Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – It is hardly an uncommon sight to see an eighth-grader making a splash in varsity softball.

There are plenty of players around the state standing out on high school teams before they’ve attended a single class as a high school student.

What the City High eighth-grade trio of Ayana Lindsey, Ella Cook and Carey Koenig are doing in their debut seasons hardly fit into the category of common.

“I look at some things and if you look on Quikstats or whatever every once in a while, you will see an eighth grader doing well here or there,” City High coach Jeff Koenig said. “But you just don’t find a whole bunch of eighth graders hitting at the top of the lineup and playing three key positions. It’s really impressive what they are doing.”

The eighth-grade trio has led a softball resurgence at City High that has the Little Hawks among the top surprises in Class 5A.

Following seasons of nine, seven and 12 wins City High (18-15) enters the final six games of the season eyeing its first winning season since 2012. 

At 14-6 in conference play City High is just one game behind Cedar Rapids Kennedy for the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division lead.

It’s eighth-graders have been perhaps the biggest reason for the turnaround.

One of the eighth-graders leads the Little Hawks in nearly every major statistical categories including hits, runs, home runs, batting average, wins strikeouts and earned run average.  

 “I’m actually pretty surprised, I knew that could come in and help but I didn’t realize that we would beat some of these teams that we didn’t even come close to last year so I’m actually pretty surprised,” Carey Koenig said. “I knew that we could come in and help but I’m still pretty surprised.”

One of the few people not surprised by the eighth-graders success and the City High turnaround is Jeff Koenig.

After winning 19 games in his first two seasons at the helm, Koenig knew help was on the way with the current class of eighth-graders.

Carey, the starting catcher for City High and a .379 hitter is Koenig’s daughter so he had watched the group for years.

He expected an immediate impact so he isn’t surprised but he has marveled at how quickly the trio has adjusted to varsity play. 

“They have impressed me,” Jeff Koenig said. “I really was excited when they were coming but I think they have even surpassed what they could do.”

Each of the three eighth-graders have a distinct role in the field and at the plate but have the versatility to move around.

A speedy leadoff hitter, Lindsey has scored a team-high 37 runs and is 29-for-29 in stolen bases.

Lindsey has also established herself as the Little Hawks’ ace in the circle with an 11-8 record and a team-best 85 strikeouts.

She has played shortstop and centerfield when she isn’t pitching and has a pair of home runs among 12 extra-base hits.

Lindsey says she hasn’t changed a thing in her first season of varsity action.

“We just go out there and play our game, we don’t care about anything else,” Lindsey said. “We just go up there and try to hit and run and play the game the way we always have.”

Cook has quickly established herself as one of the most dangerous hitters in the MVC.

The first baseman and pitcher entered Tuesday’s doubleheader with Class 5A No. 4 Cedar Rapids Jefferson leading City High with a .381 batting average and six home runs.

Cook has 22 RBI and has shown athleticism to go with her power, going 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts.

“I knew that I could come in and play a key role but I’m definitely surprised at how I have handled it and all the pressure,” Cook said. “I don’t really know very much, a lot of the other girls know the teams or the pitchers but I just kind of go up there thinking I can hit off just about any pitcher.”

Koenig, the coaches’ daughter has been a steady leader behind the plate for City High and is hitting .379 with 26 RBI and 15 extra-base hits out of the number three spot in the lineup.

“I think that us three really can help the program just because we can lead this group and I think looking at our ability that really puts an impact on people,” Carey Koenig said. “We try to set the tempo for the whole game.”

The eighth-grade trio has provided a boost to a City High lineup that was showing major signs of life a year ago, winning four of its final six games.

A year after hitting .241 as a team with 13 home runs and 161 runs the Little Hawks have raced past those numbers.

City High boasts a .314 batting average, has hit a school-record 22 home runs and ranks 13th in 5A with 210 runs.

The trio of eighth-graders has been a huge part of that offensive improvement.

“Each one of them has strengths and when you put all three of them together their strengths just multiply,” Jeff Koenig said. “I think it helps them a lot playing together, I think it helps them feel comfortable. It’s not uncommon for them to be talking in the huddle after a game. All of them will talk, they will all lead.”

The eighth-graders are part of a youth young City High lineup that regularly features two freshman and three sophomores.

“Honestly whether we win or lose each night the opposing coach says ‘holy cow I don’t want to play you guys in a couple of years because these girls are going to grow and get bigger and stronger and you guys are going to be a juggernaut’,” Jeff Koenig said. “I hope that’s the case.”