Iowa Hawkeye Athletics Week in Review

ICYMI: News from Iowa City for Sept. 4-10, 2023

The Iowa women’s soccer remained unbeaten after topping George Mason, 3-0,  Sunday in its non-conference finale in Fairfax, Va. The Hawkeyes improved to 6-0-1 overall heading into Big Ten play.

Iowa finished with 25 shots, matching a season-high total (FGCU on Aug. 17). Elle Otto scored the winner's first goal on assists from Morgan Lietz and Kenzie Roling. 

Otto raised her season total to three goals, which leads the team. Roling’s four assists pace the squad. 

Kelli McGroarty and Samantha Cary notched the other goals for the Hawkeyes. Delaney Holtey, Maggie Johnston and Keira Smyser contributed assists. 

Iowa keeper Macy Enneking recorded a save as the Hawkeyes kept the opponent from scoring for the sixth time in seven matches. Iowa allowed George Mason only one shot.

“(Sunday) was a good ending to a long trip. Closing the book on our non-conference schedule, having played a lot of players today, getting young players experience, maintaining another shutout and scoring the goals needed to win," Iowa coach Dave DiIanni told hawkeyesports.com.

"We know it wasn’t the prettiest game by us offensively. Composure, intent and execution have to be better moving forward in the box, but finishing undefeated in the non-conference is a good springboard to Big Ten play.”

The Hawkeyes played No. 18 Virginia to a scoreless draw on Thursday night in Charlottesville, Va. 

No. 1 Hawkeyes Field Hockey

Earlier this week, Iowa Field Hockey moved up six spots to No. 1 in the nation in NFHCA poll. The unbeaten Hawkeyes then played their first two home games of the season this weekend and showed by they're so highly regarded. 

Friday saw Iowa pound Central Michigan, 8-0, at Grant Field. Freshman Dionne van Aalsum scored four goals. Miranda Jackson twice found the back of the net. 

The Hawkeyes (6-0) took down UMass Lowell, 5-1, on Sunday. van Aalsum recorded four goals again, giving her 16 on the season. Fellow freshman Lieve van Kessel added an unassisted goal. 

Fall Ball for Softball 

The Iowa softball defeated Southeastern Community College, 19-0, Friday during a nine-inning exhibition at Pearl Field. The Hawkeyes used eight different pitchers during the contest. 

Freshman Jalen Adams started and covered two innings, allowing no hits while striking out one and struck out oneFreshman Jaylee Ojo led the offense with six RBIs, including a three-run home run in the fifth inning. 

The Hawkeyes return to action on Friday September 22 as they host Indian Hills Community College. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.

Hawkeye Invitational

Iowa Volleyball went 2-1 during the Hawkeye Invitational this weekend at Xtream Arena in Coralville. The Hawkeyes topped Central Michigan and Missouri State before falling to Grand Canyon on Sunday. 

Anna Davis and Gabby Deery led Iowa (6-4) with 11 kills each against Central with Bailey Ortega dishing out 24 assists. Caitlan Buettner pounded 13 kills in the Missouri State match, while Sydney Dennis recorded 20 digs. 

Sunday, Nataly Moravec led Iowa with nine kills. Kaia Mateo (.667 hitting percentage) and Delaney McSweeney (.455) were efficient. Ortega recorded 14 assists. 

Mac McClear 2nd at ANF Fall Classic

Iowa men’s golf team placed second at the ANF Fall Classic on Wednesday. Fifth year senior Mac McClear won the tournament for the second year in a row after shooting a 67 (-5) in the final round of the tournament. McClear played the final two rounds of the tourney at 10-under par.

McClear birdied eight of nine holes including making six birdies in a row. McClear opened his final round with a birdie putt to cut his deficit to two strokes. McClear took the outright lead on hole 15 and never looked back. McClear has now won six tournaments as a Hawkeye and tied a school record. (Lonnie Neilson, 1976)

Felipe Pedraza withdrew from the tournament after the second round.

Cross Country in Madtown 

The Iowa men’s and women’s cross country previewed the Big Ten Championships course at the Badger Classic on Saturday morning.

The men’s 8,000-meter race started the day, with the team earning 98 points and taking fifth place, and the women finished their 5,000-meter race with 164 point to place sixth.

The Iowa men were led by sophomore Miles Sheppard, who sped to a career best 24:38.3 to finish ninth overall. Sophomore Hayden Kuhn also set a new best, crossing the line in 25:02.5. Senior Jack Pendergast made his season debut and was the third Hawkeye across the finish line, clocking 25:10.1. 

Senior Amber Aesoph led the Hawkeye women for the second-consecutive race, clocking in at 19:09.3. Sophomores Jalyssa Blazek and Aleah Tenpas continued their strong start to the season, finishing in 19:31.1 and 19:32.3, respectively. Tenpas’ mark was a new best. .

The Hawkeyes will send a women’s-only squad to Normal, Illinois, for the Redbird Invite on Sept. 15.

Tyler Cropley Called Up 

Former Iowa catcher Tyler Cropley has been called up from Double-A Northwest Arkansas to the Kansas City Royals. The official transaction took place Saturday.

“I’m so happy for Tyler,” Hawkeye head coach Rick Heller said in a university statement. “He’s such a great catcher, leader and teammate. Tyler has worked hard, stayed committed and never gave up. We are all proud of him. He’s a big leaguer now.”

The McCook Lake, South Dakota, native was hitting .234 with four home runs and 17 RBIs for the Naturals in 2023.

Cropley played for the Hawkeyes from 2017-18. He hit a team-best .342 with 20 doubles, nine home runs, 50 RBIs and 43 runs scored as a senior. He was a named a second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award.

Cropley was selected in the eighth round of the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Washington Nationals with the 251st pick. He was the first Hawkeye catcher drafted in top eight rounds since 1972.

Cropley is the third player in Heller’s Iowa tenure to get the call to the Majors, joining Nick Allgeyer and Mason McCoy. He is the eighth player to reach MLB who played under Heller, joining Sean Manaea, Dakota Bacus, Colin Rea, Jake Petricka and Ryan Strausborger — all of whom played for Heller at Indiana State. 

Football Season Sold Out

Iowa Football finale versus Illinois scheduled for Nov. 18 (game time TBA), at Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium, is sold out, the school announced Thursday.

For the second straight year, all seven Iowa football games have reached sellout status.

There are a limited number of Hawkeye Village all-inclusive food and beverage hospitality ticket packages available for each game; ticket information is available on the Group Tickets page.