When you put together a season for the ages, the recognition follows. Bennett Stirtz, the dynamic point guard who led the Iowa Hawkeyes through an unforgettable campaign, has been named the University of Iowa Men's Athlete of the Year and Hawkeye of the Year at the athletic department's 10th annual Golden Herky awards ceremony.

Stirtz's journey to Iowa City was anything but conventional. After stops at Northwest Missouri State and Drake, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard from Liberty, Missouri, made his lone season in black and gold one for the record books. Averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc, he was the engine that drove the Hawkeyes' offense through 37 games.

His career Division I numbers tell an even bigger story: 19.5 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game on an efficient 48.7% shooting, 37.2% from three, and 82% from the free-throw line. Those stats earned him AP and USBWA honorable-mention All-America honors, first-team All-Big Ten recognition, and the prestigious Chris Street Award—a testament to his leadership and competitive spirit.

But Stirtz wasn't the only Hawkeye taking home hardware. The men's basketball team cleaned up at the Golden Herkys, winning four additional awards. Redshirt freshman Cooper Koch was named Men's Breakthrough Athlete, while freshman Tate Sage earned Men's Freshman of the Year. The team also took home Men's Outstanding Team and, in a moment that will live in Hawkeye lore, the Best Moment award for their stunning upset over No. 1 seed Florida to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

From a transfer finding his home to a team making history, this was a season that reminded everyone why we love the game—and why Iowa basketball is built to last.