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2023-24 Winter Sports Preview

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

Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 2

Newton bowlers seek return trip to state tournament By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Libbie Keith hopes to clinch her fourth trip to the individual state tournament later this season. The Cardinals qualified for state as a team in each of the past three seasons, too.

crazy deep roster is one of the reasons Newton head bowling coach Christie Hughes is already predicting a return trip to the state tournament for the Cardinal boys this winter. Hughes knows how hard the group has worked, and the preseason scores are backing that up. “They’re going to state. I really believe whole-heartedly this is a state team,” Hughes said. “I think they’ll go as a team and we’ll have several individual qualifiers, too.” The Newton boys lost only two players from a varsity team which placed fifth in the Two Rivers Conference and finished 6-2 in dual meets. The Cardinals, who were elimi-

nated in the first round at the state tournament last season, welcome back 2023 state qualifier senior Sebastian King and 2022 state qualifier junior Austin Kennedy. But seniors Andrew Wiles, Tamion Adams, Owen Guldberg, David Holmes and Alex Kearse also are back after playing in at least six varsity meets. Kennedy finished 19th at state as a freshman two seasons ago and King was 21st last year. The duo led the Cardinals with averages of 184 and 185, respectively, last season. Adams averaged 181, while Wiles (169.8), Guldberg (165.5), Holmes (145) and Kearse (146.8) rounded out the varsity players. Hughes said several other players have entered the varsity conversation this season, includ-

ing senior Tony Aldama, juniors Ethan Valtman, Nathan Hauber and Gentry Swarts and sophomores Thaddeus Lewis, Carter Maki and Jarret Sweeney. “They’ve worked hard all summer long,” Hughes said. “They are already showing it. It could be the strongest boys’ team I’ve ever had.” The Newton girls have qualified for the state tournament in each of the past three seasons. The Cardinals, though, bring back only three varsity bowlers from last year’s squad. Seniors Libbie Keith and Genessa Slings and sophomore Gabbie Humphrey all have goals of reaching the state tournament as individuals. BOWLING | 9

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Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 3

Weter, large freshmen class headlines Newton wrestling By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Wyatt Weter is back for the Cardinal wrestling team this season after qualifying for the state tournament last winter.

ast year’s Newton wrestling team featured lots of multi-sport athletes who also wrestle. This year’s squad includes wrestlers who also do other sports. Match that up with a strong group of leaders and a talented freshmen class that goes 21 deep, and Newton head wrestling coach RJ Brown likes what he sees so far in the room. “We have 40 guys out and 80 percent of them are freshmen and sophomores,” Brown said. “But there’s only about three or four guys who are new to wres-

tling, which is a big change from last year. “We’ve got a lot of guys who bring more wrestling experience to the table. Now we can move faster through things instead of teaching the very basics.” The Cardinals competed at districts with two open weights last season. Brown said his team will have five open weights at least through Christmas. But the talented flock of Cardinal freshmen could take over some of those spots. “With the schedule we have to start the year, I would be doing a disservice to our freshmen if I threw them out there,” Brown

said. “We’ve lost some kids to the sport because we threw them in too early. “Some of the freshmen could work their way in eventually, but we’ll develop them first. They could wrestle varsity, but we will slowly work them in as we go.” The one freshmen who will start right away is Kent Montgomery, who will hold down a varsity spot at 106 pounds. The top returning Cardinal is senior Wyatt Weter, who qualified for the state tournament last season. He was 21-13 at 182 but will wrestle at either 190 or 215 this season. WRESTLING | 5

Newton girls wrestling seeks growth in second official season By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

ewton girls’ head wrestling coach Chad Garvis does not encourage cutting weight. But sometimes athletes choose to do it on their own. Junior Stella Cupples is the only returning state qualifier for the Cardinals this winter. She advanced to the state tournament at 115 pounds but spent most of last year at 120. This year, Cupples plans to compete at 110. She was 22-13 last season and finished 1-2 at state. “It’s her choice, but I think there’s a chance for her to do better at 110,” Garvis said. The Cardinals, who placed seventh at last year’s regional tournament, will start the season with 16 wrestlers. But

they may only fill eight of the weight classes. Newton welcomes back Cupples, senior Claire Breuer, junior Ella Machin and sophomores Grace Guy and Ashlyn Van Manen. Breuer was 16-16 overall and 1-2 at regionals at 135 last winter. Van Manen was in the varsity lineup at 190. The rest of the roster features senior Savannah Carr, juniors Trinity-Ann Hanson, Lexi Kephart and Kylee Ashley and freshmen Kylee Adams, Cheyenne Jones, Heather Hanson, Lilly Fuchs, Kamiya Lepley and Shawna Foreman. “We probably have seven or eight who have wrestled before and the rest don’t have much experience,” said Garvis, who begins his second season as head coach. Machin’s season was cut short due to an injury last sea-

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Stella Cupples is back for the Cardinal girls’ wrestling team this winter after qualifying for the state tournament last season.

son. She won her first match of the season but then got hurt in the next match at the team’s home tournament. Machin, Guy and Van Manen all will compete for varsity time at 190. But Garvis said there’s a chance one of them could get down 170 at some point.

Garvis expects Breuer to hold down a varsity spot at either 140 or 145. “She did a lot this summer,” Garvis said about Breuer. “She seems to be more confident this year.” Garvis has high expectations for Adams, who likely will be the varsity starter at

100. He also thinks Carr could make an impact somewhere. “It’s hard to tell until we get to the matches, but there are a few girls who I think can come out and do well,” Garvis said. “It’s hard to know anything yet. We are just starting out. I need to see them in the matches. We’ll see who rises to the top. “I want to see which one of the new girls will fight through adversity and fight through some stuff.” The Cardinals brought seven wrestlers to regionals last year. Newton opened its season against SE Polk on Nov. 21. It hosts Indianola at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 and the Cards’ home tourney is Dec. 2. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 4

Newton girls hoops hope to turn corner with coaching change By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

ake Bennett is a Newton alum. The community means a lot to him. So does the Cardinal girls’ basketball program. Newton has had just one winning season since 2009-10, and after losing four seniors to graduation and their leading scorer to transfer, Bennett and his coaching staff have a lot of work to do to turn around a squad which is coming off its second straight three-win season. “Being able to be back in Newton as a coach is such a blessing for me,” said Bennett, who begins his first season as head coach. “I’m excited to coach the girls’ team as it is a group full of hard-working

girls who are striving to become better and hold themselves accountable every day.” Bennett hopes to build the Cardinal girls’ hoops program through character and culture. Five returning Cardinals played in at least 20 games last winter. Junior Alex Garvis leads the way after starting all 22 games last year and earning honorable mention all-conference recognition. Garvis averaged 2.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game last year. Senior Haylie Ryan, juniors Hailey Dickerson, Alex Riney, Evie Main, Riley Plowman and Bella Winther all appeared in at least 13 games. Dickerson started 12 games and averaged 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game and Ryan

averaged 1.7 points and 1.5 boards per contest while starting seven games. Riney posted single-game averages of 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals. “I think the exciting part of this group is that we don’t have one person who we feel is going to be the key focus on offense or defense,” Bennett said. “Our group is going to be able to shoulder a lot of things together. Success, failures, scoring and defense will be relied on as a group effort.” The rest of the varsity roster features senior Estella Allen, sophomores Tori White, Merissa Schiebel and Gabbie Humphrey and freshmen Payton Carkhuff and Brooke Garvis. BASKETBALL | 9

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Alex Garvis, right, steals the ball against GMG during the Lynnville-Sully girls’ basketball jamboree on Nov. 13. Garvis is back for the Cardinals this winter after netting all-conference honors last season.

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Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 5

Newton boys hoops reload after losing large senior class By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

oming off a team that made the state tournament but graduated 13 seniors, Newton head boys basketball coach Jason Carter and his coaching staff look to reload the varsity roster this winter. The Cardinals were 17-7 and played in the state tournament for the first time since 2016-17 but most of those players are gone. “This offseason has been all about trying to get kids as much experience and exposure to varsity pace of play as possible,” Carter said. “I expect a lot of ups and downs especially early on as we navigate the early stages of this season. We have a lot of guys hungry to win and compete.” Senior Caleb Mattes is the returner with the most experience as he played significant minutes in 23 games last season. Senior Nate Lampe played

Wrestling

Continued from Page 3 Weter went 0-2 at state last season but starts his final year ranked No. 8 at 215 by IA Wrestle. Brown said Weter will start the season at 215 but could drop to 190 if it suits him better. “He’s becoming a more well-rounded wrestler and looks like a legit place winner right now,” Brown said. “I definitely think he’s a topeight guy. He’s 205 right now and can lose weight easily if that’s the way we go.” The other three seniors ex-

sparingly in his 21 games and senior Christian Lawson appeared in three varsity games. No one else has any varsity experience. Mattes averaged 3.1 points and 1.2 rebounds per game last winter, while Lampe posted per-game averages of 1.2 points. 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists. The Cardinal duo combined to make only six 3-pointers. Mattes’ best offensive game of the season came in the state tournament when he scored 11 points against North Polk. “Mattes, Lampe and Lawson will be a huge part of what we do this season and there absolutely will be a lot riding on their shoulders,” Carter said. “We will need them to be leaders at both ends of the floor and probably in most statistical categories.” Carter and his coaching staff identified 10 players who will for sure dress varsity. The other seven players include seniors Hunter Teague

and Braelyn Parks, juniors Cade Bauer, Creighton Andrew, Landon Bozarth and Christian Ergenbright and sophomore Caden Klein. “The offseason was a roller coaster of ups and downs, but we expect this group to compete each night,” Carter said. Besides Mattes, Lampe and Lawson, Carter said he expects Teague and Klein to play large roles. Others battling for varsity time include Bozarth, Bauer, Andrew, Ergenbright and sophomores Koltt Ahn and Micah Mattes. “Our focus in the preseason has been on fundamentals and shooting the ball,” Carter said. “These two things will be huge this season. As always, we have to take care of the basketball and limit turnovers. “We have to find guys who can stretch the floor with consistent perimeter shooting. We lost almost 100 percent of our perimeter shooting from last season and finding your

shot at a much faster and physical varsity pace can be challenging.” Last year’s team featured players who had two, three and four years of experience. Carter believes things will fall into place but expects to constantly be teaching and grinding each week. The coaching staff will have 50 players from ninth to 12th grade to work with. “Any time you come off a season with a lot of success, people want to be a part of that,” Carter said. “Our numbers are great. Getting a basketball in kids’ hands as early as possible is vital because in today’s game, it’s very hard to come out for basketball as a high schooler and find much success.” The Cardinals open the season against Grinnell at 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 28 in Newton.

pected to be in the lineup to start the year are Nathan Milburn, Seth Adams and Thomas Stadelmann. Milburn bumps up from 170 to 190 this winter, while Stadelmann is 285 after posting a near .500 record last season. Adams won 16 matches at 126 last year but moves up to 132. Four other Cardinals have inside tracks to starting the season in the lineup. Junior Kaiden Rogers bumps up to either 120 or 126 after finishing 18-9 at 113 last year. Sophomores Sebastian Sorenson (126/132) and Aiden Robson (138) move up

at least one weight class this winter, while sophomore Lane Rozendaal is back near his weight from last year at 150. Rozendaal wrestled at 152 as a freshman but was on the light side of that class. The new weight classes should help him. While Weter won a pair of matches at districts to qualify for state, Rogers, Rozendaal and Stadelmann claimed one victory apiece. “We have a lot of guys this year who see wrestling as their main sport,” Brown said. “Our intensity levels in the room have risen, which means we can increase the standards we have for our kids.

There are still 14 weight classes, but the new ones are 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190 and 215. Brown said the Cardinals will likely be open at 113, 144, 157, 165 and 175 to start the year, but a freshman could be in those spots at some point. “The freshmen are highly skilled, highly motivated and they work their tails off,” Brown said. “Our numbers are up a bit. We have a talented freshmen class with a lot of potential and some older guys who are good leaders.” Newton was fifth at the conference meet last year and the Cardinals finished 5-6 in duals.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Caleb Mattes is one of a few varsity players back from last year’s state tournament team.

Brown said the team’s work ethic is a strength. His No. 1 priority in the offseason was getting guys to be more committed to the sport. “We don’t have to worry about trying to keep this group out for wrestling,” Brown said. “We know they will stick with it. We can push their limits a little bit more. “Making our summer and fall lifting programs a priority has really helped us. The open mat sessions have increased by five or six times. Freestyle wrestling has picked up, too.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 6

Martin, Copeland headline NCMP boys swim team By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

ucas Warner and former Newton-Colfax-Mingo-Pella boys’ swim coach Sarah Patterson spent most of last season focused on relationships and getting to know their swimmers. This season, as Warner ventures into his first head coaching role, he now knows just how hard to push his athletes. “Now that I know many of my swimmers I understand what they can do, which makes it easier to write workouts

with them in mind,” Warner said. “I have really been focused on getting mileage in the pool during the preseason practices.” Warner, a former Pella Dutch athlete who swam for NCMP in 2014 and 2015, begins his first season as NCMP boys’ head swim coach with an individual state qualifier from last year in sophomore Finn Martin. Martin placed sixth in the 100-yard freestyle and 11th in the 50 freestyle at last year’s state meet. He also was part of four wins at the Lit-

tle Hawkeye Conference meet and registered two wins at the North Central Swim Conference meet. “Finn sets the bar very high for himself and expects nothing less than his absolute best,” Warner said. “This allows him to compete at a very high level.” The Cardinals raised their bar last year when they went from fourth in the LHC to second and scored more than 100 points more than the previous season.

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Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 7

Tigerhawk wrestlers highlighted by returning state qualifiers By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

he Colfax-Mingo girls’ wrestling team consistently finished in the top five in the state before the first official sanctioned season last winter. After ending up 28th last season, the Tigerhawks are hoping to return to the top of the state’s hierarchy in 2024. “The goal is to climb a little higher than that this year, and I think everyone is ready,” Colfax-Mingo head girls wrestling coach Erin Hume said. “We have some lofty goals this season.” Headlining the roster are last year’s state qualifiers in senior Arlo Steck and juniors Emma Cook, Lily Webster and Devan Chadwick. The roster goes 13 deep with six sophomores and five juniors. Cook was 38-7 last year at 235 pounds. She was third at regionals and fourth at the state tournament. Hume is unsure when Cook will be ready. She suffered an injury in the offseason and missed her track and field and volleyball seasons. Cook begins the season ranked third at 235. “She’s making her way back to wrestling and when she’s ready, we’ll take her,” Hume said. “Her story tells itself. She has a lot of experience. She’s a great kid and a great leader.” Webster went 34-10 at 100 last season. She was second at regionals but finished shy of a state medal despite winning three matches at the state tournament. Webster was a state medalist as a freshman and is super motivated after coming up short last winter. She will stay

Troy Hyde/Newton News Colfax-Mingo junior Emma Cook starts the season ranked third at 235 pounds after placing fourth at the state tournament last winter.

at 100 this fall and starts the season ranked No. 8. “She didn’t like not getting a state medal,” Hume said. “She’s been super motivated this offseason and it shows in the room. She’s trying to open up her offense more so it’s not an issue.” Steck (26-18 last year) finished 1-2 at state at 130 and Chadwick (29-20) was 1-2 at state at 115. Steck, who is the team’s lone senior, is expected to stay at 130 and begins the season ranked No. 9. Chadwick returns to 115 this winter after placing fourth at regionals last season. The rest of the roster includes juniors Hannah Wells and Makayla True, sophomores Olivia Rausch, Emmalyn Buchman, Lily Brenner, Lillie Jones, Cadence Linn and Kaydence Andersen and freshman Jozlyn Wells. “The first three practices have been good,” Hume said. “The numbers are good and

the attitudes are great. “Instead of starting from square one, we are picking up from where we left off. We are trying to do some new techniques and take it up a notch.” Buchman is expected to hold down the varsity spot at 170 after going 13-7 last year. She was sixth at regionals. Brenner won a pair of matches at regionals at 140 and Rausch is expected to make an immediate impact at 110 after going 13-0 in JV matches last winter. Andersen is the projected starter at 190 and Hannah Wells was 3-3 at regionals for Ogden at 155. Linn could find her way into the lineup at 125 and Jones was a varsity wrestler at 135 last season. Hannah Wells, Jozlyn Wells and True all are PCM students who will wrestle for Colfax-Mingo. “I think we will fill 12 of the 14 weights,” Hume said. “I think we will have a very good

team. I think we’ll be a good dual team, too. “Technique-wise, we will be ready to go. It’s going to be more about our confidence level. They need to believe they can wrestle with anyone. They need to show up with that mindset every day.” Colfax-Mingo opened its season with a dual split against Gilbert and Carlisle on Nov. 14. The Tigerhawks went to Nevada on Nov. 18 and travel to Collins-Maxwell on Nov. 28. McGill, Fitch lead C-M boys wrestling Colfax-Mingo’s boys’ wrestling team has quite a few questions heading into this season. After each winning 40-plus matches last winter, senior John McGill and sophomore Cason Fitch are not one of those questions second-year head wrestling coach Stacey Rice will have to answer. McGill enters his final sea-

son with 124 career victories, while Fitch was a 40-match winner in his first prep season. “John McGill, Cason Fitch and Isaiah Baucom are the guys who are setting the foundation for this team,” Rice said. “Those three did a lot of wrestling this past summer and will be the guys leading the team in the direction they need to go.” The Tigerhawks’ roster starts with four seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and a trio of freshmen. Rice hopes a few quality veterans can help Colfax-Mingo be better than the eighth-place finish it claimed in both the conference and district tourneys last season. “I’m excited to see how much this team develops over the season,” Rice said. “There’s a lot of potential in the room.” McGill went 47-8 and placed sixth at 160 last season. He was 38-9 when he qualified for state as a freshman and finished 39-5 as a sophomore. Fitch was 40-11 last year at 113 and he split his four matches at state. McGill will begin the season ranked second at 165, according to IA Wrestle. Fitch is ranked No. 12 at 113. Baucom won 22 matches at 182 last season. His senior brother Donnie Baucom is back, too, after holding down the varsity spot at 220 last year. Another varsity returner is senior Jermaine Cross, who finished 29-21 at 285 a year ago. The other senior is Cash Beach and the other three juniors are James Cherveny, Kyle Wood and Tate Carlson. TIGERHAWKS | 13

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Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 9

Bowling Continued from Page 2 If the Cardinal girls hope to make it a fourth straight trip to state, the new crop of varsity bowlers will have to improve throughout the season. “All three returners have state expectations. I think those are realistic goals,” Hughes said. “They also will have to step up and be mentors to whoever the three are who will be joining them. “There are a lot more unknowns at the bottom of the girls’ lineup. The bottom three girls just need to keep improving and get as close to the top three as possible.” Hughes expects the varsity girls’ lineup to be rounded out by senior Maria Baxim, junior Marissa Burns and sophomore Kelly Holmes. Junior Alex Schultz also is in the mix for one of the final spots. Wiles has been the top Cardinal boy so far this preseason with an average of 213. Guldberg is posting an average of 208 and King is sitting at 205. If the varsity lineup was set today, Aldama (190), Maki (173) and Adams (167) would be in it. The next eight best bowlers are separated by an average of 10 pins. “I think there will be some shift-

NCMP

Continued from Page 6 NCMP placed third at the NCSC meet and was fifth at districts. The Cardinals competed in the 400 freestyle relay at the state meet and that group included Martin and junior MacK Copeland. Martin posted the team’s best times in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley. Copeland’s two best events were the 200 and 500 freestyles. Junior Drew Fuller and sophomores Mason Gaulke and Ethan

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Sebastian King bowls in the state tournament last winter in Waterloo. King was an individual state qualifier last year and also helped the Cardinals qualify for state as a team.

ing in the lineup each meet,” Hughes said. “It’s hard to predict right now because all of these boys will probably improve their averages. The top 10-12 are tight.” The Cardinal girls won the conference tournament championship and went 8-0 in duals last winter. Keith is a three-time individual state qualifier. She was 23rd last year and 29th as a sophomore. Slings qualified for the state tournament last season and finished 31st. Slings was the individual conference champion last year, while Keith placed third and Humphrey was 13th. The Newton girls won the regional championship to clinch their third straight state tournament berth. The Cardinals were seventh at state in

Comer are three other swimmers Warner expects to have big varsity roles. Fuller is the team’s top returner in the 100 backstroke and Comer tops this year’s team in the 100 breaststroke. “I expect great things from all of my swimmers,” Warner said. “I think this year is going to be a much more experienced team, and the leadership will help this team take another step in the right direction. “We have many returners and a returning coach, which will help us come together and enjoy the season.” This year’s roster features 15 swimmers. The lone senior is

2021, second in 2022 and third last season. Keith has the top returning average at 173.26, while Slings averaged 159.39 last winter. Humphrey averaged 152.83. This season, the trio sits atop the varsity lineup. Slings is averaging 190 in the preseason, while Keith is at 183 and Humphrey is sitting at 159. If the varsity girls’ lineup was set today, Baxim (130), Burns (106) and Holmes (103) would be in it. “There are a lot of new bowlers who are learning,” Hughes said. “If they can come together, I do think there’s a chance they can make it. But I haven’t seen the other teams yet, and it will depend on who we are with for regionals.” Hughes said she once again applied to host a regional tournament this season. Cardinal Lanes also will be the site of the conference tournament. Pella will be the host school after its bowling center was closed in the offseason. The Dutch also will use Newton’s facility for practices. Newton opened its season at home against Norwalk on Nov. 20. The Cardinal Invitational is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Dec. 2. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Skylar Martinez-Gilbert. There are five juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen. Warner wished he had more time with the veteran coach Patterson, but he learned so much from her that he hopes to apply to his future squads. “She was an expert at setting expectations and holding each and every swimmer to the same standards,” Warner said. “I will try to carry over as much as I can handle from her teachings, but Coach Patterson set the bar quite high.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Basketball Continued from Page 4 The Cardinals averaged 37.8 points per game last year. They shot 27 percent from the floor, 21 percent from 3-point range and 58 percent from the free-throw line. Newton turned the ball over 20 times per game last year and opponents averaged 55.8 points against them. “We are focusing on making sure we are taking care of the basketball and finding ways to create shots on offense,” Bennett said. Bennett hopes a veteran squad with eight juniors and seniors can transition the Cardinals into a new system of basketball. “I believe because there are many upperclassmen, there will be a strong sense of leadership, competition and resiliency,” Bennett said. “Our players know the standards and level of play we are expecting from them not only impact what they do this season, but that they are investing for the future of Newton girls’ basketball.” The Cardinals opened the season against Chariton on Nov. 21. Newton hosts Grinnell at 6:15 p.m. on Nov. 28. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com Troy Hyde/ Newton News Newton sophomore Finn Martin headlines the NCMP boys’ swim team after placing in the top 12 of two individual events at last year’s state meet.

Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 10

Hawk boys keep expectations high this winter sive-minded team that rebounds and values the basketball and works together to get quality shots. “With that said, we will try to make some small changes on offense and defense to fit our personnel for this season,” Harthoorn said. “We were a well-balanced team that shared the ball offensively last year. We had different guys step up on different nights.” The Hawks open the season against Montezuma at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 in Montezuma. The first home game for L-S is against HLV at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 in Sully.

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

oming off a season in which it won 22 games and lost a substate championship game by three points, the Lynnville-Sully boys’ basketball team once again has high expectations. But, L-S head boys’ basketball coach Nick Harthoorn would have the same expectations if the Hawks won only 10 games and lost in their district opener. “My expectations for the boys are always high,” Harthoorn said. “Some years we have more talent than other years, but the expectations are the same.” This year’s roster doesn’t lack talent. Senior Klayton Van Dyke headlines the squad after earning first-team all-conference honors last season. Van Dyke led the Hawks in points, rebounds and blocks per game last year. He averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest. Senior Corder Noun Harder is back after earning second team all-conference recognition last season. Senior Mitchell Miller was an honorable mention selection in his first season at L-S. The rest of the Hawks who are expected to log varsity minutes are seniors Lucas Sieck and Keegan DeWitt, juniors Carson Maston, Hendrick Lowry and Kellan Hill and sophomore Dawson James. There are seven total sophomores and nine freshmen. “We hope our five seniors’ experience and leadership will have a positive impact on the team,” Harthoorn said.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Lynnville-Sully senior Klayton Van Dyke, right, led the Hawks in scoring and rebounding last season and will play a large role in the team’s success this winter.

Miller averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game in his first season at L-S last winter. Noun Harder’s per-game averages were 7.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-best 6.3 assists and 2.2 steals. The Hawks will play the waiting game with Noun Harder early as he recovers from a fibula injury suffered during football season. James averaged 6.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last year, while Sieck averaged 4.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. DeWitt contributed 3.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1

steals per game. He also connected on 40 percent of his 3-point attempts. The Hawks only made 55.7 percent from the line as a team. That may have been the only blemish for a Hawks’ squad which averaged 66.6 points per game and allowed fewer than 43. “We would definitely like to get our team free-throw percentage over 60 percent as a team,” Harthoorn said. “It will be interesting see how the new free throw rules impact the game now that there are no more one-and-ones.” Harthoorn expects his Hawks to be a tough, defen-

Key returners hope to power Hawk girls to top of SICL Nine players from the Lynnville-Sully girls’ basketball team played in at least 18 varsity games last season. Two of those Hawks won’t be back this season. And graduated senior Greenlee Smock led L-S in points, assists and steals per game. However, four seniors, one junior and two sophomores hope to pick up the slack left by Smock and improve upon last year’s 16-8 squad which finished in the top five in the South Iowa Cedar League at 10-5. “Those (returning) girls will be a big part of what we do,” long-time L-S head girls’ basketball coach Jerry Hulsing said. “Each one of them has some playing experience so it’s more getting used to the new roles and putting the pieces together for this season.” Hulsing and his long-time assistant coach Jeff Corbett have guided the Hawks to

double-digit wins in each of at least the past 17 seasons. The coaching staff starts the year with the same expectations. “We want to win each day,” Hulsing said. “There are no shortcuts to success. Putting in the hard work and getting better each day will lead to good things happening.” The top returner is senior Majesta Vos, who earned second-team all-conference honors last season. She averaged 10.7 points, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.0 blocks and a teambest 7.1 rebounds per game last winter. Senior Aubree Arthur and sophomore Kate Harthoorn were honorable mention all-SICL choices last season. Arthur averaged 5.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game, while Kate Harthoorn contributed 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. “Teams that have a balanced attack are hard to defend,” Hulsing said. “I think this team has a good balance of strong post play and good guard play so I hope teams find us hard to defend and it helps to improve our offense from last year. We do have girls who can score.” Senior Elise Alberts averaged 2.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, while senior Morgan Jones grabbed 1.0 boards and dished out 1.1 assists per contest. Junior Alaina Roberts averaged 4.2 points, 2.9 boards, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per tilt and sophomore Tatum Huyser contributed 4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. HAWKS | 14

Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 11

Close Mustangs look to take next step on mat By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

he PCM wrestling team was close last season. The Mustangs lost their regional dual opener by only seven points and six grapplers finished one position shy of qualifying for the state tournament. They also were second in both the conference tournament and district tournament. PCM head wrestling coach Jeff Nicholson hopes one more year of development and experience will get the Mustangs over the hump. “We probably outperformed ourselves at district,” Nicholson said. “They needed to grow up a little bit. But we want to build on the momentum we had at the end of the season.” The Mustangs finished 12-4 in duals and claimed the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference dual championship. They also were second in the HOIAC tournament and the runner-up at districts. The goals for this season, according to Nicholson, are to win the conference tournament championship, advance to the state duals tournament and send at least six individuals to state. “We were disappointed with some of the finishes at districts last year, but for the most part, we wrestled well,” Nicholson said. “We also knew we’d have some momentum from last year. If we stay healthy, we should have a strong season.” The lone state qualifier last season was sophomore Tucker Wheeler. His first season included a 43-14 record and three wins at the state tourna-

ment at 138 pounds. Wheeler is expected to move up to 144 this season. The rest of the lineup features a plethora of Mustangs who placed third at districts last winter. That list includes sophomore Kaliber Fry, junior Kaden Clark and seniors Remington Fry, Wyatt Wheeler and Nate Richards. PCM is open at 106, but Kaliber Fry will move up to 113 or 120 after finishing 2716 at 106 last year. Junior Charlie Sitzmann and sophomore Jackson Overton will hold down varsity spots at 126 or 132, while Remington Fry moves up to 138 after finishing 34-14 at 132 last season. Senior Hewitt Brinegar was 34-19 at 145 last season. He’s expected to move up to 150, while juniors Jeffrey McDanel and Sawyer Bouwkamp will wrestle at either 157 or 165. McDanel was 23-19 at 152 last season. Wyatt Wheeler was 18-14 at 170 last year but will move up to 175 this winter. Richards will compete at 190 after tallying a 31-17 record at 195 last year. The new weight classes for the upcoming season are 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190 and 215. A trio of Mustangs — junior Kaiden Valcore, sophomore Brock Barnett and Eli McGriff — will battle for the varsity spot at 215. Clark returns as the team’s starter at heavyweight. He was a state qualifier as a freshman and finished 35-15 last season. “This group of juniors and seniors have probably worked harder than any other group we’ve had,” Nicholson said. “They are coachable and they do what we ask them to do. “We have more energy in

the room this year and it’s more intense. They start practice by themselves, and we have leaders in the room.” The Mustangs begin the year with 21 wrestlers and open the season at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 in Ogden. Lindsay, Steenhoek lead new-look Mustang girls The PCM girls’ basketball team graduated six seniors and lost four of its top seven scorers from last year’s squad. But both first-team all-conference guards are back for second-year head coach Sami Allison-Rodriguez. And a roster of 17 should help her fill in the gaps opened up by graduation. “We were hoping to be at 20, but we’re happy with the girls who are out,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “We only have one senior, but a large freshmen class is coming next year that should get us to 20.” The Mustangs finished 1111 last year and posted their first double-digit win total in three years. The program’s last winning season came in 2016-17 when PCM advanced to the state tourney and finished 20-5. The Mustangs will be led this winter by sophomore Tori Lindsay and junior Addison Steenhoek. Lindsay led PCM in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals in her freshman campaign, and Steenhoek ranked second in scoring and assists and tied Lindsay in steals per game. Lindsay averaged a teambest 12.5 points per game last season, while Steenhoek was second at 11.5. Lindsay averaged a team-high 3.5 assists per contest, while Steenhoek

Troy Hyde/ Newton News PCM sophomore Tucker Wheeler, right, won three matches at last year’s state wrestling tournament.

was second at 2.3 per tilt. Lindsay pulled down a team-best 6.5 rebounds per game and both guards averaged 2.7 steals per contest. Steenhoek grabbed 2.5 boards per game. “Tori and Addi are leading the team right now both vocally and by example,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “They know what it takes at this level and how we want to play so that has been a super smooth transition so far. We have a handful of players who played limited varsity minutes last year, so that’s helpful, too.” One of those players is the team’s lone senior in Elle Davis. She averaged 1.4 points and 1.7 rebounds per game last season. Junior Rebecca De Vries posted single-game averages of 1.0 points and 1.1 rebounds. “We have two dynamic

returning guards who can score and distribute in Tori and Addi,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “They not only can score themselves, but they make everyone around them better.” Allison-Rodriguez expects larger roles this season from Davis, De Vries and sophomore Jorja Teeter. Freshman Lila Milani and sophomore Claire Van Wyk also will have significant roles. “We are looking to Jorja and Lila to be scorers and on the floor,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “Claire is an athletic slasher and is showing good potential as well. “In the post, Rebecca and Elle are challenging one another every day. We will be able to play with a little more height than we have and both are great defenders and rebounders.” MUSTANGS | 16

Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 12 Troy Hyde/ Newton News Baxter senior Aiden McFadden gets the pin during one of his state tournament matches last winter. McFadden is one of four returning state qualifiers in the room for the Bolts this season.

Four state qualifiers guide Bolts boys wrestling team By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

he Baxter wrestling team won’t have enough wrestlers to fill an entire varsity lineup this winter. But of the nine wrestlers on the team, four of them are returning state qualifiers and five won at least 21 matches last season. Despite the low numbers, first-year head coach Dwight Gliem still has lofty goals. “My expectations for our team is to have a winning dual record, have more contested match wins and have

at least four make it to state this year,” Gliem said. “Baxter is going to have at least one state place winner this year. “Our early-season focus is on technique and cardio. Our team has been working hard in the offseason, and we are far ahead of last year’s technique and stamina.” This year’s roster is led by seniors Aiden McFadden and Callyn Bishop, junior Ayden Beck and sophomore Ruger Kincaid. All four Bolts advanced to the state tournament last year. McFadden tallied a 30-5 record at 285 pounds, won

the district title and finished with three wins at state. It was McFadden’s second trip to the state tournament after winning sectionals and finishing second at districts his freshman season. He begins his final season ranked seventh at 285. Bishop won 32 matches last year, came in second at districts and was 0-2 at state at 170. He’s a two-time state qualifier after finishing 2916 as a sophomore. He enters his final season with 81 career victories and begins the year ranked 12th at 175. BOLTS | 15

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Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 13

Tigerhawks Continued from Page 7 “The early part of the season will definitely be focused on technique and conditioning,” Rice said. “We want to be fundamentally sound and be able to wrestle a complete and aggressive six minutes.” Unlike last season, the Tigerhawks will have a wrestling room to practice in. And their new facility is as good as anyone’s in Class 1A. “Wrestling having a home base (our own wrestling room) is amazing,” Rice said. “I believe we have the best facilities in the state for a 1A school.” The Tigerhawks open their season in a road quadrangular at 6 p.m. on Nov. 30 in Sully. C-M girls return to court with new leadership Phil Grant has paid attention to the Colfax-Mingo girls’ basketball team from afar. He saw plenty of games from the stands as the boys’ head coach and while his wife Michelle was leading the girls’ program. Phil Grant didn’t have to leave the boys’ program. He could have continued building those Tigerhawks to a more successful time in the South Iowa Cedar League. But not having a girls’ team at Colfax-Mingo last season was too concerning to ignore. “Probably the biggest factor was C-M not having a team on the girls’ side last year,” Grant said. “This is our 12th year as a part of the C-M district and that was deeply concerning, and my hope is to help drive our numbers back up and work hard to ensure that doesn’t happen again.” Numbers are back up. But this year’s squad is very young with just one senior and no juniors. There will be challenges. Grant knows that. The C-M girls’ basketball program has not had a winning season since 2007-08. The Tigerhawks won seven games in the most recent season they were on the court. “I’m hopeful that having an estab-

lished relationship with the community and our school district can help keep kids engaged with basketball,” Grant said. “I thought we had a really great summer with a solid core of girls that came in and put in a lot of work. We knew we were going to be young and inexperienced, but that didn’t stop them from embracing the hard work to get ready.” This year’s roster features 10 players who have never played varsity basketball before. The lone senior is McKenna Heisler. The sophomores are Mallory Sipma and Evalyn Anderson. Grace Allen, Dakota Allen, Katelyn Steenhoek, Mylee Smith, Diana Hernandez-Martinez, Lexie Aller and Victoria Woods make up the large freshmen class. “All of our girls are new to high school basketball and get to go on this journey together,” Grant said. “I’m excited for them to learn and grow together over the coming years. With only one senior on the roster right now and zero juniors, the bulk of our team will get to be together for the next three seasons and getting the chance to watch them develop and grow together is exciting.” The biggest priority for Grant early on is to build a culture all the way from our youth programs through the high school. He wants to make basketball a sport everyone wants to play and be involved in. Grant said the elementary program has grown from 60 players to more than 100 over the past three seasons. “While I’d love to have more numbers, we have a solid group that’s willing to take on the challenge,” Grant said. “Our junior high program has 15-20 girls out so retaining those numbers will begin to fill out our high school lineup well in the future. “We’ve got a pretty great group of girls who are ready to embrace the challenge of this year to lay that foundation.”

The C-M girls opened its season against East Marshall on Nov. 21. The first home game in the Tigerhawks’ new gym will be against HLV at 6 p.m. on Nov. 28 in Colfax. C-M boys turn hoops program over to alum The Colfax-Mingo boys’ basketball program needs a resurgence. And Tigerhawk alum Mike Hunsberger hopes to be the head coach who can bring excitement back to the program. “We take pride in the opportunity to represent our Tigerhawk family,” said Hunsberger, a 1999 graduate of Colfax-Mingo High School. “We are excited for the season, and I know it sounds cliche, but our goal is to be the best version of who we are as individual players, coaches and as a team.” Hunsberger takes over a C-M program coming off a 1-22 season. The Tigerhawks have posted four or fewer wins in four of their past five seasons but hope to inch closer to the 14-8 squad from 2019-20. Last year’s team graduated three seniors, but eight players who appeared in at least 15 games are back this winter. And Hunsberger’s first order of business is to get back to the basics. “We are going to focus first on learning to play team basketball,” Hunsberger said. “We will focus on all areas of our game and make sure to make the basics a part of our foundation. “We are not going to shy away from the work it takes to be ready physically and mentally.” Some of the returners Hunsberger expects to be back include seniors Cael Bracewell, Jared Lewis, Elias Hostetter, Brandon Kite, Kaden Dalton, Konner Dalton and Logan Exley and junior Harrison Rhone. Rhone led the Tigerhawks in scoring at 11.3 points per game last year. He also averaged 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 as-

sists and 1.5 steals per contest. Bracewell earned honorable mention all-conference honors last season after averaging 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 assists per contest. Lewis averaged 6.8 points and 2.2 boards per game, while Kite contributed 1.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest. Hostetter tallied 3.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game and Konner Dalton averaged 1.3 points and 1.6 boards per tilt. “We have a good core back and I’m excited about helping our graduating seniors have a better year to end their high school basketball careers,” Hunsberger said. “We have a lot of upperclassmen who are coming back and a good younger core we are excited to develop.” Hunsberger has 22 boys signed up for basketball this winter. Senior Joe Earles missed most of last year with an injury and is coming off another injury suffered in football this fall. “I’m excited to see how both groups come together as we develop as a team,” Hunsberger said. “We have a lot of work to do, but we are excited about the opportunity to turn things around.” Last year’s Tigerhawks averaged 39 points and allowed 60 per night. They shot 27 percent from the floor, 23.7 percent from 3-point range and turned the ball over 20 times per night. “I want to see continued development and a team that desires to grow and get better from day one to the end of the season,” Hunsberger said. “We will be a team that is willing to push and challenge ourselves throughout the season.” While Hunsberger makes his way to the bench to coach his alma mater, he also is bringing back long-time C-M head coach John Borts to be an assistant coach. The Tigerhawks open their season against HLV at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 in Colfax. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 14

Hawks

Continued from Page 10 “We don’t focus on just one player ... we try to put all of the girls into roles, positions that play off their strengths and make our team the best we can make it,” Hulsing said. “I want all five girls on the floor to be a threat to score.” Defense has been a staple of Hulsing’s program since he took over in the 1990s. Last year’s squad allowed only 38 points per game. The offense averaged 45 points and shot 34.6 percent from the floor and 30.2 percent from 3. The Hawks made 52.5

percent of their free throws and turned the ball over 18 times per game. “We have built this program on defense and it’s always a big part of what we do, and we are always trying to improve our defense,” Hulsing said. “We need to be more efficient and consistent on offense. Hopefully we see some of our numbers improve.” The Hawks opened their season at home against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Nov. 17 and then traveled to Madrid on Nov. 21. L-S faces Montezuma at 6 p.m. on Nov. 28 in Montezuma.

L-S wrestling turns to alum to guide program The L-S wrestling team will have plenty of familiar faces in its lineup. The Hawks also lost quite a bit of talent to graduation. The transition for L-S heading into the new season also involves a new head coach. And Hawk alum Cayden Johnson is excited to take over the program. “I’m very excited to take on this young group of guys who I have watched wrestle since they were young and give them their best chance to win,” Johnson said. “I’m also excited to coach my brother from the side of the mat in-

stead of up in the stands.” Coach Johnson’s brother is Kendric Johnson, who is one of the four returners who wrestled at districts last season. L-S placed sixth at districts despite having seven open weights. The roster includes one senior in Trevor Van Wyk and one freshman in Kimball Elliott. The two juniors are Skyler Stoll and Austin Larson and the sophomores are Kendric Johnson, Ben Squires, Wyatt Mathis and Hunter Van Wyk. Squires, Kendric Johnson and Trevor and Hunter Van Wyk were in the team’s district lineup last season. Stoll also is back in the program after wres-

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Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 15

Bolts Continued from Page 12 Kincaid was 21-17 and won the district championship at 120 last winter. He finished 1-2 at state. “That core group is back and we have added a few more back from last year, too,” Gliem said. “I’m going to lean on this whole group to be leaders in and out of our wrestling room.” Beck transferred to Baxter from Dallas Center-Grimes after finishing 25-7 at 113 last season. He also won the Little Hawkeye Conference title, placed second at districts and had a 1-2 record at state. The rest of the roster includes juniors Jack Anderson, Alex Dille, Kolton Hurd and Jace Bottorff and sophomore Maddox Peters. Anderson was 25-12 at 152 last season. “We will be lucky and will be able to utilize all of the wrestlers at the varsity level,” Gliem said. “We should fill 9-10 spots at every dual.” The Bolts open their season at the Woodward-Granger tournament at 10 a.m. on Dec. 2 in Woodward. Baxter boys reset varsity roster after historic season The Baxter boys’ basketball team won 20 games last season and averaged 72 points per game. And despite losing six seniors to graduation, veteran head coach Zach Hasselbrink still has the same expectations for the next crop of Bolts. “The goals haven’t changed,” Hasselbrink said. “We want to stay at the top of the conference and go as far as we can in the postseason.” Baxter has 38 wins the past two seasons. But only four players who saw significant action last season are back. And just one is a returning starter. “We’ll have new guys in new roles and they have to take ownership in those roles, Hasselbrink said.” The No. 1 scoring option is senior Treyton Travis. He averaged 12.6 points, 4.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and a team-best 3.0 steals per game last winter. He was a first-team all-Iowa Star

Conference South Division player, too. “He’s our new No. 1 option and a lot of his output comes from his defense,” Hasselbrink said. “We have other guys and don’t want to have to ask him to do too much though.” The other three returners are juniors Perrin Sulzle and Cainan Travis and sophomore Eli Dee. Sulzle averaged 5.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game last year. Cainan Travis posted per-game averages of 1.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Dee averaged 3.0 points per game. His best games came in junior varsity where he posted multiple 30-point efforts. He was limited last year only because of the experience at the top of the roster. He’s also recovering from an injury suffered in football this fall. “We are not a similar team to last year at all,” Hasselbrink said. “We don’t want to change much though. We have athletes. We think we have guys who will step into new roles.” The fifth starter is expected to be senior Ben Richardson and sophomore Stadan Vansice and juniors Matt Richardson and Logan Rainsbarger could be the first three off the bench. The other players battling for varsity playing time are seniors Logan Jones and Cody Samson and juniors Cade Robinson and Carter Smith. Ben Richardson would have been the sixth or seventh man last season but his year was cut short due to injury. The Bolts open their season against Colo-NESCO at 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 28 in Baxter. New faces join Tuhn on Baxter girls hoops team The Baxter girls’ basketball team finished 16-5 last season and was 11-1 in the Iowa Star Conference South Division. But the Bolts lost five seniors to graduation and another key contributor decided not to go out.

That means more will be on the plate of first-team all-conference junior guard Emie Tuhn. “Emie has looked great so far in practice and we will need her to do big things for us this year,” second-year Baxter head girls’ basketball coach Kyle Krampe said. There are only 11 players out this season. The rest of the roster includes senior Lydia Pierce, juniors Hannah Huffaker and Karlee Koehler, sophomores Rilyn Titus and Callie Cross and freshmen Kendall Brummel, Avery Wonders, Mallory Bottorff, Maddie Reimers and Rossi Swihart. With so many freshmen and sophomores making up the roster, Krampe said the focus has been on learning and teaching. “We have a very inexperienced team this year with a lot of girls that haven’t played varsity minutes,” Krampe said. Tuhn was a first-team all-conference player last year after leading the team in scoring and assists. She averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.3 steals per contest. Krampe also sees valuable minutes being played by Pierce, Koehler and Huffaker. Pierce will start the season sidelined with a foot injury. Titus, who open enrolled from Newton, will see time on the floor when she becomes eligible for varsity games in January. “Titus has been a really nice fit for us, and some of the freshmen will be asked to play varsity minutes,” Krampe said. This year, Krampe just wants his young team to get better every day. “I have been telling this group my expectations are to continue to work hard and get better day by day,” Krampe said. “We might have some growing pains, but this group has come in with a great attitude, been very coachable and has worked hard at what we are trying to teach.” The Bolts open the season against Colo-NESCO at 6 p.m. on Nov. 28 in

Baxter. Gliem sisters hope to take girls wrestling to next level The Baxter girls’ wrestling team had a roster of three in its first season as a program last winter. This year, the number rises to four as the Bolts look to build on a first year that included the program’s first state qualifier. “I would love to see some more girls in the room, but I’m still thrilled with the four we have,” Baxter girls head wrestling coach Randi Gliem said. Last year’s state qualifier was sophomore Johnelle Gliem. She finished third at regionals and went 0-2 at state. Her first season produced a 10-13 record at 110 and she’s expected to wrestle at 120 this winter. The other two returners are senior Hope Good and junior Zoey Gliem. Good was 5-9 last year at 190 and is expected to compete at 235 this season. Zoey Gliem was 7-16 at 120 and will bump up to 125. The fourth wrestler is senior newcomer Ahlyvia Epps, who will compete at 100. “So far, the girls are looking good. They have been working hard the last few weeks,” Coach Gliem said. “We ended the year knowing we have to really make sure we have the fundamentals down. We have to have solid basics and fundamentals in order to execute the more complicated moves.” Coach Gliem said her youngest daughter Johnelle is watching matches from last year to correct errors she made and trying to become a well-rounded wrestler. “For being a newer group to the sport, I think they did a great job of taking what they learned in the room and applying it during competition,” Coach Gliem said. “They’re a great group of girls who are supportive of each other, are always lifting one another up and always will jump in to be a partner so they can learn or finetune their moves.” The Bolts opened the season at BGM on Nov. 18 and compete in the Pride of Iowa Conference Invitational on Dec. 16 at SW Valley High School. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, November 23 & 24, 2023 – Page 16

Mustangs

Continued from Page 11 Last year’s Mustangs averaged 45.5 points per game and allowed 44.3. That figures out to an 11-11 record, but they were above .500 in the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference at 8-6. PCM shot 37.5 percent from the floor, 25 percent from 3-point range and made 58 percent of its free throws. “We have switched up some looks on our offensive end and it seems to be really helping the girls find the basket,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “We know we need to be able to score more points than last year if we want to continue to improve.” Of the 11 losses sustained by PCM last season, six were by eight points or less, five were by six points or less and another one was a 10-point loss. “I think our kids know now that not only can we be in those games, but we should be winning those games,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “This mindset is showing early and we are eager to face some teams to challenge us.” The Mustangs opened their season against Chariton on Nov. 17 and played Knoxville on Nov. 21. PCM hosts Pella Christian at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 in Monroe. PCM boys hoops now under new leadership Senior Jacob Wendt was a firstteam all-conference player last year and junior Gavin Van Gorp earned second-team all-conference honors. But first-year PCM head boys’ basketball coach Tony Ford wants to make things clear. The varsity lineup has not yet been determined. “We have a talented group of guys, but our varsity roster is not set yet as we are letting the guys compete for the top 15 spots during the first week of practice,” Ford said. Ford takes over a program built by long-time head coach Fred Lorensen, but the Mustangs suffered their first losing season in more than 15 years last winter.

PCM graduated just two seniors from its 8-15 squad. The Mustangs will try to improve on their 50 points per-game average. They also shot 25.6 percent from 3 and turned the ball over 17.5 times per tilt. “I think we have to look for different opportunities to score,” Ford said. “I think that will be capturing opportunities in transition, looking for more paint touches and getting better looks at the basket.” Wendt returns to the squad after averaging a team-best 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last year. He also posted 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Van Gorp averaged 13.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.1 steals per contest. “Wendt and Van Gorp love to compete and they want to make their teammates better, too,” Ford said. “Having those guys back definitely takes some of the pressure off a first-year coach.” Junior Kaleb DeVries averaged 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and a team-best 4.1 assists per contest. Sophomore Chase Wagaman had pergame averages of 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds and senior Jack Jungling and sophomore Shay Burns averaged 1.8 and 1.0 points per game, respectively. “We have a lot of talented guys, but we need to see which guys are willing to work hard, play unselfishly and embrace their role at the highest level,” Ford said. “I think we all have to improve.” The high school roster features 38 players to start the season. Thirteen are freshmen and five are seniors. The first priority for Ford in getting the Mustangs back to their winning ways is to be a better defensive team. PCM allowed 58 points per game last season. “It’s simple … play hard, practice hard and execute our defensive philosophy,” Ford said. “If we have a varsity roster that buys into that, we will get better.” The Mustangs open their season at Knoxville at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 28. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

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