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).

South Winn junior Cole Klimesh earned All-UIC honors, thanks to an 18-hole round of 92 last week at the Upper Iowa Conference Meet at Tri-City Golf Course in Luana. (Shanna Schweinefus photo)

Warrior golf competes at UIC Meets

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The South Winneshiek boys’ and girls’ golf teams each competed in their respective Upper Iowa Conference Golf Meets last week, each posting a top-three finish.

The Warrior boys were led by runner-up medalist Braden Lensing, who fired a round of 87 on Monday, May 7, at Tri-City Golf Course in Luana.

The South Winn boys finished second at the meet with a 364, only eight strokes behind champion North Fayette Valley.

West Central’s Collin Kime competed for the final time in a Blue Devils uniform at the State Qualifying Meet on Thursday, April 10, in Hudson. Kime finished eighth in the high jump.

WC track season comes to an end

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

The West Central Track and Field season came to a close during the Class 1A State Qualifying Meet on Thursday, May 10, in Hudson. 

The boys’ team finished in second-to-last place with 12 points while the girls’ team finished 11th with 26.50 points. No one from either team qualified for the State Track Meet in Des Moines. 

The NFV girls’ golf team had to have umbrellas early for their Region 5A Golf Tournament on Monday (May 14) at Pleasant Valley Sports Club in Clermont. By tee time, however, the girls were able to pack the umbrellas and concentrate on golfing. The girls are (l-r) Kariann Elsbernd, Laura Weidemann, Callie Lembke, Lexi West, Anna Torkelson, and Claire Hanson. (Jerry Wadian photo)

NFV girls just miss Regional final