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The Best Year In the History of Hawkeye Athletics Happens During COVID?

IowasLaw

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Nov 19, 2019
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What an unexpectedly great year it's been already for Hawkeye athletics.

While Kirk's football team couldn't win the very winnable Big 10 west, they did finish the year with a respectable 6-2 record and were ranked #16 in the final polls. Joey Woody's indoor track team won it's first Big 10 title in nearly 80 years. The women's gymnastics team went undefeated and won their first ever Big 10 title despite the state of Iowa not even having high school gymnastics as a sport.

The wrestling team were Big 10 champs, have the National Wrestler of the Year, and are poised to win nationals by a huge margin. The basketball team is ranked in the Top 5 in the nation in March for the first time in program history (it's just a shame that two other Top 5 teams happen to be in the same conference) and has the National Player of the Year which probably won't happen again in any of our lifetimes. The women's basketball team has the #1 freshmen player in the country whom the program can build itself around and will qualify for the NCAA tourney. The baseball team was in 1st place in the Big 10 last year when the season was cancelled and looks to be good again this spring.

What a shame that what could be the best year in the history of Hawkeye athletics will be, for a lack of a better word, wasted by occurring during the midst of a pandemic where fans were prohibited from attending games, cheering on the Hawks, and basking in the unprecedented success.

Pandemic and politics aside, it's a great time to be a Hawk...one that may not come around again for many decades to come.
 
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The pessimists would say we must have the worst home atmospheres in the conference if these long dormant programs are winning conference titles.

... I kid. It’s a great time to be a Hawk!
 
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The pessimists would say we must have the worst home atmospheres in the conference if these long dormant programs are winning conference titles.

... I kid. It’s a great time to be a Hawk!
What conference titles? Track? The wrestling team that got hosed out of a natty last year?
 
What an unexpectedly great year it's been already for Hawkeye athletics.

While Kirk's football team couldn't win the very winnable Big 10 west, they did finish the year with a respectable 6-2 record and were ranked #16 in the final polls. Joey Woody's indoor track team won it's first Big 10 title in nearly 80 years. The women's gymnastics team went undefeated and won their first ever Big 10 title despite the state of Iowa not even having high school gymnastics as a sport.

The wrestling team were Big 10 champs, have the National Wrestler of the Year, and are poised to win nationals by a huge margin. The basketball team is ranked in the Top 5 in the nation in March for the first time in program history (it's just a shame that two other Top 5 teams happen to be in the same conference) and has the National Player of the Year which probably won't happen again in any of our lifetimes. The women's basketball team has the #1 freshmen player in the country whom the program can build itself around and will qualify for the NCAA tourney. The baseball team was in 1st place in the Big 10 last year when the season was cancelled and looks to be good again this spring.

What a shame that what could be the best year in the history of Hawkeye athletics will be, for a lack of a better word, wasted by occurring during the midst of a pandemic where fans were prohibited from attending games, cheering on the Hawks, and basking in the unprecedented success.
I'm thankful that they got us through the pandemic and provided us some very good entertainment. If all those programs would have sucked, it would have made the year a bit more unbearable. UI Men's BB got me through the winter and I'm very thankful.
 
What an unexpectedly great year it's been already for Hawkeye athletics.

While Kirk's football team couldn't win the very winnable Big 10 west, they did finish the year with a respectable 6-2 record and were ranked #16 in the final polls. Joey Woody's indoor track team won it's first Big 10 title in nearly 80 years. The women's gymnastics team went undefeated and won their first ever Big 10 title despite the state of Iowa not even having high school gymnastics as a sport.

The wrestling team were Big 10 champs, have the National Wrestler of the Year, and are poised to win nationals by a huge margin. The basketball team is ranked in the Top 5 in the nation in March for the first time in program history (it's just a shame that two other Top 5 teams happen to be in the same conference) and has the National Player of the Year which probably won't happen again in any of our lifetimes. The women's basketball team has the #1 freshmen player in the country whom the program can build itself around and will qualify for the NCAA tourney. The baseball team was in 1st place in the Big 10 last year when the season was cancelled and looks to be good again this spring.

What a shame that what could be the best year in the history of Hawkeye athletics will be, for a lack of a better word, wasted by occurring during the midst of a pandemic where fans were prohibited from attending games, cheering on the Hawks, and basking in the unprecedented success.
You might consider 1985. Iowa football was ranked #1 for more then half of the football season, behind 2 consensus 1st AA in Chuck Long and Larry Station, and had THREE players drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft, and the Mens basketball team was I believe ranked in the top five for awhile that year, and No doubt Gable's Hawks won the national championship as they did every year back then......
Edit: It was the next season 86-87 that the mens team was in the top five rankings for most of the year.....
 
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What an unexpectedly great year it's been already for Hawkeye athletics.

While Kirk's football team couldn't win the very winnable Big 10 west, they did finish the year with a respectable 6-2 record and were ranked #16 in the final polls. Joey Woody's indoor track team won it's first Big 10 title in nearly 80 years. The women's gymnastics team went undefeated and won their first ever Big 10 title despite the state of Iowa not even having high school gymnastics as a sport.

The wrestling team were Big 10 champs, have the National Wrestler of the Year, and are poised to win nationals by a huge margin. The basketball team is ranked in the Top 5 in the nation in March for the first time in program history (it's just a shame that two other Top 5 teams happen to be in the same conference) and has the National Player of the Year which probably won't happen again in any of our lifetimes. The women's basketball team has the #1 freshmen player in the country whom the program can build itself around and will qualify for the NCAA tourney. The baseball team was in 1st place in the Big 10 last year when the season was cancelled and looks to be good again this spring.

What a shame that what could be the best year in the history of Hawkeye athletics will be, for a lack of a better word, wasted by occurring during the midst of a pandemic where fans were prohibited from attending games, cheering on the Hawks, and basking in the unprecedented success.

Pandemic and politics aside, it's a great time to be a Hawk...one that may not come around again for many decades to come.
The mid to late 80s say hello.
 
Iowa Baseball probably wins the conference this year too at this rate.
I was looking at this the other day... also factor in the talents of Caitlin Clark and track and field bringing home some hardware... Hawkeyes are in stratosphere usually reserved for the blue bloods.
 
The 1956-57 Hawkeye Basketball team won 17 straight and was the national runner up. The 1956 Fooball team won the conference and the Rose Bowl and were voted #1 by the football writers association. That was a pretty good year too.
 
Red Pom poms in Kinnick vs Wisconsin....that’s all you need...
It was a dumb gimmick, but that's unfortunately what happens when two of the colors of the American flag are red and white.

Perhaps they should change the colors of the flag to black and gold..................because f*** Wisconsin, that's why. :cool:
 
Red Pom poms in Kinnick vs Wisconsin....that’s all you need...
Was it an oversight that was worth an eyeroll at the time? Yes.

Is it something to hang on to after 8 years? Not if you're a functioning adult.

If you want to point to his ineptitude, the Griesbaum ordeal is enough. Having said that, it's hard to argue that the athletic department isn't in a good spot in terms of success in recent years.
 
The 1956-57 Hawkeye Basketball team won 17 straight and was the national runner up. The 1956 Fooball team won the conference and the Rose Bowl and were voted #1 by the football writers association. That was a pretty good year too.

1956-57 Iowa wrestling went 7-2 in duals, finished 3rd at Big Tens and 8th at NCAAs.
 
So, Iowa has earned three BTen titles this year - indoor track, women's gymnastics and wrestling.

Anyone know if Iowa has EVER won three titles in one year? I know historically, we rank near the bottom in total titles, so my guess is it's been at least 20 years.
 
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1986-1987 had both Men's and Women's Basketball in Elite 8, Wrestling won NCAA, Football was 9-3 #15 with win over SD State in Holiday Bowl, Iowa Baseball was actually pretty good that year too.
 
It sounds like the success in the athletics department has continued this spring during the COVID era.

Iowa's field hockey team is ranked #2 in the nation
Iowa's men's tennis team has the school's all-time wins leader playing for them...he just got his final win this spring before watching Barta axe his sport
Iowa's men's gymnastics team just had it's best finish in 15 years...right as Barta axed the sport
Iowa's men's track team is ranked 1st in the Big 10 by a mile
Iowa's baseball team just beat a Big 10 opponent 18-0
 
It sounds like the success in the athletics department has continued this spring during the COVID era.

Iowa's field hockey team is ranked #2 in the nation
Iowa's men's tennis team has the school's all-time wins leader playing for them...he just got his final win this spring before watching Barta axe his sport
Iowa's men's gymnastics team just had it's best finish in 15 years...right as Barta axed the sport
Iowa's men's track team is ranked 1st in the Big 10 by a mile
Iowa's baseball team just beat a Big 10 opponent 18-0
-Iowa men's track won the B1G Indoor Title for the first time in many decades.

-Iowa has perhaps the best women's tennis player in the B1G, a top 20 in the nation player.

-Iowa women's soccer ended a tough rebuilding season strong and knocked off a previously top 25 Illini program, and Minnesota (at Minnesota, for the first time in ages) to advance to the B1G Semifinals on BTN tomorrow night vs #4 in the nation Penn State.
 
More unprecedented success to report in May! What's going on in Iowa City?

The once dominant women's field hockey team just advanced to the national Final 4 and could play for a national championship this weekend (first time since 2008).

The women's gymnastics team won their first Big 10 title in program history.

The women's soccer team won their first Big 10 title in program history.

The Big 10 women's tennis champ was a Hawk, which is unheard of.

Men's golf lost the Big 10 championship by 1 stroke.

Men's baseball is knocking on the door of an NCAA regional bid, they just need to hold serve.
 
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More unprecedented success to report in May! What's going on in Iowa City?

The once dominant women's field hockey team just advanced to the national Final 4 and could play for a national championship this weekend (first time since 2008).

The women's gymnastics team won their first Big 10 title in program history.

The women's soccer team won their first Big 10 title in program history.

The Big 10 women's tennis champ was a Hawk, which is unheard of.

Men's tennis lost the Big 10 championship by 1 stroke.

Men's baseball is knocking on the door of an NCAA regional bid, they just need to hold serve.
Iowa > everyone

#confirmed
 
More unprecedented success to report in May! What's going on in Iowa City?

The once dominant women's field hockey team just advanced to the national Final 4 and could play for a national championship this weekend (first time since 2008).

The women's gymnastics team won their first Big 10 title in program history.

The women's soccer team won their first Big 10 title in program history.

The Big 10 women's tennis champ was a Hawk, which is unheard of.

Men's tennis lost the Big 10 championship by 1 stroke.

Men's baseball is knocking on the door of an NCAA regional bid, they just need to hold serve.
only one question, how did mens tennis lose by 1 stroke?
 
Appreciate the desire to look on the bright side. IF you want to include all of the minor sports.

As for the marquee sports, I'd say football was OK(not great) and men's BB was disappointing with their NCAA tourney collapse in round 2. Wrestling gets a mention for wrapping up another natty, only slightly diminished by managing just 1 individual champ.
 
I thought I saw a list of the top colleges standings for the Capitol One Cup which ranks schools on all college sports. I think Iowa was in the top five. The latest standings I can find on a
Google search is a 16 Jan 2021 in which Iowa Mens teams were not ranked in the top 25. I am sure Iowa ranking will have risen due to the latest Spring sports results. Did anyone else see this posted some where or am I dreaming?
 
More unprecedented success to report in May! What's going on in Iowa City?

The once dominant women's field hockey team just advanced to the national Final 4 and could play for a national championship this weekend (first time since 2008).

The women's gymnastics team won their first Big 10 title in program history.

The women's soccer team won their first Big 10 title in program history.

The Big 10 women's tennis champ was a Hawk, which is unheard of.

Men's golf lost the Big 10 championship by 1 stroke.

Men's baseball is knocking on the door of an NCAA regional bid, they just need to hold serve.
The rich get richer...
 
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