Author: Slaten Swords

High School Baseball

Winfield-Mt. Union piled in the runs last night, defeating Wapello 11-2. Riley Kaalberg sprinted his way around the basepath for a two-RBI triple as Lane Genkinger picked up the complete game win on the mound, accumulating seven strikeouts. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Hillcrest Academy tonight at 5:30 pm at home.

Wapello will tangle with Highland tomorrow, June 13th, at 7:30 pm on the road. 

Mt. Pleasant is back at home tonight to take on Burlington with first pitch at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.

West Burlington will stay on the road to take on Lone Tree tonight at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee will square off against Van Buren County at 7:30 pm tonight at home. 

New London will take on #7 Mediapolis tonight on the road at 7:30 pm.

Danville will host Burlington Notre Dame tonight at 7:30 pm.

Fairfield will travel to Keokuk tonight at 7:30 pm.

High School Softball

Holy Trinity Catholic decided to walk the bases loaded in a tied ball game in the top of the 7th inning with two outs away against Central Lee last night and Jalyn Hawk made the Crusaders pay, knocking home the winning run in a 4-2 final. Central Lee remains undefeated in SEISC-South play.

Central Lee will take on Van Buren County at home tonight at 7 pm.

Danville will host Holy Trinity Catholic tonight at 7 pm.

#15 West Burlington/Notre Dame broke their four-game losing streak after scoring two runs in the top of the 7th inning to beat Keokuk last night 5-4. Madalyn Knapp crushed a home run and totaled two RBIs in the win. The Falcons will fly to Lone Tree tonight at 5:30 pm.

Mediapolis will square off against New London tonight at home at 7 pm.

Fairfield will attempt to get back in the win column tonight against Keokuk in a road showdown at 7:30 pm.

WACO will face off against Wapello on the road tonight at 7 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will host Burlington tonight at 7 pm.

Columbus will square off against Louisa-Muscatine on the road tonight at 7 pm.

High School Track

Mt. Pleasant held their track and field banquet last night and handed out some awards to celebrate another season of success, including a couple new school records. 

Starting on the girls’ side, the Panthers reclaimed the Southeast Conference crown with a strong performance from their relay teams and short distance sprinters. 

The 4×200 meter relay team broke four meet records, including the SEC meet record before setting a new school record of 1 minute and 43 seconds at the state qualifier. The team of Kynlee White, Ellie Freeman, Kiyah Sanders, and Alex Scott finished in 10th at state in the 4×200. 

Izzy Sloat received rookie of the year as she attended state for two events: the sprint medley relay and the long jump, taking 12th place in the latter with a leap of 16 feet and 3.25 inches. Linzy Striegel joined her at the long jump pit, claiming 21st place at state, earning Most Improved along with Alexis Wagner.

Scott could not ask for a better season, breaking the school record in the 4×200 meter relay and the 200-meter dash, rushing to a time of 25.56 seconds at the state prelim for 13th place. Additionally, she finished in 6th place in the 100-meter dash and the 4×100 meter relay at state. She was the leading scorer of the team.

For the boys’ team, Kaden Schadt took home Rookie of the Year as he led the team with a height of 6 feet in the high jump. Silas Hulett joined him in Rookie of the Year honors as he paced the long distance team. Mason Frueh earned Most Improved as the junior tossed the discus 140 feet and 10 inches for a team personal best.

Lastly, Avin Truong collected Leading Scorer for the season, despite suffering an injury in the later half of the season. Nevertheless, the senior broke the 23-foot mark in the long jump, setting a school record with a distance of 23 feet and 8 inches.

Payton Walker and Natalie Freeman received the Panther Award.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team will be starting up their optional summer runs on Monday, June 16th. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. The runs will continue through mid-August until the cross country camp. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees defeated the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes last night 11-8 behind a strong offensive performance in the middle innings. Miles Risley led the Bees with four RBIs and a double at the plate. Burlington will travel to play the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tonight at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings handled the Danville Dans last night 10-4. Jamie Rasmussen logged the only extra-base hit of the night for the LumberKings as he collected two RBIs. Clinton will host the rematch tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1939 – The Baseball Hall of Fame is dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.

1970 – Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis no-hits the Padres, 2-0 at San Diego Stadium, while under the influence of LSD. 

1997 – After 126 years of major league play tradition, the first interleague game is played as the San Francisco Giants beat the host Texas Rangers, 4-3.

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant’s Zach Newton pitched a gem last night, allowing only six hits and striking out three in a 6-0 complete game shutout of Oskaloosa. Cooper Coleman slugged his way to two doubles and four RBIs in the winning effort. The Panthers are back at home tomorrow, June 12th, to take on Burlington with first pitch at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.

West Burlington nearly upset #7 Mediapolis last night, but the Bulldogs managed to walk off the Falcons in the 8th inning to win 10-9. Brock Thuleen collected three RBIs in the loss. 

#7 Mediapolis will make the trip to Keokuk tonight at 7:30 pm.

West Burlington will stay on the road to take on Lone Tree tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee shut down New London’s offense last night, allowing only two hits in a 4-0 victory. Hunter Edlin led the Hawks with two RBIs as Blake Davis hit a solo shot. 

Central Lee will square off against Van Buren County at 7:30 pm tomorrow at home. 

New London will take on #7 Mediapolis tomorrow on the road at 7:30 pm.

Danville fell to Van Buren County last night 7-0. Kinnick Millard, Blaine Benjamin, and Eli McKinney each notched a double and an RBI in the win. 

Danville will host Burlington Notre Dame tomorrow at 7:30 pm.

Fairfield snuck past Williamsburg last night 5-3. Dayson Workman collected a double and three RBIs for the Trojans. Fairfield will travel to Keokuk tomorrow at 7:30 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Hillcrest Academy tomorrow at 5:30 pm at home.

Wapello will tangle with Highland on Friday, June 13th, at 7:30 pm on the road. 

High School Softball

Holy Trinity Catholic was shutout by Wapello last night 7-0. The Crusaders will compete against Central Lee tonight at 7 pm.

Mediapolis took down #15 West Burlington/Notre Dame last night 8-7. Delaney Griffith brought home four runs and slugged a double in the winning effort. 

Mediapolis will square off against New London tomorrow, June 12th, at home at 7 pm.

#15 West Burlington/Notre Dame will attempt to right the ship tonight on the road against Keokuk with first pitch at 7 pm.

Fairfield has now lost three games in a row after falling to Centerville last night, 6-4. Lilly Bergren smacked a triple and totaled two RBIs in the loss. The Trojans will attempt to get back in the win column tomorrow against Keokuk in a road showdown at 7:30 pm.

Van Buren County held off Danville’s comeback attempt to beat the Bears last night 8-6. Alicia Cumberland got the complete game win as she struck out six. 

Danville will host Holy Trinity Catholic tomorrow at 7 pm.

Van Buren County will take on Cardinal tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

WACO lost to Pekin last night 28-4. The Warriors will face off against Wapello on the road tomorrow at 7 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will host Burlington tomorrow at 7 pm.

Columbus will square off against Louisa-Muscatine on the road tomorrow at 7 pm.

High School Trap Shooting

The 2025 Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program State Trap Shooting Championship ran all last week as nearly 3,000th athletes from fourth grade through high school made the trip to Cedar Falls. 

The All-State team for singles trap was released yesterday and Mt. Pleasant’s Izaac Zihlman earned a spot on the Men’s Trap High-All-Around team. The All-State team is determined by the combination of the athlete’s league score and the Championship Event Score. Zihlman collected the bronze in the Men’s Varsity League as he finished with a score of 196.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team will be starting up their optional summer runs on June 16th. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. The runs will continue through mid-August until the cross country camp. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees lost to the Quincy Doggy Paddlers last night 10-7. Kooper Schulte added another RBI to bring his season total to 13. The Bees will host the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings crushed the Normal CornBelters last night 8-0. Brett White smacked two doubles and collected an RBI for his efforts. The LumberKings remain at home tonight to face off against the Danville Dans tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1950 – 50th US Open Men’s Golf, Merion GC: 16 months after being severely injured in an auto accident, Ben Hogan wins in an 18-hole playoff in what is later dubbed the “Miracle at Merion.”

1959 – Charlie Sifford becomes the first African-American to play in the US Golf Open. 

1992 – Tracy Austin at the age of 29 is the youngest inductee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

High School Baseball

Central Lee handled Winfield-Mt. Union last night 11-3. Blake Davis continued to tattoo the ball in the winning effort, tabbing two doubles and four RBIs for the Hawks. Lane Genkinger and Riley Kaalberg each collected a double and an RBI for the Wolves. 

Central Lee will take on New London tonight at home at 7:30 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Hillcrest Academy on Thursday, June 12th, at 5:30 pm at home.

New London crushed Wapello last night, 10-0. Tate Welcher smacked a triple on his way to three RBIs in the win, while Owen Nehring pitched a five inning no-hitter. 

Wapello will tangle with Highland on Friday, June 13th, at 7:30 pm on the road. 

Danville fell to Louisa-Muscatine last night 4-3. The Bears will compete against Van Buren County tonight at 7:30 pm at home. 

Van Buren County came back to beat Hillcrest Academy last night 3-2. Aiden McEntee went the distance on the mound, notching five strikeouts for the Warriors. 

Fairfield remained spotless in the conference standings, beating Washington 9-0 in game one and 8-7 in game two. Cason Miller did most of the work in game one with three RBIs and a triple at the plate, while Dain Burkhart pitched the complete game shutout. 

The Trojans displayed some grit in the bottom of the 7th of game two, scoring three runs to walk-off the Demons. Ethan Bisgard knocked a home run for two RBIs in the win.

Fairfield will travel to Williamsburg tonight at 7 pm. 

Mt. Pleasant kept their hot streak rolling with a sweep of Keokuk last night at Joyce Park. The Panthers showed they can do it both ways, winning a pitchers duel in game one 4-2 behind Liam Marshall’s 6.1 innings, allowing only one hit, while striking out five.

The Panthers followed that up by clobbering the Chiefs in game two 15-2 with Brayton Hutson touting a triple and two RBIs in the win as J.C. Sitar totaled five RBIs between the two contests. 

The Panthers stay on the road tonight to face off against Oskaloosa at 7:15 pm.

West Burlington will square off against Mediapolis tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

High School Baseball Rankings

The Iowa Baseball Coaches Association released their updated rankings yesterday and Mediapolis jumped up the rankings to #7 after a week of action. The Bulldogs went 3-0 this past week, outscoring their opponents 30 to 4 in the process. 

Kyler Crow leads the team with a 0.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 17.1 innings of work, while notching 12 RBIs at the plate. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant traveled to Lee County last night for a doubleheader against conference foe, Keokuk, and the two walked away having split the night. 

Game one belonged to Keokuk’s Ada Wood as she struck out 11 in the complete game win from the circle, while tabbing two RBIs at the plate in the 11-4 final. Lila Cook collected an RBI single for the Panthers. 

Game two was all about offense as the Panthers slugged their way to a 14-9 victory behind a 2nd inning that featured Jolynn Martin whacking a two-run homer and Paityn Ensminger and Chaley Cook each clocking RBI doubles. Martin finished the game with four RBIs to lead the team. 

The Panthers will host Burlington on Thursday, June 12th, at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic trounced Pekin last night 18-1. The Crusaders will compete against Wapello tonight at home at 7 pm.

Mediapolis was knocked off by Highland last night 11-2. Kenna Jankowski swatted an RBI double in the loss. The Bulldogs will square off against #15 West Burlington/Notre Dame tonight at home at 7 pm.

#9 Washington staked their claim as teh best in the Southeast Conference last night after drubbing Fairfield 15-6 in game one and 10-1 in game two to sit alone atop the standings. Lilly Bergren provided two RBIs in the game one loss. The Trojans will look for revenge at home tonight against Centerville at 7:30 pm. 

Central Lee will host New London tonight at 7 pm.

Danville will face off against Van Buren County tonight at home at 7 pm.

WACO will take on Pekin tonight at 7 pm at home.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team will be starting up their optional summer runs on June 16th. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. The runs will continue through mid-August until the cross country camp. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Middle School Track and Field

Mt. Pleasant’s Avery Fedler, who will be a freshman in the fall, made the trip west to Seattle for the Brooks PR Invitational on Sunday to race against the best in the nation and the Panther finished in 3rd place in the 800-meter junior division with a time of 2 minutes and 12 seconds. Her parents are Jeff and Shannon Fedler, two successful Division I athletes.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees will host the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tonight at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings will take on the Normal CornBelters tonight at 6:30 pm at home.

This Day in Sports History

1880 – MLB Boston Red Caps’ outfielder Charley Jones becomes the first to hit two home runs in one inning, both off of Tom Poorman in a 19-3 win over the visiting Buffalo Bisons. 

1944 – Relief pitcher Joe Nuxhall at 15 years, 316 days, debuts for the Cincinnati Reds; becoming the youngest player in MLB history. He later becomes an All-Star and a broadcaster.

1974 – Philadelphia Phillies slugger Mike Schmidt hits a ball off the public address speaker hanging from the Houston Astrodome roof. The first time the feat was accomplished since the Astrodome opened in 1965.

High School Baseball

Central Lee handed Fort Madison their third one-run loss in five games after walking off the Bloodhounds in the bottom of the 7th inning to win 8-7. Blake Davis clocked a three-run homer for the Hawks. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will compete against Central Lee tonight at 5:30 pm at home. 

New London will tangle with Wapello tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Burlington Notre Dame will travel to Pekin at 7:30 pm tonight.

Van Buren County will face off against Hillcrest Academy at 5:30 pm on the road tonight.

Fairfield will host Washington for a doubleheader tonight with game one at 5:30 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will head to Keokuk tonight for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm. 

Danville will compete against Van Buren County tomorrow, June 10th, at 7:30 pm at home. 

West Burlington will square off against Mediapolis tomorrow at 5:30 pm on the road. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant and WACO made the trip to Holy Trinity Catholic over the weekend for a tournament and the Panthers split their contest, while the Crusaders swept their opponents.

Mt. Pleasant collected their second victory of the season in dominant fashion, scoring 10 runs in the 5th inning to beat WACO 19-1. Saige Burchett, Parker Coleman, Bella Dodds, and Chaley Cook each pushed across three runs in the effort. 

Against the Crusaders the Panthers did not have the same type of success on offense, losing 8-2. Makayla Simpson slugged a double and a triple for two RBIs for Holy Trinity Catholic. Paityn Ensminger and Chaley Cook knocked home the two runs. 

Holy Trinity Catholic capped off the weekend with a 15-2 thrashing of WACO as Sydney Jarvis clouted a home run for five RBIs in the win.

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Keokuk tonight for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 5:15 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against Pekin tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

WACO will take on Pekin tomorrow, June 10th, at 7 pm at home.

Central Lee dropped their weekend showdown to Fort Madison, 6-4. Columbus will try to win their fourth straight game tonight on the road at 7 pm against Central Lee.

New London finished the weekend winless at the Mustang Classic, losing 14-5 to Davis County and 10-4 to Moravia. Kellee Milks tabbed four hits and an RBI over the two games. The Tigers will start a three-game road stand tonight against Wapello with first pitch at 7 pm.

#15 West Burlington/Notre Dame has now dropped three straight after being swept at the Oskaloosa Classic over the weekend. The offense could not find a rhythm against the hosts, losing 6-1. Madelyn Thomas smacked an RBI double in the loss.

Game two saw the offense jump out to a 5 to 0 lead through the first three innings before surrendering seven runs in the middle innings to fall 7-5. Whitney Snowden cracked a home run for two RBIs against the Rockets. 

The Falcons will look for redemption tomorrow against Mediapolis on the road at 7 pm.

Van Buren County will face off against Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm to start off a five game road trip. 

Mediapolis will take on Highland tonight at 7:30 pm on the road. 

Fairfield will face off against Washington at home tonight in a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Danville will travel to Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team will be starting up their optional summer runs on June 16th. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. The runs will continue through mid-August until the cross country camp. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

High School Track

Hall of Fame coach, Dave Hutchcroft, will be hosting a hurdling clinic for any girls going into 6th through 8th grades, starting tomorrow, June 10th. The clinic will be a total of three days with the other dates being Thursday, June 12th, and the following Tuesday, June 17th. 

The clinic days will run from 9:30 am to 10:30 am at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. There is no cost to participate. 

High School Soccer

The girls’ state championship matches were played over the weekend and a dynasty continued but needed some extra time to get there. Here’s a look at the three state champions.

For Class 1A, #3 Assumption ended #1 Denver’s claim to a lossless season after scoring a goal in each half to win 2-0 for their 12th state title. 

Class 3A was next on the schedule and #7 Linn-Mar’s Cinderella run finished a goal short as Olivia Stapleton’s goal helped give #1 Waukee Northwest their first state title in a 3-2 final.

Lastly, in Class 2A, #2 Dallas Center-Grimes collected their 4th straight state title after defeating #1 Waverly Shell-Rock 1-0 in the second overtime period. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees’ comeback effort fell short against the Clinton LumberKings over the weekend, losing 4-3 with the tying run left on base. Dash Denton had two RBIs in the loss. 

The Bees then split their doubleheader against the Quincy Doggy Paddlers last night, falling 5-2 in game one and sneaking out with a 1-0 win in game two. Colten Clarahan got the win on the mound, allowing only one hit in four innings of work. 

The Bees will host the Doggy Paddlers tomorrow, June 10th, at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings concluded their weekend with an extra-innings loss to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp 9-8, despite scoring eight unanswered runs to tie the game in the top of the 9th inning. The LumberKings will take on the Normal CornBelters tomorrow at 6:30 pm at home.

This Day in Sports History

1914 – Pittsburgh Pirate baseball shortstop Honus Wagner is 2nd player to get 3,000 hits.

1946 – New York Giant Mel Ott becomes first manager in MLB history to be ejected from both games of a doubleheader; Giants lose both games to Pittsburgh Pirates.

2010 – Stanley Cup Final, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA: Chicago Blackhawks edge Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3 in OT for a 4-2 series win; first Championship for Chicago since 1961.

High School Baseball

New London 10-run ruled Danville last night 13-3 to win their second straight contest. Noah Horn totaled a two RBI double for the Bears. 

New London will tangle with Wapello on Monday, June 9th, at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Danville will compete against Van Buren County on Tuesday, June 10th, at 7:30 pm at home. 

Wapello lost 11-1 to Pekin last night.

Burlington Notre Dame smacked Van Buren County last night 10-0. The Nikes will travel to Pekin at 7:30 pm on Monday.

Van Buren County will face off against Hillcrest Academy at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Central Lee popped back into the win column last night after scoring eight unanswered runs to beat West Burlington, 10-3. Brayden Wyrick smoked the ball for the Hawks with a double, a home run, and three RBIs. Caleb Bush had an RBI-double for the Falcons. 

Central Lee will take on Fort Madison today at home at 10 am.

West Burlington will square off against Mediapolis on Tuesday, June 10th, at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Mediapolis cruised past Hillcrest Academy last night 16-1. 

Fairfield was walked-off by Mid-Prairie last night in a thrilling 12-11 final. The Trojans will host Washington for a doubleheader on Monday with game one at 5:30 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union fell to Highland last night, 4-2. Trevor Phillips and Riley Kaalberg each notched an RBI in the loss. The Wolves will compete against Central Lee on Monday at 5:30 pm at home. 

Mt. Pleasant will head to Keokuk on Monday for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm. 

High School Softball

Holy Trinity Catholic has now won back-to-back games after defeating Van Buren County 7-5. The Warriors will face off against Hillcrest Academy on Monday, June 9th, at 7 pm to start off a five game road trip. 

WACO fell 26-0 to Louisa-Muscatine last night.

Mt. Pleasant and WACO will compete in the Holy Trinity Catholic tournament today.

In a battle for the top sport in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division, Central Lee jumped on #15 West Burlington/Notre Dame for a 5-2 victory. Whitney Snowden finished 2 for 4 with an RBI in the loss. 

Central Lee will host Fort Madison today at 10 am.

#15 West Burlington/Notre Dame will participate in the Oskaloosa Softball Classic today. 

New London will travel to Davis County to compete in the Mustang Classic tonight.

Wapello beat Pekin last night 4-1 to end a four game skid. The Arrows will play New London on Monday at home with first pitch at 7 pm.

Mediapolis clobbered Hillcrest Academy last night 11-0. Avery Crear led the team with three RBIs, while Payton Harris slugged a two-run homer. The Bulldogs will take on Highland on Monday at 7:30 pm on the road. 

Columbus’s Jacqueline Farrier knocked home three runs in an 8-2 win over Lone Tree last night. The Wildcats will try to win their fourth straight game on Monday on the road at 7 pm.

Fairfield played two at Iowa City West yesterday for their Classic and split their matchup, losing 11-4 to Assumption and beating the hosts 5-1. Leah Helmich clubbed a triple and collected two RBIs between the two contests. The Trojans will face off against Washington at home on Monday in a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Danville will travel to Louisa-Muscatine on Monday at 7 pm.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team will be starting up their optional summer runs on June 16th. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. The runs will continue through mid-August until the cross country camp. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

High School Track

Hall of Fame coach, Dave Hutchcroft, will be hosting a hurdling clinic for any girls going into 6th through 8th grades, starting on Tuesday, June 10th. The clinic will be a total of three days with the other dates being Thursday, June 12th, and the following Tuesday, June 17th. 

The clinic days will run from 9:30 am to 10:30 am at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. There is no cost to participate. 

High School Soccer

The 2025 boys’ state championships commenced yesterday and three of the classes featured one-goal finishes. 

In Class 1A, West Sioux and Van Meter needed overtime to decide a champion and the Falcons fired a shot that ricocheted off the top post and deflected in the net for a 2-1 victory. 

After Bishop Heelan and Gilbert traded goals in the first half, Connor Rash scored a hat trick on a penalty kick in the 71st minute to take the Class 2A championship for Gilbert.

In the Class 3A championship game, Brice Lumley notched his first goal of the season in the sixth minute to give Urbandale a 1-0 lead over Iowa City Liberty. The J-Hawk defense did the rest, shutting out the Lightning for their first state championship since 2002. 

Valley handled business in the Class 4A championship, defeating Johnston 3-0. 

The girls’ state championship matches will be played today. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees had their five-game win streak snapped last night in a 6-3 loss to the Clinton LumberKings last night. Jalen Martinez and James Hackett smacked home runs in the winning effort. The Bees will host the rematch tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1892 – John J. Doyle of the Cleveland Spiders is the first to pinch hit in a baseball game.

1989 – The first baseball game to start outdoors and end indoors, as the Toronto Blue Jays’ stadium closed the roof during the game. They go on to beat the Brewers 4-2.

1989 – Wayne Gretzky wins his 9th NHL Hart (MVP) Trophy in 10 years.

Prep Softball- The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) released the second rankings of the 2025 season and the first of the regular season and after nearly two weeks of action two of our local teams find themselves in the top 15 for Class 3A.

Class 5A

#2 Waukee Northwest’s 7-4 loss on the tail end of a doubleheader showdown against #7 Waukee caused the Wolves to lose the top spot in the rankings. Taking over that top spot is undefeated Pleasant Valley. The Spartans are not just winning games, they are pulverizing opponents.

Through their first seven contests they have outscored their foes 101 to 11 with three double-digit shutouts laced within the schedule. One of their doubleheader sweeps included Class 4A’s North Scott that comes into this week ranked 3^rd.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy has the (dis?)pleasure of being ranked 8^th this week despite starting the year 0-4, though their opponents were some stiff competition that we’ll see later on in the article.

Indianola was kicked out of the top 15 and replaced with Urbandale at #12.

Class 4A

One of those teams that kept Kennedy winless through the first four games was #1 Xavier. The Saints currently tout an ERA of 1.64 for the young season behind senior Braylen Conlon who has tabbed a 5-0 record with 49 strikeouts for an ERA of 0.30.

North Polk was ousted from the #1 slot after falling to Ames 1-0 on the penultimate day of May. The Comets have since rattled off four straight victories. Some undefeated teams in the top 15 include: #4 Norwalk, #5 Dallas Center-Grimes, #8 Clear Creek-Amana, and #14 Grinnell.

#11 Bondurant-Farrar and #14 Grinnell are the new kids on the block after #13 Pella and #14 Burlington were knocked out the rankings.

The Grayhounds have been a contender for the past 10 seasons with their height of their success coming in 2018 with 31 wins. However, last year’s Regional Championship lost might be the closest they come to state for at least another year.

After over a decade of dominant pitching, including an ERA under 2.00 last season, in most part due to senior Saydee Plummer, the Grayhounds currently tout an ERA over 4.00 for the first time since 2014 at 4.95. It could also be their first year of posting an ERA in the 5s since 2014.

Class 3A

Williamsburg kept their seat atop the standings but #2 Wahlert Catholic, who also beat Kennedy, is nipping at their heels at #2 followed by Assumption. Missouri Valley had quite the climb in the rankings, going from unranked to #7 with an 8-1 record.

#9 Washington gained a spot in the rankings after a solid 7-1 start to the season with their lone loss coming against Clear Creek Amana 5-4 to begin the season. The Demons, who have swatted down by Burlington the last couple years for the conference crown, swept the Grayhounds on Monday night, 9-6 in game one and 13-1 in game two.

Leighton Salazar and Alyvia Anderson are leading the charge offensively for Washington with 0.481 batting averages with Anderson sporting a 0.852 slugging percentage with a team-leading four doubles, two home runs, and nine RBIs.

This was a tough week to be ranked in Class 3A with four teams getting knocked out of the top 15: #6 Benton, #12 West Lyon, #13 Center Point-Urbana, and #14 West Marshall.

Replacing the three other teams will be #11 Sumner-Fredericksburg, #14 West Delaware, and #15 West Burlington/Notre Dame.

The Falcons are 6-1 heading into a big game against 7-1 Central Lee tonight with early claims for the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division on the line as they are both 3-0 against fellow south opponents.

West Burlington/Notre Dame’s only loss was a 3-1 affair against Class 2A’s #3 Louisa-Muscatine. Offense has been the flight pattern for the team for the past couple of years with eight players hitting at least 0.300, including Whitney Snowden clouting 0.526 at the plate.

Orayana Gonzalez’s 1.42 ERA is also good enough to keep the Falcons in any game that the offense has an off day.

Class 2A

Van Meter is ranked #1 after a 7-1 start to the season. Now, for the calamity that ensued in the other 14 spots. Durant shot up eight spots in the preseason rankings to be ranked #2 with a big highlight win against #3 Louisa-Muscatine, 2-1.

The reason West Lyon was kicked out of Class 3A’s top 15 is because the 8-0 squad is at #5 in their new class. Exira-EHK/Audubon and Lisbon are joined at the hip as they both fell four spots to enter this week at #6 and #7, respectively.

Osage jumped up four spots to get into the top 10, while #6 West Monona, #11 Hudson, #14 Treynor, and #15 Pleasantville were all ejected from the top 15.

#11 Wilton, #14 Cascade, and #15 Hinton filled up the empty slots.

Class 1A

Wayne and Clarksville are both undefeated and sit at #1 and #2, respectively. Martensdale-St. Marys tumbled all the way down the rankings from #2 to #9 after going an unassuming 3-2 to start the year.

Wapsie Valley’s 7-0 start to the year resulted could not go unnoticed as they jumped into the rankings after #14 Central City was kicked out. Additionally, #14 Sigourney is still undefeated and looking to defend their state championship.

More

For a full look at the rankings for all five classes, follow this link: Week 1 IGHSAU Rankings

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant’s unorthodox offense led the Panthers to their first conference win of the season, beating Washington 9-3. A Briar Bender RBI single in the 4th inning opened up the game for errors and walks as the Panthers took a 5 to 3 lead all while only registering one hit at the time. Payton Walker, Brayton Hutson, and J.C. Sitar each notched two RBIs. Walker picked up the win on the mound in 6 innings of work, he struck out nine Demons. 

Mt. Pleasant will head to Keokuk on Monday, June 9th, for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm. 

Danville fell to West Burlington last night 6-3. Caleb Bush collected two RBIs for the Falcons, while Alex Holtkamp clubbed a home run on his way to three RBIs for the night in the losing effort. 

Danville will square off against New London at 7 pm tonight on the road. 

New London snapped Burlington Notre Dame’s six-game winning streak over the Tigers last night in a thrilling 10-9 finish that saw the Nikes score three runs in the bottom of the 7th inning. Seven Tigers tabbed an RBI as Riley Raines had a two-RBI double to lead the way. 

Burlington Notre Dame will make the trip to Van Buren County tonight at 7 pm.

Van Buren County clobbered Pekin last night 14-3 as the Warriors worked 13 walks in the win. Aidan McEntee led the offense with two RBIs.

Mediapolis blanked Central Lee last night 6-0. The Hawks will attempt to bounce back tonight on the road against West Burlington with first pitch at 5:30 pm.

Mediapolis will take on Hillcrest Academy tonight on the road with gametime at 5:30 pm.

Wapello lost to Louisa-Muscatine last night 10-5. Wyatt Marlette knocked in three of the team’s runs. Wapello will face off against Pekin tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Fairfield remained atop the Southeast Conference after sneaking past Fort Madison last night 2-1. Carson Elmore claimed seven on the mound in five innings for the Trojans. Fairfield will travel to Mid-Prairie tonight at 7 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will play Highland tonight at 5:30 pm at home.

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant could not stop #9 Washington last night, losing 9-0. Paityn Ensminger broke up the no-hitter bid with a single. The Panthers will compete in the Holy Trinity Catholic tournament tomorrow, June 7th. 

New London was shutout by Holy Trinity Catholic last night 8-0. The Tigers will host Danville tonight at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to Van Buren County tonight at 7 pm.

Danville had no answer for #15 West Burlington/Notre Dame, falling 8-0. Faith Gibb collected three RBIs and a double for the Falcon offense, while Orayana Gonzalez pitched the complete game shutout with four strikeouts. 

#15 West Burlington/Notre Dame will battle for SEISC-South supremacy tonight at home against Central Lee with first pitch at 7 pm.

Van Buren County slugged Pekin last night 11-3. Ashlynn Huff smacked two doubles for four RBIs in the winning effort. 

Wapello lost to Louisa-Muscatine last night 7-0. The Arrows will travel to Pekin tonight at 7 pm.

Mediapolis lost to Central Lee last night in extra innings, 2-1. Payton Harris took the loss in the circle, despite pitching all 8.1 innings and generating four strikeouts. 

Mediapolis will continue their road stand tonight at Hillcrest Academy at 7 pm.

Columbus outpaced Hillcrest Academy last night in a 14-12 final. Jacqueline Farrier logged three RBIs in the win for the Wildcats. Columbus will take on Lone Tree tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Fairfield trounced Fort Madison last night 13-4 after a 10-run sixth inning. Lilly Bergren clocked a two-run home run in the effort. The Trojans will compete in the Iowa City West Softball Classic today with their game one opponent being Assumption. 

WACO will face off against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team will be starting up their optional summer runs on June 16th. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. The runs will continue through mid-August until the cross country camp. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

High School Track

Hall of Fame coach, Dave Hutchcroft, will be hosting a hurdles clinic for any girls going into 6th through 8th grades, starting on Tuesday, June 10th. The clinic will be a total of three days with the other dates being Thursday, June 12th, and the following Tuesday, June 17th. 

The clinic days will run from 9:30 am to 10:30 am at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. There is no cost to participate. 

High School Soccer

The girls’ State Championship matchups are set for tomorrow, June 7th, as two of the teams are looking to finish the season without a loss. 

In Class 1A, unbeaten Denver took down Hudson 2-1. The Cyclones will square off against Assumption after the Knights defeated Bishop Heelan 1-0. Their game will be at 11:30 am.

For Class 2A, #1 Waverly-Shell Rock will look to knock off the defending champions, #2 Dallas Center-Grimes at 5:30 pm. The Go-Hawks downed ADM 3-1, while the Mustangs shutout Xavier 2-0. 

The Cinderella story continued for #7 Linn-Mar in Class 3A after defeating #3 Ankeny Centennial last night 2-1. #1 Waukee Northwest will await them in the championship at 2:30 pm after taking down #4 Waukee last night 1-0. 

The 2025 boys’ state championships will conclude today.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees keep finding a way to win after an extra inning walk-off last night lifted the Bees past the Quincy Doggy Paddlers, 6-5. Griffen Bushnell was the hero of the game as he slapped the RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to score Caleb Seibers. 

The Clinton LumberKings split their doubleheader last night against the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes, losing game one 7-2 and taking game two 3-0. The LumberKing pitching staff in game two allowed only six hits and struck out eight as JC Dermody collected the win on the mound. 

The Bees will host the LumberKings tonight at 6:30 pm. Community Field will be shooting off fireworks at the conclusion of the game.

This Day in Sports History

1923 – Edgar Wallace became the first British radio sports reporter, when he made a report on The Derby for the British Broadcasting Company, the newly founded predecessor of the BBC.

1971 – Willie Mays hits all-time record 22nd extra inning home run. 

2018 – LeBron James eclipses Michael Jordan’s record (109) for most 30-point games in NBA playoff history in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 110-102 Game 3 Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors.

High School Baseball

West Burlington was unable to soar past Burlington Notre Dame last night in a 6-2 loss. Prior Bowen and Levi Fletcher-Bates each notched an RBI in the loss. 

Danville will host West Burlington tonight at 7:30 pm. 

Mt. Pleasant’s fourth inning four run rally lifted the Panthers over New London last night 8-4. Gavin Menke-Bailey had a two-RBI double for the Tigers in the loss with Memphis Watson going a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with his own RBI and three stolen bases. Mt. Pleasant head coach Brent Broeker is hoping to continue their winning ways tonight when his squad travels to Washington for first pitch at 7:30 pm,

“You know, we gotta play like we did tonight. You know, we gotta put the bat on the ball. We made a few mistakes. But you know, you’re right. When you go up to Washington, they always for some reason, no matter how good we are or how bad we are, they always give us a game, so we gotta go up there and be ready to go and hopefully come out with what same results as tonight.”

KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.

New London will stay on the road for a matchup against Burlington Notre Dame tonight with first pitch at 7 pm. 

Mediapolis handled Burlington last night 8-3. The Bulldogs will take on Central Lee tonight at 7:30 pm in a road showdown. 

Van Buren County will square off against Pekin at home tonight at 5:30 pm.

Wapello will host Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 5:30 pm.

Fairfield will travel to Fort Madison tonight at 7 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will play Highland tomorrow, June 6th, at 5:30 pm at home.

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant appeared snake-bitten to start the year in close games, but last night was a big step in the right direction as Chaley Cook’s domination in the circle led to a 3-1 win over New London. Cook tossed a complete game, allowing only three hits, while striking out four. Keagyn Coleman and Izzy Sloat each collected an RBI in the win. Maison Nelson batted in the lone run for the Tigers. Mt. Pleasant head coach Derek Coleman was happy to see his squad having fun from start to finish,

“Pretty excited. Yep. It’s good to see the girls get the win more than me but for the girls… Hopefully it’s a big confidence booster for them. They played 7 innings tonight. We haven’t played a full 7 innings in a game, battled the whole way through and they did it tonight.”

Mt. Pleasant will compete against Washington tonight on the road at 7:30 pm.

New London will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic tonight at 7:30 pm.

Van Buren County will take on Pekin tonight at 5:30 pm at home.

Wapello will face off against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm at home.

Danville will host West Burlington/Notre Dame tonight at 7 pm.

Columbus will face off against Mediapolis tonight at home at 7 pm.

Columbus will take on Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm at home.

Fairfield will continue their road trip tonight to face off against Fort Madison at 7:30 pm. 

WACO will face off against Louisa-Muscatine tomorrow, June 6th, at 7 pm

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team will be starting up their optional summer runs on June 16th. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. The runs will continue through mid-August until the cross country camp. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

High School Soccer

The girls state tournament semifinals begin today with Class 1A leading off the day. #1 Denver will face off against #5 Hudson, while #2 Bishop Heelan will take on #3 Assumption.

In Class 2A, #1 Waverly-Shell Rock will tangle with #5 ADM and #2 Dallas Center-Grimes will compete against #3 Xavier. 

Lastly, #1 Waukee Northwest and #4 Waukee will square off, while #7 Linn-Mar will attempt to continue their Cinderella story against #3 Ankeny Centennial tonight for Class 3A. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees had their contest against the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp postponed last night due to poor field conditions. The game will be made up on June 22nd as a doubleheader at Community Field. 

The Bees will host the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tonight at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings had their game against the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes postponed last night. The two teams will play a doubleheader tonight with game one at 6 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1974 – As’ Reggie Jackson and Bill North engage in clubhouse brawl in Detroit.

1981 – Astros Nolan Ryan passes Early Wynn as all-time walk leader (1,777).

2018 – Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was named 2017 top earning sports person by Forbes with $285 million.