MALE
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
NATE TRENKAMP
Five sports is a lot for anyone to juggle. Add in the
fact that Easton Valley senior is a standout senior
and youth group leader and his schedule appears
downright crazy. But his success in every sports he
does sets him apart from many and won him the
winning spot as our Male Athlete of the Year for the
first Clinton Herald Athletic Performers of the Year
(CHAPY) Awards.
Trenkamp participates in football, basketball, golf,
track and baseball for the River Hawks. On the 8-man
football field, Trenkamp threw his way into the state
history books throughout his career, surrounded by a
stellar offense that kept his numbers rising. Trenkamp
surpassed big milestones this year on the River
Hawks’ way to the state quarterfinals. He had 208
completions, the second most in the state, for 2914
total passing yards and 41 touchdowns. He also had
462 yards on the ground. He was a 2nd Team All-State
selection and was chosen as a Clinton Herald Player of
the Year finalist.
“Nate has been one of the most efficient QB in
8-man football state history,” head coach Tony Johnson
said. “He’s 2nd all-time in yards and 3rd all-time
in passing touchdowns.”
In basketball, Trenkamp shines with a roster full of
talented guards. As a senior, he sacrificed scoring to
take on a larger role at point guard and flourished in
that position. In that new position, he averaged over
five assists per game, while keeping his turnovers to
just 19 throughout the entire season. He had two
steals per game defensively as well. He still managed
nearly 10 points a game as well, shooting nearly 40
percent from three-point range and 76 percent from
the free throw line.
“Nate made a sacrifice for the team by moving to the
point this season and giving up more scoring opportunities,”
head coach Dan Beck said. “His leadership and
willingness to sacrifice scoring for being our ‘quarterback’
on the floor were invaluable to the team.”
Although spring sports were cut this year, Trenkamp
does plenty as the Iowa weather warms up. In 2019,
he was a state track qualifier for the River Hawks.
Trenkamp was an alternate for a qualifying Distance
Medley Relay, and he anchored the Shuttle Hurdle
Relay that clocked in with a time of 1:08.83 in Des
Moines. On the golf course, he helped the team in
orange and gray despite running track at the same
time. The River Hawks won the Tri-Rivers Conference
last year. Baseball is another sport where he takes
on plenty of responsibility. The River Hawks hovered
around .500 in 2019, and Trenkamp aided them in
multiple ways. At the plate, he batted .243 and scored
the second most for the River Hawks, crossing home
plate 23 times. He also was a go-to force on the
mound. He ended with an ERA of 2.30 with 64 innings
under his belt. Those 64 innings included 7 strikeouts.
CHAPY Awards
| 2019-2020 29