NDN-SS-11-25-21

2021-22 Winter Sports Preview

INSIDE: Previews of winter sports teams at Newton, Baxter, Lynnville-Sully, PCM and Colfax-Mingo

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 2

BOYS SWIMMING

Small in numbers, Cards hope for return trip to state meet By Troy Hyde Sports Editor The slowest times from last year’s boys state swim meet have been posted inside the Newton YMCA pool. NCMP head coach Steve Jones wants to make sure his swimmers know what it will take to advance to state. “That’s a ballpark range and if they want to go to state that’s where they know they have to be,” said Jones, who begins his third season as NCMP’s boys swim coach. “If the relay wants to go, they know now what the times were last year. They are pretty close each year.” Jones’ roster goes just 10 deep and NCMP’s top two

swimmers last year are gone after advancing to the state meet. Of the 10 swimmers this winter, five are from Newton and five are from Pella. There is just one senior in Tyler Sterling. “He likes being the only senior,” Jones said. “We aren’t having Senior Night this year. We are having Sterling Night.” The roster includes five juniors — Clay Lamb, Jonah Brown, Eli Eekhoff, Brady Comer and Kenny Skinner-Havens. The lone sophomore is Skylar Martinez-Gilbert, who is swimming for the first time. RETURN | 12

Troy Hyde/Newton News Junior Clay Lamb is back for the NCMP boys swim team this winter. The team hopes to return to the state meet this season but has just 10 swimmers on the roster.

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Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 3

BOYS BASKETBALL

If offense improves, Cards could be in for special season By Troy Hyde Sports Editor Newton’s boys basketball team has a lot to be excited about this winter. The Cardinals welcome back all-state guard Adam Mattes and a pair of all-conference guards to a team which went 9-13 a season ago. If the offense can find a way to be more efficient, Newton could flip the script when it comes to wins and losses. “The offense has been a big focus this offseason,” Newton boys basketball head coach Jason Carter said. “Yes, I think our offensive efficiency has to be better this season and will be a key to us taking the next step as a team. We spent a lot of time this offseason getting a lot of shots up.” The Cardinals averaged 52 points per game last year and were held under 50 in seven of their 13 losses. Newton also went 2-10 in games it allowed Newton 2021-22 Varsity Boys Basketball Schedule Nov. 30 — Centerville, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 3 — Grinnell, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 9 — Marshalltown, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 10 — Oskaloosa, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 17 — Pella, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 21 — Albia, 8 p.m. Jan. 4 — Norwalk, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 7 — Pella Christian, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 11 — Indianola, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 13 — Nevada, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 14 — DCG, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 21 — Grinnell, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 25 — Oskaloosa, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 28 — Pella, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 1 — Norwalk, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 4 — Pella Christian, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 5 — Knoxville at Wells Fargo Arena, 1:45 p.m. Feb. 8 — Indianola, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 11 — DCG, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 15 — Bondurant-Farrar, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 17 — ADM, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 21 — District Tournament, TBA Home games in bold

60 points or more. Carter, who begins his third season as head boys coach, thinks Newton has a few more players who can consistently knock down shots from the perimeter. Newton, which finished 5-9 and in sixth place in the Little Hawkeye Conference last year, shot 40.2 percent from the floor, 32.3 percent from 3-point range and 68.5 percent from the free-throw line. The Cardinals averaged 12 turnovers per game. “Perimeter shooting will be huge for our offensive production so we can spread the defenses out a little more to create more post up and driving opportunities,” Carter said. The top three returners are Mattes and juniors Jake Ingle and Brody Bauer. Mattes was a first team allLHC player and a third team all-state guard. He averaged a team-best 14.6 points per game and was second on the team in rebounds (3.9) and assists (2.0) per game. Mattes started all 22 games. “Adam has been rock solid for us the past two years,” Carter said. “He has looked great this summer and fall leading into the season. He has grown as a player but more importantly as a leader.” Ingle and Bauer both were honorable mention all-conference players last year. Ingle was second on the team in scoring at 10 points per game. He also dished out a team-best 3.9 assists and registered a team-high 1.0 steals per game. Bauer led the Cardinals in rebounding at 4.4 per game. He also averaged 9.4 points and 1.8 assists per game,

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Adam Mattes returns this winter as one of the Cardinals’ three captains and after an all-state junior season.

which both ranked third on the team. Newton lost three seniors to graduation and two incoming seniors decided to not go out. But seniors Kael Swarts and Treycen Garton and junior Cole Plowman all got valuable playing experience last year. Swarts’ season was cut short due to injury, but he averaged 6.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in nine games. Garton played in 21 games, averaging 1.4 boards per contest. Plowman was called up

to the varsity midway through the season and appeared in seven games. Carter expects juniors Tade Vanderlaan, Kacey Sommars and Ian Reynolds and sophomore Caleb Mattes to compete for varsity court time, too. The Cardinals may not be as deep as they thought before the season officially kicked off though. Junior Carson Satterfield would have seen time on the court but is out indefinitely due to health reasons. “One thing I’m excited

about is we have 5-8 guys competing for time at the back end of our rotation who could all potentially see the floor,” Carter said. “So they know if they don’t bring it each and every day, it’s next man up. They have all risen to the challenge and are relishing the competition within our team.” Carter has identified experience within the first six players and high basketball IQs as strengths. He also thinks perimeter shooting could be a strength as the season progresses. Rebounding is an area Carter hopes can improve this year and lack of experience with several role players is something he hopes can take care of itself as the season goes. “A big focus, especially early on, is to get these guys as many minutes as we can to get them acclimated to the intensity and pace of varsity basketball,” Carter said. “The back end of our rotation could dictate a lot of our success.” Carter’s coaching staff includes Brady Calow, Tom Vanderlaan, Jake Bennett and Chris Dydell. “Our expectations going into this season are to continue to build a winning culture each and every day we are together,” Carter said. “We have a phenomenal group of kids who understand the core values and what it takes to develop a winning environment. We feel that if we do these things, winning will take care of itself.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 4

GIRLS BASKETBALL

BOWLING

Cardinals hope season Cards seek climb up conference standings ends at state tournament

Nehring made 17 starts and ranked first on the team with 2.1 blocks per game. She also was second with 2.3 asClimbing up the standings in the sists per contest while averaging four Little Hawkeye Conference won’t be points, 4.6 rebounds and one steal. an easy task for Newton’s girls basManning started 13 of the 20 games ketball team this winter. And doing last year and ranked third on the squad so without last year’s best two players with five rebounds per game and avmake the challenge eraged four points per Newton 2021-22 even tougher. tilt. Varsity Girls Basketball Schedule But head coach Eric “All three of them Nov. 30 — Centerville, 6:15 p.m. Vander Velden feels Dec. 3 — Grinnell, 6:15 p.m. are getting back into like he has enough re- Dec. 9 — Marshalltown, 6:15 p.m. the flow of playing turning players who Dec. 10 — Oskaloosa, 6:15 p.m. basketball as they were can step up and be Dec. 13 — Bondurant-Farrar, 7:45 p.m. focused on their fall Dec. 17 — Pella, 6:15 p.m. leaders on the floor. sport season,” Vander Dec. 21 — Albia, 6:30 p.m. The Cardinals were Jan. 4 — Norwalk, 6:15 p.m. Velden said. “These 5-16 last year and 2-12 Jan. 7 — Pella Christian, 6:15 p.m. three can be great playin the LHC. Vander Jan. 11 — Indianola, 6:15 p.m. ers for us, and I’m exVelden and his coach- Jan. 13 — Nevada, 6:15 p.m. cited for them to have ing staff hopes to use Jan. 14 — DCG, 6:15 p.m. breakout seasons.” Jan. 21 — Grinnell, 6:15 p.m. a five-member senior Jan. 24 — PCM, 7:30 p.m. Brooklyn Cupples class and four juniors Jan. 25 — Oskaloosa, 6:15 p.m. was a starter last year to push up the stand- Jan. 28 — Pella, 6:15 p.m. who is back this winter Feb. 1 — Norwalk, 6:15 p.m. ings. but will miss the sea“We have big shoes Feb. 4 — Pella Christian, 6:15 p.m. son due to injury. Feb. 5 — Knoxville at to fill with the se- Wells Fargo Arena, Noon The other seniors on niors we lost,” Vander Feb. 8 — Indianola, 6:15 p.m. the varsity squad are Velden said. “Losing Feb. 11 — DCG, 6:15 p.m. Kya Butler, Jaz Cooper a great senior class Feb. 16 — Regionals, TBA and Emma Rogers and that scored 75 per- Home games in bold the returning juniors cent of our points can are Emily Wermager, be tough to replace, but all 12 varsity Cadie Horn and Marissa Cunningplayers this season practiced with the ham. varsity team last year even if they only Three sophomores could see varsiplayed JV. ty action, including Sophia Reynolds, “Even though they might not have Haylie Ryan and Hailey Sumpter. varsity game minutes, they know what “Sophia has put in a lot of time in is going on. We have to have players the offseason,” Vander Velden said. step up in big roles.” “She is quick off the dribble and has The returners who played the most been working on her outside shot a last season are seniors Rori Nehring lot.” and Kealey Manning and junior AuCupples was slated to be the team’s drey Rausch. point guard this winter. Vander Velden Rausch averaged 8.1 points, 3.6 re- said the injury makes the team thin at bounds and 1.8 steals per game last the guard position. winter. She ranked third on the team He expects to have a point guard by in scoring and second in steals. committee approach. Rausch was limited to just 11 games and 10 starts because of an injury. CLIMB | 6 By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Newton’s girls bowling team had a lot of fun on the lanes last year. The Cardinals advanced to the state tournament after winning championships in the conference and state qualifying tournaments. And with four returners from the state team and another returner who got varsity time all back, Newton hopes to stay in the mix for another state berth and conference title. “The girls are looking strong and are determined to stay that way,” Newton bowling coach Christie Hughes said. The Cardinal boys lost two of their top three bowlers to graduation last year but a young roster is now older and that squad hopes to build off its third place conference finish. Newton also was fourth at the state qualifying meet and sophomore Owen Guldberg was ninth overall. “We have some strong bowlers on the boys team this year,” Hughes said. “Several of our JV bowlers have stepped up and are performing quite well. I think there’s going to be some tough competition to see who is going to secure spots on varsity.” The Cardinal girls bring back juniors Bailey Hansen and Beka Weithers and sophomores Libbie Keith and Genessa Slings from the state Newton 2021-22 Varsity Bowling Schedule Nov. 30 — Marshalltown, 3:45 p.m. Dec. 4 — Home Invitational, 9 a.m. Dec. 11 — Knoxville, 9 a.m. Dec. 18 — Sigourney, 9 a.m. Jan. 6 — Bondurant-Farrar, 3:15 p.m. Jan. 11 — Clarke, 5 p.m. Jan. 15 — Norwalk, 9 a.m. Jan. 22 — Pella, 1 p.m. Jan. 29 — Oskaloosa, 9 a.m. Feb. 5 — Pella Christian, 1 p.m. Feb. 10 — ­ Conference meet, Noon Feb. 15 — District/Regional meets, TBA Home games in bold

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton sophomore Libbie Keith was an individual state qualifier for the Cardinals last season. She is one of four starters back from last year’s state tournament team.

team. Marissa Daughtrey also competed on varsity for a portion of the season. Hughes is unsure of how the varsity will shake out but knows her five returners are determined to keep their spots. And senior Kaitlyn Gifford could grab the final spot. “Bailey, Libbie, Genessa, Beka and Marissa are all strong bowlers and determined to hold their spots on varsity,” Hughes said. “Kaitlyn is another strong bowler who has continued to improve. “We have a great group of new girls, and I’m excited to see how they perform, too. They have all improved in a very short time.” Keith would have been an individual state qualifier had the Cardinals not qualified as a team last year. She averaged a 155.93 and had a high score of 218. Her high series was 418 and she was the runner-up at the conference meet. HOPE | 5

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 5

WRESTLING

Newton wants improvement after busy offseason By Troy Hyde Sports Editor Newton’s wrestling team was shut out of the state tournament last year. But after a solid offseason and a great turn out for the team’s open mat sessions, head coach Adam Hale hopes the Cardinals’ season can end at the state tournament in Des Moines. But Hale also doesn’t want his wrestlers to be defined by the results they have on the mat. “While we would have loved to take a trip to Des Moines, we were also happy with the progress our small group of wrestlers made in building our program,” Hale said. “The message at the end of last season was keep going, keep working and bring a friend or two.” The top returner is senior Brennan Amos, who begins the season ranked 10th at 152. He was 25-5 last year and finished second at the Little Hawkeye Conference tournament. Newton 2021-22 Varsity Wrestling Schedule Dec. 2 — Indianola/Waukee Northwest, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 4 — Cardinal invite, 10 a.m. Dec. 11 — Ankeny Centennial Invitational, 9 a.m. Dec. 14 — Pella (Clarke), 5:30 p.m. Dec. 16 — Norwalk, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 6 — Oskaloosa, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8 — Ottumwa Invitational, 10 a.m. Jan. 14 — Bettendorf invite, 4:30 p.m. Jan. 15 — Bettendorf invite, 9 a.m. Jan. 20 — Grinnell, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27 — DCG, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29 — LHC tournament at Norwalk, 10 a.m. Feb. 12 — 3A Districts at Iowa City High, 11 a.m. Home meets in bold

Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton senior Brennan Amos is the Cardinals’ top returning wrestler after finishing third at districts last season. He begins this season ranked No. 10 at 152 pounds.

Amos faced a tough field at the district tournament and fell just shy of state after a third-place finish. “The expectations for Brennan are the same as they are for every other wrestler on our team — take care of your schoolwork, show up every day ready to go, work your tail off, stay positive and be tough,” Hale said. “He’s in a good head space right now where he is motivated to keep seeking improvement while working in such a way that he doesn’t have any regrets no matter what the result at the end of the season is.” The other returners are seniors Jason Weithers and Colin Sharp, junior Avery White and sophomores Dayton Petithory, Seth Adams, Conner McPartlin and Wyatt Weter. “Avery White is one who helped set the tone with the offseason work he put in,” Hale said.

“Colin Sharp has also stepped up in a big way with his commitment to help the team in whatever way he can.” Petithory was 9-9 as a freshman at 106. He will wrestle at either 106 or 113 this season. Sharp was 15-17 at 152. He’s expected to move up to 160. Adams will wrestle at either 120 or 126, Weithers is expected to compete at 126 or 132 and McPartlin and White will be at either 138 or 145. Weter should be at 170. “The rest of the weight stuff is still somewhat up in the air as we just recently got our body composition testing results back and guys are still finalizing where they want to go,” Hale said. Last year’s team finished seventh in the conference tournament and eighth at the district meet. This year’s roster starts with six seniors, seven juniors, 12 sophomores and 13

Hope Continued from Page 4

freshmen. Of the around 40 wrestlers in the room, 11 are girls as that program continues to trend in a positive direction. Junior Jessie Hutchinson is back after earning a state medal last year at the Iowa Girls Wrestling Coaches Association’s state tournament in Coralville. Junior Emma Lopez-Garcia also wrestled at state last year and senior Emma Fox is back in the room, too. “They and the others that we’ve added to the team are a tough group with a lot of fight,” Hale said. “They are hardworking and eager to learn more about wrestling.” Hale said a priority this offseason was to give K-12 students more chances to wrestle and recruit people to the program. He said they had 30 kids showing up consistently each day to a wrestling/lifting group and they had 85 wrestlers signed up for Newton Wrestling Club, which was by far the most since Hale has been in the district. “This year we are going to put an added focus on embracing challenges head on and being ready to fight for everything,” Hale said. “We are going to give our team ample opportunity to prove their toughness and will hopefully see a continued shift in the attitude they display on the mat.” Hale’s coaching staff includes Mike Kremer, R.J. Brown, Sarah Patterson, Joey Wright and Thomas Cox.

Hansen averaged 154.6, rolled a high score of 203 and had a high series of 363. She was 31st at the state meet. Slings averaged a 135, recorded a high score of 191 and her high series was 310. Weithers turned in a season-high score of 155 and held an average of 127.57. Daughtrey’s high score was 148 and her high series was 271. “They have spent a lot of time on the lanes in league and open practice throughout the summer and fall and that is showing in their performance,” Hughes said. Guldberg is the top returner for the boys. He averaged 163.67 last year and recorded a high series of 412 and a high game of 228. Sophomore Sebastian King’s average was 155, his high score was 214 and his high series was 389. Senior Dallas King was just behind Guldberg in average at 162.85. His season high was 213 and his high series was 383. Junior Logan Bown and senior Evan Benac also appeared on varsity last year. Bown averaged a 143, had a 185 high score and recorded a 324 high series. Benac’s average was 145.83, he registered a high score of 180 and tallied a high series of 315. Hughes said several others are in the mix for varsity spots, including sophomores David Holmes, Andrew Wiles, Tamion Adams, freshman Austin Kennedy and junior Owen Muhs. “We’re in a spot where this is going to be pretty exciting to see how the next couple of weeks plays out and who lands a position on varsity,” Hughes said. Seth Banwell is back as Hughes’ assistant coach this winter.

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 6

Climb

Troy Hyde/ Newton News

Continued from Page 4

Newton senior Kealey Manning (32) started 13 of the Cardinals’ 20 games last season and ranked third on the squad with five rebounds per game and averaged four points per tilt.

“Kya Butler will be our primary ball handler,” Vander Velden said. “She has a great attitude and great work ethic to be in that important role. Some of our wing players will be able to bring the ball up the floor as well.” Vander Velden said the coaching staff will start the season with a clean slate. Every position on the floor is open. And Vander Velden feels like any of the 12 players on varsity can play at any given time. At the Lynnville-Sully Jamboree on Nov. 15, Vander Velden’s starting lineup was Butler, Rausch, Reynolds, Nehring and Manning. “With our scrimmages, the jamboree game and the Hall of Pride game coming up over the

next few weeks, we will change lineups around to see what it looks like,” Vander Velden said. “They have to compete against each other on a daily basis and make us coaches want to put them on the floor. No one can afford to take plays off.” Newton averaged 43 points per game last year and allowed 55. The team shot 36 percent from the floor, 23 percent from 3-point range and 54 percent from the foul line. Newton also turned the ball over 24 times per contest. “Shooting was one of our top priorities but not the only thing we focused on,” Vander Velden said. “We need to find consistent shooters who can hit 3s and be able to drive off the dribble and make layups. “Turnovers are a big concern. We can’t average 20 plus turnovers a game. That’s 20 pos-

sessions we don’t get a shot up.” Three of the eight teams in the LHC won at least 16 games last season and all but three were .500 or better. Vander Velden wants to change the narrative around Newton girls basketball. “We don’t want be an easy win for our opponents,” Vander Velden said. “Why not us? Why can’t we be on top? We have to be ready to play every game and just worry about what we can control on the court. We want to play for a full 32 minutes and games are won on the defensive end.” Vander Velden’s coaching staff includes Bailey Johannes, Randy Mills, LaNita Keeton, Jenny Petersen and Scott Garvis. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

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Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 7

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Bolts out to prove breakout season was no fluke By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Elie Tuhn made an instant impact for Baxter’s girls basketball team last winter. The Bolts broke out with their first 20-win season in program history and cracked the Class 1A rankings at the end of the year. Both Tuhn and Lilie Vansice were first team all-conference guards last season and both are back this year to help keep the train rolling. The Bolts did graduate three starters and seven total seniors from the varsity roster though. “We did lose seven seniors and their talent and leadership will be almost impossible to replace,” Baxter head coach Eric Padget said. “This year’s team has looked good so far. We have a fast, athletic group that will run the floor well. We need to continue to work on rebounding and turnovers.” Tuhn and Vansice were the top two scorers on a 20-3 team last season. They also ranked in the top three in rebounds, steals and assists per game. Tuhn led the Bolts in points (11), assists (3.5) and steals (4.2) per game and also grabbed 4.1 re-

Troy Hyde/Newton News Baxter senior Elie Tuhn led the Bolts in points (11), assists (3.5) and steals (4.2) per game in her first season with the Bolts last winter. She earned first team all-conference and all-region honors, too.

bounds per tilt, which ranked third on the team. She was an all-region player in her first season with the Bolts. Vansice ranked second in scoring (8.7), rebounding (4.3) and steals (2.3) per game and also dished out a pair of assists per contest, which ranked third on the squad. “Elie and Lillie, with

fellow senior captain Ally Padget, have led the way for us so far this year,” Coach Padget said. “It’s huge having our two first team all-conference players back. In addition, we were able to give enough players time off the bench last year that they have gelled as a team this week.” BREAKOUT | 18

BOYS BASKETBALL

Plethora of returners give Bolts conference title aspirations By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

Baxter’s boys basketball team brings back four starters from a squad which ended last season with a sour taste in its mouth. The Bolts dominated North Tama twice during the regular season only to lose to the Redhawks on a buzzer beater in the opening round of the postseason. Head coach Zach Hasselbrink said the team has already addressed last year’s heartbreaking loss and hopes a plethora of returning talent can get Baxter over the hump in the Iowa Star Conference South Division. The Bolts have been in the Iowa Star Conference for five years and placed second in the division in all but one of those years. They hope to win the conference title for the first time this winter and Hasselbrink will have an experienced group to do it with. “I don’t want to say we have high expectations, but all our guys know what can happen,” Hasselbrink said. “The end of last year was a humbling moment that hopefully kept us hungry. When you lose on a buzzer beater, it’s tough.” The Bolts bring back four starters in seniors Rory Heer and Nate McMinamen and juniors Cody Damman and Carson Scroggins. Damman was a first team all-conference guard after leading the Bolts in points (14.1), assists (3.1) and steals (2.3) per game. He also ranked fourth on the team with 3.8 rebounds per game. Heer was a second team all-conference guard after finishing second on the team in points (9.3), rebounds (4.7) and steals (1.3) per game. Heer also dished out 1.4 assists per game, which ranked third on the team. Scroggins earned honorable mention recognition in the conference.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Baxter junior Cody Damman was a first team all-conference guard after leading the Bolts in points (14.1), assists (3.1) and steals (2.3) per game last season.

He averaged a team-best 2.1 blocks per game and had per-game averages of 8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists. McMinamen led the Bolts in rebounding at seven per game. He also averaged eight points and 1.2 assists per contest. “Cody led us in scoring last year, but I’m not sure he will do that this year,” Hasselbrink said. “He wants to be a secondary scorer and make his teammates look good. “Carson (Scroggins) has made huge strides. He’s played a lot of games on the AAU circuit and his ability to stretch the floor at 6-foot4 — we haven’t had a player like him before.” ASPIRATIONS | 18

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 8

WRESTLING

Baxter’s numbers, excitement continue to rise Baxter 2021-22 Varsity Wrestling Schedule Dec. 2 — Montezuma (Cardinal, Sigourney-Keota), 5:30 p.m. Dec. 4 — Woodward-Granger tournament, 10 a.m. Dec. 9 — North Mahaska/Central Elkader/Postville at Coe College, 6 p.m. Dec. 18 — Lynnville-Sully tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 6 — Belle Plaine, 6 p.m. Jan. 8 — North Mahaska tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 11 — Colfax-Mingo (Collins-Maxwell), 6 p.m. Jan. 13 — North Mahaska (English Valleys), 6 p.m. Jan. 15 — WACO tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 18 — S. Central Calhoun/ACGC/W-G, 5:30 p.m. Jan. 20 — Lynnville-Sully, 6 p.m. Jan. 22 — North Tama tournament, 10 a.m. Jan. 25 — Iowa Falls-Alden, 6 p.m. Jan. 27 — Collins-Maxwell/North Mahaska, 6 p.m. Jan. 29 — ACGC tournament, 8 a.m. Feb. 5 — Sectionals at Ogden, Noon Feb. 12 — Districts at Pleasantville, 11 a.m. Home meets in bold

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor Baxter’s wrestling team had a grappler in the state tournament last winter and two others reached the district tournament. The Bolts have improved every year since the program formed and head coach Joe Amadeo hopes that continues this season. A new, larger wrestling facility has added to the excitement, too. “We are looking to build on last year’s momentum,” Amadeo said. “We graduated two great guys who were great wrestlers and leaders for our team, but we retained

most of our team from last year. “We are in a new facility this season, and the energy at practice has been awesome so far. I think you will see this carry over into competition.” The two district qualifiers from last year are sophomore Aiden McFadden and junior Cole Smith. McFadden (285) and Smith (120) both were sectional champions. McFadden wrestled at the state tournament but went 0-2 at 285 pounds. He was 23-19 in his first prep season.

Troy Hyde/ Newton News Baxter sophomore Aiden McFadden is back for the Bolts’ wrestling team after advancing to the state tournament last winter.

RISE | 12

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Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 9

BOYS BASKETBALL

Experienced Hawks have talent to turn corner in SICL By Troy Hyde Sports Editor Lynnville-Sully’s boys basketball team started two juniors, one sophomore and a pair of freshmen last season. The young roster managed to get back over .500 for the season and the 11-5 record inside the South Iowa Cedar League was good enough to climb to third in the West Division. This year, all five starters are back and the expectations for the Hawks should be higher after the squad lost only two seniors from last year. “We don’t spend time discussing goals and expectations in our program,” L-S head boys basketball coach Nick Harthoorn said. “We do talk about values, commitments and characteristics we would like our players to demonstrate on and off the floor each day. “We try to invest a lot into Lynnville-Sully 2021-22 Varsity Boys Basketball Schedule Nov. 30 — BGM, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 — Montezuma, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 — East Marshall, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 7 — HLV, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 — North Mahaska, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 — Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 — Colfax-Mingo, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 — Keota, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 — Pleasantville, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21 — Belle Plaine, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4 — Sigourney, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7 — Iowa Valley, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 — Tri-County, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 — English Valleys, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 — BGM, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21 — Montezuma, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 — HLV, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 — North Mahaska, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 — Colfax-Mingo, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 — Colo-NESCO, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 — Baxter, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 8 — EBF, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 — District Tournament, TBD Home games in bold

each and every practice. If we can work hard in practice and do it the right way, we believe good things will happen over time.” Junior Preston Rodibaugh earned second team all-conference honors last year. He led the Hawks in points per game at 15.4, ranked second in rebounds (5.1) and steals (1.5) per game and was third in assists (1.5) per contest. Rodibaugh started all 22 games. The other two returning all-conference players are sophomore Corder Noun Harder and junior Conner Maston, who both were honorable mention selections. Noun Harder was the team’s second leading scorer at 11.1 points per game and also led the team in assists (4.7) and steals (2.2) per game. He also grabbed 3.6 rebounds per tilt and started all 21 games he played in. Maston averaged eight points per game, which ranked third on the team. He also averaged 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Maston missed the first part of last season with an injury and made just two starts in 15 games. Sophomore Klayton Van Dyke is the big man inside. He averaged 7.3 points per game and also led the Hawks in rebounds (8.8) and blocks (2.4) per game. Van Dyke started all 22 games as a freshman. The other two returning starters are seniors Mason Rodibaugh and Ryan Annee. Mason Rodibaugh averaged 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2

steals per game and Annee registered per-game averages of 4.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and one steal. Mason Rodibaugh started all 19 games he played in and Annee made 20 starts. Senior Josh Hardenbrook is back after playing in 11 games last year. The rest of the varsity roster includes senior Noah Johnson and juniors Kale Ehresman, Mathias Torres and Jacob Fogle. Harthoorn’s coaching staff includes Joel Harthoorn, Kurt Harthoorn, Jacob Van Manen and Kyle Van Dyke. The coaching staff hopes a successful football season for some of his varsity players will carry into the winter. But also knows nothing is guaranteed. “I do believe success in one sport can carry over to another, but at the same time, every team is new,” Nick Harthoorn said. “You can’t assume success will just happen. You have to recommit to your teammates and coaches and do the little things that allowed you to be successful in the past.” The Hawks allowed just 53 points per game last season. If the team wants to take the next step and compete for a conference title, L-S will have to be better at the offensive end. Lynnville-Sully averaged 56.5 points per game last winter. The Hawks shot 36.7 percent from the floor, 28.8 percent from 3-point range and 55.4 percent from the freethrow line. They only committed 12 turnovers per game. “Defense and rebounding has to be a strength of this year’s team, but we have to get better offensively,” Nick Harthoorn said.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Lynnville-Sully junior Preston Rodibaugh earned second team all-conference honors last year after leading the Hawks in scoring at 15.4 points per game. He also grabbed 5.1 rebounds and registered 1.5 steals and 1.5 assists per game.

“Our shooting percentages need to take a step forward this year. There are two ways to make that happen — we must put in the extra time it takes to become great shooters and we must commit to

improving the quality of shots we take in practice and in games.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 10

GIRLS BASKETBALL

WRESTLING

McFarland leads new faces at L-S By Troy Hyde Sports Editor When you coach as long as Jerry Hulsing, there isn’t much you haven’t seen. So while graduating seven seniors from last year’s Lynnville-Sully girls varsity basketball squad may have been a first for some, he has dealt with that kind of turnover before. “It’s an exciting time for the girls as it’s their chance to step into the spotlight and show what they can do,” Hulsing said. “Being so young, there’s a lot to learn so we are having to teach and break things down a lot more than the last couple of seasons.” Four starters were lost last year and three other seniors who played in at least 14 games also graduated. The lone returner is senior Reagan McFarland, who ranked second on the team last winter with a 10.9 points per game average. She also led the team in assists (2.4) and steals (3.5) per game and grabbed 3.2 rebounds per contest. McFarland was an all-district player last season and earned secLynnville-Sully 2021-22 Varsity Girls Basketball Schedule Nov. 19 — EBF, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 — Colo-NESCO, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30 — BGM, 6 p.m. Dec. 3 — Montezuma, 6 p.m. Dec. 4 — East Marshall, 4 p.m. Dec. 7 — HLV, 6 p.m. Dec. 10 — North Mahaska, 6 p.m. Dec. 11 — Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 5 p.m. Dec. 14 — Colfax-Mingo, 6 p.m. Dec. 17 — Keota, 6 p.m. Dec. 20 — Pleasantville, 6 p.m. Dec. 21 — Belle Plaine, 6 p.m. Jan. 4 — Sigourney, 6 p.m. Jan. 7 — Iowa Valley, 6 p.m. Jan. 11 — Tri-County, 6 p.m. Jan. 14 — English Valleys, 6 p.m. Jan. 18 — BGM, 6 p.m. Jan. 21 — Montezuma, 6 p.m. Jan. 25 — HLV, 6 p.m. Jan. 28 — North Mahaska, 6 p.m. Feb. 1 — Colfax-Mingo, 6 p.m. Feb. 10 — Regionals, TBD Home games in bold

ond team all-conference honors. “She just needs to be her and play her normal game so we are not going to ask her to do any more,” Hulsing said. “We believe all five girls on the floor can contribute to our team success. We will look to her to offer up some more leadership this season.” The only other players who saw court time last season were senior Natalie Nikkel and junior Greenlee Smock, who both played in 16 games for the Hawks last winter. Nikkel averaged 1.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game and Smock scored 1.7 points and grabbed one board per contest. There are 12 players out for L-S and the only other upperclassmen is junior Greta Wallen, who is a foreign exchange student. The sophomore class includes Elise Alberts, Morgan Jones, Majesta Vos, Brooke Conover, Alexy Conover and Aubree Arthur. The two freshmen are Alaina Roberts and Olivia Norrish. “Depth is a big concern plus experience,” Hulsing said. “We have a

lot of moving parts we will try to put together.” Hulsing’s starting five for the team’s home jamboree game against GMG on Nov. 15 included McFarland, Alberts, Vos, Arthur and Nikkel. The Hawks were 17-4 last season and finished 12-3 in the South Iowa Cedar League. L-S scored 52 points per game and allowed just 35.4 last winter. The Hawks shot 39 percent from the floor, 28 percent from 3-point range and 54 percent from the foul line. Jeff Corbett is back as Hulsing’s assistant coach. That duo has been together for nearly 30 years. “We have been focusing on defense and working on teaching all aspects of the game,” Hulsing said. “With such a young team, we are trying to teach and get them to understand how fast they have to play and go at the varsity level.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Troy Hyde/ Newton News L-S sophomore Max Mintle is back for the Hawks’ wrestling team after winning a sectional title last season.

Mintle brothers headline Hawks’ small roster By Troy Hyde Sports Editor Lynnville-Sully wrestling coach Jason Walston likes what he sees in the room so far this season. But the Hawks will start this year with just 10 grapplers total and only two seniors. “The squad is looking good, but we are small in numbers,” Walston said. “The emphasis in practice so far has been on working from the neutral position and taking advantage of the opportunities that we get.” Walston’s coaching staff includes Kadden Gosselink and Dalton Gosselink. SMALL | 20

Troy Hyde/Newton News The lone returner for Lynnville-Sully’s girls basketball team this winter is senior Reagan McFarland, who ranked second on the team last season with a 10.9 points per game average.

Lynnville-Sully 2021-22 Varsity Wrestling Schedule Nov. 30 — Pekin (Ottumwa/Davis County), 5 p.m. Dec. 2 — Belle Plaine (Colfax-Mingo/North Mahaska), 6 p.m. Dec. 4 — ­ Montezuma tournament, 10 a.m. Dec. 11 — Saydel Invitational, 9 a.m. Dec. 14 — ­ Iowa Valley/Collins-Maxwell/Wilton, 6 p.m. Dec. 18 — L-S tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 6 — HLV (North Tama), 6 p.m. Jan. 8 — North Mahaska tournament, 10 a.m. Jan. 13 — Sigourney-Keota (BGM), 6 p.m. Jan. 15 — ­ Pleasantville tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 20 — English Valleys/Baxter/Montezuma), 6 p.m. Jan. 25 — Martensdale-St. Marys (Chariton/EBF), 5:30 p.m. Jan. 27 — Panorama (East Union/Pleasantville), 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29 — BGM (SICL), 10 a.m. Feb. 5 — Sectionals at Ogden, Noon Feb. 12 — Districts at Pleasantville, 11 a.m. Home meets in bold

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 11

BOYS BASKETBALL

Depth should help Tigerhawks’ push up SICL By Troy Hyde Sports Editor Three starters graduated from last year’s Colfax-Mingo boys basketball team. But second-year head coach Phil Grant gave a bunch of underclassmen important minutes as the season progressed last winter. That’s why Grant and the Tigerhawks have high expectations this season. The players also bought into improving immediately following the end of last season. “When the season ended last year, the coaches met with all returning players to gather feedback on the season, set expectations of the future and make a plan for where we wanted the program to go,” Grant said. “There was a lot of buy-in about how we were going to improve and what steps were going to be necessary to get there.” The good news is, the only Colfax-Mingo 2021-22 Varsity Boys Basketball Schedule Nov. 29 — Chariton, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30 — North Mahaska, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 — BGM, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 — Montezuma, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 — Lynnville-Sully, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 — HLV, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 — English Valleys, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4 — Belle Plaine, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 6 — Pleasantville, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7 — Sigourney, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 — Iowa Valley, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 — Keota, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 — W. Central Valley, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 — North Mahaska, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21 — BGM, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 — Montezuma, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 — HLV, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 — Lynnville-Sully, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 — Baxter, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 — Tri-County, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 — EBF, 7:30 p.m. Home games in bold

way for the Tigerhawks to go is up after Grant’s first team finished 3-18 overall and 2-15 in the South Iowa Cedar League. Sophomore Curtis Horras was an honorable mention all-conference player last year. He averaged 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, a team-best 2.7 assists and a team-high 2.1 steals per game and made 14 starts in his 18 games. Senior Cole Bracewell also is back and ranked in the top three on the team in points (9.8), rebounds (3.2), assists (2.1) and steals (1.7) per game. He started all 21 games. Senior Colton Lind, junior Carter Gibson and sophomores Cael Bracewell, Joe Earles, Trey Hockemeier, Conner Wood and Brandon Kite are all in the mix for varsity playing time, according to Grant. “I think we’re going to have a lot of depth this year, which will serve us well,” Grant said. “We’ll still be a pretty young team, but we have several guys with varsity experience that will suit them well for the season.” Gibson played in all 21 games last year and averaged 1.5 points and two rebounds per game. Earles and Cael Bracewell each played in 20 games. Earles averaged 3.6 points and 2.7 boards per contest, while Cael Bracewell scored 1.7 points and dished out 1.1 assists per game. Hockemeier played in 15 games and Lind’s season was limited to six games due to injury but he did average two assists per tilt. Colfax-Mingo averaged

Troy Hyde/Newton News Colfax-Mingo senior Cole Bracewell (12) is one of Colfax-Mingo’s top returners after finishing in the top three on the team in points (9.8), rebounds (3.2), assists (2.1) and steals (1.7) per game last season.

47.4 points per game last year and allowed 64.3 points. The Tigerhawks shot 34.5 percent from the floor, made just 23.6 percent from 3-point range and buried only 54.5 percent of their free throws while committing 20.6 turn-

overs per contest. “The offseason was heavily focused on becoming better shooters,” Grant said. “We put ourselves in good position in several games last year, but our shooting hindered our ability to close out some of

those games. “Our average team shooting percentage dropped each quarter so we’re working to fix that problem by putting more emphasis on shooting when we’re tired to simulate how we’ll feel when it’s the second half of a game.” Through film evaluations, Grant found that the team’s defense wasn’t as bad as the numbers show. The team’s inability to capitalize on the offensive side of the floor caused games to get out of reach. The turnovers also got better as the season progressed. “Shooting the ball effectively has been the biggest focus and is something we all know we must do better in order to be a better team,” Grant said. “Ball handling and making smart decisions with the ball have been huge points of emphasis to reduce our turnovers this year.” Grant has identified speed and team chemistry as strengths. The large sophomore class also will be expected to carry a lot of the load this year. “We were able to spend a lot of the summer working and playing together,” Grant said. “Their ability to anticipate each other and cohesively work together will be an asset. If we can improve our ability to score the ball, we’re going to be in a good position by the fourth quarter.” Dave Bracewell is back as Grant’s varsity assistant coach. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 12

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Return Continued from Page 2 Jones said the team’s three freshmen — Mack Copeland, Will Mills and Drew Fuller— have experience. “They swam for the Y. It’s good that they have at least some experience,” Jones said. “We only have one swimmer who has never swam before.” Because of the small roster, everyone who gets into the pool for NCMP this winter will be competing for the varsity squad. Newton 2021-22 Varsity Boys Swimming Schedule Nov. 23 — Ankeny Centennial, 5 p.m. Nov. 30 — Indianola, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 4 — Home Invitational, 10 a.m. Dec. 7 — Des Moines East/Boone, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 11 — Marshalltown Invitational, 12 p.m. Dec. 14 — Des Moines Lincoln, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 20 — Grinnell (Marshalltown), 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8 — Waterloo West Invitational, 12 p.m. Jan. 11 — Des Moines Roosevelt, 5:30 p.m. Jan. 15 — Fort Dodge Invitational, 11 a.m. Jan. 29 — Conference meet at Grinnell, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 5 — District meet at TBA, 12 p.m. Home games in bold

Rise Continued from Page 8 Smith had the most wins on the team at 28-17. He finished third at districts. Sophomore Callyn Bishop was third at sectionals at 152. Junior Curtis Gliem was fourth at 138. Bishop was 20-21 and Gliem went 22-21. This season, Smith, Gliem and McFadden are expected to stay at 120, 138 and 285, respectively. Bishop is expected to move up to 160. “Cole, Curtis, Callyn and Aiden are all guys we are looking to as leaders,” Amadeo said. “Each of these guys put in great work this offseason, and we’re expecting good things from them this year. “We’re also excited about some of our younger guys. Many have experience in youth wrestling and are coming in ready to do some damage right away.” The Bolts, who were fourth at sec-

That has it’s advantages, according to Jones. “We don’t have a choice. But for a JV guy to now be swimming varsity, that’s probably going to be pretty cool for him,” Jones said. “That’s how they’ll have to approach it.” Eekhoff is the top returner. He’ll focus on the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and the relays. Lamb and Comer will primarily focus on the butterfly and breaststroke, respectively, and Brown and Fuller could compete in the backstroke. “We have work to do if we want to get to state,” Jones said. “Eli is about 3 seconds off in the 100 freestyle and Clay and Brady both have to drop about 6 seconds in their events. We’ve been doing stroke work in practice and we’ll move into conditioning next week.” NCMP was second in the conference last season and it finished fourth at the district meet. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

tionals last year, have a roster of 17 wrestlers. The lone senior is Tanner Shanks, who will wrestle at 152. Smith and Gliem are the only juniors and the sophomores are McFadden, Bishop, Ty Bauman (120/126), Tucker Preacher (138), Hope Good (145), Jacob Hiemstra (152), Michael Wilhelm (182) and Jackson Bottorf (220). The freshmen class goes six deep with Zoey Gliem (120), Alex Dille (106/113), Jack Anderson (132), Grant Andregg (195), Jace Bottorf (195) and Carter Smith (220). Dwight Gliem and Jeremy Smith are the Bolts’ two assistant wrestling coaches. “The team looks good. They have been working very hard,” Amadeo said. “Our emphasis is always hard work and combining aggressive and technical wrestling.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 13

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Returners key for Tigerhawks’ hopeful climb in SICL By Troy Hyde Sports Editor With four starters returning, Colfax-Mingo’s girls basketball team has never had higher expectations under third-year head coach Blake Warrick. But the Tigerhawks don’t have a bunch of experience beyond the returning starters so Warrick knows there’s still plenty of work to do. “The expectations are high, but there’s lots of work to be done still,” Warrick said. “I think they know what I expect from them and that definitely helps when teaching everything. But each year presents its own challenges.” This year’s Tigerhawk roster features just one senior in Kyra Lester. But juniors Carley Underwood, Abi Rawlins and Caylee Cunningham are back as starters, too. The other two players with some varsity experience are junior Felicity Woods and sophomore Madison Riddle. Underwood was a second team all-conference guard last year. She averaged 8.8 points per game, which ranked third on the team. She also led the Tigerhawks in assists (2.1) and was second in steals (2) per game and grabbed 3.4 rebounds per contest. Rawlins, who earned honorable mention all-conference recognition last year, led the Tigerhawks in scoring at 10.7 points per game. She also led the team in steals (2.2) per game while also averaging 3.4 rebounds and one assist per contest. Underwood, Lester and Cunningham started all 21 games for C-M last year while

Troy Hyde/Newton News Colfax-Mingo junior Carley Underwood was a second team all-conference player last year. She averaged 8.8 points per game, which ranked third on the team.

Rawlins started all 20 games she played in. Lester led the Tigerhawks in rebounding at 8.9 boards per game and averaged five points, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. Cunningham tied with Underwood for the team lead in assists per game at 2.1. She also was second in rebounding at five per game. The Ti-

gerhawk junior averaged 2.6 points and 1.2 steals per contest. “Caylee has looked really good in the offseason, and I’m hoping to get her more scoring opportunities this year,” Warrick said. “We graduated about 10 points per game and I think she can make up for some or all of that. If she can be more of a scoring threat,

that should also make it easier for Carley and Abi to get more quality shots.” Riddle played in 18 games as a freshman and averaged 1.2 points and 1.9 boards per game. Woods played in 11 games last year. “There are four starters returning, yes, but our next most experienced player returning has a limited amount of it and there is almost no experience after that.” Warrick said it is very likely that Underwood, Rawlins, Lester and Cunningham take up four starter spots. The fifth starter has not been decided, but Riddle will be in the mix. “It’s too early to say anything for sure, but once a couple others get more comfortable with what we’re trying to do offensively and defensively, they might insert themselves into the conversation,” Warrick said. The remaining 10 players on the Tigerhawk roster include sophomore Charlotte Donahue and freshmen Devan Chadwick, Kaylee Collins and Trinity Smith. “We won’t have a lot of depth and we are limited on height,” Warrick said. “Madison (Riddle) will likely get significant playing time and Felicity (Woods) should play more than she has in the past. Charlotte and Devan also will see time.” Cunningham is the team’s tallest player, but she plays m like a guard. The Tigerhawks’ only true post player is Lester. “We have lots of guards and almost no true post players, which shouldn’t be a problem offensively,” Warrick said. “But when we run into teams

Colfax-Mingo 2021-22 Varsity Girls Basketball Schedule Nov. 23 — East Marshall, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 — Chariton, 6 p.m. Nov. 30 — North Mahaska, 6 p.m. Dec. 3 — BGM, 6 p.m. Dec. 7 — Montezuma, 6 p.m. Dec. 14 — Lynnville-Sully, 6 p.m. Dec. 16 — HLV, 6 p.m. Dec. 17 — English Valleys, 6 p.m. Jan. 4 — Belle Plaine, 6 p.m. Jan. 6 — Pleasantville, 6 p.m. Jan. 7 — Sigourney, 6 p.m. Jan. 11 — Iowa Valley, 6 p.m. Jan. 14 — Keota, 6 p.m. Jan. 17 — W. Central Valley, 6 p.m. Jan. 18 — North Mahaska, 6 p.m. Jan. 21 — BGM, 6 p.m. Jan. 25 — Montezuma, 6 p.m. Jan. 28 — HLV, 6 p.m. Feb. 1 — Lynnville-Sully, 6 p.m. Feb. 4 — Baxter, 6 p.m. Feb. 8 — Tri-County, 6 p.m. Home games in bold

which really like to get the ball inside, we’re going to have to work twice as hard defending them.” The Tigerhawks were 5-16 overall and 5-11 in the South Iowa Cedar League last season. The biggest issue for C-M came at the offensive end where it shot 30 percent from the floor, 20 percent from 3-point range and 59 percent from the free-throw line. The Tigerhawks also averaged 24 turnovers per game. “I just wanted them to get up as many shots as possible this offseason,” Warrick said. “Ball security is a priority now that practice has started. We can’t turn it over that many times and expect to win.” Joining Warrick this season as an assistant coach will be Olivia Breske, who is a former college player from South Dakota. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 14

WRESTLING

McGill, seniors have high expectations for Colfax-Mingo Troy Hyde/ Newton News

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor Sophomore John McGill is a returning state qualifier. Senior Kenny Schlosser was oh so close to clinching his spot at state. And Colfax-Mingo’s girls wrestling team begins the year ranked second in the state. Excitement in the Tigerhawk wrestling room is at an all-time high as the new season begins. “The first two days went great. The kids are working hard,” Colfax-Mingo wrestling coach Erin Hume said. “This is the most excited the kids have been to start a new season. They are ready to go.”

Colfax-Mingo sophomore John McGill, right, is the Tigerhawks’ top returning wrestler after setting a freshman wins record and advancing to the state tournament last winter.

Hume and his coaching staff will work with a talented group of girls and the top-end talent of the varsity roster is strong, but there are some unknowns with a handful of new

wrestlers. “We hope to start where we left off with the returners and bring the young and new wrestlers a long as fast as we can,” Hume said. “We have a

lot of new wrestlers, but it’s an athletic group.” McGill clinched a spot in his first state tournament after placing second at sectionals and districts last year.

He set a new freshman wins record at the school with a 38-9 record but went 0-2 at Wells Fargo Arena. HIGH | 19

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Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 15

BOYS BASKETBALL

Van Dyke, VandeLune return to lead new-look Mustangs By Troy Hyde Sports Editor Long-time PCM boys’ basketball coach Fred Lorensen knows what he has at the top of his varsity roster. It’s figuring out the pecking order beyond the top three guys that Lorensen and his coaching staff will have to figure out as practices progress this winter. Seniors Durant Van Dyke and Carson VandeLune are both back after earning second team all-conference honors last season. And senior Matt Rosonke is another Mustang who is expected to make an impact. “From there, it will be interesting,” Lorensen said. “Durant and Carson both had really good summers. We’ve only had one practice and Durant looks like he’s ready for a great season. It also looks like Matt Rosonke has a chance to have a real special season. “It is really too early to tell PCM 2021-22 Varsity Boys Basketball Schedule Nov. 30 — Knoxville, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 2 — Montezuma, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 — Nevada, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 — Pella Christian, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 — Saydel, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 — Greene County, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 — North Mahaska, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 — Perry, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 — West Marshall, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 — East Marshall, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21 — Roland-Story, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3 — ­ Earlham, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7 — South Hamilton, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10 — Pella, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 — Nevada, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 — ­ Saydel, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 — Greene County, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 — Perry, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 — West Marshall, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 — Roland-Story, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 — South Hamilton, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 — District tournament, TBA Home games in bold

how the rest of it is going to shake out though.” VandeLune and Van Dyke were the second and third leading scorers on a PCM squad which went 11-11 last year and finished 5-6 in the Heart of Iowa Conference. The Mustangs graduated eight seniors, three of which started at least 17 games and played in all 22 and a fourth who started 10 games and played in 21. PCM graduated four of its top six scorers and three of its top five rebounders. That should open things up for a few newcomers to make an impact. VandeLune averaged 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game last season. Those all ranked in the top four on the team. Lorensen said VandeLune did not practice early in the season because of an injury but hoped to get him on the floor soon. Van Dyke averaged 9.3 points, a team-best 9.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and a team-best 2.5 blocks per game. Van Dyke started in all 22 games last year while VandeLune played in 20 games and started 17 of them. Rosonke missed most of last season with an injury and junior August Stock is likely out for the season this winter because of an injury. Competing for the rest of the varsity minutes will be seniors Keaton Thomas, Drake Roorda and Cade Lindsay, juniors Grant Van Veen, Brayden Nessa and Darrell DeVries, sophomore Jacob Wendt and freshmen Gavin Van Gorp and Kaleb DeVries.

Troy Hyde/Newton News PCM senior Durant Van Dyke is back as one of the Mustangs returning all-conference players this winter. The Mustangs will mostly have a lot of new faces though.

Lorensen has identified defense as a team strength. Last year’s squad allowed just 53 points per game. “We certainly believe we can be a great defensive team,” Lorensen said. “If we can get all of our kids to buy in, this should be an area of strength. We have some long, quick athletes who are more than capable of

guarding good opponents.” From the other end of the spectrum, PCM will have to improve at the offensive end of the floor to compete for a conference title, which is always one of Lorensen’s expectations. The Mustangs scored just 54 points per game last year. They shot 40 percent from the floor but made just 27 percent

of their 3-pointers and hit only 54 percent from the free throw line. PCM also committed 15 turnovers per game. “With basketball the way it is these days, the 3-point shot is king,” Lorensen said. “We definitely need to show improvement there. We certainly hope that will be an area of improvement. We also shot poorly from the foul line. We are going to get fouled a lot so we need to cash in on those free throws to make that an advantage for us.” Lorensen thinks a key to fixing the offense is patience and better shot selection. “We just need to be more efficient,” Lorensen said. “Also, after losing four seniors who played a lot for us last year, we need to get used to playing with each other and developing some team chemistry.” With Van Dyke and VandeLune leading the way at the top of the roster, Lorensen hopes his Mustang squad can return to the top of the Heart of Iowa Conference. “That remains the goal and this group is very capable of achieving that,” Lorensen said. “I also think this is a team which will improve a lot through the year so it will be exciting to see what we can accomplish come tourney time.” Joel Grier is back as Lorensen’s varsity assistant coach. Darren Telfer returns as the Mustangs’ JV coach and Mack Van Zante begins his first season as PCM’s JV2 coach. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 16

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Under new leadership, Mustangs seek improvement in HOIC started all 21 games last winter. The other two main returners from last year’s varsity squad are senior Emily Foster and junior Sidney Shaver. Foster played in 18 games and made one start, while Shaver did not start a game but appeared in all 21. “Emily is doing a great job on both the offensive and defensive end on the inside,” Allison said. “Sidney is currently out with a finger injury, but we are hoping to have her back in early December.” Paige Steenhoek will move to shooting guard

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor PCM’s girls basketball program will be under new leadership this season. Sami Allison is the new head coach and she inherits a Mustang program which brings back just one starter and has recorded four straight losing seasons. PCM has 17 players out this winter and Allison’s coaching staff includes Brian Steenhoek and Jason Stock. “We are one week into the season and making progress every day,” Allison said. “We have talked a lot about how it’s a blank slate with new faces and a new staff. Our team is really feeding off each other and building each other up.” Junior Paige Steenhoek is the only returning starter. She averaged nearly six points per game last season, which ranked second on the team. Paige Steenhoek led

this season as her sister Addison Steenhoek is expected to take over as the team’s starting point guard. “Paige is enjoying more time as a shooting guard with less responsibility at the point guard position, which has allowed her to settle in a bit on the offensive end,” Allison said. “Addie has had an immediate calming presence at the point guard position, and I’m very excited to see her lead our team from that role. “The point guard is an extension of me on the court. I’m asking a lot from her, and she’s

eating it up.” The rest of the varsity includes juniors Eleigh Davis, Sophia Steenhoek, Madie Reed and Evelyn Burkett and sophomores Elle Davis and Eliana Buswell. None of those players started a game last year for PCM, but they all played in at least five games with Sophia Steenhoek leading the way with 13 games played. Allison said the goal is to go 10 deep if possible. She wants her team to pressure and push as much as they want. IMPROVEMENT | 17

Good Luck to all the area Winter Sports Teams! Troy Hyde/Newton News PCM junior Paige Steenhoek is the only returning starter for the Mustang girls basketball team this winter. She averaged nearly six points per game last season, which ranked second on the team.

the team in assists (1.3) and steals (2.1) per game

and also grabbed 2.7 boards per contest. She

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Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 17

WRESTLING

Mustangs will use future to motivate the present By Troy Hyde Sports Editor There are no seniors in PCM’s wrestling room this winter. And four grapplers at the junior high level could impact the high school team this season if they were eligible. But while the future appears to be bright for the Mustangs, the returners hope to build off what they did last season. “We don’t want to give this year away yet, but everyone in the room will be back next year,” PCM head coach Jeff Nicholson said. “I like what I have seen in the room. The guys are paying attention to detail.” The top four returners are junior Donovan Nickelson and sophomores Remington Fry, Hewitt Brinegar and Nate Richards. Nickelson was 26-17 last year at 195 pounds. He finished second in the conference tournament and was third at sectionals. Nicholson said Nickelson will remain at 195 this season. Fry was 23-22 last winter but went

Improvement Continued from Page 16 “We may not be able to do it right away, but I think the strength of this team is going to be aggressive defense that will hopefully lead to a lot of transition buckets,” Allison said. “The team is starting to pick up our offensive mindset and with every practice we are seeing that help with our offensive production.” PCM was 4-17 overall and 3-8 in the Heart of Iowa Conference in Jeff Lindsay’s final season as head coach. The biggest improvement may have to come at the offensive end of the floor after the Mustangs shot just 27 percent from the field, 24 percent from 3-point range and 57 percent from the foul line. PCM averaged just 34 points per game and allowed 46.4. The Mustangs averaged 18 turnovers per game last season.

Troy Hyde/Newton News PCM sophomore Remington Fry finished third in the conference meet at 106 pounds and then placed second at sectionals and third at districts last winter. He will move up to 120 this season.

the deepest of any of the returners. He finished third in the conference meet at 106 and then placed second at sectionals and third at districts. He will move up to 120 this season. Brinegar and Richards were both

fourth at the conference meet. Brinegar was 24-15 at 120 but will move up to 138. Richards went 20-18 at 182 and was fourth at sectionals. Richards is competing with junior William Vanderpool, junior Carter

“With only one week of practice, we are trying to keep it to the fundamentals that will give us a strong foundation to build on,” Allison said. “We are adding more offensive looks daily and are excited to see it all put in within the next few weeks.” Allison moved to the PCM district three years ago. She spent 10 years as an NCAA Division I assistant coach prior to getting out of the game. During those 10 years, she spent time at St. Francis, Long Island University, Monmouth University and the University of Northern Iowa. This is Allison’s first experience as a head coach and the first time she has coached at the high school level.

PCM 2021-22 Varsity Wrestling Schedule Nov. 30 — Van Meter (Greene County/Ogden), 5:30 p.m. Dec. 4 — DCG tourney, 10 a.m. Dec. 7 — Sigourney-Keota (Pella/Pleasantville), 5:30 p.m. Dec. 10 — Nevada (West Marshall), 6 p.m. Dec. 11 — Saydel tournament, 9 a.m. Dec. 16 — Perry (Roland-Story), 6 p.m. Dec. 17 — Fort Madison tournament, 5 p.m. Dec. 18 — Fort Madison tournament, 10 a.m. Jan. 4 — Saydel (Lynnville-Sully), 6 p.m. Jan. 8 — Mustang Invitational, 9:15 a.m. Jan. 13 — Greene County/S. Hamilton, 6 p.m. Jan. 15 — ­ Centerville tournament, 9:30 a.m. Jan. 21 — Nevada (HOIC), 5 p.m. Jan. 22 — Urbandale Tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 27 — Pella (Grinnell), 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29 — Fairfield tournament, 10 a.m. Feb. 5 — Sectionals at Albia, Noon Feb. 12 — Districts at Knoxville, 11 a.m. Home meets in bold

Birkenholtz and sophomore Wyatt Wheeler at 182. Vanderpool could make his way down to 170, but Nicholson likes the competition in the room.

“Fans can expect a lot of passion and energy, both from our staff and our team,” Allison said. “We are going to have fun and get after it on both ends. “I can’t tell you how many games we will win, but I do know we are going to work to improve each day, whether that’s in games or practices. They have bought into this, and I’m very proud of the steps we have taken in the first week. We are going to be undersized, but we are athletic so it will be our responsibility to do the little things each possession to help our teammates out.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

MOTIVATE | 19

PCM 2021-22 Varsity Girls Basketball Schedule Nov. 20 — Chariton, 3:30 p.m. Nov. 23 — Knoxville, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 2 — Montezuma, 6 p.m. Dec. 3 — Nevada, 6 p.m. Dec. 6 — Pella Christian, 6 p.m. Dec. 7 — Saydel, 6 p.m. Dec. 10 — Greene County, 6 p.m. Dec. 13 — North Mahaska, 6 p.m. Dec. 14 — Perry, 6 p.m. Dec. 17 — West Marshall, 6 p.m. Dec. 21 — Roland-Story, 6 p.m. Jan. 7 — South Hamilton, 6 p.m. Jan. 11 — Fairfield, 6 p.m. Jan. 14 — Nevada, 6 p.m. Jan. 18 — ­ Saydel, 6 p.m. Jan. 20 — Albia, 7:15 p.m. Jan. 24 — Newton, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 — Greene County, 6 p.m. Jan. 28 — Perry, 6 p.m. Feb. 1 — West Marshall, 6 p.m. Feb. 4 — Roland-Story, 6 p.m. Feb. 8 — South Hamilton, 6 p.m. Feb. 12 — Regionals, TBD Home games in bold

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 18

Aspirations Continued from Page 7 The fifth starting position will come down to juniors Cael Shepley and Trice Clapper or sophomore Treyton Travis. Travis averaged 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Clapper tallied 3.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest and Shepley registered 1.8 points and 1.1 boards per tilt. “We know what we have with the four returning starters and the next three,” Hasselbrink said. “We know what those guys can do.” Hasselbrink said when they go past the first seven, the next three in likely will be sophomore Ben Richardson and freshmen Perrin Sulzle and Cainan Travis. The Bolts were 13-8 last year and tied for second in the Iowa Star Conference South Division at 7-5. Of their eight losses, seven were by single digits and the eighth was by 10 points. Baxter’s defense allowed only 45.5 points per game last season. But poor shooting nights at the other end of the floor led to some unfortunate losses. “Defensively, we are usually in good spots,” Hasselbrink said. “We tweaked some things offensively to open up some lanes and have better spacing. We also need our defense to help our offense.” The Bolts averaged 55 points per game but shot just 38.7 percent from

Baxter 2021-22 Varsity Boys Basketball Schedule Nov. 30 — Colo-NESCO, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 3 — Collins-Maxwell, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 6 — Madrid, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 — Valley Lutheran, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 11 — Tripoli, 3:15 p.m. Dec. 14 —Meskwaki Settlement School, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 17 — North Tama, 7:45 p.m. Dec. 20 — Ankeny Christian, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21 — GMG, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 4 — Janesville, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 7 — Dunkerton, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10 — Saydel, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 — Colo-NESCO at Wells Fargo Arena, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 14 — Collins-Maxwell, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 17 — BGM, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 21 — Valley Lutheran, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 25 — Meskwaki Settlement, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 28 — North Tama, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 1 — GMG, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 4 — Colfax-Mingo, 7:45 p.m. Feb. 5 — Lynnville-Sully, 6:30 p.m. Home games in bold

the floor, 31.4 percent from 3-point range and 62 percent from the freethrow line. They only committed 11 turnovers per game. “Defense will be our strength,” Hasselbrink said. “We need to be able to rely on defense if we have off shooting nights. “We need to be able to consistently knock down the open 3-pointers, make sure our shot selection is good and shoot high-percentage shots.” Hasselbrink’s coaching staff includes Ryan Travis and Jalen Sickels. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

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Breakout Continued from Page 7 Padget’s coaching staff is back this year, too. That group includes Dan Tuhn, Kyle Krampe and Aaron Shanks. They will collectively try to replace the seniors lost to graduation. Competing for the three other starting spots are senior Ally Padget, juniors Mandee Selover, Bree Buswell and Kendyl Stevenson and freshmen Emie Tuhn and Abbie Meyer. “Competition has been intense this week,” Padget said. “All six of these girls have looked really good so far.” Selover played in all 23 games last year and averaged two points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. Buswell made one start and played in 13 games, averaging four points and 1.3 steals per game. Ally Padget appeared in 12 games, averaging 1.7 points per game. The Bolts had a pair of traditional bigs last year but won’t have that luxury this season, according to Coach Padget. Instead, they will make up for the deficiency with scheme. They averaged 58 points per game and gave up just 33 last winter. Baxter shot 40 percent from the floor, hit 30 percent from 3-point range and connected on just 52 percent from the free-throw line. The Bolts also averaged 17 turnovers per game. “Obviously turnovers have to be cut down, but with our style of play, it’s a difficult thing to do,” Coach Padget said. “Free throws, on the other hand,

Baxter 2021-22 Varsity Girls Basketball Schedule Nov. 30 — Colo-NESCO, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3 — Collins-Maxwell, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6 — Madrid, 4 p.m. Dec. 10 — Valley Lutheran, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11 — Tripoli, 3:15 p.m. Dec. 14 —Meskwaki Settlement School, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 17 — North Tama, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20 — Ankeny Christian, 6 p.m. Dec. 21 — GMG, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 4 — Janesville, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7 — Dunkerton, 6 p.m. Jan. 10 — Saydel, 6 p.m. Jan. 11 — Colo-NESCO, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 14 — Collins-Maxwell, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 — BGM, 6 p.m. Jan. 21 — Valley Lutheran, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25 — Meskwaki Settlement School, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28 — North Tama, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1 — GMG, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4 — Colfax-Mingo, 6 p.m. Feb. 5 — Perry, 2:30 p.m. Home games in bold

will be practiced throughout the year as normal, but we also plan to be more cognizant of who is

getting to the line.” The Iowa Star Conference South Division could again come down to Baxter or Collins-Maxwell. Both teams were 11-1 in conference play last year with each team defeating the other at home. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

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Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 19

High Continued from Page 14 It’s been a very busy offseason for McGill, who wrestled in a lot of tournaments throughout the summer. The goal for McGill is to climb up the podium. “You have to have that expectation,” Hume said. “But he will jump up at least two weight classes so it won’t be easy. It’s a big jump, but he’s a good wrestler.” McGill won 38 matches and wrestled at state at 126 last year but that was a tough cut, according to Hume. He will wrestle at either 138 or 145 this season. And he begins the year unranked by iawrestle.com. Schlosser is back as the team’s heavyweight after finishing 21-7 last year. He was second at sectionals and

third at districts. This year, the goal is to end his career at the state tournament. “That’s absolutely his next goal,” Hume said. “He’s coming into the season in great shape. And this is the first time he will be wrestling in back-toback seasons. The other top returner for the Tigerhawks is senior Shane Aikin, who went 22-15 at 182. Aikin will start the season at 220 but could end it at 195. Hume hopes a strong football season for both Schlosser and Aikin will carry into wrestling season. “Shane is working his tail off,” Hume said. “He brought his success from football into wrestling and he wants to have a strong senior season.” The Tigerhawks, who were sixth at sectionals and districts, will have two new wrestlers at 106 and 113. And they might be open at 182.

Seniors Danica Linn, Mariah Webster, Kylie Doty, Maggie Schroeder, Melany Vry and Katie Schlosser all will begin the season as a ranked wrestler in the girls rankings. Linn (120), Webster (126), Doty (132), Schroeder (160) and Katie Schlosser (170) all could hold down spots on the varsity roster, too. It could be freshman Xavier Woods at 132. And the trio of McGill and juniors Tevin Wamsher and Cavan Magnuson will battle for two spots at 138 and 145. Sophomore Austin Lane went 2120 at 132 last season. He’s expected to be the starter at 152 this winter. Senior Gaven Slycord could rotate with Kenny Schlosser at heavyweight early in the season but Hume said the goal is for Slycord to cut down to 220. If it’s not Katie Schlosser at 170, it could be freshman Isaiah Baucom.

Troy Hyde/ Newton News Colfax-Mingo senior Mariah Webster, top, leads a Tigerhawks’ girls wrestling squad which begins the season ranked second by iawrestle.com. Webster starts her final prep season ranked second at her weight.

Motivate Continued from Page 17 “When you have competition for weights, it makes everyone better,” Nicholson said.

If the season started today, the rest of the lineup would include junior Alex Courtney at 106, freshman Trigg Steenhoek at 126, freshman Sawyer Boukamp at 132, freshman Finn Wilson at 145, freshman Jeffery McDanel at 152 and

freshmen Kaden Clark at 285. Nicholson said they are open at 113, 160 and 220 at this point. “We have a lot of new, green wrestlers, but they are a good, hard working bunch of kids,” Nicholson said.

The Tigerhawks will start the season with around 14 girls. And six of them begin the year ranked seventh or higher in their weight classes. The C-M girls were third last year at the state tournament in Coraville. The large group has higher aspirations this season. “Our girls want it all,” Hume said. “That’s their goal. They want to finish higher than last year. They have been competing all summer. “They have lofty goals, but girls wrestling is getting better and better each year.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com Colfax-Mingo 2021-22 Varsity Wrestling Schedule Dec. 2 — Belle Plaine (Lynnville-Sully/N. Mahaska), 6 p.m. Dec. 3 — BGM tournament, girls, 6 p.m. Dec. 4 — Woodward-Granger tournament, 10 a.m. Dec. 7 — Ogden (Perry/W-G), 6 p.m. Dec. 9 — Roland-Story (Saydel/S. Hamilton), 6 p.m. Dec. 10 — Girls Tournament, 6 p.m. Dec. 11 — Home Tournament, 9 a.m. Dec. 14 — English Valleys (Sigourney-Keota), 6 p.m. Dec. 18 — Fort Dodge tournament, girls, 10 a.m. Dec. 18 — Lynnville-Sully tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 6 — BGM/Montezuma/Pleasantville), 6 p.m. Jan. 8 — PCM tournament, 9 a.m. Jan. 8 — Ogden tournament (girls), 9 a.m. Jan. 11 — Baxter/Collins-Maxwell/, 6 p.m. Jan. 13 — HLV (Collins-Maxwell), 6 p.m. Jan. 20 — Iowa Valley/DM North/Knoxville, 6 p.m. Jan. 21 — Girls State Wrestling Tournament, Coraville, 2 p.m. (Day 1) Jan. 22 — Girls State Wrestling Tournament, Coraville, 9 a.m. (Day 2) Jan. 25 — Pleasantville (SE Warren), 6 p.m. Jan. 29 — BGM, SICL tournament, 10 a.m. Feb. 5 — Sectionals at Ogden, Noon Feb. 12 — Districts at Pleasantville, 11 a.m. Home meets in bold

The Mustangs were fourth at last year’s Heart of Iowa Conference meet and fourth at sectionals and districts. Nicholson’s coaching staff includes Rusty Vos, Jake Wheeler, Chase Shirk and Dylan Blackford, who

was a former state champion at Southeast Polk and an All-American at Grand View University. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com

Winter Sports Preview, Nov. 25 & 26, 2021 – Page 20

Area squads search for success this winter Troy Hyde/ Newton News Newton junior Jake Ingle, right, is one of three team captains for the Cardinal boys basketball team as they try to climb up the standings in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

Troy Hyde/Newton News Colfax-Mingo junior Abi Rawlins led the Tigerhawks in scoring last season. She will be a big part of the Tigerhawks’ squad again this winter. Troy Hyde/Newton News Newton junior Jessie Hutchinson, right, gets congratulated by head wrestling coach Adam Hale after winning her first medal at the girls state wrestling tournament last season.

Troy Hyde/ Newton News Lynnville-Sully sophomore Corder Noun Harder will be an important piece to the Hawks’ run at a South Iowa Cedar League championship this season.

Small Continued from Page 8 One of the new wrestlers in the room is freshman Terren Gosselink. The other freshman is Skyler Stoll and the rest of the

Troy Hyde/Newton News PCM senior Carson VandeLune, right, was a second team all-conference player last season. The Mustangs hope to move up in the Heart of Iowa Conference standings this winter.

squad includes sophomores Maxwell Mintle and Trevor Van Wyk, juniors Elizabeth Elliott, Caleb Rea, Reese Dunsbergen and Malcolm Hay and seniors Miles Mintle and Brodey Johnson. The top two returners are Max and Miles Mintle.

Max Mintle finished 29-5 and won a sectional championship at 145 pounds in his first prep season. He placed fourth at districts after suffering an injury. Miles Mintle was the runner-up at sectionals at 195. He was 19-9 overall and placed

Troy Hyde/Newton News Baxter senior Lilie Vansice is one of two returning first team all-conference players from last season. The Bolts are expected to compete for the Iowa Star Conference South Division title this winter.

fourth at districts. Dunsbergen was 25-13 at 152 and placed third at sectionals. Rea was the next best returner after finishing 16-16 at 132. Van Wyk, Johnson, Elliott and Hay all wrestled at the

varsity level at some point last year. Johnson was 8-2 at 145, Hay finished 5-3 at 152 and Van Wyk was 4-9 at 126. Elliott finished 11-6 at 106. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@shawmedia.com