A heart for the Hawks: Kid Captain leads the way to the Holiday bowl
Alexandra Skores, News Editor
December 19, 2019
Cooper Leeman will be leading the Hawks with a heart of gold as the honorary Kid Captain when Iowa takes on Southern Carolina on Dec. 27 for the annual Holiday Bowl. At 14-months-old, young Cooper was experiencing difficulty breathing and vomiting. His parents, Laurel and Brandon, immediately took him to...
Charlotte Keller will root for Hawkeyes in her home state as Kid Captain
Kelsey Harrell, News Reporter
November 27, 2019
Charlotte Keller travels to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital for treatment every three months. This weekend, Keller will not have to travel far from home to cheer on the Hawkeyes as Kid Captain when they take on Nebraska. A 7-year-old from Bellevue, Nebraska, Charlotte was...
Kid Captain races into Kinnick to cheer on Hawkeyes
Josie Fischels, Arts Editor
November 21, 2019
Six-year-old Jeg Weets often travels back and forth from his hometown of Morrison, Illinois, to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This time around, though, he won’t be coming to Iowa for an IV infusion — he’ll be honored as this week’s Kid Captain for his fight against Niemann-Pick dis...
Kid Captain Aubrey Bussan-Kluesner granted her birthday wish this weekend
Alexandra Skores, News Editor
November 14, 2019
Soon-to-be 9-year-old Aubrey Bussan-Kluesner will be granted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as the Iowa Hawkeyes Kid Captain for her birthday this weekend at the game against Minnesota. Aubrey’s parents, Rachel Bussan and Jeff Kluesner, originally became acquainted with the University of Iowa...
From ‘miracle baby’ to Kid Captain: Skylar Hardee will cheer on the Hawkeyes
Katie Ann McCarver, News Editor
November 7, 2019
Skylar Hardee’s parents were told before he was even born that their son had about a 1 percent chance of survival. Unwilling to give up, the pair traveled to four different specialists before arriving at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Now 8 years old, Skylar, a native...
Lucy Roth brings ‘positive force’ as Kid Captain for the Hawkeyes
Rylee Wilson, News Reporter
October 24, 2019
At 2 years old, Lucy Roth — who is this week’s Kid Captain in Saturday’s Hawkeye game against Northwestern —was struggling with vision problems, holding books close to her face and struggling to find toys she had dropped. The Roths, who live in Iowa City, brought Lucy to a pediatric optometrist...
Kid Captain Kendra Hines ‘on cloud nine’ to storm Kinnick with the Hawks
Charles Peckman, Senior Reporter
October 17, 2019
During week 18 of Teresa Hines’ pregnancy, blood tests revealed her baby had Down syndrome. Although Kendra, now 10, was born seven weeks early in a Cedar Rapids hospital, Teresa said she was unfazed by the blood tests, saying she knew her daughter would be perfect no matter what. Once Teresa and...
Kid Captain shows her heart belongs to the Hawkeyes
Alexandra Skores, News Editor
October 11, 2019
With a spunky personality and sparkly pink glasses, Kid Captain Gabby Yoder is excited to hit the field this weekend as the Hawkeyes take on Penn State. Abigail Yoder, mother to Gabby and her two siblings, said Gabby’s story began at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where she was b...
Family supports Kid Captain along road to recovery
Kelsey Harrell, News Reporter
September 26, 2019
Enzo Thongsoum passed every test he needed to as a 21-month-old with flying colors — until he began having unexplained seizures. His family took him to the hospital in their hometown of Des Moines, but a lack of a diagnosis and improvement from treatment led to his transfer to the University of...
Kid Captain Cien Currie has “wonderful” response to Keto diet, dietitian says
Katie Ann McCarver, News Editor
September 13, 2019
As a five-month-old, Cien Currie began suffering from seizures so terrible he once lost the ability to breathe entirely. After several visits to a Des Moines hospital with no diagnosis, Cien was helicoptered to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, where they discovered he had a r...
Kid Captain Jackson Tijerina thrives with help of experimental treatment
Rylee Wilson, News Reporter
September 6, 2019
A brain-tumor diagnosis kept Jackson Tijerina from playing on his flag football team when he was 5 years old. Jackson, now 8, still loves football — especially the Iowa Hawkeyes. After being nominated for the last two years, Jackson will officially enter Kinnick Stadium as Kid Captain on Saturday...
Meet the first Kid Captain of the Hawkeye football season, Aidan Kasper
Kayli Reese, Managing News Editor
August 30, 2019
Besides riding his hover board outside, 14-year-old Cedar Rapids native Aidan Kasper never really got into sports. He prefers crafts such as origami, where he’s learned how to create nearly every animal from YouTube videos. His dad, Rob Kasper, said his favorite animals include insects and reptiles. ...