IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa Department of Athletics recognized the academic and athletic accomplishments of its student-athletes at the seventh annual Golden Herkys on Monday evening. The event, organized by members of the Iowa Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (ISAAC), is an opportunity for student-athletes to recognize their peers while also celebrating the past year with the awards ceremony at Hancher Auditorium.
The event was highlighted by the announcement of senior Jack Campbell (football) and Caitlin Clark (women’s basketball) as “UI Athletes of the Year”. Campbell, senior Samantha Cary (soccer) and junior Bailey Ortega (volleyball) were named “Hawkeyes of the Year,” which encompasses the athletics department core values of WIN, GRADUATE, DO IT RIGHT.
Campbell, a senior from Cedar Falls, Iowa, also took home the Golden Herky for men’s Hawkeye of the Year. He was named National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy winner for GPA, football and leadership performance. A Unanimous Consensus All- American, Butkus Award winner (Nation’s Best Linebacker), the Nagurski/Woodson – BIG Defensive Player of the Year. Campbell was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday by the Detroit Lions as the 18th overall selection in the draft. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Campbell is one off four Hawkeyes named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, also based on academic success. He was named the Football Team Captain Iron Hawk Award recipient, and is a four-year letterman.
Clark also won the Golden Herky awards for the Record Breaking Performance and Best Moment for her winning three-pointer at the buzzer to win against No. 2 Indiana in front of a sold-out crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A junior from West Des Moines, Iowa, Clark was named the 2023 Naismith and Wade Trophy winner along with the Associated Press and USBWA Ann Drysdale Player of the Year honors. The guard is also a two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award and is the first-ever three-time winner of the Dawn Staley Award. She led her team to its first-ever NCAA Championship game and helped post the Hawkeye’s most wins in a single season. During the NCAA Tournament, she posted the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history (men’s or women’s) and broke the NCAA single-tournament records for most 3-point FG made (24) and most points scored (191). This season, she is the only player in the nation with 1,000 points, 240 rebounds, 310 assists and 45 steals. Overall, Clark became the first player in Division I women’s basketball history to record more than 1,000 points and 300 assists in the same season and was fastest Division I player (men’s or women’s) to reach 1,500 career points over the last 20 seasons. Off the court, she is a two-time First Team Academic All-American and was named the 2023 CSC Academic All-America of the Year.
Cary, a senior from St. Charles, Mo., was a team captain, four-year starter, and a team leader in minutes over her career The three-time Big Ten Player to Watch received the Soccer Team Hawk Award (best on the field, community, and classroom) for three consecutive years. In the classroom, she maintained a 4.15 grade-point average as a double major and will be graduating with honors next week. She currently serves as ISAAC President and works tirelessly to represent University of Iowa Athletics on campus and in the community. She has organized many events on campus including creating last year’s HawkIdenitity program and numerous mental health events. She has represented student athletes’ voices on the President’s Committee on Athletics and Hancher-Finkbine committee, and at national events such as the United Coaches Convention. She has also leveraged an NIL deal to create an international mentorship program which has connected over 100 girls from across the country to elite college athletes, and serves as the Executive Director.
Ortega, a junior from Davenport, Iowa, ranks in the top 10 in the Iowa record books for total assists. The team captain is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, and is the first Hawkeye volleyball player to ever win the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. She serves on ISAAC as the career development chair and heads the efforts in making the Golden Herkys a special event.
The Hawkeye field hockey team took home three Golden Herkys. Redshirt freshman Mia Magnotta, a native of Forty-Fort, Pa., was named Women’s Breakthrough Athlete of the Year. Magnotta was told the day of the B1G Tournament that she would be starting in goal. Mia had previously played in one game during the regular season. She helped the team advance to the Elite Eight, leading the team through a quadruple overtime shootout victory in the Sweet 16. She was one of three goalkeepers to be selected for the 2023 USA U21 National Team.
The team also won the Golden Herkys for the Inclusive Excellence Team and Rally Hawk. Both new awards for 2023, the Inclusive Excellence Team Award serves to honor and recognize the team that has demonstrated an understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through achievements and contributions to social justice. This individual and team has increased our overall awareness and knowledge and has made notable strides towards inclusive excellence. The Rally Hawk Award identifies a team who supports their fellow Hawkeyes the most on or off the field of competition. This could be through support at games/competitions, sending thoughtful notes and support, etc. Rally Hawk awards a team who goes above and beyond to support their peers. Field Hockey was nominated for the award by the Hawkeye softball, soccer, volleyball, swimming and diving, women’s basketball and tennis teams.
The Hawkeyes were the only program in NCAA Division I field hockey to advance to the Elite 8 in each of the past four years. The advancement to the Elite Eight in 2022 was the 21st in program history. The Hawkeyes made their 27th NCAA tournament in program history – which is the most of any team as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team has won at least one game in four straight NCAA tournaments.
The Hawkeye women’s basketball and wrestling teams each took home two Golden Herkys – Outstanding Newcomer of the Year and Outstanding Team.
The women’s basketball team won the Big Ten Tournament for the second year in a row, and went on a historic run in the NCAA Tournament, making it to the National Championship game for the first time in program history. The team is breaking viewership records racking up 5.5 million viewers during the Final Four making it the most viewed women’s Final Four in ESPN history. Not only did they sell out Carver-Hawkeye Arena eight times during the 2022-23 season, they also sold out the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and opposing team’s arenas, such as Indiana and Ohio State on the road.
Freshman Hannah Stuelke, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, picked up the Golden Herky for Women’s Outstanding Newcomer of the Year. Stuelke came off the bench for the Hawkeyes, leading all Iowa freshmen in minutes played. She scored in double-digits 11 times this season, posting a career high of 17 points and nine rebounds vs. Northwestern. She earned the B1G 6th Player of the Year award.
The Hawkeye wrestling team crowned two Big Ten champions in seniors Spencer Lee and Real Woods. Lee earned his third career Big Ten title and was selected as the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Big Ten Championships. Iowa finished as the runner-up at the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships and the team had all 10 wrestlers qualify for the NCAAs. Six Hawkeyes garnered All-America distinction and 14 wrestlers earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Lee and senior Jacob Warner finished their careers as five-time All-Americans.
Woods, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., was undefeated leading into the NCAA Championships, where he had a career-best 20-match winning streak. The 2023 Big Ten champion at 141 pounds, Woods earned his third All-America honors by placing second at the NCAA Championships – outscoring his opponents 46-11 during the tournament. Woods was named the team’s Mike Howard Team MVP.
Redshirt sophomore Keaton Anthony (baseball) and senior Jenny Cape (soccer) were named the Breakthrough Athletes of the Year.
Anthony, a native of Hoschton, Ga., was named 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year after missing the 2021 season due injury. He is only the second player in school history to earn this distinction. Anthony had a .361 batting average with 14 home runs, 22 doubles, 55RBIs, and 46 runs5. He also started 53 of 54 games in the 2022 season. Anthony earned Collegiate Baseball All-America, NCBWA Freshman All-America, and D1Baseball.com First-Team Freshman All-America honors. He was theB1G Freshman of the Week six times, which are the most accolades in a season in Iowa and B1G history.
Cape, from Brookfield, Wis., was diagnosed with aplastic anemia as a junior in high school and took nearly a year off of soccer and school to get a bone marrow transplant. She still managed to come back from this and play soccer at a Division 1 level. Cape won team Hawk award (best on the field, classroom, and community) and is a four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. She also scored the game winning goal in Iowa’s Big Ten Championship win. Jenny found out her aplastic anemia was back at the end of her junior year of college. She was forced to move back home to get treatment and another transplant and took another year off of soccer and school. Jenny was the ultimate teammate during this process and we were all blessed for her to comeback for a 5th year and play on the team. After her full treatment, in her 5th year she played in 13 games and started six of them. She fought for Iowa every step of the was and was the epitome of a breakthrough athlete.
Senior Amiya Jones (volleyball) won the Individual Inclusive Excellence Golden Herky, which was presented to the individual that has demonstrated an understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through achievements and contributions to social justice. Jones, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., led Hawkeye team in kills, points per set, and aces during the 2022 season. She finished the season with a .315 hitting percentage and was named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree. In addition, she was a team captain and led on and off the court in the way she treated her teammates and people around her.
2023 GOLDEN HERKY AWARD WINNERS
MEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR — Jack Campbell (Football)
WOMEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR — Caitlin Clark (Women’s Basketball)
MEN’S HAWKEYE OF THE YEAR — Jack Campbell (Football)
WOMEN’S HAWKEYE OF THE YEAR — Samantha Cary (Soccer), Bailey Ortega (Volleyball)
MEN’S OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER — Real Woods (Men’s Wrestling)
WOMEN’S OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER — Hannah Stuelke (Women’s Basketball)
MEN’S BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE — Keaton Anthony (Baseball)
WOMEN’S BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE — Jenny Cape (Soccer), Mia Magnotta (Field Hockey)
MEN’S MOST OUTSTANDING TEAM — Men’s Wrestling
WOMEN’S MOST OUTSTANDING TEAM — Women’s Basketball
RECORD BREAKING PERFORMANCE — Caitlin Clark (Women’s Basketball)
STAFF-LETE — Cody Roberts (Strength & Conditioning)
BEST MOMENT — Caitlin Clark (Women’s Basketball)
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE INDIVIDUAL: Amiya Jones (Volleyball)
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE TEAM: Field Hockey
RALLY HAWK — Field Hockey
SPRING 2022 MEN’S TEAM GPA — Men’s Golf
SPRING 2022 WOMEN’S TEAM GPA – Tennis
FALL 2022 MEN’S TEAM GPA – Men’s Golf
FALL 2022 WOMEN’S TEAM GPA – Tennis
BEST DRESSED — Natalie Harris (Women’s Track & Field)