On the Run

April 2015

STATE HOOPS

North Scott’s Unsung Hero P. 18

More Than a Game P. 21

Full Arsenal P. 22

ALL-STATE PICKS

P. 21 & P. 26

2015 Drake Relays Preview

Gilbert’s Grace Gibbons ▶

www.caseys.com

F E A T U R E S

BOYS BASKETBALL

18 Unsung Hero▶North Scott’s Grant Graham was an unlikely star in the Class 4A state title game, but he was a fitting one

21 More than a Game▶Woodward Academy made history with its state tournament berth, but the team achieved much more than that this winter

GIRLS BASKETBALL

22 Fully Loaded▶Unity Christian simply had too many weapons at its disposal on the way to a Class 2A state championship

DRAKE RELAYS PREVIEW

26 On the Run▶Gear up for this year’s edition of the Drake Relays. Many record-breaking preps have moved on since last spring, but new stars are ready to emege

Staff and Contacts

President...........................Rush Nigut (rush@sportsspotlight.com)Business Ops.....................John Streets (john@sportsspotlight.com)Programming Director.....Tony Atzeni (tony@sportsspotlight.com)Editor-in-Chief.................Tork Mason (editor@sportsspotlight.com)Sales Director....................Peter Tarpey (peter@sportsspotlight.com)Graphics............................Giuliana Lamantia (art@sportsspotlight.com)Marketing.........................Megan Leverenz (support@sportsspotlight.com)

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Departments

Be a Sport ▶Character counts Mic’d Up ▶Woodward Academy basketball coach Dustin SperlingHy-Vee Horizon Athletes of the WeekGTSB Student Athlete of the Month ▶Elle Ruffridge, Pocahontas AreaThe Bullpen ▶How can we make youth sports more enjoyable?The Month AheadWhere are They Now? ▶Kip Janvrin, most decorated Drake Relays Athlete

16EMBRACE THE MADNESS

There were plenty of surprises at the 2015 state basketball

tournaments, including North Scott’s Class4A boys title.

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Warming Up

RundownTheApril 2015Volume 3, Iss. 7

April 2015 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | 3

Character Counts has a simple mission, promoting it’s “Six Pillars of Character” — trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Housed on the campus of Drake University, Character Counts in Iowa has community-based chapters throughout the state.

Skills such as leadership, determination, integrity and attitude can be taught and reinforced and are the building blocks of a team that strives for excellence, according to CC. The annual Pursuing Victory With Honor Summit’s focus, which was held on the University of Northern Iowa campus this past fall, is to share strategies to help high school student-athletes achieve this excellence through mental focus, communication, leadership, toughness, attitude and motivation.

Pursuing Victory With Honor believes there is nothing unhealthy about competition in sports. “Winning is important, but how you pursue victory is essential.” There are five principals that all sports programs should follow:

* Winning is important, but honor is more important. “Quality sports programs should not trivialize or demonize the desire to win. It’s disrespectful to athletes and coaches to say, ‘It’s only a game.’ The greatest value of sports is its ability to enhance the character and uplift the ethics of participants and spectators.”

* Ethics is essential to true winning. “The best strategy is not to de-emphasize winning but to more vigorously emphasize ethical standards and sportsmanship in the honorable pursuit of victory. That’s winning in its truest sense.”

* There’s no true victory without honor. “Cheating and bad sportsmanship rob victories of their value.”

* Ethics and sportsmanship are ground rules. “Sports programs must never be subordinated to the desire to win. It’s never proper to act unethically to succeed.”

* Benefits of sports come from the competition, not the outcome. “The vital lessons and great value of sports are learned from the honorable pursuit of victory, not from victories, titles, or win-loss records.”

No program wants to believe it has a problem with sportsmanship, but unfortunately almost every program experiences some form of unethical or unsportsmanlike behavior at times — whether the actions come from a coach, a fan or an athlete. The Six Pillars are the core ethical values providing the foundation for the Arizona Sports Summit Accord, which is the basis of the Pursuing Victory With Honor campaign.

Sportsmanship can be defined in the Pillars.* Trustworthiness. “Always pursue victory with honor. Demonstrate and demand

scrupulous integrity. Observe and enforce the spirit and letter of rules. Don’t compromise education and character-development goals. Don’t engage in or tolerate dishonesty, cheating or dishonorable conduct.”

Be a SportWarming Up BE A SPORT | MIC’D UP | HY-VEE HORIZON | GTSB STUDENT | BULLPEN | THE MONTH AHEAD

4 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | April 2015

Character does count in sports | By Nancy Justis

The greatest value of sports is

their ability to enhance

the character and uplift

the ethics of participants

and spectators.

* Respect. “Treat the traditions of the sport and other participants with respect. Don’t engage in or tolerate disrespectful conduct, including verbal abuse of opponents and officials, profane or belligerent ‘trash-talking,’ taunting and unseemly celebrations. Win with grace and lose with dignity.”

* Responsibility. “Be a positive role model on and off the field and require the same of athletes. Further the mental, social and moral development of athletes and teach life skills that enhance personal success and social responsibility. Maintain competence including basic knowledge of character building, first aid and safety, and coaching principles, rules and strategies.”

* Fairness. “Adhere to high standards of fair play. Treat players fairly according to their abilities. Never take unfair advantage. Be open-minded.”

* Caring. “Assure that the academic, emotional, physical and moral well-being of athletes is always placed above desires and pressures to win. Do not permit reckless or potentially unsafe behavior of athletes.”

* Citizenship. “Avoid gamesmanship and promote sportsmanship by honoring the rules and goals of the sport. Establish codes of conduct for coaches, athletes, parents and spectators. Safeguard the health of athletes and the integrity of the sport by prohibiting the use of alcohol and tobacco. Demand compliance with all laws and regulations, including those relating to gambling and the use of drugs.”

Common sense, right? So why is the lack of sportsmanship so prevalent?

Let us know what you think by contacting Justis at njustis@cfu.net.

Nancy Justis is a former competitive swimmer and collegiate sports information director. She is a partner with Justis Creative Communications and a Champion for Positive Coaching Alliance.

Warming UpBE A SPORT | MIC’D UP | HY-VEE HORIZON | GTSB STUDENT | BULLPEN | THE MONTH AHEAD

April 2015 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | 5

www.agentkeithh.com

TONY ATZENI: What a great experience this year, Shaun, Woodward Academy becoming the first academy to make the state basketball tournament. Talk about what basketball brought to this school in such a positive way. I know sitting in the arena, with all the media and the fans there, it was very impressive, what Woodward Academy showed the public about this school. SHAUN MOHON: It was great, Tony. It was a great thing for our kids to rally around; it’s something bigger than any individual kid or player. They could rally around something a little bigger than themselves, bigger than their ideas or goals and come together as a team. We teach teamwork to our kids in every aspect of their lives. When they leave and go get a job, they’re working in teams; when they go back to their families, they’re working in teams with their parents; when they go to the classroom, they’re working with their teachers. We teach teamwork, and to be able to rally around a team sport like that, it was special for our kids. TA: We always talk sports and life, and how they

intermingle. And it’s such a true statement. Talk about what sports have done for a lot of these kids, now that they’re part of the program.SM: A lot of our kids, they’ve never played [organized] sports before. It’s more like just playing at the park with their buddies. For them to come into an atmosphere where there’s a level of commitment, a level of integrity; we have a high standard for behavior for our student-athletes here, and how they’re doing in the classroom and dorm life. That environment really helps kids, and kids love to win. We were able to have some success and kids learned some of those lessons through basketball that are really invaluable. TA: You had the whole student body [at Wells Fargo Arena]; it was an incredible atmosphere. Woodward Academy is also a day school, so it’s not just the guys; you have some young ladies there, as well. Talk about that overall atmosphere here, and talk about some of the opportunities you’re giving kids with second chances here at Woodward Academy. SM: We offer so many different services and things that can help

kids change. We offer group sessions for kids every night during the week, where they’re learning emotional management skills, they’re learning social skills and sharing stories about their lives. We offer individual counseling, family counseling. Our kids take on a regular school schedule and we have sports, extra-curricular [activities]. We have jobs on campus that kids can get. We have a day school, where kids come in from their respective communities in the area and go to school here. It was just great for every area of our campus to rally around basketball. It’s cool to see everybody wearing their state tournament t-shirts, and even know, you hear staff and students talking about it. TA: And what about all the others who have gotten so much from this program? I’m sure you get people coming back and saying thanks, and I’m sure this story reignited the things they got from Woodward Academy.SM: We hear from kids all the time. As an employee here, the best thing you can hear from a student is, ‘Hey, I’m going to school,’ ‘Hey, I’m getting along with my mom and stepdad,’ ‘Hey, I’ve got a job.’ We have tons of times where we hear back from students who are doing very well. That’s why you do it; that’s why we do

basketball and all the other services we offer here to help

kids change their ways.TA: Thanks, Shaun.

SM: Yeah, you bet!To see the full transcript of

this interview, visit www.sportsspotlight.com.

Mic’d Up With

Tony Atzeni

The InterviewSHAUN MOHONWO O DWA R D ACA D E M YWoodward Academy made history by reaching the state basketball tournament, becoming the first school of its kind to make the tournament. Assistant coach Shaun Mohon discusses the team’s experience and what it meant for the players.

See what some of the state’s top coaches and athletes have to say, though the filter of Hall of Fame broadcaster Tony Atzeni.

Soph. | Gladbrook-ReinbeckJoe Smoldt

Smoldt was spectacular in the Rebels’ 80-57 Class 1A quarterfinal win over Nodaway Valley. The sophomore, who was named the all-tournament team captain after leading the Rebels to a state title, scored 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including a 6-for-7 mark from behind the arc.

Senior | Fremont-M

ills

Macy WilliamsPhoto by Tork Mason

Williams led the Knights to the Class 1A state tournament after averaging 17.3 points and 6.1 assists per game in the regular season and regional play. She scored 20 points and tallied 5 assists in the Knights’ 53-50 quarterfinal loss to Springville.

Photo by Tork Mason

English was one of the main forces behind Woodward Academy’s Class 2A state tournament berth, as the junior averged 20.6 points and 4.4 assists per game. He scored 26 points and pulled down 6 rebounds in the Knights’ 82-69 quarterfinal loss to Aplington-Parkersburg.

Junior | Woodw

ard Academy

Dontre English

Senior | Unity Christian

De Jong was electrifying in the Knights’ 69-40 victory over North Linn in the Class 2A title game. The senior scored 29 points with a quartet of 3-pointers and grabbed 8 boards in her final game as a prep.

Photo by Tork Mason

Kassidy De Jong

Senior | Waukee

Ellie CavanaughCavanaugh consistently found the open player on the Warriors’ run to the Class 5A state championship, and she set a tournament record with 10 assists in a 72-58 victory over Valley in the championship game.

Junior | Treynor

Chapman was instrumental in leading the Cardinals to the Class 2A state championship, the first in school history. The junior averaged 19 points per game in three state tournament contests and was named to the all-tournament team.

Nolan Chapman

Photo by Tork Mason

Photo by Tork Mason

Photo by Tork Mason

OUR CHOICE IS YOUR BEST CHOICE.

22Volume 3 Issue 4

SportsSpotlight.com

AthleteMONTHStudent

Presented by the Governor’s Traffic Safet y Bureau- IowaGTSB.org

SportsSpotlight.com

of t

he

Elle RuffridgePocahontas Area High School, Class of 2017, 3.756 GPA

Photo by Tork Mason

Sports: Cross-Country, Volleyball, Basketball, Track & Field

Academic Achievements/Honors: National Honor Society Member, Honor Roll, Lions Club Honors Member

College or post-high school plans: Attend four-year university & play Division-I basketball

Athletic Achievements/Honors: First team All-State guard, INA (2014, 2015); first team All-State guard, Des Moines Register (2015); first team All-State, IGCA (2015); Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A Player of the Year (2015); state record for most points scored by freshman (612); state record for most points scored by sophomore (733); cross-country state meet qualifier (2013, 2014), 13th place (2014)

Achievements

What’s your favorite sport to play? Why? Basketball is my favorite because it’s one of the things that makes me very happy! Basketball has taken me to places all over the country. I have also met some great people and have made friendships that will last a lifetime.

What’s your favorite sports memory?My favorite sports memory was qalifying for the state basketball tournament this past season and finally getting to play in Wells Fargo Arena.

Do you have any fun pre-game “rituals” that prepare you for an event?Before each game, I like to run the hallways with a few of my teammates. I also like to have a ball and “form shoot” in the locker room prior to taking the floor. I have a special pre-game warm-up routine on the floor prior to each game that I like to do, as well.

What’s your favorite subject in school and why?P.E. I like the competition and different types of games we play. There are also no tests that you have to study for!

Who inspires you? Why?My parents inspire me the most. They have taugh me and my brothers several life lessons that have helped me become the person I am today.

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It is time to put the fun back into Youth sports. Making the sports experience more enjoyable and less stressful for a child may keep that child involved in sports longer. Keeping kids in sports longer helps foster a lifelong commitment to fitness and a healthier lifestyle.

There are several things that can detract from the sports experience for a child. Among these are coaches belittling and intimidating players to “push” them to increased performance, parents fighting, players suffering from injury, stress or exhaustion. The state of youth athletics can leave some parents and kids wondering if youth sports are a worthwhile experience.

As parents, former athletes and long-time coaches and trainers, we are con-vinced that there are several reasons why participating in sports and fitness activ-ities is still a great fit for kids of all ages. The reasons include: fun, fitness and per-sonal development.Playing sports can and should be fun! Fun is often thought of the frivolous side product of all the hard work and effort that kids need to put forth to achieve “success” in athletics. The presence of fun in youth sports is essential. Fun brings joy and happiness to even the most mundane aspects of our lives and allows for more focused, relaxed and creative play. Other ways to enhance enjoyment and participation in youth sports is to reduce the stress of performance, particu-

larly during the developmental years. We can reduce stress by focusing more on the process of developing the individual rather than solely on results. Measuring success by gauging individual skills improvement, increasing knowledge of and love for the game incrementally, rather than by simply tracking wins and losses, allows for per-sonal growth and a better overall experi-ence for the individual player.

A better overall experience leads to more enjoyment of the sport. More en-joyment of sports in turn keeps more kids playing sports longer rather than burn-

ing out or being pushed out at early ages due to feelings of shame and inadequacy. Keeping kids in sports longer allows them to learn the “life lessons” of sports: How to be a part of a team, honesty, integrity and a sense of community. All coaches should allow these lessons to come to all kids that participate in youth sports.

As outlined above, we believe there are numerous reasons for kids to continue participating in sports and fitness activi-ties. Many of these can positively impact the participants for life! Bring back the fun!!

The Bullpen Sponsored content that offers fresh perspectives, from sports training to injury treatment and prevention.

Warming Up BE A SPORT | MIC’D UP | HY-VEE HORIZON | GTSB STUDENT | BULLPEN | THE MONTH AHEAD

10 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | April 2015

How can we make youth sports more enjoyable?By Brian and Chad O’Meara

Warming Up BE A SPORT | MIC’D UP | HY-VEE HORIZON | GTSB STUDENT | BULLPEN | THE MONTH AHEAD

12 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | April 2015

Month AheadWhat to watch and watch for this month

Saturday 4/4Boys soccer: 2015 Muskie Classic There will be no shortage of soccer talent on the pitch in Muscatine on this day. Eight teams — including 2014 state tournament qualifiers Iowa City High and Linn-Mar, and defending Class 3A champion Iowa City West (right) — will battle all day long. It’s a chance for a talented Pleasant Valley to make a statement after just missing last year’s state tournament.

Friday 4/17Girls soccer: North Scott at Cedar Rapids Xavier

The last time these teams met, North Scott edged the Saints in penalty kicks to advance to the 2014

Class 2A state title game. Both teams lost their top goal scorers from a year ago, but Lancers sophomore Karli Rucker (left) is ready to lead the way.

Monday 5/4First day of baseball practice The boys of summer are finally back in action. The first games of the year will still be three weeks away, but it’s time for last year’s champions to kick off their title defenses. After losing a loaded senior class, can Otis Roby (right) lead Twin Cedars to another Class 1A crown?

Wednesday 4/22-4/26

2015 Drake RelaysLast year’s Drake Relays saw several records broken, but many of those athletes have graduated. Check out this year’s Relays to see which new faces emerge, as well as to see if Bryson Runge (above, left) and Iowa City High can defend their 4x100 relay title.

Thursday 4/13Boys soccer: Mid-Prairie at Iowa City Regina It’s a championship rematch as the Golden Hawks take on the conference rival Regals. These teams went to double overtime before deciding the 2014 Class 1A championship game on penalty kicks. Can Regina’s Michael Adam (left) lead the Regals past the Golden Hawks again?

277 100th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322 515-252-7757 www.cookiesbydesign.com

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SpotlightIn the

high schoolThis page presented to you by:

Each month we publish youth and high school action photos from around the state. We would love to get yours! Send us your photos at support@sportsspotlight.com

Wahlert Catholic’s David Wedewer reacts after hitting a 3-pointer against Cedar Rapids Xavier in the Class 3A semifinals. (Photo by Tork Mason)

Glenwood’s Carter Von Essen and the Williamsburg bench look for a call from the referee in the Class 3A quarterfinals. (Photo by Tork Mason)

North Scott players celebrate following the Lancers’ 44-36 victory over Pleasant Valley in the Class 4A state championship game. (Photo by Tork Mason)

Belle Plaine’s Jacob Ehlen puts up a layup against Earlham in the Class 1A state quarterfinals. (Photo by Tork Mason)

Spotlight

North Linn’s Nicole Miller (24) and Brooke Dobney celebrate after the Lynx took down defending Class 2A champion Western Christian, 73-71, in an overtime semifinal bout. (Photo by Tork Mason)

Johnston’s Rachel Hinders goes up for a shot in the Class 5A quarterfinals against Dowling Catholic. (Photo by Tork Mason)

Newell-Fonda players and fans celebrate after Hailey Falline’s game-winning layup with two seconds remaining in the Class 1A state championship game. (Photo by Tork Mason)

Embrace the Madness

Embrace the Madness

UPSET CENTRAL A slew of upsets, including Pella Christian’s win over Class 2A defending champion Western Christian, highlighted the 2015 boys state basketball tournament, with only one of the top eight seeds reaching the championship round.

GRANT GRAHAM

April 2015 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | 19

Changing HistoryNorth Scott’s state title run was led by a pair of Division-I recruits but senior Grant Graham, who first joined the Lancer program as a water boy when he was a child, stepped out of his role to change history — both the program’s and his own.

B Y T O R K M A S O NPhotographs by Tork Mason

North Scott head basketball coach Shamus Budde credited much of his team’s success this season to players understanding

and embracing their roles, but the difference in the Lancers’ 44-36 victory over Mississippi Athletic Conference rival Pleasant Valley in the Class 4A title game was the player who went off-script and stepped outside of his role.

Senior Grant Graham has spent much of his life in the Lancer program, serving as the team’s water boy starting in the third grade and spending his high school career as a four-year starter. Despite having a great deal of varsity experience, he didn’t enter the state tournament known for his scoring, but more for

defense and leadership ability. But against Pleasant Valley, Graham went

off for 11 points with a trio of 3-pointers, the second of which tied the game at 23-23 with 2:33 remaining in the third quarter and the third made it a three-possession game with

GLUE GUY Graham came into the state championship game known less for scoring ability and more for defense (inset), rebounding and the intangible qualities coaches look for.

just over four minutes left in the game. It was a performance that broke the narrative Budde said had formed around Graham.

“The first thing you should know, is a lot of people say Grant Graham can’t play in the big game,” Budde said. “Well, tonight, on the biggest stage, Grant stepped up and hit that big shot in the corner. [Senior point guard] Marlon [Stewart] did a great job finding him in the corner, and Grant hit some really big shots.”

Graham gave the credit to his teammates and coaches for having faith that he would step up when called upon.

“The main part was that my teammates had a lot of confidence in me, and so did my coaches,” he said. “They told me to be ready to shoot; when [Pleasant Valley’s Will] Carius left me a couple of those times, my teammates told me to be ready to shoot, and I did.”

Stewart said it was Graham’s turn to rise to the occasion, and he didn’t let anyone down.

“He was unbelievable,” Stewart said. “He made big shots all night, made some big free throws down the stretch. Anybody’s capable of doing that on a given night, and luckily it was his night tonight.”

Senior Cortez Seales, who led the Lancers in scoring in each of his four seasons and was named the all-tournament team captain, said Graham is the best teammate he’s ever played with, a player

who is “always worried the other person,” and “never once was he selfish in four years.”

Graham, along with Seales and Stewart, was also a critical element for the team in

mid-January. The Lancers dropped a contest against Pleasant Valley, 50-46, on Jan. 13, which dropped them to 7-3 on the year. For a team that entered the year with

the loftiest of expectations, that drew criticism for the coaches and players.

Budde, who scheduled top teams from out of state to put his team in “uncomfortable situations” and lose a few games, said those losses accomplished exactly what he’d hoped they would. His seniors stood up and took charge, and the team rattled off 16 consecutive wins to close out the season.

“Those losses were the best thing for us,” he said. “Since that Pleasant Valley loss, Cortez stepped up as a leader, Marlon started holding people accountable, Grant started holding people accountable. And the rest of the guys really bought into that, because it wasn’t just me holding them accountable; it was a different voice, and that’s what you get when you do have seniors. It’s been four years since our seniors were our best players, and it’s a huge difference when that’s the case.”

Budde wasn’t shy about praising his former water boy, and said it was special to see a kid who has been a part of the program for so long be the one to step up and hit some of the biggest shots of the game to give North Scott its first state championship in any boys sport since 1962.

“He’s so selfless,” Budde said. “It’s

always about the team — his parents have done a good job raising him and always pointing the finger to him. He’s a Lancer. You always see him in Lancer clothes, Lancer colors. He’s always in the front row at the girls’ games. So it’s great to see that happen for a kid like him.” ☐

20 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | April 2015

GRANT GRAHAM

“The first thing you should know, is a lot of people say GRANT GRAHAM CAN’T PLAY IN THE BIG GAME,” Budde said.

“Well, tonight, on the biggest stage, GRANT STEPPED UP AND HIT [...] SOME REALLY BIG SHOTS.”

STEPPING UP Graham isn’t known for his offensive skills, but he provided a series of clutch shots in his final game, drilling a trio of 3-pointers at key junctures, including one to tie the game late in the third quarter (above).

April 2015 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | 21

Every team that reaches the state basketball tournament comes in with hopes of winning a state championship, but winning isn’t always about the final score. For Woodward Academy, its Class 2A

loss against Aplington-Parkersburg represented something bigger than a simple game.

In the more than 100 years prior to the Knights’ appearance at Wells Fargo Arena last month, no residential treatment school had qualified for the state tournament. Such schools can face multiple hurdles to athletic success, primarily a lack of continuity. Building a program when none of the players are back the next year is a daunting task.

But the Knights were determined to make it to Des Moines, and they made the most of the trip despite suffering an 82-69 loss to Aplington-Parkersburg. Guard Preston Brittain said being a part of a state tournament team was a meaningful experience for all the players.

“This team meant a lot, not just to me, but to everybody in that room,” Brittain said. “Not a lot of people thought we were going to make it here, so to prove them wrong and play our hearts out like that, that meant the world to us that we got the opportunity to play this game.”

A packed student section provided full-throated support from the opening tip until the final whistle. Star point guard Dontre English

(inset) said the fans held the team accountable, and the players didn’t want to let them down.

“As soon as we stepped on the court and

showed our fans what we’re about, how good we are, they’ve always held us to that expectation,” English said. “So every time we play in front of them, it was like, ‘Don’t give up.’ They want us to go 100 percent every time.”

After the game, the team received its state quarterfinalist trophy and took it over to the student section, where the players and fans all raised their hands and recited the Knights’ Creed, which is the motto for the kids who earn the privilege of representing the school as athletes or fans. Brittain said it was important to share what the team had accomplished with the people who

had supported them all year.“Even though we lost, it’s still a great feeling

to hold up that trophy and tell the whole team that we all did this; not just us, but the fans, too,” he said. “They’re all part of this team, so they deserved it just as much as us.”

The Knights played hard until the finals seconds ticked off the clock and never hung their heads in the loss, and head coach Dustin Sperling said that’s indicative of the attitude the kids have developed.

“This is a proud group of kids,” Sperling said. “They don’t quit, because they’re proud of what they’re representing.”

Sperling said making it to the state tournament was a goal the team set for itself early on this season, and that making the field can serve as an example for kids in the future.

“Everybody will always be able to see that goals can be accomplished, no matter how big they are,” he said. “Hopefully, that’ll motivate the next generation of kids to work that hard to achieve the same types of things.”

Ultimately, English said, this season represented possibility for everyone.

“It means change,” he said. “It means you’re young enough to change and do things to help out the community instead of going down the wrong path.” ☐

—Tork Mason

More than a Game Woodward Academy’s state tournament berth wasn’t just an on-court success

Daniel TilloSioux City NorthClass 4A POY

2015 All-StateClass 1A

G - Jackson Lamb, Jr., Nodaway ValleyG - Joe Smoldt, So., Gladbrook-Reinbeck* ▶F - Korey Kuhlmann, Sr., MV-A-OF - Austin Stoelk, Sr., Ar-We-VaC - Nick Lutmer, Sr., Central LyonC - Ethan Steinbronn, Sr., West Central

Class 2AG - Colin Connelly, Sr., Clayton RidgeG - Erich Erdman, Sr., Forest City* ▶G - Jaylan White, Jr., Interstate 35F - Drew Cook, Sr., Iowa City ReginaF - Ross Cooper, Sr., Aplington-ParkersburgC - Josh VanLingen, Jr., Western Christian

Class 3AG - Jake Velky, Sr., Waverly-Shell RockG - Levi Jansen, Jr., MOC-Floyd ValleyG - Adam Klein, Sr., WilliamsburgF - T.J. Hockenson, Jr., CharitonC - Tyler Borchers, Sr., LeMarsC - Cordell Pemsl, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert* ▶

Class 4AG - Chris King, Sr., DM HooverG - Spencer Haldeman, Sr., Western DubuqueF - Cortez Seales, Sr., North Scott ▶F - Daniel Tillo, Sr., Sioux City North*F - Michael Jacobson, Sr., WaukeeC - Luke McDonnell, Sr., Dubuque Senior

* - Denotes Player of the Year For Coach of the Year and second team All-State selections, visit www.sportsspotlight.com

Brought to you by

24 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | April 2015

UNITY CHRISTIAN GIRLS HOOPS

Fully LoadedOpponents didn’t know what to do against Unity Christian. It seemed no matter which Knight they tried to take away, others stepped up to pick up the slack. That depth made the Knights an all but unstoppable force on their way to a Class 2A state title.

B Y T O R K M A S O NPhotographs by Tork Mason

There were very high expectations weighing on the shoulders of Unity Christian’s girls basketball team this winter. Coming off a 2013-14 season that saw the Knights finish second in Class 3A, with the team dropping down a class for this season and bringing back all of its key players, a championship was on everyone’s minds. And the

Knights didn’t disappoint, capping a perfect season with a dominant state tournament performance.

Knights head coach Jay Schuiteman had a bevy of weapons at his disposal, and seemingly every one of his players took a turn as the player with the hot hand as they cruised through three state tournament games by an average margin of nearly 22 points per game.

Senior Kassidy De Jong, who led the team in scoring this season, struggled with her shot in the Knights’ first two tournament contests. Schuiteman said he could tell his star senior’s mini-slump was weighing on her.

“She struggled a little bit with the three, and she was so frustrated,” he said. “She shot so many threes in practice, she wanted to make a three here at Wells Fargo.”

But in a 69-40 state championship game victory against North Linn, De Jong finally shook loose for 29 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including four 3-pointers. It was a stellar performance, and Schuiteman said it was a fitting end to a great career.

“Kassidy led us; she set the tone,” he said. “You could tell, she was just thinking, SPARK PLUG Zomermaand provided most of the offense in the Knights’ first two victories, averaging 20.5 points per game and going 9-of-14 from 3-point range.

‘We’re going to win this one.’ She was going to do everything she could. I’m so proud of her; what a way for her to go out.”

Picking up the slack while De Jong tried to find her range was junior point guard Chanda Zomermaand, who scored 20.5 points per game and shot a blistering 64 percent from behind the arc in tournament victories over Cascade and South Central Calhoun. By the end of the week, four different Unity players — De Jong,

Zomermaand and juniors Anna Kiel and Deidre Noteboom — scored in double figures at least once.

Zomermaand said having several girls who can hit shots keeps the pressure off and doesn’t leave anyone feeling like they have to be the one player to score.

“It’s just awesome because I know my teammates, no matter who’s in, someone will step up,” Zomermaand said. “If I’m not getting as many shots in the second half, I know other players will step up. Throughout this tournament, we had such a great team effort and that’s why we’ve won a state championship.”

The depth that relieves the pressure for

the Knights only intensifies it for their opponents, De Jong said.

“That’s hard to stop,” she said. “If you think of playing a team that has three, four, five good players, that’s a hard team to stop. When you only have to stop one or two, you can just focus on them and you can do a triangle [and two] or a box [and one].”

That was a contrast fans got to see firsthand in the state finals. The Knights

built a 14-point first half lead with a 56 percent shooting exhibition, which included a 5-for-11 mark from long range. North Linn leaned on star guard and Drake recruit Nicole Miller, who led Class 2A in scoring at 26.5 points per game and scored 17 of the Lynx’s 24 first half points.

Unity Christian held Miller to five second half points after switching to a box and one defense, and any time the Lynx threatened to close the deficit, Unity Christian had an answer to stop the run.

“I really never felt like we gave up,” North Linn head coach Brian Wheatley said. “We had it down to 14 at half and I thought that if we could come out in the

third quarter and get a couple stops, maybe get it under 10. We were down nine points in the semifinal with seven minutes to go. So we’d kind of been there before, but they just made the next push. Every time we got close, they’d hit a couple big shots and we just could never get over that hump and get it down to nine, ten points and chip away at it.

“That’s what makes them a great team,” Wheatley said. “When other kids step up

like they did, you’ve got to give them all the credit. They played outstanding and we just couldn’t get going.”

De Jong said the team was hungry for a title, particularly with an undefeated season on the line, and that the girls were just out there having fun. Schuiteman wasn’t lacking for entertainment, either.

“You’d like to think if we’re clicking, we’re going to be tough to handle,” he said. “We really haven’t had a game where everybody was clicking this season. Well, everyone was clicking tonight.

“And when that happens, this is a pretty special team.” ☐

26 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | April 2015

UNITY CHRISTIAN GIRLS HOOPS

“Everyone was clicking tonight,” Schuiteman said. “WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THIS IS A PRETTY SPECIAL TEAM.”

ALL-ROUND THREAT Even when her shot wasn’t fallling in the Knights’ first two contests, De Jong found ways to contribute. She led all Class 2A players in steals (15) and rebounds (27) during the tournament. The Knights roster as a whole matched that well-rounded effort, as well. They were second in scoring at 60.5 points per game and had the best scoring defense (38.7 points per game), thanks in part to Kiel’s (right) rim protection.

2015 All-State

Nicole Miller North Linn

Class 2A POY

Class 1AG - Shayla Dean, Sr., Colo-NescoG - Taylor Hickey, Sr., Notre Dame* ▶G - Riley Kilbride, Jr., Notre DameF - Sarah Halse, Sr., Central LyonF - Morgan Christner, Jr., New LondonC - Shelby Hembera, Sr., Cedar Valley Christian

Class 2AG - Jamie Gesink, Sr., Western Christian ▶G - Nicole Miller, Sr., North Linn*G - Kassidy De Jong, Sr., Unity ChristianF - Anna Kiel, Jr., Unity ChristianF - Morgan Muhlbauer, Sr., IKM-ManningC - Kari Fitzpatrick, Sr., Edgewood-Colesburg

Class 3AG - Elle Ruffridge, So., Pocahontas Area* ▶G - Kate Walker, Sr., Red OakF - Kati Cassabaum, Jr., NevadaF - Heidi Hillyard, Sr., MediapolisC - Andrea Larson, Sr., MediapolisC - Serena Parker, Sr., Shenandoah

Class 4AG - Claire Marburger, Sr., PerryG - Kaleigh Haus, Sr., CarlisleG - Grace Berg, Fr., IndianolaF - Taylor Frederick, Jr., HarlanF - Megan Maahs, Jr., Western DubuqueC - Jess Schaben, Sr., Harlan* ▶

Class 5AG - Mackenzie Meyer, Jr., Mason CityG - Grace Vander Weide, Sr., ValleyG - Meredith Burkhall, Sr., DM Roosevelt* ▶F - Reilly Jacobson, Jr., WaukeeF - Jacey Huinker, Sr., Southeast PolkC - Audrey Faber, Sr., Dowling Catholic

* - Denotes Player of the Year For Coach of the Year and second team All-State selections, visit www.sportsspotlight.com

Photo courtesy of The Des Moines Register

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On the Run

The Drake Relays are nearly upon us, and some new faces should emerge in the void left by last season’s historic senior class. | BY MIKE JAY

When Major John L. Griffith started an invitational track and field meet in 1910, that we now call America’s Athletic Classic, it would have been in possible to envision what the Drake Relays have become in 2015.

Dr. Brian Brown, a world class track and field athlete himself, took over as the Pitch Johnson Drake Relays Director in 2006 following the outstanding efforts of previous directors Mark Kostek (2001-2005) and the late Bob Ehrart (1970-2000)

The bar was set very high as the Drake Relays had become an event, a spectacle if you will, not just another track meet. Brown knew he would have to think outside the box to take this springtime tradition to the next level.

Not only does the Drake Relays draw the top athletes from all corners of the world, it is also the outdoor season opener for the top colleges and universities in the country plus the very best high schoolers in Iowa who, if they win, will be crowned the best in the state, regardless of classification.

The Drake Relays Presented By Hy-Vee has brought some of the finest athletes in the world to Des Moines for 105 years and 2015 will be no different as Brown has declared ‘The Sky Is The Limit’ for this season’s competition in Des Moines

The 2015 edition of the Drake Relays is a testament to Brown’s forward thinking and the willingness of presenting sponsor Hy-Vee to continue to make the Drake Relays better, more exciting and a destination point for track and field fans worldwide.

Putting together a world class event, like the Relays, is not easy and with that comes change.

The most notable physical change to Relays week comes on Wednesday, April 22, as the pole vault leaves the familiar confines of Jordan Creek Town Centre for the heart of downtown Des Moines. This year’s pole vault exhibition will take place on Court Avenue as some of the world’s top vaulters take to the streets and airspace of the popular entertainment district.

Scheduled to compete in the men’s event is Olympic gold medalist, world record holder

and defending Relays stadium champion Renaud Lavillenie of France. The women’s field features world record holder and No. 3 in the world Jenn Suhr of the U.S. and the world’s No. 2 vaulter and 2013 and 2014 Relays champion Yarisley Silva of Cuba.

A new event will also be added to the Friday night’s schedule with the women’s 800 meters. Eight of the top 10 American 800-meter runners are poised to line up at Drake Stadium including world No. 2 Ajee Wilson and No. 3 Brenda Martinez.

Last year’s men’s 400 meters was one for the ages with American LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James of Grenada writing another chapter in their storied rivalry with Merritt narrowly edging James, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist. The pair will reprise that role this year in a 400-meter field that features seven of the top 10 ranked athletes in the world with Merritt and James being followed by the Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 400-meter runners.

The men’s 110-meter hurdle field is similarly exceptional with seven of the top 10 in the world confirmed to step into the blocks. World No. 1 Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France will be joined by the world’s Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 hurdlers, in addition to world record holder Aries Merritt. World No. 3 Hansle Parchment will try to defend his 2014 Relays title against the star-studded field.

Many of those hurdlers will also participate in the always thrilling shuttle hurdle relay, with three teams of four competing in the back-and-forth race along the Blue Oval straightaway. Currently, two teams of Americans – David Oliver, Aries Merritt, Ashton Eaton, Alec Harris and Ronnie Ash, Ryan Wilson, Spencer Adams, Jason Richardson – will line up against a team of Jamaicans in Parchment and Andrew Riley and French brothers Pascal and Thomas Martinot-Lagarde.

The men’s high jump also returns to Hy-Vee Night at the Relays in an encore of last year’s thrilling competition that saw Derek Drouin set a Drake Relays and Canadian national record by clearing 7-10.5. Challenging

Drouin’s attempt at repeating as Relays champion is a field that has five of the top 10 Americans slated to jump.

As the elite professional fields continue to come together, Brown has also bolstered the collegiate competition with commitments from Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech set to join the traditional lineup of collegiate programs inside Drake Stadium. Those teams will join the likes of Arkansas, Baylor, Nebraska, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin in competing for the Hy-Vee Cup, awarded to the top scoring team in the collegiate relay events. Baylor won the women’s Hy-Vee Cup last season while Arkansas and Illinois shared the men’s title.

In the high school division, as mentioned before, only the top Iowa high school track and field athletes make the cut to participate. At the end of the day the champion can say that they are “the very best in Iowa”. Relays attendees will see the likes of West Burlington high jumpers Jeff Giannettino and Xavior Williams, Marion’s distance runner Stephanie Jenks, Gilbert’s distance ace Thomas Pollard, KPWC’s nation-leading discus thrower Kiana Phelps, and the list goes on and on. These Iowa kids are among Iowa’s all-time best. They want to climb higher and many, many more want to join them.

The 106th running of the Drake Relays, America’s Athletic Classic will be one of the very best track and field meets ever held on American soil. Bar none.

DRAKE RELAYS PREVIEW

April 2015 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | 29

PUSH THE TEMPOJenks (left) ran some of the best times in state history last season, including a 9:24.67 performance in the 3,000 meters at the Drake Relays.

LONG RANGE BOMBERKingsley-Pierson/Woodbury Central’s Kiana Phelps (below) is the nation’s top prep discus thrower and

still has another year to improve her marks.

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He was arguably the greatest Drake Relays performer ever…and yet very few people watched him perform.

When most people think of the Relays, they think of the Friday and Saturday sessions. Yet Kip Janvrin did his work on Wednesday and Thursday or Relays week.

Janvrin is the winningest performer in the history of the Drake Relays. He has won 17 Relays events include a record 15 titles in the decathlon. Janvrin grew up in Panora, Iowa and attended Simpson College in Indianola. He says he got turned on to the decathlon while in high school and a switch flipped inside. “I saw Rex Harvey (who went on to become Relays decathlon champ), who was from Redfield, when I was a senior at Panora”, Janvrin remembers. He took me to my first high school decathlon event. I just fell in love with all the different challenges the afforded me”.

Janvrin went on to Simpson and in both his junior and senior years, he not only captured the NCAA Division 3 championship but was allowed to compete in the Division One meet as well. “You could do that back in those days”, said Janvrin. That’s when he realized his potential. “I realized when I was at the Division One meet that the other decathletes were not all that much better than me”.

Janvrin won his first Drake Relays decathlon title in 1987. “That first title was very important because it was rare for a small town Iowa kid win that event at Drake”. He would win fourteen more, including consecutive titles from 1995 through 2003. In 1996, he set a Relays decathlon record with 8,198 points. “I needed to run a fast 1500 meters in the final event to set the mark”, Janvrin recollects. “Travis Goepfert (another former Relays decathlon champ), and others encouraged me. They ran around the track getting the fans all worked up to spur me on”.

Former Drake Relays director Mark Kostek has the utmost respect for Janvrin. “I think of Kip Janvrin as ‘Mr. Consistency’ in the way he conducts his training, his life and his team”, said Kostek. “Decathletes always have to work through injuries. Track and field athletes establish high expectations for themselves which means they have certain responsibilities to take good care of themselves, such as eating right and getting plenty of rest. He bought into that a long time ago and that has helped him be so successful over such a long period of time. Kip has always been healthy and consistent in his training because of his lifestyle”.

In 1989, Janvrin became the head track coach at Central Missouri in Warrensburg,

Missouri. That same year, he also qualified for the U.S Championships and competed well. He also realized that he could step up even higher.

In both 1992 and ’96, he attended the U.S Olympic Trials but fell short in his bid to become a member of the U.S. Olympic decathlon team. That all changed in 2000. “Even though I didn’t score as many points as I had in ’92 or ’96, I pretty much knew I would make the team (in 2000) after the vault (the eighth event). I was told I had to run the 1500 meters in under 4:13 and I clocked in at 4:12. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to help represent our country in Sydney”.

It’s hard to believe that Janvrin is in his 26th year as head track coach at Central Missouri. “I enjoy teaching, coaching and helping kids make decisions which affect their lives”, he insists. “I want to continue coaching as long as I’m healthy and have the energy to do a good job”.

One of his top athletes at CMU has been Lindsay Lettow, an Urbandale native who prepped at Des Moines Christian High School. Lettow, a four-time national champion and 16-time All-American in the heptathlon, says Janvrin was the reason she attended Central Missouri. “He was a big factor in my wanting to go there because of his reputation as a coach”, Lettow says. “He knew all about the training needed for the heptathlon and he was from Iowa”.

Lettow, who is now training in Santa Barbara, California for a shot at the 2016 Olympic Games, says Janvrin’s training method helped her blossom into a world class performer. “He would work with me one-on-one. He was so good a technically demonstrating what I was doing wrong. He could then verbalize what I was doing wrong and show me how to do it right. He was a fantastic coach”.

On March 15, Janvrin’s Central Missouri squad won the Division 2 women’s Indoor track and field meet in Birmingham, Alabama. “This was special. We have a great group of

young ladies and coaches who had worked hard but had never won a national title before”.

Janvrin gives a lot of credit for his success to his wife, Teresa. “She has been a huge supporter and has allowed me to keep being a big kid”. At 49, Janvrin is still full of energy. “I play in a couple of basketball leagues. My ideal day would be to play golf in the morning, play basketball in the afternoon and then go coach track”.

Kostek says Janvrin is very well liked and respected within the track and field community, both in USA Track and internationally. He also hopes Iowans appreciate what they have in Janvrin. “Even though he has not performed in more high profile sports such as college football or college basketball, Kip Janvrin is one of our Iowa treasures and people need to recognize that”.

Janvrin Continuing Track Career as CoachBy Larry Cotlar

30 | SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | April 2015

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?Photos courtesy of Central M

issouri Athletic Comm

unications

http://www.grinnellmutual.com/

www.bankerstrust.com

http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/gtsb/