Iowa

Iowa football: Kaden Wetjen wins 2024 Jet Award for nation’s top return specialist

Published

11 months ago

January 7, 2025

Iowa football: Kaden Wetjen wins 2024 Jet Award for nation’s top return specialist

IOWA CITY — On Tuesday, Kaden Wetjen was announced as the winner of the 2024 Jet Award, which honors the most outstanding return specialist in college football.

Wetjen became a weapon on special teams in 2024 as the Hawkeyes’ full-time punt and kickoff return man. He took a punt for a touchdown against Northwestern in October. Then he returned a kickoff to the house in Iowa’s matchup against Missouri in the Music City Bowl.

Wetjen finished the 2024 season amassing more than 1,000 combined kickoff and punt return yardage.

A standout at Williamsburg High School, Wetjen’s recruiting process in high school was not chock-full of college football’s elites. Division III programs wanted him. NAIA-level Grand View offered. Seth Wallace talked to Wetjen about walking on at Iowa.

But Wetjen opted to go to junior college, taking his talents to Iowa Western. His time there earned him some recruiting attention but it still was relatively limited. Iowa came around again.

Ultimately, Wetjen decided on a preferred walk-on opportunity with the Hawkeyes over scholarship offers elsewhere, the most prominent of which was FBS-level UMass.

Wetjen worked his way into a bigger role at Iowa over time. He didn’t play in his first season, but in 2023 he led Iowa in kickoff returns and filled in at punt return following Cooper DeJean’s season-ending injury. In 2024, Wetjen had his best season and became one of the nation’s premier returners.

For the second consecutive season, a Hawkeye was named Big Ten’s Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year. DeJean took the honor in 2023, Wetjen did it in 2024.

Ahead of the Music City Bowl, Wetjen indicated he was likely to return to Iowa in 2025, but not yet certain.

“The plan is to come back,” Wetjen said in December. “But I’ll say I’m 98% sure.”

If Wetjen does return, Iowa is projected to return multiple key pieces of its 2024 special teams unit.

Drew Stevens, who was 20-of-23 on field goals last season, is set to come back, along with punter Rhys Dakin, who gained meaningful experience as a freshman.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

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Iowa

How much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals

Published

56 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

How much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, for a large swath of the state, from northwest Iowa to much of central Iowa and southeast Iowa.

Drivers should expect slippery conditions.

Snow fell through the morning with accumulations of 2 to 3 inches across most of Iowa, according to the National Weather Service. The light, fluffy snow will taper off in the afternoon.

The weather service advises that snow-covered roads will make travel slick and more difficult and to use caution.

The counties affected include Pocahontas, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello and Davis.

Where did snow fall the most in Iowa?

Southern Iowa felt the brunt of the snow Saturday morning, with some areas experiencing nearly five inches of accumulation. Here are the highest totals so far in Iowa:

Milton: 4.5 inches
Parnell: 4.5 inches
Norwalk: 3.8 inches
Badger: 3.5 inches
Bloomfield: 3.3 inches
Carroll: 3.2 inches
Buffalo: 3.2 inches
North English: 3 inches
Winterset: 2.6 inches

How much snow has fallen in Des Moines?

The Des Moines International Airport reported 1.2 inches of snow as of 6 a.m. Saturday. Norwalk, just south of Des Moines, reported 3.8 inches of snow by 10:30 a.m. Clive reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.

How much snow did Iowa City get?

North Liberty, just north of Iowa City, reported three inches of snow as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Tiffin, which is to the northwest of Iowa City, reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.

Roads across the state are covered in snow

The Iowa DOT reported that, as of 11 a.m., many of central Iowa’s highways and interstates were completely covered with snow. The organization said travel on I-80 from central Iowa to the Illinois border is not advised.

“Visibility and road conditions are deteriorating rapidly, causing multiple crashes and closing lanes,” the DOT said in a social media post around 11 a.m.

More snow followed by frigid temps

A cold weather advisory is in effect for much of northern, central and southeastern Iowa into Sunday morning. In the Des Moines area, wind chill values could drop to as low as -15. Wind chills across the state are expected between -20 and -30 starting at 6 p.m. Saturday.

(This article has been updated to include new information.)

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Iowa

Iowa man charged in connection to horse-drawn buggy crash that killed teen

Published

13 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

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.

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Iowa

How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

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.

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