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Assumption knocks off No. 1 Denver to claim 12th Iowa girls state soccer championship

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Assumption knocks off No. 1 Denver to claim 12th Iowa girls state soccer championship


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AMES — Dru Dorsey had to give Davenport Assumption girls soccer coach Elizabeth Maus a huge hug after the Class 1A girls state soccer championship game between the Knights and No. 1 Denver on June 7.

Assumption just won its record 12th state championship with a 2-0 victory over the Cyclones. But it was the Knights’ first title since 2021, when Dorsey and her classmates were in eighth grade.

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“I always felt like we had let her down, even though we knew that we didn’t,” Dorsey said. “Coming in my freshman year and (we) started a losing streak instead of continuing the winning streak. I was just really happy we could win it back for her.”

Dorsey scored one goal and assisted on the other during the championship game.

It took the Knights just five minutes and 21 seconds to get on the board

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Dorsey connected with freshman Ruby Stevens with a cross from near the right corner of the field. Stevens got the ball near the far post and connected with the ball, sending it into the net for a quick score.

“I thought Ruby did absolutely amazing,” Dorsey said. “You never know how freshmen are going to do with the pressure. It’s a big field, you know, you get to play at Iowa State, so it was huge. I think that’s what set the momentum for the game.”

But Denver was not phased by the early deficit.

The Cyclones outplayed the Knights for much of the first half. Addyson Shepard had two crosses in the first half, going just over Assumption keeper Alyssa O’Neal on the first attempt. On the second cross, she found midfielder Kenzie Snyder, who went a little high with her shot attempt.

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Shepard had another chance with nine minutes left in the half, but O’Neal came out to knock the ball away and the Cyclones’ follow-up attempt went high once again.

In the second half, Denver struggled on offense. Assumption, led by 1A all-tournament captain Camryn Menke and defender Maddi Tolle, contained Shepard over the final 40 minutes.

“They kind of played us three back with their two sixes in the front and it was kind of to eliminate balls to Addy,” said Denver coach Derek Krebsbach. “She’s really dangerous when she’s on the ball, so they did a good job of taking her out.” 

With the Knight midfield and defense turning it up a couple of notches in the second half, Dorsey was able to put Denver away less than 10 minutes into the second half.

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Dorsey got a ball near the 18-yard box and fired a shot that went into the far corner of the net to give her team an all-important two-goal cushion.

“I just kicked it, and it found the corner,” Dorsey said. “It started raining, so you never know what’s going to happen. It’ll slide through a few people, so I mean, you’ve just got to be ready.”

Assumption controlled the tempo of the game the rest of the way to end its three-year state championship drought.

“This moment is absolutely incredible,” Dorsey said. “I can’t even explain it. Doing this as a senior with all of them — it’s amazing.”

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Assumption finished the season at 15-4-1.

Denver ended its campaign with a 21-1-1 record. It was the second year in a row the Cyclones suffered a 2-0 loss in the title game, falling to Nevada by the same score in 2024.

“It hurts,” Krebsbach said. “I’m still really proud of the girls. We could’ve, after last year, said ‘Well, we’re not going to be up for it again,’ and whatnot. Well, we were up for it. We made a run at it again and we played hard today.”

Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman





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Iowa City police seek help identifying persons of interest in vandalism investigation

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Iowa City police seek help identifying persons of interest in vandalism investigation


IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa City police are asking the public’s help identifying persons of interest connected to a vandalism investigation.

Police said a business was vandalized in the alley behind the 200 block of East Washington Street on Sunday at 2:35 a.m.

Investigators would like to speak with the persons of interest pictured. Police ask anyone who recognizes these individuals to contact them.

Iowa City police are asking the public’s help identifying persons of interest connected to a vandalism investigation. (KCRG)

Anyone with information or security camera footage of the incident should contact the Iowa City Police Department at 319-356-5275. Iowa City Area Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

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Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.



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The ‘What Ifs’ of 2025-26 for Iowa State athletics | Hines

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The ‘What Ifs’ of 2025-26 for Iowa State athletics | Hines


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Spring commencement arrives at Iowa State this weekend, with a whole new generation of Cyclones set to get their diplomas and move on to the next things in their lives. 

The options and choices will set their path for, potentially, the years and decades ahead. 

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Which got me thinking about the choices and circumstances of this school year that came for Iowa State athletics. There were no shortages of inflection points at which, it seems, programs and an entire athletics department pivoted to new directions. 

Let’s explore. 

What if Iowa State had hired Taylor Mouser as head football coach? 

This seems to be the most discussed “Sliding Doors” moment for Iowa State football fans regarding head coach Matt Campbell’s departure to Penn State. And with good reason. It’s the most obvious, could have had the most immediate impact on the program and would have been largely seen as a continuation of the most successful run in school history. 

Would promoting the Iowa State offensive coordinator, though, have been the right move? 

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If you assume a best-case scenario in which some of the star Cyclone players on offense – think Rocco Becht, Ben Brahmer, Carson Hansen, etc. – stay at Iowa State and a bulk of the coaching staff does as well, there are still likely defections that weaken the roster. Nothing like we saw back in December, but, still, there would be holes – and Campbell’s shoes – to fill by a first-time head coach taking over for a legend. 

The calculation, as I see it, has to be – does the Year 1 continuity and relative stability gained by hiring Mouser provide for better long-term results than hiring Jimmy Rogers, who has the benefit of head-coaching experience? 

It certainly would have made the fan base feel better back in December, but would it have positioned Iowa State to have better results in 2027 and beyond? 

The roster almost certainly would have been “better” in 2026 if Iowa State retained Mouser, but would that have created a more solid foundation for the future or just delayed decay? 

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This “What If” becomes a lot less intricate and interesting if Rogers just wins a ton this fall and going forward. 

What if Penn State had been able to hire Kalani Sitake as its football coach? 

I think this is the most interesting question on the list. 

By reports, Penn State was on the verge of hiring Sitake from BYU when the Cougars’ boosters – led by the Crumbl Cookie fortune – banded together to put together a financial package to keep Sitake in Provo. 

What if they hadn’t, though? 

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Sitake goes to Penn State, and Dec. 5, 2025, is an uneventful day in Iowa State history rather than one of its most feverish. 

But … what happens a few weeks later when Sherrone Moore is fired at Michigan? 

Rather than plucking 66-year-old Kyle Whittingham from Utah/forced retirement, do the Wolverines try to make a Michigan Man out of an Ohioan? Does Campbell inherit the seat of Bo Schembechler? 

And, for the sake of this thought exercise, if Campbell did move to Ann Arbor, does the timing of that decision change athletics director Jamie Pollard’s options and calculus about Iowa State’s opening? Is Jimmy Rogers still available? Or would he have taken a different opening or opted not to leave Pullman at that later date? Is Mouser the answer in this scenario? 

Or is the Buckeye State distaste for the state Up North too much and Campbell returns for Year 11 at Iowa State? 

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Addy Brown on what went wrong in Iowa State’s loss to Syracuse

Iowa State’s Addy Brown talks about her team’s struggles in a loss to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament.

What if Addy Brown doesn’t get hurt? 

Iowa State women’s basketball was 14-0 on Jan. 4 when it played Baylor in Waco, and the season felt sure to realize the potential that was clear before it started with one of coach Bill Fennelly’s best rosters. 

The Cyclones, though, returned home with their first loss and with Addy Brown sidelined with a back injury. 

Four more losses in a row followed, and when Brown returned to the floor after six weeks, the Cyclones’ season was floundering. 

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They salvaged an NCAA Tournament bid, but a first-round exit gave way to a roster collapse with nine players – including Brown and superstar Audi Crooks – leaving via the transfer portal, putting Fennelly’s tenure and future under fire. 

If Brown doesn’t get hurt – or just isn’t out as long – does that change the trajectory of the season? The offseason? And what the eventual end of Fennelly’s Iowa State career looks like? 

What if Joshua Jefferson doesn’t roll his ankle? 

The most recent “What If” I think is also the most straightforward. 

If Jefferson’s ankle doesn’t roll in the early minutes of Iowa State’s first-round NCAA Tournament blowout win over Tennessee State, I think the Cyclones get a long second weekend in Chicago, but the Final Four drought probably remains intact. 

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Jefferson’s rebounding and offensive impact are, I think, enough to give the Cyclones the edge against Tennessee, but Michigan, the Cyclones’ would-be Elite Eight opponent, was just a juggernaut.

I’m not sure even a full-strength Iowa State team would have had more than a puncher’s chance. The Wolverines were just one of the best college basketball teams we’ve seen over the last few decades. 

Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered the Cyclones for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.



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Top Iowa High School Football Prospect Makes His Decision

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Top Iowa High School Football Prospect Makes His Decision


One of the top Iowa high school football prospects in the state has made his college decision official.

Iowa City Regina High School senior-to-be Tate Wallace has announced he has verbally committed to the University of Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference. Wallace picked the Golden Gophers and head coach PJ Fleck over a finalists Notre Dame, Nebraska, Arizona, Arizona State and Wisconsin.

Wallace narrowed down his list of schools to six at the end of April before making his final decision.

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Iowa City Regina Football Standout Tate Wallace Ranked As No. 2 Overall Prospect In Iowa High School Football

The 6-foot-2, 226-pound linebacker is considered the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Iowa for high school football, and is the No. 21 linebacker in the Class of 2027, according to 247Sports.

In the 247Sports Composite rankings, Wallace is No. 2 in Iowa high school football, No. 29 at linebacker and No. 359 for the Class of 2027.

Along With Minnesota, Tate Wallace Currently Holds Offers From Schools Such As Arizona, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Iowa State

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Wallace currently holds 16 total offers including from the previously mentioned Minnesota, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Arizona, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Kansas State, Purdue, Tennessee, West Virginia, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, UNLV, North Dakota and North Dakota State.

As a junior, Wallace registered almost 50 tackles on defense, with 29 of them being counted as solo stops. He had 18 tackles for loss, 8.5 quarterback sacks and forced two fumbles, as Iowa City Regina advanced to the state championship game of the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Football Championships.

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Future Minnesota Golden Gopher Has Been Key Two-Way Starter For Regals

Wallace also hauled in 40 passes for 611 yards with 10 receiving touchdowns on offense for the Regals. As a two-way player for Iowa City Regina during his sophomore season, Wallace had 27.5 tackles, including 16 solo stops, four tackles for loss and a quarterback sack, adding 51 receptions for 752 yards and eight touchdowns.

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Back in March, Wallace announced seven spring visits to Notre Dame, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas State and Arizona State. He also visited Tennessee this past fall, taking in an SEC contest with the Volunteers.

Along with his success on the football field, Wallace helped lead the Regals to the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament this past winter. He earned High School on SI all-state honors in the process.

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