Mid-Prairie’s Will Cavanagh (pictured) was named to first team Academic All-State for excelling in both the classroom and on the field. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)
Union area athletes were some of the best in the state this season on the baseball field and while they undoubtedly showed their skill on the field, they also excelled in the classroom.
Highland’s Connor Grinstead (pictured) was named to first team Academic All-State this past season for outstanding play in both the classroom and on the field. (File Photo/ The Union)
A panel of coaches representing the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) selected seniors who “demonstrate outstanding academic, moral and athletic characteristics” throughout the season.
Twenty-one were named to first team and the next 23 received a second team selection.
Keota’s Colten Clarahan (pictured) was named to first team Academic All-State this past season for outstanding play in both the classroom and on the field. (Doug Brenneman/Union)
Those seniors named to the 2022 and 36th All-Academic Team include Will Cavanagh of Mid-Prairie, Connor Grinstead of Highland and Colten Clarahan of Keota.
Cavanagh was just one of two seniors on a younger Golden Hawk squad this past season. As one of the teams leaders on both sides of the ball he helped Mid-Prairie make a trip back to the state tournament, which included a semifinal appearance. Cavanagh batted .272 on the year with 25 hits, 23 singles, two doubles and nine RBIs.
In the outfield, Grinstead was as good as they came. Grinstead finished with a batting average of .427. He had 22 total stolen bases, second to only teammate Brenton Bonebrake. With 34 runs and 35 hits he finished second in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division. He led in singles, 27 and was fourth in doubles with seven. He also hit one home run.
Clarahan was a facilitator on both ends of the ball. He ended the year with a .507 batting average, tallying team best in hits, 37, and runs, 25. He also finished with 32 singles, five doubles and 16 RBIs. On the mound, Clarahan faced 251 batters, allowing 43 runs (23 earned), on just 30 hits, 50 walks, seven hit by pitches and 100 strikeouts.
The full 2022 IHSBCA Academic All-State list can be found below.
2022 First Team Academic All-State
Matthew Boothe, Central Decatur
Will Cavanagh, Mid-Prairie
Payton Chapman, Treynor
Colten Clarahan, Keota
Stren Crouch, Algona
Devin Dirkx, Spencer
Connor Grinstead, Highland
Justin Hackett, Winterset
Aidan Hamner, Bettendorf
Easton Hays, Coon Rapids-Bayard
Trey Jungers, Newell-Fonda
Miles Kading, ACGC
Kolson Kruse, Southeast Valley
Jack Lenhart, Carlisle
Cade Molyneux, Sigourney
Jack Pettit, Van Meter
Alex Smith, Grinnell
Gavin Smith, Audubon
Lane Spieker, CAM, Anita
Cade Ticknor CAM, Anita
Darren Veld, AGWSR
2022 Second Team Academic All-State
Alex Berends, Roland-Story
Preston McCoy, Alta-Aurelia
Drake Callon, Fort Dodge
Gavin Nelson, Hinton
Ryan Campbell, North Scott
Matthew Phelan, Roland-Story
Gage Clausen, Missouri Valley
Dalton Reeves, Davis County
Brady Coffman, Treynor
Mason Shedahl, South Hardin
Kyle Cole, West Delaware
Ben Swails, Clear Creek Amana
Blake DeMoss, West Delaware
Nolan Townsend, Wilton
J.C. Dermody, Lewis Central
Cal Wanninger, Kuemper Catholic
Colin Gibson, Grinnell
Braden Wessel, Audubon
Cody Gilpin, Missouri Valley
Beau Wilken, Newell-Fonda
Will Gutzmer, Missouri Valley
Caleb Wulf, West Liberty
Max Hillegas, Nashua-Plainfield