AMES, Iowa – Iowa State women’s basketball head coach Bill Fennelly announced the addition of Alisa Williams to the 2023-24 roster on Wednesday. Williams joins the Cyclones after spending her freshman season with LSU as part of the Tigers’ National Championship squad.

“We are excited that Alisa will be joining the Iowa State family,” said Fennelly. “Alisa was someone we recruited very hard in high school. She has a very versatile game that fits the way we like to play. I think using this upcoming season as a redshirt year will be very beneficial to Alisa in all areas.”

Alisa Williams // 6-2 // F // Denton, Texas

Williams appeared in 20 games for LSU, playing a total of 58 minutes for the Tigers as a true freshman. She scored 18 points and pulled down 20 rebounds while adding two blocks as a reserve. She tallied career-highs in points (10) and rebounds (7) against Western Carolina on November 13^th as LSU ran away with a 107-34 victory.

As a left-handed guard for Braswell High School, Williams led the Bengals to a 35-3 record as a senior while advancing to the Class 6A Region I championship game. She averaged a combined 17.8 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game over her junior and senior seasons and was named the Denton Record-Chronicle’s All-Area Offensive Player of the Year as a junior.

As a sophomore, Williams helped lead Braswell to its first District Championship and earned a spot on the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 5A All-State Team. Williams played for her mother, head coach Lisa Williams, for three seasons at Braswell after transferring from Guyer High School at the conclusion of her freshman year.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Changes are coming soon to the way Iowans can hunt and trap raccoons, and how farmers can deal with raccoon depredation issues. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, raccoons were the focus of a bill approved during the 2023 Iowa legislative session, allowing landowners or tenants to dispatch raccoons causing damage to their agricultural property, outside of the city limits. Landowners may shoot or trap raccoons using cage or dog-proof traps. A license is not required and landowners do not need to notify the DNR before shooting or trapping. That bill was signed into law by Governor Reynolds and becomes effective on July 1st.

The other related change relaxes the rules for hunting and trapping raccoons for everyone. The new rules, developed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and approved by the Natural Resource Commission of the Iowa DNR, allows for year-round hunting and trapping of raccoons on private land.

While the raccoon season will be continuously open, during the time of year outside of the furharvester season, only firearms, cage traps or dog-proof traps are legal methods of take. During the furharvester season, trappers may use other lawful traps normally allowed during the trapping season. Hunters or trappers pursuing raccoons on private land they do not own are required to have a valid furharvester license.

The new raccoon rules are currently in effect.

Hawkeye Ten Conference:

• St. Albert 8, Atlantic 4
• St. Albert 12, Atlantic 2
• Lewis Central 5, Kuemper, Catholic 2
• Lewis Central 11, Kuemper, Catholic 4
• Harlan 17, Denison-Schleswig 2
• Shenandoah 5, Red Oak 4
• Glenwood 6, Creston 5

Corner Conference:

• Fremont-Mills 13, CAM 2 (NC)
• Stanton 14, East Mills 4

West Central Activities Conference:

• ACGC 11, Madrid 2
• Woodward-Granger 5, Panorama 0
• Ogden 14, West Central Valley 2

Rolling Valley Conference:

• Newell-Fonda 12, Coon Rapids-Bayard 1

Western Iowa Conference:

• Underwood 10, Logan-Magnolia 0
• Treynor 16, Audubon 6
• AHSTW 11, Riverside 7
• Tri-Center 7, IKM-Manning 1

Pride of Iowa Conference: 

• Nodaway Valley 1, Bedford 0
• Wayne 6, East Union 3
• Mount Ayr 7, Lenox 2
• Central Decatur 2, Martensdale, St. Mary’s 1
• Southeast Warren, 6 Southwest Valley 1

Hawkeye Ten Conference:

• Atlantic 7, St. Albert 3
• St. Albert 5, Atlantic 3
• Creston 5, Glenwood 1
• Denison-Schleswig 12, Harlan 3
• Shenandoah 7, Red Oak 0
• Kuemper Catholic 6, Lewis Central 1
• Kuemper Catholic 8, Lewis Central 3

Corner Conference:

• Griswold 13, CAM 0 (NC)

Pride of Iowa Conference:

• Wayne 10, East Union 0
• Nodaway Valley 13, Bedford 2
• Mount Ayr 7, Lenox 1
• Southeast Warren 11, Southwest Valley 1

Rolling Valley Conference:

• Boyer Valley 15, West Harrison 7
• Grand View Christian 12, Coon Rapids-Bayard 0
• Glidden-Ralston 10, Manson-Northwest Webster 9

Western Iowa Conference: 

• Tri-Center 11, IKM/Manning 6
• Riverside 5, AHSTW 4
• Logan-Magnolia 14, Underwood 5 (9 inn)
• Treynor 4, Audubon 2

West Central Activities Conference:

• Madrid 9, ACGC 7
• Panorama 8, Woodward-Granger 5

The Trojans faced off twice against the Saintes in Atlantic. It ended up being a series of two completely different played games. The Trojans came out swinging, winning their first game 7-3 with tight fielding and precise pitching.

Things changed in the second game for the Trojans as errors started to pile up and the fundamentals were slipping. They lost 5-3 and Coach Hinzmann noted the changes that are needed to be made.

A major contributor to the Trojans winning their first game was Riley Wood. She held the Saintes to 3 runs, 2 hits, and 6 strikeouts while pitching a full game.

Wood was summoned again in game two and retired the side in her first inning of relief pitching. The effort she made was not lost on Coach Hinzmann.

The competitiveness of the two games showed Coach Hinzmann that going forward they still have a few things to work on.

St. Albert’s record changes to 12-7 and the Trojans are now 11-10 as they head to Denison-Schleswig on Thursday.

Former Iowa All-American Tyler Linderbaum says a successful rookie season has helped him get ready for the upcoming campaign. Linderbaum started every game at center last season for the Baltimore Ravens in being named to the NFL All-Rookie team.

Linderbaum is looking to improve in every area.

Linderbaum says the transition to the NFL was a huge challenge.

Linderbaum says he has been trying to improve his pass blocking.

The Ravens finished 10-7 last season before falling to the Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Four University of Iowa baseball student-athletes – Brody Brecht, Brennen Dorighi, Sam Petersen and Keaton Anthony – earned American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Midwest Region honors, it was announced Tuesday by the organization.

Brecht earned first team recognition, moving him into consideration for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors that will be announced Friday. Dorighi, Petersen and Anthony were all second-team all-region selections.

It is the third straight year the Hawkeyes have had multiple all-region honorees and the fifth time under head coach Rick Heller that Iowa has had two or more players recognized.

Brecht earned first-team honors after going 5-2 with a 3.74 ERA in 16 starts. The right-hander posted four quality starts and fanned 109 batters over 77 innings. The Ankeny, Iowa native leads the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (4.32).

Petersen earned second-team honors hitting .319 with 47 RBIs, 45 runs scored and having 21 extra base hits (9 doubles, 11 home runs and one triple) during the regular season. The Huxley, Iowa, native swiped 20 bases on 22 attempts.

Dorighi earned second-team honors after hitting .348 (78-of-224) with 67 RBIs, 19 doubles, and 15 home runs. The Cherry Hills, Colorado native lead the Hawkeyes in hits, RBIs, games started (60), runs scored (66), and total bases (142).

Anthony earned third-team honors after hitting .389 (61-of-157) with 22 doubles, 9 home runs, 38 RBIs and 51 runs scored during the regular season. His 22 doubles are second-most in program history. The Hoschton, Georgia, native was named a third-team All-American by the collegiate baseball newspaper.

The Hawkeyes finished the 2023 season with a 44-16 overall record with the 44 wins tied for most in program history. Iowa finished third in the Big Ten regular season standings, advanced to the Big Ten Tournament finals and the team won two games at the Terre Haute Regional in Iowa’s first appearance since 2017.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State finished its 2023 campaign with a 25-30 overall record and a 6-12 mark in the Big 12 for the third consecutive season. The Cyclones placed fifth in the league standings, advancing to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship before falling to top-seeded Oklahoma.

ISU completed its third straight season with at least 25 wins in 2023, making it just the third time in school history the team has posted three-straight 25+ win seasons. Since 2000, Iowa State has recorded 25+ win seasons just eight times, with four coming under head coach Jamie Pinkerton.

The Cyclones finished the season strong, winning 12 of their final 17 games, which included four top-25 victories (OSU, Baylor 3x). Iowa State’s win over No. 3 Oklahoma State tied the program record for the largest upset in school history and spearheaded the second-half surge for ISU.

Iowa State’s softball fanbase continued to grow this year, as four of the top ten most-attended home games in program history came this season. Of those four games was the Saturday doubleheader against top-ranked Oklahoma, which pulled in a record crowd of 1,715 spectators. Overall, seven of the top ten home attendances have come under Coach Pinkerton.

In six seasons under Pinkerton, Iowa State has recorded three winning seasons. Before his arrival, ISU hadn’t recorded a winning season since 1995. In his five full seasons, Pinkerton’s squads have belted 40+ home runs in each, marking the only five seasons to do so in school history. Pinkerton now owns the third most wins in school history with a 158-151 record, surpassing Ruthe Crowe.

Player Notables  

• Milaysia Ochoa led the team in almost every offensive category, including batting average (.319), runs (44), hits (53), doubles (13), home runs (12), RBI (33), total bases (102), slugging percentage (.614), HBP (9), and at-bats (166).
  • Ochoa was the lone Cyclone to start in and play all 55 games.

Awards 

• Junior outfielder Milaysia Ochoa was named an All-Big 12 Second Team selection. It was the third straight season a Cyclone made the second team. 
• Ochoa was also named to the All-Midwest Region third team, marking the third straight season a Cyclone has made a regional team. 
• Ellie Spelhaug and junior Angelina Allen were each named to the All-Big 12 Tournament team following their performance in Oklahoma City. ISU placed the second-most players on the team and it was the first time in program history ISU had more than one player on the Big 12 Tournament team. 
• Seniors Lea Nelson, Carli Spelhaug and Ellie Spelhaug were each named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. It was Carli’s second time earning the recognition. 

Rankings 

• Iowa State ranked No. 70 in the RPI at the end of the regular season. 
• ISU ranked 18th nationally in double plays turned per game (.45). 
• The Cyclone pitching staff plunked just 23 batters this season, the second lowest in the conference. 
• Milaysia Ochoa ranked second in the Big 12 in HBP per game (.17) and 131st nationally.
  • Ochoa also had the eighth most home runs in the Big 12 (12), which put her tied for 91 in the country.
• Saya Swain recorded the 11th most saves in the country (6), which led the Big 12. Her six saves were the most in a single season in program history.
  • Swain averaged 8.6 Ks per seven innings pitched, ranking 32nd in the country and giving her the fourth-best mark in the Big 12.
• Karlie Charles walked just 1.15 batters per seven innings, good enough for best in the Big 12. That put Charles 31st in the country.

(Radio Iowa) – The Des Moines Register has announced it’s dropping plans to shoot for a world record number of cyclists during the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa next month. The event is known as RAGBRAI and this is the 50th year bicyclists will make the week long, statewide trek from the Missouri River to the Mississippi. RAGBRAI organizers had hoped to set a Guinness World Record mark for largest parade of bicycles on the day riders bike from Ames to Des Moines. However, the newspaper says new criteria from the publisher of Guinness World Records make it impossible. Planners do expect as many as 100-thousand riders to be on RAGBRAI’s Wednesday, July 26th route from Ames to Des Moines. RAGBRAI will start in Sioux City on Sunday, July 23rd and end 500 miles later in Davenport on Saturday, July 29th.

Axios Des Moines is reporting Gannett, which owns The Register, has sent a cease and desist letter to a former RAGBRAI director and a long-time RAGBRAI rider who’ve posted an alternative route online for riders to make their way from Ames to Des Moines. The man told Axios he’s concerned about having so many riders on the same path on July 26th. The letter from Gannett suggests the alternate route will not be as safe since it will not be staffed by law enforcement.