The Board of Directors of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union have selected Winterset native Jean Berger as the organization’s fifth executive director.  Berger succeeds Mike Dick, who is retiring on August 31.

Berger currently serves as the Interim Director of Athletics at the University of Northern Iowa, succeeding former IGHSAU Executive Director Troy Dannen.

Berger has been at Northern Iowa since 2008.  She is the direct supervisor for five Panther sports: women’s basketball, softball, tennis, soccer and volleyball. She oversees academic services and athletic training while monitoring Northern Iowa’s gender equity plans.

Prior to coming to Northern Iowa, Berger spent 17 years at Drake University. She was named Drake’s senior women’s administrator in 1994 and was assistant athletic director for internal affairs.  In 2005, she was promoted to associate athletic director. Berger supervised 11 programs at Drake.

Nationally, Berger was the Missouri Valley Conference representative to the the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Issue Committee and served on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. She began a term on the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee in 2012.

Prior to beginning her administrative career, Berger was an assistant in the Drake sports information office. She served in a similar capacity at Wichita State and was the sports information director at Wayne State from 1985-to-1990.

Berger is a graduate of the University of Iowa, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a master’s degree in physical education and sports studies. Berger has two daughters, Jessica (27) and Jenna (21).

The Iowa State Cyclones welcomed in 36 newcomers to their football program during a signing day event at Jack Trice Stadium’s Sukup End Zone Club on Wednesday.

New Head Coach Matt Campbell and staff put together one of the Cyclones highest rated classes ever in just a short 2-month time span since coming to Ames.

The Cyclone signed 11 players on Offense including consensus 4-star Offensive Tackle Sean Foster from Mundelein, Ill.  The Cyclones also beat out Michigan for TE Chase Allen from Nixa, MO.  Allen is the son of former ISU assistant and UNI Head Coach Terry Allen.  Quarterback signee Jacob Park is expected to compete for time and add depth to the position.  Park is a former 4-star recruit who spent time at Georgia and NE Oklahoma A&M and will come in as a Sophomore in class standing.

On the defensive side the Cyclones signed 12 players including an emphasis on the line with 3 Defensive Ends and 2 Defensive Tackles.  The Cyclones got a nice surprise with the signing of Twin Brothers JaQuan and Joshua Bailey from Jacksonville, Florida whom are both three star prospects on the defensive line and were swayed by the chance to play together.

The Cyclones also signed one specialist in Long Snapper Steve Wirtel of Orland Park, Illinois.  Iowa State also welcomed in 5 mid-year signees and 6 players signed financial aid agreements as preferred walk-ons.

Iowa State will host their Spring Game on April 16th at 1:00pm at Jack Trice Stadium.

The Iowa Hawkeyes Football team added a group of 24 players to the roster yesterday on national signing day.  Kirk Ferentz and staff once again brought in a class mostly focused on kids from the midwest, signing five from the states of Iowa and Illinois, four from Michigan, and three from Wisconsin.

The Hawks put an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball and signed five defensive linemen, five linebackers, and four defensive backs.  That group includes Defensive Ends Cedrick Lattimore, a 250-pounder out of Detroit and Illinois product Romeo Knight.

On the offensive side of things the Hawkeyes signed three linemen, three tight ends, two running backs, a wide receiver, and a quarterback.  The first commitment of the class was Quarterback Nathan Stanley from Menomonie, Wisconsin.  Stanley turned down his home-state Badgers to sign with Iowa but his family does have ties to Iowa as both of his parents attended Wartburg College in Waverly.  The Hawkeyes also held on to a commitment from Offensive Alaric Jackson from Detroit despite late overtures from other Big Ten schools including Michigan.

Iowa begins spring practice the last week in March with the annual open practice scheduled for Saturday, April 23rd at Kinnick Stadium.  Iowa also plans to hold an open practice in Des Moines again the weekend of April 8-10.