STATE TRACK: Faces change, but Griswold remains on top of 1A as girls win third straight championship

Tigers jump from fifth place to first with final push Saturday

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 18, 2013

DES MOINES – If success breeds more success, the Griswold girls might be getting used to prosperity.

On Saturday, the Tigers put the finishing touches on their third straight Class 1A State Track championship, hammering down a cap on an incredibly successful school year that began last fall with a trek to the community’s first-ever State title in Cross-Country.

Over the weekend in Des Moines, much of that same group of girls overcame a trove of adversity to fend off six other challengers and keep the 1A title in Griswold.

“Back-to-back-to-back, it’s pretty incredible,” Griswold girls Track coach Andy Everett says. “That’s a special deal.”

The Tigers finished with 45 total points, six more than runner-up West Hancock, and eight better than both Sibley-Ocheyedan and Belle Plaine, who each tallied 37 points to finish tied for third.

Sophomore Rebekah Topham restored order by winning both of her individual races for the day, seizing championships in the 800-meter (2:15.28) and the 1500-meter (4:42.35) to score 20 valuable points for the Tigers.

With the two second-place finishes she already had to her credit (the 3000M and the 400M Hurdles), Topham now has five individual State titles and three runners-up through a decorated and brief two-year career.

Topham accounted for 36 of the Tigers’ 45 points, but she alone did not win the team title. 

Senior Jordyn Sindt surpassed expectations to finish third behind Topham in the 800M (2:21.44) to add to the eighth place medal she won Friday in the 400-meter hurdles. 

Moreover, the Shuttle Hurdle Relay squad of Kinzy Nicklaus, Justine Freund, Jeana Freund and Trisha Huerta rose up to claim seventh place (1:10.9) in the finals of that event Saturday, and notch a valuable two points for the group effort.

That event was one of those variables the Tigers needed to have if they wanted to secure the three-peat, and coach Everett heaped praise on the foursome after their gutsy performance.

“Our Shuttle Hurdle team has been good all year, but on paper they should not have made the finals,” coach Everett says. “We ran well, reached the finals, and those two points were very, very important.”

The two points from the Shuttle Hurdles, as well as Sindt’s seven points earned in the 800M and 400M Hurdles might have provided the wedge that allowed Griswold to move from fifth place to first by day’s end Saturday.

“The competition this year was fantastic,” coach Everett said. “So many other different things could have happened (that would resulted in) about six other teams finishing as State champion. But things ended up falling our way.

“We brought 15 girls here for 14 events, and you never know who might sneak up and score some points for you. You don’t know for sure who might put you over the top. You can analyze times and Quikstats over and over and over again, but you never know how it is going to fall. We made our decisions, and it worked out well.”

Saturday marked the third straight State championship for the girls, and fourth for the runners if you count the cross-country title.

This campaign was waged differently, especially on account of the irrational spring weather this year that cancelled about half of the Tigers’ meets. 

And although the faces might change and the methods of achieving the victories vary, the work ethic in Griswold remains the same.

“Every year it was won differently because each team is made up of different people,” said senior Larissa Backhaus, whose hands have helped raise the team trophy all three times. “But other people keep coming up and they continue working just as hard as the girls before them. It’s exciting to be known as a town of runners.”

Snow falling into May moved many of the Tigers workouts indoors this spring, and those sessions in the gym proved to be no picnic. Also, the program had to do without the services of sophomore Alyx Flippin, who played a pivotal role in last year’s track title as well as the cross-country championship, as Flippin has fought mononucleosis and was unable to compete.

Topham, the group’s leader, fought her way through a trying season where she battled a viral illness that deprived her of oxygen and fatigued her. 

Then, she tweaked a hamstring a week before the State Meet that limited her ability to practice the hurdles.

Holding on to the trophy as Drake Stadium emptied out, Topham reflected on the journey.

“It’s hard to put into words,” she said. “I’ve been sick for a while, and maybe last season was more exciting…I don’t know. But this certainly is rewarding.”

GIRLS SOCCER: Trojans trending upwards as postseason nears

Atlantic shuts out Riverside 1-0, picks up third win in last four matches 

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 14, 2013

ATLANTIC – Atlantic picked up its third victory in its last four matches Monday night, blanking Oakland Riverside 1-0.

Emily Mitchell scored 12 minutes in, knocking home a goal off an assist from Madison Helvie, and the Trojans held on the rest of the way for the one-goal victory.

The win pushes Atlantic’s record to 3-9, and puts them on better footing in the second half of the season after an 0-8 start that saw the team outscored 37-4 against five ranked teams.

“It was a good victory,” Trojans coach Joanne Sandage said. “We talked about the need to win the games we can, and we have let a couple slip through. Tonight, we closed out a win that we needed to have, and we finished strong.”

Atlantic put up 16 shots in the victory, 12 of them coming in the first half with a stiff wind at their backs. Riverside finished with 10 shots total for the match.

“We moved and possessed the ball better, and our offense is starting to click,” coach Sandage says. “We controlled the ball very well, and that was a positive.”

Atlantic has made tactical adjustments to its formations in the last two weeks, switching from four defenders to a diamond midfield, which allows senior fullback and captain ReAnn Cappel to be better utilized up-field, and feed the offense, says Sandage.

“She handles the ball very well, and she shoots very well,” coach Sandage says of Cappel. “When we are facing teams without as much speed, we like to keep her in the back because she is so quick. But the last few games, we’ve moved her up, and it’s making our offense better.”

In goal, junior keeper Maren McNees notched her third shutout victory of the season, making some big stops in the second half as Riverside pounded the net in a frantic five minutes.

“Maren had some nice, key saves when it really counted,” coach Sandage says of McNees. “She played a smart game.”
Atlantic has three matches remaining on the schedule before IGHSAU Regional playoffs begin on Tuesday, May 28, when Creston comes to AHS for opening round action. The Trojans defeated the Panthers 1-0 in their previous meeting on May 7.

After the difficult first part of the season, Atlantic looks to close the schedule out strong and hopefully ride a wave of momentum into the postseason.

“We had a tough schedule to start,” coach Sandage says. “But it was good, because playing that kind of competition made us better. Now, we are playing teams we can compete with, and we are playing well.”

BOYS SOCCER: Trojans overpower Underwood 4-1, push record to 7-6

UNDERWOOD – The Trojans were able to quickly turn the page on last Saturday’s disappointing 5-0 loss to Carroll Kuemper, taking the pitch Monday night and working their way to a convincing 4-1 win over Underwood.

Sophomore Matt Smith scored twice, and other goals came from Michael Thomsen and Harrison Hoegh as the Trojans grabbed an early lead and never trailed.

The victory pushes Atlantic to 7-6 on the season, and marks the most wins ever in a season for the Atlantic boys soccer program, with one regular season match remaining (Thursday at Creston). Creston brings in a similar record at 7-5, and is coming off a 4-2 loss Monday at Harlan.

Atlantic received a first-round bye in the IHSAA Substate playoffs, and will host on Wednesday, May 22, the winner of Nodaway Valley and Des Moines Christian, whom open the postseason on Monday, May 20 in Greenfield.

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Topham toils Saturday for a pair of medals at Drake Relays

Topham places sixth in the 1500M and 400M hurdles after taking fourth in 800M Friday

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / April 27, 2013

DES MOINES -  A nagging viral infection has slowed Griswold super sophomore Rebekah Topham for the better part of three weeks.

The illness has afflicted the defending three-time state champion in a number of ways, namely fatigue, swollen glands, and a low hemoglobin count in her blood. All of which limits her ability to breath, and reigns in her boundless energy.

But with Drake Relays happening for the 104^th time this past weekend, Topham refused to be just a spectator, even after scratching from Thursday’s 3000M.

Nope, Topham was going to take a shot at the blue oval.

“I really wanted to run this…it’s the Drake Relays,” she said Saturday. “It was very difficult to sit there and watch the 3000M. I don’t feel a whole lot better (now), but I really wanted to run.”

Topham ran the 800-meter Friday, and competed in both the 1500M and 400M hurdles Saturday to medal in three events. She did not win championships like she did last year, but the experience might have given her a new perspective.

After placing fourth in the 800M Friday (2:13.29), Topham finished out the weekend Saturday by medaling sixth in the 1500M (4:42.27), and sixth in the 400M hurdles (1:05.56) to take something away from Drake.

“It was an ok experience,” she said. “Today didn’t really go as well as I wanted, but (Friday) was good, and I got to run here. That was important to me.”

In the 1500M, Topham’s favorite race, things did not go as well as she had hoped for Saturday.

“Almost immediately, I felt tired, and it felt like I had no energy,” she said. “As I went along, it got worse.”

After one lap, Topham was at the back of the pack as is her custom. But when lap 2 became lap 3, then lap 4, she found she didn’t have the gear that would normally have driven her to the front of the pack.

Still, Topham picked off nine runners ahead of her to finish sixth, and less than an hour later, she was back on the track for the 400M hurdles.

The shortest of her four races (3000M, 1500M, 800M and 400M hurdles), the hurdles provided a little bit of diversion from the pressure that comes with winning championships and carrying a target on your back.

Despite her second place finish at State last year in Class 1A, the 400M hurdles was a race that Topham was not expected to win this year at Drake, and that made competing in it all the more attractive under the circumstances.

“With the 400 hurdles, I figured I might as well run it,” she said. “It’s a short race, and I don’t have anything to lose. It’s not like I am supposed to win that.”

Before State arrives, Topham hopes to get back to 100 percent as she goes about defending State titles in the 3000M, the 1500M, and the 800M, as well as a runner-up finish in the 400M hurdles.

Griswold does not have a regular season meet remaining on their schedule, making for a short season with five meets cancelled on account of the weather. In the time left, Topham is hoping to get back to top form.

“I just want to get healthy and get over this,” she said. “I want to finish this season strong.”

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BOYS SOCCER: Trojans tame Harlan with 1-0 victory

Cody Kirchhoff scores on PK in final two minutes, keeper JT Baker notches 18 saves

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / April 26, 2013

ATLANTIC – For the better part of 60 minutes of game clock Friday night, Harlan had Atlantic back on its heels.

The Cyclones had put 11 shots on target to Atlantic’s three in the first half, and their kick-and-chase strategy generated multiple scoring opportunities that left the Trojans’ defense ill at ease. 

But midway through the second half, the Trojans flipped a switch and spent most of the remaining 20 minutes on the attack. Their reward…a 1-0 victory over rival Harlan that serves as the biggest win yet this season, and one of the most important victories in recent history of the program.

“We told them at halftime, unleash it and get the job done,” Atlantic coach Justin Williams said afterwards. “We became the aggressor in the final 20 minutes.”

A tight and nervous approach from Atlantic lifted in the second half, and crisper passing continually brought the ball to Harlan’s side of the pitch as the Trojans began to work effectively as a unit.

As Atlantic’s scoring opportunities began to grow and Harlan’s chances ebbed, it set up a frantic final five minutes where neither side seemed willing to back down an inch.

“As the game went on, our guys started to loosen up and we started to believe that we could beat these guys,” coach Williams says. “Defensively, it was a fine job by all four of our guys.”

With 1:16 remaining, Atlantic was on the attack inside the box when a Harlan defender needlessly fouled on a play where the ball and the scoring chance was nearly already in the keeper’s hands.

No matter, thought the officiating crew, as they deemed the contact too flagrant to ignore.

A moment later, Trojans’ senior Cody Kirchhoff lined up for a penalty kick with the game on the line, and he did not disappoint the Trojans’ faithful.

Harlan goalkeeper Josh Brelje guessed left and leapt that direction, as Kirchhoff struck a well-placed ball to Brelje’s right and into the back of the net for the game’s only score.

A minute and 16 seconds later, it would hold up for a Trojans’ victory.

Harlan would outshoot Atlantic 18-8 on the night, and Trojans’ coach Williams heaped praise on senior goalkeeper JT Baker for his effort in net as Baker recorded a career-high 18 saves in the victory.

Especially in the first half, Baker kept Atlantic in the game.

“That was the best our goalkeeper JT Baker has ever played in his life,” coach Williams says. “He gave us a chance.”

The victory reverses course on a series of narrow losses the Trojans have suffered at the hands of Harlan.

Last year, Atlantic faced the Cyclones twice, falling by one goal both times in a 2-1 loss in April and a 1-0 loss in May.

Friday night’s victory could serve as a watershed for a team looking to break new ground this spring.

“These boys deserve this, they’ve gone through four years of hell with me,” coach Williams says. “I work them hard, and my rules are strict. For these young men to develop as they are, it’s a proud moment for me as a coach. Win, lose or draw, these guys are starting to bring an element of respect to Atlantic Soccer.”

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BOYS SOCCER: Delayed spring cramping Trojans’ style, team falls to 2-3 after narrow loss to Riverside

Atlantic will host No. 9 ranked Glenwood Monday 

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / April 13, 2013

ATLANTIC – Mother Nature and this dawdling spring weather is starting to become a thorn in the side of the Trojans’ Soccer team.

Following a 5-4 home loss to Oakland Riverside Friday night in which temperatures at AHS dipped into the low 30s, the winds howled and the field proved a soggy mess, Atlantic coach Justin Williams held a simple solution towards helping improve his team’s scoring touch and ability to finish.

“We just need to get outside,” he said. “We are not outside enough, and we need to get real shots on a real-sized net. That will help us finish…I feel it’s there.”

Atlantic dropped to 2-3 on the season with the one-goal loss to Riverside

Friday. The Trojans also lost a 5-1 match earlier in the week to a very talented St. Albert squad that’s ranked No. 6 in Class 1A.

In between, outdoor practice sessions have been limited and matches juggled, inhibiting the Trojans’ projected growth as they field a mix of veterans and newcomers on a squad that is currently without the services of eight players and three probable starters.

Scoring in general has not been a problem for the Trojans, as sophomore Matt Smith (7 goals) and senior Harrison Hoegh (5 goals) have been more than productive, and account for all but two of the team’s 14 goals through five matches.

However, the defense in general is less seasoned, and is expected to come into its own as the season moves along.

Coach Williams says defensive tact and familiarity are two of the many checkpoints the Trojans will work through as they head into mid-April.

“Some teams are already good, and some teams are going to become good (as the season progresses),” coach Williams says. “We still have a long ways to go, but we are working to fix things as we see them.”

On Friday evening, four goals were not enough for Atlantic as lulls in momentum and physicality where marking was tight but officiating calls loose, proved costly.

Riverside broke through with the first goal of the match when junior forward Michael Bertacini, finishing off a 2-on-1, knocked home a well-placed ball 7:07 into the first half to put the Dawgs out front early.

Atlantic would answer to take a 2-1 lead heading into the halftime break when senior striker Harrison Hoegh netted a score at 23:24, and again at 36:29 when he broke loose in space and floated a second goal up and over the reach of an extended Riverside goalkeeper to stake a Trojans’ lead.

However, the second half did not start well for the Trojans, as Riverside would score thrice in the opening 10 minutes to reclaim the lead at 4-2, and force Atlantic to chase to level the score.

Atlantic would score twice more in the second half, but trailed Riverside the rest of the way. Senior Stuart Hoegh scored his first varsity goal after putting home his own rebound off the post following a throw-in (52:03), and sophomore forward Matt Smith scored the Trojans’ fourth goal on a penalty kick with 8:49 left to draw within one goal late at 5-4.

“We gave up that all-important first goal, and that was something we know we can’t do,” coach Williams says.

Riverside kept pounding with a number of well-placed crosses, and pounced on Atlantic’s defensive lapses to move through-balls up field to create scoring opportunities.

Moreover, the frigid temperatures, wind and soggy field made the conditions ripe for a physically themed game, and both sides were happy to bring it.

“We are used to physical,” coach Williams says. “At times we matched it, and other times we didn’t. One thing we talked about after the St. Albert game, was making sure we were going to take it as far as the officials will let us. Controlled physicality.”

“We will keep building through this adversity, we just need to get outside.”

Atlantic will return to action Monday evening at AHS when they play host to Glenwood, ranked No. 9 in Class 2A. The Rams are 4-2, with losses to Johnston and Lewis Central.

Up Next: Mon. April 15 – 6:30PM

Glenwood (4-2) at Atlantic (2-3)

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GIRLS TENNIS: Kuemper too strong for Trojans, Knights take season opener

Trojans fall 7-2, will travel to face Creston Thursday

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor/April 3, 2013

ATLANTIC – A year ago, the Atlantic girls tennis squad opened up against Carroll Kuemper with pretty much the same lineup as they put on the courts Tuesday evening at Washington Elementary.

Last year, Kuemper rolled to a 9-0 victory that Atlantic Tennis coach Shawn Petersen felt could have been even more lopsided.

So when the Trojans put up a more cogent fight against Kuemper on Tuesday, coach Petersen saw plenty of silver linings despite the 7-2 defeat.

“I was pleased with the effort of the girls and of the performance, particularly in singles,” he said. “We had a chance to win at No. 2 and No. 3 as both matches were very close late. Kuemper did a better job of closing those matches, which ultimately swung the duel in their favor.”

In singles play, Atlantic picked up victories at No. 4 and No. 5 where seniors Hope Bowker and Libby Gifford worked their way to individual wins.

Bowker handled Kuemper’s Karla Knobbe 8-4 to win at No. 4, and Gifford edged CK’s Corynn Steinkamp 9-8 on a 7-4 tiebreak to provide Atlantic’s two team points.

“Hope got off to a 5-0 lead and really played well from the baseline and with her serve in getting us our first point,” coach Petersen says. “Libby had to hold serve twice to stay in the match, before prevailing in the tiebreaker. It was terrific win for her.”

In doubles play, Kuemper flexed its muscle to pick up one-sided victories 8-4, 8-1 and 8-4.

“I thought we played hard in doubles but not particularly well,” coach Petersen says. “It definitely will be a point of emphasis the rest of the week in practice…doubles positioning and closing out points that should be put-aways. We played volleyball too many times at the net, rather than tennis.”  

“Overall I was encouraged, although we obviously have lots to work on.”  

The Trojan girls fall to 0-1, and will travel to Creston to play on Thursday.

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BOYS SOCCER: Trojans drop opener to Lewis Central

Atlantic falls to 0-1, heads out on the road for three-game stretch

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / April 3, 2013

ATLANTIC – Lewis Central scored two early goals in the first half to set the tone, then held the upper hand the rest of the match to pick up a 4-0 shutout victory over Atlantic Tuesday night at AHS.

LC scored again late in the first half, and then put a fourth goal in the net less than seven minutes into the second half to put the Titans on a victory footing.

The Titans used their speed and ball possession game to move the ball effectively up the passing lanes, and won the majority of the one-on-one battles on the pitch. In the second half, LC tightened things up a bit defensively; further limiting Atlantic’s ability to attack.

Trojans’ senior goalkeeper J.T. Baker finished with 13 saves on 17 shots on goal. Sophomore forward Matt Smith led the team with two shots, one of them on goal.

This year’s Trojans team features five senior starters and three starters that are either sophomores or freshman.

Tuesday night’s opener at AHS drops the Trojans to 0-1 on the season, and the team now faces a string of three straight road matches. On Thursday, Atlantic will head to Tri-Center, followed the next night with a trip to Missouri Valley, who is in its first season as a program. Next Monday sends the Trojans to Council Bluffs where they will face St. Albert, ranked No. 5 in Class 1A.

Atlantic’s next home match is on Friday, April 12, when they play host to Oakland Riverside.

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