Sports

2017 was an outstanding year for Pleasant Valley athletics. As the year comes to a close, let’s highlight the many sports accomplishments of Spartan teams and athletes.

Winter:

-Both the girls’ and boys’ bowling teams made their first state appearance in school history.

-Spartan wrestler, Eli Loyd individually placed 8th at the state wrestling meet.

-The boys’ swimming team were district champions last season. The team placed 10th overall at the state meet. Individually, Kevin Burke broke the school’s 100 meter backstroke record.

-This season, The Pleasant Valley Platinum Dance Team were state champions with their pom routine and placed 4th with their jazz performance. Individually, Amy Showers and Caitlin Chrome placed within the top 12 at the state solo competition.

-Last season, the girls’ basketball team were MAC champions and head coach, Jennifer Goetz had her 100th career win and was named MAC coach of the year. This season, Ellie Spelhaug joined the 1,000 point club and surpassed the previous Pleasant Valley girls’ basketball scoring record.

-The boys’ basketball team had two members receiving conference honors. Brian Dayman was named 1st teakm All-MAC and Carter Duwa was honorable mention in the conference.

-Parker Kress returned to the hardwood this season as a member of the sophomore boys’ basketball team. Kress’s battle against cancer didn’t stop him from getting back to playing sports.    

Spring:

-The girls’ tennis team had an undefeated season and were MAC champions, district champions and (for the first time in school history) state champions. Lily Feldman individually placed 3rd in the state, was selected as a member of the Elite All-State Team and won her 2nd consecutive MAC title as well as her 3rd districts title. Head coach, Eric Crawford was named the All-Iowa girls’ tennis coach of the year.

-The boys’ tennis team were district champions and they placed 4th at state. Sriram Sugumaran placed 5th in the state individually while Nathan Wong and Vincent Gnad were 8th in the state in the doubles competition. Head coach, Randy Brockhage was named co-Iowa boys’ tennis coach of the year.

-The girls’ soccer team had many members with individual accomplishments last season. Ellie Kurth received 1st team All-State, All-District and All-MAC honors. Rory Donahue was 2nd team All-State, All-District and honorable mention in the MAC. Both Grace Necker and Ashley McMahon were 2nd team All-MAC, and Julieta Arrieta was honorable mention in the MAC.

-The boys’ soccer team had three members that were named 1st team All-MAC: Camden Glenn, Owen Ward and Andre James.

-The girls’ track team were MAC champions and placed 8th in the state meet. Addie Swanson was a state champion bringing home the gold in the 400 meter hurdles. The Spartans placed 4th in the 1,600 meter relay and finished 3rd in the sprint medley relay at the state meet. Ellie Spelhaug also placed 6th in the 100 meter hurdles and Carli Spelhaug placed 8th in the long jump.    

-The boys’ track team were MAC champions for the 11th consecutive year. At the state meet, Arthur Braden placed 4th in the 100 meter dash, Mark Conway was the champion of the 1,600 race while Konnor Sommer finished in 7th, the Spartans placed 7th in the 3,200 relay and 10th in the sprint medley relay. Cody Snyder placed 5th in the discus competition and broke the previous Pleasant Valley discus throwing record.   

-The girls’ golf team were MAC champions and placed 6th in class 5A at the state meet. Danielle Henricksen and Allison Miller individually placed in the top 15 for the Spartans at state.

Summer:

-The softball team won state for the first time in school history. Alexia Lara was named 1st team All-State, Ellie and Carli Spelhaug were both named 2nd team All-State and Hannah Mausser was named 3rd team All-State.

Fall:

-This football season Arthur Braden became the all-time career leading rusher in Pleasant Valley history. Braden along with Zach James, Sam Hanna and David Mathews were named 1st team All-Metro. Carter Sergeant and Caleb Carius were named to the 2nd team All-Metro. When it comes to district honors, Braden, Mathews, Hanna, Sergeant, James, Max Slavens and Brennan Sarver were named 1st team All-District. Carius, Max O’Brien, Evan Kilstrom, John McGrath and Mitch Richelin were named 2nd team All-District. Braden was also named co-offensive player of the year within the district.

-The Hawkeye Wave took the nation by storm as one of the best collegiate football traditions ever seen. During the Pleasant Valley vs. Bettendorf football game, members of both schools’ fanbases participated in their own version of the Hawkeye Wave in honor of Will Kohn receiving a new heart. A moment of unity in the midst of a competitive rivalry game.

-The Pleasant Valley student section also made history this year with a gender-inclusive frontline. For the first time ever, there were girl members painting their stomachs and cheering on the Spartans from the front row.

-The boys’ golf team were MAC champions and freshman Jack Roemer represented the Spartan golfers individually at the state meet.

-The girls’ swimming team placed 7th at the state meet. Aviana Zahara broke the school’s 100 meter backstroke record, won all of her events at the district meet and placed in the top 10 in four different events at the state meet, including a 2nd place finish in the 100 meter backstroke. Libby Staver also won all of her events at the district meet and placed in the top 10 in all of those events at the state meet. Zahara, Emily Goodman, Staver and Christy Bishop broke the school’s 200 medley relay record, and their time received All-American time consideration.

-The volleyball team also had many individual honors. Brooke Harris was named 1st team All-Conference, 1st team All-Metro, 1st team All-District and All-State honorable mention. Elissa Moylan was 1st team All-Conference, 1st team All-Metro, captain of the All-Metro team, 1st team All-District, MAC player of the year and 2nd team All-State. Kelsey Ruff was named 1st team All-Conference, 1st team All-District, All-State honorable mention and a member of the All-Metro team. Harris, Moylan and Ruff all had the chance to play in the Iowa vs. Illinois senior All-Star game and Ruff and Moylan were named to the IGCA All-Star team.

-The girls’ cross country team reclaimed their MAC title and placed 10th at the state meet. The girls’ cross country team were the first Pleasant Valley girls to be a part of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s new movement celebrating state-bound female athletes: #TicketPunched.

-The boys’ cross country team were MAC champions, district champions and state champions. In their dominant state performance, two Spartan runners placed in the top 10 at the state meet: Konnor Sommer came in 4th and Anthony Pena finished in 9th place. Head coach, Erik Belby was named the Iowa boys’ cross country coach of the year.

As 2017 comes to a close, Spartan Nation is eager to see what 2018 has in store for Pleasant Valley athletics.