Athletes of the Month
Emily Boeckmann, Calamus-Wheatland
The contributions have come on both sides of the basketball court for Calamus-Wheatland junior Emily Boeckmann. The Warrior has dropped in 174 points this winter and has been her team’s biggest three-point threat, accounting for over half of Cal-Wheat’s makes from downtown (41 threes for Boeckmann, 29 for her teammates). Boeckmann has also done her part to set up her teammates, pacing the Warriors and ranking ninth in Class 1A with 76 assists. Only one player in the state, meanwhile, has come up with more steals than the junior, who tops 1A with 86 thefts (Boeckmann recently had 10 in one game against Easton Valley). Boeckmann has pulled down 62 rebounds as well and ranks second on the team with 18 blocked shots.
Eli Haack, Central DeWitt
There is no shortage of motivation for Central DeWitt senior Eli Haack in his final prep season for the Sabers’ boys bowling team. An individual state qualifier a year ago, Haack just missed a spot in the bracket portion of that meet by three pins. The Saber has been a model of consistency on the lanes, bowling at least one 200 game at every one of his meets this winter. Just 14 pins, meanwhile, have separated his top four series during MAC action: he bowled a 429 against Clinton, a 424 against North Scott, a 419 against Davenport Central and a 415 against Pleasant Valley. Haack finished sixth in a field of 95 bowlers at the Louisa-Muscatine Invite, thanks to producing both his best game (265) and series (442) of the season.
Leah Mangelsen, Northeast
Part of the Northeast girls basketball team’s three-headed attack — she and a pair of teammates average between 11.3 and 9.7 points per game — sophomore Leah Mangelsen has given the Rebels a big lift in her second varsity season. Mangelsen currently ranks second for the Rebels with 167 points, an average of 11.1 per game, and is picking up those points in a variety of ways. The Rebel is second on the team with 57 two-point field goals, has knocked down six three-pointers and is making over 71 percent of her free throws, which is good news for Northeast as she is second on the team with 49 attempts. Mangelsen has added 85 rebounds — a team-best 58 on the defensive end, while also coming up with 16 steals.
Sawyer Schmidt, Northeast
Few area wrestlers have done more after the arrival of 2023 than Northeast junior Sawyer Schmidt. Since the start of the new year, Schmidt has rattled off 15 victories compared to just five setbacks. The 170-pounder kicked off 2023 by pinning a pair of River Valley Conference foes and then followed it up by being one of three Northeast finalists at its home tournament. Schmidt has won each of his last six dual matches, four of them by fall and a fifth — an 8-4 decision — against a West Branch wrestler who had beaten him earlier in the year. In addition, Schmidt reached the semifinals of the Cascade Invitational and rolled to three straight victories at the John Byers Invitational to place fifth overall.
Cole VanderHeiden, Calamus-Wheatland
It has not taken Calamus-Wheatland senior Cole VanderHeiden long to make an impact for the Warriors’ boys basketball team. Despite making his season debut from injury in late December, VanderHeiden already ranks second for Cal-Wheat in both points (134) and rebounds (78). VanderHeiden made his presence felt early, scoring 23 points right away in his debut, while shooting 8-of-9 from the field. For the season, VanderHeiden leads the Warriors by making 48 percent of his shots from the field and has been a frequent visitor to the foul line: he leads Cal-Wheat in both made and attempted free throws. The senior has added 13 steals on defense and his 78 rebounds include 20 offensive boards.
Lauren Walker, Central DeWitt
A larger role on the Central DeWitt girls basketball team has suited sophomore Lauren Walker just fine. Building off a strong performance in last year’s state quarterfinal — she had 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting — Walker has been the Sabers’ offensive focal point, pacing the team with 225 points, an average of 15 points per game. The Saber has done her damage both inside and out, making nearly 45 percent of her two-point attempts, while also leading her team with 22 three-pointers. She has wreaked havoc on defense, too, with a team-high 33 steals and 47 rebounds. Walker was named the MVP of Central DeWitt’s IHMVCU Shootout victory over Sherrard after scoring a career-high 26 points.
