IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior linebacker Jay Higgins has been named to the Big Ten Conference preseason honors list. The announcement was made by the league office on Tuesday.

Twelve student-athletes from all 18 conference schools were selected by a media panel.

Higgins has also been named Walter Camp, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele 2024 preseason first-team All-America, as well as being recognized as the preseason National Defensive Player of the Year by Phil Steele.

Higgins started at middle linebacker in all 14 games in 2023, leading the Hawkeyes with 171 tackles (79 solo, 92 assists). The figure tied an Iowa single season school record, led the Big Ten and ranked third nationally. He finished with 15+ tackles in three games and 10+ tackles in 10 contests.

The Indianapolis native earned All-America distinction from eight different outlets a season ago and was Iowa’s Roy Carver Most Valuable Player on defense for a unit that ranked fourth nationally, surrendering 14.8 points per game.

The Hawkeyes have had 11 players named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List in the last 11 seasons. They include Higgins (2024, defensive back/return specialist Cooper DeJean (2023), linebacker Jack Campbell (2022), center Tyler Linderbaum (2021), defensive end A.J. Epenesa (2019), tight end Noah Fant (2018), linebacker Josey Jewell (2017), quarterback C.J. Beathard (2016), defensive back Desmond King (2016), defensive end Drew Ott (2015) and offensive tackle Brandon Scherff (2014). DeJean, Campbell, Linderbaum, Epenesa, Fant, Jewell, Beathard, King, and Scherff were selected in the NFL Draft after making the list.

The Hawkeyes open the 2024 season against Illinois State on Aug. 31, on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium, at 11 a.m. (CT). All seven Hawkeye home games this fall are sold out.

2024 Big Ten Preseason Honors
LB Jay Higgins, IOWA
DT Mason Graham, MICH
DB Will Johnson, MICH
TE Colston Loveland, MICH
QB Dillon Gabriel, ORE
WR Tez Johnson, ORE
SAF Caleb Downs, OSU
WR Emeka Egbuka, OSU
RB TreVeyon Henderson, OSU
DE JT Tuimoloau, OSU
DE Abdul Carter, PSU
RB Kyle Monangai, RU

Class 3-A Quarterfinals

• 10:00 am – Benton vs. Solon
• 10:30 am – Assumption vs. Estherville Lincoln Central

Class 2-A Quarterfinals

• 12:15 pm – Van Meter vs. West Fork
• 12:45 pm – East Marshall vs. Lisbon
• 2:30 pm – Northeast vs. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
• 2:30 pm – Audubon vs. West Monona — On KJAN

Class 1-A Quarterfinals

• 4:45 pm – Martensdale-St. Mary vs. Edgewood-Colesburg
• 5:15 pm – St. Edmond vs. Collins-Maxwell
• 7:00 pm – Wayne vs. Southeast Warren
• 7:30 pm – Remsen St. Mary’s vs. Sigourney

Consolation

Class 5-A

• 10:00 am – Prairie vs. Waukee Northwest
• 10:30 am – Waukee vs. Muscatine

Class 4-A

• 12:15 pm – Dallas Center-Grimes vs. Norwalk
• 12:45 pm – Western Dubuque vs. Fort Dodge

Class 3-A

• 2:30 pm – PCM vs. Sumner-Fredericksburg

Class 2-A Quarterfinals at Carroll

• 11:00 AM – Underwood vs. Unity Christian
• 1:30 PM – Chariton vs. Pleasantville
• 4:30 PM – Sumner-Fredericksburg vs. Wilton
• 7:00 PM – New Hampton vs. Aplington-Parkersburg

Class 3-A Quarterfinals at Cedar Rapids

• 9:00 AM – Wahlert Catholic vs. Central DeWitt

Class 4-A Quarterfinals at Cedar Rapids

• 11:30 AM – Cedar Rapids Kennedy vs. Pleasant Valley
• 2:00 PM – Johnston vs. Waukee Northwest
• 5:00 PM – Dallas Center-Grimes vs. Dowling Catholic
• 7:30 PM – Iowa City High vs. Waukee

One college football preview magazine calls the Iowa Hawkeyes a threat to make the playoffs. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview says if the offense makes progress under first year coordinator Tim Lester the Hawkeyes could have a banner season.

Steele says a healthier Iowa offense will be a much better offense.

Steele says the Iowa defense is much more experienced than he expected.

Steele says getting Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan as a backup to Cade McNamara is a plus.

Big Ten Media Days get underway in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis later today. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz will be at the podium on Wednesday.

Carten Wilken’s squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth inning scored the game winner as top ranked Akron-Westfield edged Bedford 3-2 in the 1A quarterfinals of the state baseball tournament in Carroll.

Arik Allard scored the winning run for the Westerners.

Arkron-Westfield coach Gordy Johnson.

…………….
Fourth ranked Remsem St. Mary’s scored all 10 of its runs in the first three innings to beat North Linn 10-6. Hunter Pick had three hits for the Hawks, including a two run homer in the third inning.

Braxton Kneip (kuh-nipe) also had three hits as the Hawks finished with 11 in the game.

Remsen St. Marys will play third ranked Mason City Newman in Wednesday’s semifinals. Newman advanced with a 3-1 victory over South Winneshiek.

Hawks coach Dean Harpenau.

CLASS 1A STATE QUARTERFINALS

Class 5A
Valley 11, Prairie 1
Ankeny 2, Waukee Northwest 0
Pleasant Valley 8, Waukee 7
Urbandale 10, Muscatine 9

Class 4A
Carlisle 8, Dallas Center-Grimes 6
North Scott 2, Norwalk 0
North Polk 7, Western Dubuque 2
ADM 2, Fort Dodge 0

Class 3A
Williamsburg 8, PCM 3
Dubuque-Wahlert 9, Sumner-Fredricksburg 8

Below is a list of the Hawkeye 10-All-Conference Baseball Team

The class 5A quarterfinals opened the state softball tournament today (Monday), in Fort Dodge. Mackenzie Mohler drive in four runs, including a three run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning as top ranked West Des Moines Valley beat Cedar Rapids Prairie 11-1.

The Tigers responded after spotting Prairie an early 1-0 lead.

The Tigers improve to 37-4 and Mohler says they have lofty goals for this week.

Cedar Rapids Prairie hurt its own cause by committing five errors.

Prairie Hawks coach Alisha Freese.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s tennis team was named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I All-Academic team for the 2023-2024 academic year. Along with the team’s honor, five student-athletes were named ITA Scholar-Athletes, announced by the organization Monday.

Vipasha Mehra, Barbora Pokorna, Marisa Schmidt, Pia Kranholdt, and Daianne Hayashida were all recognized as ITA Scholar-Athletes, earning a 3.50 GPA or above. Hayashida and Kranholdt have earned this honor for two straight seasons while Pokorna and Schmidt have been recognized for three seasons in a row.

As a team, this is Iowa’s 10th straight year receiving this award and the 15th in program history. To receive this recognition, all varsity letterwinners must have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or above. The Hawkeyes finished the 2023-2024 academic year with a 3.8 GPA and were recognized after the fall semester with a 3.83 GPA, the highest GPA in program history.