Sports

A pandemic-shortened winter sports season will begin later this month for Augustana College and the rest of the members of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Thursday the CCIW announced reduced schedules for basketball, swimming, bowling, wrestling, and track.

The swim coach at Monmouth College has died, from complications of COVID-19. 62 year old Tom Burek died Saturday.

On Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals invited the Quad Cities River Bandits to become an affiliate, the same day Major League Baseball made it official that the team has been promoted from "Single-A" to "Advanced-A" baseball. Eleven other Midwest League teams will also move up one level of play.

The bandits will receive a long-term "Player Development License" from Major League Baseball in the next two weeks. And the affiliation agreement with the Royals will last at least five years.

After being cut by the New York Giants in September, former Monmouth College quarterback Alex Tanney rejoined the team on Saturday.

For the first time in more than 70 years, one of the oldest football rivalries in college sports will not be renewed. The annual football game between two small colleges in western Illinois, Knox and Monmouth, has been called off. 

As a sort of grand finale to a season without minor league baseball, the Clinton Lumber Kings on Friday will hold one last "curbside concessions." Ballpark food that would have been for sale during Midwest League games at NelsonCorp Field will be available from noon until 6 pm.

The pandemic has claimed another casualty - Tuesday the Quad City Storm announced the team will have to sit out the upcoming hockey season. 

A golfer from Cedar Rapids with ties to the Quad Cities has won a high honor from the PGA Tour. Today, the tour and Southern Company announced Zach Johnson is this year's recipient of the Payne Stewart Award.