The Iowa Hawkeyes host their final Big Ten series of the season beginning Friday night against Northwestern. Iowa is 10-8 and currently saixth in the league race and the top eight teams qualify for the Big Ten Tournament. The Wildcats are at the bottom of the conference standings with a 2-13 record under first year coach Ben Greenspan.

That’s Iowa coach Rick Heller who says the Hawkeyes won’t take Northwestern lightly.

Heller says recent history shows this will be a competitive series.

The UNI softball team closes out the regular season with a three game Missouriu Valley Conference series against Valparaiso beginning Friday afternoon. At 16-5 the Panthers are second in the Valley race and will need help to pass conference leader Southern Illinois.

That’s UNI coach Ryan Jacobs. A factor in the league race may be the games that were not played. The Panthers were scheduled to host Indiana State back in March, but the entire series was cancelled due to weather.

Former Iowa State star Bridget Carleton is getting ready for her sixth season in the WNBA with the Minnesota Lynx. Carleton appeared in 38 games a year ago and averaged just over four points per game. She is coming of a successful season overseas in Hungary.

Carleton played for the Canadian National Team that took part in an Olympic qualifying tournament in February and is expected to be part of the team that will compete in the Paris Olympics.

The WNBA will take a month-long break for the Olympics.

An influx of talented rookies is bringing added interest into the upcoming season.

The Lynx open their preseason schedule on Friday night by hosting the Chicago Sky.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell announced Thursday that seniors Beau Freyler and Stevo Klotz are this season’s recipients of the Nick Bassett Perseverance Award.

Nick Bassett was a supporter, fan and friend not only to the Cyclone Football program, but to the entire Iowa State community. He had various health struggles from age two until he passed away in January of 2022 at 29 years old. 

Nick served as an inspiration to everyone he met. His continued positive spirit, attitude toward adversity of all kinds, ability to persevere through challenges he faced and continued support and love for those he cared about provided an illustration all people can learn from – both in the Iowa State community and around the world. Nick’s life and legacy continues to impact Iowa State’s players, staff, fans and the entire program in tremendous ways.

The award recognizes two football players annually at the conclusion of spring football practice each season. The players that earn the honor are selected based on exemplifying the characteristics of that we remember Nick by: positive spirit, perseverance and selflessness.

Freyler is a senior from Colorado Springs, Colorado, while Klotz is a redshirt senior from Chaska, Minnesota. The pair will wear a Nick Bassett Perseverance Award decal on the back of their helmets next season.

Nick Bassett Perseverance Award Recipients

2022 – Zach Ross, Tayvonn Kyle

2023 – Jake Remsburg, Gerry Vaughn

2024 – Beau Freyler, Stevo Klotz

The Atlantic Trojans girls’ softball season is getting ready for their 2024 season. The Trojans are coming off a 3-2 loss to Davis County in the Class 3A Region 4 championship game last year. Atlantic ended had 23-16 record overall and had a 16-4 record in the Hawkeye Ten Conference last season.

The Trojans are coached by Terry Hinzman, who is in his 16th year as the head coach.

The Trojans got better as the season went along last year.

Many of the Trojan softball players participated in leagues over the summer.

Coach Hinzman talked about what his team goals are for this season.

The first Trojans softball game will be Monday May 20th at the Atlantic Little League Complex.

Girls

WIC Conference Meet
1. Riverside 150
2. Treynor 126
3. Tri-Center 117
4. Logan-Magnolia 98
5. Underwood 67.5
6. Audubon 60.5
7. AHSTW 51
8. Missouri Valley 36

Girls

Sioux City East Tournament  

1.Sioux City East (375)

2. Atlantic (397)

Belle Berg (91)

MaKenna Sonntag (98)

Emma Rose (103)

Makenna Schroeder (105)

Abby Muller (116)

3. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (403)

4. LeMars (417)

5. Bishop Heelan (420)

6. MVAOCOU (436)

7. Woodbury Central (437)

8. Glenwood (460)

9. Sioux City North (468)

WIC Tournament 

1. Treynor (388)

2. Riverside (416)

3. Underwood (421)

4. IKM-Manning (437)

5. Logan-Magnolia (455)

6. Missouri Valley (469)

7. Tri-Center (472)

Medalist – Sophi Peterson, Treynor (85)

Runner Up – Addison Brink, Riverside (86)

Boys

WIC Tournament (@ Atlantic)

1.Treynor (293)

2.Missouri Valley (302)

3.Audubon (317)

4.Riverside (334)

5.AHSTW (352)

6.Underwood (357)

7.Tri-Center (368)

8.Logan-Magnolia (375)

9.IKM-Manning  (384)

Medalist: Jackson Tennis, Missouri Valley (68)

Runner Up: Evan White (71) 

Hawkeye Ten Conference Tournament 

The Hawkeye Ten Conference Tournament is suspended with most placement matches left to be contested. The Hawkeye Ten Conference Tournament will resume in Denison on Friday at 9:00 AM.

Missouri River Conference Tournament

1. Bishop Heelan Catholic (48 points)

2. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (21 points)

3. Thomas Jefferson (13 points)

4. Sioux City North (12 points)

4. Sioux City East (12 points)

6. LeMars (11 points)

7. Sioux City West (8 points)

8. Abraham Lincoln (6 points)