Iowa
Defending Class 3A Western Dubuque sits atop IHSBCA preseason rankings
Western Dubuque will begin the season exactly where it left off last year.
The defending Class 3A champion received top billing in the preseason rankings. The early tag is met with perspective.
“We were given this ranking, based off last year,” Western Dubuque Coach Casey Bryant said. “Now, we know we have to go prove our ranking this season.”
Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association released its preseason rankings Monday for all four classes. Western Dubuque is joined by West Des Moines Dowling (4A), Van Meter (2A) and Remsen St. Mary’s (1A) as top-ranked teams.
The Bobcats finished 32-11 last season, capturing the school’s first state baseball crown. They open the season Monday at Iowa City Liberty.
“It’s an honor people consider us one of the team’s as one of the potential contenders,” Bryant said. “Nothing has been proven, yet.”
The 3A rankings are dominated by Eastern Iowa programs. Marion, the 2021 state champion, is ranked second followed by No. 3 Cedar Rapids Xavier. Last season’s state runner-up Davenport Assumption is fourth and Independence is eighth.
“It’s almost a murderer’s row in Eastern Iowa,” Bryant said of the area 3A and Mississippi Valley Conference competition.
The MVC has six ranked teams in the two biggest classes. Cedar Rapids Prairie is fourth in 4A after falling to Dowling in last year’s state quarterfinal. Cedar Rapids Kennedy, which lost to Prairie in the substate final, is seventh. Iowa City High was a 2022 state semifinalist and starts the season ranked ninth.
Add in No. 6 Dubuque Wahlert in 3A and some other capable teams in the conference and every game is a challenge.
“The MVC is going to be filthy good,” Bryant said. “It’s going to depend on what day of the week you play and the pitching matchups. Any team can take it on the chin because of how good it is.”
Mid-Prairie, a state semifinalist last season, leads the 2A teams. The golden Hawks are second. Dyersville Beckman begins a new era under Coach Ryan Mabe and in the River Valley Conference. The Blazers are ranked fourth after a state tournament run ended in the semifinal against eventual state champion Van Meter.
Williamsburg and Cascade round out area teams in the poll, coming in sixth and ninth, respectively.
Perennial power North Linn is ranked third to start the year. Tri-Rivers Conference rival Lisbon is one spot behind. The Lions are vying for a third straight state tournament appearance, which would be a program first.
IOWA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL COACHES
ASSOCIATION PRESEASON RANKINGS
(2022 record in parentheses)
Class 4A
1. West Des Moines Dowling (27-15), 2. Ankeny Centennial (25-14), 3. Johnston (36-4), 4. C.R. Prairie (31-9), 5. Waukee Northwest (27-13), 6. Pleasant Valley (24-12), 7. C.R. Kennedy (25-15), 8. West Des Moines Valley (20-15), 9. Iowa City High (32-9), 10. Indianola (26-13)
Class 3A
1. Western Dubuque (32-11), 2. Marion (25-11), 3. C.R. Xavier (28-12), 4. Davenport Assumption (32-7), 5. Council Bluffs Lewis Central (31-4), 6. Dubuque Wahlert (25-13), 7. North Polk (17-9), 8. Independence (30-12), 9. MOC-Floyd Valey (26-14), 10. Pella (23-15)
Class 2A
1. Van Meter (39-0), 2. Mid-Prairie (19-11), 3. Carroll Kuemper (20-17), 4. Dyersville Beckman (25-14), 5. Dike-New Hartford (26-4), 6. Williamsburg (22-14), 7. Estherville-Lincoln Central (33-3), 8. Underwood (20-4), 9. Cascade (20-6), 10. Osage (20-5)
Class 1A
1. Remsen-St. Mary’s (35-1), 2. Mason City Newman (33-4), 3. North Linn (31-3), 4. Lisbon (24-6), 5. Kingsley-Pierson (27-5), 6. Lynnville-Sully (24-3), 7. Don Bosco (23-6), 8. LeMars Gehlen (21-10), 9. Saint Ansgar (19-12), 10. West Harrison (17-7)
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Here’s who all 71 Iowa high school football teams ranked in this week’s Gazette poll face in Week 7 games Friday night.
Class 3A gets the spotlight this week as its top two teams face top-seven opponents. No. 1 Algona visits No. 7 Humboldt, while second-ranked Williamsburg hosts a Solon team eager to bounce back from last week’s loss to Benton Community that dropped it from the top spot.
There is intrigue in the 8-Player top five as well, where three of the top five teams face fellow unbeaten foes. That includes No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s taking on No. 10 Woodbine and No. 2 Algona Garrigan hosting Ruthven GTRA.
Class 5A
No. 1 West Des Moines Valley (5-1) vs. Waterloo West (5-1)
No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling (5-1) at Urbandale (3-3)
No. 3 Bettendorf (6-0) at Davenport Central (2-4)
No. 4 Pleasant Valley (5-1) vs. Muscatine (2-4)
No. 5 Ankeny Centennial (4-2) vs. Des Moines Roosevelt (1-5)
No. 6 Linn-Mar (5-1) vs. Davenport West (0-6)
No. 7 Johnston (4-2) vs. Council Bluffs Lincoln (4-2)
No. 8 Iowa City Liberty (5-1) vs. Ankeny (3-3)
No. 9 Waukee (4-2) at Southeast Polk (3-3)
No. 10 Sioux City East (4-2) vs. Des Moines Lincoln (1-5)
Class 4A
No. 1 Lewis Central (6-0) at Winterset (4-2)
No. 2 Pella (6-0) at Des Moines Hoover (0-6), Thursday
No. 3 North Polk (6-0) at No. 10 Indianola (4-2)
No. 4 Gilbert (6-0) vs. Bondurant-Farrar (1-5)
No. 5 Decorah (6-0) at Marion (2-4)
No. 6 Adel ADM (5-1) at Ballard (3-3)
No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-2) at Oskaloosa (1-5)
No. 8 North Scott (4-2) at Clear Creek Amana (4-2)
No. 9 Newton (4-2) vs. Carlisle (0-6)
No. 10 Indianola (4-2) vs. No. 3 North Polk (6-0)
No. 10 Western Dubuque (4-2) at Waterloo East (2-4)
Class 3A
No. 1 Algona (6-0) at No. 7 Humboldt (5-1)
No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1) vs. No. 5 Solon (5-1)
No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (6-0) at West Delaware (4-2)
No. 4 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (6-0) vs. Carroll (4-2)
No. 5 Mount Vernon (5-1) vs. Fort Madison (0-6)
No. 5 Solon (5-1) at No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1)
No. 7 Humboldt (5-1) vs. No. 1 Algona (6-0)
No. 8 Sioux City Heelan (4-2) at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (1-5)
No. 9 Independence (4-2) at Maquoketa (1-5)
No. 10 Nevada (5-1) at Harlan (3-3)
Class 2A
No. 1 West Lyon (6-0) at Sheldon (2-4)
No. 2 Monroe PCM (6-0) at West Marshall (5-1)
No. 3 Spirit Lake (5-1) at Garner GHV (1-5)
No. 4 Van Meter (5-1) vs. Centerville (4-2)
No. 5 Carroll Kuemper (5-1) vs. Saydel (1-5)
No. 6 North Fayette Valley (5-1) vs. Oelwein (0-6) — canceled, Oelwein to forfeit
No. 7 Northeast (6-0) at Tipton (2-4)
No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2) vs. No. 10 Western Christian (4-2)
No. 9 Roland-Story (4-2) vs. Des Moines Christian (4-2)
No. 10 Western Christian (4-2) at No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2)
Class 1A
No. 1 Grundy Center (6-0) at Alburnett (4-2)
No. 2 Wilton (6-0) at West Branch (2-4)
No. 3 Dike-New Hartford (5-1) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (2-4)
No. 4 Emmetsburg (6-0) vs. Eagle Grove (0-6)
No. 5 Iowa City Regina (6-0) at Dyersville Beckman (4-2)
No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1) vs. No. 10 Hinton (5-1)
No. 7 South Hardin (5-1) at Hudson (5-1)
No. 8 Treynor (5-1) vs. Shenandoah (3-3)
No. 9 Sigourney-Keota (5-1) at Colfax-Mingo (1-5)
No. 10 Hinton (5-1) at No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1)
Class A
No. 1 West Hancock (6-0) at Lake Mills (4-2)
No. 2 Guthrie Center ACGC (6-0) vs. Mount Ayr (5-1)
No. 3 Saint Ansgar (5-1) at West Fork (1-5)
No. 4 Lisbon (6-0) vs. Danville (4-2)
No. 5 Earlham (5-1) at Oakland Riverside (4-2)
No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1) vs. No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1)
No. 7 Le Mars Gehlen (5-1) at South O’Brien (0-6)
No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1) at No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1)
No. 9 North Linn (6-0) vs. Maquoketa Valley (5-1)
No. 10 Madrid (4-2) at North Mahaska (3-3)
8-Player
No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0) vs. No. 10 Woodbine (6-0)
No. 2 Algona Garrigan (6-0) vs. Ruthven GTRA (6-0)
No. 3 Don Bosco (6-0) vs. Turkey Valley (3-3)
No. 4 Audubon (6-0) vs. Collins-Maxwell (4-2)
No. 5 Lenox (6-0) vs. Southeast Warren (6-0)
No. 6 Iowa Valley (6-0) vs. HLV (1-6)
No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (5-1) at Clarksville (5-2)
No. 8 Anita CAM (5-1) at Fremont-Mills (5-1)
No. 9 Bedford (5-1) vs. Lamoni (4-2)
No. 10 Woodbine (6-0) at No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0)
Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com
Iowa State women’s basketball star Emily Ryan released a video Thursday in which she discusses her battle with an eating disorder.
Ryan, a senior from Claflin, Kansas, has been one of the Big 12 Conference’s best point guards for the past few seasons. She was a first-team all-conference pick in 2022, and a second-team selection in 2023.
“By sharing my story, I hope to build awareness and provide hope to everyone else fighting an invisible battle,” Ryan said in the video.
Ryan said her sense of self-worth was dependent on Iowa State’s success and her individual performance. That led to increased time spent in the weight room in an effort to get stronger and faster. When Ryan didn’t see the results that she desired, she began to focus on her diet.
Ryan said the Iowa State medical staff expressed their concern about Ryan’s eating habits and what it was doing to her body. Ryan said she was in “complete denial” about having an eating disorder, but her health continued to worsen.
Ryan missed the first nine games of the 2023-24 season due to the eating disorder. When she returned, she said, “off the court I was really struggling. By the end of the season, I was physically and mentally hanging on by a thread.”
During the offseason, Ryan spent 88 days at a treatment center in Denver.
“It took a long time but I finally came to the understanding that being sick wasn’t my fault, and eating disorders are real, complex illnesses,” she said.
How to get help
For resources on disordered eating, call the National Eating Disorders Helpline at 800-931-2237 or text NEDA to 741741.
It was an important date around the state for volleyball teams in Iowa, as the latest rankings were released and regional pairings in all five classes were revealed.
The two come into play once regionals reach the championship round, as the higher-ranked team will serve as the host for those games.
All five No. 1 squads remained the same, as Ankeny Centennial (Class 5A), Cedar Rapids Xavier (4A), Mount Vernon (3A), Denver (2A) and Ankeny Christian (1A) held serve.
New teams to the Top-15 include Iowa City West in 5A, Ballard in 4A, Wapsie Valley in 2A and Stanton in 1A. The entire 3A poll remained the same while Sidney made one of the biggest climbs, moving to ninth from 12th in 1A.
Regional play for 1A and 2A begins Oct. 21 with 3A, 4A and 5A starting Oct. 22. The state tournament is scheduled for Nov. 4-7 in Coralville from the Xtream Arena. Complete regional pairings can be found on Bound.
Class 5A
1. Ankeny Centennial; 2. Pleasant Valley; 3. Ankeny; 4. West Des Moines Dowling; 5. Indianola; 6. Waukee Northwest; 7. Cedar Falls; 8. Cedar Rapids Prairie; 9. Waukee; 10. Iowa City Liberty; 11. West Des Moines Valley; 12. Sioux City East; 13. Iowa City West; 14. Iowa City High; 15. Linn-Mar.
Class 4A
1. Cedar Rapids Xavier; 2. Sioux City Bishop Heelan; 3. North Scott; 4. Clear Creek-Amana; 5. Lewis Central; 6. Pella; 7. Glenwood; 8. Carlisle; 9. Marion; 10. Adel-ADM; 11. Norwalk; 12. Sergeant Bluff-Luton; 13. MOC-Floyd Valley; 14. Ballard; 15. Grinnell.
Class 3A
1. Mount Vernon; 2. Western Christian; 3. West Delaware; 4. Dubuque Wahlert; 5. Davenport Assumption; 6. Sioux Center; 7. Carroll Kuemper; 8. Mid-Prairie; 9. Cherokee; 10. Wilton; 11. Solon; 12. Anamosa; 13. Roland-Story; 14. Clarinda; 15. Nevada.
Class 2A
1. Denver; 2. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont; 3. Dyersville Beckman; 4. Dike-New Hartford; 5. Aplington-Parkersburg; 6. South Hardin; 7. Boyden-Hull; 8. Pella Christian; 9. Iowa City Regina; 10. Hinton; 11. Grundy Center; 12. Sumner-Fredericksburg; 13. Wapsie Valley; 14. West Burlington; 15. Shenandoah.
Class 1A
1. Ankeny Christian; 2. Holy Trinity; 3. Saint Ansgar; 4. Riverside; 5. BCLUW; 6. Janesville; 7. North Tama; 8. Don Bosco; 9. Sidney; 10. River Valley; 11. Akron-Westfield; 12. Stanton; 13. Fremont-Mills; 14. Southwest Valley; 15. Gladbrook-Reinbeck.
Riverside County coach arrested for alleged inappropriate sexual contact with students
How the Tigers turned Detroit into the ‘City of Champions’
Political storm: On Trump 'onslaught of lies,' Biden urges former president to 'get a life man'
Upscale Korean restaurant ABSteak opens in San Francisco's Union Square
All lanes of Dallas North Tollway closed at Northwest Highway after fatal motorcycle crash
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Harris calls Trump debate decision a ‘pretty weak move,' praises Native community at Arizona rally
Kremlin dismisses reports North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine
Fisher-Price recalls 2 million Snuga Swings after infant deaths
Mayorkas doubles down, hammers ‘pernicious’ misinformation amid FEMA criticism
3 million lose power as hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25439572/VRG_TEC_Textless.jpg "Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year")
Technology1 week agoCharter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year
-
World1 week agoUkrainian stronghold Vuhledar falls to Russian offensive after two years of bombardment
-
World1 week agoWikiLeaks’ Julian Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ in order to be freed
-
Technology1 week agoBeware of fraudsters posing as government officials trying to steal your cash
-
Health6 days agoHealth, happiness and helping others are vital parts of free and responsible society, Founding Fathers taught
-
Virginia1 week agoStatus for Daniels and Green still uncertain for this week against Virginia Tech; Reuben done for season
-
Sports6 days agoFreddie Freeman says his ankle sprain is worst injury he's ever tried to play through
-
News6 days agoLebanon says 50 medics killed in past three days as Israel extends its bombardment