PARDEEVILLE, Wis. — Former University of Iowa football player Mark Bortz will have his high school jersey retired at Pardeeville High School on Aug. 23 prior to the season opener.

Bortz, who was a four-year letterman for the Hawkeyes from 1979-82, earned second-team All-America honors as a senior. The defensive tackle was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 1981 and 1982.

As a senior, Bortz was named team captain and was selected for the East-West Shine Game. He finished his Hawkeye career with 231 tackles and was named to Iowa’s All-Time Team in 1989.

After being selected by the Chicago Bears in the 1983 NFL Draft, Bortz enjoyed a productive professional career. He moved from defense to offense guard, where he went on to earn two Pro Bowl (1988, 1990) and one first-team All-Pro distinctions (1990).

The Bears won the 1985 Super Bowl, and he made a franchise record 13 playoff appearances. Bortz played in 171 career games with 155 starts in his professional career.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former University of Iowa guard, Caitlin Clark, was named the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Division I Academic All-America Team Member of the year for all sports in 2023-24.

Clark earns her second straight award after becoming the first University of Iowa student-athlete to receive the overall Academic All-America® Division I Team Member of the Year honor in 2022-23. She is the second Division I two-time winner joining the University Division’s Sarah Pavan of Nebraska (volleyball, 2006-07 and 2007-08), and the fifth overall along with the NAIA’s Giovanna Tapigliani of Missouri Baptist (volleyball, 2020-21 and 2021-22), Division III’s Maryann Gong of M.I.T (women’s track and field/cross country, 2015-16 and 2016-17), and College Division/NAIA’s Leah Esposito of Carroll (women’s track and field/cross country, 2015-16 and 2016-17).

Clark was the No. 1 overall draft selection by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She repeated as the Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for Division I women’s basketball in 2023-24, becoming the seventh player to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons.

Clark won the 2024 Honda Cup and was named Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year as by THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA). She also won the 2024 Naismith, Wooden and Wade Trophies along with the Associated Press and USBWA Ann Drysdale Player of the Year honors. She was also became the first Hawkeye to win back-to-back Big Ten Athlete of the Year honors.

She is also a three-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award and is the first-ever three-time winner of the Dawn Staley Award. She also won the Honda Sport Award for Basketball in April.

Clark, who now plays for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, is the NCAA basketball all-time leading scorer and the only player in NCAA Division I men’s or women’s basketball history to lead her conference in scoring and assists in four consecutive seasons. Clark led the nation in 10 different offensive categories, including averaging 31.6 points and 8.9 assists per game and also broke the NCAA women’s tournament scoring record during the Hawkeyes’ final NCAA Tournament run.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson have been named to the Butkus Award Watch List, it was announced Tuesday.

Higgins and Jackson are two of 51 linebackers named to the watch list this season – a nod to the storied “51” pro jersey worn by the award’s namesake, the late Dick Butkus. Candidates represent 44 colleges and universities and includes two 2023 semifinalists – Higgins and Alabama’s Deontae Lawson.

Iowa is one of seven programs, along with Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina and Utah, to have two linebackers on the list.

Higgins (6-foot-2, 232 pounds) recorded 171 tackles (79 solo, 92 assists) during the 2023 season, which led the Big Ten and ranked third nationally. The tackle total tied Iowa’s single-season record. The Indianapolis native was a FWAA first-team All-American.

This season, Higgins is Phil Steele’s Preseason National Defensive Player of the Year. He is also on the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Wuerffel Award, while being a preseason first-team All-America selection.

Jackson (6-2, 235), finished with 110 tackles (51 solo, 59 assists) to rank second on the team and fourth in the Big Ten in his first season as a Hawkeye. The Atlanta native earned third-team All-Big Ten honors by the league media and honorable mention recognition by the league coaches in 2023.

Jackson, who enters his sixth year with 464 tackles – the 12th-most in FBS history – has also been named to the Nagurski and Bednarik Watch Lists leading into the 2024 campaign.

Jack Campbell won the Butkus Award in 2022, while Larry Station finished second in the voting in 1985. Josey Jewell was a finalist in 2016 and the program had semifinalists in 2005 (Chad Greenway), 2017 (Jewell), 2021 (Campbell) and 2023 (Higgins).

Award semifinalists are expected to be named Nov. 4, with finalists named Nov. 25 and the winner named by Dec. 10. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award. The 2024 Butkus Award winners at the high school, college and pro level will be honored at an event planned for early 2025 at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois as part of the Big Ten Network television special.

The 51-person Butkus Award selection committee comprised of coaches, scouts and journalists guides the selection process emphasizing qualities that defined Dick Butkus’ career: toughness, on-field leadership, competitiveness, football character and linebacking skills. The award is increasingly focused on recognizing linebackers who consistently play off the ball on their feet in a two-point stance in traditional form.

The Hawkeyes open the 2024 season Aug. 31, hosting Illinois State at 11 a.m. (CT) inside Kinnick Stadium. The game is sold out.

HAWKEYES ON 2024 WATCH LISTS
* Sebastian Castro – Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY) // Jim Thorpe Award (DB)
* Jay Higgins — Butkus Award (LB) // Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY) // Wuerffel Award (community service)
* Nick Jackson — Butkus Award (LB) // Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY)
* Leshon Williams — Doak Walker Award (RB)
* Logan Jones – Outland Trophy (OL) // Rimington Award (C)
* Drew Stevens – Lou Groza Award (PK)
* Luke Elkin — Mannelly Award (LS)
* Cade McNamara – Comeback POY
* Luke Lachey – Mackey Award (TE) // Comeback POY

The Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union have collaborated to reduce spring schedule congestion by moving boys’ golf and girls’ tennis to the fall sport seasons starting in the 2025-26 school year.

The changes address decades-long concerns from member schools over scheduling and were approved by both the IHSAA’s board and IGHSAU’s board following discussions at a joint meeting in early July.

Iowa’s current spring schedule includes eight sports – golf, soccer, tennis, track and field for both boys and girls – and overlaps seasonally with baseball and softball.

The adjustment was discussed across 2023-24 district meetings, the IHSADA state conference, advisory committees, and the 2023 IHSAA membership survey.

Among nine other peer state associations in the Midwest, seven separate golf seasons by gender and all nine separate tennis seasons. The increased availability of facilities, coaching, and school resources, plus the reduction of scheduling conflicts are the top cited reasons for those successful season separations.

In 2025, boys’ golf (3A, 2A, 1A) and girls’ tennis (2A, 1A) will compete in both the 2024-25 spring season and the 2025-26 fall season. Class 4A boys’ golf has competed exclusively in the fall since 1993 and features the earliest competition start date of any fall sport.

Other HS Sports Changes:

In Basketball, the closely guarded “five seconds” rule will be eliminated starting in 2024-25. Following previous board discussion and basketball advisory committee recommendation, substate final games in Class 4A and Class 3A will be hosted by the higher-seeded team.

In Bowling, a split season for boys’ and girls’ bowling to start in 2025-26. This concept would potentially end the current coed championships format and allow for staggered start and finish within the current 16-week schedule. The individual tournament will now also bowl out to eighth place, similar to the team tournament.

In Golf, Three teams will advance from each round of the postseason to the next in 3A, 2A, and 1A golf, with no regard for home course in qualification. This will ensure a set number of qualifiers at district meets and 12 qualifiers at the state meet for those classes.

In Tennis, A consistent scoring format is coming to the postseason, with both singles & doubles and the team tournaments now featuring ad scoring, best two out of three sets, with a 10-point super tiebreaker instead of a complete third set. All consolation rounds and the coed state tournament will remain no-ad scoring.

Iowa State defensive end Tyler Onyedim expects the Cyclone pass rush to be even more effective this season. The redshirt junior from Texas started all 13 games last season. He finished with two sacks and as a team ISU finished 11th in the Big 12 in that category.

Onyedim says depth along the defensive line will help with the pass rush.

Onyedim says his flexibility is a key at defensive end.

Onyedim says having more experience on defense will be a plus.

Iowa State opens at home on August 31st against North Dakota.

Drake coach Todd Stepsis says the Bulldogs are embracing high expectations as they get ready for the new season. After three straight losing campaigns, the Bulldogs won the Pioneer Football League title with a perfect 8-0 record last year and made the FCS playoffs for the first time in program history. They enter this season as the PFL favorite.

Stepsis says there is no carry over and the Bulldogs view this as a new season and a new challenge.

Stepsis says the Bulldogs have shown they can handle adversity and he is confident they will be able to handle success.

Drake always plays a tough nonconference schedule ands this season is no different.

Big things are expected from junior defensive end Finn Claypool. The Des Moines native is the reigning PFL Defensive Player of the Year and was named a second team FCS preseason All American.

The key for Drake last season was winning the close games. Six of their league wins were by a touchdown or less.

Drake has won 11 straight PFL games and Claypool credits a demanding nonconference slate.

Drake opens at home on August 29th against Quincy University.

IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference opens the 2024 season with five programs ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 with Utah earning the league’s top ranking of 12th place. Oklahoma State (17th), Kansas State (18th), Arizona (21st) and Kansas (22nd) round out the Conference’s top 25 teams in the AP poll as Iowa State, West Virginia and Colorado received votes as well. Monday’s poll marks the first time the Big 12 Conference has had five teams voted to the AP Preseason Top 25 since 2017.

The preseason AP voting mirrors the Big 12’s rankings in last week’s AFCA Coaches poll, which also ranked Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Arizona and Kansas in its preseason top 25.

Big 12 Conference Preseason AP Top 25 Notes
-Kansas was voted into the AP’s Preseason poll for the first time since 2009.
-Utah earned a preseason AP ranking for the fifth consecutive season, excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 season.
-Joining the Jayhawks with a noteworthy spot in the poll, Arizona earned its first preseason ranking since 2015.
-Oklahoma State was ranked in the preseason poll for a fifth time since 2016 and continues a run of being ranked in an AP poll in every season since 2008.
-Kansas State will open a second consecutive season in the top 20 of the AP poll.
-The 2024 Big 12 football season will officially begin on Thursday, Aug. 29 with Colorado, Kansas, UCF and Utah opening their schedules.

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State soccer coaching staff is now complete, as Coach Matt Fannon has announced the hiring of both Jeff Parker and Bulut “Turk” Ozturk. Parker has been named the team’s second assistant coach, while Ozturk will be the team’s soccer development coordinator.

Both Parker and Ozturk come to Ames after stints as head coaches at the NCAA ranks. Parker spent the past 24 years as the head coach at Stevens Institute of Technology, a DIII school, where he owns the most wins in school history. Ozturk spent the past four seasons as the head coach of Michigan Tech, a DII school, where in 2023, he took the Huskies to their first NCAA tournament appearance in nearly a decade.

“The level of experience they bring is really exciting,” says Fannon. “Experienced, accomplished coaches who understand how it works with squads. Both of them being former head coaches is such a big deal as they’ll be able to support the team in multiple ways. Both Jeff and Turk are an incredible boost for us that will make a big difference.”

The pair of Parker (28 years) and Ozturk (8 years) will bring 36 years of collegiate coaching experience to the staff.

For Parker, ISU will be his first non-head coaching role since 1998, when he was an assistant coach at Georgetown. He spent a pair of seasons as the head coach at Saint Peter’s before he took over at Stevens.

Parker’s success spanned decades in the Northeast, as he oversaw a program in Stevens that made 22 consecutive postseasons under his direction. Parker led the Ducks to 16 conference championships and 13 NCAA postseason berths.

Parker coached four athletes to All-American status at Stevens and helped guide nine athletes to become Academic All-Americans. In total, Parker led three squads to the NCAA’s Sweet 16.

Turk, not to be outdone, has had his own collegiate successes prior to arriving in Ames. He has helped coach at both Tennessee and Northwestern before his time at Michigan Tech.

At Michigan Tech, Turk had 17 of his players earn GLIAC All-Conference Awards, one earn All-American and over 60 players named to the All-Academic Excellence Team with eight to the All-Academic Team.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Ozturk spent 15 years making a significant impact at the semi-professional, club, and high school levels in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. He led Lakeville North and Eagan High Schools to seven Minnesota state final fours over eight seasons, including four state championship game appearances and three state titles.

The Iowa State soccer program will kick off its season on August 15, welcoming Western Illinois to the Cyclone Soccer Complex for the start of the 2024 regular season. As a reminder, admission to all home matches is free.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa football players Sebastian Castro, Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson were named on Monday to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List for the most outstanding defensive player in the nation.

Iowa’s three candidates tie Georgia, Miami, Michigan and Ohio State for the most in the country in 2024. Castro, Higgins and Jackson were each named to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List last month, which is a different award for national defensive player of the year.

Presented annually since 1994, the award is named for University of Pennsylvania linebacker Chuck Bednarik. Preseason honorees are determined by the Maxwell Football Club in collaboration with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications.

Higgins (6-foot-2, 232-pounds) recorded 171 tackles (79 solo, 92 assists) last season, which led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation. That total ties the program record for tackles in a single season. The Indianapolis native was named to the FWAA All-American First Team in 2023.

Jackson (6-foot-2, 235-pounds) contributed 110 tackles (51 solo, 59 assists) at linebacker, good for second on the team and fourth in the conference. The Atlanta, Georgia, native was a third-team All-Big Ten honoree by league media and honorable mention all-conference by league coaches in 2023.

Castro (5-foot-11, 205-pounds) led the team in 2023 with eight pass break-ups and three interceptions in the defensive backfield. Those totals ranked fourth and ninth in the Big Ten, respectively, last season.

Castro was a PFF first-team All-America, an Associated Press third-team All-American and a Phil Steele honorable mention All-American a year ago. The native of Oak Lawn, Illinois, was voted second-team All-Big Ten by conference media and honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches.

Iowa has had nine semifinalists for the award since 2005, most recently with former Hawkeye cornerback Cooper DeJean last season. Other recent Bednarik semifinalists from the University of Iowa include Jack Campbell (2022), Daviyon Nixon (2020), Josh Jackson (2017), Desmond King (2016), Adrian Clayborn (2010), Pat Angerer (2009) and Chad Greenway (2005).

Semifinalists for the Chuck Bedanirk Award will be announced on Nov. 12, and the three finalists will be unveiled on Nov. 24. The winners of the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 12.

HAWKEYES ON 2024 WATCH LISTS
* Sebastian Castro – Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY) // Jim Thorpe Award (DB)
* Jay Higgins — Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY) // Wuerffel Award (community service)
* Nick Jackson — Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY)
* Leshon Williams — Doak Walker Award (RB)
* Logan Jones – Outland Trophy (OL) // Rimington Award (C)
* Drew Stevens – Lou Groza Award (PK)
* Luke Elkin — Mannelly Award (LS)
* Cade McNamara – Comeback POY
* Luke Lachey – Mackey Award (TE) // Comeback POY

(Audubon, Iowa) – Officials with the Audubon Community School District are pleased to announce that beginning this month (August, 2024) all Kindergarten through 12th grade students in Audubon Community schools will receive free activity tickets thanks to generous donations from AMVC, Audubon State Bank, and Dr. Daryl and Nancy Olsen. This is a three-year initiative of the school board, modeled after several other area schools. It was an easy sell for the school board according to President Mark Nissen, “This is a win-win for all involved. All our students will benefit from having an easier time getting to games. Our athletes will appreciate having more support from their classmates. And of course it makes attending events easier for our families to afford. Overall, it continues to bring our community together and we’re excited to see it happen.” Ultimately, however, the money from ticket sales is used to pay for the costs of hosting home events, most notably referees and umpires, an expense that continues to rise. “That’s the only downfall” says Nissen, “we don’t want to be in a situation where we’re letting people in free but can’t pay our expenses.” That’s where Dr. Daryl Olsen stepped in. Originally the board planned on holding a fundraiser to offset the costs of activity tickets and approached Dr. Olsen about supporting the effort with seed money. When Dr. Olsen shared the idea with his wife Nancy, she was immediately sold.

However, the Olsen’s opted not to provide seed money for a fundraiser. Instead, Dr. Olsen reached out and solicited support from AMVC and Audubon State Bank, two local businesses he’s directly involved in. Together, Dr. Daryl & Nancy Olsen, AMVC, and Audubon State Bank, have pledged to cover the costs of student activity tickets for the next three school years. “We’ve been fortunate to build a life here in Audubon, along with a business. We raised our kids here. We’re passionate about giving back, and supporting a program that clearly and directly benefits the kids and community is exciting,” says Dr. Olsen. Currently, the value of this donation is estimated at $45,000 over the course of the three-year commitment ($15,000 per year). “Unfortunately, the data over the past 10 years of ticket sales isn’t great,” states athletic director Sean Birks. “Especially with the covid years and cash ticketing, we don’t have a super accurate idea of student vs. adult ticket sales. However, now that the district has moved to the electronic ticketing system (Bound), we’ll be able to get really clear data on how many students attend games.” The school board has also made a commitment to track data over the course of the next three years, not just for the purposes of this donation, but also for future decision making. “It’s our hope that in three years the school board will have better data to look at when reevaluating this initiative. Having a three-year commitment gives us an opportunity other schools (attempting free student admission) don’t have. We get to track data and be thoughtful in our planning” states board member Anne Miller. “We’re so grateful to Dr. Daryl, Nancy, AMVC, and Audubon State Bank, this donation directly benefits every single one of our students, their families, and our community.”

Free student activity tickets via Bound will be available at the start of the 2024-2025 school year to all Audubon K-12 students. This program is anticipated to run through the 25/26 and 26/27 school years as well. All students will be issued an activity ticket that will need to be presented at games for admission. Students in grades 4 and below must be accompanied by a caring adult. All students will be expected to follow good-conduct expectations. The school will review frequently asked questions, rules, and expectations in greater detail with students and families.