012024_RV_Z01_c_Sports Leader V2

A PUBLICATION FROM THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW 

JANUARY 2024 

FIRST PITCH: 

NCC COACHES PUT 

TOGETHER SOCCER TEAMS 

LASTING LEGACY: 

EEKHOFF STILL IMPACTS 

LOCAL HOOPS SCENE 

PASSES WITH FLYING 

Sheldon teacher finishes out 

football career with run to NAIA 

title game at Northwestern 

COLORS

2 THE SPORTS LEADER | JANUARY 2024

17 

6 

ALSO INSIDE 

ALSO INSIDE 

JANUARY 2024 

VOL. 17 • NO. 1 

6 RECOGNIZING A 

COACHING LEGEND 

Western Christian saved the 

announcement of former coach Jim 

Eekhoff winning a John Wooden 

Legacy Award until December. 

12 SHELDON MAN 

PULLS DOUBLE DUTY 

Sheldon High School graduate 

Marshall Kleinhesselink returned to 

the school this fall while still taking 

graduate classes and playing football 

for Northwestern College. 

“You hope to be a positive influence 

on the lives of others. It’s all very 

meaningful and humbling.” 

Jim Eekhoff 

FORMER WESTERN CHRISTIAN BASKETBALL COACH 

12 

ON THE COVER 

17 KICKING OFF SOCCER 

PROGRAM AT NCC 

The hiring of men’s and women’s coaches 

was an important step for the NCC soccer 

programs, which start play in the fall. 

JANUARY 2024 | THE SPORTS LEADER 3

TIDBITS 

WESTERN CHRISTIAN BASKETBALL 

JOHN WOODEN 

LEGACY AWARD 

COACH JIM EEKHOFF 

1985-1991-1996-2007- 

2008-2010-2014-2016 

THE PLAY 

New year traditions 

Everyone approaches the turning of the calendar for a new year in a different way, 

starting well before the holidays arrive and not ending until well into January and 

beyond. 

Some get consumed by how busy we can get with it all, between preparing for a 

Thanksgiving feast, gathering Christmas gifts and making plans for New Year’s Eve. 

And we still have our jobs and normal routine to deal with. For Marshall Kleinhesselink, he 

was in his first year in a new job teaching at Sheldon High School, was taking Master’s degree 

classes at Northwestern College and contributing as a member of the Red Raider football team 

that made it all the way to the NAIA national 

championship game. 

Others tend to look at the new year as a chance 

to look back on fond memories. That’s how 

Western Christian High School handled it when 

the school found out in the spring that former 

coach Jim Eekhoff was honored with a John 

Wooden Legacy Award. They managed to keep 

it a secret from Eekhoff. In December during 

a home basketball doubleheader, Eekhoff was 

asked to step away from his post as a color man 

on the Wolfpack live stream broadcast and was 

presented with the honor. 

“Everyone approaches the 

turning of the calendar in a 

different way.” 

Scott Byers 

SPORTS EDITOR 

Still others prefer to use this time as a chance to look forward to a bright future. 

That’s certainly the case at Northwest Iowa Community College, which is taking the next 

step in its athletic offerings. The Thunder has only competed in sports shooting to this point, 

but the school has announced the hiring of coaches for its new men’s and women’s soccer 

programs. Tre Thomas and Jesse Kuehler get to start on the ground floor with their programs, 

having a hand in every aspect of building a team from scratch. They are already well into the 

recruiting process as they prepare for the Thunder to take the pitch for the first time this fall. 

34 Year Career Record: 

681-1432 (83% Winning) 

8 

18 

36 

State Championships 

State Tournament 

Appearances 

State Tournament 

Wins 

Multi-Time Iowa HS State 

Coach of the Year 

2011 

NFHS Coach of the Year 

2017 

IHSAA Hall of Fame 

Inductee 

“I just can’t hardly put into word how 

blessed I’ve been and what an amazing 

career this has been” 

Jim Eekhoff 

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The Sports Leader, P.O. Box 160, Sheldon IA 51201 

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MOC-Floyd Valley junior Irving Ramirez is tripped up by Sioux Center senior Kade Bauer at the Jerry Hentges Dual Team 

PIRIT LAKE—Sioux 

Center downed rival 

MOC-Floyd Valley in 

the third-place match to 

rounds of the event. Sioux Center then 

had its lone setback against Lake Mills, 

falling to the eventual tournament 

champions 44-24 in the semifinals. 

“The guys came out and wrestled 

aggressive. Lake Mills just had guys in 

helped make up that gap, but it was 

just two good teams going at it.” 

The Warriors finished with a 48-24 

win over MOC-Floyd Valley. 

“Our guys did a good job of staying 

in good positions,” Schmidt said. “We 

Western Christian senior Apiyo Harberts scores inside Friday 

against Sioux City North. The host Wolfpack bounced back from 

SIOUX CITY NORTH 8 11 5 10 - 34 

WESTERN 5 17 14 12 - 48 

HULL—Western Christian 

bounced back from a slow 

start to top Sioux City North 

48-34 in girls basketball Friday. 

The host Wolfpack fell 

behind 8-0 before scoring the 

final five points of the first 

quarter. 

They rallied to take an 11-10 

edge two minutes into the second 

stanza and never trailed 

the rest of the contest, lead- 

North was a scrappy, physical 

and strong team. Sioux 

City teams have that knack to 

be tough outs and are going 

to give you everything that 

they’ve got.” 

The Wolfpack led 22-19 at 

the half and then outscored 

the Stars 14-5 in the third 

quarter. 

“I was proud of how resilient 

our girls were,” Byker said. 

“Nothing came easy this game 

at all, and this was fresh off of a 

shellacking on Thursday night 

against Sioux City West.” 

Western Christian lost 75-35 

to the Wolverines. 

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GAME COVERAGE 

OF EVERY AREA HIGH SCHOOL TEAM, INCLUDING PHOTOS, 

HIGHLIGHTS, COACHES COMMENTS AND MORE! 

DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP EVERY SATURDAY MORNING* 

A PUBLICATION FROM THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW 

THE N’WEST IOWA SPORTS LEADER 

The N’West Iowa REVIEW • January 6, 2024 • Section C www.nwestiowa.com 

FRIDAY BOYS WRESTLING 

Warriors get back 

to work on mats 

NOVEMBER 2023 

SUBSCRIBE AT WWW.NWESTIOWA.COM 

*LYON, O’BRIEN, OSCEOLA AND SIOUX COUNTIES 

LEADING THE WAY: 

HANNAH SIEPERDA PLAYS 

BIG ROLE IN IOWA PROGRAM 

EVENTFUL WEEK: 

BYMA WILL REMEMBER END 

OF 2023 SEASON FONDLY 

De Hammer 

Jazlin De Haan powers hometown 

school to new heights in volleyball 

Tournament on Thursday in Spirit Lake. Sioux Center won the dual to take third place. Photo by Dan Wolfswinkel 

Win over Dutch gives team third place 

S 

BY SCOTT BYERS 

SBYERS@NWESTIOWA.COM 

a Thursday loss with the home victory. Photo by Roy Tucker 

FRIDAY BASKETBALL 

Wolfpack finds 

rhythm after 

starting slowly 

Massive jump from 

its previous game 


JIM EEKHOFF 

Still 

STORY BY SCOTT BYERS 

PHOTOS BY JOSH HARRELL AND SUBMITTED 

WINNING 

Former Western Christian coach Jim Eekhoff 

doesn’t think about awards much anymore. 

Eekhoff officially retired as Western 

Christian’s boys basketball coach and as 

a teacher after the 2016 school year. He 

stayed on for a few years after that as the Wolfpack 

boys golf coach. He hasn’t been the head coach of 

any program since, but basketball is just a part of 

Eekhoff. He does commentary on the livestreams 

of Wolfpack basketball broadcasts and will come 

in an do a coaching session with teams whenever 

asked. Most recently he’s came to work with Loren 

De Jong’s team at MOC-Floyd Valley and Kiley Yates’ 

program at South O’Brien. 

“If guys reach out to me about speaking or doing 

some coaching I still like to do that. I run into a lot 

of coaches and officials from over the years,” Eekhoff 

said. “Sometimes they ask me to do a day with 

their guys. Sometimes we just play golf together and 

it ends up we talk more about basketball than we 

care about playing golf.” 

He thought Thursday, Dec. 7 was just another 

night in the gym. He was working the livestream 

broadcast of the Wolfpack’s home games with Le 

Mars when Brad Vis, director of mission advancement 

at Western Christian, came up to him between 

games and said “We have something we want to give 

you.” 

Wolfpack boys basketball coach Derek Keizer and 

Dordt University women’s basketball coach Bill 


Former Wolfpack coach Eekhoff 

garners Wooden Legacy Award 

Harmsen, who followed Eekhoff as Western Christian’s 

boys basketball coach, were there to escort him to the center 

of the court. Karen Christians, director of discipleship 

at Western Christian, then read of the long list of Eekhoff’s 

accomplishments as she announced he had been selected 

for a John Wooden Legacy Award. 

“I had no idea. I was just 

there to do color for the 

“The best thing 

about winning 

a state championship 

is every 

morning until the 

start of practice 

for the next season, 

you wake 

up with a smile 

on your face” 

Jim Eekhoff 

HALL OF FAME COACH 

livestream of the ballgame. 

I had no idea anyone had 

even nominated me. I didn’t 

know what the award was 

for,” Eekhoff said. “I was 

blown away by it. Obviously, 

John Wooden is one of, 

if not the most, legendary 

coach of all time, so anything 

with his name on it is 

very meaningful.” 

He obviously knew that 

anything with John Wooden’s 

name on it was a big 

deal, so Eekhoff did what 

many people would do in 

that situation. 

“When I got home I Googled 

it,” the former coach 

said. “I learned this was the 

first year they were giving it and there is apparently one 

girls and one boys winner from each state. Wooden’s 

family is involved in picking it. I got a certificate that was 

signed by Dave Archer, who is the National High School 

Basketball Coaches Association director and Dave Wooden, 

who represented the Wooden family.” 

RESPECT IS EARNED 

The John Wooden Legacy Award winners were selected 

in the spring, but Western Christian kept it a secret from 

Eekhoff until the hoops season had begun. 

According to the NHSBCA, the John Wooden Legacy 

Award seeks to honor scholastic basketball coaches 

around the country who are educators and have achieved excellence on the 

floor, in the classroom and in the community that further embody the characteristics 

and legacy of coach John Wooden. The criteria for this award are rooted 

in the ideals of education, longevity, character, service and excellence. It is bestowed 

on one boys coach and one girls coach per state each year. 

“It being a special award that includes being an educator in the classroom and 

has to do with what you did in the community and all that, that’s really cool,” 

SURPRISE PARTY Western Christian boys basketball coach Derek Keizer and Dordt University women’s basketball coach Bill 

Harmsen flank former Western Christian coach Jim Eekhoff as he is given the John Wooden Legacy Award. Keizer played for Eekhoff at 

Western Christian and Harmsen was the first to step in as boys basketball coach at Western Christian after Eekhoff retired. 

Eekhoff said. “You always want to make an impact as a coach and a teacher. You 

hope to be a positive influence on the lives of others. It’s all very meaningful and 

humbling.” 

Eekhoff, who is 73, grew up in Kanawha and was a multisport athlete in high 

school. He attended Dordt College, where he graduated in 1972. Eekhoff spent 

three years teaching in the Oskaloosa Christian school system and three years at 

Sheldon Christian before landing at Western Christian High School. Jim settled 


in at Western Christian for 38 years where he spent his first four seasons as an 

assistant coach. Western Christian won a state title in two of those seasons. 

As a head coach, his teams went 681-143 in his career. He took 18 teams to 

state and won a record eight state championships. His 36 state tournament game 

victories and his 8-1 record in the state title game ranked first in state history when 

he retired in 2017. Western Christian’s teams competed in Class 2A and Class 3A 

at various times during his tenure. None of his teams ever finished below .500. 

The current Western Christian coach played for Eekhoff when he was in high 

school. Keizer said Eekhoff’s reputation and the program’s success was always on 

your mind back then. 

“As a young kid growing up in Hull, you worked every day at trying to become a 

better player so you could one day play for coach Eekhoff. When I finally got the 

chance, you immediately understood the high expectations he had for each player 

and for the program as a whole,” Keizer said. “In some sense, you played out of 

fear because you didn’t want to let coach Eekhoff, his assistants or the program 

“I almost feel guilty. There are a lot of other 

coaches who are just as good or better than 

me who never coached a game here. And then 

to win even one championship is just amazing. 

It’s pretty hard to top this.” 

Jim Eehkoff JOHN WOODEN LEGACY AWARD WINNER 


down.” 

Keizer said he still leans on both Eekhoff 

and Harmsen as he leads the program 

into the future. 

“Those two guys are incredible mentors. 

Coach Eekhoff will always have an impact 

on the program whether it be his presence 

in the building or from the dads that used 

to play for coach Eekhoff and have kids 

who are coming up to play at Western 

Christian,” he said. “I’ve always thought of 

him as a master motivator. He was incredible 

at getting his players to buy in and put 

forth their best effort. I also try to emulate 

how he prepared his teams. His attention 

to the minute details was top notch.” 

De Jong said there are still lots of reasons 

to bring in coach Eekhoff to work 

with his MOC-Floyd Valley program when 

possible. 

“First of all just the street cred. There aren’t too many guys 

out there who have won a state championship, let alone eight 

of them,” he said. “He’s smart. He obviously knows what he’s 

doing and he’s a good teacher.” 

When he is there, Eekhoff isn’t just teaching the MOC-Floyd 

Valley athletes. 

“He will watch and help and at the end he gives me some 

constructive criticism or advice,” De Jong said. “He just wants 

to see the game played well and see it executed at a high level.” 

Eekhoff was the National Federation of High Schools boys 

basketball coach of the year in 2011. 

He was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association 

Hall of Fame in 2017. 

In addition to all those basketball titles, he coached the 

Western Christian boys cross country team to a state championship 

in 1981.

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Defending champs 

own glass in victory 

BY CHARLIE HILDEBRAND 

CHILDEBRAND@NWESTIOWA.COM 

S-O 11 12 13 20 - 56 

DIKE-NH 20 16 12 13 - 61 

DES MOINES—Fourth-seeded 

Sibley-Ocheyedan struggled with 

the inside presence of junior 

Payton Petersen and top-ranked 

Dike-New Hartford, but the Generals 

stormed back in the fourth 

quarter before ultimately falling 

CLASS 3A GIRLS BASKETBALL 

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 

Senior Tatum Schmalbeck holds the trophy high as she and her Sioux Center teammates celebrate a Class 3A 

girls basketball state championship Friday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The Warriors defeated Benton 

in the championship tilt 62-47 after earlier posting wins over West Marshall and Solon. Photos by Roy Tucker 



SIOUX CENTER 12 12 15 23 - 62 

BENTON 6 10 11 20 - 47 

Center was far from the 

favorite, but the Warriors 

were prepared to 

conquer the Class 3A girls basketball 

state tournament even 

though three opponents seeded 

higher than them tried to stand 

in Sioux Center’s path to glory. 

The sixth-seeded Warriors 

attacked the event with confidence 

and were the ones left 

standing at the end with a 62-47 

win over fourth-seeded Benton 

Community in the championship 

game Friday at Wells Fargo 

Arena in Des Moines. 

The victory gave the Warriors 

their first state championship 

in program history after making 

it five times to state before this 

season. 

“It just feels great. I’m not 

real sure it’s all settled in yet,” 

said longtime Sioux Center 

coach Doug Winterfeld. “It 

probably isn’t going to hit until 

we get out and get back to the 

motel and being able to spend 

some time with our fans.” 

For Warrior senior guards 

Willow Bleeker and Tatum 

See WARRIORS on C3 

Sioux Center sophomore Makailyn Vander Waal passes from post 

to post, setting up a teammate for a layup Friday against Benton. 

CLASS 2A GIRLS BASKETBALL 

STATE SEMIFINAL 

61-56 to the Wolverines in the 

semifinals of the Class 2A girls 

basketball state tournament Friday 

at Wells Fargo Arena in Des 

Moines. 

“I’ll definitely remember the 

memories we’ve made with our 

teammates,” said Sibley-Ocheyedan 

senior Bria Wasmund. “We 

made school history. We haven’t 

been here in 26 years, so that’s 

pretty cool.” 

Payton Petersen and her twin 

sister, Jadyn, combined for 43 

points and 36 rebounds in the 

contest for Dike-New Hartford. 

“She just rebounded the ball 

super well. She’s a monster on the 

glass,” Sibley-Ocheyedan coach 

Zach Wessels said of Payton 

Petersen. “We were trying to box 

her out, but she was just getting 

offensive board after offensive 

board. She was tough on us.” 

Junior Olivia Hensch and Wasmund 

made back-to-back threepointers 

to put the Generals in 

front 8-4 early in the first quarter. 

See GENERALS on C4 

Central Lyon senior Addison Klosterbuer steals the ball during a Class 

2A girls basketball state semifinal Friday against Pocahontas Area. 

The Lions won 65-44 to advance to the final. Photo by Roy Tucker 

CLASS 2A GIRLS 

BASKETBALL STATE 

SEMIFINAL 

Central Lyon getting 

shot at redemption 



POCAHONTAS 15 3 13 13 - 44 

CENTRAL LYON 13 11 18 23 - 65 

DES MOINES—Second-seeded 

Central Lyon played dominant 

defense in the second quarter and 

then used a big run in the second 

half to pull away from sixthseeded 

Pocahontas Area to take 

a 65-44 win in the semifinals of 

the Class 2A girls basketball state 

tournament on Friday at Wells 

Fargo Arena in Des Moines. 

“The target on our back has 

been so big all year,” said Central 

Lyon coach Heather Grafing. 

“Credit these girls, every night 

they show up. Every night, they 

handle it so well. Obviously, we 

play in a really tough conference. 

“We’ve got another conference 

team that’s playing for a state title 

tonight,” she said in reference 

to Class 3A title contender Sioux 

Center. “I really think that helped 

us out tonight, because we’re 

used to these kinds of games.” 

In the first quarter, Central Lyon 

led 6-2 after a layup from junior 

Desta Hoogendoorn and a trey 

from senior Addison Klosterbuer 

with 5:20 left. Pocahontas Area 

used an 11-1 run to go in front 

13-7, capped by a three-pointer 

from senior Carly Janssen with 

1:25 remaining. 

“We had a little bit of jitters to 

start,” said senior Afton Schlumbohm. 

“We had to feel out their 

offense a little bit. As soon as we 

figured out what we had to do, 

we took it from there and got a 

few stops that led us into better 

See LIONS on page C4 

Sibley-Ocheyedan senior Jadyn Jensen drives to the hoop Friday in a Class 2A girls basketball 

state tournament semifinal against Dike-New Hartford. The Generals put a scare 

into the Wolverines in the fourth quarter before falling 61-56. Photo by Roy Tucker 

PROFILES BY SCOTT BYERS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYLAN HOWE | DESIGN BY THEA STERRETT 

The N’West Iowa REVIEW • October 7, 2023 • Section D www.nwestiowa.com 

Senior Solomon Tea leads the way for Sioux Center after senior quarterback Brodie Van Regenmorter 

hands off to fellow senior Connor Kamerman. Kamerman was injured Friday, but the 

Warriors held on for a 19-12 district win over MOC-Floyd Valley. Photo by Dan Wolfswinkel 

Sioux Center establishes run 

to wear out MOC-Floyd Valley 



Central Lyon/George-Little Rock senior Reece Vander Zee breaks a tackle in the backfield on his way to positive 

yards on the ground during the Lions’ 42-7 romp over Western Christian on Friday in Hull. Photo by Scott Byers 

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: CLASS A DISTRICT 1 

Sibley-Ocheyedan needs 

help to get to postseason 

BY JUSTIN RUST 

JRUST@NWESTIOWA.COM 

HARTLEY—Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 

came through in the fourth quarter with two 

touchdowns and held off Sibley-Ocheyedan’s 

comeback attempt to claim its first win 

Generals 21 

Hawks 28 

of the season 28-21 in 

Class A District 1 football 

Friday. 

“It’s a testament to our kids, to their commitment 

to working hard and commitment 

to each other,” said Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 

coach Jay Eilers. “They know H-M-S and 

the traditions of H-M-S football. These kids 

came out and played with a passion, and 

you could see the energy they brought. It was 

100 percent on them, and boy, am I proud of 

them.” 

The Hawks scored first when James Gellerman 

ran in a TD from 6 yards out and then 

added the two-point conversion for an 8-0 

lead at the 6:35 mark of the first quarter. 

It was the start of a big night for Gellerman 

and the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn ground 

game, which had 238 yards on 52 attempts. 

Gellerman had more than 40 of those carries. 

“Fullback Ethan Wiersma, he was healthy 

and, boy, did he play with his hair on fire,” 

Eilers said. “his blocking and right guard 

Bradley Van Beek on the pull scheme made 

all the difference in the world. James Gellerman 

ran with a passion that was second to 

none.” 

The Generals got a safety late in the first 

See HAWKS on page D6 

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: CLASS 3A DISTRICT 1 

ORANGE CITY—In a clash between the last 

two teams undefeated in district contests in 

Class 3A District 1, sixth-ranked Sioux Center 

took control on top of the standings with a 

19-12 win over MOC-Floyd Valley on Friday. 

“It was a physical football game,” said Sioux 

Center coach Tim Van Regenmorter. “It was a 

war of attrition. We did some things really well 

and some things not so well. At the end, we just 

fought really hard. I’m just really proud of our 

kids.” 

BY ELIJAH HELTON 

EHELTON@NWESTIOWA.COM 

HULL—Central Lyon/George- 

Little Rock is ranked first in Class 

2A for a reason. 

On the road against fifth-ranked 

Lions 42 

Wolfpack 7 

Western 

Christian, 

in a football 

game that looked close on paper, 

the Lions had no problem mauling 

through the Wolfpack on their 

way to a 42-7 victory Friday night. 

“Our coaches did an excellent 

job getting prepared this week, 

getting our players in position to 

have success,” said Central Lyon/ 

George-Little Rock coach Curtis 

Eben. 

The blowout in Hull started 

immediately. The Lions got a first 

down on both of their opening 

plays thanks to strong rushes 

from Graham Eben. 

The Wolfpack was able to force 

a fourth-and-5, but the visitors 

went for it, handing off to Eben 

again on his way to a 36-yard 

score. 

“Our offensive line got a great 

push. They blitzed one side and 

Graham was able to break to weak 

side and get in the end zone. It’s 

hard to practice those things, but 

The Warriors got on the board first with a seven 

play, 55-yard touchdown drive in the opening 

quarter. Solomon Tea scored on a 27-yard 

run to give the visitors a 6-0 lead with 3:01 left 

Warriors 19 

Dutch 12 

in the first quarter. 

MOC-Floyd Valley did 

not respond immediately, 

punting on its next two drives. The Dutch used 

a nine-play, 34-yard drive in the second quarter 

to even the score, capitalizing on a personal 

foul called on the Warriors on third-and-13. 

Kaleb Koerselman tallied on a 1-yard run with 

3:02 remaining in the half. 

“As a whole, I’m really proud of our kids 

for the way we fought and battled for four 

See WARRIORS on page D7 

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: CLASS 2A DISTRICT 1 

the players make those plays,” 

coach Eben said. 

Western Christian coach Travis 

Kooima said his team struggled to 

keep up the fight in the trenches, 

giving up a slew of big plays. 

“This was a tough game for us,” 

Kooima said. “Hats off to Central 

Lyon-G/LR. They have great players 

and their front line on both 

sides of the ball controlled the line 

of scrimmage.” 

See LIONS on page D4 

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn junior James Gellerman intercepts a pass intended for Sibley-Ocheyedan 

senior Riley Getzel on Friday in Hartley. Gellerman was a major factor for the hosts offensively as well 

for the Hawks, who won 28-21 over the Generals in Class A District 1 action. Photo by Rylan Howe 

Unity Christian senior Gracie Schoonhoven competes in the 400-meter hurdles at the Class 2A state-qualifying meet 

Thursday in Sheldon. She will be seeded second in the event at the state meet in Des Moines. Photo by Roy Tucker 



HELDON—The forecast 

thunderstorms stayed away 

so the athletes were able to 

make some noise of their 

own during the Class 2A 

state-qualifying meet on Thursday in 

Sheldon. 

Sioux Central won a three-team race 

to the end for the girls title, finishing 

2.5 points ahead of Unity Christian 

and 6.5 up on West Lyon. 

FRIDAY GIRLS GOLF: CLASS 2A REGIONAL 

Course dries out 

as day moves on 



LARCHWOOD—Central 

Lyon set the pace and West 

Lyon was not far behind at 

the Class 2A girls golf regional 

hosted by the Wildcats on 

Friday. 

Central Lyon turned in a 

team total of 366. 

“I was really pleased with 

the way the girls played and 

fought during a challenging 

day where the golf course 

really changed halfway 

through the round,” said 

Central Lyon coach Ben Gerleman. 

“The rain and moisture 

really made the course 

play slow the first half of the 

round, then when it dried out 

it played much differently.” 

Amelia Schneidermann of 

Central Lyon was medalist 

with an 84. 

Okoboji continued its dominant 

season on the boys side in taking the 

title. Central Lyon carried through on 

its late-season surge and took second. 

Unity girls come up big 

Unity Christian fell just short of the 

girls title, but coach Jina Tinklenberg 

said she got just about everything she 

could have hoped for out of the group. 

“The girls dug deep. They pulled out 

the times I knew they had in them,” 

she said. “Our 4-by-800 and 4-by-400 

“Amelia was great on a 

day where Jaina (Groen) 

and Mariah (Gerleman) left 

strokes on the course they 

don’t normally lose,” coach 

Gerleman said. “Our four, five 

and six girls played well and 

helped our team to the low 

score of the day.” 

West Lyon was six strokes 

back. Madison DeJong was 

the runner-up for the Wildcats 

with an 88. 

Because the Wildcats ad - 

vanced, a third team got to 

move to the regional final, 

which will be Wednesday 

at Landsmeer Golf Club in 

Orange City. Western Christian 

nipped Sheldon for that 

honor. The Wolfpack carded a 

437, four shots better than the 

Orabs. 

“There was a threat of some 

weather issues, and it rained 

in the morning, but it actually 

turned out to be a great day 

See GOLF on page C2 

dropped great season’s bests that will 

put us in a nice position at the state 

meet. High jump in our district is 

extremely competitive, but great competition 

pushed the girls to some great 

marks. Aubrey De Groot hit a new PR 

again.” 

Unity Christian will be the fourth 

seed at state in the 800-meter relay, 

just behind Okoboji. The Pioneers 

won that race in Sheldon. Its 1,600 

See TRACK on page C4 

West Lyon senior Madison DeJong uses her putter from just 

off the green Friday at Meadow Acres Golf Club in Larchwood. 

DeJong was the runner-up. Photo by Roy Tucker 

SHE WON THE WAR EAGLE CONFERENCE MEET 

LAST WEEK WITH AN 18-HOLE SCORE OF 85 

What brand of clubs is your 

favorite? Callaway. 

Which feeling is better, 

sinking a long putt or 

blasting a long drive down 

the center of the fairway? 

Definitely sinking a long 

putt. 

What quote or phrase do 

you hear the most from 

your coach? “Keep your 

head down.” 

Aside from your home 

course, which golf course 

is your favorite to play 

on? Definitely the Ridge in 

Sioux Center. 

Who is your favorite golfer? 

Bryson DeChambeau. 

If there was an Olympics 

for everyday activities, 

outside of sports, what 

would you have the best 

chance at medaling in? 

Photography. 

If you could have any 

superpower, what would 

you want? Teleportation, 

so I could go anywhere in 

the world easily. 

Where is your favorite 

place to eat in N’West Iowa? 

JW’s in Paullina. 

What is your favorite app 

on your phone? TikTok. 

If you were stuck on a desert 

island with a working 

TV and could only watch 

two movies the entire 

time you were there, what 

movies would you pick? 

“8 Seconds” and “Soul 

Surfer.” 

Outside of N’West Iowa, 

what city or town would be 

the best to live in? Washington 

D.C. 

If you had your own action 

figure, what two accessories 

would it come with? A 

camera and a driver. 

What is your favorite TV or 

streaming series? “Ginny 

and Georgia.” 

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SOUTH O’BRIEN | GIRLS GOLF | SENIOR 

ten’s name in the Boyden- 

Hull High School basketball 

record books. He never threw 

one pass in a Comet uniform, 

but no one ever had a bigger 

assist to the program than 

the 42-year-old from Boyden, 

who died May 4. 

“He was a character,” said 

former Boyden-Hull boys 

basketball coach Paul Walton. 

“He was a Boyden-Hull 

Comet through and through. 

That’s what he was.” 

Netten, who had Down syndrome, 

started his affiliation 

with the team when Walton 

was the coach and Netten’s 

older brother, Chad, started 

playing on the varsity. He had 

two younger brothers, Wade 

and Derrik, who also played 

for the Comets under Walton. 

“Chad was probably a 

junior when Brady started to 

sit on the bench with us,” Walton 

said. “He was just looking 

for a way to get down there. 

From that point on, he was 

Coach Brady. I didn’t give him 

any specific 

tasks. 

I just kind 

of let him 

do what 

he wanted 

to do.” 

Walton 

said the 

first time 

he asked 

Netten to 

sit with 

them during a game, Brady 

plopped down right beside 

the head coach. 

“I told him, ‘You can’t sit 

there. That’s where coach 

(Jeff) Meyn sits,’” Walton said. 

“Brady moved down one seat. 

A few years later, we hired a 

freshman coach. At his first 

varsity game, he goes to sit 

next to me and Brady goes 

right up to him and says, ‘You 

can’t sit there. That’s where 

coach Meyn sits.’” 

Meyn, a longtime assistant 

coach and athletic director 

for Boyden-Hull, said Netten 

quickly became well known 

throughout the Siouxland 

Conference. 

SCOTT BYERS 

SPORTS EDITOR 

See BRADY on page C5 

CLASS 1A STATE BASEBALL PREVIEW 

Qualifies for first time 

since 2014 campaign 



LE MARS—The senior class at 

Gehlen Catholic finally punched 

through, earning a trip to the Class 

1A state baseball tournament next 

week. 

“It was due. We got close in every 

single sport. We’ve always been 

together,” said senior David Begnoche. 

“We’ve been really close and 

we finally got it done.” 

Keaton Logan, another senior, 

said the last five years with his teammates 

has been a joy. 

“Especially this group of seniors 

and this baseball team in particular, 

this year we are so close as a team,” 

he said. “To finally make the hard 

work pay off, it’s a feeling you can’t 

describe.” 

This season is the seventh time the 

Jays have qualified for state and first 

since 2014. The 1995 and ’99 teams 

went on to win the state title. 

Gehlen Catholic won 10 of its first 

11 games this season, including a 

5-3 victory over then Class 1A topranked 

Remsen St. Mary’s on May 

30. 

The Jays then split a pair of onerun 

games with West Lyon, a Class 

2A state-qualifying team, before 

winning their next five games to 

improve to 16-2. 

Gehlen Catholic went 3-3 to close 

See JAYS on page C3 

CLASS 2A STATE BASEBALL PREVIEW 

West Lyon junior Carter Ver Meer puts the tag on Forest City junior Vinton Feldman Tuesday. The Wildcats won 2-0 to qualify for the Class 2A state tournament. Photo by Rylan Howe 

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ARCHWOOD—West Lyon’s 

baseball team thought it could 

be in the state tournament all 

along, but the players and 

coaches did notice that no 

one else seemed to have 

Which feeling is more satisfying 

in softball, driving in a run, 

successfully stealing a base or 

striking out a batter? Driving in 

a run. 

Do you have any superstitions 

before or during a game? I drink 

an LMNT drink before each 

game. 

What is the most common quote 

or phrase you hear from your 

coach? “Little pep to the step.” 

What brand of glove do you like 

using the most? Rawlings. 

Aside from your own, which 

Iowa high school has the best 

uniforms? Unity Christian. 

that opinion as the Wildcats stayed 

unranked by the Iowa High School 

Baseball Coaches Association all season. 

That’s why even in the elation of a 

substate win on Tuesday in Estherville, 

the Wildcats were still feeling a bit of a 

chip on their shoulder. 

The team was convinced that even 

though it carried a 24-2 record on the 

season, it was going to be the eighth 

seed at state and would likely run into 

four-time defending state champion 

Van Meter in the first round. 

Not including your home stadium, 

where is your favorite venue 

to play softball? Central Lyon. 

If you could pick any song to 

be your walk-up music, what 

would you choose? “This Girl is 

on Fire” sung by my 4-year-old 

cousin, Adam. 

Where is your favorite place to 

eat in N’West Iowa? Cedar Rock 

Grill in Rock Valley. 

If you could travel anywhere on 

the planet, free of charge, where 

would you want to go? Greece. 

If you were stuck on a desert 

island with a working television 

and could only watch two movies 

the entire time you were 

“No one thinks we’re anything,” said 

senior Korey McKenney. “We haven’t 

been ranked all year. We’re going to 

be the eighth seed. We’re going to go 

do what we’ve done all year and show 

people we can play.” 

Well, a funny thing happened on the 

way to Merchants Park in Carroll. 

Only three of the top 10 teams in 

See WILDCATS on page C2 

there, what two movies would 

you pick? “When the Game 

Stands Tall” and “Top Gun.” 

If you could have any superpower, 

what would you want? 

Teleportation. 

If you had your own personal 

action figure, what two accessories 

would it come with? A 

Jet Ski and hairbrush. 

What is something about 

you that would surprise 

people that don’t know 

you well? I know how to 

spray ether on our boat 

motor to get it started. 

WENT 3-FOR-7 FROM THE PLATE WITH A DOUBLE, A TRIPLE AND THREE RBIS WHILE HELPING THE TIGERS REACH THE REGIONAL SEMIFINALS 

Gehlen Catholic senior Zayne Weiland celebrates during the Class 1A Substate 

8 title game on Tuesday in Sioux City. The Jays qualified for the state 

tournament and will play Lynnville-Sully on Monday. Photo by Allen Hamil 

STORIES BY SCOTT BYERS AND CHARLIE HILDEBRAND | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLIE HILDEBRAND | DESIGN BY THEA STERRETT 

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The N’West Iowa REVIEW • March 4, 2023 • Section C www.nwestiowa.com 

ULTIMATE 

WARRIORS 

Sioux Center responds to every 

challenge to win tourney crown 

ES MOINES—Sioux 

D 

Sibley-Ocheyedan shines late, 

but can’t catch up to Wolverines 

Lions shift into 

high gear to earn 

spot in title game 


SPORTS 

The N’West Iowa REVIEW • November 18, 2023 • Section C www.nwestiowa.com 

TGIF 

Hawks earn first victory of 

year by thwarting Generals 

2023 FOOTBALL SEASON 

WEEK 7 

Warriors seize control of 

top spot by topping rival 

Statement 

game 

No. 1 Lions prepare for Beef Bowl 

by fattening up on No. 5 Wolfpack 

Hats off to Central Lyon- 

G/LR. They have great 

players and their front 

line on both sides of the 

ball controlled the line of 

scrimmage. 

Travis Kooima 

WESTERN CHRISTIAN COACH 


The N’West Iowa REVIEW • May 13, 2023 • Section C www.nwestiowa.com 

THURSDAY TRACK: CLASS 2A STATE-QUALIFYING MEET 

Contenders earn 

top seeds at state 

Knights make strong run at girls title, 

Pioneers keep rolling on boys side 

S 

Central Lyon adjusts to weather 

ATHLETE 

OF THE WEEK 

SAM 

WILBUR 

Coach Brady 

left his mark on 

Comet hoops 

he final buzzer has 

sounded on the life of a 

TN’West Iowa basketball 

icon. 

You won’t find Brady Net- 


The N’West Iowa REVIEW • July 15, 2023 • Section C www.nwestiowa.com 

Gehlen Catholic riding wave 

of momentum into Carroll 

West Lyon sets eyes on foes 

Wildcats prepared 

to prove rankings 

and doubters wrong 

ATHLETE 

OF THE WEEK 

RANDYKRUSE.FBFSAGENTS.COM 

L 

MAKIAH DE JAGER SOFTBALL | TRINITY CHRISTIAN | JUNIOR 


The N’West Iowa REVIEW • July 29, 2023 • Section C www.nwestiowa.com 

Your SOURCE 

for SPORTS 

Follow your favorite local high school and college sports 

teams from season previews to state championships 

with game scores, stories and photos 


MARSHALL KLEINHESSELINK 

STORY BY CHARLIE HILDEBRAND | PHOTOS COURTESY NORTHWESTERN ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS 

double 

Pulling 

duty 

It takes a driven person to burn the candle at 

both ends effectively and Marshall Kleinhesselink 

pulled it off successfully this past fall. 

Kleinhesselink took graduate classes at 

Northwestern College and played on the football 

team that reached the NAIA championship 

game while also working as a teacher at Sheldon 

High School. 

“With it being such a unique situation, one thing 

I’d love to point out when I talk about this is just 

how accommodating and supportive both my 

coaching staff at Northwestern and Sheldon were 

throughout the process,” Kleinhesselink said. “At 

some points, the schedules kind of conflicted and 

they were both just very accommodating. They 

knew it was going to be tough for me to do that, but 

they both just kind of really supported me through 

the process and that’s something I’m definitely 

grateful for.” 

some days where I’d drive to Orange City first, then 

back to Sheldon and then obviously made the trek 

back to Orange City. So it was quite a bit of commuting.” 

available for 

their sports 

by 3:15 p.m. 

SHOWING HIS DRIVE 

“We do have some instances 

Northwestern coach Matt McCarty said Kleinhesselink 

where we need to be flexible with 

Kleinhesselink worked part time at Sheldon in the 

fall, working until about 1 or 1:30 p.m. each weekday. 

Football activities started at 3 p.m. in Orange 

City for Northwestern. 

“I’d try to be in Orange City before then. Then 

practice would usually last me until about six, and 

obviously having film beforehand and things like 

that,” he said. “Some mornings during the week, 

we’d also have workouts in Orange City. There were 

did a good job at being able to balance 

classes, teaching and football. 

“I had no doubt that Marshall would be able to 

handle the workload,” he said. “He is a very responsible 

and mature young man and had show us the 

type of dependable player he was in his four years 

with us.” 

McCarty added that Northwestern does a great 

job at creating an environment where all athletes are 

student teachers or internships or in 

Marshall’s case — a teacher,” he said. “Our 

philosophy is to always find a way to make it 

work. What is best for the individual situation and 

how can we best work with them to make it work? 

Ultimately, it is about helping each of them have a 

great and impactful experience.” 

Sheldon principal Nick Miller said it was impressive 

that Kleinhesselink could balance everything 


Kleinhesselink teaches 

while playing football 

effectively. 

“Being a first-year teacher and playing a 

college sport are two extremely high-demanding 

responsibilities on their own,” 

he said. “A huge credit to Mr. Kleinhesselink, 

he did a great job of balancing 

everything and communicating along the 

way. We have a strong science department 

that supports each other, and I think all of 

that helped make it a really positive first 

semester.” 

COMING HOME 

Kleinhesselink graduated from high 

school in Sheldon in 2019 and was an 

all-district football player as a lineman. He 

started out as a biology major at Northwestern. 

“After my freshman year, I decided to 

kind of look for something new,” he said. 

“One of my advisers pointed to teaching, 

so he put me in a teaching class to see if I 

liked it. It just kind of felt right, so I went 

with it.” 

Kleinhesselink still kept the 

science theme and took a part-time 

job with Sheldon as a high school 

science teacher, teaching general science, 

earth and space science along 

with an anatomy class. 

“It felt different when I first got here, but 

Sheldon’s been really welcoming,” he said. 

“It’s fun to get to have these relationships 

with teachers that taught me and getting to learn more about 

them has been definitely fun.” 

Kleinhesselink added that there are some things he’s 

learned from football that can be carried over into teaching. 

“The aspect of just being yourself really, first and foremost. I 

try to be transparent and be myself as much as I can,” he said. 

“My work ethic, I feel like, really drives me to do the best I 

can. I like to put as much work in as I can to try to be the 

best version of myself every day.” 

MAKING MEMORIES 

Northwestern had another banner year in 

football, reaching the national title game for 

the third time in the last four seasons. The 

Red Raiders won the Great Plains Athletic 

Conference as well. 

In the championship game on Dec. 18, 

in Durham, NC, Northwestern fell to Keiser 

University 31-21, a rematch of the 2022 title 

“Being a first-year teacher and playing a college 

sport are two extremely high-demanding responsibilities 

on their own. A huge credit to Mr. Kleinhesselink, 

he did a great job of balancing everything and 

communicating along the way.” 

Nick Miller SHELDON PRINCIPAL 

tilt that the Red Raiders won 35-25. 

Kleinhesselink said he had plenty of supporters in the students 

at Sheldon. 

“Every Monday, they would ask me how the game went Saturday,” 

he said. “I was told when I got back from North Carolina 

from the national championship game that they actually 

were livestreaming the game on almost every TV in the school 

and a lot of students were watching it on their computers. 

That was really fun to hear. They were so supportive while I 

was still pursuing that aspect of my life.” 

Miller said it was neat to see Kleinhesselink and the Red 

Raiders play for a national title. 

“Students were able to watch over the lunch hour and definitely 

knew when number 95 was on the field,” he said. “They 

knew what was on the line, and were excited when good 

things happened for Northwestern.” 

Kleinhesselink, a defensive lineman for the Red Raiders, 

finished the 2023 season with eight total tackles, two tackles 

for loss and one sack. He also was on the field goal team. 


“Just relationships I’ve built over the years is definitely 

one of the biggest takeaways, learning those 

characteristics of responsibility and how to work 

hard,” he said of his 

favorite memories at 

Northwestern. “That’s 

“It felt different when 

I first got here, but 

Sheldon’s been really 

welcoming. It’s fun 

to get to have these 

relationships with 

teachers that taught 

me and getting to learn 

more about them has 

been definitely fun.” 

definitely something 

I’m grateful for. But 

yeah, I would definitely 

just say back making 

memories on the sidelines 

and just off the 

field with a lot of like 

the friends I was roommates 

with, and things 

like that. It’s definitely 

some core memories 

of the past couple of 

years.” 

MOVING 

FORWARD 

Kleinhesselink said 

he did have eligibility 

left because of 

the COVID year but 

figured it was time to 

hang up his cleats after 

the season. 

“I’ve just decided that it’s time to take that new 

step into life with a career and things like that,” he 

said. “I actually got married this past summer, so 

that’s just another step that I feel like it’s my time to 

Marshall 

Kleinhesselink 

SHELDON TEACHER 

move on.” 

Kleinhesselink signed a contract to work full time 

in Sheldon starting on Jan. 1. Miller said he’s excited 

to have Kleinhesselink working full time going forward. 

“He’s an accomplished Sheldon High School 

graduate that has built really strong relationships 

in our building and community over the years,” he 

said. “He’s a great young teacher as well that finds 

lots of different ways to have a positive impact on 

students. We feel really fortunate to have him as part 

of our staff.” 

McCarty said that Kleinhesselink is a strong ambassador 

for Northwestern football. 

“Marshall is a steady and mature young man,” 

he said. “He was a great example for our younger 

players on how to be a professional in how he went 

about things. I am thankful for all he brought to our 

program. It is players like Marshall that really make 

Raider football special.” 


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STORY AND PHOTOS BY GEORGIA LODEWYK 

NCC THUNDER SOCCER 

FIRST 

Steps 

After announcing 

the soccer coaches for the fall 2024 season, 

Northwest Iowa Community College is one 

step closer to kicking its soccer program off the 

ground. Now it’s up to head coaches Tre Thomas 

and Jesse Kuehler to get the ball rolling. 

NCC applied to join the National Junior College Athletic 

Association in 2022, and since then has added sports shooting 

to its athletics lineup. Soccer is next up, and together the 

two provide the community college with opportunities for 

increased enrollment and student community engagement 

on the college campus. 

“Soccer, being a globally beloved sport, brings diverse 

groups of people together, creating a vibrant, inclusive atmosphere 

on campus,” said Kristin Kollbaum, NCC’s director 

of marketing. 

NCC president Dr. John Hartog said the creation of a soccer 

program is also a response to trends seen in elementary 

and high school athletics. As school-age participation in 

soccer increases, more students are looking to compete at 

a collegiate level, making soccer a great college recruitment 

tool. 

“Already, we have seen an increase in the number of 

potential students and their families who are giving NCC 

favorable consideration,” said NCC president Dr. John 

Hartog. “Those who would not previously have considered 

NCC, since we have not had soccer, now look at us with 

strong interest.” 

Kuehler and Thomas accepted the head coaching positions 

earlier in December. Men’s head coach Jesse Kuehler, 

a 2016 Briar Cliff graduate, served as men’s head coach 

at Spencer High School and the NWISC club for four 

seasons. Before accepting the position at NCC, Kuehler 

also served as second assistant on Iowa Lakes Community 

College’s national championship winning team in 


2023. 

From Kansas, new head women’s 

coach Tre Thomas served as 

assistant coach at Garden City 

Community College with the 

men’s and women’s teams for three 

years. Following graduation from 

Southwestern College in Kansas 

in 2019, Thomas also played semiprofessional 

soccer for Ozark FC in 

Arkansas. 

When Kuehler and Thomas arrived 

at NCC’s Lifelong Learning & 

Recreation Center on Jan. 3, they 

already had a soccer pitch; a turf 

field in conjunction with Sheldon 

High School only a seven minute’s 

drive from campus. They also had 

the support of many in the Sheldon 

community, those who have eagerly 

anticipated NCC Thunder soccer 

since 2022. 

Now they need a team. It’s no 

small feat to recruit nearly 50 soccer 

players to any college — and 

Kuehler and Thomas have only 

nine months to recruit and create 

two cohesive teams, all before the 

first match on Sept. 21. 

RECRUITING 

Kuehler and Thomas said their 

recruiting process began before 

their first official day of work. They 

look to bring local and international 

talent to NCC’s soccer roster. 

“Being from Spencer, and being 

a high school coach there, I know a 

decent number of coaches around 

the area and the state. That’s been a 

big utilization for me in these first 

couple weeks,” Kuehler said. 

For the men’s team, Kuehler 

wants to recruit around 24 players, 

focusing first on finding a core 

group of players he can build the 

team around. Strong numbers will 

be crucial for Kuehler’s team, as 

it faces some tough competition 

in the Iowa Community College 

Athletic Conference, including Iowa 

Lakes Community College, the 

defending national champions. 

“Our conference is pretty competitive 

from top to bottom, especially 

on the guys’ side,” Kuehler 

said. “That’s going to be a struggle, 

but it’s going to be fun.” 

Kuehler said one of the biggest 

draws for any recruits will be playing 

time — with a new program 

like NCC’s, the team is starting 

from scratch, meaning many of the 

incoming players can be guaranteed 

time as starters. They have the 

opportunity to rise to the occasion 

of the level of play Kuehler is hoping 

to achieve. 

“Teams know that we might be 

a new program, but we’re here to 

play. We’re going to play some 

top-level soccer,” Kuehler said. 

Thomas said recruiting for 

women’s soccer has a few key 

differences. He plans on a smaller 

roster, similar to other women’s 

teams. Pitching NCC as a school in 

addition to the team itself is also 

key. He said many of the players he 

has spoken with are interested in 

NCC’s health programs. 

Money is another large factor. 

NCC will be offering soccer scholarships, 

and Thomas said it will be 

a huge asset financially for players 

to combine this with NCC’s other 

scholarship opportunities. 

“If that scholarship is bigger than 

maybe what one of us can provide 

to one of our players, then that’s 

going to be huge,” Thomas said. 

Thomas is recruiting in three 

different places — first locally, then 

nationally through the NCSA, and 

finally internationally, from soccer 

players in South America and 

Europe. International recruitment 

involves more steps and effort, with 

additional paperwork and embassy 

appointments. Thomas said the 

college has been supportive of the 

international recruiting both he 

“Teams know that we might be a new 

program, but we’re here to play. We’re 

going to play some top-level soccer.” 

Jesse Kuehler NCC COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER COACH 

Hiring coaches just start for NCC soccer programs 


THE NEW GAME IN TOWN 

Head women’s soccer coach Tre Thomas and head men’s coach Jesse Kuehler are Northwest Iowa Community College’s newest hires to the athletic department. They focused their 

energies this winter into recruiting, as they look to piece together successful college teams for soccer’s 2024 fall season, the first season the Thunder will compete in soccer. 

and Kuehler are working on. 

“They’ve kind of opened the door for us, 

which we’re really thankful for,” Thomas 

said. 

Recruiting poses one of their biggest 

challenges in the upcoming year. As a new 

program, NCC starts from ground zero, 

competing against established programs 

with winning records for incoming players. 

The biggest draws for NCC recruits will be 

the coaches, the school and the opportunity 

of playing time, three assets Thomas and 

Kuehler will lean into when building the 

program. 

“The school has fantastic facilities, great 

dorms, great classes. The school basically 

sells itself,” Kuehler said. “Selling ourselves 

as coaches is where we’re at with that difficulty.” 

“[It’s] separating ourselves from what I offer 

rather than what this guy offers,” Thomas 

said. “Maybe he wins, but maybe he doesn’t 

care like I do for his players. And I think for 

the first one or two years, just with us being 

new, that might be the biggest challenge I 

see.” 

Kuehler and Thomas bring extensive game 

experience — they have seen plenty of success 

as coaches and players. They need to 

create a program that recruits can believe in, 

setting them on the right trajectory for longtime 

success. 

Recruitment may pose some initial obstacles, 

but there’s more on the horizon for the 

Thunder soccer program. Thomas and Kuehler 

just see this hurdle as an initial growing 

pain; one they have to endure if they want to 

create two teams ready to win on the pitch. 

BUILDING A TEAM 

Recruitment is one step. Hartog said the 

school has been involved in a whole other 

list of changes. Partnering with Sheldon 

High School on the new turf field in 2022, 

joining athletic conferences that December, 

developing founding principles, creating 

an athletic website and designing team 

uniforms are only some of the tasks NCC 

administration has had on the docket. 

“We have been taking this one step at a 

time, and we are right on track,” said Beth 

Sibenaller-Woodall, dean of student services. 

“Having soccer is new to many departments 

on campus, but we are 100 percent committed 

to getting there.” 

These tasks behind the scenes give Kuehler 

and Thomas a starting base, allowing them 

to focus on recruiting and meet the start of 

preseason in August with excitement. When 

the teams arrive, they begin their roles as 

head coaches, inserting what Kuehler calls 

“their own DNA” into the soccer program. 

“There’s no transition from coach to 

coach,” Kuehler said. “It’s right from us, right 

away.” 

Kuehler and Thomas have two different 

coaching styles they bring to their respective 

teams. 

“I like to be very organized, more defensively 

than offensively,” Thomas said. “When 

we have the ball, I like for us to keep possession, 

but it’s pretty free flowing. I like for the 

girls to be able to express themselves and 

their skills.” 

Thomas said that soccer is impossible 

to play like a video game. There are too 

many moving parts, and not everything in 

the game can be boiled down to a perfect 

set piece, run or passing combination. He 

stressed the importance of a positive environment 

— one where players can learn 

from their mistakes and make improvements 

as a team. 

Kuehler brings a tactical perspective and 

intensity to the men’s program. 

“I really like to push the pace of the game,” 

Kuehler said. “We’re going to go at everybody, 

whether they’re defending champion 

or coming from last place in the conference 

last year. Either way, we’re going to go out 

and we’re going to show what NCC is all 

about.” 

Kuehler said he wants his team to have a 

family dynamic where the players see each 

other as a band of brothers that fight for each 

other and push one another to work harder. 

The coaches will spend preseason with 

multiple practices a day, traveling to and 

from the turf field at Sheldon High School. 

In the winter offseason, the team will schedule 

weight training and futsal (indoor soccer) 

practice on LLRC’s indoor courts. 

For the coaches and the community, the 

eagerness surrounding the arrival of Thunder 

soccer is palpable; and the taste of success is 

closer than ever for the two newest members 

of NCC’s athletic department. 

“From a job standpoint, just seeing how 

excited and enthused the school is and the 

community is, it shows a lot. It makes me 

feel very welcomed and even more excited to 

just get fall here and get our teams ready to 

play,” Thomas said. 


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SHELDON, IA 

712-324-2519 

www.csbsheldon.com 

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BOYDEN, IA 

712-725-2321 

www.csbboyden.com 

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