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ALL-SPORTS ALL-AREA TEAM
All-Sports All-Area Team highlights the year's best athletes
The 2025-26 school sports season is complete and all four coverage area schools boasted outstanding individuals who are honored here with the release of the Southwest Iowa Herald All-Sports All-Area Team.
This is the ninth time the Southwest Iowa Herald has released an All-Sports All-Area Team, looking at the entire athletic year. Shenandoah, Sidney and Essex athletes have been eligible for all nine teams while this is the seventh year that Clarinda athletes have been eligible.
The All-Sports All-Area Team is put together in the same way as the seasonal all-area teams. There are 20 athletes honored, 10 boys and 10 girls, evenly split between a first and second team. The team is made up of athletes from all school sports during the academic year with preference given to those that competed at a high level in multiple sports. Clarinda, Essex, Shenandoah and Sidney athletes are eligible with at least one boy and one girl required from each school.
The All-Sports All-Area Team is like the seasonal all-area teams because multiple sports are compared but spanning the whole year makes picking the team a more interesting experience. Two-sport athletes are compared to three and four-plus-sport athletes, sometimes in completely different sports. Comparisons are also made based on an athlete’s level of success in each of his/her sports. It’s not just about playing multiple sports but playing at a high level in multiple sports.
In all, there were 70 athletes named to at least one seasonal all-area team during the school year, 35 girls and 35 boys, and 10 athletes were selected to two seasonal teams this year, five girls and five boys.
Clarinda leads the way with eight all-sports, all-area athletes, including four on the first team. There are seven Shenandoah athletes honored, including four first team selections. Essex and Sidney both have one first team pick with Sidney featuring three all-area athletes and Essex two.
There are seven repeat selections from last year’s All-Sports, All-Area Team, including one athlete appearing on the team for a third time and one for the fourth time, the first to do that in the nine years of putting this team together.
The seniors lead the way with 11 on the All-Sports All-Area team, including seven on the first team. The sophomores are next with four selections, including two on the first team. There are three all-area juniors, all on the second team, and two freshmen, including one on the first team.
The All-Sports All-Area Team follows, starting with the 10 first team selections, listed alphabetically.
Southwest Iowa Herald All-Sports All-Area First Team
Teagan Brunk, Shenandoah Senior
Shenandoah senior Teagan Brunk plays the forehand during a win Monday, May 4, at No. 1 singles. Brunk starred on Shenandoah's tennis, baseball and bowling teams this season, earning a place on the All-Sports, All-Area Team for the first time.
The first athlete recognized is Brunk, who starred for Shenandoah’s baseball, tennis and bowling teams. He also played football and basketball. He was the No. 1 singles player and broke the school record for match wins for a Shenandoah tennis team that made the state tournament for the first time in more than three decades. He was also an individual state tennis qualifier, with Lucas Sun, in doubles for the second straight year. Brunk hit .369 on the baseball diamond with 13 runs scored and 20 RBIs. He was also second on the team with 31 1/3 innings pitched and 38 strikeouts while recording a 2.01 ERA. His 191 per game bowling average was third best on a Mustang team that just missed qualifying for the state tournament.
Jordan Butt, Clarinda Senior
Clarinda senior Jordan Butt delivers a warm up pitch Friday, June 12, at Shenandoah. Butt was a big part of Clarinda's baseball, football and track and field teams this year. He earned his first All-Sports All-Area recognition for the first time.
The first Clarinda athlete recognized on the All-Sports All-Area Team is Butt, who starred for Clarinda’s football and baseball teams while also qualifying for the state track and field meet and playing basketball. He was an all-state lineman on the football team, earning the district’s lineman of the year award. On defense, he recorded 18.5 tackles and eight tackles for loss as the Cardinals won the district title. Butt was Clarinda baseball’s top pitcher, recording a 1.97 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 39 innings. He also batted .254 with 13 runs and 13 RBIs. He was a state track and field qualifier in the discus and scored 20 points in basketball.
Jaylan Gray, Shenandoah Senior
Shenandoah senior Jaylan Gray rolls her ball down the lane Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Individual State Bowling Championships in Waterloo. Gray's bowling success, as well as her work in tennis and softball earn her first team all-sports all-area recognition for the first time.
Gray is the first of 10 girls recognized on the All-Sports All-Area Team, standing out in softball, bowling and tennis for the Fillies. She was the top bowler for Shenandoah, earning a spot at the Individual State Tournament. She broke two individual school records and was part of a team record as well. Her per game average was 177. On the tennis court, Gray was the No. 2 player for a Fillies team that qualified for the state tournament and won the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament title. She was an individual state tennis qualifier with Lyla Mather in doubles. Gray was a .226 hitter with 10 runs and seven RBIs in softball.
Gabi Jacobs, Sidney Senior
Shenandoah senior Gabi Jacobs winds up her forehand Saturday, Sept. 27, during a singles win over Clarinda in a regional final. Jacobs, a Sidney senior, starred for Sidney volleyball and Shenandoah tennis this fall. She was also part of Sidney's golf team and earned her third straight place on the All-Sports All-Area Team.
Jacobs helped lead Sidney volleyball to the state tournament and led Shenandoah girls tennis to the team state tournament while also finishing third at the individual state tournament. She was also a scorer on Sidney’s golf team. Jacobs’ only losses in singles play in tennis came to the state champion, in an individual state semifinal and at the team state tournament. She also won the Hawkeye 10 Conference singles crown. Jacobs recorded 553 digs during the volleyball season, going over 1,500 for her career, leading the Cowgirls to regional and conference tournament championships. She averaged a 57 over nine holes on the golf course, part of a Cowgirl team that won the Corner Conference title and qualified for the regional final. This is Jacobs’ third straight year on the All-Sports All-Area Team and second straight time being selected to the first team.
Sam Kline, Clarinda Senior
Clarinda senior Sam Kline (58) brings down an Underwood ball carrier during a Cardinal win. Kline's play on the football field and basketball court earned him first team All-Sports All-Area. It's his second straight year on the team.
Kline starred for Clarinda’s football and basketball teams. He led Clarinda basketball with 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, leading the Cardinals to an eight-win season. He was second on the football team with 39 tackles while adding 6.5 tackles for loss. On the other side of the ball, he was a starting offensive lineman, leading a Cardinal team that finished 6-3 and won the district championship. Kline is part of the All-Sports All-Area Team for the second straight year.
Ava O’Rourke, Shenandoah Freshman
Shenandoah freshman Ava O'Rourke shows off her smile as she sprints the final stretch Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Hawkeye 10 Conference Cross Country Championships. O'Rourke was instrumental in the success of Shenandoah's cross country, basketball and track and field teams this season, earning her a place on the All-Sports All-Area First Team.
O’Rourke is the second Shenandoah girl to earn first team all-area honors after a great debut season in track and field, basketball and cross country. She finished 36th at the state cross country meet after taking fifth at the state qualifying meet and ninth at the Hawkeye 10 Conference meet, leading the Fillies to fifth place team finishes in both. She did well in the 100 and 400 hurdles on the track as well as in the high jump, including a runner-up finish in the 400 hurdles at the conference meet. She scored 12 points per game in basketball, shooting 39 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Carter Sells, Shenandoah Sophomore
Shenandoah senior Carter Sells drives through Nodaway Valley's defense during the Mustangs' win Monday, Feb. 16, to open district play. Sells was a big part of Shenandoah's basketball, baseball, football and track and field teams and earned his first spot on the All-Sports All-Area Team.
The second Shenandoah boy on the first team is Sells, who was a big part of Shenandoah’s baseball, track and field, basketball and football teams. Sells scored a team-best 14.1 points per game in basketball, adding 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists for a team that won 13 games, the most for the program in 10 years. He qualified for the state track and field meet in the high jump and was a leading hurdler for the Mustangs. On the football field, Sells was third on the team with 42.5 tackles. He intercepted two passes and forced a fumble. He also caught two touchdown passes. He hit .366 for the baseball team with 20 runs and 17 RBIs while playing shortstop.
Isaiah Sholes, Essex Senior
Essex senior Isaiah Sholes drives the lane during the Trojans' home loss Thursday, Dec. 4, against Heartland Christian. Sholes' big season on the basketball court and a state appearance in track and field earn him a place on the All-Sports All-Area Team for the second straight year.
Sholes easily averaged a double-double in leading the Essex basketball team and qualified for his second state track and field meet. He is the Essex boys representative on the All-Sports All-Area Team. He averaged 17.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game on the basketball court. He surpassed 1,000 points for his career, just the third player in program history to achieve that milestone. Sholes qualified for the state track and field meet in the high jump for the second straight year. He also won the Corner Conference title in the same event. Sholes earned his second straight selection to the All-Sports All-Area First Team.
Addison Wagoner, Clarinda Senior
Clarinda senior Addison Wagoner looks for points inside during the Cardinals' two-point home win Tuesday, Jan. 13, over Atlantic. Wagoner's play in basketball and volleyball make her the first area athlete to earn All-Sports All-Area recognition for four straight seasons.
In the ninth year of putting the All-Sports All-Area Team together, Wagoner is the first athlete to be part of the team for four years. She’s the first Clarinda girl recognized on this year’s all-area team where she starred on the basketball and volleyball teams. She had a huge season on the volleyball court, leading the Cardinals to their second straight regional final. She put away 363 kills and recorded 302 digs and 44 aces. She led the Cardinal basketball team with 12.9 points per game while 5.6 rebounds for a team that won 14 games. Besides earning a record fourth All-Sports All-Area appearance, this is Wagoner’s third straight year being on the first team.
Miley Wagoner, Clarinda Sophomore
Clarinda sophomore Miley Wagoner reaches high for an attack Thursday, Sept. 25, during the Cardinals' 3-0 home win over Creston. Wagoner is a first time member of the All-Sports All-Area Team for her play in volleyball, track and field and basketball.
Let’s keep the Wagoner theme going as Addison’s younger sister was great in volleyball and track and field for the Cardinals while also serving as a key piece on the basketball team. In volleyball, she led the Cardinals with a single season school record 374 kills. She led the team with 46 aces and recorded 328 digs. On the track, she qualified for the state meet in four events and won three relay medals in the 4x100, 4x400 and 800 medleys. She also qualified in the 200-meter dash, where she set a personal best at the state meet. Wagoner added 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in basketball.
Second Team
Ellery Bird, Clarinda Freshman
Clarinda freshman Ellery Bird earned four state medals at this season's State Track and Field Championships. Her play in track and field and volleyball earned her a spot on the All-Sports All-Area Team.
The second team begins with another Clarinda girl. Bird stepped onto the Clarinda athletics scene in a big way, especially in volleyball and track and field. She was also part of Clarinda’s basketball and softball programs and is one of just two freshmen that earned All-Sports All-Area recognition. Bird brought home four medals from the state track and field meet, taking home fifth place in the 800 medley and 4x400-meter relays and sixth in the 4x100 relay and in the high jump. She stepped into a senior-heavy volleyball lineup as the team’s setter and recorded 938 assists, 236 digs, 33 aces and 14 blocks on a team that won 26 matches and advanced to a regional final. Bird appeared in 26 softball contests and scored 31 runs as the team’s top courtesy runner. She scored 10 points in basketball, appearing in seven contests.
Gabe Buttry, Shenandoah Sophomore
Shenandoah sophomore Gabe Buttry carries the football Friday, Oct. 3, during a Mustang home win over Red Oak. Buttry rushed for two touchdowns in the win. He had a big season in football, basketball and track and field to earn All-Sports All-Area recognition for the first time.
Buttry is the first second team athlete for Shenandoah after enjoying success in track and field, basketball and football for the Mustangs. He led the football team with 385 rushing yards, scoring six touchdowns on the ground. He added 28 tackles on defense. His 11.4 points per game in basketball were second most on the team while also contributing 4.4 rebounds per contest. He qualified for the state track and field meet in four events and set the school record in the 200-meter dash, qualifying in that event and three relays. He was part of the medal-winning 800-meter medley relay at the state meet.
Maddie Cole, Clarinda Senior
Clarinda senior Maddie Cole passes the basketball Friday, Dec. 5, during a Cardinal home loss to St. Albert. Cole finished off a four-sport career that included basketball, softball, track and field and volleyball, earning her first spot on the All-Sports All-Area Team.
Cole earns her first All-Sports All-Area honor after finishing her four-sport career with a strong senior campaign. She had a huge season in basketball and volleyball and was a key piece of Clarinda’s softball and track and field teams. She scored 9.7 points per game in basketball, shooting 35 percent from behind the 3-point line for a Cardinal team that won 14 games. Her 432 digs in volleyball as the libero led a Cardinal team that qualified for a regional final. She was also great at the service line with 44 aces. She hit .269 in softball with 28 runs scored and 20 RBIs. Eight of her 28 hits went for extra bases, including a team-high four triples. She also competed in the sprints for Clarinda’s track and field team.
Addy Foster, Sidney Junior
Sidney junior Addy Foster sets up classmate Myler Maher Wednesday, Oct. 29, during the Cowgirls' regional final win over Remsen St. Mary's. Foster had a big season on the volleyball and basketball courts and was a member of the Cowgirl golf team, earning a place on the All-Sports All-Area Team for the second straight year.
Foster was one of the top players on Sidney’s volleyball, basketball and golf teams this year. She set up the offense for Sidney’s state tournament volleyball team, accumulating 737 assists and going over 2,000 for her career. She led the Cowgirls to Corner Conference regular season and tournament championships. The state volleyball berth was the program’s first in six years. Foster averaged 8.2 points per game for the Sidney basketball team, adding 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game for a team that got healthy late in the season and enjoyed a four-game winning streak. She was Sidney’s No. 2 scorer in golf, averaging a 55 over nine holes for a team that won the conference championship and advanced to a regional final. This is Foster’s second straight All-Sports All-Area selection.
Clay Foutch, Shenandoah Junior
Shenandoah junior Clay Foutch watches his ball Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the Red Oak Bowling Tournament. Foutch was state bowling runner-up and a leader for Shenandoah's state golf team, earning a place on the All-Sports All-Area Team for the first time.
Foutch was the state runner-up in bowling, finishing a season which saw him have a terrific last few weeks in leading the Mustangs. He rolled a three-game series of 714 at the state tournament to qualify for the bracketed competition, then bowled a 707 series over his final three games to finish second. His three-game score of 705 at the state qualifying tournament, which was a school record, won him the state qualifying tournament title. His 196 per game average was second best on the team. He was also the No. 2 player on Shenandoah’s state golf team, averaging a 42 over nine holes. He was a top 10 finisher at the Hawkeye 10 Conference Golf Tournament, where the Mustangs finished second.
Matt Holmes, Shenandoah Sophomore
Shenandoah sophomore Matt Holmes rolls during the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament. Holmes' play in bowling and tennis earned him his first selection to the All-Sports All-Area Team.
Holmes starred on Shenandoah’s tennis and bowling teams, leading both to great seasons. He is the fifth Shenandoah boy on the All-Sports All-Area Team. His 207 per game average was best on the Shenandoah bowling team and best in the history of the program. He won the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament, leading the Mustangs to a runner-up team finish. He was an individual state qualifier in tennis, playing doubles with Ryan Lawrence. He ended the year as the No. 4 player for a Mustang team that qualified for its first state team tournament in 31 years.
Kylie Meier, Clarinda Senior
Clarinda senior Kylie Meier plays the ball out of the middle Thursday, Sept. 18, during a home win over Harlan. Meier starred for Clarinda's volleyball, basketball and track and field teams and earned a place on the All-Sports All-Area Team for the second straight year.
Meier had a stellar final track and field season for the Cardinals and was instrumental in the success of the volleyball and basketball teams. She gives Clarinda girls athletics five athletes on the All-Sports All-Area Team. Meier qualified for four events at the state track and field meet. She was part of the medal-winning 800 medley, 4x100 and 4x400 relays while also qualifying in the long jump. Meier put away 119 kills on the volleyball court. She added 87 digs, 38 aces and 11 blocks. She scored 7.4 points per game in basketball and added 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. This is the second straight year that Meier earned a place on the All-Sports All-Area Team.
Kort Neal, Clarinda Senior
Clarinda senior Kort Neal competes at the home sectional tournament this season. Neal was a state medalist in golf and then excelled for the Clarinda baseball team this season, earning a place on the All-Sports All-Area First Team for the first time.
Neal was a state medalist in golf and a key member of Clarinda’s baseball team this year. He finished sixth at the state golf tournament, leading the Cardinals to a ninth-place team finish in the state field, their first state tournament appearance in nine years. He finished third at the sectional meet, on their home course. He was eighth at the district tournament and 11th at the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament. On the baseball diamond, he was Clarinda’s No. 2 pitcher, striking out 20 over 31 1/3 innings with a 2.23 ERA. He also batted .240 with 13 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
Ella Sandahl, Essex Junior
Essex junior Ella Sandahl looks ahead at the finish line Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Shenandoah meet. Sandahl starred for Essex's track and field and cross country teams to earn her second straight place on the All-Sports All-Area Team.
Sandahl qualified for her first state cross country meet while also leading Essex’s track and field team. She was also a key piece of Essex’s softball and basketball teams. Sandahl is the Essex girls representative on the All-Sports All-Area Team. A personal best showing at the state qualifying meet gave her eighth place and a spot at the state cross country meet. Sandahl was part of two Corner Conference championships on the track in the 3,000-meter run and 4x800 relay. She finished second in the 3,000 at the state qualifying track and field meet. She was the No. 1 pitcher for Essex’s softball team, striking out 35 batters over 74 1/3 innings. She added 11 hits, seven RBIs and six runs with the bat. She scored 48 points in basketball. Sandahl was also on the All-Sports All-Area Team last year.
Aiden Stenzel, Sidney Senior
Sidney senior Aiden Stenzel takes the ball down the field during the Cowboys' loss Friday, Sept. 19, at East Mills. Stenzel played football, basketball and track and field for the Cowboys and is part of the All-Sports, All-Area Team for the first time.
Stenzel had a big season in football and track and field for the Cowboys while also being one of the leaders of the basketball team. He is the Sidney boys representative on the All-Sports All-Area Team. Stenzel was part of Sidney’s sprint relays, which were the top point scorers for the team over the course of the season. He was the leading receiver for the football team, catching 23 passes for 349 yards with five touchdowns. He added two rushing touchdowns. He was third on the team with 34 tackles. He intercepted three passes, taking one back for a touchdown. He also had a kickoff return for a touchdown. He averaged a double-double on the basketball court, recording 11.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest.
Congratulations to all 20 athletes. Look for stories on the Male and Female Athlete of the Year next week.
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Bales on a new-look Hawkeye 10 for Clarinda Athletics
The Hawkeye 10 Conference looks quite a bit different starting this fall.
Shenandoah and Red Oak have left for the Western Iowa Conference, Lewis Central exits for the Missouri River Conference and Carroll enters the league from the Raccoon River Conference.
For each Hawkeye 10 school, that means new-look schedules in some sports and, especially for Clarinda, that means more travel. Clarinda loses its two closest neighbors and biggest rivals while adding another long trip to Carroll.
As for the schedule, things change starting with volleyball this fall.
“We just play everybody once, there are no more triangulars, which is nice, so all levels have an opportunity to play,” Clarinda Activities Director Eli Bales said. “So, everything is just a single match, and all three levels will play. There is a developmental piece to that, so that helps a lot.”
The other fall sports don’t change much. Football has a state-created schedule by the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the tennis and cross country schedules look pretty similar to last year.
The biggest change comes in the winter as basketball moves to a full double round-robin home and away.
“Instead of being able to pick and choose who you play twice, we’ll play everybody twice,” Bales said. “We fill up some more dates, which is nice but it’s more travel, which I guess we’re used to that too.”
Wrestling also looks different as boys and girls will have double duals on the same night at the same site.
“We will wrestle everybody and girls will be on one side of the gym and boys on the other,” Bales said, “with JV matches in between. We’ll probably start those a bit earlier to get things going.”
He added with girls wrestling having regional duals and state duals for the first time this year, something the Cardinals have goals of being part of this winter, it was important to get more duals on the schedule.”
The bowling schedule looks pretty similar to last year.
Bales said there isn’t much change for the spring and summer sports, although he said his coaches want to try to split up some of the baseball and softball doubleheaders that have been a Monday tradition against the northern-most conference schools the past few years.
Losing Shenandoah and Red Oak to the Western Iowa Conference hurts Clarinda for travel and also for scheduling at the sub-varsity and junior high levels.
“The Western Iowa Conference has its own schedules, so we lose Shenandoah and Red Oak in those games,” Bales said. “For football, we picked up Mount Ayr and St. Albert and we’re going to play Carroll for volleyball too. We’re making it work but it’s tough when schedules are already full.”
As for their neighboring, but no longer conference, rivals, Clarinda and Shenandoah will continue to play in all sports.
“We wanted to play Shenandoah, and they wanted to play us as well,” Bales said. “We wanted to make sure we could play them as much as we can when we can. We’ll play twice for baseball and softball. We’ll play once in basketball. We wanted to ensure that we could play them because that’s big for the community.”
As for Red Oak, there aren’t many meetings on the schedule.
“Hopefully, down the road, we’ll be able to work Red Oak back into the schedule, and we would love to be able to play them,” Bales said. “I also understand that they have to do what’s best for them and that can change every year. So, hopefully we can get them back on the schedule in the future.”
While Clarinda loses a couple rivals that aren’t just close geographically, but also close in terms of enrollment, the Cardinals now play Carroll as a new conference rival, that is third biggest enrollment-wise in the conference, behind Denison and Glenwood.
“Carroll is another big school,” Bales said, “and I think that’s what makes the Hawkeye 10 unique. There is tough competition every night and with us being a 2A school, and adding Carroll, that’s a big jump for us. But I feel we can compete across the board. Hopefully, the state can look at that too when it gets to the postseason, saying this may be our record, but that’s part of being a small school in a bigger conference, that we play tough teams and we can compete with everybody in our class. Our coaches do an awesome job at developing our kids and in our eyes, Carroll is another school we’ll go compete against.”
Over the past year, a lot of the focus has been on the schools that are leaving the Hawkeye 10 and their reaction to making the change. Bales said the re-shuffling of the conference has created quite a bit of change for Clarinda as well.
“We’re the smallest public school in the Hawkeye 10 now,” Bales said, “and we probably travel the most. We lost Shenandoah 20 minutes down the road and a half hour to Red Oak, but it’s a transition that we’re willing to do and we’re excited. We just hope the schedule that we play is tough and we’ll keep developing our kids and doing what’s best for our kids.”
Clarinda’s fall competition schedule begins with a home tennis dual Monday, Aug. 10, against Atlantic. The Cardinals open the cross country season Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Shenandoah’s Early Bird Meet. The football season starts Friday, Aug. 28, with a home game against Creston. The volleyball opener is also the Hawkeye 10 Conference opener Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Harlan.
