Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

West High picked up the biggest prize of the postseason on Wednesday when it earned its fifth trip to the state tournament in the past six seasons.

On Thursday the Trojans continued to rack in the postseason spoils.

West High put five players on the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division first team and swept the coach and player of the year awards when the conference released its postseason honors.

Senior center fielder Jason Strunk was named Valley Division player of the year while Charlie Stumpf earned coach of the year honors.

West High had eight players earn all-division honors, including a trio of unanimous first-team selections after winning the Valley Division title.

In its first season in the MVC Liberty High had a pair of first-team selections in the Valley Division in junior Nolan Frey and sophomore Keian Secrist while City High senior Liam McComas was a first-team pick in the Mississippi Division.

Strunk, sophomore pitcher Marcus Morgan and senior catcher Ryan Cooper headline the list of honorees for second-ranked West High as unanimous first team picks.

Strunk earned Valley Division player of the year honors after hitting .409 with eight home runs and 32 RBI.

The senior outfielder leads Class 4A with a .636 on-base percentage and 54 runs, is second with 41 walks and third with a .784 slugging percentage.

Strunk also led West High with 16 stolen bases.

Morgan was a unanimous first team pick as a pitcher after posting a 9-0 with a .65 ERA and 94 strikeouts in a team-high 53 2/3 innings.

The sophomore has also hit .417 with three home runs and 32 RBI.  

Cooper was a unanimous first-team pick at catcher after leading West High with a .461 batting average and 51 RBI.

The senior has a team-high 12 doubles and is also 3-0 with three saves in 28 2/3 innings as a pitcher.

Seniors Biancuzzo and Fleckenstein each earned first-team honors.

A senior shortstop Fleckenstein was named to the first team as a middle infielder following a season in which the hit .314 with 41 runs scored and 21 RBI.

Biancuzzo hit .407 with 47 runs scored and 31 RBI on his way to being a first-team utility pick.  

Senior Owen McAreavy was named to the Valley Division second team while senior Casey Marvin and junior Ben Madden were each honorable mention selections.

Frey was a unanimous first-team pick as an outfield for Liberty High after leading the Lightning with a .421 batting average and 41 RBI.

Frey had 15 doubles and eight triples and also went 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA in a team-high 49 innings.

Secrist was a first-team utility pick after going 3-4 with a 4.17 ERA in 40 1/3 innings and hitting .331 with 16 doubles and 29 RBI.

Junior Sam Funke was a second-team pick for Liberty High while junior Isaac Bender and sophomore Ethan O’Donnell were each honorable mention selections.

McComas was a unanimous first-team pick for City High in the Mississippi Division at one of the two utility spots.

The senior catcher hit .371 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 33 RBI while leading City High with 23 walks.

Senior Zach Kuepker was a second-team pick as an outfielder for City High while Garrett Bormann and Brady Herzic each earned honorable mention honors.

Mississippi Valley Conference All-Division Teams

Mississippi Division

Athlete of the year – Calvin Harris, Jr., Western Dubuque

Coach of the year – Dan Halter, Cedar Rapids Xavier

First team – P: *Bryson Bastian, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; *Sam Goodman, Sr., Western Dubuque. C: *Calvin Harris, Jr., Western Dubuque. Middle INF: *Quinn Schulte, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Carson Sirowy, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Mitch Young, Sr., Cedar Falls. Corner INF: *Kyle Moeder, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; *Garrett Ries, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier. OF: Kyle Lehmann, Sr., Western Dubuque; Joe McKinstry, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington; Lincoln Riley, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington; UTIL: *Liam McComas, Sr., City High; *Casey Sole, Sr., Cedar Falls.

Second team – P: Braden Albert, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Casey Perrenoud, Jr., Western Dubuque. C: Nick Banoweetz, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier. Middle INF: Logan Burg, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Sam Link, Sr., Dubuque Senior; Cole Smith, Soph., Dubuque Senior. Corner INF: Zach Bierman, Sr., Western Dubuque; Drew Hoth, Soph., Cedar Falls. OF: Zach Barden, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Damon Jaeger, Sr., Western Dubuque; Zach Kuepker, Sr., City High. UTIL: Johnny Blake, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Nate Skala, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

Honorable mention – Gage Flanscha, Soph., Cedar Falls; Tate Johnson, Sr., Cedar Falls; Ryan Kilpatrick, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Jackson Nove, Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie; Mick McCurry, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington; Ben Skogman, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington; Logan McDermott, Jr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Patrick McGinn, Sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; Nathan Swift, Sr., Dubuque Senior; Matthew Hirsch, Jr., Dubuque Senior; Brady Herzic, Sr., City High; Garrett Bormann, Jr., City High; Michael Ginther, Sr., Waterloo East; Jaxson Cooper, Jr., Waterloo East; Payton Quagliano, Jr., Western Dubuque; Matt Maiers, Sr., Western Dubuque

All-academic (Area athletes only) – Cade Hanrahan, Sr., City High; Ry Threlkeld-Wiegand, Sr., City High

Valley Division

Athlete of the year – Jason Strunk, Sr., West High  

Coach of the year – Charlie Stumpff, West High

First team – P: *Jon Cross, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; *Marcus Morgan, Soph., West High. C: *Ryan Cooper, Sr., West High. Middle INF: *Zach Sabers, Soph., Dubuque Hempstead; Nick Fleckenstein, Sr., West High; Mitch Fordyce, Soph., Waterloo West. Corner INF: Andrue Henry, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead; Mason Behn, Fr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy. OF: *Nolan Frey, Jr., Liberty High; Greg Hall, Sr., Linn-Mar; *Jason Strunk, Sr., West High. UTIL: Keian Secrist, Soph., Liberty High; Nick Biancuzzo, Sr., West High

Second team – P: Jared Walter, Soph., Dubuque Wahlert; Chase Keeney, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson. C: Tyler Oberbroeckling, Sr., Linn-Mar. Middle INF: Dylan McVeigh, Soph., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Coy Sarsfield, Soph., Linn-Mar; Jake Weissenberger, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Corner INF: Owen McAreavy, Sr., West High; Eli Scott, Jr., Linn-Mar. OF: Riley Connolly, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Austin Burkhart, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Tommy Specht, Fr., Dubuque Wahlert. UTIL: Sam Funke, Jr., Liberty High; Devin Eudaley, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead

Honorable mention – Casey Marvin, Sr., West High; Ben Madden, Jr., West High, Michael Weiss, Sr., Linn-Mar; Ryan Stroschein, Sr., Linn-Mar; Joe Vize, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Peter Unmacht, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; Isaac Bender, Jr., Liberty High; Ethan O’Donnell, Soph., Liberty High; Charlie Haefner, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Clayton DeBrower, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Matthew Schmitz, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert; Jake Brosius, Soph., Dubuque Wahlert; Sam Moore, Soph., Waterloo West; Carter Schulte, Soph., Waterloo West; Willie Guy, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson; Drake Frazier, Sr., Cedar Rapids Jefferson

All-academic (Area athletes only) – Nolan Frey, Jr., Liberty High; Isaac Bender, Jr., Liberty High; Noah Aanestad, Sr., West High; Nick Biancuzzo, Sr., West High

*-Unanimous Selection

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