SPORTS

TRACK & FIELD

APRIL 14, 2022 | NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49

Panther T & F boasts three champions in Wichita

HUNTER FRIESEN

Sports Writer

After claiming five titles last weekend in their first meet of the outdoor season, which included the men’s and women’s sweeps of the 4x400, the UNI track & field team made the trek to Wichita, Kan. for the KT Woodman Classic, hosted by Wichita State. The strong performances from last week were able to carry forward, with the Panthers posting three champions. Both of the 4x100 relay teams were able to finish on the podium as the men finished in second place with a time of 40.56 seconds and the women in third place with a time of 46.84 seconds. Along with being a part of that runner-up team, senior Isaiah Trousil recorded a career-best time in the 100meter dash. He accomplished the event in 10.25 seconds, netting him a third-place finish and beating his record of 10.48 seconds set at the previous weekend’s event. He also missed out on beating his record in the 200-meter dash by only 0.01 seconds, which was still good enough to get him in second place behind Aurel Tchanbi from Indian Hills CC. Also finishing in a runner-up position was Mia Rampton in the 3,000-meter steeple. Her time of 11:10.44 was only six seconds off of the career-best she posted at the conference championship last spring. Three Panthers placed within the top ten in the 110meter hurdles. Sophomore Jack Sumners posted a careerbest time of 14.42 seconds. He was closely followed by Drew Bartels at 14.50 seconds and Carter Morton at 14.91 seconds. Shifting over to the field events, junior Marin Ehler was the lone female champion on the weekend as her shot put toss of 14.69 meters became the fifth-longest throw in the conference this season. She also placed fifth in the hammer throw with a distance of 51.06 meters. The two other champions came from the men’s field events. Tom Yezek won the discus event with a throw of 56.11 meters, and Blair Brooks won the long jump with a height of 7.39 meters. Along with placing in the hurdles, both Sumners and Bartles finished in the top five behind Brooks in the long jump. All-American Darius King wasn’t able to place as highly as he envisioned, settling for eighth in the hammer throw. Both Morton and Matt Davis tied for seventh place in the high jump. The team will head to Des Moines next to take part in the Jim Duncan Invitational, hosted by Drake University.

Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics

The UNI men’s and women’s track team had a strong showing at the K.T. Woodman Classic hosted by Wichita State Univerisity, from April 8-9. Three Panthers claimed individual titles in their respective events.

GOLF Golfers compete at the Stampede at the Creek

DAVID WARRINGTON

Sports Writer

This past Monday and Tuesday, the UNI men’s and women’s golf teams traveled to the Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, Neb. to compete in the Stampede at the Creek, hosted by the University of NebraskaOmaha. Facing some talented competitors, UNI had some impressive individual performances, as well as a top-five team finish from the men. In the men’s team competition, UNI took fourth place out of the nine teams competing, finishing with a team score of 878 strokes across three rounds. This was just one stroke behind third-place Omaha, and two strokes behind second-place St. Thomas. North Dakota State dominated the team competition, shooting an 845 behind top individual performers Brock Winter, Jack Johnson, and Nate Adams, who finished first, second, and third, respectively. The top individual performer for UNI was Griffin Parker, shooting a 216 to finish right at par and tie for fifth out of the 54 competitors in the individual competition. Not far behind was Alex Pries, finishing at 218, two over par, to tie for ninth. Thomas Storbeck shot a 223 to tie for 21st, while Jack Moody shot a 225, tying for 26th. Tommy Doyle shot a 227 to tie for 33rd, and rounding out UNI’s six competitors, Connor VanWeelden shot a 236 to tie for 47th. In the women’s team competition, the Panthers finished seventh out of the eight teams competing. They finished with 963 strokes, just three behind third-place Western Illinois. South Dakota State secured the team title with three top-five individual finishers, including the individual champion, Mia Seeman. Individually, the top UNI finisher was Hannah Bermel, shooting 23 over par at 239 to take 26th place out of the 53 competitors. Anna Jensen and Allison Nuss both shot a 241 to tie for 30th, while Madison Humke shot a 244, good for 35th. Lily Bredemeier shot a 246, tying for 38th, and Rylie Driskell finished with a 247, taking 42nd place. Next up for both the men’s and women’s teams will be the Missouri Valley Conference Championship competitions. The women’s conference championship will take place starting this Sunday, April 17, and run through Tuesday, in St. Louis. The men will compete starting next Sunday, April 24, and will run through Tuesday, April 26, in Paducah, Ky.

MLB

APRIL 14, 2022 | NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49

Opinion: Shohei Ohtani is leading the charge of a new kind of baseball

CADEN SHEA

Sports Writer

For the last couple of years, the world of Major League Baseball has been run by elite pitchers like Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer and hitters like Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, but never a combination of both. That was until a man labeled the “Babe Ruth of Japan” arrived on U.S. soil during the 2018 season for the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei Ohtani made a splash nearly immediately, showing his role as both a top hitter and pitcher for the MLB. He was hitting home runs on the regular, paired with being a starting pitcher who could strike anybody out on any given day. Of course, this begs a lot of questions. Why haven’t there been any players like that in such a long time? Is this the start of a new era of players in the MLB? Will the MLB benefit or be harmed by players like this? There are so many questions that this 27 year-old phenom has opened up that will be talked about for years to come. Why haven’t there been any players like Ohtani playing at an elite level since Babe Ruth? That is a question that was answered a couple of times in Ohtani’s career: injuries. When somebody constantly makes a difference on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game, there are bound to be injuries. He suffered some elbow injuries and other arm-related injuries that hindered his play and caused him to miss quite a few games during his career. Another reason that Ohtani is a generational player is because he is one of the top conditioned and trained athletes on the planet. He also strays away from specialization in a way that not many people have seen. The game has been dominated by specialization for years because players who are either elite at hitting or elite at pitching get that way by focusing and training on that aspect of that game for all their life. If they are a hitter, they don’t want to focus on pitching because that might hinder their specialized aspect of the game and vice versa. However, Ohtani broke that norm by focusing on both pitching and hitting, becoming one of the best in each area of his expertise. I believe that this type of hybrid player will be much more common in the future with Ohtani as the blueprint going forward. His style of play will be imitated for years to come with a lot of young players modeling their playstyles after him. This could lead to more athletes stretching the limits of their abilities to become more versatile in their playing. It will reduce specialization in baseball and make it a more flexible game than what is currently offered. Ohtani has helped make the Los Angeles Angels a top contender in the league alongside another one of the best players in the league in Mike Trout. The fact that they can have both an offensive and defensive superstar in the form of Ohtani and an absolute beast of a hitter in Trout make the Angels a team to fear in the future. The last question is, is this kind of player good or bad for the future of baseball? I would personally say yes. And so would a lot of people. In 2021, Ohtani won the award for the American League’s Most Valuable Player. This is the highest award you can achieve as a current MLB player and the fact that he achieved it in such a short amount of time for being exceptional in two very important areas of play is unbelievable. This is an award voted on by top officials out of every market in the MLB, so him winning this is not a feat that should be swept under the rug. Ohtani was also the league’s ninth highest-selling jersey last year which is a big indicator of which players are getting a lot of attention in the league. The more a player sells their jersey, the more of a household name they are. Ohtani’s playstyle is ushering in new fans, including myself, to behold his exceptional playing techniques. Shohei Ohtani is a player that will be remembered for years down the line. He is completely altering a game that has been played for hundreds of years and will probably be played for a hundred more. The game has often seen dramatic shifts in how it is played, and usually when one player does something, others follow. And if the above things indicate anything, it’s that there will likely be a lot of followers in the near future.

Tribune News Service

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels has ushered in a new style of play in Major League Baseball: the ability to both successfully hit and pitch. He captured last year’s American League Most Valuable Player in part because of his unique play style, and more players will likely try to imitate his performance in the coming years.

Today’s Birthday (04/14/22). Connect with friends to grow this year. Fortune rewards consistent teamwork and collaboration. Conserve a springtime bounty and share to support with summertime family changes. Shared accounts get an extra boost next autumn, providing extra winter resources. Unite for common cause, gain and passion.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 7 — Clean old messes. Savor peaceful privacy, with Mars in Pisces for two months. Organize and prepare for what’s ahead. Tap into inspiration, passion and spiritual connection. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Together, anything’s possible. Collaborate with teams, groups and friends over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Push for a shared dream.

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Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Begin a two-month superpower phase, with Mars in your sign. Focus on personal development. Restore integrity where missing. Take charge to realize a dream.

CLASSIFIEDS

APRIL 14, 2022 | NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49 Today's Horoscope

April 14, 2022

EMMA KOEHLER Associate Managing Editor

Syphilis is on the rise in Iowa.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection. Early numbers show a 75% increase in syphilis cases in Iowa from 2020 to 2021.

It’s more common and easier to get than you might think. Syphilis is curable but can cause serious health problems without treatment. Talk to your doctor about whether you are at risk. Find a testing location near you: gettested.cdc.gov