Kirkwood Womens Basketball

Kirkwood women move back into 1st

ESTHERVILLE - The seventh-ranked Kirkwood women's basketball team defeated Iowa Lakes, 62-43, Saturday and moved into sole possession of first place in the ICCAC Division II conference standings.

Kirkwood raised its records to 21-5 overall and 9-1 in the league. The Eagles had been tied for first place with NIACC, but NIACC lost to Iowa Central Saturday and fell into second place at 8-2.

Anna Martensen led Kirkwood with 12 points. Kirsten Larson snared six rebounds and Aliyah Isaac had four assists.

The Eagles led 39-14 at halftime.

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No. 7 Kirkwood women get 20th win

KEOKUK - Tyra Polite led a balanced attack with 14 points and six assists Wednesday night as No. 7 Kirkwood defeated Southeastern Community College, 65-57, in an ICCAC conference game in Keokuk.

Kirkwood raised its records to 20-5 overall and 8-1 in the league, tied with NIACC for first place.

Anna Martensen scored 12 points for the Eagles. Cassidy Clark contributed nine points and seven rebounds. Ariel Sneed and Taylor Silva had eight points apiece.

Champale Grays scored 21 points for Southeastern (18-7, 5-3).

KIRKWOOD (65): Sneed 4 0-0 8, Miles 1 0-0 2, Downs 1 0-0 2, Isaac 3 1-1 7, Silva 3 1-4 8, Sudduth 0 0-0 0, Polite 4 5-6 14, Larson 1 0-0 3, Hutchins 0 0-0 0, Martensen 6 0-0 12, Bockholt 0 0-0 0, Clark 4 1-2 9, Wood 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 8-13 65.

SOUTHEASTERN (57): Nicholas 1 0-3 2, Grays 8 5-6 21, Conner 2 0-0 4, Barnes 1 0-0 3, Soy 3 2-2 11, Nikitina 4 0-0 12, Thompson 2 0-0 4. Totals 21 7-11 57.

Halftime - Kirkwood 30, Southeastern 25. 3-point goals - Kirkwood 3 (Silva 1, Polite 1, Larson 1), Southeastern 8 (Nikitina 4, Soy 3, Barnes 1).

Hruska is big part of Kirkwood's success

Kirkwood Community College honored Kim Muhl on Saturday for his 750 victories as their women's basketball coach, an accomplishment that includes six national titles and a string of other major accolades during the past 26 years.

Joe Hruska has been loyally at his side for most of it.

Hruska, 56, has been one of Muhl's assistant coaches for 24 years with the women's basketball program. Prior to that, he helped Muhl with the Kirkwood softball program when Muhl was running that team as well.

Hruska also served as an assistant coach with the men's basketball program at Kirkwood before switching sides and joining the women. He's been there for all six national titles, 15 national tournaments, 20 straight 20-win campaigns, a school-record 37 wins, a string of 106 straight conference victories and 24 All-Americans.

"You know, it's been a pretty good run," he said Saturday with modest pride.

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NIACC spoils party for Muhl & Eagles

A sensational player with the presidential last name of Sierra Ford-Washington spoiled the party for Kim Muhl and the Kirkwood Eagles Saturday afternoon.

Unfortunately for Kirkwood, the Eagles contributed mightily to their own demise as well.

Ford-Washington stuffed the stat sheet with 35 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and six steals as the eighth-ranked NIACC Trojans tripped the third-ranked Eagles, 84-71, at Johnson Hall.

Kirkwood honored Muhl before the game for his 750th victory at the school, but the post-game reception for the Hall of Fame coach was not as sweet after NIACC snapped Kirkwood's 15-game winning streak and pulled into a tie with the Eagles for first place in the ICCAC.

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