Hawkeye student-athletes react to season cancellations

Iowa student-athletes took to social media to discuss how they felt about their respective seasons being canceled on Thursday.

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Emily Wangen

Iowa’s Ryan Kriener looks to pass the ball past Illinois forward Kipper Nichols during a game on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. The Hawkeyes lost to the Fighting Illini, 76-78.

Pete Ruden, Pregame Editor
March 12, 2020

The NCAA and Big Ten’s decision to cancel winter and spring sports for the remainder of the season has sent shock waves throughout the sports world.

The student-athletes involved are at the center of it.

Multiple Hawkeyes have tweeted their emotions since the decision, which the Big Ten announced Thursday afternoon after the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament was canceled Thursday morning.

The decision left many student-athletes wondering in the immediate aftermath if seniors will receive an additional season of eligibility.

Men’s basketball guard arrived at Iowa as a graduate transfer from Valparaiso. He had previously spent time at Nebraska as a freshman, making his stop with the Hawkeyes the third of his college career.

Evelyn was headed to the NCAA Tournament with the Hawkeyes. Now, he won’t have the opportunity to play in the Big Dance this season.

It’s been difficult for teams to realize their seasons are over because of this unprecedented week.

Similarly, Iowa track and field thrower Laulauga Tausaga won’t receive the chance to defend the national title she won in the discus at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The cancellation also cut short the student-athletes’ times with each other. Most seasons would go anywhere from a week longer for basketball to three months longer for baseball and softball.

The decision to cancel the season is surprising for freshmen just as it is for those closing out their careers, as baseball catcher Tyler Snep showed on Twitter.

When things started going downhill on Wednesday, men’s basketball forward Ryan Kriener joked that Iowa would claim the national title if the NCAA Tournament was canceled. That became a reality on Thursday.

The team lived up to its imaginary success in the Big Ten Tournament as well, as forward Riley Till posted a photo of an incomplete bracket with the Hawkeyes crowned as champions.