April

Garza Named Naismith POY:

University of Iowa senior Luka Garza has been named the recipient of the 2021 Naismith Trophy in April, the most prestigious individual basketball honor presented annually to college basketball’s most outstanding player.

The most dominant player in men’s college basketball, Garza has been named national player of the year by all of the major organizations and publications, including the Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, United States Basketball Writers Association (Oscar Robertson Trophy), Sporting News, Basketball Times, and The Athletic.

Iowa’s first two-time unanimous consensus first-team All-American was also a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award,

The two-time Big Ten Player of the Year broke Iowa’s 32-year-old scoring record held by Roy Marble in February.

He finished his Hawkeye career with 2,306 points, which ranks seventh-best in Big Ten history.

Brumbaugh Guides Panthers to Denny White Relay Win

Jadan Brumbaugh hurled a state best 44 feet, 1 inch in the shot put as the Mount Pleasant girls’ track team earned a home win at the Denny White Relays in April.

Grace Kelley was another top finisher for the Panthers that night.

Kelley led the Class A discus with a toss of 115 feet, 4 inches, nearly five and a half feet better than that of second place Abbey Bence of West Burlington-Notre Dame.

The Lamm sisters also played a pivotal role in the win.

Both Karsyn and Kenna finished top-three in the hurdles, with Karysn winning the event in 16.19 seconds — Kenna placed third in 16.26 seconds.

State Agrees on Mandated Week Off

Starting over the summer, there was a week off designated for family time for Iowa high school athletes, coaches, and those involved with music and speech.

The week of July 25th is designated as Family Week, so there will be no practices for athletes or participants in music and speech.

The announcement was made in April.

The state baseball tournament will go on as scheduled during the last week in July at Principal Park in Des Moines. Next year, IHSAA Director Tom Keating says the summer baseball and softball seasons will be starting in mid-May.

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union is cooperating with the boys athletic association in the Family Week program, he says, and the same goes for the Iowa High School Music Association.

May

Panther Boys’ Golf Earns SEC Championship

Nick Matheney and Brevin Wilson were neck and neck for medalist honors — which in the end, really wasn’t all that bad — as the Mount Pleasant Panther boys’ golf team earned a conference championship crown in May’s Southeast Conference Golf Meet in Fairfield.

Matheney finished one stroke better than that of Wilson to claim medalist honors but as it has been all season, it was about the team that night.

Matheney carded a four over-74, Wilson finished with a 75 while Reece Kempker ended his 18-hole afternoon with an 85.

Washington’s Roman Roth took third with a 77, while Isaac Vetter of Washington ended up 4th. Fairfield’s Jeremy Crile placed fifth.

The Demons placed second in the team standings, followed up by Fairfield, Keokuk, and Fort Madison.

Brumbaugh Wins 3A Shot Put Crown

“An absolute powerhouse” is the phrase that throws coach Shawn Striegel used to describe Jadan Brumbaugh, who this morning etched her name into the pantheon of greats at Mount Pleasant, earning a Class 3A Shot Put State Championship in May.

For the Panthers, it’s the second consecutive year that they claim the 3A State Title.

Lexie Magnani, now throwing at UNI, accomplished the feat in 2019.

The 2021 Drake Relays champion, Brumbaugh hurled a monstrous toss of 44 feet, nine inches.

Mount Pleasant’s Beatty to Nationals

Former Mount Pleasant standout now Central Dutch sophomore Sam Beatty punched his ticket to the NCAA Division III Track National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina in May.

Beatty was also named to the All-Central Region team after hitting 6-8.75 earlier this year.

Beatty was slotted as the 12th seed in the high jump.

Liechty to State

Mount Pleasant senior Elli Liechty punched her ticket to the 2021 State Golf Meet in May.

Liechty shot a team-best 88, which was good enough for 5th on the leaderboard at state qualifying.

Washington’s terrific trio of Kiki Bruner, Anna Nacos and Josei Tanner went 1-2-3, with Bruner burning up the course with a 71.

Amy Sullivan of Knoxville ended her 18-hole day in fourth with an 87.

Sami Wibben was second on Mount Pleasant with a 97 while Ryann Davidson carded a 98.

Kylie Walderbach finished with a 107.

The Panthers finished 11 strokes shy of qualifying the team.

Mount Pleasant had 390 strokes to finish fourth.

Washington and Lisbon were the top two clubs in the team race.

Knoxville finished third.

The State Golf meet was held June 1st and 2nd at River Valley Golf Course in Adel.

June

Ashley Miller Named Iowa Wesleyan Volleyball Coach

Iowa Wesleyan has named Ashley Miller the next head volleyball coach, the school announced in June.

Miller comes to Iowa Wesleyan from William Penn University, where she spent the past two years as the graduate assistant coach for the women’s volleyball program.

She assisted in bringing the Statesmen from a 12-19 record in 2019 to an impressive 17-9 record in 2020-21.

Miller assisted in the day-to-day operations of the Statesmen volleyball program, helping with recruiting, social media, overseeing the varsity reserve team, and developing and implementing practice and game plans.

She was also a strength and conditioning coach for the Statesmen, training their men’s soccer, baseball, and women’s volleyball teams.

Iowa Wesleyans’ volleyball team will begin their season with a scrimmage on August 28th at home against Eureka.

Winfield’s Buffington Offered by Iowa

Winfield-Mount Union star Cam Buffington was officially offered by the University of Iowa in June.

This is Buffington’s, who led the Wolves with 1,029 total yards and 19 touchdowns, first Division I offer.

The 6’3, 200-pounder is expected to play either running back or linebacker at the next level.

January

Bees Find New Home:

The Burlington Bees and the Clinton LumberKings played baseball this spring — as part of the Prospect League, which featured college baseball players.

In December of 2020, Major League Baseball cut ties with 42 of its minor league teams, including the two along Iowa’s eastern border.

The Pioneer League’s players — all of whom are collegians — pay 495 dollars to play a 60-game schedule.

Opening games were in late May and ran through early August.

There are 16 teams in the Prospect League and general managers of the teams will met in January the season’s schedule.

Wesleyan’s Temaine Wright Resigns Midseason:

Iowa Wesleyan head women’s basketball coach Temaine Wright has resigned from his position in January.

Wright was entering his second season with the Tigers.

Jazmyne Laskey, who was in her first year as the top lieutenant to Wright, led the program for the remainder of the season

The Tiger women were 0-2 at the time of the resignation.

February

Lopez Wins Third State Title:

Marcel Lopez kept etching his name into history.

The Magic Man from New London, who appropriately took a bow following his state finals masterpiece was crowned a three-time state champion in February.

Lopez defeated Lisbon’s Brandon Paez by decision (1-0) in February’s 1A-120 pound finals, creating a legacy that many in the state strive for.

It wasn’t pretty at times in this year’s tournament for Lopez, but does it even have to be?

All he did was win, win, win and win again.

Now, he’s coming back as a senior for a feat so rare that only 28 wrestlers in Iowa High School history have done it: four years, four state titles.

Lopez ended his junior campaign with a record of 60-0.

Wesleyan’s Odorisio Resigns:

Iowa Wesleyan announced the resignation of men’s soccer coach Tony Odorisio in February.

Odorisio, who was entering his fifth season, had coached 18 players to All-Conference honors, while guiding the Tigers to the SLIAC Conference Tournament Championship match just one year ago.

He was named SLIAC Coach of the Year in 2019, as well.

Johnson Commits to Central:

Mount Pleasant senior quarterback Jack Johnson committed to play college football at Central College this spring.

Johnson followed the footsteps of 2019 quarterback Brody Bender as Panthers to head to Pella.

The Panther superstar enjoyed a monster senior season for the Panthers accounting for over 2,000 combined yards and 22 touchdowns.

He ended his season with his best passing performance of the year in the team’s loss to eventual state champion North Scott, where he threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns.

Lopreato Headlines 2020-21 All-Conference Lists:

Mount Pleasant sophomore forward Andrea Lopreato was recognized by Southeast Conference officials in February as a 1^st Team All-Conference selection following her terrific campaign for Curt Watson’s group.

Lopreato led Mount Pleasant with 16.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, all while contributing two assists, three steals and a block per contest, as well.

Her capstone performance was a February 5^th drubbing of Burlington, where Lopreato set the school record for points in a game with 37 (13-of-19 FG), while snagging 16 rebounds.

Joining Lopreato on the 1st Team were the Fairfield tandem of Danielle Breen and Hannah Simpson, Abby Wolter of Keokuk (Conference POY) and Fort Madison’s Malarie Ross and Brandy Walker.

Lopreato’s classmate Tristian Shull was named 2^nd Team All-Conference by the coaches, as well.

Shull averaged 9.5 points her second year on the varsity floor, leading the conference with nearly four assists per game.

She finished second on the team in steals per game with 2.7.

Both Emma Huckabone and Kenna Lamm were named to the Honorable Mention All-Conference list.

Lamm, Huckabone, Ava Lowery, Karsyn Lamm and Emma Rugg were all Academic All-Conference selections for the Panthers as well.

Mount Pleasant closed their season with a record of 11-10.

March

Wesleyan Hires Steve Williamson:

Just days after stepping down from William Penn University, Mount Pleasant native Steve Williamson was named the new head coach of the Iowa Wesleyan women’s basketball team.

Williamson accumulated 246 wins, four conference championships, five conference tournament championships, and eight national tournament appearances in his first stint with Iowa Wesleyan.

In his time in Oskaloosa, a program he led for the past four years, Williamson accrued an 88-28 record.

He was 66-20 in conference play.

A two-time Heart of America Conference Coach of the Year, Williamson headed 13 all-Heart performers, one Heart Player of the Year, and three NAIA All-Americans.

Academically, he had seven Heart Scholar-Athletes and five NAIA Scholar-Athlete under his tutelage.

He also led the Statesmen to their first regular season title since 1988 and orchestrated their first Heart of America Conference Tournament title in program history.

William Penn finished 10-9 this year and 10-7 in conference play.

Mount Pleasant Alum Magnani Hired at VBC:

For the first time in over 50 years, the Van Buren County boys’ basketball team will be coached by someone other than Fred Parsons.

Parsons, who has been the lead man in Keosauqua since the 1962-63 school year, officially announced his retirement in March before the Van Buren County School Board.

Taking over will be former Mount Pleasant student athlete Trey Magnani.

Magnani will look to fill the gaping shoes left by Parsons, who is second in all-time wins with 742, trailing only Bob Hilmer of North Linn, who retired in May of 2020.

Magnani is currently a teacher in the Van Buren County School District and was the middle school basketball coach for the previous two seasons.

Trey’s father Alan was the long-time head coach of the Iowa Wesleyan men’s basketball team also serving as an assistant on Caleb Akey’s staff last year at Mount Pleasant High School.

Van Buren County finished last year winless, the first time in school history.

Trent Named First Team All-Conference:

Mount Pleasant junior forward Dewon Trent was one of four Panthers honored by Southeast Conference coaches on the 2020-21 All-Conference list in March.

Trent was a unanimous first-team selection in his first varsity season after leading Mount Pleasant to a 13-11 record and a near upset of Mount Vernon (RV) in  the Class 3A Substate semifinal.

Trent finished third in the conference — and tops on the team — in scoring at 15.8 points per game, while hauling 7.3 rebounds — also good for third in the Southeast Conference.

Joining Trent on the first team was Amarion Davis of Burlington (Co-Conference POY), Fort Madison’s Dayton Davis (Co-Conference POY), Ethan Patterson of Washington, Fairfield’s Max Wheaton, and Anthony Potratz of Keokuk.

Panther senior forward Brevin Wilson was named Second Team All-SEC.

Wilson averaged 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game — second in the SEC.

Both Owen Vansickel and Chase Williamson garnered Honorable Mention All-Conference recognition.

Dylon Hagans, Jack Johnson, Mason Mills, Cooper Pullis, Avery Scanridge and Brevin Wilson were all named to the Academic All-Conference list.