Bob Stoops is Honorary Captain

  IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Former University of Iowa defensive back Bob Stoops will serve as honorary captain when Iowa hosts Miami, Ohio at Kinnick Stadium Saturday (6:40 p.m., FS1).
  Stoops lettered as a Hawkeye from 1979-82, helping the Hawkeyes win the 1981 Big Ten title and an invitation to the 1982 Rose Bowl. Iowa posted an 8-4 record in his final season, including a win over Tennessee in the Peach Bowl.
  Stoops, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, ranks 48th in career tackles (230) and recorded eight pass interceptions. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior, was a team captain as a senior and was the lone Most Valuable Player following his final season.
  Following his Hawkeye playing career Stoops went on to a successful coaching career, serving as the head coach at Oklahoma for 18 seasons. He posted a 190-48 record there, winning the 2000 national title. Stoops was named the 2000 national Coach of the Year by no fewer than seven outlets. Oklahoma won 10 Big 12 championships and appeared in 18 bowl games. He retired following the 2016 season as the winningest coach in Oklahoma history.
  Stoops coached 37 first-team All-Americans and two AP Players of the Year. He coached two Heisman Trophy recipients in Jason White (2003) and Sam Bradford (2008), and seven Heisman Trophy finalists. Eight-three Oklahoma players were selected in the NFL Draft during his tenure.
  Stoops will accompany the Iowa captains to midfield for Saturday’s pregame coin toss. He will also be with the Hawkeyes in the locker room before and after the game.

Tipton looks to make postseason run this year

TIPTON — The Tipton girl’s cross- country team begins the season in the Iowa Track and Field Coaches Association's Class 2A poll. The Tigers are ranked 17th. What the state sees, the Tigers already know. They have a good squad this year.

The Tigers placed 5th at the 2018 state qualifying meet in Tipton. The Tigers scored 133 points at the meet. Kallie Wallick placed in the top-15 runners and qualified individually for the state meet. Wallick placed 9th at the meet. Other finishers were Rachel Bierman 20th, Alyssa Mente 24th, Ashlyn Curry 35th, Becca Stroup 44th, Alli Nash 45th, and Halle McCollough 64th. At state, Wallick placed 14th to earn All-State honors. The 2018 River Valley Conference meet was cancelled due to weather. The meet was not made up.

Members of the 2019 Tipton Cross- Country team are, Ali Nash, Liz Bier- man, Kallie Wallick, Ashlyn Curry, Coryn Wallick, Rachel Bierman, Becca Stroup, and Alyssa Mente. The Tigers run at nine regular-season meets. The season begins on Thursday, September 5 at Iowa City Regina. The Tigers will host a large invitational on Tuesday, September 10 before running meets at Monticello, Midland, Solon, Anamosa, Williamsburg, West Delaware, and North Linn. The River Valley Conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15 with the state qualifying meet on Thursday, October 24.

Knights Getting Ready For 2019
CLARENCE — The North Cedar Knight cross-country team will look a lot di erent this season. This season the numbers of the roster are up. The girl’s team will have eight on the roster.

On the girls side, North Cedar had three runners last year run at the state qualifying meet in Monticello. Of those three, Kiley Chapman returns. Chapman and 2018 senior Carly Montz qualified for the state cross- country meet last season. Chapman placed 9th at the state qual ying meet in 20:26. Montz was 13th and Carly Cerda was 51st.

Members of the 2019 North Cedar Cross-Country team are, Jilliet Spahr, Marshall VanOort, Milo Easterly, Fiona Raney, Kiley Chapman, Hunter Jones, Megan Driscoll, Sarah Redhage, Karly Cerda, and Rhyan Hoefler. The Knights will run in seven regular-season meets this year. The season begins on Tuesday, August 27 at Mount Vernon. The Knights will run at meets in Iowa City, Tipton, Midland, and Bellevue before hosting a meet at the 3/30 Golf Course in Lowden on Monday, September 30. The Knights run at West Delaware as well. The River Valley Conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, Octo- ber 15 with the state qualifying meet on Thursday, October 24.

Durant Looks Forward to 2019
DURANT — The Durant Wildcats are excited about the new season. Durant has a rich tradition of cross-country. The Wildcats will have seven runners this year to compete with at meets.

Members of the 2019 Durant Cross- Country team are Heidi Wolf, Kyrnan Liske-Rochholz, Ellie Collman-Long, Ella Mundt, Carlie Jo Fusco, SeeAnn Houghton, and Kaitlyn Paustian.

The Wildcats will run at eight regular-season meets this year. The season begins on Tuesday, September 3 at Clinton. The Wildcats will run at meets in Tipton, English Valleys, Cascade, Bellevue, Lowden, Iowa City and at Bellevue Marquette. The River Valley Conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15 with the state qualifying meet on Thursday, October 24.

Nine on Wilton Roster for 2019
WILTON —The Wilton Beavers have nine on the roster this season. The Beavers will look to score points and compete at meets.

Members of the 2019 Wilton cross- country team are Abby Brown, Lindsey Randolph, Ansley Boorn, Michaela Breed, Rachel Hunter, and Mea Burkle, Hayden Everson, Emmy Drake, Charlotte Brown.

The Beavers run at eight meets this year. The season begins on Tuesday, September 3 at Louisa-Muscatine. The Beavers will run at meets in Iowa City, Tipton, Monticello, English Valleys, Mount Pleasant, Lowden, and DeWitt. The River Valley Conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, Octo- ber 15 with the state qualifying meet on Thursday, October 24.

Tigers return ve runners from state chamionship team

TIPTON — Last season the Tipton boy’s cross-country team won the Class 2A state title. The Tigers left no doubt of who was the top team in the state. The Tigers had two runners earn All-State honors by finishing in the top-15. Caleb Shumaker placed 4th and 2018 senior Ben Ellis placed 11th. Members of the state championship team were Noah Jedlicka, Andrew Olseen, Shumaker, Landan Hill, Ellis, and Cody Bohlman. Five return this year as Jedlicka and Ellis graduated. Shumaker is ranked No. 1 indivudually to start the season.

The Tigers will have a large senior class and a lot of competition on their own team that will push them this season. The Tiger junior varsity team had a good season of their own last year.

The 2018 River Valley Conference meet was cancelled due to weather last year. The Tigers won the 2A State qualifying meet at home last year. Five Tigers qualified for state individuals after finishing in the top 15. They were Andrew Olseen, Trent Pelzer, Ben Ellis, Landan Hill, and Caleb Shumaker. Shumaker won the state qualifying meet while Ellis was 4th, Pelzer 7th, Hill was 11th, and Olseen 14th.

Tipton scored 72 points at the state meet. Second place Bellevue scored 100 points. After Shumaker and Ellis, Trent Pelzer placed 19th, Landan Hill 34th, Noah Jedlicka 57th, and Cody Bohlman 90th.

Members of the 2019 Tipton Boy’s Cross-Country team are, Gabe Peach, Zach Fisher, Dalton Esbaum, Brandon Valet, Jackson Edens, Kayden Rezac, Trent Pelzer, Caleb Shumaker, Landan Hill, Cody Bohlmann, Gavin Belitz, Bob Ryan, AJ Thumma, Andrew Olseen, Bryce Edens, Ty Nichols, Craig Shaffer, Troy Butler, Tiger Emrich, and Brody Deerberg.

The Tigers run at nine regular-season meets. The season begins on Thursday, September 5 at Iowa City Regina. The Tigers will host a large invitational on Tuesday, September 10 before running meets at Monticello, Midland, Solon, Anamosa, Williamsburg, West Delaware, and North Linn. The River Valley Conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15 with the state qualifying meet on  Thursday, October 24.

Knights Excited About The Upcoming Cross-Country Season
CLARENCE — The Knight boy’s team has nine on the roster this season. On the boy’s side, North Cedar had one runner at the state qualifying meet in Monticello. Jacob Spahr who returns this season, placed 76th in a time of 21:17.

Members of the 2019 North Cedar Cross-Country team are, Marshall VanOort, Milo Easterly, Michael Red- hage, Leighton Tjaden, Ryan Spahr, Jacob Spahr, David Redhage, Chance Cinkovich, and Samuel Choate.

The Knights will run in seven regular-season meets this year. The season begins on Tuesday, August 27 at Mount Vernon. The Knights will run at meets in Iowa City, Tipton, Midland, and Bellevue before hosting a meet at the 3/30 Golf Course in Lowden on Monday, September 30. The Knights run at West Delaware as well. The River Valley Conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15 with the state qualifying meet on Thursday, October 24.

Wildcats Begin Season Ranked
DURANT —The Durant boy’s cross-country team begins the season ranked in Class 1A. The Wildcats begin the season ranked No. 15. Last season the Wildcats had two runners qualify for the 2018 state meet. Jack Voss and Easton Botkins placed 38th and 67th at the state meet last year. Both reached the state meet after nishing in the top-15 at the state qualifying meet.

Members of the 2019 Durant Cross- Country team are Luke Abels, Michael Frisch, Nathan Moomey, Colyn Dean, William Richardson, Braden Wagner, Drake Shelangoski, Kayden Johnson, and Xander Flemming.

The Wildcats will run at eight regular-season meets this year. The season begins on Tuesday, September 3 at Clinton. The Wildcats will run at meets in Tipton, English Valleys, Cascade, Bellevue, Lowden, Iowa City and at Bellevue Marquette. The River Valley Conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15 with the state qualifying meet on Thursday, October 24.

Beavers Have 10 Runners Out
WILTON — The Wilton boy’s cross- country team will sport 10 on their roster this year. The Beavers look to build off of last year’s success. The Beavers had two individuals qualify for the 2018 state meet. Buddy Darting and Zach Hein both qualified for the state meet after finishing in the top-15 at the state qualifying meet. Both return this year. Darting placed 12th and Hein 37th at the state meet.

Members of the 2019 Wilton cross- country team are, Hayden Everson, Cameron Keith, Buddy Darting, Clayton Yost, Connor Bierman, Jake Walton, Colby Brown, Ethan Bailey, Gavin Reid, and Zach Hein.

The Beavers run at eight meets this year. The season begins on Tuesday, September 3 at Louisa-Muscatine. The Beavers will run at meets in Iowa City, Tipton, Monticello, English Valleys, Mount Pleasant, Lowden, and DeWitt. The River Valley Conference meet is scheduled for Tuesday, Octo- ber 15 with the state qualifying meet on Thursday, October 24.

New team, same dream for Tigers in 2019

By Ryan Stonebraker
Sports Editor 

TIPTON — The 2018 Tipton volleyball team gave themselves, Tiger fans, and Class 3A a run for the ages last year marching to the Class 3A state title match. The Tigers gave top-ranked Carroll Kuemper a fight but came up short in their quest for a state championship. The 2019 team is a collection of new and old, but this year’s Tigers will carry the same dream with them to get a state title. The Tigers won a program-high 39 matches, claimed the River Valley Conference title and rolled through the postseason last fall. The Tigers will begin their quest this week when they kick o the season in Lisbon.

The Tigers won their third straight RVC South Division title, and second outright, after sharing the crown in 2017. Tipton head volleyball coach Amy Calonder said that her team is excited to get back to playing matches.

“We had a good summer,” said Calonder. “We had open gyms, took a group of nine to Iowa State for a team camp and did well, and we had our two a day practices too. We went to Cedar Rapids Prairie for a scrimmage,” she said.

The Tigers benefited from lengthy win streaks last year. The Tigers began the 2018 season by winning their first two matches before losing twice. The Tigers then won their next 21 matches before losing again. The Tigers reached the championship match by winning 12 of their last 13.

“The win streaks were helpful, and we are going for that again. A lot of people don’t know what we have, but we do. Everyone knows Sommer and our returners. But they don’t know what we have around them. We like that. We think that will be to our advantage,” said Calonder.

The Tigers return three pieces of their rotation last year who are seniors. They include Class 3A Player of the Year Sommer Daniel, middle hitter Kamryn Chapman and backrow specialist Karlee Kamberling.

Daniel led Class 3A in kills with 476 and was in the top-10 in serve success going 407-for-440 with 54 aces. Daniel had 500 assists, 32 blocks, and 339 digs. Chapman was third on the team last year with 197 kills. She served 217-for-235 with 18 aces. Chapman had a team high 66 blocks and had 56 assists. Kamberling led Tipton with 400 digs and added 50 assists. “Sommer is an amazing player. She is so smart on the oor. Getting the captain of the 3A All-tournament team was even a bigger deal especially since we were runners-up. She makes people around her better. She is a leader,” said Calonder.

“Kamryn has done a great job of getting ready for this season. She is a smart player. She has been a leader this summer. Karlee is con dent. She does what she knows to do and is a solid receiver back there,” she said.

Calonder said that she expects the rest of the squad will step up after practicing for nearly two years against the senior class that helped lead the Tigers to back-to-back state appearances.

“Those girls worked hard to make the seniors last year better. In turn, they got better. Those seniors were amazing. I was never like ‘oh no, what are we going to do’ because I knew that they were playing against really good players in our own gym. We had some battles last year. Those girls competed with them. They are ready to take control of the team,” said Calonder.

Senior hitters Grace Nichols and Bailey Schmidt also return. The Tigers will have four juniors moving up to see time as well in Alex Ho man, Hailey Stewart, Ashlynn Downs, and Kelly Lieser. Sophomore Carly Pu er also returns and looks to crack the Tigers rotation.

The Tipton volleyball team had a season like no other last year, reaching the state tournament for the rst time in program history. The Tigers won 2 of their 39 matches they played and won.

The Tigers graduated 2018 seniors Madison O’Leary, Amanda Smith, Jamie Kofron, Emily Hermsen, Laken Hermiston, and Blake Ehler.

The Tigers will have home RVC matches this season against Durant, West Liberty, Monticello, and West Branch. The rst RVC match is Thurs- day, September 5 when THS goes to Iowa City Regina. The Tigers will play in four tournaments starting with the Lisbon Tournament on August 27. Other tournaments are Mt. Vernon, North Cedar, and Linn-Mar.

Wildcats Will have A New Team And Coach This Season
DURANT — The Durant Wildcat volleyball team will look di erent this year after graduating nine seniors off of last year’s squad that won 26 matches and advanced to the Class 2A Regional Final round. Durant head Coach Mark Lau helped the Wildcats to a lot of memories. Lau however, had moved on and his assistant coach Paul Beadel takes over. The Wildcats began last season with a 6-match win streak and made a run in the postseason winning 12 of their last 13 matches before falling to Dyersville-Beckman in the Regional Final.

Durant graduated nine seniors from last year’s team. They were Aubrin Dittmer, Ruby Kappeler, Annie Taylor, Elizabeth Wurzer, Paige Werthmann, Jada Rock, Mallory Warner, Kamryn Meyer, and Hannah Happ. Dittmer went to Kirkwood Community College to play volleyball while Kappeler, Mey- er, and Happ each are going to college to play athletics.

Meyer and Dittmer led in kills with 259 and 249. Meyer and Kappeler led in blocks with 52 and 42. Kappeler led in assists with 656 and Happ in digs with 314. Warner and Taylor led in blocks with 127 and 107. Durant has two seniors back in Meg Koenig and Kira Schult. Koenig had 103 assists, 39 digs, 4 blocks and served 44-for-50. Schult had 18 kills, served 30-for-33, had 18 digs and 7 blocks. Also back are Ellie Olsen, Makenna Buesing, Peyton Buesing, Brooklyn Bullard, Ally Happ, and Kylie Schult.

Durant will play home RVC matches against Iowa City Regina, West Branch, Wilton and Anamosa. The Wildcats open River Valley Conference play on the road at Mid-Prairie on September 5. The Wildcats will play in weekend tournaments in Marion, North Cedar, Northeast, and their own home tournament.

Beavers Return Many From 2018 State Team
WILTON — The Wilton volleyball team made an incredible run to the 2018 Class 2A state tournament before bowing out in the 2A quarterfinals. The Beavers upset the top-ranked team in Class 2A, Grundy Center, in the Regional Final match. The Beavers won 36 matches last year. The Beavers fell to Dyersville- Beckman in the Class 2A quarter nals. Wilton began the season winning 16 straight matches. Wilton was ranked last year in the IGHSAU Class 2A poll. The Beavers also had a 12-match win streak late in the year.

The Beavers will have one senior this year in Taylor Garvin. Garvin had 49 kills, served 20-for-21 with 3 aces, and had 32 digs.

Also back are sophomores Kelsey Drake, Ella Caffery, Alexa Garvin, Peyton Souhrada, and Mallory Lange. Drake was one of four Beaver players with over 100 kills with 141. She was one of the top servers last year for the Beavers going 318-for-334 with 30 aces. She had 219 digs, 7 blocks, and 16 assists. Caffery was one of the top setters in the RVC with 804 assists. She had 31 blocks, 131 digs,
82 kills and served 299-for-336 with 30 aces. Alexa Garvin had 61 kills and was second on the team in serving, going 339-for-365 with 31 aces. She also had 157 digs. Souhrada had 129 assists, 32 digs, 15 kills, and served 47- for-48 with 5 aces. Lange had limited playing time.

Also out are Courtney Bishop, Taylor Drayfahl, Kenzie Pallischeck, Olivia Oveson, and Jozalynn Zaiser.

Wilton will play home RVC matches against West Liberty, Tipton, Iowa City Regina, and Northeast. The Beavers will play in weekend tournaments at Easton Valley, Clinton, Washington and they will host their home tournament.

Knights favored in the RVC North Division
CLARENCE — The North Cedar volleyball team will have a new coach for the 2019 season. Longtime coach Traci Smith resigned after last season and Kori Boleyn was hired to take her place. Boleyn coached the Knights before and is in her second stint as the Knights head coach. Boleyn takes over a Knight team that was 21-18 last season.

North Cedar had two all-conference players last seas in Nicole Sander and Sydney Dennis. Dennis returns this year. Sydney Dennis was named to the RVC North Division team and senior Nicole Sander was an honorable mention selection.

For North Cedar, Dennis was in the top-10 in three of four statistical categories in the RVC North this season. Dennis had 181 assists, 152 kills and served 282-for-299 with 39 ace serves. She was second in the RVC North with 382 digs. Sander had 249 digs, 33 assists and was fth in the RVC North in blocks with 56. Sander was ninth

in the RVC North in kills with 162 and served 284-for-305 with 18 ace serves this year. Dennis earned her second RVC North Division pick after earning the honors as a freshman in 2017.

Dennis and senior Emma Boleyn are the top returners in kills. Dennis had 152 and Boelyn 126. Also back are junior Kelly Proesch with 82 kills and senior Kayla Syring with 33 kills. That quartet is four of the top-6 Knight leaders in kills last season. Dennis is the top server back after serving 282- for-299 with 39 aces. Also back to assume a lot of the serving are Kayla Syring who was 162-for-183 with 25 aces and Proesch was 89-for-110 with 20 aces.

Dennis is the top assist leader back and will be counted on for setting duty. Boleyn is back after being one of the top blockers in the area with 106 total blocks. Dennis and Kassidie Galloway will be back to anchor the serve receive game.

The Knights play in weekend tour- naments at Maquoketa on August  31, Mount Vernon on September 7, Springville on September 21, and at CPU on October 12. The Knights will host their annual volleyball tournament on Saturday, September 28. Teams there will be Calamus- Wheatland, Durant, Ed-Co, Midland, Springville, and Tipton.

The Knights host RVC home matches with Anamosa, Bellevue, West Liberty, and Monticello.

North Cedar graduated many from 2018. They were Kiara Musser, Jaylin Pearson, Katie Thompson, Erica Jones, Callie Meyer, Nicole Sander, and Kayla Sander.

The 2019 North Cedar roster are Caitlin Jensen, Alex Wachendorf, Kayla Syring, Lacey Rouse, Sydney Dennis, Kassidie Galloway, Carly Meier, Andrea Wachendorf, Averee Kasik, Kendall Smith, Kelly Proesch, Emma Boleyn, Jenna Syring, and Kayla Paup.

Tigers want more state memories

By Ryan Stonebraker

Sports Editor

TIPTON — The 2018 season was one for the ages for the Tipton swimming program. For the rst time since 2008, THS had events qualify for the state swimming meet in Marshalltown. Along the way, a school record fell as well. All of the state swimmers return for another chance to reach Marshalltown and improve on their outstanding year. The trick will be not to rest on the past and reach for new goals this season. Last year’s team had 15 swimmers, this season the roster sits at 12.

“Last year being the first state trip, and having those returners back, we have a lot to be excited about. We made it in two relays, and we would like to make it in three, and possibly get some individuals qualified as well,” said Tipton swimming coach Whitney Gehrs.

Back are seniors Ali Anderson, Britney Ford, and Sara Webb. The Tigers have a trio of juniors back this season in Kayley Clark, Maddie Swick, and Zoe Stonebrak- er. Sophomore Rhyan Hoe er also returns.

Also back this season are sophomores Alicia Beranek, Hannah Tucker, Sabra Crock, and Corrine VanderGaast. Tipton has one new face on the team this year, Samara Von Tun.

The Tigers were 9-1 in ten dual meets last year. Tipton swimmers won 77 total events and won ten or more events in four of their meets and won nine or more events in two other meets. Two school records were broken as well. Senior Britney Ford was unbeaten in the 100-yard breaststroke in ten dual meets last season.

The 2018 state meet saw the Tigers break the school record in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of Ali Anderson, Britney Ford, Maddie Swick, and Zoe Stonebraker cruised to a 2018 season-best time
of 1:54.67. The previous record was held by the team of Amanda Gavin, Mackenzie Moritz, Alex Proctor, and Alicia Goetz placed 17th at that state meet in a time of 1:55.51. The relay finished 20th in the state in the event.

The Tigers also swam in the 200-yard freestyle event at state with the team of Anderson, Stonebraker, Rhyan Hoe er, and Swick. They swam to a season-best time of 1:45.02 to place 29th in the event.

“They exceeded their seed last year, finishing higher than we were going into state. We finished in the top-24 to qualify for state in the relays to get there, and it justified to us that we belonged there and deserved to be at state,” said Gehrs.

Sophomore Rhyan Hoe er made quite an impact last year in her first varsity season. Hoe er had THS best times in the 100- yard freestyle (58.17), 200-yard freestyle (2:07.40), the 500-yard freestyle (5:34.15), the 100-yard butterfly (1:03.99), and the 200-yard individual medley (2:26.65).

Britney Ford had the best time in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:14.90), Maddie Swick had the best time in the 100-yard backstroke (1:07.22), and Ali Anderson had the best time in the 50-yard freestyle (27.05). Junior Zoe Stonebraker turned in the second-best times in ve events - 50-free, 100-free, 200-free, 500-free, and 200-IM. Liz Bierman had the second-best time in the 100-yard breaststroke and Anderson had the time in the 100-yard backstroke.

The Tiger swimmers face yearly adversity as the smallest girl’s swimming team in the state. However, this summer they had another obstacle. They were without a summer practice home as the James Kennedy Family Aquatic Center was closed for repairs. The team was forced to be creative in finding a place to practice. Enter Muscatine. The Tigers were able to secure some time at Muscatine High School to practice this summer and in the preseason as the repairs to their home pool was being made.

“We came to Muscatine over the summer twice a week due to the construction at the aquatic center. It wasn’t ideal, but we made it work. We got to know the Muscatine sta and team. It was nice to get to know them,” said Gehrs.

“We are comfortable here and we will come back to swim in their invitational this year. I think it will be a mini home pool advantage,” she said.

The Tigers have four home meets this season. The first is Thursday, August 29 when the Tigers host Clinton for parents night. Williamsburg comes to town on Tuesday, September 3. The Tigers host Davenport Central on Monday, Septem- ber 23 and will host Fairfield on Monday, October 21. The Tigers have road meets at Williamsburg, Linn-Mar, Fair eld, and Davenport North. The Tigers will swim in weekend invitationals at Muscatine, Clin- ton, and Cedar Rapids Washington. The Regional meet will be Saturday, November 2 with the state meet a week later on Saturday, November 9 in Marshalltown.

Gone From 2018: Artica Dykstra, Liz Bierman, Mayle Brooks.

Back From 2018: Britney Ford, Ali Anderson, Sara Webb, Maddie Swick, Zoe Stonebraker, Kayley Clark, Ryan Hoe er, Alicia Beranek, Hannah Tucker, Sabra Crock, Corrine VanderGaast.

Tigers ranked No. 1 in preseason rankings

DES MOINES — The River Valley Conference is a strong conference for many sports and last week, the Iowa Track and Field Coaches Association choose many RVC cross-country teams in their 2019 preseason rankings.

Both Tipton cross-country teams are ranked. The Tiger boys begin 2019 ranked No. 1 in Class 2A. The Tigers are the defending Class 2A state champs and have ve of their runners from last year’s state title back. Two Tigers are ranked individually. Junior Caleb Shumaker is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A after finishing fourth individually at the state meet last year. Senior Trent Pelzer is in the runners to watch category. The top-three ranked runners in Class 2A are from the River Valley Conference. Tipton’s Caleb Shumaker is ranked first followed by Bellevue’s Brady Griebel second, and Camanche’s Dylan Darsidan who is ranked third. Tipton senior Trent Pelzer is among the runners to watch in Class 2A. In Class 1A, Wilton’s Buddy Darting is ranked in the top-10 at No. 7.

Other RVC boy’s teams that are ranked are in 2A, Monticello No. 2, Camanche No. 7, Bellevue No. 14. In Class 1A, Durant is ranked 15th and Wilton 20th.

On the girl’s side, Tipton begins the season ranked No. 17. The Tigers return two runners with state meet experience in juniors Kallie Wallick and Rachel Bier- man. Bierman qualified individually in 2017 and Wallick qualified last year and placed in the top-15 finishers to earn All-State honors. Wallick begins the season ranked No. 10 in the top runner preseason rankings.

RVC teams ranked are Mid-Prairie No. 3 in 2A and Iowa City Regina No. 2 in Class 1A.

Class 2A Girls Rankings
1. Williamsburg, 2. Woodbury Central-Kingsley Pierson, 3. Mid-Prairie, 4. Jesup, 5. Panorama, 6. Danville-New London, 7. Starmont, 8. Waukon, 9. Unity Christian, 10. Dike-New Hartford, 11. Albia, 12. Cherokee, 13. Guthrie Center, 14. Shenandoah, 15. Crestwood. Other teams to watch: Emmetsburg, Tipton, GCGR, Roland- Story, Chariton.

Class 2A Boys Rankings
1. Tipton, 2. Monticello, 3. South Hardin, 4. Albia, 5. Davis County, 6. Des Moines Christian, 7. Camanche, 8. Okoboji, 9. Grundy Center/ Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 10. GLR-Central Lyon,
11. Williamsburg, 12. Unity Christian, 13. Red Oak, 14. Bellevue, 15. Western Christian. Other teams to watch: Crestwood, Red Oak, Sheldon, Waukon, Dike-New Hartford.

Class 1A Girls Rankings
1. Logan-Magnolia, 2. Iowa City Regina, 3. Hud- son, 4. Lansing Kee, 5. Aplington-Parkersburg, 6. Cascade, 7. Denver, 8. Pekin, 9. Earlham, 10. Bellevue Marquette, 11. North Linn, 12. East Marshall, 13. South Winneshiek, 14. Tri-Center, 15. Ridge View.

Class 1A Boys Rankings
1. Madrid, 2. Calamus-Wheatland, 3. Maquoketa Valley, 4. Nodaway Valley, 5. Earlham, 6. South Winneshiek, 7. Pekin, 8. BCLUW, 9. Council Blu s St. Alberts, 10. Woodward Academy, 11. Mason City Newman, 12. Denver, 13. Trinity Christian, 14. Ogden, 15. Durant. Other teams to watch: West Fork, Central Springs, Tri-Center, Woodbine, Wilton.

Martin Approved for Immediate Eligibility

  IOWA CITY, Iowa - - University of Iowa sophomore wide receiver Oliver Martin has been approved for immediate eligibility by the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference. Martin, a native of Coralville, Iowa and a graduate of Iowa City West High School, transferred to the Hawkeye football program this summer.
  Following are comments from Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and Martin:

Coach Kirk Ferentz:
“We are pleased that the NCAA and Big Ten Conference have approved Oliver’s waiver to play this season. Oliver is a tremendous young man who has been working hard since the day he set foot on our campus this summer. His teammates are excited to have him on the practice field and in the weight room, and we look forward to Oliver being able to contribute to our team.”

Oliver Martin:
“I am ecstatic that the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference have approved our waiver request. I want to thank my coaches and my teammates for their help as I work to get ready. I have been dreaming of running out of the tunnel wearing the black and gold ever since I decided to join the program. I can’t wait to contribute to this team on the field.”

  Iowa opens the 2019 season Saturday, Aug. 31, hosting Miami, Ohio (6:40 p.m. CT, FS1).

PODCAST: Tipton Fall Preview Podcast

Welcome to the Coaches Corner Podcast.  This is the official podcast from Ryan Stonebraker, Sports Editor for the Tipton Conservative.  If you have any questions or comments e-mail me at ConservativeSports@gmail.com - RS.

LINK: Fall Preview THS

Column: Scarbrough's Take: Give Us College Football, but Keep the New Math

Scarbrough's Take
By Lyn Scarbrough - Lindy's Sports


We had fantastic math teachers at Pittman Junior High in Hueytown. They worked well with kids not long removed from grammar school and knew how to teach the basics.

Libby Fleming had us in the seventh grade. Helen Thomas taught the eighth grade, and Don Hamilton had us for a year before sending us on to high school.

Of course, that was a long, long time ago. (We didn’t have computers or cell phones with calculators back then.) So, I guess you would say they taught “old” math.

Somehow, math instruction has evolved over the decades, now teaching something called “new” math.

Not long ago, I helped one of my grammar school granddaughters with what seemed to be a simple math question. Problem was that it had to be figured using the “new” way. Using “old” math, finding the answer didn’t take long. Using the “new” math, I haven’t found the answer yet.

Which brings us the new season of college football which started this past Saturday.

I’m pretty sure what my junior high teachers would have thought about the first week … Week Zero.

In “old” math, when something happened first in chronological order it would be listed as No. 1 … that seems pretty basic.

Not any more.

Again this season, the first games weren’t played in the First week. Those first four games were played in Week Zero … whatever that is.

Saturday’s games did turn out to be a zero for several teams, probably causing them to wish the games hadn’t counted.

Colgate got the weekend underway and was pounded by Villanova 34-14. The Raiders (no, they are not the Fighting Toothbrushes) trailed the Wildcats 27-0 at the half — and that was that.

Samford (the Birmingham Bulldogs, not Stanford) scored the first seven points against Youngstown State, then watched the Penquins (seriously, they’re the Penquins) score the next 31 in a 45-22 rout.

Arizona traveled to Honolulu to play Hawaii and showed up 45 minutes late to face the Rainbow Warriors because the police escort for the team never showed up. Neither did the Arizona defense. Hawaii put up 595 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-38 win over their Pac-12 opponent.

The loss for the 10.5-point favorite Wildcats, which also had six turnovers, was even more heartbreaking when Kahlil Tate, their senior all-purpose quarterback, scrambled 30 yards on the game’s last play before being tackled one yard short of the end zone as time expired. Another long season in Tucson?

But, the opening Saturday headliner was that night in Orlando, the in-state rivalry renewal between Florida and Miami. The Hurricanes had won seven of the last eight games in the series, but the teams hadn’t played each other since 2013.

If you were looking for a sloppy, undisciplined, ugly season opener, you got more than your money’s worth.

Miami had a 13-minute advantage in time of possession, but converted just two of 15 third-down and fourth-down conversion tries. The Hurricanes had 14 penalties for 118 yards, which was 31 yards more than they had rushing. Miami’s offensive line surrendered 10 sacks and had freshman starting quarterback Jarren Williams running for his life most of the evening.

Florida was much the same. The Gators offense had four turnovers, including two Feleipe Franks’ interceptions. They were called for nine penalties for 100 yards, including back-to-back pass interference calls to keep alive a last-minute ‘Cane drive. That was 43 more yards than Florida could muster rushing. The Gators were just two for 10 in third down conversions and averaged just 1.9 yards per rushing attempt.

Both teams were nationally ranked going into the game, Florida at No. 6 in Lindy’s preseason rankings and Miami at No. 19. Neither team did anything in Orlando to enhance its position.

Looking ahead to the second college week, there will be a few more games of national significance and regional interest, and hopefully better play. Ole Miss at Memphis and Toledo at Kentucky should be tough tests for the SEC teams. The top three ranked teams open their seasons … Clemson hosts Georgia Tech; Duke prays for way to slow down Alabama; and Georgia goes to Vanderbilt in an early conference opener. And, in the national headliner, Oregon and Auburn meet in Dallas in a rematch of the 2010 National Championship Game.

So, fans are looking forward to Week 2 of the 2019 season.

Understand that you’ll be told to get ready for Week 1. But, don’t be fooled. You’re getting ready for Week 2.

That’s pretty basic.

They’re not with us any longer, but if they were, I’m pretty sure that the Pittman Junior High math department would agree.
Lindy's Sports columnist Lyn Scarbrough is a contributor to this blog.  He lives deep in SEC country and offers his take on the College Football landscape.

Iowa High School Sports Network partners with IHSAA for new tv deal and distribution

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Iowa High School Sports Network (IHSSN), in conjunction with the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), is pleased to announce a new distribution plan that will allow boys state events to be viewed by a much larger statewide audience.

The new network will be an over-the-air broadcast on six a liates throughout the state for the IHSAA’s state football finals, state wrestling finals, and state basketball nals. Those events also will be streamed live for free on ihssn.com.

“We are giving the viewers what they want, many platforms to deliver the IHSSN product into their homes,’’ IHSSN President Ken Krogman said. “It will be up to each individual household to decide how to best access the content.’’

The broadcasts will be available on the stations’ digital channels. Those channels are accessed by subscribing to a local cable company that provides access to the digital channels or by having a television antenna (attic, wall mount or table top) in your home. Those six a liates are KDSM 17.1

| 17.3 in Des Moines, KFXA 28.2 in Cedar Rapids, NPTM 42.2 in Omaha (southwest Iowa), NPTH 44.2 in Sioux City, KXLT 47.2 in Rochester (north-central Iowa) and WQAD 8.3 in the Quad Cities.

“I think the expanded coverage for more Iowans to be able to view our state events, that’s obviously the big thing,’’ IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said. “Ken and his group have worked very hard to get their organization to the point where they can combine coverage throughout the state for these events. We’re very, very happy about that.’’

The football, wrestling, and basketball semi nals will be streamed live on the IHSSN website. Other championship events will also be streamed live, and the schedule is available on ihssn.com.

“The live streaming part is another great piece of this that we really, really are looking forward to,’’ Keating said. “It’s the direction that a lot of media is going, so it makes sense that streaming is a part of this.’’

All 95 IHSSN events that are either streamed or broadcast will be digitally archived at ar- chives.ihssn.com and available at no charge.

For those who want to own their favorite games, digital downloads of all 95 IHSSN events will be available at shop.ihssn.com for $9.95 per download.

15 Players Named To All-District BB Teams

WILTON — Fifteen area baseball players were named to the 2019 Southeast All-District team reccently for Class 2A.

From Wilton, senior pitcher Jared Townsend, infielders Chantz Stevens and Collin McCrabb and utility player Cory Anderson were each named to the rst team All-District Team. Pitcher Ashton Stoelk, catcher Brock Hartley, outfielder Garrett Bohnsack, and utility player A.J. Bosten each were second team All-District selections.

For Tipton, senior pitcher Luke Becker was a first-team All-District pick and a junior infielder Trent Pelzer was a second team selection.

Durant had three selections on the All-District team. Junior outfielder Jake Willkomm was a first-team pick while pitcher Brendan Paper and infielder Drew DeLong were second team All-District selections.

One other area player was picked for one of the two All-District teams. North Cedar junior Ethan Sahr was a second team All-District pick at the utility position.


2A Southeast All-District Team

First Team
Pitcher - Brad Tornow (Mid-Prairie) Jr., Brennan Breuer (MEPO) Sr., Jared Townsend (Wilton) Sr., Trey Eagle (West Branch) Jr. Catcher - Brady Lukavsky (West Branch) Sr., Mason Byrns (Camanche) So.
First Base - Matt Paulsen (West Branch) Jr. Second Base - Chantz Stevens (Wilton) Sr. Shortstop - Trevor Slayton (Davis County) Sr. Third Base - Collin McCrabb (Wilton) Sr. Outfield - Zach Osborn (MEPO) Sr., Karson Cantrell (Louisa-Muscatine) Sr., Jake Willkomm (Durant) Jr.
Utility - Cauy Massner (MEPO) Sr., Chase Becker (Iowa City Regina) So., Ben Orr (Durant) Fr., Cory Anderson (Wilton) Sr., Dreyton Laveine (West Burlington) Jr.

Second Team
Pitcher - Brendan Paper (Durant) Jr., Ashton Stoelk (Wilton) Sr., Luke Becker (Tipton) Sr., Jared McCrea (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont) So.
Catcher - Caleb Wulf (West Liberty) Fr., Brock Hartley (Wilton) Sr.
First Base - Caden Smith (Iowa City Regina) Sr. Second Base - Drew DeLong (Durant) Jr. Shortstop - Trent Pelzer (Tipton) Jr.
Third Base - Scott Arendt (Iowa City Regina) Sr. Outfield - Garrett Bohnsack (Wilton) Sr., Tyler Dameron (West Burlington) Sr., Tanner Luka- vsky (West Branch) Jr.
Utility - Alex Diewold (MEPO) Jr., A.J. Bosten (Wilton) Sr., Garrett Jensen (Williamsburg) Sr., Ethan Sahr (North Cedar) Jr., Pete Espensen (West Branch) Jr.

5 Named To 2A All-State Softball Team

DES MOINES — Five area softball players were named to the Class 2A Iowa Girls Coach- es Association All-State team for their e orts this season on the softball diamond. Three Durant Wildcats were named while two Wilton Beavers were also named.

Durant senior in elder Ruby Kappeler was a first-team selection. Teammate, senior pitcher Kamryn Meyer was a second-team selection and in elder Hannah Happ was a third-team selection.

Wilton had two selections. in elder Kortney Drake was a second-team selection and teammate Mallory Lange was an honorable mention pick.

Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 2A All-State

First Team:
Alta-Aurelia - Abby Kraemer Sr., Jessica Flaherty Sr., Dyersville- Beckman - Heather Boeckenstedt Sr., Central Springs - Hannah Ausenhus Sr., Cherokee - Payton Slaughter Sr., Colfax-Mingo - Rilee Slycord Sr., Durant - Ruby Kappeler Sr., Earlham - Alli Boyle So., East Marshall - Madison Farrington Sr., Maria Rasmussen Sr., Emmetsburg - Molly Schany Jr., I-35 - Lilly Miller Sr., Mount Ayr - Caroline McAlexan- der Sr., North Linn - Abby Flanagan Jr., Grace Flanagan Jr., Ogden  - Denali Loecker Jr., Pleasantville - Makenzie McGriff Jr., Iowa City Regina - Katie Bracken Sr., Saint Ansgar - Jadyn Anderson Sr., Van Meter - Meagan Blomgren Sr., West Monona - Lexi Lander Jr., Payton Schwiesow Jr.

Coach Of The Year - Marv Porter - North Linn.

Second Team:
Alburnett - Madison Osborn Sr., Central Springs - Kaylea Fessler Fr., Colfax-Mingo - Colbee Cunningham Sr., Denver - Marissa Stock Sr., Dike-New Hartford - Taylor Kvale Fr., Durant - Kamryn Meyer Sr., Earlham - Alexis Bean Sr., East Marshall - Kodie Hoskey Jr., I-35
- Kate Stanley Sr., Jesup - Kristin Sadler Jr., North Union - Maddie Rolling Sr., Pekin - Zoey Wright Sr., Pleasantville - Josie Sowers So., Abby DeJoode Sr., South Central Calhoun - Madison Jones Sr., Van Buren - Lexi Jirak Jr., Van Meter - Haley Forret Sr., Abby Archer Sr., West Branch - Nicki Henson So., West Lyon - Madysn Grotewold Sr., West Sioux - Erika McKenney Jr., Shayden Blankenship Jr.

Third Team:
AHSTW - Katie Anzalone Sr., Dyersville-Beckman - Sydney Stef- fen Sr., Central Springs - Abigayle Angell So., Durant - Hannah Happ Sr., Emmetsburg - Brielle Madden So., Jesup - Zoe Miller Jr., Logan- Magnolia - Erikah Rife Fr., Reanna Rife Jr., North Linn - Kaitlyn Sommerfelt So., Hannah Bridgewater Jr., Northeast - Neveah Hildebrandt So., Bree Mangelsen Jr., Osage
- Katelyn Halbach Sr., Panorama
- Lydia Knapp Sr., Pekin - Emilee Linder Jr., Pella Christian Chloe Morgan Jr., Saint Ansgar - Tanya Schutjer Sr., Sidney - Olivia Larson Jr., Wapello - Emma Reid Sr., West- ern Christian - Chandler Schemper Sr., Wilton - Kortney Drake Sr., Woodbury Central So.

Honorable Mention:
Alburnett - Kylie Volesky Sr., Cherokee - Teagan Slaughter So., Emmetsburg - Abbie Schany So., Highland - Abbie Miller Sr., Hudson - Abby Gaudian Jr., IKM-Manning
- Lexi Branning Jr., Jesup - Rhi- anna Bigwood Sr., Martensdale-St. Mary’s - Jayda Gay So., Mount Ayr - Alexa Anderson So., MVAOCOU
- Kenedee Bubke Jr., North Union - Hope Steinberger Jr., Ogden - Meredith Adreon - Jr., South Hamilton
- Breanne Diersen Sr., Sumner- Fredericksburg - Abby Meyer So., West Lyon - Riley Knoblach Sr., West Monona - Kiley Henschen Sr., Wilton - Mallory Lange Fr., Wood- bury Central - Sally Gallagher Sr.

Epenesa Named to Ted Hendricks Award Preseason Watch List

  IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa junior defensive end A.J. Epenesa has been named to the 2019 Ted Hendricks Award Preseason Watch List, which honors the top defensive end in college football.
  Epenesa (6-foot-6, 280-pounds) led the Big Ten and ranked 12th nationally in sacks (10.5). He ranked second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally in forced fumbles (4), and ranked fourth in the conference in tackles for loss (16.5). The Glen Carbon, Illinois, native also recorded 37 tackles, four pass breakups, eight pressures, and a blocked punt.
  The award is named in honor of Ted Hendricks, who was college football’s first three-time first-team All-American. On-field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities, contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the award’s recipient each year. Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell won last year’s award.
  The winner of the 2019 Ted Hendricks Award will be announced on Dec. 11.

Stanley Named to Manning Award Watch List

  IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa senior quarterback Nate Stanley has been named to the 2019 Manning Award Watch List.
  Created and sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to honor the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning, the award recognizes the nation’s top quarterback after bowl games. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ bowl performances in its balloting. This list includes 30 of the top quarterbacks across the country.
  Stanley was on last season’s preseason watch list and was a Manning Award Quarterback of the Week honoree for his six-touchdown, 320-yard performance at Indiana.
  Stanley (6-foot-4, 243-pounds) passed for 2,852 yards and 26 touchdowns -- the second-most in the Big Ten and 22nd-most in the country -- last season. His 52 career touchdowns rank fourth in program history and are the most by a Hawkeye over a two-year span. The Menomonie, Wisconsin, native also ranks ninth in career passing yards (5,351) and total offense (5,240).
  As Iowa’s offensive team captain, Stanley set an Iowa bowl record for longest pass and longest touchdown pass with a 75-yard touchdown in Iowa’s 2019 Outback Bowl win over No. 18 Mississippi State.
  Ten finalists for the Manning Award will be released Nov. 28, and the winner will be announced the week following the College Football playoff National Championship. In addition to the Manning Award’s yearly honor, each week during the regular season, eight quarterbacks are recognized as Manning Quarterbacks of the Week.

Epenesa Named AP Preseason First-Team All-American

  IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa junior defensive end A.J. Epenesa has been named a preseason first-team All-American by the Associated Press. It is the fourth publication to name Epenesa a preseason first-team All-American.
  A first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, Epenesa (6-foot-6, 280-pounds) led the Big Ten and ranked 12th nationally in sacks (10.5). He ranked second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally in forced fumbles (4), and ranked fourth in the conference in tackles for loss (16.5). The Glen Carbon, Illinois, native also recorded 37 tackles, four pass breakups, eight pressures, and a blocked punt.

Epenesa Selected to Sports Illustrated Preseason First-Team All-America Team

  IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa junior defensive end A.J. Epenesa has been named a unanimous Sports Illustrated preseason first-team All-American.
  The honor by SI adds to a long list of awards for Epenesa this preseason. Most recently, he was named to the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List, the Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List, and the Big Ten’s Preseason Honors List.
  A first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, Epenesa (6-foot-6, 280-pounds) led the Big Ten and ranked 12th nationally in sacks (10.5), ranked second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally in forced fumbles (4), and ranked fourth in the conference in tackles for loss (16.5). The Glen Carbon, Illinois, native also recorded 37 tackles, four pass breakups, eight pressures, and a blocked punt.

RVC Names All-Conference Baseball Teams with 17 Conservative area players honored

MONTICELLO - The River Valley Conference has released their 2019 All-Conference hon- ors list for the recently completed baseball season. The Conference names four honor teams. They are an Elite team, RVC South Division team,
RVC North Division team, and an honorable mention team. The conference also named coaches’ of the year for both the North and South Divisions. On the four teams, there are 17 players from the Conservative sports coverage area represent- ed on the honor’s list.
Five players were named to the River Valley Conference Elite team. Wilton had three players honored in pitcher Jared Townsend, in elder Col-lin McCrabb and utility player Chantz Stevens. Tipton had the other two selections with infielder Trent Pelzer and utility player Luke Becker.
Townsend became a four-time All-Conference selection after being named to the Elite team for the third straight year. He was an RVC South Division pick as a freshman in 2016.
He was 7-0 in RVC games in seven starts. He had an ERA of 0.34 in 41 innings and had 70 strikeouts. Townsend batted .364 in RVC games with 16 hits, 19 RBI’s, two home runs and 11 runs scored. Townsend had an on-base percentage of .444 in RVC games.
McCrabb became a three- time RVC Elite pick after being named to the list for the third straight year. McCrabb was 3-0 in three RVC starts in 18

1/3 innings. He had an ERA
of 0.00 with 29 strikeouts and seven walks. McCrabb batted .491 in conference games with 26 hits, 20 runs, seven home runs, 24 RBI’s, and had an on-base percentage of .569. He was the fourth leading batter in the RVC South.
Becker was an honorable mention selection in 2018. Becker had the most RVC starts among RVC South start- ers with eight. He had a record of 5-2 in 43 1/3 innings. He had an ERA of 2.26 with 24 strikeouts. Becker was sixth in batting in the RVC South with a batting average of .358 with 24 hits.
Pelzer was an RVC South Division pick in 2018. He was the fifth-highest batter in RVC South games this year with a .431 average and 25 hits. He had 10 stolen bases and had a .492 on-base percentage.
Stevens earned his first River Valley Conference honors being selected to the RVC Elite team. He batted .423 in RVC games and that was the ninth highest total this year. Stevens had 22 hits, 12 RBIs and six stolen bases. He had an on- base percentage of .530 in RVC games.
Wilton baseball coach Jake Souhrada was named the River Valley Conference South Coach of the Year. Souhrada won
the honors in 2017 and 2016
as well. Souhrada guided the Beavers to the top ranking in Class 2A all season. Souhrada helped the Beavers to an RVC South Division title this season.

The Beavers advanced to the Substate round of the 2019 2A playoffs s before losing and had 24 overall wins. The Beavers were 17-1 in the RVC this year.
Cascade baseball coach Roamn Hummel was named the River Valley Conference North Coach of the Year. Hummel guided the Cougars to an RVC North Division title this season. Cascade lost in a Class 2A District Final game and had 24 overall wins. Cas- cade was 14-4 in the RVC this year.
Six players were named to the South Division All-Conference team. They were Brock Hartley and Garrett Bohnsack from Wilton, and a trio of Durant Wildcats in Brendan Paper, Ben Orr, and Nate Dierickx. Hartley is a repeat pick for the RVC South team. Hartley bat- ted .250 in conference games with 12 hits and 11 RBI’s.
Bohnsack was an honorable mention pick in 2018. He bat- ted .297 with 11 hits, 11 stolen bases, 14 walks and had an on-base percentage of .481 in conference games this year.
Orr was second in the RVC South in batting, in conference games this summer, batting .459 with 28 hits, 13 RBI’s and an on-base percentage of .522.
Paper batted .279 with 17 hits and pitched with a record of 1-2 in six RVC starts. Paper pitched in 32 1/3 innings with a 1.73 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Dierickx batted .283 with
17 hits 13 stolen bases and pitched with a record of 2-5 in five starts and eight appearances. He had an ERA of 4.64 in 28 2/3 innings. He had 32 strikeouts.

North Cedar had two players selected for the River Valley Conference North Division team. They were out elder Ja- cob Wagner and junior Ethan Sahr for utility. Sahr was a repeat selection on the RVC North Division team after earn- ing the same honors in 2018. This year, Sahr batted .284 with 19 hits in RVC games. He was 1-6 pitching with a 4.32
in 35 2/3 innings. He struck out 49 and walked 21. Wagner batted .333 in RVC games. He had 18 hits, 10 runs, four RBI’s and had an on-base percentage of .486 in conference games.
Four area players were named to the River Valley Conference honorable mention team. They were Devon Willis from North Cedar, Drew DeLong from Durant, Dylan Mente from Tip- ton, and Brayton Wade from Wilton.
Willis was 12th in batting in the RVC North this year with
a .322 batting average in RVC games. He had 19 hits, six RBI’s. Willis was also an honorable mention pick in 2018. DeLong was 10th in batting in the RVC South this year, bat- ting .390 in RVC games. He had 30 hits, 12 RBI’s and an on-base percentage of .510 in RVC Games. Mente batted .321 in RVC games with 18 hits, seven RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Wade batted .253 in RVC games with 21 hits and 16 RBI’s.

2019 River Valley Conference Softball All-Conference Teams

Elite Team
Pitcher - Isabelle True (West Liberty) Sr., Kamryn Meyer (Du-rant) Sr., Katie Bracken (Iowa City Regina) Sr.
Infield - Haylee Lehman (West Liberty) Jr., Hannah Happ (Durant) Sr., Tarah Wehde (Camanche) Jr., Kortney Drake (Wilton) Sr.
Outfield - Macy Akers (West Liberty) Sr., Ruby Kappeler (Durant) Sr., Neveah Hildebrandt (Northeast) So., Nikki Henson (West Branch) So.
Catcher - Austyn Crees (West Liberty) Jr., Madi Parson (Camanche) Sr.
Utility - Jessie Frasher (Anamosa) Sr., Allie Poston (Durant) Jr., Abby Stock (Camanche) Sr., Whitney Clemens (Cascade) Sr.
South Division Team
Pitcher - Janey Gingerich (West Liberty) So., Jenna Lawson (Durant) Sr., Cassidy Rourke (Mid-Prairie) Sr.
Infield - Finley Hall (West Liberty) 8th, Kylie Schult (Durant) Fr., Annie Gahan (Iowa City Regina) So., Georgia Nisly (Mid-Prairie) Jr.
Outfield - Jess Hunter (Iowa City Regina) Sr., Kira Schult (Du- rant) Jr., Payton Ganzer (Wilton) Fr., Ryle Vercande (Mid-Prairie) Fr.
Catcher - Emily Coss (Wilton) So., Laken Hermiston (Tipton) Sr. Utility - Chloe Wells (Wilton) So., Mallory Lange (Wilton) So., Abbi Patterson (Mid-Prairie) Jr., Mackenzie Heise (West Branch) Jr.

South Division Coach of the Year - Chad Libby - West Liberty
North Division Team
Pitcher - Kalli Minger (Anamosa) Jr., Alexis Ehlers (Northeast) So., Emily Watters (Anamosa) 8th.
Infield - Ellie Tallman (Anamosa) Jr., Alyssa Barnhart (North Cedar) Sr., Devin Simon (Cascade) 8th, Sydney Hansen (Monti- cello) Sr.
Outfield - Hanna Nissen (Camanche) Sr., Mae Felton (Cascade) Sr., Grace Lubben (Anamosa) So., McKenna McDonald (North- east) Jr.
Catcher - Bree Mangelsen (Northeast) Jr.
Utility - Kassidie Galloway (North Cedar) Jr., Morgan Kremer (Cascade) Sr., Claire Abbott (Northeast) Jr., Alexa Jess (Anamosa) Sr., Tori McDonald (Monticello) So.
North Division Coach of the Year - Brad Holub - Anamosa
Honorable Mention
Anamosa - Lexi Bright So., Bellevue - Adyson Nemmers Jr., Camanche - Cam Carstensen Sr., Cascade - Abby Weber Sr., Durant - Jada Rock Sr., Mid-Prairie - Kylee Kos Sr., Monticello -  Jaelynn Kraus Sr., North Cedar - Kendall Smith Fr., Northeast - Val Spooner So, Iowa City Regina - Maeve Dunne Sr., Tipton - Britney Ford Jr., West Branch - Kaiya Luneckas Jr., West Liberty - Brittney Harned Jr., Wilton - Alexis Walker So.

RVC Names All-Conference Softball Teams

MONTICELLO - The River Valley Conference has released their 2019 All-Conference honors list for the recently completed softball season. The Conference names four honor teams. They are an Elite team, RVC South Division team,
RVC North Division team, and an honorable mention team. The conference also named coaches’ of the year for both the North and South Divisions. On the four teams, there are 21 players from the Conservative sports coverage area represent- ed on the honor’s list.
Five players were named to the River Valley Conference Elite team. Durant had four players honored in pitcher Kamryn Meyer, in elder Hannah Happ, out elder Ruby Kappeler, and utility player Allie Poston. Wilton senior in elder Kortney Drake also was named to the RVC Elite team.
Meyer made 12 RVC starts and had a 9-3 record in 79 innings. She had an ERA of 0.80 and 131 strikeouts. Opposing RVC batters batted only .137 against her. Meyer batted .300 with 18 hits, two home runs and 14 RBI’s. She will attend the University of Nebraska- Omaha on a softball scholar- ship.
Happ was a repeat selection on the Elite team having earned the same honors
in 2018. She was a South Division selection in 2016 and 2017. Happ batted .429 in RVC games with 21 hits, seven runs, and six stolen bases. She had an on-base percentage of .455. Happ will play softball next year at Wartburg College in Waverly.
Kappeler earned her fourth straight RVC honors. Kappeler was a South Division pick in 2018 and an honorable mention pick in 2016. Her Elite

team selection this year is her second time on the list after being named there in 2017. Kappeler will play softball next year at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Kappeler batted .485 in conference games with 33 hits, 23 runs, three home runs, 25 RBI’s, and 21 stolen bases. She had an on-base percentage of .513.
Poston earned her first RVC honors after being picked for the Elite team. She batted .446 in RVC games with 25 hits, 13 runs, ve home runs, 16 RBI’s and an on-base percentage of .557.
Drake earned her second Elite team selection. Drake was a south division pick last year and on the elite team in 2017. She was an honorable mention selection in 2016. She batted .456 with 26 hits, 18 runs, and had an on-base percentage of .530. She will play basketball at Kirkwood Community Col- lege in Cedar Rapids.
West Liberty softball coach Chad Libby was named the River Valley Conference South Coach of the Year. Libby and the Comets won the RVC South Division and reached the 2019 Class 3A State Tournament. The Comets placed third after losing to eventual 3A runner- up Louisa-Muscatine in the state semi finals. The Comets were 17-2 in the RVC and 30-6 overall.
Anamosa softball coach Brad Holub was named the River Valley Conference North Coach of the Year. The Raiders were ranked most of the season
in Class 3A and lost to West Liberty in a Regional Final game, one game from the state tournament. The Raiders were 31-5 overall and 16-3 in the RVC.
Eight players were named to the South Division All-Con-

ference team. Jenna Lawson, Kylie Schult, Kira Schult from Durant, Payton Ganzer, Mal- lory Lange, Emily Coss, and Chloe Wells from Wilton, and Laken Hermiston from Tipton. Hermiston earned her second straight RVC South Division honors. She led Tipton in batting and batted .380 in RVC games with 19 hits, four doubles, eight RBI’s, and an on-base percentage of .436.
Wells earned her third straight RVC honors and first RVC South Division honors. She has been a RVC Elite team pick the past two years, but was injured o and on this season. Wells batted .406 with 13 hits, 13 runs, ve home runs, 15 RBI’s and an on-base percent- age of .500. She also pitched and made three RVC starts with a 2-0 record in 14 innings. She had a 3.00 ERA and struck out 16.
Lawson made seven starts and had a 7-0 record in 44 RVC innings. She had an ERA of 0.64 with 63 strikeouts against only seven walks. Opposing batters in the RVC only batted .164 against her. She will be continuing her softball career at Rock Valley Community Col- lege in Illinois.
Kira and Kylie Schult from Durant earned their first All- RVC honors. Both were South Division selections. Kira, a junior, batted .278 with 15 hits, 12 runs and four stolen bases. Kylie, a freshman, batted 382 in RVC games with 13 hits,
13 runs and a .463 on-base percentage.
The trio of Wilton players
in Ganzer, Coss, and Lange earned their first RVC South Division honors. Lange was fourth in the RVC in confer- ence games in batting with a .397 average. She had 27 hits, 18 runs, 11 RBI’s and an on-base percentage of .423. Coss batted .370 with 30 hits and an on-base percentage of .414 and Ganzer batted .444 with 20 hits, nine RBI’s, and an on- base percentage of .490.

North Cedar had two players selected for the River Valley Conference North Division team. They were in elder Alyssa Barnhart and utility player Kassidie Galloway.
Barnhart earned her third straight RVC all-conference honors after being named to the North Division team. She was a North Division selection last year and an Elite team pick in 2017. Barnhart batted .362 with 17 hits, 12 runs, four RBI’s, and eight stolen bases in RVC games. Galloway earned her first North Division selection after being an honorable mention pick in 2018. Gallo- way batted .400 in RVC games. She had 18 hits, 8 runs scored, 11 RBI’s, and an on-base per- centage of .442.
Four area players were named to the River Valley Conference honorable mention team. They were Jada Rock from Durant, Kendall Smith from North Cedar, Britney Ford from Tipton, and Alexis Walker from Wilton.
Rock batted .324 and had 11 hits in RVC games. She had
a home run, eight RBI’s and
an on-base percentage of .314. Ford batted .232 in conference games with 13 hits. She scored eight times, had six RBI’s. She had an on-base percentage of .295. Walker batted .391 with nine hits, 12 runs and had an on-base percentage of .440. Smith batted .244 with 11 hits, eight runs, and nine RBI’s. She pitched with a record of 2-7
in nine starts. She logged 54 innings in RVC games with an ERA of 5.06 and 31 strikeouts.

IGHSAU names Hall of Famers

FORT DODGE — Burlington’s Miranda Kramer, Winterset’s Kelsey Rethmeier, Newell-Fon- da’s Susan Kies and Alex Jacob- son of Cedar Rapids Jefferson are the newest inductees into the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s Softball Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place on Friday, August 26 prior to the 5:45 p.m. start of the Class 4A State Championship Game.
Kramer competed at Burling- ton from 2007 to 2011, and in her last three years she claimed a spot on the All-State roster, earning First Team All-State honors for the last two. In 2009 and 2011 she led her team as a pitcher and out elder in the state tournament, making the all-tournament team both years. Over her career, she built a record of 63-17 with a 1.02 ERA

and a .420 batting average. She accumulated772strikeouts,181 hits, 14 home runs, and 119 RBIs. She went on to play at Indiana- Purdue Fort Worth and then Western Kentucky University. Her collegiate honors included all-conference, Summit League pitcher of the year, Conference USA pitcher of the year, new- comer of the year, top 26 finalist for NCAA softball player of the year and First-team All-Ameri- can. In 2015 she led the nation in strikeouts and hits allowed per seven innings. She ended her career with 1.204 strikeouts, which ranked 39thin NCAA his- tory at the time.
Rethmeier was a standout for Winterset from 2001 to 2005. She made an all-state team each 

of her ve years, earning Elite All-State her last two. In 2003, she pitched 21 innings at the state tournament. In 2004, her team returned to the tournament and ended the season on its only loss in the semi-finals. She made the all-tournament team both years. She ended her high school career with 1.649 strikeouts and 69 shutouts. She continued playing at Cen- tral College, where she tied the school’s freshman record for wins at 18 and participated in the NCAA Division III tourney- ment. Her last three years were spent at Grand View University. In 2007, she held opponents to a .190 batting average, and in 2008, her team competed in the NAIA tournament.
Kies, a ve-year starter, competed as Newell-Fonda’s shortstop in four separate state tournaments. Her team placed second in the state in 2006, 2009 and 2010. They won it all in 2007. In 2008, she made first-team all- state as a catcher. In 2009, she was an Elite All-State selection, Class 1A player of the year and all-tournament team member, and she struck out only twice in 160 plate appearances. Her honors in 2010 included rst team all-state and Class 1A player of the year, and she struck out only three times in 136 plate appearances. She went on to play at Buena Vista University where she was named second-team All-Iowa Conference in 2011. She recorded five home runs in her first year. For her final three years, she focused on basketball.

Jacobson played third base for

Cedar Rapids Jefferson from 2006 to 2010, and she became a starter during her first year. Her team appeared in the state tournament for her first four years, finishing seventh, fifth, third and eighth. She was selected for the all-tournament team in 2008 hitting a grand slam. In 2009 and 2010, she was named rst team all-state in Class 4A. In her last two years, she batted .426 with five home runs and .403 with four home runs. She continued her career at Rockhurst University, where she accumulated 29 home runs. Her collegiate honors included second-team Great Lakes Valley Conference all-West Division in 2012 and 2013 

Five named to Class 2A Southeast All-District softball team

DURANT — Five area softball players were named to the Class 2A Southeast All-District team last week. Three were from Durant and two were from Wilton. Durant seniors Kamryn Meyer, Hannah Happ, and Ruby Kappeler along with Wilton senior Kortney Drake and freshman Mallory Lange were those selections. North Linn head softball coach Marv Porter was named the South- east Coach of the Year. He helped guide the Lynx to the Class 2A state title this year.
The Wildcats won 24 games this season and were ranked every week of the 2019 season. Ruby Kappeler led Durant in batting this season. Kappeler led Durant with a .496 bat- ting average. She also had 56 hits, 6 home runs, 32 RBI’s,
42 runs, 38 stolen bases, and
a .528 on-base percent. Happ had a .410 batting average. Happ also had 34 hits, 16 runs, 18 RBI’s, 10 stolen bases, and a .441 on-base percent. Meyer had a 19-4 pitching record in 22 starts and 135 innings. She struck out 200 batters and had three walks. Meyer also batted .309 with 29 hits and 12 RBI’s.
Lange led Wilton in batting 

this season with a .467 batting average and 63 hits. She had 34 runs, 20 RBI’s and stole 17 bases in 21 attempts. She also had an on-base percent- age of .486.
Drake was second on Wilton’s team in batting with a .457 batting average and 58 hits. The Bea- vers won 18 games this summer and were ranked in Class 2A more weeks than not. Drake had 38 runs, 15 RBI’s, stole 20 of 21 bases and had an on-base percentage of .496.
Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 2A Southeast All-District Team
Durant - Kamryn Meyer Sr., Ruby Kappeler Sr., Hannah Happ Sr.; Dyersville-Beckman - Heath- er Boeckenstedt Sr., Sydney Ste en Sr.; North Linn - Abby Flanagan Jr., Grace Flanagan Jr.; Wilton - Mallory Lange Fr., Kortney Drake Sr.; Pekin - Emilee Linder Jr., Zoey Wright Sr.; West Branch - Nickki Henson So.; Iowa City Regina - Katie Bracken Sr.; Colfax-Mingo - Rilee Slycord Sr., Colbee Cunningham Sr.; Northeast - Neveah Hildebrandt So., Bree Mangelsen Jr.; Wapello - Emma Reid Sr.; Highland - Abbie Miller Sr.; Van Buren - Lexi Jirak Jr.
Southeast District Coach of the Year - Marv Porter - North Linn.
Batters:
Durant
Kamryn Meyer - .309 ave., 29 hits, 3 home runs, 21 RBI’s, .343 on-base percent.
Ruby Kappeler - .496 ave., 56 hits, 6 home runs, 32 RBI’s, 42 runs, 38 stolen bases, .528 on- base percent.
Hannah Happ - .410 ave., 34 hits, 16 runs, 18 RBI’s, 10 stolen bases, .441 on-base percent.
Dyersville-Beckman
Heather Boeckenstedt - .514 ave., 71 hits, 63 runs, 43 stolen bases, 2 home runs, 27 RBI’s, .573 on-base percent.
Sydney Ste en - .397 ave., 52 hits, 25 runs, 6 home runs, 42 RBI’s, .491 on-base percent.
North Linn
Abby Flanagan - .430 ave., 55 hits, 25 runs, 3 home runs, 55 RBI’s, .472 on-base percent. Grace Flanagan - .484 ave., 60 hits, 42 runs, 12 home runs, 47 RBI’s, .562 on-base percent.
Wilton
Mallory Lange - .467 ave., 63 hits, 34 runs, 20 RBI’s, 17 stolen bases, .486 on-base percent. Kortney Drake - .457 ave., 58 hits, 38 runs, 15 RBI’s, 20 stolen bases, .496 on-base percent.
Pekin

Emilee Linder - .455 ave., 45 hits, 32 runs, 1 home run, 13 RBI’s, 12 stolen bases, .530 on-base percent.
Zoey Wright - .505 ave., 54 hits, 43 runs, 7 home runs, 34 RBI’s, 14 stolen bases, .527 on- base percent.
West Branch
Nickki Henson - .487 ave., 58 hits, 42 runs, 8 RBI’s, 21 stolen bases, .531 on-base percent.
Iowa City Regina
Katie Bracken - .362 ave., 34 hits, 5 home runs, 21 RBI’s, .474 on-base percent.
Colfax-Mingo
Rilee Slycord - .485 ave, 48 hits, 35 runs, 12 home runs, 44 RBI’s, .553 on-base percent. Colbee Cunningham - .438 ave. 46 hits, 32 runs, 7 home runs, 31 RBI’s, .478 on-base percent.
Northeast
Neveah Hildebrandt - .533 ave., 65 hits, 52 runs, 7 home runs, 36 RBI’s, 22 stolen bases, .565 on-base percent.
Bree Mangelsen - .449 ave., 48 hits, 27 runs, 8 home runs, 46 RBI’s, .532 on-base percent.
Wapello
Emma Reid - .318 ave., 28 hits, 24 runs, 12 RBI’s, .437 on-base percent.
Highland
Abbie Miller - .444 ave., 36 hits, 22 runs, 4 home runs, 47 RBI’s, .472 on-base percent.
Van Buren
Lexi Jirak - .441 ave., 41 hits, 24 runs, 2 home runs, 22 RBI’s, 13 stolen bases, .455 on-base per- cent.
Pitchers
Kamryn Meyer (Durant) - 19-4 record in 135 innings and 22 starts. 0.52 ERA, 200 strikeouts-3 walks. Opposing batters batted .141 against her. Sydney Ste en (Dyersville-Beckman) - 24- 13 record in 249 1/3 innings and 37 starts. 2.22 ERA, 170 strikeouts-64 walks. Opposing batters batted .207 against her.
Abby Flanagan (North Linn) - 26-2 record in 157 1/3 innings and 27 starts. 0.58 ERA, 280 strikeouts-12 walks. Opposing batters batted .110 against her.
Katie Bracken (Iowa City Regina) - 16-12 re- cord in 178 1/3 innings and 27 starts. 1.45 ERA, 223 strikeouts-19 walks. Opposing batters batted .177 against her.

Colbee Cunningham (Colfax-Mingo) - 22-7 record in 176 1/3 innings and 29 starts. 1.91 ERA, 192 strikeouts-52 walks. Opposing batters batted .186 against her. 

O’Haver signs with Life University

FORT DODGE — A former Tipton Tiger has decided to continue her volleyball career as she pursues a bachelor’s
of arts degree. 2016 THS graduate Michele O’Haver recently signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Life University in Marietta, Georgia.
“I decided that I wanted to continue my education to get a Bachelor’s degree. I also knew that I still had two years of eligibility to play college volleyball, which was a no-brainer for me. I knew I wanted to keep playing,” said O’Haver.
O’Haver chose Life University over Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska, and Williams Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.
“When I first decided that I wanted to keep playing I knew I was going to keep my options small and go get a degree that will compliment my Associ- ates degree in Dental hygiene, as well as playing volleyball, I didn’t want to go to school just to play volleyball even though I love it,” she said.
O’Haver plans to major
in Health Coaching at Life. O’Haver is a 2016 graduate of Tipton High School and a 2019 graduate of Iowa Central Com- munity College. She graduated with a dental hygienist degree. Only 15 are accepted into
the program. O’Haver is the daughter of Lisa O’Haver and the late Mikel O’Haver.
In her senior season at THS, O’Haver had 40 kills, 33 digs, 13 blocks and served a near- perfect 41-for-45 in a shortened senior season. Her junior season, she earned all-conference honors while leading the Tigers in kills with 199 and served 237-for-263 while tying for the team lead in aces with 24. She had 145 digs and a team-high 37 blocks. O’Haver was a hitter for the THS volleyball team. The Tigers were 21-13 her senior year and while she was at THS, she was part of three winning seasons and was part of 71-match wins in her four years as a Tiger.
At Iowa Central, O’Haver played two seasons. She had 801 career digs including 769 her sophomore year in 38 matches. She had 43 assists as

well. She played in 54 matches as a defensive specialist and libero. The Tritons placed 10th at the National tournament her sophomore year and helped them to a ranking of 16th and
a 32-11 record. She broke the ICC school record for digs in
a match with 44 in a single match on October 20, 2017,
in a match with Labette. She was ranked 11th in the country at one point in dig totals her senior season.
O’Haver noted that the recruiting process was interest- ing this time around.
“Being recruited again was stressful progress, even more, stressful than coming straight out of high school. There is
so much more that goes into it, especially since I will come to a new school as a transfer student and wanting credits to transfer” said O’Haver.
“Also I was injured, my senior year of high school so I felt like I didn’t have a lot of options
in the beginning but choosing Iowa central was the best decision of my life. My head Coach, Sara Horn played Division 1 volleyball at Nebraska after transferring from a school in California and she helped me through this process of recruiting so much since she has been in my shoes before. She encouraged me to follow my gut and pick a school that would bene t me the most,” she said.
Life University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Eagles are in the Mid- South Conference. Schools in the conference is Campbellsville University, Cumberland University, Georgetown Col- lege, Lindsey Wilson College, Shawnee State University, Thomas More University, The University of Pikeville, and the University of the Cumberlands. The Eagles were 11-22 overall last season and 5-9 in confer- ence play. They boasted a 7-5 record at home last season. The Eagles are coached by Steve Wilcosky. Wilcosky en- ters his fth season as the head coach. He is the only coach in program history as the Eagles began volleyball in the 2015 season.