Orient, where the school district is located, is just more than an hour southwest of Des Moines. The town of Macksburg, which merged schools with Orient, is roughly 13 miles to the east. Orient reported around 390 people in the 2020 Census, while Macksburg had just over 100 people.

The Hawkeye women have done significant February work to get their season back right. Now, after Thursday's slog, elite opponents are on the horizon.