Early Season Report: Mt. Pleasant Girls’ 7th and 8th Grade Track and Field Teams Breaking Records

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The future is bright for Mt. Pleasant track and field as the girls’ 7th and 8th grade teams dismantled the meet and school record books in their first two meets of the season. Here’s some of the highlights from their competitions.

(Photo Courtesy of Julie Gilmore)

On April 11th, the Panthers picked up their first win of the season in front of the home crowd. The 8th grade girls’ squad of Lindsay Hart, Delaney Anderson, Ruby Syfert, and Avery Fedler took home the distance medley crown and record.

The 7th grade girls follow suit in the 4×1200-meter relay, setting a relay record with the team of Kya Heaton, Natalie Osterhaus, Peyton Duplesis, and Hailey Schadt.

A trip north to Washington saw the Panthers take home both championship plaques. Despite the adverse conditions, Fedler established new school record times in the 400-meter dash and the 800-meter run.

(Photo Courtesy of Julie Gilmore)

Sports, April 15th

High School Track

Columbus competed in the Mike Kautz Invitational last night with the girls’ team grabbing 3rd place with 116 points and the boys’ team running away with 237 points and the victory. On the girls’ side, Kymila Bacon won the 100-meter dash with a time of 14.16 seconds. Ariana Vergara took the win in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.44 seconds, which led to a win in the shuttle hurdle relay. Bella Forbes heaved the shot 33 feet and 10.25 inches for the gold. 

For the boys’ team, Riley Kaalberg claimed 1st place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.96 seconds and the long jump with a leap of 19 feet and 8 inches. Lamar Ceant nabbed the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.16 seconds. Ty Muniz tabbed a 1st place time of 2 minutes and 17 seconds for the win in the 800-meter run. Angel Venzor finished in 1st place in the 400-meter hurdles with a mark of 1 minute and 3 seconds. 

Columbus will head to Central City on Thursday, April 17th, for a Co-Ed meet. 

The Mt. Pleasant, New London, Danville, Mediapolis, Van Buren County, Winfield-Mt. Union, Fairfield, West Burlington/Notre Dame and Central Lee girls’ teams will participate in the Pen City Relays tonight.

The Wapello boys’ team will host their own relays tonight with Danville, Mediapolis, West Burlington/Notre Dame, and Winfield-Mt. Union making the trip.

The New London boys’ team and WACO will compete in the Lisbon Opener tonight. 

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team faced off against Fairfield last night and was shutout 9-0 by the Trojans. Natalie Steele and Faeven Gebremariam notched shutout wins in their singles matches. For the Panthers, Lila Cook and Hannah Villaplaza had the closest match of the doubles competition, falling 8-5.

Mt. Pleasant will square off against Burlington on Thursday, April 17th, with the boys on the road and the girls’ taking on the Grayhounds at home.

The Fairfield boys’ team will face off against Davis County at home tonight, while the girls’ team will hit the road. 

High School Golf

WACO split their matchup against Highland yesterday with the girls’ team losing 297-196 and the boys’ team winning their showdown 218-252. Gracie Cardenas led the girls’ team with a nine-hole score of 71, while Ian Maize carded a 48 for the boys’ team. The Warriors will square off against Winfield-Mt. Union at home on Thursday, April 17th.

Winfield-Mt. Union took on Wapello yesterday and the boys’ team exited with the win 183-207 as Justin Knipfer shot a 44 for the Wolves, while Barrett Garrison finished with a 46 for Wapello. Emmalin Marshall’s 55 for Wapello secured the victory over the Wolves 232-251 as Ashlyn Bender took home a 59. 

Van Buren County swept Danville last night with the boys’ team winning 174-207 and the girls’ team sneaking past the Bears 208-217. Aidan McEntee paced the field on the boys side, shooting a 40 for the Warriors, while Alex Holtkamp tied for the 2nd best score with a 44. On the girls’ side, Sophia Jirak carded a 47 for Van Buren County, while Aubrey Nahorny tabbed a 51 for the Bears. 

The Van Buren County boys’ team will compete in a triangular on April 21st at the Bloomfield County Club. 

Danville will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic tomorrow, April 16th. 

The Central Lee boys’ team defeated Burlington Notre Dame 164-176 as Caleb Larson shot a 40 for the Hawks. The Central Lee girls’ team was led by Marie Young, carding a 55. New London will host Central Lee today.

Keokuk hosted the boys’ teams of the SEC as Washington’s team score of 160 led the charge followed closely behind by Mt. Pleasant’s 164. Brody Engle and Merrick Lamm tied for the 3rd best score of the day with a 39 (+4) as Engle was one of seven golfers to sink a birdie. Fairfield finished in 4th place with a score of 177, despite Drew Myers finishing with the 2nd best score of 3-over par. Fort Madison’s Brady Wade tabbed the best score of the meet, holing two birdies for a nine-hole score of 36 (+1). 

The SEC girls’ teams traveled to Fort Madison for their meet and in a tightly contested showdown that had the top three spots decided by five strokes, the hosts finished in 2nd place with a team score of 210 behind Keokuk’s 206. Mt. Pleasant grabbed 3rd place with a score of 211, while Fairfield finished in 5th place. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will host the next SEC meet on Thursday, while the girls’ SEC meet will take place in Keokuk. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will compete in the Golden Hawk Invitational today at Kalona Golf Course. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to Flint Hills Golf Club today with Burlington Notre Dame competing. 

Columbus will head to New London tomorrow, April 16th, for a tournament with Mediapolis making the trip.

High School Soccer

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team squashed Washington last night, allowing only three shots on goal in a 4-0 home victory over the Demons. Brandon Veloz tabbed two goals, while Dylan White scored a goal and assisted on the three other goals. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team was leading 3-1 at halftime but the game was called due to a lack of officials. The game will be made-up at a later time. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will host Keokuk on Thursday, April 17th, at 4:30 pm. The boys’ team will compete at the Fort Madison Tournament on Saturday, April 19th, along with Mediapolis.  

Fairfield was snubbed by Fort Madison, losing 3-0 in the girls game and 4-0 in the boys game. Teagan Snaadt netted two goals for the Bloodhounds in the girls contest as did Connor Horn in the boys game. The Trojans will take on Washington on Thursday at 5 pm with the boys on the road and the girls at home.

The Danville boys’ team snatched their first win of the season in a 1-0 shutout of WACO last night. Alex Pfadenhauer had the lone goal for the Bears, while Aiden Konig made 12 saves. 

The Central Lee boys’ team will face off against Danville tonight at 5 pm on the road. 

Mediapolis demolished Wapello last night with the girls grabbing a 7-0 win, while the boys’ team glided to a 10-0 victory. The Mediapolis girls’ team will take on Canton on the road tonight at 6 pm.

The Wapello girls’ team will tangle with Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union at 5 pm on Thursday at home.

The Columbus boys’ team handed Highland their first loss of the season last night, winning 2-1. The Wildcats will have a road contest against Tipton tonight with the girls game kicking off the night at 5 pm.

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will host Quincy Notre Dame on April 22nd at 7 pm and the boys’ team will continue on their road series tonight at 5 pm against Fort Madison.

Southeastern Community College                                                     

The softball team will compete in a doubleheader against Marshalltown Community College on the road on Friday, April 18th, with first pitch at 2 pm.

The baseball team will stay at home today against Illinois Central College at 4 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1896 – The First Modern Summer Olympic Games close at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece; the USA wins the gold medal count with 11; Greece wins the total medal count at 46; IOC has retroactively assigned gold, silver & bronze medals to 3 best placed athletes in each event.

1947 – Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in major league baseball.

1997 – Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams.

Prep Tennis: IHSAA’s 2025 District Tournament Sites

Prep Tennis- With the boys’ district singles and doubles meets for the 2025 Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) postseason now a month away, the IHSAA released the district tournament sites for the two classes.

District and substate team assignments will be made available during the week of April 28th as the district meets are scheduled for Wednesday, May 14th, with a rain date set for Thursday, May 15th.

Individuals qualifiers from these meets will advance to the 2025 State Tournament scheduled for May 27th and 28th in Iowa City for Class 2A and Waterloo for Class 1A, as each class will feature 16 state singles and 16 state doubles qualifiers.

District Tournament Sites

Class 2A

Ames

Cedar Falls

Iowa City, City High

Johnston

Marshalltown

North Scott, Eldridge

Ottumwa

Sioux City, North

Class 1A

Boone

Columbus Catholic, Waterloo

Decorah

Fairfield

Knoxville

Pella

Red Oak

Spencer

Sports, April 14th

High School Track

Columbus, Danville, Mediapolis, and WACO participated in the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival over the weekend with five of our local athletes finishing on the podium by the meet’s end. For the Wildcats, Lamar Ceant and Alexander Rees took the top two spots in the 110-meter hurdles, with Ceant winning the race with a time of 14.9 seconds. On the girls’ side, Bella Forbes had the best performance with a 7th place throw of 34 feet and 2 inches in the shot put.

Danville’s Alaina Gourley took home the silver and bronze, claiming 2nd place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.6 seconds and 3rd place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes and 20 seconds. The boys’ team of Drake Biesler, Jaden Bauer, Kessler Whaley, and Noah Horn finished in 4th place in the sprint medley with a time of 1 minute and 37 seconds. 

For Mediapolis, Lathan Keller managed 3rd place in the boys high jump with a height of 6 feet and 2 inches. Bailey Jackson, Payton Harris, Kira Messer, and Josie Hutcheson took 6th in the girls 4×100 meter relay. Hayden Shelman of WACO leapt 19 feet and 1 inch to finish in 11th place in the boys long jump. 

Columbus will run at the Mike Kautz Invitational tonight at Lone Tree. 

The Mt. Pleasant, New London, Danville, Mediapolis, Van Buren County, Winfield-Mt. Union, Fairfield, West Burlington/Notre Dame and Central Lee girls’ teams will participate in the Pen City Relays tomorrow, April 15th.

The Wapello boys’ team will host their own relays tomorrow with Danville, Mediapolis, West Burlington/Notre Dame, and Winfield-Mt. Union making the trip.

The New London boys’ team and WACO will compete in the Lisbon Opener tomorrow. 

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will host Fairfield tonight. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will square off against Burlington on Thursday, April 17th, on the road.

The Fairfield boys’ team will take on Davis County at home tomorrow, April 15th.

High School Golf

WACO will compete against Highland today at home.

Winfield-Mt. Union will tangle with Wapello today on the road. 

Danville will host Van Buren County today.

Central Lee will square off against Burlington Notre Dame today at home.

The Holy Trinity Catholic girls’ team will face off against George-Little Rock today on the road. 

The boys’ SEC meet will take place in Keokuk, while the girls’ teams will travel to Fort Madison today. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will compete in the Golden Hawk Invitational tomorrow, April 15th, at Kalona Golf Course. 

New London will host Central Lee tomorrow.

Columbus will head to New London on Wednesday, April 16th, for a tournament with Mediapolis making the trip.

High School Soccer

Mt. Pleasant will square off against Washington tonight with the boys at home starting at 4:30 pm and the girls on the road at 5 pm. Panther girls’ head coach Chris Davis talked about what he’s hoping to see from his team the rest of the year,

“We want to keep going with what we’re doing, you know, moving the ball. And just making positive plays and not and not getting down on ourselves. We’ve been lucky enough so far that we haven’t been behind yet this season. When that happens, we have to be able to make sure we’re mentally prepared.”

Fairfield will compete against Fort Madison tonight with the girls at home and the boys traveling to the Baxter Sports Complex.

The WACO boys’ team will host Danville tonight at 4:30 pm.

Mediapolis will take on Wapello at home tonight with girls playing first at 5 pm.

The Columbus boys’ team will hit the road tonight to take on Highland, while the girls’ team will have a road contest against Tipton tomorrow, April 15th, with both games at 5 pm.

The Central Lee boys’ team will face off against Danville tomorrow at 5 pm on the road. 

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will host Quincy Notre Dame on April 22nd at 7 pm and the boys’ team will continue on their road series tomorrow at 5 pm against Fort Madison.

Southeastern Community College                                                     

The softball team collected a 3-1 record over the weekend, splitting their series against Iowa Western Community College and sweeping Southwestern Community College yesterday. In game one, the Blackhawks held off Iowa Western Community College to win 5-3 before being shutout 11-0 in game two. The squad handled business against Southwestern Community College yesterday 8-0 in game one and 5-4 in game two. The Blackhawks will compete in a doubleheader against Marshalltown Community College on the road on Friday, April 18th, with first pitch at 2 pm.

The baseball team dropped their weekend series to Iowa Western Community College, falling in game one 7-5 and game three 12-9. Jackson Petsche’s three-run home run in game two helped vault SCC over the Reivers 12-11. The Blackhawks will stay at home tomorrow, April 15th, against Illinois Central College at 4 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1910 – US President William Howard Taft begins the tradition of throwing the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day of baseball season.

1969 – First regular-season MLB game played outside the United States; the Montreal Expos beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-7.

1996 – Detroit Red Wings win a then-NHL record 62 games.

Sports, April 12th

High School Track

Columbus, Danville, and Mediapolis will travel to compete in the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival today at Iowa City West High School.

The Mt. Pleasant, New London, Danville, Mediapolis, Van Buren County, Winfield-Mt. Union, Fairfield, West Burlington/Notre Dame and Central Lee girls’ teams will participate in the Pen City Relays on Tuesday, April 15th.

The Wapello boys’ team will host their own relays on Tuesday with Danville, Mediapolis, West Burlington/Notre Dame, and Winfield-Mt. Union making the trip.

The New London boys’ team and WACO will compete in the Lisbon Opener on Tuesday. 

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team had their make-up match against Maharshi last night and narrowly lost 5-4. Zoey Carlsen and Lila Cook dominated their singles matches, allowing a combined one point. The Panthers will host Fairfield on Monday, April 14th. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will square off against Burlington on Thursday, April 17th, on the road.

The Fairfield boys’ team will take on Davis County at home on Tuesday, April 15th.

High School Golf

Mediapolis swept Louisa-Muscatine last night with the girls’ team winning 250-261 and the boys’ team taking their match 170-195. Katelyn Wischmeier led the girls’ team with a round of 57, while the boys’ team had William Worrall card a 41. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will compete in the Golden Hawk Invitational on Tuesday, April 15th, at Kalona Golf Course. 

The WACO boys’ team fell to Hillcrest Academy yesterday 166-249. The Warriors will compete against Highland on Monday at home.

Winfield-Mt. Union will tangle with Wapello on Monday, April 14th, on the road. 

Danville will host Van Buren County on Monday.

Central Lee will square off against Burlington Notre Dame on Monday at home.

The Holy Trinity Catholic girls’ team will face off against George-Little Rock on Monday on the road. 

The next boys’ SEC meet will take place in Keokuk, while the girls’ teams will travel to Fort Madison on Monday. 

New London will host Central Lee on Tuesday.

Columbus will head to New London on Wednesday, April 16th, for a tournament with Mediapolis making the trip.

High School Soccer

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team was shutout by Fort Madison last night 10-0, while the boys’ team has won their last three games after defeating Solon last night 4-1. The Nike girls’ team will host Quincy Notre Dame on April 22nd at 7 pm and the boys’ team will continue on their road series on Tuesday, April 15th, at 5 pm against Fort Madison.

The Central Lee boys’ team kept their record unblemished last night, smacking Sigourney Keota 6-1 as Mason Sanders tabbed a goal and five assists in the win. The Central Lee girls’ team fell to Washington last night 4-0. The Hawks boys’ team will face off against Danville on Tuesday at 5 pm on the road. 

The WACO boys’ team will host Danville on Monday, April 14th, at 4:30 pm.

Mediapolis will take on Wapello at home on Monday with girls playing first at 5 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will square off against Washington on Monday with the boys at home starting at 4:30 pm and the girls on the road at 5 pm. 

Fairfield will compete against Fort Madison on Monday with the girls at home and the boys traveling to the Baxter Sports Complex.

The Columbus boys’ team will hit the road on Monday to take on Highland, while the girls’ team will have a road contest against Tipton on Tuesday with both games at 5 pm.

Southeastern Community College                                                     

The softball and baseball teams will square off against Iowa Western Community College at home today in a doubleheader with game one at 1 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1877 – With a well-earned fear of foul tips ricocheting off his head, Harvard’s Alexander Tyng wore a converted fencer’s mask for a game, becoming the first-known player to wear a catcher’s mask.

1938 – Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Chicago Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1 for a 3-1 series win; one of three teams to win the Cup with a losing regular season record.

1980 – Canadian one-legged distance runner Terry Fox begins his “Marathon of Hope” attempt to cross the country at St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Prep Girls’ Soccer: Mt. Pleasant’s Charice Auwerda’s Hat Trick Breaks Fairfield and a Panther Record

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The stage was set for history to be made: a conference rival, the home crowd at East Lake, and typical Midwest averse spring weather conditions. On a muddy pitch in Mt. Pleasant, the girls’ soccer team blitzed Fairfield to a 5-1 final and a career moment for Panther senior Charice Auwerda.

Auwerda has been a force for the Panther program since her freshman season where she netted 13 goals and assisted on 20 other goals, helping teammate Elly Manning set the career point mark at 180 for the program.

She entered Thursday night’s contest against the Trojans with 176 career points. A milestone that almost went unnoticed by her,

“It’s been really fun. I haven’t really thought about it until Dad told me about it. Like, you know, last week. And I didn’t realize that I was that close to it. And obviously, like, it’s a really good moment. It feels really nice.”

In terms of the matchup, it was the first Southeast Conference showdown of the year, but Fairfield had a bit of an edge, defeating Mediapolis 2-0 while the Panthers tied the Bulldogs at one apiece to open the season. Nevertheless, Mt. Pleasant owned a 12-game win streak over the Trojans.

Moreover, Fairfield had been shutout by the Panthers since 2019.

Through the first ten minutes of the contest, history was playing out before the crowd’s eyes as Tori Wilson and Auwerda each put two goals in the back of the net to give Mt. Pleasant a quick 4 to 0 lead.

An early evening rainstorm added to the mystique of the game, as the waterlogged field slowed down the offense after Fairfield ended the six-year drought when Haleigh Strickland scored a goal before 20 minutes had passed in the game.

The contest then transformed into a stalemate with aggressive plays resulting in yellow cards and frustration, but the Panthers kept their cool.

“We’ve been working a lot about physicality, wanting to play strong, play tough and always play through the ball,” said Panther head coach Chris Davis. “No backing down, just it’s all about mentality. We got to give it our all.”

Despite owning a 4 to 1 lead at halftime, Mt. Pleasant pressed the issue, and all eyes were on Auwerda, who was tied with Manning at 180 points after her two goals. In a flash, Auwerda, positioned in the slot, glided through the air and notched a hat trick with a header: 182 points, the new record.

Immediately, the senior was swarmed by her teammates on the field; unfortunately, as the moments ticked away realization overtook the Panther fans that the proud father, who recorded everything, had missed the shot in a form of irony usually reserved for Shakespeare.

Yet, the moment will be cherished as Auwerda took photos after the game with her teammates and shared an emotional moment with her father, realizing all the hard work that had led to this moment. One big Panther family for the new record holder,

“You know what? Like, I honestly can’t do it without my teammates. They’ve been really nice to me. It’s just really a big family and I really can’t do it without them.”

Coach Davis talked about his captain after the game,

“I’ve known Charice since she was real little playing club ball. It’s been a pleasure having her with us for the program, I couldn’t ask for a better player.”

The Panthers now sit at 3-0-1 for the season after that tie to start the season, while Fairfield dropped to 1-1. The Trojans will attempt to right the ship on Monday, April 14th, at home against Fort Madison.

For Coach Davis, he’s hoping this early season confidence sets the tone for the season,

“We want to keep going with what we’re what we’ve been doing, you know, moving the ball. And just making positive plays and not and not getting down on ourselves. We’ve been lucky enough so far that we haven’t been behind yet this season. When that happens, we got to be able to make sure we’re mentally prepared.”

While Auwerda is hoping to end her career with a winning record, similar to the 2022 season that saw the Panthers advance to the Regional Semifinals,

“You know what? It’s still like very early in the season and we’ve got a couple of wins under our belt. So that’s really good. That’ll pump us up and we’re still progressing. And I think that, you know, the more that we play together, some more practices that we get into, we’re going to connect more and I’m really, really hoping for a really good record this year.”

Mt. Pleasant is back on the road for a conference matchup against Washington on Monday at 5 pm as Auwerda still has 11 regular season games to add on to her career point tally.

Sports, April 11th

High School Track

Mt. Pleasant, WACO, Fairfield, and Wapello competed in the Demon Relays last night and here’s some of the highlights. On the girls’ side, Washington won the meet with 151 points over Mt. Pleasant’s 121.3, as the two teams jockey for the conference crown. For the Panthers, Alex Scott won the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.67 seconds and the 200-meter dash with a mark of 26.45 seconds. For the relays, the Panthers took the 4×100, 4×200, and the sprint medley.

WACO’s Carlee Lunsford won the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes and 31 seconds; the Warriors also nabbed the distance medley crown. Lilly Bergren of Fairfield took the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.42 seconds. Wapello’s Natalee Marks finished in 9th place in discus with a throw of 77 feet and 9 inches.

On the boys’ side, Washington also took home the crown with 98 points as Fairfield finished in 4th place with 70 points. WACO took 7th place with 55 points followed by Mt. Pleasant with 48 points. 

Fairfield’s lone win of the day occurred in the long jump with Eli Zillman leaping 19 feet and 10 inches, but the Trojans finished in 2nd place in four events.

WACO’s Hayden Shelman sprinted to a time of 23.47 seconds to win the 200-meter dash, while Jude Dykstra paced the 1600-meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 43 seconds.

Mt. Pleasant’s Avin Truong led the pack with a gold medal time of 15.47 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, which helped the Panthers nab the win in the shuttle hurdle relay.

Wapello’s Kolton Small finished in 3rd place in the discus with a heave of 147 feet and 5 inches. 

The Co-Ed Falcon Relays ran yesterday and the Mediapolis boys’ team took the title with 159 points, while the Mediapolis girls’ team shared the crown with Louisa-Muscatine with 140 points apiece. 

On the boys’ side, Mediapolis showed off the speed, winning the 4×100 and 4×400 meter relays, along with the endurance, taking the distance medley relay. Gannon Gun hopped his way to the gold in the 110-meter hurdles. In the field events, Henry Luttenegger leapt 19 feet and 8.75 inches for the win in the long jump and Lathan Keller took the high jump with a height of 6 feet and 2 inches.

Winfield-Mt. Union collected 119 points to finish in 2nd place as a team with Kohlby Newsom taking 1st place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.19 seconds and the 1600-meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 37 seconds. The Wolves won the sprint medley and shuttle hurdle relays. Lastly, Cooper Buffington won the discus with a throw of 126 feet and 3 inches. 

West Burlington/Notre Dame finished in 3rd place as a team and helping the Falcons fly was Landry Haberichter’s 1st place time in the 100-meter dash of 11.27 seconds. The Falcons also won the 4×200 meter relay, while Logan Hamma grabbed the win in the 400-meter hurdles with a sub-one minute time.

New London’s Gavin Strawhacker won the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.81 seconds. Nick Powell grabbed 1st place in the 800-meter run for Danville, which led to the victory in the 4×800 meter relay.

On the girls’ side, Mediapolis was led by Kira Messer’s 1st place time of 13.39 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Avery Crear leapt 4 feet and 10 inches in the high jump for the victory. The Bulldogs won the 4×100 and finished in 2nd place in 10 total events.

Danville finished in 3rd place with 105 points. Alaina Gourley won the 400-meter dash for the Bears with a sub-one minute time. The Bears won the 4×200 and sprint medley relays.

Winfield-Mt. Union had Kynlee Buffington take the 200-meter dash and long jump with a leap of 16 feet and 5.5 inches. Josie Nelson won the 100-meter hurdles. West Burlington/Notre Dame grabbed 1st place in the distance medley and shuttle hurdle relays, while Kaitlyn Kipp paced her way to the gold in the 3000-meter run. New London’s Megan Lee had the best finish for the Tigers, launching the shot put 28 feet and 4.25 inches for 2nd place.

Columbus, Danville, and Mediapolis will travel to compete in the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival tomorrow, April 12th, at Iowa City West High School.

The Mt. Pleasant, New London, Danville, Mediapolis, Van Buren County, Winfield-Mt. Union, Fairfield, West Burlington/Notre Dame and Central Lee girls’ teams will participate in the Pen City Relays on Tuesday, April 15th.

The Wapello boys’ team will host their own relays on Tuesday with Danville, Mediapolis, West Burlington/Notre Dame, and Winfield-Mt. Union making the trip.

The New London boys’ team and WACO will compete in the Lisbon Opener on Tuesday. 

High School Tennis

The weather postponed yesterday’s matchups.

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will host Fairfield on Monday, April 14th.

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will square off against Burlington on Thursday, April 17th, on the road.

The Fairfield boys’ team will take on Davis County at home on Tuesday, April 15th.

High School Golf

Winfield-Mt. Union dueled Columbus yesterday, splitting their matchup. The Wolves boys’ team won 167-211 as Justin Knipfer led the way with a 9-hole score of 40 (+4). Ryan Coil carded a 44 for the Wildcats. On the girls’ side, Columbus won via forfeit as Kinlee Brown shot a 53 for the Wildcats. Winfield-Mt. Union had Kellee Milks finish the day with a 52. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will tangle with Wapello on Monday, April 14th, on the road. 

Columbus will head to Danville on Thursday, April 17th. 

Danville was swept by Burlington Notre Dame yesterday with the girls’ team losing 216-245 and the boys’ team falling 172-208. Marley Garland led the girls’ team for the Bears, carding a 56, while Alex Holtkamp led the boys’ team with a 47 through nine holes. 

Danville will host Van Buren County on Monday.

Central Lee took on Holy Trinity Catholic yesterday and the girls’ teams ended the night in a draw, shooting 241-apiece, while the Hawks boys’ team defeated the Crusaders 162-192. On the girls’ side, Holy Trinity Catholic’s Elizabeth Griffin paced the field with a 48 followed by Central Lee’s Marie Young’s 57. Carter Jones carded a 38 for the Central Lee boys’ team.

The Holy Trinity Catholic boys’ team will host the Lee County Golf Classic today with Central Lee in attendance. 

The Central Lee girls’ team will square off against Burlington Notre Dame on Monday at home.

The Holy Trinity Catholic girls’ team will face off against George-Little Rock on Monday on the road. 

The boys’ SEC meet took place in Fort Madison yesterday and Washington took the meet with a team score of 163 as Rajan Roth led the way for the Demons, shooting a 36. Fairfield finished in 2nd place with a 168, while Mt. Pleasant took 4th place with a 176. 

The next boys’ SEC meet will take place in Keokuk, while the girls’ teams will travel to Fort Madison on Monday. 

Mediapolis will square off against Louisa-Muscatine today at home.

WACO will travel to Hillcrest Academy today.

New London will host Central Lee on Tuesday, April 15th. 

High School Soccer

The WACO boys’ team lost to Hillcrest Academy last night 6-2. The Warriors will host Danville on Monday, April 14th, at 4:30 pm.

The Mediapolis girls’ team fell to Tipton last night 2-1, while the boys’ team handled business against Danville, smacking the Bears 6-1. The Bulldogs will take on Wapello at home on Monday with girls playing first at 5 pm.

The Wapello boys’ team was steamrolled by Highland last night 10-0. 

Mt. Pleasant executed a conference sweep of Fairfield last night with the boys’ team winning a tight contest 3-2 and the girls’ team taking their contest 5-1. Ian Richards scored both goals for the Trojans in the boys’ game. Charice Auwerda added on to her historic career for the Panthers, breaking the program’s career point mark as she netted a hat trick and currently sits at 182 points. Auwerda was quick to give the credit to her teammates,

“You know what? Like, I honestly can’t do it without my teammates. They’ve been really nice to me. It’s just really a big family and I really can’t do it without them.”

Girls head coach Chris Davis was pleased with how his team navigated a physical conference showdown,

“We’ve been working a lot on physicality, wanting to play strong, play tough and always play through the ball. No backing down, just it’s all about mentality. We got to give it our all.”

Mt. Pleasant will square off against Washington on Monday with the boys at home starting at 4:30 pm and the girls on the road at 5 pm. 

Fairfield will compete against Fort Madison on Monday with the girls at home and the boys traveling to the Baxter Sports Complex.

The Columbus girls’ team was unable to clip Mid-Prairie, falling 4-1 last night. Janelle Jimenez scored the lone goal for the Wildcats. The boys’ team will hit the road on Monday to take on Highland, while the girls’ team will have a road contest against Tipton on Tuesday, April 15th, with both games at 5 pm.

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team could not stop Monmouth-Roseville last night, losing 6-1. Lexi Korschgen scored a goal off a Kyleigh Kniffen assist. The girls’ team will face off against Fort Madison tonight on the road at 5 pm, while the boys’ team will travel to Solon tonight at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee will be back in action tonight at 5 pm with the girls’ team facing off against Washington at home and the boys’ team competing against Sigourney Keota on the road. 

Southeastern Community College                                                     

The softball team will square off against Iowa Western Community College at home tomorrow, April 12th, in a doubleheader with game one at 1 pm.

The baseball team had their 14-game win streak snapped last night by Des Moines Area Community College, losing 8-0. The Blackhawks are back in action tomorrow for a home doubleheader against Iowa Western Community College with game one at 1 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1921 – KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania broadcasts the first radio sporting event, a boxing match between lightweights Johnny Ray and Johnny Dundee.

1966 – 30th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jack Nicklaus becomes the first back-to-back Masters champion winning an 18-hole Monday playoff against Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer.

1989 – First playoff goal scored by a goalie, Ron Hextall of the visiting Philadelphia Flyers shoots into the Washington Capitals empty net while his team is short handed in a 8-5 win.

Sports, April 10th

High School Track

Mt. Pleasant, Wapello, WACO, and Fairfield will compete in the Demon Relays tonight. 

New London, Danville, Mediapolis, and Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to West Burlington/Notre Dame to compete in the Co-Ed Falcon Relays tonight.

The Van Buren County boys’ team will participate in the Pekin Invitational tonight, while the girls’ team will travel to clash in the Eddville-Blakesburg-Fremont Burdell Hensley Invitational.

High School Tennis

Mt. Pleasant will compete against Fort Madison tonight with the boys at home and the girls on the road.

Fairfield will face off against Burlington tonight with the boys on the road and the girls at home.

High School Golf

Winfield-Mt. Union will compete against Columbus today at home.

Wapello will take on Highland today on the road.

Danville will face off against Burlington Notre Dame today at Flint Hills Golf Course.

Central Lee will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic today.

The next boys’ SEC meet will take place today at Fort Madison, while the girls’ teams will make the trip to Fairfield. 

Mediapolis will square off against Louisa-Muscatine tomorrow, April 11th, at home.

WACO will travel to Hillcrest Academy tomorrow.

New London will host Central Lee on April 15th. 

High School Soccer

The WACO boys’ team will travel to Hillcrest Academy tonight at 6 pm. 

The Mediapolis girls’ team will square off against Tipton tonight at home with gametime at 5:30 pm.

The Wapello boys’ team will host Highland tonight at 5 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will square off against Fairfield tonight with the boys’ team making the trip west at 5 pm and the girls’ team playing at home at 4:30 pm.

Columbus will face off against Mid-Prairie at the Muscatine Sports Complex tonight with the girls’ team playing first at 5 pm.

The Danville boys’ team will take on Mediapolis tonight at home with gametime at 5:30 pm.

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will take on Monmouth-Roseville on the road tonight at 5 pm, while the boys’ team will travel to Solon tomorrow, April 11th, at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee will be back in action tomorrow at 5 pm with the girls’ team facing off against Washington at home and the boys’ team competing against Sigourney Keota on the road. 

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Danville was our school of focus for last night’s episode of the Southeast Iowa Playbook, featuring seniors Reagan Henkelvig, who’s on the track and field team, and New London’s Colin Pealer, who is a part of the Danville soccer squad. Henkelvig picked one of the lessons she has learned throughout the years to pass along to next group of seniors,

“I just try to be very encouraging for people to go out and try new things because like I mentioned earlier, I’ve always been involved with a whole lot of different activities at my school and, you know, its high school and you’re able to do it and it’s free to do it before you end up looking back and regretting not doing it.”

For Pealer, he’s been trying to improve his leadership ability and sometimes that means not allowing your emotions to distract you from the game,

“I’d say the most important lesson is always that the next play matters the most. If you mess up, you always have to focus on pushing forward and bouncing back from that, rather than dwelling on it too much because it’s going to affect your performance. And just like always, keeping a level head and being able to keep that mindset that you can push further.”

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

Southeastern Community College                                                     

The softball team will square off against Iowa Western Community College at home on Saturday, April 12th, in a doubleheader with game one at 1 pm.

The #4 baseball team will travel to Des Moines Area Community College today.

This Day in Sports History

1947 – Jackie Robinson becomes the first Black player of the 20th century to sign an MLB contract; Brooklyn GM, Branch Rickey announces Dodgers had bought Robinson’s contract from Montreal Royals.

1964 – Demolition begins in Upper Manhattan, New York City on the Polo Grounds sports stadium (home to MLB Giants, 1891-1957, Mets, 1962-63, and NFL Jets, 1960-63) to clear the way for a housing project.

1979 – J. R. Richard of the Houston Astros pitches a complete game but sets an MLB record by throwing six wild pitches in a 2-1 win over the LA Dodgers at the Astrodome.