Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/651348
I t's tournament time for our men's basketball, women's basketball, and wrestling teams and several other winter sports. I'll touch on those exciting events a bit later, but March also means the start of drills for spring football. The renewal process for 2016 football ticket sales is underway. This fall's schedule includes seven home dates, with the final four against Big Ten opponents that went bowling a season ago. The Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk matchup against Iowa State returns to Kinnick on Sep. 10 as well as other nonconference games against 2010 MAC East Division champion Miami (Ohio) and North Dakota State — which has won five straight Football Championship Subdivision titles. The combination of a historic 2015 season and strong home game matchups is creating great interest with fans who want to spend a few fall Saturdays in Kinnick Stadium. My hat goes off to Hawkeye fans for terrific support of our winter sports teams. We averaged 13,723 for 14 men's basketball home games, 12,166 for wrestling, and 4,865 for 15 women's basketball home games. Nearly 133,000 wrestling fans went through the gates of Carver and Kinnick with more expected April 9-10 when we host the 2016 United States Olympic Wrestling Team Trials. Thank you in advance for cheering on these three teams as they move ahead in their respective postseason tournaments. The atmosphere in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 5-6 when the University of Iowa hosted the Big Ten Conference Wrestling Championships was incredible. Congratulations to juniors Cory Clark (133 pounds) and Sammy Brooks (184) for winning individual titles. I encourage Hawkeye fans to return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on April 2 when our women's gymnastics program hosts an NCAA Regional. Coach Larissa Libby's team registered wins over No. 25 Ohio State, No. 14 Nebraska, and No. 21 Illinois on the way to an undefeated Big Ten regular season. The Hawkeyes enter postseason ranked No. 18 in the country. The Hawkeye track and field teams crowned four titlists at the Big Ten Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 27 in Geneva, Ohio. Senior Lake Kwaza (60-meter dash), junior Elexis Guster (400 dash), junior Aaron Mallett (60 hurdles), and junior Vinnie Saucer, Jr., (60 dash) all brought gold medals back to Iowa City. It won't be long before Director of Track and Field Joey Woody has an elite indoor surface on which to train and compete. The Hawkeyes purchased a 200-meter banked track that will be used for the 2016 World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Portland, Oregon. The installation of this incredible surface in the Recreation Building will continue to attract elite student-athletes to one of the best facilities in the nation. In exciting personnel news, Paula Jantz and Matt Henderson have been promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Directors. Jantz will continue to serve as Senior Women's Administrator as well as manage sports programs, student-athlete performance, and athletics event management. Henderson will remain involved in fundraising, but will also oversee athletics department revenue and external relations. 2016 has already been a great year in Hawkeye athletics. Our student-athletes and coaches remain focused on even greater success in the weeks and months ahead. WIN. GRADUATE. DO IT RIGHT. 2016 Iowa football season ticket renewal forms have been mailed and are also available online HERE. The deadline to renew or request new or additional tickets is April 15. Please be sure to have your renewal or request submitted before that date.