Iowa all-state softball 2019: North Linn’s Flanagan twins highlight area selections

Abby Flanagan pitched. Grace Flanagan caught. And North Linn won, and won big. Less than a week after leading the Lynx to the Class 2A state softball championship, the Flanagan twins were named 2A first-team all-staters by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

North Linn finished 42-4, outscoring its three state-tournament foes by a combined margin of 17-1, including a 3-0 decision over Alta-Aurelia in the championship game last Thursday at the Rogers Sports Complex, Fort Dodge.

'It was very memorable, of course,' Abby Flanagan said Thursday. 'I'm really proud of the way the team came out and performed.'

Abby Flanagan was the 2A all-tournament captain. She struck out 16 batters in the title game, pitching a four-hit shutout. She finished her season at 29-2 with a 0.55 earned run average and 317 strikeouts (against 16 walks) in 178 1/3 innings.

Grace served as Abby's battery mate and the Lynx's cleanup hitter. She batted .477 with 12 home runs, 43 runs and 48 RBIs. Abby hit .419 with 55 RBIs.

'Having Grace back there, it makes everything a lot easier,' Abby said. 'She knows how to call a game, and she knows how to calm me down. She likes to be in charge out on the field.'

The Lynx cashed in on their first state appearance, and the Flanagans (juniors) are among nine returning starters for 2020.

North Linn Coach Marv Porter was named the 2A coach of the year; Iowa City High's Jeff Koenig won the honor in 5A.

Koenig guided the Little Hawks (36-8) to their best season in school history, which culminated in a third-place finish at state. Sophomores Ayana Lindsey and Carey Koenig was named to the 5A first team, along with Cedar Rapids Kennedy's pitching duo of Kaylin Kinney and Jayme Scheck and Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Lindsey Culver and Kaylee Donner.

» Kaylee Donner of Cedar Rapids Jefferson is The Gazette's 2019 Female Athlete of the Year

Three Metro/Iowa City players were named to the 4A first team: Keera Ball of Cedar Rapids Xavier, Sydney Nielsen of Marion and Brylee Klosterman of Iowa City Liberty. Katie Bracken of Iowa City Regina is a 2A first-team selection.

Other area first-teamers are Eve Wedewer of West Delaware and Mackenzie Hupke of Independence in 4A, Haylee Lehman and Isabelle True of West Liberty, Sammy Moss of Mount Vernon and Angie Gorkow of Benton Community in 3A, Heather Boeckenstedt of Dyersville Beckman in 2A, and Skylar Sadler of Lisbon and Kelsey Lint of BGM in 1A.

Class 5A

FIRST TEAM

Jasmine Rumley, jr., Ankeny

Lindsey Culver, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson

Kaylee Donner, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson

Kaylin Kinney, jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Jayme Scheck, soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Abby Nolte, sr., Des Moines Hoover

Katie Schaul, sr., Dubuque Hempstead

Jalen Adams, fr., Fort Dodge

Tristin Doster, soph., Fort Dodge

Destiny Lewis, soph., Indianola

Ayana Lindsey, soph., Iowa City High

Carey Koenig, soph., Iowa City High

Sophie Maras, sr., Johnston

Chloe Fehn, jr., Johnston

Kacy Nicherson, jr., Ottumwa

Carli Spelhaug, sr., Pleasant Valley

Alex Honnold, jr., West Des Moines Valley

Haley Gatica, sr., West Des Moines Valley

Delaney Taylor, sr., Waukee

Molly Jacobson, sr., Waukee

Coach of the year — Jeff Koenig, Iowa City High

SECOND TEAM

Area only

Abby Spore, jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Kiahna Hill, jr., Iowa City West

Payton Akers, sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie

THIRD TEAM

Area only

Alex Smith, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson

Alexis Barden, fr., Cedar Rapids Prairie

Sydney Fellows, jr., Iowa City High

Carly Rima, sr., Linn-Mar

Class 4A

FIRST TEAM

Abbie Hlas, jr., Adel ADM

Skylar Rigby, jr., Ballard

Abby Husak, jr., Ballard

Emma Dighton, soph., Boone

Makaylin Powers, sr., Burlington

Alyvia Dubois, sr., Carlisle

Molly Hoekstra, jr., Carlisle

Samantha Heyer, sr., Charles City

Lisabeth Fiser, jr., Charles City

Megan Doty, sr., Grinnell

Morgan Schaben, sr., Harlan

Mackenzie Hupke, sr., Independence

Brylee Klosterman, jr., Iowa City Liberty

Emery Neer, sr., Knoxville

Sydney Nielsen, sr., Marion

Sam Lee, jr., North Scott

Maddie Parks, sr., Pella

Eve Wedewer, soph., West Delaware

Jena Young, 8th, Winterset

Keera Ball, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Coach of Year —Jim Flaws, Carlisle

SECOND TEAM

Area only

Allie Jo Zieser, jr., Independence

Olivia Richards, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

THIRD TEAM

Area only

Ainsley Schrock, jr., Clear Creek Amana

Kellie Dallmeyer, soph., Washington

Macey Kleitsch, jr., West Delaware

Kya Loffswold, soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Class 3A

FIRST TEAM

Alex Beard, jr., Albia

Jena Lawrence, jr., Albia

Kameryn Etherington, jr., Algona

Baylee Newell, sr., Atlantic

Angie Gorkow, sr., Benton Community

Tara Wehde, jr., Camanche

Claire Mathews, soph., Centerville

Taylor Hogan, sr., Waterloo Columbus

Alivia Schultz, soh., Waterloo Columbus

Laken Lienhard, jr., Crestwood

Ali Timmons, sr., Davenport Assumption

Lea Nelson, sr., Davenport Assumption

Ana Wohlers, soph., Davenport Assumption

Reina Taylor, sr., Eddyville EBF

Ellie Jacobson, sr., Humboldt

Hailey Sanders, jr., Louisa-Muscatine

Kylee Sanders, soph., Louisa-Muscatine

Sammy Moss, sr., Mount Vernon

Karli Olsen, jr., Spirit Lake

Sydni Huisman, sr., Treynor

Haylee Lehman, jr., West Liberty

Isabelle True, sr., West Liberty

Coach of the year — Ron Ferrill, Davenport Assumption

SECOND TEAM

Area only

Reagan Schutte, jr., Center Point- Urbana

Skylar Stookey, sr., Solon

Kayla West, sr., Solon

Austyn Crees, jr., West Liberty

Jill Holub, jr., Williamsburg

THIRD TEAM

Area only

Jessie Frasher, sr., Anamosa

Kallio Minger, jr., Anamosa

Taylor Ryan, sr., Solon

Peyton Driscoll, 8th, Williamsburg

Class 2A

FIRST TEAM

Abby Kraemer, sr., Alta-Aurelia

Jessica Flaherty, sr., Alta-Aurelia

Heather Boeckenstedt, sr., Dyersville Beckman

Hannah Ausenhus, sr., Central Springs

Payton Slaughter, sr., Cherokee

Rilee Slycord, sr., Colfax-Mingo

Ruby Kappeler, sr., Durant

Alli Boyle, soph., Earlham

Madison Farrington, sr., East Marshall

Maria Rasmussen, sr., East Marshall

Molly Schany, jr., Emmetsburg

Lilly Miller, sr., Interstate 35

Caroline McAlexander, sr., Mount Ayr

Abby Flanagan, jr., North Linn

Grace Flanagan, jr., North Linn

Denali Loecker, jr., Ogden

Makenzie McGriff, jr., Pleasantville

Katie Bracken, sr., Iowa City Regina

Jadyn Anderson, sr., Saint Ansgar

Meagan Blomgren, sr., Van Meter

Lexi Lander, jr., West Monona

Payton Schwiesow, jr., West Sioux

Coach of the year — Marv Porter, North Linn

SECOND TEAM

Area only

Madison Osborn, sr., Alburnett

Kristin Sadler, jr., Jesup

Nicki Henson, soph., West Branch

THIRD TEAM

Area only

Sydney Steffen, sr., Dyersville Beckman

Zoe Miller, jr., Jesup

Kaitlyn Sommerfelt, soph., North Linn

Hannah Bridgewater, jr., North Linn

Class 1A

FIRST TEAM

Taryan Barrick, sr., Ackley AGWSR

Makenna Kuper, soph., Ackley AGWSR

Bailey Ashton, sr., Conrad BCLUW

Kelsey Lint, sr., BGM

Mackenzie Meister, jr., Algona Garrigan

Kori Wedeking, jr., Clarksville

Mikayla Houge, jr., Collins-Maxwell

Alexis Houge, fr., Collins-Maxwell

T.J. Stoaks, soph., Lenox

Skylar Sadler, sr., Lisbon

Emily Krpan, sr., Melcher-Dallas

Breianna Klein, sr., Murray

Kayla Wookey, sr., Murray

Layney Loyd, jr., New London

Olivia Larsen, sr., Newell-Fonda

Ella Larsen, soph., Newell-Fonda

Lily Castle, jr., Mason City Newman

Taryn Hintz, jr., South O'Brien

Sterling Berndt, fr., Wayne

Camryn Jacobsen, soph., Wayne

Katelyn Martian, sr., Westwood

Andee Martin, sr., Westwood

Coach of the year — Troy Houge, Collins-Maxwell

SECOND TEAM

Area only

Lilly Parrott, jr., Belle Plaine

Leeah Weber, jr., Central City

Madison Tritle, sr., Central City

Peyton Robinson, 8th, Lisbon

THIRD TEAM

Area only

Shaylee Dodd, sr., Belle Plaine

Katie Brennan, sr., Lansing Kee

Sam Schrantz, sr., Lisbon

Reegan Happel, sr., Lisbon

Megan Stuhr, jr., Sigourney

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com