A season that began with the UNI women being named the preseason favorite in the Missouri Valley race has seen the Panthers stumble out of the gate. Injuries have been a big factor. Junior standouts Grace Boffeli and Maya McDermott missed Sunday’s loss at Creighton which dropped the Panthers to 1-6.

That’s UNI coach Tanya Warren. The Panthers return to action on Saturday at home against South Dakota State.

The Panthers open Missouri Valley play against Missouri State on December 30th. Warren says the Panthers need to get healthy and regain their confidence.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa forward Owen Freeman has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, it was announced Monday by the league office.

It is Freeman’s third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor this season, tying Aaron White for the most in program history.  White earned the distinction three times during the 2011-12 season.

The Moline, Illinois, earned his latest accolade after scoring a career-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the Hawkeyes’ home victory over North Florida on Nov. 29.  Freeman also had five rebounds, five blocks – with three coming in a matter of seconds on a single possession — and three steals in the game.

His five blocks are the most for the program since Keegan Murray had five against Longwood in 2021.  His effort also saw him land at No. 4 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.

For the season, Freeman is averaging 10.3 points on 62.2 percent shooting to go along with a team-high 15 blocks.  He has three or more blocks in three games and five or more rebounds twice.  He currently ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 15 blocks.

The honor is Iowa’s fourth Big Ten weekly accolade this season.  Freeman earned the honor on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20, while graduate Ben Krikke was the Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 20.

Iowa (5-2) opens Big Ten play at No. 4 Purdue on Monday at 6 p.m. (CT) inside Mackey Arena.  The game will be televised live on BTN.

AUDUBON INVITATIONAL

SWAT won the meet with 201 points. Jazz Christensen (100), Mia South (145), Grace Britten (170), and Haley Armstrong (235) were champs while Ellen Gerlock (190) was second.

Emma Miller of Treynor was champion at 105.

Denison-Schleswig was fifth. They did not have any champions. Daniela Salinas (100) and Angie Rivera (135) led their efforts with third-place finishes.

BENNINGTON INVITATIONAL

Missouri Valley won the team race with 169 points while Riverside was second with 156. Auburn finished sixth.

Preslee Mass (140), Nicole Olson (155) and Jocelyn Buffum (235) were champs for the Lady Reds while Jordan Buffum (120), Lea Gute (130) and Brookyln Lange (135) were runners-up.

Riverside’s Molly Allen (130) was a champion while Amira Wilke (115) and Khloe Corum (190) were runners up.

NEWTON INVITATIONAL

Red Oak finished sixth with 95 points. Nicole Bond was a champion for the Tigers at 130 pounds while Amber Rea claimed second at 140 pounds.

DAN HILL INVITATONAL @ HARLAN

Glenwood won the team race with 231.5 points. Logan-Magnolia was second with 205.5. The Rams had four individual champions: Vinny Mayberry (120), Matt Beem (132), Kellan Scott (165), and Trent Patton (285). Crosby Yoder (106), and Corbin Reisz (144) won titles for Logan-Magnolia. Harlan’s Jesse Jens won the 113 title.

COACH RILEY INVITATIONAL @ NODAWAY VALLEY

Nodaway Valley finished second, tallying 197 points. Trenton Warner (285) was their lone champion. Keyvin Steeve (120) and Ashton Honnold (215) were runners-up. Clarinda was fourth. Leland Woodruff (157) and Karson Downey (215) were champs for the Cardinals. Dominick Polsley (165) was second.

BOB AREHART MEMORIAL INVITATIONAL

Shenandoah won the tournament with 184.5 points. Davin Holste (120), Jacob McGargill (150), Owen Laughlin (165), and Jayden Dickerson (175) were champions.

ANDY DAVIDSON MUSTANG INVITE

Creston placed second with 179.5 points. Quinten Fuller (215) was their lone champion.

TREYNOR CARDINAL INVITATIONAL 

Treynor was third with 146 points. Jett Sornson (126), Danny Kinsella (150) and Zach Robbins (175) were champs. Southwest Iowa’s Gabe Johnson (120) and Seth Ettleman (132) and Griswold’s RJ Dishong (285) also won titles.

BENNINGTON INVITATIONAL

Missouri Valley finished third with 144 points. Eli Becerra (120) and Luke Schroeder (126) were champions for the Big Reds.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa student-athletes Gabe Arnold (men’s wrestling) and Caitlin Clark (women’s basketball) were named November’s Student-Athletes of the Month, the Iowa Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced.

Arnold, a freshman 174-pounder, made his dual and Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut on Nov. 19 and picked up his first career win, defeating All-American and 11th-ranked Travis Wittlake of Oregon State, 4-2. Arnold’s debut marked the fifth straight season that a true freshman competed in a dual lineup for the Hawkeyes. Arnold was named NCAA Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 21.

The following week, the Albany, Georgia, native bumped up to 184 pounds and knocked off All-American and sixth-ranked Will Feldkamp of Iowa State to help the Hawkeyes defeat the Cyclones for the 19th straight season. Arnold is 7-0 on the season and has four bonus point victories, including three technical falls and a major decision.

Clark, a senior guard from West Des Moines, Iowa, led Iowa to a 7-1 record, the Hawkeyes’ best start since 2020-21. The Hawkeyes picked up two top 20 victories, knocking off Virginia Tech and Kansas State. Clark scored 20 or more points in all eight games in November. She broke the program’s all-time record for most points in a career and set the record for most 30+ point performances in a career over the last 25 seasons.

Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Week twice and a member of the National Starting Five of the Week twice in November. The West Des Moines native leads the nation in scoring and leads her team in scoring and assists.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State assistant coaches Deon Broomfield and Noah Pauley have been selected to participate in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2024 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, held Jan. 8 during the AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. They were chosen from a field of over 175 applicants.

Broomfield, a former Cyclone football player, is in his third season on the coaching staff, currently serving as passing game coordinator and safeties coach. Broomfield’s group of players has combined for 11 interceptions this season. Jeremiah Cooper was a First Team All-Big 12 pick, while fellow starters Beau Freyler and Malik Verdon earned honorable mention accolades.

Pauley is in his first season on head coach Matt Campbell’s staff. He coaches a Cyclone wide receiver room that has 140 receptions and 13 touchdowns. Junior Jaylin Noel has 60 receptions and a career-high six touchdowns and earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Jayden Higgins, a junior, has 44 catches at a 17.5 yard per catch clip. Higgins has five touchdown receptions.

The AFCA Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute is a prestigious program aimed at identifying and developing premier future leaders in the football coaching profession. Selected participants are invited to attend the one-day institute that features a curriculum of interactive lectures focused on topics specifically tailored to emphasize leadership in the coaching profession, ethics, influential responsibilities, career progression, and family balance.

To be eligible, applicants were required to submit a resume, five references, and a 1,600-word article or 10-minute live instructional video on an offensive, defensive, special teams, or position-specific topic of the applicant’s choosing.