The new Associated Press Boys’ Basketball Poll came out earlier this week, and features a few area teams.

Pella has climbed to the top of the Class 3A poll. The Dutch have 122 points, just three more than Wahlert of Dubuque. Wahlert actually has one more first place vote than Pella, but it wasn’t enough to hold the Dutch off the top spot. Harlan is #3, Cedar Rapids Xavier is #4, and Chariton rounds out the top five. Grinnell received one point this week in the poll.

In Class 2A, Pella Christian slipped two spots to #6 after suffering a big loss to Pella last week. The Eagles are just outside the top five behind Western Christian, Cascade of Western Dubuque, Dike-New Hartford, Treynor, and Northeast of Goose Lake. Western Christian received all 13 first place votes.

In Class 1A, Montezuma has entered the top ten at #9 after an unbeaten start to the season. Lynnville-Sully is among the teams receiving votes after a strong start to the season as well.  The Hawks’ lone loss came in double overtime to Montezuma a couple of weeks ago. Gladbrook-Reinbeck is #1, followed by West Hancock, Danville, IKM-Manning, and West Fork.

There are no area teams in Class 4A. Iowa City West is at the top, followed by West Des Moines Valley, Pleasant Valley, Des Moines Hoover, and Ankeny.

The new AP Poll for boys’ basketball comes out every Monday during the season.

 Oskaloosa–The William Penn University Athletics Booster Club has announced the recipients of November’s Player of the Month awards.

Junior basketball player Dondre Alexander (Iowa City, Iowa, Physical Education) claimed the Male award, while junior women’s basketball player Alyssa Phillips (Gurnee, Ill., Communications) again picked up the Female honor.

Alexander is now a two-time honoree, while Phillips is being honored for the first time.

Alexander averaged 21.7 points in six November contests.  He also averaged 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.2 blocks.  In leading the Statesmen to a perfect month (6-0 in games in which he played), the junior shot 47.3% from the field (39.1% 3-PT) and 82.6% from the line.  Alexander managed two double-doubles and tied a season high with 40 points against Ozarks (Mo.) on November 4.

Phillips averaged 13.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per outing in addition to nine blocks, seven steals, and four assists.  The junior shot 55.0% from the field and recorded two double-doubles.  She tallied a season-best 20 points against Ashford on November 7.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

Oskaloosa–With the 2015 regular season and playoffs wrapped up, the William Penn football team remains in the top 25 as the NAIA released its postseason rating Monday.

The Statesmen (7-4, 3-2 North) dropped one run to #24 with 35 points.  The Heart of America Athletic Conference is also represented by #5 Baker (Kan.), #6 Grand View, and #21 Benedictine (Kan.).

Marian (Ind.) defeated Southern Oregon 31-14 in last Saturday’s national championship game.  The Knights end the year #1 with 262 points and all 12 first-place votes.  Southern Oregon is second, followed by Morningside in third and Saint Francis (Ind.) in fourth.

NAIA Football Postseason Rating – December 21, 2015
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Marian (Ind.) (12)
2. Southern Oregon
3. Morningside
4. Saint Francis (Ind.)
5. Baker (Kan.)
6. Grand View
7. Montana Tech
8. Tabor (Kan.)
9. Doane (Neb.)
10. Reinhardt (Ga.)
11. Campbellsville (Ky.)
12. Saint Xavier (Ill.)
13. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
14. Kansas Wesleyan
15. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)
16. Montana Western
17. Point (Ga.)
18. Dickinson State (N.D.)
19. St. Francis (Ill.)
20. St. Ambrose
21. Benedictine (Kan.)
22. Arizona Christian
23. Faulkner (Ala.)
24. William Penn
25. Georgetown (Ky.)

Others receiving votes: Sterling (Kan.) 4; Cumberlands (Ky.) 3; Robert Morris (Ill.) 3.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

Indian Boys Swim team had a big win Thursday night as they traveled to Williamsburg for their first dual meet of the year. They came away with an 83-49 win as they continued to improve their times. With the extra pool time that the YMCA has been able to give the swim team and with all of the hard work that they have been putting in their morning and afternoon practices this team has now broke all 11 event records that were set in the previous 3 years during this meet and continue to push the times down every week.

The meet started with the 200 Medley Relay(Back, Breast, Fly, Free) as the team of Jack Miller, Dawson Sarver, Carter Huyser, and Nik Dykstra took first place in a time of 1:54.70 and the team of Sam Carmichael, Connor Swim, Jarod Miller, and Ean Beenken took second place honors in a time of 2:15.16.

The 200 Free event was next as Osky sent Connor Swim to the blocks and he swam a 2:28.03 to take first place in the event. The 200 IM was next and Jack Miller went out and swam a 2:19.50 to take first place and continued to lower the Indians school record time.

The 50 Free was next and Osky sent 7 swimmers into this event with Dawson Sarver earning first place with a time of 23.83 and reset the Osky Swimming Record. Behind Dawson was Carter Huyser in second place with a 25.39, Nik Dykstra with a third place finish in 25.63, Ean Beenken with a 28.45, Colton Berg 28.77, Sam Carmichael 28.98, and Jacob Spears with a 29.40.

After the first 10 minute break Jarod Miller was sent to the blocks in the 100 Fly event and swam a 1:05.26 for a first place finish In the 100 Free Nik Dykstra edged out Connor Swim with a 1:00.34 for first place and Connor finished with a 1:00.63 for second place while Colton Berg finished 4th with a 1:05.73 and Jacob Spears swam a 1:11.35.

Carter Huyser was selected on this night to swim the 500 Free as he continued to lower the Indian record in this event with a time of 5:58.49 to take first place. Following this event was the 200 Free Relay as Connor Swim, Ean Beenken, Colton Berg, and Nik Dykstra earned the first place finish in a time of 1:50.04.

After a 10 minute break the teams came out to swim the 100 Back event as Jack Miller took first place honors with a time of 1:05.18 and Sam Carmichael took 3 place honors with a time of 1:26.49.

In the final individual event of the night, the 100 Breast, Oskaloosa sent Dawson Sarver and Jarod Miller to the blocks as they came away with first and second place finishes in times of 1:05.69 and 1:15.54. The last relay of the night was the 400 Free as Osky earned the first place finish here with a time of 3:53.99 with Carter Huyser, Jack Miller, Jarod Miller and Dawson Sarver swimming this event.

Story provided by Todd Miller

EBF—45—-Clarke 33

EBF—58—Central Decatur 18

EBF—39—Knoxville 33

Knoxville—51–Central Decatur 21

Clarke 42—Knoxville—36

Albia 73—Centerville 6

Albia 69—Davis County 9

Chariton 45—Davis County 22

Davis County 48—Centerville 21

Washington 44— Keokuk 26

I-35 51—-Pleasantville 27

Pleasantville 46—Southwest Valley 17

Norwalk 42—Newton 25

Gilbert 47—PCM 36

Roland Story 40—PCM 39

Ottumwa 61—Des Moines Roosevelt 12

The William Penn softball program will be hosting a pitching clinic on Saturday, January 16 (1-3 p.m.) and a hitting clinic on Saturday, January 23 (1-3 p.m.).  The clinics will be held on campus in the Penn Activity Center with each clinic costing $40 ($70 for both).  The clinics are for girls in grades 1-12.  For more information or to register, please contact Head Coach Mike Christner at 641-673-1707 or Assistant Coach Steph Christner at 641-673-1705.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

In boys’ basketball scores from the area last night:

Albia 67, Clarke, Osceola 55
Ankeny Christian Academy 87, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 70
B-G-M, Brooklyn 56, H-L-V, Victor 37
Danville 85, Cardinal, Eldon 21
Grand View Christian School 93, Moravia 39
Keota 71, English Valleys, North English 9
Knoxville 80, Davis County, Bloomfield 43
Montezuma 62, North Mahaska, New Sharon 34
Mormon Trail, Garden Grove 67, Melcher-Dallas 28
Murray 63, Twin Cedars, Bussey 42
North Polk, Alleman 60, PCM, Monroe 58
Oskaloosa 62, Washington 51
Pekin 71, Central Lee, Donnellson 43
Pella 57, Bondurant-Farrar 45
Pleasantville 71, Interstate 35, Truro 66
Sigourney 71, Tri-County, Thornburg 45

In girls’ scores from last night:

Albia 60, Clarke, Osceola 52
BGM, Brooklyn 53, HLV, Victor 34
Carlisle 70, Newton 58
Danville 64, Cardinal, Eldon 33
English Valleys 44, Keota 37 (OT)
Grand View Christian 79, Moravia 64
Interstate 35, Truro 61, Pleasantville 21
Knoxville 44, Davis County, Bloomfield 23
Montezuma 50, North Mahaska 13
Mormon Trail, Garden Grove 49, Melcher-Dallas 21
Murray 65, Twin Cedars 26
North Polk 44, PCM, Monroe 36
Ottumwa 53, Des Moines, Hoover 26
Pella 52, Bondurant-Farrar 38
Sigourney 58, Tri-County, Thornburg 23

Last night on the Mahaska Zone Network, you heard the Oskaloosa Indian boys’ basketball team in action at home against non-conference foe Washington. After a sluggish start, Oskaloosa took the lead before the end of the first quarter, and never relinquished it en route to a 62-51 victory.

Oskaloosa had yet another sloppy first quarter, but rallied at the end to grab an 11-7 lead. That lead would extend to 30-20 at halftime, mainly on the outstanding effort of Jarad Kruse off the bench. Kruse would finish with his best game of the young season, scoring 9 points and grabbing a team-high 8 rebounds.

The second half was fairly even, as Austin Scholes and Spencer Tucker both got hot to counter Washington’s Derek Anding, who scored 17 points in the final 10 minutes of regulation to pull the Demons within 7. Scholes finished with a team-high 19 points and Tucker used his three-point prowess to get 16 to match his career high. Tucker also dished out 5 assists, a high for Osky this season. Anding would lead all scorers with 24.

Oskaloosa got the victory despite their two leading scorers, Jack Moore and Wade Votroubek, combining for only four points on the night. The Indians got great efforts from freshman Rian Yates and wingman Tucker Nunnikhoven in support of the leading trio, as the Indians moved to 3-2 on the season.

Oskaloosa’s boys’ team will be back in action this Friday as part of a girl-boy doubleheader at the Osky Gymnasium against Little Hawkeye Conference foe Grinnell.

Oskaloosa–Hea Tuifua (Sr., Salt Lake City, Utah, Industrial Technology) ended his collegiate career with the best recognition a small-college lineman could receive as the AFCA NAIA Coaches’ All-America Teams were announced Tuesday.

William Penn’s senior center collected a First-Team nod and becomes the 22nd All-American in Head Coach Todd Hafner’s tenure and the 41st in program history.  Tuifua was a Second-Team selection last year, joining an even more prestigious group as only the 10th individual at WPU to earn multiple All-American awards.  He is the first since Steven Dawley (first team in 2008 and 2009) to earn at least two accolades from the AFCA.

Tuifua helped William Penn to a 7-4 record (3-2 Heart) and a nation’s-best 3,874 total rushing yards, good for 352.2 yards per game.  Overall, the Statesmen averaged 448.1 total yards per contest, ranking them 13th in the NAIA.  William Penn eclipsed the 500-yard mark on four occasions, including a high of 660 yards against Avila (Mo.).

The navy and gold were also 14th in the NAIA with 37.5 points per outing.

The American Football Coaches Association has selected an All-American team since 1945.  In 2013, the NAIA Football Coaches Association and the National Administrative Council voted to have a second team also honored.

For the complete list of All-Americans, go to http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27900&ATCLID=210588090

Story provided by Wade Steinlage

The first Associated Press poll for boys’ basketball has been released, and a few area teams are in the mix.

In Class 4A, there are no area teams in the top ten, and none receiving votes. West Des Moines Valley is #1, followed by Iowa City West, Pleasant Valley, Cedar Falls, and Des Moines Hoover.

In Class 3A, Pella is right near the top in the early going this year, getting one first place vote, and sitting behind Dubuque Wahlert in second place. Harlan is third, followed by Solon and Bishop Heelan Catholic of Sioux City.

In Class 2A, Pella Christian is ranked #4 behind top-ranked Western Christian, Treynor, and Cascade of Western Dubuque. Dike-New Hartford rounds out the top five. PCM is also receiving one vote for the top ten.

Finally in Class 1A, Montezuma is the only team from the area among the list. The Braves are the first team out of the top ten, just three points from being in the poll. Gladbrook-Reinbeck is #1, followed by West Hancock, Boyden-Hull, Danville, and Colo-Nesco.

The new girls’ basketball rankings are scheduled to come out this Friday from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. The boys’ basketball poll should be released every Monday by the AP.