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Go Iowa Awesome – No. 4 Iowa 106, Michigan 89: Second to None

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Go Iowa Awesome  –  No. 4 Iowa 106, Michigan 89: Second to None


IOWA CITY — Just over two minutes into the game, Caitlin Clark rose to shoot from the left wing well behind the three-point line. It’s a scene that has played out countless times over the past four seasons in Iowa City and all throughout the country.

This shot was different from the rest. This shot would live on forever. In highlight reels. In record books. And in the memories of the 15,000+ people in attendance.

Clark’s three moved her past Kelsey Plum as NCAA women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer. But she wasn’t done breaking records. Clark’s big night continued and she ended up scoring 49 points to break Megan Gustafson’s program record for most points in a game. Clark also broke Hannah Stuelke’s mark for most points scored in a game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena set just one week ago. For good measure, Clark added 13 assists and five rebounds.

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Clark’s big performance propelled Iowa to a 106-89 victory over Michigan on a night Iowa fans will remember forever.

The Perfect Script

“You all knew I was going to shoot a logo three for the record,” Clark said with a smile after the game.

Clark came into the game needing seven points to tie Plum’s record and eight points to surpass it. If she could score five early points, she’d have an opportunity to break Plum’s mark with one of her signature shots. Sometimes fate plays out exactly like you hope.

Clark made her first shot just nine seconds into the game on a layup. She followed that with a three 30 seconds later.

Because no one is perfect, Clark was quiet on Iowa’s next two possessions: “I thought about doing it a couple possessions earlier, but I was tired. I needed to catch my breath a bit,” said Clark.

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Clark had caught her breath by the time Gabbie Marshall tracked down a rebound just over two minutes into the game. Marshall found Clark in the perfect position to push in transition. From there, history awaited:

But Clark wasn’t done. Far from it. After a brief pause to recognize Clark’s achievement, the game got going again and so did Clark.

“During warmups my shot felt pretty good,” Clark said. “Usually as a shooter you know. The ball just comes off your hand some nights better than others.”

Clark hit seven other shots—including four more three-pointers — in a remarkable first quarter that saw her score 23 points and dish four assists.

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Clark wasn’t done after the first quarter, either. Just last week, she saw Hannah Stuelke set a Carver record for points in a game. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer couldn’t let that stand.

“She asked why I had to do that,” Clark said of Stuelke’s reaction to her record being broken. Then Stuelke turned it into a joke, as Clark noted that Stuelke said “she said she passed the torch to me.”

Clark’s late three did more than surpass Stuelke. It also lifted her above Megan Gustafson’s prior program record of 48 points in a game.

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Clark has occasionally been chided for the volume of shots that she takes, but tonight no one could question her. Clark shot 16-of-31 from the floor and went 9-of-18 from 3-point range. She also added 13 assists because breaking three different scoring records in the same game just wasn’t enough.

“I don’t know if you could script it any better.” Clark said.

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The Game

Clark’s record and her masterful performance will occupy every headline, but this was also a big game for Iowa as a team. The Hawks sit one game behind Ohio State in the loss column in the Big Ten standings. The only team to defeat the Buckeyes in Big Ten play so far this season is Michigan. If Iowa didn’t play at its best, this was absolutely a game that could have ended in an upset. One more loss would have almost certainly ended Iowa’s Big Ten championship aspirations.

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Offensively, at least, the Hawkeyes were at their best in this game. Kate Martin was consistent as ever, scoring 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a red hot 4-of-5 effort from 3-point range. Stuelke scored 13 points on just six shots. Gabbie Marshall even broke out of her recent shooting slump, hitting a couple big threes.

As a team, Iowa shot 53% from the floor and a sizzling 51% from 3-point range, making a stunning 18 triples on the night. Iowa also had 25 assists on 34 made field goals, turned 14 Michigan turnovers into 26 points, and out-scored the Wolverines 25-7 in fast break points. This game was an example of the Iowa offense at its best.

READ MORE: Social Media Reacts to Caitlin Clark Breaking the NCAA WBB Scoring Record

Michigan Class

After the game, Coach Lisa Bluder took time to praise how Michigan handled the moment.

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“They gave Caitlin a gift after the game and every one of (their) players wrote her a note,” Bluder said in her press conference. “I am so glad that we have people in the Big Ten that understand the importance of this and the importance for women’s basketball… that was a really classy way for them to handle this. I appreciate Kim and what she did.”

Changing Women’s Basketball Forever

“There was like no one here,” Clark said of her first college game in Carver Hawkeye Arena against Northern Iowa. That’s not technically true, of course. The official attendance was 365. But compared to the capacity crowd of tonight, it might as well have been no one.

We will never know how many people might’ve attended Clark’s debut had it not been for the COVID restrictions in place at the time. We can say with certainty, though, that it wouldn’t have been close to a sellout.

Iowa’s 2019 season opener against Florida Atlantic had an official attendance of 3,334. For the 2021 season opener against New Hampshire in Clark’s sophomore season, the attendance was 6,789.

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Tonight, every seat in Carver was taken, and ticket prices on the secondary market reached insane levels:

In less than four years, #22 has transformed women’s basketball. Tonight’s game was more than a record or a moment. It was a celebration of four years that have helped change women’s basketball forever.

“There’s no way I could imagine this,” Bluder said when asked what her childhood self would say of tonight. “There’s just no way you can even fathom this as a little kid growing up pre-Title IX.”

Given Clark’s talent and charisma, it’s fair to say that she isn’t done growing the game just yet, either.

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A new facility in Marshall County could spark more conservation on Iowa farms

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A new facility in Marshall County could spark more conservation on Iowa farms


The Iowa chapter of the Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA) officially opened a new facility on its 80-acre demonstration farm in Marshall County Thursday.

Iowa LICA President Scott Bohle said having classroom and meeting space will make it easier to educate the next generation of professional contractors, along with government employees, lawmakers and students, to help conserve soil and water in the state.

Bohle said the building “gives people a place to gather, collaborate and continue the important work that defines our association.”

Just outside the new space are wetlands, terraces, sediment control basins, bioreactors and other features, which members have built since LICA purchased the farm near Melbourne in 2000.

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“We call it the one-stop shop, where you can see anything being put to practice by our landowners,” said Kelby Kiefer, executive director of Iowa LICA.

Together, these “edge-of-field” practices remove 50% of phosphates and almost 100% of the nitrates from the runoff of a 1,000-plus acre watershed, according to the association.

Adding more wetlands, saturated buffers and bioreactors across the state are a key part of Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy. It aims to cut nitrogen and phosphorus losses from farm fields by 41% and 29%, respectively.

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The strategy is part of a broader effort to reduce nutrient pollution in the state’s waterways and the Gulf of Mexico by 45% compared to the 1980-96 baseline period. It does not include a target date.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the state has accelerated edge-of-field practices in recent years, in part through the Batch and Build model. The approach bundles projects in a targeted watershed to reduce costs and save time for farmers and contractors.

Nearly 150 nitrate reducing wetlands and around 500 saturated buffers, bioreactors and multi-purpose oxbows had been built in the state as of 2024. Thousands more will be needed to meet the state’s nutrient reduction targets.

“[Clean water is] something we need to be focused on, and we can be proud of the work that’s happened, but we know that we need to do more,” Naig said. “Buildings like this help.”

Naig said scaling up conservation infrastructure across the state will require more skilled contractors. He described them as the “critical link” between concepts and “getting things on the ground.”

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“It’s from that point where you say, ‘We have a design that’s ready to go, a willing landowner,’ but somebody needs to make it happen,” Naig said. “The land improvement contractor sits in that very important spot.”





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Iowa City Regina baseball finds winning formula under new leadership

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Iowa City Regina baseball finds winning formula under new leadership


IOWA CITY, Iowa — Mark Roering returned to Iowa City Regina 30 years after serving as an assistant coach, and in just two seasons, he has transformed the Regals into one of Class 2A’s most dangerous teams.

“I was a senior in college. I just had finished playing baseball myself and was doing high school in the summers. Had one of those magical seasons here losing in the state finals,” Roering said. “I was just ready for something new.”

Prior to being hired at Iowa City Regina in 2024, Roering coached nine seasons at Dowling Catholic, where he helped the Maroons reach the state tournament six times. Regina was below .500 in three of the four seasons before his arrival. His first season at the helm, Regina went 22-6.

“I think the biggest difference is practice. Everybody is so much more locked in. Really that just comes from him. He gets on us everyday, he has to make the drive and hour and a half every day so we want to give that back to him for all the time and effort he’s put into us,” junior Trey Streb said.

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Streb also described Roering as a very emotional coach who cares deeply about the team and winning.

The Regals’ bats have become a significant threat. Regina ranks fifth in the state and second in Class 2A with a .379 batting average and has the fourth fewest strikeouts among state teams.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced and it’s been super competitive and it’s nice to be with people who want to win and will do whatever it takes to win,” senior Emmett Burke said.

The team already sits at 20 wins with eight regular season games remaining.

Roering said the transformation comes when players start believing they can win in any situation.

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“Winning is contagious just like losing is contagious,” Roering said. “Kids they start believing and it gets really dangerous you know that they can win no matter what situation they’re in.”

The turnaround has positioned the Regals to make a postseason run. With only one senior on the roster, the team could remain a threat next season.

“No matter what, we’re going to fight and we’re not going to roll over. We’re going to do what we need to do to win,” Burke said.

“We’re big competitors. We don’t accept defeat and I think that’s one of my favorite parts about this team,” Streb added.

Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.

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Iowa City residents face higher water bills in July

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Iowa City residents face higher water bills in July


IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) -Water and wastewater utility rates in Iowa City will increase starting July 1, following a city council decision on May 19.

The water utility rate will increase by 3%, while the wastewater rate will increase by 5%.

The increases are part of a funding model to help recover the costs of providing water and wastewater services to Iowa City residents.

The new rates will take effect in tandem with Iowa City’s 2027 fiscal year and apply to customers served by the Iowa City Water Division and the Iowa City Wastewater Division.

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The city said the rate adjustment supports its continued provision of safe and reliable water service.

To learn more about the city’s utilities, visit their website.

Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.



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