Iowa
Poster advertising conservative speaker vandalized, University of Iowa conservative group says
A banner advertising an event for the University of Iowa’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter was vandalized on Monday, mere hours after it was put up, the organization said.
Vandals allegedly scribbled “ignorant” on the photo of Ian Haworth who is visiting Iowa City on Oct. 7. The banner was hung on a black fence surrounding Hubbard Park near the Iowa Memorial Union Monday morning, which YAF representatives say was vandalized within two-and-a-half hours.
Haworth is a British-born conservative that YAF’s website describes as a “conservative writer, speaker and podcast host.”
The Young Americans for Freedom released a statement Monday, saying the alleged vandalism “openly call(s) for violence against Jewish students.”
“It is appalling that at a Big Ten University, where tours are happening regularly and the administration promotes ‘inclusion,’ ‘safe spaces,’ and ‘welcoming,’ members of the Hawkeye community still openly call for violence against Jewish students,” the University of Iowa YAF organization said. “Terrorist sympathizers should not be celebrated—they should be held accountable for the hateful, criminal rhetoric they spread.”
YAF President Jasmyn Jordan told the Press-Citizen that she submitted a formal statement to the University of Iowa Police Department and plans to request a meeting with UI President Barbara Wilson “because blatant and deliberate hatred should not be tolerated whatsoever.”
More: Iowa governor deploys National Guard to help North Carolina after Hurricane Helene
Graffiti included Palestinian flag and the phrase “Free Palestine”
A Palestinian flag was also drawn next to Haworth’s face and was accompanied by the phrase “Free Palestine.” In small writing, a person allegedly scribbled “From the river to the sea,” a contentious phrase common at pro-Palestinian rallies that demonstrators say is a call for Palestinian freedom.
The American Jewish Committee says the ‘From the river to the sea’ phrase harkens back to Hamas’ 1988 founding document, which called for the destruction of Israel. A U.S. House resolution declaring the phrase antisemitic passed by a 377-44 margin in April.
“(L)eftist groups continue to engage in this behavior without consequence,” YAF’s statement continued. “How can prospective and current students feel safe, included, or welcome when their identities and fundamental beliefs are constantly under attack?”
More: When does early voting start in Iowa? Here’s when you can vote in-person this fall.
Conservative host visiting on anniversary of deadly Hamas attack
The UI chapter of Young Americans for Freedom will welcome Ian Haworth to the Iowa Memorial Union on Monday, Oct. 7.
His talk, titled “October 7: One Year Later – Hamas’s War on Jewish, Christian, American, and Western Values,” will explore how Hamas’ deadly attacks “targeted the foundational values of these groups,” according to a release from the Young Americans. Haworth will “advocate for the release and safe return of hostages taken during the conflict,” “honor the victims of terrorism” and “address the rising threat of antisemitism.”
Haworth previously worked at The Daily Wire, the Ben Shapiro-founded media organization.
“(H)ostage-taking is not a political issue and should never be silenced,” the YAF statement concluded. “By vandalizing our materials and attacking our promotions, these terrorist sympathizers are aligning themselves with the most unethical and immoral groups, whether they realize it or not.”
More: Protesters gather on Pentacrest in Iowa City as Israel ramps up conflict with Hezbollah
YAF regularly hosts conservative speakers
The Young Americans for Freedom chapter at the University of Iowa has hosted several notable conservatives over the past 18 months. They brought in well-known conservative Matt Walsh, Chloe Cole and Vince Everett Ellison as well as former University of Penn swimmer Paula Scanlan. Walsh’s appearance in April 2023, in which he also screened the “What is a Woman” documentary, drew hundreds of protesters to the Iowa Memorial Union and nearby streets.
One protestor was eventually convicted of disorderly conduct following a jury trial in April
More: Protesters gather on Pentacrest in Iowa City as Israel ramps up conflict with Hezbollah
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
Iowa
Seven Iowa High School Wrestlers Off To Dominant Starts This Season – FloWrestling
The first month of the Iowa high school wrestling season has been filled with scintillating individual performances. Here’s a look at seven standouts who have been racking up bonus points in December.
Drew Anderson (Riverside)
The Class 1A state runner-up last year at 132 is up to 144 this season and he’s 14-0 with 11 technical falls, a pair of pins and a forfeit win. Anderson, a junior in his second season at the school, already owns the Riverside school record for technical falls with 28. Anderson is on pace to more than double the previous Riverside tech record of 23.
Urijah Courter (West Marshall)
Courter won the 2A title last season at 113 after placing third as a freshman at 106. He’s up to 120 this season. Courter is 14-0 this season with 10 pins and two technical falls. His ledger also includes a 6-5 win against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s Simon Bettis in a rematch of last season’s state title bout.
Cooper Hinz (Jesup)
Entering the holiday break, Michigan commit and two-time state medalist Cooper Hinz is 22-0 with 21 wins via pin, technical fall or forfeit. His other victory was a 4-1 overtime decision against returning state placewinner Cain Rodgers of North Fayette Valley. More impressively, all of Hinz’s pins and technical falls have all come in the first period.
Lincoln Jipp (Bettendorf)
Jipp placed fifth at 138, third at 165 and second at 175 in Class 3A during his first three seasons. Now he’s up to 215 — 77 pounds more than where he started his career as a freshman. The North Carolina recruit pinned his way through the prestigious Dan Gable Donnybrook. He’s 16-0 with 10 pins, four technical falls and a forfeit.
Mason Koehler (Glenwood)
The returning 2A champ at 215 is 20-0 with 18 pins and a major decision. His only two matches that went the distance came at the Council Bluffs Classic, where he defeated Nebraska standout Ryan Boehle of Grand Island 14-4 and Minnesota hammer Joe Kruse of Totino-Grace 9-2. The rest of Koehler’s matches this season ended in first-period pins. He has already registered a six-second pin and another in nine seconds this season.
Jaxon Miller (Carlisle)
Miller is a three-time state medalist, a two-time finalist and returning state champ in Class 3A. He placed fourth as a freshman at 145 before making trips to the finals at 157 and 165. He’s 16-0 this season with 13 first-period pins, two technical falls and a forfeit.
Keaton Moeller (Starmont)
Moeller placed third in 1A as a freshman at 145 before winning a state title at 150 as a sophomore. He missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in football. Now he’s back as a senior at 190 and Moeller hasn’t missed a beat. He’s 13-0 with five pins, six technical falls and a pair of forfeits. He has yet to wrestle a full period this season.
Iowa High School Premium Rankings
Check out the Iowa High School Wrestling Premium Rankings, which are generated by using an athlete’s complete match history to predict a wrestler’s performance against others in their weight class by considering factors such as win-loss records, the quality of their victories (pins, technical falls, major decisions), the strength of their opponents and overall historical performance patterns. The data is updated every Monday, sourced from the Trackwrestling season results. Since each team is responsible for maintaining their season results, any data discrepancies for a wrestler should be addressed by contacting their coach to manage the information within the season. This includes the weight class assigned. Wrestlers are eligible to be ranked after competing in five matches at a single weight.
Iowa
Iowa women’s basketball vs. Penn State today: Live updates, score
is
As No. 14-ranked Iowa women’s basketball (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten) returns from the Christmas break, the Hawkeyes will begin the bulk of their Big Ten slate today as they welcome Penn State (7-5, 0-1 Big Ten) to Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa looks to rebound from its 90-64 loss against No. 1 UConn on Dec. 20, where its sloppy play (26 turnovers leading to 41 UConn points) ultimately proved to be its undoing against the Huskies.
Entering today’s game, sophomore center Ava Heiden leads the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game on 64.4% shooting from the floor, with senior forward Hannah Stuelke (13.4) and sophomore guard Chit-Chat Wright (11.7) also averaging double-figure scoring.
Defensively, Wright leads the team in steals per game with 1.6, while Heiden tops the squad in blocks with 1.2 denials per contest.
As tipoff nears between the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions, follow along for live updates, the latest score, and highlights of the action:
Hawkeyes are on fire offensively through the first quarter of play (shooting 10-for-16 from the floor), while also dominating the defensive glass (leading 7-2 in defensive rebounds) and keeping Penn State off-synch.
Chit-Chat Wright leads everyone with 12 points on 4-for-4 from the floor, 2-for-2 from 3-point territory, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
Timeout Penn State.
Hawkeyes are on a roll offensively since the Nittany Lions’ appeal, with a 14-0 scoring run that forces a Penn State timeout.
Penn State’s appeal was successful on the foul call, but the shot clock violation on the Nittany Lions still stands.
Nittany Lions retain their timeout.
Timeout Penn State.
The Nittany Lions are appealing the foul call on Gracie Merkle and the ensuing shot clock violation.
Both teams are shooting well to start the game.
On its game day availability report, sophomore Emely Rodriguez remains out. Graduate starting guard Kylie Feuerbach is also “questionable.”
Watch Iowa vs. Penn State
TV: Big Ten Network
Tip-off Time: 3 p.m. CT
Iowa women’s basketball schedule
All times CT
- Nov. 3 vs. Southern: Iowa 86, Southern 51
- Nov. 9 vs. Evansville: Iowa 119, Evansville 43
- Nov. 13 vs. Drake: Iowa 100, Drake 58
- Nov. 16 at Northern Iowa: Iowa 74, UNI 41
- Nov. 20 vs. Baylor (WBCA Showcase in Orlando): Iowa 57, Baylor 52
- Nov. 22 vs. Miami (WBCA Showcase in Orlando): Iowa 64, Miami 61
- Nov. 26 vs. Western Illinois: Iowa 86, Western Illinois 69
- Nov. 30 vs. Fairfield: Iowa 86, Fairfield 72
- Dec. 6 at Rutgers: Iowa 79, Rutgers 36
- Dec. 10 at Iowa State: Iowa State 74, Iowa 69
- Dec. 13 vs. Lindenwood: Iowa 102, Lindenwood 68
- Dec. 20 vs. UConn (Champions Classic): UConn 90, Iowa 64
- Dec. 28 vs. Penn State: Big Ten Network, 3 p.m.
- Jan. 1 vs. Nebraska: Big Ten Network, 1 p.m.
- Jan. 5 at Northwestern: Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m.
- Jan. 11 at Indiana: Big Ten Network, 4 p.m.
- Jan. 15 vs. Oregon: FS1, 8 p.m.
- Jan. 18 vs. Michigan State: Big Ten Network, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 22 at Maryland: NBC, 5 p.m.
- Jan. 25 vs. Ohio State: Peacock, 1 p.m.
- Jan. 29 at USC: Peacock, 8 p.m.
- Feb. 1 at UCLA: Fox, 3 p.m.
- Feb. 5 vs. Minnesota: Big Ten Network, 6 p.m.
- Feb. 11 vs. Washington: BTN+, 6:30 p.m.
- Feb. 16 at Nebraska: Fox, 11 a.m.
- Feb. 19 at Purdue: BTN+, 6 p.m.
- Feb. 22 vs. Michigan: Fox or FS1, 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.
- Feb. 26 vs. Illinois: Big Ten Network, 8 p.m.
- March 1 at Wisconsin: BTN+, 2 p.m.
- March 4-8 Big Ten Tournament
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
Iowa
The Top Stories In Iowa High School Sports In 2025
Records have fallen, stars have shined and there has also been plenty of heartbreak, heartache and sadness along the way.
Here is a look at some of the top sports stories that made headlines throughout 2025 in Iowa high school athletics.
The Rams swept both the state wrestling duals and traditional team titles in Class 3A this past winter, scoring a state tournament record 259.5 points. They clinched the traditional crown before the final day when Cooper Martinson, Justis Jesuroga, Nico DeSalvo and Eddie Woody all won individual championships.
Down in Class 1A, Don Bosco remained the premier program in the state, winning a seventh consecutive state championship. The Dons, who have claimed 17 titles all-time, also won state duals. Hayden Schwab, Hendrix Schwab, Kaiden Belinsky and Dawson Youngblut were all individual champs.
By winning a third state wrestling championship each last year, Fort Dodge’s Dreshaun Ross and Blake Fox from Osage moved closer to joining the exclusive four-timers club. Ross and Fox will both be going for a fourth individual state wrestling championship this winter.
The Johnston girls basketball team ended last year with a second consecutive Class 5A state championship, besting Dowling Catholic in the finals. The Dragons came into this season having won 52 consecutive games, as Notre Dame commit Jenica Lewis now leads them. In the finals last year, Kelli Kalb scored 13 points and Amani Jenkins grabbed 18 rebounds.
A loaded Valley boys basketball team captured its third consecutive Class 4A state championship this past winter, besting Waukee Northwest in the finals, 61-47. They became just the second 4A team to win three consecutive titles, as Jayden McGregory scored 26, Zay Robinson 15 and Trevin Jirak had 13 with 10 rebounds. McGregory is now headed to Missouri to play football, Robinson entered the transfer portal after playing one season of football at Iowa State and Jirak is at Iowa playing basketball.
Western Dubuque runner and future Oregon Duck Quentin Nauman has been virtually untouchable when it comes to distance running. Back in the spring, Nauman completed the distance triple crown at the Drake Relays, winning the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. He again did the same at state, setting multiple records in the process. In the fall, Nauman won another state cross country title, again setting a meet record.
Ranked as one of the best players in the country for her grade, Sophia Schlader showed why to the rest of Iowa by leading Waukee Northwest to the Class 5A state softball title this past summer. Schlader and the Wolves bested Linn-Mar in the finals, 1-0 in eight innings. The freshman struck out 15 batters, tying her own 5A state mark, as she finished the week with 35 strikeouts. Her 15th K of the finals came with the bases loaded and two outs.
In the span of 24 hours, Pella won the first state baseball championship in program history and first state softball title in school history. The Dutch baseball team did it first, besting Dubuque Wahlert in the Class 3A finals, 3-1, on a game-winning hit by Landyn Bethards. Teagan Hoekstra pitched a complete game, striking out seven. The No. 8 seed in softball, Pella took out No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier in the quarterfinals and North Polk in the finals for head coach Katie Banowetz, who was to be married one day later.
Pella’s Marissa Ferebee cemented her own place in the history books, winning a third consecutive Class 3A state cross country championship this past fall. The future Arkansas Razorback also was a state champion in track and field in the spring in the 3,000-meter run. She helped the Dutch earn a fourth consecutive team state cross country title, as well.
The Iowa high school football season was hit hard by a number of forfeits, as teams cited too few of healthy players to compete on the gridiron. One of those was defending eight-player state champion Remsen St. Mary’s, as the Hawks called a game at halftime and sat on the sidelines for multiple weeks to get enough healthy and experienced players ready to continue. Others called the season off entirely or did not even field a varsity team this past fall.
For the first time since the classification was created, someone other than Southeast Polk won the Class 5A title. That somebody? Ten-time state champion Dowling Catholic, as Ian Middleton led the Maroons past Iowa City Liberty, 27-10. Middleton ran for 206 yards and scored two touchdowns on 34 carries in the finals.
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