Morrison honored by IFCA

ALTOONA — Creston football coach Brian Morrison was one of seven head coaches honored last weekend by the Iowa Football Coaches Association as Coach of the Year in their respective class.

During the IFCA’s annual clinic and banquet, Morrison received the Class 3A award. Others ere Marty Wadle of Bishop Garrison, 8-man; Brock Hinkel of Madrid, Class A; Dan Anderson of MFL, Mar-Mac, Class 1A; Wes Wilson of Monticello, Class 2A; Zach Pfantz of Bondurant-Farrar, Class 4A; and Jeff Bauer of Ankeny, Class 5A.

Bedford coach Jeremy Nally was selected as regional 8-player coach of the year, and Bedford’s Greg Sleep was honored as a regional assistant coach of the year. Justin Kammrad of Lewis Central received a Class 4A regional award.

National qualifier

PUEBLO, Colo. — The ninth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team dominated NCAA Super Region VI, having eight top three finishers in amassing 143.5 points Saturday.

The top three finishers in each weight class advanced to the NCAA Division II championships March 15-16 in Wichita, Kansas, and among the Lopers advancing is 197-pound redshirt sophomore Jackson Kinsella of Creston.

Kinsella, ranked 10th, placed second in the super regional to earn his first appearance in the NCAA nationals. Kinsella fell to 11th-ranked Tereus Henry of Hays in overtime, 4-1, after posting a 17-1 technical fall victory in the semifinals.

Among the other Nebraska-Kearney qualifiers is heavyweight Crew Howard of Clarinda. Howard, ranked fifth, won the 285-pound division with a 16-0 technical fall win over ninth-ranked Taniela Feliciano-Takafua of Simon Fraser (Canada) in the semifinals and a 4-1 victory over Colorado Mesa’s Tyler Doyle in the championship bout.

Juco nationals

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Sophomore 165-pounder Triston Barncastle of Creston was one of seven Ellsworth Community College qualifiers for the NJCAA national tournament last weekend in the Mid-America Center, hosted by Iowa Western Community College.

Ellsworth placed 23rd in the national meet with 33.5 points. Barncastle was 1-2, losing an 8-5 decision in the first round before winning by fall and losing a 16-5 major decision in the consolation rounds.

To qualify for nationals in the North Central District meet last month at Estherville, Barncastle placed third. In that competition he lost a major decision, won by medical forfeit, and won a 15-7 decision in the match for third place.

Second seed

MARYVILLE — The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team has been tabbed as the No. 2 seed in the 2024 MIAA Tournament.

The Bearcats (22-6) will play their first game of the tournament at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, against the winner of the No. 7 and No. 10 seeds.

Bearcat center Kelsey Fields of Creston Fields posted her ninth double-double performance, tying for a game-high 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting and adding 13 boards in a 69-62 victory Saturday at Missouri Southern.

Starting forward Emma Atwood of Central Decatur suffered a season and career-ending knee injury in a home game Feb. 15. Atwood will graduate with her master’s degree at Northwest this spring.

Title game

DES MOINES — The No. 20-ranked Grand View women’s basketball team routed MidAmerica Nazarene 80-43 in the Heart of America Conference semifinals Saturday afternoon.

Brianna Fields of Creston scored two points for the Vikings (27-4), who host a Heart of America championship game tonight (Tuesday) for the first time against the Ravens of Benedictine College. Benedictine upset top-seeded Clarke University Saturday, 64-61.