Big Ten Network : Iowa Top Stories

Michigan holds off Iowa, 59-52

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:29:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) Manny Harris had 22 points and nine rebounds to help Michigan defeat Iowa 59-52 on Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. DeShawn Sims added 14 points for the Wolverines (15-16), who advanced to play No. 5 Ohio State on Friday in the quarterfinals. Iowa freshman Cully Payne scored a season-high 25 points and made five 3-pointers for Iowa (10-22). He had scored a combined four points his previous two games. He was 9 for 16 from the field, but the rest of the team shot 13 for 40. Matt Gatens added 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawkeyes. Michigan had lost four of its previous five games but won all three games against the Hawkeyes this season. Iowa closed the season by losing six of seven.

Iowa fires Lickliter after three seasons

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:48:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Iowa fired coach Todd Lickliter on Monday, ending a brief and disappointing tenure that included three losing seasons in a row and a parade of players leaving the once-proud program. Athletic director Gary Barta announced the firing at a news conference in Iowa City. The 54-year-old Lickliter had four years left on a seven-year contract that paid him $1.2 million a year. He was not at the news conference and not immediately available for comment. The Hawkeyes, who had just two upperclassmen play significant minutes, finished the season 10-22 -- their first with 20 losses. In all, Lickliter was 38-58 with Iowa. Rumors about Lickliter's shaky job status picked up steam late last week after a 59-52 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament. But his stint at Iowa was also marred by a series of player departures. Four transferred after the 2008-09 season, and sophomore guard Anthony Tucker left last month. Lickliter spent six seasons at Butler before coming to Iowa to succeed Steve Alford, who left for New Mexico in the spring of 2007. Lickliter led the Bulldogs to a 29-7 mark and the NCAA regional semifinals in 2007 and was named the Division I Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. But Lickliter could never get the Hawkeyes moving in the right direction. Iowa finished 13-19 in 2007-08, Lickliter's first season, but that was expected to be a rebuilding year following Alford's departure. Iowa improved to 15-17 in 2008-09, but key contributors Jake Kelly and Jeff Peterson and reserves Jermain Davis and David Palmer transferred following the season. The Hawkeyes were forced to start from scratch yet again this season. Their starting lineup featured four underclassmen for most of the season -- including true freshman point guard Cully Payne -- and the results were predictable. Iowa lost to the likes of Texas-San Antonio and Duquesne at home and finished just 4-14 in the Big Ten. Though the Hawkeyes seemed to be improving in the later half of the year, they finished the regular season with a 27-point loss at Wisconsin and an 88-53 drubbing at Minnesota. Though Iowa lost more than 20 games for the first time, Lickliter's job seemed safe until last week's conference tournament. After the loss to Michigan, Barta issued a statement that praised the players but did not mention Lickliter. Off the court, Lickliter had a health scare in early December. He went to the hospital because of headaches, and tests revealed the beginning of a tear in Lickliter's carotid artery, which supplies blood to the brain. Doctors added a stent the next day, and Lickliter missed three games while recovering. Iowa has also seen its attendance dwindle in recent years. The Hawkeyes, who routinely had near-capacity crowds during the Tom Davis era in the late 1980s and '90s, drew just 9,550 fans per home game this season.

Syracuse edges Hawkeyes, 3-2

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:03:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- A walk-off fielder's choice from Kelly Saco brought home the winning run for the Syracuse Orange in a 3-2 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes (9-11) in eight innings at FAU Softball Stadium in the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament on Sunday. After Lisaira Daniels tripled and Hallie Gibbs and Lacey Kohl drew walks, the game was tied when Saco came to the plate against Chelsea Lyon with one out and the bases loaded. She hit into a fielder's choice scoring Daniels from third. Iowa was unable to make good contact against Gardner. The Hawkeyes managed only one hit off of the pitcher. Gardner allowed no earned runs, two walks and struck out 10 during her eight innings of work. A key to Gardner's strong performance was her solid pitching with two outs. She allowed no hits in eight at bats. Gardner and Lyon both pitched well. The Orange (8-9) were able to scrape together one more run even though Lyon allowed just three hits hits over seven innings. In the end, the Orange just had a little bit more working for them. Lyon was a workhorse in the circle for Iowa. She pitched seven innings and allowed one earned run, three hits and six walks while striking out five. Syracuse scored in two innings to claim the victory. The Orange scored one run in the first and two runs in the eighth. In the first Grant came home on a throwing error. Iowa's next game is on Tuesday, March 16 at Syracuse. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Texas tops Iowa, 18-0

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:57:00 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas -- A six-run lead wasn't enough for the No. 3 Texas. The Longhorns kept piling the runs on until they had finished off an 18-0 blowout of Iowa (4-9) on Sunday at UFCU DischFalk Field. It was the worst loss for Iowa this season. Cohl Walla drove in five Longhorns (13-3) runners. He went 3-4 at the plate. Walla singled in the second and fifth innings scoring Brandon Loy and homered in the eighth inning scoring Kevin Lusson and Loy. The Longhorns teamed up on a stellar pitching performance. The five pitchers combined to allow four hits. Hoby Milner started it all off with a strong performance and a combination of relievers Stayton Thomas, Sam Stafford, Kendal Carrillo and Josh Urban finished it off. Five strikeouts helped Milner move through the Hawkeyes lineup. He allowed no earned runs on four hits and three walks over four innings. Reliever Thomas got the victory for Texas. He allowed no runs over 1 1/3 innings. The freshman pitcher struck out four, gave up no walks and surrendered no hits. Zach Robertson took the loss for Iowa. He went 3 1/3 innings, gave up one walk, struck out six, and allowed five runs. The Hawkeyes best chance to score was in the fourth inning. After Ryan Durant singled and Dallas Burke walked, the Hawkeyes were trailing by three when Dan Sheppard came to the plate against Milner with no outs and runners on first and second, but he grounded out. The Longhorns knocked in eight runs in the seventh. In the inning, reliever Kevin Lee gave up two runs on a Loy single. Later that inning, two runs came in when Lusson and Kevin Keyes homered and runs came in when Jonathan Walsh doubled and Tant Shepherd singled. Iowa is going through a rough part of the season. The Hawkeyes have now lost six games in a row. The Hawkeyes last won on March 5 against Kansas. Iowa's next game is on Tuesday, March 16 at Texas-San Antonio. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Texas tops Iowa, 5-2

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:20:00 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas -- For the second game in a row, Iowa jumped out to an early lead, but the Hawkeyes were unable to hold on and lost 5-2 to No. 3 Texas (12-3) on Saturday. Iowa (4-8) led 2-1 after the first inning, but Texas worked its way back and took the lead in the second inning on a throwing error by pitcher Zach Kenyon. The Longhorns teamed up on a stellar pitching performance. The four pitchers combined to allow 10 hits. Brandon Workman started it all off with a strong performance and a combination of relievers Andrew McKirahan, Stayton Thomas and Chance Ruffin finished it off. Eight strikeouts helped Workman get the victory for Texas. He allowed two earned runs on seven hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings. Brandon Loy was perfect at the plate. He went 3-3 at the dish. Loy doubled in the second and sixth innings, singled in the third inning and walked in the seventh inning. Texas scored in three innings to claim the victory. The Longhorns scored one run in the first, three runs in the second and one run in the sixth. In the first, Kenyon gave up one run on a Cameron Rupp groundout. In addition to Etier's throwing error by pitcher Kenyon, Kenyon gave up one run on a Cohl Walla fly out. In the sixth, reliever Ricky Sandquist gave up one run on a Tant Shepherd single. Kenyon took the loss for Iowa. He went 5 2/3 innings, gave up two walks, struck out six, and allowed five runs. Iowa took the lead in the first inning. In the first, Workman gave up one run on a Ryan Durant single. Later that inning, a run came in when Phil Keppler grounded out. Texas closer Ruffin got the final three outs to pick up the save. Iowa is going through a rough part of the season. The Hawkeyes have now lost four games in a row. The Hawkeyes last won on March 5 against Kansas. Iowa's next game is on Sunday, March 14 at Texas. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Hawkeyes jump on Hokies early for win

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:50:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Iowa Hawkeyes jumped on the Virginia Tech Hokies early on their way to a 6-5 victory on Saturday at FAU Softball Stadium in the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament. The Hawkeyes (9-9) scored three runs in the first inning. In the inning, Kenzie Roark gave up two runs on a Chelsey Carmody home run. Later that inning, a run came in when Jenny Schuelke singled. It was the most combined runs in a Iowa game since their 7-4 loss to Arizona State on Feb. 20. Carmody drove in three Hawkeyes runners. She went 2-4 at the plate. In addition to her home run in the first, Carmody grounded out in the fourth inning scoring Ashley Akers. Chelsea Lyon got the victory for Iowa. She allowed one run over four innings. The freshman pitcher struck out two, gave up one walk and surrendered three hits. Roark took the loss for Virginia Tech (7-14). She went 4 2/3 innings, gave up one walk, struck out two, and allowed five runs. Iowa's next game is on Sunday, March 14 against Syracuse in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Hilltoppers edge Hawkeyes, 2-1

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:49:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers didn't provide Kim Wagner with much support, but she didn't need much. Wagner pitched seven strong innings to carry the Hilltoppers to a 2-1 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-10) on Saturday at FAU Stadium in the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament. Wagner worked out of five difficult spots to get the win for the Hilltoppers (11-9). She pitched seven innings and allowed one earned run on two hits. Wagner faced her most difficult situation in the seventh inning. After a walk the Hawkeyes were trailing by one and had a runner on second with no outs. Wagner then got Liz Watkins to groundout to end the threat. A key to Wagner's strong performance was her solid pitching with runners on base. She allowed no hits in seven at bats. Kelsey McCauley helped the Hilltoppers take the lead for good in the fifth inning. After Sara Williams singled the game was tied when McCauley came to the plate against Amanda Zust with one out and runners on first and second. She singled scoring Katrina Metoyer from second, which gave the Hilltoppers the lead for good. Western Kentucky scored in two innings to claim the victory. The Hilltoppers scored one run in the second and one run in the fifth. In the second, Zust gave up one run on a Brooke Reed single. Zust took the loss for Iowa. She went six innings, gave up one walk, struck out one, and allowed two runs. Iowa's next game is on Saturday, March 13 against Virginia Tech in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Hawkeyes can't hang on against Longhorns

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:42:00 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas -- Iowa jumped out to an early lead, but the Hawkeyes were unable to hold on and lost 3-1 to No. 3 Texas (11-3) on Saturday. Iowa (4-7) led 1-0 after the first inning, but Texas worked its way back and took the lead in the fourth inning on a single by Cohl Walla. Nine strikeouts helped Cole Green get the win for Texas. He allowed no earned runs on four hits and one walk over seven innings. Kevin Lusson had a good game at the plate for the Longhorns. He went 1-2, scored one run and drove in one run. Lusson homered in the second inning. Texas scored in three innings to claim the victory. The Longhorns scored one run in the second, one run in the fourth and one run in the fifth. In the fifth, Phil Schreiber gave up one run on a Kevin Keyes groundout. Schreiber took the loss for Iowa. He went five innings, gave up three walks, struck out three, and allowed three runs. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Longhorns top Iowa with late HR

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:08:00 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas -- Tant Shepherd's walk-off home run off of Nick Brown boosted the No. 3 Texas Longhorns to a 2-1 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes (4-6) in 10 innings at UFCU DischFalk Field on Friday. The game was tied when Shepherd came to the plate against Brown with one out and nobody on base, and knocked a solo-shot out of the park, which gave the Longhorns the lead for good. The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after the first inning, but they were unable to hang on. Texas (10-3) and Iowa played 10 innings. The two teams combined to have five pitchers pitch in the game. Seventeen strikeouts helped Taylor Jungmann move through the Hawkeyes lineup. He allowed one earned run on five hits and one walk over seven innings. Shepherd had a good game at the plate for the Longhorns. He went 1-4, scored one run and drove in one run. Chance Ruffin got the win in relief for Texas. The freshman pitcher pitched two innings and allowed no runs. Texas scored in two innings to claim the victory. The Longhorns scored one run in the eighth and one run in the tenth. In the eighth, Jarred Hippen gave up one run on a Jordan Etier home run. Reliever Brown took the loss for Iowa. He went one inning, gave up no walks, struck out three, and allowed one run. Iowa's next game is on Saturday, March 13 at Texas. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Lavender sends OSU to 2nd straight tourney title

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 15:24:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sunday was just another work day for Ohio State's Jantel Lavender. The Buckeyes center tied a Big Ten tournament record by scoring 35 points, the last two coming on free throws with 1.9 seconds left to give the Buckeyes a 66-64 victory and the conference tournament championship. FULL TOURNEY RESULTS THURSDAY INFO #7 Michigan 67 #10 Northwestern 54 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #6 Penn St. 63 # 11 Minnesota 52 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #9 Illinois 59 #8 Indiana 53 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE FRIDAY INFO #2 Michigan St. 61 #7 Michigan 50 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #3 Iowa 82 #6 Penn St. 75 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #1 Ohio State 66 #9 Illinois 55 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #4 Wisconsin 73 #5 Purdue 51 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE SATURDAY INFO #3 Iowa 59 #2 Michigan St. 54 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #1 Ohio State 82 #4 Wisconsin 73 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE It was a huge day for Lavender, who joined the 2,000-point club and had her 100th straight double-figure scoring game on the same day Ohio State (30-4) tied the school mark for victories. Not surprisingly, the three-time Big Ten player of the year also earned her second straight Most Outstanding Player award for the tourney. Ohio State, the six-time regular-season conference champs, won its second straight tourney and claimed the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes are the first team other than Purdue to win back-to-back tourney titles since Penn State in 1995-96. Iowa (19-13) was led by Kamille Wahlin with 20 points and Kelly Krei with 18. The Hawkeyes had a chance to win it after Lavender's late free throws, but Wahlin's shot from near half-court missed the rim to the right. It certainly wasn't easy for the Buckeyes, who had to rally from a 16-point second-half deficit. They didn't take the lead until Lavender made two free throws with 3:51 left. She tied it again at 64 on a putback with 1:18 to go, and then made the two free throws to win it. Iowa was in control until midway through the second half when Lavender and Samantha Prahalis triggered a 10-3 run that got the Buckeyes within 54-47 with 9:53 to go. Ohio State was only getting started. Lavender's 5-foot bank shot got the Buckeyes within 60-58 and Prahalis drove through the lane for a nifty scoop shot to tie it at 60 with 5:04 to go. Lavender finally broke the tie with two free throws, and then it was Iowa's turn to rally. Wahlin tied it at 62 with two free throws and Jaime Printy put in a layup with 2:34 to go to give Iowa a 64-62 lead. But Lavender finished the game with four straight points, and the Hawkeyes didn't score again, giving the defending tourney champs a second straight title.

No. 4 Illinois men beat No. 10 Iowa

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 19:44:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The fourth-ranked Illini men's gymnastics team posted a new season-high team score and improved to 10-0 overall and 8-0 in the Big Ten after defeating No. 10 Iowa (5-9, 1-5 Big Ten), 357.500-346.600 Sunday afternoon at Carver Hawkeye Arena. Illinois won five of six team and individual events and set a new season-high score on vault (63.550). "Our performance on vault was exceptional today, so that was exciting to see," associate head coach Justin Spring said. "Our scores keep building and as we get closer to Michigan next weekend and the Big Tens, we want to keep pushing and keep raising those scores. We had some misses today on a couple events, but the second, third and fourth guys really stepped up and carried their weight. I'm excited for the guys. It was a great win." Junior Paul Ruggeri led the way with event titles on parallel bars (15.300) and high bar (16.100), on which he tied the career-high and school-best score he set earlier in the season. Additionally, his score on parallel bars ranks second in school history under the FIG Open Ended "Code of Points" introduced in 2008. Senior Luke Stannard won his second straight pommel horse title with a career-high score of 15.700, which ties for fifth in school history, while sophomore Tyler Mizoguchi won on rings (15.000) and the all-around (88.850) and tallied new career highs in both. Junior Daniel Ribeiro rounded out the group with his second title of the season on vault (16.100), which ties for third in school history. The Illini secured top-three finishes in nearly every event, as senior Tyler Williamson placed second on floor (14.950) and Ribeiro finished third with a season-high score of 14.900. He also finished in second place on pommel horse (14.600) and sophomore C.J. Padera followed in third place(14.300). In his season debut on vault, senior Andres Saavedra tied for second with Mizoguchi with a career-high score of 15.950 and also recorded a new season high on parallel bars (13.950). Padera and Mizoguchi tied for second place on parallel bars (14.950), with Padera tying his career high and Mizoguchi tying his season high on the event. Additionally, career highs also were set by Mizoguchi on high bar (14.100), sophomore Devin Regan on rings (14.200) and high bar (13.500) and freshman Yoshi Mori on parallel bars (14.500). The Illini return to Huff Hall next weekend for the first of two home meets to end the regular season beginning with No. 3 Michigan on Saturday, March 13 at 2 p.m. The meet will be held in conjunction with the Illini women's gymnastics team's meet against No. 18 Missouri. "Gym Jam," sponsored by the News-Gazette, WDWS and WHMS, will feature free food for the first 1,000 fans beginning at 1 p.m. at Huff Hall and fans also can pick up a free admission ticket at the Football Family Fun Fest from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on March 13.

Iowa wins third straight Big Ten Championships

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 17:36:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Iowa seniors Jay Borschel (174) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.) wrestled their way to conference titles Sunday afternoon at the 2010 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, MI. The duo helped the top-ranked Hawkeyes win their third-straight Big Ten title and the school's 34th overall. Iowa scored 156.5 points en route to the team title, which is its highest since 1995 (185), and the Big Ten's highest since Minnesota scored 174 in 2002. Iowa also qualified its entire 10-man lineup for the upcoming NCAA Championships for the 18th time in school history and the first since 2004. Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third straight year becoming the first coach in conference history to earn the honor in three consecutive seasons. Iowa redshirt freshman Matt McDonough, who placed second at 125 pounds, was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He is the fifth Hawkeye in school history to earn the honor and the first since Steve Mocco in 2002. FINAL STANDINGS 1. Iowa 156.5 2. Minnesota 119.5 3. Wisconsin 109 4. Ohio State 102.5 5. Penn State 91 6. Purdue 76 6. Michigan State 68.5 8. Illinois 64 8. Indiana 64 10. Michigan 57.5 11. Northwestern 20 "We had two champions who did what they were supposed to do," said Brands. "We have some explaining to do with the other finalists. We thought we were ready to go and we weren't. We have to go out and execute." Borschel, who was the tournament's top seed at 174 pounds, picked up his first Big Ten title with an 8-1 decision over Minnesota's Scott Glasser in the finals. The Hawkeye senior controlled the match, scoring a takedown in each period, a second-period escape and a point for accumulating 2:59 of riding time during the match. Borschel is undefeated at 32-0, and the title is Iowa's first at 174 pounds. Erekson became Iowa's 27th two-time conference champion with his 9-6 win over top-seeded Nate Everhart of Indiana in the finals. Erekson took Everhart to his back right off the opening whistle, scoring a takedown and three nearfall points to take a 5-0 lead. Everhart, who entered the bout with an undefeated 35-0 record, scored two escapes, but Erekson took a 6-2 lead when he was awarded a penalty point for Everhart fleeing the mat. Erekson started the third period with an escape, but Everhart rallied scoring two takedowns. Erekson held off the rally and added a point for 1:01 riding time to remain undefeated at 12-0 this season. McDonough, and seniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149) and Phillip Keddy (184) all earned second-place finishes for the Hawkeyes. Sophomore Montell Marion (141) placed third, while junior Jake Kerr (157) and senior Ryan Morningstar (165) placed fourth, and senior Chad Beatty (197) placed sixth. McDonough, who was making his first Big Ten Championships appearance, lost a close 6-4 decision to three-time Big Ten champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana in the finals. Both wrestlers entered the bout with undefeated 32-0 records. After two periods full of scrambles, Escobedo led 1-0. McDonough escaped early in the third period to tie the score at 1-1, but Escobedo scored a quick takedown to take a 3-1 lead. McDonough escaped with 40 seconds left in the match, but Escobedo scored another takedown to make the score 5-2. McDonough reversed the top-seeded Indiana senior with 13 seconds left to pull within one (5-4). He let Escobedo up, but ran out of time before he could score again to lose his first bout of the season. Dennis, who was also wrestling in his first Big Ten finals, lost to two-time Big Ten champion Jayson Ness of Minnesota, 9-3, in the 133-pound finals. Ness, who was the top seed and is undefeated at 25-0, scored a first period takedown to take a 2-0 lead. Dennis chose the neutral position to start the second period and neither wrestler scored in the allotted two minutes. Ness chose the down position to start the third period, scoring an escape, takedown and two nearfall points to go up 7-0. Dennis escaped and scored a takedown of his own, but Ness escaped and added a riding time point for the 9-3 win. The Hawkeye senior is now 18-3 this season. Metcalf was going for his third-straight 149-pound Big Ten title, but Ohio State's Lance Palmer spoiled the effort with a 9-3 victory in the finals. Metcalf led 3-1 after the first two periods, but Palmer had 1:33 in riding time going into the third. Palmer chose down to start the third period, and was awarded a penalty point after Metcalf was called for locked hands during a scramble. Metcalf held on to get the riding time under one minute, but Palmer escaped to tie the score at 3-3. The pair scrambled after an offensive flurry and Palmer came out on top, scoring a takedown and three nearfall points when he caught Metcalf on his back. Palmer held on to get the riding time point back, win his first Big Ten title. The Buckeye handed Metcalf (31-1) his first loss of the season while scoring his first win over Metcalf in five attempts. Keddy placed second for the second-straight year, losing a 5-2 decision to top seed John Dergo of Illinois in the finals. The Hawkeye senior put the first points on the board with an escape to start the second period. Dergo followed with a takedown, but Keddy quickly escaped to tie the score at 2-2. Dergo started the third period in the down position and escaped to grab a 3-2 lead. Keddy had several offensive attempts, and Dergo capitalized on the last one, scoring a takedown for the win. The Hawkeyes had some key matches early in Sunday's consolation round to ensure 10 national qualifiers. The NCAA only allocated four automatic qualifiers at 141 and 157 pounds, which meant that Marion and Kerr needed to with their first round matches to earn a trip to the NCAA meet. Morningstar's 165-pound class allowed for five qualifiers, meaning that he needed to win at least one match to make the national trip, and the 197-pound class took seven qualifiers so Beatty was guaranteed to go regardless of his finish. Marion was the only Hawkeye to win two matches on the day, posting an 11-6 decision over Wisconsin's Cole Schmitt in the consolation semifinals and a 5-2 win over Purdue's Juan Archuleta in the third-place match. Against Schmitt, Marion led 4-2 at the start of the third period, but the Badger escaped and scored a takedown to take a 5-4 lead. Marion reversed Schmitt to take a 6-5 lead with 42 seconds remaining. Schmitt escaped to tie the score at 6-6 and had 1:06 of riding time banked, but Marion's takedown with 12 seconds left and three additional nearfall points as time expired gave him the 11-6 win. Kerr scored a 5-3 decision over Michigan's David Johnson in the consolation semifinals, but lost a 6-4 decision in overtime to Michigan State's Anthony Jones to place fourth. Morningstar held off a late charge from Indiana's Paul Young to post a 4-3 win in the consolation semifinals. He was tied 2-2 with Penn State's Dan Vallimont in the third-place bout, but was injured going out of bounds and was forced to default the match and take fourth place. Beatty, who was wrestling in his first competition since December due to injury, posted medical forfeits in each of his matches to place sixth. Up next for Iowa is a trip to the 2010 NCAA Championships. The three-day tournament will be held March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, NE. Iowa has won 22 NCAA team titles, including the last two.

Johnson, Minnesota flatten Iowa, 88-53

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 17:12:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS -- Lawrence Westbrook scored 20 points and Damian Johnson had 10 points and a career-high 11 assists in what could be the seniors' final game at Williams Arena to lead Minnesota to a 88-53 victory over Iowa on Sunday. Devoe Joseph added 17 points and Minnesota was 12-for-19 from 3-point range to bury the Hawkeyes. Aaron Fuller scored 16 points for Iowa, which suffered its biggest loss of the season and lost nine of its last 11 to close out the Big Ten season. The Gophers (18-12, 9-9) are the sixth seed and will face 11th-seeded Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. The Hawkeyes (10-21, 4-14) are seeded ninth and will face eighth-seeded Michigan in the first round. Iowa lost the final two games of the regular season by a combined 62 points, including a 27-point loss at Wisconsin.

Iowa women sail past Southern Utah

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 18:35:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women's gymnastics team sailed by Southern Utah Sunday afternoon in a 195.300-194.475 decision. This marks the highest team score Iowa has put together this season. Over 1,000 fans cheered on the GymHawks as both the Iowa men's and women's teams celebrated senior day in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Juniors Houry Gebeshian and Rebecca Simbhudas led the Hawkeyes as they each scored a 39.325 in the all-around for a share of the title. Gebeshian's score is a career high for the Newton, MA native. Sophomore Jessa Hansen finished in fourth place with a score of 38.325. In the first rotation, Iowa competed on vault where they outscored the Thunderbirds, 48.850-48.775. Simbhudas led the Hawkeyes as well as the competition with a score of 9.850. Gebeshian, along with sophomore Annie Szatkowski, earned third place with a score of 9.800, a personal record for Szatkowski. In their best event of the night, the Hawkeyes topped Utah State on bars, 49.050-48.775. Simbhudas took first with a score of 9.875 while Gebeshian scored a 9.850, good for second place. Sophomore Jordan Eszlinger finished in third after scoring a 9.825. Simbhudas, Gebeshian and Eszlinger all three tied personal career marks with their performances on bars. Gebeshian took first on beam with a 9.850 as the GymHawks compiled a team score of 48.700. Simbhudas finished in second with a 9.800 while Szatkowski placed fifth with a 9.725, a career best for the Reno, NV native. Heading into the final rotation, Iowa held a .100 advantage in the team score. Although Iowa was outscored on floor, 48.950-48.700, Southern Utah finished the meet on beam where they scored a disappointing 47.975, giving Iowa a healthy victory. Gebeshian led the GymHawks on floor with a 9.825 which put her in a tie for third. Simbhudas placed fifth with a score of 9.800. Iowa will return to action March 12 when they travel to Baton Rouge, LA, to take on Libby's alma mater, Louisiana State. Competition will be held in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (CT).

No. 25 Kansas scores early, drops Iowa

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 16:44:00 +0000

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- No. 25 Kansas jumped out to an early lead on Iowa in capturing a 15-7 victory on Sunday at Hoglund Ballpark. The Jayhawks (7-3) put the game away with nine runs in the first three innings. Early key plays included a two-run home run by Jimmy Waters in the first, a two-run single by Brett Lisher in the second and a two-run single by Casey Lytle in the fifth. Waters drove in four Jayhawks runners. He went 2-5 at the plate. In addition to his home run in the first, Waters walked in the second inning scoring Brandon Macias and singled in the seventh inning scoring Robby Price. Five runs made the second a big inning for the Jayhawks. In addition to Waters's walk and Lisher's single, Matt Dermody gave up one run on a Price walk. Later that inning, a run came in when James Stanfield singled. Lytle, Price and Lisher helped lead the Jayhawks. They combined for six hits, seven RBIs and five runs scored. The Hawkeyes (4-5) offense was spurred by a home run from Zach McCool in the sixth. Reliever Wally Marciel earned the win for Kansas. He allowed two runs over four innings. The junior pitcher struck out two, gave up no walks and surrendered three hits. Four relief pitchers finished off the game for Kansas. Marciel faced 16 batters in relief out of the bullpen, while Matt Kohorst managed to record one out to aid the victory. Matt Dermody lasted just 1 1/3 innings on the mound for the Hawkeyes before being replaced. He allowed four hits and eight runs. Kansas was unable to make good contact against Kevin Gates. The Jayhawks managed no hits off of the freshman pitcher. Gates allowed no earned runs, no walks and struck out none during his two innings of work. Iowa's next game is on Friday, March 12 at Texas. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Iowa women upset No. 24 DePaul, 4-3

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women's tennis team, ranked 54th nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, posted a huge win Sunday over No. 24 DePaul. The 8-2 Hawkeyes battled for every point in the exciting 4-3 win over the top-25 opponent. The win marks the second win over a ranked opponent this season. Iowa doubles swept their competition for the fifth time this season. The perfect showing was earned with each serve for the Hawkeyes. Lynne Poggensee-Wei and Alexis Dorr was the first duo to earn a 9-7 win over Kirsten Gambrell and Sandra Zmak. Jessica Young and Kelcie Klockenga finished second for Iowa with an 8-8, 8-6 tie break win over Gia McKnight and Katarina Milinkovic. Sonja Molnar and Merel Beelen, though only recently teamed together, took down the tenth ranked duo in Anna Redecsi and Selma Salkovic, 9-7. This is the second ranked doubles team Molnar and Beelen have routed. The first was then No. 26 Hilary Bartlett and Taylor Marabel of Princeton. "Sweeping doubles was big,"" first year Head Coach Katie Dougherty said. "We told them they have to step up and take these wins from DePaul because they're not going to give them to us." Singles action was equally exciting with each match heightening the anticipation. Beelen was the first Hawkeye to get an important 6-3, 6-3 win over Milinkovic. With Young and Klockenga both falling to their opponents, the score was tied 2-2 when Dorr, playing in the sixth spot, defeated Gambrell, 6-3, 6-2, to give Iowa the edge. Poggensee-Wei fell in the first set, 4-6, to Salkovic, but bounced back and posted a 6-2 win in the second set. The third was back and forth, but Salkovic got the 6-3 decision. The final two on the courts were set to determine the match. Sophomore Molnar and senior Redecsi were entangled in a heated second set with Molnar winning the first set, 6-4. The second set was filled with emotion as each player had great plays and costly mistakes. Molnar claimed the singles win and clinched the Iowa victory with a 7-6 (7-5) win. This marks the second time the Guelph, Ontario native has secured the Hawkeye win over a ranked opponent, with the first being her win over Princeton's Bartlett. "DePaul is a very good team," Dougherty said. "I am really proud of the way we played today. I thought we played hard and it's a great win over a top-25 program." The Black and Gold head west for Spring Break. The team faces Wichita State March 18 in San Diego, CA, and Tulsa March 20 in Indian Wells, CA. Singles Competition 1. No. 77 Sonja Molnar (Iowa) def. Anna Redecsi (DePaul) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) 2. Selma Salkovic (DePaul) def. Lynne Poggensee-Wei (Iowa) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 3. Merel Beelen (Iowa) Katarina Milinkovic (DePaul) 6-3, 6-3 4. Gia McKnight (DePaul) def. Jessica Young (Iowa) 6-1, 6-0 5. Sandra Zmak (DePaul) def. Kelcie Klockenga (Iowa) 6-1, 6-4 6. Alexis Dorr (Iowa) def. Kirsten Gambrell (DePaul) 6-3, 6-2 Exhibition: Allison Majercik (Iowa) def. Cali Gustafson (DePual) 7-6, 6-3 Doubles Competition 1. Molnar/Beelen (Iowa) def. #10 Redecsi/Salkovic (DePaul) 9-7 2. Klockenga/Young (Iowa) def. McKnight/Milinkovic (DePaul) 8-8, 8-6 3. Poggensee-Wei/Dorr (Iowa) def. Gambrell/Zmak (DePaul) 9-7

Iowa upsets Michigan State, advances to title game

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 18:19:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS -- Kachine Alexander had 14 points and 10 rebounds, helping Iowa beat Michigan State (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP) 59-54 in the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Saturday. Kamille Wahlin added 13 points, and Jaime Printy and Trisha Nesbitt each scored 10 for the third-seeded Hawkeyes (19-12), who advanced to play No. 10 Ohio State or Wisconsin in Sunday's championship game. Iowa last reached the tournament final nine years ago and won titles in 1997 and 2001. Aisha Jefferson had 23 points for No. 2 seed Michigan State (22-9), which had its seven-game winning streak snapped. The Spartans were seeking their first finals berth since winning the tournament in 2005. Iowa, which trailed 26-25 at halftime, opened a five-point lead twice in the second half, but the Hawkeyes failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities to open a bigger advantage. Iowa went scoreless for more than four minutes after taking a 42-37 lead midway through the half, allowing Michigan State to reel off seven straight points for a 44-42 edge. The teams traded the lead over the next few minutes before the Hawkeyes took control for good. With the score tied at 52, Wahlin came off a screen and nailed a wide-open 3-pointer with 1 minute remaining. Kalisha Keane missed a 3 on the Spartans' ensuing possession, and Alexander hit a pair of free throws after missing a shot and chasing down her own rebound. Michigan State cut it to 57-54 on Lykendra Johnson's layup with 12 seconds left, but Alexander hit two more free throws to seal the victory. In a sloppy first half, which saw each team commit 14 turnovers, Iowa led by as many as seven points and the Spartans' biggest lead was two. The Hawkeyes opened a 17-11 advantage on Nesbitt's 3-pointer with 8 minutes left, but Michigan State scored the next seven points to take its first lead since 3-2. Keane's jumper gave the Spartans a one-point halftime edge. Michigan State center Allyssa DeHaan, who didn't play in the second half of the team's quarterfinal win over Michigan due to back spasms, came off the bench and finished with two points, two rebounds and one block. The 6-foot-9 senior and reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year is the NCAA Division I career leader in blocks.

Sacramento State fends off Iowa men, 4-3

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 20:37:00 +0000

DENVER, Colo. - - The University of Iowa men's tennis team lost to Sacramento State Saturday, 4-3. The 49th-ranked Hawkeyes fall to 6-2 on the season with the loss. "It was a very tough match," said Head Coach Steve Houghton. "We certainly had our chances." The Hawkeyes, 3-2 away from Iowa City, were unable to claim the doubles point. Marc Bruche and Nikita Zotov fell at the No. 1 position, 9-8. The duo was defeated by Kiryl Harbatsiuk and Marko Starcevic. Tommy McGeorge and Will Vasos won their sixth straight. The pair defeated Holden Ching and Jason Smith, 8-3, at the No. 2 spot. At No. 3 doubles, Garret Dunn and Reinoud Haal lost to Anton Stryhas and Tim Lantin, 8-6. Haal won his seventh straight match at No. 3 singles. The senior defeated Ching, 6-3, 6-2. At No. 5 singles, McGeorge defeated Tim Lantin, 7-5, 6-4. Austen Kauss was victorious at the No. 6 spot. The junior defeated Starcevic, 6-3, 7-6. Bruche fell at the No. 1 position and Zotov lost at the No. 2 spot. In the deciding match, Vasos fell in a third set tiebreaker at the No. 4 spot. The sophomore lost 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, to Smith. The Black and Gold return to action Sunday at Denver. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (CT). #49 Iowa – 3, Sacramento State – 4 Doubles: 1. Kiryl Harbatsiuk/Marko Starcevic (SAC) def. Marc Bruche/Nikita Zotov (IOWA), 9-8 2. Tommy McGeorge/Will Vasos (IOWA) def. Holden Ching/Jason Smith (SAC), 8-3 3. Anton Stryhas/Tim Lantin (SAC) def. Garrett Dunn/Reinoud Haal (IOWA), 8-6 Singles: 1. Kiryl Harbatsiuk (SAC) def. Marc Bruche (IOWA), 7-6, 7-5 2. Anton Stryhas (SAC) def. Nikita Zotov (IOWA), 6-1, 6-0 3. Reinoud Haal (IOWA) def. Holden Ching (SAC), 6-3, 6-2 4. Jason Smith (SAC) def. Will Vasos (IOWA), 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 5. Tommy McGeorge (IOWA) def. Tim Lantin (SAC), 7-5, 6-4 6. Austen Kauss (IOWA) def. Marko Starcevic (SAC), 6-3, 7-6

Iowa shut out by Cal State Bakersfield

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 19:34:00 +0000

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -- For seven innings, Sammy Rodriguez and Amanda Zust engaged in a tight pitchers' duel. In the end, it was Rodriguez and Cal State Bakersfield which managed to survive and emerge victorious. The Condors mustered eight hits and, thanks to Rodriguez's stellar pitching, defeated the Hawkeyes 3-0 at Matador Diamond in the Matador Classic on Saturday. Zust was a workhorse in the circle for Iowa (8-9). She pitched seven innings and allowed three earned runs, eight hits and no walks while striking out four. Part of the reason Zust pitched so well was her solid pitching with two outs. She allowed one hit in eight at bats. The Hawkeyes weren't able to score a run off of Rodriguez during her seven innings on the mound. She allowed three hits, one walk and struck out five. Danielle Lyman had a good game at the plate for the Condors (7-8). She went 1-2, scored no runs and drove in one run. Lyman singled in the fourth inning. Bakersfield scored in two innings to claim the victory. The Condors scored one run in the fourth and two runs in the sixth. In the sixth, Zust gave up one run on a Karlee Rodgers groundout. Later that inning, runs came in when Kristen Archuleta singled. The Hawkeyes best chance to score was in the third inning. After Lindsey Digmann singled and Taylor Leichsenring hit into a fielder's choice, the game was tied when Chelsey Carmody came to the plate against Rodriguez with two outs and runners on first and second, but she grounded out. Iowa's next game is on Friday, March 12 against Charleston Southern in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

No. 25 Kansas holds off Iowa, 8-4

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 16:30:00 +0000

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Brett Lisher was the principal player in the No. 25 Kansas Jayhawks's 8-4 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes (4-4) on Saturday at Hoglund Ballpark. Lisher drove in three Jayhawks (6-3) runners. He went 4-5 at the plate. Lisher singled in the first inning scoring Robby Price and Casey Lytle and doubled in the fourth inning scoring Brian Heere. Cameron Selik earned the win for Kansas. He allowed two runs over six innings. The senior pitcher struck out six, gave up three walks and surrendered six hits. Zach Kenyon was solid on the mound for Iowa. He allowed one earned run over 4 2/3 innings. The junior pitcher gave up four hits while walking two walks and striking out three. Zach Robertson took the loss for Iowa. He went 3 1/3 innings, gave up four walks, struck out one, and allowed seven runs. Iowa's next game is on Saturday, March 6 at Kansas. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.