Jeff Johnson

Longtime Cedar Rapids Kernels clubhouse manager Ron “Roady” Plein died Saturday in his hometown of Dubuque. Plein began his career in professional baseball in 1975 with the Quad City Angels, moving to the Kernels when the California Angels moved their Midwest League affiliate to Cedar Rapids in 1993.

There was some change this week in the IHSAA’s boys basketball poll. A whopping eight schools fell out of the top 10, including three in Class 4A.

Going into Thursday night’s game at Crestwood, the Waukon boys basketball team had a 7-0 record. A move from the defunct Northeast Iowa Conference to the Upper Iowa Conference has been a boon on and off the court for the Indians.

The 17-year-old hockey wunderkind from the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League announced he was leaving junior hockey to join NCAA powerhouse Boston University for the second semester.

Just about a year ago, Cedar Rapids Washington’s boys basketball team built a 21-point second-half lead, including being up 16 going to the fourth quarter. Then rival Cedar Rapids Jefferson suddenly came to life, rallying from nowhere for a 65-61 win. Wash again got way ahead Tuesday night but only continued to extend its lead in what turned out to be a 68-38 win over Jeff.

The Cedar Falls boys basketball team beat Waukee Northwest, 74-69, this past Saturday at the Crossover Challenge event in Cedar Falls, which meant the highly touted clubs flip flop in the second IHSAA rankings of the season, released Monday.

It’s nothing but Big Ten Conference games the rest of the regular season for the Iowa men’s basketball team. That’s 18 of them, beginning Saturday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against UCLA. These Hawkeyes are 11-2, generally played well with a new team and coach. Can it be a NCAA tournament team? These next 18 games will tell.

It’s nothing but Big Ten Conference opponents the rest of the regular season for the Iowa men’s basketball team, beginning with UCLA on Saturday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

All records are through the holiday break.

Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for one as Iowa built a 21-3 second-half lead and knocked off 14th-ranked Vanderbilt in Friday’s ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Fla. It’s Iowa’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2021.

The Iowa Heartlanders hit the road Tuesday afternoon for their ECHL game Wednesday night at Kansas City. The ECHL and Professional Hockey Players’ Association officially ratified a new collective bargaining agreement

Who made a lasting impression? Libby Fandel, Quentin Nauman, Williamsburg softball, South Winneshiek cross country, and an all-too-brief moment in the sun for my Drake Bulldogs.

The Iowa men’s basketball team will play nothing but Big Ten Conference games the rest of the way. The Hawkeyes completed their non-conference portion of the schedule with a 90-62 win Monday over Massachusetts-Lowell.

It’s nothing but Big Ten Conference opponents the rest of the regular season for the Iowa men’s basketball team, beginning with UCLA on Saturday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Saturday night saw the ECHL and Professional Hockey Players’ Association release a joint statement saying a potential new collective bargaining agreement has been agreed upon, with striking players expected to return to their teams to prepare for games before the new year.