By Nathan Bloechl · Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 11:42 am CDT

Prep Track: Brumbaugh Lifts Panthers Past WB-ND at Falcon Relays

Jadan Brumbaugh broke her own school record with a toss of 46 feet, 1 inch as the Mount Pleasant girls’ track team took home first place at yesterday’s girls’ Falcon Relays, hosted by West Burlington-Notre Dame.

The Panthers finished with 154 team points, nine better than that of the Nikes.

Fairfield finished in third with Washington and Central Lee rounding out the top-five.

Brumbaugh continued shattering record after record, as the Iowa State recruit finished well over 11 feet better than second place Elise Oleson.

Senior Abby Blint won the 800m and 3,000m run while Kylee Coleman finished as a runner up in the discus, with a heave of 103 feet, 7 inches.

Kenna Lamm ended third in  both the 100m and 400m hurdles, as well.

Danville finished as runners-up in the Class B division, with Mediapolis, WACO and Winfield-Mount Union rounding out the top-five.

Pekin was first.

Danville senior Allison Down was a top finisher for Bears. Down won the 100m hurdles in 18.11 while state qualifier Kenna Furnald won the long jump with a launch of 16 feet, 5 inches.

Mediapolis sophomore Haley Steffener won two sprints. Steffener clocked in at 14.16 in the 100m while claiming gold in 1:06.04 in the 400m.

WACO’s Zoey Dennler earned first in the grueling 400m hurdles. She edged Danville’s Alexis Dietsch running 1:16.51.

Girls’ Soccer: Four Goal Night by Manning Leads Panthers

Elly Manning provided four goals, as the Mount Pleasant girls’ soccer team opened their 2022 season with a 6-2 win over Mediapolis yesterday.

Mount Pleasant conceded the first goal of the game but then rifled off six straight, including the four from Manning and one each from Tori Wilson and Charice Auwerda.

Kiera Frazier added one assist while Leslie Lopez had four saves. Evelyn Escobar also recorded two saves.

1-0 on the year, the Panthers will take today off before traveling to Donnellson for a fixture with Central Lee on Thursday.

College Baseball: Wesleyan Splits at Graceland

The Iowa Wesleyan baseball team split a pair of games with Graceland yesterday, losing game one 9-0 while earning an 18-7 win in game two.

Tavares Tims took the game one loss.

The junior from Portland, Oregon worked just one inning allowing two hits and four runs while walking four.

Wesleyan mustered just two hits against Graceland freshman Zach Tanabe, who tossed a complete game while striking out six.

In game two, the Tigers bats woke up with crooked numbers in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th innings.

Froymer Ortega scored four runs for the Wesleyan offense while Sage Bonner, Dominic Gerace and Phillip Guerrero each had three hits.

Carter Fletcher was the wining pitcher, tossing one inning of relief striking out one.

The split moved Wesleyan to 11-23 on the year.

They’ll take on Saint Xavier Friday in Chicago. The two teams will play a three game series over the weekend, with game one beginning Friday afternoon at 12:00 p.m.

College Golf: Iowa Wesleyan Hosts Spring Classic

The Iowa Wesleyan golf teams hosted their home tournament yesterday at Sheaffer Memorial Golf Course.

Columbus Junction native Aubrey Duncan finished tied for first shooting an 81. Duncan would wind up in second based on tiebreaker protocols, but it was an outstanding showing for the DMACC transfer.

Claire Hanson finished in 5th with an 87 while Karli Kirchner placed 6th with an d89.

The women finished second in the team race, losing by four strokes.

On the men’s side, Trace White shot a 77 good for 13th to lead Iowa Wesleyan.

Brevin Wilson carded an 80, which was tied for 26th. Kenny Tucker rolled in an 85 while Bailey Shelledy shot an 87.

The men finished in ninth in the team race.

The women will take part in the Carl Sandburg Invite this weekend, while the men will take the weekend off before competing in the Clarke Invitational on April 5th.

College Basketball: Murray to NBA

Star Iowa guard Keegan Murray has declared for the NBA draft.

Murray made the announcement yesterday on social media.

A finalist for numerous prestigious awards, Murray averaged an incredible 23.5 points and nine boards per game.

The Cedar Rapids native made 39 starts over his two years with the Hawkeyes and is widely projected to be a top-six pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.

 

Christie F. Hanson

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 at 10:26 pm CDT

Christie F. Hanson, 69, of New London, died Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at Care Initiatives in Wapello.

Arrangements are pending at Elliott Chapel, New London.

 

Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest on Drug Charges

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 at 8:59 pm CDT

On March 27, 2022, at approximately 2:52AM, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop in the 1400 Block of East Washington Street in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.  They stopped a blue, 2003, Jeep Grand Cherokee for a non-functioning brake light.

After an investigation it was found that the driver, Kelly Allen Smithburg (49 years of age) of Mount Pleasant, was driving a motor vehicle while being in possession of marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.  Kelly was also processed for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of narcotics.

Kelly was subsequently placed under arrest, and transported to the Henry County Jail without incident, where he was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine Second Offense-Aggravated Misdemeanor, Possession of Marijuana Second Offense-Serious Misdemeanor, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia-Simple Misdemeanor.  Kelly was also given a citation for Open Container by Driver-Simple Misdemeanor and was given a written warning for the non-functioning brake light.

This incident is still under investigation.

Donald Arthur Dickey

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 at 8:56 pm CDT

Donald A. Dickey, 86, of Wapello passed away on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington.  Memorial Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral & Cremation Services of Wapello.  Graveside services will be 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 1, 2022, at Fulton Cairo Cemetery.  Memorials have been established for Wapello Fire and Rescue or Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House.   Sympathy messages can be left for the family at www.sandfuneralservice.com.

Donald Arthur Dickey was born on May 16, 1935 in Kingston, Iowa, the son of John and Ida (Kramer) Dickey.  Don attended school in Oakville.  On December 11, 1954, Don was united in marriage to Patricia Neal in Burlington.  Don worked for HON Industries retiring in 1991.  He enjoyed wood working, throwing horse shoes and attending his grandchildren’s activities.

Don will be deeply missed by his special companion, Francis Whisler; his children, Steve (Michelle) Dickey of Wapello, Diane Blodgett of Iowa City, Shelley (John) Bartenhagen of Wapello and Gary (Michelle) Dickey of Wapello; grandchildren, Blair Dickey, Alissa Dickey, Jennifer (Tony) Crone, Alex (Ashley) Bartenhagen, Abbey (Jordan) Gerling, Evan Bartenhagen, Eryka Dickey and Garret Dickey; four great-grandchildren; Taryn Crone, Adeline and Kip Gerling and Rhett Bartenhagen; siblings, Margie, Karen, Hilda, Ruth, Harry and Raymond and many nieces and nephews.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Pat in 2001 and siblings, Leota, Verlee, Mable, Venita, John, Frank, Viola, Helen and Gilbert.

Rural Trash Collection Will Change

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 at 8:20 pm CDT

After the current service provider, Mike Prottsman announced his company’s decision to no longer manage the rural trash collection operation as of the end of March, the Henry County Supervisors sent out requests for proposal in search of a new provider.  WEMIGA Waste, another local family owned company, responded proposing  pricing on three of four options requested by the supervisors. Tuesday the Board voted 2 to 1 to go with Option 1… to continue to operate the Citizen Convenience Center on West Washington in Mount Pleasant but hours would be expanded to Tuesday thru Thursday noon to 6 pm, Fridays 8 am to 6 pm and Saturdays 8 am to noon for a flat monthly fee of $14,800. The current four remote collection sites will no longer be available. A second option included operating the Mt. Pleasant site and the four remote locations.  The monthly fee would be $21,400. The first option will save the county $297,000 over the life of the 3 year contract. Rural residents cannot drop off trash at any of the sites this week.  Operation of the Mount Pleasant site will resume April 5.

Prep Track: Davidson Guides Panthers to Win at WBND; Other Results

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 at 1:58 pm CDT

Burlington — Will Davidson won the long jump and 110m hurdles as the Mount Pleasant boys’ track team earned the team championships at the 2022 Falcon Relays hosted by West Burlington-Notre Dame yesterday.

Davidson went 21 feet, 10 inches in the long jump — seventh in school history — and then ran 15.50 in the 110m hurdles to claim two golds.

The Panthers went 1-2 in the hurdles with state place-winner Bryce Wilson finishing in second in 15.51 seconds.

Bowen Davis went third in the 400m hurdles, finishing in 1:06.53 capping off a usually strong day for Panther hurdlers.

Isaiah Albright and Mason Sloat finished second and third in the 400m, while Nathan McWilliams was the runner-up in the mile.

The Panthers finished with 160 team points, ahead of Washington, Fort Madison and Burlington in the top four.

In Class B, Mediapolis cruised to the team title followed up Danville and New London.

Anthony Isley ripped the track apart yesterday, claiming gold in four events: 100, 200, 4×100 and 4×200.

Trent Hicks won the 110m hurdles for the Bulldogs, while Logan Rosas was the runner up in the 400m.

New London, who finished third, received wins from Joel Lacy in the long and Kade Benjamin in the high jump.

A state medalist from a year ago, Carter Allen won the shot put and discus for the Tigers, who thoroughly dominated Class B field events.

Danville got wins from Ty Carr in the 400m, with the senior finishing in 53.57. A.J. Bonnesen took home first place honors in the two-mile, crossing the finish line in 9:55.55.

Tonight will be the girls’ event.

Field events will get underway at West Burlington at 4:30 p.m.

College Golf: Tigers Drop Purple Cup to Waldorf

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 at 1:57 pm CDT

Iowa Wesleyan received wins from Aubrey Duncan and Trace White, Michal Wohlleber and Kenny Tucker and Karli Kirchner and Brevin Wilson but could not overcome Waldorf in a narrow 55-53 loss.

The win secured the Purple Cup for the Warriors in the Ryder Cup style of play.

Kirchner and Wilson rolled to a 12-6 win, the largest margin at the tournament.

Duncan and White and Wohlleber and Tucker both won their matchup 9.5 to 8.5.

Iowa Wesleyan will be right back on the links today as they host their home tournament.

The tournament will be held at Sheaffer Memorial Golf Course.

Women’s College Basketball: Joens Heading Back to ISU

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 at 1:53 pm CDT

Ames — Iowa State senior Ashley Joens has announced that she will return to the program for her fifth year.

Joens has a been a four-year starter and stalwart among Bill Fennelly’s frontcourt.

The Iowa City native led the Clones to a 28-7 record this year, averaging 20.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Her efforts guided Iowa State back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2010.

For her career, she has averaged 18.8 points and 8.6 rebounds.