4th as originally scheduled but will now shift to May 18th.

June 1st will be the new first date of competition for baseball and softball.

This shift will help alleviate conflicts with spring sports which are tentatively set to begin on May 1st and conclude in early June.

Further updates will be announced as necessary by the two organizations.

w/ Chris Parks

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AMES, Iowa – David Land, the only men’s basketball strength coach in NCAA history to lead two different programs to undefeated conference seasons, has been named director of strength and conditioning for the Iowa State men’s basketball program, head coach Steve Prohm announced Friday. Land replaces Pete Link, who left to pursue other opportunities.

“I am really excited to have David back working with me,” Prohm said. “The opportunity to bring in someone that I have a previous relationship and familiarity with was important.

“David will be a great asset for our program in a variety of ways because of how much effort he invests in the student-athletes.”

Land, who spent two years as strength coach for Prohm at Murray State, joins Iowa State after spending the last two seasons under Mike Young at Virginia Tech (2019-20) and Wofford (2018-19).

“What an unbelievable opportunity to come to Iowa State and be a Cyclone,” Land said. “I simply couldn’t turn down the chance to reunite with Coach Prohm and join him in Ames.

“Coach Prohm and his staff place a heavy emphasis on player development and I’m ecstatic to have their support in my quest to change these student-athlete’s minds and bodies. From day one, our goal will be to prepare these Cyclones to win multiple games in March. I can’t wait to hit the ground running with these young men.”

Prior to joining Young in a rebuilding season in Blacksburg, Land played a major role in Wofford’s best season in program history. The Terriers had their first AP Top-25 ranking, a 20-game win streak, undefeated conference record (18-0) and the first NCAA Tournament win in school history.

Land trained Wofford sharpshooter Fletcher Magee, who set the NCAA Division I record with 509 career 3-pointers and earned All-America honors as a senior.

The Raleigh, North Carolina native was the Director of Olympic Strength and Conditioning at Utah State during the 2017-18 season. Land oversaw sports performance for non-football sports, being tasked with managing staff, budgeting and scheduling for all of the Olympic sports.

Land, who was at Murray State from 2013-17, spent the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons working with Prohm and the men’s basketball program. In addition to men’s hoops winning multiple conference titles, he also helped guide several other programs to Ohio Valley Championships, including women’s tennis (2014, 2015) and women’s golf (2015, 2017).

Land was significant in the development of point guard Cameron Payne, who was a lottery pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Racers were ranked during the 2014-15 season and had an NCAA-best 25 consecutive wins.

He has also worked at UNC Wilmington, East Tennessee State, Milligan College and NC State.

Land is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He is CPR/AED certified.

Land, who earned his Eagle Scout in 2007, is a 2011 graduate of Appalachian State with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a minor in nutrition. He earned a master’s degree in exercise physiology and performance from East Tennessee State in 2013.

Atlantic High School Activities Director Andy Mitchell will turn on the field lights at the High School at 8:00 p.m. as part of the “Be the Light” initiative from the Iowa HS Athletic Directors Association. High schools across the State are turning their lights on for 15 minutes tonight to represent the 15 days of school we have missed.  We will do the same the next two Fridays for 20 and 25 minutes, respectively. This initiative is to show our support to the students in that we can not wait for them to return so we can turn not only field lights for them, but also gym, hallway and classroom lights as well when they return.