State News

Schultz retires from Lansing Kee baseball

A 45-year baseball coaching career of high school kids officially came to an end Monday night when Gene Schultz tendered his resignation at Lansing Kee.

Schultz is the national win leader with eye-popping numbers. His Iowa record of 1,754-398 dwarfs all other rivals. It includes a record of 176-57 from 11 spring or fall seasons. His National Federation record, which includes summer season games only, is 1,578-341.

He arrived at Kee High School in the fall of 1969 and almost immediately his teams stamped themselves as a perennial power.

Under Schultz's guidance the Kee Hawks authored numerous entries into the Iowa all-time baseball list and the NFHS National Record Book. His teams have an Iowa-best nine summer state championships, which was equaled by Davenport Assumption this past season. His nine summer state titles are the best of any Iowa coach.

He took the Hawks to 19 summer state tournaments and 16 championship games, both Iowa bests for a coach or a school. Their 32 summer state tournament wins (32-10) is also an Iowa best, for a school or a coach. In addition, his teams won two Fall State Championships and finished runner-up twice.

His teams were noted for playing opponents in all four of Iowa's class structure and would travel extensively to compete against the top teams. He had a hand in overseeing a revitalization of their home diamond, Shooky Fink Field, turning it into one of the marquee sites for high school baseball.

Schultz also coached boys basketball at Kee, registering 398 victories.

Beste succeeding Wulkow as IHSAA boss

BOONE - Rick Wulkow, the executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association for the past 10 years, is stepping down after 35 years of service to Iowa students and member schools.

In its monthly meeting held in Dubuque over the weekend, the Board of Control of the IHSAA accepted his formal resignation effective Jan. 31, 2015. In the interim months he will work with the new executive director.

Xavier High School Principal Tom Keating, the chairman of the Board of Control, announced that Alan Beste has been named as the new executive director.

Beste joined the IHSAA staff in 1989 as a Wellness Coordinator and since July 1998 has been an Assistant/Associate Director.

Wulkow became the fourth executive director of the 109-year-old Association when he accepted the leadership reins from Bernie Saggau, who served 37 years as executive director. It was Saggau who recruited him from the public school ranks in 1980 to join the IHSAA as an assistant executive director. He was appointed by the Board of Control to follow Saggau on Jan. 1, 2005.

“I am proud to have had the opportunity to serve the IHSAA member schools and students for 35 years,” said Wulkow. “I have never considered my career opportunities as work and I have been fortunate to interact and be part of programs that have been led by so many great people.”

Keating remarked, “On behalf of the Board of Control, I want to express our deepest appreciation to Rick for his phenomenal leadership as Executive Director. He has led the IHSAA with vision, with passion and most importantly with the best interest of the young people of our great state.

"Rick has taught us that the best leader is a servant leader, one that walks with those he leads, not in front of them.”

Wulkow is a graduate of Lytton High School, where he was an all-around athlete. He received his undergraduate degree from Buena Vista University and his Masters Degree in school administration from the University of South Dakota.

Beste is a native of Sauk Centre, Minn., and a graduate of St. Cloud State University. He has Masters Degree from Northwest Missouri State University.

Jay honored as nation's top track announcer

EUGENE, Ore. - Anyone who attends the Drake Relays or the Iowa Coed State High School Track and Field Championships knows that Mike Jay is an excellent track and field public address announcer.

Now Jay has earned the stamp of approval for being one of the best PA announcers in the country.

Jay has been named the recipient of the Scott Davis Memorial Award by the Track and Field Writers of America for excellence in announcing by a current track and field announcer.

The award came during the annual TAFWA Awards Breakfast held in conjunction with the recent NCAA Outdoor Track and FIeld Championships in Eugene, Ore.

"I am both humbled and honored with this award," said Jay. "It is extra special since I had the opportunity to work with Scott Davis a number of times before his passing and to be selected by media professionals in the track and field world, makes it extra special too."

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Metro teams dominate boys soccer poll

Five boys soccer teams from the Cedar Rapids Metro area are ranked by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association in the first poll of the regular season.

The Xavier Saints are the top team in Class 2A.

Kennedy, Washington and Linn-Mar are ranked 3-4-5 in Class 3A,  and the Prairie Hawks are ranked 16th.

Iowa City West is the No.1 team in Class 3A.

CLASS 3A

Records through April 5

1. Iowa City West (3-0), 2. Johnston (2-0), 3. Kennedy (0-0), 4. Washington (2-0), 5. Linn-Mar (2-0), 6. Ames (3-0), 7. Bettendorf (2-1), 8. Muscatine (2-1), 9. Iowa City High (1-1), 10. West Des Moines Valley (0-0), 11. Sioux City West (0-0), 12. Ankeny Centennial (3-0), 13. Dowling Catholic (0-2), 14. Marshalltown (0-0), 15. Des Moines Lincoln (3-1), 16. Prairie (1-1).

CLASS 2A

Records through April 5

1. Xavier (0-0), 2. Norwalk (1-0), 3. Waverly-Shell Rock (2-1), 4. Pella (1-0), 5. Storm Lake (0-0), 6. Dubuque Wahlert (0-0), 7. Spencer (0-0), 8. Dallas Center-Grimes (1-0), 9. Hudson (0-0), 10. Glenwood (1-0), 11. Mount Pleasant (0-1), 12. Clear Creek-Amana (0-0), 13. ADM (0-3), 14. Perry (2-1), 15. Webster City (0-0), 16. Solon (0-3).