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Kasson-Mantorville's Joey Kennedy makes his University of Iowa dream a reality

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Kasson-Mantorville's Joey Kennedy makes his University of Iowa dream a reality


KASSON — Joseph Kennedy fell in love with the University of Iowa a bit more than two years ago.

A high school sophomore then, his brother Patrick was enjoying his second year in Iowa City and Joey began to see why Patrick made the decision he did.

Yet, at the time, Joey, the youngest of six children, thought his eventually going there was just a dream.

Monday, Kennedy officially turned fantasy into reality, committing to wrestle for Iowa, one of the top programs in the country.

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“I’ve always seen myself going there,” Kennedy said. “I didn’t really fully believe it, then I started to believe a little more and more every day. Now I’m here.”

That belief started to take shape last year when Kennedy staked himself as one of the best in the state in his weight class. He went on to capture a Section 1, Class 2A title before placing second at 145 pounds in the Class 2A state tournament, falling to three-time state champion and current North Carolina State freshman Koy Buesgens. Then, in the summer, Kennedy stayed with his brother Patrick for about a month in Iowa City. There were times when it felt like Kennedy was already part of the squad, getting to train with his brother and experience the college life a little bit.

“I just don’t see anywhere else beating Iowa City. You have everything you want,” Kennedy said. “You can live close right next to Carver(-Hawkeye Arena), where you can throw baseball in the training area. If you want to get out of the city, drive 10 minutes and you’re out in the country. You walk out of the training room, you have your free fuel station with everything you need. Everything’s efficient to the max down there.”

Of course, it was great to spend extra time with his older brother, who is currently ranked No. 9 in Division I at 174. As good as he is on the mat, Patrick seems to be just as good in the kitchen — another aspect Joey made sure to enjoy during his stay.

“Patrick is the best cook in the family,” Kennedy said. “All of us are pretty good in our own ways, but Patrick is the best.”

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Many more of Patrick’s meals are on the horizon for Joey. And of course, being around him a little more is a positive, but at the same time, the younger brother is focusing on becoming known as more than Patrick’s brother.

“Yes, wrestling with my brother’s a plus, but I also want to wrestle and be myself down there,” Kennedy said. “I want to be my own thing.”

That is something Kennedy has battled with during his own prep career. The pressure that comes with being the younger sibling of a four-time state champion can be a lot.

“I think every little brother that has an older brother who’s known as being really good goes through the same thing and same process of chasing that older brother’s dynasty or they’re the prodigy,” Kennedy said. “But really, you’re still your own person. My brothers talk to me about that. I still have a long way to go to before I’m done, too. I look at that as upside. But I kind of stopped caring, in a good way, not in a bad way, in a good way that Patrick is my brother. I just stopped caring about that and focused way more on me. And once I did that, it was no longer an issue. It took care of itself, really went away.”

Now Joey will leave his own legacy behind at K-M. He has his sights set on making it back to another Class 2A individual title match and he’s currently ranked by The Guillotine as the third-best 152-pounder.

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He will be remembered fondly for his ability to work with the youth as well — something that was apparent in K-M’s annual youth camp right before the season.

“That was the funnest thing, watching (Joey) work with the kids,” K-M coach Ryan Hill said. “You get some crazy kids out, that were in the classroom way too long all day. They needed to burn off some energy and, you know, watching him get on them. And I had to tell Joey afterwards, hey, you know those kids. You were yelling at to quiet down, I was like, that was you man. It’s been a lot of fun watching him grow up. I think last year you saw the results of it.”

“I just want to prove to be a good example for the program,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy has been able to do just that. Now he has a chance to do it at the highest of levels next year.

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Kasson-Mantorville junior Joey Kennedy embraces assistant coach Jamie Heidt after winning his Class AA 145-pound semifinal on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center.

Alex VandenHouten / Post Bulletin file photo





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Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (4/19/2026)

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Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (4/19/2026)


Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

Taylor Roose, Pella boys track and field

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Roose competed in three events at the Norwalk Invitational, winning all three in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.

Daxon Kiesau, Urbandale boys track and field

Kiesau swept the throwing events at the Norwalk Invitational, taking first place in the shot put and the discus.

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Alex Burger, Southeast Valley boys track and field

Competing at home, Burger dominated, earning four gold medals. He won the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump while running on the winning 4×200-meter relay and shuttle hurdle relay.

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Kolby Hodnefield, Clear Lake boys track and field

Hodenfield, a defending state champion, broke the meet, venue and school record in the 200 and the 400 at the Clear Lake Invitational. He added victories as part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Both relays also set meet records.

Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis

Moon has started off his senior season on the courts unbeaten, winning all four matches while dropping just one game in 44 played.

Ava Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf

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One of the top golfers in the state, Lohrbach has had a hot start, firing a 35 in her nine-hole debut and a 72 for her 18-hole opener.

Nathan Manske, Algona boys golf

An elite quarterback and basketball player, Manske is showing his golfing skills this spring, coming out with a state-low 30 in a nine-hole event.

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Ella Hein, Tipton girls track and field

Hein set school records in the 400-meter run and long jump at the Tiger/Tigerette Relays while also locking in the Blue Standard and qualifying for the Drake Relays. She won the long jump (18-6) and was second in the 400.

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Maeve Bowen-Burt, Iowa City High girls track and field

The sophomore helped the Little Hawks land three Drake Relays events on the last night of qualifying, advancing in the 400 hurdles, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 relays.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting

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.

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Houston icon George Foreman laid to rest in Iowa, drawn by a peaceful 1988 visit

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Houston icon George Foreman laid to rest in Iowa, drawn by a peaceful 1988 visit


The late boxing great George Foreman lies buried in a cemetery in the northwestern corner of Iowa – a place he has no connection to outside of a lone visit to the region nearly 40 years ago.

Foreman died March 21, 2025, at the age of 76 in Houston and was buried in Logan Park Cemetery at Sioux City, Iowa, a month later, city officials confirmed. Foreman’s family returned Thursday to his burial site, holding a news conference with Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott to reveal Foreman’s burial place, marked by a large monument that bears an image of him as a teen following his Olympic gold medal boxing win.

The family explained in a statement released by Sioux City officials that he had visited the Iowa city in 1988, and often recalled the sense of peace he experienced there.

After traveling to the city on April 17 last year to bury Foreman, his family said they immediately understood the region’s appeal.

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“Our father lived a life of purpose, faith and gratitude,” the family said in a statement released by Sioux City officials. “To see him laid to rest in a place that brought him peace means everything to us.”

Scott joined the family at Foreman’s monument that lies just a few miles north of the Missouri River in an upper Midwest city of nearly 87,000 people. The cemetery overlooks the scenic Loess Hills, created by windblown silt deposits that reach up to 200 feet high (about 61 meters) and line the river along the Iowa border for 200 miles (322 kilometers).

“Their story is a reminder of how one place can stay with someone for a lifetime,” Scott said.

A native Texan, Foreman rose to fame when he made the 1968 U.S. Olympic boxing team, winning gold in Mexico City. He became the heavyweight champion of the world in 1973 by defeating the great Joe Frazier, only to lose the title a year later to Muhammad Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle.”

A full 20 years later in 1994, Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship at 45, defeating Michael Moorer in an epic upset.

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Foreman retired in 1997 with a 76-5 career record.

He then moved on to the next chapter in his life as a businessman, pitchman and occasional actor, becoming known to a new generation as the face of the George Foreman Grill. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and brought him more wealth than boxing.

A biographical movie based on Foreman’s life was released in 2023.

Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.



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GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn pitches Iowa-first platform at Dubuque town hall

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GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn pitches Iowa-first platform at Dubuque town hall


DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) — About 50 Iowans braved the threat of severe storms to hear from Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn at his town hall in Dubuque Friday night.

Lahn, a farmer and businessman, said his campaign is about solving the long-term systemic issues facing Iowans.

One priority is addressing what Lahn calls a cancer crisis in Iowa, as the state has the second-highest cancer rate in the country. Solving the crisis means ensuring Iowans have access to clean, nitrate-free drinking water, working with farmers to reduce agricultural runoff.

“Iowans are just ready for something that they should be able to count on, like clean drinking water,” Lahn said. “We have ways to clean up the drinking water in Iowa that isn’t on the backs of farmers, but is working alongside with them because they’re drinking the water too, and they want to do what’s right.”

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Lahn also wants to stop Iowa’s “brain drain,” as more of Iowa’s college graduates left the state for opportunities elsewhere.

“Don’t leave! Give me some time! I’m going to fight to keep you here,” Lahn said. “I was one of these kids. I thought I had to leave the state to find something better. We have to prioritize Iowa’s incentive dollars to make sure they’re going to grow Iowa businesses that are going to be here for the long haul, so our kids have places to work.”

Running a distinct campaign feels challenging this election, as Lahn is one of five GOP candidates who want to be Iowa’s next governor, facing U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, former Department of Administrative Services Director Adam Steen, state Rep. Eddie Andrews and former state Rep. Brad Sherman.

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand is the only Democrat running for the state’s top office.

Lahn said he stands out by promising Iowa will be for Iowans, pledging to ban the use of eminent domain for private gain and tax out-of-state landowners and data centers at higher rates to lower property taxes.

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“It always goes back to follow the money, so when it comes to not being a weak-kneed Republican today, I believe the paramount piece of that is answering only to the citizens of Iowa, not to special interests to pad their bottom line, but what’s best for the people of Iowa,” Lahn said.

Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.



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