Iowa

‘So happy I want to cry’: 7,000 fans celebrate Caitlin Clark, Iowa women’s basketball team

Published

1 year ago

April 10, 2024

‘So happy I want to cry’: 7,000 fans celebrate Caitlin Clark, Iowa women’s basketball team

“I would say you all inspired me as much as I inspired you.”

That was how superstar guard Caitlin Clark opened her remarks to the more than 7,000 University of Hawkeye fans who packed into Carver-Hawkeye Arena Wednesday night to celebrate the team’s second-straight NCAA Final Four appearance.

The crowd — comprised of fans of all ages and many donning Clark’s name and number on their back — roared for seniors, returning players, coaches and managers as they were announced.

The full lineup was on hand for the celebration, with head Coach Lisa Bluder and seniors Clark, Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Molly Davis and Sharon Goodman speaking to the large crowd.

When the celebration wrapped up, Clark hung around to sign autographs for more than half an hour as hundreds of eager children — most of them young girls — held out hats, posters, signs, and T-shirts for her to immortalize.

They shouted her name endlessly, and she responded to as many as she could.

Those lucky enough to receive Clark’s coveted signature were beaming as they marched out of the arena.

Blair Merrick, 7, and her sister Blayne, 11, were among those who got autographs from the team.

“I feel real happy, so happy I want to cry right now,” Blair said.

Alyssa Noss, who attended several games over the last two seasons, stayed with her daughter until the arena emptied.

“My daughter is a huge Caitlin Clark fan, and her friend is a huge Gabbie Marshall fan,” Noss said. “They idolize all of them. This team is just incredible.”

More: Iowa announces it will retire Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 jersey, third retired number in women’s basketball program history

University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson, Athletic Director Beth Goetz and Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague joined the team on the hardwood for the festivities.

Goetz confirmed that Clark’s No. 22 would hang in the rafters forever, drawing a lengthy roar from the Carver crowd. Teague declared April 10, 2024, as “Iowa Women’s Basketball Day” in Iowa City at the beginning of the festivities.

More: Kim Reynolds says Caitlin Clark, Iowa women’s basketball ‘changed women’s sports forever’

“You’ve changed the game that you’ve played,” Wilson said. “You’ve changed the face of collegiate athletics. You’ve created special memories for countless families. And you left an indelible mark on our university.”

Bluder credited the effect the Iowa women’s basketball team has created for younger kids.

“Now there’s thousands and thousands of girls and boys all around this country that say, ‘I want to be like them.’”

The final words from the seniors

“I want (fans) to remember how hard I worked,” Marshall said when asked what she hoped everyone remembers about her time. “I’ve always given it my all on the court and in everything that I do in life. Everybody matters here, speaking to the culture Coach Bluder has built. We’re really a family here.”

“You have to believe in yourself, because if you don’t, no one else will,” Martin said.

“It’s absolutely awesome!” Davis said of the fan support. “I mean, coming from a place where there’s about 1,500 people in the stands to 15,000 a game, it’s really special and happy to be a part of it.”

More: WNBA counting on Caitlin Clark bump as Indiana Fever get most national TV games for 2024.

“Our coaches really value academics and so to be at a place where they support that and value that even above basketball itself,” Goodman said on balancing school and basketball. “They want us to be strong women, and women that are doing something more than less.”

“I would say you all inspired me as much as I inspired you and you allowed me to live out my dream every single day and for that, I’m forever thankful,” Clark said in her final remarks to fans. “Thank you. It’s been very special and this place will always be home to me.”

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.

Marc Ray covers high school sports for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at maray@press-citizen.com or follow him on Twitter/X @themarcszn.

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Iowa

Iowa high school state track and field results: Quentin Nauman makes history

Published

6 hours ago

May 24, 2025

Press Room

Iowa high school state track and field results: Quentin Nauman makes history

Saturday at the Iowa high school state track and field championships belonged to Quentin Nauman.

The Western Dubuque junior and future Oregon Duck made history, becoming the first high school in the country to run sub 1:50 in the 800 and sub 4:00 in the 1,600 in the same meet.

Nauman went 1:49.41 to secure gold in the 800 in Class 3A and posted a 3:59.60 in the 1,600 to also place first. He ran the anchor on the distance medley relay and also won the 3,200 earlier this week.

That was part of a final day that saw team champions crowned in all classes and more winners announced in Des Moines from Drake Stadium.

Scoring girls team gold were Council Bluffs St. Albert (1A), Pella Christian (2A), Adel ADM (3A) and Waukee Northwest (4A). Boys titles went to Lisbon (1A), Spirit Lake and Okoboji (2A), Newton (3A) and Ankeny (4A).

Noelle Steines of Tipton concluded her legendary career with two more titles, winning the 800 and 1,500 in 2A. Steines broke the state record in the 800.

Kadence Huck of Nashua-Plainfield won her second title of the meet, recording the fastest 400 time by claiming the 1A 800 in 2:10.22.

Rachel Kacmarynski from Pella Christian broke the state meet record in the 2A 100, as did Kelly Grobstich of Davenport Assumption in 3A. Grobstich doubled up, winning the 200 with a state meet record time.

Valley’s Emma Havighurst reset her own state mark from the prelims in the 100 hurdles, going 13.68 to capture first in 4A. Tay Seal of Clear Creek-Amana broke the state meet record in 3A for the 110 hurdles and set a new Iowa best at 13.58 while Quinton Alexander of Cedar Rapids Prairie broke the 4A mark.

Lili Denton of Council Bluffs St. Albert scored her third state title of the meet, winning the 1A 1,500 with a state meet record time of 4:30.63, which placed her first in Iowa this year. Until freshman Charlee Gall of Cedar Falls won in 4A in 4:29.87.

The shuttle hurdle relay saw records fall, as the Ankeny boys set a new all-time state meet mark at 56.06 in winning gold in 4A. The Treynor boys (2A) and Clear Creek-Amana boys (3A) also broke state records, as did the Stanton girls (1A) and Adel ADM girls (3A).

In the sprint medley relay, the Clear Lake girls ran the fastest time in Iowa in claiming gold in 3A. The Pella Christian girls broke the 4×100 record while Waukee Northwest set a new all-time Iowa best in the sprint relay at 47.37.

The Treynor boys broke the 2A 4×100 mark while Ankeny Centennial set a new Iowa best in the event.

In the final girls race of the state meet, Waukee Northwest set a state and all-time Iowa record at 3:47.46 while the Iowa Valley boys (1A) and Center Point-Urbana boys (3A) broke state marks.

Wheelchair champions were Payton Maas of West Liberty, Ally Darter of Dubuque Hempstead and Titus Steng of Shenandoah while ambulatory champions were Hannah Longmire of Iowa City West and John Reynolds of Siouxland Christian.

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Iowa

Iowa State Standout Named Top Trade Candidate After Frustrating NFL Season

Published

22 hours ago

May 24, 2025

Press Room

Iowa State Standout Named Top Trade Candidate After Frustrating NFL Season

A couple of years ago, former Iowa State Cyclones star Breece Hall appeared to be one of the top up and coming running backs in the NFL, and entering his third professional season with the New York Jets in 2024, many had him pegged as a potential breakout candidate.

However, Hall ended up having a very disappointing campaign, rushing for 876 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a pedestrian 4.2 yards per carry. Yes, he added 57 catches for 483 yards and three scores, but to put it plainly, more was expected from Hall last year.

Now, with the Jets having a new coaching staff in place, Hall is at the center of trade speculation, and Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine has listed him as one of New York’s top trade candidates with training camp approaching.

“The vaunted draft class of 2022 looms large moving forward, though. Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson II and Breece Hall will all be up for contract extensions soon and paying all of them could get pricey,” Ballentine wrote.

Let’s be honest: the Jets will certainly be extending Gardner and Wilson before Hall, and Johnson may even have the edge, too. New York has a couple of young halfbacks in Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis that will probably get more playing time in 2025, as well.

Hall spent three seasons at Iowa State, leading the Big 12 in rushing touchdowns back-to-back campaigns in 2020 and 2021. He also led the country with 1,572 yards on the ground in the former year.

Overall, the 23-year-old racked up 3,933 yards and 50 rushing scores during his time with the Cyclones while also catching 82 passes for 734 yards and six touchdowns. The Jets took him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

MORE: Former Iowa State Star Tyrese Haliburton Joins Kobe Bryant in Elite Statistic

MORE: Stephen A. Smith Reveals Strong Take on Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton vs. Jalen Brunson

MORE: Iowa State Legend Brock Purdy Receives Eye-Opening NFL Ranking

MORE: ESPN Reveals Where Iowa State QB Room Sits Among Nation’s Best

MORE: Iowa State Cyclones Fans Won’t Love ESPN’s New Football Prediction

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Iowa

Joann liquidation sales near their end. When will Iowa stores close for good?

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2025

Press Room

Joann liquidation sales near their end. When will Iowa stores close for good?

Say goodbye to Joann stores because the craft retailer is permanently closing its remaining Iowa stores by the end of May.

Joann shuttered 255 locations in April, including two in Iowa, months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time within a year. Since filing for bankruptcy, the company has held going-out-of-business sales at the locations.

At those sales, prices are marked down 70% to 90%, according to Joann.com. (Note: sales on the online site have ended.) Stores are also selling the furniture, shelves and equipment, according to the site.

When is Joann closing its stores?

The more than 440 stores that remain will be closed by May 31, said Jo Anne McCusker, a spokesperson for GA Group, the retail liquidator that won all of Joann’s chain’s assets through auction in February. The chain’s website says many stores will close by May 30.

When are Joann stores in Iowa closing?

There are seven Joann stores that will close in Iowa by May 31, according to USA TODAY. The Ames location was not included in a list the company provided to USA TODAY, but the location is listed as a liquidation store on Joann’s website.

Ankeny: 1205 SE 16th Court, Suite 200
Cedar Rapids: 255 Collins Road NE
Clive: 9999 University Ave.
Davenport: 902 W. Kimberly Road, Suite 41
Dubuque: 2600 Dodge St., Suite A-4
Iowa City: 1676 Sycamore St.
Waterloo: 1407 Flammang Dr.