Pictured front row left to right- Eric Bach(Council Bluffs Soccer Club U19 Spirit coach), Morgan Holtz, Beth Herbst(AHSTW High School coach) Back row left to right- Jordyn Holtz(sister), Christie Holtz(mom), Rich Holtz(dad), Ethan Holtz(brother) (Photo Submitted)

AHSTW’s Morgan Holtz signed on Wednesday March 10th to play soccer for the Iowa Western Reivers and continue her education through their Vet Tech program. Morgan will graduate in May of 2021 from AHSTW High School. Morgan started all 15 games her freshman year and 13 of 16 games her sophomore year, mostly in a defensive role for the Lady Vikes. She recorded 3 assists and 1 goal from 8 shots on goal in limited action on the offensive side. Her junior year was cancelled due to Covid and will be competing in her senior season this spring.

AMES, Iowa – T.J. Otzelberger (OTTS-ull-burger), who has crisscrossed the nation recruiting all-star talent and building championship-level programs, is returning “home” as the 21st head men’s basketball coach in Iowa State history.

Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard made the announcement Thursday. Otzelberger will be introduced virtually Friday at 10:30 a.m. CT and that news conference feed will be available on cyclones.com. The hiring is pending a background check by the University.

This will be Otzelberger’s third stint in Ames, but his first as head coach. Previously, he was lead recruiter and bench coach for Greg McDermott, Fred Hoiberg and Steve Prohm. The last three Cyclone teams Otzelberger worked with registered a 69-35 (.663) overall record with NCAA Tournament appearances every season.

“It’s with great excitement and anticipation that we welcome T.J., Alison and their three children to Iowa State,” Pollard said. “T.J. was instrumental in helping our program achieve some of its most-significant achievement and he is keenly aware of what it takes to be successful at Iowa State.”

Otzelberger left a flourishing ISU program in 2016 to begin building his own head coaching resume. He spent three successful years in charge at South Dakota State where his teams amassed 70 victories, won two regular season and conference tournament championships and earned three post-season appearances. At UNLV he was re-energizing the Runnin’ Rebels’ program, which is college basketball’s fifth-winningest program but had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2013.

“I have had a close professional relationship with T.J. for many years and admired his work ethic and commitment to excellence,” Pollard said.  “Having watched him grow professionally, I am convinced he is exactly what our program needs at this time.”

Pollard underlined several of Otzelberger’s personal strengths and his unique history with Iowa State.

“He is a natural leader who understands how to recruit to Iowa State, values our department culture of doing things the right way, and employs a work ethic that rivals anyone in this business,” Pollard said. “T.J. has always wanted to be the head coach at Iowa State, and he realized several years ago that creating his own head coaching resume was a requirement to build his candidacy. The success and challenges he experienced at South Dakota State and UNLV prepared him to lead our program back to national prominence. I am excited for his to return to Hilton Coliseum and Cyclone Nation.”

The homecoming to Ames almost reads like a Hollywood script.

“I couldn’t be more enthused about the opportunity that President (Wendy) Wintersteen and Jamie (Pollard) have given our family,” Otzelberger said. “It’s somewhat rare to get the chance to return home but Iowa State was my first stop as a Division I college coach and it is my wife’s (Australia native Alison Lacey, who played for ISU) adopted home. The resources are here to build and sustain a program that competes at a high level in the Big 12 and nationally. I’m familiar with the foundation of the school and basketball program and am eager and inspired to sell our vision and re-establish a championship culture.”

Otzelberger just finished his second year at UNLV where he was in the midst of restoring one of college basketball’s glamour programs. In his two seasons, the gains were being realized on the court, in recruiting circles and in the classroom.

In his first season (2019-20) in Las Vegas, the Runnin’ Rebels tied for second in the Mountain West Conference, won 12 league games (Rollie Massimino, in 1993, was the last coach to win more conference games), signed the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the MWC and excelled in the classroom.

UNLV won its final five regular-season games his first year as Otzelberger’s game-plan started to take hold. The Runnin’ Rebels sent shockwaves through college basketball with an upset of undefeated and No. 4 San Diego State, the school’s best road win in 30 years.

The 2020-21 roster included 10 players (seven freshmen), who had never played a game for UNLV. A 33-day break due to COVID-19 and losing its captain and starting point guard in January were other challenges that Otzelberger navigated. With the youthful roster, a month-long break from practice and competition and a season-ending injury to a team leader, UNLV endured four one-possession defeats to finish in the middle of the MWC.

Otzelberger is closing in on his 100^th career victory having forged a five-year collegiate record of 99-63. His teams have been extremely competitive in conference play with a 67% winning rate and three championship or runner-up finishes.

At South Dakota State (2017-19), Otzelberger built reputations for winning and high-level offense. The Jackrabbits were 70-33 overall, won two Summit League regular-season titles, made the NCAA Tournament twice and the NIT once. SDSU finished seventh and fifth nationally in scoring offense his final two years.

In his rookie season as a head coach (2017), SDSU became the first in league history to win three conference tourney games in three days to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The 2018 Jackrabbits set a school record with 28 wins, won both the conference regular-season and tournament titles and earned a No. 12 seed in NCAA West Region. They were the highest scoring team in school history and were among the NCAA leaders in points, three pointers, fewest turnovers, free throws and winning percentage. He was honored as the Summit League Coach of the Year.

Otzelberger’s final South Dakota State team won 24 games, earned the Summit League title again, ranked among the nation’s Top 10 in five offensive categories and earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.

His star player was three-time Summit League Player of the Year Mike Daum. The sweet-shooting big man was an Honorable Mention All-American, became the Summit League’s career scoring leader and the 10^th player in history with more than 3,000 career points.

Prior to joining the head coach ranks, Otzelberger served two stints over eight years as an assistant or associate coach with the Cyclones. He started as an aid to McDermott and was credited with recruiting a number of stars – Craig Brackins, Diante Garrett, Mike Taylor, Scott Christopherson and Melvin Ejim – to the program.

Otzelberger was a holdover on the staff when Hoiberg replaced McDermott on the sidelines. His duties expanded – as he was promoted to Associate Coach – under Hoiberg. Otzelberger was in charge of scouting reports and game plans in 2012 and 2013 when ISU won 23 games each season and made the NCAA Tournament.

Otzelberger’s eye for talent continued under Hoiberg. Iowa State signed and developed a number of eventual professional players – Wesley Johnson, Justin Hamilton, Royce White, Chris Allen, Will Clyburn, Tyrus McGee, Georges Niang, Monte Morris, Abdel Nader, Matt Thomas, Naz Mitrou-Long and Deonte Burton while he was on staff.

The final two seasons with the Hoiberg-Otzelberger tandem in place were among the most-entertaining in school history. Iowa State ranked in the top five nationally for scoring and three-point baskets while winning consistently in Hilton Coliseum, where the Cyclones registered a 22-game homecourt win streak.

Otzelberger was on Lorenzo Romar’s staff at Washington for two years (2014-15). The Huskies climbed as high as No. 11 in the national polls in 2014, and Otzelberger was credited with helping sign a Top 10 recruiting class in 2015.

When Prohm was named head coach in 2015-16, Otzelberger returned for one year with the Cyclones and that team won 23 games and advanced to the NCAA’s Sweet Sixteen. They defeated four ranked schools, including No. 1 Oklahoma in Hilton Coliseum.

In the community, Otzelberger was very involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Ames and he assisted in bringing the National Association of Basketball Coaches “Stay in to Win” program to central Iowa. At the 2017 NCAA Final Four, he received a prestigious Guardians of the Game Award from the NABC for his work with that program focusing on student success and dropout prevention.

Prior to Iowa State, Otzelberger was an assistant coach at Chipola (Fla.) Junior College, when the team was 33-4 and placed fourth in the NJCAA tournament. He also spent three seasons at Catholic Central High School in Burlington, Wis., where he was a coach and athletics director for parts of his tenure.

The 43-year-old native of Milwaukee was a two-year captain at UW-Whitewater, where he earned his business administration degree in 2001. He added a Masters’ of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from UW-Whitewater in 2004.

Otzelberger is married to Alison Lacey, a three-time All-Big 12 player for the ISU women’s basketball program. Lacey scored 1,620 points while leading the Cyclones to four NCAA Tournaments, including an Elite Eight (2009) and Sweet Sixteen (2010). She played professionally in the WNBA for the Seattle Storm, including its championship season of 2010. The couple has three children: Jayce, Olivia and Stella.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Luka Garza was voted to the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) First-Team All-America team. The announcement was made by the USBWA on Wednesday.

Joining Garza on the first team are Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois, Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, Jared Butler of Baylor, and Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham.

Among the first-team selections, Garza, Dosunmu, and Kispert are the finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented to the national player of the year by the USBWA. The winner of the award will be announced on April 1 in a virtual event in conjunction with the Final Four in Indianapolis, the hometown of Oscar Robertson.

The USBWA is one of four outlets used by the NCAA to determine its consensus All-America teams (Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, United States Basketball Writers Association, and Sporting News). Garza has already been named to the first-team All-America squad by Sporting News and the Associated Press. The NABC is expected to make its announcement in the coming days.

Iowa has had an All-American in three of the last six seasons. Garza is a two-time first-team honoree (2020, 2021), while Jarrod Uthoff was a second-team selection in 2016.

Garza is also a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, Senior CLASS Award, and the Lute Olson Award.

Garza (6-foot-11, 265 pounds) has led the eighth-ranked Hawkeyes to 21 victories this season, including wins in eight of their last 10 contests. The Washington, D.C., native leads the nation in total points (687); player efficiency rating (35.84); 30-point games (7); field goals made (258); and 20-point games (19). Garza is seventh nationally in free throw makes (134) and attempts (188), and 10th in double-doubles (13).

The two-time Big Ten Player of the Year averaged 21.9 points per game during the 20-game conference schedule, becoming the third player since 1990 to lead the Big Ten in scoring in consecutive seasons (Michigan State’s Steve Smith and Evan Turner of Ohio State).

Garza broke the Iowa’s 32-year old scoring record held by Roy Marble on Feb. 21, 2021. His 2,246 points rank eighth-best in Big Ten history. In addition to ranking first in career scoring, Garza is tops at Iowa in conference scoring (1,399), total field goals made (847), field goal attempts (1,558), and 40-point games (2); second in rebounds (916) and 30-point games (12); fourth in double-doubles (34); fifth in blocked shots (153); sixth in free throw makes (439) and attempts (625); and 13th in 3-pointers made (113). He is the only men’s basketball player in Big Ten history to accumulate 2,200 points and 900 rebounds.

No. 2 seed Iowa (21-8) will open NCAA Tournament play on Saturday against 15th-seeded Grand Canyon (17-6). Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 5:25 p.m. (CT) at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State women’s basketball junior Ashley Joens earned honorable mention All-America honors for the second-consecutive year.

The Iowa City, Iowa native, averaged a career-best 23.6 points per game, while shooting a career-best 46.7 from the floor. She added 9.2 rebounds per game. Joens led the Big 12 in scoring, for the second-straight season and ranks ninth nationally in scoring.

Joens’ was also honored yet again as a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First-Team, along with a Top-5 Finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award. She was recently named a Second-Team All-American by Sports Illustrated.

Joens has tallied 613 points on the season, which ranks fourth in school history. Her 1,615 career points are just five points shy of tying Alison Lacey (1,620) for 10^th in school history.

Iowa State returns to the court on Monday, March 22 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State earned a No. 7 seed and will take on 10^th-seeded Michigan State.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark was named a second team AP All-American, the Associated Press announced on Wednesday.

Clark is the eighth Hawkeye to be named an AP All-American, and is the first Iowa women’s basketball freshman to earn the distinction. She joins Hawkeye greats Kathleen Doyle, Megan Gustafson, Samantha Logic, Jaime Printy, Kachine Alexander, Cara Consuegra, and Amy Herrig. P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Coach Lisa Bluder has coached seven of the eight AP All-Americans.

In 27 contests this season, Clark averaged 26.7 points, 7.2 assists, 3.8, 3-pointers and shot 47 percent from the field. She registered double figures in all but one of Iowa’s games, including 11 30-point games and 13 additional 20-point games. Clark assisted on five or more baskets 21 times and recorded double-doubles in nine contests, including one triple-double.

Clark leads the nation in total points (720), points per game (26.7), total assists (195), and 3-pointers made (103). She ranks second in assists per game (7.2) and 3-pointers per game (3.81), ranks seventh in free-throws made (141), 29th in free-throw percentage (86), and 38th in 3-point percentage (40.6).

Clark, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, was a unanimous first team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. She was also named a member of the Big Ten All-Tournament team.

Clark is a Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist, a Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year finalist, and a Dawn Staley Late Season finalist.

Clark and the Hawkeyes are headed to San Antonio, Texas, for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Iowa will play Central Michigan in the first round on Sunday, March 21 at 11 a.m. (CT) inside the Alamodome.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State has added a match to its volleyball schedule, ISU announced Wednesday. The Cyclones will travel to Omaha on Saturday, March 27 to take on Creighton in a 4 p.m. match at D.J. Sokol Arena.

The Cyclones and Bluejays have been familiar foes over the years, as this will mark the fifth-straight season the two programs have met. The last meeting came in the 2019 NCAA Volleyball Championship First Round in Minneapolis, which the Bluejays won 3-0. The two teams last met in Omaha in 2018, with the hosts picking up a 3-1 win that day.

Creighton, No. 24 in this week’s AVCA Top 25, currently own an 8-2 overall record, 5-1 against Big East competition. The Bluejays are coming off a 2-0 weekend at Butler and make a trip to Kansas State this weekend prior to taking on the Cyclones next Saturday. The match will serve as Creighton’s final tune-up before hosting the Big East Tournament Apr. 2-3.

Iowa State’s next scheduled match will be at home on Friday, March 26 against Wayne State. The match at Hilton Coliseum will start at 4 p.m.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The National Wrestling Coaches Association announced Wednesday that for the second straight year University of Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands has been named NWCA National Coach of the Year.

The NWCA coaching honor is the third of Brands’ career. He was previously recognized in 2008 and 2020. The 2008 team won the NCAA Championship and the 2020 team was a heavy favorite to win the national title prior to the tournament’s cancellation.

The 2021 Hawkeyes have been ranked atop the national polls since the beginning of the season and enter the NCAA Championships with four wrestlers ranked No. 1 at their respective weight class and eight wrestlers seeded fifth or better. Iowa won the 2021 Big Ten Championship and crowned four individual conference champions.

The NWCA award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community.

“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, it is my privilege to award Coach Tom Brands, for the second year in a row, the NWCA Division I National Coach of the Year award,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. “Tom continues to do a phenomenal job at Iowa and this season has been another demonstration of the strength of the Hawkeye wrestling program.  Good luck to Coach Brands and his squad this week as they compete at the NCAA Championships.”

The coaching award is the second for Brands this season. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year following the conference tournament. The 2021 NCAA Championships begin Thursday at 10 a.m. (CT) at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Tournament information is available at the NCAA Championships page at hawkeyesports.com.

With Jim Field.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Drake basketball coach Darian DeVries has agreed to an eight-year contract extension through 2028-29, athletic director Brian Hardin announced Wednesday night. DeVries has led the Bulldogs to 20-win seasons each of his first three years at the school. Drake’s 25 wins this season are third-most in the nation. The Bulldogs play Wichita State in an NCAA First Four game on Thursday. Terms of the extension weren’t announced. DeVries has twice been named the Missouri Valley Conference coach of the year.

UNDATED (AP) — It has been more than a decade since Iowa showed the kind of dominance at the NCAA championships that it takes to win a team title. The drought likely will end this weekend. Beginning with 125-pound Spencer Lee, the two-time and defending champion, the Hawkeyes will bring the deepest team to St. Louis. They qualified an All-American candidate at every weight and will have four No. 1 seeds when the tournament begins.

UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a $5 million contract for next season with three-time Pro Bowler Kyle Long, who will come out of retirement to help their rebuilt offensive line, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The Chiefs also agreed to one-year deals to keep running back Darrel Williams, linebacker Ben Niemann and defensive end Taco Charlton, sources told The AP. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been announced.

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten in the habit the past couple years of plugging their biggest holes by trading for big-name bats that just happen to have had a whole lot of success against them. Two years ago it was Paul Goldschmidt, and this past offseason it was Nolen Arenado. Now, those two sluggers are set to anchor a much more dangerous lineup and support a strong cast of starters and one of the best bullpens in baseball as the Cardinals seek take aim at the Chicago Cubs and the rest of the NL Central.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After four consecutive losing seasons, the Kansas City Royals are done with rebuilding. The team has signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana and traded for Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Those moves should help fill their two biggest offensive holes. It should help veterans such as Whit Merrifield and the rest of the Royals feel they can compete for a division title again.

UNDATED (AP) — Eastern Washington coach Shantay Legans borrows offensive and defensive schemes straight from the coach his team is about to face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The imitation is purely a show of respect toward longtime Kansas coach Bill Self. Legans has never had a sit-down conversation with Self but feels like he knows Self given how much time he’s studied Self’s teams and style. Legans and Self also have in common the experience of dealing with their seasons being disrupted due to coronavirus protocols. The third-seeded Jayhawks will be without two of their players due to the protocols when they play No. 14 seed Eastern Washington.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — For a team that’s been a NCAA Tournament regular much of the past decade, Wichita State is still a bit taken aback by its latest appearance. The Shockers seemed an unlikely participant following a tumultuous offseason featuring players exits and the resignation of longtime coach Gregg Marshall amid misconduct allegations. Isaac Brown took over on an interim basis but is now the Shockers’ permanent coach after guiding them to their first AAC regular season title. They enter the tournament as a No. 11 seed and will face Drake in a First Four play-in game.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Some of the top players at the March Madness tournament in Indiana are speaking out against the NCAA. Isaiah Livers of Michigan, Geo Baker of Rutgers and Jordan Bohannon of Iowa were among the players who took to social media demanding equal rights. They used the hashtag #NotNCAAProperty. They want the OK to earn money for things like sponsorship deals, online endorsement and personnel appearances.

Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon (3) is fouled as he shoots by Illinois guard Andre Curbelo (5) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The NCAA is in the process of changing its rules to allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses. Those efforts have bogged down since the start of 2021.