KJAN Podcasts

(Atlantic, Iowa) — When it comes to basketball careers, very few have had the success and adventure that Ryan Hawkins has experienced. The Atlantic native was a Division II All-American at Northwest Missouri State University, helping the Bearcats win three national championships.  After transferring to Division I Creighton, Hawkins led the Blue Jays in scoring and rebounding.  He was named second team All-Big East and helped Creighton to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they nearly knocked out eventual champion Kansas.

Hawkins finished his lone season at Creighton with 482 points, 272 rebounds, 53 assists, 32 steals, and 13 blocks.  Hawkins finished his college basketball career with 2,580 points, 1,220 rebounds, 257 steals, 229 assists, and 82 blocks. He then signed with the Toronto Raptors and played on the G-League squad this past season. For most the dream of playing basketball would end there.

However, Hawkins recently signed a deal with AS Pistoia Basket 2000 and will play in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) for 10 months.

Even with little knowledge of the Italian language. Hawkins knows that basketball itself is a universal dialect needing no translator.

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The basketball in Europe is some of the most competitive in the world and Hawkins is excited to compete in the league.

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The G-League was a positive experience for Hawkins, but he sees the potential in the team focused Euro League. He sees the opportunity to double down on his strengths as a player in Italy and wants to make the most out of his time there.

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The future for Ryan Hawkins will definitely be focused on basketball. In what realm of the game specifically remains unknown, but he knows he will always be a part of the game.

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He leaves to join his team this month.

 

For the full interview click below:

Jim Field visits with Ryan Hawkins about his professional basketball career.  Ryan is leaving next week for Italy where he will play this season with Pistoia in the Tuscany region.

Jim Field visits with Emily Wittrock and Myah Honeck about a fund raiser to help the family of Anita Firefighter Coulton Honeck.  The Auction and Benefit Dinner will be held on Saturday, August 26 beginning at 4:00 pm at the Anita Fire Station.

Jim Field visits with Dave Tuttle, Suicide Prevention Program Manager for the Western Iowa and Nebraska Veterans Administration.  He will present the "S.A.V.E." program for the Cass County Mental Wellness Coalition Thursday, August 17 at 10:30 am at the Griswold Library.

w/Kate Olson.

The Atlantic volleyball team will have an abundance of new players on the court in 2023 after graduating 8 seniors that took the bulk of the floor time available last season. Head Coach Michelle Blake said it will be an inexperienced but athletic group this year.

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The Trojans will have a smaller senior group this year but Coach Blake expects them to lead the way.

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With turnover comes a lot of work to fit players into positions. Coach Blake said it will take some time to see where everyone fits in the best but the girls have had an open mind.

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Coach Blake said the team has already showed some good foundational building blocks.

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Atlantic will have their intrasquad scrimmage on the 17th at the Atlantic High School starting at 5:00 p.m. and is free to the public. They will then host the Iowa Girls Coaches Association clinic on the 19th with a wealth of Southwest Iowa teams playing. They will then open the season on August 24th at Des Moines Roosevelt.

Listen to the full interview with Coach Blake below.

The AHSTW Vikings football team is looking for some new faces to lead the way and build off a very successful 2022 campaign. The Vikings went 10-1 and lost in the Class A Quarterfinals to a solid Lynville-Sully team in driving rainstorm to end last season. There are some big shoes to fill but coach GG Harris is encouraged by the leadership he's seen from the new guys.

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Luke Sternberg is a key piece back for the Vikings after rushing for 1,791 yards and 25 touchdowns as just a sophomore. Coach Harris said they will start with the ground game and build around it.

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Coach Harris said one skill strength this team should possess is speed. He thinks that they can use that team speed to their advantage on both sides of the ball.

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The Vikings are scheduled to open up the season on August 25th at home against the Tri-Center Trojans.

Listen to the full interview with Coach Harris below.

Ross Martens

All three winners at the 65th Annual Tournament of Champions this weekend have had the experience before.

Ross Martens of Harlan won his second Open Division crown, shooting an even par 69 in the final round Sunday to capture a 4-stroke win.  Martens was challenged just a few times in the final day but made enough key shots to hold his lead.  Martens also won the title in 2021.  Zach Christianson, who held the day-one lead after an opening round 64 fell just short of the title, finishing second for the third straight year.

Martens started with a -1 round of 68 on Friday, then carded a 5-under 64 on Saturday, and finished with an even par 69 on Sunday to finish at -6, 201 for the weekend. He was thrilled to have the great round on Saturday to grab the title again.

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Ross talked about his approach to the final day and how he felt about his game.

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Ross had his parents walking with him when he won in 2021 and they were with him again on Sunday.

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Chris Nelson

In the Senior Division, Chris Nelson of Atlantic built a six-stroke lead heading into the final round and shot an even par 69 to win by six strokes over Bret Taylor.  Nelson also has an Open division title to his credit.

In the Super Senior Division, Rick Thompson of Fairfield continues to dominate.  He finished the tourney with a four over par 211 total, beating John Willmore by 5 strokes, to capture his fourth straight crown.

Listen to the full interview with Open Division Champion Ross Martens below.

Jim Field visits with Doug Leonard about the 65th annual Tournament of Champions golf event at the Atlantic Golf & Country Club this weekend.

The Riverside Bulldog football team struggled in 2022. The Bulldogs managed to nab two wins, one against Sidney and the other at home facing Missouri Valley. However, the two wins felt small compared to an overall record of (2-7). Head Coach Darrell Frain acknowledges that even with how competitive the Bulldogs were last season, a losing record is a hard pill to swallow.

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So now the offseason has been dedicated to conditioning and the weight room. Coach Frain wants his players to be in shape and ready for moments when being conditioned really matters.

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This summer Coach Frain has seen quite a few of his players dedicated to doing the little things that coaches like to see. The starters returning this year do show a strong promise for the fall. Players like Senior, Grady Jeppesen who learned tremendously under center last year. He had a completion percentage of 54%, nearly threw for 1300 yards, and notched 11 touchdown throws on the year. He'll be accompanied by Senior, Kyler Rieken who rushed for 179 yards and 3 scores.

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The talent coming back will be a big help for Coach Frain and the Bulldogs. Especially considering the tough schedule they face this year.

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Riverside starts its season August 25th, on the road against the West Monona Spartans.

 

Click below for full interview: