IOWA CITY, Iowa — Beginning this academic year, 2023-24, Iowa Spirit Squad members will be recognized as Letterwinners, it was announced Monday by the Iowa Letterwinners Club and interim Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Beth Goetz.

Fifty-three members make up the Iowa Spirit Squad, which consists of Iowa Cheerleading, Iowa Dance Team and Herky the Hawk. The Iowa Spirit Squad preforms at over 100 events each year.

“These are talented, bright, and passionate students who love the University of Iowa. The Iowa Letterwinners Club is honored to recognize the Iowa Spirit Squads as our newest Varsity Letter Award winners,” said Katie Wynn, executive director of Iowa Athletics annual giving and Iowa Letterwinners Club.

Former Iowa Spirit Squad members will receive Iowa Letterwinners Club benefits, including joining the Iowa Letterwinners Club Network, single-game discounts for UI Athletics ticketed events, attending all Iowa Letterwinners Club events, and assistance from the Iowa Letterwinners Club with hosting letterwinner celebrations/events.

Iowa announced on Sept. 19 that it plans to begin construction on a new Gymnastics and Spirt Squad Training Center this fall. The new climate-controlled practice facility will provide the Spirt Squads with a dedicated 5,500 sq. ft. practice area, a new Marley dance floor, a new set of cheer mats, changing rooms, coach’s offices and a team meeting room. The $20 million project — paid for by athletics department revenue and private gifts — will be built on the Hawkeye Campus, adjacent to the women’s soccer and field hockey facilities on Prairie Meadow Drive.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2024 Nancy Lieberman Award, which includes Iowa State senior Emily Ryan. Now in its 24^th year, the award recognized the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.  A national committee of top college basketball personnel determine the watch list of 20 candidates. 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.

“The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is honored to celebrate both men and women at all levels of the game,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “The players being recognized today on the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List have proven that they are masters of their game and have become outstanding examples of the bright future basketball has. We look forward to evaluating this year’s top point guards with Nancy Lieberman, a Hall of Famer who helped pave the way for today’s female athletes.”

Ryan, a Claflin, Kansas native, is a repeat selection for the watch list after being featured in 2023. Last season she started all 32 games for the Cyclones and averaged a Big 12-high 36.3 minutes per game. Ryan was Second Team All-Conference in 2022-23 while averaging 10.6 points per game and dishing out 204 assists, becoming the first player in Iowa State women’s basketball history to pass out over 200 dimes in a season twice. Earlier this month, Ryan was chosen as a member of the All-Big 12 Preseason Team.

Ryan and Nyamer Diew will appear at the Big 12 Tip-Off in Kansas City tomorrow (Tuesday) along with head coach Bill Fennelly. A live broadcast will be available on Big 12 Now/ESPN+.

2024 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Candidates*

Freshman quarterbacks Josh Hoover of TCU (co-offensive) and Avery Johnson of Kansas State (newcomer) were joined by Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II (co-offensive), K-State’s Kobe Savage (defensive) and Iowa State’s Chase Contreraz (special teams) as Big 12 football award winners for Week 7. Savage and Contreraz picked up their second career honor.

Gordon set career-highs in rushes (29), rushing yards (168), receptions (6), receiving yards (116), longest reception (50) and all-purpose yards (284) in Oklahoma State’s 39-32 comeback win over No. 23 Kansas. No other FBS player in the past seven seasons and only five since 2000 have reached Gordon’s rushing and receiving totals in the same game. He scored two touchdowns on 35 offensive touches and his offensive yardage accounted for 51.3% of the Cowboys’ production in the game. With the performance, Gordon became the only player in the FBS this season and the first OSU player since 1989 (Gerald Hudson vs. Kansas) to record more than 100 rushing and receiving yards in a single game.

In his first collegiate start, Hoover completed 37-of-58 passes for 439 yards and four touchdowns in TCU’s 44-11 win over BYU. The 439 passing yards are the 10th-best total in a game nationally this season. The four TD passes were the most by a Horned Frog in his first start since Casey Pachall’s four at Baylor in 2011. It is also the most by a Horned Frog against an FBS opponent since Max Duggan’s four at Oklahoma in 2021. The 37 completions and 58 attempts by Hoover were the most in a game by a TCU quarterback since Pachall was 40-of-58 passing against West Virginia in 2013. He is the first Power Five QB with 400 passing yards and four scores in his first career start since 2019 and the first Big 12 signal caller to achieve the feat since 2014. The business pre-major student added a 26-yard run on his lone carry.

Savage compiled seven tackles and two interceptions in K-State’s 38-21 victory at Texas Tech. He was the first Wildcat with a multi-interception game since 2018 and the first K-State safety to do so since 2014. The communications study major led a defense that held Tech running back Tahj Brooks under 100 yards for the first time in four games.

Johnson scored five touchdowns in K-State’s win over the Red Raiders to tie for the second-most in a game in Big 12 history and set the Conference record for rushing TDs in a game by a freshman quarterback. Johnson also tied the K-State single-game rushing TD record and compiled the most rushing TDs in a game nationally by a freshman QB since at least 1995 in just his third career game. The business student rushed 13 times for 90 yards while going 8-of-9 through the air for 77 yards.

Contreraz finished with 11 points, making 3-of-3 field goals and both extra points he attempted to help Iowa State to a 30-10 win at Cincinnati. He also executed a fake field goal, rushing six yards for a first down that ultimately resulted in a touchdown for the Cyclones five plays later. Contreraz is now a perfect 17-for-17 on extra points and has made his last five field goal attempts while working on a master’s degree in family consumer sciences.

Big 12 Players of the Week
September 4
Offense: Emory Jones, UC, QB, Sr.
Defense: Jeremiah Cooper, ISU, DB, So.
Newcomer: Emory Jones, UC, QB, Sr.
Special Teams: Ryan Rehkow, BYU, P, Jr. and Gavin Freeman, OU, WR/PR, So.

September 11
Offense: Quinn Ewers, UT, QB, So.
Defense: Danny Stutsman, OU, LB, Jr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Colton Boomer, UCF, K, So.

September 18
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, OU, QB, Sr.
Defense: Tyler Batty, BYU, DE, Jr.
Newcomer: Nic Anderson, OU, WR, Fr.
Special Teams: Matthew Golden, UH, KR/WR, So.

September 25
Offense: DJ Giddens, K-State, RB, So.
Defense: Cobee Bryant, KU, CB, Jr.
Newcomer: Parker Jenkins, UH, RB, Fr.
Special Teams: Chase Contreraz, ISU, K, Sr.

October 2
Offense: Jonathon Brooks, UT, RB, So.
Defense: Caden Jenkins, BU, CB, Fr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Loic Fouonji, TTU, WR, Sr.

October 9
Offense: Dillon Gabriel, OU, QB, Sr.
Defense: Beau Freyler, ISU, DB, Jr.
Newcomer: Cameron Epps, OSU, CB, Fr.
Special Teams: Trevor Wilson, KU, WR/PR, Jr.

October 16
Offense: Josh Hoover, TCU, QB, Fr. and Ollie Gordon II, OSU, RB, So.
Defense: Kobe Savage, K-State, S, Sr.
Newcomer: Avery Johnson, K-State, QB, Fr.
Special Teams: Chase Contreraz, ISU, K, Sr.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior guard Caitlin Clark was named to the 2024 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Monday. Clark won the award in 2022 and 2023.

The list is comprised of five student-athletes who are currently in the running for the 24th annual Nancy Lieberman Award that recognizes the best point guard in women’s basketball. The list is chosen based on their floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Friday, October 20. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Nancy Liberman Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Lieberman and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee, where a winner will be selected.

The 2024 Nancy Lieberman Award winner will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.

Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include: Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2022-23), Paige Bueckers, UConn (2021), Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (2018-20), Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (2012-13), Diana Taurasi, Connecticut (2003-04) and Sue Bird, Connecticut (2000-02).

During her junior campaign, Clark led her team to its first-ever NCAA Championship game and helped post the Hawkeye’s most wins in a single season. During the NCAA Tournament, she posted the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history (men’s or women’s) and broke the NCAA single-tournament records for most 3-point FG made (24) and most points scored (191). This season, she is the only player in the nation with 1,000 points, 240 rebounds, 310 assists and 45 steals.

Clark also won the 2023 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year Award, Honda Cup and was named Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year as by THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA). She also won the 2023 Naismith, Wooden and Wade Trophies along with the Associated Press, USBWA Ann Drysdale Player of the Year and the 93rd AAU James E. Sullivan Award.

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes are set to host Clarke University in an exhibition on Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The contest will stream on BTN+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network.