The Exira-EHK-Audubon girls basketball team saw their 22-game win streak and their season come to an end Wednesday night as they fell to the St. Albert Saintes 45-37 in the state quarterfinal. Despite a slow start, Exira-EHK-Audubon fought hard in a physical game for all four quarters. After surrendering a 15-1 run to start game, they would constantly battle and thanks in large part to their stout defense, would tie the game in the fourth quarter. Although Taryn Petersen’s team leading 18 points played a large part in the comeback effort, St. Albert’s ability to control glass was too much to overcome. It was a solid effort against one of the best teams in the state that came up just a little short.

The start to the ball game couldn’t have gone any worse for Exira-EHK-Audubon. St. Albert was on top of them from the opening tip. At points throughout the opening quarter, Exira-EHK-Audubon struggled to move the ball without turning it over. Although St. Albert wasn’t electric on offense it was enough to go on a 15-1 over the course of the first five minutes. However, after Taryn Petersen hit the first field goal of the game with just under two minutes in the quarter, Exira-EHK-Audubon settled in. Over the course of the final two minutes, they outscored St. Albert 7-2 to get themselves back in the game.

That trend continued in the second. Although it took a while for the offense to get going, they continued to close the gap. Through the final 10 minutes of the half, Exira-EHK-Audubon outscored the Saintes 19-7 including a 9-2 run over the final four minutes of the second and went into the half down by two.

Credit has to be given to the defenses. It was the lowest point total in a class 1A quarterfinal, and the lowest point total in the whole tournament for a game that finished within single digits. St. Albert’s pressure caused a lot of issues for Exira-EHK-Audubon. On the other end, Exira-EHK-Audubon did a phenomenal job in the half court and continued to find ways to survive. However, it was the overwhelming need to survive possessions caused by the rebounding of St. Albert that ultimately turned out to be the biggest difference. The Saintes outrebounded Exira-EHK-Audubon 51-25. A lot of the damage was done on the offense glass. There were numerous times were the Saintes earned second, third, and even forth chance opportunities. Eventually this became too much to survive.

However, despite everything, Exira-EHK-Audubon hung in the game. Although St. Albert extended their lead in the third, Exira-EHK-Audubon came right back in the early stages of the fourth going on a 10-2 through the first three minutes of the frame to tie the game. Unfortunately, St. Albert found and answer on both offense and defense, as Exira-EHK-Audubon never truly threatened again.

Head coach Tom Petersen was extremely pleased with his team’s effort against the defending champs.

Junior Taryn Petersen credited their ability to get to the inside as the adjustment that got them back into the game.

Jaelyn Petersen one of three seniors on the team was happy with what her and her classmates were able to accomplish over their careers.

St. Albert is one of the best teams in the state and are primed to defend their state championship. For Exira-EHK-Audubon, they showed that they could hang with the best.

Exira-EHK-Audubon ends the season with a record of 22-2 and made their first state tournament appearance in four years.

The Iowa Hawkeye men look to rebound from a bad loss when they close the home schedule on Thursday night against third ranked Michigan. Saturday’s 71-69 loss at Penn State could prove costly when it comes to seeding for the Big Ten Tournament.

That’s Iowa coach Ben McCollum. At 17-1 in the Big Ten, the Wolverines have already clinched the regular season title and will have a huge advantage along the front line against the undersized Hawkeyes.

The Michigan front line trio of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara is averaging better than 39 points and more than 21 and-a-half rebounds per game.

McCollum says the Hawkeyes need to get better in their half-court defense at crunch time.

Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson says defense will be a key on Thursday night when the sixth seeded Panthers take on 11th seeded Evansville at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis. The Panthers beat the Aces twice in convincing fashion during the regular season.

Evansville finished the regular season 7-24 but Jacobson feels they have made progress at the end of the season.

Evansville coach David Ragland on the challenge UNI provides.

Ragland says the Aces need to find a way to solve the UNI defense.

Two teams heading in opposite directions collide in the opener at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis Thursday afternoon when Drake plays Southern Illinois. The ninth seeded Bulldogs are 12-19 and closed the regular season with nine consecutive losses while the eighth seeded Salukis are 16-15 and have won four straight.

That’s first year Drake coach Eric Henderson. The teams traded a pair of road wins during the regular season.

It has been a bitterly disappointing season for the three-time defending champion Bulldogs who had won 20 or more games in each of the past seven seasons.

Iowa women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen says senior forward Hannah Stuelke remains questionable for this week’s Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Stuelke injured her right elbow in the ninth ranked Hawkeyes February 26th win over Illinois and missed Sunday’s victory at Wisconsin.

The Hawkeyes are the two seed in the tournament and don’t play until late Friday afternoon.

If Stuelke can’t play she will have two weeks to get ready for the NCAA Tournament.

If Stuelke can’t play, freshman Journey Houston will take on a bigger role.

After a disappointing dual season the seventh ranked Iowa wrestling team gets ready for this weekend’s Big Ten Championships at Penn State. The Hawkeyes were 12-6 in duals and have finished third and fourth at the last two Big Ten Meets.

That’s Iowa coach Tom Brands. The tournament seeds that came out at the beginning of the week have triggered a lot of debate but Brands says for the wrestlers it is all about the bracket.

Brands on the keys this weekend.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa’s Ryan Johnson was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships, the conference announced Wednesday.

Johnson claimed the Big Ten weight throw title with a world-leading mark of 25.66 meters at the 2026 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships. Mike Stein was Iowa’s most recent winner of this award, earning the distinction in 2024 after he won the Big Ten javelin title.

The throw set a new school record, previously held by Johnson, and broke the collegiate, meet, and facility records. With the performance, Johnson moves to third on the all-time American weight throw list and fourth in world history. The previous Big Ten record of 25.58 meters was set by Wisconsin’s Michael Lihrman in 2015.

Now a back-to-back Big Ten champion, Johnson earned the program’s first men’s weight throw conference title last season with a 24.38-meter effort.

Johnson returns to competition at the NCAA Championships on Friday, March 13. The men’s weight throw is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. (CT).

Men’s Indoor Track & Field Sportsmanship Honorees

Vaughn Devaughn III, Iowa

Women’s Indoor Track & Field Sportsmanship Honorees

Princess Uche, Iowa

Atlantic Boys Wrestling had one of the most successful seasons in school history. They sent a school record-tying 8 boys to state and medaled two of them. They also went 10-0 in conference dual play, finishing first in the Hawkeye Ten, and placed first in the John Harris Invitational. Despite falling just short of State Duals, they still had a successful season as a whole. Head Coach Tim Duff is proud of the season his boys had and really liked their showing from start to finish.

This Trojans team was a group of guys who really put in the work. Finishing first in conference and sending 8 guys to state doesn’t happen without extra time on the mats:

The group of seniors was only three this season, but all three represented themselves and the school well for all four year and won a lot of matches:

Atlantic is looking to reload and be just as successful next year. They have a couple wrestlers returning who will bring instant impact to the program:

Finishing as the conference winner in duals and sending a school record tying 8 boys to state capped off a historic 2025-26 season for Atlantic Boys Wrestling.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa track and field qualified nine student-athletes to the 2026 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Senior Kalen Walker and junior Ryan Johnson return to the NCAA Indoor Championships while junior Darwin Jimenez, sophomore Emmanuel Njoku and sophomore Chioma Nwachukwu make their indoor championship debuts. Iowa’s women’s 4×400 relay team of Gabby Cortez, Olicia Lucas, Damaris Mutunga and Alivia Williams also qualified to the national meet.

Walker, a senior from Eddyville, Iowa, became a three-time Big Ten champion after clocking a facility-record 6.54 to secure the gold in the 60 meters. He adds to his decorated Big Ten career, now winning the 60 meters along with the 100 meters and as part of the 4×100 relay.

Johnson, a junior from Springboro, Ohio, became a back-to-back Big Ten champion in the men’s weight throw after launching a 2026 world-leading 25.66-meter mark. Johnson’s mark not only set a new school record but also shattered the collegiate, meet, and facility records. He now ranks third all-time among American weight throwers and fourth in history overall.

Jimenez, a junior from Methuen, Massachusetts, qualified with a season-best time of 6.52 at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. The time ranks second all-time at Iowa. He finished the 60 meters at the Big Ten Championships in 6.56, earning fourth place and helping lead the men’s team to a third-place finish. Earlier this season, he won the 60 meters at the Larry Wieczorek Invite in his Hawkeye debut (6.56).

Njoku, a sophomore from Benin City, Nigeria, earned Big Ten second-team honors in the men’s long jump, soaring 7.86 meters and winning the silver medal. Njoku earned second-team honors in consecutive seasons and was named to the Big Ten’s all-freshman team a season ago. His season-best mark was set at the Tyson Invite at 7.93 meters.

Nwachukwu, a sophomore from Asaba, Nigeria, earned Big Ten second-team honors as the runner-up in the women’s 400 meters after posting a personal-best finish of 51.67. The mark ranks second all-time in Iowa program history. Nwachukwu also anchored the 4×400-meter relay that placed second in 3:30.08. The time ranks second all-time at Iowa.

Iowa’s women’s 4×400 relay team of Gabby Cortez, Olicia Lucas, Damaris Mutunga and Alivia Williams are heading to the national meet after a qualifying time of 3:29.69 at the Tyson Invite. Lucas, Mutunga and Williams attended last season’s outdoor meet. Cortez will be making her national championships debut. Freshman Izzy Zahn and sophomore Chioma Nwachukwu will serve as alternates.

The NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships begin on Friday, March 13th and will continue March 14th.