Wieland named SEISC coach of the year, Hazelett earns POTY honors

Highland’s baseball and softball programs highlighted this week’s season award releases for the Southeast Iowa Superconference and River Valley Conference, as Highland Softball coach Carrie Wieland was named SEISC North Coach of the Year following her team’s conference title campaign, while Husky baseball senior Bryce Hazelett was named the North division’s Player of the Year.

Hazelett was the lone senior for the Huskies, who finished third in the SEISC North this summer, half a game behind Hillcrest after splitting the season series with the Ravens.

Highland baseball coach Allen Rath discussed Hazelett’s growth over the course of the year.

“This is my third year, and Bryce has been like my adopted child,” Rath said. “I couldn’t ask for more. He’s been a great leader, especially this year. He came into his own, and I think he knew that he was who everybody was looking up to. I will say he took it to heart. He pushed himself, he got better, and look at the season he had. He’s going to be a rock star at whatever he does, but he will be truly missed.”

For the Husky softball team, every member of Highland’s everyday starting lineup plus the team’s top reliever received all-conference honors after the team fought its way to a conference title, a run highlighted with an 8-7 comeback win over defending champion Louisa-Muscatine.

“This was the best team I’ve ever coached,” Wieland said. “I just love everything about being here and being with them... They love each other. They’re very kind to each other. We did a lot of fun things, and we were very successful.”

The Huskies had the most all-conference players of any area team with seven baseball players and 11 softball players receiving all-conference honors in addition to Wieland and Hazelett.

Hillcrest came in with eight all conference nods in baseball and four in softball. Lone Tree finished with three members of the all-conference baseball teams and six members of the all-conference softball teams.

In the River Valley Conference’s South Division, Mid-Prairie received two all-conference selections in baseball and three in softball.

All conference selections for area teams are as follows:

Highland Baseball:

First team:

Bryce Hazelett - POTY

Garrett Beeson

Landon Roling

Caleb Wheeler

Second Team:
Owen Eden

Kyler Fink

Brock Nebergall

Honorable Mention:

Hunter Seibel

Highland Softball:

First Team:

Jillian Stransky

Adley Sweeting

Kinzie Reuss

Sienna Bell

Kamryn Fink

Second Team:

Maiya Singbeil

Kayce Schnoebelen

Katelyn Thomann

Ella Schlabaugh

HM:

Adisyn Prottsman

Joslyn Prottsman

Hillcrest Academy Baseball:

First Team:

Lawson Schrock

Rowan Miller

Lincoln Miller

Calvin Meller

Second Team:

Rylan Good

Kellen Miller

HM:
Danny Meyer

Beckett Miller

Hillcrest Academy Softball:

First Team:

Isabelle Vigneron

Second Team:

Lyla Genkinger

HM:

Ella Mize

Brynna Boshart

Lone Tree Baseball:

Second Team:

Kort Kemp

Will Schweitzer

HM:

Travis Ford

Lone Tree Softball:

1st team:

Adi Parizek

Abby Zaruba

Second Team:
Olivia Magruder

Maggie Burke

HM:

Ella Magruder

Addison McCullough

Mid-Prairie Baseball:

First Team:

Brooks Weber

HM:

Kale Miller

Mid-Prairie Softball:

First Team:

Sophie Miller

Second Team:

Sophia Puttmann

HM:

Kadence Grout