AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head coach Jamie Pinkerton has announced the signings of five prep players to National Letters of Intent.

The Cyclones have signed Kylee Espinoza, Hailey Holtz, Kasey Kane, Liv Palumbo and Ava Wilmes.

“I feel that we as a staff did a good job identifying what our immediate needs were to supplement our large 2024 class,” says Pinkerton. “This group adds depth to our pitching staff, catchers and both corner and middle infield. Offensively, we gained a much-needed left-handed bat that our 2026 team will need. Overall, I am really pleased with this group that just joined Cyclone Nation.”

Kylee Espinoza – 5’7 | INF | Murrieta, Calif. | Vista Murrieta HS
A four-time letterwinner and three-year starter in high school, Espinoza comes to Iowa State boasting experience all over the infield. In her most recent season, she earned first-team all-league honors. She’s not the only Division I softball player in her family, as her cousin, Taylor Becerra, played four seasons at Arizona State (2015-19).

“We feel that Kylee will be a big boost to our infield,” says Pinkerton. “She is a natural middle infielder who can also play third base. I am excited about the depth she will be able to provide to our team. She is a contact hitter that has power and continues to get stronger.”

Hailey Holtz – 5’8 | RHP | Richmond, Ill. | Richmond-Burton HS
Coached by Tyler Stanton and Carly Mattson, Holtz has lettered four times and helped her high school to 62 wins over the last three seasons. A two-time team captain, Hailey registered her 500th career strikeout this past season as she helped Richmond Burton to a Class 2A Regional Championship and earned 2A All-State First Team honors.

“Hailey is a welcome addition to our staff,” says Pinkerton. “She owns a mix of pitches that she is able to throw to different areas of the strike zone. She has the ability to change speeds and I am eager to see how she and Olivia work together.”

Kasey Kane – 5’6 | C | LeClaire, Iowa | Pleasant Valley HS
Kane will reunite with former Pleasant Valley teammate Jessie Clemons as she continues the Iowa high school to Ames pipeline. Kane won the 2024 Iowa Girls High School softball title with Clemons this past summer as well as the 2023 basketball state championship in 2023. In her junior season, Kane was First Team All-State, All-Conference, All-District and academic.

“We are excited to add Kasey to this class,” says Pinkerton. “We feel she was one of the top players in this class from Iowa. She’ll help provide catcher depth that we have been lacking for the last couple of years. She is a middle of the lineup hitter that can produce runs and hits for average and power. Behind the plate, she handles pitchers very well, blocks balls in the dirt, and will deter the run game because she has an excellent arm.”

Liv Palumbo – 5’8 | RHP | Washington, Okla. | Washington HS
A multi-sport athlete, Palumbo earned seven high school letters between track and softball. Through three seasons of high school softball, Palumbo has yet to own a season ERA that exceeds 1.00. A two-time softball champion in Oklahoma, Palumbo was also a part of her high school’s 3A 4×200 state champion relay as the team won the 3A state track title in 2024.

“Liv will be a great addition to our pitching staff,” says Pinkerton. “She will complement the bullpen that Coach Sinnott has put together the last couple of years. Liv can work all quadrants of the zone and has the ability to change speeds.”

Ava Wilmes – 5’8 | INF | Kansas City, Mo. | Blue Springs South HS
A four-time high school letterwinner, Ava comes to Ames after having her best high school season during her junior year. In 2024, Wilmes was First Team All-Conference, All-District, and All-Region as she bat .427 and totaled 32 RBI. Her high school team finished state runner-up in her sophomore campaign.

“I am really excited to add Ava to the 2025 class,” says Pinkerton. “She is a corner infielder and a middle-of-the-lineup hitter. She is a left-handed power hitter who can hit for average and produce runs. She fills some much-needed depth we need for left-handed hitting on our future roster.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa – P. Sue Beckwith, MD, head women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen announced on Wednesday that Addie Deal, Layla Hays, and Journey Houston signed a scholarship agreement to attend the University of Iowa.

For the first time in program history, the Hawkeyes have signed three or more ESPN.com top-100 prospects in back-to-back years.

ADDIE DEAL | Twitter: @deal_addie | IG: @addie.deal
Guard – 6-foot-0 – Irvine, California (Mater Dei)
– No. 18 overall prospect and 96 overall scout grade (ESPN.com)
– Five-star prospect
– As a junior, Deal participated in the Nike Skills Camp, World Basketball Festival (New York), Section 7 3pt Contest Champion, USA Minicamp
– She also earned Jersey Mike’s Naismith Player of the Year Watchlist, Nike TOC standout, USA Minicamp, CalStars 17u EYBL – Second Team Nike Nationals during her junior year
– No. 2 player in California (2025)
– Mother played volleyball at the University of New Orleans
– Father played basketball at Springhill College and brother plays at Grinnell College with Lisa Bluder’s son

JAN JENSEN on ADDIE DEAL
“Addie is one of the nation’s premier point guards and off guards – she can play either. She has an extremely high IQ, and she is extremely talented. One thing that I’ll always be thankful for with Addie and Journey is that they held their commitments.”

ADDIE DEAL on WHY IOWA?
I chose Iowa because of the amazing community and culture, style of play, phenomenal coaching staff, conference, and competitive level Iowa has been playing at. I’m so blessed and excited to get started and be in Iowa City! Go Hawks!

LAYLA HAYS | Twitter: @LaylaHays2 | IG: @layla_hays12
Center – 6-foot-5 – Wasilla, Alaska (Wasilla)
– No. 70 overall prospect and 92 overall scout grade (ESPN.com)
– Four-star prospect
– No. 1 player in Alaska (2025)
– Averaged 16.2 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game as a junior and won her first state title, 2x Alaska Player of the Year
– Father played basketball at College of the Desert
– Familiar connection that Hays has to the program is the fact that her mom’s best friend Leah Magner, who played for the Hawkeyes from 1998 to 2002

JAN JENSEN on LAYLA HAYS
“Layla is just a tremendous post player that just about everyone in the country has taken notice of, and we are so fortunate to get her. She’s versatile in how she can run, how she can score at the block, and I think she’s just scratching the tip of the iceberg. She’s also a tremendous young woman, and we are beyond pumped to have her.”

LAYLA HAYS on WHY IOWA?
The immediate connection with the team and coaches! Coach Jan believes in me not only as a player but as a person as well, and I am confident that she will help me grow into the player I want to become! Go Hawks!

Journey Houston | Twitter: @Journey_Renae| IG: @journey_renae23
Guard – 5-foot-11 – Davenport, Iowa (North)
– No. 85 overall prospect and 91 overall scout grade (ESPN.com)
– Four-star prospect
– Recorded 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in two and a half seasons
– Was rated as highly as 19th nationally and was a five-star prospect before her season ending injury as a junior
– 2023 Nike EYBL National Runner-Up
– Mother played basketball at the University of Nebraska-Omaha
– Father played football at William Penn

JAN JENSEN on JOURNEY HOUSTON
“Journey is a hard-working, high-motor kid who just makes everything she is a part of better. Unfortunately, she had a knee injury, so she missed the last part of her junior season and the AAU season, but she’s coming back stronger than ever, and we are excited for her to join our team.”

JOURNEY HOUSTON on WHY IOWA?
I chose Iowa because I loved the environment and the people who were there. It was very welcoming, and it felt like a second home. It is less than an hour from my home so my family can come watch me play and I can go home frequently.

Ames, Iowa – Iowa State 197-pounder Christian Carroll has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, the league office announced Wednesday. It marks the first Big 12 weekly honor by a Cyclone this season and the first of Carroll’s young career.

Carroll, in his collegiate dual debut, earned a top-15 win over Stanford’s No. 13 Nick Stemmet on Friday.

The redshirt freshman exploded for two takedowns in the opening minute of the match to set an early tone, and added a reversal and a third takedown in the second period, to secure a comfortable 11-7 decision over Stemmet.

The win moved Carroll up in several wrestling outlets’ rankings, most notably, in FloWrestling’s where he went from unranked to the No. 13 197-pounder nationally.

Iowa State is back in action Friday, Nov. 15 against Navy in Hilton Coliseum at 7 p.m.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger announced Wednesday the signings of four preps for the 2025-26 season. The fourth signing day under Otzelberger, the class ranks as the best in school history. It is the second time in four recruiting cycles that Otzelberger has turned in a Top 10 class in the country.

The Cyclones signed Macari Moore (6-3 | Guard | Ann Arbor, Mich. | Huron), Xzavion Mitchell (6-6 | Forward | Oshkosh, Wis. | Oshkosh North), Jamarion Batemon (6-3 | Guard | Milwaukee, Wis. | Milwaukee Academy of Science) and Killyan Toure (6-3 | Guard | Pamiers, France | Brewster Academy).

The class is rated No. 8 nationally by 247sports and Rivals and No. 9 by ESPN. It is the top ranked class in the Big 12 by all three organizations.

Moore was the first to commit to the class, ranking as a Top 25 guard by 247sports and Rivals. He is ranked No. 134 overall by 247sports and is the second-ranked player from Michigan in the class. He helped Huron to a 23-5 record as a junior, which included a trip to the state semifinals. He played for The Family on the Nike EYBL Circuit this past summer. He led Huron to the district title with the go-ahead basket in overtime, a game in which he scored his 1,000th career point.

“Macari gets in the paint, making plays for himself and his teammates,” Otzelberger said. “He is a physical, downhill playmaking guard. He takes tremendous pride in being a physical, on-ball defender and he can rebound the basketball well from the guard position. He’ll make an immediate impact on our program with his character and work ethic.”

Mitchell is a consensus four-star recruit by 247sports, Rivals and ESPN. He is the 11th highest-ranked signee for Iowa State in the modern era. Mitchell is ranked No. 55 by Rivals, No. 70 by ESPN and No. 129 by 247sports. He is a Top 25 forward by 247sports and Rivals, while 247sports ranks him the No. 4 player in Wisconsin. He played for Team Herro on the Nike EYBL Circuit this past summer, while also participating in the NBPA Top 100 Camp. He was named the Nike EYBL Session II MVP, averaging 28.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.

“Xzavion is a versatile, big wing who has the ability to attack off the dribble,” Otzelberger said. “He has mismatch ability and can really help facilitate offense. He’s somebody that has been a great rebounder and defensively he has tremendous versatility with an ability to guard all positions on the floor. He’ll make an immediate impact on our program with his toughness and consistency.”

Batemon is a consensus four-star recruit by 247sports, Rivals and ESPN. He is the sixth-highest-ranked signee for Iowa State in the modern era. Batemon is ranked No. 41 by 247sports, No. 63 by ESPN and No. 92 by Rivals. He is the top-ranked player in Wisconsin from 247sports, while also ranking as the No. 5 guard in the country. He played for Power 5 on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit, averaging 22.2 points per game. He was 7-of-11 from downtown in a 92-77 win over Compton Magic.

“Jamarion has great long-range ability but is also terrific at attacking the closeout and getting downhill as a playmaker,” Otzelberger added. “He’s an elite scoring guard, who has range as soon as he steps on the court. He takes tremendous pride in guarding the basketball and picking guys up full court. He’ll make an immediate impact on our program with his discipline and daily focus.”

The latest Cyclone from Brewster Academy, Toure is originally from Pamiers, France. With his recent arrival to the United States, Toure is not in any national rankings, but is listed as a three-star recruit by Rivals. He played in the French ProA U21 League, averaging 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for ASVEL Basket Lyon-Villeurbanne. He also participated in the 2023 NBA Basketball Without Borders Europe, where he earned Defensive MVP honors.

“Killyan is a dynamic, open court playmaking guard,” Otzelberger said. “He’s somebody who operates best in transition, seeing the play a step ahead. He takes tremendous pride in guarding the basketball and being disruptive. He’s proven to defend at a high level and has the maturity of playing high-level basketball overseas. His work habits and maturity will help him make an immediate impact on our program.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior running back Kaleb Johnson has been named a semifinalist for the 2024 Walter Camp National Player of the Year award, it was announced Wednesday by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

Johnson, who is also a Maxwell semifinalist, is having a record-breaking year for the Hawkeyes. He has tallied a school-record 126 points this season, via a school-record 21 total touchdowns. Johnson (6-foot-0, 212-pounds) has rushed for 20 scores, which ties Shonn Greene’s single-season record set in 2008. Johnson has rushed for 1,328 yards in 10 games in 2024, the second-most in the country and seventh most in program history.

The native of Hamilton, Ohio, has scored at least one touchdown in 10 straight games — the longest stretch in school history. He has seven games this season with two or more rushing touchdowns, believed to be the most in a single season in program history.

Former Hawkeyes CB Desmond King and QB Brad Banks were finalists for the prestigious awards in 2015 and 2002, respectively.

Semifinalist voting for the Maxwell Award begins today and will close on Nov. 23. Three finalists for each award will be announced on Nov. 26 and a finalist round of voting will take place at that time. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors and selected national media.

The Walter Camp Player of the Year will be voted on by the 134 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors later this month. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 26, and the 58th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of Year award will be announced on Dec. 12.

Iowa (6-4, 4-3) returns to action Saturday, Nov. 23 at Maryland. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. (CT) in College Park, Maryland. The game will be televised on BTN and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

Kaleb Johnson | National Rankings
Total Touchdowns: 2nd (21)
Rushing Yards Per Game: 2nd (132.8)
Rushing Touchdowns: 3rd (20)
Total Points scored: 3rd (126)
Rush Yards Per Carry: 6th (7.06)
All-Purpose Yards: 8th (143.7)

Kaleb Johnson | 2024 Honors
Maxwell Award Semifinalist
Walter Camp National POY Semifinalist
Doak Walker Watch List
CBS Sports, Sporting News, The Athletic Midseason All-America
Doak Walker National RB of the Week (Sept. 24)
Big Ten Co-Offensive POW (Sept. 23)
Big Ten Offensive POW (Nov. 4)
Senior Bowl Co-Offensive National POW (Oct. 14)
UI September Male Athlete of the Month

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State women’s basketball and head coach Bill Fennelly announced Wednesday the signing of Class of 2025 members Reese Beaty and Freya Jensen. Beaty hails from Jamestown, Tennessee while Jensen is an international recruit from Denmark.

“We are excited to add Reese and Freya to the Cyclone women’s basketball family,” said Fennelly. “They provide more skill and versatility to add to our roster for next season.”

Reese Beaty · Guard · 5-8 · Jamestown, Tenn. (York Institute)
Beaty was the second-ranked prospect out of Tennessee for her class. A two-time team captain, Beaty has helped York Institute to an 87-17 record in the last three seasons with three appearances at the State Tournament, including a 2022 runner-up finish. As a junior, the point guard averaged 17.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Beaty is a multi-sport athlete for York Institute as well, claiming state titles in the shot put (2022, 2023) and discus (2023) and setting a TSSAA Class A State record in the shot with a mark of 42-9.25.

Fennelly on Beaty…
“Reese fits what we look for in a point guard. She is a talented player who has the toughness to play in a leadership role.”

Freya Jensen · Guard · 5-10 · Risskov, Denmark (Risskov Gymnasium)
Jensen is a two-year starter and a three-year player as she enters her fourth year for the Aabyhoj IF Senior Women’s Team. She has helped her team to a 4-1 start this season. Jensen was named “Young Talent of the Year” in the best Danish league in 2024. Competing for the 2024 U18 European Championship, Jensen averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting a 35 percent clip from behind the arc. She has helped her team to championships at the 2024 Lundaspelen Tournament, the 2022 and 2023 Göteborg Tournaments and the 2023 Scania Tournament. She was named the MVP at each tournament.

Fennelly on Jensen…
“Freya is an outstanding shooter and scorer at all levels. She has played a lot of basketball at a high level internationally as well.”