Southwest Valley Athletic Director Allen Naugle has announced changes to the format for the upcoming 66th edition of the John. J. Harris Wrestling Tournament.

The tourney will still be held on two days but each day will include all wrestling for specific weight classes. The 106-145lb portion of the tournament will be contested on Friday, January 22nd beginning at 3:00 p.m. The 152-285lb brackets will wrestle on Saturday, January 23rd.

Tournament officials also announced that traditional t-shirt sales for the event will be done online instead of on-site. Shirts will be available for pickup at the event for those that are able to attend, otherwise shirts will be shipped directly to you. Check out the link HERE.

(IHSAA) Following venue and event format changes due to COVID-19, the 2021 IHSAA State Swimming Championships are now scheduled for Saturday, February 13 at Linn-Mar High School in Marion.

Next month’s meet had previously been set for a two-day preliminary and final format at the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

Due to capacity limitations, spectators will not be permitted at any IHSAA postseason swimming event. State meet and state qualifying meet attendance is limited to participants, event staff, administrators and coaches, and approved media members.

“We’re grateful to Linn-Mar for stepping up as an able and willing host school for the 2021 IHSAA State Swimming Championships,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said.

“Swimming has faced challenging circumstances throughout this school year. The IHSAA appreciates the efforts of participating schools, officials, and competitors to even make this boys’ swimming season and postseason possible.”

The move out of the University of Iowa natatorium was announced on December 3, where the meet has been since 2018. The total number of qualifiers for the one-day state meet with timed finals – 32 entries for individual events, 24 teams for relay events from six state qualifying meet sites – is an increase from 2020 and will remain equal to what was planned in the two-day format.

Linn-Mar has served as a co-host of the state meet at the University of Iowa for the last three years. The IHSAA is looking forward to working with the University of Iowa for the event in the future.

Sites and assignments for state qualifying meets are scheduled to be released next week. State qualifying meets are set for February 6, as previously scheduled.

Host sites of state qualifying meets will have the option of providing video streaming of the event at no charge to the host site or to viewers. The state meet will be streamed from Linn-Mar through IHSAA partner NFHS Network.

Details on the state meet will be posted on the State Meet Central page as they become available. Any further updates to postseason scheduling and guidance will be shared with member schools and through the Swimming and State Meet Central pages.

LOS ANGELES — University of Iowa senior All-American Luka Garza headlines the John R. Wooden Award Mid-Season Top 25. The announcement was made Wednesday evening by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the first half of the 2020-21 season, the list comprises of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for one of the sport’s most prestigious honor.

Garza (6-foot-11, 265 pounds) has been named to every major preseason All-American team and national player of the year award. Garza has ascended to second on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart, trailing only Roy Marble. Garza, who was a Wooden Award All-American a year ago, leads the all Division I players with a 46.82 Player Efficiency Rating (PER). He also is first in the country in points per game (27.5), 30-point games (5), and field goals made (111). Garza ranks third in the NCAA in free throws made (61) and free throw attempts (83), and tied for sixth in double-doubles (5).

Garza’s 34 points against Iowa State (Dec. 11) are the most points scored by a Hawkeye in the Cy-Hawk Series. He scored 21 straight points, spanning 5:15 in the second half against the Cyclones, including four consecutive 3-pointers on four straight possessions. Garza registered 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field against top-ranked Gonzaga (Dec. 19). He recorded 32 points and season-high 17 rebounds against Minnesota (Dec. 25) for his fifth double-double of the season and 25th of his career, which ranks seventh most in Hawkeye history. Garza’s 41 points against Southern University (Nov. 27) are the most points scored by a Hawkeye in a single-game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and his 36 first-half points (12-12 FG, 10-12 FT) are believed to be the most points scored by a Hawkeye in a half in program history. His efficient performance (14-15 FG; .933) against Southern was the best single-game field goal percentage by a Big Ten player since 1984.

Garza and the fifth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes return to action on Thursday against Maryland. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:01 p.m. (CT) at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland.