What a year

I had to laugh when I saw Caitlin in my local HyVee (Galesburg, Illinois); I laughed, then I took this picture. As a role-model, hero, and record-setting athlete, she's interesting and is having a fabulous year.

But then there's Hannah Stuelke, my second step-cousin twice removed, and she's having quite a year too. Hannah is only a sophomore, but she has good chemistry with Caitlin - they each know what each other is doing, so that when Caitlin passes to Hannah Hannah can score. And this she did to the tune of 47 points the other night, setting a Hawkeye-Carver Arena record for both men's and women's. When Caitlin won the record for assists, she was passing it to Hannah. Caitlin, it seems, is much more focused on winning than on setting the scoring record herself, which she will undoubtedly do. Hannah is getting a lifetime opportunity to play beside one of basketball's best.

Sometimes I wonder if it's just a very insular state making a big fuss out of something that really isn't that big a deal. To me, it is a big deal inasmuch as we don't often see women basketball players get such press, and Caitlin at least is worth the press coverage. She's worth it because she's so good. And I like the fact that both women are Iowans, grew up Hawkeyes and now giving them some good press.

I'm still mad about the ugly logo though. Forty or fifty years of being an Iowa fan, and it just doesn't go away.