With swans lazing in the waters off one of the large greens on the Lake Panorama National Golf Course in Panora, NFV senior Anna Torkelson flashes a smile as she competes in the Class 2A State Golf Tournament. She finished the two-day, 36-hole tourney with a 194, placing her 35^th out of 77 golfers. (submitted photo)

Torkelson vies at State Golf

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

TigerHawk senior Anna Torkelson capped her high school career by competing at the Class 2A State Golf Tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 29-30) at the Lake Panorama National Golf Course in Panora.

This was Torkelson’s second trip to a State Golf Tourney since she was with the team when it qualified in 2016.

NFV shortstop Gina Gibson is about to apply the tag to this Sumner-Fredericksburg runner. The Cougar tried to catch the TigerHawks napping by going from first to third on a single to short right. However, NFV wasn’t surprised and nailed the runner during a rundown, with Gibson applying the coup de grace. (Jerry Wadian photo)

NFV softball opens season

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

With the opening games of the season against Turkey Valley on Wednesday in Jackson Junction rained out, NFV softball finally opened its 2018 season Friday in the first day of the annual TigerHawk Classic.  NFV faced a pair of teams that already had winning records over an eight-game stretch.

Riding a cloud of dust, Gunner Rodgers slides in safely at second with this stolen base in the first game Tuesday, May 29, against Starmont. (Kris Van Sickle photo)

Baseball splits with Stars

By Jerry Wadian

jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

NFV opened the home baseball season with a split with Starmont on Tuesday, May 29.

The TigerHawks made the most of their few opportunities in winning the opener, 9-5.

South Winn senior Jaden Schweinefus lines up a short put at last week’s Regional Golf Tournament at Silver Springs Golf Course in Ossian. Schweinefus earned medalist honors with her spectacular round of 81 (14 strokes lower than the runner-up), an effort that helped the Warriors to a first-place finish. (Shanna Schweinefus photo)

SW girls advance to 2nd round of Regionals

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The South Winneshiek girls’ golf team took care of business on its home course last week as it shot the lowest round at the Monday, May 14, Regional Golf Meet at Silver Springs Golf Course in Ossian.

The Warriors shot a 407, an impressive 29 strokes lower than runner-up Nashua-Plainfield and ahead of the third team to advance, St. Ansgar (438).

2018 State Track medal-winners (front, l-r) Mary Frana, Ellie Loesch, Olivia Massman, Felicity Taylor, Ashley Kriener, Becca Wagner; (back) Braxton Smith, Rodney Schwartzhoff, Noah Tieskoetter, Levi Lukes, and Brennan Holthaus. (Kevin Kearney photo)

Warriors bring 'A' game to State

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

“To say that we ran well at State would be an understatement.”

The words spoken by South Winneshiek co-head coach Kevin Kearney summed it up pretty well as both the Warrior boys and girls emerged with top-five finishes at the 2018 State Track Meet last week.

“Of the 14 events that qualified, 12 of them medaled/scored throughout the week,” added Kearney. “We took home a total of 30 medals between the boys and girls.”

NFV’ Anna Torkelson proudly displays the sign proclaiming she’s had her ticket punched to compete at the State Golf Tournament next week at Panora Course in Panorama. The senior earned the right to compete at State with a 49-48-97 at the Regional final on Monday, May 21. (submitted photo)

Torkelson to golf at State

NFV golfer Anna Torkelson earned the right to compete at the Class 2A State Golf Tournament Tuesday and Wednesday, May 29-30, at Lake Panora Course in Panorama.

The TigerHawk senior earned her ticket to State by scorching the waterlogged course at the Dyersville Golf and Country Club in Dyersville. 

Torkelson fired a 48-48-97 as it rained throughout the 18-hole Regional final on Monday, May 21. 

NFV boys 6 shy of State berth

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

“We actually played our best round of golf of the season,” commented NFV boys’ golf coach Derek Heins after his team shot a 332 at the District Golf Tournament at Fox Ridge Golf Course in Dike.

Despite the season-best performance, the TigerHawks did not qualify for the State Meet later this month. With host Dike-New Hartford finishing in the top two, three teams advanced. NFV was just six strokes shy of making the cut. 

NFV’s 4x100 ran a season-best 44.74 but could not make the final field of eight teams. Running in Des Moines for the 4x100 were (l-r) Jace Burrow, Zach Massman, Kade Chapman, and Jordan Einck.

TigerHawk boys do well but can't score

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

The NFV boys’ track team ran well at the State Track & Field Meet in Des Moines this week but came up short in the points column.

As one rival head coach noted, “Class 2A was just blazingly fast this year.”

Marin Ehler finished her NFV career in the shot at the State Track & Field Meet in Des Moines last week. In this photo she is breaking her own school record with a heave of 43’04”. Despite the record, the defending champion finished third after two other girls each threw over 44’. The senior finished eighth in the shot as a sophomore, won it last year, and earned a bronze medal this year with a throw one foot farther than her winning throw of last year. In all, Ehler has scored 19 points all by herself at State Meets. In the school pantheon of talented throwers, she finishes her career as the best shot-putter in school history. 

2 NFV girls total 9 points

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

North Fayette Valley had only two girls competing at the 2018 State Track & Field Meet in Des Moines this week. However, Marin Ehler and Ryin Lehmann proved to be towers of strength as the dynamic duo combined for nine points to vault the TigerHawks to 31^st place in Class 2A.

Warrior sprinters (l-r) Brennan Holthaus and Rodney Schwartzhoff both finished in the top three of the 100-meter dash at Thursday’s State Qualifying Meet in Nashua. Holthaus posted a third-place effort with a time of 11.76, while Schwartzhoff advanced to the State Meet with the top time of 11.19. (Zakary Kriener photo)

SW Warriors sending 14 events to State

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

It was a spectacular evening for the South Winn track and field teams Thursday as the teams combined to qualify 14 events for this week’s State Meet in Des Moines.

Competing at the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 1A State Qualifying Meet in Nashua, both the boys’ and girls’ teams advanced in seven events, thanks to 11 first-place efforts and three at-large bids.

Leading the way for the Warrior boys was senior sprinter Rodney Schwartzhoff, who placed first in both the 100-meter dash (11.19) and the 200-meter dash (22.91).