The BCLUW softball team claimed its first Iowa Star Conference South Division title this summer, and the Comets were recognized accordingly in the all-conference selections.

BCLUW had four first-team honorees and seven total award-winners in a vote of the conference coaches after going 14-2 in Iowa Star South play.

Three of BCLUW’s four honorees returned to the all-conference squads, led by repeat first-team pick Klayre Gallentine. The senior pitcher and second baseman was a second-team selection as a sophomore as well. This summer she went 11-2 in the circle with a 2.57 earned run average, striking out 99 batters in 81 2/3 innings pitched. Offensively, Gallentine was eighth in the division with a .411 batting average that included four doubles, two triples, two home runs and 15 RBIs.

Senior center fielder Cassie Nason got the promotion to first team after back-to-back seasons of second-team selection. Nason hit .409 with seven doubles, eight RBIs and 10 runs scored while posting a .973 fielding percentage after committing just two errors in 74 total chances. In limited time at catcher, she also threw out two would-be base-stealers.

Senior shortstop Raegan Crawford was fourth-best in the league with a .439 batting average, finishing with three doubles, 13 RBIs and 15 runs scored. She also stole 16 bases and had a .898 fielding percentage. Crawford was a first-team honoree in 2023.

Comet freshman pitcher and outfielder Eden Ladehoff was third in the league with a .509 average, hitting six doubles, scoring 11 times and driving in 11 more. She also went 3-0 with three saves, posting a 1.57 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings to earn her first all-conference honor.

A year after not fielding a varsity team, GMG finished third in the conference standings and was awarded with two first-team selections. Freshman catcher Skyler Murty and freshman pitcher Riah Boege both gained their first all-conference accolades after helping the Wolverines go 8-8 in South Division action.

Skyler Murty was GMG’s top offensive player in conference play, batting .417 with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBIs and nine runs scored. She stole nine bases and threw out six attempted base-stealers against her.

Boege pitched all but 5 1/3 innings for GMG in conference play, going 8-8 with a 2.20 ERA and a whopping 170 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .143 against her. She also contributed a .260 batting average, one double, one home run and eight RBIs to the offense.

North Tama had two juniors return to the all-conference list with shortstop Gabriella Seda and pitcher Addison Hochstetler. Seda earned first-team honors for the third year in a row after hitting .407 with four doubles, two home runs, 15 RBIs and 11 runs scored. Hochstetler moved up from the second team after batting .407 with four doubles, two home runs, 15 RBIs and 11 runs scored. She also started all 15 divisional games in the circle, going 3-12 with a 6.43 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings pitched.

BCLUW’s Megan Yantis and GMG’s Autumn Sash shared the Iowa Star South’s Coach of the Year honor in a vote of their peers, while Collins-Maxwell sophomore Jayden Peters was picked as the Player of the Year. Peters went 11-4 in the circle with a 2.16 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings for the runner-up Spartans. Offensively she led the league in most categories, hitting .592 with six doubles, five home runs and 35 RBIs.

BCLUW had a pair of second-team selections in senior first baseman Morgan Bergman and junior left fielder Grace Farnsworth. North Tama had a trio of second-team picks in senior outfielder Faith Dvorak and sophomore infielders Violet Seda and Harper Rausch.

Each team had one honorable mention selection. North Tama honored senior left fielder Gabby Velasco, BCLUW picked senior second baseman Allison Ward, while GMG selected eighth-grade center fielder Taelyn Sash.

All-Iowa Star Conference South Division Softball Teams

Player of the Year — Jayden Peters, so., Collins-Maxwell

Co-Coaches of the Year — Autumn Sash, GMG, and Megan Yantis, BCLUW

FIRST TEAM

Jayden Peters, so., P, Collins-Maxwell

Skyler Murty, fr., C, GMG

Raegan Crawford, sr., INF, BCLUW

Haylee Merryman, jr., INF, Collins-Maxwell

Gabriella Seda, jr., INF, North Tama

Jadyn Niemeyer, sr., INF, Colo-NESCO

Eden Ladehoff, fr., OF, BCLUW

Cassie Nason, sr., OF, BCLUW

Cypress Erickson, jr., OF, Collins-Maxwell

Klayre Gallentine, sr., UT, BCLUW

Riah Boege, fr., UT, GMG

Addison Hochstetler, jr., UT, North Tama

SECOND TEAM

Annabelle Heller, sr., P, Colo-NESCO

Emileigh Beals, 8th, C, Baxter

Cerra Muntz, sr., C, Colo-NESCO

Morgan Bergman, sr., INF, BCLUW

Callahan Coffeltt, 8th, INF, Collins-Maxwell

Violet Seda, so., INF, North Tama

Harper Rausch, so., INF, North Tama

Grace Farnsworth, jr., OF, BCLUW

Faith Dvorak, sr., OF, North Tama

Molly Angell, sr., OF, Colo-NESCO

HONORABLE MENTION

Camden Moffitt, so., OF, Baxter

Allison Ward, sr., INF, BCLUW

Adalie Kane, fr., INF, Collins-Maxwell

Landrey Harris, 8th, C, Colo-NESCO

Taelyn Sash, 8th, OF, GMG

Gabby Velasco, sr., OF, North Tama

Final Conference Standings

BCLUW 14-2

Collins-Maxwell 12-4

GMG 8-8

North Tama 3-12

Baxter 2-13

Colo-NESCO 1-15