FEMALE
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
NOMINEES
EMILY SCHIPPER - FULTON HIGH
MALE
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
NOMINEES
NATE TRENKAMP - EASTON VALLEY HIGH
Fulton head softball coach
Jessie Rosenow shares one
story that shows the kind
of athlete Emily Schipper
is. After competing at the
2019 state track meet,
Schipper booked it back
to Fulton in time for a
regional softball game,
just two of her four sports
she plays. That dedication
in all four sports helps
her excel.
“[Schipper] is one of a
kind,” Rosenow said. “Great
kid to coach because
she’s always willing to do
anything and that’s what
sets her apart. She’s a raw,
talented athlete but the
time she put in to become
the athlete she is crazy.”
Schipper led the Steamers
to a regional title on
the volleyball court this
year from her dominant
position at outside hitter.
She earned unanimous first
team all-conference. She
led the 30-9 Steamers with
a team-high 397 kills this
year. She also led in service
aces with 52, and added
32 blocks and 231 digs
this year. The unanimous
all-conference first team
selection led Fulton’s
basketball team in scoring
and rebounds, scoring
12 points per game and
nabbing seven rebounds.
She also had 1.5 blocks and
two assists a game. She
finished with 961 career
points for the Steamers.
“Emily is the player that
could stretch the defense
out, hitting multiple long
range three pointers while
being able to dominate the
interior,” head coach Mike
TARAH WEHDE - CAMANCHE HIGH
Menchaca said. “She never
tired, played relentless
and was a huge catalyst
in helping us reach the regional
championship game
for the second straight
season.”
Last spring, Schipper
earned herself all-state
honors in softball with
a powerful Fulton team,
playing first base and
batting over .400. She also
qualified for the Illinois
High School State Track
and Field Championships,
finishing ninth as a junior.
Easton Valley senior Nate
Trenkamp juggled five
sports, finding success
in every one he played.
Trenkamp surpassed big
milestones this year on
the River Hawks’ way to
the 8-man football state
quarterfinals. He had 208
completions, the second
most in the state, for 2914
total passing yards and 41
touchdowns. He was a 2nd
Team All-State selection.
“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.”
As a senior, he sacrificed
scoring on the basketball
court to take on a larger
role at point guard. In that
new position, he averaged
over five assists per game,
while keeping his turnovers
to just 19 throughout
the entire season. He still
managed nearly 10 points
a game, shooting nearly 40
percent from three-point
range, adding two steals
a contest.
“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
CONNOR BARNETT - FULTON HIGH
Hawks. Trenkamp anchored
the Shuttle Hurdle Relay
that clocked in with a time
of 1:08.83 in Des Moines.
Trenkamp also does golf in
the spring. Baseball is another
sport where he takes
on plenty of responsibility.
The River Hawks hovered
around .500 in 2019, and
Trenkamp batted .243 for
them, scoring the second
most that season (23).
He also was a go-to force
on the mound. He ended
with an ERA of 2.30 with
64 innings under his belt.
Camanche’s Tarah Wehde
is good at what she does,
making impacts in every
sport she participates
in. Wehde has been
monumental in the softball
team’s success over the last
couple of years, leaving her
mark on the program and
the record books. Wehde
was once again one of the
top in the entire state
in home runs, hitting 18
this last season with an
impressive .457 batting
average. She was second for
the Indians in RBI with 36,
striking out just nine times
total. If her plate performance
wasn’t impressive
enough, Wehde recorded a
1.54 ERA with 137 innings
pitched, striking out an
impressive 136 batters and
walking just 34. She earned
first team All-Conference
honors this year on the
volleyball court, leading the
Indians with 215 kills. She
also did her job in the back
row, digging up 150 balls
which was second only to
the team libero. Her 48
aces were in the top of the
River Valley Conference.
“Tarah was our 2019 captain,”
head coach Heather
Clark said. “You could often
find her being the leader on
the court. We could count
on her to go back to the
service line and spot serve
and score multiple points
for us. She was also one of
our top back row players
and will be missed during
the 2020 season.”
Even though she skipped
some high school basketball
seasons to focus on
her other sports, she came
CLAIRE ABBOTT - NORTHEAST HIGH
back to plenty of success.
Her 7.1 points per game
was the best on the team,
earned by shooting 35
percent from three point
range. She also averaged
seven rebounds, 1.5 steals
and assists for first team
All-Conference honors.
“Tarah played a pivotal
role in our success this
year,” head coach Andrew
Carbajal said. “Basketball is
not Tarah’s first sport and
she wasn’t going to go out
at first, but she did and she
led us this year.”
Fulton’s Connor Barnett has
been taking on big roles since
he was an underclassman.
He’s quickly becoming a
multi-sport standout for the
Steamers as he progresses
through his prep career. Barnett
took to his starting roles
this school year. His most
prolific sport is basketball,
where he led the Steamers
to their first regional title in
nearly two decades. It earned
him 1st Team All-Conference
and All-State mentions.
“Connor added so many
more tools to his game
this year,” head coach RJ
Coffey said. “He became
an all-around scorer for us
and really got better on the
defensive end. Not only
did his game get better but
Connor has grown so much
as a leader, making his team
and program better.”
As a junior, Barnett scored
15 points a game and pulled
down 4.4 rebounds. He
also doled out 2.6 assists a
contest from his position
at the top of the key and
averaged a steal per game.
In his first season as the
starting quarterback for the
Steamers, Barnett finished
over 50 percent of his passes
for 1,077 yards, lighting up
near the end of the season
during the playoff push.
“Connor really came on
down the stretch for us with
three plus 100 yard passing
games, including 241 yards
in our playoff game,” head
coach Patrick Lower said of
the junior. “Connor is a great
kid and works very hard to be
the player he is.”
Finally, Barnett is a part of
the Fulton baseball team.
With a new head coach
and a roster overhaul, the
Steamers are in the middle of
a program rebuild. The roster
is full of underclassmen, and
Barnett definitely adds his
talents. He brings speed to
the bases and a consistent
bat. Most importantly, he
often serves the Steamers
from the mound in a place
where they are still looking
for consistency.
TUCKER KINNEY - CENTRAL DEWITT HIGH
Northeast senior Claire
Abbott brings a sense of
energy to her sports - all
four of them. That makes
her a big presence in
Rebel basketball, volleyball,
softball and track and field.
Abbott found her game this
year in basketball, really
shining near the end of her
senior season. She averaged
just over 13 points a game,
while leading with nearly
eight rebounds. She also
led with 25 blocks and 53
steals on the defensive
end. From her place in the
paint, she dished out 32
assists this year, averaging
1.5 a game. She played
with some fire to end
the season. In her last six
games, Abbott averaged
over 20 points a game
with three double-doubles.
Abbott earned herself first
team All-Conference, along
with receiving All-Region 5
honors this postseason.
“She led by example
to push herself and
teammates every day in
practice or a game,” Driscoll
said. “Claire is an amazing
role model for not only
the girls on our team but
also students in the entire
school.”
Her position as a middle
hitter in volleyball allowed
her to lead the Rebels in
blocks this year, finishing
with 37 total. She was also
third in kills with 74 and
added 19 aces to the mix.
One of her most impressive
sports was unfortunately
nixed from her senior year.
Abbott aided the Rebels
in an impressive girls track
and field team, adding her
strength to the throwing
side of things. She qualified
for her second trip to Drake
Stadium last year in the
shot put, launching a throw
that was the 16th best in
all of Class 2A. Finally, her
athleticism is rounded out
with softball. The Rebels are
in the preseason rankings
and poised for a breakout
season. As a junior, Abbott
batted .340 with 24 RBI on
the season. She also held
the infield steady at first
base, keeping her fielding
percentage high.
A senior a Central DeWitt
High School, Kinney
impressed in multiple sports
for the Sabers throughout
his high school career. Senior
year was no exception.
The Saber basketball team
shined this year, making
their way to the Class 3A
sub-state game before
falling just short of a state
berth. Kinney averaged
16 points per contest,
often breaking away for
more, while pulling down
nine rebounds a game. He
earned unanimous 1st Team
All-Conference honors while
also garnering a 3rd Team
All-State slot.
“Tucker has been a special
player for us this season,”
Central DeWitt head coach
Grady Gallagher said. “His
hard work in multiple sports
has paid off and he’s still
getting better He is looked
at by many in the school
and community as a role
model and has exceeded
many of his own high
expectations and goals.
“He just took the lead from
last year to this year being
SEE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR WINNERS ON PAGES 28 & 29
a senior,” Gallagher said.
“If we are in a rut, he’s the
guy we’re going to look for.
He did an excellent job of
being an offensive force, and
it’s nothing tonight that we
haven’t seen before.”
The Saber football team
benefited from his size and
speed on the defensive
end. Kinney ended with
36.5 tackles this season,
including 8.5 for a loss,
earning him a spot in the
school record books for his
career defense. He also was
named 1st Team All-District.
He’s continuing his football
career at the collegiate level
at Wartburg College. Kinney
has one more go around in
the purple and gold with the
impending baseball season,
where the Sabers are sure
to build off the 2019 state
runner-up season which
Kinney played a part of.
Kinney finished .355 from
the plate, hitting three
homers and 19 RBI in the
process. To cap everything
off, he held one of the best
averages on the varsity golf
team in the spring.
CHAPY Awards
| 2019-2020 3