From Iowa State sports information: IRVING, Texas – The Iowa State men’s basketball team will play host to Auburn on Dec. 2, 2013 in the first season of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, announced today by the Big 12 Conference. The majority of the games are scheduled for December 2-6. ESPN will provide exclusive coverage of all 10 [...]

Former Iowa State guard Kerwin Okoro broke the news he would transfer on Twitter, and added another layer to it the same way. Okoro, a 6-5, 230-pound sophomore-to-be from New York City, Tweeted this Monday: “I’m a Scarlet Knight … #RutgersNation” ISU sports information spokesperson Mike Green confirmed Okoro had asked for and officially been [...]

If Iowa State men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg chooses to opt out of his recent 10 year/$20 million contract, he’ll forfeit a lot less money if he leaves to join an NBA team. Exactly $1.5 million less. Iowa State released details of Hoiberg’s contract — reworked in late March — this week. His buyout clauses [...]

Former Iowa State basketball player and reigning Big 12 Conference Sixth Man of the Year Tyrus McGee Tuesday was charged with fourth degree theft. ISU police investigations captain Aaron DeLashmutt said Wednesday McGee admitted to taking about $220 that did not belong to him. Video surveillance at the Hawthorn Market and Cafe captured images of [...]

From Iowa State sports information: Christofferson Invited To World University Games Tryouts AMES, Iowa – Iowa State rising senior Hallie Christofferson has been invited to a tryout for the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games team. Tryouts, which will feature 31 players, will be held  May 16-19  at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. This [...]

From ISU sports information: NELSON LEADS IOWA STATE RUSH TO FIRST DAY BIG 12 TRACK LEAD WACO, Texas — Meaghan Nelson led an Iowa State Cardinal and Gold rush, as the Cyclone women went 1-2-4-6-7 in the 10,000 meters to give the Iowa Staters the first day lead at the Big 12 Conference Outdoor Track and [...]

The alarm clock buzzed at 3:40 a.m. Iowa State standout distance runner Betsy Saina stirred, sat up and shook her head. “I was really, really mad,” she said. That was Tuesday — an early wake-up call for Saina and her teammates in advance of a circuitous flight path to Waco, Texas, the site of the [...]

From ISU sports info: IOWA STATE’S SAINA BECOMES NO. 3 ALL-TIME COLLEGIAN AT 10k Palo Alto, Calif. — Iowa State’s Betsy Saina raced to a 10,000-meter Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational title late Sunday, winning in 31:37.22, the third-fastest time ever run by a collegiate performer. Saina’s time is the second-fastest clocking in the world this [...]

DES MOINES — Jill Williams paced back and forth, nervous as a mom should be. Would Northern Iowa thrower Jordan Williams’ top discus toss hold up in Saturday’s tense finals at Drake Stadium? Mom had to wait — and pace — a while to find out. “We just tell him to go out and have [...]

DES MOINES — Lolo Jones ran fast but ran fourth in Saturday’s stacked London Rematch 100-meter hurdles event at the Drake Relays. Just like in the real London. Des Moines’ most celebrated link to elite track and field could already sense the detractors coming, connecting venom-drizzled dots to make social media swipes. “I can take [...]

DES MOINES —  Ese Okoro and Ej Okoro were born six minutes apart and far, far away in Birmingham, England. At this week’s Drake Relays, the twin sisters won races less than two days apart — Ej in Thursday night’s 6,400-meter relay, and Ese in Saturday’s 400-meter hurdles. “Twin thing,” said Ese Okoro, who finished second [...]

Note: This story ran in the Saturday, April 27 print edition of the Gazette DES MOINES — First, the fist pump. Then, the scream and smile for ESPN’s camera. Webster City native Jenny Simpson didn’t just win the “London Rematch” 1,500-meter run Friday night at the Drake Relays. She crushed it — in record-setting fashion. Pedals [...]

Note: This story ran in the print edition of the Gazette Saturday, April 27. DES MOINES —   Jenna Higgins came oh-so close. Excrutiatingly close — with a runner-up finish in the Drake Relays’ 100-meter dash as a freshman for North Scott. Higgins kept dreaming of clutching one of those small white winner’s flags, so she worked and [...]

DES MOINES — First, the fist pump. Then, the scream and smile for ESPN’s camera. Webster City native Jenny Simpson didn’t just win the “London Rematch” 1,500-meter run last night at the Drake Relays. She crushed it — in record-setting fashion. Petals in the just-received congratulatory floral bouquet scattered, and the 2011 world indoor champion [...]

DES MOINES — Still shocked, but smiling, Northern Iowa decathlete Daniel Gooris listened to coach Dan Steele’s question. “We were standing around and he goes, ‘Hey, everyone who’s a two-time Drake Relays champion raise your hand,’” said Gooris, who clutched a freshly-, and surprisingly-earned Relays flag. “And I raised it and he raised his hand [...]

DES MOINES — There’s nothing like lugging a 400-pound bobsled around to enhance one’s strength. Just ask Drake Relays fan favorite and now dual-sport star Lolo Jones, who plans to compete in Saturday afternoon’s “London Rematch” 100-meter hurdles event. “Every lift I could think of went up,” said Jones, a two-time World Champion and Olympian [...]

DES MOINES — Sweaty palmed and trembling, Northern Iowa all-American thrower Jordan Williams took center stage. This is before the former Monticello standout branched out, becoming one of the best in the nation to heave a shot or unfurl a discus. It’s eighth grade and Williams has been enlisted to sing a solo. All alone, [...]

He might be teeing off. Could be lining up a putt. Whatever Saturday’s fourth through seventh rounds of the NFL Draft bring, former Iowa State standout linebacker Jake Knott will be ready — clubs in hand. “In the morning I’ll be golfing, for sure,” said Knott, who spent plenty of time on the links in [...]

CLIVE — If any bus trip-based grousing from players bubbled up, Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz didn’t hear it. If anything, the internal and external response to the Hawkeyes’ novel April 14 practice at West Des Moines Valley High School demonstrated a return visit might be in order. “I could see us doing it on [...]

AMES – Willie Scott rose up. Sam Richardson cringed. The anatomy of the first of two interceptions in Iowa State’s spring game Saturday contained both positive and negative elements — serving as a microcosm for the annual roughly two-hour exercise. “We were in a field blitz,” said Scott, a senior defensive end suspended from regular [...]