07/19/2026
KCII’s final Athlete of the Week voting is highlighting area athletes overall seasons and Natalie Wagler is nominated one final time. Natalie made major improvements to her overall game and it showed as the coaches voted her 2nd Team Utility in a very competitive North Division.
Congrats to Natalie on being mentioned with these area softball stars. To vote, comment “WACO” on the original KCII post.
GO WARRIORS!
*VOTING IS CLOSED*
Listeners, area schools are bringing home postseason hardware from the diamond and it's time to highlight the local boys and girls of summer filling the trophy case with the KCII Area Athlete of the Week poll. We have representatives for each school listed (last week's winning school will be back on the poll next week). Cast your vote by commenting the school on this poll post. One vote/comment per person only. We'll feature the winning school's athletes on the KCII PM Sports Page 7/22 and 7/23. Voting ends at 10A Monday 7/20.
Washington- Softball Natalie Hartman, Baseball Kyler Williams- Hartman was a first-team All-Southeast Conference selection for the Demon softballers. She hit .355 this year with a .440OBP, .430 slug and .870OPS, scoring 11 runs with 33 hits, 28RBI and 14 walks. As a pitcher, Hartman finished 6-5 with a 5.71ERA and 1.99WHIP, .307 opponent average, 81 hits, 50 earned runs and 25 strikeouts. Hartman was top ten in the SEC in OBP, total hits, RBI, and walks offensively, in the circle top ten in conference for ERA, WHIP, opponent average, hits allowed, strikeouts, and earned runs allowed. Williams was chosen honorable mention SEC for Washington baseball. Williams hit .269 for the year with a .459OBP, .288 slug and .748OPS with 10 runs, 14 hits, 11 RBI and seven walks. On the mound he worked just shy of seven innings with a .214 opponent average, allowing 11 earned runs, and striking out six.
Mid-Prairie- Softball Jersey Jergens, Baseball Brooks Weber- Jergens was a bright spot in the Golden Hawks first round Regional loss at Fairfield, going two for three with a double and a single. This season, Jergens hit .313 with a .368OBP, .433 slug, .801OPS, eight runs, 21 hits, six RBI and seven walks. Weber was a first-team All-River Valley Conference South Division choice. He hit .397 with a .527OBP, .603 slug and 1.130OPS with 19 runs, 29 hits, 22RBI and 15 runs scored, all team leading numbers offensively. On the mound, Weber was 4-0 with a .222 opponent average, allowing 35 hits, 15 earned runs with 53 strikeouts for a 2.56ERA and 1.32WHIP. He led the Hawks in ERA, average against, hits allowed, strikeouts. and earned runs allowed for those that thew at least 10 innings this season. Weber finished top ten in the RVC in batting average, OBP, slug, OPS, leading the state in 2A with just one strikeout at the plate. He was top ten in conference in strikeouts as a pitcher.
Hillcrest Academy- Softball Ella Mize, Baseball Lincoln Miller- Mize was an honorable mention Southeast Iowa Superconference North selection. Mize hit .299 this year with a .400OBP, .358 slug and .758OBP with 11 runs, 20 hits, 15 RBI and eight walks. Her pitching numbers included a win in 53 innings, .301 opponent average, 86 hits, 42 earned runs 31 strikeouts with a 5.94ERA and 2.04WHIP. Mize was top 10 in the Superconference in ERA, WHIP, opponent average, hits allowed, earned runs allowed, and strikeouts. Miller was a first-team All-Superconference North outfielder. At the plate Miller hit .284 with a .415OBP, .343 slug and .758OPS with 23 runs, 19 hits, 15 driven in and 12 walks. As a pitcher he accumulated a win in 13 innings with a .283 opponent average, 14 hits, 13 earned runs, 21 walks and 17 strikeouts with a 6.83ERA and 2.70WHIP. Miller was top 10 in the Superconference in runs scored at the plate and on the mound in total hits allowed.
Lone Tree- Softball Abby Zaruba, Baseball Kort Kemp- Zaruba was a first-team Southeast Iowa Superconference pick as a utility player. She was scorching at the plate with a .500 average, .542OBP, .739 slug and 1.280OPS on 28 runs, 44 hits, 23 RBI and seven walks. In the circle across 128 innings, Zaruba finished with 12 wins, a .214 opponent average, 60 earned runs and 142 strikeouts for a 3.26ERA and 1.45WHIP. Zaruba is top 10 in the Superconference in batting average, OBP, slug, OPS, runs scored, total hits, and RBI. In the circle she was top 10 in conference in ERA, WHIP, opponent average, earned runs allowed, and strikeouts. Kemp was a Second-team Superconference North selection on the infield. Kemp finished top 10 in the Superconference on the mound in strikeouts.
Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union- Softball Audrey Hoback, Baseball Tyson Kaalberg- Hoback was selected to the second team in the Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division. Hoback hit .341 with a .460OBP, .463 slug and .923OPS on 10 runs, 14 hits, six RBI and nine walks. Kaalberg is a first-team All-Superconference outfielder. Kaalberg hit .324 on the season with a .351OBP, .351 slug and .702OPS on 18 runs, 24 hits, nine RBI and three walks. With his legs he was 17 of 29 in stolen bases and with his arm he threw five innings with a .172 opponent average, five hits, a pair of strikeouts, 6.56ERA and 2.06WHIP. Kaalberg was top 10 in the Superconference in total hits and stolen bases.
WACO- Softball Natalie Wagler- Wagler was a second team All-Superconference North second team member. She posted a .333 average, .358OBP, .412 slug, .770OPS, 13 runs, 17 hits, three RBI and two walks with 13 stolen bases. Wagler placed top 10 in the SEISC North in stolen bases.
Keota- Softball Jessalyn Aller, Baseball Jackson Vittetoe- Aller earned a first-team all-SICL spot this year. She hit .328 with a .388OBP, .534 slug and .922OPS on 23 runs, 24 hits, 25RBI and four walks. In the circle she totalled 17 wins with 122 innings, .179 opponent average 101 hits, 51 earned runs and 109 strikeouts for a 2.91ERA and 0.97WHIP. Aller was top 10 in the SICL in RBI at the plate and in the circle with ERA, strikeouts, batting average against, earned runs allowed, fewest walks, and leading the league in WHIP. Vittetoe was honorable mention in the South Iowa Cedar League. He hit .333 with a .436OBP, .378 slug and .814OPS on 15 runs, 15 hits, 14RBI and eight walks. Vittetoe threw 11 innings on the mound with a .242 opponent average, 15 hits, 17 earned runs and six strikeouts. He was top 10 on the mound in the SICL in hits allowed,
Sigourney- Softball Ella Bruns, Baseball Chase Clarahan- Bruns was selected to the first-team in the South Iowa Cedar League. She raked at the plate with a .500 average, .566OBP, .606 slug and 1.172OPS, scoring 18 runs with 33 hits, 16RBI and 10 walks. Bruns finished top 10 in the South Iowa Cedar League in batting average, OBP, slug, OPS, and total hits, Clarahan was first-team all-SICL. At the plate he posted a .440 average with .558OBP, .693slug and 1.251OPS on 21 runs, 33 hits, 27RBI and 19 walks. On the mound it was a season with eight wins, 56 innings, .127 opponent average, eight earned runs and 85 strikeouts with a 0.99ERA and 0.67WHIP. Clarahan was top ten in conference in batting average, OBP, slug, OPS, total hits, RBI, and walks offensively and ERA, opponent average, total earned runs, strikeouts, ERA, and conference leader in WHIP.
