Year in review: The top contests of 2019-20 at each Iowa athletic facility
Iowa’s spring seasons ended early and the fall seasons are surrounded by uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The DI looks back at the memorable Hawkeye sports moments from the past year before the cancellations.
Fans storm the field during a football game between Iowa and Minnesota at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Gophers, 23-19, ending Minnesota’s undefeated season.
July 13, 2020
After spring sports were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still uncertainty surrounding whether Iowa will be back in action in the fall.
Before sports were canceled, it was a great year for Hawkeye sports. With the hiatus in live Iowa sporting events still ongoing, the DI looks back at the top contests at each facility in 2019-20.
Kinnick Stadium: November 16, 2019
Undefeated, ninth-ranked Minnesota came into Iowa City for a week-13 matchup against the Black and Gold fresh off a win over No. 4 Penn State. The Golden Gophers wouldn’t leave Kinnick Stadium unscathed.
The 18th-ranked Hawkeyes sunk the boat, defeating the Gophers 23-19. Field storming capped the biggest win of the regular season for Iowa football. The Hawkeyes came out hot, scoring 13 unanswered points in the first quarter alone and held on the rest of the way. Nate Stanley completed 14-of-23 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Goodson rushed for the third touchdown.
Carver-Hawkeye Arena: January 31, 2020
The No. 2 Iowa wrestling team hit the mat for a highly anticipated dual against top-ranked Penn State. In front of a capacity crowd of 14,905, heavyweight Tony Cassioppi defeated Penn State’s Seth Nevills in the last match of the night to secure the 19-17 win for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa Indoor Track Building: January 9-10, 2020
During the two-day Hawkeye Invitational, Iowa’s men’s and women’s teams combined to set an astounding 32 personal bests. The teams also collected eight first-place finishes, taking seven individual events and one relay.
Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center: March 8, 2020
In the final men’s tennis match before the cancellation of collegiate sporting events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowa, ranked 28th nationally, defeated No. 16 Cornell and rose to new heights. Will Davies’ match-clinching three-set win over Lev Kazakov propelled the Hawkeyes to a 4-3 triumph and a ranking of No. 20 in the following week’s poll, the highest of any men’s tennis team in school history.
RELATED: Big Ten announces conference-only schedules for fall sports
Finkbine Golf Course: N/A, no competitions
Christine Grant Field: October 26, 2019
In the team’s final home game prior to the Big Ten Tournament, the Iowa field hockey team beat No. 10 Northwestern. The 2-1 final, Iowa’s fifth win of the season against a ranked opponent, propelled the team to a two-seed for the conference tournament. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Championship before bowing out in the national quarterfinals to end the season.
Bob Pearl Field: N/A, no competitions
Duane Banks Field: March 3, 2020
In the first of only three home games on the shortened season, the Hawkeye baseball team collected 14 hits from eight different players and Trenton Wallace went yard as Iowa slaughtered Grand View 15-2.
Iowa Soccer Complex: October 27, 2019
In women’s college soccer, if the score is tied after two overtime periods, that’s how it ends. The final game of the regular season was going to end in a 1-1 draw between the Hawkeyes and Ohio State until Samantha Tawharu scored the game-winning goal with a mere seven seconds to spare.
Campus Recreation and Wellness Center: February 19-23 2020
While hosting the Big Ten Championships, the women’s swimming and diving team scored the most points of any Iowa team since the scoring format changed in 2016. The team set five school records, three individual marks, and two relay bests in the process.
Sue Beckwith Boathouse: N/A, no competitions
UI Fieldhouse North Gym: March 8, 2020
The Iowa women’s gymnastics team defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers in what turned out to be its final meet of the season, 196.750-196.175. The Hawkeyes’ score was their second highest of the year.
Ashton Cross Country Course: September 6, 2019
The men’s and women’s teams opened the season at the Hawkeye Invitational and the both finished atop the standings.
Francis X. Cretzmeyer Track: N/A, no competitions
