The Student News Site of Drake University

The Times-Delphic
The Student News Site of Drake University

The Times-Delphic
The Student News Site of Drake University

The Times-Delphic
Serena Thiede

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor

Serena Thiede is this year’s Sports Editor. She is majoring in multimedia journalism and minoring in writing. When she isn’t writing or editing, she is with her sorority sister, grabbing a coffee, working on RA work or simply enjoying sports in person or online.

All content by Serena Thiede
DRAKE MEN’S FOOTBALL had a lights-out game against the University of Valparaiso at Drake Stadium for Parents and Family Weekend. The team will look for a second Pioneer Football League win over fall break against the University of San Diego in San Diego before returning home to play the University of Davidson on Oct. 18.

Drake football beats the University of Valparaiso 41-0

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Oct 8, 2025
Drake University looks to take home a win in Drake Stadium for Parents and Family weekend against the Valparaiso University Beacons. The team will also be working to keep up in the Pioneer Football League rankings in sights of clinching the PFL championship for the third time in a row to qualify for the Football Championship Subdivision. Photo courtesy of Ginnie Coleman

Football gears up for Parents and Family Weekend

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Oct 2, 2025
Drake men's football took on the University of South Dakota. The Bulldogs now sit at 1-2 for the season going into Planner League play, which will kick off on Oct. 4 against Valparaiso University. Photo courtesy of Drake Athletics.

Drake football falls to South Dakota

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Sep 24, 2025
Drake Men's Football sees a 37-21 loss to the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits in the Bulldogs’ best showing against the nationally ranked number two powerhouse program. The team played SDSU in 2024 and lost 70-7, so this game for the Bulldogs showcased growth as a program going into week four of play. Photo courtesy of Ginnie Coleman.

Drake football falls to South Dakota State

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Sep 17, 2025
Drake soccer programs had wins on the men’s and women’s sides in the past week with only two losses total between the two teams. The Bulldogs will be busy in the coming weeks with the Missouri Valley Conference play. It will be a time for both teams to showcase their hard work before the MVC championships. Photo courtesy of Prakash Acharya via Wikimedia.

Drake soccer programs see success early on

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Sep 10, 2025
Drake club sports houses premier and non-premier club sports for Bulldogs of all backgrounds to find a team that works for their level of competition and schedule. The premier club selection includes, men’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s volleyball and co-op tennis. The university also has numerous other programs that can also be seen on the Drake Rec website and have sign ups open at various times during the year for different seasons.

Why club sports: a look into Drake’s club sports influence

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Sep 3, 2025
Drake Mens Football held its season opener in Drake Stadium in front of a record setting crowd against the Upper Iowa University Peacocks. The team finished the game with a 41-7 score going into its week two bye before heading to South Dakota to play South Dakota State University and then the University of South Dakota.

Drake Football goes 41-7 against Upper Iowa University

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Sep 3, 2025
Drake football and soccer have a packed schedule this fall, due to Drake having three teams and only two stadiums. The teams will play at Mediacom Stadium, Drake Stadium and a variety of away stadiums.

A sports editor’s guide to all things fall sports

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Aug 27, 2025
Drake Bulldog Athletics has much in store for the 2025-26 school year, showcasing some of the MVC and Pioneer League’s best talent. The football team will be looking to three-peat the league championships, while men’s basketball will be going for a four-peat championship to make it to March Madness.

Top sports to look out for in the 2025-26 school year

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Apr 30, 2025
All college athletes question if being an athlete at the next level is something they want and if it is worth it to them. Considering which school and programs fit them the best, along with price, work load and other factors, can take days to months.

To become an athlete or to not: perks of becoming a collegiate athlete

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Apr 9, 2025
The Michigan State University Spartans won 30-7 overall after losing to the University of Auburn Tigers in the Elite 8 of the NCAA March Madness tournament. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Michigan State Spartans see Elite 8 run in NCAA tournament

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Apr 2, 2025
Drake hired Ben McCollum to serve as the men’s basketball coach last year following Darian DeVries’ departure. After just one year, McCollum is transferring to the University of Iowa. Photo courtesy of Drake Athletic Communications

Drake University sees men’s basketball head coach departure postseason

Serena Thiede
Mar 26, 2025
Drake Women's Basketball heads into Arch Madness tied for third place in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Drake women’s basketball finishes 2024-25 season with 21-10 record

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Mar 12, 2025
Ash Wednesday is a religious observed by some Christians. The day holds a special meaning for many Drake students and faculty.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust: Drake celebrates Ash Wednesday

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Mar 12, 2025
Drake Men's basketball won the regular season championship for the third year in a row and secured the No. 1 seed in the Arch Madness tournament for a chance at proving preseason predictions wrong. The Bulldogs will be punching their ticket to the March Madness tournament for the first time under head coach Ben McCollum.

Drake men’s basketball sees first-round bye in Arch Madness tournament

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Mar 5, 2025
Men's basketball Head Coach Ben McCollum cuts down the net after the team’s last home game. The women’s team will conclude gameplay on March 8 on the road.

Drake Basketball goes 4-0 to end February MVC season play

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Mar 5, 2025
Drake men's and women's programs went 3-2 against key conference competition like Missouri State University and UNI. The men’s team clinched the regular season championship after an overtime win at UNI.

Drake basketball programs goes 3-2 against conference opponents

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Feb 26, 2025
Drake men's basketball earned the title of number one winning percentage in the country after beating Indiana State in overtime. The rest of February, Drake will now compete with a national AP ranking in mind. Photo by Serena Thiede | Sports Editor

Drake basketball programs go 4-0 collectively to kick off February

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Feb 13, 2025
Drake women's sports consists of nine Division I sports programs. These Bulldogs work to represent what it means to be a woman in sports.

Drake hosts National Girls and Women in Sports Day

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Feb 5, 2025
Drake men's and women's basketball went 17-5 over the J-term break and added high-profile wins to their records going into conference play. Both teams also traveled over the break giving the teams time to bond off the court as well.

Drake basketball goes 17-5 over winter break

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Jan 29, 2025
Drake Men's Basketball recently added a four-game week winning streak their previous 3-0 overall record, a result of wins in the Charleston Children’s Classic tournament and a home game win verse Georgia Southern University.

Drake men’s basketball ranks among NCAA’s toughest competition

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Dec 4, 2024
Drake Men’s And Women’s Basketball had a four-game week, with only one game not being hosted in the Knapp Center. The teams went 2-2 and will have their hands full going into the next week of competition all across the board.

Drake’s basketball programs go 2-2 against tough competition

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Nov 20, 2024
Drake women's basketball secures its first win of the season at the Knapp Center after being within single digits of the St. Louis Billikens all game. The Bulldogs were able to break away with a 95-70 victory.

Drake women’s basketball takes victory over the St. Louis Billikens

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Nov 13, 2024
Drake University men's basketball began its season with an almost-brand new team and a 93-41 win against the NAIA New York University Panthers. Their next game is on Nov. 10.

Drake men’s basketball sweeps past York University in Knapp Center opener

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Nov 6, 2024
Drake men's football starts every game with a group prayer, which is followed by individual player prayers in the endzone. This ritual is meant to help the team mentally going into the game.

Spooky Bulldog athlete traditions: pregame rituals

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Oct 30, 2024
Drake football players have been putting in work during both the season and off season to prepare to take on any team.

Drake football secures impressive record early into season

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Oct 10, 2024
Olivia Culpo signing pictures for fans as she advocates for what is right. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

NFL spouses kick off advocacy campaigns to strengthen communities

Serena Thiede, Sports
Sep 18, 2024
Some Drake students received this message directly after choosing their tickets if their new virtual account was not set up properly by the school.

Ticket troubles prevent some Drake students from attending kickoff football game

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Sep 11, 2024
Drake Bulldogs work their way down the field in an attempt to widen Drake’s lead againt the Quincy Hawks with the help of Drake’s offensive line led by graduate quarterback Luke Bailey.

Drake men’s football: an unexpected season kick-off

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Sep 4, 2024
Drake Men's Football played Northwestern College in the team’s second game of the 2023-24 season, the team’s best in its history. The game ended in a loss for Drake, with a score of 27-24 in overtime.

Drake Men’s Football: the 2024-25 season preview

Serena Thiede, Sports Editor
Aug 28, 2024
A graphic depicting votes to cut programs

Enrollment will suffer amid Drake’s probable program cuts 

Serena Thiede
Apr 25, 2024
A headshot of David Lubbers

Drake SJMC Welcomes ESPN’s David Lubbers

Serena Thiede
Apr 23, 2024
A Drake women's basketball player takes a shot

Drake women’s basketball season recap

Serena Thiede
Apr 23, 2024
Former Drake men's basketball head coach, Darian DeVries talks to his players during a break in play

Drake men’s basketball season recap

Serena Thiede
Apr 23, 2024
Brooke Mullins jumps over a hurdle during the Drake Relays

Drake’s Brooke Mullins’ Final Relays

Serena Thiede
Apr 23, 2024
A Drake softball player celebrates on third base

Drake softball secures series win over the Evansville Purple Aces

Serena Thiede
Apr 10, 2024
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications is set to offer a brand new sports publicity and promotions course next spring. The course will be taught by assistant professor of public relations Mu He. Photo by Meghan Holloran | Photo Editor

New Sports Publicity and Promotions course

Serena Thiede
Apr 3, 2024
The Drake Softball team won three of their four games last week, moving their overall record to 14-14 for the season. Photo by Sarah Fey | Staff Photographer

Drake softball goes on 3-1 run in action-packed week of games

Serena Thiede
Apr 3, 2024
Drake Women's Basketball player looks for a pass

Drake women’s basketball falls to Colorado in March Madness

Serena Thiede
Mar 28, 2024
Kyron Gibson joined the Bulldogs in the offseason of 2023. In his final year of collegiate play, Gibson averaged 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, scoring a season-high 19 points against Alcorn State. Photo by Sarah Fey | Staff Photographer

Drake Men’s Basketball beat Bradley

Serena Thiede
Mar 7, 2024
The Drake Women's Basketball team is currently favorited to win the MVC tournament. Photo by Sarah Fey | Staff Photographer

Drake Women’s Basketball Closes in on Season Finale

Serena Thiede
Mar 6, 2024
Drake men's basketball player shooting the ball towards the hoop.

Drake men’s basketball now  23-6, second in MVC standings

Serena Thiede
Feb 29, 2024
Tucker Devries is among the favorites to win the MVC's Larry Bird Player of the year award for the second season in a row. Photo by Sarah Fey | Staff Photographer

How Tucker Devries can continue to improve his NBA draft stock

Serena Thiede
Feb 21, 2024
Senior Guard Taylor McAulay scored six points alongside two steals and two rebounds against the Illinois State Redbirds. Against the Bradley Braves, McAuley scored three points, two rebounds and two steals. Photo by Sarah Fey | Staff Photographer

Drake Women’s Basketball Wins Third Straight In Dominant Stretch

Serena Thiede
Feb 15, 2024
The recent struggles faced by Sports Illustrated have been a cause for concern in the sports journalism world. The wildly successful magazine’s potential downfall has spawned concern about the field. Photo Courtesy of Sports Illustrated via Flickr https://flic.kr/p/2mD9ag7

Sports Illustrated struggle shakes the sports journalism world

Serena Thiede
Feb 9, 2024
THE DRAKE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM currently sits with a 16-5 overall record this season. The Bulldogs are also tied with the Belmont Bruins for the best record in the MVC standings with a 9-1 conference record. PHOTO BY Sarah Fey| staff photographer

Drake women’s basketball pulls through in big win over UNI

Serena Thiede
Feb 9, 2024
The Drake men's basketball team went 7-3 over winter break and J-term, elevating their national ranking and moving them closer to a Missouri Valley Conference lead with a win over the Indiana State Sycamores. Photo by Sarah Fey: Staff photographer.

Drake men’s basketball closes in on the conference lead

Serena Thiede
Feb 4, 2024
CONOR ENRIGHT has played a more substantial role in the Bulldogs’ lineup this season. PHOTO BY Sarah Fey | staff photographer

Drake men’s basketball comfortably defeats Missouri State

Serena Thiede
Dec 9, 2023
BROOKE MULLINS has had a successful year on the Drake women’s track and field team. PHOTO by Billy Cvecko | courtesy of Mullins

Brooke Mullins makes history with NCAA championship visit

Serena Thiede
Nov 30, 2023
THE DRAKE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM is now 3-0 after an 85-73 win over the Iowa State Cyclones. In the huge win, Drake shot 44.8% from the field, 42.9% from 3-point range, and 77.8% from the free throw line. PHOTO BY Sarah Fey | staff photographer

Drake women’s basketball team opens season with back-to-back wins

Serena Thiede
Nov 16, 2023
QUARTERBACK LUKE BAILEY HAS NOT LOST A CONFERENCE GAME since taking over as the starting quarterback against the Stetson Hatters last season. In that 10 conference game stretch, Bailey has started every game. PHOTO BY Sarah Fey | staff photographer

Drake football secures share of MVC title with weekend win

Serena Thiede
Nov 15, 2023
THE DRAKE FOOTBALL TEAM defeated the Stetson Hatters 33-6 to secure their fifth consecutive win of the season. The Bulldogs have now won six consecutive conference games, leading to a 6-0 conference record. PHOTO BY Sarah Fey | staff photographer

Drake football extends their streak with 6 consecutive wins

Serena Thiede
Nov 8, 2023
THE DRAKE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM has undergone heavy roster turnover in the 2023 offseason. Equipped with new transfers, freshmen and some returning faces, the team hopes to repeat their success in 2024. PHOTO BY Meghan Holloran | photo editor

Drake men’s basketball prepares for start of their new season

Serena Thiede
Nov 1, 2023
THE DRAKE FOOTBALL TEAM defeated Stetson with flying colors, putting up 33 points against Stetson. This win pushed Drake’s ongoing win streak to five total games, their first such run in conference play since 2012. PHOTO BY Sarah Fey | staff photographer

Drake football slams Stetson, extending winning streak to 5

Serena Thiede
Nov 1, 2023
THE MEDIACOM STADIUM will be shared by both Drake University and Des Moines Public Schools. The ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday, Oct. 13. PHOTO courtesy of Sarah Fey | Staff writer

Mediacom Stadium opens up for Drake and greater Des Moines community

Serena Thiede
Oct 25, 2023
SINCE THEIR WIN AGAINST VALPARAISO on Oct. 8, the Drake women’s soccer team has secured four more consecutive wins. As it stands, the team ranks first in their conference and is set to compete for a championship. Photo by Sarah Fey | Staff photographer

The game that sparked women’s soccer’s 5-game win streak

Serena Thiede
Oct 25, 2023
DRAKE’S WIN OVER Valparaiso marked the second of four consecutive wins. In the game, Drake passed for 267 yards, their highest amount since September of 2022. Drake has since surpassed that tally in two games. photo by Sarah Fey | Staff photographer

Winners of 4 straight, Drake football keeps pedal floored

Serena Thiede
Oct 25, 2023
Drake football comes away from Parents Weekend with their second consecutive win, improving their conference record to 2-0.

Drake football’s hot streak continues with second consecutive win

Serena Thiede
Oct 12, 2023
MEL TUCKER HAS BEEN SURROUNDED BY HEAVY CONTROVERSY this season. The MSU head coach has been accused of harassing and inappropriately contacting former 2022 MSU football program honorary captain Brenda Tracy. PHOTO courtesy of flickr

MSU’s Mel Tucker denies ongoing sexual harassment allegations

Serena Thiede
Oct 4, 2023
THE DRAKE FOOTBALL TEAM secured their first win of the season this past weekend against Morehead State. The game is the first of eight Pioneer Football League games that the team is set to compete in this season. PHOTO BY Sarah Fey | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Football team secures crucial win in first PFL game

Serena Thiede
Oct 4, 2023
FRESH OFF THEIR SPORTSCENTER-WORTHY PERFORMANCE LAST WEEK, the Drake women’s soccer team played against Southern Illinois University with mental health advocacy in mind. Drake beat SIU 2-1. PHOTO by Sarah fey | Staff Photographer

Drake women’s soccer game pushes mental health awareness

Serena Thiede
Sep 29, 2023
The Drake Bulldogs kicked off at Target Field, the home stadium for the Minnesota Twins, on Saturday. The field markings were painted over the diamond in preparation for the football match up. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Drake football loses to South Dakota State by over 60 points

Serena Thiede
Sep 20, 2023
The Drake football team fell to the Northwestern Iowa Red Raiders after an overtime visit. Photo courtesy of Sarah Fey Media

Drake football loses back-to-back games to open their season

Serena Thiede
Sep 13, 2023
The Drake men’s soccer team won their opening game, starting their current season well. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Drake men’s soccer secures key opening game win to kick off season

Serena Thiede
Sep 13, 2023
The Drake football team has put a focus on improving their offense after numerous underwhelming performances in 2022, but their dominant defense remains a staple of former defensive and current coach Stepsis' game plan. Photo courtesy of Carson Culp.

Drake football prepares for season, sets higher expectations

Serena Thiede
Sep 1, 2023
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