KJAN Podcasts

Jim Field visits with Melissa Johnson, Vice-President of the SWAT Valkyrie Booster Club.  The girls wrestling team will be hosting a tournament Saturday, January 20 and will be holding a silent auction of pies provided by the wrestlers to help raise funds for the rest of the season.

Jim Field visits with Cass Health Chief Operating Officer Amanda Bireline about flu/RSV/COVID season.

Jim Field visits with State Climatologist Justin Glisan about the on-going drought.

The Atlantic Trojan Wrestling team is currently at a 7-7 in dual action but have a few talented wrestlers that have made this year impactful for Atlantic Head Wrestling Coach Tim Duff. Wrestlers like junior Aiden Smith (126) who has seen success at the state level and a 2A (113) runner up a year ago. His record speaks for the success he has achieved at 32-1.

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Smith is not the only veteran wrestler with state experience for Atlantic. Sophomore Braxton Hass at (113) is 29-6 and a leader that Coach Duff has seen develop throughout the past few years.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ATL-Braxton-Hass.mp3

The other Trojan wrestler who competed at state a year ago is junior Evan Sorensen wrestling at 285. Sorensen is 24-2 on the year, with his two losses coming at the competitive Council Bluffs Classic. Where the best regional wrestlers traveled to prove their prowess.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ATL-Wrestling-Evan-Sorensen.mp3

Not all of the athletes that have stood out to Coach Duff have had trips to State. One name that earned their spot after waiting patiently for three years is senior Taye Jordan (106) and another impressive record of 27-6. Who without a doubt earned their spot this year for Atlantic.

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Due to weather issues Coach Duff and his squad will have to wait till next Thursday before they get to battle on the mats in Glenwood against the Rams and Clarinda.

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The dual starts at 5:30pm at Glenwood High School.

The (4-5) CAM Cougars are coming off a 61-55 loss to Ar-We-Va last Friday where the Cougars were down 17-4 by the end of the first quarter. Head Coach Ian Hunt credits the fast start of the Rockets and like the fight he saw in his team in the rest of the game.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CAM-Ar-We-Va-Recap.mp3

The Cougars know how to play competitive and physical basketball. Their scoring leader is sophomore Collin Bower who is nearly averaging a double-double on the year. Bower sists at a 102-point total and 97 rebounds so far.

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Bower isn't the only one who has received recognition from Coach Hunt for the ability to score on the offensive end of the floor. Junior Chase Jahde has a strong understanding of the game and continues to prove his ability of creating mismatches for CAM.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CAM-Chase-Jahde-1.mp3

Talent and hard work have kept CAM within ball games, but Coach Hunt knows the starts need to be consistent. His team can't trail by the end of the first quarter, especially by double digits. These slow type starts which big deficits have made the early part of CAM's campaign more difficult to capture wins.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CAM-what-can-make-CAM-better.mp3

Like many other schools in Iowa, CAM hasn't played a game this past week due to weather conditions. However, that isn't stopping the Cougars hunger and focus against their upcoming road trip against an (8-2) ACGC team.

The Chargers leading scorer is Noah Kading with over 15 points a game and shooting 50% on the floor. Coach Hunt gives plenty of credit to the success of ACGC's basketball team this year.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CAM-ACGC.mp3

Tip-off is set for 7;30pm on Monday January 15th.

Jim Field visits with Atlantic Library Director Michelle Andersen about upcoming events and services.

Jim Field visits with Alicia Herzog about the Spring Master Gardeners course and the Home Gardening web series.

Jim Field visits with Jimmy Ryan about his show "The Heroes Behind the Hits," at the Corning Opera House on Saturday.

There is a new Head Coach in town for the Atlantic Trojans baseball team and his name is Nathan Block. When asked about what his initial feeling was with becoming the next Head Coach, Block explained how thrilled he was.

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An Iowa native Coach Block is a graduate of Panorama High School. He attended Loras College and from there he learned he had a passion for teaching and coaching. Block served as an assistant baseball coach at Pocahontas Area and Nodaway Valley. Block's time at Nodaway Valley made him familiar with the Atlantic program as the two programs competed last summer.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Block-Team-he-is-inheriting.mp3

While discussing this new role of coaching for Atlantic, Coach Block discussed how being a successful coach is about connecting with the students and helping them learn about the importance of the communities they're in.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Block-what-coaching-means-to-him.mp3

On the topic of coaching, Coach Block was quick to remember a coach that impacted him in his high school days. That said coach is Head Baseball Coach at Panorama Brian Bahrenfuss.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Block-coach-that-meant-a-lot-to-him.mp3

Coach Block has simple and concise goals for his Trojan Squad. He wants to move a team that was 10-17 a year ago, to above .500 and he plans on his team competing for a Hawkeye Ten conference title.

https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Block-Goals.mp3

Baseball season for Atlantic starts Monday May 20th.

Jim Field visits with ISU Extension Field Agronomist Aaron Saeugling about the local Crop Advantage meeting in Atlantic on January 18.