Sports

by Val Meyer

Kee softball head coach Liz Hill was named Class 1A Northeast District Coach of the Year by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association following completion of the 2014 softball season. Hill guided the softball Hawks to their best season in program history that included a school record for wins in a season in Kee’s 34-10 overall record. The Hawks also played to a 20-2 Upper Iowa Conference record to win their first-ever conference championship, and also won two of three games at this season’s grand finale in Fort Dodge to claim Class 1A State Tournament Runner-Up accolades in just the second-ever State Tournament appearance in program history.
 

Kee softball eighth grader Kendra Cooper earned Class 1A Northeast All-District honors and Class 1A First Team All-State honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association following completion of the 2014 softball season, in which the Hawks played to a best-ever season record of 34-10, a first-ever Upper Iowa Conference championship, and Class 1A State Tournament Runner-Up honors. Cooper led the Hawks this season with a .462 batting average that also included team highs of 67 hits, four triples, seven home runs and 47 runs batted in (RBI). In addition to her offensive leadership, she also paced Kee’s pitching efforts this season with a 22-5 overall record that included team highs of 160-2/3 innings pitched, 172 strike-outs, a .192 opposing team batting average and an earned run average (ERA) of just 1.52.
 

Kee softball freshman Courtney Cooper was honored with Class 1A Northeast All-District honors and Class 1A First Team All-State honors by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association following completion of the 2014 softball season, in which the Hawks played to a best-ever season record of 34-10, a first-ever Upper Iowa Conference championship, and Class 1A State Tournament Runner-Up honors. Cooper was second on the team in home runs and doubles this season with six round-trippers and 12 two-baggers, collecting 53 hits and driving in 39 runs that ranked fourth and third on the team, respectively, this season. She also rounded out Kee’s formidable one-two pitching punch with her eighth grade sister, Kendra, posting a 12-5 season record that included 97-2/3 innings pitched, 144 strike-outs, a .200 opposing team batting average and an earned run average (ERA) of 2.29.
 

Kee softball junior outfielder Val Meyer was named to the Class 1A Northeast All-District Team and the Class 1A All-State Third Team by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association following completion of the 2014 softball season, in which the Hawks played to a best-ever season record of 34-10, a first-ever Upper Iowa Conference championship, and Class 1A State Tournament Runner-Up honors. Meyer led the Hawk offense with 19 doubles on the season, finishing second on the team with 66 hits, a .458 batting average and 40 runs batted in (RBI). She also played a solid outfield for Kee’s defense, committing just one error on the season.
 

The Waukon Park and Recreation 13 and Under baseball team won its division of the annual Shooky Fink Tournament held at New Albin Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19. The team won its tournament pool by defeating the Hokah, MN seventh grade team, 10-2, and a team from Caledonia, MN, 4-1, during Friday’s competition to earn a spot in the tournament championship game Saturday, where the Waukon team clinched the tournament title with a 5-3 victory over the Hokah, MN sixth grade team. Pictured above, left to right, are: Front row - Coach Mark Hawes, Michael Headington, Miles Hansmeier, Brady Sullivan, Brock Hatlan, Logan Houg. Back row - Coach Austin Troendle, Robbie Drew, Pryce Hesse, Levi McGeough, Patrick Waters, Wyatt Little, Carson Wille, Carson Jones, Coach Marshall Lyons. Submitted photo courtesy of Cassandra Drew.

The 2014 Kee baseball season finished with above average results with a 23-17 overall season record, but not necessarily at that same level in comparison to recent Kee baseball legacy. For the first time in 10 seasons the baseball Hawks fell short of an Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) championship, and for the first time in recent memory as well, Kee’s diamond dwellers played just two postseason tournament games, both of those shortcomings being the result of significant overall improvement in UIC competition this season, according to legendary Kee baseball Coach Gene Schultz.

by Bob Beach

“WE BELIEVE ...”
It was a simple statement on the back of the t-shirts worn by Kee softball players and fans as they made their way to Fort Dodge this past week. But after the Class 1A State Softball Tournament dust has settled, most others who watched the softball Hawks play their way to their State Tournament runner-up finish with two wins in three games now believe as well.

The Kee softball team and its fans celebrate the Hawks' 3-1 victory over AGWSR in the semifinal round of the Class 1A State Tournament Thursday afternoon, July 24 in Fort Dodge. With bases loaded and just one out in the books in the seventh inning, Kee's defense did what it needed to get the final outs and secure the 3-1 victory, advancing the Hawks to the Class 1A State Championship game at 10 a.m. Friday, July 25. Check out next week's Standard for full coverage of the Hawks' road to State Tournament glory!