Tuesday June 16th Local Sports

TONIGHT:
AM-1300 KGLO, kgloam.com — Newman baseball vs. Alburnett — 7:00
AM-1490/96.7-FM KRIB, kribam.com — Clear Lake softball vs. Mason City High — 7:30

 

 

IOWA CITY — The University of Iowa announced it has reached an agreement that will see Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Doyle leave the school. Doyle has been accused of making degrading comments to black players on the football team.

Athletic Director Gary Barta talked with the media Monday and says he came to the decision that Doyle should leave the team after emotional meetings with players to discuss the allegations of racial disparities within the football program. “As I was thinking through and trying to come up with the next steps — I did come to the conclusion that one of those steps — a separation with coach Doyle — was the thoughtful and sensible thing to do,” Barta says.

Barta says he then discussed it with head coach Kirk Ferentz. “Kirk and I talked and we were both in full agreement that that was the case… I ended up speaking with Chris first and we moved through that process. I can tell you that this was not a decision that I made lightly. It is just one piece of the plan that is going to be needed for us to move forward,” according to Barta.

Barta says some of the issues were already being addressed after a report on the entire athletic department found graduation rates among black athletes were lower than their white counterparts. “And while no teams or individuals were singled out in the report — it was reported verbally that many of these comments were coming from football,” Barta says. “So as a department, including football, we began to put a plan in place to address these issues.”

He says part of the plan included hiring former football player Broderick Binns as the diversity coordinator. Barta got emotional and cried at a couple of points during the news conference when he talked about the impact of racism. He says they are taking other steps to improve. “I thought we were on a path of making things better and doing the right things. The things I’ve heard — in the last week-and-half especially — clearly they weren’t enough and weren’t happening fast enough,” Barta says.

He announced the university has hired a Kansas City law firm to conduct an independent review of issues and allegations relating to racial disparities within the football program. “And from that review, we will receive a report, we will learn, we will determine any additional actions that need to be taken in response,” He says. “We will continue to listen. One of the things that I’ve known — this isn’t new — but we have to find better ways, and that is to make sure that people have a place to go.”

Barta says coaches have been the first place athletes go to voice a complaint and he says they need to know they have another place where they can go if they have concerns that need to be addressed.

Ferentz’s son Brian is an assistant coach and some allegations have also been made against Brian. Barta says he will see what the review determines about all of the other staff members of the football team. He did say he is confident in Kirk Ferentz’s ability to continue leading the football program based on what he has seen in 15 years and the last few weeks. )”I know how this is impacting him. I know what he is trying to do to move forward. And I know the difficult conversations he is having and his willingness to change. And those are the things that I am basing it upon,” Barta says.

Barta did not say when he expected the review to be completed. The details of the agreement with Doyle says the university will pay him around one-point-one million dollars in two payments.

 

 

OSAGE — Sammy Kratz struck out 10 in four innings of work to give #3/1A Newman a season-opening win over Osage 8-0. The Knights host Alburnett tonight in a non-conference game that you’ll hear on AM-1300 KGLO starting at about 7 o’clock.

 

 

WAUKEE — Mason City High split their season-opening doubleheader last night at 5th-ranked Waukee. Bradley Vaith pitched four shutout innings with Connor Wiemann picking up the win in a 2-1 win in the opener. Ben Pederson was 3-for-4 with the game-winning run batted in in the seventh. The Mohawks dropped the nightcap 2-1 in eight innings. Mason City will host Dowling in a doubleheader on Friday night that you’ll hear on KGLO starting at 5 o’clock

 

 

CLEAR LAKE — Clear Lake opened up the season with a win, downing Iowa Falls-Alden 15-0 in four innings, as you heard last night on AM-1490/96.7-FM KRIB. Eric Ritter struck out all six batters he faced to pick up the win, as the Lions plated five runs in the first, nine in the second and one in the third. Clear Lake travels to Dike-New Hartford tonight.

— baseball scores from Monday night
Garner-Hayfield-Ventura 6, North Iowa 0
Lake Mills 6, West Hancock 3
Northwood-Kensett 14, North Butler 3
St. Ansgar 10, Central Springs 5
Dike-New Hartford 4, West Fork 1
Algona 4, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 2
St. Edmond 3, Humboldt 1

 

 

OSAGE — Newman opened up the softball season with a 15-1, five-inning win at Osage last night. The Knights scored seven runs in the fifth to wrap up the victory. The Knights host AGWSR this evening.

— softball scores from last night
Waukee 12-10, Mason City 3-0 (second game five innings)
Iowa Falls-Alden 4, Clear Lake 2
Rockford 5, Nashua-Plainfield 4
North Butler 4, Northwood-Kensett 2
Central Springs 9, St. Ansgar 6
Garner-Hayfield-Ventura 7, North Iowa 4
Algona 12, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 0
Webster City 10, Hampton-Dumont-CAL 3