Iowa
How will Iowa State women’s basketball replace Kenzie Hare with tough slate on the horizon
Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly talks about his team’s performance against Iowa
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly talks about his team’s loss to Iowa
AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball team entered the season with one starting spot up for grabs.
The Cyclones brought back starters Audi Crooks, Emily Ryan, Addy Brown and Arianna Jackson. The team thought it filled the fifth starting spot when Kenzie Hare emerged as a constant contributor.
But with Hare now out for the season with an injury, that starting spot is once again up for grabs. Finding her replacement is one of the top priorities for No. 17 Iowa State, which takes on Eastern Illinois on Sunday at 5 p.m., at Hilton Coliseum.
“We’ve got to figure that out,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. “And obviously we didn’t do a very good job of it the other night (against Iowa). So, we’ll continue to probably keep doing what we’ve been doing in the sense of giving everyone a lot of opportunities, mix and match and hopefully something good will come of it.”
Hare, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, transferred to Iowa State from Marquette and quickly produced for the Cyclones. The Illinois native averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 10 games, including eight starts this season.
Hare had been dealing with a hip injury that occurred before she arrived in Ames. The Iowa State coaching staff tried treatment options but never could get her to 100%. So, the Cyclones decided to shut her down and medically redshirt her this season.
Hare’s absence created a giant void on the floor. The newcomer, an established star 3-point shooter, gave Iowa State experience, defense on the perimeter and grit throughout games, diving for loose balls and making small but important plays.
“It’s a huge loss for our team,” Fennelly said.
Replacing her will be difficult. But Iowa State does have options. Freshman Aili Tanke has started at times this season. So has sophomore Kelsey Joens, who filled in during the Iowa game. Then there’s juniors Sydney Harris and Lily Hansford. The problem, Fennelly said, is that no one has stepped up and taken the job.
Tanke provided some valuable minutes in the Iowa game. Joens has shined at times off the bench. Harris has as well. Hansford, another strong shooter who transferred from Oregon State, has struggled to find her rhythm but is still in the mix after knocking down a big 3 against the Hawkeyes.
But no one has continually given Fennelly what he’s looking for: some points, some defense on the perimeter and some hard work. The bar isn’t high with Crooks, Brown and Ryan expected to handle the bulk of the scoring. Still, Tanke, Joens, Harris or Hansford has yet to win the job.
“They’re all in the mix and we just, up to this point, the only consistency has been inconsistency,” Fennelly said.
The coach said Friday and Saturday’s practices would decide who starts Sunday’s game. But that person may not be the permanent answer.
“I’m going to actually meet with all of them and just say, ‘Hey, here’s where we are and it’s going to be, whoever practices best the next two days will go out there first and whoever plays the best in the game on Sunday, stays in the game,’” Fennelly said.
There are other routes for the Cyclones to go as well. Fennelly said he’s thought about playing two post players at once, putting Crooks and Alisa Williams on the floor at the same time. He’s even thought about moving the versatile Brown to the three spot or into the post. Everything is on the table right now.
“I’m not afraid to try other things,” Fennelly said.
Time is ticking for Iowa State to figure it out. Things get very difficult for the Cyclones after Sunday’s game. Iowa State plays No. 2 UConn in the Invesco QQQ Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase next week. After that, the Cyclones embark on Big 12 Conference play. Iowa State was picked to finish second in the league this season.
If the Cyclones are going to have any success this season, replacing Hare is something they have to find an answer for. Fast.
“This is the situation we are in and it’s pretty evident, especially in the two road games that we lost,” Fennelly said. “So, we’ve got to figure that out.”
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
Iowa
Iowa man charged in connection to horse-drawn buggy crash that killed teen
CLARKE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was charged Friday in connection to a deadly horse-drawn buggy crash that killed a teenager last month.
Jacob Wright, 41, of Grand River, is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
The crash happened in Clarke County on November 12. According to the crash report, Wright’s car hit the back of the buggy and ran it into a ditch.
Elmer Borntrager, 16, was thrown from the buggy and died at the scene.
Police found Wright’s damaged vehicle days later about five miles from the crash scene.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.
See Iowa DOT snowplow camera capture moment SUV rear ends plow
An Iowa DOT snowplow was hit while clearing snow along Iowa Highway 60 in Sioux County on Nov. 29, 2025. The crash was caught on the plow’s cameras.
Another round of snow swept through Iowa, leaving more than 3 inches in some parts of the state.
Flurries began falling in Des Moines around noon on Thursday, Dec. 11, and persisted until late in the evening.
Here’s a look at the highest snowfall totals in Iowa as of 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, according to the National Weather Service.
What were the highest Iowa snowfall totals?
- West Burlington: 4 inches
- Parnell: 3.8 inches
- Salem: 3.8 inches
- Mooar: 3.6 inches
- Webster City: 3.5 inches
- Muscatine: 3 inches
- Yarmouth: 3 inches
- Williamstown: 3 inches
- New London: 2.8 inches
- Riverside: 2.8 inches
- Ottumwa: 2.8 inches
How much snow did Des Moines get?
Over an inch of snow fell at the Des Moines International Airport, with the National Weather Service reporting 1.1 inches as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.
Grimes reported 1.3 inches of snow and other reports from the Des Moines area were around 1 inch.
Nevada in Story County reported 0.5 inches
How much snow did Iowa City get?
No reports were received from Iowa City, according to the National Weather Service. Nearby University Heights reported 1.5 inches. Oakdale reported 2 inches and North Liberty reported 1.3 inches of snow.
When is the next chance for snowfall in Des Moines?
Another round of snow is expected to begin Friday night and continue into Saturday, Dec. 13, in the afternoon.
Des Moines is projected to receive between 2 and 4 inches of snow during this time. A winter weather advisory is in effect for Des Moines from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The advisory is also in effect in cities spanning from Sioux City to Davenport.
Temperatures are also expected to drop during the weekend, with daytime highs of 9 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, and lows of 10 degrees below zero on Saturday and 1 degree below zero on Sunday.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Iowa
Iowa women’s wrestling goes on the road to defeat Grand View
Iowa’s Clarissa Chun breaks down win over Oklahoma State
VIDEO: Iowa’s Clarissa Chun breaks down dual win over Oklahoma State
Iowa Athletics
While Iowa women’s wrestling rolled Grand View, 32-10, on Dec. 11 at Waukee Northwest High School, the Vikings provided a worthy challenge in Central Iowa.
The Hawkeyes and Grand View were the second leg of a doubleheader, with a high school dual between Raccoon River Wrestling and Ankeny, the top two teams at last season’s IGHSAU state meet, happening earlier in the night.
The Hawkeyes won each match that was held, but did not send a wrestler at 160 pounds, while Grand View did not participate at 180, so each team took one forfeit. In the eight matches held, Iowa won all of them and two by bonus points at 131 and 145. A sizeable chunk of Iowa’s top starters didn’t wrestle, but Grand View fought tough nonetheless.
“They’re (Grand View) scrappy and they fight hard,” said Iowa coach Clarissa Chun.
The Hawkeyes opened with four wins by decision from 103 to 124 against top-end wrestlers in the NAIA division. Sterling Dias earned a 3-0 decision over Judy Sandova (No. 2 in NAIA) at 103, followed by an 8-2 victory for Nyla Valencia over Tristan Nitta (No. 5 in NAIA) at 110 and a 9-2 decision for Brianna Gonzalez over Mayangelie Colon (No. 3 in NAIA) at 117.
In one of the best wins of the night, Cali Leng downed Catharine Campbell (No. 3 in NAIA) at 124 by a 9-1 decision. Her front headlocks and control of the hand fight led to her rotating behind Campbell for multiple takedowns.
“She’s got a big gas tank and a big heart,” Chun said. “She found ways to adjust and put points on the board.”
Emily Frost won at 131 pounds as she normally does, locking up a headlock and tossing Maya Davis for a win by fall in the first period. Iowa native Lilly Luft followed that pin with a tough win by decision, trailing by criteria at 6-6, but securing two takedowns late in the second period to defeat Adrienna Turner, 10-6. Before the two forfeits, Cadence Diduch rolled in a 10-0 technical fall of Sofia Delgado at 145 pounds.
In the final bout of the night, Libby Dix gave fans at Waukee Northwest a show. Trailing by criteria at 2-2, Dix scored a late step-out point with just a few seconds remaining to clinch the win. While she hadn’t wrestled a ton of freestyle before her college career, she won with her awareness late to score on the one-point action unique to freestyle.
“She’s a gamer,” Chun said. “She’s competitive. If she wasn’t, she would’ve been hung up on losing the match 2-2, but she wanted to go get one.”
The Hawkeyes have one more test before going off on winter break, traveling to Naperville, Ill. on Dec. 14 for the North Central Open.
Iowa women’s wrestling vs. Grand View box score
- 103: Sterling Dias (IOWA) over Judy Sandoval (GVU) (Dec 3-0)
- 110: Nyla Valencia (IOWA) over Tristan Nitta (GVU) (Dec 8-2)
- 117: Brianna Gonzalez (IOWA) over Mayangelie Colon (GVU) (Dec 9-2)
- 124: Cali Leng (IOWA) over Catharine Campbell (GVU) (Dec 8-1)
- 131: Emily Frost (IOWA) over Maya Davis (GVU) (Fall 2:21)
- 138: Lilly Luft (IOWA) over Adrienna Turner (GVU) (Dec 10-6)
- 145: Cadence Diduch (IOWA) over Sofia Delgado (GVU) (TF 10-0 2:08)
- 160: Kami Senlycki (GVU) over (IOWA) (For.)
- 180: Katja Osteen (IOWA) over (GVU) (For.)
- 207: Libby Dix (IOWA) over Andjela Prijovic (GVU) (Dec 3-2)
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.
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