Iowa

Northern Iowa wrestling finishes regular season with 27-11 win over Wisconsin

Published

10 months ago

February 25, 2024

Northern Iowa wrestling finishes regular season with 27-11 win over Wisconsin

Northern Iowa wrestling rolled to a dominant victory over Wisconsin on Sunday, winning 27-11 over the Badgers in the Panthers’ final regular-season dual of the season.

The contest was tied at 11 after six bouts, with 133-pounder Julian Farber, 141-pounder Cael Happel and 157-pounder Ryder Downey each picking up wins, including a 22-6 technical fall for Happel over Felix Lettini. From 174 pounds on, the Panthers dominated.

Sophomore Jared Simma (No. 29 at 174 pounds) not only had an upset win over Max Maylor (No. 12), he did so in dominant fashion with a 16-6 major decision. 184-pounder Parker Keckeisen (No. 1) rolled as well to a 11-3 major decision over Shane Liegel (No. 17). He is now 23-0 heading into the postseason as the favorite to win a title in his class.

From there, the Panthers also got two major decisions from Wyatt Voelker (12-2 over Josh Otto) and Tyrell Gordon (8-0) to cap off the victory.

Here are full match-by-match results from UNI’s win over Wisconsin:

125: Eric Barnett (WIS) over Trever Anderson (UNI) (Dec 6-1)
133: Julian Farber (UNI) over Nicolar Rivera (WIS) (Dec 9-4)
141: Cael Happel (UNI) over Felix Lettini (WIS) (TF 22-6 2:36)
149: Joseph Zargo (WIS) over Adam Allard (UNI) (Dec 3-1)
157: Ryder Downey (UNI) over Luke Mechler (WIS) (Dec 5-3)
165: Dean Hamiti (WIS) over Jack Thomsen (UNI) (TF 18-2 6:35)
174: Jared Simma (UNI) over Max Maylor (WIS) (MD 16-6)
184: Parker Keckeisen (UNI) over Shane Liegel (WIS) (MD 11-3)
197: Wyatt Voelker (UNI) over Josh Otto (WIS) (MD 12-2)
285: Tyrell Gordon (UNI) over Gannon Rosenfeld (WIS) (MD 8-0)

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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Iowa

No. 24 Iowa 84, Purdue 63: Freshmen Fuel First B1G W

Published

7 hours ago

December 30, 2024

Press Room

No. 24 Iowa 84, Purdue 63: Freshmen Fuel First B1G W

Addi O’Grady led Iowa with 12 points in a balanced scoring performance as the Hawkeyes outpaced Purdue, 84-63 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Sunday. While O’Grady was the only Hawkeye in double-figure scoring, five of her teammates scored nine apiece, including freshman center Ava Heiden, who also finished with a team-high eight rebounds.

The win is Jan Jensen‘s first as a head coach in Big Ten play, and moves the Hawkeyes to 11-2 (1-1). Iowa has won 19 straight games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as a program, including all six of its games there this season.

Sunday’s game was never in serious doubt. Not only did Purdue come in as heavy underdogs, but both times the Boilermakers made a push in the contest — a 12-2 run to cut the Hawkeyes’ lead to five in the second quarter, a 13-0 run in the third to cut it back to eight — Iowa responded immediately.

“I think when we had the lull, we shot quickly, we had turnovers, and we didn’t stay true to what we typically do,” said Jensen. “We kind of forced some things.”

Iowa finished the first half on a 15-3 run, capped by an Aaliyah Guyton contested jumper, to push its halftime lead to a significantly safer 50-32:

After a series of self-inflicted Hawkeye errors led to Purdue’s 13-point push in the third quarter, Iowa had an immediate 16-0 counterstrike, effectively granting the game safe passage to the realm of Chips and Salsa Time.

The decisive run was keyed by Syd Affolter, another nine-point scorer in the win, along with seven rebounds, a team-high four steals and a tie with Lucy Olsen for the team high in assists (six).

Affolter scored the first basket of the run by beating her defender one-on-one for a layup, and by the time Teagan Mallegni dropped in a turnaround jumper to push Iowa’s lead to 71-47, Affolter had registered her third assist of the run, along with the two aforementioned points, four rebounds and a steal.

Ballgame.

Freshman Taylor Stremlow finished with (yep) nine points — a career-high for the freshman, which almost seems hard to believe — and she did it by making all four of her shots from the field, including a banked-in three-pointer (it still counts the same) and this euro-step layup that took the scenic route on its way through the hoop:

Stremlow also found her 6’4″ classmate Heiden with a looping entry pass for an easy layup, a near-balletic catch-and-score that a pair of true freshmen frankly have no business making look so easy, especially in Big Ten play.

At times this season, Jensen has rolled out lineups of Olsen and her four true freshmen in the rotation: Aaliyah Guyton, Stremlow, Mallegni and Heiden. It’s a nice message to all the new faces on the floor that they’re integral to the team’s success from the get-go, but on Sunday Jensen ran her four freshmen out with Affolter to finish off the first half.

That lineup won its 4:40 stretch of court time 15-5.

That Jensen can trust her crew of freshmen so readily, so quickly and with such positive results to already show for it means Iowa’s upward trajectory in the Jensen Era is still a matter of the imagination. This team not only needs its freshmen, it insists upon them and they deliver in kind.

The Hawkeyes play next on January 1 at Penn State, tipping off at noon. Regrettably, that game is streaming only on Big Ten Plus.

Don’t miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball, and recruiting coverage. Sign up with Hawkeye Beacon here.

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Iowa

No. 22 Iowa women’s basketball topples Purdue in Big Ten home opener

Published

15 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Press Room

No. 22 Iowa women’s basketball topples Purdue in Big Ten home opener

IOWA CITY — For an Iowa women’s basketball team still figuring out who goes where as Big Ten play kicks into gear, games that seem lopsided on paper can still become erratic in nature.

That’s not all bad for the No. 22 Hawkeyes so long as the final product still comes out looking OK. Such was the case Sunday afternoon inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where Jan Jensen’s crew treated a packed house to a largely solid showing in Iowa’s Big Ten home opener against Purdue.

The Hawkeyes’ 84-63 win showcased their potent depth and the strides the team continues to make, while offering up just enough teachable moments that a developing unit can absorb. It’s hard to argue Iowa didn’t maximize Sunday’s opportunity against a team that entered just two games over .500 with three 30-point losses to ranked squads.

Iowa grabbed a double-digit lead late in the first quarter and maintained it throughout, aside from two Purdue pushes. The Hawkeyes’ cushion dipped from 15 to five during a four-minute stretch early in the second quarter, then slid from 21 to eight midway through the third. Both times, Iowa countered back with a momentum-sucking surge.

A 15-3 run to end the first half saw the Hawkeyes’ freshmen take control with ample opportunity. Aaliyah Guyton’s energy paired perfectly with Taylor Stremlow’s tenacity to spark that needed run. Then it was the starters who took the baton in the third, with Hannah Stuelke, Sydney Affolter, Addi O’Grady and Kylie Feuerbach all contributing on an 11-0 run to end the quarter.

Hear from Iowa women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen after Hawkeyes’ win over Purdue

It wasn’t until then that Iowa had its first double-digit scorer of the day, with O’Grady taking the honors on a tough bucket in the paint. Her 12 points led the Hawkeyes on a day when all 10 in the main rotation scored and five finished with nine points. Eight players finished with +/- totals in double digits. At different times, four different freshmen were on the floor together.

Even Jensen herself probably doesn’t know exactly how each 40 minutes are going to look, especially with the foes intensifying from here on out. Sunday offered the perfect lesson on how to handle the unknown.

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.

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Iowa State football: Three stars in Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over Miami

Published

23 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Press Room

Iowa State football: Three stars in Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over Miami

For the first time in over 130 years of playing collegiate football, Iowa State won 11 games, capping off the greatest Cyclone season with a thrilling win in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Rocco Becht put the bow on it all with a 1-yard dive into the end zone, giving Iowa State a come-from-behind 42-41 win over Miami.

The game had a little bit of everything including an incredible start, historic performances and of course, the edible Pop-Tart for the winning team.

Here are three starts for Iowa State from the Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Miami:

Becht not only shined bright when his team needed it the most, he showcased himself in a high-profile matchup with Heisman finalist and future top NFL draft pick Cam Ward.

Becht, who scored the game-winning TD on a short run, completed 22 of 36 for 270 yards and three scores through the air. He displayed exceptional arm strength and accuracy, while also proving his will power while helping Iowa State erase a deficit.

The Cyclones scored on their first four possessions of the game, which was impressive. But when things started to go in the wrong direction, it was Becht who calmed the storm.

Going into his junior season, Becht seems poised for what should be an opportunity to really put his name out there for major award.

Jaylin Noel went out a winner, helping Iowa State capture the Pop-Tarts Bowl Saturday. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Over the past season, Becht was able to work with one of the top 1-2 punches in college football at wide receiver with Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Higgins, though, opted to sit out the game, leaving Noel all alone.

And he stepped up.

Noel caught eight passes for 177 yards with a touchdown, including several key catches in critical situations that kept drives alive. With his day, Noel showcased that he has the skills to become an NFL receiver with exceptional hands, speed and size.

Matt Campbell celebrates after winning the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday with Iowa State. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Several times over the past few years, rumors have circulated that Campbell would leave Ames for bigger coaching gigs. But time and time again, he decided to stay with Iowa State.

The school has rewarded Campbell with an incredible extension that will keep him in town for the next decade. He also earned over a million dollars in bonuses for winning 11 games.

Against Miami, Campbell had Iowa State hitting on all cylinders. And faced with adversity, it was Campbell who righted the ship and got them back pointed in the correct direction.

Under Campbell, the Cyclones have built a program filled with NFL-worthy players and top college athletes.

* Iowa State wins Pop-Tarts Bowl over Miami with last-minute score

* Pop-Tarts Bowl had it all including edible trophy, stunning rally

* Quick reaction to Iowa State’s first half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl

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