COMMUNITY: Youth/recreation notebook

Midland wins 12U USSSA title

LIBERTY, Mo. - The Midland Eagles 12U baseball team won the United States Specialty Sports Association Class A World Series title recently.

Of the 24 teams in the field, the Eagles were the only one to go unbeaten in pool play, then swept through the bracket portion as well.

The team is made up of players from Wyoming, Lost Nation, Center Junction, Onslow, Oxford Junction, Monmouth and Baldwin.

C.R. Helforstout captures ASA crown

DES MOINES - Helforstout of the Cedar Rapids Fast-pitch softball league won the Iowa ASA Silver State Championship last weekend.

Helforstout beat Des Moines Spirit, 15-8, in the semifinal and Fenders Cycle of Des Moines, 8-6, for the championship.

This is the second consecutive championship for Helforstout and third in the last four years.

Rick Schmidt was the tournament's Most Valuable Player, pitching all of Helforstout's games. Matt Hilby, Ashton Northern, Don Callaghan and Kevin Darrow also were named to the all-tournament team.

Rockets 16R 2nd in national

DALLAS - The Iowa Rockets 16R team, composed of 10 area incoming high school juniors, finished second recently in the 16U Open Division at the USAV Juniors National Tournament.

The same team won the 15U national title last year.

The Rockets knocked off the top seed, TAVS out of Texas, in an exciting three-game match to make it to the final four. They beat Rancho Valley (California) in the semifinals and then lost to Asics MAVS (Kansas City) in the finals.

Riley Sents of Grundy Center, Mikaela Foecke of Fort Madison and Morgan Melchert of Mount Vernon made the all-tournament.

Amanda Sahm and Abby Phillips of Marion High School, Kayla Torson of Xavier, Jordan Runge and Jordan Smith of Solon, Laynie Whitehead of I.C. West and Maddy Russell of West Branch also were members of the Iowa Rockets.