The 37th All-Academic Teams have been selected by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association.  A panel of coaches selected senior players who demonstrate outstanding academic, moral, and athletic characteristics.  

2023 First Team Academic All-State

Trever Beach Humboldt Jonah Schumacher Pleasantville

Brady Blake Indianola Parker Sheets Pleasantville

Dawson Bond Red Oak Cael Shepley Baxter

Lance Clayburg Coon Rapids-Bayard Spencer Smith   Central Decatur

Cody Damman Baxter Ike Speltz Van Meter

Cael Funk Edgewood-Colesburg Dylan Stockdale Waverly-Shell Rock

Bo Gerbracht AGWSR Joshua Thurm Humboldt

Ben Gilliland Van Meter Reid Tigges Spencer

Ryan Greenfield Newell-Fonda Ryne Vander Leest Iowa City West

Brock Littler ACGC Ryan Lee Walters South Hardin

Peyton Major Pleasantville Nikoli Wede MOC-Floyd Valley

Jackson Manning Van Buren

2023 Second Team Academic All-State

Luke Bohonek Bettendorf Risto Lappala Glenwood

Lance Couse Red Oak Aden O’Donnell Pleasant Valley

Tyler Deal Carlisle Nathan O’Neill Waukon

Joe Goodhue Carlisle Ryan Peterson Carlisle

Kaleb Gray Colo-Nesco Bradly Roder AGWSR

Gavin Hegstrom Perry Ike Swanson Pleasant Valley

Zac Henderson Cedar Rapids Jefferson Tyson Tessum Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn

Jake Hightshoe Boone Tyrus Werner West Delaware

Ben Hoefer Iowa City West Corbin Westerkamp Pella Christian

Joshua Kennen Waukon Daniel Zietlow Pleasant Valley

Lanny Peterson Award

This award, given in honor of long-time baseball umpire Lanny Peterson, is given to the captain of the Academic All-State Team.  This is given to that individual who exhibits the highest academic, moral, and athletic standards which Mr. Peterson exemplified during his career as an umpire and teacher.

The Graphic Edge-IHSBCA Player of the Year Award 

This award is presented to an All-Star Series player voted most outstanding for the year by a committee of coaches at the All-Star Series.

The Gary & Sandy Nyhus Leadership Award

This award is presented to an All-Star Series Player on each team who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.    

The Paul Keitel Memorial Award

This award is presented to the All-Star Player who best exemplifies the values of Character, Sportsmanship, Integrity, and “love for the game” of baseball that Paul Keitel modeled during his long umpiring career.             

Class 1A
Libson 5,  Kingsley-Pierson 3
Remsen St. Mary’s 1, Lynnville Sully 0

Class 3A
Epworth, Western Dubuque 7, Wahlert Catholic 4
North Polk 8, Carlisle 0

Class 1A
Martensdale-St Mary’s 9, Wayne 0
North Linn 2, Clarksville 1

Class 2A 
Regina Catholic 13, Interstate 35  1
Van Meter 10, Central Springs 9

Class 3A
Williamsburg 8, Estherville Lincoln Central 0
Assumption 7, Wahlert Catholic 5

Class 4A
Winterset 6, Fort Dodge 4
North Scott 6, Norwalk 4

Class 5A
Ankeny Centennial 11, Southeast Polk 1
Pleasant Valley 7, Muscatine 1

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head tennis coach Jaron Maestas has signed his first student-athlete with the program, adding five-time Division II All-American Isabella Dunlap to the 2023-24 roster. Dunlap has one season of eligibility remaining after playing for three seasons under Maestas at Central Oklahoma. She played the 2021-22 season at the University of Indianapolis before sitting out the 2022-23 season.

 In all four seasons she has competed, her teams have reached the NCAA Tournament and she is a two-time NCAA semifinalist. She has earned All-America honors three times in doubles and twice in singles. “Isabella and I have a long history,” Maestas said. “She is the type of kid that will run through a wall for what she believes in. We added a great competitor who is going to be fun to watch.”

The Edmond, Oklahoma, native broke onto the scene in 2019, capturing the ITA regional championship and reaching the national title match. Dunlap entered the spring of 2019 ranked No. 2 nationally and maintained a top-five spot throughout the season, finishing the season at No. 5. In doubles play, she finished the season ranked No. 9. She went on to earn All-America honors in both singles and doubles and was named ITA Freshman of the Year.

 During a COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, Dunlap earned All-America honors in doubles as she helped UCO finish seventh at the ITA Indoor National Championship. In 2020-21, Dunlap again earned All-America accolades in doubles action at UCO before transferring to UIndy when Maestas left to be an assistant coach at Kansas.

 In her only season on the courts for UIndy, Dunlap took home her fifth All-America honor after finishing No. 14 in the final ITA singles rankings. The Greyhounds reached the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. As a high schooler, Dunlap was the top player in Oklahoma according to the USTA Sectional rankings.

Below are the IHSBCA All-District Baseball Teams:

(Click on link to view)

2023 All-District Teams Class 1A

2023 All-District Teams Class 2A

2023 All-District Teams Class 3A

2023 All-District Teams Class 4A

Iowa defensive end Joe Evans is trying to soak everything in as he prepares for his final season. The Ames native began his career as a walk-on but is garnering preseason All-Big Ten recognition after posting six and-a-half sacks and starting all 13 games last season.

Evans says it has been apparent during summer workouts that the Hawkeye offense has something to prove. Iowa finished next to last a year ago in the country in total offense.

AMES, Iowa – For the second time in his career, Iowa State wrestler David Carr has been named the Gary Thompson Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year. Carr is the seventh Cyclone to win the award at least twice in his career.

Carr posted a 27-1 record during the 2022-23 season and finished as the national runner-up at 165 pounds, becoming Iowa State’s first multi-time finalist since 2010. Of his 27 wins, 12 came against wrestlers ranked in the top 15 of FloWrestling’s final poll.

The Canton, Ohio native won his fourth Big 12 title in 2023, becoming the second Iowa State wrestler, and first since Cael Sanderson in 2002, to win four Big 12 titles. He is the 11th wrestler in league history to win four titles in the Big 12 era (1997-pres.).

Carr was named the Big 12 Championship’s Most Outstanding Wrestler after going 3-0 in the tournament with two bonus-point wins, capped by a pin against No. 2 Keegan O’Toole in overtime of the finals. Carr was the first Cyclone to receive the honor since 2011.

At the NCAA Championships, Carr became Iowa State’s 12^th four-time All-American and led the Cyclones with 18.0 team points. He led Iowa State to its best team finish since 2013 (11^th) and highest point total since 2010 (47.0 points).

Carr’s bracket was loaded with three past NCAA champions, another returning NCAA finalist and five more returning All-Americans. Nevertheless, Carr navigated to the finals with four consecutive victories, including over Stanford’s Shane Griffith, a 2021 national champion, in the quarterfinals and Princeton’s Quincy Monday, a returning national finalist, in the semifinals. Awaiting him in the finals was his rival and defending national champion O’Toole who would hand Carr his only loss of the season.

In November, Carr made an appearance at the NWCA All-Star Classic where he defeated Monday, 2-1, to become the first Cyclone to win at the event since 2009.

Carr was as dominant as they come for much of the season. More than half of his wins (14) came with bonus points, including five pins, three tech falls and six major decisions. He allowed only five takedowns on the year and secured 93 for himself, his most in a season during his career.

Carr led Iowa State with 77 team points in dual action and he was one of two Cyclones not to miss a dual during the season, wrestling in all 19.

Off the mat, Carr logged 112 hours of community service in 2022-23, the third-most by a Cyclone student-athlete during the academic year. His community service work consisted of Courts for Kids in Costa Rica, Elementary Milage Club, Kate Mitchell Carnival, WBB Night with Special Olympians, Adopt-A-Family and Fields of Faith.

Carr posted a 3.86 GPA in the education graduate program and was a 2023 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America First Team member, CSC All-District At-Large team member, First Team Academic All-Big 12 selection and NWCA scholar All-American.

He owns a 93-3 (.969) career record entering his final season of eligibility.

Carr will be recognized at a football game this fall.

Gary Thompson Iowa State Male Athlete of the Year Winners
1947 – Ron Norman, Basketball
1948 – Glen Brand, Wrestling
1949 – Bob Peterson, Basketball
1950 – Bill Weeks Football
1951 – Jim Doran, Football
1952 – Mal Schmidt, Football & Swimming
1953 – Jack Erickson, Football & Wrestling
1954 – Max Burkett, Football
1955 – Chuck Duncan, Basketball
1956 – Gary Thompson, Baseball & Basketball
1957 – Gary Thompson, Baseball & Basketball
1958 – Frank Powell, Football & Wrestling
1959 – Ron Gray, Wrestling
1960 – Dwight Nichols, Football
1961 – Tom Watkins, Football
1962 – Dave Hoppman, Football
1963 – Marv Straw, Basketball
1964 – Gordon Hassman, Wrestling
1965 – Tom Vaughn, Football
1966 – Tom Peckham, Wrestling
1967 – Don Smith, Basketball
1968 – Don Smith, Basketball
1969 – Dan Gable, Wrestling
1970 – Dan Gable, Wrestling
1971 – Otto Stowe, Football
1972 – George Amundson, Football
1973 – Chris Taylor, Wrestling
1974 – Doug Fitzjarrell, Gymnastics
1975 – Al Nacin, Wrestling
1976 – Pete Galea, Wrestling
1977 – Wayne Stanley, Football
1978 – Mark Trippel, Gymnastics
1979 – Mike Land, Wrestling
1980 – Mike Schwartz, Football
1981 – Ron Galimore, Gymnastics
1982 – John Quinn, Football
1983 – Nate Carr, Wrestling
1984 – Bob Verbeeck, Track & Field
1985 – Barry Stevens, Basketball
1986 – Mark Diab, Gymnastics
1987 – Stewart Carter, Wrestling
1988 – Eric Hansen, Swimming
Jeff Grayer, Basketball
1989 – Tim Krieger, Wrestling
1990 – Mike Busch, Baseball & Football
1991 – John Nuttall, Cross Country and Track & Field
1992 – Obinna Eregbu, Track & Field
1993 – Jonah Koech, Track & Field
1994 – Eric Akin, Wrestling
1995 – Fred Hoiberg, Basketball
1996 – Dmitry Drozdov, Track & Field and Cross Country
1997 – Chris Bono, Wrestling
1998 – Dwight Hinson, Wrestling
1999 – Cael Sanderson, Wrestling
2000 – Marcus Fizer, Basketball
2001 – Jamaal Tinsley, Basketball
Cael Sanderson, Wrestling
2002 – Cael Sanderson, Wrestling
2003 – Seneca Wallace, Football
2004 – Zach Roberson, Wrestling
Jake Sullivan, Basketball
2005 – Ellis Hobbs, Football
2006 – Nate Gallick, Wrestling
2007 – Trent Paulson, Wrestling
2008 – Chris Baker, Golf
2009 – Jake Varner, Wrestling
2010 – Jake Varner, Wrestling
2011 – Jon Reader, Wrestling
2012 – Nate McCoy, Golf
2013 – Scott Fernandez, Golf
2014 – Melvin Ejim, Basketball
2015 – Edward Kemboi, Track & Field and Cross Country
Kyven Gadson, Wrestling
2016 – Georges Niang, Basketball
2017 – Monté Morris, Basketball
2018 – Joel Lanning, Football
2019 – Edwin Kurgat, Track & Field and Cross Country
2020 – Edwin Kurgat, Track & Field and Cross Country
2021 – David Carr, Wrestling
2022 – Breece Hall, Football
2023 – David Carr, Wrestling

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa soccer team welcomes assistant coach J.P. Valadares to the staff. Valadares joins the Hawkeyes after two seasons as the goalkeepers coach at Southern Miss.

“I first off want to thank Beth Goetz and Matt Henderson for supporting our program with the additional full-time position,” head coach Dave DiIanni said. “J.P. was highly recommended amongst many of my peers who had firsthand knowledge of who he was as a person. First off, his passion and love for the game, and his unique and special ability to coach the goalkeeping position. We welcome he and his wife, Gillian, to our Hawkeye Soccer family.”

Valadares has served as director of goalkeepers for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) in Mississippi and also was part of the ODP South Region staff.

At Southern Miss, Valadares was the first goalkeepers coach to lead the team to back-to-back seasons with a save percentage of .800 or higher. In 2022, the Golden Eagles set a program-best .860 save percentage.

Over the past two seasons, the Golden Eagles posted .95 goals against average, an improvement from 1.38 goals against over the previous three years. Valadares coached his keepers to a school record .83 goals against average during the 2021 season.

Valadares was the third position coach in C-USA history to guide multiple goalkeepers to conference goalkeeper of the week recognition during the same season. Under the guidance of Valadares, Kendell Mindnich earned multiple weekly honors, as well as all-conference and all-conference tournament recognition.

Prior to Southern Miss, Valadares spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as goalkeepers coach for the Pearl River Community College men’s and women’s soccer programs.

During his stint at PRCC, Valadares helped develop some of the top goalkeepers in the MACJC. Across both teams, Valadares trained four conference weekly award winners and one All-Region XXIII selection.

The men’s and women’s teams each advanced to the conference semifinals in both of his two seasons at Pearl River.

Prior to coaching, Valadares was a decorated collegiate and youth player. He competed for William Carey during the 2011, 2016 and 2017 seasons at goalkeeper, leading the Crusaders to the 2011 NAIA Final Four.

At the youth level, Valadares played for the America Futebol Clube’s U-17 team, which is a first division club in Brazil.

A Brazil native, Valadares returned home to attend law school at Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brail, after his freshman season at William Carey. In 2014, he returned to William Carey to finish his bachelor’s.

Valadares has a master’s in education from William Carey University. He is married to wife Gillian Valadares.

Class 1A Semifinals

4:30–St. Mary’s, Remsen vs. Lynnville-Sully

7:00–Kingsley-Pierson vs. Lisbon

Class 3A Semifinals

5:00 p.m. – #2 North Polk vs. #6 Carlisle

7:30 p.m.- #1 Western Dubuque vs. #4 Wahlert Catholic, Dubuque