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sports Diabierna 24 September 2021

Iowa becomes first Power 5 school to add women’s wrestling

(AP) — Iowa announced high school athletic associa- not ready to do that yet, but
Thursday it will become tions in Iowa, but has a state we were watching it.”
the first Power Five school tournament sponsored by the
to add a women’s wres- Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Brands will be involved in
tling program and it will Officials Association. More the coaching search, but he
begin competition in the than 600 girls participated in emphasized the women’s
2023-24 season. wrestling in Iowa last season. program will be separate.

“Being the first is huge,” The Hawkeye Wrestling “The women will have their
Iowa men’s wrestling coach Club has been sponsoring own practice times,” Brands
Tom Brands said. “Being the female wrestlers since 2017. said. “The women will have
first is impactful.” Terry Steiner, the U.S. wom- their own head coach. The
en’s national coach, won an women will have their own
Iowa’s men’s program is NCAA individual title and structure. They will run their
coming off its 24th NCAA was part of three NCAA program as they see fit. We
national championship. Ath- championship teams when will hire a coach. It will be
letic director Gary Barta said he wrestled at Iowa in the the best coach in America.
adding a women’s program early 1990s. Look out.”
had been discussed for sev-
eral years. “Women’s wrestling is awe- Barta said the discussion
some,” Brands said. “There about adding women’s wres-
“(Wrestling) is part of the are little girls around the tling was halted because of
history of Iowa,” Barta said. country, around the planet, the pandemic. The university
“It’s part of the university’s who are going to see this. It’s eliminated men’s gymnas-
DNA.” that impactful.” tics, men’s tennis and men’s
swimming and diving after
A search for a head coach will Brands has long supported last season because of finan-
begin this fall. female wrestling, telling the cial concerns related to the
NCAA Board of Governors pandemic. Women’s swim-
The NCAA recognized in a 2017 letter that “it is long ming and diving was origi-
women’s wrestling as an overdue for women to share nally among the sports being
emerging sport in all divi- in the opportunities of this cut, but it was reinstated. en’s sports, the counting of 10 scholarships that can be
sions in 2020. There are great sport.” The universi- women’s sports,” Barta said divided among participants.
45 women’s intercollegiate ty’s new wrestling building A settlement currently being of the settlement. “We had The roster size is expected to
wrestling programs, includ- planned for construction in finalized in a Title IX law- already agreed on reinstating be 30-35 wrestlers.
ing five in Iowa. 2022 includes training facili- suit filed by several women’s women’s swimming perma-
ties. swimmers after those cuts nently. Part of the agreement Iowa will now offer 22 sports
The sport is growing at the included the addition of a was adding a women’s sport, — eight men’s teams and 14
high school level — 32 states “Frankly, Tom was in my ear women’s sport. and we chose women’s wres- women’s teams. The univer-
have a sanctioned girls high three, four, five years ago say- tling, for all of the obvious sity added women’s rowing
school wrestling state cham- ing, ‘Come on boss, let’s go. “In general, it was about reasons.” in 1994 and women’s soccer
pionship. Girls wrestling is Let’s get women’s wrestling Title IX, and specifically in 1996.
not sanctioned by the two added,’” Barta said. “We were it was about adding wom- Women’s wrestling can offer

What will the 76ers do with Simmons? Philly guard wants out

(AP) — The rift between the thornier aspects of their with Brown on the rise — And he didn’t pout that sea- figures including team presi-
the Philadelphia 76ers disagreements. had played his last game with son. He didn’t whine be- dent Daryl Morey and coach
and their star guard was the Sixers. cause things were said by his Doc Rivers that he wanted
shattered beyond repair. “It was a horrifying experi- coach that hurt his feelings. to be traded. Rivers went on
There was no turning ence,” Croce said. “I couldn’t protect Allen,” Years before his famous dia- ESPN this week and tried to
back, the deal was done — Croce said. “If he wasn’t go- tribe about practice, Iverson make peace in public with
Allen Iverson was traded None more so than when ing to listen to the coach and was on his professional best Simmons, stating his case
to the Detroit Pistons. Croce took the call from if he was going to be late for behavior in 2000-01 and led for the three-time All-Star to
general manager Billy King practice or miss practice, I the Sixers to the NBA Finals return to the team that made
Team president Pat Croce in his Ocean City, New Jer- couldn’t do anything about while he won MVP. him the No. 1 pick of the
had tried mending the rela- sey, home in the summer of that.” 2016 draft.
tionship between Iverson, 2000 saying that a trade had “He exceeded everything
the franchise star, and coach been reached with the Pis- The next call Croce made he said he was going to do,” “I can tell you up front, we
Larry Brown but found both tons and that Iverson — his was to Iverson, with a simple Croce said. “He never missed would love to get Ben back,
sides unwilling to bend on habitual tardiness and clashes message: “You’re going to be practice, he never was late for and if we can, we’re going to
traded, Allen. I can’t protect practice anymore. I’m never try to do that,” Rivers said.
the front porch if you leave going to say he loved practice. “Ben has a long contract, so
the backdoor open. There’s I’m telling you, he strength- it’s in our hands and we want
no way.” trained, he did everything him back.”
that was asked for him.”
That was that — until it The Sixers, of course, should
wasn’t. Sixers backup center Two decades later, the Sixers want Simmons back, espe-
Matt Geiger refused to waive are again on a collision course cially if Morey can’t find a
a contract clause that would for divorce with another mer- suitable trade that would
have earned him a 15% pay curial guard, Ben Simmons. bring back the kind of haul
raise if he was traded. Unable The Philadelphia Inquirer that would keep the franchise
to find another combination reported Simmons — with near the top of the Eastern
that worked, the deal was off. $147 million and four years Conference.
left on his contract — said in
AI stayed a Sixer. a meeting last month in Los Near the top — not at the
Angeles with key franchise peak.