Vote: Des Moines Register Iowa Ortho Athletes of the Week for May 20-26
This past week saw state tournament competition take place for high school girls and boys golf and tennis.
Inclement weather limited the boys state golf tournaments to a single day of competition, and it also had an impact on state tennis. But that did not stop the athletes competing in those events from putting together some impressive performances.
Both the girls and boys state soccer tournament fields were set last week. Last week also marked the opening week for Iowa high school softball.
Here are the Des Moines Register's Iowa Ortho female and male Athlete of the Week candidates for the week of May 20-26. Register readers vote to determine the winners, who will be announced at the end of the week.
Girls
Katelynn Kock, Cedar Rapids Washington
Kock cruised to the 2A state singles tournament championship in girls tennis last week in Johnston.
Kock swept Waterloo West's Janet Toe and Iowa City West's Maggie Shinn in straight sets, winning both matches with a pair of 6-0 shutouts during the first round and quarterfinals, respectively. In the 2A semifinals match Kock swept Pleasant Valley's Lauren Masengarb by 6-0 and 6-2, and she dominated again in the finals, scoring 6-1 and 6-0 victories over Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Lily Holland.
Gabriella Fleming, Cedar Rapids Xavier
Fleming was untouchable during the 1A girls state singles tennis tournament at Iowa City.
Fleming did not lose a single game during the tournament. She earned a pair of 6-0 victories over Spencer's Lauren Ellis in the first round, Red Oak's Merced Ramirez in the quarterfinals, Mount Pleasant's Jana Isanta Vila in the semifinals and Columbus Catholic's Kate Holton in the 1A championship match.
Morgan Rupp, Linn-Mar
Rupp carded the lowest score among state tournament competitors in all four classes of girls golf.
Rupp won medalist at the 4A girls state golf tournament held at the Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny last Thursday and Friday. She shot a 5-under-par score of 137 over 36 holes to beat Iowa City Isabella Pettersen by three strokes for the 4A state title.
Chloe Bolte, Sumner-Fredericksburg
Bolte won medalist honors during the 2A girls state golf meet at the Center Pointe Golf Course in Boone last Thursday and Friday.
Bolte had the most dominant performance during the four girls golf state tournaments. She was the 2A medalist by 19 strokes after shooting a 5-under round of 138 over 36 holes, earning her third individual state championship.
Eden Lohrbach, Gilbert
Lohrbach also picked up her third individual state title in 3A as she led Gilbert to one of the most impressive team performances in state history.
Lohrbach shot a 5-under-par score of 139 over 36 holes to win medalist by eight strokes at the Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Rapids. Her effort helped Gilbert shoot a 3A-record 608 as a team, including an all-time state-record low for a single 18-hole day at 299.
Boys
Easton Korell, Adel-Desoto-Minburn
Korell was the individual medalist at the 3A boys state golf meet held May 20 at the Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames.
Korell shot a 6-under-par 66 over 18 holes for the day to win medalist by two strokes over Solon's Isaiah Zoske. The second day of the tournament was canceled due to heavy thunderstorms in the morning.
Korell's efforts helped ADM capture the 3A team title with a team score of 304.
Luke Harwick, Beckman Catholic
Harwick earned state medalist honors in 2A.
Harwick carded a 3-under 68 over 18 holes on May 20 at the Coldwater Golf Links in Ames to earn medalist by one stroke of OABCIG's Axton Miller. Harwick helped Beckman Catholic shoot a 306 as a team to win the 2A team title by one stroke over Pella Christian.
Keith Thompson, Hamburg
Thompson was crowned the individual champion at the 1A boys state golf meet held at the Ames Golf and Country Club in Ames on May 20.
Thompson shot a 2-under score of 69. He beat CAM's Chase Jahde by one stroke for medalist honors.
Kaden Taylor, Waukee Northwest
Taylor successfully defended his 2A state singles championship in boys tennis.
Taylor went 4-0 during the 2A boys tennis state singles tournament May 21-22 in Iowa City. He defeated Dubuque Hempstead's Max Hoden (6-0, 6-0), Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Parker Holland (6-1, 6-2), Fort Dodge's Micah Flaherty (6-1, 6-3) and Waukee's Quinn Monson (6-1, 6-3).
Jack Briggs, Pella
Briggs coasted to the 1A singles championship in boys tennis May 21-22 at Byrnes Park in Waterloo.
Briggs took down Columbus Catholic's Parker Stroh, Fairfield's Ruimin Luo, North Polk's Landon Murch and Decorah's Caden Branum to claim the championship. Briggs earned two 6-3 victories over Stroh, 6-2 and 6-1 wins over Luo and a pair of 6-0 shutouts over Murch before defeating Branum in three sets.
Briggs won the first set over Branum by a 6-4 score, and then he rebounded from a 6-1 loss in the second set to take the tiebreaker by a 6-2 margin.
The Des Moines Register's Athlete of the Week is underwritten by Iowa Ortho, which is not involved in the writing or editing of this story.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Vote: Des Moines Register Athletes of the Week for May 20-26
