March 18, 2024

All-State honors go to 10 area softball players

Ten area softball players received all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association. The IGCA released its 2016 All-State softball teams Thursday.

Newton High senior Sydney Jenkins earned her fourth consecutive all-state honor. Jenkins was named to the 2016 IGCA All-State Class 4A first team. She was a second-team honoree in 2015 and was on the 4A third team as sophomore and a freshman.

Collins-Maxwell/Baxter concluded its 2016 season at the 3A state softball tournament. The Raiders claimed the fifth-place trophy in CMB’s first-ever state tournament appearance.

CMB senior Payge Jurgens was named to the 2016 All-State Class 3A first team. CMB’s junior Abbey Kahler earned 3A second-team honors after earning 2A third-team state honors in 2015.

CMB’s Mikayla Houge, an eighth-grader, and Prairie City-Monroe junior Jayci Vos were named to the 3A third-team.

In 1A, Colfax-Mingo junior Amy Russell and Lynnville-Sully senior Kasiah Ehresman earned second-team honors. Lynnville-Sully junior Brenna Lanser received 1A third-team honors while Colfax-Mingo sophomores Ries Wilson and Rhiannon Haley claimed honorable mention honors.

Jenkins, who will play NCAA Division I softball at Creighton next year, led Newton to a 21-11 record in 2016. Jenkins started at shortstop the past two years after three years as Newton’s starting catcher.

She finished 10th in 4A in stolen base attempts, 28-of-28. She had an on-base average of .561, which was 11th best in 4A. She drew 22 walks, which was seventh best in 4A.

Jenkins had a .451 batting average for the Cardinals, leading them in triples with four, tying for sixth in 4A. She had 43 hits and 10 doubles. She scored 39 runs and drove in 11 runs. She had a fielding average of .956.

Jurgens, who will play for Waldorf College next year, was CMB’s first baseman. She led the Raiders with nine home runs, which tied her for ninth in 3A.

Her .762 slugging percentage was 13th among 3A hitters and her .544 on-base-average was 15th.

Jurgens finished with 44 hits and six doubles. She drove in 33 runs and scored 35 runs. She drew 23 walks and struck out only eight times. Jurgens’ had a team-high .436 batting average. She had a .991 fielding average with just two errors on the season.

Kahler went 14-5 in the circle for CMB with a 2.11 earned run average. She notched 126 strikeouts, which was 11th in Class 3A. In her 109 2/3 innings of work, she allowed 90 hits, 47 runs and walked 10 batters.

Kahler was one of the Raiders’ top hitters with a .385 batting average and a .541 slugging percentage. She paced the Raiders in doubles with 11 and had two home runs. She 42 base hits, scored 12 runs and drove in 28 runs.

Houge ended her first season of high school softball with the seventh-best ERA, 1.56, in Class 3A. She was 13-3 pitching for the Raiders. Houge worked 112 1/3 innings, allowing 96 hits and 40 runs. She struck out 116 batters and walked 27.

At the plate, Houge delivered 31 hits, seven doubles and one triple. She had a .323 batting average, drove in 22 runs and scored 10 runs.

PCM’s Vos led the Mustangs in stolen bases, 10-of-11, and in RBIs, 20. She had a .341 batting average and a .869 fielding average at third base. Vos had 29 hits, two doubles, two triples and led the team with four home runs. She scored 23 runs.

In Class 1A, Lynnville-Sully’s Ehresman finished second in stolen bases by one. Ehresman was 67-of-70 on stolen base attempts and finished her career with 219 stolen bases. Ehresman has earned 1A state honors three straight seasons.

Ehresman 52 runs scored was 10th in 1A. She had 49 hits, one double and five RBIs. She had a .537 on-base average and hit .462 as the Hawks’ second baseman.

At third base for the Hawks was Lanser, who led the team with seven home runs, tied for seventh in Class 1A. She had 47 RBIs, which was ninth in 1A, with a .458 batting average and a .794 slugging average. Lanser had 49 hits, nine doubles and three triples. She had a .794 slugging average.

Colfax-Mingo’s Tigerhawks captured the South Iowa Cedar League title going 25-10 this season.

Russell was 16-5 in the pitching circle for the Tigerhawks with a 2.13 ERA. Russell allowed 60 runs on 103 hits, 34 walks and 14 hit batters. She recorded 119 strikeouts. She also had two saves.

Russell’s .521 batting average was fifth best in 1A and her .860 slugging average was eighth in 1A. Russell led the Tigerhawks with 63 hits, 17 doubles and six home runs, which tied her for 14th in 1A with Wilson. She drove in 44 runs and scored a team-high 50 runs. She was 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts.

Russell earned Class 2A third team honors as a freshman in 2014.

Wilson played center field for Colfax-Mingo and powered out six home runs. She led the team with 18 doubles. Wilson had 60 hits and three triples. She scored 47 runs and had 33 RBIs. Wilson had a .462 batting average, and a .785 slugging percentage. She was 11-of-12 on stolen base attempts.

Haley was behind the plate all season for the Tigerhawks, throwing out 10 runners on 25 stolen base attempts. She had 47 hits, nine double sand five home runs. Haley had 38 RBIs with a .398 batting average.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com