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Former Lion, now Hawkeye Stewart climbing the ladder at Iowa

Submitted Photo Iowa sophomore Hannah Stewart (21) attacks the rim in a WNIT tournament quarterfinals game against Washington State on March 26. Photo courtesy of Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com.

When Hannah Stewart first arrived in Iowa City, she found herself in unfamiliar territory.

Despite three consecutive state basketball championships at Bishop Ryan High School and all the national recognition that followed, the wide-eyed University of Iowa freshman spent most of her time sitting on the bench.

Buried on the depth chart, the message was quite clear: Every minute was going to be earned.

Stewart, who was ranked ESPN’s No. 82 recruit in the Class of 2015, embraced the challenge and embarked on her ongoing ascent back into the limelight, undertaking every new role given to her along the way.

“Freshman year was a learning year for me, as far as getting in the flow of Division I college basketball,” said Stewart, who was named the 2015 North Dakota High School Miss Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year. “I didn’t have that many minutes, but it was really cool to learn the game a little more.”

The 6-foot-2 center, with the flexibility to be a stretch forward, scored just five points in 27 minutes of action during her rookie campaign. A stat line that would have been considered a forgettable outing inside the Ryan gymnasium a year prior.

In a blink of an eye, Stewart went from being a towering force in the middle of the court to a self-proclaimed undersized center.

“It’s definitely a transition going from North Dakota Class B to Division I,” she said. “It’s interesting going to a team where everyone was kind of the superstar back home. It’s a different feeling and very, very competitive. But, it’s so much fun getting to play and keep improving.”

Improve she did, and the minutes followed. Coming off the bench, Stewart played in all 34 games last season as a sophomore. She was named the Most Improved player on the team, scoring 4.9 points and grabbing 2.8 rebounds per game while averaging 9.8 minutes per contest.

Stewart scored in double figures six times with her career-high being 11 points.

“I took big strides as a player and got some playing time,” Stewart said. “It was a very physical, tough year because I’m playing center in the Big 10. But, we held our own. We didn’t make it to the (NCAA) tournament again, which is disappointing because we really wanted to do that. That was one of our goals and I know it’s going to be one of our goals this year as well.”

The Hawkeyes (20-14) finished eighth in the Big 10 and lost to No. 9 Northwestern 78-73 in their first game of the conference tournament. Iowa then went on to play in the 64-team WNIT Tournament, where they eventually lost in the quarterfinals to Washington State to conclude their season.

Stewart is excited to see what next season has in store.

“I feel more than ready to contribute,” she said. “Hopefully play more of a forward position at times, so I can play with our other center Megan Gustafson because that’s going to be really fun. Overall, we are still a very young team though. We only have one active senior right now. But, our freshman class from last year has a year of experience, so I think we are going to do some big things this year.”

Developing a competitive edge

There is growth to be had while sitting on the sidelines. For Stewart, it provided a new perspective that pushed her to train even harder.

“I became a more well-rounded player,” she said. “I really learned what it meant to put in work out of practice and put in work by yourself. I was in the gym last year almost every day, even during the season, just putting shots up because that is kind of what it takes to have that mental confidence edge.”

Stewart has never shied away from putting in the work, whether it be starting on varsity as an eighth grader at Ryan or now trying break into the starting rotation.

“My personal goal would be to contribute more on the court during games,” Stewart said. “I know that I need to show that I can do that in practice first.”

Fellow junior Gustafson has been the first-choice big for Iowa in a guard heavy rotation. The 6-foot-3 center started every game last season and led the Hawkeyes in scoring with 18.5 points per game.

Playing alongside Gustafson could possibly help Stewart get into the starting lineup. But, the focus remains on putting in the work and doing whatever the team needs.

“Yes. There is definitely a chance,” Stewart said about starting. “It’s going to be really competitive this year, just as far as skill level and position wise. But, yeah, I’d say that’s something that I’m working and competing for.”

Establishing a second home

When Stewart went off on her journey to Iowa, she left Minot with the intent of finding her own identity. An understandable desire having grown up in a competitive sports family with two younger siblings.

Both of her parents coached collegiately. Her mom, Julie Stewart, started as the head basketball coach at Ryan when Hannah was a freshman and now coaches her sister Annika, a soon to be sophomore, in both basketball and softball. Annika, much like her sister in high school, also plays volleyball and wears No. 21.

Eli Stewart, Hannah’s brother, just finished his senior season at Ryan – playing football, basketball and baseball – and is currently playing North Dakota American Legion baseball with the Minot Vistas.

“I feel very blessed having grown up in the Stewart household,” Hannah said. “It’s very busy with all three of us doing three to four different sports all the time. Always on the go, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Being the first one to leave the nest, Hannah admits it hasn’t been easy – for her or her family.

“It’s been hard in the fact that (my parents) were so involved with me and my sports growing up that they kind of had to let me go and be on my own; being a 12-hour drive away doesn’t make it easier,” she said. “I miss them. But, I’ve been so amazed and awestruck at how many games that they came to last season. They were at almost every single home game, which is just incredible with the distance they are away.”

Julie and her husband Peter don’t hesitate at a chance to see Hannah play. Sometimes making all day trips just to see a game and maybe get a meal together.

“We really don’t think twice about it,” Julie said. “My husband wants to get to every Big 10 gymnasium before she graduates. We enjoy it.”

Hannah gets to enjoy her freedom as well, but won’t soon forget what got her to this point.

“(My parents) are huge motivators in everything my siblings and I do in life,” she said. “It’s been awesome having them as parents, who have also had collegiate coaching experience. I just knew all throughout high school and growing up with basketball that they knew what they were talking about.”

As the coach’s daughter, Hannah got to see first-hand the inner workings of how a team functions. A valuable asset to have, as she continues to work toward increasing her impact at Iowa.

“Hannah has adapted and appreciated all the roles that make a team successful,” Julie said. “She still has lofty individual and team goals for the Hawkeyes. But, within the process, she has had to be everything from the best cheerleader to back up post last season. Her confidence has improved each year. It doesn’t always go her way, but her nature is to never back down or give any less.”

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

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