NDN-SS-03-29-2024

2024 Spring Sports Preview

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

Cardinals seek return trip to state tournament

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

The Newton boys soccer team was a 4-3 loss away from clinching its second straight state tournament berth last spring.

But welcoming back the entire varsity roster, plus the additions of a few new faces, should give the Cardinals a chance to get back to state and eighth-year head coach Zach Jensen hopes for a few more accomplishments along the way.

“I have never had a team bring back every single starter before,” Jensen said. “This is one of those years we kind of know what we have. The challenge now is to figure out what the new guys can give us.”

Last year’s Cardinals finished 11-7 with the final loss coming in the substate championship match to Humboldt.

Many of last year’s starters were part of Newton’s 14-7 squad which reached the state tournament in 2022.

Newton has won at least 10 matches in six of Jensen’s seven seasons.

“That’s part of why I came here,” Jensen said. “We wanted to build something. If we don’t get to double-digit wins, then it’s not a successful season.”

The Cardinals spent their Spring Break participating in two-a-day practices.

The hope for Jensen and his coaching staff is to develop enough depth to be able to compete in the biggest matches of the season.

“We only used 1-2 guys off our bench last year,” Jensen said. “That’s what hurt us in the bigger games. We are hopeful for more depth. We need to beat the Norwalks, DCGs and Pellas in our

league. Those are the teams we’ve struggled with recently.”

Eight players started all 18 matches last season. That group includes seniors Christian Lawson, Caleb Mattes, Nate Lampe, Conner McPartlin, Jesus Murillo, Bryen Hernandez and Hunter Teague and junior Landon Bozarth.

Senior Cody Klein started all 16 matches he played in and senior Jacob Sweeney made 17 starts.

The roster also brings back senior Landon Menninga, junior Christian Buchli and sophomore Micah Mattes.

Micah Mattes made 10 starts in the defensive backfield last year but will miss six to eight weeks with an injury.

Freshmen Kent Montgomery and Asher Rhoads are two players who Jensen said are competing for Micah Mattes’ starting spot.

“This is one of my biggest teams,” Jensen said. “We have around 50 guys and 20 are freshmen. We have a strong senior class

Troy Hyde/ Newton News

Newton senior Nate Lampe (4) is one of many returning starters for the Newton boys soccer team, which reached a substate final last season.

and a strong leadership group.”

Lawson led the Cardinals last season with 18 goals, 12 assists and 48 points, which ranked 11th in Class 3A.

Lampe’s 19 assists ranked third in 3A and he added seven goals and scored 33 points.

Caleb Mattes finished with 10 goals, seven assists and 27 points, while McPartlin tallied five goals, four assists and 14 points and Sweeney contributed two goals, six assists and 10 points.

Murillo added four goals and one assist and Hernandez collected three goals and one assist.

Teague returns as the team’s starting goalie. He ranked fifth in 3A with 144 saves and spent 1,420 minutes in goal last season.

Lampe, Klein, Menninga and junior Javin Doland all will dual sport with track and field. Doland begins the season as the back-up goalie.

The Cardinals scored 55 goals in their 18 matches. They also had a shot-on-goal percentage of 26.

Key defensive returners headline Newton girls soccer

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Several players who helped the Newton girls’ soccer team post six shutout wins last season are back in 2024.

But if the Cardinals are going to return to their winning ways this season, the offense has to produce more than 22 goals.

Newton’s 2023 season featured plenty of ups and downs. The Cardinals were shut out nine times, six of their seven wins came by shutout and they had 2-1 matches go both for them and against them.

“Our preseason focus has been on ball handling, fundamentals and passing,” Newton head girls soccer coach Susan Altemeier said. “We need to improve our first touches, spacial awareness, patterns of play and understanding responsibilities of our formation.”

The Cardinals’ varsity roster features four seniors, five juniors and nine freshmen and sophomores.

The roster was headlined last year by the defense. That unit brings back senior Estella Allen, juniors Alex Garvis, Delaney Woollums and Abby Chance and sophomores Merissa Schiebel and Taytem Seitz.

Woollums, Allen and Garvis started all 18 matches, while senior goalie Natalee Freese played 1,235 minutes between the pipes and made 204 saves, which ranked sixth in Class 2A.

Freese’s 1,235 minutes ranked 12th and her 85.2 save percentage was top 20.

“They work well together, understand the game and communicate effectively with one another,” Altemeier said about the defense.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Natalee Freese returns to the Cardinal girls soccer team and is expected to be one of the top goalies in Class 2A this spring.

Future is bright for Newton boys golf

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

With a flock full of returners and a talented group of freshmen, the Newton boys’ golf team has high expectations for its future.

Whether or not that future comes this season is going to depend on how well they learn how to score.

“We have the potential to be competitive right out of the gate,” Newton head boys golf coach Pat Riley said. “Lots of experience will help but what needs to happen is these guys coming back have got to shoot lower scores than last year.

“I believe, with the number of kids coming out, this could be the start of something special. Competition breeds suc-

cess, and this team will have plenty of that.”

Riley begins his 19th season with six varsity returners and plenty of younger golfers who have lots of experience.

The headliner is senior Kinnick Pritchard, a district qualifier who missed the state tournament by only two strokes last season.

Pritchard averaged 81.75 last year and his low score for 18 holes was a 78.

The Cardinals did not have a senior on the roster last spring.

Sophomore Ethan Pageler averaged 89.27 and junior Peyton Rozendaal also kept his average under 100. The other returners are juniors Carter Maki and Lincoln Peterson and sophomore Lane Rozendaal.

Pritchard and Alex Kearse are the only seniors on this year’s roster. The other two juniors are Isaiah Spears and Jaxson James.

There are five sophomores and nine freshmen, including standout Jackson Price.

“Jackson Price is a freshman who has played in a ton of junior PGA tournaments and has as solid of a game as any freshman I have ever had,” Riley said. “I truly anticipate him being a huge asset to this varsity team.

“There are a handful of other freshman/sophomores who have been playing golf for a few years and come in with some developed swing mechanics. Time will tell if these guys take over a varsity spot.”

The Cardinals were eighth

at the Little Hawkeye Conference tournament and placed fifth in the in-season conference tournament. They also placed fifth at a Class 3A sectional.

There’s a chance the Cardinals start the season slow, but Riley is focused on the end game and getting better as the season progresses.

“Signs of improvement are there, but it’s not proven yet. So even if we start out slow, I truly believe when the season starts reaching its end, we could be in contention for postseason play. We have all the pieces, now we just need to go do it.

“What I love is that my returning letter winners will have to step up their games because they will have some competition behind them.”

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Kinnick Pritchard returns after leading the Cardinals’ boys golf team last season.

The Newton boys tennis team returns several starters, including junior and last year’s No. 1 singles player Evan Marshall.

Cardinal boys tennis hopes to climb LHC

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

The Newton boys tennis team took significant steps in the right direction last season. The Cardinals won five duals, downed a pair of conference foes and finished sixth at the Little Hawkeye Conference tournament.

But a much larger roster and because the team spent a ton of hours on the courts this offseason, Newton head boys tennis coach Jared Gerber thinks his squad is just getting started.

“This team has a ton of momentum moving into the season,” Gerber said. “We only graduated one senior from last year’s team, and we have younger guys who are excited to play. Our guys have put in a lot of effort as a team during the offseason between time on the courts

and winter workouts. Our boys team logged almost 600 hours on the court last summer.”

The roster goes 28 deep, which is the largest number since Gerber became part of the program seven seasons ago. There are eight seniors, nine juniors, seven sophomores and four freshmen.

While the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots are expected to be held down by juniors Evan Marshall and Ethan Valtman, Gerber said the rest of the lineup could be different than last year.

Ten guys are battling for the six varsity singles spots and 1617 are competing for the five doubles teams.

“Figuring out the doubles lineup is the most exciting and challenging part,” Gerber said. “Having depth is an awesome thing, but it also adds challenges. As a coach, it’s challenging

to find the right mix and chemistry for those doubles teams so they can be successful. For the players, it will be a challenge because some teammates who played varsity before may not play varsity as often this year.”

Of the 10 players competing for the six varsity singles spots, eight of them played on the varsity team last spring.

Marshall went 4-9 at No. 1 singles as a sophomore and Valtman was 6-8 at No. 2 singles.

Senior Seth Adams was 4-9 at No. 3 singles, while junior Ezra Bartell played at least two matches at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 singles.

Senior Harry Oswalt played four matches at No. 4 and senior Andrew Wiles played nine varsity matches at either No. 5 or No. 6.

The other players in the mix

for varsity spots are sophomores Ethan Freese and Stone Lillard and juniors Brady Swihart and Damien Smith.

“Our lineup may look a lot different this year,” Gerber said. “Many of our guys have improved a lot since last year, which could shake things up on the ladder. I think the first two spots are secure, but after that we’ll see as we play more challenge matches. They are all close to each other in skill so it will be a fun spring.”

Early-season practices have gone well, according to Gerber. The guys are hitting better now than when they ended last season and are eager to get better.

“They have put a lot of time in and it’s showing, even in this early season,” Gerber said. “We also have a lot more depth in the team, which creates healthy competition.”

Newton girls tennis features larger roster, key returners

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Before COVID-19 hit, numbers weren’t necessarily an issue for the Newton girls tennis team.

The past few seasons out of the virus though lowered the team’s overall numbers quite a bit.

But this year the Cardinals are back up over 30 members and head coach Erick Zehr thinks depth is now a strength for the squad.

“When we were winning conference championships in the 2010s, we were winning doubles matches and our depth was a big part of that,” said Zehr, who begins his 15th season as head coach. “Depth is a major strength this year.”

Last year’s team finished 3-7 in duals and ended up seventh in the very tough Little Hawkeye Conference tournament.

Zehr wants more consistency and aggressiveness from his squad in 2024. But he loves the leadership from a roster that features 10 seniors and 11 juniors.

“I have had incredible leaders before, but this team is loaded with leaders,” Zehr said.

The Cardinals lost just one senior from their varsity lineup last year. The top 10 players on this year’s team have separated themselves this preseason.

Zehr expects the top four singles players to be seniors Lauryn Garrett, Ella Swarts, Olivia Hotchkin and Madison Rinehart.

The other six will compete

for the final two varsity singles spots and a spot in the doubles lineup. That group includes seniors Izzy Wilson and Avery Potter, juniors Paige Benson and Lexi Dirksen and sophomores Sloan Brodersen and Brooklyn Sterling.

Garrett finished 5-5 at No. 1 singles last year and will be a four-year varsity starter when this season ends.

Swarts played three matches at No. 1 last year and went 4-3 at No. 2, while Hotchkin was 3-5 at No. 3 singles and played three matches in the second slot. Both of them and Rinehart are three-year letter winners.

Newton senior Lauryn Garrett will be at the top of the Cardinals’ singles lineup this season. The squad brings back a plethora of starters from last year.

on varsity as doubles players.

“I anticipate some shuffling throughout the varsity lineup,” Zehr said. “We have a clear top four right now, but five through eight will be difficult to decide. The top 10 players have all impressed me this preseason.”

Zehr said the tennis programs kept a running tally of hours spent on the court this summer. The girls’ team logged 450 summer hours, which is by far the most offseason work from a team during his long tenure as head coach.

Wilson played matches at four different spots last season, while Benson, Rinehart and Potter all played singles matches at two different slots.

Sterling and Brodersen were

“We had girls who played against each other, took lessons and/or attended camps this offseason,” Zehr said. “We are excited to see where that takes us. I thought we were pretty good last year. But our conference has gotten more difficult.”

Troy Hyde/Newton News

Troy Hyde/Newton News

Deep junior class headlines Newton girls golf

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

The top two golfers on last year’s Newton girls golf team have graduated. But, eight of the nine players on this year’s squad appeared in at least three varsity rounds last season.

The only one who didn’t is a freshman and the roster features just one senior.

That gives second-year head coach Nicole George reasons for optimism for the next two seasons. A deep junior class headlines this year’s roster.

“The awesome part about having a young team is that by the time they are seniors, they will have had plenty of varsity experience and should expect to be competitive in every meet,” George said. “Overall,

Juniors Eva Pak, Evie Main, Addison Hook and Addison Van Maanen and sophomore Addie Ratcliff will take up five of the six varsity spots, while George anticipates junior Kalleigh Berndt will get the final spot.

Pak has the top returning nine-hole average of 52.5. She also averaged 104.4 for 18 holes.

Main was next at 53.5 for nine holes, but she was limited to only two 18-hole rounds because of an injury. Hook (55.71) and Van Maanen (57.57) played the most rounds of any of the returners last season and Ratcliff averaged 56.8 for nine holes.

the sky’s our limit for the next two years.”

Berndt played in a handful of varsity rounds last year, while senior Mackenzie Schip -

pers and junior Dakota Endres were limited to three nine-hole rounds each.

The team’s lone freshman is Rylan Cupples.

“Evie Main was out with an injury for half of the year last season so it will be great to have her back to full strength,” George said.

The Cardinals were fourth at the Little Hawkeye Conference tournament last year and placed seventh at regionals.

The first step in becoming more competitive in the conference and at the postseason level is getting their 18-hole averages below 100.

“For this year, I think we will have fewer nerves during meets than last year, which should lead to lower scores,” George said. “Half of golf is a mental

game so I will continue to work on mental toughness with the girls and hopefully we will eliminate some of the simpler mistakes we make during our rounds. Specifically, club use and hazard decisions.”

George said the honeymoon phase of the coach-player relationship is over.

The Cardinal alum will put more expectations on her players as most of them have varsity experience now.

“The last year has allowed me to build solid relationships with my athletes, and I know them each better on an individual level,” George said. “That being said, I will expect more and ask more of them this year. The phase of getting to know each other is over, and it’s time to put the hard work in.”

Troy Hyde/Newton News

Newton junior Eva Pak has the top returning nine-hole average for the girls golf team. She’s expected to compete for the top spot in the varsity lineup this season.

Newton boys track and field looking for another trophy

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

When last season ended, Newton head boys track and field coach Chad Garvis and his state place winners were already talking about 2024.

Garvis and the Cardinals have high expectations and 2024 is now as Newton welcomes back four runners from three state-qualifying relays teams and three runners from another.

All four relays were top 15 in Class 3A last year and sophomore Caden Klein medaled in the 400-meter hurdles.

Garvis is not backing away from his expectations, but the Cardinals need a few athletes to step up in individual events to have a real shot at a top-three finish for the second time in three seasons.

“We should be in the mix, but we’ll need to have three or four guys step up and place in some individual events,” Garvis said. “If we get that, we’ll have a chance.”

Klein placed in an individual event last season. He was seventh in the 400 hurdles and also ran on three of the state relay teams.

The best relay last season was the 4x400 and that team included seniors Nate Lampe and Curtis Payne, sophomore Christian Ergenbright and Klein. They placed fifth but were 1 second off third.

The 4x200 and sprint medley relays both finished 11th on the blue oval last year and the shuttle hurdle relay squad was 14th.

The 4x200 team featured Payne, Lampe, junior Reilly Trease and Ergenbright and the sprint medley relay included sophomore Nick Thomason, Trease, Ergenbright and Klein.

Payne, Klein and Trease all were part of the shuttle hurdle relay team which placed 14th at state last year. The candidates for the fourth spot this year include senior Nate Milburn, junior Cade Bauer and sophomore Austin Arauz.

None of last year’s state relays featured senior Cody Klein, who missed the end of the season due to injury. But he’s a four-time state medalist and a three-time Drake Relays qualifier.

Last year’s 4x400 relay team of Caden Klein, Lampe, Payne and Cody Klein finished 20th at the Drake Relays.

Cardinal girls take momentum into new track and field season

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

The Newton girls track and field team has been spoiled with its numbers in the past few seasons.

Last year’s Cardinals boasted a roster of more than 40 and the previous team had around 53.

While this year’s team is a bit smaller, many of the top athletes from last year who could return are back and the squad still has high expectations in its best events.

“The senior group was one of the largest and it’s tough to replicate those numbers,” Newton head girls track and field coach Rachelle Tipton said. “But the returners are a strong group and will be aided by the new members. So while our team is a little on the small side, they still look to do big things.”

ner-up team.

“While the competition isn’t as deep, it’s a solid and supportive group,” Tipton said. “They are looking strong and are always seeking ways to improve.”

The Cardinals welcome back three runners from their state 4x800 relay team and two each from their 4x100 and 4x400 state relay groups.

Junior Abby Bruce and Rivera were part of the 4x100 relay team which placed 19th at state. The returners on the 4x400 state team are junior Bella Winther and sophomore Lauren Clarke.

Winther joins junior Hadley Kruse and sophomore Harper Barton to form the trio who returns from the state 4x800 relay.

Adding to this year’s sprinting depth are junior Jace Auen, sophomore Ali Yahia and freshmen Alameen Shanto and Qhjuan Coley.

“Certainly our hopes are set high for the upcoming year,” Garvis said. “We anticipate a formidable return of our four relays. Additionally, we have a cadre of runners who are edging closer to contention for placements at the state meet.”

Besides relays, Garvis feels a handful of individuals have promise in individual events. Caden Klein and Payne could score team points in the 400 hurdles, Ergenbright should run a fast 200 and Trease is a top returner in the 110 high hurdles. Also, any of the athletes on the 4x400 relay team could place in the 400.

Garvis also thinks the Cardinals have a strong opportunity for a state appearance in the 4x100 and outside shots in both the distance medley and 4x800 relays.

The roster goes 34 deep with five seniors, 11 juniors, eight sophomores and 10 freshmen.

Two members of last year’s state title shuttle hurdle relay team are back, and three who ran on the Drake Relays team also return.

The common denominator is junior Macy Lampe. The rest of the hurdlers are senior Chloe Rorabaugh and sophomores Tori White and Mack Sims.

The hurdle competition is not as deep, but senior Gracie Clayton also is back and junior Lola Rivera joins the group. Clayton, Sims and White are expected to compete in the 400 hurdles, too.

The Drake Relays shuttle hurdle relay team featured Lampe, White and Sims.

Rorabaugh and Lampe both were part of the 2022 state run-

Clarke has already posted times of 27.17 seconds in the 200 and 1 minute, 0.39 seconds in the 400 during the indoor season. That would have been the team’s fastest 200 and second-fastest 400 last season.

White placed seventh at the state meet in the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 0 inches but has cleared 5-2 during the indoor season.

Joining Clarke, Bruce, Rivera and Winther in the sprinters’ group are senior Claire Breuer, sophomore Darbiee Owens and freshmen BrookLynn Britton and Alivia Conley.

Besides Winther, Barton and Kruse, the middle-distance and distance runners are senior Cameron Sharp, juniors Alex Riney, Peyton Ray and Hailey Dickerson, sophomores Paxton Panada and Abbie Preston and freshmen Sarah Malow, Meghan Trout and Alivia Kingery.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Curtis Payne returns to the boys track and field team after running at the Drake Relays and the state meet last season.

Looking

Continuedfrompage7

The key runners in the 4x800 relay and maybe the anchor of the distance medley relay will be seniors Landon Menninga and Asher Wood, juniors Javin Doland and Creighton Andrew and sophomores Levi and Lance Zaabel.

Menninga posted the team’s top time in the 800 and 1,600 last season. Doland had the second-fastest time in the 800.

Senior Thomas Stadelmann returns to the roster after leading the Cardinals in both shot put and discus last season. The other top throwers are sophomores Coleby Revell and Zach Felten and freshman Nick Milburn.

Trease and Payne were the top long jumpers last season, but Garvis is unsure who will lead that group this spring. The only high jumper is likely going to be Bauer.

The Cardinals were fifth at the Little Hawkeye Conference meet last season, and they placed fourth at the 3A state qualifier.

Troy Hyde/Newton News

Newton senior Chloe Rorabaugh is a three-time state qualifier in the shuttle hurdle relay and was part of the Cardinals’ state championship team last spring.

Momentum

Continuedfrompage7

Bruce hit 15-9 in the long jump last season. She headlines that group, which also includes Sims, Clarke and Conley.

The throwers will all be new to the varsity level. That group features sophomore Shawna Foreman and freshmen Brooke Garvis and Addie Hammerly.

Tipton starts her first season as a solo head coach.

Not much is different from when she shared the position with Rachel Tomas the past several years.

“The team is pretty even across the disciplines, which has made it nice for splitting into training groups,” Tipton said. “There are a handful of utility runners who could go into any relay or open event so the test will be finding the best way to not only utilize them but also the more specialized runners for the betterment of the team.

Returners

Continuedfrompage3

Sophomore Aliviah Ross leads the returners on offense. She had six goals and one assist in her 18 starts last season.

Senior Cailyn Doland scored three goals. Junior Riley Plowman also returns after making 18 starts last year and finishing with one goal and two assists.

Doland appeared in 12 matches last year. The rest of the Cardinals’ offense features freshmen Payton Carkhuff and Haylie Milheiser and sophomore transfer Gabby Bunker.

“The offensive players share the ball well, have good ball handling skills and are quick,” Altemeier said.

The Newton girls were 7-10-1 last season and finished 2-4-1 in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

SM-NE574789-0329

PCM boys seek return trip to state tournament

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Last year’s PCM boys golf season had plenty of highs. But ending the season short of their ultimate goal has the Mustangs extra motivated in 2024.

With five varsity golfers back from last year’s team, the only expectation is to make the state tournament.

“I feel like we will be better than last year,” PCM head boys golf coach Collin Harrison said. “The goal is to make state. We think that’s realistic. But it will depend on where we go for the postseason.”

Last year’s Mustangs won the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference championship and were sectional champions. But they shot 27 strokes above their season average at districts and fell short of a state berth by eight shots.

This year’s roster goes 20 deep. The varsity returners are senior Nick Farver, juniors Tate Tangeman, Easton Van Veen and Jeffrey McDanel and sophomore Charlie Ford.

Junior Pete Kiernan shot a 79 in his lone 18-hole round last year, and Harrison said junior Finn Wilson and sophomore Trent Nickelson also are in the mix for varsity spots.

All five returning starters averaged under 87 last season. McDanel’s 84.38 was tops among the returners, but he also was the only Mustang to not have a round in the 70s.

Van Veen is expected to be the team’s No. 1 after averaging 84.75 for 18 holes last season. Farver (85.8) could slot into the No. 2 position after winning the HOIAC title last spring.

Realistically, the top five could shift around as Ford averaged 85.38 and Tangeman averaged 86.78 last year. But they also were the team leaders in ninehole average.

“Our focus in the early part of the season has been on putting and the short game,” Harrison said. “We also need to understand the team game of golf — every shot matters.”

Boys Track and Field

Last season’s state championship in

Sophomore Gavin Steenhoek is in the competition and Olson will be one of the 400 hurdlers. Van Gorp was an individual state qualifier in the 110 highs last year, placing 12th at Drake Stadium.

The other two state relays were the 4x200 and 4x100. The trio of Olson, senior Gabe Hobbs and sophomore Evan Jones were part of both, which ended in finishes of eighth and 11th, respectively.

Robbins, Olson and Hobbs also were part of the Mustangs’ 4x100 relay team which qualified for the Drake Relays.

“Anytime you get experienced athletes back, you want to build off the momentum and experience they have,” Bieghler said.

The rest of the top returning sprinters include Van Gorp, Robbins and seniors Jacob Wendt and Carter Burns.

Junior Carson Hansen had the top time in the 1,600 last season, while sophomore Coby DeRaad also was one of the distance runners.

the limit for a full squad.

“There were a lot of positives and improvements out of the underclassmen last year,” Dunn said. “A few of the girls spent the offseason really working on their game, taking lessons and trying to get better.”

Last year’s Mustangs were fourth at the conference tournament and fourth at regionals. This year’s squad brings back juniors Brelee Berger and Meredith Chipps and sophomores Gretchen Uitermarkt and Emilyn Davis.

The newcomers are sophomore Seriah Nolin and freshman Kayla VanderLinden.

The focus on the early-season practices has been to establish what each girls need to work on the most individually. But the team needs to improve their putting and strokes around the green overall.

the shuttle hurdle relay was the first male relay state title in school history.

And it could be just the beginning for what is to come this season as the Mustangs welcome back three runners from all three of their state relays and a deep roster to make a run at a conference championship.

“There are definitely some goals as a team we want to complete, but as far as expectations, we don’t necessarily talk about that,” second-year head coach Logan Bieghler said.

The Mustangs were third in the HOIAC and placed fourth at their Class 2A state qualifier last season.

Back from that state-title winning shuttle hurdle relay team are senior Griffin Olson and juniors Gavin Van Gorp and Adrien Robbins. They were part of a school-record time on the blue oval, too.

There will be competition for the fourth and final spot on this year’s shuttle hurdle team. But freshman Jaden Houser joined last year’s trio at an early-season indoor meet.

Joining that group are expected to be juniors Riley Graber, Brevin DeRaad and Gavin DeRaad, sophomore Joe Shaver and freshmen Gabe Nessa and Kolby Clark.

“There are always some surprises we will hopefully find out about sooner rather than later,” Bieghler said. “We do believe we have some depth and flexibility within our guys that we can do some different things with our lineups.”

Van Gorp is the top returning long jumper and sophomore Chase Wagaman returns with the best mark in the high jump.

Senior Mark Bussan and junior Kaden Clark are the top returning throwers. Clark is currently out with an injury, but the rest of the competition will come from juniors Tate Birkenholtz and Harlan Shannon and sophomore Braedyn Lester.

PCM Girls Golf

Even though the top two golfers from the PCM girls’ golf team graduated last year, head coach Dylan Dunn expects his squad to surprise some people.

The Mustangs welcome back four varsity golfers and add a pair to get to

“Every golfer is a little different and needs to improve in different areas of their games,” Dunn said. “Last year, we were just a few strokes off from advancing to the second round of regionals. I believe that gave some of my underclassmen a little extra motivation.”

Girls Track and Field

Last season’s girls track and field season had so much promise. Then an injury to standout freshman Morgan Karr plagued the finish.

But several key cogs in last year’s team are back in 2024, and the Mustangs are looking for redemption.

Until then, PCM head girls track and field coach Eric Karr will do his best to make sure the athletes are ready to compete in May.

“I like how the team is working right now, but we do not have the participation numbers we’ve had in the past,” Karr said. “There may be times I have to protect some of the athletes if needed.”

The roster goes 26 deep with five seniors, four juniors, 11 sophomores and six freshmen. The top returning event is the shuttle hurdle relay, which welcomes back all four runners from last year’s state-qualifying team.

Troy Hyde/Newton News

PCM senior Nick Farver is the defending Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference champion and is one of several returning starters from last year’s boys golf team which reached the district tournament.

Morgan Karr, now a sophomore, couldn’t finish last season after qualifying for the Drake Relays in the 100-meter hurdles and anchoring the Mustangs’ in the 4x100 relay.

This year, the shuttle hurdle squad features four sophomores and junior Addison Steenhoek. The sophomore group, which includes Karr, Jorja Teeter, Tori Lindsay and Lillian Humpal, were the primary four last year until Steenhoek filled in for Karr at state.

The Mustangs’ state team placed 20th in 2A, while Karr was 20th in the 100 hurdles at the Drake Relays. The 4x100 relay team of Humpal, Teeter, senior Tiffani Koonce and Karr also competed on the blue oval during the Drake Relays.

“We definitely have high expectations, but at the same time, each year is different,” Coach Karr said. “We will

keep working hard and assess our chances.”

Last year’s Mustangs finished second at the HOIAC meet and were fifth at the 2A state qualifier.

Koonce, Ryan Bennett, Ayla Barrett, Elle Davis and Rylie Muck are the five seniors, while Steenhoek, Stella Stravers and Addison Shannon headline the juniors.

Leading this year’s group of sprinters are Morgan Karr, Humpal, Teeter, Bennett, Stravers, Lindsay and Koonce.

Shannon and sophomores Alyssa Buckingham and Carly Steenhoek also figure to be factors, according to Coach Karr.

Sophomore Abi Teeter had PCM’s top times in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 last season.

The four runners from the 4x800 relay team which ran at the state qualifying meet are all back. That group

featured Abi Teeter, Koonce, Addison Steenhoek and sophomore Paiten Rumbaugh.

Freshmen Bailey Wheeler and Lila Milani were in the top four during the indoor season.

Barrett is the top returning high jumper, and she’s already cleared 5 feet, 0 inches indoors. Muck is the top returning thrower. Shannon and sophomore Lexi Fagg both reached 15 feet in the long jump last year.

PCM Soccer

The Mustang soccer team is coming off a season in which it won a playoff match for the first time in program history and posted a pair of victories over Sigourney.

A large group of returners should help PCM build off those successes.

“We do have a lot of players back who played significant minutes last year,” PCM head boys soccer coach Darrin Telfer said. “We have a strong crew of underclassmen who are coming in, and will look to fill some of the roles that

were vacated with graduation.”

The returners are seniors Justin Johnston, Jacob Elrod, Wyatt Schutte, Hewitt Brinegar and Josh Wing, junior Cutler VandeLune and sophomore Dominic Witt.

Witt, VandeLune, Elrod, Schutte and Johnston started all or most of the matches last season.

“The energy and enthusiasm have been great at practice so far,” Telfer said. “We are excited to get started with the season next week.

“We look to improve on our scoring efficiency, defensive pressure and communication. We need to do the little things better. Take care of what we can take care of.”

Telfer said most of the positions this season have yet to be decided. He hopes his squad can improve day by day, grow as a team and constantly strive to improve.

“We haven’t settled on a lot of positions, as we have lots of competition going on from keeper in the back, to striker up top,” Telfer said.

Karr

Baxter boys look primed for big track season

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

The only thing preventing the Baxter boys’ track and field team from repeating last year’s runner-up finish in the Iowa Star Conference is depth.

The Bolts start the season with 18 athletes, but first-year head coach Ryan Hermes is excited to work with the group he has.

“Like every coach, I would like to have more out, but I love the group we have and they are ready to get to work,” Hermes said.

The roster features three seniors in Treyton Travis, Logan Jones and Cody Samson. Samson and Jones both were part of the 4x800 relay team that ran at the state meet last season.

Samson is a two-time state qualifier in the event, which should remain strong with the addition of freshman Max Handorf and junior returner Matt Richardson.

Richardson placed 21st at the state meet in the 3,200-meter run last spring. Him and Handorf both ran at the state cross country meet this past fall, too.

Richardson brings back the team’s fastest 800, 1,600 and 3,200 times from last season.

Handorf already set a new school record in the 1,600 this indoor season.

Last year’s state 4x800 relay team placed 24th in Class 1A, but the foursome of Jones, Samson, Richardson and Handorf surpassed last year’s state time at the Iowa State indoor meet in early March.

Sophomore Eli Dee and freshman Dakota Parker provide the distance crew with some depth.

“This program has a good history of scoring well and being very competitive in the conference and at every meet,” Hermes said. “As I take over this year I see no signs of that stopping. The focus of our preseason is getting at least one percent better everyday.”

The Bolts also qualified for state in the 4x100 relay last season. Returners from that team include juniors Cade Robinson and Cainan Travis.

The rest of the sprinters will be Treyton Travis, Dee, junior Logan Rainsbarger, sophomores Cael Wishman and Cody Travis and freshman Lincoln Betterton.

Robinson brings back the second-fastest 100 from last season, while Treyton Travis posted last year’s second-fastest 200 time. Cainan Travis had the second-fastest 400 time.

Last year’s 4x100 state relay placed 18th and Rainsbarger is the other returning state qualifier as he ran on the blue oval in the 110 high hurdles. He also had the team’s fastest time in the 400 hurdles last season.

Jones posted the second-fastest time in both individual hurdle events. Dee and Betterton join Jones and Rainsbarger as the team’s hurdlers.

Rainsbarger led the team in the long jump last year. He will be joined by Coy Mergen in the event.

The high jumpers are Treyton Travis

and Parker.

Competing for varsity spots in the throwing events will be juniors Carter Smith and Grant Anderegg and sophomores Cody Spurgeon and Austin England.

Girls Track and Field

It’s been a long time since the Baxter girls’ track and field program sent a relay to the state meet.

Sophomore Camryn Russell returns to the Bolts’ squad this spring after qualifying for state in a pair of individual events last season. While getting back to state in those same two events is a goal, Russell also hopes to be part of the program’s first state relay team in quite some time.

“She wants to be a medalist this year, but she also wants to be part of a relay team that gets to state,” Baxter head girls track and field coach Josh Russell said. “We’ll be a young team that’s learning how to compete in high school as opposed to junior high. But we have good leaders showing the young kids where it starts.”

Camryn Russell headlines a roster that features 19 athletes. That’s four more than the Bolts finished with last year.

Twelve of those 19 are either freshmen or sophomores. The only seniors are Regan Russell, Morgan Ratliff and Jo Harder and the lone junior is Adison Bonney.

The Bolts were sixth at the ISC meet last season. They finished 12th at the state qualifier.

Camryn Russell was 17th in the 100 hurdles and 21st in the long jump during her first state meet. She also had one of the Bolts’ best times, heights or distances in seven events.

“She has super high expectations, but it’s a process,” Coach Russell said. “She needs to understand there will be great meets and not-so-great meets.”

With so many freshmen and sophomores and only 19 total athletes, Coach Russell is not expecting a top-three finish at the conference meet. But a realistic expectation is to finish in the top half

of the league.

Regan Russell, Ratliff and freshman Gwen Tichy will handle duties in the distance events, but sophomores Caydence Sulzle and Johnelle Gliem and freshmen Kendall Brummel and Avery Wonders could compete in some 800s.

The top returning sprinters are Camryn Russell, sophomore Grace Anderegg and Sulzle. Wonders, Brummel, sophomore Ahlyvia Burdess and freshmen Camden Moffit, Denver Sulzle and Rossi Swihart could provide the team with much-needed depth though.

Harder, who missed last season with an injury, headlines the throwers and will be joined by Bonney, Denver Sulzle and sophomore Callie Cross.

Camryn Russell will be the primary long jumper and Wonders could compete in high jump. Joining Russell in hurdles will be Anderegg, Swihart and possibly Brummel.

“There’s a lot of talent and potential in the freshmen and sophomore classes,” Coach Russell said. “The girls are working hard and are a fun group. We will work on getting them out of their comfort zone and see how we can best utilize them.”

Girls Golf

Last year’s Baxter girls’ golf team struggled to fill out a roster that allowed them to score as a team.

With a few more additions, head coach Greg Pickett hopes to compete in the conference tournament as a full squad this season.

That’s something they did not do last year but were sixth at regionals.

“For most of these girls, this is their first time out for golf and I look forward to helping them get better and seeing how much they can improve,” Pickett said.

There are three returners from last season. That group includes juniors Abbie Meyer, Karlee Koehler and Hannah Huffaker. Pickett sees these three as starters in the six-person lineup.

Troy Hyde/Newton News

Baxter junior Matt Richardson ran at the state track and field meet last season and expects to return this season for a talented Bolts squad.

Colfax-Mingo looks to veterans on oval, links

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Colfax-Mingo head girls track and field coach Zach Tomas always sets a goal to finish in the top half of the South Iowa Cedar League at the end of the season.

But after the Tigerhawks graduated their top two point scorers and four of their top five, that goal is going to be much harder this season.

Depth within the roster though could give Tomas an advantage other schools may not have as the Tigerhawks start the season 32 strong.

“It’s still a young team as 17 of those 32 are freshmen and sophomores and we have only five seniors,” Tomas said. “It’s a hard-working group. The middle distance events will be where our strength is.”

The top returning point scorer is sophomore Olivia Rausch, who will

headline the sprinters. She had the top 100and 200-meter dash times last season and also was one of the top long jumpers.

Senior Addie Schroeder and juniors Shae Wilkins and Trinity Smith were in the top 10 last season, too.

Schroeder had the top 1,500 time and second-fastest 800 time last season. She will headline the distance runners and is already running times indoor that were faster than any of her times last year.

Wilkins is another distance runner who had the top 3,000 time and second-best 1,500 time last season.

Smith is the only returning state qualifier as she was part of the Tigerhawks’ shuttle hurdle relay team which placed 11th at state and set a new school

record. Three seniors from that relay graduated though.

Smith also had the fastest 800 time and the top long jump distance last spring. Tomas can literally enter her in any event.

“I’m not sure if we’ll be super strong in anything, but you’ll see our depth show up,” Tomas said. “We’ll be solid in quite a few things.”

The rest of the Tigerhawk sprinters expected to make an impact at the varsity level include senior Charlotte Donahue, junior Karmylia Snyder and sophomore Cadence Linn.

Donahue will dual sport with golf and Snyder is on the Central Iowa United girls soccer team, too.

Joining Schroeder and Wilkins in the distance events will be sophomore Mallory Sipma. Tomas said Sipma has been a big surprise in the early part of the season as she’s already below her best times from last season.

Others who can be used in a lot of different spots on the track and give Tomas much-needed depth include senior Rachael Uecker, sophomore Grace Hunsberger and freshman Claire Hunsberger.

After losing three runners from the state shuttle hurdle relay team to graduation, Tomas will reset the group. Smith will be joined in hurdles by Linn, senior Arlo Steck, junior Lily Webster and sophomores Evalyn Anderson and Brianna Freerksen.

Another strong event for the Tigerhawks could be the high jump. Freshman Katelyn Steenhoek has already cleared 4 feet, 10 inches and Grace Hunsberger should compete well there, too.

Smith and Rausch will be the long jumpers and both Tigerhawks reached 15 feet last season.

COLFAX-MINGO | 15

Smith

Lynnville-Sully eyes success on biggest stage

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Senior Carsyn McFarland has lots of experience on the blue oval. Lynnville-Sully head girls track and field coach Kevin Johnson hopes that experience can help a Hawks’ squad which is short in numbers but not in talent.

“We lost some good athletes and leaders from last season,” Johnson said. “However, we have a good group of seniors who have stepped up.

“We also have a good core group of returning athletes who work hard and want to compete.”

McFarland enters her final season as a three-time state qualifier. She competed on the blue oval last season in the 100-meter dash and a pair of relays.

The Hawks’ senior class includes McFarland, Morgan Jones, Natalie Roberts and Abby Roberts.

The juniors are Olivia Norrish, Corrina Rozendaal, Sophia Squires and foreign exchange students Helle Augustinussen and Ines Save.

McFarland was 13th in the 100 at state last year. She missed out on the finals and a state medal by .16 seconds. She also helped L-S place 19th in the distance medley with Jones and sophomores Tatum Huyser and Kate Harthoorn.

McFarland opened the state 4x100 relay that placed 23rd. That team included Huyser, sophomore Morgan Hay and Jones.

“As far as the season so far, it always starts off with trying to see how we can build off last year as we look at a new group of athletes,” Johnson said. “We’re excited about the start of the season and look forward to what a new season can bring.”

The Hawks welcome back a strong core of sprinters, led by McFarland, Huyser, Jones, Hay, Natalie Roberts and sophomore Laura Fikse.

The middle distance crew is headlined by Harthoorn and the distance group features Norrish, Harthoorn and freshmen Peyton Sharp and Emma Parkinson.

last year’s regional meet.

Golf

The entire varsity lineup for the Lynnville-Sully boys’ golf team is back this spring. And after coming up just short of a district berth last season, the Hawks enter 2024 with plenty of motivation for first-year head coach Nick Williams.

The Hawk girls team also has the chance to compete more as a team this season after having only two golfers on the squad last year.

“The boys are motivated after not losing any golfers,” said Williams, who was the team’s assistant coach last season. “The boys have been at the course golfing already this year before practice even started.”

The Hawks were fourth at the SICL boys tournament last year and placed third at sectionals. The top two teams advanced to districts.

The roster welcomes back its entire varsity lineup. That group includes seniors Lucas Sieck, Keegan DeWitt, Klayton Van Dyke, Deven Liekweg and Garret Jansen and junior Carson Maston.

liams said. “This is a very young team. I’m excited to work with them and get them started.”

Boys Track and Field

Senior Corder Noun Harder has qualified for the state track and field meet in at least three events in all three of his seasons on the oval.

He’s been a key cog in the Hawks winning three conference titles, helped set three school records and was part of the program’s 4x200 relay title in 2022.

All of Noun Harder’s buddies who joined him on those relays have since graduated though so if the Hawks are going to win their fifth straight SICL title and get back to the state meet, it will have to be with a whole new crop of talent.

Norrish has the top returning times in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000.

The roster also includes senior sprinter Abby Roberts, freshmen sprinters Addison Collum and Brilynn Tice and Augustinussen and Save.

Johnson expects Hay, Collum, Tice and Augustinussen to be the team’s hurdlers.

Besides the two relays, Huyser was a state qualifier in the high jump last spring and will headline the field events this season.

Johnson said Augustinussen and a few others will compete in long jump and the throwers are Abby Roberts, Fikse and Squires.

The challenge for Johnson’s roster of 17 athletes is to find where the pieces fit the best. That will determine if the Hawks can defend the South Iowa Cedar League title they won last year.

Lynnville-Sully also placed second at

The two other seniors are Karter Smead and Sam Philby and the other junior is Gavin Smead. There are two sophomores and two freshmen, too.

Sieck (43.82), Van Dyke (45.82), DeWitt (46.36) and Maston (47) all had nine-hole averages under 50 last season. Liekweg (52.5) and Jansen (55.89) both were under 56.

Sieck and Van Dyke were district qualifiers last season. The Hawks played just two 18-hole rounds though.

“I like how this team competes against each other and holds each other accountable,” Williams said. “These kids are great to be around and know how to have fun and know when to compete against each other.”

Last year’s girls’ roster included junior Renzi Ingersoll. She will have new teammates this season as freshmen Audrey Kaldenberg, Addasyn Klein, Olivia Beyer, Brooke Hardeman and Lilly Fuchs join the squad.

“For the first time in a long time, we have a full varsity roster of girls,” Wil-

“Last year was a terrific season,” L-S head boys’ track and field coach Darin Arkema said. “Yes, we had a tremendous senior class that we said goodbye to. And while they are gone, I hope they left the model of excellence, hard work and pride that 16 guys returning to compete this season look to carry forward in the tradition of Lynnville-Sully track and field.”

Last year’s L-S squad claimed its fourth consecutive SICL title, finished second at the state qualifying meet and placed sixth in 1A at the state meet after compiling 29 points.

Noun Harder headlines the returners after helping the Hawks place second in the 4x400 and third in the sprint medley relays last season.

He also was part of the 10th-place 4x100 relay last season, won the state title in the 4x200 and finished third in the 4x400 relays the year before and competed in two state relays and the 100 as a freshman.

This year’s Hawks’ roster includes three seniors, three juniors, 14 sophomores and 11 freshmen.

But the 31 total athletes is the largest team Arkema has ever had in his 24 years of coaching at the junior high and high school levels.

Troy Hyde/Newton News

Lynnville-Sully senior Carsyn McFarland, right, passes the baton to sophomore Morgan Hay at last year’s state track and field meet. Both Hawks are back on a talented Lynnville-Sully girls track and field team this spring.

Lynnville-Sully

Continuedfrompage13

“We want to see each individual improving from last year to this year,” Arkema said. “(The large roster) is going to hopefully provide us with depth to fill events and shuffle guys around.”

Junior Hendrick Lowry is another key returner for the Hawks. He had the team’s top times in the 800 and 1,600 last year and posted the second-best 3,200 time.

Lowry also is coming off a cross country season that ended at state.

The rest of the Hawks expected to join Lowry in the middle distance and distance events are junior Terran Gosselink, sophomores Ethan Dunsbergen, Connor Deal and Michael Spooner and a plethora of freshmen, including cross country state qualifier Colton Alberts.

Joining Noun Harder in sprinting events are junior Austin Larson, Low-

Baxter

Continuedfrompage11

“A main focus in the offseason and preseason was for them to get some practice on the greens,” Pickett said. “There are a lot of shots we can pick up if we can manage to get off the green with one or two putts.”

Meyer led the Bolts last season with a nine-hole average of 57. Koehler averaged 58.2.

The rest of the roster features junior Nicole Bunse, sophomores Klaire Shanks and Rilynn Titus and freshmen Luci Kucera and Maddie Reimers. There are no seniors.

“They are very coachable,” Pickett said. “If I ask anyone to try something, I know they will try it and give it their best. That’s all I can ask for.”

Boys Golf

Last year, the Baxter boys’ golf team didn’t have enough players for team scores at the conference or sectional tournaments.

This season, a handful of Bolts could

Noun Harder

ry, Gosselink, Deal, Dunsbergen, sophomores Jack Bowlin, Dawson James, Landyn Fisk, Burt Johnson, Gavin Olea, Jaiden Richards, Isaac Ver Ploeg and a few freshmen.

Bowlin returns as the team’s top long jumper and he will be joined by Deal, Johnson and freshman Evan Arkema.

Deal is the top returner in the high jump and Gosselink, Fisk, sophomore Sawyer Veldhuizen and freshmen Trace Carlson and Terrion Carter join the crew.

Ver Ploeg is the top returner in the discus, while Vos and James had topthree throws in both the shot put and discus. The rest of the throwers are senior Davis Utech, sophomores Wyatt Mathis and Ben Squires and freshman Cameyon James.

be in a competition for some of the varsity spots.

Last season’s two golfers are back, another one has rejoined the team and second-year head coach Kyle Stribe will have 10 golfers to work with this spring.

“What I like most about this group is the way they get along and are willing to help each other out with little things that may or may not work for themselves,” Stribe said. “They are eager to improve.”

Junior Hudson Bethards is back for his third season, while sophomore Stadan Vansice also returns from last year’s team.

The lone senior is Cam Petermeier, who is back with the squad for a third year after not golfing last season.

The rest of the roster features a bunch of new and inexperienced golfers who will be playing competitively for the first time in their careers.

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Colfax-Mingo

Continuedfrompage12

C-M graduated its top thrower, but it will have a large group with juniors Emma Cook, Lily Arndt and Keira Kono, sophomore Britney Keeney and freshman Lexie Aller.

Boys Golf

The Colfax-Mingo golf teams will have a new head coach again this spring. And for the first time in several years, the boys and girls will have two different leaders.

Blake Warrick is back in the program and will lead the boys into a new season. His first roster features 16 golfers.

“With a new head coach, there’s always some form of a fresh start, but since I’ve been a part of the program for the last five years it will hopefully feel more like picking up where we left off,” Warrick said. “The focus has been trying to cultivate a positive and fun environment and always improve the short game.”

The Tigerhawks bring back several golfers from last year’s varsity team. Even though none of them averaged under 100 for 18 holes, Warrick thinks he can get four scores in that range this season.

That should help C-M improve on its 11th place finish at the SICL meet and compete for a placing of higher than seventh at sectionals.

Sophomore Cason Fitch led the way last year with a nine-hole average of 49.67. Senior Cael Bracewell posted a 52.71 average, while junior Owen Ament had an average of 55.71. Ament will dual-sport with track and field this spring.

The only other golfers who averaged at or near 60 last year were senior Luke Allen and sophomore Alex Teed.

“Nothing is set in stone,” Warrick

said. “There will be a competition for every spot.”

The other Tigerhawks expected to compete for varsity time are junior Shane Hostetter and senior Joe Earles.

The other senior is Jared Lewis. The rest of the juniors are Sean Ament, Michael Camp, Brock Nichol and Raymond Osborn. The rest of the sophomores are Luke Padgett, Konner Bennett, Jackson Davis and Gus Engle and the lone freshman is Allan Bregar.

Girls Golf

Last year’s Colfax-Mingo girls’ golf team placed second at the SICL tournament and advanced to the second of regionals.

But after two seniors graduated and losing another starter, the Tigerhawks will have just five golfers for their encore performance.

“We have a good group of girls coming out this year,” new C-M head girls golf coach Jacob Buehrer said. “Though small they definitely make up for it with their competitiveness.”

Buehrer takes over the girls golf program, which has been under several head coaches the past handful of seasons.

And the C-M alum hopes to create a foundation that includes the same head coach for more than a few seasons.

“It’s great to be back and involved in the school district again,” Buehrer said. “The last golf coach Colfax-Mingo had who was here for longer than four years was Terry Fox,” Buehrer said. “I never got the chance to be coached by him, but there was definitely a golf culture back then. I would like to bring that back and make golf cool again.”

The Tigerhawks welcome back their top two golfers from last year in senior Charlotte Donahue and sophomore Lily Brenner.

The rest of the roster features sophomores Chloe Clements, Emily Dyer and Lillie Jones. They all played at least five nine-hole rounds last season.

Donahue led last year’s Tigerhawks with a nine-hole average of 52.11. Brenner’s average was 55, but her 18-hole average of 101.25 led the squad. Donahue will dual sport with track and field this spring.

Boys Track and Field

Xavier Woods had a leap of 5 feet, 6 inches in the high jump at last year’s 2A state-qualifying meet.

The Tigerhawk junior went way past that at this year’s SICL indoor meet, and Woods will be the team’s best chance to return to the blue oval this season.

Colfax-Mingo’s roster of 12 athletes features no seniors and just three juniors.

“We have great kids. We have a small squad, but they have huge hearts,” long-

time C-M head boys track and field coach Matt Barkalow said. “We’ve had relays run faster times indoors than they ran outdoors last year. The young guys are hungry and putting in the work.”

Woods cleared 6-0 in the high jump at the conference indoor meet. That height is usually good enough to advance to state. Barkalow thinks Woods also has a shot at state in both the 110 high hurdles and 400 hurdles.

“I can put Xavier in about 18 different events, but unfortunately there are rules against that,” Barkalow said.

Woods had the team’s fastest 100 and 400 last year and the top distances in both the high jump and long jump.

Sophomore Davion Long and junior Isaiah Baucom are the team’s next-best sprinters.

The top distance runner last season was junior Owen Ament, who posted the team’s fastest times in the 1,600 and 3,200. He will dual-sport with golf.

The five fastest times in the 800 last year were ran by freshmen, led by now sophomores Sullivan Wilkins and Izaiah Lewis.

Sophomores Wyatt Thornton and Kyle Wood are the other returning letter winners. Thornton was the program’s highest-scoring freshman since Jake Lietz in 2013 and will factor into hurdles and anything from a 100 to an 800.

Baucom figures to lead the team in the throwing events, too. He’s joined by freshman Nate Endersbe and sophomore Cody Heisler.

The rest of the roster includes freshmen Fisher Grove and Asher Knutson.

“We have so many young guys. We have no seniors and three juniors and when the roster is that way, there’s a good chance they’ll improve, but they also just don’t know yet,” Barkalow said. “As long as they come to work with the right attitude, we’ll help them figure it out.”

Baxter

Continuedfrompage14

“I would say Hudson and Stadan will have a big impact with their experience playing varsity golf,” Stribe said. “Mostly

everyone else is new to competitive golf, but I think they will improve quickly.”

The rest of the roster features senior Treyton Travis, juniors Perrin Sulzle, Carter Smith and Cade Robinson, sophomore Colton Moffit and freshmen Nolan Hill and Cole Frasher.

Travis, Robinson and Smith all will dual sport with track and field.

“Our focus early is going to be from 100 yards and in,” Stribe said. “As a team, we want to be better at saving strokes by the green. As I mentioned, we have three guys who have played be -

fore, but for the others, they are going to have to learn all of the ins and outs that go into competitive golf.

“With the new players, we will really focus on the rules of the game and everyone else will focus on the short game.”

Troy Hyde/Newton News

Colfax-Mingo senior Charlotte Donahue will dual sport with golf and track and field this spring.

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