Tipton freshman will transfer to Regina

IOWA CITY — The final piece of a potential state-championship puzzle is now in place for the Iowa City Regina girls' basketball team.

Alex Wiese, who averaged a double-double for Tipton in an injury-shortened freshman campaign, will enroll at Regina on Monday, her father confirmed.

'To me, this is an academic decision,' John Wiese said Thursday. 'Sure, I'd like my daughter to play in the WNBA, but that's probably not going to happen. We toured Regina, and we were so impressed. We want our daughter prepared for college, and we think that will best happen at Regina.

'We talked about this last summer. Alex wasn't happy, so we decided it's time for a change.'

As a result, the Regals — who would have entered the 2016-17 season as the team to beat in Class 2A anyway — have distanced themselves from the pack.

A 5-foot-11 center, Wiese averaged 15.4 points and 12.7 rebounds in 16 games before suffering a torn ACL. Tipton (8-14) was 7-9 in games in which Wiese played.

She was second in the state in rebound average.

Assuming her knee heals, Wiese will further bolster the Regals, who already return 71 percent of the scoring from a team that went 25-1 and reached the Class 2A semifinals last year. The top returner is Mary Crompton, a 2A first-team all-stater last season.

All they were missing was an inside force. No longer.

Regina has a coaching vacancy to fill. Matt Bolger resigned Tuesday; his family is moving to Springfield, Mo., where his wife has accepted a position as a doctor of obstetrics.

'(Bolger) was an awesome coach,' said John Wiese, whose farm is a 40-minute drive to the Regina campus. 'Their last three or four coaches have all been phenomenal. I have every confidence that Regina will fill the vacancy with another great one.'

IGHSAU executive director Mike Dick said that any girl that transfers from a public school to a private school (or vice versa) after her first day of ninth grade will be eligible for varsity competition 90 school days after her enrollment at her new school.

With Wiese enrolling Monday, her first day of varsity eligibility will be around Nov. 4, which would take her out of varsity volleyball, regardless of the knee injury.

Last year at Tipton, she averaged a team-high 3.89 kills per set, and added more than 3 digs per set, as the Tigers went 21-13.

Wiese's mother, Stephanie, led West Point Marquette to a state volleyball championship in 1991, and played at Iowa State. She is in the IGHSAU Volleyball Hall of Fame.

The first day of basketball practice is Nov. 7.

Tipton girls' basketball coach Chad Rezac declined comment. Despite Wiese's departure, the cupboard won't be bare at Tipton — the next two leading scorers from last season, Emily Hermsen and Jamie Kofron, also were freshmen.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com