Sports

PV Girls sports flourish with sweeping success and continued ambition

Grace Ludwig, Grace Boleyn, Mackenzie Fah, and Sunayana Khadka

March 15, 2025

PV Girls sports flourish with sweeping success and continued ambition

Athletic dominance: Spartan female athletes secure five consecutive State Championships

With five state championship titles earned in the last seven months, the girls athletic department is a force to be reckoned with. The Spartan female athletes proudly hold state titles in girls golf, track, cross country, softball and volleyball.

The impressive winning streak started in the spring during the girls track & field season. Leading up to the state championship, the girls delivered an outstanding performance, claiming victory at the MAC Conference Championship with a total of 200 points and dominating the Drake relays with a total of 28 points.

The girls ended their historic season with an impressive 92 points across six events earning them the state championship title, the teams first since 2015. Alongside the state championship title, state records and school records were shattered.

The team of Kai Rebro, Jessie Clemons, Sophia Lewis and Ashley Hansen set an all time school record in the 800m sprint medley with a time of 48.86 seconds. Additionally, The 4×400 relay team of Jessie Clemons, Ani Wedemeyer, Aerielle Johnson and Grace Boleyn destroyed the IGHSAU state record with a time of 3:48.27.

Senior Arielle Johnson broke two state records while also earning the state title. “It felt so amazing to be a part of such a successful team, especially being new and not knowing what the future held. I never would have imagined breaking two state records and am so grateful I was able to do so with such kind and hardworking individuals,” said Johnson.

Following an impressive track & field season, the girls golf team did not disappoint. Leading up to the state championship, the girls held an undefeated record of 19-0 in conference meets. With All-State athlete Issabell Steele leading her team with a 9 hole average of 40.5 and 18 hole average of 75.

With three underclassmen contributing impressive scores, the girls golf team sealed their second consecutive state championship title with a season-best tally of 312, finishing scene strokes ahead of their competition.

“Winning state two years in a row has been a once in a lifetime experience. It’s really awesome to see that the consistent hard work and commitment that the team has out fourth had finally paid off. I’m so proud of everything that the girls have done for this sport,” shared senior Halima Talbi.

The winning streak continued into the early summer months with the softball team. The girls went 17-1 during regular conference play and eventually took the MAC title. The Spartans went into the state championship leading the state in home runs with an impressive 57. Star athlete Ashley Hansen led the team in hits with a batting average of .545.

Following their devastating loss to Ankeny Centennial in the 2023 title game, the Spartans were determined to win. Pulling through with a score of 14-11 the girls were able to secure their well deserved state title.

As the fall sports season rolled around the trophy collection continued to grow, with the addition of two state titles just six days apart from one another.

Leading up to the state championship, the girls cross country team held an undefeated record. The team, led by Senior Grace Boleyn, had a remarkable finish in the state championship, out-pacing runner-up Johnston by 25 points. Boleyn led the Spartans finishing in 6th place with a time of 18:23 followed closely by Senior Ani Wedemeyer finishing 8th.

“It was so exciting to win state in both track and cross country. Everyone on the team puts in so much work to be as good as we are and I’m really grateful to be a part of such a great team,” expressed senior Grace Boleyn.

The most recent addition to the decorated trophy case was earned in early November by the girls volleyball team. With an impressive season record of 35-2 and a 28 game winning streak this volleyball season showcased the immense talent on the court.

Building up to state, the girls came out on top in the Linn-Mar Invite and Westside Invite. During their time at the state tournament, the team defeated Waukee, Dowling Catholic and Waukee Northwest to bring home the second ever state girls volleyball title.

Junior Isabelle Kremer not only was able to help secure the volleyball state title but also made the all tournament team in the process.

“Winning the state championship was everything that I had dreamed of doing and getting to do it with my bestfriends made it even more special to me. Being on the all tournament team was a goal of mine from the start of the season and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. Our hard work didn’t go unnoticed,” said Kremer.

Pleasant Valley volleyball and cross country teams seek out championships

For nearly the entire fall sports season, Pleasant Valley volleyball and girls cross country have been atop every weekly ranking. With both state competitions on the horizon, expectations remain high.

The overwhelming success of all Pleasant Valley girls sports has been no secret over the past couple of years. The current volleyball and cross-country teams are no exception. While both have been dominant the previous seasons, this year has stood out for both. “This year has been special because our team culture is so amazing. I think the reason we have found so much success is because everyone was willing to buy in and work hard without getting distracted or complacent,” senior cross country runner Grace Boleyn said.

Both teams enter their respective state competitions ranked No. 1. While holding the top spot comes with a lot of pressure, it can equally be viewed as a privilege. “Being ranked number one in the state is an honor to the program as well as all of the players. While most people may feel that this adds pressure to our season, I would say it adds fuel and motivation to our team. It is something to strive for and prove true,” sophomore volleyball player Addi Allaman said.

Boleyn shared similar sentiments. “I think that being ranked number one has added pressure but as a team I think we do a good job of rising to the occasion and surpassing expectations. I think winning would show how dominant we are as a team even with the pressure,” said Boleyn.

The last state championships came in 2021 for the volleyball team and in 2012 for the cross-country team. Both Allaman and Boleyn feel the need to renew that victory in the coming week. “Capturing the state title would mean the world to me. Ever since I watched Pleasant Valley win the championship in 2021 I knew it was something I had to accomplish in my upcoming high school career,” Allaman said.

For Boleyn, it comes at a higher cost. “This year’s state is super special to me given it’s my senior year. I really want to take everything in and not take anything for granted,” Boleyn stated. This season seems to be both teams’ perfect opportunity to cash in on another state title and continue PV girls’ hot streak of championships.

With great pressure comes great opportunity, and this holds true for both the girls’ volleyball and cross-country teams. Within the week, both will have the ability to prove their No. 1 rankings and claim a state championship.

The PV Girls Wrestling team: A new era of athletic excellence

In 2022, girls wrestling officially became a sanctioned sport in Iowa. Since then, PV’s Girls Wrestling has come a long way.

The 1st IGHSAU-sanctioned season took place during the 2022-23 school year. “Our team officially started in 2023, which was the first sanctioned year for girls wrestling as a high school sport in Iowa,” stated junior wrestler Abby Meyrer. Years before, girls participated in club programs and wrestled with boys.

The team has experienced exponential growth since then with more girls joining each year. Meyrer conveyed, “My freshman year we only had 11 girls on our whole team, and it’s 14 weights to fill a full varsity lineup.” During her sophomore year, the team had 13 girls. “But we were doubled up at some weights and were still unable to fill a varsity roster with some open weights,” stated Meyrer.

The PV Girls Wrestling team has 16 girls on it this year. “Which, by the numbers, is the biggest team we’ve had in school history, and we keep getting more and more girls a part of the team every week that passes, and we are finally able to fill a full varsity lineup with every weight filled,” conveyed Meyrer.

The growth in the team numbers has brought the girls closer and changed their attitudes in a positive way. “We’re all always so positive and willing to work hard and come into the room every day and get better, and we all have high goals set for ourselves and we push each other daily to help reach those goals. Which is something we didn’t have much of the past couple of years.” Meyrer conveyed.

Everyone on the team collaborates seamlessly and has a great time together. Reese Winslow is a senior at PV; this is her second year wrestling, and she conveyed, “I really love working with my teammates, and we have a lot of fun at tournaments.”

In a short amount of time, the wrestling team has accomplished a lot. Meyrer has been wrestling for about 11 years; her freshman year, she ended up winning state. “That was a pretty surreal moment that I won’t forget,” stated Meyrer. Her sophomore year she made it to state and ended up getting 4th place. “I ended up taking 4th and losing to the same girl twice while battling through an injury that would end up sitting me out for 7 months after surgery and rehab, but I wrestled the girl better the 2nd time I wrestled her. I got pinned in the quarters and then lost in overtime in my third place match,” stated Meyrer.

She is using this experience as a motivator. “This tournament has definitely stuck in my head through time because it was not how I wanted to do it, and I would get in my head about it. But it has given me a lot of motivation this season and how I’ve been wrestling,” stated Meyrer.

Over a short period of time, PV Girls Wrestling has grown so much. They not only grew in number but also as a team.

The start of the 2025 track season brings excitement and ambition

Feb. 24 marked the first girl’s track practice of the year. Coming off of an exceptional 2024 season, 2025 brings new goals and excitement for what can be achieved this time around.

To recap, the girls finished as team state champions last year after a weekend in May filled with record-breaking performances. The girls hope this energy will persist into the new season as many are ready to get back on the track.

“I’m so excited,” said senior varsity athlete Ani Wedemeyer. “The last four years have gone by so fast and I can’t believe it’s my last high school season. I have a lot of big goals and I’m so grateful to my coaches and teammates who give me the support to accomplish them.”

The team lost two seniors who scored at state last year, Jessie Clemons and Reese Goodlet. Although it will be hard to fill their shoes, the girls on the team are no doubt ready to step up. “We have a lot of new faces and so the challenge in this early portion of the season has been getting them oriented to who we are as a team and learning how to bring our best each day,” said head coach, Kenny Wheeler.

While the success from last year adds pressure to the group, he is not worried about the girls. “Everyone would love to win a state championship and while that’s certainly something we aspire to do, all I have in my control is preparing our team to be the very best they can be in May, and developing them to be independent, accountable, confident student-athletes so that they can continue to do great things here at PV and beyond,” added Wheeler. “All that being said, I think we have a lot of individuals on our team that are driven to be the best and so I have no doubt we’ll put ourselves in the conversation to be the best team in the state this Spring.”

As a coach, his aspirations not only lie in performance results, but he also emphasizes individual growth and building relationships. By cultivating a group of individuals who pursue their goals as a collective, Wheeler creates an unbreakable team culture that’s hard to ignore.

The girls will have their first indoor meet on March 12 at St. Ambrose University. The beginning of a new season means new goals, challenges and opportunities, all of which the team is excited to take on. With even more depth and greater confidence, the girls no doubt have a shot at yet another magical season.

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