The Atlantic Trojan Girls team took a two-game winning streak on the road Saturday afternoon to the 14th ranked team in Class 2A in the Nodaway Valley Wolverines. The Trojans would get off to a nice quick start as sophomore guard Zoey Kirkhhoff would bury a triple to give the Trojans an early lead, but the Wolverines duo of Lindsey Davis and Izzy Eisbach would be too much for the Trojans to handle all night. Turnovers have been a problem for the Trojans to start the season averaging 31 per game and that continued early on as the Trojans had 15 turnovers in the first half that allowed the Wolverines to push the ball in transition and get open easy layups. Head Coach of the Trojans Dan Vargason said his team played timid to start the game.

The Trojans would respond with a much better second of playing team basketball and taking care of the basketball. Ther Trojans struggled to get going from behind the arc as team shooting just 2-15 on the night but were able to get the inside game going led by junior Paytn Harter who led the Trojans in scoring with 14 points. The Duo of Eisbach and Davis combined for 43 points as both went over the 20-point mark to help lead the Wolverines to a 68-31 victory improving to 4-0 on the season and the Trojans fall to 3-4. Coach Vargason said his team has to learn and take some things away from this game to help them improve.

The Trojans now 3-4 on the early season but will be back in action Tuesday night at home to take Kuemper Catholic in a girls/boy’s double header with the girls tipping off at 6:00pm at Atlantic High School.

The Atlantic Trojan boys basketball team had a dominating road victory, winning 72-35 to give Head Coach Dalton Franken his first win as Head Coach. The Trojans started on a 8-2 run and controlled the rest of the game. By halftime Atlantic was leading 41-16 and they never let their foot off the gas.

Atlantic was led by Colton Rassmussen who scored 27 points from multiple treys and Gavin McLaren with 14 points over five put backs. Coach Franken explained that while getting his first win was nice, he enjoyed the performance on the floor from his team more.

With the win, Coach Franken hopes the Trojans can carry the positive momentum and speed into Tuesday’s contest at home against Kuemper Catholic.

Atlantic is now 1-4 on the year and Nodaway Valley remains winless at 0-4.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The fourth-ranked University of Iowa men’s wrestling team won nine of 10 matches to cruise to a 38-3 victory over Columbia on Friday night on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  The Hawkeyes posted seven bonus point wins and had a 37-3 advantage in takedowns in the dual.

“We have to be steady and keep looking to put the best ingredients on the mat for this team” said head coach Tom Brands. “Whatever the ingredients are, those are the ones that need to be on that mat.”

The victory moves Iowa’s dual record to 5-0 heading into Big Ten Conference action in January.  The Hawkeyes next competition will be the Soldier Salute at Xtream Arena on Dec. 29-30.

“We have to keep looking to put the best team on the mat,” said Brands. “It isn’t rocket science to say we need 10 weight classes contributing. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Of Note…

• Jared Franek’s winning streak moved to 10 consecutive victories.
• Caleb Rathjen and Bradley Hill recorded the first victory of their careers in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Eight of Caliendo’s nine victories have been via bonus points this season.
• Iowa had a 15-0 advantage in back points and a 140-39 advantage in total match points.

#4 Iowa 38, Columbia 3

125 – #17 Drake Ayala (UI) tech. fall Nick Babin (CU), 18-3 (3:32)

133 – Cullan Schriever (UI) dec. #11 Angelino Rini (CU), 9-6 (OT)

141 – No. 1 Real Woods (UI) tech. fall Kai Owen (CU), 17-2 (3:00)

149 – Caleb Rathjen (UI) major dec. Richard Fedalen (CU), 15-3

157 – #2 Jared Franek (UI) dec. Jaden Le (CU), 9-5

165 – #7 Michael Caliendo (UI) major dec. Kyle Mosher (CU), 18-5

174 – #14 Patrick Kennedy (UI) tech fall Garrett Bilgrave (CU), 20-3 (3:45)

184 – Aaron Ayzerov (CU) dec. Aiden Riggins (UI), 4-2

197 – #18 Zach Glazier (UI) major dec. Jack Wehmeyer (CU), 14-2

285 – Bradley Hill (UI) tech fall. Billy McChesney (CU), 19-4 (5:00)

AMES, Iowa – University of Iowa swimming and diving defeated Iowa State in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series dual on Friday evening,168-115.

“Very proud of our team tonight for earning a hard fought victory in the Cy-Hawk series,” Iowa head coach Nathan Mundt said. “We have some excellent performances highlighted by our three pool records here at Beyer Hall. I thought that Iowa State really improved from last week, and they were really tough here at home. We had to rise to the occasion and make sure that we got the job done, but kudos to them. It is always a very highly contested meet, but we are really happy to come out with a victory and look forward to the rest of the season.”

The Hawkeyes won 13 individual events and two relays, highlighted by the sixth-best 100 breaststroke (1:01.53) in program history by freshman Olivia Swalley. Swalley also won the 200 breast (2:15.05) and 200 IM (2:01.17). Fifth year Kennedy Gilbertson (50 free), sophomore Sabina Kupcova (100 free), freshman Jenna Kerr (200 free, 500 free), sophomore Scarlet Martin (100 fly, 200 fly), freshman Annie Galvin (100 back, 200 back), junior Makayla Hughbanks (1-meter dive, 3-meter dive) rounded out individual wins. The Hawkeyes also won both relays with Gilbertson, Kupcova, Kerr and Martin setting a pool record in the 400 free relay (3:22.56).

Two additional Beyer Hall Pool records were set by the Hawkeyes. Martin set a record in the 100 fly with a time of 53.79. Swalley followed with a 200 IM pool record (2:01.17).

University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving travels Tuesday, Jan. 2 to take on Miami at 1 p.m. (CT) inside Whitten Center Pool in Coral Gables, Florida.

Iowa Postseason National Honors 

SEBASTIAN CASTRO: Pro Football Focus (first-team All-America) 

COOPER DEJEAN: Walter Camp, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, CBS (first-team All-America)

JAY HIGGINS: Sports Illustrated (first-team All-America); CBS (second-team All-America)

PHIL PARKER: Broyles Award

TORY TAYLOR: Walter Camp, The Athletic, CBS, Pro Football Focus, Sports Illustrated (first-team All-America); Ray Guy Punter of the Year Award

The No. 17 Hawkeyes will play No. 21 Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2024, in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game will start at noon (CT) and will be televised on ABC.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Tory Taylor has been named the recipient of the 2023 Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top collegiate punter. The announced was made Friday by the Augusta Sports Council.

Taylor becomes the first Hawkeye to win the Ray Guy Award. The Augusta Sports Council began honoring the top punter in 2000. Taylor is the second consecutive Melbourne, Australia, native to receive the prestigious award (Adam Korsak, Rutgers).

Taylor (6-foot-4, 232 pounds) was named the Eddleman-Fields Big Ten Punter of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media last month. During the regular season, he was recognized as the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week three times (Oct. 9; Oct. 16; Nov. 20), the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week on Oct. 24 and named to Ray’s 8 five times.

Taylor, who was also a Ray Guy Award semifinalist in 2020 and 2021, is a first-team All-American by CBS (unanimous), The Athletic and Sports Illustrated as a senior. Taylor (46.2) will finish his collegiate career breaking the NCAA’s career punting average record; currently held by Baylor’s Daniel Sepulveda (42.5). Taylor has averaged 40 or more yards in an NCAA-best 42 career games.

During the 2023 season, Taylor broke Iowa’s single season punting yardage record for a third consecutive season. He has an NCAA-best 86 punts for 4,119 yards with his 47.9 average leading the Big Ten and ranking third nationally. Thirty-six of his punts have traveled 50+ yards (six punts of 60+), 27 have been fair caught, 30 have been downed inside the 20, 11 inside the 10 and six inside the 5. He only has six touchbacks and opponents average just 8.8 yards per return.

Taylor broke Iowa’s career punting record during the Week 12 victory over Illinois. He has 288 punts for 13,297 yards — both school records — and his 46.2 career average will break Jason Baker’s mark come season’s end. Taylor has punted at least seven times in seven games this season and six times in 11 of 13 contests. He matched a personal best with 10 punts at Penn State and his 52.3-yard average in the game was a career best.

The No. 17 Hawkeyes will play No. 21 Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2024, in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game will start at noon (CT) and will be televised on ABC.