Iowa
Campbell touts ISU’s poise as late FG sinks Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Matt Campbell was seething.
The Iowa State coach paced the sideline at Kinnick Stadium in the third quarter Saturday, incensed by a special teams blunder in a game that had been filled with them for his team. Campbell lit into an assistant. He dropped his play sheet and picked it up, before resuming the screaming.
“Our kids’ poise was probably better than their head coach’s,” Campbell later admitted.
Campbell became so wound up because he felt the Cyclones once again were “teetering on the edge” of being out of the game against No. 21 Iowa, a chief rival and a team that had often brought out the worst in Iowa State during Campbell’s successful tenure.
But the Cyclones bounced back, erasing deficits of 13 and 12 points and rallying to win 20-19 following Kyle Konrardy’s 54-yard field goal with six seconds to play. The victory was Iowa State’s second straight at Iowa as it improved to 2-6 in the Cy-Hawk series under Campbell.
“The teams that have elite success in our sport, it still takes mental toughness, I don’t care if it’s Georgia or Ohio State or if it’s Iowa State,” Campbell said. “That’s the best I’ve seen at Iowa State in my time here, having the ability to respond in a football game in an environment like this. I’ve never seen it.”
Iowa State finished the first half with 101 yards, zero third-down conversions, five penalties — mostly of the pre-snap variety — one turnover and no points. The Cyclones started two drives inside their own 6-yard line, which prevented them from even launching their offensive game plan.
But Iowa couldn’t fully capitalize, twice settling for field goals inside the ISU 6-yard line. When Cyclones cornerback Darien Porter intercepted a cross-field throw from Iowa’s Cade McNamara, a switch flipped.
“My freshman year, I used to guard him all the time, and he was tough to guard at receiver,” cornerback Myles Purchase said. “To see him be able to do this in his senior year, his last year, to be able to perform like this is something special.”
Iowa State went 75 yards in nine plays, scoring on a 3-yard pass from Rocco Becht to Jayden Higgins against an Iowa defense that hadn’t allowed a point through its first six-plus quarters. Then, after Iowa responded with a touchdown, Becht found Jaylin Noel for a 75-yard score.
“We wanted to be more aggressive in that second half, because we thought we were pushing the ball in the first, just couldn’t get over those little humps, the pre-snap operations,” Becht said. “We couldn’t really get past the 50-yard line, so we had to pivot a little bit.”
The Cyclones maintained an assertive approach on the game’s decisive possession, down 19-17 with no timeouts and the ball at their 22-yard line. Becht found Noel streaking up the sideline for 30 yards, a late-game play that ISU had not practiced all week but kept stored for the right moment.
Konrardy had not attempted a field goal in a game before Saturday, while wowing teammates and coaches during practice with a leg that can connect from more than 60 yards. He missed a 41-yard attempt before halftime, but Campbell wasn’t worried, grateful to only be down 13 and with full faith in Konrardy.
The redshirt freshman hit easily from 46 yards early in the fourth quarter and was called upon again with nine seconds to play. As he walked out, Becht reminded him: “This is just like practice.”
“Not think,” Konrardy said of his pre-kick routine. “That’s it. Just go out there, not think and do what you do.”
Iowa State recorded its largest comeback since 2020, when it trailed Baylor by 14 points, and its biggest on the road since 2017, when it dug out of a 14-point hole to stun No. 3 Oklahoma. The rally also marked ISU’s biggest against Iowa since 2002, when the Cyclones came from 17 points down to beat a Hawkeye team that went 11-2 and finished No. 8 nationally.
“We talk in our own program, it’s a law of progression, nothing ever just goes straight to success,” Campbell said. “You’re going to have failures, you’re going to have blips, but the great teams, man, the special ones, they can make those down moments blips and get right back on the road to success. For our kids to be able to show that, in this environment, against this football team, it’s really impressive.”
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz returned Saturday from a one-game suspension stemming from a recruiting violation, entering the field in warmups as 50 Cent’s “Many Men” played in the stadium. Ferentz said he remained committed to McNamara, who completed just 13 of 29 passes for 99 yards and had just 19 passing yards after halftime.
“It’s a big game for everybody in the state, certainly no bigger than the players on both sides and the coaches,” Ferentz said. “After a loss like this, it’s tough. There’s not much you can say to make anybody feel any better.”
The Cyclones had experienced plenty of bad feelings in the series under Campbell, but Saturday’s win could propel them toward bigger goals.
“Whenever we would get down in this game, we knew in our hearts that we would be able to come back,” Purchase said. “None of us got down. That’s a big growth from what we’ve had in the past.”
Wells Fargo Arena signage removed in preparation for Casey’s Center
See Wells Fargo Arena signage be removed from the arena in preparation for the venue’s renaming to the Casey’s Center on July 1, 2025.
The Iowa Events Center could soon get a new operator as Polk County leaders consider putting the complex’s management contract up for bid for the first time since its opening.
Polk County officials are poised to bid out a management contract for the Iowa Events Center complex in downtown Des Moines as its current agreement with the Oak View Group expires this year.
Polk County supervisors in mid-June voted 3-2 to hire the event center’s representative, JLL Consulting, to help select and oversee its next operator during the first year. That agreement will cost $197,500, county documents show. Outgoing supervisors Angela Connolly and Tom Hockensmith voted against the move.
Connolly said the county could use a consultant to better understand the complex’s operations and budget. Still, she and Hockensmith agreed it would be difficult for a new firm to outdo Oak View Group’s success.
“And it just seems to me that we are trying to fix something here that is not broken,” Hockensmith said.
The county-owned Iowa Events Center complex is Des Moines’ primary convention center and arena. The complex includes the EMC Expo Center — previously Hy-Vee Hall — Community Choice Convention Center and the Casey’s Center. Formerly the Wells Fargo Arena, the nearly 17,000-seat arena was renamed the Casey’s Center in July 2025.
The events center has hosted acts such as Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and The Eagles.
Oak View Group has managed the events center since acquiring in 2021 its original contractor, Global Spectrum/Spectra, which had held the contract since 2004. The firm describes itself as a full-service venue management company that helps clients host sports, live entertainment and conventions, according to the complex’s website.
The Iowa Events Center brought in about $1.8 million to the county in fiscal year 2025, which began July 1, 2024, general manager Chris Connolly told the Des Moines Register. As they close out the 2026 fiscal year, they’re projecting about $2 million in revenue. In the 2024 fiscal year, the events center had its best operating year, raking in more than $3 million, Connolly said.
He points to the firm’s role in selling the naming rights of the arena to Casey’s and the expo center to EMC Insurance. Before the arena opened in 2005, Wells Fargo paid $11.5 million for the naming rights for 20 years. Casey’s paid $18.3 million to have the rights for 10 years.
Beyond the numbers, “we’ve forged relationships with these people for years and think that that is huge,” he said of partnerships with corporations like Casey’s and EMC.
Connolly said the Oak View Group was told last fall that the county would likely hire a consultant and the management contract could be out for bid. That’s standard practice, he said.
“None of it was a surprise. We get it,” Connolly said. “Like I said, I think our performance speaks for itself, so I’m not worried about that. If a consultant wants to come in and take a look at it, maybe there’s some efficiencies that can be improved.”
He said Oak View Group would bid on the contract should the county issue a request for proposals.
“I almost see this as going through a process … and whatever direction that goes, we’ll be ready for it,” Connolly said.
Outgoing supervisor chair Matt McCoy told colleagues that bringing in JLL Consulting to help oversee a competitive bid process affirms the county’s responsibility to be transparent with taxpayers about its contracts.
“You do RFPs with long-term partners to keep each other honest and to make sure that you’re getting a rigorous review of investment of Polk County taxpayer dollars,” he said.
“And to just say we’re not going to do that, to me, it shorts the taxpayer. It tells the taxpayer that, you know, we have such a cozy relationship that we don’t even need to go out and check our numbers,” McCoy added.
Hockensmith pushed back, saying that Oak View Group’s revenue numbers are undisputed and calling McCoy’s comments vindictive.
Supervisor Mark Holm said he views the action as primarily bringing JLL on board to evaluate operations and budgeting for the future.
JLL Consulting will help Polk County build a framework for the new operator contract, which includes ways to measure the complex’s success and details on monitoring the facility’s condition, according to county documents.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines and Polk County government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com.
With June rapidly finishing up, that means the Iowa high school softball season is preparing to enter the stretch run of the year.
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Softball Tournament will begin Monday, July 20, in Fort Dodge at Rogers Park, bringing together many of the top teams and players in the state. High School On SI Iowa currently provides a Top 25 state softball power rankings, so now, we need to see who the top players are.
Below are the nominees for the High School On SI Iowa Class 1A Softball Midseason Player of the Year in each classification. Stats listed with the player are from Bound and based on those numbers imputed as of June 26, 2026 at noon CT.
Feel free to vote as many times as you like, with voting set to close on Friday, July 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
High School On SI Iowa Class 1A Softball Midseason Player Of The Year Nominees
Rachel Eglseder, Edgewood-Colesburg, Senior
Eglseder owns a 16-5 record, striking out 225 batters with a 1.66 earned run average while adding 11 extra-base hits and 40 RBI at the plate.
Rylee Mudderman, Kee, Junior
Mudderman continues to be a difficult out, batting .488 this season with two homers, 11 doubles and four triples. She has driven in 38 and scored 35 times, stealing 10 bases.
Faith Shirbroun, St. Edmond, Senior
Speaking of tough outs, Shirbroun owns a batting average of .606 this season, recording seven homers, 17 doubles and five triples. She has driven in 36 and scored 37 times, stealing 22 bases while setting several school records for hitting.
Sydney Lovrien, Clarksville, Senior
The ace for the defending state champions, Lovrien is 13-5 with 100 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched. She also has 23 hits and 21 RBI at the plate.
Sam Kruckenberg, Mason City Newman Catholic, Senior
A veteran now, Kruckenberg owns an 18-4 record with 227 strikeouts and a 1.23 earned run average. She is batting .440 with five homers, 11 doubles and 23 RBI at the plate.
About Our Midseason Player of the Year Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
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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.
“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.
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.”
“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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