Atlantic senior forward Dalton Franken has committed to play his college basketball at Dordt College in Sioux Center.  Franken told KJAN that he liked the coach and felt very comfortable with the school.  He said it was the right decision for him.

The Dordt men’s basketball team, lead by coach Ross Douma, is currently ranked 18th in the NAIA Division II national coaches poll with a 17-5 record.  Franken has helped lead Atlantic to a 16-1 record a a #4 ranking in the Associated Press Class 3-A poll.

He was recruited by a number of schools, both large and small, and after weighing his options, Franken says he’s glad to have the recruiting process behind him.  He said it was a lot of pressure taking calls from coaches while trying to balance school and the current high school season.

Franken says he plans to major in either business or sports science.

w/ Jim Field

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• Shenandoah 48, Corning 24
• Shenandoah 39, Bedford/Lenox 37
• Shenandoah 47, Southwest Iowa 24
• Southwest Iowa 42, Corning 23

• Clarinda 78, Treynor 0
• Clarinda 47, Riverside 33

BOYS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye 10:

• Atlantic 55, Harlan 52
• Glenwood 71, Clarinda 38
• Kuemper Catholic 60, Lewis Central 33
• Red Oak 78, Shenandoah 51
• Sergeant Bluff-Luton 62, Denison-Schleswig 55

Western Iowa:

• Riverside 71, Missouri Valley 49
• Treynor 65, Audubon 22
• Tri-Center 61, A-H-S-T 44
• Underwood 57, Griswold 44

Rolling Hills:

• Adair-Casey 66, Orient-Macksburg 32
• CAM 49, Exira/EHK 25
• Ankeny Christian Academy 78, Iowa Christian Academy 42
• Grandview Park Baptist 73, Paton-Churdan 37

Others:

• Bedford 45, East Union 27
• Carroll 81, Boone 69
• Clarinda Academy 79, Heartland Christian 43
• Earlham 67, West Central Valley 52
• Fremont Mills 62, Nishnabotna 47
• Lenox 69, Corning 39
• Sidney 44, East Mills 34
• South Page 55, Essex 38
• St. Albert 63, Thomas Jefferson 49
• Villisca 62, Stanton 47
• Woodward Academy 86, Panorama 44

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Madrid vs. Coon Rapids-Bayard, ppd.
Mount Ayr vs. Nodaway Valley, ppd. to Jan 31.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye 10:

• Harlan 57, Atlantic 33
• Glenwood 40, Clarinda 34
• Kuemper Catholic, Carroll 66, Lewis Central 48
• Red Oak 56, Shenandoah 52
• Denison-Schleswig 65, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 61

Western Iowa:

• Griswold 42, Underwood 33
• Missouri Valley 55, Riverside 45
• Treynor 51, Audubon 42

Rolling Hills:

• Adair-Casey 78, Orient-Macksburg 27
• Exira/EHK 53, CAM 22
• Grandview Park Baptist 64, Paton-Churdan 60
• Iowa Christian Academy 41, Ankeny Christian Academy 37

Others:

• Bedford 55, East Union 18
• Corning 75, Lenox 54
• Earlham 64, West Central Valley 44
• Heartland Christian 73, Clarinda Academy 13
• Omaha Duchesne Academy 49, Abraham Lincoln 38
• St. Albert 50, Thomas Jefferson 25
• Stanton 48, Villisca 46

Western Valley Conference Tourney
Semifinals

• IKM-Manning 79, Ar-We-Va 65
• Lawton-Bronson 67, OA-BCIG 39

Consolation

• Boyer Valley 64, West Harrison 62
• Kingsley-Pierson 65, River Valley 37
• Ridge View 69, Woodbine 44
• Westwood 47, Siouxland Community Christian 24
• Whiting 43, Charter Oak-Ute 25

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Madrid vs. Coon Rapids-Bayard, ppd.
Mount Ayr vs. Nodaway Valley, ppd. to Jan 31.

An Iowa based organization is planning a cross country event this summer to raise money for cancer research. Marathoner Steve Cannon says the Million Dollar Marathon will involve a series of nonstop marathons through 15 states. “It’s called the Million Dollar Marathon for a reason. Our goal is to raise a million dollars. That’s the kind of money that can really move the needle to help those people who are in the fight,” Cannon said. The relay will involve runners passing a baton every 26.2 miles — covering a total of 3,850 miles from the Pacific to the Atlantic.  “We will end up with 160 runners, each running a marathon one after the other and each with their own cancer story,” Cannon said. “Many of them will be cancer survivors. Some of them will be people who are actively in treatment. Some of them will be people who have incredible stories to tell of loved ones lost or loved ones who are in the fight.”

Cannon is no stranger to raising money and awareness for those in the fight against cancer. In 2009, he ran the entire RAGBRAI route and last summer, he became the first person to run around Lake Michigan. That 1,037 mile journey was completed in just 40 days – as Cannon averaged a marathon a day. Cannon has partnered with the Des Moines based group Above + Beyond Cancer on plans for the Million Dollar Marathon. Mercy Cancer Center Director Dr. Richard Deming, founder of Above + Beyond Cancer, said each marathoner will be joined by other runners — basically anyone who wants to participate. “Just yesterday I saw a patient and she just turned 90 years old. She’s a survivor. She has a walker and she wants a piece of this marathon,” Deming said. “We find the opportunity for people like her, a 90-year-old breast cancer survivor with a walker, to carry the baton and be a part of this.” Each of the 160 marathon runners selected will be asked to reach a fundraising goal of $7,000.

Deming started the Above + Beyond Cancer organization a year ago. He noted while 600-thousand (600,000) people will die of cancer in the United States this year, there are also 14-million Americans who are living with cancer or beat it.  “Cancer no longer has to be a death sentence,” Deming said. “One can overcome cancer and cancer can actually be a springboard to teaching you so many things about life.” Charlie Wittmack, the only American to have climbed Mount Everest and swim the English Channel, is executive director of Above + Beyond Cancer. He’s led cancer survivors and others touched by cancer on several expeditions – including climbs to a Mount Everest base camp and to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

“It’s truly been an extraordinary year – four expeditions, hundreds of speaking events, hundreds of hours spent advocating, days and days devoted to fundraising, service and volunteerism,” Wittmack said. “It’s hard to believe we’ve done all of that in the course of a year.” The Million Dollar Marathon is scheduled to begin on June 21 in Washington State. It’s unclear when the relay will pass through Iowa. Deming said ceremonies honoring the runners will be held in Denver, Colorado, Des Moines and Washington, D.C.

More information: http://coasttocoastforcancer.org

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa State looks to move to 5-2 in the Big 12 when it plays at Oklahoma State. But the Cyclones haven’t won in Stillwater since 1988, a losing streak that sits at 17 games. Oklahoma State is coming off an 80-66 win over West Virginia. Cyclones forward Will Clyburn is the Big 12’s Rookie of the Week after posting back-to-back double-doubles in a loss to the Red Raiders and a win over No. 18 Kansas State. Tip time at Hilton Coliseum is 7-p.m.

w/ Jim Field

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BOYS BASKETBALL
Essex 58, Craig-Fairfax, Mo. 38
Glidden-Ralston 52, Orient-Macksburg 38
Red Oak 73, Fremont-Mills 41

Western Valley Conference Tournament
Consolation
Boyer Valley 59, Ar-We-Va 48
Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 67, OA-BCIG 64 (3OT)
Ridge View 49, Westwood 43
River Valley 62, Siouxland Community Christian 54
West Harrison 97, Charter Oak-Ute 72
Woodbine 56, Whiting 45

Semifinal
IKM-Manning 63, West Monona 58
Lawton-Bronson 67, Woodbury Central 57

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Harlan 53, Red Oak 51