April 16, 2008

Upper Iowa University Head Men's Basketball Coach Brian Dolan announced today that Mark Lafrenz, a highly sought-after recruit from Bennett, Iowa, has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and basketball career at Upper Iowa University. Mark will join fall signees Austin Emerson and Lee Parker on next year's Peacock roster.

Lafrenz, a 6'7" forward, led Tipton High School to a 19-4 record last year. He scored 15.3 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game as a senior, while shooting over 50% from the field and over 75% from the free throw line. Mark was a varsity starter for four years at Tipton and earned all-conference honors as a junior and senior. He was selected as an all-state player at the end of his senior year. Over the last several summers, Mark was a member of the highly successful All Iowa Attack AAU basketball program.

"I think Upper Iowa is getting a heck of a good kid and a heck of a basketball player," said Tipton Boy's Basketball Coach Tom Gruenwald. "Mark is an outstanding student and a great person. He has the ability to do a lot of things that other players at his height and size can't, and he'll give opponents fits when they try to match up. Mark made a great choice, and I'm really happy for him."

Coach Dolan is looking forward to the future at UIU. "We are excited to have Mark joining our program here at Upper Iowa University," Dolan said. "Mark is a talented basketball player and possesses all the qualities that we look for in a student-athlete. He plays extremely hard and has a tremendous work ethic on and off the court. Over the next four years Mark will be a major contributor to the continued growth of the Upper Iowa Basketball Program."

Upper Iowa University, located in Fayette, Iowa, is a member of NCAA Division II and the highly competitive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. UIU is the only NCAA Division II institution in the state of Iowa.