Cedar Rapids, IA, USA  
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe Today
The Gazette The Gazette
The Gazette The Gazette
  • COVID-19
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food & Drink
  • Business
Digital Edition Digital Edition
Log in Log In My Account My Account
Subscribe
CLOSE
The Gazette
Subscribe
My Account
  • News
    • All News
    • Election 2020
    • Coronavirus
    • Business News
    • Community
    • Crime and Courts
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Nation and World
    • Time Machine
    • Search Archive

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Lee Hermiston
    • Erin Jordan
    • James Q. Lynch
    • Trish Mehaffey
    • Vanessa Miller
    • Kat Russell
    • Grace King
    • John Steppe
    • Gage Miskimen
    • Marissa Payne
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Hawkeye Football
    • Hawkeye Basketball
    • Prep Sports
    • Prep Volleyball
    • Prep Football
    • Prep Basketball
    • Prep Wrestling
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • UNI Panthers
    • Small College Sports
    • Minor League Sports
    • Outdoors

    Sports Desk

    • Mike Hlas
    • Jeff Johnson
    • Jeff Linder
    • J.R. Ogden
    • K.J. Pilcher
    • Leah Vann
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial Mission
    • Guest Columnists
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Political Cartoons
    • Staff Columnists
    • Staff Editorials
    • Submit a Letter or Column

    Our Columnists

    • Todd Dorman
    • Adam Sullivan
  • Food and Drink
    • All Food and Drink
    • Chew on This
    • Recipes
    • Restaurants
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Business Notes
    • Companies
    • Personal Finance
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy
    • Manufacturing
    • Openings & Closures
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Small Business
    • Transportation

    Our Journalists

    • Rod Boshart
    • Erin Jordan
    • John Steppe
  • Obituaries
    • All Obituaries
    • In Memory Of
    • Submit an Obituary
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • Daily News Podcast
    • Fact Checker
    • Hlastradamus Odds
    • Iowa Prep Sports
    • On Iowa
    • On Iowa Politics
    • On UNI
    • Pinning Combination
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Art
    • Books
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Music
    • Theater
    • Things To Do
  • Living
    • All Living
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
    • Milestones
    • People & Places
    • Pets & Animals
    • Recreation
    • Religion & Belief
    • Travel

    Our Writers

    • Diana Nollen
  • Kids Gazette
    • See All
    • Kids Cooking Series
    • Kids Galleries
    • Printables
    • Activities
    • Articles
    • Submissions
    • Resources
  • Photos
    • All Photos and Videos
    • The Iowa Photo
    • Photo Store

    Our Photojournalists

    • Andy Abeyta
    • Liz Martin
    • Rebecca Miller
    • Jim Slosiarek
    • Gazette Visuals
  • Milestones
    • All Milestones
    • Anniversaries
    • Days To Remember
    • Engagements
    • Holidays
    • In Remembrance
    • New Arrivals
    • Thank Yous
    • Submit a Milestone
  • Data
    • Arrests
    • Building Permits
    • Interactive Maps & Charts
    • Salaries
  • Gazette Sites
    • Classifieds
    • Corridor Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Gazette Gives Back
    • Gazette Rewards
    • Gazette Store
    • Green Gazette
    • HER
    • Iowa Wedding Experience
    • Holiday Light Finder
    • Hoopla
    • Iowa Ideas
    • Photo Store
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
    • About The Gazette
    • Archives
    • Article Removal
    • Business Directory
    • CR Arrest Database
    • Mobile Apps
    • Customer Care
    • Order Back Issues
    • Privacy Policies
    • Puzzle Answers
    • Sponsorship Requests
    • Submit a Letter
    • Weather
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast
Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
Log out

FOLLOW US

The Gazette
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Food and Drink
  • Business
  • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
  • Entertainment
  • Living
  • Kids Gazette
  • Photos
  • Milestones
  • Data
  • Gazette Sites
  • Special Events
  • Special Sections
  • Other
  • All News
  • Election 2020
  • Coronavirus
  • Business News
  • Community
  • Crime and Courts
  • Education
  • Government
  • Health
  • Nation and World
  • Time Machine
  • Search Archive

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Lee Hermiston
  • Erin Jordan
  • James Q. Lynch
  • Trish Mehaffey
  • Vanessa Miller
  • Kat Russell
  • Grace King
  • John Steppe
  • Gage Miskimen
  • Marissa Payne
  • All Sports
  • Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Hawkeye Football
  • Hawkeye Basketball
  • Prep Sports
  • Prep Volleyball
  • Prep Football
  • Prep Basketball
  • Prep Wrestling
  • Iowa State Cyclones
  • UNI Panthers
  • Small College Sports
  • Minor League Sports
  • Outdoors

Sports Desk

  • Mike Hlas
  • Jeff Johnson
  • Jeff Linder
  • J.R. Ogden
  • K.J. Pilcher
  • Leah Vann
  • All Opinion
  • Editorial Mission
  • Guest Columnists
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Political Cartoons
  • Staff Columnists
  • Staff Editorials
  • Submit a Letter or Column

Our Columnists

  • Todd Dorman
  • Adam Sullivan
  • All Food and Drink
  • Chew on This
  • Recipes
  • Restaurants
  • All Business
  • Agriculture
  • Business Notes
  • Companies
  • Personal Finance
  • Economy
  • Employment
  • Energy
  • Manufacturing
  • Openings & Closures
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Small Business
  • Transportation

Our Journalists

  • Rod Boshart
  • Erin Jordan
  • John Steppe
  • All Obituaries
  • In Memory Of
  • Submit an Obituary
  • All Podcasts
  • Daily News Podcast
  • Fact Checker
  • Hlastradamus Odds
  • Iowa Prep Sports
  • On Iowa
  • On Iowa Politics
  • On UNI
  • Pinning Combination
  • All Entertainment
  • Art
  • Books
  • Museums & Galleries
  • Music
  • Theater
  • Things To Do
  • All Living
  • Health & Wellness
  • Home & Garden
  • Milestones
  • People & Places
  • Pets & Animals
  • Recreation
  • Religion & Belief
  • Travel

Our Writers

  • Diana Nollen
  • See All
  • Kids Cooking Series
  • Kids Galleries
  • Printables
  • Activities
  • Articles
  • Submissions
  • Resources
  • All Photos and Videos
  • The Iowa Photo
  • Photo Store

Our Photojournalists

  • Andy Abeyta
  • Liz Martin
  • Rebecca Miller
  • Jim Slosiarek
  • Gazette Visuals
  • All Milestones
  • Anniversaries
  • Days To Remember
  • Engagements
  • Holidays
  • In Remembrance
  • New Arrivals
  • Thank Yous
  • Submit a Milestone
  • Arrests
  • Building Permits
  • Interactive Maps & Charts
  • Salaries
  • Classifieds
  • Corridor Careers
  • Garage Sales
  • Gazette Gives Back
  • Gazette Rewards
  • Gazette Store
  • Green Gazette
  • HER
  • Iowa Wedding Experience
  • Holiday Light Finder
  • Hoopla
  • Iowa Ideas
  • Photo Store
  • About The Gazette
  • Archives
  • Article Removal
  • Business Directory
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Mobile Apps
  • Customer Care
  • Order Back Issues
  • Privacy Policies
  • Puzzle Answers
  • Sponsorship Requests
  • Submit a Letter
  • Weather
Daily News PodcastDaily News Podcast Daily NewslettersDaily Newsletters
LOG OUT

FOLLOW US

More Stories

'A way to start over again’: Collaboration aims to replant…

24-hour COVID-19 vaccine clinic to take place this weekend

Iowa’s public works needs ignored too long, White House reports

Only previous Iowa state trooper shot to death was former…

House GOP calls for freezing funding for ‘bloated’ regents universities

Two members added to Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Despite their discomfort, some residents beginning to agree to COVID-19…

Most Iowa Republicans plan to get jabbed — so should…

Home / Sports / UNI Panthers

Libby Wedewer making an impact as a freshman for UNI track and field

Cole Bair, correspondent Feb. 28, 2021 5:00 am Updated: Feb. 27, 2021 10:46 pm
Libby Wedewer making an impact as a freshman for UNI track and field

CEDAR FALLS - Libby Wedewer is one of Northern Iowa track and field coach Dave Paulsen's standout freshmen on a team picked third in this week's Missouri Valley Conference pre-championship poll.

Wedewer competed in the 60- and 200-meter dash prelims Friday and Saturday at the MVC track and field championships at the UNI-Dome - registering a third-place finish in the 200 and eighth-place in the 60 to qualify for Sunday's finals in both events. She'll also compete with teammates Sophia Jungling, Jill Bennett and Allison Hilleman in Sunday's 1,600-meter relay.

The former Dubuque Wahlert prep punched her ticket into the finals with friends and family in attendance, including her father, Kurt Wedewer, who was a defensive back and third baseman for UNI from 1986-89.

'Both of my parents attended UNI, so I always kind of knew in the back of my head it'd be pretty cool to go there,” Wedewer said. 'Of course I saw all the newspaper articles and it's just pretty cool knowing that I'm kind of continuing on the legacy.”

Despite the pandemic postponing the fall outdoor season, Wedewer quickly established herself this indoor season, winning the 200-meter dash in her debut at the Panther Invite on Jan. 9 and eventually cracking the program's top-10 all-time lists in the 60- and 400-meter dash.

'You know it's really cool just to be on those lists with some of UNI's greatest,” Wedewer said. 'It makes me more excited just because I am a freshman and I know it can only go up from here. I think honestly I owe it all to my teammates and my coach. My teammates push me in practice everyday and I think they believe in me more than I believe in myself sometimes.”

The freshman admits the training seemed endless without an outdoor season to compete in last fall, but with the help of sprints coach Diavonte Smith, she's enjoyed months of hard work finally paying off this winter.

'It was extremely frustrating not being able to get what I worked so hard for and get to see those results, but honestly I think it fired me up even more for this year,” Wedewer said. 'I was just really excited to finally be able to compete again. (Coach Smith) has really emphasized on just focusing on executing the race, but just mentally believing in yourself is the biggest thing.”

Wedewer will race in the 60 and 200 - and the 1,600 relay - Sunday at 12:40, 1:25 and 2:25, respectively. Coverage of the championships begins at 11:15 a.m. (ESPN3)

Libby Wedewer, Northern Iowa Panthers
University of Northern Iowa

Trending

  • 24-hour vaccine clinic in Cedar Rapids this weekend open to…

    Michaela Ramm

  • Ramadan starts tonight. An eighth-grader explains what it’s like to…

    Grace King

  • More than 750,000 Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

    Kat Russell

  • Cooper DeJean, Iowa’s everything football player

    Leah Vann

  • California organist with Iowa ties fires up Paramount’s Mighty Wurlitzer…

    Diana Nollen

Give us feedback

We work hard to provide fair, accurate coverage because we value your trust. If you find an error or omission in our reporting, please tell us here.

Submit a story idea

Do you have a story idea that we should look into? Please tell us here.

Related Stories

House GOP calls for freezing funding for ‘bloated’ regents universities

House GOP calls for freezing funding for ‘bloated’ regents universities

James Q. Lynch Government & Politics 3h ago

Iowa universities promise more traditional fall experience

Iowa universities promise more traditional fall experience

Vanessa Miller Higher Ed Apr. 12, 2021 11:08 am

Photos: UNI Panthers vs. NDSU Bison

Photos: UNI Panthers vs. NDSU Bison

Gazette Visuals UNI Panther Football Apr. 10, 2021 8:34 pm

UNI Panthers

UNI football hangs with, but can’t beat, No. 2 North…

UNI football hangs with, but can’t beat, No. 2 North…

UNI Panther Football Apr. 10, 2021 8:50 pm

Photos: UNI Panthers vs. NDSU Bison

Photos: UNI Panthers vs. NDSU Bison

Gazette Visuals

UNI Panther Football Apr. 10, 2021 8:34 pm

UNI football vs. North Dakota State: Live stream, point spread,…

UNI football vs. North Dakota State: Live stream, point spread,…

Cole Bair

UNI Panthers Apr. 10, 2021 9:00 am

Cam Miller contributes for college football power No. 2 North…

Cam Miller contributes for college football power No. 2 North…

K.J. Pilcher

Sports Apr. 8, 2021 1:50 pm

Sports

Kelly Proesch finds her own niche, writes her own success…

Kelly Proesch finds her own niche, writes her own success…

Jeff Linder

Sports 5m ago

Kirkwood ready for national volleyball tournament

Kirkwood ready for national volleyball tournament

K.J. Pilcher

Sports 2h ago

Enyi Uwazurike taking on bigger leadership role for Iowa State

Enyi Uwazurike taking on bigger leadership role for Iowa State

Ben Visser

Sports 3h ago

Liam Robbins transferring from Minnesota to Vanderbilt, not Iowa

Liam Robbins transferring from Minnesota to Vanderbilt, not Iowa

Mike Hlas

Hawkeye Basketball Apr. 12, 2021 3:56 pm

News

Marion school board votes 5-2 to no longer consider ’Mavericks’

Marion school board votes 5-2 to no longer consider ’Mavericks’

Grace King

K-12 Education 11m ago

University of Iowa presidential finalist Osofsky tackles questions of free…

University of Iowa presidential finalist Osofsky tackles questions of free…

Vanessa Miller

Higher Ed 3h ago

More than 750,000 Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

More than 750,000 Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Kat Russell

Health Care and Medicine 2h ago

Biden wants infrastructure deal, but GOP doubts persist

Biden wants infrastructure deal, but GOP doubts persist

AP

News 3h ago

Opinion

Most Iowa Republicans plan to get jabbed — so should…

Most Iowa Republicans plan to get jabbed — so should…

Adam Sullivan

Opinion Apr. 12, 2021 3:06 pm

Women in agriculture hit hard by pandemic

Women in agriculture hit hard by pandemic

Sara Todd

Opinion Apr. 12, 2021 2:04 pm

How Iowa can stay in front of the next tech…

How Iowa can stay in front of the next tech…

Brent Skorup and Patricia Patnode

Opinion Apr. 12, 2021 2:03 pm

Capitol Ideas column: Iowa justices leave redistricting questions open

Capitol Ideas column: Iowa justices leave redistricting questions open

Erin Murphy

Opinion Apr. 11, 2021 11:24 pm

FOLLOW US

The Gazette is Iowa’s independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage.

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 116 3rd St SE
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
  • customercare@thegazette.com
  • (319) 398-8333
  • Live Chat

Links

  • Puzzle Answers
  • CR Arrest Database
  • Article Removal Request
  • Archives
  • Green Gazette
  • Corridor Careers Jobs
  • Work at The Gazette
  • Customer Care

© 2021 The Gazette

All Rights Reserved.

  • Advertise with us
  • Privacy
  • Web Accessibility
Folience A Folience Company