Kirkwood Community College - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Petersen created fond memories at Kirkwood

Bryan Petersen did not go hunting for a new job after leading the Kirkwood Eagles to their second NJCAA Division II national title in four years this past season.

As it turned out, an attractive new job found him.

Petersen, 32, has left the Kirkwood men's basketball program to become an assistant coach at South Dakota State, an NCAA Division I program that competes in the Summit Conference. Tim Sandquist, who led Rock Valley College to the championship game of the NJCAA DIII tournament this year, was hired last week as Kirkwood's new coach.

Petersen compiled a 157-38 record in six years at Kirkwood with national titles in 2016 and 2019. And although he was not looking for a new job, he was receptive when new South Dakota State Coach Eric Henderson offered him a spot with the Jackrabbits.

Henderson and Petersen have known each other for 10 years. Henderson worked with the Iowa State men's basketball program when Petersen played for the Cyclones as a junior and senior, and they communicated quite a bit the last two years when Henderson helped recruit Kirkwood All-American Doug Wilson to South Dakota State.

When Henderson became the head coach at South Dakota State this spring, he called Petersen and popped the question. "If I was going to leave Kirkwood, there were only a few places where I felt comfortable," he said. "This was one of them."

Petersen did not accept right away, but quickly became intrigued by the possibility of coaching at the NCAA Division I level.

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Sandquist named KCC men's basketball coach

Tim Sandquist of Rock Valley College has been hired as the new men's  basketball coach at Kirkwood Community College.

Sandquist replaces Bryan Petersen, who has left Kirkwood to become an  assistant coach at South Dakota State after leading the Eagles to two  NJCAA Division II national titles in four years.

Sandquist led Rock Valley to the championship game of the NJCAA  Division III playoffs this year, where the Golden Eagles lost to  Herkimer and finished with a 25-7 record in his only year at the school.

"I am incredibly humbled and honored to become the head coach at  Kirkwood," Sandquist said in a press release. "I'm grateful to  athletic director Doug Wagemester and the search committee for the  opportunity to join the Eagle family.

"Kirkwood is a special place with a great tradition of excellence and  I cannot wait to get started in Cedar Rapids."

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Eagles grab 4th at NJCAA tournament

CLINTON, Miss. - The Kirkwood Eagles finally lost at the NJCAA Division II national softball tournament Friday, but they went down fighting and claimed fourth place.

Kirkwood won two elimination games Friday before falling to DMACC, 13-8, in their third game of the day at Traceway Park.

The Eagles were seeded seventh out of 16 teams, but they posted a 4-2 record at the tournament and finished the season at 54-17 under Eric Frese in his first year as head coach.

Both of Kirkwood's losses in the tournament were to DMACC, which will play Phoenix in the losers bracket final Saturday in a battle to see who faces No. 1 seed LSU Eunice for the title.

DMACC and Kirkwood played six times this season - four times in the ICCAC conference and twice at nationals - and the Bears won five of those head-to-head meetings.

Kirkwood began Friday with a 2-0 victory over Louisburg on a two-hit shutout by Erin Hocker. London Jackson belted a two-run homer in the top of the sixth for the only scoring.

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KCC golfers take 4th at nationals

PLYMOUTH, Ind. - The Kirkwood men's golf team slipped a notch Friday and finished fourth at the NJCAA Division II national tournament at Swan Lake Resort.

South Mountain Community College won the 72-hole tournament with a four-man total of 15-over-par 1,167. Kirkwood finished with an aggregate score of 1,213, which was 61-over par and 46 shots behind the champion.

Ryan Morrison of Kirkwood placed 15th at 11-over-par 299 with rounds of 76, 75, 74 and 74. Leon D'Souza of South Mountain claimed medalist honors at 4-under 284 for a two-shot victory.

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Big rally saves KCC at nationals

CLINTON, Miss. - The Kirkwood Eagles had one foot on the bus for the  long ride back to Cedar Rapids Thursday, but a big rally kept them  alive at the NJCAA Division II national softball tournament.

Kirkwood fell behind Madison, 8-0, in the second inning of an  elimination game at Traceway Park, but the Eagles stormed all the way  back for a 12-9 victory to play another day.

Kirkwood (2-1) will face Louisburg (2-1) in the double-elimination  tournament Friday at noon. Eight teams are still playing in the  tournament and eight have been eliminated.

The Eagles lost to DMACC, 6-3, in their first game Thursday to fall  into the losers bracket. They had to play again right away and got off  to a miserable start against Madison before igniting.

Kirkwood scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull  within 9-7, then the Eagles tacked on five more runs in the sixth to  claim a 12-9 advantage in the wild contest.

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KCC golfers eye 3rd at nationals

PLYMOUTH, Ind. - The Kirkwood men's golf team hopes to hang onto third  place at the NJCAA Division II national tournament at Swan Lake Resort  in the final round Friday.

The Eagles have little chance of winning the title or claiming the No. 2 spot in the team standings, but they have a one-shot lead over  Mississippi Gulf Course in a spirited battle for the bronze medal.

South Mountain leads the tournament at 888. Walters State is second at 892, with Kirkwood third at 912 and Mississippi Gulf Coast a shot  behind in fourth place at 913.

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KCC golfers climb into 3rd

PLYMOUTH, Ind. - The Kirkwood men's golf team climbed five spots in  the standings Wednesday and is sitting in third place after 36 holes  of the NJCAA Division II national tournament at Swan Lake Resort.

Walters State leads the tournament at 12-over-par 588. South Mountain  is in second place at 594 and Kirkwood is third at 31-over 607,  trailing Walters State by 19 shots.

The 72-hole tournament continues Thursday and Friday.

James Morgan fired a 1-under-par 71 to lead Kirkwood Wednesday. The  Eagles are bunched together with Ben Epperly at 6-over 150, Ryan  Morrison at 7-over 151, Morgan at 8-over 152 and Will Babcock at  10-over 154. Epperly is tied for fourth place.

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Eagles win thriller at national tourney

CLINTON, Miss. - The Kirkwood Eagles scored in the bottom of the  seventh inning Wednesday to snap a 2-2 tie and trim Illinois Central,  3-2, in the opening round of the NJCAA Division II national softball  tournament.

Kirkwood (51-15) will face DMACC (49-6) in the quarterfinals Thursday  at 3:30 p.m., matching two rivals from the ICCAC conference.

Kirkwood led 2-1 heading into the top of the seventh, but Illinois  Central loaded the bases and scored the tying run on a wild pitch  before Erin Hocker got the final out on a fly ball.

The Eagles wasted no time in the bottom of the seventh. Taleah Smith  led off with a double to left-center. Shelby Hulsebus hit a single to  left field with one out and Smith raced home with the winning run on  an error by the left fielder.

Hocker (27-9) walked seven batters and allowed seven hits, but made  big pitches when it counted to escape further damage. Illinois Central  left 13 runners on base. Kirkwood did not commit any errors, greatly  helping the cause.

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Pint named to NJCAA golf Hall of Fame

Darin Pint's journey as an athlete and coach has taken him through  Wapsie Valley, Coe and Kirkwood Community College.

Now it's taken him all the way to the Hall of Fame for the NJCAA Men's  Golf Coaches Association.

The Coaches Association announced Monday that Pint has been selected  as a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2019 for his outstanding work  as the men's golf coach at Kirkwood the past 23 years.

Pint is coaching in the NJCAA Division II national tournament this  week for the 23rd straight year. He's taken his entire team to the  national tournament in 16 of those years and he's led individuals from  Kirkwood to the tournament in the other seven years.

TJ Redding of Kirkwood was the individual national champion in 2006  and the Eagles finished second in the team standings in 2006 and 2016.  Pint was named the National Coach of the Year in 2016. He has coached  17 All-Americans.

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