The fall's Blair and Fort Calhoun softball teams recently finalized and publicly announced their new school records set during the 2024 season.
Both teams competed during NSAA state tournament play last month, capping prolific winning seasons on the Class B and C1 championship stages.
The Bears — who also announced their team award winners at a recent banquet — earned 31 victories this season, which is the second-highest win total in school history behind the 2023 team's 33. They also produced their schools second-best season totals in runs scored (273), hits (350) and RBIs (237).
Senior pitcher Brooke Janning, however, was second to no one in strikeouts for the season. She had 326, while earning 24 pitching wins and tallying a 1.475 ERA.
Notably, BHS' Mia McClain closed the year fourth in hits for a season with 53, while Jacy Schueth was sixth in home runs with eight this fall. Laynie Brown and London Larsen also earned top-10 status in other statistical categories.
The FCHS Pioneers, meanwhile, set 10 team records during their first-ever season to end at the state tournament. They set records for wins (27), team batting average (.391), runs (307), hits (328), RBIs (251), doubles (67), homers (37), putouts (507) and strikeouts earned from the pitching circle (207).
Individually, Calhoun senior Kaylee Taylor set five season school records and two career records this fall. She hit at a .574 average, scored 56 runs, had 62 hits, notched 13 doubles and recorded 33 stolen bases. In her career, she scored 138 runs and had 76 stolen bases.
Sophomore Tacey Belina, however, now owns FCHS school records in home runs and RBIs. She is the school record holder for career homers (16) and single-season homers (15) as well as the single-season RBI leader (56).
Calhoun coach Mandy Taylor confirmed that her team had more than 40 top-10 season and career performances during the course of the Pioneers' winningest campaign to date, too.
Bears announce award winners
BHS shared its annual team awards during its recent softball banquet as well.
Janning and Claire Anderson claimed Conquer Together Award status, while Janning and Brown secured the title of “Most Grit.” Taytum Macholan and Taya Templar best exemplified “Team Spirit,” while Abby Leggott and Schueth were the “Wednesday Warriors.”
Brown and Lauren Bray earned the Hustle Award, and Emmi Hall and Trinity Shirk took home the “Most Improved” honor.
Blair also announced its team MVPs across the varsity, junior varsity and reserve squads. McClain, Emma Flynn and Elise Redfern were the offensive MVPs, while Janning, Brooklyn Schroeter and Ireland Johnson claimed defensive MVP status.
BHS announced its EMC Academic All-Conference and Academic All-State honorees, too, with
Janning, Anderson, Hannah Heuton, Leggott and Schueth all noted as recipients of one or both.
Eastern Midlands Conference and all-state teams will be announced in the coming weeks.
