July 17th Sports
NICL First Team Softball All Conference
Pitchers: Faith Gray (DNH/AP), Peyton Grabenbauer (East Marshall), Taylor Buhr (Wapsie Valley)
Catcher: Hayden Kresser (Jesup)
Infield: Eva Walker (DNH/AP), Brilee Ackerson (Denver), Maddy Hendershot (Grundy Center), Aubree Land (Sumner-Fredericksburg), Ashtyn Wheater (East Marshall)
Outfield: Carly Krueger (Sumner-Fredericksburg), Jordy Rhoads (Hudson), Sara Mead (Jesup), Espyn Decker (Wapsie Valley)
Utility: Aspen Weir (Oelwein), Jenna Collins (Denver)
East Marshall had four players recognized, including pitcher Peyton Grabenbauer and infielder Ashtyn Wheater, who were both selected to the First Team. utility player Gianna Boswell earned Second Team honors, while infielder Libby Atcher was named to the Third Team. Miyah Grabenbauer received Honorable Mention recognition.
Grundy Center placed six players on the all-conference list. infielder Maddy Hendershot earned First Team honors. utility player Lauren Zajac and outfielder Evelyn Gerdes were named to the Second Team, while pitcher Macey Kiewiet received Third Team recognition. Allison Koch was selected Honorable Mention.
AGWSR had two players honored, with infielder Lila Holmgaard earning Second Team honors and pitcher Kaesyn Slifer being named to the Third Team.
South Hardin was represented by outfielder Brynley Weig and utility player Ella Owens, who both earned Third Team honors. Lucy Anderson received Honorable Mention recognition.
Major Awards
- Most Valuable Player: Faith Gray, DNH/AP
- Coach of the Year: Tianna Butteris, DNH/AP
NICL First Team All Conference Baseball
Pitchers: Judd Jirovsky (Grundy Center), Tate Van Dyke (Union), Lincoln Roethler (Denver)
Catcher: Landon Rechkemmer (Oelwein)
Infield: Preston Dolash (South Hardin), Blake Neuroth (East Marshall), Landen Whitaker (Oelwein), Casey Williamson (South Hardin), Parker Masteller (Jesup)
Outfield: Bryce Noland (Columbus Catholic), Gavin Gerbracht (Dike-New Hartford), Brayden Davie (Grundy Center), Sam Egan (Sumner-Fredericksburg)
Utility: Sully Janssen (Aplington-Parkersburg), Pete Lebo (Grundy Center), McKoy Nuss (Sumner-Fredericksburg)
Major Awards
- Most Valuable Player: Judd Jirovsky, Grundy Center
- Coach of the Year: Pat Brown, Grundy Center
The (NICL) has announced its 2026 All-Conference baseball teams, with Grundy Center leading the way after claiming the conference championship via the head-to-head tiebreaker over Wapsie Valley. Senior pitcher Judd Jirovsky was named the NICL Most Valuable Player, while Grundy Center’s Pat Brown was selected as the Coach of the Year.
Grundy Center placed five players on the all-conference teams. Jirovsky earned First Team honors as a pitcher, while senior outfielder Brayden Davie and senior utility player Pete Lebo were also First Team selections. Junior utility player Ethan Meester was named to the Second Team, and senior Ryder Slifer received Honorable Mention recognition.
East Marshall had four players recognized. Senior infielder Blake Neuroth was selected to the First Team, junior infielder Jackson Busch earned Second Team honors, junior outfielder Jaxon Boswell was named to the Third Team, and junior Eli Burns received Honorable Mention recognition.
AGWSR also had four players honored. Freshman pitcher Clay Buseman, senior infielder Bo Starr, senior infielder Tristen Dennis, and sophomore utility player Rem Kerns were all selected to the Second Team. Sophomore catcher Landen Dennis earned Third Team honors, while Lane Olson received Honorable Mention recognition.
South Hardin was represented by two First Team selections, infielder Preston Dolash and Casey Williamson. outfielder Joshua Spindler was named to the Second Team, infielder Peyton Welch earned Third Team honors, and Bo Carpenter received Honorable Mention recognition.
NBA Summer League Roundup – Las Vegas
Seven games were played in NBA Summer League action Thursday in Las Vegas, with the Lakers improving to 4-0 and several standout individual performances highlighting the day.
- Dallas Mavericks 97, Oklahoma City Thunder 87: Dallas evened its record at 2-2 behind Jordan Poulakidas, who scored 19 points. Oklahoma City’s Brooks Barnhizer led all scorers with 21 points and added 12 rebounds.
- Houston Rockets 100, Brooklyn Nets 83: The Rockets improved to 3-1 after a balanced offensive effort led by Bam Thornton with 23 points. Brooklyn’s Egor Demin scored 21 points in the loss.
- Los Angeles Lakers 105, Chicago Bulls 82: The Lakers remained unbeaten at 4-0 with a convincing victory. Coleman Manon paced Los Angeles with 16 points and six rebounds, while Coby Wilson had 21 points and eight rebounds for Chicago.
- Golden State Warriors 87, New York Knicks 77: The Warriors moved to 3-1 behind Grant Ike, who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Liam Robbins led the Knicks with 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
- Memphis Grizzlies 96, Atlanta Hawks 64: Memphis cruised to its third win in four games after jumping out to a 32-2 first-quarter lead. Cameron Boozer scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Isaiah Wong led Atlanta with 20 points.
- Toronto Raptors 99, Miami Heat 90: Toronto improved to 3-1 as Alijah Martin Graves scored 23 points and pulled down six rebounds. Miami’s Jamaree Young posted a game-high 30 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.
- Portland Trail Blazers 108, Denver Nuggets 101: Portland evened its record at 2-2. Caleb Youngblood contributed 11 points and eight assists, while Denver’s Mark Sears poured in a game-high 26 points despite the loss.
Featured Audio Interviews
Marshalltown Volleyball Coach Jen O’Neil, Marshalltown Boy’s XC Coach Chad Pietig, Gladbrook Reinbeck Volleyball Coach Paula Kelley, Gladbrook Reinbeck Football Coach John Olson.
