2025 Spring Sports Preview
Expectations couldn’t be higher for Newton boys track and field
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Newton head boys track and field coach Chad Garvis expects his Cardinal squad to score a minimum of 40 points at the state meet in May.
Where the team finishes and how many points they collect on the blue oval will be determined by their attitude and effort.
“This group has the potential to score more points than any team previously coached at Newton,” Garvis said. “We are positioned to be one of the top three teams in Class 3A.
“Our success will largely depend on maintaining strong attitudes, consistent effort and strategic event placements leading up to the state meet.”
The Cardinals finished 11th in 3A last season. They were fifth at the conference meet and second at their 3A state qualifier.
But five key returners and a handful of others should lift Newton into the top 10 of its class. The Cardinals’ floor is probably around 10th, but their ceiling, according to Garvis, is state champions.
“With a combination of talent, depth and effort, this New-
ton team has the potential to be one of the most successful in recent history,” Garvis said. “The team boasts significant depth with at least five athletes having a legitimate shot at placing in one or more individual events.
“The team has strong potential in relays, too. There are opportunities to excel in four or five relays, provided the best fit for each athlete is determined as the season progresses.”
Headlining this year’s roster are seniors
Reilly Trease and Christian Ergenbright, juniors Caden Klein and Nick Thomason and sophomore Nick Milburn.
Thomason, Trease, Ergenbright and Klein teamed up to win the state championship in the 3A sprint medley relay last year.
Klein also placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles and 10th in the 400 dash, while Trease was fifth in the 110 high hurdles, Milburn took ninth in the shot put and Ergenbright placed 11th in the 200.
The sprint medley relay foursome was only .02 seconds off the state meet record. Klein, who was the conference champion in the 400, set a new school record with a time of 52.99 seconds in the 400 hurdles at state.
Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton’s entire foursome from its state championship sprint medley relay team is back this season. The group includes (from left) senior Christian Ergenbright, junior Nick Thomason, senior Reilly Trease and junior Caden Klein. The Cardinals bring back plenty of talent from last year’s team, and they have high expectations in 2025.
Thomason, Trease and Ergenbright were three members of the eighth-place 4x200 relay team and Ergenbright, Klein and sophomore Alameen Stanto are the three returning runners from the fifth place 4x400 relay squad.
Thomason also placed 22nd in the 100 and the the state qualifying shuttle hurdle relay team brings back senior Cade Bauer, junior Austin Arauz and Trease.
Garvis expects senior Jace Auen, juniors Ali Yahia, Dawson Maki, Zach Felten, Lance Zaabel and Levi Zaabel, sophomore Drew Bauer and freshmen Colter Shaw and Reagan
Maki to impact the squad.
Drew Bauer will specialize in hurdles, Yahia will have a big role in 100s, 200s and 400s, Auen will focus on 100s and 200s and Dawson Maki and Shaw will run 400s and 800s.
Lance Zaabel is the team’s top 3,200 runner, Levi Zaabel and Reagan Maki will help form a solid 4x800 relay team and Felten joins Milburn as the varsity throwers.
“These athletes are expected to play a crucial role in the team’s overall success,” Garvis said. “The 4x800 team should set their sights on qualifying for state. While many of them lack experience in the 800, we
have a team capable of competing.
“Additionally, (Lance Zaabel) has a strong chance in the two mile. With some success from this group, other opportunities may arise as well.”
Klein finished 10th in the 400 and 11th in the 400 hurdles at last year’s Drake Relays. He teamed up with Ergenbright to form half of the 4x400 relay group that placed seventh.
Thomason, Trease, Klein and Ergenbright also competed in the 4x100 relay at the Drake Relays and placed 34th out of 96 teams.
Newton opens its outdoor season on April 7 in Boone.
Milburn Bauer
Newton girls track and field seeks more hardware in 2025
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
All three of the relays Newton’s girls track and field team qualified for at last year’s state meet welcome back a trio of athletes and four Cardinals who competed in six state events also return.
Pair that with a roster that goes 44 deep, and Newton is excited for another season around the oval.
“The team has been looking great in practices and had a fantastic start to the competitive season at UNI and ISU,” Newton head girls track and field coach Rachelle Tipton said.
“The expectation is to take back at least as many events to state, hopefully more, and to bring home more hardware.”
State hardware was collected by junior Tori White, who placed seventh in the Class 3A 100-meter hurdles.
White also was ninth in the high jump and anchored the state-qualifying shuttle hurdle relay team.
The rest of the returning state qualifiers include seniors Lola Rivera, Macy Lampe, Abby Bruce and Bella Winther, juniors Lauren Clarke and Mack Sims and sophomore Addie Hammerly.
Clarke placed 14th in the 100 and 17th in the 200 at last year’s state meet.
She also teamed up with Rivera and Bruce to help Newton place 15th in the sprint medley relay and 21st in the 4x200 relay.
Hammerly was 22nd in the discus and Winther placed 23rd in the 800.
The returners in the shuttle hurdle relay include White, Lampe and Sims.
They advanced to the finals in the event at state and placed eighth at the Drake Relays. White also was 13th in the high jump at Drake and the trio of Clarke, Rivera and Bruce qualified for the Drake Relays in the 4x100 relay.
Depth will be a strength for the Cardinals as seven seniors, seven juniors, 10 sophomores and 20 freshmen make up the roster.
Joining Clarke, Rivera and Bruce in the varsity sprinting group are Lampe, Sims, White, junior Darbiee Owens, sophomores Alivia Conley and Brook-
Lynn Britton and freshmen
Camryn Klein, Jazmyn Rivera, Ashlyn Karsten and Neveya Miller.
Winther returns for one final season after running the fastest 800 time on the team a year ago. She also posted the second-fastest 400 time.
The rest of the distance crew includes seniors Peyton Ray and Alex Riney, junior Harper Barton, sophomores Sarah Malow and Alexis Sorensen and freshman Audrey Muckler. Ray is the top returner in the 3,000, while Barton and Ray had the top times in the 1,500 last season.
One of the most successful events for the Newton girls the past several seasons has been the shuttle hurdle relay.
White, Lampe and Sims expect to return to that group.
Others competing for a varsity spot include Klein and Jazmyn Rivera.
The 400 hurdlers are White, Sims, Malow and Conley.
“There are a group of freshmen working on hurdling along with Alivia Conley, and it will be exciting to see these athletes progress and to eventually have two shuttle relays again,” Tipton said.
The Cardinals should once again be competitive in field events.
White came up one spot shy of a state medal in the high jump last season but was seventh as a freshman. Freshman
Ellie DeVries provides depth in the event.
The long jumpers are Bruce, Sims, Conley and Karsten. Bruce eclipsed 16 feet last spring and Sims went beyond 15 feet and Conley reached 14 feet, 2 inches.
The throwing group is led by Hammerly and sophomore Brooke Garvis.
The rest of the group features freshmen Izzy Talley, Gabby Layton, Jemma Riggins and Blanca Gutierrez.
Garvis threw past 33 feet in shot put last spring, while Hammerly’s best toss in the discus was 113-4.
The Cardinals open their outdoor season on April 1 in Colfax.
Their first home meet is scheduled for April 24 at H.A. Lynn Stadium.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
From left: Juniors Mack Sims and Tori White and senior Macy Lampe all return from the shuttle hurdle relay team which qualified for the state meet last spring. White also placed in the 100-meter hurdles in the 2024 state meet.
Clarke L. Rivera
L-S girls push for continued success on oval
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
The Lynnville-Sully girls track and field team will have only two seniors on its roster this spring.
And the Hawks will have more new athletes than returners, but head coach Kevin Johnson hopes to build on last year’s success in 2025.
“I’m excited to get this track season started,” Johnson said. “It has been a great spring to be outdoors to start our practices. We have some solid leadership, and it’s been a fun group of girls to work with so far.”
The two seniors are Olivia Norrish and Sophia Squires and junior Tatum Huyser headlines the roster after qualifying for state in four events last season.
Huyser scored an eighthplace medal in the 200-meter dash and finished 12th in the Class 1A high jump last spring.
She also joined junior Morgan Hay as part of the 4x100 relay team which set a new school record and placed fifth.
Huyser teamed up with sophomore Brilynn Tice to form one half of the 4x200 relay group that finished 13th.
The other state qualifiers were Norrish, junior Kate Harthoorn and sophomores Peyton Sharp and Emma Parkinson, who placed 18th in the 4x800 relay.
“The team has been working hard,” Johnson said. “We lost some solid runners from last year. However, we added some solid runners and look forward to the growth of the returners. The conference was tough last season, and I anticipate it will have a lot of great talent again. We will take each day and continue to build as
the season progresses.”
The Hawks’ team success last year included a runner-up finish at the South Iowa Cedar League meet and a third place tally at their 1A state qualifier.
Huyser has the team’s fastest returning times in the 100, 200 and 400 and was part of the fastest times in the 4x100, 4x200 and distance medley relays.
Tice also posted one of the team’s fastest times in the 100, 200 and 400 and the rest of the sprinting group features Hay, freshmen Isabelle Vos, Cori Fisk, Kenna Johnson and Addison Van Soelen and junior foreign exchange student Carola Catarinella.
The distance group is headlined by Norrish, Sharp and Parkinson, who posted some of the team’s fastest times in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 last season. Harthoorn also has one of the best returning 800 times.
The rest of the distance crew features freshmen Mandeesa Vos, Breah Lowry and Brooke Harthoorn.
Norrish, Sharp, Parkinson, Lowry and Mandeesa Vos all were part of the Hawks’ state qualifying cross country team.
“The distance group returns some solid runners and will add some solid freshmen who helped the cross country team this past fall,” Coach Johnson said. “The group knows what they can do and have started the season thinking about how to build on the success in relays and individual events.”
Last year’s top hurdler was sophomore Addison Collum, but she’s out with an injury and won’t return this season.
That leaves Fisk and Catarinella as the two Hawks who are expected to get early reps.
“The hurdlers will be a new
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Lynnville-Sully junior Tatum Huyser, left, qualified for the state track and field meet in four events last season. She will lead the Hawk sprinters in 2025.
group this year,” Coach Johnson said. “They have been working hard, and we’ll see how they grow as they get opportunities to compete.”
Huyser is back as the team’s high jumper, while Isabelle Vos and Hay are expected to lead
“I hope to build on our field events this season,” Coach Johnson said. “They’ve all been working hard, and it’s good to add some new throwers.”
The Hawks open their outdoor season at Belle Plaine at 4:15 p.m. on April 1 in Belle Plaine.
Their first home meet is at 4:30 p.m. on April 8 in Sully.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
After a long string of success at the state level, the Lynnville-Sully boys track and field team took a step back last season.
But long-time head coach Darin Arkema hopes offseason growth and physical maturity as well as a successful cross country season lifts the Hawks back to the top of the SICL and sends multiple events to the state track and field meet.
“They have seen expanded roles, playing time and responsibilities in the other seasons and sports so far this year, which prepares them for the start of the track season,” Arkema said. “We hope to once again be one of the top teams competing for a conference championship and then the week later trying to get as many individuals and events to state as possible.”
Last year’s Hawks sent just one event to the state meet.
the long jumpers.
Squires is the top returning thrower, but the group includes sophomore Audrey Kaldenberg, freshman Haleigh Hornbuckle and junior foreign exchange student Hannah Parent.
The 4x100 relay team brings back juniors Dawson James, Jaiden Richards and Jack Bowlin, but the team graduated standout Corder Noun Harder.
The Hawks also welcome back at least three runners from last year’s top 4x400, 4x800, sprint medley and distance medley relay teams.
Senior duo headlines new-look Newton girls tennis team
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Last year’s Newton girls tennis team featured a large senior class with lots of varsity experience.
This season’s Cardinal squad will have a much different feeling. And plenty of new faces.
Seniors Paige Benson and Alexis Dirksen climb to the top of the lineup, but veteran head coach Erick Zehr’s latest roster includes plenty of questions so far this spring.
“We had lofty goals last year,” Zehr said. “It was a big senior class that will be really hard to replace. We need a
growth foundation this season. Our pillars have always been work hard, play smart and have fun. Our fundamentals need to be on point because the transition to next season in the fall will come quickly.”
Benson and Dirksen are
the only returners who played varsity singles last year. They are expected to battle for the No. 1 spot and hold down the first two positions in the varsity lineup.
“These two have been around the program,” Zehr said. “They’d be leaders of the team even if they weren’t in the top two spots. It’s a bit of a passing of the torch situation because last year’s seniors will be hard to replace.”
The rest of the singles and doubles lineup could be filled by senior Anna DeVries, juniors Sloan Brodersen, Brooklyn Sterling, Emersyn
TENNIS | 7
N e w t o n a n d C o l f a x 6 4 1 - 7 9 1 - 9 6 7 5 K i n e t i c E d g e P T . c o m Find health, happiness, and hope with Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy! l a 4 9 5 P T . c Find health, happiness, and with Kinetic
Dirksen
Troy Hyde/ Newton News
Newton senior Paige Benson is expected to be in one of the top two singles spots for the Cardinal tennis team this spring.
Sterling
Continuedfrompage6
Gross, Camryn Andrew and Olivia Bell and sophomores Morgan Frehse and Kaetlin McPartlin.
Brodersen, Sterling, Gross and Frehse all saw varsity action in doubles last season.
The Cardinals were 4-5 a year ago and finished 3-3 in a very tough Little Hawkeye Conference.
Newton took fourth at the conference tournament and lost 5-2 to Pella Christian in the first round of regionals.
“We have a good team dynamic,” Zehr said. “They picked up where they left off last year. They do well with our non-negotiables.
“We want to be a team who loves each other. Being a teenager is hard enough. We don’t need additional drama. We want the tennis team to be a place where you can go to be supported.”
This will be the last spring season for girls tennis in Iowa as the sport shifts to the fall in 202526. That makes this season even more crucial for the next batch of Cardinal leaders.
“The sophomores and juniors this year will be our leaders in the fall and there won’t be a lot of time between now and then to make that transition.”
The Cardinals open the season against Des Moines East at 4:15 p.m. on March 31 in Des Moines.
Newton’s home opener is against Indianola at 4:15 p.m. on April 10 at Aurora Heights Park.
Newton boys tennis motivated to end long state drought
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
The Newton boys tennis program has not had a state qualifier of any kind in 20 years.
But after senior Ethan Valtman finished 11-5 and came one spot shy of the state tournament last season, the Cardinals are hoping the drought comes to end in 2025.
“We should have individuals who can get to state,” Newton head boys tennis coach Jared Gerber said. “I think our team can make a run at state, too, if we can get Evan back at some point.”
is the projected No. 2 until Evan Marshall returns from injury. Evan Marshall was 8-8 in the No. 2 spot last season.
Sophomore Ethan Freese, who went 2-0 in the No. 6 spot last season, is the likely starter at No. 3 singles.
Freese E. Marshall
Senior Evan Marshall, who played in the No. 2 singles spot last season, suffered an injury before the season. He’s expected to return at the midway point of the spring, and how he plays when he’s available could be key to how the Cardinals finish the season.
“Our kids are playing way better than last season already,” Gerber said. “They put in a lot of time this summer. The Evan injury hurts because it moves everyone up a spot in the lineup. But we hope to get him back eventually.”
The Cardinals finished 5-7 last season and went 3-3 in the Little Hawkeye Conference. They dropped a second-round match at substate to Grinnell.
That squad lost eight seniors and a handful of them will need to be replaced from the varsity team.
Valtman finished third in singles at districts last spring.
He’s expected to be back in the No. 1 spot, and freshman Kaden Marshall
Seniors Ezra Bartell and Damien Smith both played varsity singles last year. They will battle for the remaining three spots and varsity doubles along with seniors Brady Swihart, Garrett Crandall, Keary Sanger, Gentry Swarts and Zane Munger, junior Jarret Sweeney and sophomore Noah Tremel.
Gerber said Grayson Main is a freshman who could move into a varsity role at some point.
“This group really wants to win,” Gerber said. “They’ve put in a lot of effort to get better. Tennis is a game of skill, and the teams who spend the most time on the court usually win the most.”
Gerber said figuring out how to stay focused when things aren’t going well is something the Cardinal players need to work on.
“Our focus at times needs to be better,” Gerber said. “We let too many negative things keep us down. We need to stay aggressive when things aren’t going well.
“I would like us to learn how to channel the negative energy into good things.”
The Cardinals open with three straight home matchups. They host Grinnell at 4:15 p.m. on April 3 at Aurora Heights Park. Newton faces Boone and Norwalk on back-to-back days on April 7-8.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Newton senior Ethan Valtman returns to the top of the Cardinals’ tennis lineup after finishing third at districts last season.
Distance crew, hurdlers lead Baxter boys track and field
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
All three state qualifiers are back for the Baxter boys track and field team but numbers are down and some key contributors from last year’s squad decided not to go out this spring.
But that hasn’t changed the expectations for head coach Ryan Hermes.
“The expectation is always the same,” Hermes said. “We want to go out and compete to win a conference title.”
The Bolts are coming off an Iowa Star Conference championship. They will rely on senior state qualifiers Matt Richardson and Logan Rainsbarger and sophomore state qualifier Max Handorf to lift a heavy load this spring.
The roster goes 17 deep with four seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and five freshmen.
“We are really looking forward to this season,” Hermes said. “Even though our numbers may be down, we are stronger as a team. The team has truly embraced the tough and are hungry to get better.
“We grew a lot last season and so far this year we are continuing to get better every single day.”
Hermes expects Rainsbarger and junior Eli Dee to lead the sprinters, while Richardson and Handorf are the top distance runners.
Dee was one of the top 400 runners last season, while Richardson led the team in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Handorf held top times in the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
Richardson and Handorf finished 1-2 in the 3,200-meter run at the conference meet last season. It was Richardson’s second straight individual title
in the event.
Richardson also placed 10th in the 3,200 and 12th in the 1,600 at the state meet. He has the school record in both events.
“(Richardson) and (Handorf) both have stepped up to the challenge working throughout the winter to better themselves, looking to pick up right where they left off last season,” Hermes said. “We are counting on Rainsbarger and Dee to step up and help lead the sprinters.”
Handorf competed in the state meet in the 3,200 as a freshman and placed 22nd, while Rainsbarger finished 17th last season and 15th as a sophomore in the 110 high hurdles. Rainsbarger also won the conference title in the event last spring.
“(Rainsbarger) has been working extremely hard this offseason to improve and make the most of his senior season,” Hermes said.
Rainsbarger will be joined by senior James Esqueda and sophomore Lincoln Betterton in the hurdle group.
Betterton was one of the top 100 and 200 runners last season and also a top 110 highs and 400 low hurdler, too.
Rainsbarger also was the team’s top performer in the long jump. Hermes said Dee will compete in both the long jump and high jump.
The top thrower from last year is senior Carter Smith. He won the conference title in the discus and has aspirations of reaching state in his final season. Junior Cody Spurgeon will join Smith in the throwing rings.
“This group has the chance to do some really special things this year,” Hermes said. “(Smith) has been working on throwing all winter long and
getting better every day. (Spurgeon) also will be throwing this year, and we are looking forward to what he has in store.”
Baxter opens its outdoor season at Colfax-Mingo at 4:30 p.m. on April 1 in Colfax. The Bolts’ first home meet is at 4:30 p.m. on April 14 in Baxter.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
The Baxter girls track and field team begins the season with almost the same number of athletes it had last season. And while the three seniors
1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the state track and field
the Bolts lost to graduation will be hard to replace, head coach Josh Russell feels like this year’s group will all factor into scoring team points.
“It’s a different dynamic,” Russell said. “Everyone can figure into the scoring. Last year that wasn’t always the case.”
The roster goes 17 or 18 deep. There’s two seniors in Zoey Gliem and Makayla True and five juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen.
Junior Camryn Russell headlines the roster after plac-
ing 10th at the state meet in the 100-meter hurdles and 17th in the long jump.
She also anchored the shuttle hurdle relay team to 20th. All four of those runners are back, too.
“It’s a really good group,” Coach Russell said. “They are working really hard and understand that making the state meet can be done. They are believing in themselves more this season.”
Troy Hyde/ Newton News Baxter senior Matt Richardson, left, finished 10th and 12th, respectively, in the
meet last season.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Newton sophomore Jackson Price returns to the Cardinals and will play in the No. 1 spot this season.
Experienced Cardinals need to play ‘boring golf’ this spring
Newton head boys golf coach Pat Riley thinks his squad can be really good this spring. But doing something they didn’t like to do last year could play a factor in where the Cardinals finish the season in May.
“We have some dudes who can play, but they have to get better,” Riley said. “We didn’t get better after our first meet of the year last season. They need to learn to play boring golf. Smart golf. They’ll get better if they do what we talk about in practice.”
Newton girls golf hopes last dance ends in state berth
When Newton head girls golf coach Nicole George sends out the team calendar at the beginning of each season, she makes sure dates for the state tournament are included.
Because that’s what she wants players in her program to strive for.
And with a squad chalked full of returning varsity players, George has high expectations in 2025.
“I know we have a good shot at going this year because we have the experience,” George said. “This will be these girls’ third and fourth years playing in varsity tournaments so they understand the pressure and have better golf knowledge about what to do in specific situations. I’m excited to see them continue to learn and grow and hopefully it propels us into postseason play.”
Last year’s Cardinals thought they were going to play in Class 3A for the postseason, but a status change to a 4A school bumped Newton up to the large class.
The Cardinals finished tied for seventh at regionals last season. George said they expect to be the largest 3A school this season, but the final classifications are due to be released March 21.
“The last two years I have coached, we have been the top school in 3A until the final classification list comes out and then we end up being the last school in 4A,” George said. “I believe it will be the same thing this year. No matter where we end up, my girls are ready to compete.”
The returning players are seniors Eva Pak, Evie Main, Addison Hook, Addison Van Maanen and Kalleigh Berndt and junior Addie Ratcliff.
George expects those six players to battle for a spot on the varsity along with sophomore foreign exchange student Johana Cerna.
The Cardinals’ roster also includes freshmen Alexa Van Maanen and Amiya Amos.
Only six players can play on the varsity, but George took the initiative to contact host schools to get an approval to let seven golfers participate in tournaments. She will have to declare which six count for the varsity though.
“The most important thing to me is for (Cerna) to have the full experience of playing golf in Iowa, along with the returning varsity girls enjoying their last year together,” George said. “I’m excited to see (Cerna) play golf because I’ve heard nothing but great things about her.”
Newton wound up fourth after three in-season conference
Troy Hyde/ Newton News
Newton senior Evie Main’s 18-hole average led the Cardinals last spring. All six varsity players from last year are back in 2025, and Newton has goals of a state berth.
tournaments last season. Pak and Main earned all-conference recognition after finishing 11th and 12th, respectively.
The top four golfers last season were Pak, Main, Hook and Ratcliff.
Pak had the top nine-hole average at 49.5, while Main’s 18-hole average of 98.44 led the squad.
The Cardinals averaged a team score of 403 on 18-hole courses but posted a team-best 387 and had a few other scores in the 300s at the end of the season.
“In the final three meets, we were able to break into the 300s, which was an awesome way to end the season on a high note,” George said. “With the commitment and goal setting I have already heard in conversations with my players, I know we’ll be able to move into
Boys Golf
The Cardinals’ roster goes 19 deep. They bring back five of the six varsity golfers from last season, but the one departure was a multi-year varsity player in Kinnick Pritchard.
Sophomore Jackson Price headlines the roster after placing sixth in the Little Hawkeye Conference and 11th at sectionals last spring.
Senior Peyton Rozendaal is likely the No. 2, and senior Lincoln Peterson, junior Ethan Pageler and sophomore Grant Osby also are back from last year.
Riley thinks 11 golfers have the chance to crack the varsity lineup. The rest of that group includes juniors Lane Rozendaal, Carter Maki,
Kayden Westlund and Carter Forst and sophomores Mason Smith and Ian White. Freshmen Cole Freese and Bentley Thurman also could find their way into the mix during the season.
“We have options,” Riley said. “They can’t settle. I’ll take someone else if they aren’t doing what they need to do.”
Price averaged 78.09 for 18 holes last season, while
Good Luck Local Sports Teams
Rozendaal turned in an average of 88.
Osby (90.73), Pageler (92.64) and Peterson (92.64) need to find their way into the 80s to give the Cardinals the best chance to advance in the postseason.
“We have a chance to be really good, maybe even win the conference,” Riley said. “I need our bottom four kids to get into the 80s. But we can’t take an 88. They need to hit it in the fairway, hit it on the green and then two putt and move on. It sounds simple, but it isn’t.”
The Cardinals open the season at Saydel at 9 a.m. on April 4 at Woodland Hills Golf Course in Des Moines.
The team’s only home tournament is on May 12 at Westwood Golf Course. It’s the final conference meet of the season.
Girls Golf
Continuedfrompage9
this season right where we left off last spring.
“Although we did better last year mentally than we did in the previous year, it can always be improved upon. I anticipate the girls leaning on their experience and maturity more this season in order to get through the mental ups and downs of the great game of golf.”
The Cardinals will still call Westwood Golf Course home this season.
The new clubhouse is close to being finished, but may not be ready before the end of the season.
“As much as I would love for the new clubhouse to be done by the time we have our senior night meet on April 10th, I’m
not sure it will be,” George said. “So, let’s hope for some beautiful weather that afternoon so we can have everything outside and can send out the seniors on a positive note.”
The Cardinals open their season against Grinnell and Clear Creek-Amana at 4 p.m. on April 7 at Oakland Acres Golf Club in Grinnell.
Newton’s home tournament starts at 2 p.m. on April 10 at Westwood Golf Course.
P. Rozendaal
Peterson
Main
Hook
Numbers are up for Colfax-Mingo spring squads
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Colfax-Mingo’s longtime head boys track and field coach Matt Barkalow has his biggest roster since the COVID season that was canceled.
And with 33 guys out, the Tigerhawks hope to be much more competitive on the oval and in field events this spring.
“Our expectations will always be centered around growth, physical and mental toughness and student-athletes striving to be the best versions of themselves each day,” said Barkalow, who begins his 19th season at the helm. “This has been an outstanding group of guys to work with and be around. Numbers are great, but at the end of the day it matters more how many guys have guts and heart — not just how many guys are on the team.”
The Tigerhawks did win their home meet with 12 guys last season. With almost triple that number, Colfax-Mingo will have more opportunities to succeed.
And the roster starts and ends with senior Xavier Woods, who qualified for the state meet in the high jump last season. He also was the team’s top performer in the 400-meter dash, 400 hurdles and the 110 high hurdles.
Woods reached 6 feet, 2 inches last season in high jump and his best time in the 400 hurdles was 57.89. He also cleared 16 seconds in the 110 high hurdles.
Woods was second at the South Iowa Cedar League meet in both the 400 hurdles and high jump.
track meet last spring. He’ll head up that group, while Trotter is expected to lead the long jumpers.
Baucom led the team in shot put last season. He will be joined by freshman Lawrence Solasberry, while Cunningham and junior Teagan Dybevik could lead the squad in the discus.
“With such large numbers, we have 10-12 guys consistently working with our throws coach, Drake Buscherfeld, each night,” Barkalow said.
Colfax-Mingo alum Jake Lietz, a six-time state track and field meet qualifier, will be the team’s assistant head coach this spring after spending the past seven seasons as a volunteer coach.
The Tigerhawks open their outdoor season at home at 4:30 p.m. on April 1 in Colfax.
GIRLS SOCCER
There were no seniors on last year’s roster so all four runners from every top relay team are back.
Senior Isaiah Baucom is the top returner in the 100, junior Davion Long has the top returning time in the 200 and junior Sullivan Wilkins posted the fastest times in the 800 and 1,600. Senior Owen Ament had the top 3,200 time last spring.
Barkalow said this year’s squad features 10 athletes who can run the 400 in the 50s.
“His potential is unreal,” Barkalow said. “(Woods) is good friends with Wyatt Thornton, and these two will push each other. I joke that Woods is Mufasa and Thornton is Simba — who just can’t wait to be king, kind of like the ‘Lion King’ movie. Both are terrific hurdlers and excellent teammates.”
Joining Baucom, Long, Wilkins and Woods in the sprinting group will be seniors Caden Sykes and Tony Buenrostro, juniors Wyatt Thornton, Izaiah Lewis, Gage Byal and Kyle Wood, sophomore Fisher Grove and freshmen Chase Trotter and Camden Cunningham.
Buenrostro is back out after taking two seasons off, Sykes is a transfer from Bondurant-Farrar and Byal is a newcomer who will share his time with soccer.
“Being deeper numbers-wise will really help us manage and load up some relay quartets without emptying the shelves at other relays,” Barkalow said. “It will also allow us to try a few things with individual events in our meets and still have some dudes left for the relays. Even
our best distance guy, Sully Wilkins, can run everything from 100 to 3,200, so that versatility is a blessing.”
Wilkins and Ament headline the distance runners. Senior Josue Rodriguez also is back out after taking two seasons off.
“(Wilkins) is poised to be dominant this spring,” Barkalow said. “He missed qualifying for state cross country by an eyelash and is looking to build on that after being a state qualifying meet medalist in the 800 as a sophomore.”
While Woods headlines the hurdle group, Wood and Lewis have experience in those events and will provide the team with depth.
Woods made opening height in the high jump at the state
Colfax-Mingo will have its first-ever girls soccer season this spring. But don’t expect the Tigerhawks to be intimidated.
The top four goal scorers on Central Iowa United’s soccer team last season will play for Colfax-Mingo in 2025. The program also welcomes a strong group of freshmen and plenty of experience to make them competitive right away.
“My job is to not mess it up,” Colfax-Mingo head girls soccer coach Zach Tomas said. “We’ll do what we can to have success. There will be growing pains, but we hope to be at our best in May.”
Tomas starts the program after guiding the girls track and field team for more than a decade.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Colfax-Mingo senior Xavier Woods competed in the high jump at the state track and field meet last spring. Numbers are up for the Tigerhawks, and Woods is expected to lead the way in 2025.
Plethora of returners give Newton girls soccer high hopes
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
With seven girls who started all 18 matches last season back for the Newton girls soccer team in 2025, it’s easy for head coach Susan Altemeier to be excited about the upcoming season.
But there’s still work for the Cardinals to do if they want to reach their fullest potential.
“We need to have better first touches and passing as well as communication,” Altemeier said. “We have several great leaders in those seven returners who will serve this team well.”
The Cardinals are coming off a 9-9 season. They registered nine wins for the third time in the past five seasons but also went 1-5 inside a tough Little Hawkeye Conference.
The defensive end of the pitch welcomes back seniors Alex Garvis, Delaney Woollums and Abigail Chance. Woollums and Garvis have started all 51 matches of their careers. The rest of the defense is expected to be juniors Merissa Schiebel and Gabbie Humphrey and freshman Quincy Davidson.
“(Garvis), (Woollums) and (Chance) will provide a high level of protection for our goalie and have the ability to see the field and give instructions to the rest of the team,” Altemeier said.
The Cardinal offense graduated one starter but welcomes back its leading
Newton boys soccer keeps same goals despite roster reset
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
The ninth roster in Zach Jensen’s tenure as Newton head boys soccer coach is filled with a lot of questions and unknowns.
Only one full-time starter from last year’s 12-6 squad is back, but Jensen and his coaching staff are excited for a new era of Cardinal soccer and plan to keep their string of double-digit victories alive.
“It’s the most unknown team I’ve
had in nine years,” Jensen said. “But it’s like every season in that it’s a puzzle that needs to be put together. It’s the most excited the coaching staff has been because there are some teams and coaches who don’t think we’ll be very good. I like that challenge.”
One constant with the program is the coaching staff. While Jensen begins his ninth season, assistant coach Steve Weeks is starting his 11th and assistant coach Brett Lundberg begins his seventh.
scorer in junior Aliviah Ross and sophomore Payton Carkhuff.
Ross scored a team-best 12 goals and had a team-high 24 points in her 18 starts last season. She also posted six goals and one assist in her 16 starts as a freshman.
The rest of the offense is expected to feature senior Riley Plowman, juniors Taytem Seitz and Lilliana Kono and freshman Sophia Coady.
Plowman is coming off a torn ACL but registered one goal and two assists as a sophomore and tallied three goals and one assist as a freshman.
“It’s rare to have a coaching staff in any sport that stays together this long,” Jensen said.
Bozarth has started all 57 matches of his prep career. He’s been a constant in the defensive backfield but may move into more of an attacking position if the personnel allows for it.
Joining Bozarth on defense are expected to be juniors Micah Mattes and Landon Robertson, sophomore Kent Montgomery and freshman Chris Juarez.
Montgomery started seven matches and played in all 18 last season, while Mattes appeared in 11 and started two. Mattes, who was slowed by an injury last season, started 10 games and played in 13 as a freshman.
The other returners include seniors Christian Buchli and Austin Kennedy and junior Troy Ramsey.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Newton senior Alex Garvis (15) returns to the pitch and will be one of the Cardinals’ most experienced players this season.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Newton senior Landon Bozarth is the only full-time starter back from last year’s 12-6 squad.
PCM boys golf hopes to get over the hump in 2025
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
The PCM boys golf team graduated just one golfer from a squad that only lost by a few strokes to the Class 2A state champion and state runner-up last season.
So expectations for Mustangs couldn’t be higher this spring as PCM feels like it has the team to compete for a state title.
“We should be able to make a run at it,” PCM head boys golf coach Collin Harrison said. “When you lose by three or four strokes to the top two teams in 2A, you should expect that. We should make a lot of noise at the state meet.”
The very minimum expectation is to win a third straight Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference championship.
The Mustangs scored three team wins last season, finished second at sectionals and tied for third at districts but shot a 320, which usually is good enough to advance to state.
“We played two really good teams at districts,” Harrison said. “That’s mostly why we didn’t qualify for state. We would have liked to have played better, sure. We shot a 320 and that usually gets you in. Easton’s 75 usually is good enough to qualify, too.”
Senior Easton Van Veen is the Mustangs’ bonafide No. 1 golfer. He shot two strokes better than his 18-hole average at districts last season but settled for fifth overall.
Van Veen averaged 77.22 in his nine 18-hole tournaments. He also placed fourth at the conference meet.
The five returners have varsity spots, according to Harrison.
That group includes Van Veen, seniors Jeffrey McDanel, Peter Kiernan and Tate Tangeman and junior Charlie Ford.
Ford (83.11), Kiernan (83.33) and McDanel (83.38) had similar 18-hole averages last season and Tangeman (84.5) wasn’t too far behind.
Ford, who is expected to be the No. 2, was the runner-up at the conference tournament last spring.
“All of our guys worked really hard
Troy Hyde/Newton News
PCM senior Easton Van Veen headlines a talented Mustang boys golf team which has state aspirations this spring.
over the summer,” Harrison said. “I saw them at the golf course all the time. Those five will be on varsity unless something goes terribly wrong.”
The battle for the final varsity spot could come down to senior Finn Wilson, junior Trent Mickelson and sophomores Parker DeHaai and Wyatt Schubert.
Wilson also will compete on the PCM boys track and field team.
“There could be others,” Harrison said. “We don’t get started until after Spring Break so a lot can still happen.”
Kiernan (78) and Van Veen (79) led the Mustangs with top-10 finishes at sectionals last season, while Van Veen (75), McDanel (81) and Kiernan (82) were top-14 finishers at districts.
PCM begins its season at Lynnville-Sully at 4:15 p.m. on April 8 at Diamond Trail Golf Club in Lynnville.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
Senior Riley Graber has already ran faster times in the 200- and 400-meter dash in the indoor season than he ran all of last year.
Sophomore newcomer Kash Fischer’s indoor times in the 800 and 1,600 also are faster than any other Mustang posted last season.
The PCM boys track and field team hasn’t even hit the outdoor season yet, and it already is well ahead of last year in multiple events.
“The team has looked well so far,” PCM head track and field coach Logan Bieghler said. “Practice has been going well. The boys are getting after it and competing every single rep to get better.”
Bieghler was promoted to head coach of both track and field programs at PCM this offseason.
His boys squad is coming off a season in which they placed 11th in Class 2A at the state meet.
A handful of those athletes are gone, but the Mustangs welcome back a host of talent that could push them into the top 10.
Graber and Fischer have led the way so far, but junior Coby DeRaad already has a faster time in the 800 than he ran all of last year and the distance medley relay team of seniors Adrien Robbins and Tad Wilson, Graber and Fischer registered a time better than any distance medley group at PCM ran last season.
The Mustangs placed second at the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference meet last season.
Junior Evan Jones is back as one of the team’s top sprinters. He was part of the Mustangs school-record 4x100 relay team from last year.
Jones helped PCM place third in the 4x200 and sixth in the 4x100 at last year’s 2A state meet. Jones and Graber were one half of the Mustangs’ sprint medley relay team which placed seventh.
Jones also was 22nd in the 200 and DeRaad and Graber teamed up to help PCM place 16th in the 4x400 relay.
Senior Gavin Van Gorp helped the Mustangs grab two more medals at the state meet.
He was seventh in the long jump and led off the shuttle hurdle relay team which placed fifth.
That foursome also included senior Jake Winters and sophomore Jaden Houser. Robbins and Van Gorp were part of the team’s state title shuttle hurdle relay team as sophomores.
Graber, who was 12th in the 400 at state, headlines a group of sprinters in 2025 that includes Jones, Wilson, Robbins, Van Gorp, seniors Gavin Steenhoek, Gavin DeRaad, Brevin DeRaad and Trigg Steenhoek, sophomore Joey Ferneding and Landon Ridgeway and freshmen Lewis Daye, Danson Drake and Easton Morris.
Fischer and Coby DeRaad have headlined the distance crew so far, but the rest of the group features seniors Carson Hansen and Wyatt Vannoy, junior Joe Shaver, sophomores Kolby Clark and Gabe Nessa and freshmen Owen Osterhaus and Rylan Edgington.
Bieghler expects Van Gorp, Robbins, Winters and Houser to team up in the shuttle hurdle relay.
Van Gorp, Winters and Houser will compete in the 110 highs, too, while Robbins and Gavin Steenhoek are the 400 hurdlers along with a few others potentially.
The field events are headlined by Van Gorp in the long jump, junior Chase Wagaman in the high jump and Alex Wendt in the throws.
Freshman Evan Wendt joins Wagaman in the high jump, senior Finn Wilson will compete with Van Gorp in the long jump and senior Kaden Clark and Harlan Shannon, junior Keegan Fenton and freshman Hayden Shannon team up with Alex Wendt in the throwing events.
“As far as expectations, my staff and I don’t really talk about that,” Bieghler said. “We focus on the little things in getting better everyday mentally and physically, in the classroom and out on the track, and if we continue to do that, we are moving in the right direction.”
Girls Soccer
Continuedfrompage12
Kono also returns to the squad after sitting out a season to recover from an injury.
The roster goes 31 deep, which should provide Altemeier a chance to field a full junior varsity squad and increase the number of substitutions for the varsity matches.
“I have realized I need to provide more subbing for players who are in the midfield so they’re not playing fatigued for long periods of time,” Altemeier said.
Altemeier said several players are
Boys Soccer
Continuedfrompage12
Buchli and Ramsey were the only non-seniors who scored a goal and recorded a point last season.
The Cardinals lost at least 10 seniors to graduation.
“We did lose a lot, but it doesn’t mean we don’t expect to be competitive,” Jensen said. “The first two exhibition games are going to be critical for us. We’ll learn a lot about our team on those days. And we’ll miss a bunch of guys over spring break so that first scrimmage will feature guys who have never played varsity soccer.”
Others competing for varsity minutes include senior Talon Currie, junior Aiden Robson, sophomores Connor Vest, Cooper Lenz, Asher Rhoads, Dane Warnick and Landry Rausch and freshmen Parker Kennedy and David Wickett.
battling in practice to see who the team’s next goalie is. A decision will be made on who replaces two-year starter Natalee Freese as it gets closer to the first match.
The program also has two new assistant coaches. Helping Altemeier will be Adyson Blom and Hilary Foster.
“I’m excited to have their expertise,” Altemeier said. “They both played college ball and provide our team with a wealth of knowledge.”
The Cardinals open their season against Marshalltown at 7:15 p.m. on March 31 in Marshalltown.
Their home opener is against Norwalk at 7:15 p.m. on April 1 at H.A. Lynn Stadium in Newton.
Lenz played in 15 matches and started two of them for Central Iowa United last season as a freshman.
Senior Javin Doland enters the season as the favorite to be the starting goalkeeper. He allowed five goals in 75 minutes last year in a backup role.
“We are not going to have the speed we’ve had in recent years,” Jensen said. “So we’ll need to be more technical. We’ll need to keep the ball on the deck and pass it around.”
The Cardinals started 7-1 last year and finished 3-3 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. They reached double-digit wins for a third straight season.
Newton advanced to the substate championship match but lost to eventual Class 3A state champion Dallas Center-Grimes.
The Cardinals open their season against Norwalk at 7:30 p.m. on April 1 in Norwalk. Their home opener against Marshalltown is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on April 3 at H.A. Lynn Stadium.
Our employees produce the world's highest-performing polyurethane wheels and tires for electric lift trucks right here in Newton, Iowa. Their dedication makes Thombert the most requested brand by lift truck manufacturers and warehouse operators throughout North and South America.
Thombert is proud to have supported our community and local sports teams since 1946.
Woollums Ross Ramsey Buchli
The roster is led by seniors Hendrick Lowry and Terran Gosselink, while the squad also features nine juniors, nine sophomores and seven freshmen.
Richards, James, Bowlin and junior Ethan Dunsbergen are the top returners in the 100, Richards, Bowlin and Gosselink headline the 200 and Bowlin, Dunsbergen and Gosselink registered the top times in the 400.
Juniors Connor Deal and Burt Johnson, sophomore Jordan Dunsbergen and freshman Ashton Rozendaal will add to a group which will mostly run 100s, 200s and 400s.
Juniors Michael Spooner and Sawyer Veldhuizen, sophomores Evan Arkema, Trace Carlson, Tyler Routier Sam Terlouw and freshmen Andrew Arkema, Brody Borg and Jace Johnson can run anything from a 200 to an 800.
“Everyone on our team sprints, at least in practice,” Arkema said. “Not everyone is going to jump, throw, hurdle or run long distance, but everyone sprints.”
Gosselink, Lowry and junior Michael Spooner bring back the top times in the 800, while the distance crew is led by Lowry and sophomores Colton Alberts and Blake Wilmesmeier.
Adding to the distance depth are sophomores Keegan Schnell, Evan Arkema, Carlson and Terlouw and freshman Madden Gunsaulus.
“The cross country team’s success and qualifying for the state meet definitely ignited some fire and excitement to carry that forward for the track season,” Coach Arkema said. “Now that some experienced the state meet atmosphere on
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Lynnville-Sully junior Dawson James returns to the boys track and field team after leading the Hawks in the shot put and qualifying for the state meet in the 4x100-meter relay last spring.
the cross country course there is a greater desire to get to the blue oval for the state track meet.”
The team’s hurdlers will be Deal, Gosselink, Spooner, Veldhuizen and Rozendaal. Any five of them could do the 400 hurdles, too. Coach Arkema said the team will look to Deal and Veldhuizen for the 110 highs. Gosselink broke 1 minute in the 400 hurdles last season.
Bowlin cleared 20 feet in the long jump and Gosselink and Deal both reached 5 feet, 10 inches or better in the high jump.
Dunsbergen and Evan Arkema also could compete in long jump, while Carlson could compete in the high jump.
The Hawks lost two senior
door season at East Marshall at 4:15 p.m. on April 1 in Le Grand. Their first home meet is at 4:30 p.m. on April 8 in Sully.
GOLF
The Lynnville-Sully golf teams will be under new leadership this season. And the Hawk boys won’t have a lot of familiar faces in their varsity lineup.
The good news is the girls’ squad goes nine deep and six of them played in at least one varsity tournament in 2024.
“This season, I want to focus on etiquette and improving our overall game,” firstyear Lynnville-Sully head golf coach Brenna Hamborg said. “I would like to start strong on the driving range and putting green to work on consistency in technique and swing. Then once we get a little closer to the meets I want to play a couple holes on the course to get a feel for playing out a hole with what the athletes have practiced on the range and green.”
Last year’s L-S girls placed 10th at the SICL tournament and were fifth at regionals. Junior Olivia Beyer and sophomore Brooke Hardeman are the top returners from that squad.
The rest of the returners are sophomores Penelope Robinson, Audrey Kaldenberg, Addasyn Klein and Lilly Fuchs.
The newcomers are senior Jakeira Hay, foreign exchange student Hannah Parent and freshman Brynlee Farrell.
Kaldenberg and Parent also will compete on the track and field team.
throwers and a few underclassmen also did not rejoin the roster. But James nearly reached 43 feet in the shot put and junior Wyatt Mathis led the discus throwers with a toss of 105-7.
Sophomore Cameyon James and freshmen Trace Alberts and Chase Deal join Dawson James and Mathis in the throwing events.
“We have nearly the same meet schedule as we did a year ago, except we lost or dropped a Baxter meet as they changed the date for it and it conflicted with another meet,” Coach Arkema said. “We see a decent mix and variety of schools throughout the year but definitely see familiar conference competition the most.”
The Hawks open their out-
The L-S boys start the season with six golfers. The only returner is four-year starter Carson Maston, a senior who is expected to be in the No. 1 spot this spring.
Maston averaged 47 for nine holes and 96 for 18 holes last season. His lows were 43 and 94. His best 18-hole average of 93.5 came his sophomore season. That’s also the year he shot his low score of 92.
The rest of the varsity roster includes juniors Boston Agan, Blake Maston and Max Morvant and sophomores River Miller and Ransom Scholten.
The L-S boys were seventh at last year’s SICL tournament. The Hawks placed fourth at sectionals. Maston was 23rd with a 95, which was one of his best scores of the season.
“For the boys, all will suit varsity,” Hamborg said. “There’s some experience on the team.”
“It’s hard to tell this early who will suit varsity,” Hamborg said. “I have been transparent with the athletes in how I will determine who goes to meets. I told them since we can suit six for varsity competitions, I will take my four low scorers and rotate who golfs the five and six spots.
“I think some good goals are to build consistency throughout the game, improve swings and scores and to have fun.”
Hamborg begins her first season as a varsity coach. She was an all-conference golfer in high school and has been golfing for 10 years total.
Hamborg worked with Grand View University’s head golf coach and caddied for Jay Haas and Larry Mize in the Principal Charity Classic.
The L-S girls open the season with a home quadrangular at 4:15 p.m. on April 3 at Diamond Trail Golf Club in Lynnville.
Both Hawk squads host Montezuma and North Mahaska at 4:15 p.m. on April 7 and the L-S boys also host a quadrangular on April 8.
C. Maston
Camryn Russell likely will try to get back to state in the long jump and 100 hurdles and could anchor the shuttle hurdle relay.
Finding a fourth event to compete in will be figured out as the season goes along.
“She wants to qualify in multiple individual events again,” Coach Russell said about Camryn Russell. “She also wants a medal finish in one or both events.”
She will run anything up to an 800, while Gliem and True are the top distance runners.
The returning shuttle hurdle relay foursome who qualified for state is Camryn Russell, junior Grace Anderegg and sophomores Rossi Swihart and Kendall Brummel. Sophomore Avery Wonders also could factor into the event.
The Bolts have already bettered times from last year in a pair of relays.
Baxter even set a school record in the 4x400 relay at the Iowa State indoor meet in midMarch.
That foursome was Brummel, Camryn Russell, Wonders and sophomore Gwen Tichy.
The 4x100 relay team which ran at Iowa State also finished in a time faster than any they posted last season.
That group was Anderegg, junior Alyvia Burdess and freshmen Sydnee Hibbs and Wonders.
Four of the five freshmen will run sprints, including Hibbs, Piper Redman, Kamdyn Krampe and Kaylyn Krampe. The Krampe twins and Redman also will compete in hurdles.
The fifth freshman is Kaitlyn Engle. She will join junior Callie Cross and sophomore
Denver Sulzle in the throwing events.
Junior Johnelle Gliem rounds out the roster and provides the team with depth in 200s, 400s and 800s. Others who could run all or some of those distances include Wonders, Brummel, Tichy, True, Camryn Russell and Zoey Gliem.
The Bolts placed third in the Iowa Star Conference meet last season. Camryn Russell is the two-time defending champion in the 100 hurdles and the shuttle hurdle relay foursome who qualified for state also won the conference title.
“We will have to find re -
Baxter head boys golf coach Kyle Stribe will have a roster of 13 players, but most of them have never played a single round of golf at the varsity level.
“There’s a lot of potential with this group, but we are very young overall,” Stribe said.
Senior Hudson Bethards and junior Stadan Vansice will compete for the No. 1 spot.
Vansice had the team’s top nine-hole average last year at 47.33. Bethards’ 18-hole average of 95 was tops on the squad.
Bethards averaged 52.33 for nine holes. His low scores for the season were 46 and 92. Vansice averaged 96.5 for 18 holes and his low scores were 42 and 96. The only other golfer who played in a varsity meet last season was sophomore Nolan Hill.
“I would expect (Vansice and Bethards) to battle it out for our No. 1 spot early in the season,” Stribe said. “We also have a large group of young golfers who do play a decent amount of golf during the summer, but we will have to see how they look at practice.”
The Bolts finished seventh at the Iowa Star Conference meet last season and were sixth at sectionals.
The Bolts open their season at Saydel at 4 p.m. on April 7 at Woodland Hills Golf Course in Des Moines. They’ll practice at Colfax Country Club but will not have a home meet.
GIRLS GOLF
Senior Karlee Koehler will headline this year’s Baxter girls golf team. She’s one of two seniors on this year’s squad, and the Bolts’ roster goes 10 deep.
The four returners are Koehler, senior Hannah Huffaker, juniors Claire Shanks and Rilyn Titus and sophomore Maddie Reimers.
Koehler played in just one meet last season and posted a nine-hole score of 49. She averaged 58.2 for nine holes as a sophomore and 59.4 as a freshman.
placements for the three seniors who scored points for us consistently last season,” Coach Russell said. “There’s potential for some strong relays though, and we expect to be in the top three of the conference meet again.”
Baxter opens its outdoor season at Colfax-Mingo at 4:30 p.m. on April 1 in Colfax. The Bolts’ first home meet is at 4:30 p.m. on April 14 in Baxter.
BOYS GOLF
Baxter’s top two golfers from last season are back.
The rest of the roster has more questions than answers though.
The team set a nine-hole school record with a score of 193 and Vansice turned in a school-record nine-hole score of 42.
The rest of the roster features seniors Cainan Travis and Keiren Chugg, junior Jace Botthorf, Hill and freshmen Charlie Maher, Owen Parrie, Hank Bethards, Caymen Danley, Masyn Titus, Liam Trent and Colten Damman.
“We will need to focus on short-game improvement, and I believe the golfers on our team who put the most time in will take control of some of the remaining varsity spots,” Stribe said.
Koehler’s 18-hole average was 110.5 as a sophomore and 105 as a freshman.
Reimers had the second-best returning nine-hole average at 59. The rest of the roster features all newcomers in junior Caydence Sulzle, sophomore Luci Kucera and freshmen Ashlee Herr, Melodie Smith and Kaitlyn Ware.
The Bolts hope their mixture of youth and experience will help them climb up from their eighth-place conference finish in 2024.
The Bolts open their season at Saydel at 4 p.m. on April 7 at Woodland Hills Golf Course in Des Moines. They’ll practice at Colfax Country Club but will not have a home meet.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Baxter junior Camryn Russell placed 10th in the 100-meter hurdles at last year’s state meet and also qualified in the long jump.
Hu. Bethards Vansice
Colfax-Mingo
Continuedfrompage11
And his first team will include juniors Lilyan Hadsall, Bianca Lane and Ashlyn Finch and sophomore Brooklyn Yanske, who combined to start 60 matches for Central Iowa United last spring.
Finch is one of two Baxter athletes who will play for the Tigerhawks. She led CIU last season with nine goals and her 19 points ranked second on the squad.
Hadsall led CIU in points (23) and assists (7) and scored eight goals in her 15 starts.
Yanske and Lane both made 15 starts last season, too. Yanske put in four goals, dished out two assists and scored 10 points, while Lane added three goals, two assists and eight points.
Tomas expects the rest of the varsity roster to be made up of seniors Lily Webster and Karmylia Snyder, junior Emmalyn Buchman, sophomore Dakota Allen and freshmen Meadow Lane, Sydney Veasman and Blain Houseman. Buchman, who started 11 matches for CIU last season, is expected to begin the season as the team’s goalie, but Veasman and sophomore Macie Porter also are competing at the position.
“I haven’t seen enough to put kids together yet,” Tomas said. “I expect us to make mistakes. We’re going to grow as a program together.
“I think multiple players can play multiple positions. It will take a few games to figure things out. It’s a good problem to have, but I’ve told them to be flexible.”
The other senior is Riley Van Beek, the other player from Baxter. Evalyn Anderson is the other junior. The roster features four sophomores and seven freshmen.
Allen and Webster also will play golf, while Snyder, Anderson and freshmen Lily Anderson and Karoxia Snyder are on the track and field team.
“I think we can be above .500,” Tomas said. “That’s an achievable goal. We will be fundamentally sound, and we have a lot of players with high soccer IQs. The things we need to work on are
communication and figuring out where players fit best.”
Tomas’ assistant coaches are McKinzie Tjaden and Krissy Yanske.
The Tigerhawks will not play in a conference as the SICL doesn’t have girls soccer teams.
Colfax-Mingo opens its season against Williamsburg at 5 p.m. on March 31 in Williamsburg.
GOLF
Colfax-Mingo head golf coach Blake Warrick will start the 2025 season with more questions than answers, but the Tigerhawks shouldn’t have too much of an issue with numbers this spring.
Warrick said 20 boys signed up to play but only less than half of that are back from last year and 10 of them are freshmen.
The girls squad brings back four from last year and four others are signed up to join them.
“The short game will determine how our season goes,” Warrick said. “They all want to crush drives, but the scores are impacted the most by what you do within 100 yards.”
is on the track and field team, too.
Fitch averaged 55.2 in his five ninehole meets last season. He posted a 103.8 average in his five 18-hole meets.
Hostetter led the squad with a ninehole average of 54.8 last spring, and his 18-hole average was 105.8. The other returner is junior Luke Padgett.
Warrick has not seen the 10 freshmen play golf before. Of the golfers he has seen play, he expects seniors Sean Ament and Owen Ament, juniors Konner Bennett and Jackson Davis and sophomore Jace Lewis to push for the remaining varsity spots.
“I hope to be in the 90s for an 18hole average and hopefully we can get a few scores in the 80s,” Warrick said.
The Colfax-Mingo girls placed second at last year’s SICL tournament, while the boys came in ninth. Both squads finished seventh in their postseason tournaments.
The Tigerhawks open their season against Sigourney and Keota at 4:15 p.m. on April 7 at Lagos Acres Golf Course in Keota.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Warrick was C-M’s head boys coach last season, while Jacob Buehrer led the girls program. This season, Warrick takes over both squads and Buehrer will be his assistant. Warrick was Colfax-Mingo’s assistant golf coach from 2019-23.
The top female returner is junior Lily Brenner, while junior Cason Fitch and senior Shane Hostetter are expected to lead the boys’ team.
Brenner, who was sixth at the conference tournament, averaged a 55.33 last season for the team’s six nine-hole meets. Her 18-hole average was 105.5.
“(Brenner) took lessons in the offseason and put in lots of work,” Warrick said. “I expect her to do well at the conference tournament and push for advancement in the postseason.”
The other returners from the girls’ squad are juniors Chloe Clements, Emily Dyer and Lillie Jones, who all saw varsity time the past two seasons.
The rest of the roster is expected to feature seniors Lily Webster, Faith Allen and Laila Kwaskiewicz and sophomore Dakota Allen. Webster and Dakota Allen also plan to play soccer. Kwaskiewicz
For the first time in about a decade, the Colfax-Mingo girls track and field team will be under new leadership. Kind of.
Long-time assistant coach Laurie McGhee takes over the program and will have 32 athletes to work with. The roster includes 12 freshmen.
“Practices have been going really well,” McGhee said. “The girls are motivated and working hard. I have a very good group of seniors who are taking on multiple leadership roles, especially since we have quite a few freshmen out.”
The seniors are Trinity Smith, Lily Arndt, Kaylee Collins, Emma Cook, Karmylia Snyder and Ava Van Maaren. Smith qualified for the 2023 state meet as part of the Tigerhawks’ shuttle hurdle relay team.
Junior Grace Hunsberger was the team’s only state qualifier last season. They will headline the field events. Hunsberger and sophomore Katelyn Steenhoek are the high jumpers along with sophomore Claire Hunsberger and freshman Isabelle Utz.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Colfax-Mingo junior Lily Brenner is expected to be the No. 1 golfer for the Tigerhawks this spring.
Colfax-Mingo
Continuedfrompage17
“Both (Grace Hunsberger) and (Steenhoek) have had a great start at indoor and are ready to move outside,” McGhee said.
“(Smith) is working on her approach and being consistent with her steps in the long jump. When she gets everything together, she can really fly.”
The top four returners in the shot put and discus are back. Sophomore Lexie Aller has already reached 33 feet in the shot put.
Cook, Arndt and junior Britney Keeney also return with Arndt and Keeney leading the way in the discus.
“It’s such a unique group who works hard and has lots of laughs,” McGhee said. “You never walk away from this group without a smile on your face. (Cook) and (Aller) are already outperforming their bests from last season.”
Some key contributors to last year’s team are not out this year. But sophomore Krissy Snow, Snyder, Claire Hunsberger and junior Mallory Sipma are the returning leaders in
G. Hunsberger
the 100, 200, 400 and 800, respectively. Sipma also is the top returner in the 1,500.
The other sprinters are expected to be freshmen Jessa Purdie, Lily Anderson, Brenna Miller, Zoey Mason, Aubrey VanderSchoor and Utz, sophomore Makenna Westercamp, junior Selma Metz and Van Maaren.
The middle distance runners include Claire Hunsberger and freshmen Jessica Gibson and Karoixa Snyder.
Freshmen Ashlynn Hosbond and Isabelle Foglesong and Kwaskiewicz, a foreign exchange student, join Sipma in the distance events.
“Every relay will be completely new this year, but this group of girls are definitely up for the challenge,” McGhee said. “We have a great group that works hard.”
The top returner in the 400 hurdles is Smith. Joining Smith so far are Purdie, Evalyn Anderson and Lily Anderson.
The Tigerhawks open their outdoor season at home at 4:30 p.m. on April 1 in Colfax.
Continuedfrompage13
The Mustangs open their outdoor season at Pella Christian at 4:30 p.m. on April 1 in Pella.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Most of last year’s relays for the PCM girls track and field team bring back three of the four athletes.
The two state qualifying relays from 2024 are two of them and the Mustangs hope a solid group of freshmen can help supplement the athletes who were lost to graduation or transfer.
“The thing I love about this group the most is they come to practice with the right mindset and just compete,” Bieghler said.
“They show up with a positive attitude, wanting to be coached and wanting to get better, and as a coach that is all you can ask for.”
It’s Bieghler’s first season as girls head track coach as he takes over for the departed Eric Karr.
Last year’s shuttle hurdle relay team placed sixth at the state meet and the Mustangs welcome back juniors Tori Lindsay, Jorja Teeter and Lillian Humpal from that group.
The 4x800-meter relay team has junior Abi Teeter and sophomores Bailey Wheeler and Lila Milani back in the mix.
PCM | 19
A. Teeter
Continuedfrompage11
PCM’s roster goes 34 deep but only five are seniors. The Mustangs will have 11 juniors and 14 freshmen.
“We have some really great leaders who hold themselves and their teammates accountable,” Bieghler said. “We focus on the little things in getting better every day mentally and physically, in the classroom and out on the track, and if we continue to do that, we are moving in the right direction.”
The four seniors are Addison Shannon, Addison Steenhoek, Stella Stravers and Isabelle Masterson.
Stravers is one of the top returners in both the 100 and 200. She will be joined in the sprinting group by Shannon, Jorja Teeter, Humpal, Lindsay, juniors Lexi Fagg, Kyra Naeve and Alyssa Buckingham and freshmen Ryan DeVore, Peyton Lathrum and Libby Winters.
Fagg is the top returner in the 400. Jorja Teeter is the top returner in
Troy Hyde/ Newton News
PCM junior Dominic Witt (10) is back for the Mustangs and should provide scoring punch for the squad.
the 100, 200 and 100 hurdles.
The returners from the 4x800 relay squad that placed 19th at the state meet are Abi Teeter, Wheeler and Milani. That group also placed second at the conference meet.
The rest of the distance crew includes juniors Reagan Vannoy and Paiten Rumbaugh, sophomore Ali Hilsabeck and freshmen Darbey DeRaad, Katelynn Fagg and Annie Ford, who also will play golf.
Milani brings back the top returning time in the 800, and she’s already bettered that this season when she went under 2:30 at the Iowa State indoor meet.
Abi Teeter has the fastest returning times in the 1,500 and 3,000.
“The girls have almost all gotten a personal record already or they are just shy of their best times at our two indoor meets and they are starting where they ended last year, which is amazing,” Bieghler said.
Lindsay, Humpal and Jorja Teeter were part of the shuttle hurdle relay team which placed sixth at state. The fourth spot
is expected to be filled by junior Kylie Tuller or DeVore.
Lindsay is the top returner in the 400 hurdles.
Lexi Fagg headlines the long jumpers after leaping nearly 16 feet last season. Buckingham and Katelynn Fagg will join her in the event.
Sophomore Baili Birkenholtz is the top returner in the high jump. The rest of that group includes Winters and Lathrum.
Sophomore Ila Keuning has the top returning distances in the shot put and discus. The other throwers include freshmen Scarlett Mosher, Hadley Millang and Zoe Hougham.
The Mustangs begin their outdoor season at Davis County at 4:30 p.m. on April 1 in Bloomfield.
SOCCER
Last year’s PCM soccer team was led by a handful of graduating seniors and bunch of youngsters.
While the Mustangs lost quite a bit of starters due to graduation, a large chunk of their goals and a good number of defensive players are back as PCM tries to improve on last year’s 4-10 squad.
“The guys have been showing up well to open gyms, and putting some work in,” PCM head soccer coach Darrin Telfer said. “One of the things we will focus on is our first touch and the ability to see the field and anticipate the next pass/play. Another point
of emphasis will be communication on the field.”
All four of PCM’s wins last spring came in non-conference action. But one of those would be a Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference victory this season as Grand View Christian joins the league. The Thunder will be one of the Mustangs’ three conference road matches.
Sophomores Jaxson Strait and Dylan Beyer and junior Dominic Witt combined for nine goals, four assists and 22 points last season.
Those three will be once again be counted on at the offensive end of the pitch as the team’s handful of seniors mostly will play defense, according to Telfer.
“We look forward to seeing how the competition shakes out and who earns the varsity minutes,” Telfer said.
Strait and Witt started all 12 matches last season, while Beyer started five of the nine matches he appeared in.
The 2024 defense featured juniors Shay Burns, Keegan Fenton and Harrison Brinegar and sophomore Isaac Miller.
Miller and Burns started all 12 matches last year, while Brinegar started eight of the 12 matches he played in.
“These fellas are all back and for sure will be a big piece of the defense,” Telfer said. “We have a couple new faces who will be joining us as well so we’ll see where they fit in.
“I believe we’ll have great competition from
all the guys/ gals for minutes played on the field.”
Last year’s goalkeeper graduated. Competition for that spot likely comes down to senior Kaden Clark, sophomore Matt Wing and Brinegar.
Chipps
Clark is back out after not playing since his freshman season. He played 177 minutes at goalkeeper that year.
Junior Zach Richards and Witt all started 12 matches two seasons ago, while Brinegar started six of the 12 matches he played in as a freshman. Telfer expects Richards to play mostly on the defensive side of the field.
The Mustangs open their season against Des Moines Christian at 7 p.m. on March 31 in Urbandale.
GIRLS GOLF
With every single golfer on last year’s squad returning, there’s plenty of reasons for PCM girls golf coach Dylan Dunn to be excited about this upcoming season.
The Mustangs welcome a talented freshman to a group which placed seventh at the HOIAC tournament and fifth at their Class 2A regional tournament.
“There is some really high confidence going into the season,” Dunn said. “The girls also have spent a lot more time this offseason working on their swings and getting better.”
The roster goes seven deep with seniors Meredith Chipps and Brelee Berger, juniors Gretchen Uitermarkt, Emilyn Davis and Seriah Nolin, sophomore Kayla VanderLinden and freshman Annie Ford.
Uitermarkt had the top 18-hole average last season at 106.67. She also led the team at the conference meet. Chipps led the squad at regionals.
Dunn expects his lineup to be a toss-up with Chipps and Ford likely to be at the top most consistently.
“They are all pretty equal,” Dunn said. “Each of them have their different things they do well. There is going to be some competitive practices. I’m really hoping we’re able to make some noise with how much they worked this offseason.”
One of the team’s biggest focuses was finding a place to swing the golf club and getting in plenty of repetitions.
“Many of them signed up and have been involved in an indoor golf league for high schoolers at Bos Landen,” Dunn said.
“I would say going into the season the biggest area of focus is going to be on chipping and putting.”
PCM opens its season at Lynnville-Sully at 4:15 p.m. on April 3 at Diamond Trail Golf Club in Lynnville.
Past
Our roots were established as far back as the 1920s. The providers of Newton Clinic have been caring for this community for more than 80 years.
Present
We want to make you better when you are sick, keep you healthy when you are well, help you grow your family when a little one is on the way, and help you say goodbye in peace when your journey is done.
Our clinic continues to grow to meet your needs. Whether you want a male provider or a female one, a new graduate or a veteran doc, we have the right health-care provider for you.
Every patient has a choice. Thank you for turning to Newton Clinic. Thank you for letting us treat you... like family.
Steve Hill, M.D. Family Practice
T. Y. Chan, D.O. Internal Medicine
Orville Bunker, M.D. Family Practice
Min Pak, M.D. Family Practice
Mureema Solberg, M.D. Family Practice
Zack Alexander, M.D., CCD Family Practice
Duane Jolivette, M.D. Family Practice
Andrew Cope, D.O. Family Practice
Nicole Ferguson, D.O. Family Practice
Luke Perrin, M.D. Family Practice
Tara Gravenstine, M.D. Family Practice
Dr. Zach Bliek Podiatrist
Dr. Patrick Cogley Family Practice
Pediatrics Kelsey Tish, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice
Jodi Holloway. ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice
Laurie Siddall, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice
Dr. Dennis Dornbier OBGYN Dr. Sydney Rice D.O. Family Practice