When I read the senior columns in The Daily Iowan as a freshman, sophomore, and junior, I always thought it was a little cheesy when I would see something like, “When I sat down to write this, I didn’t know where to start” at the top of the page. And yet, here I am.

Last summer, at an Iowa football media availability, tight end Sam LaPorta was preparing for what would end up being his final year as a Hawkeye, and he said something that describes my feelings when I reflect on my time at the DI: “days go slow, years go fast.”

And some of the days working for this organization — I’m thinking about the 2022 NCAA Men’s Wrestling Championships sitting at eye level with Ben Wallace’s number in the rafters of Little Ceasar’s Arena in Detroit — were very slow and long.

But the years went by in a flash. It seems like yesterday that Anna Kayser — my freshman year sports editor — was telling me I use too many em dashes. That still may be true.

And now, over 500 articles later and with a stack of press passes into places like the United Center, Target Center, and Lucas Oil Stadium, my run is over. As my dear friend and boss Chloe Peterson said, “I’ve been grappling with the mortality of my DI career.”

I’ll remember some of the amazing moments I got to witness from press row, like the Iowa men’s tennis team’s victory over No. 16 Cornell on March 8, 2020, which ended up being the program’s last competition before it learned it was cut following the 2020-21 school year.

Or the men’s basketball team’s miraculous 13-point comeback in the final 90 seconds of regulation against Michigan State that led to an overtime win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 25. But it’s the people I’ll remember the most.

Austin Hanson, who had to introduce himself to me either two or three times depending on who you ask, quickly became my favorite person in the state of Iowa, and depending on where he’s working at the time this article is published, he may still hold that title.

If he is working in another state, my favorite person in the state becomes Chloe. Chloe used to see me in the dining hall and not say anything, and I’m almost ready to forgive her for that. But in all seriousness, we bonded through the DI “Scoreboard” podcast. Now she says hi to me almost every time she sees me!

I have to thank Robert Read, Kelsey Harrell, and Shivansh Ahuja, too. Robert was always someone I looked up to. His work ethic and writing talent are still things I’m aspiring to. Kelsey was my favorite managing digital editor ever and made the long nights in the newsroom much more fun than they probably should have been. Shivansh was nice, and he laughed at my jokes.

To this year’s sports reporters, thanks for smiling and nodding at a guy who is proficient in bad puns.

While I’ll think fondly of the experiences and free press box food I had thanks to the DI, the things that I’ll remember most are the laughs and stories.

To quote DI sports coach, wise owl, and train expert John Bohnenkamp: “We’re done here.”