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The Gazette’s 2025 Female Athlete of the Year finalists
Libby Dix and Chloe Meester of Mount Vernon, Libby Fandel of Cedar Rapids Xavier, Jayden Kuper of Monticello and Noelle Steines of Tipton
Jul. 6, 2025 6:00 am, Updated: Jul. 8, 2025 7:54 pm
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The five finalists for The Gazette’s 2025 Female Athlete of the Year:
Libby Dix, Mount Vernon
A two-time state champion in wrestling at 190 pounds, as a junior and as a senior. She was second at 170 as a sophomore, fifth as a freshman. Compiled a 141-8 career record with 100-plus career falls. Ranked No. 6 nationally at 190 by USA Wrestling. A four-time top-five state discus thrower, winning the Class 3A championship as a senior. Placed third in the shot put as a junior. Will be a four-time letterwinner in softball. Second-team all-Wamac as a junior.
Will wrestle at the University of Iowa.
Libby Fandel, Cedar Rapids Xavier
Named Miss Iowa Basketball 2025 after leading the Saints to the Class 4A state championship. Finished her career with 1,995 points, averaging 26.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.8 steals per game as a senior. Four-time first-team all-state, and a member of the Saints’ 2022 state-title squad. A member of four state-tournament teams in volleyball, earning first-team all-state honors three times. Xavier won the state title in her sophomore season. A former state qualifier in the high jump.
Will play basketball at the University of Kansas.
Jayden Kuper, Monticello
Class 3A first-team all-state twice in basketball, once in volleyball. In basketball, she owns school records in points (1,623), rebounds (930) and steals (362). Concluded her volleyball career with 1,628 kills and 1,225 digs. Never reached the state tournament in either sport, but the Panthers won about 70 percent of their contests during the Kuper era.
Will play basketball at the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
Chloe Meester, Mount Vernon
State volleyball player of the year as a senior both by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association and Gatorade. First-team all-America by AVCA. Three-time first-team all-stater, finishing with 2,071 kills. Mustangs qualified for state four times — 3A quarterfinalists (2021), semifinalists (2022), runners-up (2023), champions (2024). Two-time first-team all-stater in basketball, leading the Mustangs to a 3A state title as a senior (they were semifinalists the previous year). Qualified for state track in the hurdles as a sophomore and junior.
Will play volleyball at the University of Louisville.
Noelle Steines, Tipton
One of only two girls in Iowa history to win four state championships in cross country. Earned three 1A titles at Calamus-Wheatland; her fourth was a 2A crown for Tipton last fall. Finished with 12 track championships (four at Cal-Wheat, eight at Tipton) — four in the 3,000, three each in the 1,500 and the distance medley relay, two in the 800. Qualified for the Drake Relays in 10 events, winning the 1,500-meter title in 2023.
Will run at Bradley University.
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
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