Iowa

Latest Iowa high school softball rankings released

Published

8 months ago

June 19, 2025

Latest Iowa high school softball rankings released

Dubuque Wahlert is the new No. 1 team in Class 3A in the latest Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union softball rankings.

On the heels of an 18-2 start, Dubuque Wahlert replaced two-time defending state champion Williamsburg at the top spot.

The other four classes all remained with the same No. 1 teams this week including Waukee Northwest in 5A, Cedar Rapids Xavier in 4A, Van Meter in 2A and Clarksville in 1A.

Among those added to the rankings this week were Indianola (5A), Center Point-Urbana (3A), Griswold (2A) and Mason City Newman and Riceville in 1A.

IOWA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC UNION SOFTBALL RANKINGS

(For June 19, 2025)

Class 5A

1. Waukee Northwest; 2. Linn-Mar; 3. Johnston; 4. Ankeny Centennial; 5. West Des Moines Valley; 6. Southeast Polk; 7. Pleasant Valley; 8. Cedar Falls; 9. Iowa City High; 10. Muscatine; 11. Cedar Rapids Prairie; 12. Ames; 13. Waukee; 14. Cedar Rapids Kennedy; 15. Indianola.

Dropped out: Sioux City East.

Class 4A

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier; 2. Norwalk; 3. Dallas Center-Grimes; 4. Carlisle; 5. ADM; 6. Clear Creek-Amana; 7. North Polk; 8. Fort Dodge; 9. Western Dubuque; 10. North Scott; 11. Grinnell; 12. Sergeant Bluff-Luton; 13. Creston; 14. Bondurant-Farrar; 15. Winterset.

Dropped out: None.

Class 3A

1. Dubuque Wahlert; 2. Williamsburg; 3. PCM; 4. West Liberty; 5. Mount Vernon; 6. Estherville-Lincoln Central; 7. Clarinda; 8. Davenport Assumption; 9. Albia; 10. West Delaware; 11. Washington; 12. Missouri Valley; 13. Center Point-Urbana; 14. Central Lee; 15. Chariton.

Dropped out: Sumner-Fredericksburg.

Class 2A

1. Van Meter; 2. Louisa-Muscatine; 3. Durant; 4. West Lyon; 5. Osage; 6. Treynor; 7. Cascade; 8. West Fork; 9. Lisbon; 10. Central Springs; 11. Wilton; 12. Jesup; 13. Hinton; 14. Griswold; 15. East Marshall.

Dropped out: Dike-New Hartford.

Class 1A

1. Clarksville; 2. Wayne; 3. Newell-Fonda; 4. Ankeny Christian; 5. Southeast Warren; 6. Wapsie Valley; 7. St. Edmond; 8. Riverside; 9. Edgewood-Colesburg; 10. North Linn; 11. Akron-Westfield; 12. Kee; 13. Woodbine; 14. Mason City Newman; 15. Riceville.

Dropped out: Collins-Maxwell; Kingsley-Pierson.

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Iowa

The One Game That Will Define Iowa’s 2026 Season

Published

7 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

The One Game That Will Define Iowa’s 2026 Season

When it comes to the Iowa Hawkeyes 2026 football season, it doesn’t get much bigger than Ohio State coming to Kinnick Stadium.

No one knows at this stage where the Buckeyes will be come Oct. 3, but Iowa has a chance to make an early impression against a team that is no stranger to winning the big one.

Iowa’s B1G schedule couldn’t get off to a worse start as they head to Michigan and then welcome the Buckeyes to Kinnick.

Hopefully for Iowa’s sake, their first three games against Northern Illinois, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa are enough to get them prepared. If not, things could get ugly.

ESPN Believes Ohio State is Iowa’s Biggest Opponent in 2026

The helmet of Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith sits on the sideline prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Michigan game will certainly be a test, but hosting the Buckeyes is a different animal. That gives the Hawkeyes an advantage like no other, and if there was ever a time to give OSU a run for their money, it’s in Iowa City on Oct. 3.

“The Hawkeyes haven’t faced Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium since 2017, when Nate Stanley threw five touchdowns as they stunned the Buckeyes 55-24. An early October win over Ohio State could propel Iowa into the Big Ten title and playoff conversations,” Jake Trotter wrote.

To put things into perspective, Indiana and Oregon were the other two teams that had the Buckeyes listed as their defining game in the 2026 season. Shockingly, Iowa was actually selected against a team, that being Minnesota. Seeing as that’s for the Floyd of Rosedale, it makes complete sense.

Iowa Can’t Let Regular Season Opportunities Go To Waste

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski (10) throws a pass during warmups before a college football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions Oct. 18, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last year was seemingly the Hawkeyes’ first time to actually make the College Football Playoffs. They came up short as their losses to No. 16 Iowa State, No. 11 Indiana, No. 9 Oregon and No. 17 USC all added up. Sure, those were by a combined 15 points, but that doesn’t matter, as it’s bad enough that a three-loss team made the playoffs.

Iowa ended with a bang as they took down No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, 34-27. Now, all eyes are on either Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown. One of those men will have a chance to make their first B1G start at the Big House in Michigan.

It doesn’t get any tougher than that, as Iowa is immediately putting their new QB into deep water. They’ll have three games prior to that to get up to speed, but other than that, it’s go time as OSU awaits after their trip to Michigan.

Don’t forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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Iowa

Kee High School remembers legendary coach Gene Schultz

Published

19 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Kee High School remembers legendary coach Gene Schultz

MANCHESTER, Iowa — The state of Iowa lost a titan of the prep coaching world this week. Former Kee High School baseball coach Gene Schultz died on Monday at the age of 80.

Schultz spent 45 seasons as the baseball coach at Kee, helping turn the program into an Iowa dynasty. He won 9 State championships (not counting 2 fall titles, which the IHSAA doesn’t recognize in the record books), and took the Hawks to 19 State tournaments, which is also the most in Iowa history.

His 1,754 wins are not only the most in Iowa history, but the most of any high school baseball coach in the country.

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Iowa

Judge calls state response to comments about Charlie Kirk ‘deeply troubling’

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Judge calls state response to comments about Charlie Kirk ‘deeply troubling’

“A licensing authority’s enforcement apparatus should not be mobilized in response to political pressure to suppress disfavored commentary on a public figure’s death — and this record raises serious questions about whether that is precisely what occurred here,” a federal judge wrote.

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