Sports, May 15th

High School Track and Field

At the Class 1A Region 10 State Qualifying meet from Sigourney last night, Winfield-Mt. Union was able to send six to the state meet as auto qualifiers. 

On the girls’ side, Quin Smith won the high jump. Over on the boys’ side, Colin Anderson swept the throwing events, Cruz Hagmeier grabbed the 110-meter hurdles, and the team of Hagmeier, Jaxton Jones, Gavin Prior, and Tayson Samuels will run the shuttle hurdle relay.

For Class 2A and 3A, to automatically qualify you must finish in 1st or 2nd place, then the next eight statewide performances will qualify. 

Tipton held the Class 2A Region 7 state qualifying meet last night and West Burlington/Notre Dame, Mediapolis, Columbus, and Central Lee made the trip.

Starting on the boys’ side, Mediapolis’ Simon Wendel swept the long distance events, while Nathan Schmidgall raced to a silver medal in the 400-meter dash. The Bulldogs dominated the relays with victories in the distance medley, the 4×400, and the 4×800-meter relays, and a second place performance in the sprint medley relay.

West Burlington/Notre Dame’s Landry Haberichter claimed gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Kellan Porter leapt 6 feet and 2 inches for the win. Additionally, the Falcons flew to the victory in the 4×200 meter relay.

Columbus had Lamar Ceant and Alexander Rees finish atop the podium in the 110-meter hurdles with times of 14.34 and 14.52 seconds, respectively. The pair also helped deliver a win in the shuttle hurdle relay.

On the girls’ side, Mediapolis had Payton Harris snatch the silver medal with a throw of 127 feet and 4 inches in the discus and Avery Crear took 2nd place in the high jump with a leap of 4 feet and 10 inches. The Bullettes also will send their 4×400 and 4×800 meter relay teams after both took 2nd place. 

Columbus had one lone automatic qualifier in Ella Howell, as she grabbed 2nd place in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute and 8 seconds.

Mt. Pleasant hosted the Class 3A Region 5 state qualifying meet and the Panthers automatically qualified for 12 events between the boys’ and girls’ teams.

On the girls’ side, Mt. Pleasant accumulated the most points with 143. Avery Fedler continued to be unstoppable as the freshman ripped her way to 1st place finishes in the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.33 seconds, the 800-meter run with a mark of 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and the 1500-meter run with a mark of 4 minutes and 47 seconds. Additionally, she joined Kynlee White, Delaney Anderson, and Alex Scott in the sprint medley for a gold medal time of 1 minute and 47 seconds. Scott also qualified for the 100-meter dash with a silver medal performance. In the field events, Izzy Solat collected the win in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet and 2 inches and Ella Ensminger secured 2nd place in the shot put with a heave of 36 feet and 11.75 inches. The Panthers also snatched gold in the 4×100 and the shuttle hurdle relays.

For Washington, Jaedyn Moore took 2nd in the 200-meter dash and Iris Dahl grabbed silver in the 800 and 1500-meter runs. Leighton Messinger won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute and 7 seconds. Jaslyn Villa finished in 2nd in the long jump. The Demons claimed 2nd in the 4×200 and gold in the distance medley.

On the boys’ side, Mt. Pleasant’s Silas Hulett put his endurance to the test after securing second place in the 1600 and 3200-meter runs, including a narrow finish over Washington’s Andrew Rees by five-tenths of a second in the 1600. The Panthers will also be sending Kayle Brown, Caleb Shepherd, Keegan Heaton, and Kaden Schadt for the shuttle hurdle relay after securing a 1st place time of 1 minute and 1 second.

Washington’s Greyson Hartman swept the throwing events with a toss of 174 feet and 1 inch in the discus and 63 feet and 4.25 inches in the shot put. The Demons also secured victory in the 4×800 meter relay with a time of 8 minutes and 3 seconds.

Fairfield had Spencer McCready snatch 2nd place in the 110-meter hurdles and gold in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet and 1.25 inches. Eli Zillman took home the win in the high jump with a launch of 6 feet and 9 inches.

The Iowa High School State Track and Field meet is scheduled to start on Thursday, May 21st, and run through Saturday, May 23rd. Stay tuned to KILJ for a full list of our state qualifiers.

High School Soccer

Mt. Pleasant was swept by Burlington Notre Dame last night, as the girls’ team lost 9-1 and the boys’ team fell 2-1. Ramzy Davis had the lone goal in the boys’ game. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will host Ottumwa on Monday, May 18th, at 4:30 pm, while the boys’ team will make up their contest against Clear Creek Amana on Wednesday, May 20th, on the road.

Burlington Notre Dame will travel to Davenport Central tonight with the girls’ team leading off at 5:30 pm.

The Mediapolis girls’ team defeated Keokuk last night, 3-1. The boys’ team will take on Keokuk tonight at 5 pm.

The WACO boys’ team snuck past Sigourney-Keota last night, 3-2. The Warriors will travel to Mediapolis on Monday to begin Substate play at 7 pm.

The Wapello girls’ team will travel to Davenport West tonight at 5 pm.

Central Lee was swept last night by Williamsburg with the girls’ team losing 7-0 and the boys’ team falling 1-0. The Central Lee girls’ team will face off against West Branch on Monday at 5 pm.

The Washington girls’ team defeated Mid-Prairie last night, 2-1. The boys’ team will be making the trip to Clear Creek Amana tonight at 5 pm.

The Fairfield girls’ team shutout Centerville last night 3-0. Emma Metcalf, Lexi Mast, and Alejandra Carminato each scored a goal. The Trojans will compete against Oskaloosa tonight with the girls’ team hitting the road at 5:30 pm and the boys’ team kicking off at 5 pm at home.

The Columbus girls’ team will host Ottumwa tonight at 5 pm.

High School Golf

The Columbus, Danville, Holy Trinity Catholic, Van Buren County, WACO, Wapello, and Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ teams will head to New London for the Class 1A Region 5C meet today.

The Medaipolis girls’ team will host the Class 2A Region 5B meet today with Central Lee making the trip.

The Fairfield and Washington boys’ teams and Brody Engle of Mt. Pleasant will travel to Pella for their District meet on Monday, May 18th.

The Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, and Danville boys’ teams along with Holy Trinity Catholic’s Max Kruse and Wapello’s Cully Fry will head to Oskaloosa Golf on Monday for their Class 1A District showdown hosted by Sigourney.

The Mediapolis boys’ team will host their Class 2A District Meet on Monday at Heritage Oaks with Central Lee competing.

The Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield girls’ teams will be heading to Edmundson Golf Course on Wednesday, May 20th, for the Class 3A Region 3 meet. 

The Washington girls’ team will travel to Stone Creek Golf Club for the Class 3A Region 4 meet on Wednesday.

High School Boys’ Tennis

Fairfield will host the Class 1A District 4 Singles and Doubles competition tomorrow, May 16th, with Mt. Pleasant making the trip.

College Signing

Mt. Pleasant’s Dylan White signed his letter of intent to play soccer at Central College yesterday. The senior has helped the Panthers win back-to-back Southeast Conference titles and has been named to the All-Conference First Team the last three years. For all of his individual success, he puts most of the praise on his teammates,

“I would say it’s a lot of practice with my teammates, like I wouldn’t most likely be where I am with my goal scoring or assisting without my teammates because they contribute to so much running off the ball, onto the ball, and allowing me to get open and they’ve been so open to allowing me to take those shots and get so many shots off and so I would say they’re a big part and just off the season work, we play 7v7 all offseason during the summer and winter, so growing as a team too that way and just the more you play the better you get.”

Currently, White sits in the top four in the state for goals, assists, and points.

Local Summer Athletic Camps

Mt. Pleasant girls’ basketball is offering up a camp for any girls’ basketball players entering 3rd through 12th grades from June 23rd through the 25th located at the Mt. Pleasant High School Gym. The camp will focus on the fundamentals and introduce team concepts employed by the high school’s system.

If you would like to sign-up, then follow this link and fill out the form: https://kilj.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/mp-girls-bball-camp.pdf

Winfield-Mt. Union is encouraging students entering 3rd through 8th grade to stay active this summer with their Wolfpack Performance Training program that will feature 12 dates throughout June and the beginning of July from 9 am to 9:45 am to build speed and agility. 

If you would like to sign-up, then head over to KILJ’s Facebook page and use their QR Code. 

This Day in Sports History

1941 – Joe DiMaggio began his major league baseball hitting streak of 56 games. The streak ended on July 17th.

1965 – The Canadian Football Players Association was organized. 

1995 – The Vancouver Canucks set an NHL playoff record when Christian Ruutu and Geoff Courtnall scored shorthanded goals only 17 seconds apart. 

Dianne N. Roth

Dianne N. Roth, 94, of Mt. Pleasant, passed away peacefully at her home with her family at her side on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

A memorial funeral service to celebrate Dianne’s life it tentatively set for Tuesday, May 26th at the First United Methodist Church, 309 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant. Burial will be in the North Hill Cemetery, rural Wayland, IA. Cremation rites have been entrusted to the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant.

Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com

Central Lee Scheduled 2-hour Delay

The Central Lee Community School District will operate on a two-hour delay Friday, May 15, due to a planned water outage affecting the Charleston area.

According to Superintendent Dr. Andy Crozier, Rathbun Water has scheduled maintenance beginning at 9:00 a.m. Friday, which is expected to temporarily shut off water service for anywhere from 30 minutes to as long as three hours.

District officials say the delay is intended to give crews enough time to restore water service before students and staff arrive on campus. Superintendent Crozier noted that with more than 1,500 people typically on campus during the school day, school bathrooms cannot function for more than about 30 minutes without running water.

As part of the schedule change, Hawk’s Place will be closed Friday morning, and there will be no morning preschool classes. High school fun day activities will also be modified, with updated information being shared directly with students, staff, and parents.

The district says if the outage is expected to continue beyond 10:30 Friday morning, additional decisions and updates will be communicated to families and the community.

School officials thanked families for their flexibility and said maintaining safe and functional facilities remains a top priority.

Mt. Pleasant’s Dylan White Kicks His Way to Central College’s Soccer Program

Mt. Pleasant, IA- You could not have asked for a better two years of athletic success than what Dylan White has experienced at Mt. Pleasant. Game-winning field goals, a pair of Southeast Conference championships, and two programs brought back to their dominant forms. Now, the Panther gets to enjoy the spoils after signing his letter of intent to join the Central College soccer program next year.

Despite going 10 for 17 kicking field goals and 50 of 54 in extra points the past two seasons on the gridiron, which ended in the senior being named Co-Special Teams Player of the Year for the District, there was never a doubt what sport her would play at the next level.

“For the most part it was always soccer,” said White. “There was like a little thing for football where I was doing quite well so colleges like were interested but in my mind, it was always soccer because that’s like what I love doing so soccer was always the main priority.”

Hard to argue with the decision as White has led the team in assists and points all four years and goals three out of the four years. In fact, his 32 goals, 18 assists, and 82 points all rank within the top four in the state at the time of this article.

His last assist put an exclamation point on a Panther rebuild that saw Mt. Pleasant post season record of 4-10 his freshman season and 3-11 his sophomore campaign to back-to-back conference championships and 23 victories. White has been able to watch the growth from the top of the mountain,

“I would say it’s like really impactful to me because I think my freshman year we went three and ten and my sophomore year we went like three and something again and so being able to rise to like multiple winning records in a row and winning conference back-to-back is really impactful to me because it shows our growth as a team and we’ve bonded closer as teammates as well and personally to me it it’s like really important because I’ve been able to see my success and me grow as a person with my stats and so I would say it just like shows my journey.”

White has been named to the All-Southeast Conference First Team every season, going back to his 14-goal freshman season. Now, the senior sits at 63 goals, 40 assists, and 166 points for his career as the Panthers cling on to the #2-seed for their Class 3A Substate 4 matchup against Pella on May 27th. Even with a jump in his individual stats, White was eager to pass the praise around,

“I would say it’s a lot of practice with my teammates, like I wouldn’t most likely be where I am with my goal scoring or assisting without my teammates because they contribute to so much running off the ball, onto the ball, and allowing me to get open and they’ve been so open to allowing me to take those shots and get so many shots off and so I would say they’re a big part and just off the season work, we play 7v7 all offseason during the summer and winter, so growing as a team too that way and just the more you play the better you get.”

Despite holding out on his pro career, White will be looking to become a CPA post-graduation. In fact, it was not the athletic facilities that attracted White to Pella,

“What stuck out was that they were very like academic based and so that was really important to me because like after college I do want to get a job you know contribute to the real world so it’s really important that they cared about their academics so that was a big part and whenever I went on a visit during the summer they’re all really nice and caring and very focused on academics again.”

As the Panthers gear up to take on Class 1A’s #10 Burlington Notre Dame tonight at 7 pm on the road, White knows that his coaches have his back, including his dad who assists Head Coach Rocco Russo and assistant coach Jon Zimmer,

“My dad’s been coaching me since I was eight years old so him being there throughout the entire time, but he pushes me to become better and even with my other coach, coach Russo and coach Zimmer. I’m also close with them and them trusting in me allows me to play better and it allows me to express myself in the field a lot better when they know they have trust in me, and I know they trust me too.”

Mount Pleasant Promoting Economic Expansion with Airport Addition

The City of Mount Pleasant officially celebrated the completion of a major expansion project at the Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport this week, a project that represents a significant investment in regional economic development and transportation infrastructure.

The airport hangar expansion project totaled approximately $3.15 million and included the construction of new T-hangars and taxi lanes designed to meet growing aviation demand in Southeast Iowa.

Contractor Ryan Barton was proud to share the impact the project itself had on our economy here in Southeast Iowa.

City officials say the airport continues to play a growing role in supporting business, agriculture, recreation, and transportation throughout the region.

In 2025 alone, the airport recorded more than 3,300 estimated operations, including agricultural flights, business aviation, student training flights, rental flights, and transient traffic.

Fuel sales also remained strong, with nearly 40,000 gallons of jet fuel sold and more than 11,000 gallons of aviation gasoline distributed over the past year.

Mayor Steve Brimhall highlighted the airport’s importance to agricultural aviation, noting aerial applicators serviced approximately 300,000 acres from the Mount Pleasant airport last year.

Mayor Brimhall shared demand continues to rise for hangar space.

It was shared that the airport supports medical transplant flights, Civil Air Patrol training operations, Iowa State Patrol aviation activities, aerial surveying, and tourism traffic tied to the annual Midwest Old Threshers Reunion.

The project was funded through a combination of federal and state grant dollars, with the city currently awaiting additional state funding reimbursements and pursuing one final grant to complete additional concrete work at the airport.

Phyllis Paine

Phyllis Paine, 78, died Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at Park Place Elder Living in Mount Pleasant.

Phyllis was born November 18, 1947, in Bethesda, Maryland, the daughter of Wendel and Betty (McKelvey) McLaughlin. She was raised in a Navy family and lived in Cairo, Egypt, Saipan (Pacific Island), Maryland, Illinois and Missouri. Phyllis received her Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University. On December 28, 1970, Phyllis was united in marriage to William “Mike” Paine in Springfield, Illinois, and made their home in Mount Pleasant. She was a math teacher in the Mount Pleasant schools for 33 years, and taught Bridge to middle schoolers.  She was a member of the Mount Pleasant, Iowa State and National Teacher Associations. Phyllis was an active member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority – Beta Lambda Chapter.

Phyllis is survived by her husband William “Mike” Paine of Mount Pleasant, a sister Joyce Smith of Riverside, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Visitation will be held 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the Olson-Yoder Funeral Home. The family will be present to greet friends from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be directed to Park Place Elder Living or Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice. The Olson-Yoder Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Phyllis and her family. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.olsonyoderfh.com

Mount Pleasant High School Class of 2026 Earns Nearly $492,000 in Scholarships

Mount Pleasant High School seniors were recognized for their academic achievements, leadership, certifications, and scholarship awards during the school’s annual senior awards recognition program. The Class of 2026 reported a combined total of $491,874 in scholarship awards.

Students received recognition for a wide variety of accomplishments, including academic achievement honors, National Honor Society membership, Silver Cord Awards, trade and healthcare certifications, military enlistments, college scholarships, and community organization awards.

Among the top honors, Ajay Wagner was recognized as Valedictorian while Sarai Sanchez earned Salutatorian honors. Both students also received multiple academic and scholarship recognitions.

Several students earned specialized certifications through Mount Pleasant’s career and technical education programs, including Nurse Aide, EMT, Phlebotomy Technician, Patient Access Associate, and Associate of Arts Degrees through Southeastern Community College partnerships.

The graduating class also saw numerous students recognized through the iJAG program, military honors from the United States Marines and Iowa Army National Guard, as well as scholarships from local organizations including the Henry County Farm Bureau, Mount Pleasant Kiwanis, Friends of HCHC, Family Medicine of Mt. Pleasant, Access Energy Cooperative, and many more.

Students receiving major academic distinctions included recipients of Iowa Scholars Awards, Iowa Seal of Biliteracy honors, Governor’s Scholar Recognition Awards, and State Science Fair Honor Cords.

The awards ceremony highlighted the continued support of local businesses, service organizations, colleges, healthcare organizations, churches, and community groups that contribute scholarship opportunities for Mount Pleasant students each year.

Erick Avila

  • iJag

Liliana Baxter

  • iJag

Ashlynn Beauchamp

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • Academic Achievement
  • First Presbyterian Church Scholarship
  • Henry County Farm Bureau Scholarship
  • Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Scholarship
  • National Honor Society
  • Nurse Aide Certificate
  • Robert Miller HealthCare Scholarship
  • Silver Cord Award
  • Southeast Iowa Union 2025 All Union Class
  • University of Iowa – Iowa Scholars Award

 

Raeleigh Beauchamp

  • iJag
  • TTT Chapter DD
  • Lisantti Reading Opportunity Scholarship
  • Nurse Aide Certificate – Patient Access Associate Certificate – Associate of Arts Degree
  • Southeastern Community College – Associate of Arts Degree

 

Cadin Beavers

  • Iowa Army National Guard

Lane Beckler

  • Matteson Scholarship

Natalie Brush

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships

Saige Burchett

  • Academic Achievement
  • Nurse Aide Certificate

 

Jacie Campbell

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • 2026 Iowa Pork Foundation Scholarship
  • Academic Achievement
  • Alpha Gamma Rho and Block and Bridle -“ISU The Classic”
  • Henry County Cattlemen Scholarship
  • Henry County Farm Bureau Scholarship
  • Henry County Pork Producers Scholarship
  • Henry County Soil & Water Conservation District
  • Hills Bank 4-H & FFA Endowed Scholarship
  • Iowa Foundation for Agriculture Advancement Scholarship
  • Iowa State University-Dr. James Irven & Lois Manuel Long Endowment
  • Iowa State University-First Cyclone Scholarship
  • Iowa State University-Robert Bruce Johnson, D.V.M. & Linda Dockendorff Johnson Scholarship
  • Iowa State University-Sylvia Stoesser Memorial Scholarship
  • James Harlan Chapter of DAR Citizenship Award
  • Jerry Mabeus Agricultural Scholarship
  • Jerry Stukerjurgen Memorial Scholarship
  • Larry Broeg Memorial Scholarship Panther Scholar Dollars
  • Matteson Scholarship
  • Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Scholarship
  • Mt. Pleasant Noon Rotary Scholarship
  • National Honor Society
  • Silver Cord Award
  • STAR Scholarship
  • State Science Fair Honor Cord
  • Wanda Hatch Ag Scholarship

 

Meadow Carter

  • 2026 Community 1st Credit Union Scholarship
  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society
  • Silver Cord Award

Abigail Carthey

  • Dordt University – Academic Scholarship
  • Dordt University – Alumni Association Regional Scholarship
  • Iowa Seal of Biliteracy

 

Addison Clark

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society
  • Nurse Aide Certificate
  • P.E.O. Chapter OX Scholarship
  • Access Energy Cooperative Scholarship Program
  • Simpson College-Presidential Scholarship
  • Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Scholarship

 

Kelsey Coleman

  • National Honor Society

 

Rylie Copeman

  • Academic Achievement
  • Access Energy Cooperative Scholarship Program
  • National Honor Society
  • Nurse Aide Certificate – Patient Access Associate Certificate

 

Ramzy Davis

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society
  • University of Iowa – Iowa Scholars Awards
  • Bernie Saggau Award

 

Ashley Davis

  • iJag

 

Isaiah Denning

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society

 

Hayden Dolf

  • Academic Achievement
  • Iowa State University – Forever Scholar
  • Marines Scholastic Excellence Award

 

Ella Ensminger

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • Academic Achievement
  • Marines Distinguished Athlete Award
  • Southeastern Community College – Associate of Arts Degree
  • Wartburg College – Knight’s Scholarship Day
  • Wartburg College – Orange Grant
  • Wartburg College – Visit Day Award
  • Wartburg College – Wartburg Opportunity Scholarship

 

Natalie Freeman

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • Academic Achievement
  • ImpactLife Scholarship Mt. Pleasant Student Council
  • ImpactLife’s Student Impact Award
  • Mount Pleasant High School Student Council Cord
  • National Honor Society
  • Silver Cord Award
  • University of Iowa – Iowa Scholars Award

 

Sawyer Fulton

  • McGwider Inc. Tool Grant Award

 

Caden Goetsch

  • Academic Achievement
  • Kimzey Funeral Home Scholarship
  • Luther College – Campus Visit Award
  • Luther College – First-Generation Award
  • Luther College – Founder’s Scholarship
  • Mount Pleasant High School Student Council Cord
  • National Honor Society
  • Tolson Family Music Education Scholarship
  • Wanda Hatch Music Scholarship
  • Winifred Kimler Evans Memorial Scholarship

 

Isabella Gonzalez

  • iJag

 

 

Mia Gray

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • Academic Achievement
  • Iowa State University – Liberal Arts & Sciences Excellence Scholarship
  • Nurse Aide Certificate

 

Peyton Harlan

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society
  • Silver Cord Award
  • Iowa Counties Information Technology Scholarship
  • Patient Access Associate Certificate

 

Cadence Hellweg

  • Chapter CK TTT

 

Drayson Hole

  • National Honor Society
  • Southeastern Community College – Associate of Arts Degree

 

Delania Hourihan

  • iJag
  • Silver Cord Award

Aiden Humble

  • First United Methodist Church Scholarship

Kaydince Hummell

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • 2026 Friends of HCHC Scholarship
  • Becky Benz Memorial Scholarship
  • iJag
  • Iowa Hospital Education Research Foundation Scholarship
  • Jet Stop Scholarship
  • Matteson Scholarship
  • Nurse Aide Certificate – Patient Access Associate Certificate – EMT Certificate – Phlebotomy Technician Certificate

Kaylen Hunold

  • Patient Access Associate Certificate – Associate of Arts Degree
  • Silver Cord Award
  • Southeastern Community College – Associate of Arts Degree

 

Zoey Johnson

  • iJag

 

Madison Keck

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society
  • Nurse Aide Certificate
  • TTT Chapter A

Tesa Knifong

  • iJag

Kellen Kohorst

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society
  • Saint Ambrose University-SAU Academic

 

Zeke Krabill

  • Academic Achievement

 

Josh Lamb

  • Marines

 

Noah Lange

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society

 

Xachary LeBlanc

  • Academic Achievement
  • ImpactLife’s Student Impact Award

 

Zenlynn Lee

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • Academic Achievement
  • Iowa State Bar Association Outstanding Citizen
  • Jerry Mabeus Agricultural Scholarship
  • Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Scholarship
  • National Honor Society
  • Silver Cord Award

 

Joseph Leishman

  • Academic Achievement
  • iJag
  • Seminary Graduation Cord

 

Brianna Leonardo

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • iJag
  • Nurse Aide Certificate – Patient Access Associate Certificate – EMT Certificate

 

Blasia Lewis

  • Indian Hills Community College Scholarship

 

Tulip Lien

  • iJag
  • Mount Pleasant High School Student Council Cord

 

Olivia McCormick

  • Academic Achievement
  • Dr. Jennie McCowen Scholarship
  • National Honor Society
  • P.E.O. STAR Scholarship
  • Silver Cord Award
  • University of Iowa-Iowa Scholars Award
  • Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Scholarship

 

Emilirose McDowell

  • iJag

 

Felicity Metcalf

  • Academic Achievement

 

Madelynn Millard

  • Nurse Aide Certificate

 

Aubree Moore

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society
  • Southeastern Community College Excellence Award

Alexandra Murphy

  • iJag

 

Kate Musselman

  • Academic Achievement
  • ImpactLife Scholarship Mt. Pleasant Student Council
  • Iowa State University – Iowa State General Scholarship
  • National Honor Society
  • P.E.O. Chapter OX Scholarship

 

Carter Myers

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society

Jackson Newman

  • McGwider Inc. Tool Grant Award

Wyatt Nicholson

  • iJag

 

Lauren Novak

  • Academic Achievement

 

Ximena Ortiz Munoz

  • “Semper Fidelis” Award for Musical Excellence
  • Friends of HCHC Scholarship
  • Iowa Hospital Education & Research Foundation HealthCare Careers Scholarship
  • Iowa Seal of Biliteracy & Global Seal of Biliteracy
  • University of Iowa-David McCoid Scholarship
  • University of Iowa-Iowa Scholars Award
  • Academic Achievement
  • Silver Cord Award
  • National Honor Society
  • Patient Access Associate Certificate

 

Christian Ossman-Falline

  • McGwider Inc. Scholarship

 

Kolbein Ostby

  • Academic Achievement
  • Nurse Aide Certificate

Nelle Peterson

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • 2026 Friends of HCHC Scholarship

 

Quan Phung

  • iJag

 

Clara Pollmeier

  • National Honor Society
  • Nurse Aide Certificate

 

Caleb Reyes Carrillo

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • First Presbyterian Church Scholarship

 

Jaymisen Rich

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • Academic Achievement
  • Becky Benz Memorial Scholarship
  • Coach Bob Evans Memorial Scholarship
  • Family Medicine of Mt. Pleasant P.C. Scholarship
  • Kimzey Funeral Home Scholarship
  • Larry Broeg Memorial Scholarship Panther Scholar Dollars
  • Marines Distinguished Athlete Award
  • Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Scholarship
  • Mt. Pleasant Athletic Boosters – Marion “Mooner” Shappell Memorial Scholarship
  • SEIRMC Fort Madison Auxiliary Scholarship
  • Silver Cord Award
  • Simpson College-Wesley Service Scholarship

 

Tanner Rodibaugh

  • Proteus National Farmworker Scholarship Program

Sarai Sanchez

  • Brigham Young University Provo
  • ImpactLife’s Student Impact Award
  • Iowa High School Speech Association Hall of Fame Scholarship
  • Iowa Seal of Biliteracy & Global Seal of Biliteracy
  • Marines Scholastic Excellence Award
  • National Honor Society
  • RISE
  • Salutatorian
  • Mount Pleasant High School Student Council Cord
  • Seminary Graduation Cord
  • State Science Fair Honor Cord

 

Alexis Scott

  • Academic Achievement
  • National Honor Society

 

Mandy Sirivath

  • Academic Achievement

 

Maximus Sloat

  • Mount Mercy University-Football & Academic Scholarship

 

Myah Starr

  • Academic Achievement
  • Access Energy Cooperative Scholarship Program
  • Mt. Pleasant Athletic Boosters – Gary Sammons Memorial Scholarship
  • National Honor Society

 

Colton Syfert

  • Academic Achievement
  • Central College-Central Heritage Award
  • Central College-Journey Scholarship
  • Central College-Presidential Scholarship
  • Central College-Trustee Scholarship
  • McGwider Inc. Scholarship
  • National Honor Society

 

 

Isabella Torres Vega

  • Academic Achievement

 

Day’Shaun Tripp

  • iJag

 

Ajay Wagner

  • Academic Achievement
  • Des Moines Register Academic All State
  • Governor’s Scholar Recognition Award
  • Iowa Seal of Biliteracy
  • Larry Broeg Memorial Scholarship Panther Scholar Dollars
  • National Honor Society
  • Southeast Iowa Union 2025 All Union Class
  • University of Minnesota-Twin Cities – National Scholarship
  • Valedictorian

 

Madeline Watson

  • iJag

 

Kynlee White

  • 2026 Espy-Wesleyan Commemorative Scholarships
  • First United Methodist Church Scholarship
  • Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union – 2026 Lisa Brinkmeyer Award
  • Southeastern Community College – Women’s Track and Field

 

Dylan White

  • Central College-Journey Scholarship
  • Central College-Presidential Scholarship
  • Central College-Trustee Scholarship
  • National Honor Society

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily Wibstad

  • Academic Achievement
  • Dr. Jennie McCowen Scholarship
  • Family Medicine of Mt. Pleasant P.C. Scholarship
  • Iowa Seal of Biliteracy
  • Larry Broeg Memorial Scholarship Panther Scholar Dollars
  • National Honor Society
  • Nurse Aide Certificate – Patient Access Associate Certificate
  • St. Ambrose University
  • St. Ambrose University-Academic Scholarship
  • St. Ambrose University-Ambrose Grant Scholarship
  • TTT Chapter DD

 

Tia Willey

  • iJag

 

Zatori Williams

  • iJag
  • Iowa State Bar Association Outstanding Citizen
  • Silver Cord Award

 

Payton Wilson

  • “Semper Fidelis” Award for Musical Excellence
  • Marines

 

Mason Yocum

  • Henry County Farm Bureau Scholarship
  • Larry Broeg Memorial Scholarship Panther Scholar Dollars

 

The Class of 2026 reported a total of $491,874 in scholarship awards.

Lee County Projects Receive IMPACT Funds

The Keokuk Area Community Foundation and North Lee Community Foundation have announced more than 225-thousand dollars in funding through the 2026 Hellman IMPACT Grants, supporting six projects across Lee County.

The grants were announced during a press conference Tuesday in Montrose, with funding aimed at projects focused on workforce stability, early childhood education, accessibility improvements, community services, and historic preservation.

The largest grant, totaling 100-thousand dollars, was awarded to Community Action of Southeast Iowa for renovations to a centralized Head Start and Early Head Start facility in Fort Madison. The project will combine classrooms with family support services, including housing assistance, WIC services, and energy assistance programs.

Another 50-thousand dollar grant went to Keokuk Cares for new community service equipment, including trucks, trailers, lawn equipment, and snow removal tools to expand volunteer assistance efforts in the Keokuk area.

The Lee County Economic Development Group also received 50-thousand dollars for its Workforce Resource Assistance Program, or WRAP, designed to help workers overcome barriers such as transportation, childcare, and housing instability.

Additional grants included 12-thousand dollars to First Christian Church of Keokuk’s “A Bed for Every Child” program, more than 11-thousand dollars for accessibility improvements at the Montrose Memorial Library, and 2-thousand dollars for preservation work tied to the Clarissa Claypoole Wilson gravesite in Fort Madison.

Foundation officials say the Hellman IMPACT Grants continue the legacy of longtime community leader Merlin Hellman by supporting projects designed to create long-term benefits for communities throughout Lee County.