Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger says the focus has been on fundamentals as the Cyclones get ready for Tuesday night’s game at home against Central Florida. After a 16-0 start, The Cyclones dropped road games at Kansas and Cincinnati and have fallen seven spots to ninth in the latest AP Top 25.

Otzelberger says the Cyclones need to get back to things that had them winning.

Otzelberger says part of their issues is playing in the Big 12.

Otzelberger says the challenges ahead in Big 12 play are not getting any easier.

Like the Cyclones, Central Florida is 3-2 after a home loss to top ranked Arizona.

Otzelberger says it will take a big effort to get the win.

Senior guard Nate Heise says the struggles of last week were more about what the Cyclones did not do than what the opponents were doing.

Heise says the defensive intensity slipped last week.

Heise says the problems on defense have hurt the offensive end of the court.

IOWA CITY, Iowa –The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team picked up a Big Ten victory over No. 17 Michigan State, 196.400-195.675 for the first time since 2023 (five matchups) on Saturday evening at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes took event wins in vault (49.200), bars (49.125) and beam (49.025).  Iowa secured four individual event titles. Sophomore Aurélie Tran shined taking two individual event titles, vault (9.875) and bars (9.925). Fifth-year JerQuavia Henderson and sophomore Sydney Turner shared an individual title on beam posting 9.825. Henderson secured first place in the all-around scoring 39.375.

Freshman Sophie Schriever took second in her all-around debut with a 39.250 score.

VAULT
The GymHawks kicked off the meet with a season-high 49.200 on vault to lead the competition. Tran led the lineup with a 9.875, matching her career best. Henderson and Turner followed closely behind with a 9.850, to tie for second place.  Schriever contributed a career best of 9.825. Seniors Hanna Castillo and Avery Chambers posted a 9.800 and 9.775, respectively, to help the Hawkeyes sweep the top of the podium in the event.

BARS
Iowa earned a 49.125 on bars, highlighted by Tran’s season best 9.925 in the anchor position, securing the individual event title.  Senior Gianna Masella, freshman Daisy Bowles, Henderson and Schriever followed with matching scores of 9.800. Iowa continued their lead at the halfway mark, 98.325- 97.550.

BEAM
The momentum continued in the third rotation, where the GymHawks scored a season best 49.025 on beam. Henderson and Turner tied for first at 9.825, a career-high for Turner. Junior Eva Volpe and Schriever both contributed 9.800. Freshman Maggie Ball posted a career best, 9.775. Tran added a 9.750, to keep the Hawkeyes in the lead, heading into the final rotation.

FLOOR
Iowa closed the meet on beam, tallying a team score of 49.050. Henderson led the way with a 9.900, placing second overall. Senior Emily Erb contributed 9.850, to take third place. Schriever scored a career best 9.825, while Castillo posted 9.800.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JEN LLEWELLYN
“It feels amazing to get a win against Michigan State; they are an incredible team with a lot of success, and I think it was good for our team to get that confidence and know they are capable of competing against anyone in the country. Especially through a little bit of adversity throughout the entire meet, they stayed steady and focused on doing their gymnastics to the best of their ability. We finally hit beam like we knew we were capable of, which was a huge relief, and once they settled in and trusted themselves on floor, they came out strong.”

UP NEXT
The nationally ranked Hawkeyes will travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan on Jan. 24 to face the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines.  Action inside of Crisler Center will begin at 3 p.m. (C.T) and will be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The University of Iowa women’s tennis team opened the 2026 season with a 4-1 victory over Furman on Saturday morning at the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.

Furman opened the match by claiming the doubles point. On court one, No. 16 Sasha Dimitrov and Lillie Murphy defeated Daianne Hayashida and Mia Mack, 6-1 and Bianca Ceroni and Elle Warren followed on court two with a 6-2 win over Pia Kranholdt and Emma Tothová to clinch the point.

The Hawkeyes responded by winning four singles matches to secure the dual. Kranholdt earned Iowa’s first point with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Dimitrov on court four. Hayashida followed on court one, defeating Warren, 6-1, 6-4.

Tothová extended the Hawkeyes lead to 3-1 with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Hitchcock on court three.

Mack, who joined the team in January, clinched the victory on court two with a hard-fought 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-4 win over Murphy.

The remaining singles matches were left unfinished. On court five, Ceroni held a 6-4, 2-4 lead over Vishwase, while Robinson was leading Xu, 6-3, 2-2.

Mount Vernon, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s wrestling team crowned eight champions at the Cliff Keen Mike Duroe Invitational on Saturday. Twenty Hawkeyes collected top-five finishes.

At 103 pounds, No. 1 Valarie Solorio claimed the title after collecting two falls, one of which was in just 11 seconds. Once in the final she defeated fellow Hawkeye Sterling Dias via decision (4-4) to secure the title.

No. 2 Nyla Valencia notched wins over a pair of Hawkeye teammates on her way to the title. In the semifinals she defeated Ava Bayless in an 8-4 decision. Then, in the finals, she notched the win with an 11-0 technical fall over Emilie Gonzalez.

Freshman Harlee Hiller claimed the title at 117 pounds. After two pins and a technical fall, she secured the win with a 10-0 technical fall over Jasmine Luedtke (Wartburg) in the final.

At 124 pounds, Cali Leng collected back-to-back to back pins to secure a spot in the finals. Once there she notched the win by forfeit over her younger sister Cameron Leng (Unattached).

No. 1 Karlee Brooks collected four technical falls with a combined score of 42-0 on her way to the 131-pound title. In the final she took down fellow Hawkeye Bella Williams in a 4-1 decision.

At 138 pounds, Lilly Luft defeated Aine Moffit of Augustana in the finals via a 4-0 decision. She also notched a pin, two technical falls, and a decision on her way through the bracket.

In the semifinals at 145 pounds, No. 2 Reese Larramendy collected a ranked win over No. 7 Alissa Caltagirone (Northern Michigan). She followed with a win by fall over fellow Hawkeye Cadence Diduch to secure the title.

At 207 pounds, Katja Osteen claimed the title over teammate and second-ranked Jaycee Foeller with a 7-0 decision to take home the win.

The 11th ranked Iowa Hawkeye women held off a second half rally by 15th ranked Michigan State for a 75-68 win Sunday night, in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter to move to 7-0 in the Big Ten.

That’s coach Jan Jensen. Senior forward Hannah Stuelke led Iowa with 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

WAUKEE NORTHWEST INVITATIONAL

1. Raccoon River-Northwest – 248 pts

2. Cedar Falls – 196.5 pts

3. Lewis Central – 133 pts

11. Missouri Valley – 81.5 pts

12. SWAT – 76 pts

22. Red Oak – 13 pts

23. Treynor – 9 pts

SWAT Top Finishers: Bailey Lillard (3rd – 145), Stella Beattie (3rd – 170), Nadia South (6th – 105), Megan Gerlock (6th – 190), Erin South (7th – 130)

BOYS

Non-Conference 

IKM-Manning – 83 vs Exira-EHK – 36

St. Albert – 78 vs Westwood – 61

GIRLS

Non-Conference 

Exira-EHK-Audubon – 68 vs IKM-Manning – 44

LOYD SHAFFER-MARION INVITATIONAL

1. Jesup – 230.5 pts

2. Atlantic – 196.5 pts

3. Williamsburg – 171 pts

Atlantic Top Finishers – Jayden Harter (1st – 157), Dayton Van Horn (2nd – 106), Keaton Schroeder (2nd – 120), Kalvin Hayes (2nd – 150), Dreven Smith (2nd – 165), Donovan Hedrington (2nd – 190), Braxton Hass (3rd – 132), Landon Hagen (4th – 138), Travin Thomas (5th – 215), Cooper Woolsey (5th – 285)

TIGER INVITATIONAL

1. Coon Rapids-Bayard – 191 pts

2. Denison-Schleswig – 156 pts

3. St. Albert – 129 pts

4. Woodbine – 118.5

5. Bedford – 97.5 pts

5. Lewis Central – 97.5 pts

7. Treynor – 93 pts

8. Tri-Center – 72.5 pts

9. CAM – 70.5 pts

12. Griswold – 36 pts

CAM Top Finishers – Kason Calhoun (2nd – 144), Reilly Becker (4th – 120), Brentyn Hoover (4th – 175), Landon Calhoun (5th – 144), Oliver Becker (5th – 190), Parker Wilson (6th – 126), Raiden Mills (6th – 132)

Griswold Top Finishers – Launie Smith (2nd – 215), Sladynn Jones (3rd – 106), Hudson Perkins (6th – 150)

Tri-Center Top Finishers – Noah Goodwin (1st – 150), Carter Gittins (3rd – 126), Judah York (4th – 157), Tucker Olsen (5th – 132), Scottie Vorthmann (6th – 190)

CRESTON INVITATIONAL

1. Algona – 214 pts

1. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont – 214 pts

3. Riverside – 186 pts

6. Nodaway Valley – 137 pts

9. Creston – 75.5 pts

11. Clarinda – 32.5 pts

Riverside Top Finishers – Drew Anderson (1st – 138), Kingston Carrigan (3rd – 126), Mason Houser (3rd – 150), Max Shanno (3rd – 165), Maxims Applegate (4th – 113), Jack Branan (4th – 144), Jaxon Gordon (4th – 157), Jackson Allen (4th – 175), Wyatt Bell (4th – 215), Colton Hering (5th – 106), Rex Shanno (5th – 132),

Nodaway Valley Top Finishers – Caleb Christensen (1st – 190), Ashton Honnold (1st – 285), Josh Nelson (2nd – 106), Ty Strode (3rd – 132), Thomas Herrick (4th – 120), Trevyn Colton (5th – 113)

Ryley Goebel scored 32 points and had 12 rebounds as the UNI women held off Bradley 73-70 in the McLeod Center.

That’s UNI coach Tanya Warren. The Panthers are now 5-2 in Missouri Valley play.

The 19th ranked Iowa State women suffered their fifth straight loss. Oklahoma State outscored the Cyclones 30-13 in the second quarter and led by as many as 35 points in an 86-58 victory in Stillwater. ISU is now 2-5 in the Big 12.

That’s Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. The Cyclones shot only 39 percent, including just five-of-17 from three point range.

The Cyclones return to action Wednesday night at home against Cincinnati.