NDN-SS-040221

2021 Spring Sports Preview

INSIDE: Spring Sports Previews of all five Jasper County schools

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 2

Walker, Ergenbright headline Newton boys golf team Troy Hyde/ Newton News

By Troy Hyde Newton News

Newton junior Ethan Walker will be one of the leaders on the Cardinal boys’ golf team this season.

Newton begins its season at 9 a.m. on April 2 at Woodland Hills Golf Course.

With two varsity golfers back in the fold this season, Newton’s boys’ golf team has a solid foundation to start with going into 2021.

The rest of the lineup will have to be figured out during the preseason as veteran head coach Pat Riley has a lot of unknowns heading into a new season.

And after losing the 2020 spring to the COVID-19 pandemic, Riley is excited to get things going again.

“All I know is after missing last season, I am really excited to get back out on the course and coach golf,” said Riley, who begins his 17th season.

Headlining this year’s roster are juniors Ethan Walker and Lincoln Ergenbright.

Walker had a nine-hole average of 55 and an 18-hole average of 86.33 as a freshman.

His low nine-hole round was a 42 and his best 18hole round was an 80.

Ergenbright averaged 58.5 for nine holes and 90.57 for 18 holes. He shot a 44 for a nine-hole low and had an 18-hole low of 84.

“The strength of our team starts with Ethan and Lincoln,” Riley said.

“These two have worked tirelessly over the winter on their games. I am counting on Walker and Ergenbright to not only score for us but also be positive role models

and leaders on the team.”

The Cardinals’ lone returning senior is Andrew Culbertson, but first-time seniors Derek Lanser and Brody Cazett also will battle for a spot on the varsity lineup.

“These guys have the potential to step in and help us at the varsity level,” Riley said. “Time will tell as to how quickly they develop on the course and in competition.”

Riley expects a pair of juniors — Garret Beerends and Braydon Chance — to help the Cardinals at the varsity level, too.

“Garret has played all three years thus far and has improved tremendously,” Riley said. “Braydon is an

athlete with good eye-hand coordination that I think will pick this game up quickly. He can hit a baseball so I know he can hit a golf ball.”

The freshman class goes three deep with Colin Cummins, Kinnick Pritchard and Landon Menninga.

Menninga and Lanser are both dual sporting this spring with soccer.

Jason Carter is back as Riley’s assistant coach.

“We are not very deep and we have a lot of unknowns,” Riley said. “I like the potential of these guys. If they develop like I think they can, we could have a solid team.”

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

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Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 3

Newton girls soccer seeks return to state tournament

By Troy Hyde Newton News Five seniors didn’t get the chance to play one final season on the pitch in 2020.

Last year’s spring sports’ seasons were called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And as Abby Lamont begins her seventh season as Newton’s girls’ head soccer coach, the Cardinals will have an experienced roster who took losing last year’s season hard.

“We are super excited,” Lamont said. “Losing last season was tough on them. But we have lots of experience and should have a strong team this season.”

The Cardinals were 9-8 in 2019 and finished 4-3 in Little Hawkeye Conference play.

It was the first time Newton did not reach double-digit wins in a while, but the Cardinals recorded at least 12 wins the six seasons prior, making

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Morgan Peterson is one of a handful of key returners back this season for Newton’s girls’ soccer team. The Cardinals open the season at Knoxville at 7 p.m. on April 6.

the state tournament in both 2016 and 2017.

Newton reached the regional finals in 2018 when it

finished 12-6. The 2017 team was 13-4 and the 2016 squad finished 14-4.

“We’ve been hitting the turf

a lot and we’ve been getting our feet on the ball quite a bit,” Lamont said.

Headlining this year’s team are senior Nykole Hernandez and juniors Aurora Nehring, Brynn Cazett, Madi Altemeier and Morgan Peterson.

Cazett earned second team all-conference honors as a freshman after making 21 starts and scoring 30 points.

She ranked second on the team with 13 goals and tied for fourth with four assists.

Both Hernandez and Nehring were honorable mention all-conference picks in 2019.

Nehring is back as the team’s goalie. She made 21 starts as a freshman, spent 1,100 minutes between the pipes and allowed just 11 goals. She stopped 125 shots for a save percentage of 92 and recorded eight shutouts.

Hernandez is back in the defensive backfield. She made 18 starts as a sophomore.

Altemeier also is back on

the Cardinals’ defense. She made 21 starts, scoring two goals and delivering two assists in 2019.

Peterson was injured as a freshman but not before making 12 starts and contributing one goal and one assist.

Senior Riley Davidson is expected to take on a bigger role on defense after making five starts as a sophomore.

Joining Cazett as players who are expected to make an impact in the scoring zones are senior Haley Fuller and sophomores Audrey Rausch and Emma Lopez-Garcia.

Like every other year, Lamont expects the LHC to be super competitive. DCG and Pella are usually in the state rankings every year.

Back as Lamont’s assistant coach is Susan Altemeier, who begins her third season.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Central Iowa United girls ready to kick off first season

By Troy Hyde Newton News The Central Iowa United soccer programs were supposed to kick off their first season together in 2020. And the girls team was hoping to have a banner season after bringing back 10 players from a team which won 10 matches the year before.

Instead, the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Head coach Sadie Jones is back though. And she’s officially ready to lead CIU on the pitch for the first time.

Ryan Boley also is back as Jones’ assistant coach.

“I am super excited,” Jones said. “I never got to see them play in any matches Berg last year, but I see a lot of talent on this team.”

Central Iowa United was formed last offseason and the program includes five different school districts, including Baxter and Colfax-Mingo.

The Tigerhawks played

soccer with PCM for several years before breaking off last year to join CIU, which also features players from Collins-Maxwell, West Marshall and Colo-NESCO. This year’s roster includes 38 players — 11 seniors, 12 juniors, 10 sophomores and five freshmen. The team will play its matches in Maxwell.

CIU brings back seven players who made at least eight starts in 2019, including Baxter senior Cassy Berg. She posted nine points with three goals and three assists as a sophomore.

The other three players

from Baxter are junior Lilie Vansice and sophomores Kendyl Stevenson and Alaina Stouffer.

CIU will benefit from potentially seven Colfax-Mingo players joining the program.

That group includes seniors Chelsey Temple and Allison Rollins, sophomores Felicity Woods and Maegan Abel and freshmen Alice Brown, Selena Lopez and Cassidy Smith.

Temple also is on the C-M track team this spring.

Berg will play a midfield position this season.

“It’s different with five school districts involved with

one program, but I see one team. I don’t see separate schools,” Jones said. “They are fitting in.

“My challenge now is trying to figure out positions and where players best fit. We are working on first touches and communication, too.”

Jones is guiding her first soccer program. She played goalkeeper for four years at Central College. Jones was a standout prep soccer player for Creston.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 4

Distance crew off to strong start for Newton boys track

By Troy Hyde Newton News

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton juniors Jackson Mace-Maynard, left, and Treycen Garton will be two of the Cardinals leading the boys’ track and field team this spring. Newton opens the season at Boone on April 5.

distance group in juniors Jackson Mace-Maynard, Treycen Garton, Brennan Amos and Derek Beiner as well as freshman Cody Klein.

The sprinters are highlighted by juniors Nate Maki, Zay Arguello and Keith Moko and senior Zane Biondi.

At the Dickinson Relays earlier this month, the 4x800 team was fourth overall among 50

or so teams. The foursome of Mace-Maynard, Beiner, Amos and Klein put in a time of 8 minutes, 44.1 seconds. That’s already very close to the best time the Cardinals ran outdoors two years ago.

Garvis said the trio of Garton, Amos and Beiner all were part of the school-record setting 4x800 relay team in junior high. Garton and Amos have the top two returning 800 times in 2:10.05 and 2:11.92, respectively.

Amos also has the top returning mile time (4:38.3) and posted a 10:37 in the 3,200. Garton’s best mile time was clocked at 4:56.34.

Garton and Amos were both part of the Cardinals’ top 4x800 and distance medley relay teams in 2019 and Garton was on the best 4x400 squad.

Mace-Maynard and Garton were both state qualifiers in cross country this past fall. Mace-Maynard’s fastest times as a freshman were 4:55.53 in the mile and 10:23.15 in the two mile.

Maki leads a deep crop of sprinters. He was one of the best sprinters as a freshman for the Cardinals, posting times of 12.26 in the 100 and 25.5 in the 200.

Maki also was part of the top 4x200 and sprint medley relay teams and one of the fastest 4x100 relay teams from 2019.

John Fuller took over the newly-formed Central Iowa United boys’ soccer team on Feb. 20 of 2020. That wasn’t enough time to get the program on solid ground. He couldn’t hold many open gyms before the season started.

Fuller truly didn’t know what he had at that time. And eventually, the season was canceled because of COVID-19.

Fast forward to now, and a more than yearlong pandemic has still altered the program.

“Unfortunately with COVID and five schools participating in the program, I did not have open gyms this offseason either,” said Fuller, who was a volunteer assistant for the boys’ and girls’ soccer programs at Collins-Maxwell before taking over for the CIU boys. “I did not want to risk the basketball programs as they were finishing their season. Also, I wanted to wait until I was fully vaccinated before having closer contact with this many kids.”

The Class 2A CIU soccer programs are made up of players from Baxter, Colfax-Mingo, Collins-Maxwell, West Marshall and Colo-NESCO. Fuller also started the season without an assistant coach but Danny Beattie did join the program as a volunteer assistant last week.

Fuller still has to figure out what he has on the pitch and a lot of questions are still not answered.

But he hopes to lean on his juniors and seniors for leadership and experience.

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Newton’s boys’ track and field team didn’t have a state qualifier two years ago. And last year’s season was obviously wiped out due to COVID-19.

But that didn’t stop third-year Cardinal head coach Chad Garvis from setting a high bar for his team this spring.

And after an impressive showing at the Dickinson Relays indoor meet earlier this month, his hopes of getting multiple state qualifiers in 2021 might be realistic expectations.

“This might be bold, but I think we can qualify two or three relays and then five individuals or so,” Garvis said.

Loren Jacobsen is back as Garvis’ assistant coach and Jeff Richardson is the throws coach for both the boys and girls teams at Newton.

The Cardinals featured around 35 athletes two years ago. The number has grown to around 50 this spring.

Without a season in 2020, and with only the one indoor meet this spring, Garvis won’t know for sure what he has until the Cardinals begin the outdoor season.

There are plenty of returners from a young squad that last ran on the track two seasons ago.

Leading the way is a dynamic

Central Iowa United boys seek growth in first season

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 5

Tigerhawks ready for another successful spring

By Troy Hyde Newton News Long-time Colfax-Mingo boys’ track and field coach Matt Barkalow was excited about last year’s squad. The Tigerhawks were set to return 15 letter winners and three state qualifiers before the spring seasons were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This spring, Barkalow welcomes a younger and less experienced roster, but Colfax-Mingo has seven seniors and seven juniors leading the way at the top of the roster.

“We are very young, but it’s been a great group to work with this spring,” Barkalow said. “We have lots of multisport athletes and over half the squad has been committed to year-round weight room work.

“It will be exciting to watch this group compete and grow in 2021 then debut our new stadium in 2022.”

Next spring, the Tigerhawks will hopefully get to compete on a home track in their new stadium. Before that, C-M will try to secure as many state berths as possible this season.

Senior Colton Hernandez is the Tigerhawk back from the 2019 state shuttle hurdle relay team. He’s expected to be one of the top point scorers this spring.

Hernandez has the top returning time in the 110-meter high hurdles (18.77) and 400 hurdles (1:04.14) and was on the top 4x100 and 4x800 relay teams from 2019.

Senior Noah Strohmeyer also was on one of the fastest 4x100 and 4x800 relay teams from two years ago. He’s expected to run sprints, middle distance and distance.

The other Tigerhawks who Barkalow expects to be top point scorers include seniors Zach Steenhoek and A.J. Gibson, juniors Grant Alexander and Justin Myers and sophomore Carter Gibson.

Steenhoek has the team’s top returning times in the 100 (12.45), 800 (2:20.07), 1,600 (5:09.23) and 3,200 (11:20.45). He also ran on the fastest

Troy Hyde/Newton News Colfax-Mingo senior Colton Hernandez competed at the state track and field meet in 2019. He’s back this season and is expected to be one of the highest point scorers for the Tigerhawks.

4x800 relay.

Myers is one of the top returning hurdlers and will be used in sprints, mid distances and jumps this season.

A.J. Gibson has the top returning times in the 200 (25.34) and 400 (58.48) and was on the top 4x200, 4x400, sprint medley and distance medley relays as a sophomore. He also has the top returning height in the high jump at 5 feet, 8 inches.

Alexander and senior Andrew Gorman are the top returning throwers.

Alexander had a top throw of 101 feet in the discus and hit 35-2 1/4 in the shot put.

Gorman has the top returning shot put throw at 36-7 3/4.

Carter Gibson’s freshman track season was canceled, but Barkalow says he’s “one of the most talented and natural runners he’s ever coached” who has huge upside in the 400, 800 and 1,600 distances.

This year’s roster goes 30 deep, 13 of which are freshmen. There are three sophomores on the team.

Barkalow’s coaching staff includes assistant coach Phil Grant and volunteer coaches Jacob Lietz and Josh Rathje.

GIRLS TRACK Zach Tomas begins his 11th season as Colfax-Mingo’s girls’ track and field coach. And never before has he had a team with more questions than this one.

Last year’s spring sports seasons were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot has to come together,” Tomas said. “I feel good about some things.

But right now, the picture is not clear.”

Tomas has a large team to work with. He starts the season with 39 athletes but only has six seniors and 10 juniors. The rest of the team has never competed in high school track.

“We only have three seniors who have been out all four years,” Tomas said. “The numbers are exciting. And the kids have a great work ethic.”

Four of the top 10 point scorers in 2019 are back. That group includes seniors Daytin Chadwick and Chelsey Temple and juniors Kyra Lester and Kylie Doty.

Lester ranked sixth on the team as a freshman with 40.25 points scored.

She will compete in the shot put and discus. She is the top returning discus thrower at 102 feet and also tossed 30

feet, 2 inches in the shot put.

Chadwick brings back the top returning times in the 1,500 (6:32.3), 3,000 (14:31.5) and one of the top returning times in the 800, 400 and 400 hurdles. She’s also the top returner in the high jump at 4-6.

Temple brings back the top returning time in the 800 (2:56.64) and 400 hurdles (1:35.35) and also was on the top 4x800 and shuttle hurdle relay teams.

Doty scored a lot of her team points in the long jump as she brings back the top returning leap of 14-8 and she also was on the fastest 4x200 relay and had a leap of 4-2 in the high jump.

Junior Melany Vry has the top returning time in the 100 hurdles and one of the top returning times in the 200.

Junior Danica Linn has the top returning time in the 200 and a top returning time in the 400.

Junior Maggie Schroeder’s time of 1:14.75 in the 400 is the top returning mark. And Vry was on the top shuttle hurdle relay team.

Junior McKayla Smith joins Lester as a top returning thrower. She threw 31-9 1/4 in the shot put.

Tomas said he expects sophomore McKenna Pleima to be the team leader in sprinting events.

Sophomore Caylee Cunningham will be used all over the track and take part in the high jump, while sophomores Abi Rawlins and Carley Underwood will be used in the long jump, hurdles and sprints.

Temple and sophomores Maegan Abel and Felicity Woods will dual sport this spring with the Central Iowa United girls’ soccer squad.

Assisting Tomas this spring will be Laurie McGhee, Skylar Rawlins and McKinzie Tjaden.

GOLF Colfax-Mingo senior Jason Rhinehart didn’t get the chance at a redemption tour last season.

COLFAX-MINGO | 16

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Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 7

PCM spring sports teams have mixture of experience and youth Vi Humpal and also includes sophomores Cate Humpal, Rylee Gallaher and Jaden Fairbanks.

By Troy Hyde Newton News PCM’s girls’ track and field roster continues to grow in size under the direction of head coach Eric Karr.

One year after losing the entire 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mustangs will have 44 athletes this spring.

The toughest part for Karr and assistant coaches Trey Thompson and Logan Bieghler will be to find the right spots for everyone when the outdoor season kicks off.

“The season is off to a great start,” Karr said. “As far as I can tell, the 44 athletes we have out is a program record.

I obviously love having those numbers, but that also creates the problem of truly being able to coach each athlete.”

Senior Margo Chipps and juniors Chelsea Bird and Delaney Baird headline the group of returners. All three Mustangs competed in the state track meet two years ago.

Chipps, a Northern Iowa recruit, has won an individual state medal and three medals from two different state relays.

She was third in the 400-meter hurdles her freshman season, ran on a runner-up 4x200 relay team and also helped the Mustangs to second and fourth in the shuttle hurdle relay in 2018 and 2019.

Chipps has the top returning time in the 100 (13.79), 100 hurdles (16.14) and 400 hurdles (1:08.3). She also was part of the top returning shuttle hurdle, sprint medley, distance medley and 4x100 relay teams.

Bird was on the shuttle hurdle relay team which placed second at state in 2019. She

Submitted Photo PCM senior Margo Chipps is back to lead the Mustang girls’ track and field team this spring. Chipps is a Northern Iowa recruit and a multiple-time state meet medalist.

has the top returning mark in the long jump at 15 feet, 1/2 inches, the second best returning time in the 100 and the third best returning time in the 100 hurdles.

Baird brings back the top returning time in the 200 (29.86) and 400 (1:08.94) and was part of the 4x400 relay team in 2019 that finished 15th at state. She also competed on the best distance medley relay team.

Hurdles have been go-to events in the past for PCM and Karr said that won’t change this spring. Chipps and Bird lead the way, but juniors Belle Hudnut and Kate McClellan also will contribute as will some newcomers.

Hudnut has the second best returning time in the 100 hurdles.

Karr said the distance

crew is the deepest its been in recent years. That group includes sophomores Paige Steenhoek, Sophia Steenhoek and Riley DeVore and freshman Tiffani Koonce. Koonce and Paige Steenhoek were both cross country state qualifiers in the fall.

The sprinters are led by Baird, Chipps, Bird, Hudnut, McClellan, senior Lilli Baird and a bunch of newcomers.

Lilli Baird has the second best returning time in the 400 and the top returning time in the 800 (2:49.06).

Karr anticipates his team scoring a lot of points in the field events. Bird leads the way in the long jump and senior Celeste Wagaman is the top returner in the high jump (4-11).

The throwers are a deep group that starts with junior

BOYS GOLF Mike Cardin spent 26 years as Ottumwa’s head boys golf coach. He led the Bulldogs to nine state championships and guided four individuals to state titles.

And after three seasons as a volunteer assistant at PCM, Cardin was set to take over the Mustang boys’ program last spring.

Unfortunately, his first season leading the program was delayed one calendar year after the entire spring seasons were wiped out because of COVID-19.

Cardin is back for his “second” season this spring and the Mustangs bring back a lineup filled with experienced veterans. Four varsity players are back from two years ago, but Cardin has to figure out what his lineup looks like after the top two scorers graduated from the 2019 roster.

“I still feel confident we can be competitive,” Cardin said.

“We didn’t officially get started until after spring break so I don’t know where guys will be yet, but I think I have a pretty good system and if they buy into it, I think we can be competitive.”

Seniors Andrew Mitchell, Gatlin Boell and Grant Landgrebe and junior Gabe Lanphier all are back from the 2019 varsity team. Seniors Brayden Berger and Brian Nicholson also played a few holes at the varsity level.

Mitchell is the top returner after averaging 39.5 for nine holes and 86 for 18 holes in 2019.

Boell averaged 41 for nine

and 87.29 for 18 holes. Mitchell and Boell will both dual sport this spring with track and field.

Landgrebe also averaged 41 for nine holes and 92.71 for 18 holes, while Lanphier shot an average of 47.5 for nine and 95 for 18 holes.

The rest of the 15-player roster includes senior Kyle Landgrebe, juniors Keaton Thomas and Drake Roorda, sophomores Grant Van Veen and Hudson Geer and freshman Nick Farver, Mark Bussan, Nate Richardson and Zach Roorda.

Brad Hill is back as the boys’ assistant golf coach.

Tony Ford will be a volunteer coach for both the boys’ and girls’ teams.

“When we can get on the course, we will do a shortgame skills test,” said Cardin, who was elected into the Iowa High School Golf Hall of Fame in 2014. “We will get them a short-game score and then go from there. The short game matters. That makes the difference in the scores.”

BOYS TRACK PCM’s boys’ track and field team is deep and full of speed.

That’s what head coach Collin Harrison knows.

But after not having a season last year, like everyone else in the state, his Mustang squad is full of unknowns.

“It’s just so hard because I haven’t seen them run in two years,” said Harrison, who begins his seventh season as head coach.

There are 42 athletes on the team this season. That includes 13 seniors, eight juniors, 10 sophomores and 11 freshmen.

PCM | 15

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 8

Deep roster gives Newton girls track team plenty of options

top 200 time (27.53).

Malow ran anything from a 400 to the 3,000 as a sophomore two years ago. Her best 400 time was clocked at 1 minute, 4.6 seconds, she had a 2:32.68 in the 800 and ran the 1,500 in 5:52.14. Her best 3K time was clocked at 12:41.10.

Terpstra also was part of the Cardinals’ top 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams, while Malow ran on the best 4x400 and 4x800 squads. They both were on the top sprint medley and distance medley relays.

The distance medley relay that featured Terpstra and Malow placed 10th at the state meet in 2019.

Oswalt will be one of the Cardinals’ distance runners.

She ran the 1,500 in 5:51.91 two years ago and turned in a best time of 12:21.69 in the 3,000.

The rest of the leaders in the distance events include juniors Grace Benson, Morgan Stalzer, Kelsey Church and Alyssa Shannon, sophomore Kate Muckler and freshman

Desirae Gifford.

Benson ran a 1:11.33 in the 400 two years ago while also posting times of 2:43.34 and 5:49.94 in the 800 and 1,500, respectively. She also joins Malow as one of the runners on the Cardinals’ top returning 4x800 relay team.

Stalzer ran a 5:38.7 in the 1,500 and had a 12:45.16 in the 3K. “We have had many girls indicate interest in the 400 and 800 distance so we are looking forward to the options we have for lineups,” Tomas said.

Besides Terpstra, the sprinter group will be led by Henwood, junior Kya Butler, sophomores Addy Terpstra, Libby Shores and Jessie Hutchinson and freshmen Taylor Schilling, Chloe Rorabaugh and Gracie Clayton.

Henwood, Butler and Shannon all will dual sport with tennis this spring. Hutchinson also is on the golf team.

“We have seen a lot of improvement in practice thus far,” Tomas said. “These girls have stood out to us in practice, but we anticipate many changes as girls continue to get in shape and more consistently on the track for practice.”

Newton won’t have a lot of varsity experience in the hurdle events but Tomas said a lot of girls are competing for track time.

That group includes Shores,

Gavin Urias and A.J. Holdefer, juniors Colin Sharp, Riley Holt and Tayvin Galanakis and sophomores Collin Buchli, Brody Bauer and Jarred Smith.

Beiner, Klein, Sharp, Buchli and Smith all will dual sport

with soccer.

Dydell leads in hurdles.

That group also features Urias, Bauer and juniors Cole Swank and Reese Hammons.

Swank posted a 12.68 in the 100 and ran a 17.67 in the 110 high hurdles. Dydell ran a

57.89 in the 400 and also hit 5 feet, 6 inches in the high jump.

He was on the Cardinals’ top 4x400 relay team, too.

Headlining the throwers will be juniors Tyson Elliot, Dallas King, Jaden Shannon and Nate Davies. Elliot and

By Troy Hyde Newton News Newton’s girls’ track and field team will be large in numbers this spring. But cohead coach Rachel Tomas said most of the 50 female athletes who are out for track this season have little to no experience after the 2020 season was wiped out due to COVID-19.

The Cardinals do bring back 14 returners from the 2019 season and they will have six seniors and 16 juniors in all at the top of the roster.

“Even though we are a young team, the girls have been working hard and showing us their potential,” Tomas said. “Typically we have had an indoor meet to see the girls in a competition setting to have an idea coming into the outdoor season. We are relying only on practice performance right now.”

Most of the indoor competitions around the state were canceled this spring.

For the Newton girls, the first time Tomas and co-head coach Rachelle Tipton will get to see the team in competition will be at the outdoor season opener in Boone on April 1.

The six seniors on this year’s roster are Kynnedei Terpstra, Ashay Malow, Willow Oswalt, Sydni Followill, Kenleigh Jack and Chassidy Henwood.

Terpstra brings back the top returning 100 time (13.21 seconds) from 2019 and the

Boys Track Continued from Page 4 Joining Maki, Biondi, Moko and Arguello as varsity sprinters are seniors Jaden Dydell, Jordan Henderson,

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Ashay Malow, left, and junior Grace Benson will be two of the leaders on the Cardinal girls’ track and field team this season. Newton opens the season at Boone on April 5.

Clayton, Rorabaugh, Addy Terpstra, junior Casse Adams, sophomores Annie Main, Olivia Felten and JaQuay Priest and freshmen Alyssa Beerends, Savanna Johnston, Claire Breuer, Jacy Linahon and Brianna Aebischer.

The top returner in field events is junior Kealey Manning. She got off to a great start with a throw of 35 feet in the only indoor meet last spring.

She also has the top returning throw of 91 feet, 4 inches in the discus from two seasons ago.

Newton throwing coach Jeff Richardson says others competing for varsity spots in the shot put include junior Maggie Williams and sophomores Lydia Biondi, Tierney Adams and Jayden Lukefahr.

In contention for varsity discus besides Manning are Lukefahr and sophomore Marissa Cunningham.

Tomas said Church and Rorabaugh will be the team’s high jumpers, while Shores, Felten and junior Mackenzie Faircloth will be the long jumpers.

“We have the numbers this year to fill a lineup and beyond,” Tomas said. “The talent is there. Our job will be continuing that talent and determining the best team lineup.”

Davies have the top returning tosses in the shot put (39-6) and discus (126-11), respectively.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 9

Newton girls golf seeks LHC title, state tournament appearance

By Troy Hyde Newton News For the first time in 20 years, Newton’s girls’ golf program will have new direction. And Ashley Kahler will have one of the best players in the entire state and an experienced roster at her disposal as the Cardinals attempt to get back to the state tournament.

Junior Rylee Heryford finished third in the Class 4A state tournament in 2019. She had aspirations to win a state title in 2020 but the spring seasons were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cardinals will stay in 4A for at least one more year. And Allison Grier is back for her 16th season as an assistant coach in the program.

“The team is ready to play golf again,” Kahler said. “They are excited to be given the opportunity to play. This team has a lot of experience on the golf course.

“I believe we can make a run at the conference title and a run at qualifying for state.”

The Newton girls’ golf team features nine players. Seniors Abby Price and Bekah Vasseau are back after claiming all-conference honors in 2019. Heryford, who won the LHC title as a freshman, leads a junior class that also includes Madison Price and Emily Zink.

Sophomores Marin Pettigrew, Ella Price and Jessie Hutchinson also are back after not being able to compete as freshmen.

The lone freshman this season is Mackenzie Schippers.

Hutchinson will dual sport this spring with track and field.

“Abby and Bekah provide experience and great senior leadership on and off the golf course,” Kahler said. “The sophomores are very eager to get golfing since they missed their freshmen year.”

Heryford set three school records as a freshman in 2019.

She set a new record nine-hole score of 35, reset the record for 18 holes with a 71 and also tallied a 150 for 36 holes

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Rylee Heryford is back to lead the girls golf team this spring after placing third in the Class 4A state tournament in 2019.

at the state meet, which was the lowest two-round score in program history.

Heryford’s 37.83 nine-hole average ranked third in 4A two years ago and her 18-hole average of 78.67 was fifth.

“Everyone knows Rylee is already very accomplished,” Kahler said. “She was third in the state as a freshman and just received her third consecutive player of the year.

“She is one of the best golfers in the state and she can beat anyone when she’s locked in. I believe she is ready to take the next step in her career and do amazing things.”

Newton tied for second in the Little Hawkeye Conference regular season standings and also placed second at the LHC tourney in 2019. The Cardinals were fifth at regionals.

Abby Price earned all-conference honors after finishing eighth in the LHC tournament in 2019. Her nine-hole average was 53.83 and she averaged 100.17 for her 18-hole rounds.

Vasseau was an honorable mention all-conference player after placing 16th as a sophomore. She averaged 52.67 for nine holes and 98 for 18 holes.

“We are working hard on our short game,” Kahler said. “Meets will be won and scores will lower around the greens.

We must be able to chip and two putt and we must not let one bad hole ruin a round.”

Kahler takes over for long-time coach Scott Enyart.

She played four years of high school golf at Eldora-New Providence and was on three state title teams and one runner-up squad.

Kahler also qualified for the NJCAA National Golf Tournament during her one semester of golf at Ellsworth Community College.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity,” Kahler said about taking over the Newton girls’ golf program. “This is my first year of coaching golf, but I have a lot of experience in coaching.

“Newton has a rich history in golf. I believe I am the first woman golf coach here and only the fourth coach in the history of Newton girls’ golf. The girls have been great student-athletes and they are very focused young ladies. They strive to become a better golfer/person each and every day.”

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Newton girls tennis resets roster with new expectations

By Troy Hyde Newton News Long-time Newton girls’ tennis coach Erick Zehr had a team last season that was going to be in the mix for a Little Hawkeye Conference title.

The Cardinals started the season with 60 players signed up to play and the upperclassmen were finally going to get the chance to play at their level.

The 2020 spring sports season was eventually canceled and with it went the championship expectations.

Numbers are down this season, but Zehr welcomes back a handful of players with varsity experience. Figuring out the rest of the roster is still ongoing though.

“Not having a season was honestly devastating. It crushed our roster,” Zehr said.

“We had girls who were playing up for a while and last year it was supposed to all come together for us. It was their time to shine and we lost the season.”

“For our sport, 90 percent of the instruction comes within the season. True growth happens during the season.

So we lost an entire year of growth, too.”

Zehr begins his 12th season as head coach. And Cassidy Bos will be his assistant coach.

On top of the seniors who graduated last year, the team also lost their No. 2 singles player from 2019 as Jamie Rogers moved to Kansas City.

GIRLS TENNIS | 14

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 10

Cardinal boys soccer seeks another run at state tourney

By Troy Hyde Newton News When Zach Jensen took over the Cardinal boys’ soccer program, he was told by many outsiders that winning at a school like Newton would be impossible.

Jensen, now in his fifth season at the helm, refused to listen to the outside noise. And he guided the Cardinals to the state tournament in 2018.

The 2019 regular season ended with the Cardinals in the state rankings but Newton finished 10-9 overall. Of course, the 2020 season was wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jensen hopes the Cardinals can make a return trip to the Class 2A state tournament this spring and his coaching staff will work with a roster mixed with experience and youth.

“Expectations are always high. We want to constantly do the best we can,” Jensen said. “We want to be a contender

in the league and but we have a lot the state. That of guys who play was my vision club soccer. It’s a coming here. We high IQ team. We need to put our are excited about expectations as that. But we are high as we can young. The freshgo. We want to men and sophocompete for state mores have never every year.” played HS soccer.

Kennedy Under Jensen, It will be harder the Cardinals to build chemiswent 12-7 in 2017 and try.” then finished 14-6 in The sophomores ha2018. ven’t played soccer beThe 2019 season start- cause last year’s season ed promising but ended was canceled. around .500.

“It’s hard because This season, Jensen we have so many interand assistant coach- changeable parts,” Jenes Brett Lundberg and sen said. “We have sevSteve Weeks have a ros- eral players who play ter that includes eight more than one position, seniors, seven juniors, which is different from six sophomores and 16 past seasons.” freshmen.

Kennedy was the secLeading the way as ond-leading point scorkey varsity returners are er for Newton in 2019, seniors Darara Dawassa, finishing with 26 points Josh Meyer, Jack Suttek on a team-high 12 goals and Derek Lanser and and two assists in 21 juniors Hunter Kenne- starts. dy, Derek Beiner, BreyDawassa, who earned ton Schwenker and Ca- second team all-conferleb Lawson. ence honors as a soph“This is probably our omore, tallied 23 points most technical team on seven goals and a since I’ve been here,” Jen- team-best nine assists in sen said. “We are young, 22 starts.

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Meyer made 14 starts and scored 10 points, finishing with four goals and two assists. Beiner came off the bench in every match and tallied four points on one goal and two assists.

Lanser made 18 starts and tallied one assist, Schwenker made 10 starts and Suttek started five matches and scored one goal.

Senior Jordan Becker made eight starts in 2019 and had two goals and two assists but will miss the entire season with an injury.

Lawson is back after making 20 starts as a freshman, mostly as the team’s goalie. He had one assist that season but made 101 saves and allowed 23 goals in 1,120 minutes.

Lawson’s season was altered because of an injury. Meyer played goalie for 400 minutes in Lawson’s absence, stopping 30 shots and allowing 10 goals.

Jensen said Lawson will likely start this season as the No. 1 goalie but freshmen Hunter Teague and Brayden Jones are in competition for the position.

Schwenker is the leader of the defense in front of Lawson. Other defenders expected to battle for varsity playing time are senior Trey Hewitt, junior Colin Sharp and freshmen Nate Lampe and Cody Klein.

Joining Kennedy, Dawassa and Meyer in the scoring zones are

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Josh Meyer will be a captain on this year’s Cardinals’ boys soccer team. Meyer had four goals and two assists in 2019. Newton opened its season at home against Marshalltown on April 1 and hosts its tournament on April 3.

Beiner, Suttek and senior Anthony Bestell.

Beiner and Klein also will compete on the track and field team this spring. Lanser also is on the golf team.

Newton finished fourth in the Little Hawkeye Conference in 2019 but also was one of four teams from the league to be ranked at the end of the season, joining Grinnell, Dallas Center-Grimes and

Norwalk. The Cardinals went 4-3 in conference play that season.

“Our league is, for soccer, probably one of the best leagues in the entire state,” Jensen said.

“We’ve got two or three teams from our league going to state every year.

From top to bottom, it’s a grind every night.”

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 11

Hawks seeking banner spring with new head coaches

By Troy Hyde Newton News Kevin Johnson was looking forward to taking over the Lynnville-Sully varsity girls’ track and field program last year.

Johnson spent 12 years leading the junior high program but his first season as high school girls coach was wiped out last spring because of COVID-19.

That squad lost six seniors who didn’t get a final shot at the blue oval.

This year’s team has eight seniors and six juniors to lead the way.

Back as Johnson’s assistant coach is Jill Schuring.

“Things are going pretty well overall,” Johnson said. “We are excited to get things going. Not having a season last year was tough. I feel bad for those seniors. The challenge moving forward is just meet experience. We will learn a lot from our first meets.”

The senior class is led by Korinne Jansen, Caitlin Alberts, Megan Van Zante, Cayler Noun Harder and Meleisha Vos. Jansen has the top returning time in the 100 (13.5) and was on the team’s top 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams. She also is the top returner in the shot put with a best throw of 33-0 1/2.

Jansen is the defending South Iowa Cedar League champion in the 100.

Alberts has the top returning time in the 400 (1:5.11), the second fast-

Troy Hyde/Newton News file photo One of the eight seniors on this year’s Lynnville-Sully girls’ track and field team is Caitlin Alberts, who also is a returning a state qualifier.

est 200 time and was part of the top 4x400, sprint medley and distance medley relay teams.

Alberts qualified for the state meet in the 400 two years ago.

Van Zante and Vos are the top returning distance runners. They were

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both part of the 2019 conference-winning 4x800 relay team with Noun Harder.

Van Zante has the top returning time in the 800 (2:42.41) and the 3,000 (13:09.72) and Vos is tops in the 1,500 (5:54.58).

Noun Harder’s leap of 14-1 1/4 is the top returning mark in the long jump.

The other three seniors are Cally Gibbs, Jaden Brand and Dylann Huyser.

Huyser has the top returning time in the 200 at 30.13. Gibbs was part of the Hawks’ top 4x200 and sprint medley relay teams. Huyser also was on that sprint medley foursome.

“Our strength is senior leadership,” Johnson said. “It’s nice to have eight seniors that have experience, work hard and are able to help the underclassmen.”

Junior Reagan McFarland is one of the team’s best sprinters. She ran a 13.63 in the 100, returning with the second best time in that event. She also was part of the top 4x100 and distance medley relay teams and posted a 13-8 in the long jump.

McFarland was a state qualifier in the 100 in 2019 and also ran with Jansen on the state qualifying 4x100 relay team that season.

Juniors Sydney Jansen and Aliya James are the other top returners on the track.

Sydney Jansen has the team’s top returning time in the 100 hurdles (17.72). She also ran on the top shuttle hurdle team two years ago.

James’ time of 30.47 is one of the top returning times in the 200.

Sophomore Greenlee Smock was not able to compete last year as a freshmen but is a two-time state qualifier in cross country and will provide the Hawks with another key puzzle piece in the distance events.

Johnson also expects sophomore Kinsley Tice to provide depth in the distance events.

Outside of the returners, Johnson said Brand and junior Lily Zylstra will

compete in the throwing events.

GOLF Lynnville-Sully’s golf teams were able to start a few days before some of the other area programs this spring because the school’s Spring Break ended in the middle of the week.

First-year head coach Jeff Knouse even said the Hawks got to take advantage of a nice weather day on March 19 to get on the Diamond Trail Golf Course. And a few days into the season, Knouse likes what he sees from the team.

“We have been striking the ball really well and are putting some really good distance into our swings,” Knouse said. “The consistency early in practice has translated to the golf course so we are excited about that.”

Knouse moves into the head coaching role this season as his wife and recent head coach Alison Knouse will use some of her time to take care of a newborn baby.

Alison Knouse served as head coach the past two seasons but last year’s 2020 spring season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeff Knouse was her assistant last season.

“This is obviously a completely different team than last year,” Jeff Knouse said. “But we have gotten a good idea of where we’re at.”

The Hawk boys’ team will be 10 strong with lone senior Luke Kramer back as the boys’ only returner from 2019.

The rest of the boys’ team includes sophomores Carsten James and Evan Fikse and freshmen Maxwell Mintle, Kyler Agan, Keegan DeWitt, Luke Farrell, Deven Liekweg, C.J. Nikkei and Karter Smead.

The Hawk girls will have four golfers this spring.

Leading the way is expected to be Smock, who finished ninth in the girls’ 14-15-year-old player of the year rankings on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour in 2019.

L-S HAWKS | 16

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 12

Experienced Newton boys tennis team gets new leadership

By Troy Hyde Newton News

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Blake Baumgartner is back this spring as one of the leaders of the Cardinal boys’ tennis team.

With only one senior graduating in 2020 and a drop to Class 1A coming, Newton’s boys’ tennis team has a lot to be excited about this spring.

The 2020 season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Cardinals bring back a plethora of experience in 2021.

And new head coach Jared Gerber has been pleasantly surprised with how well his team looks after just a few days of practice.

“We haven’t gotten to be outside very much because of the weather, but we are hitting it better than I thought we’d be at this point,” Gerber said.

Gerber takes over for John

Bieber after serving as his assistant the past three seasons.

Gerber played tennis in high school for Pella and went on to play for NCAA D-II Cedarville University in Ohio.

Gerber will start his first season at the helm with 15 players.

And six of those players got valuable varsity experience two years ago when the Cardinals went 4-6 in dual meets and 1-4 in conference play.

Newton tied for third place in the 2019 Class 2A district tournament but lost on a tiebreaker.

The Cardinals drop to 1A for postseason play this season.

“The kids voiced that right away when I told them,” Gerber said. “They know the sit-

uation. There is more motivation and excitement because of that for sure.”

The top four players this season, according to Gerber, will be seniors Thomas Hodnett and Trent Hamand and juniors Blake Baumgartner and John Valtman.

The lineup has not been set yet, but Gerber expects those four to hold down the top four spots in the singles’ lineup with seniors William Muckler and Landon Heisdorffer playing in the final two varsity singles’ positions.

“This group gets a long super well, they have good chemistry and they support each other well,” Gerber said.

“We just don’t have a lot of playing experience at the top of the lineup.”

Hamand was 3-4 overall from the No. 4 singles position in 2019.

Baumgartner finished 3-3, going 2-2 from No. 5 singles and 1-1 from No. 6 singles.

Hodnett was 2-3 from No. 5 and No. 6 singles.

A handful of players are in the mix for the final four varsity spots, including seniors Kyler Van Brogen and Owen Sanger, juniors Landon Rae and Cayden Jackson and sophomore Lance Banwell.

The rest of the roster includes junior Tyler Sterling and freshmen David Holmes, Seth Adams and Andrew Wiles.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

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Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 13

High numbers hope to propel Baxter spring sports teams who can help us fill and be competitive in the events,” Aker said. “I think we are strong in the distance events, I believe we will field a strong shuttle hurdle team and I really think we will be competitive in our sprint events.”

The Bolts’ field events will be in a bit of a rebuild as the top throwers graduated in each of the past two years.

Schabilion and Selover are expected to be the top long jumpers.

Ziesman and freshman Jo Harder are projected to lead team in the throwing events.

Aker said McReynolds and freshmen Kira Lindsay will be the main high jumpers.

By Troy Hyde Newton News The numbers were up last year for Baxter’s girls’ track and field team. Head coach Jason Aker was looking forward to using that depth in 2020 before the season was canceled due to COVID-19.

In 2021, the numbers are about the same as the Bolts started the season with 21 athletes.

The challenge now for Aker and assistant coach Scott Ranck is figuring out exactly what they have.

“We are off to a great start,” Aker said. “Obviously with not having a season last year, there is a technique curve that we have to revisit.”

Last year’s team lost four seniors. But the 2021 squad brings in eight freshmen and Aker added a few seniors who are out for the first time.

All together, Aker feels like his squad will be strong in the distance events, deep in hurdles and competitive in sprints.

The distance crew will be headlined by senior Kailee Conradi, junior Elie Tuhn, sophomore Lilyan Headlee and freshmen Morgan Ratliff and Regan Russell.

“I have yet to see Elie Tuhn run, but if cross country is a good example we will be very excited to have her on the team,” Aker said. “I’m excited to see several other distance girls run, too. We had a great deal of expectations for our freshmen and sophomores last year but just didn’t get a chance to see them compete.”

Tuhn and Conradi both were state qualifiers in cross country this past fall. Tuhn was a medalist in Class 1A. Two years ago, Conradi

Photo by Andrea Berg Senior Maddie Pierce provides Baxter’s girls’ track and field team with some valuable experience this spring. Both Bolts teams began their season at B-F on March 29 and they go to PCM on April 6.

was one of the top track performers. She had one of the top times in the 800-meter run (2:56.13), the 200 (32.69) and the 100 (15.77).

Conradi also was on the team’s top 4x100, 4x800 and sprint medley relay teams.

The other top performers from 2019 included senior Maddie Pierce and junior Maggie Schabilion.

Pierce led the Bolts in the 100 (15.0), 100 hurdles (19.06) and the long jump (14-3).

Schabilion was hampered by injuries as a freshman but has the top returning time in the 200 at 29.85. She also leaped 13-8 1/2 in the long jump.

Pierce and Schabilion were

part of the team’s top 4x100, 4x200, sprint medley and distance medley relay teams and Schabilion also ran on the top 4x200 relay team.

This year’s senior class also includes Sophie Meyer and Hallee Rainsbarger. Meyer and Rainsbarger are both out for the first time. The roster also includes two juniors, five sophomores and eight freshmen.

The sophomores are led by Headlee, Bree Buswell, Abby McReynolds and Mandee Selover. Headlining the freshmen are Ratliff, Russell and Lydia Pierce.

“I am very excited for the fact that we have 20 girls out, and more importantly, girls

BOYS TRACK Baxter boys’ head track and field coach Josh Russell thinks his Bolts squad has a lot of potential.

But with no seniors on the roster and no 2020 season to look back on, the Baxter boys also have a lot of unknowns going into the 2021 spring season.

“I feel good about the guys,” Russell said. “But they haven’t competed in a meet in over a year.”

The Bolts will start the season 19 deep. There are seven juniors, six sophomores and six freshmen.

“It’s a fun group to be around,” Russell said. “It’s a high energy group. They are not afraid of anything I’ve thrown at them.”

Russell and assistant coach Colby Wagner will look to the juniors to lead the team.

The top returning junior is Rory Heer, who recorded some of the team’s best times in the 100, 200 and 400 hurdles as a freshman.

His best time in the 100 two

years ago was 12.33 seconds.

He also turned in a 24.84 in the 200, a 55.1 in the 400 and a 1:03.21 in the 400 hurdles.

Heer was part of the top teams in the 4x100, 4x200, 4x400 and 4x800 relays. He ran on the 4x800 relay team that advanced to the state meet, too.

Junior Nick Nelson is another returner who had one of the top times in the 100 two years ago. Nelson and Heer both were part of the Bolts’ top sprint medley relay team.

The rest of the juniors are Thomas Yoakum, Tanner Shanks, Nate McMinamen, Grant Borts and Braeden Kelly.

Russell expects the team’s top sprinters to be Heer, Nelson, sophomore Cody Damman and freshmen Cody Samson, Ashton Kerwin and Treyton Travis.

The top distance runners are expected to be freshmen Logan Jones and Callyn Bishop and sophomore Curtis Gliem.

Damman also will run some middle distances and the in-between runners are Borts, Shanks and sophomore Kolton Hill. They will compete in 400s, 800s and maybe even the 1,600.

The hurdlers this season will be Heer, Hill, Gliem, Jones and Shanks.

McMinamen is expected to lead the throwers, which also includes sophomore Trice Clapper and freshman Aiden McFadden.

Heer, Damman, Kerwin, Samson and sophomore Carson Scroggins are the long jumpers and Scroggins, Travis and Hill could all compete in high jump.

BAXTER | 14

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 14

Baxter Continued from Page 13 GOLF The Baxter golf teams will not lack numbers this upcoming season.

The challenge for fifthyear head coach Zach Hasselbrink is figuring out what he has in several athletes who are out for golf for the first time.

The Bolts’ girls golf team will have nine players this spring, led by varsity returner Meyer. Senior Brianna Dahlke and sophomore Corryn Padget are both back this spring but their first season as Baxter golfers was wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The returners on the

boys’ team include senior Jalen Porter, juniors Carter Samson, Zach Backus and Hunter Hicks and sophomore Dalton Shanks.

Greg Pickett is back for his third year as Hasselbrink’s assistant coach.

The rest of the girls’ roster includes seniors Allison Colyn and Rainsbarger, junior Kinley Beathards, sophomore Abby McReynolds and freshmen Hope Good and Calleah Frink.

The rest of the boys’ team features sophomores Ty Bauman and Sam Cross and freshman Cameron Petermeier.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Girls Tennis Continued from Page 9 That leaves the squad with six returners from last year. Senior Chassidy Henwood and junior Maggie Garrett are expected to be positioned at the top of the lineup, while seniors Katie McConnell, Megan Lovan and Molly Lovan and junior Kya Butler are expected to be in the 10-player varsity lineup.

Zehr also mentioned junior Alyssa Shannon and freshman Lauryn Garrett as potential varsity players. He has not finalized the varsity lineup yet.

This year’s roster has 29 players, which is the smallest in Zehr’s tenure. There is just one sophomore on the squad.

“We are normally in the mid 40s. Losing last year definitely played into the numbers this year,” Zehr said. “Practice has

Good Luck to all the area Spring Sports Teams!

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Maggie Garrett is one of the players who will be counted on to lead the Cardinal girls’ tennis team this spring.

gone great. We are small in numbers, but the ones we have out have interest and commitment.

“We do not have championship expectations. We always have aspirations, but realistically it’s a rebuilding year.”

Zehr said two strengths of this

year’s team are leadership and athleticism within the younger players. Depth is something the Cardinals will have to overcome.

The development process also has been slowed a bit by rainy weather and Spring Break.

“A few of the freshmen are really helping us rebuild,” Zehr said. “We have some girls at the top who can really play. But you have to be 10 deep. It’s going to come down to a numbers game.

We don’t have the experience at the varsity level yet.

“The bright spot is, when you have youth and potential, it’s only a matter of time. Can we get them developed and ready to go in time for the meets or are we going to lose because of lack of experience? We’ll see which one wins out.”

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

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Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 15

PCM Continued from Page 7 Seniors Jacob Van Winkle and Beau Webb are the most experienced returners.

Van Winkle will be one of the fastest Mustangs, while Webb returns as the team’s best distance runner.

Van Winkle posted some of the team’s best times in 2019 in the 100 (11.95), 200 (23.59) and 400 (54.56) and also ran on the Mustangs’ fastest 4x100, 4x200 and Van Winkle 4x400 relay teams.

He’s the lone runner back from the 4x200 relay team which placed 15th at the state meet in 2019.

Webb ran the fastest times in the 800 (2:12.16), 1,600 (4:53.21) and 3,200 (11:22.61). He also was on the fastest 4x400 and distance medley relays.

Webb was 20th in the state meet in the 1,600 in 2019.

The other key returner is junior Aidan Anderson, who may not be full go until mid April after suffering a leg injury during football season.

Anderson ran a 53.86 in the 400 as a freshman and also was on the team’s fastest 4x400 and distance medley relay teams.

Senior Carson Duinink ran a 2:25.72 in the 800 two years ago and was on the top 4x800 relay team along with senior Landon Fenton.

Justin Maggard has the top returning 400 hurdle time. His best leap in the long jump covered 18 feet.

Junior Will Oelmann is the top returning long jumper as he leaped 18-8 as a freshman.

There will be several newcomers who will make an impact this season.

Mitchell and Boell are both out for the first time as they will dual sport with golf this spring. Harrison said Boell will do hurdles, sprints and compete in the high jump and Mitchell will run anything from a 100 to a 400.

Duinink will compete in 800s and the 1,600, Fenton will mostly run 400s and 800s and Oelmann will do sprints.

Junior Kaden Hale and sophomore August Stock also will be sprinters.

Stock will compete in hurdles, too.

Another Mustang out for the first time is junior Durant Van Dyke, who will run 400s and compete in the shot put and discus.

The other throwers are sophomore Gavin Van Baale and junior Ben Buys.

“We have so many unknowns, but we want to be competitive in most meets and finish in the top two or three at the conference meet,” Harrison said.

Harrison’s assistant coaches this spring will be Joel Grier and Cole Ashman.

SOCCER PCM’s boys’ soccer team was expected to break out with an impressive season last year on the pitch.

Head coach Darrin Telfer had 18 seniors to work with and the Mustangs officially made the drop to Class 1A.

The 2020 season though was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And with it went a large number of upperclassmen who were unable to finish their prep careers.

This season, Telfer is back in charge of the Mustangs but welcomes just one senior and plenty of unknowns from a roster full of players with little to no varsity experience.

“Not having a season last year put us behind,” Telfer said. “We just lack experience. And some of our 11 freshmen will play a factor this year. There are just a lot of unknowns.”

PCM’s soccer program will once again be co-ed this season. The school district decided to part ways with Colfax-Mingo in their soccer sharing agreement. The Tigerhawks are playing elsewhere now and there aren’t enough girls to field a team.

But Telfer will have seven girls on this year’s squad.

Most of them have more varsity experience than the rest of the team.

Emma George is the lone senior on this year’s team. She had three goals and three assists as a sophomore and earned all-conference honors her first two years as part of the Mustang girls’ team.

George made 12 starts as a sophomore, while junior Gracelyn Nickelson started five matches, junior Emily Foster made two starts and Arianna Sitzmann started once that season.

All four girls will be part of this year’s PCM team.

The only other player who appeared in a match two years ago for the Mustang boys was junior Tyler Kuecker, who is expected to start this season.

Telfer said George and juniors Carson VandeLune and Ayden Helton are two other projected starters.

“The girls are going hard every day and the boys are respecting the girls at practice,” Telfer said.

VandeLune, Kuecker, Nickelson, Foster and Sitzmann are five of the 11 juniors on this year’s roster. There are

seven sophomores and nine freshmen.

Cody Waddell and Brian Adams will be Telfer’s two assistants this season. The 2019 PCM boys were 9-8 and the 2019 girls finished 3-8-1.

“The team is so fresh. So new. We are just focusing on building on each game we play,” Telfer said.

GIRLS GOLF PCM’s girls’ golf team was in a strong position to make a run at the state tournament in 2019 before the spring season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three four-year starters from that squad graduated so first-year head coach Dylan Dunn will hit the reset button this spring.

All five players on this year’s team have zero varsity experience. Some have never played high school golf before.

“We just want to show improvement as the season goes on,” said Dunn, who was a four-year varsity player at Carlisle High School during his prep days. “The girls just need to learn the game and we will be teaching the basics.”

The Mustangs started their season on March 22 because of spring break.

Dunn said he hoped to get the team outside and on the course a few days into practice. Then he planned to get them swinging a club again.

“Some of these girls haven’t swung a club for five or six months,” Dunn said. “I want to work on that first.

Then we will get them on individualized programs. There’s going to be a lot of room for improvement from everyone.”

This year’s roster includes senior Kylie Risius, juniors Tori Peterson and Deanna McHargue and sophomores Eleigh Davis and Riley Johannes.

Ford, the former head coach, has moved to an assistant role this season.

Greg Bonnett also is an assistant.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Spring Sports Preview, April 1 & 2, 2021 – Page 16

L-S Hawks Continued from Page 11 After Smock, the lineup will feature junior returners Dakotah Bokhoven and Brooke Maston and junior Callista Hackert. Both Smock and Hackert will dual sport with track and field this spring.

Maston averaged 69.86 on nine hole courses as a freshman, while Bokhoven’s average was 78.71.

Coach Knouse said he plans to have a qualifying round before the start of competition to determine a varsity lineup. And the coaches will use a combination of meet scores and qualifying rounds during the season to set a varsity lineup each meet.

While ball striking has been a positive, Knouse said every golfer’s short game can improve. And it’s what impacts the scores the most.

“We preach spending a lot of time on the short game,” Knouse said. “We’ve been doing that a lot in practice so far.”

BOYS TRACK Lynnville-Sully’s boys’ track

and field team has been the defending SICL champions longer than any other team in conference history. Probably.

Last year’s 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the Hawks won the SICL title back in 2019.

This year’s roster of 24 athletes will do its best to keep that championship with the Hawks.

“The season has started off well,” L-S boys track head coach Darin Arkema said.

“The most challenging part about not having last year was just that, a year missed. A year for growth and development.”

Arkema was transitioning to the boys’ head coach last spring when the season was called off. He spent the previous 12 years as the girls coach.

Not having last season also plagued the transition for the Hawk boys to a new coach.

And Arkema was unable to learn the strengths and weak-

Colfax-Mingo Continued from Page 5 As a sophomore, Rhinehart missed the district tournament by one stroke after placing in the top five of the South Iowa Cedar League Invitational.

This season, Rhinehart is out to win a conference tournament championship and advance to the state tournament for the first time in his career.

“This is his sport. This is his game,” C-M golf coach Mike Underwood said.

“My goal for him, without knowing exactly who else is in the conference hunt, would

K. Warrick

be for him to compete for an SICL title.”

Underwood is unsure about who is back for the other teams in the conference this season because last season was wiped out due

to COVID-19.

Most programs won’t know exactly what they have or what their opponents have until they compete on the links for the first time.

That will be the case for Coach Underwood and C-M

CIU Boys

nesses of his new team.

“Hopefully with a season missed there is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm about having it back this year,” Arkema said.

Arkema has a roster that features five seniors, seven juniors, nine sophomores and three freshmen. And Jeff Corbett returns as Arkema’s assistant coach.

The five seniors are Carter Dunsbergen, Mason Jansen, Isaac Johnson, Blake Rea and Aiden LeCompte.

Johnson and Jansen have the top two returning 1,600 times at 5:20.08 and 5:32.69, respectively. Rea returns with the top time in the 400 hurdles as he posted a 1:04.08.

Junior Owen Norrish, Rea, Johnson, junior Braden Alberts and Jansen all have the top returning times in the 800.

Norris, Johnson, Jansen and junior Josh Hardenbrook all were on the top 4x800 relay team from 2019. Hardenbrook and Norrish also have the top returning times in the 400 and Norrish was on the top distance medley team from 2019.

Dunsbergen was on the top shuttle hurdle team two years

ago and he posted a time of 17.54 seconds in the 110 high hurdles.

The other top returner for the Hawks is junior Ryan Annee, who recorded a leap of 17 feet, 4 inches in the long jump and had a mark of 5-6 in the high jump.

The rest of the juniors are Gage Elscott, Noah Johnson and Ben Ochirbat.

The sophomore class includes James Gruver, Conner Maston, Kale Ehresman, Malcolm Hay, Zach Morningstar, Jaden Norman, Caleb Rea, Bryce Richards and Kyle Squires.

The freshmen class includes Corder Noun Harder, Blake Van Wyk and Lucas Sieck.

Arkema said the team’s throwers include Squires, Elscott, Noah Johnson, Ochirbat, Norman and Sieck.

Dunsbergen, Annee and Ehresman will compete in long jump and high jump, while Elscott and Noun Harder are long jumpers and Caleb Rea and Maston are high jumpers.

assistant coach Blake Warrick.

This year’s Tigerhawk boys’ team will start with five players. The girls’ team, led by senior Kira Warrick, is expected to go at least four deep.

The other three girls are Carley Underwood, sophomore Holland Robinette and freshman Charlotte Donahue, but all three will dual sport with track and field this spring.

Coach Underwood expects the No. 1 position to go to Kira Warrick, at least to start the season.

The rest of the boys’ team includes senior Jake Nichols, junior Shane Aikin and sophomores Cale Duffy and Cavan

Magnuson.

“We didn’t even get to start practice last season,” Coach Underwood said. “My expectations this year are to see improvement from where we start to where we finish. That’s all I can really ask.”

Rhinehart is the clear-cut No. 1 for the boys as he averaged a 46 for nine holes and an 88 for 18 holes as a sophomore in 2019.

Warrick had a 57.5 average for nine holes and a 112.6 for 18 holes.

The only two seniors on the roster, Sean Finch and Jacob Bogle, are from Baxter. Junior Tanner Scroggins, also from Baxter, is the front runner to play goalie this season, too.

The roster includes 20 players, nine of which are freshmen. There are six juniors and three sophomores.

Bogle is the top returning point scorer.

He made 19 starts and scored six points with two goals and two assists as a sophomore.

Finch made nine starts and finished with one assist two seasons ago.

Scroggins scored one goal and made two starts in 2019.

That squad, which went under the Collins-Maxwell name, went 3-15 that season.

Colfax-Mingo’s lone player on the team is freshman Curtis Horras. Baxter freshmen Treyton Travis and Ben Richardson also are out.

Travis will dual sport this spring with track and field.

Colfax-Mingo had a sharing agreement with PCM recently, but the Mustangs went in another direction after the 2019 season.

Colfax-Mingo joined the already formed team at Collins-Maxwell and the program re-branded to Central Iowa United.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Continued from Page 4