AMES, Iowa – Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has earned a spot in the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024 and is officially in the running for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.

Becht has been outstanding leading the Cyclone offense this season, paving the way for ISU’s first 7-0 start since 1938. Through seven games, Becht has thrown for 1,712 yards and 11 touchdowns and is completing passes at a 61.3% clip.

The Wesley Chapel, Fla. native has thrown a touchdown pass in 11-straight games dating back to last season and has thrown for 250-plus yards in five games this season, including three straight. Becht has also made good use of his feet to extend plays and pick up key first downs on the ground. He has four rushing touchdowns this season.

Still just a sophomore, Becht has been at his best when it’s mattered most this season, delivering two game-winning drives when ISU has gotten the ball trailing with less than two minutes remaining in the game.

At No. 21 Iowa, Becht marched the Cyclones 42 yards in 0:28 to set up a game-winning field goal with 0:06 left. Becht came through in crunch time once again against UCF when he led the Cyclones on an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in 1:18, capped by a quarterback sneak with 0:30 remaining in the game.

No. 11 Iowa State is back in action Saturday, Nov. 2 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN when they host Texas Tech for homecoming.

THIS WEEK
University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross country begins postseason competition with the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Illinois, on Nov. 1. The Big Ten Championships are hosted by the University of Illinois and held at the Orange and Blue Golf Course. The women’s 6,000-meter race begins at 10:35 a.m. (CT), with the men’s 8,000-meter race to follow at 11:35.

LAST TIME OUT
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross-country teams concluded their regular season on Oct. 18, with six Hawkeyes setting personal records at the Bradley Pink Classic. The men placed third overall with 165 points, while the women finished tenth with 275 points.

WOMEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Miriam Sandeen is the leading runner for Iowa in the 2024 regular season. The senior from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has been Iowa’s top finisher in the Hawkeye Invite, Big Ten Preview and the Bradley Pink Classic. Freshman Elena Torres finished as Iowa’s top runner at the Gans Creek Classic. Senior Amber Aesoph and junior Rowan Boulter combined to score for all of Iowa’s 2024 regular season races.

MEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Juniors Will Ryan, Miles Sheppard, Brayden Burnett, and Carson Houg have been Iowa’s point scorers this season. Ryan was named to the Big Ten’s Preseason Watch List. Sophomore Miles Wilson has been a consistent top-five runner for Iowa in every meet for the 2024 season.

LAST TIME HERE
The Hawkeyes had a previous look at the Blue and Orange Cross Country Course at the Big Ten Preview on Sept. 13. The women’s team finished fifth with 140 points, led by Miriam Sandeen in 22nd (21:13.2). Amber Aesoph, Elena Torres, Hillary Trainor, and Rowan Boulter rounded out Iowa’s top five. The men’s team placed seventh with 178 points. Miles Wilson paced the Hawkeyes with a 19th-place finish (24:06.2), followed by Miles Sheppard, Kyle Montgomery, Ethan Eichhorn and Hayden Kuhn.

HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
Iowa’s freshman class has made a significant impact this season. On the women’s side, Elena Torres has been recognized twice as Big Ten Freshman of the Week, earning the honor for her performances at the Big Ten Preview and Gans Creek Classic. She was also named Iowa’s September Woman Athlete of the Month. Additionally, Marissa Long and Hillary Trainor have consistently placed among Iowa’s top five runners in the team’s first two races. The men’s team has also seen strong performances from its freshmen. Kyle Montgomery and Ethan Eichhorn have been key contributors, finishing among Iowa’s top five at multiple meets. Montgomery excelled at the Hawkeye Invite, Gans Creek Classic, and Bradley Pink Classic, while Eichhorn secured top-five finishes at the Hawkeye Invite, Big Ten Preview, and Bradley Pink Classic.

With a month remaining Iowa State controls its own destiny. The 11th ranked Cyclones are 7-0 and along with BYU are one of two unbeaten’s in Big 12 play. The path is clear to a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth and ISU will move to 8-0 for the first time in program history with a homecoming win over Texas Tech.

That’s Iowa State coach Matt Campbell who says they key will be how the Cyclones finish the season.

The Cyclones are 7-0 for the first time since 1938 but Campbell says they will be defined by how they play in November.

Campbell says leadership will be critical during the final month.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says quarterback Cade McNamara will not play Saturday night when the Hawkeyes host Wisconsin. McNamara suffered a concussion in a 40-14 win over Northwestern and was replaced in the second quarter by Brendan Sullivan.

Ferentz is hoping McNamara can return to practice next week. He missed the final nine games of last season after suffering an ACL injury.

Sullivan will get his first start against Badgers after directing the Hawkeyes to a touchdown drive late in the second quarter and three touchdown drives in the third quarter.

Under Ferentz Iowa has been known to finish the regular season strong. The Hawkeyes have won 18 of their last 20 games in November.

The Badgers enter 5-3 after a home loss to third ranked Penn State. Iowa will be in search of a third straight win in their series but Wisconsin has claimed eight of the last 12.

Texas Tech is in bounce back mode as they get ready to visit 11th ranked Iowa State. After opening the Big 12 race 3-0 the Red Raiders have dropped two straight after a 35-34 loss to TCU that knocked them out of the title chase.

That’s Texas Tech coach Joe McGuire. The Red Raider defense has been shredded the past two games and given up a total of 94 points.

McGuire says quarterback Behren Morton may return against ISU. He was knocked out of the game against TCU with an injured shoulder.

McGuire says Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock is one of the best in the country.

McGuire on the job Matt Campbell has done at ISU.

Class 2A

Region 2:

Tri-Center 3,  Shenandoah 2 (25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 21-25, 15-10)

Class 1A

Region 4:
Riverside 3, East Mills 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-13)
Akron-Westfield 3, Trinity Christian 0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-20)

Region 6:
Southwest Valley 3, Stanton 0 (25-22, 28-26, 25-20)

Region 8:

Sidney 3, Fremont-Mills 0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-21).

The Riverside Bulldogs volleyball team has earned another sharp victory against the East Mills Wolverines on Monday night with a 3-0 score in the Class 1A Region 4 semifinals. From the first serve the high octane energy was set for this match as it points continued to go back and forth. At one point Riverside was up 15-10 with all the momentum and East Mills came all the way back to make it 20-18. Then Sophia Taylor added a few kills and a crucial block in the set to help the Bulldogs take it 25-22. Taylor on the night had 9 kills and 2 big blocks.

In the second and third sets Riverside was led by Bentley Rone with 11 kills, 21 assists, 3 blocks, 2 ace, 4 digs and Madison Kelley with 4 kills, 3 aces, 4 digs, and, 5 blocks. Both found success targeting the back row with their serves and clean sets top put their teammates swings in perfect position. Set two saw the same amount of intensity, but with the amount of confidence that Riverside gained from winning the first set they held on to win set two 25-21. Set three was much cleaner and filled with more precision with there Bulldogs going on a 7-0 run to clear the set and sweep the Wolverines 25-13.

Riverside Head Volleyball Coach Brooke Flathers was pleased with how her team closed out the third set going on that 7-0 run.

Coach Flathers also complimented on the fight and skill East Mills displayed throughout the match.

Heading into the Regional Final coach Flathers wants her team to stay focused on practice and not look too far ahead.

For the Class 1A Region 4 Finals, the Bulldogs will head to West Monona to take on the Akron-Westfield Westerners for an opportunity to head to State. KJAN will have the coverage with the pregame show beginning at 6:30pm.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Iowa State junior point guard Tamin Lipsey has been named to the Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday.

Lipsey is one of four players from the Big 12 named to the 20-member watch list. A returning AP Honorable Mention All-American, Lipsey was a finalist for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year and the Lute Olson National Player of the Year awards last season.

The annual Bob Cousy Award, named after the Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard, celebrates its 22nd year by highlighting the top point guard in Division I men’s college basketball.

Lipsey also got it done in the classroom, being named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team. He was also selected to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament team after leading the Cyclones to their sixth Big 12 Championship. He was also named an NABC First Team All-District selection, named to the All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team last season.

Lipsey averaged 12.4 points, 4.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals in his sophomore campaign. He was one of 17 players in the country, and the first in Big 12 history, to average those numbers since 1996-97. Lipsey had a school-record steal streak of 34-straight games snapped this season. It was the second longest streak in the country. He has a steal in 66 of the 69 games he has played.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, November 1. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committee for the Bob Cousy Award is composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.

The winner of the 2025 Cousy Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center).

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award include Tristen Newton, Connecticut (2024), Markquis Nowell, Kansas State (2023), Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (2021), Ja Morant, Murray State (2019), Jalen Brunson, Villanova (2018), Trey Burke, Michigan (2013), Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (2012), Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2011), and Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph’s (2004).

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior guard, Lucy Olsen, was to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason watch list by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association on Monday.

Olsen was 1-of-20 student-athletes chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts that recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.

Olsen competed the previous three seasons at Villanova University. The Collegeville, Pennsylvania, native was third in the country in scoring (23.3 ppg) last season behind Caitlin Clark and USC’s JuJu Watkins. She scored over 20 points in 25 games this season, including surpassing 30 points in 10 of those games, with a career-high of 40 points against Temple. Additionally, she averaged 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. She was named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press. Olsen also highlighted the All-Big East by earning first team accolades and the Most Improved Player Award last season.

In its 26th year, the award recognizes the top point guard in NCAA Division I women’s college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former University of Iowa player and assistant coach Kirk Speraw will be inducted into the University of Central Florida Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday as part of the Class of 2024.

The six-person class will be recognized at an induction banquet and the group will be honored on field at halftime of the UCF-Arizona football game.

Speraw, who served as the Knights’ head coach from 1993-2020, led the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances (1994, 1996, 2004, 2005), four Atlantic Sun Tournament titles and an A-SUN regular season crown in 2005.

During the 2006-07 season, Speraw was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year after guiding UCF to 22 victories and a runner-up league finish. He coached 18 all-conference selections in his 17 seasons and 54 academic all-league honorees.

In his career, Speraw coached a total of 43 years as an assistant coach at Iowa (1979-80, 2010-22), Denver (1980-82), Florida Southern (1982-87), Florida (1990-93) and head coach at Pensacola Junior College (1987-90) and UCF.

The Sioux City, Iowa, native was a two-time letterman (1978-79) as a Hawkeye, playing under Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olson.