2025-26 Winter Sports Preview
Newton girls wrestling has largest roster ever
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
For the first time since the inception of the program, the Newton girls wrestling team did not have a state qualifier last season.
But with its largest roster ever, the Cardinals hope to return to the state meet and move up from their seventh place finish at regionals.
“Our main focus this offseason was increasing participation — and we definitely made progress,” Newton head girls wrestling coach Chad Garvis said. “Now the challenge will be keeping everyone committed.”
The roster of 35 features a solid mixture of returners and newcomers.
Senior Ashlyn Van Manen is a former state qualifier who came up a bit short last season. She was 24-11 at 190 pounds, placed fourth at regionals and will return to that weight this winter.
Junior Kylee Adams is another former state qualifier who placed third at regionals at 105 last season.
She finished the year 25-5 and is expected to wrestle at 110 or 115 this season.
The rest of the lineup, according to Garvis, could include one other senior, five juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen.
Freshman Siearra Woody is the projected starter at 100, freshman Haylee Adams could be the starter at 105 or 110 and junior Rosa Borja could compete at 105, 110 or 115.
Freshman Brailynn Bakalar moves into the lineup at 120, junior Alivia Conley is back at 125, freshman Sadie Booth could slot in at 130 and sophomore London Everhard projects at 135.
Junior Heather Hanson or sophomore Destiny Spiers will be the starter at 140, junior returners Peyton Hoen
and Shawna Foreman will go backto-back at 145 and 155, senior Grace Guy is the projected starter at 170 and sophomore Isabel Talley is back at 235 after going 6-4 last year.
Cardinals roster features five seniors, 15 juniors, six sophomores and nine freshmen.
LARGEST | 3
The
Troy Hyde/ Newton News Newton senior Ashlyn Van Manen will be one of the leaders in the room for a Newton girls wrestling squad which features 20 first-time wrestlers.
Preseason ranking raises expectations for Newton boys wrestling
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
With four returning state qualifiers and two other grapplers who finished fourth at the district tournament, the Newton boys wrestling team has as high of expectations as it’s had it quite some time.
The Cardinals begin the season as the 24th-ranked dual team in Class 3A.
The top 24 ranked teams at the end of the season advance to the regional tournament.
“It got our guys more energized,” Newton head boys wrestling coach RJ Brown said about the ranking. “Seeing the football team do so well has our guys thinking we’re really good at sports around here.
“The top 24 qualify for regionals so we didn’t realize that was a goal until it popped up. That’s got some kids really excited about our potential as a team. They think we can do things maybe we weren’t expecting to do at first.”
The returning state qualifiers are senior Lane Rozendaal and juniors Nick Milburn, Kent Montgomery and Abel Aldama.
Milburn was 33-17 last year at 215 pounds, and he reached the third day of the state wrestling tournament. He went 3-2 inside Wells Fargo Arena after placing second at the district tournament.
Rozendaal was 32-12 at 157 a season ago. He was third at districts and
posted one victory at the state tournament.
“(Milburn) managed some injuries this offseason and didn’t get into the room as much as he normally does,” Brown said. “He’s a freak athlete and works hard at everything he does. I’m not worried about Nick.
“(Rozendaal) wants to do well and he’s done a lot of things to help improve himself.”
Montgomery finished 41-5 at 106. He was 2-2 at the state tournament, while Aldama ended his season 24-16 after an 0-2 state tournament at 113.
Montgomery and Aldama will go back-to-back in the lineup at 120 and 126, respectively.
Rozendaal is expected to wrestle at either 165 or 175 and Milburn returns to 215.
“Kent Montgomery looks really good,” Brown said. “He’s done a lot of preseason and offseason tournaments. He had a technical fall against a Texas state champion in the offseason.
“(Aldama) doing cross country (in the fall) will help him. He wrestles at a high pace and wrestles against (Montgomery) every day.”
Brown said he will start with the biggest roster he’s had in quite a while as 45 Cardinals are in the room.
Outside of the returning state qualifiers, the Cardinals also bring back seniors Aiden Robson, Sebastian Sorenson, Zach Sheffield and Coleby Revell and juniors Zaine Robson, Zander Robson and Asher Rhoads.
Zander Robson and Zaine Robson
will go back-to-back at 132 and 138. Sorenson also fits into 138, but Brown said they will manage his shoulder injury throughout the season.
Aiden Robson was 29-18 last year and placed fourth at districts in each of the past two seasons. He’s the projected starter at 150.
Rhoads is expected to wrestle wherever Rozendaal doesn’t at 165 or 175, Sheffield will compete with senior transfer William Patterson at 190 and Revell is back at 285 after placing fourth at districts last season.
Freshman Trevor Van Kley will wrestle at 106, freshman Kolten Slycord will start the season at 144 and freshman Brendon Heaberlin is the projected starter at 157.
Sophomore Clayton Bakalar could slot into 144 but will miss the first six weeks of the season due to an injury.
“We have a huge freshmen class coming in that has a lot of potential,”
Brown said. “There might be a couple that get into the lineup. But it’s a group that’s interested in wrestling and really big into the sport. It reminds me a lot of our current junior class.”
Brown said the team had a lot going on at the beginning of the season. A lot of the athletes were invested in football, but they had a decent turnout in the offseason.
“The guys are getting stronger, which is the biggest thing in the offseason,” Brown said. “Working on our set ups was a big one and clearing ties. We narrowed down our hand fighting and ties we really want to see, which are under hooks, elbow passes and wrist drags. That’s what we’ve worked on the most this offseason. We want to be good at leg riding when we’re on top, too.”
The Cardinals open their regular season against Indianola at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 in Newton.
“Our roster includes 20 first-
year participants,” Garvis said. “We’ll see how many can adjust to the demands of a full wrestling season, but it’s definitely the largest and most inexperienced group we’ve had.
“It’s a long season, and I’m not big on cutting weight. My philosophy is to focus on healthy eating, hard work and letting their bodies settle where they compete best.”
The Cardinals opened their season at Sigourney/Keota on Nov. 18.
They host Indianola at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 and host the Cardinal Classic at 9 a.m. in Newton.
Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Kent Montgomery is a two-time state qualifier who finished 41-5 last season. He’s one of four returning state qualifiers in the room this season.
Seven returners hope to take Newton girls basketball to next level
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Coming off its best season in nearly a decade, the Newton girls basketball team welcomes back seven players who appeared in at least 11 games last season.
But the depth behind the first seven on the roster is going to be a work in progress. And head coach Jake Bennett isn’t sure yet who will emerge to fill out the rest of his varsity roster.
“Right now, we just have the seven varsity players,” Bennett said. “The other girls will have the chance to get up there, but we’re still trying to piece some things together. A lot of them were in fall sports so we didn’t get a ton of looks at them in the fall.”
The Cardinals start the season with 14 players. The varsity includes senior Tori White, juniors Payton Carkhuff and Brooke Garvis and sophomores Camryn Klein, Addy Cibula, Sophia Coady and Emerson Ray.
Newton finished 11-12 last season but went 2-10 in the always-loaded Little Hawkeye Conference.
It was the most overall wins since 2015-16, which also was the last season the Cardinals finished above .500. They also posted a playoff win over Boone
“It’s nice having seven girls back who have done it before,” Bennett said. “We haven’t had to spend too much time on stuff with them. And players will step into bigger roles this year so they’ve battled in practice. We want to make our practice environment similar to games so they’re used to it when the games start.”
White was a second team all-conference player last season after leading the team in points, rebounds and steals per game at 7.9, 7.4 and 2.9, respectively. She ranked second in assists at 1.6 per contest.
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White and Carkhuff started 22 of the team’s 23 games last year.
Carkhuff averaged 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per tilt.
Coady appeared in 23 games, while Klein and Cibula played in 21. Cibula averaged two points and two rebounds per game and Garvis had per-game averages of 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in her 19 games.
Klein averaged 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game, while Coady scored 1.8 points per contest and Ray totaled 1.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in her 11 contests.
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Troy Hyde/Newton News
Tori White (22) is the only senior on a Newton girls basketball team which brings back seven returners from last year’s 11-win team.
Newton boys basketball seeks more offense in new season
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
The Newton boys basketball team averaged 52 points per game last season. And it allowed 53 at the other end.
If the Cardinals want to take a step forward and win more games in an always loaded Little Hawkeye Conference, shooting better from the perimeter and from the free-throw line will be crucial.
“I definitely think there are a handful of games we can win by scoring 52 but to beat the higher octane teams like DCG, Norwalk, Pella and ADM on our schedule we will need to find more offense,” Newton head boys basketball coach Jason Carter said. “I think in order to do that we definitely need to be able to space the floor with better outside shooting.
“I think we have some guys who can get downhill off the bounce but consistent perimeter shooting will be a must.”
Six players who appeared in at least 11 games last season are back for the Newton boys this winter.
Last year’s squad finished 1211 and 4-8 in the conference. The Cardinals shot 31.4 percent from 3-point range and connected on only 52 percent from the free-throw line.
Four senior starters and seven seniors total graduated from last year’s roster so there are holes to fill, and Carter expects his rotation to reach double-digits.
Senior Caden Klein is back after grabbing second team allLHC recognition last season. He averaged 9.2 points per game but led the Cardinals in per-game averages for rebounds at 5.2, as-
was a starter for three of the 20 games he appeared in.
Slaughter played in 17 games and Mattes and Osby were part of 11 games with Osby starting two of those.
Maki averaged 4.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest, while Osby had per-game averages of 4.4 points and 2.8 boards.
Slaughter averaged 5.4 points and 1.6 rebounds and Thompson posted 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per tilt.
Carter expects juniors Karter Holmes, Brody Wobschall, Henry Allen and Qhjuan Coley to compete for varsity minutes.
Sophomore Jackson Riney had a big summer and was a projected starter going into the season but an ACL injury suffered during football will sideline him for all of 2025-26.
Newton duo leads bowling teams this season
sists at 3.1 and steals at 1.3.
“He has shown in anything he has ever played he will be a standout athlete, but I think (Klein) will do whatever we need on a night to night basis to be successful,” Carter said. “Could he lead us in scoring? Yes, I think he could, but I think with the guys stepping in to fill roles, there will be enough scoring around him that he doesn’t need to.”
The other main returners are seniors Dawson Maki, Tyler Thompson and Micah Mattes, junior Grant Osby and sophomore Isaiah Slaughter. Klein started 22 of Newton’s 23 games. Maki started six of the 23 he played in and Thompson
“We have full confidence that others will step up in (Riney’s) absence, and that he will come back as strong as ever,” Carter said. “I expect Maki, Slaughter and Osby to make big jumps in the scoring column. I think we have a lot of guys who can provide some spacing shooting the ball in Holmes, Wobschall and Allen.”
Newton scored 97 points and won its substate opener by 43 over Boone, but Pella ended the Cardinals’ season on its way to losing in the substate championship game.
Newton has won at least 11 games in four straight seasons and has posted a winning record in three of the past seven winters.
The Cardinals open the regular season with a home game against Grinnell on Dec. 2. Their conference opener is at Indianola on Dec. 5.
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
The Newton bowling teams have one clear leader at the top of their lineups this winter.
The girls squad welcomes back a handful of varsity bowlers from last season, while the boys are resetting their lineup after losing four seniors to graduation and another to transfer.
“Our goal is to take it day by day,” Newton head bowling coach Christie Lester said. “We want to improve each time and keep a positive, mental game going. All I want is for them is to give 100 percent. We want to get better every day.”
Senior Gabbie Humphrey headlines a girls’ team which welcomes back four varsity players who logged at least 12 games last season. Humphrey qualified for the state tournament individually for the first time in her career last season and averaged 185.36.
Her high game was 236 and her high series was 424.
The rest of the varsity girls’ lineup features seniors Aeris Archer, Kelly Holmes and Lili Baxin, junior Mackenna Burns and freshman Braleigh Slings. That could be the six-person varsity lineup the entire season, according to Lester.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Newton senior Caden Klein averaged 9.2 points per game but led the Cardinals in per-game averages for rebounds at 5.2, assists at 3.1 and steals at 1.3.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Newton sophomore Jeremiah Killmer is back as the lone varsity regular from the boys bowling team a season ago. He averaged 186.46.
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The biggest challenge for the two teams this season has been the change with the schedule. The girls and boys used to play their seasons in unison but that changed this offseason.
Girls bowling teams started their seasons two weeks before the boys, which has created some apprehension on both sides.
“The girls being on the lanes for two weeks made the boys feel like they’re behind. So that’s been a challenge and a change,” Lester said.
“I’m not sure how I feel about it right now. Yesterday was pure chaos. I already have the girls going and the boys are just starting with their introductory practice and coaches are needed at both places and we have a new assistant coach this year who’s trying to figure things out.”
Baxin only played in two varsity games last season. Burns logged the fewest games among the other returners, but she had the best average at 144.75.
Archer averaged 139.25 and Holmes posted an average of 133.09. Humphrey finished fourth at last year’s state qualifier.
The top eight finishers advance to state and Burns and Archer were 13th and 16th, respectively.
“We have a lot to work on. We need to pick up our spares,” Lester said. “If we can get our spare counts up, it
Next Level
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Newton averaged 40 points per game and allowed 41. But the Cardinals graduated five seniors after shooting 23 percent from 3-point range and making 54 percent from the free-throw line. They averaged 20 turnovers per game, too.
would help us.
“It just didn’t feel like the season had started yet. They didn’t feel like they could feed off each other’s energy. It was a lot quieter with just them in the center.”
Both programs finished 7-3 last season. The girls were third at last year’s state qualifying meet and the boys fin-
“We want to play at a faster pace,” Bennett said.
“Our defense was key last year, and we have a lot of our athletic girls back. The transition game is going to be important. We want our defense to lead to easy baskets on offense.
ished fourth.
Sophomore Jeremiah Killmer is back as the lone varsity regular from a season ago. He played in 22 games and averaged 186.46. His high game was 254 and his high series was 444.
Lester is unsure how the rest of the boys’ varsity lineup will shake out. But seniors Carter Maki and Jarret Swee-
“We’ll press some but with low numbers you can’t do that the entire game. We’ll have to figure out how to do some half-court stuff, but aggressive defense is what we’re going to count on.”
Two teams from the Little Hawkeye Conference reached the Class 4A semifinals last year. And Bennett doesn’t expect the league to get any easier this season.
ney each played in a few varsity games last season.
The rest of the roster includes senior Thaddeus Lewis, juniors Nolan Bowden and Will Buren, sophomores Braden Baskerville, Hudson Swarts and Ascher Austin and freshmen Bentley Heck and Brandon Holmes.
“I don’t see any record breakers, but it might be a team with more consistency than we’ve had in the past,” Lester said. “Most of these boys don’t have real highs or real lows.
“Strikes are great to win some games, but the spares will win the championships.”
The Cardinals will have a change to their schedule.
They no longer play in the Twin Rivers Conference, which eliminates matchups with Gilbert, ADM, Bondurant-Farrar and Ballard.
Instead, Newton and the rest of the teams will play under its familiar Little Hawkeye Conference name.
“It’s been a struggle to get the whole schedule buttoned down. There’s a new normal for sure,” Lester said.
“It’s a new adventure for all of us. I think things will go well, but everyone is trying to find their footing right now. It’s hard bouncing back and forth when normally we’re all in the same place.”
The girls opened their regular season with a win over Marshalltown on Nov. 11.
The Cardinals’ next four matchups are on their home lanes. They hosted Pella on Nov. 24 and face Sigourney/ Keota at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 2.
Class 4A No. 1 Dallas Center-Grimes and No. 3 Norwalk each won at least 20 games last year and No. 14 Pella went 168. But every other team in the league finished under .500.
“Our whole league is tough, and that’s been a focus,” Bennett said. “How can we be more competitive in the LHC this year? The first week of practice was good to see them meshed together, and we saw some positive things. Hope-
fully throughout the season we’ll develop the other girls into bigger roles that they can step into, kind of like our sophomores last year. With the style of basketball we want to play, we’ll need more than seven at some point, but we’re trying really hard to condition the girls who are ready for it.”
The Cardinals opened the regular season at Chariton on Nov. 25. They host Grinnell at 6 p.m. on Dec. 2 in Newton.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Newton senior Gabbie Humphrey returns to the bowling team after qualifying for the state tournament last winter. She leads a girls’ squad that includes four senior varsity returners.
Carkhuff
State success helps Newton boys swim team grow to largest in decades
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Finn Martin won a pair of state championships last season and his name will be listed on the Newton record board in several events before his prep career is over.
But the Cardinal senior left the University of Iowa Campus Recreation and Wellness Center last February with a little bit of unfinished business.
That’s why Newton head boys swim coach Lucas Warner thinks his standout athlete will stick with the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events when he decides what to compete in at the district meet later this season.
“He’s not stuck with those two by any means, but he has some goals in those events,” Warner said. “And after last year he feels like he left some things out there, and I think he will go in this year and clean it up.”
Martin headlines the 2025-26 Cardinal swim team but plenty of talent is back in the pool this season.
Warner also has built a roster that’s as large as any other in program history since at least the 1990s.
He had 26 swim-
definitely earned their spots on those relays and it’s going to be hard for someone to step up and take that from them.
“I really hope someone does push them though because that makes everyone else better. I would love competition for those spots.”
Warner identified juniors Blaine Brooks and Brody VanZee, sophomore Drew Lamont and freshman Brensen Castings as swimmers who could compete for those open relay spots.
Martin and Comer were the only Cardinals to swim in individual races at the state meet last year.
Warner thinks the number of events will double this winter.
spots last year, and he didn’t even really train that much for that specific event.”
Martin won state titles in the 50 and 100 freestyle last season after finishing first and second in those same events as a sophomore.
He was .04 seconds behind the state record in the 50 freestyle and earned all-American status in both events.
mers at the beginning of practice on Nov. 19 but continues to add to his depth daily.
“I want this program to be something where kids feel comfortable to go out and get exercise and really focus on their physical health,” Warner said. “It’s low impact work, you’re not going to get injured and it’s only going to make your joins and ligaments stronger for other sports.
“I’m glad that lane is filling up and I’m glad this is a sport those kids can come out and com-
pete in. We lift, too. It’s not just swimming.”
Warner gave credit to Cody Klein, who went out for swimming his senior year a few years back, as someone who started the trend of giving the sport a try.
While not everyone on the roster will battle for a spot in the state meet or even swim in a varsity race, the Cardinals do have plenty of talent that will.
Martin, senior Ethan Comer and junior Caleb Punt all are back from last year’s 200-yard free-
style relay team which set a new school record and placed 10th overall at the state meet.
Martin and Punt both were part of the 400 freestyle relay that placed 15th, and three swimmers return from the 20th place 200 medley relay team. That group includes Comer, Punt and sophomore Hudson Meyer.
“I want at least one of those relays to break the top 10,” Warner said. “Things are always wide open at this point, but those returners have
Comer is a two-time state qualifier in the 100 breaststroke. He was 18th last year. Warner expects Meyer to qualify in the 100 backstroke and Punt could qualify in any two of the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events.
“Those guys have come back ready to swim,” Warner said. “I expect (Comer) to qualify in the breaststroke and make it to the point where we’re not worried if he made it or not. I think he also could qualify in the 200 IM. He missed that by four
“The sky’s the limit for that guy. I don’t know if I can put into words how much better he can get,” Warner said. “Those state records are so within reach for him that I think he does those same two events because he has unfinished business. He could compete for a title in other events though.
“He’ll train his tail off. He suffered a devastating loss on the football field and then came to swim practice two days later. That takes a lot of will and a lot of effort.”
The Cardinals were third in last year’s North Central Swim Conference and finished sixth in the last two district meets.
The Cardinals opened their season at Ankeny on Nov. 25. They host Indianola at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 at the Newton
YMCA.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Newton senior Finn Martin is back for the Cardinal boys swim team after winning state championships in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle last winter. The Cardinals’ roster goes about 30 deep, which is the largest its been since the 1990s.
Troy Hyde/ Newton News
Newton senior Ethan Comer qualified for the state meet in the 100-yard breaststroke in each of the past two seasons.
No. 6 Mustangs seek climb in 3A hierarchy
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Not everyone is back from its 21-4 season, but the PCM girls basketball team returns four starters and nine total players who have significant varsity experience from previous seasons.
That should help the Mustangs con-
tinue their upward trend in Class 3A.
PCM, which starts the season ranked sixth in the class, finished 14-2 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference last year with the lone losses coming against Roland-Story.
West Marshall also was 13-3 in a league that featured five teams with at least 10 wins.
“We set goals but not on wins and
losses,” PCM head girls basketball coach Sami Allison-Rodriguez said. “We’ll focus on the things we can control, and the girls on the floor will decide how good we’ll be.”
The 21 wins were the most for the program since they posted a 21-3 season in 2008-09.
Allison-Rodriguez will have 23 girls to work with this winter, and the four returning starters are seniors Tori Lindsay and Kyra Naeve, junior Lila Milani and sophomore Libby Winters.
Senior Jorja Teeter started all 22 games as a sophomore but was limited to nine due to an injury last year.
Lindsay earned first team all-conference, all-district, all-region and third team all-state last season after leading the Mustangs in assists and steals per game at 3.4 and 2.8, respectively.
Lindsay also ranked second on the squad in scoring and rebounding at 12.6 points and 4.3 boards per contest. She’ll start her final season with 867 career points.
Winters joined Lindsay as an all-district and all-region player and was a second team all-conference selection after leading the team in scoring and rebounding at 13 points and 8.2 boards per game.
Winters also led the Mustangs at 1.4 blocks per contest and averaged 1.3 assists and 2.7 steals per tilt.
Milani averaged 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game and Naeve totaled five points, 3.5 rebounds, two assists and 2.3 steals per contest. They both were honorable mention all-conference selections.
HIERARCHY | 9
Troy Hyde/Newton News
PCM senior Tori Lindsay, left, earned first team all-conference, all-district, all-region and third team all-state last season for a Mustang squad which starts the year ranked sixth in Class 3A.
Nine seniors hope to push PCM boys up HOIAC ladder
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Hovering around .500 for the past five seasons, the PCM boys basketball team hopes a pair of returning starters, lots of offseason work and nine seniors can get the Mustangs over the hump this winter.
Seniors Chase Wagaman and Alex Wendt are back as returning starters and four others who played in at least 10 games also return from a squad that went 12-12 overall and 9-7 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference.
The Mustangs have been above .500 just once in the past five years. That was in 2021-22.
“We need to take care of the controllables,” PCM head boys basketball coach Tony Ford said. “There have always been a couple guys putting in a lot of offseason work since I have been the coach, but this year I felt everyone from grades nine through 12 was putting in time to get better.
“If the whole program is bought into getting better, then we’re going to win more games and create a top-notch competitive culture. At the end of the day, nobody is working to get better at basketball to lose, so if we are
all working we will buck that trend.”
Wagaman was an honorable mention all-conference player after starting all 24 games last year and led the
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“I feel good about those starters,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “(Winters) was a lot more comfortable inside the hoop last year but will take more outside shots this season. (Naeve) got more shots up and shouldn’t pass a
team in rebounds per game and steals per game at 7.7 and 1.8, respectively. He also put in nine points per contest and dished out 1.4 assists per tilt. Wendt started 20 of the
shot up, and if (Lindsay) passes up a shot everyone in the gym is going to hear me. She’s worked too hard to pass up good shots.”
Junior Kenna Grier and sophomores Holly Wood, Camden Webb and Katelynn Fagg all played in at least 14 games last season. Grier averaged three points per game, while Wood grabbed 1.7 boards and Webb had 1.5 rebounds per contest.
team’s 22 games and averaged six points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
“(Wendt) and (Wagaman) will be key pieces for sure, but they have a great supporting cast again this year,” Ford said. “They won’t be asked to do it all, but both of those guys will be monsters on the boards and I expect they will be at the free-throw line a lot because they have attack mentalities.”
The other players who started at least one game last season were senior Joe Shaver and junior Kash Fischer, but senior Kevin Thomas appeared in 16 games. Senior Gavin Steenhoek was limited to 10 games due to an injury.
Fischer averaged six points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game and Steenhoek contributed three points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in his limited action.
Thomas averaged 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest, while Shaver totaled 1.6 points and 1.5 boards per tilt.
Seven seniors from last year’s squad were lost to graduation. The 2024-25 team shot 39 percent from the floor and 32 percent from 3-point range. The Mustangs averaged 57.5 points per game and allowed 56.
“We did implement and
Teeter averaged three rebounds per tilt in her nine games but averaged 4.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Wood will dual sport with wrestling this season.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but if anyone can do it it’s her,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “She’s tough as nails.”
PCM averaged 55 points per game and allowed 34 per contest. They out-
install pieces of our offense and defense this summer and found it to fit our personnel,” Ford said. “We have a lot of successful athletes in football, cross-country and other sports at PCM.
“Our goal as a staff is to put these guys in the best system to allow that athleticism to flourish with the athletes we have. We think we found that in the offseason but now we need to nail down the details before games start.”
Ford expects Wagaman, Wendt, Steenhoek, Fischer, Shaver, Thomas and seniors Shay Burns, Andy Bellinghausen and Coby DeRaad to battle for varsity minutes.
Sophomores Hayden Shannon, Abe Kiernan and Bryson Karr are three others who could get into the mix as the season progresses.
“I really think Kevin Thomas is going to catch many people by surprise, except for the coaches,” Ford said. “He has put so much work in and has been sitting behind a few guys the last couple years. Don’t be surprised if he busts onto the scene and you know who he is by Christmas.”
The Mustangs open the season with consecutive home games against Pella Christian and HOIAC rival West Marshall on Dec. 1-2.
scored their opponents by an average of 21 points despite shooting just 28 percent from 3-point range.
“We did a lot of offensive work (in the offseason),” said Allison-Rodriguez, who was the district coach of the year last winter. “We were good defensively. We have to score more points so we challenged some kids to improve in that area. I think defensively we’re where we need to be.”
Troy Hyde/Newton News PCM senior Chase Wagaman started all 24 games last year and led the team in rebounds per game and steals per game at 7.7 and 1.8, respectively.
PCM girls ready for first season on the mat
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Junior Addyson Covington and sophomores Hadley
Millang, Emma Beyer and Allie Minteer are the only Mustangs on the PCM girls wrestling team who wrestled before the start of the season.
But the Mustangs start their first-ever season with 19 wrestlers, and new head coach Ervan DeVore is excited for the opportunity.
“Mustang Nation is really excited to offer a new opportunity for our girls,” DeVore said. “Having 15 of the 19 girls never wrestling until two weeks ago, learning the basics has been the focus so far. Our goal is to be better than the last match we wrestled
each time we step on the mat.”
PCM opened its season with a win over North Polk in its first-ever dual match on Nov. 17.
DeVore’s first girls wrestling roster includes two seniors in Emilyn Davis and Claire Van Wyk. The only junior is Covington, who got mat experience last season as part of Colfax-Mingo’s program.
Millang, Beyer and Minteer also wrestled as part of C-M’s varsity team last winter.
Millang had the most success, finishing 41-16 and claiming a South Iowa Cedar League championship at 145 pounds. She also went 3-2 at the regional tournament.
Minteer was 21-14 and won an SICL title at 110 and Beyer finished 24-20 at 155.
The rest of the sophomores are Holly Wood, Lily Birkenholtz, Carly Wilkerson, Scarlett Mosher, Courtney Cole, Addison Fry and Ryan DeVore and the freshmen are Mia Hitze, Macie Kain, Addison Pitman, Madalynn Breckenridge, Jacelyn Daye and Chloye Witte. Wood will dual sport with basketball.
Coach DeVore is happy with his numbers in the program’s first season.
“We have more girls grinding it out with blood, sweat and tears than a lot of programs in their fourth year,” Coach DeVore said. “We’re fortunate to have all 14 weight classes covered, and our team quote for the year is ‘Why Can’t We.’”
FIRST | 11
as part of the Colfax-Mingo
The Mustangs have their own program this season and won their first-ever dual against North Polk on Nov. 17.
Troy Hyde/Newton News PCM sophomore Hadley Millang, left, finished 41-16 last season
girls wrestling team.
PCM’s balanced roster should fare well in 2A
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Tucker Wheeler nearly climbed all the way up the podium at the state wrestling tournament last winter.
With one final chance to win a state title, Wheeler hopes to take one more step up in 2025-26 as he enters his final season with 134 career victories and a pair of topfour state finishes.
“He plans on winning it this year and I plan on him winning it this year, too,” PCM head wrestling coach Rusty Vos said. “He looks good in the room, and he’s put a lot of work into the sport of wrestling.”
Wheeler isn’t the only returning state qualifier. Senior Kaliber Fry is back after going 37-11 last year at 126 pounds and senior Zach Richards finished 25-15 a season ago.
The Mustangs’ roster goes 19 deep and a handful of freshmen are projected to work into the starting lineup.
“We have a pretty full room with about 20 junior high wrestlers, too,” Vos said. “It’s a good problem to have.”
Vos said he took a bunch of his guys to an Iron Sharpens Iron tournament in Illinois in late June and returned home impressed with the younger group.
“They competed well at that
team camp and they continue to work really hard in the first few days of practice,” Vos said.
Junior Brenden Lahart is expected to hold down the varsity spot at 106. He’s a transfer from Albia who impacted the cross country team in a big way this past fall.
Junior Chase Masterson will start at 120 but could end up at 113 and a trio of freshmen will battle for varsity spots at 120, 126 and 132. That group features Levi McAninch, Jared Sutton and Gracen Lust, who transferred in from Bondurant-Farrar.
about for Coach DeVore, he simply thought why not.
Continuedfrompage10
DeVore’s assistant coach is Brandon Teeple. When the opportunity came
“I pushed like many others in the community to get a girls program started at PCM,” Coach DeVore said.
“I always had a great passion for wrestling and had success many years ago
Fry will start at 138 but could drop to 132.
He begins his final season with 102 career wins and finished 2-2 at the last two state tournaments.
“He has the goal of finishing his career on the podium, and he knows what he has to
when I was in high school.
“I’m thankful and owe my assistant coach (Teeple) a lot of the credit. He has been an excellent partner for this challenge.”
The Mustangs split a pair of duals against North Polk and Wood-
do to get there,” Vos said.
Richards should follow Fry at 144. He was 0-2 in his first state tournament experience and did not wrestle as a sophomore because he spent the year as a foreign exchange student overseas but was 30-15 as a freshman.
Richards suffered an ACL injury in soccer last spring but returned to action for the cross country team in the fall.
Vos said he’s not showing any signs of the injury in practice and will be tough to beat this season.
The next four weights will held down by Wheeler, senior Harrison Brinegar and sophomores Mason Hjortshoj and Easton Morris.
Wheeler will start the season at 165. He finished 41-7 and was the runner-up at 157 in Class 2A last season.
Wheeler placed fourth and finished 50-6 at 144 as a sophomore and advanced to state and won 43 matches as a freshman.
Brinegar went 27-27 last year and Hjortshoj’s freshman season was cut short due to injury.
Sophomore Landon Siedlecki is the projected starter at 175, junior Gus Nolin slots in at 190 and junior Eli McGriff takes over at heavyweight.
PCM opens its season with a home quadrangular at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 in Monroe.
ward-Granger on Nov. 17.
They also competed in the Central Iowa Varsity Kickoff hosted by Nevada on Nov. 22.
PCM competes in a dual tournament hosted by Woodward-Granger at 5 p.m. on Dec. 1 in Woodward.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
PCM senior Tucker Wheeler, left, has one final shot to win a state championship after finishing second and fourth in each of the past two seasons.
Led by Dee, Baxter boys seek return to top of conference
By Troy Hyde
Senior Eli Dee ranked third in scoring in Class 1A last season. But if the Baxter boys basketball team wants to take the next step in the postseason, new head coach Kyle Stribe needs his best player to do more than score.
“We have high expectations for (Dee) outside of scoring this season,” Stribe said.
“For us to have the season we want he will need to be a better rebounder and better
Troy Hyde/ Newton News Baxter senior Eli Dee (1) earned second team all-state honors after averaging 29 points per game last season.
at creating shots for his teammates. I believe he has done all the right things this offseason to be ready to step up in those areas this season.”
Dee set a school record with 666 points last winter. That helped him earn second team all-state in 1A and he was the player of the year in the Iowa Star Conference South Division, too.
But the Bolts had their worst season since 2020-21 and did not win the conference title for the first time in several seasons, too.
the team.
Young Bolts shoot for ISC South Division title
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
The Baxter girls basketball team lost its all-time leading scorer to graduation and plans to start a pair of sophomores and two freshmen this year.
But head coach Kyle Krampe feels like the Bolts are capable of at least equaling their 13 wins from last season. He hopes his young team is prepared for another deep postseason run by the end of the regular season, too.
“I believe this team has the chance to be really special now and in the future,” Krampe said. “We will go through some learning curves this year with so many young players and tough schedule.”
That tough schedule includes a pair of South Iowa Cedar League programs in the first week of the season who are in the preseason Class 1A rankings.
But the Bolts welcome back the Krampe twins in sophomores Kamdyn and Kaylyn. Junior Avery Wonders also is back and freshmen Emileigh Beals and Olivia Parrie are expected to start, according to Coach Krampe.
Kamdyn Krampe started all 23 games last year as a freshman and averaged 14 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, which both ranked second on the team.
She also averaged nearly three assists and 2.6 steals per contest and was first team all-conference and an all-region player last season.
Kaylyn Krampe started 22 of the 23 games last winter and averaged 2.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Coach Krampe expects his daughters to be improved but also feels like the squad will be balanced as a whole.
“I believe you will see a lot of improvement out of both of them,” Coach Krampe said. “They played a lot this
summer and worked on their game. I think their confidence is better after going through a season of varsity basketball.
“I do believe we will be a more balanced team, and you won’t be able to just take one player away. We will have multiple girls who can score the basketball.”
The team’s lone senior and captain is Callie Cross and Wonders is back after playing in 22 games last year. She averaged 1.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per tilt.
The rest of the roster features six freshmen and five sophomores. Sophomore Myah Johnston played in 15 games last winter and sophomore Lillian Grunsted appeared in six.
Taylor Cross is the other sophomore and the freshmen class includes Beals, Parrie, Brylea Nicholson, Gia Dart, Grace Warden and Mackenzie Cross.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Baxter sophomore Kamdyn Krampe, top, started all 23 games last year as a freshman and averaged 14 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, which both ranked second on
Sports Editor
Gliem, Kincaid lead young Bolts on the mat
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
More than half of the total wrestlers on the Baxter boys and girls wrestling teams will be freshmen this season.
But the Bolts welcome back a pair of former state qualifiers to lead the room, and head coaches Dwight and Randi Gliem hope to end their program’s respective seasons at the state tournament in February.
“The offseason went well, and we had some great camp
opportunities for the wrestlers to attend,” Baxter head boys wrestling coach Dwight Gliem said. “Our main focus was to try to continue strength training and try to get new athletes involved in the sport.”
The returning state qualifiers are seniors Ruger Kincaid and Johnelle Gliem, who both qualified as freshmen.
The other senior on the boys’ team is Maddox Peters, but the rest of the roster features sophomore returner Derek Rominger and freshmen Kinnick Poage, Lincoln
Russell, Miles McCord, Sam Wilhelm and Nyle Brown.
The girls’ squad includes sophomore returner Malayla Hurd and freshmen Madison Jochems and Kenzie Wignall.
“The offseason was good this year,” Baxter head girls wrestling coach Randi Gliem said.
“We mainly focused on working on the little details of wrestling and strength training.”
Kincaid enters his final season with 62 career wins. He’s the projected starter at 165 pounds and was 10-6 last
senior
Continuedfrompage12
Last year’s Baxter squad averaged nearly 50 points per game and allowed 39. The Bolts shot 33 percent from the floor, 27 percent from 3-point range and 51 percent from the free-throw line.
Three players graduat-
wrestling team this
ed from last year’s team and the program lost leading rebounder Kendall Brummel, who moved to Marshalltown.
“We will have a young but talented team,” Coach Krampe said. “There was a lot of learning this offseason with so many young girls. We are going to be a faster-paced team with a lot more quickness. I believe this group is going to be a really good defen-
season, 30-14 as a sophomore and 22-16 as a freshman.
Peters slots in at 175 after going 33-23 last season. He begins his final season with 50 career victories.
Poage (106) and Russell (113) will hold down spots at the top of the lineup and McCord (190), Wilhelm (190) and Brown (285) will compete at the back end. Wilhelm may slot in at 215 for some duals if needed.
sive team once we learn how to play under control and do the things the coaching staff wants them to do. We will miss some outside shooting from last season so we have been working on that.”
The Bolts were 13-10 last season, which was a 10-win improvement from the year before. But leading scorer Emie Tuhn graduated.
Baxter finished 9-3 in the
“Our number of eight wrestlers is up from last year, and that number is going to grow in the future,” Dwight Gliem said. “My expectations for my athletes are effort and attitude. Give me effort and keep a positive attitude no matter what the situation is.
“I have and always will hold these athletes to a high standard on and off the mat. They are going to be better students and athletes after the season ends. My goals as a team are to win 75 percent of contested matches and as individuals I want to have a minimum of three qualify for the state tournament.”
YOUNG | 18
Ruger Kincaid is one of two seniors on this year’s Baxter boys wrestling team. He enters his final season with 62 career wins.
Iowa Star Conference South Division and went three rounds deep in the postseason. The Bolts lost to conference rival BCLUW twice in the regular season but knocked them off in the regional tournament.
The Bolts opened the season against Lynnville-Sully on Nov. 25 and host Montezuma on Dec. 6. They then play BCLUW in their first meeting
of the season on Dec. 9.
“We start the season playing two ranked teams in the first couple of weeks,” Coach Krampe said. “I think this team will continue to get better and better as the season goes on and we gain valuable experience. I believe if this team stays together and continues to work hard, we can get back to where we have been and more.”
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Baxter
Johnelle Gliem headlines the Bolts’ girls
winter. She qualified for the state tournament as a freshman.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Colfax-Mingo
senior Izaiah Lewis, right, is one of six Tigerhawk returners who played in at least 20 games last season.
C-M boys look to returning core to improve SICL standing
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Colfax-Mingo head boys basketball coach Mike Hunsberger knows what his program needs to do to get better. And the Tigerhawk coaching staff is prepared to play the long game to do it.
This year’s Colfax-Mingo boys basketball team features six players who appeared in at least 20 games last season, and the Tigerhawks hope that experience coupled with a few new faces can help improve upon last year’s 2-19 record.
“Our offseason has been focused on playing team basket-
ball and developing this group as a whole,” Hunsberger said. “We know we have to improve in many areas if we want to compete at the level we desire to. We are looking forward to seeing who steps into the different roles.”
Seniors Izaiah Lewis and Gage Byal, juniors Wyatt Carpenter and Jace Lewis and sophomores Wyatt Jay and Chase Trotter are back after starting in at least eight games last season.
Carpenter started 13 of the 20 games he played in and averaged 4.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Izaiah Lewis made 16 starts last winter and averaged 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest,
while Byal averaged 2.9 points and 1.1 assists per game in his 12 starts and 21 games.
Jace Lewis also started 12 of the team’s 21 games and averaged 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per tilt. Jay posted game averages of 2.0 points and 3.4 rebounds and Trotter started 10 games and averaged 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Trotter was injured during football season and will be out until after the holiday break.
“It for sure helps in this process of turning things around,” Hunsberger said about returning a handful of players from last year’s team.
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Troy Hyde/ Newton News
Experienced Tigerhawks hope to get over the hump
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Starting three freshmen had its ups and downs for the Colfax-Mingo girls basketball team last season.
The Tigerhawks managed to win six more games than it did the season before, but they also lost five games by eight points or less.
Second-year head coach Michaela Graffunder hopes bringing all five starters back and returning seven who played in all 22 games will help Colfax-Mingo get over the hump in close games this winter.
“I think with our maturity and experience we can close those games out this year,” Graffunder said. “Not graduating anyone last year is great for us. We have everyone back to improve on what we started. We have a good core group who want to succeed.”
Sophomore Isabelle Fogelsong earned second team all-conference honors last winter and sophomores Lydia Hansen and Blain Houseman were honorable mention selections.
But the Tigerhawks also welcome back seniors Mallory Sipma and Lilyan Hadsall, juniors Dakota Allen and Katelyn Steenhoek and sophomore Mickey Bucklin.
Seven of those players appeared in all 22 games last season and Hadsall played in 13.
“I’m expecting big things from
them — we can’t use the excuse that we’re a young team this year. It’s time for results,” Graffunder said.
Fogelsong led the team in scoring at 10 points per game and also averaged 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per contest.
Hansen ranked second in scoring at seven points per game but led the Tigerhawks in rebounding and blocks per game at 6.5 and 2.2, respectively, and averaged 1.2 steals per tilt.
Houseman averaged 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and led Colfax-Mingo in assists and steals per game at 2.9 and 2.2, respectively.
The other two returning starters are Sipma and Allen. Sipma totaled 2.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game and Allen contributed 2.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest.
Steenhoek chipped in 2.7 points and 1.5 boards per game and Bucklin, who will dual sport with wrestling, averaged 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.
The Tigerhawks averaged 34 points per game and allowed 44 per contest. That equaled a 6-16 record.
They shot 29 percent from the floor, 26 percent from 3-point range and 48.5 percent from the freethrow line while averaging 26 turnovers per game.
All of those numbers have to improve if the Tigerhawks are going to reach Graffunder’s goal of finishing
in the top five of the South Iowa Cedar League.
“The shooting needs to improve and limiting turnovers,” Graffunder said. “I think growing from the experiences of last year, those will improve. The game should be more comfortable for them now that they are older. We have been repping a lot of live game situations in practice to get ready for competition.”
The Tigerhawks’ roster goes 14 deep. The other junior is Diana Hernandez-Martinez and sophomore Jessica Gibson is expected to see an expanded role. The four freshmen are Chloe Hansen, Miley Baughman, Rory Rains and Nora Hunsberger.
Two teams from the SICL advanced to the state tournament last year and two others made it all the way to the regional championship games.
Lynnville-Sully, Montezuma and North Mahaska are expected to lead the way this winter, but Colfax-Mingo will battle with English Valleys and Sigourney for a top-five finish.
“We’re in a very competitive league, but we have the chance to be competitive, too,” Graffunder said.
Colfax-Mingo opened the season with road games against Southeast Warren and Class 1A No. 14 Martensdale-St. Marys.
The Tigerhawks host Sigourney at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 in Colfax.
We hope to get him back and in the mix of things.”
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Colfax-Mingo sophomore Isabelle Fogelsong led the Tigerhawks in scoring at 10 points per game and also averaged 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per contest last season.
range and averaged 18.5 turnovers per game.
“Each class that we have been able to work with early on will help us as we move forward,” Hunsberger continued. “The guys who are going on their second and third year with us understand what we expect. Not having (Trotter) is a huge hole due to his athleticism on both ends of the floor.
Hunsberger expects the returners — Jace Lewis, Izaiah Lewis, Jay, Carpenter and Byal — to have bigger roles this season.
The next group battling for varsity playing time includes seniors Wyatt Thornton and Alex Teed and sophomore Camden Cunningham.
The Tigerhawks averaged 39 points per game last season and allowed 65. They shot 22.4 percent from 3-point
Colfax-Mingo struggled to compete in a strong South Iowa Cedar League last season, finishing 2-13 in a conference that featured five squads with at least 16 wins. The Tigerhawks also are seeking their first winning season since 2019-20.
“Obviously, we have to improve in all aspects of the game to move forward, and that takes playing the long game in turning the program around,”
Hunsberger said. “This starts with the youth and the changes we have begun to make throughout the grades.”
Joining Izaiah Lewis, Teed, Byal and Thornton in the senior class are Abe Brown, Gus Engle, Brian Hernandez and Luke Padgett. Lawrence Solasberry is the third junior.
The Tigerhawks open their season against Woodward Academy at 7 p.m. on Dec. 1 in Colfax.
They host Sigourney at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 in Colfax.
Colfax-Mingo senior Emmalyn Buchman, top, was 14-5 last season and won 23 matches as a sophomore.
Tigerhawk girls seeking fourth consecutive SICL wrestling championship
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
There will be plenty of familiar names in the lineup for the Colfax-Mingo girls wrestling team this season.
But the Tigerhawks also will be without a few of their linchpins from the past few seasons and athletes from PCM also have formed their own program moving forward.
Colfax-Mingo will have 18 grapplers at its disposal this season, and the group is hoping to do enough to claim a fourth straight South Iowa Cedar League championship.
“We have 18 out but not everyone will be ready to compete this week,” Colfax-Mingo girls wrestling coach Erin Hume said.
“We’re down only a couple from last year. We honestly had a normal offseason of open mats and just keeping girls interested in the sport.”
The Tigerhawks lost multiple-year state qualifiers Lily Webster and Emma Cook to graduation, but returning to the lineup this winter will be seniors Brianna Freerksen, Lily Brenner, Em-
malyn Buchman and Cadence Linn.
The roster of 18 includes eight seniors, one junior and nine freshmen and sophomores.
The Tigerhawks only had 12 wrestlers in the lineup for last year’s regional meet, and the Bolts finished sixth out of 19 teams.
While this year’s team won’t fill a lineup, everyone does have mat experience.
“This is the first time in several years we don’t return a state participant but, for the most part, most of our girls have wrestled before,” Hume said.
“We will not fill a lineup but everyone has mat experience. We will have a few wrestle offs to start the season, but the girls are working hard to fill a weight we need to make us a stronger team, or they’re working hard to earn the varsity spot in order to make us stronger.”
This year’s seniors are Buchman, Freerksen, Linn, Brenner, Olivia Rausch, Lillie Jones, Brooklynn Audas and Kaydence Andersen.
Numbers are up for C-M boys wrestling team
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Numbers are up for the Colfax-Mingo boys wrestling team, and the Tigerhawks welcome back a pair of state qualifiers and plenty of returning starters but two injuries have already plagued the depth for head coach Stacey Rice.
Avoiding injuries will be key to a successful season as the Tigerhawks start the campaign with 18 healthy bodies and eight upperclassmen.
“Our numbers are up a little from previous years, but we are still struggling to fill all 14 weights,” Rice said. “We already have two injuries to returning starters so depth and staying healthy is a big concern.”
The top returners are seniors Cason Fitch and Teagan Dybevik, who qualified for the state tournament last season.
Fitch enters his final campaign with 111 career wins and Dybevik compiled a record 44-15 the past two seasons.
According to Rice, the only weight not accounted for early in the season is 144 pounds, but the Tigerhawks do have multiple grapplers in and around that weight.
Sophomore Andrew Hobbs is the projected starter at 106 and sophomores Logan Roam and Mario Ro-
driguez will compete for the job at 113.
Junior Ryan Bent and sophomore Jayden Cherveny will battle for the varsity spot at 120, Fitch is expected to return to 126 and sophomore Alexander Rodriguez-Briseno is projected to slot in at 132.
One of the two freshmen expected to begin the season as starters is Malachi Williams, who fits in at 138 but could be in the mix at 144, too.
Senior Kyle Wood is back and should be the guy at 150, and the rest of the lineup features sophomore Bennie Lind (157), junior Asher Knutson (165) or sophomore Xavier Cross (165), freshman Jessie Fitzgerald (175), junior Nate Endersbe (190), senior Konner Bennett (215) and either Dybevik or sophomores Leo Van Hauen or James Wood at heavyweight.
Cherveny was 22-18 last year at 120. Junior Allan Bregar was 19-14 at 215, but him and sophomore Willie Fitzgerald are the two injured Tigerhawks.
“Expectations for the year are to continue to improve throughout the season, give 100 percent effort and strive to be the best version of ourselves by the middle of February,” Rice said.
NUMBERS
| 18
top, is back for one final season and one last chance to lock up his second state tournament berth.
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Troy Hyde/ Newton News
Colfax-Mingo senior Cason Fitch,
Eighth-ranked Hawks set up for return trip to state tournament
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
All six losses suffered by the Lynnville-Sully girls basketball team last season came against teams which made the state tournament.
But with seven players who logged at least 21 games last season, the Class 1A No. 8 Hawks hope to get over the hump this winter and secure their first state tournament berth since the 2013-14 season.
And the first step in doing so is to find a way to win the close games against those same state-tournament caliber squads.
“Even with those game being close we need to understand the importance of each possession,” Lynnville-Sully head girls basketball coach Jerry Hulsing said. “We cannot give away possessions and need to improve our defense (rebound) and value the basketball.”
Senior Kate Harthoorn leads a quartet of returning starters after earning first team all-conference and all-district recognition last season.
Harthoorn made a school-record 67 3-pointers, shot 75 percent from the freethrow line and led the Hawks in scoring at 12.5 points per game. She also averaged a team-best 2.5 assists per game and totaled 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per tilt and buried 39 percent of her attempts from 3.
Harthoorn enters her senior season and third winter
as a starter with 766 career points.
“It helps having an experienced point guard because she knows what needs to happen and knows how to get us into the offense,” Hulsing said. “I think she can improve with the others improving around her and taking some of the pressure to be our only outside shooter.”
Hulsing isn’t into individual recognition. He wants all 11 of his players to be offensive threats if and when they enter the game.
Right now, he has eight players who will be in the regular rotation. That groups includes senior Tatum Huyser, juniors Ava Brummel and Brilynn Tice and sophomores Breah Lowry and Isabelle Vos.
The other three, who live in the same house, are Kate Harthoorn, sophomore Brooke Harthoorn and freshman Aubrey Harthoorn.
“It’s good to have so many players back with experience,” Hulsing said. “The team has looked good so far. They have been eager to improve and fit into slightly different roles. We’re learning and getting better and working on some new wrinkles we want to try.”
Brummel, Huyser and Tice are the other three returning starters. Brummel earned second team all-conference honors after leading the Hawks in rebounding at 8.3 per game. She also averaged 8.7 points and 1.5 steals per tilt.
Huyser averaged 5.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest and Tice chipped in 3.9 points, 3.3 re-
Troy Hyde/Newton News
Lynnville-Sully senior Kate Harthoorn, center, made a school-record 67 3-pointers, shot 75 percent from the free-throw line and led the Hawks in scoring at 12.5 points per game last season.
bounds and 1.2 assists per tilt.
Lowry was an honorable mention all-conference selection off the bench after averaging 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a team-high 3.7 steals per contest last winter.
Vos had per-game averages of 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds
Continuedfrompage16
Buchman was 14-5 last season and finished 23-9 as a sophomore. Freerksen was 24-23 at 130 pounds, Brenner was 19-14 and Rausch went 15-8 as a sophomore.
The lone junior is Samantha Wheeler, who finished 16-10 last season.
Karoxia Snyder, Lily Anderson and Emily Cook are the returning sophomores and Mickey Bucklin is a sophomore newcomer who will dual sport with basketball.
The five freshmen hoping to provide the Tigerhawks with depth are Callie Rathje, Ella Snyder, Londyn Alanis, Isabella Cushatt and Kennedy Phillips.
Hume said the Tigerhawks are navigating the transition without PCM athletes very well. It was just time for both schools to stand on their own.
“We truly valued having their girls in our room and are genuinely excited to see them build something of their own,” Hume said. “That opportunity, to represent their school and grow their own program, is exactly what they were hoping for, and we fully support them in that.
and Brooke Harthoorn averaged 4.3 boards per game.
The rest of the Hawks’ roster includes junior Emma Parkinson, sophomores Brynlee Farrell and Mandeesa Vos and freshman Aubrey Harthoorn.
“At the same time, we’re incredibly proud of the Colfax-Mingo girls who continue to represent our program. Our numbers remain strong, our athletes are working hard and we’re confident in the direction we’re headed.”
The Tigerhawks opened their season at Ballard on Nov. 20 and then competed in the Urbandale tournament on Nov. 22.
Colfax-Mingo hosts a home triangular against Marshalltown and Grinnell at 6 p.m. on Dec. 2 in Colfax.
Continuedfrompage16
Fitch qualified for the state tournament as a freshman but came up one spot short in tough district brackets in each of the past two seasons.
He’ll likely start the season ranked and has won at least 36 matches in each of his previous three seasons.
Dybevik was 21-5 last year and finished 2-2 in his first state tournament.
He came up one spot short of state as a sophomore despite winning 23 matches.
Colfax-Mingo opens its season in a road quadrangular at 4 p.m. on Dec. 4 in Belle Plaine.
Return
Continuedfrompage17
The Hawks have won at least 15 games in every season but one since the 2010-11 season.
L-S opened its season against EBF last week and then went to Baxter on Nov. 25. The Hawks play at HLV/TC on Dec. 2.
Trio of Hawk starters hope to keep L-S boys near top of conference
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Lynnville-Sully head boys basketball coach Nick Harthoorn has guided the Hawks to at least 18 wins in each of the past four seasons.
But only time will tell if this year’s squad is ready to return to the top of the South Iowa Cedar League after they were swept by both rivals North Mahaska and Montezuma last season.
“Montezuma and North Mahaska are quality schools with quality programs,” Harthoorn said. “When we play those schools, we know we will have to play hard and execute to come out on top. They force us to be at our best and that is what competition is all about.”
A change to the SICL format this season is the removal of divisions. So teams won’t play everyone in the old divisions twice anymore.
The Hawks are coming off an 18-6 campaign that ended with a four-point loss in the district final against eventual state champion Madrid.
That squad brings back three starters in seniors Dawson James and Sawyer Veldhuizen and junior Will Van Vark.
Hyde/Newton
Lynnville-Sully senior Dawson James, back, earned first team all-conference honors a season ago. He averaged a team-best 12.8 points per game, grabbed 6.3 rebounds per contest and dished out 1.8 assists per tilt.
Seniors Connor Deal and Jack Bowlin and junior Cameyon James also played in at least 19 games last winter.
Dawson James earned first team all-conference honors
a season ago. He averaged a team-best 12.8 points per game, grabbed 6.3 rebounds per contest and dished out 1.8 assists per tilt.
Veldhuizen and Van Vark
both were honorable mention all-conference selections.
Veldhuizen ranked second on the team in points per game at 11.1 and averaged 3.3 rebounds per contest. Van Vark posted per-game averages of nine points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals.
Bowlin made two starts and appeared in 19 games. He averaged 5.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, Deal posted 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game and Cameyon James averaged 3.6 points and 2.4 boards per contest.
According to Harthoorn, seniors Ethan Dunsbergen and Michael Spooner will battle for a larger role this season.
“We also had a solid JV team last year with a few sophomores and juniors who would like to make an impact on the varsity as well,” Harthoorn said. “Every year is a new challenge and that’s what makes it fun and exciting.”
Two starters graduated from last year’s squad which shot 31 percent from 3-point range and 55 percent from the free-throw line. L-S averaged 61.6 points and allowed 46.4.
The Hawks open the season with a road game against HLV/ TC at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 in Victor.
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The Baxter boys open their season with a quadrangular hosted by Montezuma at 6
p.m. on Dec. 4 in Montezuma. The Bolts compete in the Jeremy Fulk Classic hosted by New London at 10 a.m. on Dec. 6 in New London. Johnelle Gliem finished 2113 last year for the Baxter girls. She’ll slot in at 170 to start
the season, but Coach Gliem hopes to get her to 155 by season’s end.
Hurd is back at 235 after finishing third at regionals last season. Jochems and Wignall will compete at 125 and 130.
The Baxter girls went to
Sigourney/Keota on Nov. 18, competed at BGM on Nov. 22 and battled in a tournament hosted by Midland on Nov. 25.
The Bolts take part in a tournament hosted Williamsburg at 4 p.m. on Dec. 8 in Williamsburg.
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Stribe, who was an assistant coach for the Bolts last winter, expects senior Stadan Vansice to take a step offensively and junior Dakota Parker also is capable of scoring 20 points on any given night.
Dee ranked third in 1A with a points per game average of 29. He also averaged 4.4 rebounds, three assists and 1.7 steals per contest and made a school-record 57 3-pointers. He was 141-of-159 from the free-throw line and enters his senior season with 881 career points.
Vansice started 22 of the team’s 23 games last season. He averaged 2.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest and led the Bolts in assists per game at 3.9.
He also was responsible for guarding the other team’s best backcourt player every night and earned honorable mention all-conference recognition.
Sophomore Maddux Tuhn started 15 of the team’s 23 games last winter and averaged 4.8 points, 3.3 boards and 1.9 assists per game.
Junior Dakota Parker averaged 2.6 points per game in his 19 appearances and sophomore Colten Damman also played in 17 games.
Three seniors graduated from last year’s 14-9 squad. The Bolts went 10-2 in conference play and split two games with league champion Collins-Maxwell.
Last year’s Bolts scored 67.6 points per game and allowed 54.5. They also
shot 49 percent from the floor, made 34 percent from 3-point range and buried 73 percent from the free-throw line.
“An obvious goal is to win the conference but in order to do that we’re going to have to play well on the road and handle hostile environments much better,” Stribe said. “In order for us to get where we want to go we will have to rebound the ball well and find a way to get some stops.”
Dee, Vansice and Cael Wishman are the team’s three seniors. Wishman was injured during football season, but Stribe hopes to get him back at some point.
Stribe expects Eli Dee, Vansice, Parker, Damman, Tuhn, sophomore Hayden Burdess and freshmen Holden Dee and Blake Maxwell to play varsity minutes along with Wishman when he’s back healthy.
“Obviously (Dee) is a very talented scorer and will continue to score at a high rate, but with his improved ability to get teammates open combined with the attention from defenses others will have many opportunities to knock down some shots,” Stribe said. “As a team, we really concentrated this offseason on shooting and playing at a fast pace so I’m confident the work these guys put in will show and others will step up on the offensive end.”
The Bolts open their season with a home game against Meskwaki Settlement School on Dec. 2.
They play at North Tama on Dec. 5 and then host Montezuma on Dec. 6.
Three returning state qualifiers highlight L-S Hawk wrestlers
Numbers and depth for the Lynnville-Sully wrestling team will again be light this winter, but the Hawks welcome back three state qualifiers, two other seniors with plenty of varsity experience and a trio of freshmen who are looking to make their mark in year one.
Senior Matthew Mintle returns after earning the Hawks’ first podium finish in 10 seasons last winter, and junior Kimball Elliott and sophomore Jett Kramer each won at least 39 matches last season and had their seasons end at the state tournament.
“The guys have looked good,” Lynnville-Sully head wrestling coach Cayden Johnson said. “They have been getting into the room over the offseason. I have high hopes for them this year, and I would say they have even higher hopes for themselves.”
Mintle finished fifth in Class 1A at 132 pounds at last year’s state tournament and finalized his season at 49-8. He won a
district title and enters his final year with 99 career victories.
Mintle is expected to end up at 138 this season, according to Johnson. Kramer climbs to 126 after going 2-2 at state and finishing 43-8 at 113 a year ago. Elliott was 39-8 and finished 0-2 at state at 126. He moves to 144 this winter.
The other returners are seniors Burt Johnson and Ben Squires and the three freshmen are Graysen Lecompte, Asher Schechinger and Hudson Squires.
Ben Squires finished 28-11 at 285 last season. He was 3-1 at districts and missed out on state by one placing.
Lecompte is expected to slot into the lineup at 120, Schechinger is the projected starter at 150 and Hudson Squires and Ben Squires will go back-to-back at 215 and 285, respectively.
“Some of those guys might not be at those weights for a while, considering some of them are making a pretty decent cut to get where they want
to be, but those are the weights I talked about with everyone today,” Coach Johnson said. “The offseason was good. We focused mostly on just getting in the room and continuing to get a little better each day. They hold themselves to a high standard and that makes them much easier to coach.”
One of the big goals Coach Johnson has this season is to win more duals than in previous years.
Another goal is to qualify more than three wrestlers for the state tournament.
“We haven’t won many (duals) the last two years, but I’m hoping to change that,” Coach Johnson said. “We got close with some guys last year as far as qualifying for state, and I’m hoping we can get those guys there this year along with the three who qualified last year.”
The Hawks open their season in a road quadrangular at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 in Pekin. They compete in the Bill Rex Invitational at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 6 in Pekin.
last
Troy Hyde/ Newton News L-S senior Matthew Mintle, top, is back after earning the Hawks’ first podium finish in 10 seasons
winter.
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