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2025 Fall Sports Preview

INSIDE: Previews of fall sports teams at Newton, Lynnville-Sully, Colfax-Mingo, PCM and Baxter

Page 2 – Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025

Cardinals adjust to tennis shifting to fall season

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

he transition to the fall for the Newton girls tennis team has been anything but smooth so far this season. But the Cardinals are working through their challenges, both on and off the court, the best they can, and Newton hopes to compete with most teams on its schedule in 2025. “Early practices have been very good, and we’re making strong, fast progress,” Newton head girls tennis coach Erick Zehr said. “The timing is just the biggest challenge. Coming back and trying to hit the ground running after Family Week is just brutal, and people still have vacations and vari-

Sterling

Brodersen

ous trips/concerts planned for the end of their summers. “It makes it really hard to have consistency when practice is where your development happens.” The challenges the Cardinals are facing this fall range from having to choose between volleyball and tennis, not being able to play on their home courts and starting the

regular season a few weeks before school even starts. And the weather has been much warmer than it was last spring. “We’re bringing a lot more sunscreen, canopies and extra water, instead of extra layers,” Zehr said. “What’s frustrating is the fact that tennis is essentially a summer sport now. It’s difficult to make kids aware of tennis as well as avoid conflicts like travel, family and the State Fair.” The roster brings back a handful of players from last spring’s varsity singles lineup. Frehse moves into the No. 1 spot after finishing 5-5 at No. 4 singles this past spring. Her fall season started with a singles title at Knoxville. Senior Brooklyn Sterling

is expected to be the No. 2, while senior Sloan Brodersen, junior Kaetlin McPartlin, senior Ava Williams and senior Camryn Andrew complete the singles lineup. Brodersen was 5-4 at No. 5 singles last spring. Juniors Haylie Milheiser and Aleiya Owen and sophomores Kenzly Brant and Makenzie Clark have been the varsity starters for doubles. Frehse will dual sport with volleyball, but others chose one or the other and both programs benefited with some of those players. “Not exactly an ideal situation to be in, for either the team or the players, but we’re making the best of it,” Zehr said. “It has created opportunities for others to step into

our singles lineup as well as the back end of the doubles. “(Frehse) will have her work cut out for her — the tennis season will go fast, but it will be intense. (Newton head volleyball coach Heidi Woollums) and I are keeping our eyes on ways to help her stay healthy throughout the season.” While Zehr says the top six are set for now, some underclassmen had good summers. They could challenge for the singles spots at some point. The Cardinals finished 4-7 in dual meets this past spring and their two Little Hawkeye Conference wins came against Oskaloosa and Dallas Center-Grimes. ADJUST | 5

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Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 3

Newton football has sights set on UNI-Dome

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

rowth can be hard. It can be ugly. But the Newton football team also hopes it’s something that has made it better for 2025. The Cardinals finished 6-4 last fall but three of those losses came by seven points or less. They lost by a touchdown to eventual Class 4A runner-up Pella and dropped a one-point defeat to host Decorah in the opening round of the playoffs. Newton was close. And it hopes to break through this fall as several top-end players return to hopefully lead the Cardinals to their first postseason win since 2014. “Our kids expect to win it all. That’s what we want to do,” Newton head football coach Andy Swedenhjelm said. “Obviously we break that into micro goals, and what we have to do to get there. We want to win the district title, but we want to focus on one game at a time.” The Cardinals have posted four straight winning seasons and advanced to the playoffs in three consecutive years. Their last playoff triumph was a 23-21 win over Clear Creek-Amana, which is one of the six teams that makes up 4A District 4. Newton also will play rivals Pella, Oskaloosa and Grinnell as well as Marion in the district. The non-district schedule features defending 4A champion North Polk and Bondurant-Farrar, Carlisle and Indianola. “We’ve had our growing moments this fall, but I’m re-

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Caden Klein is back for one final season after earning all-state utility honors in Class 4A last fall. His 8.8 yards per carry ranked second in the class.

ally happy,” Swedenhjelm said. “Our attitudes and effort have been great and our execution has been really good. “I think our kids understand how close they were.” The roster is headlined by senior Caden Klein and junior Nick Milburn, who both earned all-state recognition last season. Seniors Koltt Ahn and Finn Martin are returning first team all-district selections and seniors Coleby Revell and Zach Felten garnered second team all-district recognition. Klein returns as the team’s starting quarterback and will start in the defensive second-

ary, too. He finished with 1,445 passing yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions last fall. His 1,126 rushing yards ranked ninth in 4A, he was fourth in the class with 2,591 total yards and ranked second in yards per carry at 8.8. Klein scored 14 rushing touchdowns, which ranked tied for ninth in 4A. He was third on the team with 43.5 tackles, snagged two interceptions and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. “(Klein) is an alpha. I think he’s the best player in our class,” Swedenhjelm said. “But

the other guys have elevated around him and that can take pressure of him so now he gets to be an athlete and distribute the ball to others.” Juniors Isaiah Hansen and Qhjuan Coley will share carries at running back. Coley gained 362 yards and scored five TDs last fall, while Hansen rushed for 239 yards and scored five touchdowns. Coley also grabbed 12 passes for 200 yards and one score. Martin’s all-district honor came as a wide receiver. He ranked 10th in 4A with 637 receiving yards on 35 catches. He scored four TDs and ranked fourth in the class with a yards per catch average of 18.2. Junior Gabe Otto is the other wide receiver, while seniors Micah Mattes and Nick Thomason will play out of the slot. Senior Zach Felten moves to tight end after starting on the offensive line last season. Thomason rushed for 111 yards and caught three passes for 99 yards and one score last fall. Ahn and senior Will Rawlins are back on the offensive line. They helped the Cardinals rank 10th in 4A with 37 offensive TDs last fall. Newton also ranked third in yards per carry at 6.5, ranked sixth with 2,131 rushing yards and finished seventh with 3,673 total yards. “There are a lot of kids who can do things with the ball, and that makes you hard to defend,” Swedenhjelm said. “We can’t be selfish and focus on our own stats. We have to know that a lot of guys are going to help us win.” Ahn will play center, Rawlins is the right tackle and the other projected starters on the

offensive line are junior left guard Jake Mace-Maynard, senior left tackle Rylan Modlin and right guard Nicholas Batawui, a 270-pound junior who transferred in from Sioux City West. Mace-Maynard and Modlin both were sidelined last year with injuries. “Those are the guys who we think are going to be there, but we have Felten and Milburn waiting if we need to go that route,” Swedenhjelm said. Milburn headlines the defense after ranking third in 4A last fall with 102 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He was a first team all-state linebacker and the co-Defensive MVP in the district. The other starting linebacker is senior Colton Northcutt, who finished with 29.5 tackles, one interception and one defensive TD last fall. Juniors Ian White and Asher Rhoads also are battling for snaps at the position. Senior Coleby Revell and juniors Michael Perez and Malachi Mosley are battling for snaps at defensive tackle and the defensive ends are Ahn, Rawlins, Felten and senior Zach Sheffield. Revell finished with 19 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries last fall. Klein leads a secondary that also includes seniors Dawson Maki and Kyler Griffin, juniors Alameen Shanto, Ali Yahia and Landry Rausch and sophomore Josh Lampe. Junior Jackson Price is back as the team’s kicker after making two of his three field goal attempts and booting seven touchbacks last fall. He also was 29-of-31 in PATs. SIGHTS | 11

Page 4 – Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025

Experienced depth raises expectations for Newton harriers By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

deep roster with plenty of varsity experience gives the Newton girls cross country team high expectations in 2025. And with only two seniors on the roster this fall, it could be the start of a strong run for the Cardinals. “The team has big goals this season,” Newton head girls cross country coach Rachelle Tipton said. “We should be looking to place top three in many of the meets and top half in some of the bigger ones. The athletes have been putting in the miles over the summer.” The roster is headlined by sophomore Audrey Muckler, who qualified for the state meet in her first high school season. Muckler was the first Newton freshman to qualify for state in nearly a decade. She was 61st in the Class 3A meet. The Cardinals were sixth out of 13 teams in their 3A state qualifying meet and placed seventh in the Little Hawkeye Conference meet. “Competing in the LHC toughens the team up more for state qualifying,” Tipton said. “We are going against the top teams across three classes. While we see good competition pretty consistently throughout the season, it can still be an awakening coming to that meet and a reminder of the push needed to get to that next level.”

Muckler is one of six runners back from those varsity lineups. The two seniors are Abbie Preston and Paxton Panada, but the other varsity returners are juniors Sarah Malow, Alivia Kingery and Meghan Trout and sophomores Talia Friedman and Laek Sullivan. The roster goes 14 deep, and Tipton expects 10 of them to compete for a varsity spot. Sophomore Mia Van Zante saw varsity action last year and sophomore Ashlyn Wallace was knocking on the door. Junior Alexis Sorensen is a newcomer who should also compete for a varsity spot. “This is a pretty deep roster. I expect there to be changes in the lineup throughout the season,” Tipton said. “If they keep working to push each other, the depth and vying for spots will only help with improvement for all.” Tipton said the Cardinals put in a lot of miles in the offseason. That allowed the team to focus more on speed drills at practice. Newton opens its season at Marshalltown on August 28. The Cardinals go to Grinnell on Sept. 9 and host the Steve McDermott Invitational at Maytag Park on Sept. 23. “The best part of last year’s team was the 100 percent support the athletes showed for each other,” Tipton said. “If that continues this year, and with the experience this team has, it’s going to be a fun season.”

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton sophomore Audrey Muckler returns to the cross country team after qualifying for the state meet last fall.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Cooper Lenz is a two-time state cross country meet qualifier after advancing to Fort Dodge with the Cardinals last fall.

ewton head boys cross country coach Steve Weeks is not afraid to predict and even expect the very best results for his program. The Cardinals return a plethora of varsity runners in 2025, and Weeks hopes his squad can once again end their season in Fort Dodge. But he expects his top two varsity runners to qualify for the state meet in October. “Not only do I expect Lance (Zaabel) and Cooper (Lenz) to be on the varsity, I predict my captains will qualify for state,” Weeks said. “The team finish expectations are always tough to do on account that every meet will have different teams, and all of them will be different from their previous year so all we can focus on is what we’re personally accomplishing.” Junior Cooper Lenz headlines the roster after qualifying for state last season. Lenz is a two-time state qualifier, placing 51st in Class 2A as a freshman at East Marshall and 72nd in 3A last fall. The rest of the varsity returners are senior twins Lance and Levi Zaabel and sophomores Drew Lamont and David Wickett. Junior Noah Tremel was a part-time varsity runner last year but is expected to move into the top seven this season.

“It never matters what I think about who will make varsity, it’s all purely up to their times,” Weeks said. “The seventh spot is up in the air, and I look forward to seeing who’s hungriest for it.” The roster goes 19 deep. Tyler Thompson and Ben Mangana are both senior newcomers and the other juniors are Abel Aldama, Oliver Fine, Cameron Keener and Gabe Miller. There also are eight total sophomores and one freshman. The Cardinals placed seventh out of 13 teams at their 3A state qualifying meet last season and also were seventh at the always-tough Little Hawkeye Conference meet. Some of the best teams in the state compete in the LHC every year. “The (LHC) is an insanely difficult conference,” Weeks said. “It just is what it is, and I believe you need to race against the best and set your goals to compete with them. “Our focus is on time, and how very little of it we really have in each sporting season. When we realize how little time we truly have in a sport, it helps make goal-setting more realistic, attainable and measurable. Before we meet big goals, we have to accomplish a lot of little goals, and that will be our approach to the season.” The Cardinals open their season at Marshalltown on August 28. They go to Grinnell on Sept. 9 and host the Steve McDermott Invitational at Maytag Park on Sept. 23.

Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 5

Newton volleyball has a mixture of old and new in 2025

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

he Newton volleyball team lost a plethora of talent to graduation last fall. The Cardinals will look to replace those departed pieces with a trio of returning senior starters, a power-hitting junior and a strong sophomore class in 2025. Senior setter Isabelle Rawlins returns after garnering honorable mention all-conference honors last year. Rawlins headlines a roster that welcomes in a bunch of new players. “We need to approach this season and each match with a clean slate, control our side of the net, maintain positive self talk and attitudes and play to our strengths,” Newton head volleyball coach Heidi Woollums said. “We have a bit of a mix stepping on the court this season.” Rawlins started 27 matches for the Cardinals last season and led the squad with 527 assists. She also

totaled 27 kills, 163 digs, 28 aces and seven blocks and finished 275of-278 in serves. The two returning hitters are seniors Emersyn Gross and Addie Ratcliff, who comRatcliff bined for 94 kills. Ratliff ’s 58 kills ranked third on the team and she had a team-best 14 blocks with 21 digs, while Gross chipped in 15 digs and 11 blocks. “(Rawlins) is an integral part of this team,” Woollums said. “She has a high volleyball IQ and is a competitor. She brings a calm to the court and provides a spark to our play with her great decision making, serving and defensive play. “(Ratcliff) is playing with a higher level of confidence and power this season.” Junior Morgan Frehse and sophomore Camryn Klein are expected to be the team’s primary

passers and will play all the way around. Frehse, who also will dual sport with tennis, finished with eight kills and four digs in her five matches last year. Woollums said Frehse is ready to take on a bigger role this fall. “Not many high school kids could pull off the dual sports schedule, but Morgan is the kind of athlete who can,” Woollums said. “She’s purposeful in all that she does, and I’m excited to see all that she can accomplish.” Senior Faith Roffey moved to Newton last year and is working hard to secure her place in the lineup, according to Woollums. Klein is part of a sophomore class that includes hitters Ellie DeVries, Jazmyn Rivera, Emerson Ray and Addy Cibula as well as new libero Quincy Davidson. “The sophomore class will be making an impact on the program this year and in the years to come,” Woollums said. MIXTURE | 19

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Newton placed fifth at the conference meet and ended its season with a 5-1 loss to North Polk at regionals. This year’s squad already has placed second in the Knoxville tournament, edged LHC rival Oskaloosa and dropped conference duals to Norwalk and Indianola and fell to Ballard in non-conference action. “We will probably struggle with the best teams on our schedule, but we’re looking Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Morgan Frehse has played in the No. 1 singles spot for a forward to competing against the middle of the LHC,” majority of the fall season for the Cardinal girls tennis team.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Isabelle Rawlins led the Cardinals in assists and serve percentage last fall. She’s back for a second season as the team’s starting setter.

Zehr said. “If we can fill in and shore up our depth, we could make a run, but it will require that growth over the course of the season we usually see after a week or two. With a bit of luck, we could have a strong showing at the conference tournament as well. “The girls have been troopers, but we’re low on numbers, in no small part due to the move to the fall. It’s going to make it very hard to keep enthusiasm and interest high, but we’re going to do everything we can.” The tennis regular season ends on the Monday of the third week of school. Ninety-percent of the

players around the state get only a couple weeks of school to share in their accomplishments, wear their uniforms to school and get their names read on the announcements, according to Zehr. “It’s just frustrating, and my girls deserve better,” Zehr said. “Hopefully the courts at Aurora Park will be completed soon, and the town can rally around the tennis teams as we try to raise the profile and build a foundation.” The Cardinals go to Pella on Aug. 28 and head to Pella Christian on Sept. 4. Their conference finale is at DCG on Sept. 8 and the LHC tournament is at Indianola on Sept. 11.

Page 6 – Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025

NCMP hopes new beginnings lead to same results

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

ast year’s Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella girls swim team posted a banner season. The Aquagirls finished 13th as a team and scored top-12 finishes in all three relays at the state meet. But 10 seniors from last year’s squad graduated, and NCMP begins a transition season with a brand new coaching staff and only a handful of varsity returners are back in 2025. “We’re focusing on building a solid JV roster from all four classes, and all three schools, while still holding our returning swimmers to the level and pace of training they’re capable of,” new NCMP head girls swim coach Kaylee Franke said. Franke, who also is the Aquatics Director at the Newton YMCA, has four seniors in her first season as NCMP head coach. The roster is headlined by three-time state qualifying senior captains Harper Barton and Tori White. Brilea Moffitt and Colfax-Mingo’s Katie Anderson are the other two senior captains. Barton placed ninth at

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Harper Barton qualified for the state meet in four events last season, including the 100-yard breaststroke.

state in the 50-yard freestyle last year and took 16th in the 100 breaststroke. White is the other returning individual state qualifier. She finished 24th in the 100 backstroke and a is a two-time qualifier in the event. Barton swam in the maximum four state events as she helped NCMP place eighth in the 200 freestyle relay and 10th in the 400 freestyle relay. White competed in three state events. She joined Barton on the 200 freestyle relay and is the lone returner from the 12th-place 200 medley relay.

“Though my eyes are on the data, and I know who their biggest competitors are, (White) and (Barton) aren’t girls I worry about beating everyone else because the goals they’ve set for themselves are already so much higher than 95 percent of the athletes they’ll meet in the pool,” Franke said. “Looking at documentation from past seasons, those two have always trained like it was their last chance to make it … that alone implies how hard they’re training this final year.” NCMP won its fourth straight Little Hawkeye Con-

ference championship last year and claimed its second straight North Central Swim Conference crown. “The simple answer is put in the work, but the long answer is put in intentional work,” Franke said when asked about continuing to win conference titles. “We’ve got a solid twoa-day program mapped out, and have shifted dry land to be balanced strength training that will assist in injury prevention. We’re having conversations about nutrition, and when to use what fuel. “Together, they’re navigating how their life outside of the pool can elevate their performance in the pool, and giving them the tools to maintain that lifestyle is going to help us stay at the top.” The other key varsity returners are sophomores Temple Barton and Alexa Van Maanen as well as Pella junior Emalee Weuve and sophomore Julia Nedder. Temple Barton was an alternate on last year’s state team. Franke is still evaluating her roster and the program after coming on board late in the process. “I like that we have a variety of swimmers with different skill levels,” Franke said.

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“We’ve got our state-level swimmers and we’re lucky to have them, but it’s important to remember ‘strong swimmers win the podium but only strong teams win meets.’” Harper Barton, Temple Barton, Nedder and freshman Josalyn Cervantes are competing for varsity time in the sprint freestyle events, while Nedder, Pella sophomore Peyton Phillips and Pella freshman Reid McCloud are expected to be the varsity contributors in the freestyle distance events. White and sophomore Jordyn Ryan are the backstrokers, Harper Barton, Van Maanen and freshman Torrie Van Kley are competing in the breaststroke, White and Van Kley are battling at IM and White and Nedder are the top two swimmers in the butterfly. This year’s roster goes 18 deep for now, but Franke hopes to add swimmers when school starts. Franke’s assistant coach is NCMP alum Kara Groenenboom. NCMP opens the regular season at the Williamsburg triangular on Aug. 28 and competes in the Grinnell quadrangular on Sept. 4.

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Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 7

After historic 2024, L-S harriers begin new season ranked

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

fter ending their seasons in Fort Dodge last fall, both Lynnville-Sully cross country teams begin 2025 in the Class 1A rankings. And veteran head coach Darin Arkema wants his Hawk squads to focus on how to improve upon last year’s historic season. “Our teams have expectations for themselves, and those are what their focus should be on,” Arkema said. “A number of great things were accomplished last year, but the returners and the newcomers should have their sights set on what the next steps are in moving up from last year.” The top four runners from last year’s girls squad which advanced to state for the first time since 2013 are back. And sophomore Mandeesa Vos opens the season ranked 22nd in 1A after placing 27th in last fall’s state meet. The L-S boys lost just one senior from last year’s team which qualified for state for the first time in 29 years. Two-time state qualifier and junior Colton Alberts begins the year ranked 16th in the class. “A lot of time running has been put in by a majority of our team members, and that commitment will pay large dividends as the season progresses,” Arkema said. “A lot of the cross country team members had strong track and field seasons in the spring, which also catapulted them into committed training this summer.” The Hawk girls start the season ranked No. 8 in 1A. Vos won the South Iowa Cedar League title last fall, while junior Emma Parkinson was fourth. The other two returners are junior Peyton Sharp and sophomore Breah Lowry, who will not dual sport with volleyball like she did last year. Vos finished third at last year’s state qualifying meet. Parkinson, Sharp and Lowry ended up in the top 21 and that helped the

Troy Hyde/Newton News Lynnville-Sully sophomore Mandeesa Vos, left, and junior Colton Alberts are the top returners from last year’s state qualifying teams. They both finished in the top 30 at last year’s state cross country meet and begin this season ranked in Class 1A.

Hawks place second as a team. The other three members of this year’s team are senior Morgan Hay, sophomore Isabelle Vos and freshman Katelyn Nikkel. Hay and Vos are newcomers who both will dual sport with volleyball and Nikkel joins the cross country program after playing volleyball in junior high. “All four of our returning girls had very successful individual seasons a

year ago, which is why our team was as strong as it was,” Arkema said. “All three of the new girls have had strong track seasons in previous years, and we will look to them to help add competitive strength and depth to the team.” Alberts, who was 28th at the state meet as a sophomore, headlines the boys’ roster, but the Hawks also welcome back senior Ethan Dunsbergen, juniors Blake Wilmesmeier, Keegan

Schnell and Evan Arkema and sophomore Madden Gunsaulus. The Hawks placed second at the state qualifying meet last fall. Alberts and Wilmesmeier would have qualified individually, too, if the team didn’t. The L-S boys’ roster goes 12 deep. The other Hawks competing for a spot on the varsity are senior Will Conover, juniors Jordan Dunsbergen and Sam Terlouw, sophomore Andrew Arkema and freshmen Hayden Lewis and Dalton Winegar. “Twelve is a bigger number than the girls’ team, but the difference is last year the boys saw a greater spread throughout the top seven varsity runners,” Coach Arkema said. “We lost our No. 2 runner last year so we need to find guys who are going to help fill that void as well as close the gaps between each other so we can have lower numbers for team scores this year. “I like the fact that the boys have competition for who fills the varsity spots.” While the boys’ gap between runners last season was larger than Coach Arkema would like it to be, the girls’ spread between competitors was their strength. The Hawk girls lost one of their top five runners from last year to graduation. How well the team does this fall could come down to how close the newcomers can get to the returners. “We will need the remaining four from last season to continue pushing each other to not only keep that gap tight but help bring each other farther up in the packs leading to faster finishing times,” Coach Arkema said. “Can any of the newcomers run close to what (Olivia Norrish) was able to run or be able to put themselves up with or near those other four? “If a couple of them can, our depth top to bottom really gets bolstered and they can be a force to contend with.” The Hawk harriers open their season at Collins-Maxwell on Aug. 28. They go to Central College in Pella on Sept. 6 and compete at Grinnell on Sept. 9.

Page 8 – Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025

L-S volleyball is packed Plethora of seniors hope to push Hawks back to playoffs with upperclassmen

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

ive seniors and seven juniors give the Lynnville-Sully volleyball team a plethora of upperclassmen in 2025. That should help the Hawks replace two graduated senior starters from last season, one of which produced the most kills on the team and both who led the squad in aces. “We have some talent returning this year so that is exciting for us coaches,” Lynnville-Sully head volleyball coach Heather James said. “The team continues to try new things and wants to get better and they have been working hard at practices. We had a three-day high school camp the first week of August to work on fundamentals and start to see what positions will be best for each player.” The top returners are seniors Kate Harthoorn and Tatum Huyser and junior Ava Brummel. Harthoorn is back at setter after starting all 29 matches last fall. The Hawks used a 6-2 formation last season but will move to a 5-1 in 2025. Harthoorn led the Hawks with 178 digs last fall and added 185 assists, 33 kills and 18 aces and she was 212-of-222 in serves. “We will run a 5-1 using Kate Harthoorn as our setter,” James said. “Opposite of (Harthoorn) we will have some players with setting experience, which will help us if we need to run things out of system. We have some well-rounded players who can play front or back row so we have more options.” Huyser and Brummel headline the hitters. Huyser was limited to 19 matches last fall but totaled 82 kills, 130 digs and 26 blocks and Brummel added 98 kills, 28 digs and 10 aces. Brummel started 24 of the 29 matches last season. James said Harthoorn and Huyser, and potentially

Troy Hyde/Newton News Lynnville-Sully senior Kate Harthoorn led the Hawks in digs and serve percentage last season. She’s back as the Hawks’ starting setter in 2025.

others, will play all the way around in 2025. “They have really good chemistry playing together so we’re excited to see how that will look as the season starts,” James said. “We have other players who can play all around. We just need to see what works best and find which group has the best chemistry on the court together.” Juniors Brooke Hardeman and Penelope Robinson played in 14 and 12 matches, respectively, last season, and each put down 22 kills. Robinson is projected to play outside hitter, while Hardeman and junior Addison Collum are right-side hitters. Junior Brilynn Tice and seniors Lori Yoder and Jaelynn Vander Wilt also are competing for varsity time along the front row. PACKED | 15

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

he Lynnville-Sully football team is coming off a 5-4 season, but the Hawks lost by just two points in the opening round of the postseason. That should give a squad which features 10 seniors some momentum heading into 2025, and veteran head coach Mike Parkinson expects his Hawks to “put a good product on the field” this fall. “We’re off to a good start,” Parkinson said. “We’re excited about what the guys can do. There’s a good group of seniors leading the team, and we’ll have guys with a lot of experience.” Prior to the 5-4 season in 2024, the Hawks put together three straight seasons of at least eight wins and 2022 ended in the UNI-Dome. Current players who were part of that squad are now seniors. That group includes second team all-state linebacker Dawson James, who also will play tight end/H-back on offense. Three-year starters Ben Squires and Wyatt Mathis are back on the lines and three-year starter Jack Bowlin returns as one of the wide receivers on offense and a defensive back on defense. James finished with a team-most 72 tackles last fall and added 14.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and one interception. He chipped in 145 rushing yards and five scores on offense. Bowlin snagged 32 passes for a team-best 584 yards and a team-high six receiving touchdowns in 2024. He added 41.5 tackles, four interceptions and two pick-6s on defense. Last year’s Hawk defense swiped 20 interceptions and scored four defensive touchdowns. “The guys spent a lot of time in the weight room, and they look the part,” Parkinson said. “They’re doing a fantastic job embracing what we’re expecting from them.” Mathis will play on both sides of the line. He had 28.5 tackles and 6.5 tack-

Troy Hyde/Newton News Lynnville-Sully senior Dawson James is a returning all-state linebacker in Class 1A. He’s one of 10 seniors on this year’s Hawk roster.

les for loss last season. Senior Michael Spooner joins Squires and Mathis on the offensive line, and he’s battling for a spot at linebacker after compiling 32.5 tackles last season. Joining Bowlin in the secondary is senior JD Richards, who had 23 tackles and one interception last fall. Senior Connor Deal is back at quarterback. He was called on to replace the injured Lannon Montgomery last year, but that experience should help him in 2025. Deal threw for 619 yards and six touchdowns a season ago. Junior Gavin Fisk headlines the running backs after gaining 506 yards and scoring four TDs last season. He also will start at linebacker following a 51.5-tackle, 8.5-tackles for loss, 2.5sack and two-interception season. PUSH | 11

Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 9

Tigerhawks drop in class, C-M harriers get new seek return to playoffs leadership in 2025

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

olfax-Mingo head football coach Drake Buscherfeld took over a Tigerhawk program last fall that hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2015 and their last winning season came in 2018. While that squad finished with only one win, Buscherfeld hopes an offseason of improved strength and conditioning will help the Tigerhawks turn things around in 2025. “Most every football player has been attending workouts three times a week for the past year, which will help us close the gap,” Buscherfeld said. “I expect us to continue to become a tougher team. We’ve done a great job with improving our strength and speed program schoolwide.” Aside from improving the things it can control, Colfax-Mingo may improve its record due to a drop from Class 1A to Class A. It doesn’t guarantee success, but it allows the Tigerhawks to play teams closer to their enrollment and the schedule features programs they face in other sports. That list includes conference rivals BGM, North Mahaska and Lynnville-Sully as well as Martensdale-St. Marys. The Tigerhawks start the season with nearly 30 players, according to their roster on Bound. “I’ve learned every year is different, and you’ll have different problems each year,” Buscherfeld said. “You have to learn to adjust and coach the kids who are there.” Headlining the group is a pair of sophomores who were second team all-district selections last fall. Camden Cunningham takes over at quarterback but earned his postseason honor as a linebacker. His offensive statistics were limited to 23 rushing yards on eight carries, but he led the Tigerhawks with 48 tackles and

Troy Hyde/Newton News The Colfax-Mingo football team drops to Class A and will have plenty of new opponents in 2025. The Tigerhawks hope to rebound from their 1-7 season in 1A last year.

11 tackles for loss, and he recovered two fumbles. He also punted three times. Chase Trotter was an all-district wide receiver last fall after grabbing 20 passes for 331 yards and six scores. He collected 18.5 tackles and returned punts and kicks. Juniors Fisher Grove and Wyatt Carpenter and sophomore Jadyn Patten are competing at running back, while seniors Alex Teed and Wyatt Thornton are the other receivers and seniors Izaiah Lewis and Kyle Wood and sophomore Wyatt Jay are competing at tight end. Thornton contributed two catches for 35 yards, Teed totaled three catches for 23 yards and Wood rushed nine times for 34 yards last fall. Carpenter was used in a utility role and finished with 24 yards on three carries and 51 yards on three catches. Competition on the offensive line goes seven deep with seniors Luke Padgett, Konner Bennett, Abe Brown and Gus Engle, junior Allan Bregar and sophomores Lawrence Solasberry and Leo Van Hauen. That group plus Lewis and Jay are battling on the defensive line and Cunningham, Grove, Wood and Patten are the linebackers. RETURN | 15

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

or the first time in more than a decade, the Colfax-Mingo cross country teams will have new leadership. And new head coach Michaela Graffunder has a returning state qualifier to work with on the girls’ side and a boys’ roster that features five returning runners from last fall. “We have a good mix of returners and newcomers on both teams,” Graffunder said. “The teams are focused on improving throughout the year, both as individuals and as a cohesive unit.” Graffunder, and assistant coach Joss Teed, will start the season with seven runners on each team. But they hope to add more as school gets going this week. Graffunder said gaining more participants was her first priority after taking the program over from long-time coach Zach Tomas. “I’m hoping when school starts we can encourage some more students to give the sport a try,” Graffunder said. “I want to build relationships with some of the athletes who I haven’t had a chance to get to know through school yet. Overall, we have great kids in the program, and I’m excited to work with them. We have been building up mileage in our preseason practices. The athletes have been dedicated to working hard every day.” The girls’ roster is headlined by sophomore Ashlynn Hosbond, who advanced to state in her first prep season last fall. She also qualified for the state track and field meet in the 3,000-meter run in the spring. Hosbond placed 14th at the South Iowa Cedar League meet, took 10th at the Class 1A state qualifying meet and finished 82nd

Troy Hyde/Newton News Colfax-Mingo sophomore Ashlynn Hosbond qualified for the state cross country meet in her first prep season last fall.

at the state meet in Fort Dodge. She was the first female state qualifier in the program since 2019. “(Hosbond) is coming off a great freshman year,” Graffunder said. “She’s very motivated and working hard to achieve those goals for her sophomore year as well. The girls have been working hard this summer and built some team chemistry that will help us going forward with the season.” The Tigerhawks placed fourth in the girls’ standings at the SICL meet last fall. Seniors Mallory Sipma and Lilyan Hadsall also are back from that squad. The newcomers are sophomores Jessica Gibson and Isabelle Vogelsong and freshmen Ivy Anderson and Sahara Buenrostro. The C-M boys were third at last year’s SICL meet. The Tigerhawks were led last fall by senior Sullivan Wilkins, who placed 10th in the conference meet and came up a little short of a state berth. LEADERSHIP | 12

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Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 11

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The rest of the running backs are Richards, sophomore Jace Johnson, junior Kimball Elliott and senior Burt Johnson. That quartet, along with Landyn Fisk, are versatile slot-back guys who will see time at receiver, too. Junior Cameyon James is a returning starter on the offensive line. Junior Hunter Neleman and sophomore Brayden Wehrle also are competing for varsity snaps. All three Hawks, along with Spooner, are in contention for snaps on the defensive line, too. “We’ve been able to recover from a good group of graduated seniors,” Parkinson said. “The coaching staff is still try-

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ing to find out where guys fit. It’s still early.” Jace Johnson, Burt Johnson, Landyn Fisk, Elliott and junior Trace Carlson are all Richards competing for varsity snaps in the secondary. Lynnville-Sully’s season begins with a home game against Class 1A Pleasantville (Aug. 29), who’s expected to be ranked in the top 10 to start the season. The Hawks also will play preseason top-10 ranked Madrid (Oct. 3) at home in district play. “The sky’s the limit with this group,” Parkinson said. “I expect good leadership and effort.”

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Junior Will Buren or Felten will handle punting duties, Coley and Hansen are the kickoff returners and Martin will return punts. The Cardinals returned three kickoffs for TDs last fall, which ranked tied for second in 4A. Swedenhjelm hopes winning a team state championship in track and field this past spring will help the football team believe they can win a state title, too. “If you have success in different areas, I definitely think it carries over,” Swedenhjelm said. “Talking about the mindset of not shooting to only make the playoffs. Speaking that greatness into

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the kids is what elevates them to the next level. “ We’v e talked a lot about growth. Growing can be ugly, but that’s true Ahn growth. One of the growth things we’ve done is working on how we can get better, and that starts with goal line situations.” Klein’s preseason testing numbers include 23 miles per hour, a 500-pound squat, 300-pound bench and 300-pound hang clean. Mace-Maynard leads the Cardinals with a 350-plus pound bench press. Ahn and Mace-Maynard both squatted at least 450 pounds and Ahn, Milburn and Revell all

benched over 300 pounds. In total, seven Cardinals went over 20 miles per hour, 10 surpassed 245 in hang clean and Milburn nine squatted over 400 and benched over 275. “Our top end stuff is pretty good right now,” Swedenhjelm said. “We had seven or eight guys who went over 300 pounds in the bench press and last year that number was two.” Newton opens the season at home against Carlisle at 7 p.m. on August 29. The other home games are against Indianola (Sept. 19), Oskaloosa (Sept. 26), Grinnell (Oct. 17) and Marion (Oct. 24).

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Page 12 – Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025

Key returners power Tigerhawk volleyball

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor he Colfax-Mingo volleyball team graduated its most productive hitter the past two sea-

sons. Trinity Smith also led the Tigerhawks in digs and aces last season, while starting libero Kaylee Collins also was lost to graduation. While it will be hard to replace those departed seniors, Colfax-Mingo head volleyball coach Mike Hunsberger is excited to see which one of his current players steps up into those vacated roles. “We’re excited about seeing many of our athletes step into new roles on the team,” Hunsberger said. “Any time you lose seniors who have been a big part of your production, it’s tough but also presents a great opportunity for other girls to step in.” The Tigerhawks finished 11-17 last season but were 6-4 in the South Iowa Cedar League. It was the third straight losing season for Colfax-Mingo, which was 2212 in 2021. Headlining the 2025 roster are junior setter Katelyn Steenhoek and senior middle hitter Britney Keeney. Steenhoek led the Tigerhawks with 491 assists in 2024, added 32 kills, 146

Troy Hyde/Newton News Colfax-Mingo junior Katelyn Steenhoek earned all-conference honors last year for the Tigerhawk volleyball team.

digs, 14 blocks and 33 aces, and she had a 90.3 serving percentage. “(Steenhoek) is one of our athletes who has put in the time in club ball and individual workouts,” Hunsberger said. “We believed in her as she stepped

into a new role last year, and we’re excited to see her continued growth. I’m expecting her to be one of our leaders, and I believe she’s going to have a great year.” Keeney’s 40 blocks led the squad and she totaled 147 kills, 45 digs and 41 aces. Steenhoek earned second team all-conference honors and Keeney was an honorable mention selection after both players started all 28 matches last fall. Senior Grace Hunsberger started all 28 matches a year ago, too. She finished with 83 kills, 31 blocks and 16 digs last fall and will move to outside hitter in 2025. Sophomore Isabelle Utz and junior Dakota Allen also are back on the front row. Utz totaled 53 kills, 61 digs and 47 aces, while Allen contributed 31 kills, 66 digs and 15 blocks last fall. “Having all four of them return is for sure a benefit for the team as a whole,” Coach Hunsberger said. Junior Victoria Woods and sophomore Mickey Bucklin are others who are competing along the front row, while senior Cadence Linn and juniors Hope and Grace Allen and Macie Porter are competing for the libero spot and time on the back row. Linn produced 109 digs and Porter

his dedication and work Calhoun,” Graffunder said. Leadership byethic, ” Graffunder said. “He “I like the camaraderie and sets himself apart by chal- family feeling that cross Continued from page 9

Wilkins is expected to be the No. 1 runner this season, too. The rest of the roster features juniors Mario Rodriguez, Ryan Moore and Asher Knutson, sophomore Willie Fitzgerald and Milo Knutson and freshman Benjamin Faidley. Fitzgerald will dual sport with football. “Sully Wilkins is defined

lenging himself and going the extra mile to reach his goals. He’s a competitor, and I’m excited to see him reach his goals this season.” Graffunder was a twotime state cross country qualifier as a prep at South Central Calhoun and started running cross country in seventh grade. “I had a great coach, Brian Knapp of South Central

country brings and am looking forward to being a part of that again. Zach Tomas did a great job building the culture of Colfax-Mingo cross country, and I just want to continue building off that.” The Tigerhawks open their season at Collins-Maxwell on Aug. 28. They go to Ottumwa on Sept. 4 and host their annual meet on Sept. 11 at Kelly Fields in Colfax.

had 86 digs in reserve roles a season ago. “They all have a great opportunity to really step up for this team and produce in a big way,” Coach Hunsberger said. “We see potential in all four and are looking to see how we will be able to utilize each one of them. “At the same time, we’re expecting some of our young players to really push some of the older girls, and it will be exciting to see how it all plays out.” Only three programs in the South Iowa Cedar League posted winning records last season. North Mahaska was 21-2 and undefeated in conference play. Colfax-Mingo begins its season at the Tigerhawk Invitational on Aug. 30 and opens SICL play at BGM on Sept. 9. The Tigerhawks host Keota for a conference match on Sept. 11. “We have some great returning talent in the league and also teams like us who have lost larger portions of their production and have a chance to reset and compete,” Coach Hunsberger said. “It will be an exciting season in the SICL. “We’ve had a good offseason and have had a core group of girls who committed to playing club and also received individual training. They’re a fun group to coach, and we’re excited to see them continue their growth.”

Troy Hyde/ Newton News Colfax-Mingo senior Sullivan Wilkins, left, hopes to qualify for the state cross country meet in his final season.

Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 13

Many returners give PCM harriers high expectations

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

he PCM girls cross country team finished seventh in the Class 2A state meet last season. But head coach Eric Osterhaus doesn’t want that to be the peak of the program. He wants it to be the start of a foundation on which to build their future. And with everyone back from last year’s team, the expectations are high for the Mustangs. “A seventh-place finish at state along with the conference championship last year was awesome,” Osterhaus said. “This team understands how to work and compete at a very high level. We’re looking to defend our conference championship and are working toward a top-five finish at the state meet. The Mustangs begin 2025 ranked No. 3 in 2A. And junior Lila Milani, a two-time state qualifier, starts her third season ranked 27th in the class individually. The PCM girls won its first conference title last season, while the boys were second one season after finishing seventh and two years removed from an eighth-place finish. Both teams bring back plenty of talent. The Mustang boys’ roster features two-time state qualifier and senior Coby DeRaad as well as junior Kash Fischer, who was third at last year’s HOIAC meet. “It’s been a long time since the boys team has seen such high expectations,” Osterhaus said. “We would love to bring home a conference title and make the state meet. I think

Troy Hyde/Newton News PCM junior Lila Milani (924) and senior Coby DeRaad (855) are both multi-year state cross country meet qualifiers. Both Mustang squads have expectations of advancing to state in 2025.

both are within reach. We just have to do the little things to ensure we don’t fall short.” The PCM boys fell short last year in a district that featured four ranked teams. The Mustang girls did not have a full team from 2005 to 2010. But they placed second twice and third twice at the HOIAC meet in the past five seasons before climbing to the top of the league in 2024. While Milani begins the season ranked in the top 30, the Mustangs also bring back two-time state qualifier and senior Abi Teeter as well as senior Raegan Vannoy, juniors Bailey Wheeler and Ali Hilsabeck and sophomores Darbey DeRaad and Annie Ford.

Milani, DeRaad, Teeter and Ford all finished in the top 15 at the conference meet and Wheeler joined the foursome in the top 15 at the state qualifying meet. No one individual has secured a varsity spot yet, but Milani, Teeter, Darbey DeRaad, Wheeler, Hilsabeck, Ford and Vannoy competed on varsity last year. The other two Mustangs on the girls’ roster are senior Lexi Fagg and freshman Jodi Jungling. “The team looks solid early on,” Osterhaus said. “(Several) girls put in a lot of offseason work, which will set them up for a tremendous season. “I expect to see quite a bit of shuffling amongst the squad

as the season progresses. A lot can happen between now and October 31.” Fischer was third at the HOIAC meet, but Coby DeRaad finished seventh and sophomore Owen Osterhaus placed eighth in his first prep season. Coby DeRaad advanced to state after a 13th-place finish, but his teammates fell just short. Coach Osterhaus expects Coby DeRaad, Fischer and Owen Osterhaus to provide a strong top end of the lineup, but junior Brendon Lahart and sophomore Camden Lahart should make an impact on the varsity squad. The newcomers moved into the district from Albia.

Senior Charlie Ford, junior Kolby Clark and sophomores Rylan Edgington and Cade Burkett also are competing for the final varsity spots. Juniors Parker DeHaai and Isaac Miller and sophomore Evan Wendt finalize the roster. “This team looks stronger than ever,” Coach Osterhaus said. “We just need to be sure to put in the work and take care of our bodies to put ourselves in the best position to progress as the season ages.” The Mustangs opened the season at Knoxville on Aug. 25. They go to Williamsburg on Sept. 2, their annual home meet is Sept. 22 and the HOIAC meet also is at Gateway Recreation Golf Course on Oct. 13.

Page 14 – Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025

PCM volleyball seeks continued upward trend ence recognition in 2024. Lindsay begins her third season as a starter, but her second as the team’s ast year’s senior class helped the setter. She led the Mustangs with 465 PCM volleyball team win 34 assists and 78 aces last fall and added matches the past two seasons. 37 kills, 169 digs and 11 blocks. The 16 victories last fall were the Lindsay, who has started in all second most 49 matches the since 2007, and past two seasons, the Mustangs was 323-of-351 in produced backserves. to-back winning “She’s definitely campaigns for the a strong team leadfirst time since er and has a great they claimed four sense of what’s straight from happening on the 2007 to 2010. court,” said De The two most Vries about Lindsay. recent PCM “She’s a playmaker squads set the and works to get the bar, and the 2025 ball to the hitters so team which feathey can be successtures six seniors ful at the net.” hopes to continThe rest of the ue the momenlineup is in flux. tum this season. De Vries is trying “We’re all out out the returners in here doing the new positions but same thing, trynot much else has ing to put togethchanged. er the strongest Winters moves to team we can and right-side hitter this win,” PCM head fall. volleyball coach She led the MusSarah De Vries tangs with 49 blocks said. “Our two Troy Hyde/Newton News last season and fingraduated senior PCM senior Tori Lindsay led the Mustang ished with 146 kills, starters left some volleyball team in assists and aces last 177 digs, 36 aces She’s back as the team’s starting big shoes to fill, season. and nine assists. setter in 2025. but we have quite Her kill efficiency a few players who was .230. are stepping up and wanting to push The other returners are seniors themselves to be successful in those Lillian Humpal, Claire Van Wyk and needed roles.” Addi Hudnut, junior Addyson PederWhile the Mustangs lost four se- son and sophomore Peyton Lathrum. niors to graduation, seven PCM playHumpal, Van Wyk and Pederson ers are back after playing in at least 18 are the left-side hitters and Lathrum matches last season. and senior Jorja Teeter will man the Senior setter Tori Lindsay and middle. Teeter missed all of last year sophomore hitter Libby Winters head- because of an injury. line this year’s roster. Both players earned honorable mention all-conferUPWARD | 16

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

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Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 15

PCM football resets roster after banner season

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

he PCM football team advanced to the state semifinals for the third time in seven seasons last fall. The Mustangs’ 11-1 campaign included a perfect run through the district, but PCM graduated its quarterback, top two rushers, three of its four most productive receivers and the top four tacklers. The departures also included six of the top eight tacklers, six of the eight fumble recoveries and 10 of the 14 interceptions. But that doesn’t mean veteran head coach Greg Bonnett and the Mustangs expect to not be competitive in 2025. “It’s certainly going to take some time to get the wind in our sails, but we do have good players back from last year’s team and good players who are ready for the opportunity to make their mark,” Bonnett said. “Only time will tell if we can make another run.” There are some key returners who played big roles in last year’s run to the UNI-Dome. Senior wide receiver Gavin

Troy Hyde/Newton News PCM senior Shay Burns, left, earned all-district honors last season as a linebacker for the Mustangs, who reset their roster after an 11-1 season that ended in the UNI-Dome.

Steenhoek led PCM with 30 catches and totaled 378 yards and seven scores, which ranked tied for 10th in Class 2A. He also had one interception on defense and averaged 10.7 yards per punt return. Steenhoek and seniors Braedyn Lester, Keegan Fenton, Dominic Witt and Alex Wendt and sophomore Hayden Shannon all were first

Return Continued from page 9

The secondary features Trotter, Carpenter, Teed and Thornton. Wood totaled 12.5 tackles, Teed made 10 tackles, Carpenter contributed 9.5 tackles and Grove tallied 5.5 tackles and recovered a fumble last year. Thornton snagged one interception and also has experience with kickoffs. “Establishing a strength and speed program, that was the major focus in the

team all-district selections last fall. Seniors Evan Jones, Shay Burns and Chase Wagaman were second-team picks. “Our main focus was training at a high level and playing other sports really,” Bonnett said about their focus in the offseason. “We share athletes so the offseason only comes around for a few guys.”

offseason,” Buscherfeld said. “We want to be a tough, strong and fast team. Another focus was to continue and build confidence and positivity in our kids. Each year is a new year, and this group is hungry to win more ball games.” The Tigerhawks open with a road game against 2A Clarke at 7 p.m. on Aug. 29 in Osceola. Their home opener is against BGM at 7 p.m. on Sept. 5 in Colfax. Colfax-Mingo also plays Central Decatur (Sept. 19), Martensdale-St. Marys (Oct. 3) and Lynnville-Sully (Oct. 10) at home.

Shannon is the lone returning all-stater from 2024. He earned second team recognition on the offensive line and headlines that unit this fall. Shannon and junior Eli McGriff are the projected starting guards, while senior Brock Barnett and sophomore Jake Thomas are the starting tackles. Lester will be the center. Shannon, who earned a scholarship offer from the University of Nebraska in the offseason, and Lester were first team all-district offensive linemen last season. They helped PCM rush for 3,314 yards, which ranked second in 2A. The Mustangs averaged 7.3 yards per carry. The defensive linemen for 2025 are projected to be Wendt and Fenton at defensive end and Shannon, Lester and Thomas at defensive tackle. Wendt, who was a first team all-district defensive lineman last season, finished with 26 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2024. Fenton, who was an all-district player at fullback, totaled 22.5 tackles and returned his

Packed Continued from page 8

Senior Morgan Hay and juniors Olivia Beyer and Addison Klein are the defensive specialists. Hay also will dual sport with cross country. The Hawks finished 8-20 last season and went 1-7 in South Iowa Cedar League play. “I haven’t taken a look at the other conference teams yet but

only interception 42 yards for a score last season. Fenton returns as the team’s fullback on offense. The new quarterback is Wagaman, who was an all-district player as a defensive back and is expected to start on both sides of the ball. Burns and junior Jax Strait are the varsity running backs. Burns gained 322 yards and scored three touchdowns on 53 carries in a reserve role last fall. Fenton rushed for 39 yards and one score on six carries. Joining Steenhoek at wide receiver are Wendt and junior Jaden Houser and sophomore Drake Danson is the tight end. Wendt’s two catches last year went for 97 yards and two scores and Danson caught six passes for 91 yards and one TD. Leading the linebackers will be Burns and Jones, who both were second team all-district selections at the position last fall. Burns had 33.5 tackles and one interception and Jones totaled 22.5 tackles but missed part of the season with an injury. RESETS | 18

plan to focus on their statistics once the season gets started,” James said. “This year, we’re playing all the teams in our conference so there will no longer be pool play at the end of the season to determine placing. It will be a nice change with all final conference placing coming off head-to-head game play.” The Hawks opened their season at the BGM quadrangular on Aug. 26. They host a quadrangular on Aug. 28 before hosting Baxter on Sept. 2.

Page 16 – Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025

Upward Continued from page 14

And most of the Mustangs’ returning varsity players went deep into the summer playing in the state softball tournament. “We have been trying these returning hitters in different positions to see what works best for each of them,” De Vries said. “We weren’t able to get a lot of time in the gym together over the summer. Our preseason week of team camp and practices are really important to focus on team chemistry.” Pederson and Humpal started all 27 matches last season, Van Wyk made 17 starts and Lathrum started eight of the 18 matches she appeared in. Pederson finished with 102 kills, 35 blocks and 11 aces last fall and Humpal added 68

Humpal

kills, 15 assists, 58 digs and 37 aces. Humpal had a 92.5 serving percentage, Lathrum chipped in 35 kills and 16 digs and Van Wyk collected 30 kills and 21

digs. One of the spots open because of graduation is the libero position. Hudnut has the inside track, but sophomore Ryan DeVore also is expected to play in the back row. Hudnut played in 26 matches last year and totaled 109 digs and 18 aces off the bench. “(Hudnut) played the libero position quite a bit during our week of team camp, and I felt good about how she handled

that,” De Vries said. “It’s a little different for her being up on the court in the middle of the action, but she’s doing great with that as well as with serve receive.” De Vries expects Lindsay, Winters and Teeter to play all the way around the floor and Hudnut will be in most of the time as the libero. “Having these four on the court together brings a lot of consistency to each rotation and overall will be a strength for us,” De Vries said. The roster features six seniors, two juniors and four sophomores. The Mustangs were 4-4 in the HOIAC in 2024. Roland-Story and Nevada both won 30 matches last fall, and West Marshall’s 6-2 conference record was good enough for third in the league. “We like to be challenged

and pushed so I won’t complain about having strong competitors,” De Vries said. “Last season we were able to move up a little in the standings, and that’s our goal again this season.” The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union moved girls tennis to the fall this past offseason. Students at PCM can play tennis at Knoxville if they desire, but that won’t affect any players on the volleyball team. “Some of our players also are cheerleaders or on the dance team, but we try our best to work cooperatively with the athletes who want to do multiple sports,” De Vries said. PCM opened its regular season at the Newton tournament on Aug. 26 and play in the Lynnville-Sully quadrangular on Aug. 28. The Mustangs host West Marshall on Sept. 8 and Saydel on Sept. 11.

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Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 17

Bolts chase return to state under new staff

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

ast year’s state meet did not go the way the Baxter boys cross country team had hoped after it qualified for the first time in school history. And despite losing standout Matt Richardson to graduation, the Bolts are out to prove last season’s accomplishments, which included their first conference title since 2018, were not a fluke. “We definitely want to win conference again,” Baxter head cross country coach Ian Thomson said. “Our guys want to win it again and are hungry to go out there and compete with any and every team we run against this season.” Thomson takes over the program from the retired Dennis Vaughn. Thomson was a three-time state cross country qualifier as a prep for CMB and Baxter. He also qualified for state multiple times in track and field, was an all-conference cross country runner four times and earned two letters while competing at Central College. The Baxter boys welcome back five runners from last year’s state team. That group includes senior Maddox Peters, juniors Max Handorf and Dakota Parker and sophomores Parker Bonney and Brecken Fisher. Handorf finished fourth at last year’s conference meet and placed 12th at the state meet in Fort Dodge. It was the first time in school history that two Baxter runners scored a podium finish in the same season. Handorf is a two-time all-conference runner and two-time state qualifier. He

Troy Hyde/Newton News Baxter junior Max Handorf (180) begins the cross country season ranked sixth after earning a spot on the Class 1A podium last season,

placed 34th at state as a freshman and begins the season ranked sixth in 1A. “(Handorf) had some great performances at state track and carried that momentum into his summer training,” said Thomson, who has been an assistant boys track and field coach the past two seasons. “He put in a lot of high quality miles over the summer.” The Bolts were 16th as a team in their first state meet, but Fisher missed the meet due to an injury, Parker battled through an injury and Peters competed under the weather. Thomson is hoping for better injury luck this season. Aside from the returners, the boys’ roster also features senior Austin England, junior Levi Gregory, sophomores Maddux Tuhn and Grayson Scroggins

and freshmen Lincoln Russell and Sam Wilhelm. According to Thomson, Handorf, Fisher, Peters, Tuhn and Parker most likely will hold down five of the seven varsity spots. Tuhn joins the roster after playing football his freshman season. Fisher was sixth and Peters placed 11th at least year’s conference meet. “Across the board everyone has looked great to start the season,” Thomson said. “(Fisher) missed the end of cross country and all of track season with an injury. He really spent this summer getting back in shape, and it seems like he hasn’t missed a beat. The other guys have put in miles, so I think everyone on the team knows we can do big things this year. We want to make it

back to state, but we all think we can make some noise come state time, too.” England and Bonney have varsity experience, but Scroggins, Russell, Wilhelm and Gregory also are in contention for those final two varsity spots. “We have a lot of guys who I think will surprise themselves and others with how much they grow throughout the season,” Thomson said. Thomson had only one runner on the girls’ squad during the first week of practice. He’s looking to add a few more, but freshman Elsie Hauser will compete for the Bolts this fall. “(Hauser) has shown a lot of potential,” Thomson said. “I think she can have a really solid season and grow from some of the success she had last season in eighth grade. She’s definitely going to be part of that foundation to re-establishing our girls’ program.” Thomson expects some things to be similar to what Vaughn did during his time at Baxter. But he also knows they likely will differ on a few things, too, including hurdle mobility and additional (rubber) band work. Both of which are meant to help with injuries, which is Thomson’s No. 1 goal for this season. “I’m very intentional about everything they do,” Thomson said. “I have also discussed with them that everything we do has a purpose. The paces I emphasize in workouts or in easy runs have a purpose. The stretches or band work we do has a very specific purpose.” The Bolts open their season at the Collins-Maxwell Invitational at 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge.

Sports Calendar August 28 Volleyball Newton, PCM at L-S tournament, 5 p.m. Baxter at Martensdale-St. Marys, 7 p.m. Girls Swimming NCMP at Williamsburg, 5:30 p.m. Girls Tennis Newton at Pella, 4:15 p.m. Cross Country Newton boys at Marshalltown, 4:30 p.m. Baxter, Colfax-Mingo, L-S at Collins-Maxwell, 4:30 p.m. August 29 Football Carlisle at Newton, 7 p.m. Sigourney/Keota at PCM, 7 p.m. Colfax-Mingo at Clarke, 7 p.m. Pleasantville at L-S, 7 p.m. Collins-Maxwell at Baxter, 7 p.m. August 30 Volleyball Baxter at Colfax-Mingo tournament, 9 a.m. September 2 Volleyball Newton at Indianola, 7:15 p.m. Baxter at L-S, 7:15 p.m. Cross Country Newton, PCM coed at Williamsburg, 4:30 p.m. L-S at DCG, 4:30 p.m. Baxter at Woodward-Granger, 4:30 p.m. September 4 Volleyball Newton at Grand View Christian triangular, 5 p.m. Collins-Maxwell at Baxter, 7:30 p.m. L-S at BGM, 7:30 p.m. PCM at W. Marshall, 4 p.m. Girls Swimming NCMP at Grinnell, 7 p.m. Girls Tennis Newton at Pella Christian, 4:15 p.m. Cross Country Colfax-Mingo at Ottumwa, 4:15 p.m.

Page 18 – Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025

Baxter football moves forward with ‘new’ familiar voice

He grabbed 33 passes for 443 yards and six scores. Wishman was a second team all-district defensive lineman but also will be counted on at the other side of the line as the team’s new running back. Hamilton and Spurgeon will anchor the offensive line and the other starting spot will go to either freshmen Brecken Maxwell or Cooper Smith, who are battling for the job in camp. Sophomore Derek Rominger will spell Wishman at tailback if needed and the other wide receivers competing for a varsity spot in

camp are sophomores Colten Damman and Hayden Burdess and freshman Miles McCord. “I’ll be calling plays to start the season, but Coach (Danny) Samson and I will tackle that side of the ball together,” Hasselbrink said. “We’ll have a lot of similar plays but some changes, too. We’ll still be in the spread, but we want to put more emphasis on controlling the clock with the power running game.” Spurgeon is expected to anchor the defensive line. Maxwell and Smith are competing for spots, too, and

freshman Nyle Brown and senior Ruger Kincaid are battling for the starting nose guard position. Wishman headlined last year’s defense with 52 tackles, six sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss, but Hamilton had 22.5 tackles and one fumble recovery. Hamilton has one of the starting linebacker spots and Burdess, McCord and junior Nolan Hill are competing for varsity playing time, too. Dee had 15 tackles, six interceptions, three fumble recoveries and one defensive TD as one of the starting corners last fall. He’ll return to that spot this year and Damman also is battling for a starting role. Vansice will hold down the starting hybrid safety spot after collecting 18.5 tackles. The Bolts’ full-time staff includes long-time assistant coach Ryan Travis, who takes over as the defensive coordinator. Danny Samson, a former first-team all-state quarterback with CMB, will be an offensive coach with Hasselbrink after serving as an assistant coach at Saydel the past two seasons. The roster goes 26 deep, which is on the high end of where the Bolts have been the past several seasons. But

The defensive backs are Wagaman, Steenhoek and Houser, who combined for 18 tackles a year ago. “It has to be next man up,” Bonnett said. “We try to get kids to reach the standards we set as quickly as possible.” Witt’s first team all-district

selection came at kicker. He also will punt this season. Witt led 2A with 65 touchbacks last fall and finished 60-of-67 in PATs and 2-of-3 in field goals with a long of 40 yards. PCM’s new 2A district features rival Pella Christian as well as Albia, Centerville, Da-

vis County and South Tama County. The non-district schedule includes home games with 1A Sigourney/Keota (Aug. 29) and 3A Williamsburg (Sept. 12) and a road contest against Nevada (Sept. 5), who all are expected to be in the preseason rankings.

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

ach Hasselbrink has been on the Baxter football staff for the past 13 seasons as an assistant coach mostly responsible for the Bolts’ defense. This fall, Hasselbrink takes over the controls of the program from long-time head coach Rob Luther and shifts his focus to the offense as the Bolts try to rebound from a 3-5 season that left them out of the playoffs for the first time since 2019. “We’re young, but we’ve clicked really well,” Hasselbrink said. “We’re further ahead than I thought we’d be. And we have senior leaders, which is why we’re ahead. They have led us well.” The senior returners are Eli Dee, Stadan Vansice, Cael Wishman, Trevor Hamilton and Cody Spurgeon. Dee was a first team all-district wide receiver last year after grabbing 39 passes for 429 yards and eight touchdowns. He also threw for 694 yards and nine TDs as the Bolts’ starting quarterback. Vansice takes over the quarterback duties this fall after earning second team all-district honors as a wide receiver.

Resets Continued from page 15

Burns and Jones will play inside and the outside linebackers are Strait and Drake, who contributed eight and 12 tackles, respectively, last fall.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Baxter senior Stadan Vansice (5) was an all-district wide receiver last season but moves to quarterback in 2025.

three-fourths of the roster is made up of freshmen and sophomores. The Bolts have had four winning seasons since moving to 8-man in 2017. Hasselbrink doesn’t anticipate a ton of changes with his new role. He’s just involved more with both sides of the ball and now breaks down the huddles before and after practice. “My voice was probably just as loud as Coach Luther’s, and I appreciated that from him,” Hasselbrink said. “He gave me the freedom to do that. There won’t be a lot of changes.” The Bolts will face a new schedule in 2025. They open with rival Collins-Maxwell at 7 p.m. on Aug. 29 in Baxter. Baxter also has home games scheduled against Twin Cedars (Sept. 19), Moravia (Oct. 3) and Montezuma (Oct. 17), which is expected to be in some preseason top-10 rankings. Wayne moves down to 8-man, will be in the Bolts’ district and is expected to be a top-10 team in some rankings, too. “We want to be in the conversation,” Hasselbrink said. “It doesn’t mean we’re there yet. We just want to find ways to get better every day.”

“It’s a very tough schedule all the way through in my opinion,” Bonnett said. “Obviously, our non-district schedule is extremely challenging from playing one of the best 1A schools and two of the best 3A schools. But things don’t look to get much easier with our new district this year.”

Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28 & Friday August 29, 2025 – Page 19

Baxter goes back to the basics of volleyball

Troy Hyde/Newton News Baxter senior Caydence Sulzle earned all-conference recognition as the Bolts’ libero last fall. She’s one of five seniors who hopes to shift the team’s overall record in 2025.

Mixture Continued from page 5

Woollums said DeVries has great middle blocker instincts, Davidson isn’t afraid

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

axter head volleyball coach Jordynn Wesselink has an idea of who will be on the court and where they’ll play when the Bolts start their season at Belle Plaine on August 26. But the coaching staff is not locking any one player into a position as they have more questions than answers early in the season. “We’re really focusing on team culture and working on basic mechanics of the game,” said Wesselink, who begins her fourth season as head coach. “We’re trying to improve our communication and serve receive and hopefully we can translate that into game play.” The Bolts graduated four seniors and three starters from last year’s 9-20 squad. They were 4-3 in Iowa Star Conference South Division play, and Baxter is seeking its first winning season since 2019. The top returners are seniors Caydence Sulzle and Alyvia Burdess. Sulzle earned second team all-conference honors last fall, while Burdess was an honorable mention selection as one of the team’s two setters. Sulzle has the inside track at the libero position after playing in that role last year and leading the team with 300 digs. She also totaled a team-high 44 aces and 10 assists. Burdess ranked second on the team with 92 assists and produced 40 digs. “We’re very confident in (Burd-

to run down a ball and hit the floor when needed and Roffey will run through a wall to make a play. Olivia Bell, Sophie Greer and Merissa Schiebel are a trio of seniors battling for a spot along the back row.

ess’) ability to fill the setter role, but we’re also looking at a couple others setters who could play alongside her,” Wesselink said. “We aren’t ruling out two setters quite yet. “(Burdess) has been going to a couple different camps, and they’ve helped her with the role she’s going to be filling this year.” The other key returners from last year’s squad include seniors Danika Flora and Lexi Dart, junior Denver Sulzle and sophomore twins Kaylyn and Kamdyn Krampe. Rilyn Titus is the fifth senior. The roster also includes four juniors, eight sophomores and 10 freshmen. Kaylyn Krampe finished with 20 kills, 25 digs and 18 aces last fall, while Dart contributed 16 kills, 15 digs and 13 aces. Kamdyn Krampe tallied 19 kills and 18 digs, Denver Sulzle posted 15 kills and 13 digs and Flora produced 42 digs. Last year’s squad graduated its top two kill producers and the third-best player for kills transferred to another district. “We have potential for players to play on either side of the pin for outside or right side,” Wesselink said. “We’re looking at multiple athletes who are very versatile in the role we can put them in. We have a lot of players from last year’s team who can see the court this year but are still determining what their role could be this season.” Wesselink has seen a lot of growth from her younger players

The Cardinals finished 1-5 in an always-loaded Little Hawkeye Conference last season. “We’ve had a great off season, which started in June with the William Penn League,” Woollums said.

during the preseason practices. While Caydence Sulzle may return to the libero spot, the Bolts have other options and are still trying to figure out the back row. “We’re trying to take these first two weeks to work on skill development and use that to help us build a successful lineup,” Wesselink said. “We as coaches want to see what the players have to offer so we can make the best decision as to the certain positions different players are going to be playing this year.” The Iowa Star Conference should be strong again. The South Division is expected to be led by North Tama and BCLUW, while the North could be headlined by Janesville and Don Bosco. “We anticipate seeing the same level of competition we’ve played in the past with the ISC South,” Wesselink said. “It’s going to take the training we’ve done during the preseason as well as the growth development in the players to understand that we can compete and stand our own ground and play hard volleyball.” The Bolts, who have posted one winning campaign since 2017, opened the season at the Belle Plaine triangular on Aug. 26. They go to Martensdale-St. Marys on Aug. 28 and play in the Colfax-Mingo Tigerhawk Invitational on Aug. 30. After a road match against Lynnville-Sully on Sept. 2, the Bolts host Collins-Maxwell for their home and conference opener on Sept. 4.

“Open gym opportunities were available for athletes in seventh through 12th grade every Monday through Wednesday in June and July. We had an excellent high school camp the first week of August, which led directly

into our first day of practice on Aug. 11.” Newton opened its season with its annual tournament on Aug. 26. The Cardinals open conference play at Indianola on Sept. 2.

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