Freshman Aili Tanke explains how she found out she was starting
Iowa State freshman Aili Tanke found out on Sunday that she was starting her team’s season-opener against Chicago State
AMES – Iowa State women’s basketball player Aili Tanke was walking up the ramp at Hilton Coliseum following Sunday’s practice when she bumped into Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly.
Fennelly, who was getting ready to hop in his car, asked Tanke if she was ready for her first collegiate game on Monday.
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“I was like, ‘Yeah’ and he was like, ‘Well, good, because you’re starting,’” Tanke said. “My mouth just dropped. I didn’t even think I said anything.”
Tanke was one of the stars of Iowa State’s first show Monday. The former Johnston standout scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds as the ninth-ranked Cyclones beat Chicago State 96-56 in their season-opening victory at Hilton Coliseum.
“I thought she was fantastic,” Fennelly said.
Tanke, a 5-foot-11 freshman guard, has been that way ever since she stepped foot on campus. She was impressive in workouts leading up to the season. Tanke then turned in a strong showing by tallying 11 points off the bench in Iowa State’s exhibition win over Central.
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Fennelly has praised Tanke’s basketball IQ and ability to be in the right spot at the right time. He also loves the consistency she brings to practice. All that factored into her locking up the last remaining starting spot alongside Audi Crooks, Emily Ryan, Arianna Jackson and Addy Brown.
“She just knows what she can do and I think she’s really comfortable playing with the other four that have a little experience,” Fennelly said.
Tanke got the starting nod over some more experienced players. She said she was shocked when Fennelly broke the news to her on Sunday.
“It kind of felt like a dream,” Tanke said. “I honestly didn’t believe it. Like, I was scared to tell people because I was like, what if I just imagined it?”
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It was real, though. And Tanke made the most of the opportunity. She connected on two 3-pointers in Iowa State’s 29-0 run to open the game. When it was all said and done, she shot 4-of-5 from the field including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
“You’ve got to give her credit,” Fennelly said. “When you’re a freshman and you start in this environment, you never know how it’s going to go, and she played really, really well and really smart. And I thought for her first college game, was one that was really good.”
Addy Brown starts strong in season opener
With most of the attention on Crooks this season, Brown has managed to fly under the radar. The sophomore was one of Iowa State’s top contributors last season but was left off the preseason All-Big 12 team and didn’t garner much of the spotlight during the offseason.
“If we didn’t have Audi Crooks, Addy Brown would get all that attention,” Fennelly said. “She is as skilled and as talented as any player at her position in the country.”
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Brown showed off that versatile skillset Monday when she filled the stat sheet with a game-high 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. More performances like that should generate more attention for Brown, who has used any offseason snubbing to her advantage.
“I kind of like it that way,” Brown said. “I think it motivates me.”
Crooks finished with 16 points and four rebounds.
Fennelly still figuring out minutes and rotations
Fennelly was able to unload his entire bench during the win over Chicago State. That was the plan. Fennelly had planned to not play anyone more than 24 minutes and get at least 13-14 minutes for everyone. It’s his way of giving everyone on the roster opportunities to make compelling cases for playing time.
But with so many players making the most of those chances early on, Fennelly said he isn’t quite ready to start cutting down on playing time. He said playing time will sort itself out as the season goes along and the games get tougher.
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“We have a very skilled team,” Fennelly said. “It’s one of the more skilled teams that we’ve had here when you look at one through 12.”
Taulelei nears debut
Iowa State center/forward Lilly Taulelei may be close to making her Cyclones debut. Taulelei, a transfer from UMass, has been dealing with a sprained ankle. She didn’t suit up for Iowa State’s exhibition game or the season opener.
But Taulelei did go through a 45-minute individual workout prior to Monday’s game. Fennelly said she could suit up for Thursday’s game against Indiana State.
“She’s close,” Fennelly said. “That’ll be nice to have another body in the post.”
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
Now that the final Iowa high school football state champion has been crowned, it is time to look back on the incredible two-week journey of action we saw from inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
The climate-controlled venue was home to all of the semifinal and final action in all seven classifications of Iowa high school football.
And there were plenty of incredible performances and players who took part in the games.
We have narrowed down the list to one MVP in each class for their efforts from the Iowa high school football state semifinals and championship games. And now the job is up to you to determine who was the MVP of the Iowa high school football state championships.
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Cast your vote for your favorite from the nominees below. Voting will run through Friday, November 28 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
Complete recaps from all seven Iowa high school football state championship games can be found on High School on SI.
Dowling Catholic’s Ian Middleton (5) runs the ball during the first quarter against Iowa City Liberty on Nov. 21, 2025, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ian Middleton was a man against boys in two games from the UNI-Dome, leading the Maroons to their first 5A state football championship and 11th overall in program history. In the finals against Iowa City Liberty, Middleton rushed 34 times for 206 yards, scoring two touchdowns.
In a 14-10 victory over rival Valley in the semifinals, Middleton rushed 29 times for 125 yards. He also caught two passes in the two games.
Carter Hoffmann had the first three touchdowns of the 4A final vs. Pella, finishing the night with 207 yards and three scores on 34 carries as the Saints finished off a perfect season with the state title.
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In a thrilling 31-24 victory in the semifinals over Newton, Hoffmann rushed 20 times for 130 yards. He also had two catches in the two games.
Nevada’s Austin Waldera (21) dives for the endzone to score a touchdown against the Bishop Heelan Crusaders Nov. 21, 2025 during the Class 3A high school state football championship at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
And who says that the running back position is dead? Not in Iowa high school football, as our third MVP from the UNI-Dome is another running back in Austin Waldera. In a convincing win over Sioux City Bishop Heelan, Waldera rushed 34 times for 173 yards and a touchdown, averaging 46.5 yards while pinning both of his punts inside the 20. He also led the Cubs with seven tackles, adding two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
Waldera also went off in the semis, rushing 36 times for 233 yards and one touchdown while adding 20 yards receiving on a pair of catches. Again, both of his punts were pinned inside the 20, averaging 55.5 per with a 70-yarder. On defense, he again led Nevada, recording 11 tackles, three for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry.
Kuemper Catholic’s Brock Badding (12) and Charles Mayhall (15) celebrate in the fourth quarter Nov. 21, 2025 during the Class 2A high school state football championship Van Meter’s at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Behind Brock Badding, the Knights secured gold, as the signal-caller was 17-for-30 passing for 153 yards with a touchdown in the finals over Van Meter. He also ran for a score and averaged 41.5 yards on four punts, putting two down inside the 20.
In the semifinals, Badding blew up, completing 27 of 38 for 405 yards and six touchdowns, hitting three receivers for two TDs each while four had at least five catches.
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Iowa City Regina’s Will Litton (45) attempts to tackle West Lyon’s Evan Hildring (15) Nov. 20, 2025 during the Class 1A state football championship at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Wildcats leaned heavily on Evan Hilding, and he delivered, rushing 26 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns to lead them to a second consecutive state title. He also had three catches for 21 yards and recorded six tackles with one for loss in the finals.
Hildring piled up 174 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just 18 carries in the semifinals, making seven tackles with two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.
MMCRU’s quarterback Eli Harpenau (12) runs with the ball for a first down against MMCRU during the first quarter in the class-A state football championship on Nov. 20, 2025, at UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Royals had several worthy contenders, but it was Eli Harpenau who took home the hardware. In the finals, he was a precise 14 of 21 passing for 169 yards and a touchdown, adding 44 yards rushing and a second score.
Harpenau had a big semifinal performance, going 9 of 17 for 212 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 53 yards.
Bishop Garrigan quarterback Tate Foertsch (7) celebrates after touchdown against Woodbine during the fourth quarter in the 8-players state football championship on Nov. 20, 2025, at UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
There was not much that the Golden Bear senior didn’t do in earning his second state title in three years, as Tate Foertsch scored the game-winning two-point conversion in the finals to cap an incredible rally. He was 9 of 13 passing for 131 yards, rushing 36 times for 157 yards and three scores. On defense, Foertsch had four tackles and a pass breakup.
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In the semifinals, Foertsch was 4-for-5 for 80 yards, with three of those completions going for touchdowns. He ran 15 times for 73 yards and had three more scores, recording 5.5 tackles with an interception on defense.
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
The Pella Dutch play the Xavier Saints for the Class 4A title.
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Programming support for the 2025 IHSAA Football Championships is provided by Fareway and Iowa Bankers Association.
View the full schedule.
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The No. 12 Iowa State Cyclones (5-0) will try to continue a five-game winning streak when they visit the Drake Bulldogs (1-2) at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 20, 2025 at Knapp Center. The matchup airs on ESPN+.
How to watch Iowa State Cyclones vs. Drake Bulldogs
Iowa State vs. Drake odds
Odds provided by BetMGM.
Stats to know
Offensively, Iowa State was the 26th-ranked team in the country (76.8 points per game) last year. On defense, it was 242nd (67.2 points conceded per game).
Last year, Iowa State was 28th in the nation in 3-point makes (8.1 per game) and 24th-best in 3-point percentage (35.9%).
Drake was carried by its offense last year, as it ranked 19th-best in college basketball by tallying 78.0 points per game. It ranked 298th in college basketball in points allowed (70.0 per contest).
Drake was top-25 last season in three-point shooting, second-best in college basketball with 10.1 treys per game. Meanwhile, it ranked 44th with a 34.7% shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Photo: Patrick Smith, Andy Lyons, Steph Chambers, Jamie Squire / Getty Images
