Iowa
Can you guess which Iowa motorsport race is one of the best in the country?
The World of Outlaws line up in the tradition four-abreast formation Saturday at Knoxville
Drivers do the four-abreast parade lap Saturday night prior to the start of the 61st annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals Saturday at Knoxville Raceway
Matt Levins, Des Moines Register
Iowa has one of the best motorsport races in the country.
With 10 raceways around the state and Iowa hosting the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024, it is safe to say Iowans enjoy the thrill of motorsports. The NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Iowa sold out nearly four months before the race.
So out of all the races in Iowa, which one is the best in the state and one of the best in the country?
What Iowa motorsport race won is one of the best in the country?
Iowa’s NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals was ranked as the second-best race in the country by USA TODAY 10Best.
Also known as the “granddaddy of them all,” the Knoxville race beat out eight other races across the country including the Indianapolis 500 and the King of the Hammers. The only race ranked better than Knoxville’s is Sick Week in Orlando Florida.
A panel of industry experts submitted nominations for the annual rankings. 10Best editors narrowed down the list and reader votes determined the final rankings.
What is the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals race?
The race started in 1961, according to the Knoxville Nationals website. It’s a four-day format with a total purse reward of $1 million. Every lap around the track builds points for the racers and whoever has the most points wins the purse.
The track was originally used for horse racing and is located on the Marion County Fairgrounds. The first automobile race was held in 1901, according to the raceway’s website.
More: Hy-Vee-sponsored Christian Lundgaard stops at Grimes Hy-Vee ahead of 108th Indianapolis 500
When is the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals Race?
The 63rd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals begins Aug. 7, 2024, and runs until Aug. 10.
The current champion of the race is Kyle Larson. Tickets are still available for all four days and they start at $47, according to the Knoxville Nationals’ website.
What were the top 10 motorsports races?
The top 10 motorsport races according to USA TODAY 10Best included:
- Sick Week -Orlando, Florida
- NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals – Knoxville, Iowa
- King of the Hammers- Johnson Valley, California
- SCCA National Championship Runoffs – Plymouth, Wisconsin
- NHRA U.S. Nationals – Indianapolis, Indiana
- Holley LS Fest West – Las Vegas, Nevada
- Chili Bowl Nationals Powered by NOS Energy Drink – Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Indianapolis 500 – Indianapolis, Indiana
- Grant Park 165 – Chicago, Illinois
- Daytona 500- Daytona Beach, Florida
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
Iowa
Where to watch Iowa women’s basketball vs. Indiana today, TV, time
Looking for a second road win this week, No. 14 Iowa women’s basketball heads to Indiana for today’s 4 p.m. contest inside Assembly Hall. BTN will televise the game.
The Hawkeyes (13-2, 4-0 Big Ten Conference) remained perfect in league play with a 67-58 win at Northwestern on Jan. 5, a game in which Iowa survived despite enduring heavy foul trouble.
Meanwhile, Indiana (11-6, 0-5) has reached desperation territory. The Hoosiers have dropped four straight, including two at home, during this extended skid.
Here’s how to watch today’s game.
Watch Iowa vs. Indiana on Fubo (free trial)
What channel is Iowa women’s basketball vs. Indiana on today?
Iowa vs. Indiana time today
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 11
- Start time: 4 p.m. CT
- Location: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
Iowa
Iowa women’s wrestling finishes third at National Duals
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Clarissa Chun’s National Duals press conference
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Clarissa Chun discusses program’s first loss
CEDAR FALLS − The undefeated start to the Iowa women’s wrestling program has ended after the Hawkeyes lost a dual for the first time in program history at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 10.
A 40-5 win over William Jewell College and a 39-3 victory over Sacred Heart set up a major semifinal clash with rival North Central College on Jan. 10.
Iowa won six of 10 matches in the semifinals. Karlee Brooks beat national runner-up Yele Aycock by a 8-4 decision, 138-pounder Skye Realin defeated a former national champion by a 6-6 score on criteria in Claire Dicugno with a four-point throw at the buzzer, Reese Larramendy knocked off No. 1 ranked and former Hawkeye teammate Bella Mir in a 10-4 decision at 145 and 180-pounder Kylie Welker wrestled and won in just her second match back after a period of rest to start the season.
All of those wins helped put Iowa in front, 21-18, going into the final bout at 207 pounds.
What did the Hawkeyes in was losses by fall at 110, 124 and 207. The 207 loss, with Dasia Yearby pinning Jaycee Foeller in the first period, gave North Central a 23-21 victory despite the Cardinals dropping six of 10 matches. North Central also scored team points in nine of 10 bouts because they scored match points and did not lose by fall.
As a result, the Iowa program’s 42-0 unblemished record in duals was broken.
The final result was eerily similar to the dual between the two teams at the same tournament two years ago, where the Hawkeyes also lost six of 10 bouts, but got crucial bonus points and at least one team point in all 10 bouts to escape with a 21-20 win.
Iowa women’s wrestling coach Clarissa Chun emphasized to her team two years ago that every point mattered in the win. This time around, it worked against them as the Cardinals got the upset victory.
“Every point does matter,” Chun said. “You can’t replicate those moments in those times, in certain moments and positions. We got to be better at finishing, that’s apparent. We can get to the legs, but we got to continue to wrestle through that to the strong finish.”
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central
Chun said the emotions were raw afterwards, with wrestlers in and out of the lineup taking the loss to heart. Welker, who won her bout 8-2 against Jael Miller, took it hard since she nearly had a pin that could have flipped the final result.
“There was a lot of us that felt it was hard to take a loss, especially for me, and there was a couple other girls that took it pretty hard,” Welker said. “I have girls that look to me, so I’m like, ‘I got to pull myself together and step forward with them, alongside them so we can finish this tournament.’”
Ultimately, the Hawkeyes finished with a win in the third-place bout shortly after by defeating a solid Grand Valley State team, 26-15. The main difference, they said, was the positive energy exuded from the coaching staff to not harp on the past and look for the next best thing.
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central
While the loss brings an unfamiliar feeling to the program, it’s something they knew would come eventually. While it was their main rival today, McKendree will also present a tough challenge to the field when the NCAA Championships come in March.
Behind stars Welker and Kennedy Blades, rising wrestlers like Brooks and Realin, as well as proven veterans in Larramendy, Brianna Gonzalez and Foeller, Iowa will have a good chance to win a third-consecutive team title this season.
Even in a crushing loss, they got some key wins from those like Realin, Larramendy and Brooks that bode well for the Hawkeyes in the future. The places they faltered were spots they’ll have confidence to bounce back or won’t apply come the NCAA Championships, like Nyla Valencia’s loss by fall after controlling most of the bout at 110 pounds, and Welker and Blades giving up team points in their matches.
Regardless, the third-place finish served as a reminder to the program and fans alike that this year is going to bring Iowa’s toughest challenge yet.
“Everyone on our team knows it, this sport has depth,” Chun said. “There are great wrestlers across the entire country.”
Iowa women’s wrestling’s results at NWCA National Duals
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker’s National Duals press conference
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker discusses program’s first loss
Round of 16: Iowa 40, William Jewell College 5
- 103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Juliana Alejandro (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
- 110 – Nyla Valencia (Iowa) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
- 117 – Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell College) over Harlee Hiller (Iowa) Fall 1:04
- 124 – Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) over Miyah Palacios (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
- 131 – Emily Frost (Iowa) over Shelby Kemp (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
- 138 – Lilly Luft (Iowa) over Zainab Ibrahim (William Jewell College) Fall 2:01
- 145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Mckinzie Ross (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Paige Barber (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
- 180 – Katja Osteen (Iowa) over Jianna Chavez (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
- 207 – Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) over Desiree Hall (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
Quarterfinal: Iowa 39, Sacred Heart University 3
- 103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Aaliyah Payne-Parris (Sacred Heart) Fall 0:54
- 110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Tiffany Stoshak (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Tatiana Walker (Sacred Heart) TF 11-0
- 124 – Cali Leng (Iowa) over Lauren Nguyen (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 131 – Bella Williams (Iowa) over Bella Sowards (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Elleahna Anderson (Sacred Heart) Fall 2:21
- 145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Selena Sifuentes shaffer (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Love Daley (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Madeline Hodges (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 207 – Josephine Larson (Sacred Heart) over Libby Dix (Iowa) Dec 5-2
Semifinal: North Central College 23, Iowa 21
- 103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Brianne Graves (North Central College) TF 12-0
- 110 – Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central College) over Nyla Valencia (Iowa) Fall 5:38
- 117 – Riley Rayome (North Central College) over Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) Dec 3-3
- 124 – Sara Sterner (North Central College) over Cali Leng (Iowa) Fall 1:45
- 131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Yele Aycock (North Central College) Dec 8-4
- 138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Claire Dicugno (North Central College) Dec 6-6
- 145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Bella Mir (North Central College) Dec 10-4
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Taylor Graveman (North Central College) TF 11-1
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Jael Miller (North Central College) Dec 8-2
- 207 – Dasia Yearby (North Central College) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 1:38
Third-place dual: Iowa 26, Grand Valley State 15
- 103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State) Dec 7-0
- 110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Kiely Tabaldo (Grand Valley State) Dec 6-0
- 117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Libby Roberts (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 124 – Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) over Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) Fall 0:37
- 131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State) Dec 8-3
- 138 – Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) over Lilly Luft (Iowa) TF 10-0
- 145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Margaret Buurma (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Noelle Gaffney (Grand Valley State) Fall 3:45
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Maddison Ward (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 207 – Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 4:47
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
Iowa
Ben Kueter earns top-10 in return to Iowa men’s wrestling lineup
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