(Radio Iowa) – When the Iowa and Minnesota football teams meet tomorrow (Saturday), the victors will take home the bronze Floyd of Rosedale Trophy. A larger-than-life iron sculpture of Floyd the Pig was dedicated in Fort Dodge this week. City council member Dave Flattery says that hog was raised on the Rosedale family farm in Fort Dodge decades ago. He says the statue aims to keep that story alive.

“If you were to go there now, there’s not a story plate yet,” Flattery says. “There is a donor wall, but we intend to — and it’s in the works — to put a plate or plaque to tell the story about Floyd of Rosedale, the pig, and all of the characters that were involved back in 1935.” The trophy stemmed from a bet between the governors of the two states who agreed to wager an actual pig over the game’s outcome. Back in Fort Dodge, Flattery says the giant metal pig was crafted by a sculptor from eastern Iowa.

“He’s out of Mount Vernon and his name is Dale Merrill and the company that he owns is called Liberty Iron Works,” Flattery says. “If you see his portfolio of work, he’s got a lot of good sculptures and artwork throughout eastern Iowa, through Cedar Rapids and that area, and we’re very pleased with the work that he did.” Flattery says they plan to install lighting and security cameras at the sculpture site.

Attendees at the unveiling ceremony on Tuesday included former Iowa Governor and Ambassador Terry Branstad, and the broadcast voice of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Gary Dolphin.

Atlantic’s Ryan Hawkins came through with another big game for Creighton on Thursday night and the Bluejays picked up a 51-44 win over Kennesaw State. Hawkins finished with 6 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists. He had a key basket in the final minute that pushed the lead 5 for the Jays.

Creighton moved to 2-0 on the season. Next up for the Bluejays is a Tuesday contest at Nebraska at 6:00 p.m.

The UNI men’s basketball team dropped to 0-2 on the season Thursday night with a 71-57 home loss to Vermont. The Panthers trailed by four at halftime and were outscored 38-28 in the 2nd half.

AJ Green score 19 points to lead the Panthers scoring. Austin Phyfe and Noah Carter each added 11 points.

Next up for the Panthers is a home game against Dubuque on Sunday.

2021 Class A, D-8 All-District Football Honors

Coach of the Year: Kurt Bremer, Woodbury Central.
Assistant Coaches of the Year: Jeff Kuhl, Logan-Magnolia; Ryan Kluender, Woodbury Central.
Offensive Player of the Year: Dallas Kluender (sr., Woodbury Central).
Defensive Player of the Year: Brecken Freeburg (sr., Tri-Center).
Lineman of the Year: Rex Johnsen, Logan-Magnolia.

2021 ALL-DISTRICT TEAMS

First Team Offense

QB: Dallas Kluender (sr., Woodbury Central).
Running Backs: Amos Rasmussen (sr., IKM-Manning); Jackson Dewald (jr., Westwood); Max McGill (jr., Woodbury Central); Gavin Maguire (sr., Logan-Magnolia); Michael Turner (jr., Tri-Center);
Receivers: Caleb Garnand (soph., Lawton-Bronson); Carter Bleil (sr., Woodbury Central); Kaleb Bleil (sr., Woodbury Central); Holden Skow (jr., Tri-Center);
Tight End: Nicio Adame (jr., Logan-Magnolia).
Offensive Line: Thorin Rodne (sr., Westwood); Max Nielsen (sr., IKM-Manning); Tanner Crawford (sr., IKM-Manning);
Utility: Carter Edney (sr., Logan-Magnolia).

First Team Defense

Defensive Line: Rex Johnsen (sr., Logan-Magnolia); Jaxon Johnson (sr., Tri-Center); Aidan O’Mara (sr., Woodbury Central).
Linebackers: Brecken Freeburg (sr., Tri-Center); Matt Peters (sr., Lawton-Bronson); Jordan Kerger (sr., Logan-Magnolia); Kyler Reynolds (sr., Westwood); Luke Paulsen (sr., Woodbury Central); Luke Ramsey (sr., IKM-Manning); Jaxyn Valadez (sr., Tri-Center);
Defensive Backs: Cole Staska (sr., Missouri Valley); Cooper Irlmeier (jr., IKM-Manning); Calvin Wallis (jr., Logan-Magnolia);
Kicker: Amos Rasmussen (sr., IKM-Manning).
Punter: Jackson Dewald (jr., Westwood).
Specialist: Holden Skow (jr., Tri-Center).

Second Team Offense

Running Backs: Alexis Manzo (jr., Missouri Valley);
Receivers: Kyan Schultzen (jr., Woodbury Central).
Tight End: Gage Clausen (sr., Missouri Valley).
Offensive Line: Carter Ploen (sr., Woodbury Central); Andan Spooner (sr., IKM-Manning); Caleb Drees (sr., Westwood); Oliver Denney (soph., Lawton-Bronson);
Utility: Dylan Oviatt (sr., Logan-Magnolia).

Second Team Defense

Defensive Line: Owan Ward (jr., Tri-Center); Nolan Ramsey (sr., IKM-Manning); Thomas Heilman (jr., Westwood);
Linebackers: Caleb Drees (sr., Westwood); Brock Mitchell (sr., Lawton-Bronson); Ashton McDermott (sr., Tri-Center);
Defensive Back: Brody West (sr., Logan-Magnolia).

2021 Final Team Standings

Class A, District 8
^*Woodbury Central       5-1            10-2
*Logan-Magnolia            5-1            9-2
*IKM-Manning                 4-2            5-4
*Tri-Center                       4-2            5-4
Westwood                       2-4            4-5
Lawton-Bronson              1-5            3-6
Missouri Valley                 0-6            2-7
^District Champion.  *Playoff Qualifier

The No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team picked up a 91-54 win over Samford on Thursday night. Monika Czinano dropped in 20 points and Caitlin Clark added 19 to lead the Hawks. Ten of eleven Hawkeyes that were active for the game score five or more points as Iowa improved to 2-0 on the season.

Up Next: Iowa hits the road for the first time this season as they take on Northern Iowa inside McLeod Center in Cedar Falls on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. and we’ll have coverage on KJAN with pregame starting at 1:45 p.m. The game will also be available on ESPN+.

(Radio Iowa) – The D-N-R expert who oversees the state’s deer population tells the Natural Resources Commission they’ve been getting calls following reports on the results of a study of COVID in deer. Wildlife biometrician Tyler Harms says the Wildlife Bureau conducted the study after seeing studies in other states which found no COVID in deer. “While the presence of antibodies indicates exposure to the virus — it does not necessarily indicate that animals become infected. So we participated in this study with Penn State University to investigate the question of active infection,” Harms says.

He says they tested 233 samples from deer that were collected to test for C-W-D and found 33 percent had active infections.  “We have received some questions from the public, and more specifically from our hunters about this study, given that we are in the midst of the hunting season. What we’ve been recommending to our hunters is obviously they keep hunting — and that this study should not rise to the level of concern that it keeps them from hunting this year,” according to Harms. He says they do recommend that hunters continue the standard safety procedures whenever they are processing deer. “Like wearing gloves and thoroughly washing their hands and their equipment after field dressing the animal to reduce their exposure to this virus,” he says.

Harms also notes this about venison. “To date, there have been no cases of contracting COVID-19 from eating food, and that includes wild game meat,” Harms says. Harm says a COVID-19 study of deer in Ohio released this week found similar results to Iowa’s study. The early deer archery season is currently underway in Iowa. The first shotgun deer season will begin on December 4th. Harms spoke during Wednesday’s Natural Resources Commission meeting.

DES MOINES, IOWA — The Allison Pohlman era in Drake University women’s basketball got off to a sizzling start.

Freshman Katie Dinnebier hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left to lift the Bulldogs to an 82-79 season-opening victory over Creighton at the Knapp Center on Wednesday night.

Drake built a 17-point lead with some sharp shooting and passing, then had to hold off a Creighton comeback before Dinnebier connected from the left wing to give Pohlman the victory in her debut. Named the to the position in April after 14 years as an assistant with the Bulldogs, Pohlman became just the second Drake coach to win in her first game.

The other was Carole Baumgarten, who guided the Bulldogs to a victory over Iowa in Drake’s very first women’s basketball game in 1974.

The Bulldogs led by 16 before Creighton hit four 3-pointers in a 14-0 run that sliced the lead to 62-60 and they had to fight off the Bluejays the rest of the way. Creighton drew to a tie at 74 and then again at 79-all when Morgan Maly hit her fifth 3-pointer of the game with 27 seconds left.

Drake held for a final shot, Wooldridge got the ball to Dinnebier and the freshman delivered, giving Drake its sixth straight victory in a season opener. The Bulldogs shot 49 percent for the game and had assists on 22 of their 32 baskets.

Maly finished 5-for-9 from long range and led Creighton with 15 points.

The Bulldogs return action at 6 p.m. Monday against South Dakota at the Knapp Center.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa sophomore punter Tory Taylor is one of 10 punters named a semifinalist for the 2021 Ray Guy Award. The announcement was made Wednesday by the Augusta Sports Council and the Ray Guy Award.

Taylor has been recognized on the Ray’s 8 list following three games, including contests versus Iowa State, Penn State, and Wisconsin.

Through nine games Taylor is averaging 45.8 yards per punt, with a long of 69 yards. He has 17 punts of at least 50 yards and has placed 28 punts inside the opponent 20. Hawkeye opponents have just 14 returns for 52 yards, while 15 have resulted in a fair catch. Just nine Taylor punts have been touchbacks.

Taylor (6-foot-4, 231-pounds) is a sophomore and a native of Melbourne, Australia. He averaged 49 yards on seven punts at Wisconsin, with a long of 61 yards. Three of his punts were downed inside the Wisconsin 20, including the 11, 14, and 13-yard lines. The Badgers had just one return for six yards.

In Iowa’s win at Iowa State Taylor averaged 51.1 yards on eight punts, with a long of 69 yards. Five of his punts were downed inside the 20, while Iowa State had just one punt return. In the win over Penn State, he averaged 44.2 yards per punt, with six punts inside the 20 and five inside the 10.

Taylor was named a first-team midseason All-American by The Athletic. He was the Big Ten Conference Special Teams Player of the Week following Iowa’s 27-17 win at Iowa State.

Iowa hosts Minnesota on Saturday (2:40 p.m., BTN). Saturday’s contest is sold out. Iowa closes the home season the following Saturday, hosting Illinois on Senior Day (1 p.m., FS1).

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery announced on Wednesday that Josh Dix and Dasonte Bowen have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Iowa.

JOSH DIX
Guard, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds
Council Bluffs, Iowa (Abraham Lincoln High School)

“I am super excited to attend the University of Iowa next year to play basketball and for academics. Iowa has something good going with their basketball team and I want to be part of that and keep that tradition going.”

FRAN McCAFFERY ON JOSH DIX

“Josh is incredibly versatile. He can play multiple positions. He has a great frame. Josh is good with the ball in his hands finding people and getting to the rim. He’s physical defensively and is an excellent rebounder for his position. Josh is a winning player. We are really excited about him.”

DASONTE BOWEN
Guard, 6-foot-3, 165 pounds
Boston, Massachusetts (Brewster Academy)

“I am very excited to join the team and get to Iowa City. I love the coaching staff and the system Iowa plays. I look forward to getting after it with my new teammates.”

FRAN McCAFFERY ON DASONTE BOWEN

“Dasonte is creative and fearless on the basketball court. He has incredible vision and makes plays. Dasonte can step back and hit the three, but he is constantly attacking the defense. He can rebound and score a variety of ways. He is an incredibly unselfish player. We are excited to welcome him to the Hawkeye family.”

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger announced Wednesday the signings of three preps to National Letters of Intent. This marks Otzelberger’s first signing day as head coach of the Cyclones.

The Cyclones signed Eli King (6-3 | Guard | Caledonia, Minn. | Caledonia HS),  Tamin Lipsey (6-2 | Guard |Ames, Iowa | Ames HS) and Demarion Watson (6-7 | Maple Grove, Minn. | Totino-Grace HS). King and Lipsey were teammates in AAU for D1 Minnesota, while Watson played for Team Sizzle.

“This class is all proven winners,” Otzelberger said. “They are all guys that are team oriented players. As you are looking for your first recruiting class, you want guys that have character and guys that are winners. As much as they have gifts and are talented basketball wise, those are really the things we are looking for. We are fortunate that from a character standpoint, a pride in Iowa State standpoint, as well as their talent, they fit. It’s going to be fun watching those guys play in Hilton Coliseum.”

The class is rated No. 26 nationally by 247sports and No. 36 by Rivals. 247 ranks it as the fourth-best Big 12 signing class.