ON THE MAT

The University of Iowa wrestling team is at home for the first time in the 2023-24 season Saturday, facing Oregon State at noon (CT) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

FOLLOW ALONG LIVE

• Sunday’s dual will be streamed online on B1G+ — a paid subscription service. AJ Reisetter and former Hawkeye Alex Marinelli will be on the call.

• Sunday’s dual will be available at AM 800 KXIC and audio streamed online at hawkeyesports.com (via YouTube). Steven Grace and Mark Ironside  will call the action for Hawkeye Sports Properties, a property of Learfield.

• Follow Iowa wrestling on social media via X (@Hawks_Wrestling), Facebook/iowahawkeyewrestling and Instagram (@iowahawkeyewrestling).

The Riverside boys’ basketball team is looking forward to improving off of their 2022-23 season where the Bulldogs finished the season just 8-14 and 5-11 in conference play. The Bulldogs were defeated in the first round of Class 1A Region 8 tournament 53-50 vs a tough Woodbine team. The Bulldogs and Head Coach Nichoals Kroon are wanting to get back to playing in the regional championship game again for the first time in four seasons. And for the team the push to get there started this offseason when the Bulldogs had their best offseason under Coach Kroon and he said it shows him how dedicated the kids are to get better on their skill work and getting back to winning basketball games.

The Bulldogs were busy this offseason as the team played about 15 games this summer at different places. This was a big offseason for the Bulldogs losing four key players and will be relying on some freshman and sophomores to help out and rely on in crucial moments and minutes in the game. Coach Kroon said it was good to play so much this summer to help build team chemistry and see how the young guys looked going up against varsity basketball teams.

As far as who will be stepping into the remainder of the Bulldogs starting lineup and bench rotation is still up for grabs said Coach Kroon. In years past Riverside has been a team that has typically played six or maybe seven guys total but Coach Kroon believes this one of the deeper teams he has seen at Riverside and thinks that depth will really help the Bulldogs this season.

With the Bulldogs losing some of their size down low the Bulldogs will look to use speed and quickness to their advantage this season especially on the defensive end of the floor. Coach Kroon wants to lead his team slowly with several young guys playing big minutes he doesn’t want to give them too much too early. Coach Kroon said as the season goes on he will throw more junk defenses into the system and see what his young team can handle.

The Riverside Bulldogs Boys Basketball team start their season on November 28th when they travel to AHSTW to take on the Vikings in a Western Iowa Conference matchup.

You can listen to the full interview with Head Coach Nichoals Kroon below.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior defensive back Cooper DeJean has been selected as one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The announcement was made Tuesday by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

In addition to being a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy, DeJean is also a semifinalist for three other national awards: Jim Thorpe Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy and Bednarik Award.

Presented by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club, the Nagurski Trophy is awarded to the best defensive player in college football. Former Hawkeye linebackers Josey Jewell (2017) and Pat Angerer (2009) were also finalists for the award.

Joining DeJean as finalists are Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, Georgia safety Malaki Starks, Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts and N.C. State linebacker Payton Wilson.

DeJean has played nearly 400 snaps in coverage this season without giving up a touchdown. He leads the Hawkeyes in pass break-ups (5), is second in interceptions (2) and seventh in tackles (41) this season. One of his two interceptions thwarted a scoring threat in the end zone against Michigan State.

DeJean and the Hawkeyes rank third in the country in scoring defense (12.3), fourth in passing efficiency defense (100.1), sixth in red zone defense (0.682) and eighth in total defense (281.5). Iowa is the only team to have allowed one rushing touchdown in 2023.

On special teams, DeJean had a 70-yard game-deciding touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Michigan State. He leads the Big Ten and ranks 13th nationally with an 11.5 punt return average and he is second nationally in punt return touchdowns.

The Odebolt, Iowa, native was a midseason first-team All-America selection by the Associated Press, The Athletic, ESPN and FOX.

The award is named after Bronislau “Bronko” Nagurski and his legendary talents. He was a consensus All-American defensive tackle in 1929, and also an All-American fullback in 1929, becoming the only player ever picked at two positions in the same season.

The FWAA All-America Committee selects the defensive player of the year who is part of the 2023 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec. 4, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Iowa (8-2, 5-2) will host Illinois (5-5, 3-4) in its home finale Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium. The game will be televised on FS1 and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

Iowa State guard Jarod Hufford says the offensive line will need a big effort Saturday night against Texas. The Cyclones host the seventh ranked Longhorns in their final home game of the season.

Hufford says the Cyclones are thrilled to be part of the title chase.

And Hufford believes that attitude helps the Cyclones avoid feeling pressure.

Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill hopes last week’s performance against Rutgers is a sign of things to come. The Hawkeyes had their best performance in years with 402 yards of offense in a 22-0 win over Rutgers.

Hill says the Illini have an aggressive defense.

The Hawkeyes will clinch a spot in the Big Ten Championship game if they can get the victory.

The second ranked Iowa Hawkeye women return to action on Thursday night at home against Kansas State. The Wildcats stunned the Hawkeyes last season in Manhattan.

That’s Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. K-State center Ayoka Lee is averaging better than 19 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Junior guard Sydney Affolter leads Iowa in rebounding at better than nine per game.

It will start a two game homestand for the Hawkeyes who will host Drake on Sunday.

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht says the Cyclones are only concerned about seventh ranked Texas and not the Big 12 chase. ISU is part of a four-way tie for second place and host the league leading Longhorns under the lights on Saturday.

Becht says it will take a good week of preparation to get ready for a talented Texas defense.

With two games remaining the Cyclones are still in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Iowa’s defense has carried the team this season, but that unit continues to get better as the Hawkeyes get ready to host Illinois. Through 10 games Iowa has allowed only one rushing touchdown.

That’s defensive tackle Logan Lee. Illinois had more than 500 yards of passing last week against Indiana, but Lee says slowing down the Illini begins with the run game.

Lee says a good pass rush begins by stopping the run.

After squandering the west division title last year with a home loss to Nebraska the Hawks get another chance to clinch in Kinnick against the Illini.

That’s defensive end Joe Evans who says the continued improvement of the defense begins in practice.

First Team All Offense

QB: Cael Turner SR from Creston. RB: Brennan Hayes SR from Creston. RB: Cason Stevenson SR from Nevada. WR/TE: Brandon Briley SR from Creston. WR/TE: Jacob Khounsourath SR from Nevada. WR/TE: Cade Sears SR from Harlan. OL: Quinten Fuller SR from Creston. OL: Steven Fah SR from Harlan. OL: Jagger Luther SR from Creston. OL: Garrett Stinger JR from Nevada. OL: Kobe Thiphasouk JR from Nevada. OL At-Large: Will Arkfeld SR from Harlan. OL At-Large: Colton Rasmussen SR from Atlantic. OL At-Large: Brehden Eggers SR from Harlan. K: Brennan Hayes SR from Creston.

First Team All Defense

DL: Max Chapman SR from Creston. DL: Will Palmer SR from Nevada. DL: Franz Reisz SR from Harlan. DL: Evan Sorensen JR from Atlantic. LB: Austin Evans SR from Creston. LB: Jack Burlage JR from Nevada. LB: Matthew Sorfonden SR from Harlan. DB: Dylan Calvin SR from Creston. DB: McCoy Haines SR from Creston. DB: Kyle Kingsbury SR from Nevada. DB: Kinnick Juhl JR from Atlantic. Def. At-Large: Anthony Eaton JR from Nevada. Kale Kincaid SR from Knoxville. Def At-Large: Colton Becker SR from Atlantic. P: Tyler Gomez JR from Perry.

Second Team All Offense

QB: Connor King JR from Nevada. RB: Dante Hedrington SR from Atlantic. RB: Gavin McLaren SO from Atlantic. WR/TE: Drake Levan SR from Perry. WR/TE: Eric Lagos SR from Perry. WR/TE: Koby Higginbotham JR from Knoxville. OL: Tucker Rohrig SR from Creston. OL: Hayden Soma SR from Harlan. OL: Reid Woodward JR from Atlantic. OL: Jesse Rodriguez SR from Perry. OL: George Gilbert SR from Knoxville. OL At-Large: Noah Keefer SR from Knoxville. OL At-Large: Cohen Bruce SR from Atlantic. OL At-Large: Kain Killmer SR from Perry. K: Roberto Gomez SO from Perry.

Second Team All Defense

DL: Issac Harrington SO from Nevada. DL: David Gorskih JR from Knoxville. DL: Keegan Snyder SR from Perry. DL: Kevin Colin SR from Perry. LB: Jozef Reisz JR from Harlan. LB: Will Bollinger SR from Creston. LB: Austin Waldera SO from Nevada. DB: Dylan Starlin SR from Creston. DB: Quinn Koesters SR from Harlan. DB: Connor Willis SR from Knoxville. DB: Geren Kenney JR from Perry. Def At-Large: Bryce Van Baale JR from Harlan. Def At-Large: Tyson O’Brien JR from Atlantic. Def At-Large: Tyce Huyck SR from Knoxville. P: Mason Herrold SR from Nevada.

Offense Honorable Mention

Josh Schaeffer JR from Creston. Weston Trapp JR from Creston. Noah Schmitz SR from Harlan. Jarrett Hansen JR from Atlantic. Trevan Hansen JR from Atlantic. Zach Shelley JR from Perry

Defense Honorable Mention 

Jackson Kerr SR from Creston. Jack Walter JR from Creston. John Nelson SO from Nevada. Issac Williams SO from Nevada. Alex Heithoff JR from Harlan. Nolan Waters SR from Atlantic. Egan Leber SR from Perry.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – 14 players — nine from the Hawkeye State — have signed National Letters of Intent to join the University of Iowa baseball program in the fall of 2023, it was announced Wednesday by head coach Rick Heller. The class is ranked as the 15th-best nationally by Baseball America, the highest ranking in program history.

“This is an outstanding recruiting class and a fantastic group of young men,” said Heller. “The balance between pitching and hitting is excellent. Associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Marty Sutherland continues to do a fantastic job year after year. Pitching coach Sean McGrath hit the ground running and has done a super job helping our recruiting efforts. This new group of Hawkeyes is talented and has a chance to be special. Our current roster has several potential MLB draft picks and the same can be said about this recruiting class. We feel that we are in a great place with our roster heading into the 2024 season, but we will likely need to sign a few more players this spring and summer.”

The class consists of ten position players: Kyle Alivo (UT, Milwaukee, Wis.), Cash Campbell (3B, Lombard, Ill.), Colin Coonradt (SS, Cedar Falls, Iowa), Myles Davis (SS, Marion, Iowa), Karson Grout (UT, Wellman, Iowa), Carter Geffre (C, Ames, Iowa), Tyler Guerin (1B, Shoreview, Minn.), Miles Risley (OF, Johnston, Iowa), Kooper Schulte (SS, New London, Iowa) and Caleb Wulf (C/UT, West Liberty, Iowa).

Iowa also signed four pitchers: Joey Oakie (RHP, Ankeny, Iowa), Nick Heitman (RHP, Mt. Vernon, Iowa), Liam Roche (LHP, Overland Park, Kansas) and Jaron Bleeker (RHP, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa). Newcomers Alivo, Guerin and Geffre will also pitch for the Hawkeyes.

11 recruits are top 500 rated players nationally by Perfect Game and five are inside the top 500 by Prep Baseball Report.

The Hawkeyes bring in the top-rated recruit in the state of Iowa (Oakie) and Minnesota (Guerin), according to Perfect Game. Alivo, Davis, Geffre and Grout are also ranked in the top-10 of their respective states by Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report.