Gio Scelzi says he considers it a return home this weekend when the World of Outlaws make their first appearance at the Knoxville Raceway for a two night event beginning Friday. Scelzi is in his first season as a full-time Outlaws driver and his race team is based in Des Moines.

Scelzi has 16 top ten finishes this season on the World of Outlaws circuit but is still in search of his first feature win. He has seven all-time feature wins at Knoxville.

Scelzi says Knoxville is a demanding track and his ultimate goal is to win the Knoxville Nationals in August.

AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Iowa track and field team opened day one of the NCAA Championships by breaking the 4×100 school record to secure a spot in the finals on Friday.

Juniors Kalen Walker, Austin Kresley, Gratt Reed and Damoy Allen set a new school record running a 38.64 to finish eighth and clinch a spot in the finals on Friday night. The quartet broke their own school record that was set back at the Texas Relays on April 1 (38.70).

“I’m really proud of how our 4×1 set the tone early and had a great performance,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “If you look at what it takes to make a final at this meet, it’s pretty remarkable.”

Kresley cruised to a 20.26 finish in the 200-meter race, tying his own school record from earlier this season. The Hawkeye sprinter finished 11th overall and was named a second team All-American.

Reed turned in a nice performance in the 110-meter hurdles, taking 10th place in 13.55 and finishing as a second team All-American.

“Gratt had a really good start, he clipped a few hurdles at the end that probably cost him a shot at the finals, but finishing 10th at this meet is really impressive,” Woody added.

Gillum completed his individual career, earning honorable mention status with a 51.57 finish in the 400-meter hurdles.

“I know it wasn’t the way Julien wanted to go out, but he’s been a tremendous competitor for our program and I’m really proud of how he puts his best self out there when he steps on the track,” Woody said.

Junior Austin West sits in fourth place halfway through the decathlon competition with 4,266 points. West’s day was highlighted by the 400-meter dash title, crossing the line in 46.56. He followed that up with a career best in the shot put, tossing 14.17 meters (46’ 6”) and matched a personal best in the high jump (1.95 meters | 6’ 4.75”). West is 325 points behind the leader, Leo Neugebauer from Texas.

“Austin had a really good first day in the decathlon,” Woody said. “He really got things rolling in the shot put and got some momentum that carried him through the high jump. He dominated the 400 and has a lot of confidence heading into day two tomorrow.”

The Championships continue Thursday at noon (CT) with West continuing his decathlon with the 110-meter hurdles. The women’s competition begins on day two, beginning with Amanda Howe in the hammer throw at 3:30 p.m. Paige Magee and Myreanna Bebe are set to compete in the semifinals of the 100-meter hurdles on Thursday at 8:30. Mariel Bruxvoort joins Magee in the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles at 9:30 p.m., while the women’s 4×400 team caps the night at 10:45 p.m.

HAWKEYE RESULTS

4×100 relay
8. Walker, Kresley, Reed, Allen – 38.64, finals qualifier, school record

110-meter hurdles
10. Gratt Reed – 13.55, 2nd team All-American

400-meter hurdles
22. Julien Gillum – 51.57, honorable mention

200 meters
11. Austin Kresley – 20.26, 2nd team All-American, tied school record

4×400 relay
21. Stapleton Jr., Richards, Jefferson, Gillum (3:06.59)

Decathlon
4. Austin West (4,266 points)
11. 100 meters – 10.82 (901 points)
7. Long Jump – 7.31 meters (23’ 11.75”) (888)
8. Shot Put – 14.17 meters (46’ 6”), PR (739)
T-9. High Jump – 1.95 meters (6’ 4.75”) (758)
1. 400 meters – 46.56 (980)

BASEBALL

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Glenwood 5, Sioux CIty West 4

Western Iowa Conference

Underwood 4, St. Albert 0

Rolling Valley Conference

Boyer Valley 11, Exira-EHK 6
Coon Rapids-Bayard 9, Glidden-Ralston 0
West Harrison 8, CAM 0

Pride of Iowa Conference

Central Decatur 5, Pleasantville 1
Earlham 11, Nodaway Valley 1
Lenox 11, Riverside 1
Southeast Warren 17, Murray 0
Southwest Valley 5, Tri-Center 4
Wayne 13, Melcher-Dallas 3

Other Scores

Central Decatur 5, Pleasantville 1
Martensdale-St. Marys 13, Panorama 12

Softball

Hawkeye Ten Coferenece

Kuemper Catholic 7, Atlantic 0
Dowling Catholic 12, Clarinda 0
Dowling Cathlic 7, Clarinda 3
Missouri Valley 2, St. Albert 1
Underwood 19, Harlan 9

Western Iowa Conference

ACGC 12, AHSTW 9
IKM-Manning 10, Ar-We-Va 5
Riverside 15, Lenox 6
Missouri Valley 2, St. Albert 1
Underwood 19, Harlan 9

Rolling Valley Conference

CAM 12, West Harrison 0
CAM 14, West Harrison 2
Glidden-Ralston 5, Coon Rapids-Bayard 4
IKM-Manning 10, Ar-We-Va 5

Pride of Iowa Conference

Earlham 10, Nodaway Valley 0
Martensdale-St. Marys 11, Panorama 1
Southeast Warren 13, Murray 3
Southwest Valley 7, Tri-Center 6

The Kuemper Catholic Knights ripped off four straight hits to start the game and scored four runs in the first inning against Atlantic on Wednesday night. The Trojans never got their bats to respond and the Knights ended up coming away with a 7-0 victory. Atlantic Head Coach Terry Hinzmann gave credit to the Knights for playing well.

Zoey Kirchhoff took the loss in the circle giving up all 7 runs on 7 hits. Riley Wood pitched four innings of scoreless relief. Coach Hinzmann liked the way she stepped in and played well.

Myli Schaefer gave up only 4 Atlantic hits and went the distance in the shutout for the Knights. Kaylie Dierckson had a phenomenal defensive game with a number of extended grabs at third base. Coach Hinzmann said it’s been a wild conference race so far.

Kuemper improved to 8-7 on the season. Atlantic falls to 7-5 and will be back at it on Thursday with a road trip to face Lewis Central.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head soccer coach Matt Fannon has officially announced the addition of four transfers to the 2023 Cyclone roster. DePaul transfer Kristin Boos, Marquette transfer Alex Campana, Virginia Tech transfer Ella Ciardullo and Arkansas State transfer Abigail Miller are set to join Iowa State this summer.

“These four will bring maturity to our current squad, which is invaluable,” says Fannon. “These student-athletes bring plenty of experience from various conferences and environments and will help our staff and team grow.”

Kristin Boos, a 5-5 senior forward, was a four-year contributor for the DePaul Blue Demons, where she started 47 of 55 possible matches and tallied eight goals with seven assists.

Boos, a Sterling Heights, Mich. Native, comes to Ames with a year of eligibility remaining, having logged over 4,000 career minutes during her time in the Big East.

“Kris came on her visit and had all the right answers,” said ISU Assistant Coach CC Cobb. “She has aspirations to play beyond the collegiate level and there is a maturity about her that will translate well with our current group. It is an opportunity for her to showcase her talent on the Power 5 stage and we are excited to see her in action in an Iowa State uniform.”

Boos scored one goal and tallied one assist during her senior year in Chicago, starting 17 contests. Both her goal and assist came in a match against new teammate Alex Campana and Marquette.

Alex Campana, a 5-8 senior forward, comes from Marquette, where she played four years for the Golden Eagles.

Campana, a native of Natick, Mass., started 40 matches during her time in Milwaukee, notching five goals and two assists.

When asked about Campana, Cobb said, “Alex was an absolute pleasure on her visit. She hit it off with the staff and the team quite well. She’s versatile in what she brings to the table. It will be exciting to see her in action with our current group.”

A two-time member of the Big East All-Academic Team, Campana also earned Big East Freshman of the Week honors on October 14 in 2019. Campana played in all 18 of her senior year matches, starting 15.

Ella Ciardullo, a 5-5 sophomore forward, arrives in Ames after a solo season in Blacksburg, Va. with the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Ciardullo grew up in Milton, Ga. where she played for Cambridge High School. At Cambridge, she led her team to a 6A Girl’s Soccer State Runner-Up finish and was named a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist.

“Ella comes in with three years of eligibility which is really exciting for our program,” said Cobb. “The level of competition she saw regularly at Virginia Tech will translate well to the grind of the Big 12.”

Ciardullo played in 10 matches during her first year of college, notching both one goal and one assist, tallying 171 minutes of action.

Abigail Miller, a 5-10 midfielder, comes to Ames from Arkansas State where she competed for three seasons.

Miller, a St. Louis native, started all but one game for the Red Wolves (46-47) and comes to Iowa State with four career goals and two assists, tallying 10 points across her three seasons of competition.

When speaking on Miller, Cobb says, “Gail is a box-to-box midfielder that meets the physical demands of the conference well. She is blue collar, and we are confident she will come ready to work every day.”

All four transfers look to make an immediate impact for the Cyclones as Iowa State is set to begin its 2023 campaign on August 7 with an exhibition match against UNI before its home opener against Arizona on August 17.

Former Iowa star Tristan Wirfs is making the adjustment to left tack for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Mount Vernon native spent his first three seasons at right tackle and has twice been named All-Pro.

Wirfs did play some left tackle while at Iowa.

He knows the move to left tackle brings a higher level of pressure.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s basketball team will play Virginia Tech in the Ally Tipoff on Nov. 9, 2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina, inside the Spectrum Center. The neutral site contest will air on ESPN Platforms with specific details announced at a later date.

Todd Kimm reports.

Both teams are coming off appearances at the 2023 Women’s Final Four and projected to be top 10 programs for the 2023-24 season. It will be the first matchup between Iowa and VT since 2011 in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series, 2-1.

Tickets will go on sale later in the summer and fans can sign up for more information and presale opportunities at AllyTipoff.com.

The Iowa women’s basketball team is coming off a historic season in which it won a school-record 31 games en route to a NCAA national runner-up finish.

Iowa senior guard Caitlin Clark, who was the consensus National Player of the Year, averaged 27.8 points, 8.6 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game. Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin also are set to return to the Hawkeyes, along with 2023 Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year, Hannah Stuelke. Marshall, Martin, and Stuelke were pivotal pieces in the program’s second Final Four appearance.

“We are excited to take our team to Charlotte this November and play a quality team such as Virginia Tech, who joined us in the Final Four last season,” said P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder.  “This will be another great opportunity to showcase our sport on the national stage and create exposure for our university.”

Softball

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Atlantic 12, Harlan 0 (3 innings)
Lewis Central 1, Denison-Schleswig 0 (14 inn)
Fremont-Mills 4, Shenandoah 3
Kuemper 6-6, St. Albert 1-4
Glenwood 6, Red Oak 5

Western Iowa Conference

Audubon 10, IKM-Manning 0
Missouri Valley 9, Tri-Center 6
Treynor 14, Underwood 4
Logan-Magnolia 9, AHSTW 8

Rolling Valley Conference

West Monona 15, Boyer Valley 0
Woodbine 10, Glidden-Ralston 0
Earlham 4, Exira-EHK 2

Corner Conference

Griswold 5, Riverside 1
Fremont-Mills 4, Shenandoah 3

Pride of Iowa Conference

Central Decatur 13, Southwest Valley 8
East Union 7, Bedford 6
Martensdale-St. Marys 12, Lenox 0
Southeast Warren 21, Nodaway Valley 0

Other Scores

Moravia 9, Orient-Macksburg 5
CB Abraham Lincoln 7-16 Sioux City West 4-9
Sioux City East 21-4 CB Thomas Jefferson 6-7
Carroll 13, South Central Calhoun 1
Ogden 15, Panorama 3
West Central Valley vs. ACGC

BASEBALL

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Harlan 7, Atlantic 6 (8 innings) (H: Cade Sears delivered the walk-off winning hit. A: Tanner O’Brien had 2 hits, including a double)
Clarinda 6, Creston 2
Glenwood 9, Red Oak 8
Kuemper Catholic 5, St. Albert 4
Kuemper Catholic 13, St. Albert 3
Lewis Central 11, Denison-Schleswig 1
Shenandoah 4, Fremont-Mills 2 (10 innings)

Western Iowa Conference

AHSTW 4, Logan-Magnolia 3
IKM-Manning 8, Audubon 8
Missouri Valley 5, Tri-Center 4
Underwood 10, Treynor 0

Rolling Valley Conferene

Coon Rapids-Bayard 10, Stanton 9
Woodbine 13, Glidden-Ralston 3

Softball Scores

Corner Conference

East Mills 7, Whiting 0 (Forfeit)
West Harrison 16, Essex 0.

Pride of Iowa Conference

Bedford 3, East Union 2
Central Decatur 15, Southwest Valley 1
Lenox 14, Martensdale-St. Marys 0
Southeast Warren 8, Nodaway Valley 0

Other Scores

CB Abraham Lincoln 5, Sioux City West 2
CB Abraham Lincoln 7, Sioux City West 2
Mormon Trail 18, Murray 9
Sioux City East 15, CB Thomas Jefferson 3
Sioux City East 13, CB Thomas Jefferson 0

The Iowa State Co-Ed Golf Tournaments were held on Tuesday.

In Class 1A play in Boone Sidney’s Avery Dowling and Hayden Thompson finished in 6th place with a 79. Brooklyn Currin and Ethan Konz of Treynor shot 79 as well in 7th place. Other 1A Scores listed below:

18. Addy Beiter & Braxton Vonnahme, Kuemper Catholic (85)
33. Elsa Tiefenthaler & Dawson Billmeier, Kuemper Catholic (91)
36. Shay Burmeister & Trey Petersen, Exira/EHK (92)
41. Hailee Barrett & Keith Thompson, Hamburg (94)
42. Sophi Pedersen & Jace Tams, Treynor (94)
45. Kali Irlmeier & Edward Miller, Audubon (96)
65. Addy Boell & Carson Peters, Glidden-Ralston (106)
66. Riley Burke & Jacob Martin, Essex-Stanton (113)
67. Leah Sandin & Kywin Tibben, Essex-Stanton (113)

In Class 2A at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames the Atlantic duo of Belle Berg and Roth Den Beste shot 96 and finished in 35th place. Other 2A scores from western Iowa were:

44. Sydney Thien & Payton Greenwood, Lewis Central (105)
45. Mikaela Downing & Garret Fry, Creston (106)
47. Katelyn Reed & Tyler Reed, Lewis Central (109)

The Iowa Girls Coaches Association has released their 2023 All-District Soccer selections. Area honorees are listed below. See the full lists for all classes HERE.

3A West
Liberty Bates, CB Abraham Lincoln

2A West
Jada Jensen, Atlantic
Quinn Grubbs, Atlantic
Hannah Chestnut, Boone
Makena Kramer, CB Thoma Jefferson
Camryn Hoscik, CB Thomas Jefferson
Gracie Hays, Lewis Central
Haylee Erickson, Lewis Central
Nora Doughtery, Glenwood
Molly Williams, Glenwood
Ava Scott, Glenwood
Zoe Wittkop, LeMars
Addison Hoben, Spencer
Mary Matthiesen, Spencer
Claire Turner, Spirit Lake
Maddy Waterhouse, Spirit Lake

Coach: Amy Benson, Glenwood

1A West

Ella Klusman, CB St Albert
Lily Khron, CB St Albert
Sophie Sheffield, CB St Albert
Aubrey Scwieso, Harlan
Catherine Mayhall, Kuemper Catholic
Abby Schuett, Tri Center
Brooke Daughenbaugh, Tri Center
Georgia Paulson, Underwood
Lola Paulson, Underwood

Coach: Jared Boysen, Harlan

1A Southeast

Morgan Crees, Panorama
Mia Waddle, Panorama