116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Solon lands 4 on 3A first-team all-state
Jul. 30, 2015 1:00 am
The Solon Spartans rode an elite pitcher and a potent offense to the Class 3A state softball championship.
There was star power aplenty, and that's reflected in the Iowa Girls Coaches Association all-state teams, released today.
Four Spartans earned first-team status in 3A - seniors Emily Ira, Taylor Nearad and Ali Herdliska, along with junior Sydney Lawson.
Nearad was the all-tournament captain last week, homering in all three games and finishing with 11 for the season. She batted .538 with 29 doubles and 75 RBIs.
The Spartans defeated Benton Community, 3-1, for the championship. Nearad will attend Kirkwood Community College.
Ira (28-2, 0.53 ERA, 363 strikeouts, .588) will go to Western Illinois, Herdliska (.505, 39 RBIs) to South Dakota State. Lawson (.552, 81 runs) has one more year at Solon, and has already committed to Wisconsin.
Second-teamer Monika Bevans gives the Spartans five all-staters, which matches Iowa City West for the most in the area.
Solon finished 42-3. The Spartans are 122-10 in three years under Jim White, the 3A coach of the year.
West (34-6) and Cedar Rapids Jefferson (36-9) both had two first-teamers in 5A. The overall champion of the Mississippi Valley Conference, West was represented by Adara Opiola and Taleah Smith. Jefferson, the fourth-place finisher in 5A at state, has first-teamers in Maddie Hansen and Hannah Towns.
Erin Drahozal of Cedar Rapids Xavier was a first-teamer in 4A.
Benton (42-4) and Mid-Prairie (22-13) had two first-team picks apiece in 3A. Alyssa Wiebel and Amber Fiser made the top team for Benton; Alex Rath and Amber Kral for Mid-Prairie.
Wiebel, a junior and an Illinois State commitment, led the state with 21 home runs, two in a semfinal win over Greene County. Fiser, also a junior, went over the 1,000-strikeout mark.
Class 2A champion Iowa City Regina (26-14) is represented by first-team choices Sarah Lehman, the all-tournament captain, and Kennedy Brown. Jon Prottsman is the 2A coach of the year; the state-title game was his 200th win at Regina.
Lehman, a sophomore, was 17-8 with a 1.01 ERA and 238 strikeouts. Brown, a junior, hit .462 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs.
Other area first-team picks are Emily Thole of West Delaware and Sydney Robertson of Vinton-Shellsburg in 4A, Maddie Karr of Center Point-Urbana and Libby Ryan of Mount Vernon in 3A, Lexi Weber of runner-up Cascade, Kelsey Hora of Highland and Ally Flaucher of Jesup in 2A, and Kendra Cooper of Lansing Kee and Jordan Carter of Sigourney in 1A.
IOWA GIRLS COACHES ASSOCIATION ALL-STATE TEAMS
CLASS 5A
First Team
Haley Duwa, sr., Pleasant Valley; Kendyl Lindaman, jr., Ankeny Centennial; Maddie Hansen, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Peyton Daugherty, fr., Ankeny; Taleah Smith, soph., Iowa City West; Claire Dudek, sr., Waukee; Hannah Towns, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Sarah Schaefer, soph., Waukee; Jaclyn Spencer, jr., Waterloo West; Julia Bastian, soph., West Des Moines Dowling; DoniRae Mayhew, jr., Bettendorf; Skyler Shellmyer, fr., Urbandale; Adara Opiola, sr., Iowa City West; Brooke Wilmes, soph., Johnston; Haylee Towers, jr., Johnston; Mandi Roemmich, jr., West Des Moines Valley; Anna Gernant, sr., West Des Moines Valley.
Coach of the year - Carrie Embree, Waukee.
Second Team (area only)
Ashley Hamilton, soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Jessie Harder, jr., Iowa City West; Alyssa Olson, sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Jessi Puk, soph., Cedar Rapids Washington; Tianna Drahn, jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Grace Tafolla, sr., Iowa City West; Bryn Hanrahan, soph., Iowa City West.
Third Team (area only)
Natalie Halvorson, soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Maddy Ryan, sr., Linn-Mar; Avery Guy, soph., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Madi Miller, sr., Iowa City West.
CLASS 4A
First Team
Alexis Groet, soph., Oskaloosa; Molly Jacobsen, jr., Adel ADM; Taylor Goode, jr., Norwalk; Libby Yenger, sr., Indianola; Gabby Schnathorst, jr., Carlisle; Emma Valainis, soph., Davenport Assumption; Macy Johnson, soph., Winterset; Kanzi Sutton, sr., Adel ADM: Mackenzie McClure, sr., Fairfield; Emily Thole, sr., West Delaware; Alyx Witt, fr., Norwalk; Logan Schaben, fr., Harlan; Sara Tallman, jr., Pella; Sydney Robertson, sr., Vinton-Shellsburg; Gabbie Scherle, sr., Ballard; Shyanne Dubois, sr., Carlisle; Mallory Kilian, sr., Fort Dodge; Erin Drahozal, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Rachel Lowary, soph., Dallas Center-Grimes; Halee LaMasters, sr., Creston.
Coach of the year - Steve Schlafke, Dallas Center-Grimes.
Second Team (area only)
Lexi Kinnaird, sr., Clear Creek Amana; Ashley Botsford, sr., Western Dubuque.
Third Team (area only)
McKenna Owen, sr., Maquoketa; Lauren Stopko, sr., Clear Creek Amana.
CLASS 3A
First Team
Emily Ira, sr., Solon; Taylor Nearad, sr., Solon; Alyssa Wiebel, jr., Benton Community; Amber Fiser, jr., Benton Community; Marissa Promes, sr., Greene County; Mariah Fritz, sr., East Marshall; Maddie Karr, fr., Center Point-Urbana; Vanessa Bakley, soph., Clarke; Riley Hale, sr., West Burlington-Notre Dame; C.J. VanDerZwaag, sr., Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley; Mackenzie Thate, jr., Spirit Lake; Brooke Craig, sr., Waterloo Columbus; Cassie Van Beek, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley; Ali Herdliska, sr., Solon; Aleenah Marcucci, jr., Northeast; Liz Miklus, sr., Saydel; Emily Wilson, sr., Bondurant-Farrar; Alex Rath, jr., Mid-Prairie; Amber Kral, jr. Mid-Prairie; Libby Ryan, soph., Mount Vernon; Sydney Lawson, jr., Solon; Ashley Allen, sr., East Marshall.
Coach of the year - Jim White, Solon.
Second Team (area only)
Samantha Croghan, sr., Center Point-Urbana; Monika Bevans, jr., Solon; Shelby Hulsebus, fr., Benton Community; Lexi Duwa, sr., Mid-Prairie; Tawny Menster, sr., Anamosa; Megan Gavin, jr., North Fayette Valley; Anna James, sr., Monticello; Lea Brunssen, jr., Benton Community.
Third Team (area only)
Kyleigh Becker, jr., West Liberty; Hailey Daufeldt, jr., West Liberty; Lily Dahlstrom, jr., Mount Vernon; Jess Miller, sr., Williamsburg; Mikayla Whitman, jr., Anamosa; Abbie Decker, sr., Dyersville Beckman; Olivia Brecht, fr., Center Point-Urbana; Emma Troyer, sr., Mid-Prairie.
CLASS 2A
First Team
Kennedy Brown, jr., Iowa City Regina; Mallory Vawter, sr., Conrad BCLUW; Hannah Ausenhaus, 8th, Central Springs; Lexi Killinger, jr., Treynor; Peyton Gross, fr., IKM-Manning; Bailey Janssen, sr., Missouri Valley; Kelsey Hora, soph., Highland; Lexi Weber, sr., Cascade; Shannon Telsrow, jr., Durant; Amanda Lansman, sr., Fort Dodge St. Edmond; Sarah Rolling, jr., North Union; Laura Hempel, sr., Treynor; Sarah Lehman, soph., Iowa City Regina; Allison Klenk, sr., Wapello; Autumn Boland, sr., North Union; Sadie Baugher, sr., Eddyville EBF; Bailey Richards, jr., Van Meter; Jasmine Lawson, jr., Durant; Ally Flaucher, sr., Jesup; Lexi Binder, jr., Lawton-Bronson; Maggie Harvey, soph., Fort Dodge St. Edmond; Carlyn Stanley, soph., Interstate 35.
Coach of the year - Jon Prottsman, Iowa City Regina.
Second Team (area only)
Katie Springer, sr., Highland; Lynsey Dolphin, jr., Cascade; Olivia Baxa, jr., Lisbon; Taylor Huber, jr., Alburnett; Jenny Wick, jr., Iowa City Regina; Taylor Jones, soph., West Branch; Cheyann Adamson, jr., Highland.
Third Team (area only)
Olivia Smith, sr., Clayton RIdge; Brittany Shindelar, sr., South Winneshiek; Rachel Supple, jr., North-Linn; Jordan Bendixen, sr., North Cedar; Brianna Mensen, soph., Maquoketa Valley.
CLASS 1A
First Team
Morgan Frost, sr., Don Bosco; Taylor Graven, soph., North Butler; Morgan Christner, jr., New London; Kylah Schumacher, sr., Martensdale-St. Marys; Dally Veach, sr., Wayne; Emily Parks, sr., New London; Madison Rasmussen, sr., Lynnville-Sully; Kasiah Ehresman, jr., Lynnville-Sully; Ashley Sicard, sr., Ackley AGWSR; Maddie Deters, sr., Ackley AGWSR; Kendra Cooper, fr., Lansing Kee; Blake Banowetz, sr., Bellevue Marquette; Katie Banowetz, soph., Calamus-Wheatland; Gabby Tath, sr., Bellevue Marquette; Ashley Ewoldt, jr., Charter Oak-Ute; Jade Petersen, sr., Woodbury Central; Makenna Thomas, soph., River Valley; Carley DeRoin, jr., Westwood; Bailey Davis, soph., Akron-Westfield; Jordan Carter, sr., Sigourney.
Coach of the year - Scott O'Brien & Brenda Drake, Ackley AGWSR.
Second Team (area only)
Ellie Cooper, jr., Lansing Kee; Makenzie O'Brien, soph., Belle Plaine.
Third Team (area only)
Sarah Matus, sr., Springville; Amber Hall, jr., BGM.
l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com
Solon's Taylor Nearad rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of their Class 3A championship game against Benton Community on Friday. Nearad is one of four first-team all-staters in 3A for the Spartans, joining Ali Herdliska, Emily Ira and Sydney Lawson. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Solon's Ali Herdliska (14) makes contact against Mid-Prairie in a Class 3A regional-semifinal high school softball game in Solon on Friday, July 10, 2015. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette)
Solon's Emily Ira (11) delivers to the plate during their 4A Championship game at the 2014 High School State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge on Friday, July 25, 2014. Dallas Center-Grimes defeated Solon 5-0. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette-KCRG TV9)
Mount Vernon's Libby Ryan hits a softball during practice on Friday, July 17, 2015. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Mid-Prairie's Amber Kral reacts as she runs to home plate after hitting a home run during the seventh inning of their class 3A quarterfinal game against Ballard at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Mid-Prairie lost, 5-4. (SourceMedia Group News/Jim Slosiarek)
West Delaware athlete of the year finalist Emily Thole stands in downtown Manchester on Thursday, June 11, 2015. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette)
Cedar Rapids Xavier softball player Erin Drahozal poses with her mother, Kelly, at the Xavier High School softball field on Tuesday, May 19, 2015. Drahozal is a top hitter and pitcher for the Saints. ¬ (KC McGinnis/The Gazette)
Cedar Rapids Xavier softball player Erin Drahozal practices with her team at the Xavier High School softball field on Tuesday, May 19, 2015. Drahozal is a top hitter and pitcher for the Saints. ¬ (KC McGinnis/The Gazette)
Highland's Kelsey Hora (6) connects on a pitch for a hit during their 2A Semifinal game at the 2014 High School State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge on Thursday, July 24, 2014. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette-KCRG TV9)
Kee's Kendra Cooper (10) delivers to the plate during their 1A Championship game at the 2014 High School State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge on Friday, July 25, 2014. Akron-Westfield defeated Kee 12-1. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette-KCRG TV9)
Center Point-Urbana's Maddie Karr hits the ball during a semifinal against Fort Dodge at the Linn-Mar/Alburnett Softball Invitational at Lowe Park Sports Complex in Marion on Saturday, June 27, 2015. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)
Mid-Prairie's Alex Rath (1) reacts after bobbling the ball against Solon in a Class 3A regional-semifinal high school softball game in Solon on Friday, July 10, 2015. (Adam Wesley/The Gazette)
Benton Community's Alyssa Wiebel rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the bottom of the fourth inning of their class 3A semifinal game at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's 2015 State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Thursday, July 23, 2015. Benton Community won 8-1. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Benton Community's Amber Fiser delivers a pitch during the first inning of their class 3A semifinal game against Greene County at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's 2015 State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Thursday, July 23, 2015. Fiser got her 1,000th strike-out during the game. Benton Community won 8-1.(Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Hannah Towns makes a flyable catch during the top of the third inning of their class 5A semifinal game against Johnston at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's 2015 State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Thursday, July 23, 2015. Johnston won 2-1. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Maddie Hansen swings during batting practice as the J-Hawks practice on their day off from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's 2015 State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Wednesday, July 22, 2015. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Iowa City Regina's Kennedy Brown (right) tags out Cascade's Bailey Clemens during the fifth inning of their class 2A championship game at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's 2015 State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Friday, July 24, 2015. Regina won 2-0. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Iowa City Regina's Sarah Lehman pitches during the second inning of their class 2A championship game against Cascade at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's 2015 State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Friday, July 24, 2015. Regina won 2-0. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Benton Community's Jessie Havlik (left) dives safely back to second base as Solon's Sydney Lawson can't field the ball during the seventh inning of their class 3A championship game at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's 2015 State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Friday, July 24, 2015. Solon won 3-1. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Iowa City West's Taleah Smith swings at a pitch during their game against Mt. Pleasant during the Iowa City West Rick Doran Classic at the University of Iowa softball complex in Iowa City on Saturday, July 4, 2015. ¬ (KC McGinnis / The Gazette)
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