Author: Slaten Swords

High School Track

The 2025 State Track and Field meet commenced yesterday and some of our local athletes walked away with hardware after the first day, while some other competitors advanced to the finals tomorrow, May 24th. Here’s some of the highlights from yesterday’s events.

Classes 2A and 3A kicked off the day with the field events and a quartet of local talent challenged for the boys’ Class 3A high jump title. Kenden Bowie of Fort Madison leapt over 6 feet and 3 inches but needed all three of his attempts, while Fairfield’s Ryan Giberson and Eli Zillman each cleared it in one attempt. However, the height of 6 feet and 5 inches was too much for our competitors, leading to Bowie tying for 4th place and Giberson and Zillman sharing the silver medal. 

In the girls’ Class 3A 3000-meter run, Avery Rump of Fort Madison snatched 5th place with a time of 10 minutes and 22 seconds. 

Southeast Iowa’s speed was on display on both the boys’ and girls’ sides of Class 3A. Mt. Pleasant’s Alex Scott grabbed the last spot to qualify for the girls’ 100-meter finals with a time of 12.42 seconds. Ryan Bair of Keokuk qualified for both the 200-meter dash finals, with a time of 21.89 seconds, and the 100-meter dash, after sprinting to a time of 10.8 seconds. West Burlington/Notre Dame’s Landry Haberichter will be joining him in the 100-meter dash finals as he secured the 4th fastest time of 10.73 seconds. The finals are scheduled for Saturday at 12:50 pm.

In the boys’ 4×800 meter relay, Fort Madison outdueled Washington with a 6th place time of 8 minutes and 1 seconds, while the Demons finished two seconds behind for 8th place.

Lastly for the boys’ Class 3A field events, Greyson Hartman of Washington slung the discus 169 feet and 8 inches, which was good enough to earn the sophomore the bronze. 

Classes 1A and 4A carried the momentum into their field events as Winfield-Mt. Union’s Kynlee Buffington nabbed 7th place in the girls’ Class 1A long jump, getting a mark of 16 feet and 8 inches. Kylee Hill of Burlington entered the discus event with the 23rd best throw from the state qualifiers and managed to finish as the runner-up with a throw of 149 feet and 3 inches. 

On the boys’ Class 1A side of the field events, New London’s London Franklin flew to a silver medal in the long jump with a mark of 21 feet and 11.25 inches. Kolton Small of Wapello rattled off a 6th place throw of 50 feet and 0.75 in the shot put. 

Danville’s Alaina Gourley sprinted to a personal record time of 58.44 seconds, earning 4th place in the girls’ Class 1A 400-meter dash and five points for the Bears. In the boys’ Class 1A 400-meter dash, Kohlby Newsom of Winfield-Mt. Union took home his own 4th place time of 50.11 seconds. 

London Franklin continued his excellent day with a 5th place time of 11.11 seconds in the boys’ Class 1A 100-meter dash prelims. He will race tomorrow for the finals. 

Lastly, Columbus had Lamar Ceant and Alexander Rees earn spots in the boys’ Class 1A 200-meter dash finals, which will race tomorrow at 2:05 pm. The Wildcats will also be competing in the shuttle hurdle relay finals tomorrow at 12:15 pm after notching a 7th place time of 1 minute and 1 second. 

Stay tuned to KILJ for more updates through the final two days of the 2025 State Track and Field Meet. 

High School Tennis

Fairfield’s Rumin Luo earned the #3-seed in the boys’ Class 1A State Singles Tournament. His first round matchup will be against Ethan Valtman of Newton on Tuesday, May 27th. 

High School Golf

The girls’ Class 1A state meet will be held at American Legion Golf Course in Marshalltown with New London’s Emma Busby and Wapello’s Emmalin Marshall making the trip, starting on Thursday, May 29th, and concluding on Friday, May 30th.

The boys’ Class 1A state golf meet will take place at South Hills Golf Course in Waterloo on Tuesday, May 27th, and Wednesday, May 28th.

Central Lee will contend for the boys’ Class 2A state championship starting Tuesday at Gates Park Golf Course in Waterloo.

Washington’s Drew Conrad will tee off on Tuesday at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls for the boys’ Class 3A state meet.

High School Soccer

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will start their Class 2A Region 4 postseason journey tonight on the road against Clear Creek Amana at 7 pm.

In the boys’ Class 1A Substate 5 bracket, Danville will take on (14-1) West Liberty on Tuesday, May 27th, at 7 pm in a road showdown.

The Central Lee boys team will travel to Mediapolis on Tuesday at 7 pm.

In the boys’ Class 2A Substate 5 bracket, #6 Burlington Notre Dame will take on Assumption on Tuesday at 7 pm at home.

It will be a Southeast Conference battle in the boys’ Class 2A Substate 6 semifinals as Mt. Pleasant will get to host Fairfield on Tuesday at 5 pm. 

In the girls’ Class 1A Region 3 bracket, Assumption will take on Washington on Wednesday, May 28th, at 7 pm.

The Mediapolis girls’ team will get to host Mid-Prairie next Wednesday at 7 pm.

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant’s three-run fourth inning was enough to push the Panthers past Cardinal last night for a 4-3 home victory. Zach Newton was dealing on the mound last night, notching 11 strikeouts in six innings of work. Grayson Lowery picked up the save and an RBI. The Panthers are back on the road on Tuesday, May 27th, against Clear Creek Amana for first pitch at 7 pm.

Van Buren County fell to Keokuk in a pitchers’ duel last night, 1-0. The Warriors will face off against Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, May 28th, at 5:30 pm at home.

Wapello will host Wilton tonight at 5:30 pm.

West Burlington will stay at home for their matchup against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 5:30 pm.

Fairfield will travel to Moravia on Tuesday at 5:30 pm. 

Mediapolis will face off against New London on the road at 5:30 pm on Tuesday.

Central Lee will compete against Fairfield on Wednesday at 7:30 pm on the road.

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team earned the #7-seed for the NJCAA DII World Series and will be taking on the Great Lakes District Champion in #10 Kellogg Community College tomorrow, May 24th, at 10 am. 

SCC will be hosting a summer volleyball camp starting on Monday, June 16th, and running through Wednesday, June 18th. It is open to boys and girls in grades 3 through 12 and it will be held at the Loren Walker Arena. The final day to register and pay (prices vary from $106 to $132.50 based on grade) is June 1st and there are limited spots in each session. 

You can register at the following link: www.sccvolleyballcamps.com 

This Day in Sports History

1873 – First Preakness Stakes: George Barbee aboard Survivor wins in 2:43 at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland.

2001 – Marco Siffredi becomes the first person to snowboard down Mount Everest via the Norton Couloir (some share record accreditation with Stefan Gatt).

2021 – PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Ocean Course Kiawah Island: Phil Mickelson becomes the oldest major winner in history (50); wins his 6th major by 2 strokes over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen.

Des Moines, IA- Day one of the 2025 State Track and Field meet is in the books after Classes 1A and 4A saw some of our local athletes walk away with team points and some hardware. Here’s a look at how all of our local athletes fared in Thursday afternoon’s slate of events.

Girls Class 1A

The field events led off the afternoon session for the two remaining classes and Isabella Forbes of Columbus competed in the shot put. The Wildcat grabbed 21^st place with a heave of 33 feet and 8.5 inches.

In the second session of the field events, Winfield-Mt. Union’s Kynlee Buffington, who has left her mark as a freshman already, claimed 7^th place and two points for the Wolves with a leap of 16 feet and 8 inches in the long jump.

Wapello’s Kate Lanz was unable to qualify for the 200-meter dash finals after collecting a 21^st place time of 26.96 seconds.

In the 4×800 meter relay, Van Buren County finished in 15^th place with a time of 10 minutes and 17 seconds.

Danville’s Alaina Gourley sprinted to a personal record time of 58.44 seconds, earning 4^th place in the 400-meter dash and five points for the Bears. Gourley will also participate in the 800-meter run on Saturday at 10:30 am, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 meter relays.

Lanz turned in a 12^th place time of 1 minute and 1 second to conclude her performance at the state meet.

Boys Class 1A

The long jump featured some local talent as two Southeast Iowa Super Conference members ushered in three competitors. New London’s Logan Franklin took 17^th place with a leap of 19 feet and 8.5 inches. Hayden Shelman of WACO tabbed a mark of 20 feet and 2.75 inches for 14^th place.

But it was London Franklin of New London that sailed through the air to nab a distance of 21 feet and 11.25 inches, earning the Tiger the silver medal and eight points for the team total.

In the evening session, Wapello’s Kolton Small rattled off a 6^th place throw of 50 feet and 0.75 inches in the shot put, which gave the senior three points towards his team and individual total. He will throw the discus tomorrow at 4:30 pm.

In the first running events of the afternoon, the shuttle hurdle relay team for Columbus was able to qualify for the finals after clinching a 7^th place time of 1 minute and 1 seconds. The Wildcats will run on Saturday at 12:15 pm.

Ty Muniz of Columbus displayed his endurance in the 3200-meter run, taking home a time of 9 minutes and 51 seconds, a personal record, along with a point for the Wildcats as his time was good enough for 8^th place.

Columbus continued to be a familiar school name as two Wildcats participated in the 200-meter dash prelims, along with Lincoln Bainbridge of Van Buren County. For Lamar Ceant and Alexander Rees, the duo finished 6^th and 7^th place, respectively. They will compete in the finals on Saturday at 2:05 pm.

Bainbridge gathered a time of 22.88 seconds, which put the Warrior in 11^th place.

For the 4×800 meter relay, Columbus was the only one of our local teams to compete and the Wildcats finished in 19^th place with a time of 8 minutes and 41 seconds.

London Franklin of New London continued his successful day in the 100-meter dash prelims as the he collected a 5^th place time of 11.11 seconds to qualify for the finals. Riley Kaalberg of Columbus took 12^th place with a time of 11.33 seconds.

Kohlby Newsom of Winfield-Mt. Union will be competing in a trio of events before the meet concludes on Saturday and he has already collected five points for the Wolves after nabbing 4^th place with a time of 50.11 seconds in the 400-meter dash.

Girls Class 4A

Lilian Mennen of Burlington cleared 5 feet even to finish tied for 19^th place in the high jump.

Burlington’s sophomore phenom Kylee Hill has now added a silver medal to her collection after ripping off a throw of 149 feet and 3 inches in her second throw of the finals. She entered the meet with the 23^rd best throw of the state qualifying marks.

She will defend her shot put title tomorrow at 2 pm.

Boys Class 4A

Burlington’s lone qualifier, Laderrias Shealey, participated in the 100-meter dash prelims and collected 24^th place with a time of 12.83 seconds.

Stay tuned to KILJ for updates, results, and recaps from now until Saturday, May 24^th! We would like to thank all of our sponsors for allowing us to cover the 2025 State Track and Field meet.

Des Moines, IA- The 2025 State Track and Field meet is off and running with Classes 2A and 3A to lead off the three-day event. Here’s a look at how our local athletes have fared against some of the best competition in the state.

Girls Class 2A

Kira Messer, the lone qualifier for Mediapolis, competed in the 100-meter dash prelims and sprinted to a time of 12.82 seconds, which was good enough for 15^th place.

Girls Class 3A

Over in the field events, Elyse Setterstrom of Fairfield was unable to advance to the finals of the discus after logging a throw of 107 feet and 2 inches, which was good enough for 20^th place.

Fort Madison’s Brylie Lorence entered as the #11-seed and would need to add at least three feet on a good day to find a spot in the top nine. Unfortunately, Thursday morning was not the optimal day for most of the throwers as her toss of 114 feet and 3 inches claimed her 13^th place.

The prelims shuttle hurdle relay kicked off the running events for the 2025 State Track and Field meet and none of the three Southeast Conference squads managed to qualify for the finals. Washington led the trio of teams, taking 14^th place with a time of 1 minute and 10 seconds.

Fairfield, in the 3^rd heat, turned in a time of 1 minute and 11 seconds, which was good enough for 18^th place. Keokuk did not fair much better with a 23^rd place time of 1 minute and 17 seconds.

In the 3000-meter run, Fort Madison had a duo competing and Avery Rump set a new personal record with a time of 10 minutes and 22 seconds, snatching 5^th place and four points for the Bloodhounds. Jordan Marshall, a freshman, turned in an 18^th place performance with a time of 10 minutes and 57 seconds.

The two will run again for the 1500-meter run on Saturday at 2:30 pm.

In the first of her two events for the day, Mt. Pleasant’s Alex Scott turned in a personal record time of 25.56 seconds in the 200-meter dash prelims; however, it was not fast enough to make the finals, securing 13^th place.

Jaedyn Moore of Washington claimed 16^th place with a time of 25.95 seconds.

Over in the 4×800 meter relay, Fort Madison took home 12^th place with at time of 9 minutes and 53 seconds, while Washington grabbed 18^th place with a time of 10 minutes and 1 second.

Lastly, for the running events, the Panther duo of Scott and Kiyah Sanders went racing for the 100-meter finals, which are scheduled for 12:50 pm on Saturday. In her second event of the day, Scott qualified with a time of 12.42 seconds, taking that 8^th and final spot. Sanders took 24^th place with a time of 13.1 seconds.

In the second half of the field events, Camryn Atterberg of Keokuk was able to get up and over 4 feet and 10 inches but failed at the height of 5 feet. She finished in 19^th place.

Boys Class 3A

The high jump was crowded with local talent. Mason Wakins of West Burlington/Notre Dame cleared 6 feet and 1 inch, but failed at 6 feet and 3 inches, finishing tied for 13^th place.

Similar to last year, the Southeast Conference brought their A-Game with Fairfield’s Ryan Giberson and Eli Zillman—attempting to defend his title—and Fort Madison’s Kenden Bowie guaranteeing at least a top five finish after everyone cleared 6 feet and 3 inches.

However, the height of 6 feet and 5 inches proved to be challenging for everyone, except Eli Patterson of Benton Community. Bowie finished tied for 4^th place after taking all three attempts to clear 6 feet and 3 inches.

Giberson, who had outperformed Zillman for most of the season, also was unable to get over 6 feet and 5 inches in his three attempts. Shockingly, neither was Zillman. The two tied for 2^nd place after hopping over 6 feet and 3 inches in their first attempt.

Patterson claimed the state championship for the high jump as he was able to make 6 feet and 7 inches.

Ryan Bair of Keokuk will be busy on Saturday after qualifying for the 100 and 200-meter dashes. He completed a personal record time of 21.89 seconds in the 200-meter dash, which was good enough for 5^th place. That final will take place on Saturday at 2:10 pm.

In the 100-meter dash, he will be joined by West Burlington/Notre Dame’s Landry Haberichter, as the Falcon flew to a 4^th place time of 10.73 seconds, while Bair grabbed 6^th place with a time of 10.8 seconds. The finals are scheduled for 1 pm on Saturday.

In the 4×800 meter relay, both Washington and Fort Madison were able to add to their team point totals as the Bloodhounds collected three points on a 6^th place time of 8 minutes and 1 second, while the Demons finished in 8^th place with a time of 8 minute and 3 seconds for one point.

For the 400-meter dash, Fort Madison’s Payton Lambert took home 17^th place with a time of 51.59 seconds, while Chayce Smith of Keokuk finished in 22^nd place with a time of 53.05 seconds.

Fairfield’s shuttle hurdle relay team was unable to qualify for the finals as the Trojans finished in 12^th place with a time of 1 minute and 2 seconds.

In the second half of the field events, two members of the Southeast Conference competed in the discus. Fort Madison’s Brayton Schneider fell about 30 feet short of his personal best, throwing for 143 feet and 17^th place.

Greyson Hartman of Washington ripped an impressive mark of 169 feet and 8 inches on his first throw of the day. It would turn out to be his best throw as the sophomore finished with the bronze medal and six points for the Demons.

Stay tuned to KILJ for updates, results, and recaps from now until Saturday, May 24^th! We would like to thank all of our sponsors for allowing us to cover the 2025 State Track and Field meet.

Mt. Pleasant, IA- There is always a lesson to be learned from a loss, even in a lopsided one. Last night’s Class 1A Region 3 quarterfinal 2-1 loss for Mt. Pleasant at the hands of Mid-Prairie has a lesson, but one that will not satisfy any member of the Panther squad: losing sucks.

The 8-5-1 Panthers have had one roadblock after another this season after a slew of injuries sidelined key players such seniors Charice Auwerda and Tori Wilson. Nevertheless, the team was healthy and ready for the opportunity to host a postseason contest.

Mid-Prairie had a rough middle-section of the season, losing eight of their 11 contests where scoring goals was the main issue, collecting just seven goals in 11 games. Nevertheless, the Golden Hawks had just dispatched Wapello 8-0 the night before to start off the Region 3 bracket.

While the two were gearing up to face off against one another, there was a third-party ready to help or hinder whomever in its path with no bias, the weather. Sitting at a comfortable 60 degrees Fahrenheit at gametime, the consistent 20 mph wind gusts had the crowd reminiscing on the weather of days yore.

And for the first half, the Panthers were also dreaming of better conditions as Zoey Curtiss lobbed a ball through the air, getting lost in the wind found the back of the net to put the Golden Hawks up 1 to 0.

One of the key developments for this team from early on in the season according to Mt. Pleasant head coach Chris Davis was how to play when trailing. The Panthers’ response was a furious offensive attack in the second half.

Multiple corner kick opportunities, passes to the slot, and mishits populated the second half for the Maroon and Gold, who was desperately trying to find the back of the net as time slipped away.

77 minutes of game time had passed before Mattisyn Wenke got the ball to captain Charice Auwerda and the Iowa Central Community College commit slithered her way through the defense and delivered a perfect pass to Brianna Leonardo, who deflected it into the back of the net to tie the game with 2:40 remaining in the second half.

The final 160 seconds ran off without much fanfare. The teams were heading to extra time.

The first extra period saw the Golden Hawks control the tempo, but it did not translate to any clean shots. Another 10 minutes were added to the clock for a second extra period. Mt. Pleasant controlled the tempo, but it did not translate to any clean shots.

To penalty kicks we go. It was time for attacker versus goalie. Senior captain Eli Heaton, who had saved 80.2% of shots this season, taking on Niva Helmuth, a junior who had kept out 84.9% of opposing opportunities.

First Kicks: Heaton makes the save. Senior Sonya Simon goes top shelf for the goal. 1-0 Panthers.

Second Kicks: Kyla Karnes connects for Mid-Prairie, but so does Addison Peck for Mt. Pleasant. 2-1 Panthers.

Third Kicks: Zoey Curtiss scores for the Golden Hawks, while Mt. Pleasant sails their shot. 2-2 tie.

Four Kicks: Samantha Wunderlich finds the back of the net, as does Bizzie Richtman. 3-3 tie.

Fifth Kicks: Meadow Flynn puts the pressure on by netting her shot, but Auwerda responds to keep the game alive. 4-4 tie.

Sixth Kicks: No good from either team. 4-4 tie.

Seventh Kicks: No good from either team. 4-4 tie.

Eight Kicks: No good from either team. 4-4 tie.

Ninth Kicks: No good from either team. 4-4 tie.

Tenth Kicks: No good from either team. 4-4 tie.

We are now back to the top of the order with the option now available to pick who you want to get the chance.

Eleventh Kick: Lydia Beachy scores for Mid-Prairie and Helmuth stymies the Panthers chance. 5-4 Mid-Prairie wins in upset fashion.

A Mt. Pleasant squad that featured seven seniors, including the most decorated player in Panther history Charice Auwerda, had been kicked out of the postseason in the most excruciating of ways.

For coach Davis, the shock was palpable amongst the team,

“This team is probably the best team we’ve had in a while. Unfortunately, half of them are seniors. This is an unfortunate way to go out end of the season. They put their heart into it and fought back the entire game from being one down and I can’t be any prouder.”

It’s the ultimate dichotomy of sports, while one side gets to feel the greatest of joys of knocking off a tough opponent the other has the unenviable task of trying to put together the pieces. A team left knowing they gave it their all, but only themselves to comfort one another.

There’s always a lesson to learn from a loss. Perhaps, the lesson of this game is to lean on your teammates or to enjoy each and every moment. The prevalent one will most likely be: losing sucks.

High School Track

The State Track and Field meet is scheduled to start today and run through Saturday, May 24th, in Des Moines. KILJ will be keeping track of 16 local teams, providing updates and results throughout the three-day event. For a full list of our local state qualifiers’ heat assignments and times, follow this link: Heat Assignments and Times

High School Tennis

The Fairfield boys’ team fell to Pella 5-1 yesterday in their Substate 8 championship contest. Rumin Luo picked up the lone win for the Trojans. Fairfield ended the season with a 14-1 record. 

High School Golf

The girls’ Class 1A Region 5 final commenced yesterday and Wapello’s Emmalin Marshall finished as the medalist for the field, carding an 82 and punching her ticket to the state meet. The Arrows took 4th place with a score of 405.

New London finished in 6th place with a team score of 421, but Emma Busby shot an 85 for the 18-hole course, snatching the last spot for an individual state qualifier as she grabbed 4th place. 

Kinlee Brown’s 17th place score of 101 led Columbus as the Wildcats finished in 7th place. Holy Trinity Catholic’s Elizabeth Griffin and Winfield-Mt. Union’s Kellee Milks each carded a 102 to tie for 19th place. 

For Class 1A Region 4, Sophia Jirak of Van Buren County ended her junior season with an 18th place score of 101. 

The girls’ Class 1A state meet will be held at American Legion Golf Course in Marshalltown, starting on Thursday, May 29th, and concluding on Friday, May 30th. 

The Mt. Pleasant, Burlington Notre Dame, and Fairfield girls’ teams made the trip to Edmudson Golf Course yesterday for their Class 3A Region 3 final and the Panthers led the trio with an 8th place team score of 441 followed by Fairfield in 9th place with a 446. The Nikes took 11th place with a 456. 

Mt. Pleasant’s Sophia Walderbach carded a 95 to grab 12th place. Ella Bentler of Fairfield scored a 101 for 23rd place, while Notre Dame’s Emersyn Hopkins collected a 25th place score of 103. 

The boys’ Class 1A state golf meet will take place at South Hills Golf Course in Waterloo on Tuesday, May 27th, and Wednesday, May 28th.

Central Lee will contend for the boys’ Class 2A state championship starting Tuesday at Gates Park Golf Course in Waterloo.

Washington’s Drew Conrad will tee off on Tuesday at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls for the boys’ Class 3A state meet.

High School Soccer

In the girls’ Class 1A Region 3 bracket, Mt. Pleasant and Mid-Prairie needed 11 penalty kicks last night to decide the winner and it was the Golden Hawks who mounted the upset in a 2-1 final. The Panthers put together quite the effort to get there after allowing a first half goal, they went scoreless for 77 minutes. Yet, Charice Auwerda weaved her way through the defense and found Brianna Leonardo in front of the net for the game tying goal. Head coach Chris Davis knows this loss will sting,

“This team is probably the best team we’ve had in a while. Unfortunately, half of them are seniors. This is an unfortunate way to go out at the end of the season. They put their heart into it and fought back the entire game from being one down and I can’t be any prouder.”

Fairfield was shutout by Assumption last night 12-0. The Knights will take on Washington on Wednesday, May 28th, at 7 pm at home after the Demons defeated West Liberty 1-0.

The Mediapolis girls’ team will get to host Mid-Prairie next Wednesday at 7 pm after sneaking past Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union last night 1-0. 

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will start their Class 2A Region 4 postseason journey tomorrow, May 23rd, on the road against Clear Creek Amana at 7 pm.

In the boys’ Class 1A Substate 5 bracket, Danville will take on (14-1) West Liberty on Tuesday, May 27th, at 7 pm in a road showdown.

The Central Lee boys team will travel to Mediapolis on Tuesday at 7 pm.

In the boys’ Class 2A Substate 5 bracket, #6 Burlington Notre Dame will take on Assumption on Tuesday at 7 pm at home.

It will be a Southeast Conference battle in the boys’ Class 2A Substate 6 semifinals as Mt. Pleasant will get to host Fairfield on Tuesday at 5 pm. 

High School Baseball

Fairfield pulverized Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont last night, 16-0, as eight Trojans tabbed at least one RBI. Zandrik Allison collected a team-leading four RBIs, while Luke Konczal clobbered two doubles for three RBIs. Fairfield will travel to Moravia on Tuesday, May 27th, at 5:30 pm. 

Wapello had no answer for BGM last night in a 13-0 loss. Kinnick Richenberger snatched three bases in the effort. Wapello will host Wilton tomorrow, May 23rd, at 5:30 pm.

Mt. Pleasant started the game off hot, pushing across three runs in the top of the 1st inning, but Grinnell remained consistent throughout the game and downed the Panthers 13-3. Zach Newton smacked a two-RBI double in the losing effort. Mt. Pleasant will look for a win in their home opener tonight against Cardinal with first pitch at 7 pm.

Van Buren County will travel to Keokuk tonight at 7:30 pm.

West Burlington will stay at home for their matchup against Louisa-Muscatine tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

Mediapolis will face off against New London on the road at 5:30 pm on Tuesday.

Central Lee will compete against Fairfield on Wednesday, May 28th, at 7:30 pm on the road.

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Last night was our last episode of the 2024-25 season of the Southeast Iowa Playbook and our special guest was Mt. Pleasant baseball head coach Brent Broeker. He thought Grayson Lowery could take the biggest step in his development this year and that appears to be the case after the sophomore logged an RBI in last night’s contest against Grinnell.

If you missed last night’s episode, then follow this link: Mount Pleasant Episode

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team is heading back to Enid, Oklahoma for the third straight season after nabbing the #7-seed as an at-large bid in the NJCAA DII World Series. The Blackhawks will start their postseason journey on Saturday, May 24th, at 10 am against the #10-seed Kellogg Community College, who is on a 17-game win streak after winning the Great Lakes District Championship. 

This Day in Sports History

1911 – Boston pitcher Cliff Curtis lost his 23rd game in a row, dating back to 1910, still the all-time record for consecutive losses by a pitcher.

1987 – Canadian Rick Hansen completes his ‘Man in Motion’ world tour in a wheelchair at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, raising money for spinal cord research.

2003 – In Fort Worth, Texas, Annika Sörenstam becomes the first woman to play the PGA Tour in 58 years.

High School Track

The State Track and Field meet is scheduled to start tomorrow, May 22nd, and run through Saturday, May 24th, in Des Moines. KILJ will be keeping track of 16 local teams, providing updates and results throughout the three-day event. For a full list of our local state qualifiers’ heat assignments and times, follow this link: Heat Assignments and Times

High School Tennis

The Fairfield boys’ team will square off against Pella today on the road. 

The Fairfield girls’ team finished as the Regional Runner-up after narrowly defeating Central DeWitt 5-4, but then getting shutout against Xavier 5-0 in the Regional championship. The Trojans concluded the season with a 16-2 record.

High School Golf

The girls’ Region 5 final will take place at Little Bear Country Club in Midland today with Wapello, Columbus, and New London competing as teams and Elizabeth Griffin of Holy Trinity Catholic and Kellee Milks of Winfield-Mt. Union participating as individuals.

The Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield girls’ teams will compete in the Class 3A Regional today at Edmundson Golf Course. 

The Class 1A state golf meet will take place at South Hills Golf Course in Waterloo on Tuesday, May 27th, and Wednesday, May 28th.

Central Lee will contend for the boys’ Class 2A state championship starting Tuesday at Gates Park Golf Course in Waterloo.

Washington’s Drew Conrad will tee off on Tuesday at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls for the boys’ Class 3A state meet.

High School Soccer

In the boys’ Class 1A Substate 5 bracket, Danville’s Colin Pealer put two goals in the back of the net to secure a 3-1 win against WACO last night. Aiden Konig was nearly lights out for the Bears, saving 17 of the 18 shots he faced. Danville will take on (14-1) West Liberty on Tuesday, May 27th, at 7 pm in a road showdown.

The Central Lee boys team advanced to the substate semifinals after handling Sigourney Keota last night 6-2. Zach Estrada nabbed a hat-trick in the winning effort. The Hawks will travel to Mediapolis on Tuesday at 7 pm.

In the boys’ Class 2A Substate 5 bracket, The Wapello boys’ team was eliminated from the postseason after getting thumped by Central DeWitt 11-0. 

On the top half of the bracket, #6 Burlington Notre Dame will take on Assumption on Tuesday at 7 pm at home.

It will be a Southeast Conference battle in the boys’ Class 2A Substate 6 semifinals after Fairfield defeated Centerville last night 1-0. Mt. Pleasant will get to host the contest against the Trojans on Tuesday at 5 pm. 

In the girls’ Class 1A Region 3 bracket, The Wapello girls’ team was knocked out of postseason play last night in an 8-0 shutout at the hands of Mid-Prairie. Mt. Pleasant will face off against the Golden Hawks tonight at 5:30 pm at home.

Fairfield will travel to Assumption tonight at 7 pm. 

The Mediapolis girls’ team will face off against Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union tonight at 7 pm at home for postseason play.

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will start their postseason journey on Friday, May 23rd, on the road against Clear Creek Amana at 7 pm.

High School Baseball

Mediapolis put on a scoring clinic against Fort Madison last night, winning 12-3 in their season opener. The Bulldogs will face off against New London on the road at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, May 27th.

Central Lee had their contest against Burlington canceled last night. The Hawks will compete against Fairfield on Wednesday, May 28th, at 7:30 pm on the road.

Fairfield scored the first run of the game, but Oskaloosa sent the Trojans back home with a 12-2 loss after scoring seven runs between the first two innings. Luke Konczal nabbed an RBI-double at the plate. The Trojans will look to win their home opener tonight against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont with first pitch at 7:30 pm.

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

Mt. Pleasant will make the trip to Grinnell tonight at 7:30 pm. Panther head coach Brent Broeker talked about how these first two weeks will be used as an opportunity to answer some questions from the off-season,

“We’re going to go into it, as you know, just kind of almost like a scrimmage. We’re going to see how many guys we can get on the mound, see what they can do. Our big thing is, you know, we’ve got these first two weeks, that’s how we’re going to use those. You know, obviously, we’re trying to win, but we want to put guys in positions, see how they perform. The big thing is, you know, in two weeks, on that Monday, we get Fairfield, so we got to be ready to go by then.”

Van Buren County will travel to Keokuk tomorrow, May 22nd, at 7:30 pm.

West Burlington will stay at home for their matchup against Hillcrest Academy on Friday, May 23rd, at 5:30 pm.

College Signing

Holy Trinity Catholic’s star basketball player Luke Hellige signed his National Letter of Intent yesterday to continue his career at Cornell College. The senior collected 1,792 points, 706 rebounds, and 238 three-pointers to finish his career as the all-time leader in each of those categories. Additionally, he was named to the All-Substate team three times, two 1st Team All-State nods, and invited to the 2025 Pizza Ranch All-Star Games.

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team is heading back to Enid, Oklahoma for the third straight season after nabbing the #7-seed as an at-large bid in the NJCAA DII World Series. The Blackhawks will start their postseason journey on Saturday, May 24th, at 10 am against the #10-seed Kellogg Community College, who is on a 17-game win streak after winning the Great Lakes District Championship. 

This Day in Sports History

1819 – The first bicycles (swift walkers) in the US were introduced in New York City.

1943 – Fastest 9 inning American League baseball game. The Chicago White Sox beat the visiting Washington Senators, 1-0, in 89 minutes.

2006 – The Swedish ice hockey team Tre Kronor takes gold in the World Championship, becoming the first nation to hold both the World and Olympic titles in the same year.

Fort Madison, IA- The Holy Trinity Catholic boys’ basketball team has enjoyed a renaissance after eight consecutive seasons of 0.500 basketball or worse, as the Crusaders have gone a collective 38-11 the last two years and knocked on the door of a state tournament appearance in both seasons.

A big reason for that is Luke Hellige, who signed his National Letter of Intent at his Senior Awards Ceremony on Tuesday afternoon to continue his basketball career at Cornell College.

The Crusaders had a complete turn of fortune in Hellige’s junior season, going from 9 wins the year previous to a 19-6 record, which included a 10-4 conference record against the SEISC-South division.

The year culminated into a thrilling 70-66 victory for Holy Trinity Catholic over North Mahaska to claim the District Championship. Hellige produced his usual stat line of 24 points, knocking down three three-pointers, collecting eight rebounds, and notching three steals.

However, that game was not his most dominant showing of the season. A road game against Highland on February 6^th gets that honor. The then-junior broke the single-game record for points when he cashed in for 45 points on 18 of 27 shooting, while gathering a double-double with 12 rebounds.

Entering his senior season having already reset the career scoring record at Holy Trinity Catholic, Hellige continued his reign over southeast Iowa as he averaged a career high 26.6 points per game to go along with his 8.2 rebounds.

The Crusaders’ last five wins displayed the senior’s long-range skill as he knocked down 30 threes on 59% shooting, including games where he scored 42 and 43 points, respectively, on a combined 18 of 25 shooting from three-point land.

Hellige finished his career with 1,792 points, 706 rebounds, and 238 three-pointers made to finish as the all-time leader in each of those categories. Additionally, he was named to the All-Substate team three times, two 1^st Team All-State nods, and invited to the 2025 Pizza Ranch All-Star Games.

Cornell College is coming off a winning season with a 15-10 record overall and a 9-7 record in the Midwest Conference, which was not good enough for the fourth and final spot in the conference tournament.

Prep Boys’ Golf- The conditions on the golf course across the state of Iowa on Monday were not optimal for personal bests, but they were the conditions shuffled out to the teams and individuals that were looking to advance to the boys’ State Golf Meet.

For Hillcrest Academy and Central Lee, it was not enough to send them back home empty handed even if by the smallest of margins.

Heritage Oaks

Wapello had the opportunity to host the District Meet for Class 1A, but it was North Linn that owned the course with a team score of 335 followed by Easton Valley with a card of 344. Liam Schrock’s first place score of 75 lifted Hillcrest Academy to the final state berth spot with a team score of 346.

Rowan Miller aided the Ravens with a 4^th place score of 79 with the next member of the team finishing in 40^th place with a 95 as Lawson Schrock’s 97 was the final score added to their total.

Winfield-Mt. Union was one spot away from sending one member of the team to the state meet, but it just proved to be one of those seasons for the Wolves as the team finished in 5^th place with a 357. Max Edwards shot an 82, which was the third-best individual score for a non-qualifying player. Cody Milks finished with a 91 followed directly by Justin Knipfer with a 92.

The hosts shot a 383, placing them in 10^th place, with Holy Trinity Catholic finishing right behind in 11^th place with a score of 391. Wyatt Marlette gave Wapello a 17^th place score of 87 with Kaleb Grimm shooting a 90.

Luke Hellige was the top finisher for the Crusaders with a 36^th place score of 94. Also contributing to the team score was Blake Mohrfeld’s 97, Brock Scheetz and Max Kruse each shot a 100.

Danville sent two individuals, including a freshman, to the District Meet. Junior Alex Holtkamp collected a 105 for 69^th place, while Graylon Walker took home 79^th place with a 115.

Bos Landen Golf Course

Pella Christian was the host of the Class 2A District Meet and finished on top of the leaderboard with a 319 as the podium featured only Eagles with Eliot Menninga taking home the medal with a 76.

PCM finished in 2^nd place with a 343, but the 3^rd place and final spot to advance to the state meet ended in a three-way tie between Tipton, Beckman Catholic, and Central Lee. The Hawks were led by Mylan Lowenberg’s 8^th place score of 84, while Caleb Larson and Carson Morrison finished within the top 20 with scores of 87 and 88, respectively. Bo Herdrich was the final score to go towards the team total with a 92.

However, the tiebreaker came down to each team’s fifth golfer and who turned in the lowest score. That privilege went to sophomore Carter Jones of Central Lee as he shot a 94, the 29^th best score on the course.

This punched Central Lee’s ticket to the State Golf Meet for the first time since 2018.

Mediapolis was led by Jonathan Ford’s 88, which tied for 16^th place individually. Brock Spears’ 89 and Kohen Stotlar’s and Max Griffin’s 92 added up to a team score of 361, which gave the Bulldogs 9^th place.

Pin Oak Pub & Links

Washington was aiming for their third consecutive trip to the State Golf Meet as a team, but a tough field sent the Demons home with a 6^th place score of 342, 15 strokes away from third place West Liberty’s final score.

Nevertheless, a Demon will be attending the State Meet as Drew Conrad turned in the 3^rd best score on the course of a 79. Washington then had a three-person log jam from 21^st to 23^rd place with Rajan Roth, Carson Brown, and Cole Vetter turning in scores of 87, 88, and 88, respectively.

Up Next

The Class 1A State Golf Meet will take place at South Hills Golf Course in Waterloo. Class 2A will also travel up to Waterloo but to the Gates Park Golf Course. Lastly, Pheasant Ridge Golf Course will house the Class 3A State Golf Meet. All meets will start Tuesday, May 27^th, and finish up on Wednesday, May 28^th.