The Riverside Boys Wrestling team capped off a successful season by sending seven wrestlers to state, which included a state title winner in Drew Anderson, who won the 138-weight division. Riverside consistently sends multiple wrestlers to state every year, and this season they were rewarded with a state champion. Head Coach Casey Conover is very happy with how the team performed this season. He thinks the success of this season made it very rewarding and thought his boys did a great job from start to finish.

A lot of the success of the team can be attributed to the work put in by the seniors and leaders of the team:

Coach Conover is looking forward to what his younger wrestlers can do for the future of the program:

Riverside’s success can be traced back to their mindset before every match:

The Bulldogs finished with one state title this season. Drew Anderson took home the title in the Class 1A 138 division.

Substate 1:

Carroll – 77 vs Saydel – 51

Sioux Center – 58 vs MOC Floyd-Valley – 46

Substate 2:

North Polk – 54 vs Clear Lake – 52

Gilbert – 63 vs Knoxville – 40

Substate 3:

Wahlert Catholic – 86 vs Decorah – 55

Xavier – 64 vs Waverly Shell-Rock – 52

Substate 4:

Solon – 71 vs Assumption – 51

Central Dewitt – 54 vs Marion – 52

Substate 5:

Pella – 76 vs Washington – 38

Keokuk – 64 vs Center Point-Urbana – 58

Substate 6:

ADM – 76 vs Benton – 35

Nevada – 70 vs Bondurant-Farrar – 53

Substate 7: 

Ballard – 78 vs Des Moines Christian – 52

Oskaloosa – 53 vs Winterset – 38

Substate 8:

Storm Lake – 82 vs Algona – 36

Sergeant Bluff-Luton – 54 vs Bishop Heelan – 47

Slow starts have been too common for the Iowa basketball team and coach Ben McCollum says the Hawkeyes can’t afford another one tomorrow when they visit Penn State. Under third year coach Mike Rhoades the Nittany Lions are just 2-15 in the Big Ten but there have been several near misses against some of the top teams, especially at home.

Penn State averages fewer than six thousand fans per home game so the crowd may not provide a lot of energy.

After struggling for a few weeks McCollum feels the Hawkeyes have gotten back to playing good defense.

The Hawkeyes are 10-7 in the Big Ten and 20-8 overall.

The Drake women saw a 15-point second half lead evaporate but held on for an 87-85 win Thursday, at Evansville. Anna Becker’s layup with 11 seconds remaining was the game winner.

That’s Drake coach Allison Pohlman. Drake improved to 8-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference despite giving up 27 fourth quarter points.

The Northern Iowa women scored 59 second half points, Thursday night, and raced away to a 92-54 win over Valparaiso in Cedar Falls.

That’s Panther coach Tanya Warren. UNI led 22-10 at the end of one but managed only 11 points in the second quarter.

UNI moves to 10-7 in the Missouri Valley.

Ava Heiden had 28 points and Hannah Stuelke added 18 points as the ninth ranked Iowa Hawkeye women held off Illinois 82-78, Thursday night, in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes rallied from a six point fourth quarter deficit to move to 14-3 in the Big Ten.

That’s Iowa coach Jan Jensen. After dominating sixth ranked Michigan on Sunday the Hawkeyes were pushed to the limit by the Illini.

Iowa closes the regular season on Sunday at Wisconsin.

The Riverside Bulldogs have gone on an incredible postseason run that has landed them a matchup with St. Edmond with the state tournament on the line. The Bulldogs’ playoff run includes a win over Stanton and two upset victories over 19-3 Southwest Valley and 19-4 Bedford. Junior Peyton Amdor has been an absolute star so far, collecting a triple double against Stanton, 28 points and 20 rebounds against Southwest Valley and poured in another 22 points in the District Championship against Bedford. His play has been phenomenal, and Head Coach Nicholas Kroon says it can be credited to the work done behind the scenes.

Riverside’s difficult regular season scheduled has prepared them for playing great teams in the playoffs:

St. Edmond is another excellent team that stands in the Bulldogs’ way, but Coach Kroon believes his team is ready:

Games this time of year can feel like a lot of pressure, but Coach Kroon has taken on a different mindset:

The Riverside Bulldogs will take on St. Edmond in the Substate Final at the Drake University Knapp Center on Saturday, February 28th. Tipoff scheduled for 7:00pm.

The fourth ranked Iowa State men are in the Big 12 title hunt as they get ready to host 16th ranked Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon. The Cyclones and Red Raiders are part of as four-way logjam in second at 11-4. ISU will visit second ranked Arizona Monday night. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 race with a record of 13-2.

That’s Cyclone coach T.J. Otzelberger. The top of the Big 12 is full of teams that are legitimate Final Four contenders.

Texas Tech has won two straight despite being without star forward JT Toppin, who suffered a season ending ACL injury. Toppin was averaging nearly 22 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Otzelberger says Tech remains an outstanding perimeter shooting team.

Senior guard Nate Heise says the red Raiders remain dangerous even without Toppin.

Heise believes the Cyclones are poised for the stretch run.

Senior forward Joshua Jefferson says there veteran nature has allowed them to handle the press of a title chase.

The Cyclones are 24-4 overall.