March 29, 2024

Sports briefs

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Starzl leaving

WINNEBAGO, Neb. — Elijah Starzl has been named head men’s basketball coach at Little Priest Tribal College.

Starzl is in his first year at Southwestern Community College as an assistant coach for a men’s basketball team that is currently No. 4 in that nation in NJCAA Division 2 with a 22-3 record. He is also head coach for the Southwestern bowling team.

Prior to Joining the Spartans, Starzl was an assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of Minnesota Morris for eight seasons. UMM is an NCAA Division III university located in Morris, Minnesota.

Starzl was also the head tennis coach while at Morris and received the UMAC coach of the year award in 2010-2011.

Starzl received his undergraduate degree in physical education/sports management in 2005 from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota, where he also earned his bachelor of science degree in education/sports leadership in 2008.

A standout athlete for the Mustangs, Starzl earned All-NSIC honors in basketball three times from 2002-2005. He was team MVP in 2004 and 2005 and well as team captain for three straight seasons. Off the court, he was a two-time NSIC scholar athlete and named to the dean’s list as an undergraduate and graduate student.

While at SMSU, Starzl’s coaching duties included conditioning and strength training, as well as recruiting. He is currently the 11th all-time leading scorer with 1,146 points and ranks third all-time in offensive rebounds.

During his summers, Starzl works with youths across the Midwest with Midwest Elite Basketball. In 2011, he was named the MEB Coach of the Year. Starzl graduated from Columbus High school in Columbus, Nebraska.

SWCC baseball

The Southwestern baseball team opened its 2016 season last weekend on a 3-2 trip to Texas and Coffeyville, Kansas.

On Friday the Spartans swept two games at Mount Pleasant, Texas, against Northeast Texas by scores of 4-2 and 3-0. SWCC and Northeast Texas split a pair of games on Saturday, with SWCC winning 6-3 after dropping an 8-7 game.

The trip ended Sunday with a 13-0 loss at Coffeyvile, Kansas.

BJ Anderson, Joshua Moreno and John Bisignano have pitching wins to date, with all three gaining six or more strikeouts in their starting assignments.

Offensively, shortstop Samuel Vega is batting .389 with two home runs and three RBI. Outfielder Alexander Rios has a home run while batting .286. Infielder Bradley Lopes and catcher Kevin Torres had driven in three runs. Infielder Victor Perez is batting .364.

The Spartans’ next action will be Feb. 20-21 in Enid, Oklahoma vs. Northern Oklahoma.

All-Americans

SIOUX CITY — Fifteen players from Morningside College’s football team received recognition on the 2015 USA College Football NAIA All-America Team, including Briar Evans of Creston.

The Mustangs’ first-team selections were Sean Fitzgerald, a senior defensive lineman from Sergeant Bluff; Zac Schleuger, a senior linebacker from Wesley; Ethan Stofferan, a senior linebacker from Sibley; and Christian Walker, a senior defensive back from Brooklyn, New York.

Morningside’s second-team selections were Joe Brummer, a senior offensive lineman from Harlan, Iowa; Ryan Kasdorf, a senior quarterback from Newhall, Calif.; Tyler Kavan, a junior running back from Weston, Neb.; and Connor Niles, a sophomore wide receiver from Sioux City.

Briar Evans, a freshman wide receiver from Creston; Logan Rozeboom, a sophomore defensive back from Hartley; Jason Vander Kooi, a junior wide receiver from Merrill; and Chad Willer, a junior offensive lineman from Lawton, were named to the USA College Football NAIA All-America honorable mention list.

Simpson wins

INDIANOLA — Sam Amsbaugh scored 14 of 21 points in the second half, including the go-ahead putback with 90 seconds left, and the Simpson men’s basketball team made big defensive plays down the stretch to beat Central 79-73.

Amsbaugh went 4-for-6 from the field in the second half and Dillon Gretzky battled through a bloody left eye brow to score 19 points for the Storm (13-8, 6-4 Iowa Conference), who snapped a two-game losing streak and completed a season-sweep of their biggest rival.

The Dutch (14-7, 5-5) made just one field goal in the final six minutes.

Pete Walker of Red Oak had 16 points and seven rebounds and Trashawn Boyd finished with 15 points for Central, which saw a two-game winning streak come to a close. Colby Taylor of Creston — the IIAC’s second-leading scorer — finished with nine points, 13 below his season average.

Chargers roll

SIOUX CITY — Briar Cliff men are 23-3 overall and 14-2 in the GPAC after posting a 102-59 victory over Mount Marty last week.

Freshman Jay Wolfe of Creston had four points and five rebounds for the Chargers.

MV Open

MARSHALL, Mo. — Kruz Adamson of Creston was among Graceland wrestling team members who competed in the Missouri Valley Open, hosted by Missouri Valley College.

Competing in the open 133-pound division, Adamson won by fall in 7:45 against Jeremy Andujar (WPU) before losing by fall to Kurt Kaiser (MVUN) in 2:19 in the quarterfinals. In the consolation round Adamson dropped an 8-1 decision to Darren Trujillo (MVC).

Unbeaten

WHITING, Ind. — Top-ranked Grand View moved to 16-0 in dual action with two dominating wins over NAIA opponents Feb. 4.

The Vikings opened with a 59-0 win over host Calmuet College, including a win by fall by 149-pounder Andrew Long of Creston over Jake Stewart.

In Grand view’s 53-0 victory over Davenport (Mich.), Long pinned Kyle Nixon.

Wray wins

COUNCIL BLUFFS — The Iowa Western Community College wrestling team, now No. 7 in the NJCAA rankings, defeated the No. 9 NIACC Trojans on Jan. 15, 39-9.

Spencer Wray of Creston represented Iowa Western at 149 pounds and won a 7-5 decision over NIACC’s Bradly Irwin.

Coed volleyball

Registration for the Creston Park and Recreation Department’s coed volleyball league will be held Feb. 14-26.

Cost is $150 per team and program information and roster forms van be picked up in the Park and Recreation Department office at Room 104 of the restored Creston Depot.

School record

LINCOLN, Neb. — Iowa Central sophomore Noah Larsen bettered his own school record in the 800 meters here Saturday at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.

Larsen finished second in the men’s 800 with his time of 1:51.76, finishing second behind Kansas sophomore Anthonio Humphrey’s 1:51.01.

Larsen, a former Mount Ayr state champion currently ranks second in the nation in the 1,000 meters, third in the 800 meters and 10th in the 600 meters.