Q:        Will wrestling retain its status as one of the core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympics?

A: Thanks in part to wrestling fans across Iowa, the popular sport may retain its status in the Olympic games after all.  Uniting fans from around the world, an international groundswell of support captured the attention of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which in February voted to put wrestling on the chopping block for the 2020 games.  Crossing geo-political boundaries, wrestling enthusiasts from the United States joined forces with those who share a passion for wrestling from 180 other countries, including an unlikely alliance for wrestlers from the United States and those from Russia and Iran.  Considering that 71 countries sent wrestlers to the London games last summer and the sport attracts a global audience averaging 23 million viewers, it seemed incredible that the IOC chose to pull the mat out from underneath this beloved sporting event.  A competition with roots dating back to the games of ancient Greece, wrestling first made its Olympic debut in 708 B.C.  The astonishing proposal to eliminate wrestling by the IOC earlier this year mobilized the wrestling community into high gear.

Q:        Do you support efforts to keep wrestling in the Olympic games?

A:        Absolutely. In February, I introduced a Senate Resolution with Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio to put the disapproval of wrestling fans on public record.  Our bipartisan resolution won Senate passage in March.  And, the global wrestling community captured the attention of decision-makers at the IOC, who in late May voted to keep wrestling on a short list of finalists for a crucial vote this fall.  The meeting in Russia of the IOC executive board will now be followed by a final vote in September of the general assembly in Buenos Aires.  I applaud efforts of the grass roots, from athletes, their families and the fans who raised their collective voice through social media and online petitions to help continue the efforts to clinch wrestling's spot in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.  Iowa enjoys a dynamic, rich wrestling tradition, from youth programs to high school and intercollegiate competition.  Anyone who has watched a match understands it takes true grit for an athlete to compete one-on-one on the mat.  Win or lose, athletes score life-long lessons during training and competition, including self-discipline, self-confidence and goal-setting.  Many of the best and brightest students who apply for appointment to an elite military service academy through my Senate office are high school wrestlers.  Nationwide, more than 270,000 high school athletes wrestle, including more than 8,000 women.  The IOC has approved 25 core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, including athletics (track and field), rowing, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, weightlifting, handball, hockey, Judo, aquatics, modern pentathlon, Tae Kwon Do, tennis, table tennis, shooting, archery, triathlon, sailing and volleyball.  A few years ago, the IOC added golf and rugby for the XXXI Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.  Its vote in September will decide if wrestling, squash or softball/baseball pins the 28^th spot for the 2020 Olympic Summer Games.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Peoria moves one-half game ahead of Quad Cities for third place after third straight home win

PEORIA, Ill. (JUNE 10, 2013) - Former Quad Cities River Bandits left-hander Hector Hernandez held this year's team to one run on seven hits in seven innings, and former four-year River Bandit Robert Stock earned his first professional save in a 5-1 Peoria Chiefs win at Dozer Park Monday night.

Hernandez (3-2) kept his former club scoreless for the first six innings, but the River Bandits (34-28) missed opportunities in the third, fourth and fifth innings and left 11 runners on base Monday. The visiting team left 22 on base in the series and was outscored 15-2.

In the third inning, center fielder Teoscar Hernandez singled, and left fielder Ruben Sosa reached on a bunt single. With two runners on base and no outs, second baseman Austin Elkins popped up a bunt. Then shortstop Carlos Correa lined out to right field, and first baseman Jesse Wierzbicki flied out to right field to end the threat. Quad Cities got a fourth-inning, two-out double by catcher Roberto Pena, followed by designated hitter Brian Blasik's single - the team's only hit in 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position Monday. Quad Cities finished the three-game series 2-for-18 in such situations. Hector Hernandez fanned Teoscar Hernandez to keep the game scoreless through 3 ½ innings.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Chiefs left fielder and former River Bandit Jordan Walton hit a one-out single to right-center field, and third baseman Patrick Wisdom hit a two-out triple over the head of right fielder Terrell Joyce for the first run. Chiefs center fielder and former River Bandit Nick Martini lined a single to left field, scoring Wisdom for a 2-0 Chiefs lead. The River Bandits loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning, but Hector Hernandez struck out Joyce and third baseman Rio Ruiz.

The Chiefs (34-27) added three more runs in the fifth inning, as catcher Gerwuins Velazco and second baseman Breyvic Valera started the inning with back-to-back singles. After shortstop Ildemaro Vargas popped out on a bunt attempt, designated hitter Jacob Wilson drove a two-run double down the left-field line to extend the lead to 4-0. Two batters later, first baseman Jeremy Schaffer added an RBI single for a 5-0 advantage. Cotton allowed all the Chiefs runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out two in five innings.

Quad Cities scored its only run in the seventh inning, as Sosa hit a leadoff single, stole second and third bases and scored on Correa's groundout. With a 5-1 deficit in the ninth inning, Sosa drew a one-out walk, and Elkins followed with a single off right-hander Joe Scanio. Stock then entered to face his former team for the first time since catching parts of three seasons and pitching one for the River Bandits. He allowed both runners to advance on a wild pitch before fanning Correa and Wierzbicki to end the game.

With the sweep, Peoria moved one-half game ahead of Quad Cites for third place in the Midwest League Western Division. With six days and seven games remaining for the River Bandits in the first half, they are four games behind second-place Beloit, which won its seventh straight game Monday. First-place Cedar Rapids is five games ahead of Quad Cities and begins a three-game series at Modern Woodmen Park Tuesday night. River Bandits right-hander Lance McCullers (3-4) will face Kernels left-hander Hein Robb (0-0) at 7 p.m.

UP NEXT: Fireworks conclude Thrivent Night in the first game of the River Bandits home stand Tuesday at Modern Woodmen Park. All tickets are buy-one-get-one free, kids eat free and fans can recycle a can or bottle of Mountain Dew at the gates for a free 16-ounce soda voucher on a Dew for Twosday presented by Pepsi, WOC and Q106.5. It'sreturn home for Thrivent Night at 7 p.m. TuesdaySingle-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

A genius hero with a ridiculously long nose and a passion for poetry and love will have crowds roaring with laughter during Cyrano de Bergerac, July 11 - 13 and 18 - 20 at 8:00 p.m. The 18th annual production, directed by Richard Barker and starring Jason Alberty, will be one of the largest productions in the history of the Classics at Brucemore. The natural amphitheater near the estate's pond will provide an encompassing backdrop as sword-wielding brawls erupt amidst the audience and romantic verses gush on stage. The gates will open at 7:00 p.m.; audiences are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and beverages to enjoy pre-show revelry.

Cyrano de Bergerac is an unabashed historical romance set in the 1640s featuring a swashbuckling hero. While first and foremost a passionate love story, the plot develops as a comedy with fast-paced action and a tragic ending. Despite his bravado, Cyrano suffers through unrequited love for Roxanne, whose eyes only see the dashing Christian. Many widely known adaptations have been made, including the film Roxanne, starring Steve Martin.

Advance tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for Brucemore members and students. All tickets at the gate are $20.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.brucemore.org, by calling (319) 362-7375, or by visiting the Brucemore Store located in the Visitor Center.

Sponsored by Rockwell Collins and media sponsored by The Gazette, KCRG-TV9, and Hoopla, Cyrano de Bergerac features a cast of the area's finest actors. Ten return to the Classics stage, including Jason Alberty, Angela Meisterling Billman, Andrew Clancey, Brett Engmark, Steve Ginsberg, Larry Hansen, Scott Humeston, Matthew James, Jim Kropa, Bill Lammers, Rob Merritt, David Morton, Marty Norton, Len Struttmann, and Cherryl Thomason. Making their Classics debut are Jon Day, Taylor Foster, Paul Freese, K. Michael Moore, Angie Toomsen, and Steve Worthington. For additional information, please visit the Brucemore website, www.brucemore.org.

The Classics at Brucemore began as collaboration between Torchlight Theatrics and Brucemore in 1996, thus launching outdoor theater in Eastern Iowa. The Classics celebrates a rich history of quality live theater, from Greek tragedy to Shakespearean comedy and twentieth century American drama. Much more than a play performed outdoors, the Classics fully utilizes the site as the natural amphitheater provides a lush backdrop and the outdoor environment is incorporated into the action ? actors emerge from the woods, get dunked in the pond, and help themselves to the audience's picnics.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

Join us for our Safety Fairs at either NorthPark or SouthPark Malls

Who: Safety is a top priority for our guests and retailers, and we strive to maintain a safe, enjoyable shopping environment at all times. This safety fair brings a heightened awareness to child and family safety by incorporating life-saving and family friendly activities for everyone.
Per Mar Security, Farmer's Insurance, the Chick-fil-A Cow and local Fire Departments will be on hand to talk about summer safety throughout both centers.

What: For more information on either Safety Fair, visit www.north-park-mall-ia.com/events or www.shopsouthparkmall-il.com/events, or follow us on Twitter @NorthParkMallIA or @SouthParkMallIL, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NorthParkMallIA or www.facebook.com/SouthParkMallIL.
For businesses that would like to participate or secure a booth, please contact Amanda at 563.391.6773 or amanda.vantheemsche@macerich.com.

Where:

NorthPark Mall - June 22, 2013 from 1p-4p
320 West Kimberly Road
Davenport, IA 52806

SouthPark Mall - June 29, 2013 from 1p-4p
4500 16th Street
Moline, IL 61265

Macerich is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website at www.macerich.com.