Iowa
Trump could win Iowa but voters' second choice is absolutely critical
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Politics rarely comes out as all the commentators expect and nowhere is this truer than in the Republican and Democratic primary processes that starts with the Iowa caucuses.
There should be no surprise, however, that former president Donald Trump will win the Iowa caucus – he has a commanding lead among the conservative electorate there and the process of a caucus benefits the activists who come out and organize for this multi-hour event of mass persuasion. He is scoring record leads in the Des Moines Register poll.
The big question is what is going to happen with the remaining Trump opponents and whether Iowa will shrink the field even further. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis started this primary season with all of the advantages of early momentum, a big electoral win in his home state, and great funding and yet seems to be limping to the finish line.
If he finishes a strong second, he could revive his campaign; if he finishes third, I would expect him to drop out. He has both the most to win and the most to lose in this primary.
DESANTIS SHUTS DOWN RUMORS HE’LL DROP OUT OF 2024 RACE IF HE LOSES IN IOWA: ‘TOTALLY MADE UP’
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has the most to win and little to lose here. She was never expected to do well in Iowa though she has been showing consistent momentum month after month. The polls place her in a close third place and that kind of finish would set her up for New Hampshire. If she finishes second instead, she would get a huge boost, especially if DeSantis drops out and either endorses her or refrains from siding with any of the candidates.
The big question is what is going to happen with the remaining Trump opponents and whether Iowa will shrink the field even further.
Remember that this is an arcane process but the rules have been changed this year so that it is more like a primary – people have to show up in the evening hours and possibly listen to some speeches but then they just vote by secret ballot – registered Republicans only, but people can switch their party registration if they want to become Republicans.
As you may recall, last time the Iowa caucus became so advanced and computerized that no one could actually figure out the results and the whole thing was essentially called off.
This time the Democrats have called off the Democratic caucus for real – it is part of their “threat to democracy” campaign which they seem to advance by eliminating actual democracy.
So, President Joe Biden can’t lose or win – or be challenged. There will be a Democratic caucus but only for party administrative matters, not presidential preferences. Instead, Democrats can request a form, get a mail in ballot and return it by March 5th, when it will be tallied. Seems that some want mail in votes to be easy for general elections but not for primaries, as these ballots are not mailed to all Democrats but only those who request them.
HERE’S WHO KEY LAWMAKERS HAVE ALREADY ENDORSED FOR PRESIDENT AHEAD OF THE IOWA CAUCUSES
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. left the Democratic party over the favoritism for the current president by the party establishment and Rep. Dean Philips is staying in, but the Biden team is busy eliminating him from as many caucuses and primaries as they can.
Philips has been removed from the ballots in Florida and North Carolina even though he is not accused of leading an insurrection; they have put him on the Iowa mail-in caucus card along with Marianne Williamson – they just won’t get around to tabulating them until March.
Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie appear to have faded in the Iowa caucus and if the polls are right will face some difficult choices after the caucus is held.
Ramaswamy continues to predict a major upset but he seems to have been one of those firecracker candidates that burst upon the scene and then fade under scrutiny.
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Christie never really caught on and has headlined that his campaign’s purpose is to defeat Donald Trump, which certainly does not seem to be happening in Iowa.
In general, the Iowa caucuses have not been great predictors for who wins on the Republican side. Mike Huckabee won in 2008; Ron Paul won in 2012; Ted Cruz won in 2016.
Given this track record, it’s a little unclear why Republicans put so much effort into this caucus, but going first still sets a tone, and it has been especially important for who finishes second as that candidate has more often gone on to win.
So far, Trump skipped all the GOP debates, but he knows the political power of a strong start and is hoping to dominate in Iowa and use this as proof that he is rip-roaring back despite his issues and legal peril.
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He is showing up in Iowa and pressing the flesh now.
It looks like he is likely to get his wish in Iowa but remember — even when we think we know what is going to happen, politics and especially primaries often confound us.
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Iowa
Where to watch Iowa women’s basketball vs. Indiana today, TV, time
Looking for a second road win this week, No. 14 Iowa women’s basketball heads to Indiana for today’s 4 p.m. contest inside Assembly Hall. BTN will televise the game.
The Hawkeyes (13-2, 4-0 Big Ten Conference) remained perfect in league play with a 67-58 win at Northwestern on Jan. 5, a game in which Iowa survived despite enduring heavy foul trouble.
Meanwhile, Indiana (11-6, 0-5) has reached desperation territory. The Hoosiers have dropped four straight, including two at home, during this extended skid.
Here’s how to watch today’s game.
Watch Iowa vs. Indiana on Fubo (free trial)
What channel is Iowa women’s basketball vs. Indiana on today?
Iowa vs. Indiana time today
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 11
- Start time: 4 p.m. CT
- Location: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana
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.
Iowa
Iowa women’s wrestling finishes third at National Duals
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Clarissa Chun’s National Duals press conference
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Clarissa Chun discusses program’s first loss
CEDAR FALLS − The undefeated start to the Iowa women’s wrestling program has ended after the Hawkeyes lost a dual for the first time in program history at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 10.
A 40-5 win over William Jewell College and a 39-3 victory over Sacred Heart set up a major semifinal clash with rival North Central College on Jan. 10.
Iowa won six of 10 matches in the semifinals. Karlee Brooks beat national runner-up Yele Aycock by a 8-4 decision, 138-pounder Skye Realin defeated a former national champion by a 6-6 score on criteria in Claire Dicugno with a four-point throw at the buzzer, Reese Larramendy knocked off No. 1 ranked and former Hawkeye teammate Bella Mir in a 10-4 decision at 145 and 180-pounder Kylie Welker wrestled and won in just her second match back after a period of rest to start the season.
All of those wins helped put Iowa in front, 21-18, going into the final bout at 207 pounds.
What did the Hawkeyes in was losses by fall at 110, 124 and 207. The 207 loss, with Dasia Yearby pinning Jaycee Foeller in the first period, gave North Central a 23-21 victory despite the Cardinals dropping six of 10 matches. North Central also scored team points in nine of 10 bouts because they scored match points and did not lose by fall.
As a result, the Iowa program’s 42-0 unblemished record in duals was broken.
The final result was eerily similar to the dual between the two teams at the same tournament two years ago, where the Hawkeyes also lost six of 10 bouts, but got crucial bonus points and at least one team point in all 10 bouts to escape with a 21-20 win.
Iowa women’s wrestling coach Clarissa Chun emphasized to her team two years ago that every point mattered in the win. This time around, it worked against them as the Cardinals got the upset victory.
“Every point does matter,” Chun said. “You can’t replicate those moments in those times, in certain moments and positions. We got to be better at finishing, that’s apparent. We can get to the legs, but we got to continue to wrestle through that to the strong finish.”
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Skye Realin discusses loss to North Central
Chun said the emotions were raw afterwards, with wrestlers in and out of the lineup taking the loss to heart. Welker, who won her bout 8-2 against Jael Miller, took it hard since she nearly had a pin that could have flipped the final result.
“There was a lot of us that felt it was hard to take a loss, especially for me, and there was a couple other girls that took it pretty hard,” Welker said. “I have girls that look to me, so I’m like, ‘I got to pull myself together and step forward with them, alongside them so we can finish this tournament.’”
Ultimately, the Hawkeyes finished with a win in the third-place bout shortly after by defeating a solid Grand Valley State team, 26-15. The main difference, they said, was the positive energy exuded from the coaching staff to not harp on the past and look for the next best thing.
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Karlee Brooks discusses loss to North Central
While the loss brings an unfamiliar feeling to the program, it’s something they knew would come eventually. While it was their main rival today, McKendree will also present a tough challenge to the field when the NCAA Championships come in March.
Behind stars Welker and Kennedy Blades, rising wrestlers like Brooks and Realin, as well as proven veterans in Larramendy, Brianna Gonzalez and Foeller, Iowa will have a good chance to win a third-consecutive team title this season.
Even in a crushing loss, they got some key wins from those like Realin, Larramendy and Brooks that bode well for the Hawkeyes in the future. The places they faltered were spots they’ll have confidence to bounce back or won’t apply come the NCAA Championships, like Nyla Valencia’s loss by fall after controlling most of the bout at 110 pounds, and Welker and Blades giving up team points in their matches.
Regardless, the third-place finish served as a reminder to the program and fans alike that this year is going to bring Iowa’s toughest challenge yet.
“Everyone on our team knows it, this sport has depth,” Chun said. “There are great wrestlers across the entire country.”
Iowa women’s wrestling’s results at NWCA National Duals
Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker’s National Duals press conference
VIDEO: Iowa women’s wrestling’s Kylie Welker discusses program’s first loss
Round of 16: Iowa 40, William Jewell College 5
- 103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Juliana Alejandro (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
- 110 – Nyla Valencia (Iowa) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
- 117 – Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell College) over Harlee Hiller (Iowa) Fall 1:04
- 124 – Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) over Miyah Palacios (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
- 131 – Emily Frost (Iowa) over Shelby Kemp (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
- 138 – Lilly Luft (Iowa) over Zainab Ibrahim (William Jewell College) Fall 2:01
- 145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Mckinzie Ross (William Jewell College) TF 11-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Paige Barber (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
- 180 – Katja Osteen (Iowa) over Jianna Chavez (William Jewell College) Fall 1:22
- 207 – Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) over Desiree Hall (William Jewell College) TF 10-0
Quarterfinal: Iowa 39, Sacred Heart University 3
- 103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Aaliyah Payne-Parris (Sacred Heart) Fall 0:54
- 110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Tiffany Stoshak (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Tatiana Walker (Sacred Heart) TF 11-0
- 124 – Cali Leng (Iowa) over Lauren Nguyen (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 131 – Bella Williams (Iowa) over Bella Sowards (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Elleahna Anderson (Sacred Heart) Fall 2:21
- 145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Selena Sifuentes shaffer (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Love Daley (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Madeline Hodges (Sacred Heart) TF 10-0
- 207 – Josephine Larson (Sacred Heart) over Libby Dix (Iowa) Dec 5-2
Semifinal: North Central College 23, Iowa 21
- 103 – Valarie Solorio (Iowa) over Brianne Graves (North Central College) TF 12-0
- 110 – Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central College) over Nyla Valencia (Iowa) Fall 5:38
- 117 – Riley Rayome (North Central College) over Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) Dec 3-3
- 124 – Sara Sterner (North Central College) over Cali Leng (Iowa) Fall 1:45
- 131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Yele Aycock (North Central College) Dec 8-4
- 138 – Skye Realin (Iowa) over Claire Dicugno (North Central College) Dec 6-6
- 145 – Reese Larramendy (Iowa) over Bella Mir (North Central College) Dec 10-4
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Taylor Graveman (North Central College) TF 11-1
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Jael Miller (North Central College) Dec 8-2
- 207 – Dasia Yearby (North Central College) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 1:38
Third-place dual: Iowa 26, Grand Valley State 15
- 103 – Sterling Dias (Iowa) over Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State) Dec 7-0
- 110 – Ava Bayless (Iowa) over Kiely Tabaldo (Grand Valley State) Dec 6-0
- 117 – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) over Libby Roberts (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 124 – Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) over Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) Fall 0:37
- 131 – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) over Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State) Dec 8-3
- 138 – Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) over Lilly Luft (Iowa) TF 10-0
- 145 – Cadence Diduch (Iowa) over Margaret Buurma (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 160 – Kennedy Blades (Iowa) over Noelle Gaffney (Grand Valley State) Fall 3:45
- 180 – Kylie Welker (Iowa) over Maddison Ward (Grand Valley State) TF 10-0
- 207 – Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) over Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) Fall 4:47
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.
Iowa
Ben Kueter earns top-10 in return to Iowa men’s wrestling lineup
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