May 23, 2012

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DMACC softball team quickly gets back into the mix

May 15, 2012 By

It did not take long for the Des Moines Area Community College softball program to reach a milestone. After a 32-year hiatus the program was restarted by coach Bob Ligouri and the Bears take a 40-19 record to Clinton, Mississippi this week for the division two Junior College National Championship tournament.

Ligouri admits the first season has even exceeded his expectations and believes team chemistry is a major part of that. He says it’s an example of a group of 19 girls, none of them who really knew each other very well, and they came together as a team.

DMACC is seeded 11th in the 16 team field and will open the double elimination tournament on Thursday morning against Parkland College of Illinois. Ligouri says they look at it as a chance to play at the end of the season at the highest level.

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Iowa Speedway preparing for opening race weekend

May 14, 2012 By

The opening weekend of action at the Iowa Speedway is just a few days away and it will be capped off by Sunday’s running of the Pioneer Hi-Bred 250, the first of two NASCAR Nationwide Series races at the track this season.

Iowa Speedway C.E.O. Doug Fritz says there’s excitement on opening day of any sporting event, and he says will the staff of the track is excited, the fans are too. The first Nationwide race in 2011 drew more than 37,800 fans and Fritz says another big crowd will watch this weekend.

The last couple of weeks have been really, really hot on ticket sales and between now and race time it picks up even more,” Fritz says. He says there’s a good forecast for the weekend and expects sales to continue at a strong pace.

Fritz says tickets for this weekend are still available at IowaSpeedway.com or you can call 1-866-RUSTY-GO to find out about all the events surrounding the races.

The track opens for practice on Saturday morning.

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William Penn and Morningside head to Alabama for softball tourney

May 11, 2012 By

Two Iowa schools will travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama, next week for the NAIA softball championships. William Penn and Morningside will be part of the 32 team field.

William Penn coach Mike Christner says Gulf Shores has a top facility and they do a great job for the teams with a banquet the night before. The teams are divided into eight pools and the pool winners advance to a championship tournament.

Penn opens next Thursday against Azusa Pacific of California and will also play Olivet Mazarene of Illinois and Auburn-Montgomery of Alabama. Morningside will play in the tournament for the fourth straight year. The Mustangs open next Thursday against Central Baptist of Arkansas.

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Drake to get a chance to compete for football playoff bid

May 10, 2012 By

Chris Creighton (file photo)

A plan waiting for final approval to expand the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs would give the Pioneer Football League an automatic bid beginning with the 2013 season.

 Drake is one of the founding members of the PFL, which was established in 1991 for schools that offered division one basketball and non-scholarship football.

Drake coach Chris Creighton says the NCAA president has gone on record that this is going to happen in 2013 and be finalized in the August meetings.

 No PFL team has ever received an at-large bid into what used to be called the one-double-a national playoffs and it is the only conference that has requested an automatic bid but does not have one.

Creighton says the proposal would increase the playoff field from 20 to 24, with three of the new spots being at-large bids. “That’s why all the other conferences are excited about it, they are fine with us getting if it allows for three more at-larges for other conferences to get a second or even a third-place team into the playoffs. It makes sense for everybody,” Creighton says.

Creighton says PFL teams are playing more games against scholarship FCS programs and the league deserves a bid. Drake will host Montana State next season and will also play at game at Indiana State. ” I think what it will do is just clear up any faulty perception that the Pioneer Football League is sort of its own league without an affiliation,” Creighton says.

“We’re a part of the Football Championship Subdivision, and then like the Ivy League and the Patriot League, we are one of three conferences that chooses not to give scholarships. The Ivy League choose not to go to the playoffs, the Patriot League does, and the Pioneer League does not.”

Drake won the PFL championship this past season but did not have a post-season opportunity. That will likely change for the 2013 season.

“When we won the championship this last year at our Monday meeting after the final game, there was obvious enthusiasm and excitement, and but there was also some emptiness, you just has this feeling that we’re not done yet…when you haven’t gone as far as you can go and then get knocked out, it’s an unsettling feeling,” Creighton explains.

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NCAA regional features three Iowa Conference softball teams

May 10, 2012 By

Three Iowa Conference teams begin play in an NCAA divisions three Regional in Pella on Friday. Regular season champion Luther is the top seed and will play St. Scholastica of Minnesota in the opener.

Luther coach Renea Hartl says they’ve had a good season and bring a good record into the first round. The other non-Iowa schools in the field are St. Thomas of Minnesota and Wisconsin-River Falls.

Hartl says they played St.Thomas twice and beat them twice last year and she says River Falls is playing their best ball right now and will be tough to beat. Central is the second seed and plays River Falls in the opening round.

Central coach George Wares says River Falls won the league tournament by coming through the losers bracket like his team did. And they were in the regional last year, so they have postseason experience. Coe College plays St. Thomas is the other first round game. Wares feels the regional is up for grabs.

Wares says at this level it comes down to a bounce that goes one way or the other and you hope that your pitching and defense can be consistent and that will make you successful.

The winner will advance to the division three championship tournament in Salem, Virginia.

Darin Svenson, KDEC, Decorah also contributed to this story.

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Andretti looking forward to return to Iowa Speedway

May 9, 2012 By

Marco Andretti

Indycar driver Marco Andretti is looking forward to defending his title at next months Iowa Corn Indy 250 at the Iowa Speedway. The grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti claimed his second Indycar Series victory in a race that featured five lead changes in the final 60 laps.

“Obviously it brought me some success, you know being selfish, but I really like driving there, It think it’s a real driver’s track and it’s trick to get right, because it’s about finding that balance between super speedway setup and a oval setup. And I’ve been in a race where it’s kind of raced like both,” Andretti says.

Andretti says the Iowa Speedway changes as the rubber builds up on it. “Obviously under the lights is a lot of fun as well and the fans make that race what it is and it’s very special to come here every time,” Andretti says.

The focus right now for Andretti is the Indianapolis 500. The track opens for practice on Saturday and the race for the pole is May 19th. Andretti says, “You know the race there is always different from qualifying, so if I qualify 33rd we can win that race. So that’s what we are showing up to do is to win that race, not so much put it on the pole. But it’d be great.”

Andretti was in Iowa shooting and recording promotional material for the Iowa Corn Indy 250, which is June 23rd.

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Grinnell College host Midwest Conference baseball tourney

May 9, 2012 By

Grinnell College will host the Midwest Conference baseball tournament this weekend. The Pioneers won the South Division title and coach Tim Hollibaugh says a talented and deep pitching staff has been the biggest factor.

Hollibaugh says it’s the most depth he’s had in 18 years and he says that lack of pitching depth has been what held them back in the past. Grinnell will play Beloit in the tournament opener on Friday morning. North Division champ St. Norbert plays Knox College in the other first round contest.

He says St. Norbert is probably the front runner going in, and then he says any team that gets hot can make a run. Hollibaugh believes all four teams have the potential to win the tournament.

Hollibaugh says an early trip to the losers bracket is something every team needs to avoid. He says you are a much better position when you don’t have to play the extra games in the loser’s bracket.

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