Thursday March 19th Local Sports

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Organizers announced Wednesday they had indefinitely postponed the Drake Relays that had been scheduled for April in Des Moines.

In a statement, Drake University said officials made the decision to protect the “health, safety and well-being” of participants and fans amid concerns about the coronavirus. The event was scheduled for April 22-25, primarily at Drake Stadium.

The postponement includes related activities, such as the Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Grand Blue Mile and Drake Road Races.

Organizers said they would work with local, state and national officials to reschedule the event when it’s safe for all participants.

The Drake Relays were first held in 1910.

DES MOINES — The Iowa High School Athletic Association at their board meeting last week approved contracts keeping the boys state basketball and wrestling tournaments at the Iowa Events Center through at least 2025. The contract extensions ensure the association’s two highest-attended tournament events stay in Des Moines through 2025, with five optional annual renewals after 2025 which could take the contract through 2030. State basketball will continue in a five-day format after shifting away from a six-day format in 2018. The state wrestling schedule will continue to stay on the same schedule. The association’s wrestling advisory committee discussed the future of the state dual team tournament and wrestling post-season during a meeting on February 27th. The committee was asked to consider possible date and venue changes for state duals, but they decided to keep state duals in the current arrangement the day prior to the start of the traditional tournament. The committee, alongside leadership from the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, was primarily concerned about how an IHSAA staff proposal to move the state duals to the current weekend of sectionals and at a different facility and shifting all classes to district events as the only tournaments for individual state qualifying would be executed and would affect Classes 1A and 2A. The committee will still hold its annual spring meeting with plans to address possible qualifying procedures for post-season duals and other recommendations.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have so far been doing more subtracting than adding. Their first official move of the new league year was to shed yet more salary, with the termination of right guard Josh Kline’s contract. Kline joined fellow starters defensive tackle Linval Joseph, cornerback Trae Waynes and wide receiver Stefon Diggs on their way to other teams. The Vikings made their biggest move this week by extending the contract of quarterback Kirk Cousins and agreeing to trade Diggs to Buffalo. Their most notable pickup on the market was former Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce to replace Joseph.