Digging for a Team

In 2007, Cindy Frederick was released as head coach of The University of Iowa volleyball team. Mallory Husz, a recruit from Council Bluffs, had committed to Iowa, and was left in the dark until Iowa finally hired Sharon Dingman. For three months, Husz was forced to find her own answers, and try to figure out what she should do: stick with Iowa, or go somewhere with stability. Somewhere else almost happened.



Mallory Husz' Unusual Recruiting Experience

Iowa Grapplers Blank UNI in Cedar Falls

The University of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team hit the road last night for Cedar Falls, and the meet couldn’t have gone much smoother for the Hawks, as they blanked the Panthers 39-0.


Tony Ramos started the meet with four take downs and a major decision over Ryan Jauch of the Panthers. Ramos, who has started at the 133 spot since getting the nod on November 26th against Cornell College, is 4-0 on the season. Ramos’ four wins include three major decisions and a tech fall.

Jeret Chiri finally got things going for himself when he pinned UNI’s Jamal Lawrence in 5:59. This is exactly what Chiri needed to stay in the starting lineup as Last weekend Chiri was defeated by major decision twice, and reports were circulating that Chiri could be replaced by Matt Ballweg until starter Dylan Carew returns from injury.

At 165, Aaron Janssen took the mat for a 4-0 decision. The 165 spot has been up in the air all season, as Janssen and Jake Kerr have gone back and forth, and but neither one has stepped up and fully grasped the spot.

In the only match between two ranked wrestlers, Iowa’s heavyweight Blake Rasing plodded his way to a 2-0 victory over Panther wrestler Christian Brantley. After a scoreless first, Brantley chose to go down but was unable to escape from underneath Rasing. An early escape from Rasing in the third left the Hawkeye heavyweight with a bonus riding time point and a 2-0 victory.

Star wrestler Matt McDonough picked up his first pin of the season as he took out Terrance Young in the first period. McDonough is ranked number one in every major poll and is a favorite to win a repeat championship at collegiate wrestling’s lightest weight.

#7 Iowa 39, Northern Iowa 0

133 – Tony Ramos (Iowa) maj. dec. Ryan Jauch (Northern Iowa), 12-3

141 – Mark Ballweg (Iowa) dec. Aaron Senzee (Northern Iowa), 3-0

149 – Jeret Chiri (Iowa) pinned Jamal Lawrence (Northern Iowa), 5:59

157 – Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. David Bonin (Northern Iowa), 8-4

165 – Aaron Janssen (Iowa) dec. Nick Pickerell (Northern Iowa), 4-0

174 – Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) maj. dec. Brice Wolf (Northern Iowa), 16-5

184 – Grant Gambrall (Iowa) dec. Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa), 4-2

197 – Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) maj. dec. Joe Johnson (Northern Iowa), 19-7

Hwt. – Blake Rasing (Iowa) dec. Christian Brantley (Northern Iowa), 2-0

125 – Matt McDonough (Iowa) pinned Terrance Young (Northern Iowa), 1:12

Now the Hawkeyes are left with 20 days off before traveling to Evanston for the Midlands Championships. The Hawkeyes have won three Midlands titles in a row, and were a second place finish in 2006, just under Iowa State.

Iowa Takes Annual ISU Dual, waits for new Dan Gable Trophy

The Iowa Hawkeyes beat the Iowa State Cyclones in the annual wrestling dual 22-13 Friday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and now await a freshly announced traveling prize: The Dan Gable Trophy.

Iowa won six out of the ten matches, and took advantage of four major decisions to build a comfortable lead.

Iowa head coach Tom Brands watches as Derek St. John (top) wrestles against ISU's Trent Weatherman (photo: Benjamin Roberts/ Press-Citizen)

Iowa head coach Tom Brands disscusses his team’s performance vs. ISU

ISU head coach Kevin Jackson after Friday’s loss to Iowa

Iowa 141 lb wrestler Mark Ballweg after his upset of all-American Chris Drouin

The Dan Gable Trophy itself has not been built yet; it actually hasn’t even been designed yet, but as soon as it’s finished, it will be delivered to the Hawkeye trophy case for winning the yearly grudge match between two of the top wrestling programs in the country. The trophy be awarded annually to the winner of the Iowa-Iowa State wrestling dual meet.

The Highlight of the night for the Hawkeyes came from sophmore Mark Ballweg (141), who upset senior wrestler and previous All-American Chris Drouin by a 3-1 margin. Ballweg was down 1-0 to start the third period, but took advantage of an early escape and a takedown with 11 seconds left to defeat the Arizona State transfer. Ballweg moves to 5-0 on the season, including three pins and a tech. fall.

The meet started at the 197 wieght class, where Luke Lofthouse was unable to stave off Jerome Ward in overtime. Ward had a one point lead with three seconds left but was given his third stall warning, forcing overtime. Ward would bounce back, scoring a takedown in sudden victory overtime.

Other notable matches include the 157 match, where Derek St. John racked up 5 takedowns and 2:40 of riding time in route to a 12-3 major decision. At 165 pounds, two wrestlers in the top 25 by AWN and Intermat rankings squared off, but Jake Kerr for the Hawkeyes was unable defeat Andrew Sorenson of ISU, 4-1. Sorenson scored two point in the second period and Kerr’s only point came off a third period escape.

#6 University of Iowa 22, #14 Iowa State University 13
197 – Jerome Ward (ISU) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 5-3 SV *
Hwt. – Blake Rasing (I) dec. Kyle Simonson (ISU), 2-0
125 – Matt McDonough (I) maj. dec. Patrick Hunter (ISU), 14-4
133 – Tony Ramos (I) maj. dec. Brandon Jones (ISU), 14-5
141 – Mark Ballweg (I) dec. Chris Drouin (ISU), 3-1
149 – Nate Carr, Jr. (ISU) maj. dec. Jeret Chiri (I), 13-3
157 – Derek St. John (I) maj. dec. Trent Weatherman (ISU), 12-3
165 – Andrew Sorenson (ISU) dec. Jake Kerr (I), 4-1
174 – Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Ethen Lofthouse (I), 6-1
184 – Grant Gambrall (I) maj. dec. Cole Shafer (ISU), 12-3

Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Team Prepares for First Real Test of the Season

As a team, the 4-0 Iowa Hawkeyes have yet to be tested. November wins over Central College, Coe, Cornell College and Chattanooga have resulted in a 40-0 match record and an overall point difference of 179-0. That was November.

Now it’s another December, and another annual Iowa vs. Iowa State wrestling meet. Iowa State comes in 4-0 and ranked #14. The Cyclones will potentially put six ranked wrestlers on the mat. Iowa will likley put out eight ranked wrestlers.

Here’s what to expect on Friday night: (ISU Wrestlers listed first)

125: Ryak Finch (Fr) vs. #1 Matt McDonough (So)

133: Brandon Jones (Fr) vs. #9 Nate Moore (So)

141: #11 Chris Drouin (Sr) vs. Matt Balweg (So)

149: #15 Nate Carr (Sr) vs. Jeret Chiri (So)

157: Trent Weatherman (Fr) vs. #9 Derek St. John (Fr)

165: #16 Andrew Sorensen (Jr) vs. #15 Jake Kerr (Jr)

174: #3 Jon Reader (Sr) vs #20 Ethan Lofthouse (Fr)

184: Cole Schafer (Fr) vs #7 Grant Gambrall (So)

197: #13 Luke Lofthouse (Sr) vs. #12 Jerome Ward (Jr)

Hwt: #15 Blake Rasing (Jr) vs #20 Matt Gibson (So)


While these matchups are not all certain, you can see a few likely big brawls in the works.

Luke Lofthouse will get a chance to prove his worth against some serious competition in Jerome Ward. Ward has a history of Wrestling well against Iowa, beating Phil Keddy twice last year.

Another key matchup for the Hawkeyes will come at 133, where Matt Balweg will get a chance at a highly ranked and veteran wrestler. Balweg has recorded 3 pins and a tech fall in four matches.

Brands Releases Probable Lineup with a few Surprises

The Iowa Hawkeye wrestling office released it’s probable lineup in a press release this morning, and while most of the names won’t surprise anybody, one name on the lineup might catch the attention of Iowa fans.

Head coach Tom Brands and the Iowa wrestling team will start the 2010-11 campaign Friday against Iowa Central (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

Brands talks about filling the roster with 9 new starters


Nick Trizzino, a redshirt freshman out of Bettendorf, appears to have been given the nod by Tom Brands at 133. This is a big surprise because Trizzino lost both of his matches in the annual Wrestle Off last week, and was not in most of the conversation surrounding the 133 spot. It seemed that this weight class would come down to Nate Moore, who is ranked in the top 10, or Tyler Clark, who pinned Moore in the Wrestle Off. The third guy seemed to be Tony Ramos, who Brands said was working hard and showing potential during the off season.

At 149, both Dylan Carew and Jeret Chiri are listed at potential starters. The favorite there is Carew, and if he gets the nod, Iowa will likely send out four redshirt freshmen on Friday.

The 141 spot was also up for grabs, but it appears that Mark Balweg had made the jump into the starting lineup.

Outside of those positions, the rest is pretty cut and dry. Returning NCAA champion Matt McDonough will hold down 125, and junior Jake Kerr will move up one wieght class and start at 165.

The only senior in the lineup is Luke Lofthouse, who saw the starting lineup last year when Chad Beatty was injured.

#7 Iowa Hawkeyes

Wt. Name Yr. Hometown Last School

125 Matt McDonough So. Marion, IA Linn-Mar HS

133 Nick Trizzino *Fr. Bettendorf, IA Bettendorf HS

141 Mark Ballweg So. Waverly, IA Waverly HS

149 Dylan Carew *Fr. Tiffin, IA Iowa City West HS

OR Jeret Chiri So. New London, IA New London HS

157 Derek St. John *Fr. Parnell, IA Iowa City West HS

165 Jake Kerr Jr. Oskaloosa, IA Oskaloosa HS

174 Ethen Lofthouse *Fr. Avon, UT Mountain Crest HS

184 Grant Gambrall So. Iowa City, IA Iowa City West HS

197 Luke Lofthouse Sr. Avon, UT Mountain Crest HS

HWT Blake Rasing Jr. New Hampton, IA New Hampton HS

* – redshirt freshman

The Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team completed the annual Wrestle Off this weekend, and while questions still remain about the starting lineup, a few Hawkeye wrestlers established themselves as favorites at their weight classes.




TYLER CLARK LOOKS TO BE READY TO WRESTLE FOR THE HAWKEYES AFTER TRANSFERRING FROM ISU IN 2008

First of all, Tyler Clark found a way to pin Nate Moore, making the 133 spot an even bigger question mark. Last year Moore was the man to fill on for Daniel Dennis when Dennis suffered an injury mid-season. Clark sat out a year after transferring from Iowa State but is now in the lineup and looking more and more like the man for the job. Moore, who is ranked #9 by Intermat, but will need some outstanding work in practice to be named the starter by Friday.

Dylan Carew must have really been sick of the Wrestle Off, because he ended the three day intrasquad competition with a 9 second pin over Joe Moore. While it would have been nice to see Carew wrestle a full match, a win in 9 seconds will definitely get the attention of the coaching staff.

While pins look really nice on the stat sheet, but a better sign of domination over an opponent is a technical fall. Three Hawkeyes recorded tech falls, starting with Tony Ramos, who beat freshman Charlie Joseph 20-4 on Thursday night. Although Ramos is not going to be the starter this year, head coach Tom Brands will surly notice a big win in points.

On Friday, freshman Ethan Owens picked up a tech fall over sophomore Joe Moore at 141, but was unable to keep the pace when he lost to Mark Balweg. Balweg has likely secured his spot in the starting lineup, but as Owens develops over the season, the 141 spot could change places this year.

And finally, to no one’s great surprise, Matt McDonough posted a 20-3 tech fall over Matt Gurule. As the only returning All-American this year, McDonough will be expected to score in bunches while the rest of the team tries to figure out a lineup. Bonus points will be expected from McDonough this year, and it looks like he’s ready to deliver.

Jake Kerr defeated Aaron Janssen in a battle for 165 by a final of 9-3. Kerr and Janssen went back and forth last year for 157, and I was a little surprised to see both of them move up. Keer got the nod from Brands to represent the Hawks at 157 last year, and with the win is the all-out favorite for 165.

With the absence of both Kerr and Janssen, Derek St. John seems to have stepped up and put the 157 spot in a front headlock. St. John cruised through both of his matches, strong wins by seven and four points.

Other noteworthy matches include the final for heavyweight, where Blake Rasing defeated Jordan Johnson in sudden victory. After a 1-1 tie, Rasing was able to takedown Johnson for two points, the win, and an almost certain spot in the starting lineup on Friday.

Only One Win, but Hawks May Have Turned the Corner

If you need something to take your mind off the devastating loss to Northwestern by the Hawkeye football team this weekend, take a peek at The University of Iowa volleyball team, who found a way to pick up a win over #16 Michigan on Saturday night.



This win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Hawkeyes, as they have been reeling in Big Ten play. Before Saturday, Iowa hadn’t won a match in Big Ten play since October 1st. They had lost 12 in a row in the conference, and the young team simply needed a positive.

At the point the Hawkeyes were at, playing well against Michigan would have been enough. Hanging around with Michigan, even taking a set or two would have been satisfying. But the Hawkeyes did me one better: they upset a top 25 team in Big Ten play, and gave the youthful Hawks a sense of pride another reason to keep fighting.

Throughout the month of October I kept saying “just wait, this team will jump up and bite someone.” I was beginning to doubt myself, but the Hawks did finally bite someone.

Team effort was the name of the game for the Hawkeyes, as Becky Walters and Rachel Bedell led the team with 11 kills each.

Also, the Hawkeyes finally won in close sets, which has been a problem all season. The Hawkeyes won one set by three, and two sets by two points. Consistently this season, Iowa has lost close set after close set, making the wins-losses look pretty bad when the competition has actually been closer.

But before I get ahead of myself, it is important to note that this is one win we’re talking about. The Hawkeyes are still 2-14 in the Big Ten, and 7-18 overall.

This has still been a weak season, but at least the Hawks can point to a win late in the season as proof of what they can do when they play team volleyball and keep fighting.

Don't be too quick to judge Cam Newton

(Kif's Corner is dedicated to the smaller sports at The University of Iowa, however, I wanted to take this chance to share my thoughts about the Cam Newton issue.)



I don’t know Cam Newton.

I’ve never shaken hands and looked Cam Newton in the eye.

I’ve never sat at a bar, shared a few cold ones and chatted about girls with Cam Newton.

For all I know, I’ve never even been in the same state at the same time as Cam Newton.

Because of all that I don’t know, I can wait before making an assumption about the man.


With all the allegations flying around right now, it is easy to assume Newton is guilty of something. But until I know the facts surrounding the latest pay-for-play scandal, I will hold off judgment. I don’t know the facts, and I don’t know the man.

As the old saying goes, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and right now Cam Newton has more smoke floating around him than a pile of burning leaves. But there is a more important saying out there: innocent until proven guilty. In this day of hyper-fast information, people have also turned to hyper-fast conclusions.

Maybe Cam Newton is guilty.

Maybe Cecil Newton, Cam’s father, really did demand thousands of dollars from Mississippi State for the services of his son.

But what if it’s not true? Then we have run the risk of completely assassinating the respectability and integrity of a tremendously talented young man without anything to back it up.

Back when Newton was arrested on serious charges of burglary, larceny and obstruction of justice, we knew what happened. To Newton’s credit, he manned up and admitted to wrong doing. After enrolling at Auburn, he went on talk show after talk show and confessed to making a dumb mistake. He bought a stolen computer and should have known better. He reacted in an extremely foolish manner when the police arrived at his apartment, but he has since paid his dues. And he has since owned up to issue.

I’m waiting for a recording of the alleged conversations in which Cecil Newton demanded money for Cam’s talents. I’m waiting for a confession by either Cam or Cecil, which is not likely to come anytime soon.

Although the burden of proof falls on those lobbing these allegations, Cam Newton has not helped his cause either. During a recent press conference, Newton chose to neither confirm nor deny the pay-for-play allegations. While it’s his right to act as he sees best, I think someone who knows they are innocent would quickly, fervently and repeatedly deny the allegations.

But maybe that’s just it. Maybe Cam Newton doesn’t know.

What if the demands for cash were made without any knowledge by Cam Newton himself?

Until we know for sure, stick with what we do know: Cam Newton is a great football player who has made mistakes in the past and owned up to those mistakes. He has worked his way back into a major NCAA program and lifted that team into the national spotlight. His play on the field has made him a front runner for the Heisman.

At this point, that’s all we know.

Wrestle-Offs Will Help Clear the Smoke on Iowa Hawkeyes

Intrasquad competition is usually a dull, go-through-the-motions event in which the teammates go against each other in friendly competition.

This is not the case for the Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team.

Starting on Thursday, Tom Brands will sick his team against each other in the annual Wrestle-Off, and a lot will be decided by the end of Saturday.



While the winners of the wrestle off will not automatically be named the starters, Brands will use the results to determine who has the fight, guts, and attitude to be a starter on the Iowa wrestling team.

Here’s how the 2010 Wrestle-Off will look:

Thursday’s Match-Ups
133 – Tony Ramos vs. Charlie Joseph
149 – Jeret Chiri vs. Ethan Sebert

Friday’s Match-Ups
133 – Nate Moore vs. Nick Trizzino
133 – Tyler Clark vs. winner of Ramos/Joseph
141 – Mark Ballweg vs. Joe Moore
141 – Josh Dziewa vs. Ethan Owens
149 – Dylan Carew vs. winner of Chiri/Sebert
149 – Jake Ballweg vs. Stew Gillmor
157 – Matt Ballweg vs. Nick Moore
157 – Michael Kelly vs. Derek St. John
165 – Jake Kerr vs. Joe DuCharme
174 – Mike Evans vs. Jeremy Fahler
184 – Tomas Lira vs. Vinnie Wagner
Hwt. – Bobby Telford vs. Jordan Johnson

Saturday’s Match-Ups
125 – Matt McDonough vs. Matt Gurule
133 – Winner of Nate Moore/Trizzino vs. winner of Clark/Ramos/Joseph
141 – Winner of Mark Ballweg/Joe Moore vs. winner of Dziewa/Owens
149 – Winner of Carew/Chiri/Sebert vs. winner of Jake Ballweg/Stew Gillmor
157 – Winner of Matt Ballweg/Nick Moore vs. winner of Kelly/St. John
165 – Aaron Janssen vs. winner of Kerr/DuCharme
174 – Ethen Lofthouse vs. winner of Evans/Fahler
184 – Grant Gambrall vs. winner of Lira/Wagner
Hwt. – Blake Rasing vs. winner of Telford/Johnson

Last year the Wrestle-Off did not carry as much weight, as the team had a majority of proven wrestlers returning to the lineup. This year, 9 out of 10 spots are up for grabs.

The only proven wrestler in Matt McDonough at 125 and because of the damage that McDonough did all of last year, it’s a safe bet that he’ll be the starter even if he gets upset by Matt Gurule on Saturday.

At every other weight class will be up for the taking.

Particularly interesting will be the heavyweight competition. Brands has identified Blake Rasing as the front runner, which is why he gets the bye on Friday and will wrestle the winner of Telford v. Johnson on Saturday. Johnson and Rasing saw the starting lineup last year filling in for the injured Dan Erekson and both have a serious chance of grasping the starting spot. Throw Bobby Telford in the mix, and the heavyweight Wrestle-Off becomes a three way competition.

At 157, we have a four man mini-tournament. Last year Kerr and Janssen traded turns at 157, this year both are scheduled to wrestle in the Wrestle-Offs at 165. This frees up the spot for Derek St. John, who went 11-1 in unattached competition last year. If St. John wins this weekend, you can count on him starting this year. (On a previous post I had Kerr starting at 157 and Janssen at 165, now I may have to change that.)

The only weight class with no Wrestle-Off matches is 197, where Luke Lofthouse is favored to start. He saw the starting lineup last year due to injury, and 197 in now his spot to lose. And because the Hawkeyes only have one other wrestler, Brodie Ambrose, listed at 197, Brands probably elected to not risk an injury to either man.

At 133 you have five guys competing for one spot. Nate Moore is listed in the top 10 in various rankings is the favorite to start, but his 133 standing could be in jeopardy if he comes out poorly this weekend.

A lot of questions will be answered this weekend, but we still won't know everything until the Hawkeyes take the mat against Iowa Central on November 19th.

Trying to Make Sense of 2010-11 Wrestling Team

Complete Turnover.

That's how head coach Tom Brands describes his wrestling team. With nine out of ten spots up in the air, this year will be a roller coaster ride.


Here's how I see the wrestling spot shaking out, at least for the first meet of the season.


PROBABLE LINEUP:

125- Matt McDonough, SO (Last year: McDonough) – Most dual meets start with the 125 match, giving the Hawkeyes the chance to send out their only returning NCAA champion.

133- Nate Moore, SO (LY: Daniel Dennis) - Ranked #9 by Intermat, Iowa City West’s Nate Moore saw the starting lineup when Dennis was injured, going 9-6 in collegiate competition.

141- Mark Ballweg, SO (LY: Montell Marion) – One of three Ballweg brothers on the team, Waverly-Shell Rock product Mark Ballweg went 11-5 overall but only 0-2 in collegiate competition.

149- Dylan Carew, RSFR (LY: Brent Metcalf) Unranked Carew went 11-1 and won two tournaments wrestling unattached last year. Another IC West High product

157- Jake Kerr, SR (LY: Kerr/Aaron Janssen) Kerr went 13-11 and placed fourth in the Big Ten championships last year. RSFR Derek St. John, ranker #12 by Intermat, could replace Kerr by the end of the season.

165- Aaron Janssen, (LY: Ryan Morningstar) Janssen went 12-4 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten duals wrestling on and off last year as Brands tried to figure out the 157 spot.

174- Ethan Lofthouse, RSFR (LY: Jay Borschel ) Wrestling unattached, Ethan Lofthouse went 30-7, including 9 pins.

184- Grant Gambrall, SO (LY: Phil Keddy) The third IC West wrestler on my lineup, Gambrall was 15-5 in collegiate competition and 22-6 overall last year.

197- Luke Lofthouse, (LY: Chad Beaty) Ranked #13 by Intermat, Luke, the uncle of Ethan Lofthouse, went 19-13 wrestling for Iowa and 4-1 in Carver Hawkeye Arena in 2009-10.

HWT- Blake Rasing, (LY: Dan Erekson) Filling in for injured Erekson, the New Hampton native only won one dual match out of five. Rasing lost roughly 15lbs in the off season and will use athleticism and agility over brute strength this year.

By the end of the year, the lineup could be totally different: St. John could be a starter, Jordan Johnson could be the heavyweight, and a myriad of wrestlers could capture the 141 spot. For that matter, a myriad of wrestlers could capture any spot.

But probably not 125.

Iowa Soccer Send Seniors out with Something to Talk About

They finally did it!

The Iowa women’s soccer team finally got a Big Ten victory!

Iowa Women's Soccer head coach Ron Rainey (Photo via Hawkeyesports.com)

The only problem is that the first win took the entire Big Ten schedule, and the win didn’t come until the final game of the season.

For the victory, the Hawks had to dig deep against Purdue on Saturday night. Down 2-0, the Hawks rallied in the second half for a 3-2 victory over the Boilermakers.

What does this say about the team?

To me it says they never gave up on the season, which started out great (7-1) but fizzled around late September. From September 19th to October 31st, the Hawkeye soccer team went 0-8-3. It wasn’t until November 6th that Iowa finally got a win in Big Ten play.

At the Iowa soccer complex Saturday night, Iowa finally got the ball rolling in the second half after playing a less than impressive first.

Now the Hawkeyes go into the winter season with a better-than-bitter taste in their mouths. Although they Hawkeyes finished 8-9-3 overall and 1-7-2 in Big Ten play, it’s got to feel a lot better to know that they sent the seniors out on a W, and a dramatic W at that.

Sure, it’s a losing record.

Sure, it’s a one win season in conference play and there will be no NCAA Tournament for the Hawkeye soccer team.

But ending the season with not only a win, but a scrappy come-from-behind win, means that the team can go into the off season feeling good, not hanging their heads.

More importantly, the seniors who will hang up their cleats can leave the Iowa soccer team, which they have poured their souls into over the last four seasons, thinking of proud memories, not sulking on a winless Big Ten campaign.

Seniors Kali Feiereisel, Amanda Martin, Keli McLaughlin, Jenna Aleo, Mandy Hiemann and Stephanie Swanson will move on. But eventually they will return to The University of Iowa, and most likely they will recall the dramatic win over Purdue, not some pithy record or meaningless stat sheet.

Now head coach Ron Rainey needs to retool for the 2011 season. The self described grinder will look to the future, as all good coaches do, and find a way to improve on a season that was all at once disappointing and invigorating.

WOMENS BASKETBALL SET TO TAKE CENTER STAGE THS WINTER

Last year Lisa Bluder took the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament. While the Hawkeyes gave the top seeded Ohio State Buckeyes a whirl, they were unable to come away with a Big Ten Tournament title.

Still, when you consider how banged up the Hawkeyes were, losing their only senior before the season started and playing without high-energy Kachine Alexander during seven games of the regular season, a three seed and second place finish in the tournament was dynamite.

Now the Hawkeyes enter the 2010-11 season with all kinds of preseason expectation. AP has them ranked #22 and the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll has the Hawkeyes pegged at 25th.

The Hawkeyes are returning every single one of their starters from last season. Here is what the starting five should look like this season.

PROBABLE STARTERS:

KACHINE ALEXANDER- Guard: First of all, the Hawkeyes are returning “Little-Miss-Hustle”, Kachine Alexander for her senior season. Alexander, listed at all of 5-9, led the Big Ten in rebounds, was named to the all-Big Ten defensive team, first team coaches all-Big Ten,and Big Ten Tournament all-tournament team. Expect an outstanding leadership year from Alexander, and as always, expect her to be the hardest working player every time the Hawkeyes take the court. I said repeatedly last year that she was the most entertaining winter-sports athlete to watch. That includes the entire women’s and men’s basketball team, and, anyone on the national champion wrestling team. You want entertainment this winter, go check out Kachine Alexander.

KAMILLE WAHLINE- Guard: The Hawkeyes also return a 3rd team all-Big Ten selection in Wahline. Another 2010 all-Big Ten Tournament selection, Wahline has become a regular face for the Hawkeyes over the past two seasons. As a freshman in 2008-09, Wahline played in all 32 games, and started the final 14. As a sophomore, she was third team all-Big Ten and academic all-Big Ten. During 2009-10, Wahline’s 84 treys tied the team record for three points made in a season and set the school record for threes by a sophomore.

MORGAN JOHNSON- Center: Want defense? Last year Johnson not only led the Big Ten in blocks, she broke both the school and freshman record for blocks in a season with 79. She set a school record for blocks in a game against Minnesota, and led Big Ten freshmen in rebounds, field goals, and..uh…BLOCKS!!! Expect a heavy dose of NOT-IN-MY-HOUSE from Johnson in year two.

KELLY KREI- Forward: Yet another all-Big Ten tournament team selection and all Big Ten academic. Krei (pronounced Cry) was named the Hawkeyes Most Improved Player for 2009-10. As role player who fits well into coach Bluder’s aggressive, kick out based system; Krei played an important role in ball movement and helping the exterior player find open looks. Aggressive defender, Krei also led the team in steals.

JAMIE PRINTY: Guard: Bluder’s fast paced style usually features three starting guards, which allowed Printy to step up last year and capture Big Ten freshman of the year . Printy set school freshman records for points(501), and three points made(99). Probably even more important, Printy also set a school freshman record for assists, which probably makes coach Bluder sleep well at night. (If coaches actually slept.) With her skills as a passer and a scorer, Printy will play a big role in her second year at Iowa.

BENCH:

Guards Trisha Nesbitt, Megan Considine and Theairra Taylor all saw significant time last year, and will be expected to contribute again in 2010-11.

Senior forward Kelsey Cermak played in all 34 games last year, including two starts. As a veteran in Bluder’s system with a few solids performances last year, she will be expected to fill in again to give Krei and Johnson a breather.

Hawkeye Halloween Weekend in Review

BOO!!!

Now that I have your attention, lets take a moment to look at all the happenings in the Hawkeye's Halloween weekend.

Apparently the Iowa football team did pretty well, but how about the struggling soccer squad, which was on the road in the state of Michigan. The Hawkeyes started on Friday in Ann Arbor, but were unable to pick up a W, losing 2-1. The Hawkeyes were out-shot by the #11 Wolverines 13 to 3 in the first half, but were able to hang tough, keeping the score 1-0 in favor of Michigan at halftime. When the Hawkeyes traveled to East Lansing, things went a little better, but the result was only a tie, 1-1. Although the Hawkeyes were out shot 22-10, goalkeeper Emily Moran made 14 saves to keep things knotted up. Back when the Hawkeyes were winning, a magical time known as September, they were out shooting opponents and pressuring defenders and goalkeepers. Now the Hawks are consistently playing defense and rarely winning leading possesion time. After a 7-1 start, they have one game left to pick up their first win in Big Ten play.

The Iowa field hockey team is also win-less in conference play. This week they finished the season at home against #5 Ohio State. The Hawks got out worked and lost 3-0, putting a cap on a very forgettable regular season in which Iowa only won 3 contests. Tracy Griesbaum's squad now prepares for the Big Ten Tournament in Evanston, in which they will be the bottom seed. The only question in who they will play. This is quite a drop off from previous seasons, as the Hawkeyes were Big Ten Tournament champs three years in a row from 2006-08.

The Iowa volleyball team had a big challenge in Carver Saturday night against #24 Northwestern. Again an Iowa team lost to a top-25 team. The Hawkeye volleyball team lost in 3 sets. This marks the third match that Iowa has failed to win a set. BUT...unlike the soccer and field hockey squads, the volleyball team still has another month of play to try and salvage the season.

Since you've made it all the way to the bottom of this post, I'll reward you with some good news: the Iowa men's tennis team won 5 out of 7 consolation matches on Saturday at the Big Ten Singles Tournament and the Iowa rowing team took 2nd at the Head of the Iowa in women's varsity 8+ final. (Those dirty Badgers took first, we just can't get rid of them!)

Oh, and while bartending at the Wildwood on Saturday night, I wore my white Hawkeye polo and dress slacks for my costume. A lot of people thought I was Kirk Ferentz but I had to explain that I was Reese Morgan, the offensive line coach. They should know an o-line guy when they see it.

October was a struggle for many teams, but soon we will turn towards the winter sports, such as the #22 women's basketball team and the wrestling squad, to warm us up in Carver.

Hawkeye Wrestlers need Big Effort from New Names

As we turn the table towards winter, the Iowa Wrestling program gets ready to warm our hearts with intense takedowns and hardnosed pins. This season is going to be one of the most interesting for Iowa wrestling fans, as the team is no longer the overall favorite to win a national title. Hell, they’re not even the favorite to win the Big Ten.

According to most rankings, the Hawkeye’s aren’t even a top 5 team.
First of all, let me explain that wrestling has more polls than Tom Brands has top recruits. Well…maybe not that many.

Here is a brief list of the preseason rankings for the Hawkeye wrestling team:
Intermat -8
NWCA/USA Today - 7
AWN - 8
TOM - 5
W.I.N. – 11

This is a sharp difference from last year, when the Hawkeyes returned a stable of All-Americans like Brent Metcalf, Jay Borschel, Daniel Dennis and Ryan Morningstar.

Now, the only returning All American is 2010 national champion Matt McDonough. McDonough is also the only wrestler to be a preseason individual #1.

By the end of the 2010 season, the Hawkeyes had a virtual head lock in the first four weights, now they have graduated Metcalf (149), and Daniel Dennis (133); and lost Montell Marion (141) to a bad case of being an idiot.

The shelf seems bare at the upper weights too, as the Hawkeyes lost national champion Borschel, All American Ryan Morningstar, and heavyweight Dan Erekson, who finished 7th at nationals and won a Big Ten title last year.

Basically, the class of wrestlers that brought home the last three national titles is gone. But the shelf is not, in fact, bare.

Guy like Nate Moore (133), Luke Lofthouse (197) and Derek St. John (157)and Jake Kerr (165) will have to start forging a legacy of their own. Moore, Lofthouse and Keer we saw in limited action last year, St. John was redshirted.

If they don’t, you can bet your ass Tom Brands will find someone who will.
But the guy I almost feel sorry for is a freshman wrestler Dylan Carew. (Who most likely wants neither my pity nor yours) He is slotted to fill in at 149 after the loss of Brett Metcalf, arguably the most dominant wrestler over the last three years.

Everytime Carew takes the mat at 149, fans will inevitably compare him to Metcalf, fair or otherwise. It is just a fact that over the last three seasons the Hawkeyes have been able to pencil in a victory (and usually domination) at 149 before the match even started. The most shocking events over the last three seasons were the rare times when Metcalf actually lost. It happened thrice.

Now…we shall see. Hold on to your singlet, 2010-11 could be a wild ride.

Coverage of Female Sports: $ Marks the Spot

In response to Dr. John Vincent’s assessment of the treatment of female athletes, I feel he misses the overall problem facing women’s sports. The issue is that covering women’s sports is simply not seen as a profitable endeavor for media outlets. Until newspapers, television stations, and radio outlets can harvest a profit from covering women’s sports in a straight-forward manner, there will a sharp disparity and minimalized treatment.

At KRUI, the student radio station, I host a show called “From the Cheap Seats”. On this show we talk about all the under-the-radar sports. A majority of the time, we are talking about female sports, such as volleyball, field hockey, and women’s soccer. However, at a commercial radio station, this show would be a hard sell to management. It’s not about football, and therefore may not garner the listenership that would justify putting it on air.

The same can be said for most student media outlets. We can cover these sports without having to worry about readership, listenership, or viewer. For commercial outlets, this is not the case.

This brings me in a round-about way to the more detailed point from Dr. Vincent that the media treatment of female athletes is not the same as the media treatment of male athletes. I think this is not a separate issue, but a symptom of my first point. It is simply not profitable for media outlets to cover female sports in a direct fashion. Until viewers, readers, and listeners demand more direct coverage, media outlets are forced to use sexuality and societal roles (mother, wife, daughter, etc.) as a narrative tool to generate interest in their stories.

Whether we like it or not, the goal of every commercial media outlet is to make money. If being a beacon for social change is anywhere on the priority list, it is probably very low. Entertain and inform are often at odds, but need not be a dichotomy.

While noble, Dr. Vincent’s suggestions for how newspapers can change to provide “equitable coverage devoid of outdated, stereotypical and sexist portrayal of female athletes” will fall on the deaf ears of editors and managers, until equitable coverage is determined to have fiduciary value.

Return of the Black and Gold Blues

It has been a rough weekend for the Iowa Hawkeyes.


But special team woes and the inability to stop a freight train Wisconsin offense wasn’t the only thing haunting Hawkeye athletics over the past few days.


The women’s soccer team, who I thought would surely get a burst of positive karma after head coach Ron Rainey visited the KRUI studio, lost in double overtime to Indiana at home. This was a devastating loss for a team that needed to pick up a W. The soccer team has not won a game since September 17th, going 0-7-2 in the month long drought.


On the field hockey front, the youthful Hawkeyes continued to struggle, this time losing 4-2 to the highly talented Northwestern Wildcats. Head coach Tracy Griesbaum’s squad is now 3-12, an awful record, especially when you consider that the 2008 Iowa field hockey team made it to the NCAA final four and lost to the eventual national champions, the Maryland Terrapins.



On Friday, the Iowa volleyball team lost in five sets to the dirty Wisconsin Badgers, who thoroughly ruined my weekend. (Sorry Bucky, I just haven’t gotten to the acceptance part in the mourning process yet) The Hawks played the Badgers tought but came away empty handed, dropping the final set 13-15. Another squeaker lost, another opportunity gone to the bad guys, or bad gals, in this case. On Saturday night, following the football teams loss, the Hawkeye volleyball squad got worked over by #6 Illinois. Although the first two sets were close, the Hawks lost both by two points. The Hawks would handily beaten in the third set for the Illini victory.


But things aren’t all doom and gloom. Both the men’s and women’s swimming team picked up wins over Michigan State. Maybe this is a preview for the upcoming football contest. One can only hope.


At this point, I'll take what I can get.


The women’s tennis team is still competing in their weekend tournament, so maybe I can comeback tomorrow with a few bits of positive reactions, but for now I’m just going to bed and forgetting about this weekend.

The "Scrappy Golfer" debate makes it to the 'Corner

An ongoing debate on “From the Cheap Seats”, my weekly radio show, has perked my angst, and I would like to share it with you. Hopefully, you will leave your take on this very imperative issue.



Can a golfer be described as “scrappy”?

A while back I was doing a “Did you know?” segment on the Iowa men’s golf team. One of my did-you-knows was that senior golfer Vince India is listed at 5-11, 140 lbs.

I said “he’s a scrappy little golfer.”

Two of my co-hosts, clearly unaware of my limitless intellect and humility, babble “ what are you talking about, a golfer can’t be scrappy!”

“Why not? He small and light; he’s scrappy!”

My reasoning being that little Vince India may not have the natural physical skills to drive the ball five miles, but he gets it done with technique and “scrappyness”.

Dictionary.com defines scrappy as “made up of scraps or of odds and ends; fragmentary; disconnected. “

That’s not the definition I’m looking for.

Definition #2 goes, “fond of fighting, arguing, or competing.”

Boom- there it is. Clear proof that a golfer can be “scrappy.”

Merriam-Webster.com: “having an aggressive and determined spirit”


I think I’ve made my case.

Maybe Vince India isn’t, in all reality, “scrappy golfer”, but to say that no golfer in the history of the game has ever been, nor ever will be, scrappy, is clearly wrong.

Does Tiger Woods not have a determined spirit? Was Jack Nicklaus not fond of competing?


The defense rests.


(Please share your thought on this very important “scrappy golfer” debate, and help me once again prove how much smarter I am than my co-hosts.)

Is Coach Dingman's Job Secure? Wins and losses don't tell the whole story.

Iowa volleyball is in last place in the Big Ten.

There, I said it.

Well, tied for last place in the Big Ten technically with Wisconsin, however, the Badgers have a much better overall record. The Hawkeyes (and Buckingham U. Badger) have a conference record of 1-7, but the Hawkeyes only have 6 wins overall. The Hawkeyes are the only team in the conference without double digits in the win category. (The next worst is Sparty with 11 wins.)

So what does all of this mean? And when do we put Sharon Dingman’s job on the line?

Before I can take this conversation any further I must admit that I am a bit biased. Coach Dingman has visited KRUI three times now, and has always been a delight to talk to. She seems thoughtful and insightful, and the players talk about her as a leader and mentor. They seem to have the highest respect for her.

So I am a little subjective when I say that Dingman’s job is secure. She is fighting an uphill battle with a program that has never had success. The previous coach, Cindy Fredrick, managed to maintain a consistent level of poor volleyball, and she lasted four seasons.

Dingman is in her third season as head coach and has raised the bar already. Former volleyball players who played under both coaches talk about the differences in the volleyball culture at Iowa. The focus on nutrition is better; the practices are intense but fun; and the in game coaching is clearer and more precise.

Wins and losses aren’t the only factor that should be considered with a coach’s job. I think there are a lot of players on the Hawkeye volleyball team who would agree.

Dear Uncle John...

All season long I have been passing along my quick thoughts about the Hawks with my Uncle John, who is out in Colorado these days. He is an Iowa alum and fellow die-hard Hawkeye. He lived in Michigan for a while so he had alot to say before the game. Just thought I might share a few back and forths with you. (Please excuse misspells and errors, but I wanted to preserve the messages as they are.)
-----------------------------------------------------

Uncle John,
Michigan in review...
I'll start with the off-the-field stuff: the people in Michigan were the best! Friday night we found a honkytonk by our hotel in Canton MI. At first it looked like a pretty rough joint, but we had a blast hanging out with the people. My friends really enjoyed the live band and dancing, but I mostly enjoyed the conversation and beer, as usual. (If you could take your beer on the dance floor I might consider it) Saturday we did a little tailgating before finding our press passes. They really know how to do it right in Ann Arbor. The Michigan fans showed great hospitality, and I got a lot of "you guys ain't fucking BUCKeyes, so you're alright with us!". Then they would shove beers in our hands and offer us a brat. I've always been a bit of a Michigan hater, and while I still think Rich Rodriguez is a crybaby and the worst coach in the Big Ten (especially now, after the Tim Brewster firing), I will have a hard time rooting against the Wolverines after this past weekend. Oh and you were right...they do call it the BIG HOUSE for a reason.

The game itself was awesome, the best game this season for a Hawkeye fan. 140+ yards for Adam Robinson on 30+ carries, plus he had some receiving yard to go along with that. 200+ total yards I think. Most of his big runs and both of his TDs were along the left side, with Rieff and Vandervelde. Zues and MacMillan are coming along but running the ball left and right is night and day. I thought it was awesome when the Hawks ran a roll out pass to the TE for 20 yards or so but it was called back for illegal formation. They ran the same play again, this time for 10. Classic! In case you didn't know: DJK set the school record for receiving yards, and the 38 point scored by the Hawkeyes was the most EVER scored by an Iowa team against Michigan, and we could have scored more if we really needed to. (We ran the ball on 3rd and 8 late in the game)
Looking ahead to Wisconsin: Badgers coming off the OSU upset will come to Kinnick riding high, but we match up well with them, as far as stopping the run and getting pressure when we need it. their defensive end JJ Watts is a motor-always-running kind of player, (very similar to former Hawk Matt Roth, except Roth is about as smart as a brick) who could give us trouble, especially if he bounces around to take on Zuesevicks. Keeping Stanzi upright could be a real problem. And their o-line is massive and athletic. They basically have 5 American bison in football pads. We may have to blitz for pressure, but thats not our style. Also, we have gotten better at kick and punt coverage, but Gullory took the opening kick to the house for the Badgers against Ohio State.. look out.
This was a long one...GO HAWKS!



Kif Richmann
Sports Director
KRUI 89.7 FM
kruisports@gmail.com
319 464 2043
--------------------------------

Kif,

Glad you had a good time. I've spent a lot of time in Canton and Ann Arbor
and know the area well. Hillsdale is about 75 minutes away. I watched the
first 3 quarters and liked it. Glad I missed the last quarter though. Was
that the best our defense could do or was the plan to let them move it while
eating up the clock? Did Norm have a serious setback (heart attack) or is he
doing better?

Once again, though, I agree with you assessment. This week is a much sterner
test and I think we win a close one -- that only if the o-line and Arob can
move the ball and our dbacks and linebackers can step it up. If not, long
day for us.

Rich Rod is a not the right guy for any team in the Big Ten, much less
Michigan. Big East, SEC, ACC ok, but not for a conference that at least
tries to play by the rules. He is also an ass. Same is true of Brewster. I
saw him at breakfast in my hotel in Newport Beach after the NC game in
January. I walked by and said, "go Big Ten". He eyeballed me for a few
minutes thereafter as if he was trying to figure out what I meant -- he must
have thought I was giving him a hard time. Struck me as an awkward, insecure
and overly competitive guy.

Thanks, always enjoy these.

JEC

Iowa Field Hockey Status as Top Program in Doubt

Just two short years ago, the Iowa Hawkeye field hockey team was playing their hearts out on way to a NCAA final four appearance. They were three-time Big Ten Tournament champions; they would end the season with a semi-final loss to eventual National Champion Maryland, in double overtime no less. The program was the glory of the Big Ten and a national anomaly: a damn good field hockey team from Middle America. At home, the team was second only to the championship Hawkeye wrestling squad.

Now, twelve games into the season, the team is 0-3 in the Big Ten, and has only three wins this year. The wins have come over Brown, Ball State, and Central Michigan; not exactly field hockey powerhouses. Out of seven Big Ten schools that play field hockey, the Hawkeyes rank last in scoring, goals allowed, and penalty corners.

They are in the middle of the pack at saves per game, but are second to last in save percentage. In other words, they are making a lot of saves because their opponents are constantly on the attack; the Hawkeyes are also last in shots per game.

Head coach Tracy Griesbaum is quick to shrug off any thoughts that the team is losing because of youth. But if not youth, then what else is the problem? The roster has a grand total of one junior and two seniors. Out of a listed roster of 17 players, seven are sophomores and seven are freshmen.

Griesbaum has swatted away the “youth = losses” argument, but she does talk about lack of competitive fire and lack of on-the-field leadership. To me, these seem like symptoms of youthful teams.

I am not going to claim that the curtain has fallen on the Hawkeye field hockey program, but it is certainly at a low. Even when the wrestling program was down, they were still frequently in the top 10 in the country. (I know, it is not fair to measure any team from any sport against the Iowa wrestling program…BUT, Hawkeye coaches often use the wrestling team as an example, so I will do the same.)

Griesbaum can coach, as her 2008 West Region coach of the year award will show, but I am always interested in seeing how a coach does when the team is down.

Griesbaum probably won’t be winning many coaching awards this year, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t done a good job with what she has to work with. In the end, these last four games of the regular season could be the toughest challenge of Griesbaum’s career.

Black and Gold Sunday Blues

Sunday afternoon was sunny, warm and pleasant. If you made it over to the Hawkeye athletics area, near the Hawkeye athletics hall of fame building, you could have bounced between two Hawkeye games. At Grant Field, the Iowa field hockey team was taking on Michigan. Just a few yards to the west, the women’s soccer team was competing against Penn State.

Finding a win was a little harder.

The Hawkeye lost both competitions today, and now both teams are on the down slide.

The field hockey team lost yet again, they now sit at 3-9. The team took Michigan into a 0-0 tie at the half, but was unable to finish, eventually losing 2-0. Not what head coach Tracy Griesbaum had in mind for the season. If coach Griesbaum is upset, she certainly has a lot of reasons to be. The Iowa field hockey team now has no chance of finishing the regular season above .500.

As I have harped before and will probably harp again, this team is young and needs time and patience. They have talent, now they need experience, which is coming hard and fast.

On the soccer side, the Hawkeyes lost to Penn State. In what could only be redemption for the football team's loss to the Hawkeyes last weekend, the Nittany Lions out worked the Hawks, raking up 25 shots and holding the Hawkeyes to only nine.

This is still one of the best teams in the Iowa athletics department, with an over all record of 7-5-2. Although the team has lost three in a row, the losses have come at the hands (err…feet) of very tough Big Ten opponents. On any day, this team can be extremely dangerous.

It may have been a Sunday to forget for the Hawkeye fans, but for the players and coaches, this day offers a lot of valuable lessons. The future will tell us how much they learned.

Field Hockey Starts Michigan Week

I can't wait for next week’s trip to Ann Arbor. My first pilgrimage to one of the great college football cathedrals. I’d love to pack an Iowa Hawkeye field hockey win as bragging rights for the excursion.

The Hawkeye Iowa takes on the #22 Michigan Wolverines today at noon at Grant Field in Iowa City. This team desperately needs a win. They have underperformed all over the field, with only three wins on the season.

A 3-8 record is not where this team thought it would be at the beginning of the season, and this has to be extremely frustrating for senior mid-fielder Sarah Pergine. Pergine participated on the 2008 team that made it to the final four on NCAA field hockey. Now, in her last season sporting the black and gold, her team needs to win it’s last five games just to finish with a .500 record.

Even if this season is a disappointment, there is always a chance for redemption. Not for the Hawkeye fans, not for the coaches, maybe not even for teammates. Personal redemption. A chance to leave the field with your head held high.

In all likelihood, this team with finish the regular season under the .500 winning mark. But beat Michigan, and you can at least feel proud of what you’ve done.

Often times, this is all we compete for anyway.

Iowa Soccer Takes on OSU Under the Lights

The Iowa Hawkeye women’s soccer team needs a boost. Iowa sits at 7-3-2, but hasn’t won a match since September 19th against Iowa State. They are also winless in the Big Ten (0-1-1). A win over Big Ten power Ohio State could turn rev the engine. But with a record of 8-2-1, there is a good reason why Ohio State ranks #19 in the country.

Here's how the two team rack up among the Big Ten:
(WARNING: Statistical content ahead, proceed with caution)

Goals per game: Iowa is tied with Minnesota for second with 1.92. OSU is fourth with 1.91. Practically no difference at all. (Illinois is #1 with 2.09)

Goals against average: Hawkeye opponents average less than one goal per game, 0.72, largely due to a four game shutout streak in September. The Buckeye opponents score even less: 0.53. If more than two goals are scored tonight, this could qualify as a shootout.

Total Shots Taken: In 12 games, the Hawkeyes have taken 174 shots, a 14.5 per-game average. In 11 games, the Buckeyes have taken 193 shots, a 17.55 per-game average. Keeping the ball on the attacking end and limiting the Buckeyes shot will be crucial.

Total Yellow Cards: Okay, this one is mostly for fun, BUT, the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes only have 3 yellow cards apiece. It seems both coaches have their teams well disciplined. (Take it easy Wisconsin! You have 15 yellow cards in 12 games! And Illinois, would it hurt to show a little emotion? Zero yellow card this season for the Illini.

For a deeper, and arguably better, look at tonight’s match-up check out Seth Robert’s article in the Daily Iowan.

First Month in Review: Iowa Hawkeye Soccer

It’s October, the chlorophyll is withdrawing from the trees, and it’s time for another Iowa Hawkeyes September in Review.

IOWA HAWKEYE SOCCER:

Historically, the Iowa soccer team is nothing particularly impressive. Since the program’s inception in 1997, the Iowa Hawkeye women’s soccer team has an overall record of 98-133-17 going into the 2010 season. It would be easy to overlook coach Ron Rainey’s Iowa soccer team.

But they may be the hottest fall team to sport the tigerhawk logo.

The soccer schedule was the first to start the fall season, actually beginning official play as early as August 20th. The premier match against DePaul resulted in a 2-0 loss, but it would be over four weeks- seven games- until the Hawkeye soccer team would win again.

The streak started at the Iowa Tournament in Iowa City, which featured Iowa, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa. (Somehow, the Hawkeyes didn’t play UNI in this weekend tournament) They would however, pick up a 2-0 win over Northern Illinois, and a scrappy 1-0 win over Central Michigan, a Sunday match in which Alyssa Cosnek scored a second half goal with the help of a Leah DeMoss assist.

Next, the Hawkeyes would be on the road for six consecutive matches, starting with Loyola in Chicago, a 3-0 win, before a trip up north to take on UNI. (There we go.) A big 6-0 beat down of the Panthers in Cedar Falls left the Hawkeyes riding the September winds on a massive wing of confidence.

On the weekend of September 10th, the Hawkeyes would travel on their furthest road trip of the season (unless they make the NCAA Tournament and get sent further) to Charleston, North Carolina. A 2-0 victory over The College of Charleston gave the Hawkeyes a streak of five consecutive shutout wins. In these five games, the Hawkeyes out-scored their opponents 14-0. Unfortunately, the shutout streak would come to an end on Sunday, Sept. 12th . The winning streak, however, would continue. The Hawks beat Davidson 3-1 before returning to the Midwest.

The Iowa soccer team would give The University of Iowa a 5-2 advantage over Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk Series with a 4-0 victory in Ames. In this game, Leah DeMoss picked up 2 goals, and Morgan Schowalter picked up a goal and an assist.

All good things must come to an end, (I don’t see why, but this is what wise people tell me) and the Hawkeye winning streak would snap at the feet of the Nebraska Cornhuskers by a 3-1 final.

The Hawkeyes would finish the month of September about as unremarkable as it gets: two consecutive ties. In the Big Ten opener, the Hawkeyes brought the #18 Minnesota Golden Gophers to a http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/w-soccer/recaps/091910aab.html, and then would play an entire scoreless game against St. Louis.

The Iowa Hawkeye soccer team would end the month of September 7-2, arguably the best month among all Hawkeye teams, and certainly the most surprising.

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FYI- The Hawkeyes began the month of October with a 2-0 loss at Wisconsin. The Hawks out-shot the Badgers 10-7, but couldn’t break through a Wisconsin defense that sits at the top of the Big Ten in goals allowed.

Iowa Hawkeye Field Hockey Month In Review

It’s Friday, October 1st 2010, and the first full month of Iowa Hawkeye athletics has come and gone. (“They grow up so fast…”)


We all know about what the football team did in the month of September, but how about the rest of their black-and-gold brethren? Here is the first of a look back at the month that was, starting with a team began a 2010 campaign on the toughest two game road trip among any Hawkeye schedule.

IOWA HAWKEYE FIELD HOCKEY

Head coach Tracy Griesbaum said that the season opening road trip against #6 Wake Forest and #1 North Carolina would be a good test to start 2010. I had my concerns, starting with the argument that this is a relatively young team, (just don’t ask senior Sarah Pergine) that needed time to develop it’s playing style together. I was afraid that facing two top 10 teams in the first two games could be detrimental to the team’s confidence.

Unless, of course, the Hawkeyes could beat one of those teams.

Alas, the then #19 Hawkeyes ended up leaving Chapel Hill with an 0-2 start, which was not a big surprise.

What was a surprise is what came next: A 5-1 loss at the hands of Miami of Ohio, a team that should, at least historically speaking, be throttled by the Hawks.

After picking up a win over Brown on Labor Day, the Hawks then went on a road trip the next week to Kent, OH. Again, the Hawkeyes returned to Iowa City with an 0-2 road trip, this time losing to Stanford (in overtime) and Kent State.

The Hawkeyes picked up a much needed 2-0 win over Ball State on Saturday the 18th. (You remember; the cool rainy day when the football team played in a mystical land where the temperature was 100 degrees and the game didn’t start until 9:30 at night) Well, for the field hockey team, this was a good Saturday.

Finally, the Hawks traveled to the state of Michigan to take on #5 Michigan State and Central Michigan.

In the MSU game, Iowa only rattled off 3 shots compared to the Spartans 11, and lost by a score of 1-0.

In the final match of September, the Hawkeyes defeated Central Michigan 1-0. This was the third shutout of the season for sophomore goalkeeper Kathleen “Murdy” McGraw; she had two all of last year.

The team is 3-6, but has won two of the last three, giving hope to a still young squad with alot of talent.

Iowa Hawkeye Volleyball faces homecoming challenge head-on

Last Monday, Sharon Dingman, head volleyball coach for Iowa Hawkeyes and two players, junior Mallory Husz and freshman Rachell Bedell, visited the KRUI studio for an in-studio conversation. (I like to say conversation, not interview.)

We scheduled the interview- I mean conversation - for this week because the Hawkeyes are now preparing for two home matches, against Indiana and Purdue. We thought it would be good timing to encourage attendance during homecoming week. Unfortunately, the Iowa volleyball team was coming off a Big Ten opening road trip in which they went 0-2, including a 3-0 stomping at the hands of #22 Michigan.

They now sit at 5-6 and have lost 5 matches in a row.

It would be easy for the Iowa volleyball team to be sulking.

They weren’t, or at least, they didn’t seem to be.

Of course I didn’t start with the “what happened this weekend?” question, but I wouldn’t be a very good radio host if I didn’t bring it up eventually.
The team owned it.

Dingman talked about how the team came out flat at Michigan, and both players felt the team played distracted and uninterested. Dingman apparently even did something that seems uncommon for her. She yelled at her team. She got mad!

For those of you not familiar with the program, shouting and ranting is not Dingman's MO.

Bedell claims coach Dingman even directed a little of her ire directly at her. Furthermore, Bedell says she deserved it. That seems like pretty mature character from an 18 year-old.

So now the Hawkeyes go into Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a chance to swing things around.

Indiana is an obvious challenge. They sit at 12-2 overall, and are also coming off an 0-2 start in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have fought their way to a 10-3 record.

So there you go- a combined 22-5 record coming to Iowa City this weekend.

No time to sulk, time to play ball.

Hawkeye Volleyball Needs Patience...and Urgency

The University of Iowa Volleyball team began conference play in less than desired fashion this weekend.

In a road trip to start conference play, they were defeated by both Michigan and Michigan State. The Hawkeyes lost 6 out of 7 sets, and although the team got pretty roughed up against Michigan on Friday night, they showed signs of life against the Spartans the next day. It just wasn’t enough, and as Head Coach Sharon Dingman would probably tell you, they couldn’t finish.

Iowa will rebound; I have no doubt, but right now they sit at 5-6 overall, 0-2 in the Big Ten, and have dropped 5 matches in a row, three of which have been sweep.

The team is young, they are learning on the fly, and the Big Ten schedule is a complete gauntlet.

If you need evidence of that, simply look at the first Big Ten match for the Hawkeyes: Michigan is ranked #22 in the country, and after sweeping the Hawks Friday, knocked off #14 Minnesota on Saturday. (I expect both Minnesota and Michigan to be ranked in the top 20 when the new rankings come out.) Things are never easy in the Big Ten Volleyball world.

Iowa put up a fight against MSU, which means something; I’m just not sure what yet.

Rachael Bedell led the team with 13 kills, a decent number for a match that only went four sets. Junior setter Paige Stevens had 22 assists, and is starting to show signs of maturing as the leader of the offense. (For those of you not familiar with the art of volleyball, the setter is sometimes referred to as the volleyball equivalent of a quarterback; although I would say the setter plays a role closer to the point-guard on a basketball team.) The team is still youthful and inexperienced, and played much better against the Spartans that they did against the Wolverines.

However, this team is beyond excuses and well beyond moral victories.

The time to win is now. (It’s not Play Like a Champion Today for no reason.) However, that doesn’t mean this team shouldn’t have patience. The worst thing a young team can do is get frustrated and not play with their heads. I’m sure Dingman has reminded them of this in one way or another.

Sharon Dingman will continue to develop the Iowa volleyball team into a winner, and take the challenges presented by the Big Ten head-on, but for now it is a wait and see process.

They will win eventually; I just hope it’s sooner than later.

Coming Soon to a Top 25 Near You: Hawkeye Women's Tennis

The University of Iowa Women’s Tennis team started the 2010 fall season this weekend in Waterloo, IA, traveling up to the UNI Invite on Friday.

With a combined doubles and singles record of 13-1 on Friday, 8-4 on Saturday, and a completion of 2 singles titles on the final day, things are looking good again for the Hawkeye racket wielders. This is a good sign for a Hawkeye team coming off one of the best springs in recent memory.

In the spring of 2010, the women’s tennis squad finished with a 28th overall ranking, and second in the Central region, just behind the Arkansas Razorbacks. Iowa earned a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten Tournament and a trip to the NCAA Tournament under the leadership of head coach Katie Dougherty. (By the way, it was first year as Dougherty as a head coach. Not the first year as head coach of the Hawkeyes, but first year as a head coach- EVER.)

Leading the way for the Hawkeye Women’s Tennis team is junior Sonja Molnar, who won the Platinum Flight bracket this weekend. She also competes as the number one singles player on the team, which is apparently like playing first chair in an orchestra. Molnar went 28-9 last year in singles competition, finishing with the 55th individual ranking nationally and 3rd individual ranking in the region. She leads the team, both as a tennis player and as an Academic all-Big Ten and letter winner.

The other bracket winner from the weekend was senior Jessica Young, who championed the Gold Flight bracket.

Let’s play “Did You Know?”.

Did you know…

…that The University of Iowa Women’s Tennis team has zero players from the state of Iowa? There are two players from Illinois (Lynne Poggensee-Wei and Christina Harazin), one player from Pennsylvania, Michigan and Kansas (Alexis Dorr Jessica Young and Ally Majercik, respectively) one player from Ontario (Sonja Molnar) and one player from Guatemala (Cassandra Escobar).

… of the seven players currently listed on the roster, only one is an under classman? (Freshman Christina Harazin) The rest are either juniors or seniors.
…Head Coach Katie Dougherty is a graduate of Wisconsin? After graduating, Dougherty spent time honing her coaching skills at Penn State and Wisconsin. It seems she knows her way around a few Big Ten campuses.

So stay tuned to this tennis team. The fall schedule is quick and brief, with most of the heavy lifting done in the spring. However, the fall schedule gives a nice preview of things to come.

So far, I like what I see.

Hawkeye teams approaching Big Ten Schedule

Three of Iowa’s teams are set to begin Big Ten play this week, and each Hawkeye team is approaching the conference from a different angle.

For the Hawkeye Field Hockey team, the Big Ten conference schedule is a chance to kick start a stagnant season. They currently sit at 2-5, and hit the road this weekend for two games, including a matchup against #5 Michigan State in East Lansing. The season hasn’t gone as planned so far, but all can change with a good Big Ten record.

“This is kind of the second season,” said Iowa Field Hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum, “starting the conference…I think we have to feel like we have an opportunity to win a Big Ten championship.”

The Field Hockey team’s last game was a 2-0 win against Ball State, a much needed victory for a squad that was fiending for a win. Hmm, a win over Ball State before the Big Ten schedule. Sounds like fun.

When asked if she plans on treating the preparation for the MSU game any different, Griesbaum said the preparation, for the most part, stays the same.

For the Iowa Soccer team, the Big Ten schedule is a chance to keep it rolling. The squad started the Big Ten season against #18 Minnesota last night, holding the nationally ranked Gophers to a 1-1 tie on a rain soaked, chilly Thursday night. The Iowa Soccer team is easily the hottest team in the Iowa athletic department right now, (especially after the football team’s performance in Arizona) currently sitting at 7-2-1.

The soccer team has only lost one of the last nine games, and since the season opening loss to DePaul, has outscored their opponents by a combined 23-5, including six shutouts and two games of only one goal scored by the opponent. Only Nebraska, who beat the Hawks 3-1 on September 19th have managed to score more than 2 goals against the Hawks all season.

Now the Big Ten schedule arrives and the Iowa Soccer team has the momentum on their side. After a Sunday afternoon match against St. Louis, the Hawkeye Soccer team will plunge headfirst into conference play, starting October 3rd at Wisconsin.

For the Iowa Volleyball team, the Big Ten schedule will probably answer the most questions. Right now this team sits at 5-4. Not bad. However, the volleyball team has lost 3 straight matches and needs to beat #22 Michigan on the road Friday night to maintain a winning record. After the match against Michigan it’s over to East Lansing for the 8-3 Spartans.

The Hawkeyes desperately need to keep the record on the winning side, but this weekend’s competition makes it a daunting challenge.
The entire non-conference record mean so very little once the Big Ten schedule starts; a winning team can come crashing down, and struggling team can flip the switch and win conference.

In the end, it’s the conference schedule that holds the most weight, just ask Mr. Ferentz.

No Time to Waste for Iowa Field Hockey

The Iowa Hawkeye Field Hockey team entered the 2010 season ranked #19. They sit at 1-5 on the season.

It was easy to over look the forst two losses of the season, after all, when you loose to #6 Wake Forest and #1 North Carolina, you can't get too upset. But after losses to Miami (OH) and Kent State, you begin to worry a little.

Now the Hawkeyes need a big confidence boost against Ball State on Saturday before enter Big Ten play against a tenacious #5 Michigan State team. (When Coach Tracy Griesbaum visited the KRUI studio in August, they pointed to MSU as thier biggest field hockey rival.)

The Hawks lead the series with Ball State by an incredible 18-2, and last beat the Cardinals by a score of 6-1 in 2005. All signs say the Hawkeyes should come out on top. But so far nothing has gone as planned for the Iowa Field Hockey team.

The field hockey season flies fast,the Hawks only have four home games left, and then start the Big Ten Tournament on November 4th. It may not seem like it, but a record of 2-5 is miles away from 1-6. No time to waste...

Football Win Means Little if Hawks Don't Back it Up- With Academics

The Cy-Hawk Trophy stays in Iowa City.

Rejoice Hawkeyes!

But the most important competition is yet to come: Academics.

Right now ISU has a win in volleyball, and of course the Hawks have the big football victory.

But a dominant performance on the football field means so very little if we don’t back it up in the books.

I don’t yet know how this “academics” thing is going to work. All I know right now is that “academics” is listed on the Cy-Hawk series website, and that it is scheduled for November 13th in Iowa City. (In fact, three events, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country plus “academics” are scheduled for November 13th, making it the biggest single day in the series.)

This could be an interesting year for the Cy-Hawk series. There are still 11 competitions to be played, including wrestling, men’s and women’s basketball, swimming and gymnastics.

I think academics should be worth more than 2 points. Like six or seven points. I know this is an athletic series, but what represents a university better than academics? The Hawkeyes could sweep the rest of the athletic competitions and loose the academics events, and forget about it. Cyclones get the bragging rights.

Right now the series sits at 3-2 Hawkeyes. The football game counts as a tie breaker, being worth 3 points; all other competition being worth 2.

But this academic event is worth more than points in a series. It’s worth bragging rights as the smarter school, something I would trade the Cy-Hawk Trophy for in a heartbeat.

A Lot More Than a W on the Line Against Huskies

Close.

Well not really.

The University of Iowa volleyball team got worked out of the gym Friday night against the well-oiled-machine that was the Iowa State Cyclones. (Yes, Iowa won the football game, but I doubt that means a whole lot to Sharon Dingman) But the Hawkeyes had little time to lick their wounds. (Can a Hawk lick its wounds?) They quickly turned around to find another athletic and talented team standing in their way: the Drake Bulldogs.

Iowa dropped the match against Drake, but unlike being swept by ISU, the Drake match was interesting. Dare I say exciting? Although the Hawkeyes won the first set against Drake, they were unable to hang on, eventually falling in 5 sets. It was interesting, but when the air was cleared it was still a mark in the L column.
So now the Hawkeyes have dropped two in a row for the first time all season. Okay. They still sit at 5-3, and still have a lot of potential this season.

Iowa has one match at Northern Illinois on September 19th before entering a gauntlet that is the Big Ten volleyball schedule. Right out of the gate, the Hawks hit the highway for Big Ten play: #22 Michigan and 7-3 Michigan State.

Although the value of a season largely is defined by the conference schedule, this NIU match will be very tellingfor this squad. How they perform against the Huskies could set the table for the rest of the season. Do they bounce back strong after losing two in a row to interstate rivals? Do they lose confidence and tailspin into the dirt?

They are talented. They are young. The need something positive before the Big Ten schedule. Before the Wolverines.

They need to at least beat the Huskies, preferably sweep the Huskies. If not, this could be a long fall for the 2010 Hawkeye volleyball team.

It seems to me that a lot more than a W is on the line when the Hawkeyes visit the Huskies.

Volleyball Serves up First Taste of Cy-Hawk Series

The Iowa Hawkeye volleyball team will start the Cy-Hawk series tonight in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and hoping to put together an upset over the #11 Cyclones. Both teams are playing well, and both teams deeply want to get a win over the in-state rival.

While the majority of Iowa’s volleyball team consists of out-of-staters, there are 4 native Iowan on the roster. Four players, out of 13 on the roster, who know all too well what this rivalry means. Four players (at least) who know that the Cy-Hawk rivalry goes further than football and deeper than sports. On the Ames side, five players are native Iowans, and they surely have spread the word about what the Cy-Hawk series means to the state.

Hawkeyes don’t want to beat the Cyclones, we want to dominate them. Hawkeyes want to be bigger, faster, stronger, smarter, better looking and drive a fancier car than the Cyclones. And the same goes for the Cyclones, many of whom would rather prefer their football team go 1-11 and beat the Hawkeye than go 6-6 and receive a bowl bid.

The Cyclones volleyball team currently sits at 6-1; their only loss coming to then #13 Florida. Most recently, the ISU volleyball team knocked off #18 Northern Iowa, making short work of the Panthers in three sets. The Hawkeyes also sit with one loss, but haven’t yet faced the caliber of competition that ISU brings to Carver tonight.

The Hawkeye leaders include Mallory Husz, who has 84 kills, a team high, and Becky Walters (Upper Deck Beck), who is second on the team with 69. Walters also has 35 digs, a display of her senior experience and ability to do a little bit of everything well. The Hawkeyes need to keep it close. Iowa seems to start slow, being 2-4 in first sets. However, the Hawks have a winning record in all other sets, including 3-0 in match deciding fifth sets. The only problem: Iowa State has yet to be forced into a fifth set. Four of their six wins came in sweeps, the other two in four sets. They haven’t been pushed, yet. (FYI- ISU’s lone loss to Florida came in four sets.

Sharon Dingman and senior leader Becky Walters will be tested, but this is a great chance to put their stamp on the college volleyball ranks. If the squad can come together and play good team volleyball, they can hang with the Cyclones. If they keep it close, anything can happen. And maybe, just maybe, the Hawkeye volleyball team can start the weekend, and the Cy-Hawk series, with a win. Either way, we all know the Hawks are still smarter, better looking and probably drive fancier cars.

2010-11 Wrestling Schedule Leaves Me Wanting More

The University of Iowa athletics department recently released the schedule for the 2010-2011 wrestling team, and while I am excited to get things going for the Hawkeye grapplers this season, I am, quite honestly, severely disappointed with this year’s schedule.
Not only do the Hawkeyes miss a dual meet against Big Ten foes Wisconsin and Illinois, the Hawks are not scheduled to participate in the 2011 Cliff Keen National Duals Tournament in Cedar Falls!

I can get over not wrestling Illinois, but losing the dual against the Badgers seems like an egregious offense. Wisconsin head wrestling coach (and Cedar Rapids native) Barry Davis is a former Hawkeye athlete, and one of the first star wrestlers under Dan Gable. At Iowa, Davis was a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion. Although Wisconsin doesn’t reach the same level of Iowa on the mat, this dual always included a little fire. Most notably, two years ago Iowa wrestler Ryan Morningstar and Badger Andrew Howe slugged it out through four overtime periods. The match was finally settled off of riding time, but not before an all out shouting match involving Tom Brands, Barry Davis, Dan Gable, and more than a few rabid Hawkeye fans. All the while, Howe and Morningstar were too winded to do anything but focus on the next breath of air.

But to drop the dual tournament! For shame! The last two year, I have had the privilege of covering wrestling for KRUI. While attending the 2010 NCAA Championships in Omaha was a great highlight, I enjoyed the duals tournament more than anything. You get to see all the best dual match-ups, and both of the Iowa wrestling rivals are in attendance: ISU and Minnesota. Now the duals tournament is lacking the Hawkeyes, pulling away both fans from Iowa and interest from other schools that get the chance to beat Goliath. N

This year the duals will feature Ohio State, UNI, ISU, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Virginia Tech and Cornell, among others, but no Hawks. Not only do these squads miss the opportunity to knock off the Hawkeyes, but the Hawkeyes miss the chance to sharpen their skills against top notch opponents. And, among other black-and-gold faithful, I miss the chance to see it!

I can't wait for the ISU meet, and look forward to the Midlands Championship, but right now the 2010-11 Iowa wrestling schedule feels like a bratwurst with no sauerkraut: good, but lacking.

Cross Country Teams off to Fine Start

Both Iowa Cross Country teams started the 2010 season this past weekend, and things couldn't have gone any better for the Hawkeye runners...or joggers... or...dogtrotters...opened the 2010 campaign at the Hawkeye Invitational in winning form, displaying a level of endurance that even Tom Brands would admire.

The men's and women's teams are a combined 4-0 after sweeping the competition at the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City. Wins over Illinois State and Missouri-Kansas City rang in the 2010 season, and brought both teams out in a confident fashion.

Leading the way for the Iowa men was sophomore Jeff Thode, who took third place in the men’s 6K run with an overall time of 19:04. (Thode took first place in this event last year) Team captain Mark Battista was right behind him with a time of 19:07, good enough for fourth. Although the best Iowa finish was only third, the Hawks also took fourth through seventh place, giving them enough points for the victory.

For the women, Iowa’s Lauren Hardesty won the 3K, and the Hawks took the top four finishes, giving them a pair of dual wins.

The Hawkeye cross country teams are not done in Iowa City however. This coming weekend the Hawks will canter in the Iowa Invitational. That’s right, lat week it was the Hawkeye Invitational, next week the Iowa Invitational. I’m still waiting for the Herky Invitational.

Iowa Soccer Puts the Clamps on Adversaries

Turns out the most notable defense at the University of Iowa may not belong to the #9ranked Hawkeye football team. This weekend, Head Coach Ron Rainey’s women’s soccer team put together a 6-0 win over the intrastate rival Northern Iowa Panthers. This marks the 4th shutout the Hawkeye soccer team has posted this season; that’s four shutouts in five games.

After going scoreless themselves in the season opener against DePaul, the Iowa women’s soccer team seems to have pulled the hard 180.

In the past four games, the Hawkeyes have out worked their opponents by a combined score of 12-0. Not all of the wins were blowouts however: most notably, a 1-0 nail biter against Central Michigan, which saw a lone second half goal off the foot of forward Alyssa Cosnek be the difference. The lesson here seems to be that the Hawkeyes can win with 1-0 close calls or 6-0 out right beat downs. (For people who can only think in touchdowns, 6-0 in soccer = 42-0 in football.)

The Hawkeyes have used a swarming team effort to keep their opponents out of the net. In the last four games, the Hawkeyes have taken 61 shots. Hawkeye opponents have only mustered 35.

Although it took the Hawkeyes 24 minutes to get the first goal against UNI on Sunday, Iowa found the back of the net for their second goal less than five minutes later. It was open season after that, as the Hawkeyes used a total team effort to secure the win over the Panthers of the northland. Each of the six goals can from a different player, and five Hawkeye players added to their season assist totals, led by Stefani Campbell who had two assists in the match. Also, ten Iowa players took shots at the Northern Iowa goal. In comparison, only four Panther players took shots. (FYI- The Hawkeyes took 19 total shots to UNI’s 7)


Yes, the season is young and the real test for Ron Rainey’s squad will come when Big Ten competition starts in late September against Minnesota, but right now you have to be optimistic about this team. This is a talented squad with a lot of senior leadership and experience. Judging from the last four games the Iowa Hawkeye soccer teams knows what it's doing, offensively and defensivly.

Never too Early to Start a Rally

Today is Thursday, September 02, 2010, and all of Iowa is preparing for the first kickoff of the 2010 Hawkeye Football season. We got Fry Fest, Hawkapalooza, football pregame shows and even an attempt at the world record for the biggest hokey pokey dance, all in the name of Hawkeye football! We Iowans and our non-resident black and gold brethren are ready for smash mouth rushing and lock down defense.

But I want to take this chance to start the rallying cry for a different event- one that takes place at the end of November. The day after Thanksgiving to be exact. The Iowa Hawkeye Volleyball team will host #1 ranked Penn State- that’s right, I’m starting the rally cry for all Hawkeye fans to pack Carver for a volleyball match that takes place in two months!

The Iowa Hawkeye volleyball program has been on a steady rise since the arrival of head coach Sharon Dingman in 2008.

In 2007, the Iowa Hawkeyes finished 9-22 overall and a disappointing 1-19 in Big Ten play. The year before, they had two wins in the conference. Obviously, the program was struggling.

After head coach Cindy Fredrick (mother of former UNI basketball star Ali Farokhmanesh, and childhood friend of my mother; not sure which is a greater claim-to-fame) left the program in December of 2007, it opened the door for Gary Barta to hire someone who could turn the program around. In the spring, Barta would announce the hiring of Illinois State coach Sharon Dingman, who led her team to the 2007 NCAA Tournament and brought over 330 career wins to Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Right out of the gate, the Hawkeyes showed the signs of improvement. Highlights of the 2008 season included a sweep of 18th ranked Wisconsin in the Big Ten opener, and the snapping an 18 match road losing streak, which came in Columbus, Ohio. Dingman would finish her first season 14-18 overall, but most importantly, 6-14 in conference play. No, it wasn’t a winning record, but it was much, much better.

In 2009 Iowa Volleyball continued the climb. Although the record didn’t show it, (the Hawks finished with 5 Big Ten wins) the 2009 team was another step in the right direction. Most notably, the Hawkeyes won a set against #1 Penn State. No, they didn’t win the match, but the then two time defending national champion Nittany Lions had won 141 straight sets! The Hawkeyes broke that up. Not great, but it is something to hang your hat on…or knee pads in this case. (FYI- The 11 Big Ten wins in 2008-09 was the most since 2000-01)

Now the Hawkeyes are off to a 3-0 start for 2010. Coach Sharon Dingman and senior 6-3 leader Becky Walters (“Upper Deck Beck”, as she is known at KRUI) are looking to continue the positive trend, but it won’t be easy. As of today, Penn State is still on top, and Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa State are all ranked in the top 25.

So as of right now, I am officially driving the band wagon! Calling all Hawkeye fans, we need to get behind this team! Single match tickets are $3 and FREE for students and youth. (Beats $100 for a football game!)

Let’s get it started Friday, September 10th against #12 Iowa State, keep it rolling in Carver when we welcome #8 Minnesota, #5 Illinois and #19 Michigan. And finally, Friday night, November 26th, against current #1 and three time defending national champions. Penn State is to Women’s Volleyball what Iowa is to Wrestling. Let’s pack Carver-Hawkeye Area, root for the Iowa and see what happens… GO HAWKS!

Life's too Short to Not Go Fishing (Oh, and Sports!)

Friday morning, 6am. Still whipping away the sleep; but a cold shower and hot coffee zap me into readiness. Now what to do? There's something I'm supposed to do today...radio show at noon, West High football game at 7. The way I figure I need to be at the station doing prep work by 10:30, leaving me just enough time to hit the lake for an hour. Even Sports Directors get to go fishing once in a while...
That's basically how my weekend started, and damn near how it ended, but you probably don't want to read about how my failed attempt at top water fishing and how I should have used a crank or spinner or soft-plastic jig...or do you?....no you don't.

This weekend marked the first competition for a lot of the Hawkeye sports teams. Field Hockey traveled out east to take on a gauntlet of top teams in the Big Ten/ACC challenge, Volleyball got the 2010 season rolling in Carver at the Hawkeye Challenge, and the women's soccer team stayed in Iowa City for Iowa Tournament against the likes of Northern Illinois and Central Michigan.
It was a good weekend for the Hawks.
Most notably, Coach Sharon Dingman's volleyball squad is off to a 3-0 start, going 9-3 in set play. If you are looking for a rising team, look no further than Iowa Volleyball, which has shown steady improvement over the last two seasons since the arrival of Sharon Dingman. Although missing some experience from last season's team due to injury and graduation, this team is loaded with fresh talent, and is lead by 6-3 senior Becky Walters. "Upper Deck Beck", as she will be known from here on out, had 5 block against Alabama to start the season, and 6 kills in the second set against Southern Illinois, and 16 kills against Green Bay.
Although Field Hockey is a different story, having started the season 0-2 in the Big Ten/ACC challenge, it should be noted that their weekend featured match ups against #6 Wake Forest and #1 North Carolina. Expect this team to bounce back at home this coming Sunday against Miami of Ohio at Grant Field.
Coach Ron Rainey, leading his soccer squad into the weekend's Iowa Tournament in Iowa City, said he liked his team's effort and composure after two wins, bringing the overall record to 2-1 on the young season. A single goal was all the winner on Sunday, as junior Alyssa Cosnek took a charging goalie head-on and tapped the ball home for a second half score.

All in all, a great weekend to be a Hawkeye. Now, if only I could get these fish to start biting...

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