Iowa will begin postseason play next week at the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
STATE COLLEGE, Penn. – University of Iowa women’s wrestling head coach Clarissa Chun was named USA Wrestling Women’s Coach of the Year, announced by the organization at the conclusion of the 2024 Olympic Team Trials tournament on Saturday.
This is Chun’s second coach of the year recognition in her first season with the Hawkeyes. Her first being NCWWC Women’s Wrestling Coach of the Year, awarded to her at the national championships in March.
The Hawkeyes went 16-0 in dual competition in the 2023-24 season and broke the world attendance record for women’s wrestling in their first dual inside of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Chun led Iowa to the NCWC National Duals title, the NCWWC national team title and had six individual national champions, and 12 all-Americans.
Iowa qualified a total of nine wrestlers for the 2024 Olympic Team Trials this past weekend, bringing home three podium finishes.
Several Hawkeyes will continue international competition at the U20 and U23 World Championship later this year. The U20 World Championship will be held in Pontevedra, Spain, this September, and the U23 World Championships will take place in Rio Negro, Colombia, this June.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The 65th-ranked University of Iowa women’s tennis team fell to second-ranked Michigan, 4-0, on Saturday.
Despite the Wolverines securing the doubles point, the Hawkeyes posted a victory at the top spot.
Sophomore Daianne Hayashida and senior Vipasha Mehra downed Piper Charner and Reese Miller, 6-4, to bring the doubles competition down to the tiebreaker match.
At the No. 3 spot, junior Marisa Schmidt and sophomore Nikita Vishwase fought, but ultimately fell to Kari Miller and Bayley Sheinin, 6-1.
In singles competition, the Hawkeyes lined up against five of the six Wolverines being ranked, falling on courts four, five and six.
Sophomore Pia Kranholdt stood strong in her first set against No. 77 Lily Jones with a 6-4 finish. Jones took it to a third set, defeating Kranholdt 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes will continue competition in Michigan tomorrow, heading to East Lansing to matchup against Michigan State in their final regular season dual. Competition will begin at 10 a.m. (CT).
PROVO, Utah – In the series finale, Iowa State (16-25, 5-13 Big 12) fell to BYU (26-19, 8-13 Big 12) by a score of 8-5 at Gail Miller Field.
A frantic first three innings featured back-and-forth scoring with momentum constantly up for grabs. The Cougars settled in in the third inning, taking the lead for good and not allowing a run from there on.
Iowa State suffers its third Big 12 sweep of the season, dropping all three contests to the Cougars. Tiana Poole, Olivia Wardlow and Alesia Ranches led the team in hits on the afternoon, each earning a pair. Poole was tied for a team-best two RBI which both came on her second inning home run. Angelina Allen matched Poole with two RBI of her own, as she, Milaysia Ochoa and Carli Spelhaug each had a hit.
Lauren Schurman (3-5) went the distance for the Cyclones, as the freshman gave up five earned runs on seven hits on the afternoon.
Despite being outhit by the Cyclones; the Cougars were able to manufacture runs. BYU drew seven free passes – six walks and a HBP – as Violet Zavodnik had three walks alone. Hailey Morrow was responsible for three of the runs, as she drove in a game-high of three runners.
Ailana Agbayani got the start in the circle for the Cougars but was quickly replaced after giving up five runs in the second inning. Chloe Temples pitched an inning and a third following Agbayani, giving up just one hit. However, it was Kate Dahle (6-5) who had herself a game, as she went the remaining 4.1 innings where she allowed just two hits with four strikeouts to earn her sixth win of the season.
How it Happened
For the first time in the series, BYU was able to get on the board in the first inning. After limiting ISU to a lone hit in the top of the frame, BYU recorded back-to-back hits – a double and a single – which would be enough to give them a 1-0 lead. A walk and a single would load the bases with no outs before a Cyclone error and subsequent HBP would plate another two runs to make it 3-0 in favor of the Cougars.
Iowa State responded emphatically in the top of the second, as it was able to bring in five runs to take its first lead of the day. A Spelhaug single would be homered in by Poole to trim the Cougar lead to one. Nosan and Wardlow would then both reach via error and single, respectively, to put two on the paths with just one out. As the order turned, Ochoa doubled through the right side to score Nosan and put herself on second and Wardlow on third for Allen who was next up. Allen followed Milaysia’s lead, doubling down the left line and driving in two to give the Cyclones a 5-3 advantage.
A pair of walks and a fielder’s choice would load the bases for BYU in the bottom of the frame with just one out. A Lily Owens single would score one, as the Cougars made it a one-run game headed into the third.
The Cyclones had a great opportunity to get runs back in the top of the third, as Ochoa stood in with the bases loaded and two outs. A great pitch from BYU’s Dahle would strike out Ochoa, though, and end the ISU threat.
A pair of fielder’s choices would allow for two more Cougar runs to come across in the bottom of the frame as BYU was able to retake the lead, 6-5.
The Cyclones were limited to just two hits over the next two scoreless frames as neither team was able to string things together on offense.
The Cougars tacked on some insurance in the sixth thanks to a Morrow two-run blast to make it 8-5 in favor of the home team.
ISU was unable to muster a seventh-inning rally, falling to the Cougars in the series-finale
On Deck
Following its series finale against BYU, Iowa State will stay in the area and play a Sunday game against Utah Valley before heading back to Ames. Utah Valley, who ISU played in the season-opener in Mexico, is just about four miles away from BYU’s campus. Sunday’s game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
HAVRE DE GRACE, Maryland – Sophomore Madison Dabagia paced the University of Iowa women’s golf team, firing a one-under par 71 on day two of the Big Ten Championships at the Bulle Rock Golf Course.
Playing in the Big Ten Championship for her second time, Dabagia had five birdies en route to her 71. She is currently tied for 19th place heading into the final round with a 146 (75-71).
The Hawkeyes fired a 10-over par 298, putting them in a tie for 11th place with a 598.
Sophomores Kaitlyn Hanna and Riley Lewis both currently sit in a tie for 36th place on the individual leaderboard with a five-over par 149.
Michigan State leads the field with a 14-under par 562. The Wolverines’ Katie Lu is atop the individual leaderboard with a six-under 138.
IOWA LEADERBOARD
T19. Madison Dabagia 75-71=146
T36. Kaitlyn Hanna 73-76=149
T36. Riley Lewis 74-75=149
T62. Ximena Benites 78-76=154
83. Shannyn Vogler 8782=169
84. Paula Miranda 92-80=172
T11. Iowa 300-298=598
UP NEXT
The final round will begin Sunday with an 8:30 a.m. (CT) shotgun start.
HOCKLEY, Texas – Iowa State senior Liyana Durisic and sophomore Karisa Chul-Ak-Sorn earned co-medalist honors Saturday at the Big 12 Women’s Golf Championship. It marked the first time in Big 12 history that a pair of teammates stood together at the top of the standings and just the fourth time in league history that a team had the top two finishers in the standings.
As a team, the Cyclones finished in second place with an 863 over the three rounds. It was the fifth time in program history ISU has finished in the top two at a conference championship and the second time doing so in Big 12 history. The 2017 squad earned runner-up honors as well. Iowa State’s 863 was the lowest 54-hole score at a conference championship in program history.
Chul-Ak-Sorn entered the day in the lead, but it was Durisic that made the late charge to the top of the leaderboard. Durisic shot a 68, her second-best round of the year, in the final round to move up to match Chul-Ak-Sorn. She had just one bogey on the day, while adding a pair of birdies on both the front nine and the back nine. Chul-Ak-Sorn tallied a 73 in the final round, as she was even on the final three holes to earn a share of the title. Chul-Ak-Sorn tallied three birdies on the day. Their 207 over 54 holes was the lowest conference championship score in school history and the fourth-lowest in Big 12 Championship history.
The pair earning medalist honors are the third and fourth in program history and second and third at a Big 12 Championship. Celia Barquin Arozamena won the Big 12 Championship in 2018, while Shelley Finnestad won the Big 8 Championship in 1993.
Tess Blair was steady for the Cyclones throughout the weekend, as she finished in a tie for 17th with a 217. Her 217 is tied for the ninth-best conference championship score in program history. She finished her weekend with an even 71, as she tallied a birdie on the eighth hole.
Keeley Marx finished in a tie for 55th with a 232 over 54 holes. She had a 76 on Saturday that included a pair of back-to-back birdies on the back nine to help solidify Iowa State’s runner-up finish as a team. Pammy Chookaew rounded out the lineup for the Cyclones, as she finished in 63rd. She shot an 83 on Saturday that included a birdie on the sixth hole.
The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Wednesday, April 24 at 1 p.m. on the Golf Channel.
Sarasota, Fla. – The University of Iowa rowing team finished up the weekend at the Big Ten Invitational on Saturday at Nathan Benderson Park.
Iowa raced in the 1V8, 2V8, 3V8, 4V8, 1V4, 2V4, and 3V4 against Alabama, Clemson, No. 9 Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, UCF and Wisconsin.
The Hawkeyes started off the day strong with the 2V4 clinching first place by a time of 4.56 seconds and ended the day with two first place finishes coming from the 3V4 and 4V8. The three victories were a single day high for Iowa.
Iowa will be back in action on April 26 for the Lake Wheeler Invitational in Raleigh, NC.
QUOTING HEAD COACH JEFF GARBUTT
“Day two was a really strong day for the Hawks. We had wins in our 2V4, 3V4, and 4V8 and a really strong second place by our 3V8. In addition, we had some really solid racing from our NCAA boat classes to illustrate the depth of our roster. All crews, once again, accepted the challenge and raced with enthusiasm. This level of competition was something we need to grow as racers and being able to have this level of racing can’t be duplicated in the practice setting. Lessons were, once again, learned as we move into the final stretch of the season. On to Lake Wheeler, I can’t wait to see how we respond next weekend. Go Hawks!”
QUOTING SENIOR KEN STREVELER
“We leveled up as a team to good competition and raced hard to find some more speed this weekend. Super excited to keep on finding new gears in these next few weeks of great competitors.”
QUOTING JUNIOR ABBY THOMS
“I think we made a lot of good progress in every single race inching forward for Big Tens. We know how to push ourselves now for the rest of the season in preparation for May 19.”
QUOTING FRESHMAN ASHLEY OWEN
“This weekend as a team we attacked our competition with confidence and strength. As we move forward we are all ready to put in more work before for our next races!”