The Audubon Wheelers took a tough home loss vs a conference opponent the Treynor Cardinals 67-37. The Cardinals jumped out to a fast start right off the opening tip where they rode the hot hand of senior Jace Tams in the first half where the senior could do no wrong. Tams would single handily put the Cardinals offense on his back as he scored 25 of his game high 28 points in the first half including six threes. The Wheelers trailed 39-14 going into the half time break and Head Coach Darran Miller said the major difference in the game was Tams 25 first half points as well as the Wheelers having 13 first half turnovers.

The second half started with the Cardinals picking right up where they left the first half at getting seniors Karson Elwood and Ethan Konz in the scoring action to go along with Tams. The Cardinals would take a 60-23 lead into the fourth quarter where the running clock would be in place.

But give credit to the Audubon Wheelers as they didn’t give up and continued to play hard and had their best quarter of the night in the fourth. The Wheelers would outscore the Cardinals 14-7 in the quarter. The difference in the quarter was the Wheelers ability to handle the basketball as they had just one turnover in the quarter and just 5 in the second half. Wheelers senior leader Edward Miller was able to get some shots falling as he finished the night with 16 points and two and one’s in the second half. Head Coach Darran Miller was happy with how his team battled and played hard in the final quarter.

The Cardinals would take the game by a final score of 67-37 to improve to 2-1 on the early season and 2-0 in Western Iowa Conference play. For the Wheelers they fell to 1-2 but now 0-2 in Western Iowa Conference play. The Wheelers will be back in action on Friday night when they travel to take on the AHSTW Vikings in a 7:30pm tipoff.

Full meet notes for Iowa’s track and field home opener this Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility. The Hawkeyes welcome Western Illinois and Wisconsin for this weekend’s competition. The meet begins with the start of the pentathlon at 10:30 a.m. (CT) at the indoor track. The weight throw kicks off the field events at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex at 11 a.m. Running events begin at the indoor track at 2:45.

HOW TO FOLLOW: Results can be found on the live results link on the track and field schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. Updates and results are posted on the team’s official ‘X’ account (iowaXC_TF).

IRVING, Texas – Yonger Bastida has been named the Big 12 Co-Wrestler of the Week, along with Oklahoma State’s Izzak Olejnik, the league office announced Tuesday. It is the second Big 12 Weekly honor of Bastida’s career and the third consecutive week a Cyclone has been recognized by the conference.

Bastida was dominant en route to winning Iowa State’s first individual Cliff Keen Invitational title since 2014. In his first real test since moving to heavyweight, Bastida went 5-0 with three bonus-point wins and defeated three top-20 opponents.

The Cuba native outscored his opponents 68-21 and did not surrender a takedown or offensive point against him the entire tournament.

Bastida earned a tech fall against Navy’s No. 10 Grady Griess in 4:25 in the semifinals. In the finals against Michigan’s No. 3 Lucas Davison, Bastida secured a reversal and takedown in the third period, the later coming with nine seconds remaining in the match, to get the win and secure the CKLV title.

Iowa State is off this weekend. The Cyclones return to action Dec. 18 at the Collegiate Duals in Nashville, Tenn. against Pittsburgh, Little Rock and Cornell.

2023-24 ISU Big 12 Weekly Honors
Nov. 21 – Kysen Terukina
Nov. 28 – Evan Frost
Dec. 5 – Yonger Bastida

Drake coach Darian DeVries expects the Bulldogs to face a motivated St. Louis University team in Wednesday night’s meeting in the Knapp Center. The Billikens are 5-4 but coming off a 101-62 loss at Southern Illinois.

DeVries says St. Louis is a versatile team.

The Bulldogs have won four straight and are coming off two blowout wins to open Missouri Valley play. DeVries says progress on defense has been a big factor in their improvement.

The first of two nights of Cy-Hawk basketball begins Wednesday night in Hilton Coliseum when the Iowa State women host fourth ranked Iowa. The Cyclones won two years ago in Ames but the Hawkeyes have won six of the last seven in the series.

That’s ISU coach Bill Fennelly. The game will be played in front of a sold-out crowd.

A young Iowa State team is 4-3 and needs to find a way to slow down reigning national player of the year Caitlin Clark.

Freshman center Audi Crooks is averaging 16 points per game, and this will be her first appearance in the rivalry.

Crooks believes the Cyclones are making progress.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder says the Cyclones will have a good defensive plan against Caitlin Clark.

Bluder says it will be the first true road test for the Hawkeyes.

Caitlin Clark says it will be a big test for the Hawkeyes.

Clark says the emotion will be high.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – University of Iowa defensive coordinator and secondary coach Phil Parker has been named the recipient of the 2023 Broyles Award, it was announced Tuesday at the awards ceremony by the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation. The Broyles Award is presented annually to the top assistant coach in college football.

“Phil Parker is an incredible football coach, and I am extremely pleased that he has been recognized for his career success by the Broyles Committee,” said Moon Family Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz. “We simply would not have achieved the success we have as a program without Phil’s dedication and leadership. Since 1999, we have benefited from Phil’s expertise and tenacity.

“Phil is an exceptional coach and teacher. He has helped develop hundreds of student athletes into better football players on the field and prepared them to be better men off the field. He is one of a kind, and I am so happy that he has been by my side in this program throughout the past 25 years.”

The honor is the first of Parker’s career.  He was also a Broyles Award semifinalist in 2022.  Two previous Hawkeye coaches — Norm Parker (2013) and Ron Aiken (2002) — have been named the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year. Norm Parker was also a finalist in 2004 and 2005.

Phil Parker, who is in his 25th season on Iowa’s coaching staff (12th as defensive coordinator), has been the mastermind behind one of the nation’s top defenses in 2023. The Hawkeyes have allowed just 15 touchdowns in 13 games (tied for the third fewest in the NCAA) and the unit ranks fourth nationally, giving up 13.2 points per game.

The point per game average is the lowest by a Hawkeye defense since 2008.

The Hawkeyes have given up one touchdown or less in 10 of 13 games this season and the unit is ranked fifth nationally in total defense (274.8) for a sixth straight year. Iowa’s defense has allowed 400 yards or fewer in 27 straight games dating back to the 2021 season — the longest active streak nationally.

One of Parker’s main principles is limiting “explosive” plays. In 2023, the Hawkeyes have allowed just 18 such plays in 13 games.

Across the board, Iowa ranks in the top 20 nationally in virtually every defensive category this season, including being fifth in team passing efficiency defense (100.46), 12th in red zone defense (.750), 13th in rushing defense (102.5), 16th in first downs defense (205) and 19th in third-down conversion defense (.316).

Under Parker’s tutelage, three defensive players — DB Cooper DeJean, DB Sebastian Castro and LB Jay Higgins — were midseason All-Americans. DeJean was a finalist for the Nagurski Award and Thorpe Award and a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, while Higgins was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award.

DeJean was also named the recipient of the 2023 Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, becoming the sixth Hawkeye to be voted the top defensive back in the conference under Parker’s watch.

The No. 17 Hawkeyes will play No. 21 Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2024, in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game will start at noon (CT) and will be televised on ABC.