High School Soccer

The Southeast Conference released the boys’ and girls’ All-Conference awards with the Mt. Pleasant boys’ team and Burlington girls’ team leading the nominations for their respective sides as conference champions. Here’s a look at the All-Conference teams.

On the boys’ side, Fairfield’s Bihn Truong was picked as this year’s SEC Player of the Year for his 10 assists and 8 goals as the Trojans finished in 3rd in the conference. Mihn Truong, Cormac Van Pelt, and Lane Stever also made the All-Conference team for Fairfield.

Mt. Pleasant had five players make the All-Conference squad, including a trio from the defensive side: Abraham Cass, Kohen Cass, and Xachary LeBlanc, the goalie. LeBlanc stopped 82% of shots on goal as the Panthers allowed only 24 goals for the season.

Samuel Schaapen, a foreign exchange student from Germany, immediately made his mark on the team. The midfielder finished the season tied for the team lead in goals with 10, which was tied for 4th in the conference. His 27 points ranked second on the team as he scored a goal in his final game as a Panther against Williamsburg.

Dylan White has been the star of the team since his freshman season, leading the team in goals and points outright in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. This year, he displayed his maturity, stepping out of the limelight and becoming the main distributor with 15 assists on the season for a team leading 33 points. He was still able to net nine goals to bring his career total to 31 goals.

For a full list of the All-Conference nods for the boys’ teams, follow this link: Boys’ All-SEC Teams

On the girls’ side, Fort Madison’s Teagan Snaadt had a year to remember as her 36 goals, which ranked 12th in the state, and 83 points led the conference and nabbed her SEC Player of the Year. She finished with 226 career points on 93 goals. The Bloodhounds finished in 2nd in the conference. 

Mt. Pleasant had their career leader in goals, assists, and points nab a spot on the All-Conference team in Charice Auwerda, as she put up 18 goals and six assists in her senior season. She finished her career with 207 points on 74 goals and 59 assists. 

The tandem of Eli Heaton and Sonya Simon made the Panthers one of the toughest teams to score on with Heaton nabbing over 100 saves for the year and totaling five shutout victories. Simon was the captain of the defense that allowed only 24 goals to cross the line, and she added two assists to her stat line. The Panthers finished 3rd in the conference.

Haleigh Strickland was the lone All-Conference member for Fairfield with eight assists and seven goals for a team-leading 22 points. 

For a full list of the girls’ All-Conference teams, follow this link: Girls’ All-SEC Teams 

High School Baseball

Fairfield had their game postponed against Albia last night, a make-up date will be announced at a later time. The Trojans will travel to Fort Madison tomorrow, June 5th, at 7 pm. 

Wapello had their game against Winfield-Mt. Union postponed. The game will be made up on June 23rd as a doubleheader. 

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

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

Central Lee versus Burlington was canceled last night. The Hawks will take on Mediapolis tomorrow at home at 7:30 pm.

Mediapolis and Danville had their game postponed with a make-up date to be announced at a later date. 

West Burlington and Burlington Notre Dame had their game postponed to tonight at 5:30 pm at West Burlington High School.

Mt. Pleasant will look to stop a three-game skid tonight at home against New London with first pitch at 7:30 pm.

Van Buren County will take on Fort Madison tonight at 7 pm at the Field of Dreams.

High School Softball

Mediapolis and Danville had their game postponed to a make-up date to be announced.

Danville will host West Burlington/Notre Dame tomorrow, June 5th, at 7 pm.

Columbus and Central Lee had their game postponed to Monday, June 9th. The Hawks will face off against Mediapolis tomorrow at home at 7 pm.

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

WACO had their contest against Lone Tree postponed to June 23rd. It will be played as a doubleheader. The Warriors will face off against Louisa-Muscatine on Friday, June 6th, at 7 pm.

Mt. Pleasant is taking on New London tonight at 7:30 pm at home. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.

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

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

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

High School Cross Country

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

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

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees postponed their matchup against the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp tonight due to unsafe field conditions caused by the storms last night. The contest has been moved to Sunday, June 22nd, to be played as a doubleheader with game one at 2 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings and Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp were able to squeeze in five innings before the weather stepped in and gave the LumberKings a 4-3 victory. Brett White slapped an RBI double in the win. The LumberKings will stay on the road tonight to face off against the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes at 6:30 pm.

Prospect League Awards

Kooper Schulte of the Burlington Bees was named Hitter of the Week for May 27th through June 2nd. In 31 at-bats this season, Schulte has a league-leading 12 hits and 12 RBIs for a 0.387 batting average. Schulte has also slugged four doubles, one triple, and two home runs. In his first game with the Bees, Schulte hit for the cycle and totaled five RBIs.

This Day in Sports History

1889 – Boston Beaneaters MLB pitcher John Clarkson is first to throw an “immaculate inning” (strikes out 3 batters on 9 pitches) in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Quakers at South End Grounds. 

1974 – NFL grants a franchise to the Seattle Seahawks.

1984 – Arnold Palmer fails to qualify for the US Open Golf Championship for the first time in 32 years.

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The 2025 Iowa High School Girls Soccer season will be coming to a close this Saturday, June 7^th, and with the end of the playing season comes award season. Here is a look at the Southeast Conference’s (SEC) All-Conference list for the girls’ teams.

SEC Player of the Year

Teagan Snaadt, Fort Madison

All-Conference

Hunter Pender, Burlington

Brooklyn Sparrow, Burlington

Lily Newell, Burlington

Kiara Winski, Burlington

Isabella Ziegler, Burlington

Teagan Snaadt, Fort Madison

Hadley Wolfe, Fort Madison

Bailey Vaughn, Fort Madison

Halle Menke, Fort Madison

Charice Auwerda, Mt. Pleasant

Sonya Simon, Mt. Pleasant

Eli Heaton, Mt. Pleasant

Angeline Anderson, Washington

Isobel Murphy, Washington

Jocelyn Carter, Washington

Haleigh Strickland, Fairfield

Jalyiah Gardner, Keokuk

Breakdown

Burlington and Fort Madison have been atop the conference standings for the past four years with the two even sharing the title in the 2022 season. This year proved to be no exception as the two ended their first game in a 0-0 tie in Burlington.

The result, a winner takes all at Bracewell Stadium in early May. On the line? Burlington’s third straight conference title or Fort Madison finally ending the Grayhounds’ reign at the top.

The game was never in question with Traeh Pender facing only one shot on goal, while Hunter Pender scored a goal in the 3-0 win. The two would battle it out in the Class 2A Region 4 semifinals and in similar fashion the Bloodhounds could not sustain pressure, and Hunter Pender found the back of the net again in a 1-0 final.

Burlington ended the season with a 13-3-2 record and one win away from the state tournament. Hunter Pender, one of the captains of the team, finished second in the conference in assists (14), goals (22), and points (58). Her 32.8% shot percentage was tops in the SEC. She finished her career with 59 goals.

Kirara Winski was second to Pender on the team in 19 goals and 47 points for the season, helping Burlington average 4.4 goals per game, while third in assists with nine. Brooklyn Sparrow also found the back of the net nine times and assisted on seven other goals.

Lily Newell and Isabella Ziegler spearheaded the defense that allowed conference opponents to score just two goals all season. Additionally, the duo combined for 36 points as Newell ranked second on the team in assists with 10.

Fort Madison

There was never going to be any doubts on who the SEC Player of the Year was going to be. Teagan Snaadt was put in full control of the Fort Madison offense and delivered with her best season of goal scoring, netting 36 by the season’s end, which ranked 12^th in the state.

The senior turned in 83 points, accruing 93 goals and 226 points for her career. She led the squad to a 13-3-2 overall record and an 8-1-1 record, the most regular season wins in over two decades for Fort Madison.

Hadley Wolfe was the direct recipient of Snaadt’s elite goal scoring, leading the conference in assists with 17, while also putting in 17 goals of her own. Halle Menke added on to the offensive onslaught with 14 goals and 12 assists for the season, leading the Bloodhounds to put up 85 goals for the season, five more than Burlington.

Bailey Vaughn was the captain of the defense that allowed Ellie Hellman to only see 77 shots on goal for the year.

Mt. Pleasant

The Panther season was a story of grit and determination even through the toughest of circumstances. The 8-6-1 overall record and 5-5 conference record is a testament to that resilience. Only five players started the entire season with key players such as Alexes Rios, Charice Auwerda, and Tori Wilson missing at least three games.

Yet, there were still many memorable moments to the season, including Auwerda’s record setting night at East Lake. The senior tabbed a hattrick in their first conference showdown of the year against Fairfield to collect one more career record: 182 points notched.

The Iowa Central Community College commit was reminded of the history that laid before her just a week before the game by her father. Yet, when the game was over Auwerda was quick to give all the love 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.”

The senior finished her illustrious career with 207 points on 74 goals and 59 assists. Despite playing in only 13 out of 15 games, the senior was able to still put up 18 goals and 42 points for the season.

The tandem of Eli Heaton and Sonya Simon made the Panthers one of the toughest teams to score on with Heaton nabbing over 100 saves for the year and totaling five shutout victories. Simon was the captain of the defense that allowed only 24 goals to cross the line, and she added two assists to her stat line.

Washington

The Demons finished the conference series with a 4-6 record for an overall record of 9-8, which included a 7-3 record at home. A 1-0 win over West Liberty in the first round of the Regional was the biggest highlight of the season.

Angeline Anderson led the offense with 22 points of nine goals and four assists. Jocelyn Carter added six goals of her own, while Isobel Murphy shut down opposing offenses as the focal point of the defense. All three will be returning next season as seniors.

Fairfield and Keokuk

The two teams tied for last in the conference with congruent 1-8-1 records against SEC opponents. Fairfield had the better overall season with a 5-11-1 record, while the Chiefs tabbed a 1-14-1 record.

The Trojans and Chiefs both depended on a senior to help them out. For Fairfield it was Haleigh Strickland and Keokuk leaned on Jaliyah Gardner. Strickland led the Trojans in assists with eight and points in 22 and scored the second most goals with seven. Gardner finished second on the team with two goals.

Honorable Mention

Olivia Engstrom, Burlington

Kingsley Miller, Burlington

Emma Metcalf, Fairfield

Lexi Mast, Fairfield

Naomi Ramatowski, Fort Madison

Molly Schulte, Fort Madison

Relina Wong, Keokuk

Darby Tackes, Keokuk

Bizzie Richtman, Mt. Pleasant

Tori Wilson, Mt. Pleasant

Ana Mata, Washington

Maya Murphy, Washington

Mt. Pleasant

Tori Wilson only played in 11 games but still found a way to put in 20 points with six goals and eight assists.

Bizzie Richtman had, arguably, the second greatest moment of the season for the Panthers as the senior, who had been dealing with injury the entire season, found herself inserted into the goal late in their contest against Keokuk with a one goal lead.

Incredibly, Richtman, on one good leg, saved four shots on goal to secure the win for Mt. Pleasant.

“I mean, I was really struggling with my hip, but I just knew that like my teammates were kind of counting on me and it’s really a team sport” said Richtman after the game. “It’s not like a personal sport. And I know that if I wasn’t going to go in, then I don’t know who else would and I just knew that I had to step up.”

Academic All-Conference

Daphne Brown  Burlington

Summer Harrington  Burlington

Lily Newell   Burlington

Hunter Pender  Burlington

Traeh Pender   Burlington

Brooklyn Sparrow  Burlington

Ashlynn Trosdahl  Burlington

Isabella Ziegler  Burlington

Sarr Yahtaoui – mgr  Burlington

Emmelia Miller  Fairfield

Mallory Wigle  Fairfield

Johana Mora   Fairfield

Haleigh Strickland  Fairfield

Izzy Behne   Fort Madison

Allison Lamb   Fort Madison

Addison Link   Fort Madison

Halle Menke   Fort Madison

Naomi Ramatowski  Fort Madison

Teagan Snaadt  Fort Madison

Hadley Wolfe   Fort Madison

Jade Acker   Keokuk

Keira Campbell  Keokuk

Katy Eby   Keokuk

Kaleigh Fountain  Keokuk

Jalyiah Gardner  Keokuk

Darby Tackes   Keokuk

Ximena Ortiz Munoz  Mount Pleasant

Alexes Rios   Mount Pleasant

Sarai Sanchez  Mount Pleasant

Isabella Torres  Mount Pleasant

Charice Auwerda  Mount Pleasant

Eli Heaton   Mount Pleasant

Addison Peck   Mount Pleasant

Sonya Simon   Mount Pleasant

Mattisyn Wenke  Mount Pleasant

Angeline Anderson  Washington

Zully Aranda Terrones Washington

Maya Bruty   Washington

Jocelyn Carter  Washington

Amerie Cuevas  Washington

Aleigha Medley  Washington

Isobel Murphy  Washington

Katherine Flannery  Washington

Peggy Miller   Washington

Maya Murphy   Washington

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The Southeast Conference (SEC) had the privilege of experiencing some fantastic boys’ soccer this season with games thrilling games going down to the wire, including a couple of ties. As the soccer season concludes, the All-SEC list has been revealed and here’s a look at the breakdown.

SEC Player of the Year

Bihn Truong, Fairfield

All-Conference

Dylan White, Mt. Pleasant

Samuel Schaapen, Mt. Pleasant

Kohen Cass, Mt. Pleasant

Abraham Cass, Mt. Pleasant

Xachary LeBlanc, Mt. Pleasant

Henry Graham, Fort Madison

Jacob Shottenkirk, Fort Madison

Connor Horn, Fort Madison

Noah Swigart, Fort Madison

Jonah Santiago, Fort Madison

Bihn Truong, Fairfield

Minh Truong, Fairfield

Cormac Van Pelt, Fairfield

Lane Stever, Fairfield

Sheltyn Anderson, Burlington

Alex Schroeder, Burlington

Mateo Weir, Burlington

Brendan Taylor, Washington

Edwin Cortes, Washington

Breakdown

Mt. Pleasant dominates the All-Conference list with five players making the team and for good reason. The Panthers’ 8-1-1 conference record secured their first SEC Championship since their State Tournament run in 2013. Additionally, their 13-5-1 overall record was their first winning record since 2019.

The Panthers nearly replicated their 2013 results when they defeated Fairfield 2-0 in the Class 2A Substate 6 semifinals but fell a game short of the state tournament after losing to Williamsburg 3-2 in the Substate Championship.

Although defense does not record any mainstream stats, it was clear that Mt. Pleasant was stout in that department.

“Our defense 100%, I mean Aiden Humble, Abraham Cass, Cohen Cass, and Jackson Newman. Those guys don’t get any stats on Bound, but you know, without those guys, I mean, we’re not much of a soccer team” said Head Coach Rocco Russo heading into their game against the Raiders. “Those guys are solid back there. And I mean, our goalkeeper Xach is the real deal. You know, he’s really good. He’s been putting in working. It’s his turn to shine.”

Xachary LeBlanc was a wall for the Panthers, blocking 82.2% of shots on goals, the best save percentage in the SEC. He saved some of his best work against SEC foes, allowing only eight goals in nine games, including the 2-0 shutout of Fairfield in the postseason.

Of course, as stated above by coach Russo, the Cass brothers certainly helped LeBlanc out as the 24 goals allowed averages out to a stellar 1.3 goals per game.

Samuel Schaapen, a foreign exchange student from Germany, immediately made his mark on the team. The midfielder finished the season tied for the team lead in goals, which was tied for 4^th in the conference. His 27 points ranked second on the team as he scored a goal in his final game as a Panther against the Raiders.

Dylan White has been the star of the team since his freshman season, leading the team in goals and points outright in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. This year, he displayed his maturity, stepping out of the limelight and becoming the main distributor with 15 assists on the season for a team leading 33 points.

He was still able to net nine goals to bring his career total to 31 goals, including an incredible goal from midfield. Coach Russo mentioned after that game that anytime the team needed a spark, White would be the one to supply it.

Fort Madison

The Bloodhounds proved to be the only team that could best the Panthers this past season, defeating the Maroon and Gold in front of the home fans 4-2 at the end of the season with the conference race already locked up.

Nevertheless, Fort Madison ran away with 2^nd place in the SEC with an 8-2 conference record and a 10-7-1 record overall. This was a team that depended on their playmakers on offense with Jacob Shottenkirk leading the charge.

The senior was masterful in his role to perfectly set up his teammates, leading the conference in assists with 18 on the season, while also managing to score six goals for 30 points on the year.

Connor Horn, a sophomore, took advantage of his opportunities to say the least, burying 41% of his shots as he finished the season atop the conference in goals with 18 for the year. Right behind him was a fellow forward and senior Henry Graham, who finished the season with 13 goals and 31 points.

Jonah Santiago collected three goals and three assists as a sophomore midfielder, who has a bright future ahead of him. Noah Swigart was the main man on defense and still found a way to supply three assists.

Fairfield

You could describe Fairfield’s season with the old idiom, “always a bridesmaid, never the bride.” Twice the Trojans had the Panthers on the ropes. In game one at home, the Trojans allowed Brandon Veloz to score with 12 minutes left in the game to break the tie and eventually win 3-2.

Then at East Lake, the Fairfield defense held Mt. Pleasant scoreless for 78 minutes and led 1-0. Yet, Asa Rose ruined the moment for the Trojans as the game ended in a 1-1 tie. Still, a 5-3-2 record in conference is nothing to hang your head about.

Especially as the Trojans ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak and beating Centerville in the first round of the Substate to collect a 10-6-2 record. Their first winning record since 2021.

There is no question that this team needed Binh Truong, the SEC Player of the Year. In the Substate Semifinals, coach Russo directed all of his defensive attention on the senior to show the respect they had for the midfielder. He ended the season with 10 assists and eight goals for 26 points.

Cormac Van Pelt, Mihn Truong, and Lane Stever, who all combined for 23 points, were heavily influential on the success of the defense. Teams did not get many opportunities to score with only 98 shots on goal against Henry Swan.

Burlington

A tough season for the Grayhounds overall with a 5-11-2 record, but Burlington did enjoy success against the conference with a 4-5-1 record doing the heavy lifting. Mateo Weir led the team and finished top ten in the conference in goals with eight for the season.

Alexander Schroeder was right behind with 11 points on the year coming from four goals and three assists. However, the best player on the team was senior Sheltyn Anderson, the goalkeeper. Anderson knocked away 80.2% of shots against him, allowing only 18 goals for the season.

Washington

From the top of the conference last year, to a 3-7 mark against the SEC this season, with a 4-14 overall record. Of those 14 losses, half of them were decided by two goals or less. Edwin Cortes as one of the reasons that the Demons were able to stay close in so many games, as the junior finished tied for 6^th in the SEC with nine goals on the season.

Brendan Taylor was the captain of the team as he led the defense for the Demons.

Keokuk

The Chiefs had their season canceled after three games due to disciplinary action taken by the Iowa High School Athletic Association and a self-imposed punishment by the Keokuk School District administrators when the team received four red cards in a 9-2 loss against Central Lee.

Honorable Mentions

Kamryn Reynold, Burlington

Caden Zaugg, Burlington

Chaz Wohnoutka, Fairfield

Jaxon Kurka, Fairfield

Layne Rung, Fort Madison

Hunter Wiegand, Fort Madison

Jonah Zimmer, Mt. Pleasant

Brandon Veloz, Mt. Pleasant

Fletcher Brower, Washington

Kevin Marcelino, Washington

For Mt. Pleasant’s Jonah Zimmer, he finished his senior campaign with 16 points as he notched six assists and five goals. Brandon Veloz in his sophomore season gave Panther fans a look into the future as he scored five goals in a crowded offense and added five assists to his total.

“It’s a blessing, honestly” said Veloz. “I moved for my first season here, you know, doing things that we’ve never done in this school before. I’m just happy, thankful to God for all my teammates, I’ve been able to spend this time with and just enjoy this season and hopefully continue this run.”

Academic All-Conference

Amand Gandhi   Burlington

Antony Garcia  Burlington

Lucas Henderson  Burlington

Matthew Mercer  Burlington

Talon Orr   Burlington

Alex Schroeder  Burlington

Paul Zaway   Burlington

Ruth Contach-mgr  Burlington

Rebecca Imbimno- mgr Burlington

Binh Truong   Fairfield

Chaz Wohnoutka  Fairfield

Noah Swigart   Fort Madison

Jacob Shottenkirk  Fort Madison

Kayden Hansen  Fort Madison

Jackson Haessig  Fort Madison

Henry Graham  Fort Madison

Karson Dixon   Fort Madison

Leon Ziegltrum  Fort Madison

Jake Haessig   Fort Madison

Layne Rung   Fort Madison

Ramzy Davis   Mount Pleasant

Isaiah Denning  Mount Pleasant

Hayden Dolf   Mount Pleasant

Antonio Navarro Ramirez Mount Pleasant

Kolbein Ostby  Mount Pleasant

Ajay Wagner   Mount Pleasant

Dylan White   Mount Pleasant

Kohen Cass   Mount Pleasant

Jonah Zimmer   Mount Pleasant

Ivan Rangel   Washington

Nerick Raymundo  Washington

Benjamin Kronlage  Washington

Brendan Taylor  Washington

Burlington, IA- The Burlington Bees are off to a hot start, picking up four consecutive victories and rocking a 5-2 record through the first week of the season. A big reason for that success is former New London Tiger Kooper Schulte as he was named Week 1 Hitter of the Week for the Prospect League.

Schulte is currently touting a slash line of 0.387/0.417/0.774 through 31 at-bats. His 0.774 slugging percentage currently ranks 2^nd in the Prospect League for batters with at least 15 at-bats. He also ranks 2^nd in home runs with two for the season, while leading the league with 12 RBIs.

He has also shown off his speed on the basepath with four doubles, one triple, and going 2 for 2 on his steal attempts. The University of Iowa ballplayer made his mark for the team in his very first game as he collected five RBIs and hit for the cycle on a perfect 5 for 5 night.

He added his second home run and his 12^th RBI in the latest win over the Normal CornBelters in a thrilling 8-7 finish.

The Bees had their contest against the Quincy Doggy Paddlers on Tuesday night rescheduled for a seven-inning doubleheader on Sunday, June 8^th. They are back in action on Wednesday, June 4^th, at home against the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp.