In a game that seemed to be on the brink of being out of reach, the Atlantic Trojans found their way back from a 14-point deficit. However, the comeback came up just one second short as they fell to the Lewis Central Titans 48-46 Friday night. Although the first quarter went well for the Trojans, the offense struggled for a large portion of the game. Although the defense kept it from being a blowout, time was running out on Atlantic. However, with three minutes left, the tide turned. Thanks to some electric three-point and their ability to force turnovers, the Trojans erased the 14-point deficit and took the lead with just seconds remaining. However, the comeback bid ended in heartbreak as the Titans nailed an open three to regain the lead and ultimately the game. Despite brilliant flashes throughout the course of the game, it was still an inconsistent performance as the Trojans dropped their second in a row.

Outside of the final three minutes, the first quarter was Atlantic’s best stretch of basketball. Although the offense wasn’t explosive, neither was the Titans’. Neither team found much success from beyond the arc, and each team only managed a handful of field goals. Katrina Williams led the way for the Trojans wth five hard-earned points in the paint as a part of her team leading 12 points. Both defenses made life difficult for the other as the opening frame saw Lewis Central hold a slim 11-10 lead.

The second quarter is where things shifted in favor of the Titans. While Atlantic’s offense went dry, Lewis Central started connecting. Ellie Born exploded onto the scene, scoring seven of her game-leading 18 points in the second quarter, including one of the four three-pointers in the frame. Meanwhile, the Titans played a physical style of defense that pressured Atlantic at every turn. Nearly every time the Trojans so much as bobbled the ball, they found a Titan bearing down at them. The Trojans were held to single-digit points in both the second and the third quarters. However, they fought hard defensively. Although Lewis Central had the momentum, the Trojans never allowed the game to be out of reach.

Despite the game being in reach, trailing 37-25, it felt as if the Trojans needed a good start to the fourth. However, they didn’t;t get it. Through the first five minutes of the quarter, Atlantic managed just two points, and it seemed like hope was fading. Then, like flipping a switch, everything changed. The Trojans hit five three-pointers, two of which came from Zoey Kirchoff, including the one that gave Atlantic the lead with 7 seconds left. They were also able to force numerous turnovers, which led to easy buckets. After surrendering the lead and out of a timeout, the Titans had one shot to win the game, and they didn’t miss. After racing up the court and driving toward the lane, Macie Vetters found Born wide open in the corner, and she nailed her second long ball of the evening. Although Atlantic snuck in a timeout, it gave them a measly 1.5 seconds to work with. Despite getting Kirchoff some room at center court, her heave came up well short, putting an end to the comeback bid. Although the comeback was magnificent, the Trojans found themselves chasing for much of the game as the offense continued to be inconsistent at times. Head coach Dan Vargason was very pleased with the effort and resiliency they showed in their comeback effort.

However, they are still searching for some answers.

The Trojans now 4-4, have a quick turnaround as they will head to Nodaway Valley Monday to make up a rescheduled game.

Hawkeye Ten Conference 

Lewis Central – 48 vs Atlantic – 46

Harlan – 79 vs Red Oak – 21

Clarinda – 67 vs Denison-Schleswig – 21

Glenwood – 71 vs Creston – 57

St. Albert – 63 vs Shenandoah – 40

Western Iowa Conference 

Riverside – 51 vs Logan-Magnolia – 20

AHSTW – 35 vs Missouri Valley – 33

Treynor – 73 vs IKM-Manning – 42

Rolling Valley Conference 

Exira-EHK-Audubon – 57 vs CAM – 42

Coon Rapids-Bayard – 50 vs Woodbine – 33

Glidden-Ralston – 64 vs Paton-Churdan – 30

Pride of Iowa Conference 

Nodaway Valley – 72 vs Wayne – 40

Southwest Valley – 58 vs Southeast Warren – 23

Central Decatur – 57 vs Lenox – 19

Martensdale-St. Marys – 56 vs East Union – 21

West Central Activities Conference 

ACGC – 45 vs Panorama – 35

Earlham – 47 vs Van Meter – 41

West Central Valley – 31 vs Madrid – 27

Woodward-Granger – 39 vs Ogden – 28

Des Moines Christian – 62 vs Pleasantville – 34

Missouri River Conference 

Abraham Lincoln – 72 vs Thomas Jefferson – 22

Le Mars – 53 vs Sioux City North – 52

Sioux City East – 74 vs Sergeant Bluff-Luton – 38

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa graduate center Logan Jones is the recipient of the 2025 Duke Slater Golden Gavel Award, which was voted upon by a group of Iowa media members who cover the program on a regular basis.

For the second consecutive year, only one vote separated the winner from the runner-up. Jones, a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, is the fifth Iowa football player to earn the annual honor. He joins inaugural winner Kaevon Merriweather (2021), Spencer Petras (2022) and linebackers Jay Higgins (2023) and Nick Jackson (2024) among Golden Gavel recipients.

By description, “The Golden Gavel will go to the Iowa football player, who not only is most cooperative with local media, but exhibits themself with professional integrity in all interactions.”

“Throughout this process, Iowa’s media corps had strong opinions about who should win, but several members split nominations because they thought there were so many deserving candidates,” said Scott Dochterman, a college football writer with The Athletic who presented Jones with the Golden Gavel. “Logan Jones was one vote shy of sharing honors with Nick Jackson last year, and his earnest, honest and thoughtful answers no matter the situation has made him a favored interview throughout his career.”

A special mention goes to quarterback Mark Gronowski, who garnered plenty of support and finished one vote shy of his batterymate. Others receiving final votes from local media include cornerback T.J. Hall, running back Kamari Moulton and defensive backs Zach Lutmer and Koen Entringer.

The award is named after Duke Slater, a former Iowa All-American tackle who was a charter member of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1953 and a 2020 inductee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Slater earned his law degree from the University of Iowa while playing in the NFL, and he became the first African-American elected to the Cook County Superior Court. The playing surface at Kinnick Stadium was renamed Duke Slater Field in summer 2021.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa volleyball signed two transfers to the program, head coach Jim Barnes announced on Friday. The Hawkeyes welcome middle hitter Liv Mogridge from Georgia Tech and Ksenija Tomic from Oregon.

“We are very fortunate to add Ksenija and Liv to our program,” Barnes said. “They both bring power, height and high-level experience.  Ksenija is a versatile player on the left side.  She is a high-level passer with a big arm.  She competes like a Hawkeye, has won at a high level and will make a big impact.  Liv is an imposing player in the middle.  At 6-5, she impacts the game offensively and defensively. Liv is also a tremendous leader.  She will join our other four seniors and lead this team well. She is ready to make a major impact in the Big Ten.”

Mogridge is a 6-5 middle from Lutz, Florida, who will spend her final year of eligibility as a Hawkeye after receiving a redshirt in 2025. She began her career at North Carolina in 2022, where she landed on the all-ACC Freshman Team. At UNC, Mogridge played in all 29 matches and made 28 starts. She was fourth on the team with 141 kills and hit .272. She also contributed 87 blocks.

After one season in Chapel Hill, Mogridge transferred to Georgia Tech, where she spent the last three seasons and made three NCAA tournament appearances. Her sophomore season was interrupted due to injury in 2023, but began with success. Through 13 matches, Mogridge was sixth in Division I and held a .448 hitting percentage. Ultimately, she played in 19 matches in the 2023 season and finished hitting .433.

In 2024, Mogridge played in 31 matches for the Jackets. She had 199 kills, 90 blocks, 71 digs, 23 aces and 12 assists. In helping Tech reach the NCAA Tournament, Mogridge shined against second-seeded Wisconsin, hitting .355 with 12 kills and four blocks.

Tomic is a 6-2 outside hitter from Belgrade, Serbia, and joins the program after spending her freshman season at Oregon. In 2025, Tomic played in 17 matches and made nine starts. She tallied 61 kills in 49 sets played. Tomic contributed defensively with 34 digs and 16 blocks.

Tomic started five of Oregon’s first six matches and recorded double-digit kills in a pair of contests. In Oregon’s win over Colorado State, Tomic hit a team-high .344 and posted her season high of 15 kills. She also had five blocks. Later, Tomic drilled 10 kills against Portland State and finished with her season-best hitting percentage of .421.

The Northern Iowa women return from final exams and visit St. Thomas of Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers are 4-6 after losses to South Dakota State and tenth ranked Iowa State.

That’s Panther coach Tanya Warren, who says her team must do a better job of taking care of the ball.

St. Thomas is 6-6 but is riding a five game winning streak.

The 23rd ranked Iowa football team returns to the practice field, today, as preparations continue for the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Years Eve. The Hawkeyes will play 14th ranked Vanderbilt in Tampa.

Ferentz says the entire team will practice today.

As of Thursday Ferentz says none of the players have told him they are opting out of the bowl game or leaving early for the NFL Draft.

CORNER CONFERENCE DUALS

Southwest Iowa 18 East Mills 12

Griswold 24 Southwest Iowa 18

Griswold 12 East Mills 12 (Griswold wins tiebreaker)

Griswold winners: Addalynn Phelps (2), Alexis Dofner (2), Brianna Dofner, Abbi Henderson

SWI winners: Macy Kalhorn, Katie Glenn (2), Jocelyn Tackett (2), Liz Covert

East Mills winners: Maggie Miles-Crook (2), Adaya Miles-Crook (2)

TRIANGULAR AT CARROLL 

Gilbert 72 Denison-Schleswig 12

Denison-Schleswig 41 North Polk 30

Carroll 46 Denison-Schleswig 27

D-S winners: Andrea Alcaraz (3), Tricia Collins (3), Lihley Vrieze (2), Alejandra Aragon (2), Emelie Martinez (2), Gracen Plagge, Cynthia Ornelas

TRIANGULAR AT KUEMPER CATHOLIC 

Atlantic 59 Lewis Central 18

Atlantic 78 Kuemper Catholic 0

Lewis Central 68 Kuemper Catholic 9

Atlantic winners: Landon Hagen (2), Jayden Harter (2), Donovan Hedrington (2), Hunter Kinzie (2), Keaton Schroeder (2), Dreven Smith (2), Travin Thomas (2), Dayton Van Horn (2), Cooper Woolsey (2), Braxton Hass, Carter Hadley, Kalvin Hayes, Callan Kluever

LC winners: Mandius Volentine (2), Owen Duffek (2), Brody Burroughs (2), Carson Lindsey, Braidyn Campbell, Blake Aldrich, Garrett Bills, Aidin Iverson, Isaac Bates, Koltin Volentine, Alex Graeve, Quentin Kammrad, Conor Lindsey

Kuemper winners: Beckett Wernimont, Maguire Hoyt

CORNER CONFERENCE DUALS 

Griswold 36 East Mills 12 

Bedford 42 Southwest Iowa 36

Bedford 36 Griswold 24

Bedford 48 East Mills 12

Southwest Iowa 48 East Mills 12

Southwest Iowa 42 Griswold 30

Griswold winners: Hudson Perkins (3), Gunner Amos (2), Jaden Jensen (2), Launie Smith (2) Sladynn Jones (2), Alex Rasmussen, Quinton Wilson (2), Dane Carey

Bedford winners: Bentley Cavin (3), Kase Coleman (3), Grant Gould (3), Barrick Gladman (3), Gabe Gray (3) Tucker Supinger (3), Calvin Kinghorn (2), Bryson Cavin

East Mills winners: Landon Gibbs (2), Curtis Jackson (3), James Cantwell

SWI winners: Flynt Bell (3), Evan Lang (3), Ayden Luke (3), Nash Moreland (3), Garret Thompson (3), Max Mount (2), Otto Wederquist (2), Justin Bartholomew, Justin Bartholomew

QUAD AT ST. ALBERT 

Red Oak 48 St. Albert 35

Red Oak 42 Underwood 42 (Red Oak wins via tiebreak)

Denison-Schleswig 57 Red Oak 17

Denison-Schleswig 60 St. Albert 18

Underwood 46 St. Albert 18

Underwood 41 Denison-Schleswig 36

Denison-Schleswig winners: Malachi Esteves (3), Aiden Lara (3), William Mathies (2), Tyler Stanton (3), Brandon Rosario (2), Jayden Bradley (2), Jackson Graeve (2), David Raymundo-Lopez (2), Javier Medina (2), Richard Cruz-Nieto (2), Aidan Eggeling (2), Anthony Arita, Elvyn Alvarenga

Red Oak winners: Terrence Rayborn (3), Oliver Dykes (2), Jackson Rea (2), Izic Zarate (2), Carson VanScoy, Jacob Woodend (2), Hayden Hietbrink, Dayton Gusman (2), Noah Smirniotis, Jackson Perdue, Hayden Jones

St. Albert winners: Sam Raymond (3), Brody Pellett (2), Micah Hutchison (2), Andrew Tamayo (2), Lee Messinger, Ryan McColloch, Andrew Beckman

TRIANGULAR AT CLARINDA 

Shenandoah 53 Clarinda 24

Shenandoah 48 Harlan 24

Clarinda 36 Harlan 33

Harlan winners: Jaysin Ludwig (2), Sawyer Hudson (2), Nathan Sandquist (2), Coy Obrecht (2), Nick Gubbels, Jose Torres

Shenandoah winners: Carter Wooten (2), Hayden Roush (2), Lukus Major (2), Jacob McGargill (2), Tyler Babe (2), Landon Fuller (2), Will Berning (2), Aiden Dinges, Taylor Dickerson, Hayden Dukes,

Clarinda winners: Skyler Cornett (2), Fisher Graves (2), Hunter Williams, Gregor Hughes, Channing Pedersen, Trevor Smith, Brayden Tillman, William Sump

QUAD AT PANORAMA 

ACGC 54 Southeast Valley 30

ACGC 48 Ogden 15

ACGC 39 Panorama 30

Ogden 42 Panorama 36

Southeast Valley 36 Ogden 34

Southeast Valley 45 Panorama 30

ACGC winners: Brandon Carlson (3), Carter Richter (3), Jack Sheeder (3), Charlie Christensen (3), Ryder Cline (3), Lane Stringer (3) Ty Ganzer (3), Gavin Steensen (2), Angel Martinez

Corner Conference 

Fremont-Mills – 68 vs Hamburg – 52

Pride of Iowa Conference 

Mount Ayr – 62 vs East Union – 43

Non-Conference 

Riverside – 62 vs East Mills – 47

Southwest Valley – 75 vs Griswold – 23

Treynor – 76 vs Clarinda – 34

West Monona – 45 vs Boyer Valley – 34

West Central Valley – 60 vs Red Oak – 53

Lenox – 71 vs Stanton – 70 (2OT)

Heartland Christian – 42 vs Essex – 34

Central Decatur – 42 vs Mormon Trail – 38

Colo-Nesco – 73 vs Paton-Churdan – 71 (2OT)

Thomas Jefferson – 58 vs Nebraska City – 51

Ankeny Christian – 82 vs Meskwaki Settlement School – 20

North Harrison – 62 vs Lamoni – 43

Corner Conference 

Fremont-Mills – 69 Hamburg – 18

Pride of Iowa Conference 

Mount Ayr – 67 East Union – 19

Non-Conference 

Riverside – 58 East Mills – 17

Southwest Valley – 54 Griswold – 39

Treynor – 57 Clarinda – 37

Lenox – 54 Stanton – 47

Heartland Christian – 29 Essex – 14

Paton-Churdan – 41 Colo-Nesco – 33

Meskwaki Settlement School – 70 Ankeny Christian – 36

Dakota Valley – 64 Sioux City West – 8

Nebraska City – 67 Thomas Jefferson – 19

North Harrison – 44 Lamoni – 12