By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

Baseball and softball

ACGC and Panorama baseball and softball fans were treated to some great action at their respective diamonds this week. Early in the week, Panorama softball overcame a six-run deficit to defeat West Central Valley. “These girls stayed mentally tough and kept pushing forward and never faltered,” Head Coach Ismael Galvan said.

That sounds like a recipe for success. Panorama baseball fans were able to see their team get back into the win column thanks to some excellent pitching via state golfer Parker Cary, who struck out nine batters.

ACGC baseball fans must have been pleased to get a win over nearby conference rival Panorama thanks to a complete game shutout pitched by Noah Kading. Charger softball fans had the delight of watching a back-and-forth classic against, again, nearby conference rival Panorama. Lead changes and ties were abundant in the contest with the Chargers ending up on top.

The NBA’s Achilles’ heel

NBA fans were treated less gracefully over the past week. Game seven of the NBA finals was on Sunday, June 22. The Thunder came out on top, 103-91, for its first championship since moving from Seattle. Unfortunately, what was gearing up to be an all-time finish to one of the best finals of the past 20 years will forever have a mark.

Tyrese Halliburton was shooting the lights and silencing a raucous Thunder crowd early in the game. In just seven minutes of action, the former Cyclone scored nine points, all threes. Soon after his early outburst, Halliburton stunned fans in the arena and those watching at home when he tore his Achilles tendon — a brutal injury which will almost certainly keep the star point guard out all of next season and potentially some of the season after that. This may be the first time that, when I think of an NBA final, I will remember the team that lost first. We will never know how that game might have finished had Halliburton not been injured.

It is bad enough that the peak of NBA basketball had to marred by such an event, but what might be even worse is the NBA’s growing Achilles tendon injury problem. Statistics show that, between 1990 and 2023, there were 45 Achilles tendon tears, an average of 1.36 per season, but never more than three in a single season. In this year’s playoffs alone, there were three — and seven total throughout this season.

Video analysis of all seven of these injuries showed it happened during a “false step,” a reactive movement athletes use to accelerate quickly. If you have ever played or watched basketball, this type of movement happens constantly throughout games.

Theories have swirled around the rise of this injury, the most popular being that the players are simply overworked. Much has been said about the workload on today’s players. The game moves faster, and, in turn, the players move more.

Some say the players back in the day were just tougher. I say they were just slower. The game moves at an incredibly higher pace than it did 10 years ago, let alone 20 or 30 years ago. Don’t believe me? View any one of these most recent finals games side by side with any of the finals games from the 1990s. The difference is stark.

In my opinion, athletes need to stop specializing sports at such a young age. It was much more common for athletes to play multiple sports throughout the year, as you see at ACGC and Panorama. This keeps wear and tear on specific movements and body parts down while strengthening others. Many of today’s NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB players have been playing one sport since they were in grade school. And, simply put, they have to. The competition level is simply too high for them to focus on other sports if they want to become a professional athlete. Science needs to catch up to these athletes soon, or it will continue to haunt our professional leagues. The NBA and its Achilles tendon injuries, the MLB and Tommy John surgery, the NFL and CTE, and the NHL… well, hockey rinks are just too darn cold.

Reach out with comments, complaints, ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

Offseason workouts

I often check up on the social media accounts of ACGC and Panorama to see what the schools are up to. One thing I have noticed lately are the sports camps and offseason workouts the programs have been hosting. I have many incredible memories from attending similar summer camps while I was in middle school and high school.

One instance that I remember well, which is also forever documented, was an offseason soccer workout I did while attending Lincoln High School. ACGC basketball fans likely made the trip to the school’s Roundhouse two years ago for a substate game. These workouts took place on the tennis courts nearby.

Unfortunately, for me, The Des Moines Register showed up to the workout to snap a few photos. Click HERE if you want to see them. You will not have to scroll far to see the less-than-stellar photo the reporter took of me. I am now well past the feelings of embarrassment I felt when I first saw these photos. Now they are just a funny memory — and hopefully an afternoon laugh for you.

Over the years, I attended several YMCA day camps and Iowa State and Drake basketball camps. These camps were the most fun I had in a given summer. I even made friends who I still speak with to this day. I rubbed shoulders and received advice from future NBA players like Georges Niang, Monte Morris, Naz Long and Drake legend Adam Emmenecker. Emmenecker never made it to the NBA, but his namesake is honored by a food challenge at the Des Moines Jethro’s, once featured by “Man vs. Food.” I have a signed shirt by him hidden somewhere in my parents’ house. I still have not tried the sandwich, though.

I’m sure the Panorama and ACGC athletes have had a great time at these camps as they enjoy their time away from school. But, if someone shows up with a camera, try not to make the face I made.

College world series

If you are a fan of baseball or softball and have not yet tuned into the College World Series, you should start. Admittedly, I am not a huge baseball follower, but the wildly entertaining tournament is a breeding ground for the next major baseball stars — and some great times.

The tournament takes place just a short drive away in Omaha, Nebraska. The city has hosted the tourney since 1950. I’ve been to Omaha for three of the last four MCWS. A friend of mine has a birthday that coincides with the championship weekend. At the same time as the baseball tournament, a massive beer garden takes shape just a block away from the stadium. Massive screens show the games on TV, tequila or rum buckets are served for $20, food trucks line the back, and once the games end, musical performances take over the stage.

I only attended a game for the first time last weekend. It felt weird being in Omaha at this time and not purchasing several rum buckets but instead being inside the stadium and actually watching baseball. The game was good. A few beverages and good friends made it even better. We sat in right field, trading “LEFT FIELD SUCKS” chants with the left field fans who returned with “RIGHT FIELD SUCKS” chants.

If you get the chance to attend one of these games, I highly recommend it. If you are 21 or older, make it a point to grab a Jello shot at Rocco’s nearby, too. The local sports bar hosts a Jello shot challenge every year between the competing teams. The proceeds from every shot sold goes to the Food Banks for all eight teams and Omaha metro food banks. In 2024, they raised $145,477. LSU normally dominates this challenge when they are in town. The running counter says Tiger fans have bought more than 25,000 shots. Arkansas is second with 8,713. These totals are slightly inflated, as shots can also be purchased online. Follow along for shot madness at www.x.com/CWSShotBoard. Game one of the finals is between No. 13 Coastal Carolina and No. 6 LSU and is on Saturday, June 21, if you’re interested in that, too.

Reach out with your thoughts, comments and ideas to cyote@dmcityview.com.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

Conference realignment has become a major topic of conversation over the last few years, both in college and high school athletics. Since 2023, some of the most high-profile Division One conferences saw a major upheaval including the Big 12, the Big 10, the Pac-12 and the SEC.

For many reasons, I loathed these changes. College athletics is largely about pageantry, rivalries and traditions. Sports are an incredible way to tell stories, and college athletics creates them better than most. I will spare you the long rant I could go on about why it’s best to keep these conferences regionally based, but, for this column, I’ll stick to the reason of money of. 

The driving factor for a lot of these shakeups was due to media rights and the major dollars that follow them. This is why you have teams from California now regularly playing against teams in New York. Those media rights deals are, by far, the biggest money-maker in college athletics, and are the main factors in these changes, specifically with football. TV rights deals were up for renewal, and the Big 10 and SEC drew the most eyes and the best deals. So, we now get to see UCLA play Rutgers. Hooray. 

Online sportsbook and casino platform BetMGM created a table showing every change from one major conference to another since 1991. From 1991 to 2014, 34 changes were made. Eight of these were the formation of the Big East by previously independent schools, so the real number is more like 26. Including changes to come in 2026, since 2023, there will have been 23 changes. 

High School athletic conferences have seen their own fair share of changes in recent memory as well. You may have read in the most recent Guthrie County Times Vedette (June 10) stating how Des Moines Christian is leaving the West Central Activities Conference to join the Little Hawkeye Conference. The conference also previously invited another WCAC power, Van Meter, but the Bulldogs declined. 

When it comes to conference realignment of Iowa high schools, the driving force is not media rights deals (and unless Iowa PBS and Mediacom want to get into a bidding war, I don’t see that sentiment changing soon). For schools, the main factors are the school sizes and travel distances. The conferences are likely most interested in maintaining competitive balance. 

It’s no secret that Des Moines Christian has dominated inside the WCAC across several sports. I see this as a win-win. Their move will create opportunities for some of the smaller schools in the conference, and Des Moines Christian will soon compete in a conference with more schools closer to them in not only size but also travel distance. From the conversations I’ve had with ACGC and Panorama coaches, they enjoy the extra competition that comes with playing larger schools. I would not be surprised to see the Lions still popping up on the Panthers’ and Chargers’ non-conference schedules in the future.

That change might not be the last we see from the WCAC. Radio station KMA Land reported that ACGC, Panorama, Earlham and West Central Valley all received invites to join the Western Iowa Conference. The radio station stated that 10 schools in total received invites to the conference. The conference currently includes AHSTW, Audubon, IKM-Manning, Logan-Magnolia, Missouri Valley, Riverside, Treynor, Tri-Center and Underwood. What these schools will decide to do is not yet clear. I have personally reached out to the activities directors of Panorama and ACGC for comment on these reported invites and will report back what I am told.

Reach out with your thoughts, comments and ideas to cyote@dmcityview.com.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

Welcoming all club sport submissions

When it comes to our sports coverage at the Guthrie County Times Vedette, we have been committed to covering all school-sanctioned sports. For example, baseball and softball seasons are currently in full swing, and we gather those results to share with our readers.

As for club sports, that can be tricky. As I stated before when I learned about Panorama’s trap shooting team, following can be a challenge. For that club alone, when we were trying to confirm the dates of its state competition, we found two separate organizations/leagues that Panorama could have been competing in.

The best way for us to bring these results to you is through submissions, which we welcome. We have posted them in the past for the Guthrie County Barracuda Swimmers, and now with the trap shooting program. Feel free to send any results, news or photos to me directly at cyote@dmcityview.com, and I will share with our readers. 

Halliburton does it again

As I mentioned a few times, basketball is one of my favorite sports. I played in YMCA leagues at a young age, for my middle school and high school teams, and still play pickup at least once a week with friends. Derrick Rose becoming the youngest MVP is NBA history led me to becoming a Chicago Bulls fan, and I have been cursed to watch some less-than-stellar hoops ever since.

This is where being an Iowa State fan has served to my benefit. I understand the frustrations from some of you more seasoned Cyclone fans, and I’ve certainly had my share of trials and tribulations with the programs, too, but even the most cynical ISU fan must admit that the basketball and football programs have been flying high as of late. In steps Tyrese Halliburton.

Coming out of high school, Halliburton was a skinny, three star guard out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an awkward jump shot. His two years at ISU weren’t the craziest in terms of team success, but he did cement himself as a player with a future in the NBA. Now, he is helping produce one of the most unlikely championship runs the NBA has ever seen.

Halliburton and his Indiana Pacers tore through the Eastern Conference during the playoffs, pulling off improbable win after improbable win. They just picked up another in the first game of the NBA Finals thanks to Halliburton. Watch it HERE. How improbable was it? Entering tonight, teams were 0-182 when trailing by 9 or more points in the final three minutes of an NBA finals game since 1971. Make that 1-182.

It’s not the first time he has been clutch this post season, either. Halliburton has hit four game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of games. As a matter of fact, he has been doing it all season. On shots to take the lead or tie in the last two minutes of games this season, Halliburton is 13/15 or 86.67%. That’s an impressive stat-line for any game, but he is shooting the lights out during the most important moments. Watch every single one of those shots, HERE.

If those numbers don’t jump off the page for you, here’s something that might. Halliburton is the ONLY player with three go-ahead shots in the final five seconds in a single postseason. That’s more than Kobe Bryant had in his entire career. Since the play-by-play era began in 1996, there’s only one player with more than Haliburton: Lebron James. Game two is on Sunday.

Reach out with your thoughts, comments and ideas to cyote@dmcityview.com.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

State championships roundup

I know you have seen plenty of coverage of the golf and track and field state championships, so I won’t go on for too long, but a recap of both school’s performances is certainly fitting. Follow the links below to more comprehensive coverage of their performances. After the Panorama girls finished fifth at the state meet in 2024, it was the ACGC boys’ turn to represent Guthrie County high up on the leader board. Let’s hope we see both of these programs on the blue track in Des Moines in 2026.

ACGC boys track and field – Second place with 44 points

ACGC girls track and field – Tied for 25^th with 11 points

Panorama boys track and field – Syler Shaffer places 13^th in 400-meter hurdles

Panorama girls track and field – Tied for 31^st with 7 points

Panorama boys golf – Seventh place shooting +75

Baseball and softball begin

Panorama and ACGC baseball and softball seasons have begun. I spoke with each of these team’s head coaches for our soon-to-publish Summer Sports Guide.

ACGC has new head coaches for both teams this year. Nick McCool takes over the Chargers baseball team. He spent several years as an assistant and volunteer. From our conversation, he knows his players well and is excited to get the season going.

Tyler Merical is in charge of the softball team. ACGC softball production was dominated by a talented group of seniors. The team’s 13-13 season is one the coach hopes to build off of. The 2025 group is young, but Merical seems primed for the challenge.

“I’m just hoping we bring an exciting brand to softball that the community can get behind and enjoy. We want to be something that not only the school, but the community, can be proud of,” Merical told me.

As for Panorama, Brian Bahrenfuss returns to coach the baseball team, and Ismael Galvan remains in charge of the softball program. Panorama won 10 games last season, a big improvement over the three it won the year prior. He says the Panthers are focused on getting 1% better each day.

Galvan is tasked with replacing Jaidyn Sellers’ 10 home runs from a year ago and Lindy Nelson’s .312 average. The good news for Galvan is that the Panthers return a majority of their team from last season. That is especially good news for a team that relied heavily on production from sophomores, freshman and eighth-graders.

“I think the girls have bought in and have done such a great job so far this season in stacking great practices and working hard. It’s a testament to them and how hard they work every practice, and Coach Thompson and I could not be prouder,” Galvan shared with me.

Brothers meet in final

The state tennis meet provided a truly fantastic occurrence this season. According to Owen Siebring, a sports anchor in Cedar Rapids, a pair of brothers had never met in the title game since IHSAA began tracking state tennis champions in 1929. That is, until now. Prairie’s Anthony and Dylan Schulte met in the 2A state singles final. Older brother Anthony ended up winning, but younger brother Dlyan is only a freshman, giving him plenty of chances to return to the final. Everyone likes to tout bragging rights over their siblings, but I’m not sure it gets much better than beating them in a state championship.

Hoover qualifies for state tournament

I mentioned the trouble Hoover High School’s soccer program got into in a previous column. The team had to forfeit all of its wins due to playing an ineligible player. But this did not eliminate them from post season play. The Huskies defeated Glenwood, 6-0, to advance to the state tournament, with a 5-11-2 record. As the seven seed, they face second seed Liberty (11-5-2). This is a tough draw for Liberty as Hoover is still a solid program, and much better than a seven seed. The Huskies have lost three games since their forfeits: Roosevelt, Ames and Valley. All of them are 4A state qualifiers.

Reach out with your thoughts, comments and ideas to cyote@dmcityview.com.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

Panthers and Chargers compete at state track and field

The Iowa High School boys and girls state track meet started yesterday, Thursday, May 22, and will run (literally) today, May 23, and tomorrow, May 24. I have not yet had the pleasure of attending the state track tournament. That’s not the case for several Panorama and ACGC athletes this week. If you are unable to attend, a free live stream of the events is available HERE.

Panorama’s Kylie Rochholz ran in the 3,000-meter run yesterday and the distance medley team of Faith Recker, Gracie Recker, Maddy Lutz and Rochholz placed fifth in 4:13.21. Rochholz competes again in the 1,500-meter run tomorrow, May 24 at 2:15 p.m. On the boys side, Syler Shaffer will be leaping in the 400-meter hurdles at noon, today, May 23.

ACGC boys track has dominated this season and is well-represented at the state meet. The 4×100-meter shuttle hurdle team placed first in the qualifier, Mike Fuller placed fifth in the shot put, and Eli Madsen placed sixth in the 400-meter dash yesterday.

Plenty more will compete today, May 23:

• Brexton Schneider and Tate Fever in the 110-meter hurdles at 4:20 p.m.
• Mike Fuller in discus at 4:30 p.m.
• Tate Fever in the 400-meter hurdles at 6 p.m.
• 4×200-meter relay at 5:10 p.m.
• 4×100-meter relay at 6:40 p.m.
• 4×400-meter relay at 7:40 p.m.

And tomorrow, Saturday, May 24

• Sprint medley relay team at 9:50 a.m.

On the ACGC girls side, the distance medley team of Nora Langgaard, Meranda Gruber, Cadence Petersen and Ava Campbell at 2:40 p.m. and Cadence Petersen at 5:40 p.m. compete today. Ava Campbell then competes in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs on Saturday, May 24.

I wish the best of luck to all of these incredible ACGC and Panorama athletes in their remaining races and events. It has been a pleasure covering these programs throughout the season.

Record-breakers

Panorama and ACGC make frequent appearances at the state track and field meet. They also appear in the all-time record books. One thing Cody Matthewson told me when I interviewed him for our Spring Sports Guide was about program legend, Austin Kunkle. The IAHSAA shows the state and all-time records on the heat and lane assignments page. Kunkle’s name appears twice as the state record holder in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, both set in 2023. 

Panorama’s girls track and field legend Jaidyn Sellers holds several state records of her own and across different classes. She just had one of them broken yesterday. Her 2A 100-meter dash record set In 2023 was broken by Rachel Kacmarynski of Pella Christian. I was able to cover Sellers’ dominance in her senior season in 2024 when she broke the 1A 100-meter and 400-meter dash state records. All in all, Sellers won 10 state titles in her time at Panorama.

What are the odds that two of Iowa’s best all-time sprinters would be going to school at the same time, 10 minutes away from each other, in Guthrie County? I won’t (and can’t) do the math on that one. Let’s hope the rest of these records stand until another Panther or Charger comes along to break them.

Reach out with comments, complaints, ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.