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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
August 3, 2006 |
Anamosa’s Morning named 1st-team all-state
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
DES MOINES — The pressure was already on the shoulders of Anamosa senior superstar Wess Morning entering this 2006 baseball season.
As third-team all-state baseball selection a season ago and with most from a school-record 32-win campaign gone due to graduation, Morning knew if Anamosa was going to stay among the class 3A and Tri-Rivers Conference baseball elite, he would have to have a stellar summer.
Mission accomplished!
“Wess put a lot of pressure on himself to be an even better player this year after having a pretty outstanding year as a junior,” said Anamosa baseball coach Byron Schlotterback as his star shortstop was named a class 3A first-team all-state infield selection by the Iowa Newspaper Association (INA).
“But not only did he step up and be a leader on this team this year, he put up even better numbers knowing he was a key player in our success. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again now, Wess is the best baseball player I have ever coached. He can do it all and do it all very, very well.” |
1st-team for No. 3
Raider senior Wess Morning, who Anamosa baseball coach Byron Schlotterback calls the best player he’s ever coached, was named first-team baseball all-state shortstop selection by the Iowa Newspaper Association recently. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) |
Morning led all class 3A infielders in votes as selected by media members from around the state of Iowa as his .468 batting average, 59 hits, 43 runs scored, 17 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 15 stolen bases, along with playing outstanding defense at shortstop all season long, spoke volumes to the panel of media voters selecting three class 3A all-state teams.
Morning is the first Anamosa baseball player to be named a first-team all-state selection since Cris Schoon back in 1977, the Raiders’ all-time leader in dozens of season and career pitching categories at the school.
“Wess belongs among the elite players to have ever put on the blue jersey at Anamosa,” said Schlotterback. “He’s had that kind of impact the last three years. He’s been a part of a run of Raider baseball that has been unprecedented as far as wins go over the last three years.”
Joining Morning on the class 3A all-state baseball first-team as selected by the INA are:
pitchers- Bill Schmidt, sr. (Western Dubuque), Joe Rozmiarek, sr. (Sioux City Heelan) and Peter Reifenrath, sr. (Decorah); catcher- Kevin Schuver, jr. (Marion); 1st base- Matt Holland, sr. (Marion); infielders- Morning, Cory Ege, jr. (Lansing Kee) and Mark Blum, sr. (Harlan); outfielders- Phil Keppler, jr. (West Delaware), Tyler Pearson, jr. (Knoxville) and Treye Hacker, jr. (Sioux City Heelan); utility- B.J. Hermsen, so. (West Delaware) and Joe Wendte, sr. (Sioux City Heelan).
Earning second-team class 3A all-state baseball honors are: pitchers- Andrew DeSousa, jr. (Cedar Rapids Xavier), Greg Schulz, sr. (Carroll) and Kody McCauley, sr. (Saydel); catcher- Nathan Cain, jr. (Williamsburg); 1st base- Curtis Graham, sr. (Albia); infielders- Jordan Kraayenbrink, sr. (Decorah), Zach McCool, jr. (West Delaware) and Mason Lundy, jr. (Lansing Kee); outfielders- Trevor Connor, sr. (Creston), Spencer Worthington, sr. (Carlisle) and Joel Spring, sr. (Centerville); utility- Curtis Bomgaars, sr. (MOC- Floyd Valley) and Eric Miller, sr. (Charles City).
Earning third-team class 3A all-state baseball honors are: pitchers- Luke Goemaat, sr. (Albia), Brandon Harrsion, jr. (Mount Pleasant) and Will Glienke, jr. (Spencer); catcher- Nat Lahr, jr. (West Delaware); 1st base- Chris Soseman, sr. (Denison-Schleswig); infielders- Jared Klosterboer, sr. (Williamsburg); Justin Godwin, sr. (Saydel) and Brent Warren, so. (Cedar Rapids Xavier); outfielders- Damarcus Taylor, sr. (Carlisle), Carl Schnack, sr. (Harlan) and Justin Gideon, so. (West Delaware); utility- Neil Gross, jr. (Harlan) and Logan Huisman, sr. (MOC-Floyd Valley).
Western Dubuque’s Billy Schmitt was named class captain after compiling a 9-0 record with 0.75 ERA on the mound for the Bobcats while also hitting .373 with eight home runs and 50 RBIs offensively. |
Area Tae Kwon Do students shine on national stage
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
KISSIMMEE, FL — Taking the dive from local, regional and state levels of Tae Kwon Do competition, Anamosa’s Casey Krapfl, Lauren Weston and Markie Hollingshead all decided they were ready for the national stage.
According to their coach Stacy Fritz, they not only performed well at the sports highest level, they shined in the national spotlight in Kissimmee, Florida last June at the USSSA National Tae Kwon Do championships.
“Casey, Lauren and Markie have been working hard and I thought were more than ready to take their skills to nationals,” said Fritz who owns and instructs the three at Fritz’s Midwest Academy of Tae Kwon Do in Monticello.
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Medals of honor
Anamosa’s (l-r) Markie Hollingshead, Casey Krapfl and Lauren Weston brought home plenty of hardware from the National Tae Kwon Do tournament in Kissimmee, Florida June 20-25. All are students at Fritz’s Midwest Academy of Tae Kwon Do in Monticello. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) |
“This isn’t a tournament where you just show up and you’re involved. These three kids had to earn their way there scoring points at sanctioned tournaments and placing in the top-8 at the qualifiers.”
Krapfl, Weston and Hollingshead, who will all be sophomores at Anamosa High School this fall, competed against more than 450 other Tae Kwon Do students at the national competition held in Kissimmee, Florida June 20-25, and rated among the very best in the nation after outstanding performances during the tournament.
“I couldn’t have asked for any more than what those kids gave,” said Fritz. “I was so proud of them. Casey and Lauren far exceeded my expectations and for the amount of experience Markie has, she did about as well as I hoped she would.”
Krapfl has been a student at Fritz’s academy for two years and has worked his way to a high brown belt status.
“Competing at nationals was a great experience for me and just a lot of fun,” said Krapfl who brought home four medals from the national tournament. “I won a couple of tournaments and had some success and thought competing at nationals would be a place where I could test myself even more and against some of the best in the country.”
Divided up by age, weight and belt rank at nationals, Krapfl won silver medals in forms, individual Olympic sparring and tag team Olympic sparring at the tournament. He also brought home a bronze medal in team forms.
“Casey is just a natural athlete in ever sense of the word,” said Fritz. “He never backs down from a challenge and that’s why I have so much respect for him. He’s always willing to learn and his potential is boundless. Whatever he puts his mind to, he will accomplish. He also does a great job teaching some of our younger kids classes as well.”
Weston also had a successful tournament winning a gold medal in Olympic tag team sparring as well as a pair of silver medals in individual Olympic sparring and team forms. She also brought home a bronze medal with her individual forms performance.
“This was the first time I’ve ever competed at the national level so I was a little nervous,” said Weston who has been a Tae Kwon Do student for almost four years attaining a red belt rank. “It was fun just competing at that level and being in that kind of environment. I was just trying to have fun and do the best I could. After this experience, I hope to come back and do it again.”
Weston, who is also working towards a first-degree black belt rank she hopes to complete soon, is also an instructor at Fritz’s school teaching elementary age kids the art of tae kwon do.
“Lauren displays a strong leadership ability and a passion and competitiveness like I’ve never seen,” said Fritz. “She started out in some of my kick-boxing classes in the basement of my home and has worked her way to one of my top students. She has one of the most perfect martial arts forms I have ever seen and has been ranked No. 1 in the state of Iowa for the past two years at her age group.”
Hollingshead, who just took to the art of Tae Kwon Do a year ago, brought home a gold medal in tag team point sparring while also adding a silver in sparring.
“Meeting all the different people from different parts of the country was cool,” said Hollingshead.
“I was excited to go to nationals. I was nervous too, but it’s something I’m glad I at least tried and I also had a lot of fun doing.”
Hollingshead is a high blue belt rank.
“Markie is a just a rookie and she’s learning,” said Fritz. “She has a lot of potential and if she puts her heart and some more time into Tae Kwon Do, she has the potential to be pretty good.”
Fritz took her three Anamosa students as well as several others from her academy to nationals.
“The USSSA tournament is one of the best around and is really a showcase for the kids and a nice reward for a hard season of learning and teaching and competing,” said Fritz. “I thought our kids proved themselves to be some of the best in the country with their performances in Florida.
For Casey, Lauren and Markie, this was the first time for them competing at that high level and all of them want to go back and do it again someday. That shows just what kind of competitors they are. When they see a challenge, they go after it with a passion and dedication and desire to win. That’s what makes them champions.” |
Fay, Baima host wrestling clinic
By
Daryl Schepanski - Sports Editor |
ANAMOSA — Wrestling youth from around the area got an extra special treat last week as not only did former Anamosa High School superstar and two-time state champion Moza Fay make his way back home to host a wrestling clinic at the high school wrestling room, but the current University of Northern Iowa sophomore brought with him another Panther star in Nick Baima.
“We’ve been looking for ward to this for a little while,” said Fay who completed a sensational red-shirt freshman campaign last winter for the UNI wrestling program winning 30 matches for as nationally ranked Panthers. “Anamosa has a lot of wrestling talent here. It’ll be interesting to see how they do at the high school level. There’s a lot of raw talent who with a little work, could be very good. The key is to keep working at it and it’s camps like the one we’re trying to do here that can help for down the road.” |
Champion teacher
UNI wrestling sophomore Moza Fay instructs a camper on the finer points of the sport during Fay’s clinic he hosted with Panther teammate Nick Baima at the Anamosa High School wrestling room Friday, July 28. Fay and Baima hosted dozens of area youth at the three-day camp that began Thursday, July 27. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) |
Fay is a two-time state high school wrestling champion for the Raiders.
Baima, who is a three-time NCAA qualifier for UNI, who hails from Glyn Ellyn, Illinois, is also one of the top collegiate wrestlers in the country as well.
“This worked out very well with the amount of kids we had sign up and the timing of the camp too,” said Fay who also helps out at UNI wrestling camps.
“Nick and I were able to free up some time and come down to Anamosa and it was great to see all the new faces here as well as some I was pretty familiar with.”
Fay had planned on UNI freshman teammate Brett Robins joining the camp as well, but the Panther star was busy with the World Greco-Roman team.
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Knowledgeable instructors
Former Anamosa High School wrestling superstar and current UNI sophomore Moza Fay (right) brought Panther senior teammate and three-time NCAA qualifier Nick Baima to Anamosa helping at Fay’s annual clinic. (Journal-Eureka photo by Daryl Schepanski) |
“Brett wanted to be here too but was just too busy,” said Fay of Robins who was just named FILA Junior Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Month for June. “Maybe next year all three of us can make it back.”
Fay and Baima worked on various wrestling drills and moves during the three-day camp that began Thursday, July 27. |
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