IOWA CITY – Plans are underway to design a new Cy-Hawk Trophy, after officials at the Hayden Fry Football Complex confirm they have no idea where the damn thing went.
“I know it was here at one time, but I haven’t seen it in a while,” said Sherry Chalmer, personal secretary to Coach Kirk Ferentz. “Last I knew, it was in that janitor’s closet over there, but it’s been a while since I’ve noticed it.”
The missing Cy-Hawk Trophy (FILE PHOTO)
The trophy was discovered missing when officials from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, which is in its inaugural year of sponsoring the series, asked to take some promotional photos with the trophy.
“We showed up at the Iowa football offices and asked to see the trophy,” said Rick Hallagher, chair of the Iowa Corn Board of Directors. “I thought something was wrong when the girl was looking for it for like 45 minutes.
“Eventually, Coach Ferentz came out and greeted us and asked if we had ever seen the weight room or been inside the locker room at a Big Ten football stadium. We told him all we really wanted to do was get a couple pictures of the trophy.”
Ferentz eventually admitted he had not seen the trophy in a couple years.
“He told us the trophy was missing and, in fact, last season the trainers just brought an empty chest to the sideline which purportedly held the Cy-Hawk trophy,” said Hallagher. “Since Iowa won the game, Iowa State was never the wiser.”
Ferentz told Hallagher he thinks the trophy may have gotten thrown away when the football offices underwent a major cleaning a year or so ago.
“He told me he could understand how the custodial staff could have mistaken the trophy for junk,” said Hallagher. “Frankly, so do I. It look like one of my son’s Cub Scout projects.”
The new Cy-Hawk trophy will be designed by engineering students at Iowa State. All who participate will receive ten extra credit points toward their final exams during the next semester.
When asked what type of design he would prefer for the new trophy, Ferentz said, “Uh, whatever.”