IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark was named a second team AP All-American, the Associated Press announced on Wednesday.

Clark is the eighth Hawkeye to be named an AP All-American, and is the first Iowa women’s basketball freshman to earn the distinction. She joins Hawkeye greats Kathleen Doyle, Megan Gustafson, Samantha Logic, Jaime Printy, Kachine Alexander, Cara Consuegra, and Amy Herrig. P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Coach Lisa Bluder has coached seven of the eight AP All-Americans.

In 27 contests this season, Clark averaged 26.7 points, 7.2 assists, 3.8, 3-pointers and shot 47 percent from the field. She registered double figures in all but one of Iowa’s games, including 11 30-point games and 13 additional 20-point games. Clark assisted on five or more baskets 21 times and recorded double-doubles in nine contests, including one triple-double.

Clark leads the nation in total points (720), points per game (26.7), total assists (195), and 3-pointers made (103). She ranks second in assists per game (7.2) and 3-pointers per game (3.81), ranks seventh in free-throws made (141), 29th in free-throw percentage (86), and 38th in 3-point percentage (40.6).

Clark, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, was a unanimous first team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. She was also named a member of the Big Ten All-Tournament team.

Clark is a Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist, a Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year finalist, and a Dawn Staley Late Season finalist.

Clark and the Hawkeyes are headed to San Antonio, Texas, for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Iowa will play Central Michigan in the first round on Sunday, March 21 at 11 a.m. (CT) inside the Alamodome.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State has added a match to its volleyball schedule, ISU announced Wednesday. The Cyclones will travel to Omaha on Saturday, March 27 to take on Creighton in a 4 p.m. match at D.J. Sokol Arena.

The Cyclones and Bluejays have been familiar foes over the years, as this will mark the fifth-straight season the two programs have met. The last meeting came in the 2019 NCAA Volleyball Championship First Round in Minneapolis, which the Bluejays won 3-0. The two teams last met in Omaha in 2018, with the hosts picking up a 3-1 win that day.

Creighton, No. 24 in this week’s AVCA Top 25, currently own an 8-2 overall record, 5-1 against Big East competition. The Bluejays are coming off a 2-0 weekend at Butler and make a trip to Kansas State this weekend prior to taking on the Cyclones next Saturday. The match will serve as Creighton’s final tune-up before hosting the Big East Tournament Apr. 2-3.

Iowa State’s next scheduled match will be at home on Friday, March 26 against Wayne State. The match at Hilton Coliseum will start at 4 p.m.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The National Wrestling Coaches Association announced Wednesday that for the second straight year University of Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands has been named NWCA National Coach of the Year.

The NWCA coaching honor is the third of Brands’ career. He was previously recognized in 2008 and 2020. The 2008 team won the NCAA Championship and the 2020 team was a heavy favorite to win the national title prior to the tournament’s cancellation.

The 2021 Hawkeyes have been ranked atop the national polls since the beginning of the season and enter the NCAA Championships with four wrestlers ranked No. 1 at their respective weight class and eight wrestlers seeded fifth or better. Iowa won the 2021 Big Ten Championship and crowned four individual conference champions.

The NWCA award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community.

“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, it is my privilege to award Coach Tom Brands, for the second year in a row, the NWCA Division I National Coach of the Year award,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. “Tom continues to do a phenomenal job at Iowa and this season has been another demonstration of the strength of the Hawkeye wrestling program.  Good luck to Coach Brands and his squad this week as they compete at the NCAA Championships.”

The coaching award is the second for Brands this season. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year following the conference tournament. The 2021 NCAA Championships begin Thursday at 10 a.m. (CT) at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Tournament information is available at the NCAA Championships page at hawkeyesports.com.

With Jim Field.

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Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Drake basketball coach Darian DeVries has agreed to an eight-year contract extension through 2028-29, athletic director Brian Hardin announced Wednesday night. DeVries has led the Bulldogs to 20-win seasons each of his first three years at the school. Drake’s 25 wins this season are third-most in the nation. The Bulldogs play Wichita State in an NCAA First Four game on Thursday. Terms of the extension weren’t announced. DeVries has twice been named the Missouri Valley Conference coach of the year.

UNDATED (AP) — It has been more than a decade since Iowa showed the kind of dominance at the NCAA championships that it takes to win a team title. The drought likely will end this weekend. Beginning with 125-pound Spencer Lee, the two-time and defending champion, the Hawkeyes will bring the deepest team to St. Louis. They qualified an All-American candidate at every weight and will have four No. 1 seeds when the tournament begins.

UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a $5 million contract for next season with three-time Pro Bowler Kyle Long, who will come out of retirement to help their rebuilt offensive line, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The Chiefs also agreed to one-year deals to keep running back Darrel Williams, linebacker Ben Niemann and defensive end Taco Charlton, sources told The AP. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been announced.

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten in the habit the past couple years of plugging their biggest holes by trading for big-name bats that just happen to have had a whole lot of success against them. Two years ago it was Paul Goldschmidt, and this past offseason it was Nolen Arenado. Now, those two sluggers are set to anchor a much more dangerous lineup and support a strong cast of starters and one of the best bullpens in baseball as the Cardinals seek take aim at the Chicago Cubs and the rest of the NL Central.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After four consecutive losing seasons, the Kansas City Royals are done with rebuilding. The team has signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana and traded for Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Those moves should help fill their two biggest offensive holes. It should help veterans such as Whit Merrifield and the rest of the Royals feel they can compete for a division title again.

UNDATED (AP) — Eastern Washington coach Shantay Legans borrows offensive and defensive schemes straight from the coach his team is about to face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The imitation is purely a show of respect toward longtime Kansas coach Bill Self. Legans has never had a sit-down conversation with Self but feels like he knows Self given how much time he’s studied Self’s teams and style. Legans and Self also have in common the experience of dealing with their seasons being disrupted due to coronavirus protocols. The third-seeded Jayhawks will be without two of their players due to the protocols when they play No. 14 seed Eastern Washington.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — For a team that’s been a NCAA Tournament regular much of the past decade, Wichita State is still a bit taken aback by its latest appearance. The Shockers seemed an unlikely participant following a tumultuous offseason featuring players exits and the resignation of longtime coach Gregg Marshall amid misconduct allegations. Isaac Brown took over on an interim basis but is now the Shockers’ permanent coach after guiding them to their first AAC regular season title. They enter the tournament as a No. 11 seed and will face Drake in a First Four play-in game.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Some of the top players at the March Madness tournament in Indiana are speaking out against the NCAA. Isaiah Livers of Michigan, Geo Baker of Rutgers and Jordan Bohannon of Iowa were among the players who took to social media demanding equal rights. They used the hashtag #NotNCAAProperty. They want the OK to earn money for things like sponsorship deals, online endorsement and personnel appearances.

Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon (3) is fouled as he shoots by Illinois guard Andre Curbelo (5) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The NCAA is in the process of changing its rules to allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses. Those efforts have bogged down since the start of 2021.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Drake basketball coach Darian DeVries has agreed to an eight-year contract extension through 2028-29, athletic director Brian Hardin announced Wednesday night. DeVries has led the Bulldogs to 20-win seasons each of his first three years at the school.

Drake head coach Darlan DeVries is seen on the sidelines during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Missouri State in the semifinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference men’s tournament Saturday, March 6, 2021, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Drake’s 25 wins this season are third-most in the nation. The Bulldogs play Wichita State in an NCAA First Four game on Thursday. Terms of the extension weren’t announced. DeVries has twice been named the Missouri Valley Conference coach of the year.

Atlantic senior Caroline Pellett officially signed to continue her studies and softball career at Simpson College on Wednesday. Pellett signed her school documentation surrounded by her family and high school coaching staff.

Pellett said she initially wasn’t sure that she was going to continue playing softball at the next level but after a visit this past year she was sold on joining the Simpson program.

Pellett has spent time at shortstop and second base for the Trojans. She finished last season with an .814 fielding percentage and had 17 put outs for the Trojans. At the plate she batted .383, scored 15 runs, and had 13 RBI’s. She hopes that she can fit in the middle infield role at Simpson as well.

Atlantic Head Coach Terry Hinzmann said the staff is very proud of what she has accomplished and glad that she chose to take this opportunity.

Pellett is prepping now for the track and field season and then will have one last go around on the diamond for the Trojans, surrounded by a successful and talented senior class.

With Jim Field.

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Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten in the habit the past couple years of plugging their biggest holes by trading for big-name bats that just happen to have had a whole lot of success against them. Two years ago it was Paul Goldschmidt, and this past offseason it was Nolen Arenado. Now, those two sluggers are set to anchor a much more dangerous lineup and support a strong cast of starters and one of the best bullpens in baseball as the Cardinals seek take aim at the Chicago Cubs and the rest of the NL Central.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Tournament always seems to put a premium on guard play, and that may be even more important during this most bizarre of tournaments. So here’s a look at other backcourt wizards looking to make their mark on March, highlighted by UConn star James Bouknight and Iowa floor leader Jordan Bohannon.

UNDATED (AP) — Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard anticipates a quick search to find a new men’s basketball coach after the firing of Steve Prohm. Pollard released a 10-minute video in which he discusses the reasons for letting Prohm go and the course forward. Iowa State was 2-22 overall and 0-18 in Big 12 play. It was the lowest win total since 1924-25 and the first winless conference season since 1936-37. Pollard also knocked down speculation that a donor or group of donors volunteered to pay Prohm’s $5 million buyout.