One senior was all that was out for softball or baseball in 2011 for Iola High School. She earned first-team honors for the second year in a row from Southeast Kansas League softball coaches.
Leah Weir along with four juniors and one sophomore were recognized by SEK softball and baseball coaches at the end of May.
Iola High’s Mustangs posted their best-ever season — overall and in league play — in their seven-year history. They finished 17-5 overall and went 12-4 tying for third place in the SEK but were playing for a league championship in the final doubleheader of the regular season.
Junior center fielder and pitcher Jerrik Sigg helped lead the Mustangs. For his efforts, Sigg garnered Kansas Baseball Coaches Association state honors. Sigg was named to the KBCA’s Class 4A all-state, second team as an outfielder last week.
Sigg and sophomore Levi Ashmore were selected to the 2011 All-SEK first team while teammates Clint Heffern and Drew Walden, both juniors, earned SEK second-team honors. This is the second straight season Sigg has been named to the SEK first team.
Weir led the Iola High Fillies at the plate for the second year in a row. She had a .380 batting average with a team-leading 19 hits. Weir hit eight doubles and one triple. She also scored 18 runs.
Weir played shortstop, third base and catcher. Her slugging percentage was .580 and her on-base average was .534, leading the Fillies in both categories.
“Leah did a great job catching for us. She pitched a little for us also. She was a tremendous leader for our young team,” said Vince Coons, Fillies’ head coach. The Fillies had a tough season in 2011 going 3-16 overall. They were 2-12 in SEK play, finishing eighth.
Junior pitcher Breail Thompson earned SEK second-team softball honors. She was 3-11 in the circle for Iola, facing 464 batters in 78 innings pitched. She allowed 138 hits and recorded 64 strikeouts. At the plate, Thompson had 15 hits as she had a .283 batting average.
“We didn’t play very solid defense behind Breail this year. We made a lot of young mistakes. She pitched well for us,” Coons said.
SEK champion Labette County placed four players on the first team as second place Fort Scott had three. Parsons and Columbus each landed two players on the first team while Chanute, Independence, Pittsburg and Iola each had one player.
THE MUSTANGS were in the SEK title hunt to the end, losing twice to Pittsburg in the final doubleheader. Pittsburg and Columbus tied for the SEK championship at 13-3 as Iola and Fort Scott tied for third.
Sigg led the Mustangs at the plate with a .403 batting average. He had 27 hits which included six doubles, three triples and three home runs. He drove in 22 runs and scored 25. Sigg drew 13 walks and he was 11 of 12 on stolen base attempts.
When he wasn’t patrolling center field for Iola, Sigg was the ace on the mound for the Mustangs. He went 5-2 with a 3.28 earned run average (ERA) and had three complete games. Sigg allowed 46 hits but had a team-leading 44 strikeouts and issued 23 walks.
Ashmore earned SEK honors as Iola’s shortstop defensively and its leadoff hitter. Ashmore was Iola’s second-leading hitter at .395 with 30 hits — four doubles, three triples and three home runs. He scored 37 runs and drove in 12.
Ashmore drew 13 walks on the season and went 10 of 12 in stolen base attempts. He was a relief pitcher with a ERA of 1.20 in 11 2/3 innings of work with one save and one win. He allowed eight hits and struck out 11.
On the SEK second-team were Iola’s second baseman Clint Heffern and catcher Drew Walden.
Heffern was Iola’s third-leading hitter at .359 with 23 hits, 16 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Heffern had six doubles and led the team in stolen bases, 12 of 15, and drew 15 walks. Heffern also saw duty on the mound for Iola with ERA of 3.54 with five wins.
Walden hit .277 with 13 hits including one home run and three doubles. He had 10 RBIs and six runs scored.
Pittsburg and Columbus each had four players named to the first team while Iola and Fort Scott each had two. Coffeyville, Labette County, Independence, Parsons and Chanute each had one player on the first team.
2011 Southeast Kansas League Softball
First Team
Labette County: Allie Reynolds, jr., pitcher; Shelbie Foister, jr., shortstop; Kaysha Julich, jr., catcher; Kelsie Goins, jr., first base.
Fort Scott: Jade Weeter, sr., catcher; Morgan Tourtillott, sr. first base; Kenzie Heatherly, jr., second base.
Parsons: Taylor Kemp, jr., pitcher; Sierra Kemp, jr., catcher.
Columbus: Kate Overman, sr., shortstop; Jessica Anderson, sr., first base.
Chanute: Taylor Gard, sr., pitcher.
Independence: Johnna Sutton, sr. third base.
Pittsburg: Jenna Cuthbertson, sr., first base.
Iola: Leah Weir, sr., catcher/pitcher.
Second Team
Chanute: Amy Weilert, sr., center field; Taylor Bailey, jr., third base.
Columbus: Regan Soper, jr., second base; Breanna Mogle, soph., pitcher.
Fort Scott: Hannah Tourtillott, so. outfield; Delane Gray, fr., shortsop.
Independence: Morgan Dodson, jr., first base; bailey Burnett, jr., shortstop.
Iola: Breail Thompson, jr., pitcher.
Labette County: Kaity Rush, jr., right field; Morgen Wulf, soph., second base.
Parsons: Daza Werner, jr., third base; Sara Cruse, jr., first base.
Pittsburg: Chelsea Williams, jr., right field.
2011 Southeast Kansas League Baseball
First Team
Pittsburg: Matt Clark, sr.; Jordan Elliott, sr.; Dylan Gromer, jr.; Joe Wimmer, jr.
Columbus: Chase Leonard, sr.; Taylor Spear, sr.; Jason Tedlock, sr.; Travis Jones, jr.
Iola: Jerrik Sigg, jr.; Levi Ashmore, soph.
Fort Scott: Josh Dursossette, sr.; Luke Brown, jr.
Chanute: Brandon Bell, jr.
Coffeyville: Nash Nelson, jr.
Independence: T.J. Reed, jr..
Labette County: Trevor Nash, sr.
Parsons: James Jackson, jr..
Second Team
Chanute: Dustin Ecchles, sr.; Grant McMillan, jr.
Coffeyville: Cory Turner, soph., Luke Lindensmith, soph.
Columbus: Tanner Grant, jr.; Trevor McLaughlin, jr.
Fort Scott: Matt Carilllo, sr.; Jaret Thorpe, sr..
Independence: Zach Snodgrass, jr..
Iola: Clint Heffern, jr.; Drew Walden, jr.
Labette County: Tyler Burris, jr.
Pittsburg: Spencer Barnhardt, soph.; Blake Vail, soph.
