WOLFPACK ATHLETICS

Boys Soccer

June 3rd, 2023, will be remembered by Wolfpack fans as the day that Western Christian won its first Spring Soccer State Championship. After a hard-fought shoot-out victory in the semi-finals, the Wolfpack pulled out a 2-0 victory in the championship game. After finishing the last two seasons as Runner-Ups in the Championship game, this victory was especially sweet for this outstanding group of players.

We had a lot of spots to fill with graduating a big class last year, but we’ve had guys step up and fill those roles. Our team motto for the year was “Building Tradition.” Part of our tradition that we like to build is working day to day, and with that comes focus on different areas like purpose, passion, service, and faith. We were fortunate as a coaching staff to have a great group and saw growth in our athletes as the season progressed. We hoped to keep our athletes disciplined not only on the field but also in the classroom and their personal lives, specifically raising young men of faith to have an impact on the world around them. We were blessed to have each one of these guys as a part of our team.

Girls Soccer

This year found us extremely young. Typically, the team on the field this season included a freshman keeper, four-five sophomores, and four-five juniors. We had one senior who came out this season for the first time. Needless to say, it took time for us to find our shape, and even in our last game, we were still working at that. Credit to the group, our work rate allowed us to have a better-than-expected season and, for the most part, play to our potential.

We had to play through this season to get to next year, and we will pick up where we left off, being bigger, stronger, more experienced, better skilled, and more competitive. As soccer continues to grow in Northwest Iowa, our soccer IQ and our skill development will come with it. Thank you to all those who have supported the team and fed the group throughout the season. It is appreciated!

Boys Golf

For the third year in a row, the Varsity Boy’s Golf team qualified to compete at the IHSAA 2A State Tournament. The group battled on the second day of competition to improve the team’s score by eight strokes to earn a fourth-place finish. These six golfers played well all year to earn the best finish in program history!

Coach Derek Keizer

Girls Golf

Golf has a team element, but it is a very individual sport. The girls’ golf team spent time focusing on a positive mindset for individual play and encouragement for each other.

Author Jon Gordan wrote, “Today is a great day to focus on what we GET TO do, not what we HAVE TO do. Life is a gift, not an obligation.” I share this quote often, and I especially shared it the morning of the Reginal Final golf meet. It was a perfect day for golf with no wind and quality course conditions. The mentality of the team was we have no expectations of ourselves, it’s a beautiful day, and we get to play a nice course, so just go out and have fun one shot at a time.

The team did enjoy the meet, as they did the whole season, improving each time they stepped onto the course. This season may have been the first time since the early 2000s that a WC girls’ team had advanced this far, which is a neat accomplishment for this group of ladies.

Girls Track

This year’s team was comprised mostly of some great senior leaders, along with a record number of freshmen ladies. The season will be remembered as a team that made great strides throughout the year, with most of the team peaking at the end of the year. A highlight of the year was when our team served our sport by running the jr. high track meet for the area grade schools. Two relays qualified for the State Meet along with Megan Vander Pol in the Discus.

Spring weather is unpredictable, and how it will affect sports. The start of the season was a challenge because the first outdoor in LeMars took place after only two practices on an actual track.

Boys Track

Every track season comes with excitement and challenges, and this year was a year of both. We had a great season with tremendous senior leadership throughout the entire season. Our six seniors were the guys that led each practice, and they had a great passion for track and field that trickled down to our young team. Matthew 23:11-12 talks about always being a servant. This group was always willing to serve and will be missed in the track and field program. Congrats to Derek Heynen and Jackson Gulker for earning an opportunity to represent Western Christian at State Track. They, along with our team, had a great season of growth all spring.