Atlantic Boys Wrestling had one of the most successful seasons in school history. They sent a school record-tying 8 boys to state and medaled two of them. They also went 10-0 in conference dual play, finishing first in the Hawkeye Ten, and placed first in the John Harris Invitational. Despite falling just short of State Duals, they still had a successful season as a whole. Head Coach Tim Duff is proud of the season his boys had and really liked their showing from start to finish.

This Trojans team was a group of guys who really put in the work. Finishing first in conference and sending 8 guys to state doesn’t happen without extra time on the mats:

The group of seniors was only three this season, but all three represented themselves and the school well for all four year and won a lot of matches:

Atlantic is looking to reload and be just as successful next year. They have a couple wrestlers returning who will bring instant impact to the program:

Finishing as the conference winner in duals and sending a school record tying 8 boys to state capped off a historic 2025-26 season for Atlantic Boys Wrestling.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa track and field qualified nine student-athletes to the 2026 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Senior Kalen Walker and junior Ryan Johnson return to the NCAA Indoor Championships while junior Darwin Jimenez, sophomore Emmanuel Njoku and sophomore Chioma Nwachukwu make their indoor championship debuts. Iowa’s women’s 4×400 relay team of Gabby Cortez, Olicia Lucas, Damaris Mutunga and Alivia Williams also qualified to the national meet.

Walker, a senior from Eddyville, Iowa, became a three-time Big Ten champion after clocking a facility-record 6.54 to secure the gold in the 60 meters. He adds to his decorated Big Ten career, now winning the 60 meters along with the 100 meters and as part of the 4×100 relay.

Johnson, a junior from Springboro, Ohio, became a back-to-back Big Ten champion in the men’s weight throw after launching a 2026 world-leading 25.66-meter mark. Johnson’s mark not only set a new school record but also shattered the collegiate, meet, and facility records. He now ranks third all-time among American weight throwers and fourth in history overall.

Jimenez, a junior from Methuen, Massachusetts, qualified with a season-best time of 6.52 at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. The time ranks second all-time at Iowa. He finished the 60 meters at the Big Ten Championships in 6.56, earning fourth place and helping lead the men’s team to a third-place finish. Earlier this season, he won the 60 meters at the Larry Wieczorek Invite in his Hawkeye debut (6.56).

Njoku, a sophomore from Benin City, Nigeria, earned Big Ten second-team honors in the men’s long jump, soaring 7.86 meters and winning the silver medal. Njoku earned second-team honors in consecutive seasons and was named to the Big Ten’s all-freshman team a season ago. His season-best mark was set at the Tyson Invite at 7.93 meters.

Nwachukwu, a sophomore from Asaba, Nigeria, earned Big Ten second-team honors as the runner-up in the women’s 400 meters after posting a personal-best finish of 51.67. The mark ranks second all-time in Iowa program history. Nwachukwu also anchored the 4×400-meter relay that placed second in 3:30.08. The time ranks second all-time at Iowa.

Iowa’s women’s 4×400 relay team of Gabby Cortez, Olicia Lucas, Damaris Mutunga and Alivia Williams are heading to the national meet after a qualifying time of 3:29.69 at the Tyson Invite. Lucas, Mutunga and Williams attended last season’s outdoor meet. Cortez will be making her national championships debut. Freshman Izzy Zahn and sophomore Chioma Nwachukwu will serve as alternates.

The NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships begin on Friday, March 13th and will continue March 14th.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. –Drake rookie hooper Anna Becker earned her fifth weekly league award with the MVC Freshman of the Week, the conference announced this morning.

Becker had another superb weekend as the Bulldogs complete season sweeps of Evansville and SIU on the road. Becker averaged 18.5 points, three rebounds, two steals, and two assists per game while scoring at a 68.2 percent clip. She began the weekend with 17 points and three rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting in a dramatic win over the Purple Aces. Becker provided the final lift to beat Evansville, finishing in the paint with just 11 seconds left. She then dropped 20 points and added another three boards, plus four steals, in a victory at Southern Illinois. Becker is now averaging 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in her rookie season.

Becker and the Bulldogs will conclude their regular season slate this week with a home tilt vs. Illinois State (Mar. 5) and rivalry road trip to UNI (Mar. 8).

MVC Women’s Basketball Weekly Award Winners – Mar. 3

Player of the Week – Camryn Runner, Guard, Evansville

Newcomer of the Week – Clemisha Prackett, Forward, Indiana State

Freshman of the Week – Anna Becker, Guard, Drake

4A

Substate 1:

Dowling Catholic – 58 vs Norwalk – 42

Substate 2: 

Urbandale – 48 vs Ames – 43

Substate 3:

Waukee Northwest – 82 vs Ankeny – 64

Substate 4: 

Cedar Falls – 66 vs Linn-Mar – 39

Substate 5:

Dubuque Senior – 69 vs Muscatine – 56

Substate 6: 

Prairie – 59 vs North Scott – 54

Substate 7: 

Johnston – 43 vs Des Moines Roosevelt – 43

Substate 8: 

Waukee – 61 vs Abraham Lincoln – 47

3A

Substate 3:

Xavier – 66 vs Wahlert Catholic – 53

3A

#3 Des Moines Christian – 52 vs #6 Forest city – 46

4A

#1 Bishop Heelan – 81 vs #8 North Polk – 56

#2 Dallas Center-Grimes – 59 vs #7 Waverly-Shell rock – 39

#3 Norwalk – 50 vs #6 Central DeWitt – 37

#5 Carlisle – 58 vs #4 Clear Creek Amana – 44

2A

#1 Hinton – 46 vs #8 West Lyon – 45

#4 Denver – 45 vs #5 Emmetsburg – 42

With a 57-38 regional final win over GTRA, the Exira-EHK Audubon Spartans Girls are back at the state tournament for the first time since 2022. They enter Des Moines with a 22-1 record, and more impressively, a 22-game win streak. To get here, they defeated Griswold, CAM and GTRA by an average margin of victory of 22 points in the regional tournament. They will take on the St. Albert Saintes who sport their own impressive 21-3 record. Head Coach Tom Petersen is not new to coaching teams with great records, but that fact does not take away from how special these girls are in their own right.

The Spartans responded to that first loss by rattling off 22 wins in a row, all by double digits. Coach Petersen admires how much this team has grown from day one:

It takes one look at the stat sheet to know that Exira-EHK prioritizes defense. They only allow 36 points per game which is the 7th best defense in Class 1A. This will be a key to victory for the Spartans:

As the season has progressed, Coach Petersen has prioritized how the team can play more as a unit and not just a group of individuals:

Taryn Petersen leads the team in scoring (20 ppg) and assists (5.5 apg). She is one of two captains on the team and one of the biggest leaders for this group:

The Spartans certainly have star power, but a lot of their success is due to girls who put in work behind the scenes and play their role:

On paper, these are very similar basketball teams. They average the exact same number of points (61.9 ppg) and allow just about the same as well. The State Quarterfinal between 22-1 Exira-EHK Audubon and 21-3 St. Albert will take place at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 4th. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:45pm with pregame coverage beginning at 6:00pm on KJAN Radio Atlantic.