Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

One of the best seasons in program history for Liberty High ended on Tuesday with a loss in the Class 5A regional title game.

On Wednesday the Lightning were honored for their successful season as nine different players earned all-division honors from the Mississippi Valley Conference when the league released its postseason awards.

The nine all-division picks for the Lightning were highlighted by six first-team selections as seniors Haley Schroeder, Brynlee Slockett and Mischa Reiners, junior Lanie Meyer and sophomores Kelsey Kaut and Ava Tague were all named to the Mississippi Division first team.

Eighth-grader Ellie Tague was a second-team all-Mississippi Division selection while junior Kennedy Conner and senior Delaney Ball were both honorable mention picks for Liberty High.

Meyer, Tague, Schroeder and Reiners were all first-team infield selections for the Lightning.

Reiners batted .436 with 18 extra-base hits, two home runs, 38 RBI and 36 runs scored while Ava Tague hit a team-high .467 and led the Lightning in extra-base hits (27) and doubles (25) and ranked second on the team with 39 RBI and a .811 slugging percentage.

Meyer hit .363 with 21 extra-base hits including a team-high 12 home runs and led the Lightning with 41 RBI and a .814 slugging percentage.

Schroeder, a senior shortstop, batted .324 with 28 runs scored, 28 RBI and 18 walks.

Slockett was a first-team utility selection after batting .374 with a team-leading 39 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, four triples and 16 RBI.

Kaut was a first-team pick in the outfielder after batting .403 with 37 runs scored, 16 stolen bases and 13 RBI.

Ellie Tague earned second-team honors as a pitcher after posting a 11-3 record with a 3.03 ERA and 1.41 WHIP while striking out 46 in 106 1/3 innings.

City High had five players named to the Valley Division teams while West High had a trio of players earn all-Valley Division honors.

City High junior Lianna Hull was a first-team Valley Division pick as an infielder and sophomore Molly Carlson was a first-team selection at catcher.

Hull led City High with a .489 batting average and 30 runs scored and had 14 extra-base hits including two home runs while driving in 12 runs from her leadoff spot.

Carlson batted .364 with 21 extra-base hits and led the Little Hawks in home runs (10), RBI (40), slugging percentage (.736) and walks 19.

Eighth-grader Eve Vitense was a second-team all-Valley Division pick as an infielder after hitting .351 with 19 runs scored and 13 RBI in her debut season.

Juniors Lance Grulke-Mangrich and Avy Lindsey were both honorable mention selections for City High.

West High eighth-grader Savannah Mathias was named to the Valley Division second team as an infielder after batting .368 with 12 runs scored and a .415 on-base percentage.

Sophomore Cecilia Sterba and senior Anneke Nielsen both earned honorable mention honors for West High.

Mississippi Valley Conference All-Division Softball Teams

Mississippi Division

First team – P: Olivia Young, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; *Braylen Conlon, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Julia Roth, Soph., Dubuque Wahlert. C: Katie Pilcher, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier. INF: *Calley Gralund, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Lanie Meyer, Jr., Liberty High; Ava Tague, Soph., Liberty High; Haley Schroeder, Sr., Liberty High; Mischa Reiners, Sr., Liberty High. OF: Sophia Kevitt, Jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Kylie Sieverding, Soph., Dubuque Wahlert; Kelsey Kaut, Soph., Liberty High. UTIL: Brynlee Slockett, Sr., Liberty High; Audrey Lueck, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie

Second team – P: Ellie Tague, 8^th, Liberty High; Tatum Goerdt, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Lily McCarty, Jr., Dubuque Senior. C: Keira Rathjen, Jr., Cedar Falls; Lola Hawkins, Fr., Cedar Rapids Prairie. INF: Addison Klein, Soph., Dubuque Wahlert; Sophie Miller, Soph., Dubuque Senior; Jolee Strohmeyer, Soph., Dubuque Senior; Piper Johnson, Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie. OF: Alaina Luerkens, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Ruth Tauber, Soph., Dubuque Wahlert; Ava Rupp, Soph., Dubuque Senior. UTIL: Morgan Hewitt, Jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Lilah Ettema, 8^th, Dubuque Senior

Honorable mention – Sydney Barnett, Sr., Cedar Falls; Amanda Finck, Soph., Cedar Falls; Chaley Sacora, Jr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Ady Sacora, 8^th, Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Riley Redig, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Emeri Hill, 8^th, Cedar Rapids Prairie; Claire Walter, Soph., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Carley Jonker, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Brenna George, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Annie Hefel, Soph., Dubuque Senior; Anna Roling, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Natalie Ruba, Fr., Dubuque Wahlert; Kennedy Conner, Jr., Liberty High; Delaney Ball, Sr., Liberty High

Player of the year – Braylen Conlon, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Coach of the year – Nicole Gahring, Cedar Rapids Xavier

Valley Division

First team – P: Lily Knutson, Soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; *Kiya Steger, Sr., Western Dubuque. C: Molly Carlson, Soph., City High. INF: Sophia Gratton, Fr., Dubuque Hempstead; Lianna Hull, Jr., City High; Ella Brown, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Carson Koerperich, Sr., Western Dubuque; Melanie Runde, Soph., Western Dubuque. OF: Mallory Tomkins, Soph., Dubuque Hempstead; Alli Vander Zee, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Hannah Hoefer, Jr., Western Dubuque. UTIL: Chandler Houselog, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Peyton Stineman, Fr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Second team – P: Macy Politt, Soph., Dubuque Hempstead; Anna Kaliban, Sr., Linn-Mar. C: Dylan Amling, 8^th, Cedar Rapids Kennedy. INF: Savannah Mathias, 8^th, West High; Luci Weber, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead; Eve Vitense, 8^th, City High; Brynna Gander, 8^th, Linn-Mar; Francesca Dehl, Soph., Waterloo West. OF: Lauren Hefel, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Emerson Blocker, Soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Carly Vogel, Soph., Western Dubuque. UTIL: Abby Mecklenburg, Soph., Linn-Mar; Jocelyn Parker, Jr., Cedar Rapids Washington

Honorable mention – Kate Dyar, Soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Teagan Chrisman, Soph., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Leah Mann, Fr., Cedar Rapids Washington; Maija Wickum, 8^th, Cedar Rapids Washington; Memphis Gibson, Soph., Dubuque Hempstead; Kampbell Bryte, Soph., Dubuque Hempstead; Avy Lindsey, Jr., City High; Lance Grulke-Mangrich, Jr., City High; Cecilia Sterba, Soph., West High; Anneke Nielsen, Sr., West High; Hayden Koutny, Soph., Linn-Mar; Karsyn Michael, Soph., Linn-Mar; Jersey Van Erem, Sr., Waterloo West; Sydnie Wass, Jr., Waterloo West; Kaitlyn Thole, Jr., Western Dubuque; Baylee Neyen, Sr., Western Dubuque

Player of the year – Kiya Steger, Sr., Western Dubuque

Coach of the year – Rex Massey, Western Dubuque

*-unanimous selection

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