Iowa Pork Honors Five HS Girls Basketball Players with Top Producer Awards

Mar 31, 2025

The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) is proud to honor five exceptional high school girls' basketball players with the prestigious Top Producer Award. This recognition celebrates one standout player from each class following the Iowa Girls State Basketball Tournament championship games.

In partnership with the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU), IPPA presents this award to athletes who exemplify leadership, teamwork, and resilience on the court. These players go beyond individual performance, demonstrating perseverance and sportsmanship that elevate their teams' success during tournament play.

"Whether in pig farming or athletics, success comes from hard work, determination, and teamwork," said Aaron Juergens, a pig farmer from Carroll and president of IPPA. "Reaching the state tournament is no small feat—it takes dedication and countless hours of effort. Congratulations to all the teams, and a special salute to the top producers who helped lead the way!"

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Video: Stress as a Nutrient Thief - Dr. Sarah Pearce

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sarah Pearce, Research Animal Physiologist with USDA ARS, explains why stress can act as a nutrient thief in pigs. She discusses gastrointestinal health, barrier integrity, inflammation, feed efficiency, stress interactions, and emerging biomarkers that may help predict performance challenges before they occur. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article: https://academic.oup.com/af/article/1...

"Stress can steal calories and nutrients because energy normally used for growth is redirected toward immune activation, gut repair, and other costly survival responses."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sarah Pearce / sarah-pearce-phd-3a5881a5 earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from Iowa State University and currently serves as a Research Animal Physiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Her research focuses on gastrointestinal physiology, nutrition, stress biology, immune function, and productivity in pigs and poultry. Learn more from Dr. Sarah Pearce on the Swine Nutrition Black Belt Podcast, available on all major platforms.