State News

Superintendent wants to merge IGHSAU, IHSAA

Iowa is the only state in the country that has separate high school sports organizations for boys and girls.

Mark Schneider, the superintendent of the Mid-Prairie school district in Wellman, thinks it may be time to merge the two bodies together.

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) and Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) have their own buildings, their own staffs, their own executive director and sometimes their own ways of doing business.

Schneider thinks there could be ways to coordinate the efforts to save money, work more efficiently and be more consistent in how things are done.

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5 Metro boys 1st team all-state in soccer

Five Metro boys have been selected to first team all-state teams by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Three are on the Class 3A team: Austin Bergstrom and Jacob Bjornsen of Washington, and Kennedy's Killian Magee.

Two Xavier players are on the Class 2A team: Isaac Frisch and Paul Cavin.

Eli Smith of Xavier was a 2A second-team pick.

Kennedy's Mitch Bobbin and Nathan Althoff, and Linn-Mar's Justin Green were second-team choices in Class 3A.

Prairie's Logan Rinderknecht and Linn-Mar's Jared Belin were honorable mention in 3A.

Services set for Cooley

A memorial service for Dr. E. Wayne Cooley will be held at Grace United Methodist Church at 3700 Cottage Grove Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50311 on Tuesday, May 14 2013 at 11:00 am.  Luncheon will follow immediately in the church hall.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Grace United Methodist Church or Buena Vista University.

Dr. Cooley, the longtime Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Executive Secretary, died Saturday at the age of 90.

Long-time IGHSAU head Cooley dies at 90

The name E. Wayne Cooley has become synonymous with girls' high school sports in Iowa. His vision and leadership is viewed by contemporaries as essential in advancement of the female athlete. The longtime Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Executive Secretary passed away Saturday, May 11 at the age of 90.

Edward Wayne Cooley was born in Mercer, Missouri on September 16, 1922 to Reverend O.E. and Mae Cooley.  He was united in marriage to Gertrude “Gerry” Konkol in 1944 and had two children, Craig and Denise. After Gerry’s death in 1982, he married Wendy Wykoff in 1987.

Dr. Cooley was raised Coon Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Cooley earned a collegiate degree from Buena Vista University and later received Honorary Doctorates from Morningside College and Buena Vista.

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