Another opportunity

Well, I have another job opportunity within Community Media Group. Anelia Dimitrova, the regional editor for Northeast Iowa (based with Waverly Newspapers/Cedar Falls Times) called me Wednesday morning letting me know that the editor position at the Independence Bulletin-Journal is opening up, and she wants me to take the helm for at least the next three months.

The editor currently, Mike Hohenbrink, is leaving in the next couple weeks, so Anelia needed me to start there Monday, so I can get shown the ropes. I told this to Mark Roussell, the Witham Auto Centers Cedar Falls sales manager, and he understood. While I was at the Waterloo lot, Mark and Tim Godfrey, the general manager for all three lots, discussed it, and Tim figured he'd try to get me to stay. If I were one to be into sales, I would stay, but I'm a journalist. I had to take this opportunity and give my two weeks (I'll still do three mornings a week for the next two) so they can find my replacement.

Anyway, from my understanding, Anelia wants me aboard instead of having their correspondent take over because I have design skills. Of course, I also have many years of experience in different kinds of writing and photography, so that goes for me. Plus, Anelia, as she said time and again, has been looking out for something to give me a more permanent position within the company. The question is only my best fit.

I'm interim because the publisher, Deb Weigel, figured we'd also have a nationwide search in case I or they don't feel it's my fit or something like that. Plus, at the start of April, Hawkeye Racing News resumes weekly publications. I'm still going to be able to do Cedar Falls-area sports, as the correspondent does most of the evening meetings and such.

So, we'll see how things go. Until then, everyone have a Happy 2011!

C.F. sweeps boy/girl doubleheader from Waterloo East

Cedar Falls swept a boy/girl doubleheader Friday night.

Battle of Waterloo

Waverly-Shell Rock was second, Denver-Tripoli third in the championship bracket Saturday, while Cedar Falls was runners-up in Bracket 4.

No. 3 Linn-Mar 57, Cedar Falls 11

Cedar Falls was dominated by Kiah Stokes. 'Nuff said.

Former Hawkeye visits Cedar Falls

When Linn-Mar played the Cedar Falls girls' basketball team Tuesday night, Greg Stokes came to the gym to watch his daughter, Kiah, dominate the Tigers in the Lions' 57-11 win. I spoke with the elder Stokes about Kiah and the Hawkeyes.

33rd Boys' Marcussen Invitational

Cedar Falls swimmers break four meet records en route to winning its own Marcussen Invitational over West Des Moines Valley and Muscatine.

Herkelman wrestles the boys, boundaries

Cassy Herkelman tries to turn Lucas Brockman of West High during their match Thursday. Herkelman would eventually get her first pin of her varsity career, improving her record to 3-2. (photo by Eric VanSickle/Cedar Falls Times)

C.F. 112-pounder one of few girls to wrestle varsity in Iowa


(Note: This article was published in the Dec. 11, 2010, edition of the Cedar Falls Times. I am the author.)

CEDAR FALLS – She is a current national champion, and is ranked eighth nationally in her division among all girls.

This season, she’s testing her mettle against boys at the high school varsity level.

No, it’s not East High volleyball player Haley Eckerman or West High standout athlete Jadyn Spencer. Cedar Falls freshman 112-pound wrestler Cassy Herkelman is trying to show that athletes are athletes, no matter how they’re built.

Herkelman has a 3-2 record. She defeated Iowa City High’s Alex Lemus, 7-2, and Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Cody Hensel in a 9-0 major decision last week in a double duel at City High before dropping her two matches at the Keith Young Invitational last weekend. After receiving a bye in Thursday's first duel against Cedar Rapids Xavier, she pinned Waterloo West's Lucas Brockman, who jumped up from 103 pounds, in the meet's nightcap.

Previously, she won the 105-pound girls’ middle-school championship in April at the USGWA Open National Championships on the strength of a 3-0 decision over Shelby Hall of Ohio. She also won the Iowa girls’ middle school 105-pound championship in March with a 9-0 victory over Iowa City’s Jasmine Bailey.

Herkelman is one of three girls across the state who are wrestling at the varsity level. Talia Goodale of Osage also competes at 112 pounds, and has a 3-2 record, while Megan Black of Ottumwa has a 5-2 record at 119 pounds. There also was a girl on the Urbandale team two years ago who weighed in at the state dual tournament, according to Alan Beste with the IHSAA.

Wrestling was a family passion on Herkleman’s father, Bill’s side of the family.

“My grandma really said I should, so I did,” she said. “She just said one day, when my sisters and I were messing around, that I should, and I decided I wanted to (wrestle).”

When she made the commitment to wrestle, she joined the Cedar Falls Kids’ Wrestling Club in second grade, Bill recalled, and then also joined the West High Kids’ Wrestling Club later.

Initially, there wasn’t many concerns of Cassy taking on the other boys, Bill said.

“We didn’t see that until she was in ninth grade,” he said.

At that point, three boys refused to wrestle Cassy, only because she was a girl.

“It just makes me feel like it’s their fault,” she said. “They can’t get away from facing a girl in the middle of the high school season.”

She added that as more people see her on the mat, the more wrestling fans support her in her endeavor.

Cassy said going from the middle/junior high level to high school varsity has been different, but she’s starting to get used to it.

“It changes a lot once the meets start going,” she said. “I’m used to (the rigors of the sport) because I’ve been doing it for a while.”

C.F. coach Wil Kelly said the Tigers are happy to have Cassy in the room.

“She’s had a tremendous amount of success at the kids’ level,” Kelly said. “She works really hard, just as hard as our older kids. She’s a talented young girl.”

Kelly said when one puts Cassy’s talent together with hard work, she will be successful.

In recent years, the media has focused on the struggles the average girl has in regards to weight. Usually, this is in regards to the ideal of beauty, perpetuated by fashion models on the runway and in magazines like Vogue or Cosmopolitan.

However, Cassy has to struggle with weight so that she can “make weight” and compete in her ideal weight class. If she’s a pound or two more than 112 pounds, she’d have to wrestle at 119 or not at all.

“It’s hard to get down there,” she said about making weight. “Once you’re at your weight, you have to maintain it.”

Bill said whenever he sees his daughter on the mat, he feels pride more than worrying about how she does.

“It’s just because she’s competing, always being active and pushing herself to be better,” he said.

The elder Herkelman wrestled for four years, at the 138, 152, 160 and 171 weight classes. He also qualified for state his senior year.

Bill doesn’t try to push his daughter too much, and leaves everything up to Cassy as to how many or which tournaments to participate.

“There was one year when we went to probably 40 tournaments in one year, when she was younger,” he said. “After that year, we just let her decide if she wanted to go, she’d wrestle. If not, then we’d stay home.

“She’s always wanted to go to tournaments. Sometimes, we’d go to two in a weekend. We’ve slowed it down to one a weekend.”

Beste said no girl has qualified for the traditional state tournament. Bill Herkelman said whether Cassy becomes the first – or even joins Black and Goodale – to qualify depends on how well the Tigers do with her.

“It all depends on how much they help her and push her,” he said. “The coaching staff here at Cedar Falls has been good.”

The Herkelmans go to national tournaments each March and April, and Bill said they plan to enter Cassy in the USA Wrestling Freestyle Nationals in Fargo, N.D., in July. He said his daughter has the potential to be a national champion at 105 or 112 pounds throughout her high school career.

Kelly would like to see Cassy do more freestyle matches, as that is what women do at the international level.

“That’s something I’m trying to push her into a little bit,” Kelly said. “She does have a little bit of experience in that. For women, to go on to the next level, it’s about freestyle wrestling.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunities for women’s freestyle wrestling. It’s a pretty neat opportunity for us to have a young girl who so talented as she.”

As far as being a member of Team USA for the Olympics in either 2012 (if eligible) in London or 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Bill said Cassy’s result in Fargo would determine her future in freestyle.

“I think her drive is there,” he said. “Her abilities are there. She’s got some good coaches in Wil and the other coaches here at Cedar Falls.”

Being an Olympian is one of Cassy’s goals.

“Every match, I get closer to it,” she said.

Cassy Herkelman tries to finish a take-down against Mason City's Andres Gonzalez in the consolation quarterfinals during Saturday's Keith Young Invitational. (photo by Eric VanSickle/Cedar Falls Times)

Waterloo East 80, NU High 78, OT

Half-court shots all around. Not only did a guy hit a half-courter for free burritos, someone actually hits a half-court buzzer-beater to send this game into OT.

Keith Young Invititational

Defending national champion Apple Valley (Minn.) outlasted Waverly-Shell Rock for the Keith Young Invitational team title. The Eagles and Go-Hawks each crowned five individual champions.

Half-court shot made for free burritos

Ryan Riester hit a half-court shot during halftime of the Waterloo East-NU High boys' basketball game last night to win free burritos for a year at Panchero's.

Metro girls' basketball jamboree

Area girls' basketball teams participated in a jamboree Monday night, which is like a dress rehearsal before the season officially began. The girls played a half of basketball.

India in Iowa attendees dance to "Jai Ho"

If you liked the film "Slumdog Millionaire," you'd like to see about 40 or 50 people dancing like the stars fo the film during the end credits, to the song "Jai Ho."

Nathan Phelps talks about Indian dance

Indian dance expert Nathan Phelps demonstrates his art at India in Iowa II last Saturday.

India in Iowa II at Field of Yoga

Field of Yoga hosted India in Iowa II last Saturday night, Nov. 13, with performances by Kirtan Path of Minneapolis and local Indian dance expert Nathan Phelps. Food also was served, provided by Taste of India from Cedar Rapids.

No. 1 Lenox 39, Tripoli 18

Tripoli came into last Thursday's eight-player semi-final in the UNI-Dome on a roll, beating three ranked teams in the Panthers' previous four games. However, top-ranked Lenox was too tough in the second half, prevailing in a 39-18 victory. Tripoli ends the season 11-2 in its first season in eight-player football.

No. 2 Iowa City High 49, No. 3 Cedar Falls 28

Iowa City High scored two touchdowns in the first 29 seconds of the game, and Cedar Falls just couldn't recover enough, as the Little Hawks beat the Tigers, 49-28, in the Class 4A quarterfinals.

Decorah 31, No. 8 Waverly-Shell Rock 7

The weather was a lot nicer last night in Decorah than it was last Wednesday night in Webster City, but the result was worse for the Go-Hawks.

On a personal side note, Cedar Falls beat Muscatine in the UNI-Dome, 42-21, and the Tigers will next go to Iowa City High's Bates Field to take on the Little Hawks in the Class 4A quarter-finals. It's going to be a great game with two of the best teams in Class 4A going toe to toe. I expect a lot of offense. That's where my next assignment will be after tonight's volleyball match in Marshalltown.

How much am I worth?

HumanForSale.com - I am for sale!
I just wish I had $2.24 million!

No. 8 Waverly-Shell Rock 37, No. 9 Webster City 6

It was a dark and windy night, but the Waverly-Shell Rock Go-Hawks won the Class 3A first round football playoff game last night against Webster City, 37-6.

Tigers qualify for state cross country

Cedar Falls's teams qualify to state cross country, the boys won the district meet, the girls were runners up to West Des Moines Dowling.

NU High 3, Northeast Hamilton 1

NU beat Northeast Hamilton to face North Tama in Tuesday's Class 1A regional quarterfinal Tuesday.

Columbus 3, North Linn 0

Columbus Catholic of Waterloo downed North Linn, 3-0, during the first round of the Class 2A regionals.

Cedar Falls wins MVC Super Meet

Cedar Falls won the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet on the strength of a first, third and fifth finish in the 100 backstroke.

NU middle school rebuilding football program

After NU High School of Cedar Falls (which is housed at Malcolm Price Laboratory School on the University of Northern Iowa campus) had to drop its varsity football program and send its upperclass players to Cedar Falls High for football, the middle school program is tasked to help rebuild the program from scratch when it eventually returns to the varsity ranks by 2012.

Tripoli 40, Janesville 32

Tripoli earned a playoff bid in eight-man state playoffs with the victory, with Tyler Lenox scoring five touchdowns, mostly on long runs.

No. 3 Cedar Falls 63, Dubuque Senior 17

The Tigers scored early and often against Dubuque Senior in their 63-17 win Thursday night.

No. 7 C.R. Xavier 3, No. 12 Cedar Falls 2

Xavier survives a come-from-behind effort from Cedar Falls, winning 15-12 in the final set. Xavier won the first two sets, 26-24 and 25-19, but C.F. won the next two, 25-22 and 25-21.

No. 3 Cedar Falls 49, Waterloo West 12

Cedar Falls downed West High despite not having the services of running back Barkley Hill, 49-12. Seven different Tigers scored in the game.

Have to change my wardrobe

Hello everyone:

It had some to my attention that there are some things that I need to change when I go to my yoga classes at Field of Yoga here in Cedar Falls. Mary McInnis Meyer, owner and lead teacher, told me four or five things that I need to either change or keep mindful of because she had been losing a few clients probably because of my actions. Some have to do with my personality (keep my voice at a low level; don't be curt with new students when they forget to take off their shoes when they enter the practice area; try not to help other students in poses, because that's what Mary, Carissa, Maggie and Katie are there for; and be aware that the yoga studio is more like a living thing than just a room), but one has to do with what I've been wearing.

You see, I am one who likes to wear form-fitting exercise wear, preferably unitards or wrestling-style singlets, when I either do yoga, work out at the gym or go on my rollerblades. During Mary's call yesterday afternoon (on her way up to Minneapolis to visit an ashtanga yoga studio there), she told me some of the students (mainly older women) were unfomfortable seeing the spandex stretch over my butt when I bend.

Anyway, I'm going to have to go with more yoga-specific clothing, starting with the Yoga Path class I attended this morning. I do have a few pair of bike shorts and running tights, but I'm wondering what else is out there that is more appropriate for yoga for men. I wear a 34 waist right now (about a men's medium, though once I lose a few more pounds, I'd be able to take a small) and have a 32 inseam and wear a large shirt, which might actually can go down to medium.

I looked at lululemon athletica's website, as I'm connected with them on Facebook, and saw they have leggings for men, but at $88 EACH! That's way too much! Mary's going to be sending me some links to some stores that would include some men's yoga wear.

But here's the thing, I don't want to get baggy clothing just because it's labeled as "yoga wear." I hate baggy stuff when I'm working out. My unitards are perfect for me because they move with me, wick the sweat away from my body, and I don't have to worry about cuffs catching or moving up my legs or being constricted by a waistband. However, I need to be mindful of everyone else, Mary suggested.

Anyone out there know of good yoga wear stores or brands that are form fitting (ideally having some amount of Lycra or spandex, whether based on cotton or spandex) that don't cost a lot of money? Send me an e-mail or leave a comment with some suggestions. That would be much appreciated!

32nd Girls' Marcussen Invitational

Waukesha (Wis.) South won the Marcussen Invite by three over host Cedar Falls.

No. 9 Cedar Falls 3, West High 1

Cedar Falls defeated Waterloo West, three sets to one, Tuesday night.

Sumner-Fredericksburg 28, Monticello 7

Sumner-Fredericksburg won, 28-7, over Monticello in its homecoming game Friday night.

Eckerman 2000th kill

Waterloo East middle blocker Haley Eckerman recorded her 2,000th kill earlier this season, and received recognition for it Tuesday prior to the Trojans' match with Cedar Falls.

No. 13 Cedar Falls 3, No. 7 Waterloo East 2

Cedar Falls outlasted Waterloo East in a five-set match Tuesday night, taking the final set, 15-13.

Metro cross country

Cedar Falls won both the boys' and the girls' metro cross country championships Thursday evening.

No. 2 Cedar Falls 28, No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier 7

C.F. passed its test against Cedar Rapids Xavier, 28-7.

Denver 3, NU High 0

Denver (Iowa) High School downed NU High, 25-13, 25-14, 25-19, Tuesday night at Nielsen Fieldhouse.

No. 8 Linn-Mar 45, Waterloo West 0

West High had some good things going early, but an interception and five touchdowns by Linn-Mar's Jer Garman led to a 45-0 Lion win over the Wahawks.

Rich Engel Classic

Cedar Falls High hosted the Rich Engel Classic, named after the long-time track and cross country coach.

No. 2 Cedar Falls 45, Cedar Rapids Prairie 7

I wonder why they used this shot of "Tony the Tiger" as the preview shot?

Cedar Falls sweeps girls' swimming tri

Coverage from last night's girls' swim meet between Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids Xavier and Iowa City High.

C.R. Xaiver upsets No. 3 Waterloo East in five sets

This match happened Tuesday night. Again, my VO was a bit rough. It was a great match, but Xavier won in five sets. All-State superstar HaleyEckerman (No. 10 in black) had 37 kills.

Cedar Falls 37, Waterloo East 0

Radio Iowa has the Tigers at No. 5 in the state, but the AP has them at No. 2.

New video I made

Just wanted to let you know that I've been starting to do some video of the games I'm covering for the Cedar Falls Times and the other Northeast Iowa newspapers in Community Media Group. Here is the first one I did from Friday night's game between Class 4A opponents Dubuque Hempstead and No. 5 Cedar Falls...



Our editor, Anelia Dimitrova, was so impressed at how I did this, she's going to talk to the CMG ownership about expanding my job as the regional video sports correspondent. I'm wondering how that's going to pay me...

History stolen

Last night, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was just one out away from pitching the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history and third in the last month. However, when Cleveland's Jason Donald grounded to first baseman Miguel Cabrera, and Galarraga covered first base, umpire Jim Joyce made the second-worst call in baseball history. Although Galarraga had the ball and his foot on first base a good half-step ahead of Donald's, Joyce called Donald "safe," and the perfect game and no-hitter both were spoiled.

For those who don't know baseball terminology: a no-hitter simply means that a pitcher allows no hits by the opposing team, while the other team might have base runners by way of walks or errors. Whereas a perfect game is where a pitcher gets all 27 outs recorded without allowing a single base runner (nine innings in a game, three outs per inning equals 27).

Already this season, Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics and Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies recorded perfect games, the first time two pitchers recorded the second-most-rare feat (only an unassisted triple play is more rare) in the same season since 1880, when the perfect game became an official statistic. Never has there been three perfect games in a season.

To some, Galarraga has thrown a 28-out perfect game and were calling for MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to reverse Joyce's call to "out" and award the perfect game. Just within the last hour of when I'm writing this, Selig released a statement saying he would not reverse the call.

And he shouldn't.

Because safe/out is a judgment call in baseball, though there are rulebook entries on how a batter or runner is safe or out, it isn't subject to protests or replay reviews. In fact, the only time a play is reviewed by replay is whether a ball is a home run or not. However, those people are now clammoring for replay to be expanded for obvious safe/out calls.

Still, the play was called incorrectly, and I applaud Joyce for admitting after the fact that he was wrong (usually umpires stick with their call even when proven wrong by replay) and appologized to Galarraga in the Tiger clubhouse after the game.

Talking with reporters in the umpires' room after the game, Joyce said, "It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the [stuff] out of it."

Damn right you did! The only worse call in baseball was during gave five of the 1985 World Series. Dom Denkinger, who by the way lives in Waterloo, botched what would have been the final out of the game that would have clinched the championship for the St. Louis Cardinals. As a result, the Kansas City Royals remained in that game, eventually forced game seven and won.

The main difference between the two calls is that Denkinger's gaffe helped decide the championship, while Joyce's was simply the 27th out of a regular-season perfect game and had very little impact on the final outcome.

Although the call was aggregious last night, I think the worst thing that can be done to Joyce is a fine or suspension, and the call was rightly upheld, or at least not changed after the fact. It only opens up a big can of worms that baseball can't afford to open.

Personal updates

New look, new job

Hey folks, it’s been a while since I had any time to really update this blog, but there has been a few changes in my life recently that I need to let you guys know about.


Those of you who have seen my thumbnail on your pages showing me as a follower probably might notice something different, as indicated by the first picture above. I’ve slimmed down A LOT! You also notice on the second, I’m in a yoga pose, Virabhadrasana II, or Warrior II. Well, since the first of the year, I’ve been taking classes at Field of Yoga and been practicing at home, a total of about five or six times a week. Since adding my yoga practice, I’ve dropped 27 pounds to just a shade under 200 pounds. My face has slimmed down to what you see above, and I’m now at a 32-inch waistline. I do have some more that I can do to really be at a “healthy weight,” but it’s a good bit of progress.


Also, I have a major announcement to make: I’m no longer delivering pizzas at Pizza Hut. I’m now going to be the assistant editor of Hawkeye Racing News, which I’m starting training tomorrow morning. It’s currently produced in Vinton, but as part of my hire, Anelia Dimitrova is going to move my duties up to Waverly, making it easier for me to do the job without much disruption. I’m still going to be working at Witham Auto Center for the time being, and I’ll continue doing work for Community Media Group’s Northeast Iowa newspapers, so I’ll be raking in the dough. (I estimate I’ll be making about $30,000 a year combined.)


Unfortunately, I never mentioned in my last few posts that I’ve broken up with Jenny Wahl. It was mainly because my job commitments kept me away from her, and she wanted me to make sure I was where I wanted to be. I do believe we’ve moved on from each other.


There may be another possibility out there now. Last Saturday, my Facebook page received a message for a friend request from one Yvette Wynn. I first asked who she was before I accepted the request, and she told me she found me through a group called “Spandex Fetish” and sent all the guys requests. I was the first (and only, since she deleted it later due to virus concerns) to respond. I showed her the photo above right as well as another of me in the same unitard, and she went gaga over me! She said I was sexy! Of course, I also showed those pictures to Jill and to the guy from whom I bought the unitard, and they agreed. I never thought I was that sexy. I consider myself just an average guy who lost 56 pounds in 3½ years or so.


Anyway, Yvette wants us to get together sometime. The problem is that she lives in West Hollywood, Calif., and I’m here in Cedar Falls, Iowa. That means one of us is going to have to either drive a couple of days or fly to see the other. Of course, those who had read my previous Yahoo! 360° blog know of my problems with “girls” who I meet on the Internet who are not from around here. I’ve encouraged Yvette to get a webcam, so I know that she is who she says she is, and so we can see each other in real time. I do have some pictures she scanned in and shared with me, but I’m going to keep them to myself for the time being.