The Iowa Legislature honored the Morningside Women’s basketball team today for its “storybook season.” The Morningside Lady Mustangs won the N-A-I-A Division II women’s basketball national championship. Morningside president John Reynders was on hand for this morning’s ceremonies in the Iowa House and Senate.Reynders says “just a few short weeks ago these lovely young women played before 68-hundred screaming fans in Sioux City in this wonderful new Tyson Events Center.” That center was built after the state awarded Sioux City a “Vision Iowa” grant for the project. Reynders says no college president could be more proud of a group of athletes. N-A-I-A Division II Coach-of-the-Year, Morningside’s Jamie Sales, thanked lawmakers for honoring his squad. Sales says the recognition from the state legislature meant a lot to the team, especially since 16 of the women on the Morningside team are Iowa natives. House Speaker Christopher Rants of Sioux City is a Morningside grad, and he ran down the big stats from the big game. The Morningside women shot 48.6 percent from the three-point arch in the title game, making 17 treys. Morningside finished the season with a 34 and 4 record — a school record for victories. That’s why Senator Ron Wieck of Sioux City says you can’t call it a “Cinderella season” for Morningside. Wieck says “they came right out of the shoot and were on a winning way all the way.
