Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Archives for Sports

Iowa State’s Kempt earns another preseason watch list honor

By

Kyle Kempt talks with reporters during media day.

Iowa State senior quarterback Kyle Kempt was named to the 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list, announced today by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation.

Named after one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, the prestigious award has been presented annually since 1987 to the nation’s top college quarterback.

Candidates must be a college senior or fourth-year junior on schedule to graduate with their class.

Kempt, a former walk-on, emerged as ISU’s starter in the fifth game of the 2017 season and directed the Cyclones to a victory in the Liberty Bowl, their fourth bowl in school history.

Kempt was 5-3 as a starter, including two wins over top-five opponents (Oklahoma, TCU).

Kyle Kempt

In just eight games played, the Massillon, Ohio native broke ISU’s single-season completion mark (66.3) and tossed 15 TDs to just three interceptions, tying for fifth on ISU’s season TD pass chart.

Kempt threw a TD pass in all eight games and posted a pair of 300-yard outings, including 343-yard effort in the OU win to earn Davey O’Brien National QB of the Week honors.

Kempt enters his senior season as ISU’s career leader in completion percentage (66.5) and with a streak of 130 consecutive passes without an interception, the sixth-best string in school history.

Kempt was also named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list earlier this season.

Hawkeyes Louis named preseason all-Big Ten

By

University of Iowa senior volleyball player Taylor Louis has been named a 2018 preseason All-Big Ten honoree, the conference announced Tuesday.

Louis, a native of Evanston, Illinois, is the nation’s top returning kills leader with 1,534. She finished the 2017 season with 23 double-digit kills matches over Iowa’s 33 contests. Louis led the Hawkeyes with 386 kills and amassed 88 digs and 45 blocks.

“This is well earned recognition for Lou and now she’ll have to step up and respond,” UI head coach Bond Shymansky said. “She has been on a mission all year and will surely be a great leader for our team”

Louis is Iowa’s first preseason All-Big Ten selection since 2001 when Sara Meyermann earned the nod.

The Hawkeyes head into the 2018 season with high expectations after the team’s second straight winning season. Iowa’s 18 wins in 2017 are the second most wins since 1994.

The Hawkeyes debut their 2018 squad with the Black & Gold Scrimmage on Saturday at 11 a.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Cyclones Butler named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list

By

Iowa State junior wide receiver Hakeem Butler was named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list for the second season in a row, announced today by the selection committee comprised of journalists from the state of Texas.

The award is named after the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner, who is also a member of the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

The award is presented annually to the nation’s outstanding Division I offensive player who meets one or more of the following criteria: 1. Born in Texas 2. Graduated from a Texas high school 3. Played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year college.

Butler is a native of Baltimore, Md., but graduated from Travis High School in Ft. Bend, Texas.

The 6-6, 225-pound wideout had a breakout season in 2017, ranking second on the team in receiving yards (697) and third in receptions (41). He also had seven TD receptions, tying for ninth on Iowa State’s single-season record list en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades.

Butler, who ranked 47th nationally in yards per reception (17.0) in 2017, tallied four of ISU’s six 50-yard plays from scrimmage last year. He had two 100-yard receiving games, including an 111-yard effort in the Liberty Bowl victory vs. Memphis.

He enters the 2018 season with a streak of three-straight games with a TD reception, tying for the seventh-longest string in school history.

Hawkeyes Nelson, Cyclones Bailey named to Hendricks Award watch list

By

Anthony Nelson

University of Iowa junior Anthony Nelson and Iowa State junior JaQuan Bailey have been named to the 2018 Ted Hendricks Award Watch List.

Announced by Ted Hendricks and the Ted Hendricks Foundation, the award honors the top defensive end in college football. On-field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities, school and community contributions, and academic preparedness are some qualities the award’s recipient must display. 

Last season, Nelson (6-foot-7, 271 pounds) started all 13 games and recorded a team leading and career-high 7.5 sacks to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors. The Urbandale, Iowa, native tallied 41 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, while also recording four pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, and a blocked field goal. His fourth-quarter sack against Boston College quarterback ultimately led to Iowa’s game-winning touchdown in the Pinstripe Bowl. 

Nelson has been named to three other preseason award watch lists, including the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Bednarik Award, and the Bronko Nagurski award. Nelson, who selected to Iowa’s 2018 Leadership Group, is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, a first-team Academic All-American, and was most recently recognized as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. 

Jaquan Bailey

Bailey had phenomenal sophomore campaign in 2017 when he led the team in sacks (7.0), ranking fifth in the Big 12 and fourth all-time on ISU’s single-season list. He also had 34 tackles, 11.0 TFL and two forced fumbles.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native enters his junior season with 20 consecutive starts dating back to his freshman campaign. His 10.5 career sacks currently ranks 11th all-time in the Cyclone record book.

The preseason All-Big 12 team member was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2017 and an honorable mention freshman All-American in 2016.

The award is named in honor of Ted Hendricks, who was college football’s first three-time first-team All-American. Bradley Chubb of N.C. State won last year’s award.

The winner of the 2018 Ted Hendricks Award will be announced on Dec. 12.

Iowa State’s Bailey named to watch list

By

Iowa State All-Big 12 junior defensive end JaQuan Bailey was named to the Ted Hendricks Award watch list, announced today by the Ted Hendricks Foundation.

The Hendricks Award is given annually to the nation’s best defensive end and is named in honor of Ted Hendricks, who was a three-time All-American and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame.

Bailey had phenomenal sophomore campaign in 2017 when he led the team in sacks (7.0), ranking fifth in the Big 12 and fourth all-time on ISU’s single-season list. He also had 34 tackles, 11.0 TFL and two forced fumbles.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native enters his junior season with 20 consecutive starts dating back to his freshman campaign. His 10.5 career sacks currently ranks number 11 all-time in the Cyclone record book.

The preseason All-Big 12 team member was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2017 and an honorable mention freshman All-American in 2016.

 

Iowa Conference is now American Rivers Conference

By

Chuck Yrigoyen

It was formed in 1922 as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Iowa Conference has changed its name to the American Rivers Conference. The division three conference includes eight schools in the state of Iowa.

The announcement culminates discussions within the conference’s Presidents Council that began when the conference reached beyond its borders more than two years ago. The Iowa-based institutions Buena Vista University (Storm Lake), Central College (Pella), Coe College (Cedar Rapids), the University of Dubuque, Loras College (Dubuque), Luther College (Decorah), Simpson College (Indianola) and Wartburg College (Waverly) welcomed Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln) on July 1, 2016.

“This is a milestone day for our conference,” said Dr. Joshua Merchant, President of Buena Vista University and Chair of the conference’s Presidents Council. “Our name will change, but our commitment to competitive athletics as part of a well-rounded educational experience will not.”

The conference employed Skye Design Studios, a national leader in sport branding and identity design, for the various phases of the exercise that produced the new name and “Dynamic R”-focused mark. “I am honored, on behalf of the Presidents Council, to bring this new identity to the conference’s community of student-athletes, coaches, administrators, alumni and fans,” said commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen. “This announcement caps off months of careful thought by scores of people on our campuses.”

The Conference’s origin dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges gathered to establish the “Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association.” Charter members Buena Vista, Central, Luther and Simpson have remained throughout. Loras was a member from 1926-54 and rejoined in 1986. Dubuque joined in 1929. Wartburg joined in 1937. Coe became a member in 1997. Nebraska Wesleyan gained admission in 2016.

Chase Allen hopes tight ends build on last season’s success with Iowa State

By

Chase Allen

The timing was right for Iowa State tight end Chase Allen.

The Missouri native joined the Cyclones in Matt Campbell’s first year as head coach as Campbell was looking to bolster the tight end position. He caught nine passes as a redshirt freshmen and was named second team All Big 12.

“It’s one of the main reasons I came here, I knew coach Campbell used his tight ends very well at Toledo. And now that we’ve had a chance to mature as a position group, were very excited for this year and the other years going forward,” Allen says.

Chase Allen talks with reporters on Media Day.

With a year under his belt Allen feels good about the upcoming season. “I think it’s just a lot of confidence, myself and Dylan Soehnor, now we both have a full year under our belts — we consider ourselves veterans now and we can do more things now, we are not a liability to the offense and we can make impacts,” according to Allen.

Allen says they have been getting a lot of encouragement from the receivers as they become an even bigger part of the offense this season.

Allen is the son of former Northern Iowa head coach and Cyclone assistant Terry Allen and still seeks input from his father. “He’s around a lot now, he’s up here, he’s been in the offensive staff room with the guys. It’s just good to get more input because (with) 20 plus years of head coaching experience under his belt, I’m sure he I’ll take all the advice I can get,” Allen says.

The Cyclones open at home September first against South Dakota State.

 

Two more Hawkeyes suspended for season opener

By

Alaric Jackson

Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz announced Wednesday two additional players will face a one-game suspension due to violating team policy and rules. Alaric Jackson and Cedrick Lattimore will both miss Iowa’s season opener against Northern Illinois.

“As a coach one of the most important decisions is to hold student-athletes accountable,” said Ferentz. “It is painful for the players and the team to impose a suspension, but we have high standards and there is an expectation all players abide by our rules.”

The player infraction is not a legal matter. Violation of team policy or rules can include academic performance, attendance, timeliness, behavior, effort, and engagement.

The issues surfaced in late spring and both players were given guidelines to meet and milestones to achieve over the past 10 weeks. “Their response has been excellent, and I am very pleased with how they are meeting our expectations,” said Ferentz.

Jackson is a sophomore offensive tackle and Lattimore is a junior defensive lineman.

Today’s announcement means four Hawkeyes will not participate in the season opening game against Northern Illinois. Defensive lineman Brady Reiff and offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs were previously given one-game suspensions for alcohol-related violations.

 

Athletes advised to have a ‘hydration strategy’ in fall practices

By

James Lang

Most high school football and cross country teams started practices this week and coaches are being reminded to make sure their athletes are drinking plenty of water.

James Lang, an Iowa State University assistant professor of kinesiology, says having a “hydration strategy” is critical to keeping kids safe. He says that strategy should include liquids 2 to 3 hours before practice.

“That could be a 16-ounce glass of water and then, during a practice session, having a strategy to be drinking maybe every 15 to 20 minutes during the practice,” Lang says. Lang advises coaches to be proactive about hydration, rather than reactive.

“The best index for them is going to be body weight. That’s something a coach can easily incorporate with an athlete,” Lang says. “Weigh yourself before practice and weigh yourself after – and essentially, try and drink back that weight lost. So, for every pound lost, that would be about 16 ounces of fluid.” In addition to plenty of water, Lang suggests coaches give athletes time to acclimate to the heat by scheduling practices in the early morning or evening and – for football players – limiting pad use in the first week. Lang says the warning signs of dehydration can be subtle, but generally include a dull headache, dizziness or nausea.

“That can progress to vomiting, more severe headaches, and at that point you’re starting to get into heat exhaustion, but also borderline heat stroke,” Lang says. According to Lang, coaches should require athletes to take water breaks, rather than simply making water available.

 

Cyclones must deal with lofty expectations

By

Matt Campbell

It has been several years since expectations were as high at Iowa State as they are heading into this football season. The Cyclones return 16 players with starting experience off a team that posted top five upsets of Oklahoma and TCU on its way to an 8-5 record and a win over Memphis in the Liberty Bowl. As he enters his third season at the helm coach Matt Campbell is dealing with the expectations.

“That was the biggest challenge in my opinion to our off season was not buying into the positive”, said Campbell. “Last year it was primarily dealing with the opposite and people thinking we can’t win here.”

Not only is there more talent but Campbell says there is better leadership across the board and improvement this season begins with a running game that ranked ninth in the Big 12 in 2017.

“Our team will make great movement if our offensive line can take a step forward”, added Campbell. “That is a huge challenge for our football team but they are trending in a positive direction.”

One of the top returnees is quarterback Kyle Kempt, who was granted an extra year after guiding ISU to five victories a year ago.

Kyle Kempt

A year ago at Media Day nobody asked Kyle Kempt for an interview. This year he was the most sought after player.

“It is definitely different this time around just because I am the full time starter this year”, said Kempt. “I was really close to the senior class last year and I am extremely close to a ton guys on the team this year so I really appreciate that aspect of it.”

The Cyclones open at home against South Dakota State on September first.