January
Bees Find New Home:
The Burlington Bees and the Clinton LumberKings played baseball this spring — as part of the Prospect League, which featured college baseball players.
In December of 2020, Major League Baseball cut ties with 42 of its minor league teams, including the two along Iowa’s eastern border.
The Pioneer League’s players — all of whom are collegians — pay 495 dollars to play a 60-game schedule.
Opening games were in late May and ran through early August.
There are 16 teams in the Prospect League and general managers of the teams will met in January the season’s schedule.
Wesleyan’s Temaine Wright Resigns Midseason:
Iowa Wesleyan head women’s basketball coach Temaine Wright has resigned from his position in January.
Wright was entering his second season with the Tigers.
Jazmyne Laskey, who was in her first year as the top lieutenant to Wright, led the program for the remainder of the season
The Tiger women were 0-2 at the time of the resignation.
February
Lopez Wins Third State Title:
Marcel Lopez kept etching his name into history.
The Magic Man from New London, who appropriately took a bow following his state finals masterpiece was crowned a three-time state champion in February.
Lopez defeated Lisbon’s Brandon Paez by decision (1-0) in February’s 1A-120 pound finals, creating a legacy that many in the state strive for.
It wasn’t pretty at times in this year’s tournament for Lopez, but does it even have to be?
All he did was win, win, win and win again.
Now, he’s coming back as a senior for a feat so rare that only 28 wrestlers in Iowa High School history have done it: four years, four state titles.
Lopez ended his junior campaign with a record of 60-0.
Wesleyan’s Odorisio Resigns:
Iowa Wesleyan announced the resignation of men’s soccer coach Tony Odorisio in February.
Odorisio, who was entering his fifth season, had coached 18 players to All-Conference honors, while guiding the Tigers to the SLIAC Conference Tournament Championship match just one year ago.
He was named SLIAC Coach of the Year in 2019, as well.
Johnson Commits to Central:
Mount Pleasant senior quarterback Jack Johnson committed to play college football at Central College this spring.
Johnson followed the footsteps of 2019 quarterback Brody Bender as Panthers to head to Pella.
The Panther superstar enjoyed a monster senior season for the Panthers accounting for over 2,000 combined yards and 22 touchdowns.
He ended his season with his best passing performance of the year in the team’s loss to eventual state champion North Scott, where he threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns.
Lopreato Headlines 2020-21 All-Conference Lists:
Mount Pleasant sophomore forward Andrea Lopreato was recognized by Southeast Conference officials in February as a 1st Team All-Conference selection following her terrific campaign for Curt Watson’s group.
Lopreato led Mount Pleasant with 16.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, all while contributing two assists, three steals and a block per contest, as well.
Her capstone performance was a February 5th drubbing of Burlington, where Lopreato set the school record for points in a game with 37 (13-of-19 FG), while snagging 16 rebounds.
Joining Lopreato on the 1st Team were the Fairfield tandem of Danielle Breen and Hannah Simpson, Abby Wolter of Keokuk (Conference POY) and Fort Madison’s Malarie Ross and Brandy Walker.
Lopreato’s classmate Tristian Shull was named 2nd Team All-Conference by the coaches, as well.
Shull averaged 9.5 points her second year on the varsity floor, leading the conference with nearly four assists per game.
She finished second on the team in steals per game with 2.7.
Both Emma Huckabone and Kenna Lamm were named to the Honorable Mention All-Conference list.
Lamm, Huckabone, Ava Lowery, Karsyn Lamm and Emma Rugg were all Academic All-Conference selections for the Panthers as well.
Mount Pleasant closed their season with a record of 11-10.
March
Wesleyan Hires Steve Williamson:
Just days after stepping down from William Penn University, Mount Pleasant native Steve Williamson was named the new head coach of the Iowa Wesleyan women’s basketball team.
Williamson accumulated 246 wins, four conference championships, five conference tournament championships, and eight national tournament appearances in his first stint with Iowa Wesleyan.
In his time in Oskaloosa, a program he led for the past four years, Williamson accrued an 88-28 record.
He was 66-20 in conference play.
A two-time Heart of America Conference Coach of the Year, Williamson headed 13 all-Heart performers, one Heart Player of the Year, and three NAIA All-Americans.
Academically, he had seven Heart Scholar-Athletes and five NAIA Scholar-Athlete under his tutelage.
He also led the Statesmen to their first regular season title since 1988 and orchestrated their first Heart of America Conference Tournament title in program history.
William Penn finished 10-9 this year and 10-7 in conference play.
Mount Pleasant Alum Magnani Hired at VBC:
For the first time in over 50 years, the Van Buren County boys’ basketball team will be coached by someone other than Fred Parsons.
Parsons, who has been the lead man in Keosauqua since the 1962-63 school year, officially announced his retirement in March before the Van Buren County School Board.
Taking over will be former Mount Pleasant student athlete Trey Magnani.
Magnani will look to fill the gaping shoes left by Parsons, who is second in all-time wins with 742, trailing only Bob Hilmer of North Linn, who retired in May of 2020.
Magnani is currently a teacher in the Van Buren County School District and was the middle school basketball coach for the previous two seasons.
Trey’s father Alan was the long-time head coach of the Iowa Wesleyan men’s basketball team also serving as an assistant on Caleb Akey’s staff last year at Mount Pleasant High School.
Van Buren County finished last year winless, the first time in school history.
Trent Named First Team All-Conference:
Mount Pleasant junior forward Dewon Trent was one of four Panthers honored by Southeast Conference coaches on the 2020-21 All-Conference list in March.
Trent was a unanimous first-team selection in his first varsity season after leading Mount Pleasant to a 13-11 record and a near upset of Mount Vernon (RV) in the Class 3A Substate semifinal.
Trent finished third in the conference — and tops on the team — in scoring at 15.8 points per game, while hauling 7.3 rebounds — also good for third in the Southeast Conference.
Joining Trent on the first team was Amarion Davis of Burlington (Co-Conference POY), Fort Madison’s Dayton Davis (Co-Conference POY), Ethan Patterson of Washington, Fairfield’s Max Wheaton, and Anthony Potratz of Keokuk.
Panther senior forward Brevin Wilson was named Second Team All-SEC.
Wilson averaged 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game — second in the SEC.
Both Owen Vansickel and Chase Williamson garnered Honorable Mention All-Conference recognition.
Dylon Hagans, Jack Johnson, Mason Mills, Cooper Pullis, Avery Scanridge and Brevin Wilson were all named to the Academic All-Conference list.