Four Hawkeye football kid captains from Johnson, Linn County highlight full 2023 list

The latest wave of Hawkeye kid captains has been revealed.

Twelve different children have been designated kid captains by the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital for each of the 12 University of Iowa football games this season. The season begins with the 2023 home-opener on Sept. 2 at Kinnick Stadium and ends with the Black Friday showdown against Nebraska in Lincoln on Nov. 24.

Kid captains will again select a song to play during The Hawkeye Wave toward the children's hospital after the end of the first quarter at Iowa’s seven home games, similar to last year, which included “Brave” by Sara Bareilles and “One Shining Moment” by David Barrett.

Of the 12 kid captains, 11 are Iowa residents. Four of the 12 are natives from Johnson or Linn Counties.

The local captains

Gracelyn Springer of Alburnett, Iowa — Iowa vs. Utah State, Sept. 2

Headaches. Nausea. Vomiting.

That’s what Gracelyn Springer experienced frequently. Then, her left eye began to cross inward. She was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a cancer that usually appears in the legs, chest or hips, at 8 years old.

For Springer, it was in her brain, which doctors considered extremely rare.

Springer, from the small Linn County town of Alburnett, underwent brain surgery at Stead Family Children’s Hospital to remove the mass. She has also experienced hearing loss and has been treated for growth hormone deficiency. Springer has also been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, where its harder for the heart to deliver blood to the body.

Springer’s cancer is in remission.

She will help kick off the new season on Sept. 2 as the first kid captain when Iowa welcomes Utah State for an 11 a.m. Labor Day weekend showdown.

Nile Kron of Iowa City — Iowa at Iowa State, Sept. 9

Though held in Ames, this season’s CyHawk game will feature an Iowa City native.

Nile Kron was born prematurely at Stead Family Children’s Hospital and diagnosed with several health issues, including a cleft lip and palate, scoliosis and a tethered spinal cord. He required several surgeries to fix the clefts, separate his spinal cord from the vertebrae, and more.

He also received cochlear implants, helping him to hear and communicate verbally.

Kron was selected as the ninth Ace Cares for Kids All-Star in 2022. He was the star in thousands of Ace Hardware stores across the U.S., helping raise money for the 150-plus partner hospitals that benefit from Ace Cares donations.

Wyatt Rannals of Cedar Rapids — Iowa vs. Michigan State, Sept. 30

Wyatt Rannals experienced a lot in just a few months.

Before he was even born, ultrasounds revealed an abnormal growth along his spine, later revealing a diagnosis for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This condition occurs in roughly 1 out of every 3,831 births, according to the CDC.

At just five days old, Rannals underwent a pulmonary artery banding surgery at Stead Family Children’s Hospital to reduce excessive lung blood flow. He was listed for a heart transplant.

At two months old, he experienced a major stroke and rapidly deteriorated health, but the donor list was there for him.

Rannals received a life-saving heart transplant at three months old. Since, he has had multiple sets of tubes put in his ears, a G-tube in his stomach and his tonsils removed. He has also undergone multiple heart catheterizations.

Rannals will be honored on-field when the Hawkeyes host the Spartans to close a five-game September slate.

Cooper Estenson of North Liberty — Iowa vs. Illinois, Nov. 18

Cooper Estenson was a healthy kid until the then-9-year-old began experiencing headaches and severe fatigue while bruises developed.

After several tests, he was diagnosed with lymphoblastic T-cell leukemia, blood cancer beginning in the bone marrow and spreading to other organs. It’s considered the most common form of cancer in children.

Estenson has undergone continuous chemotherapy and medication for more than two years. His treatment is expected to end in April of 2024, his dad, Mike, wrote in a Caring Bridge journal entry in June.

Estenson will be in fifth grade and has participated in camps for basketball and a wildlife camp at the UI. He attended this year’s Dance Marathon at Iowa State and his sister, Grace, will lead the way for ISU’s 24th edition Dance Marathon, his dad wrote.

Estenson will captain the Hawks against the Fighting Illini in the home finale.

The full 2023 kid captain game schedule is:

• Gracelyn Springer of Alburnett — Iowa vs. Utah State, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. on Big Ten Network

• Nile Kron of Iowa City — Iowa at Iowa State, Sept. 9 at 2:30 p.m. on FOX

• Maggie Larson of Urbandale — Iowa vs. Western Michigan, Sept. 16 at 2:30 p.m. on BTN

• Gabby Ford of Fairfield — Iowa at Penn State, Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. on CBS

• Wyatt Rannals of Cedar Rapids — Iowa vs. Michigan State, Sept. 30

• Max Schlee of Farmersburg — Iowa vs. Purdue, Oct. 7

• Madi Ramirez of LeClaire — Iowa at Wisconsin, Oct. 14

• Bentley Erickson of Brainerd, Minnesota — Iowa vs. Minnesota, Oct. 21

• Lincoln Veach of Maquoketa — Iowa at Northwestern at Wrigley Field, Nov. 4

• Chloe Dinkla of Winterset — Iowa vs. Rutgers, Nov. 11

• Cooper Estenson of North Liberty — Iowa vs. Illinois, Nov. 18

• Nathan McDonald of Delta  — Iowa at Nebraska, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. on CBS

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Meet the 2023 Iowa football kid captains