Rylee Beardworth, Sports Writer
October 28, 2019
Creating a lasting legacy starts with a coach.
Coach Nathan Hopp is the boys’ cross country coach at Xavier, but he also coaches girls’ track at Linn- Mar. Hopp has been practicing with the boys’ cross country team since summer and will continue to push the runners to accomplish all of their goals.
“I always make sure to support Xavier and Linn-Mar athletes, regardless of gender, year round, regardless of what season it may be,” Hopp said.
Hopp comme...
Kya Loffswold, Sports Writer
October 24, 2019
Sibling rivalry is a common thing found in most households. Brothers Matthew and Ryan Schmit thoroughly understand this when it comes to their shared love of golf.
Junior Matthew and freshman Ryan have golfed with each other for as long as they can remember. They even got to experience the State Tournament together.
This is the third year in a row the Xavier boys’ golf team has made it to state, setting a new school record. Matthew has been on the varsity te...
Jack Delaney, Sports Writer
October 24, 2019
Music and yoga may be too completely different things but together they make up one Xavier swimmer’s recipe for success.
Lucy Pfab is a sophomore at Xavier but swims for Washington High School. She swims the 200 free, 50 free, 100 free and occasionally gets placed in the 100 breaststroke. She has been swimming competitively for eight years and jumped at the opportunity to continue swimming in high school.
“I am very passionate about swimming and absolutely lov...
Amanda Ross, Sports Writer
October 24, 2019
Running with a passion.
Sophomores Madelynn Dake and Mary Clare Bean are new additions to the Xavier girls’ cross country team. The two have been best friends since birth. Their moms were friends before they were born, so they grew up together. Running on the cross country team is a new experience for them both.
“We both started cross country this year and running with Maddo (her nickname) makes the practices so much more bearable,” Bean said. “We can...
Libby Arnold , Sports Editor
October 8, 2019
A sibling bond is something special that cannot be replaced. The Volk brothers have that special bond and they all share a common passion: football.
Senior Josh Volk, junior Ryan Volk and freshman Ben Volk all are a part of the Xavier football program.
“Football has always been a big part of our lives,” Ryan said. “It has taught us a lot of life lessons.”
All three brothers are following in the footsteps of their dad, Ed Volk, who played football at Coe C...
Rylee Beardsworth , Sports Writer
October 8, 2019
Being involved is a great opportunity to make new friends, especially for foreign exchange students.
Nike Zillessen, a junior foreign exchange student from Germany, decided to get involved by going out for cross country and swimming. She made the decision even before she came to the United States.
“I knew I was going to do both of these sports to get to know more people,” Zillessen said.
Zillessen is a member of the Xavier girls’ cross country team...
Jack Delaney, Sports Writer
October 8, 2019
Runners reach new heights. One of those runners is senior, Jack Renning.
Renning has been a top performer for the boys’ cross country team, he has numerous top ten finishes on the year, including a second place finish at the Grinnell Invite on September 10. He is currently ranked 16th in the state.
“It feels weird knowing that there are all of these guys in 3A and I am one of the fastest ones,” Renning said.
Renning put in a lot of work in the off-season and has continued to push himself more during ...
Caitlynn Daniels, Sports Editor
October 8, 2019
“Selfless, passionate, humble.”
These are the three words Xavier head volleyball coach, Austin Filer, used to describe his grandmother, Dixie Cirkl.
For Filer, recently achieving 100 wins at Xavier High School means nothing without the support from the Xavier community and his family, especially his grandmother. In 2007, at age 70, Cirkl was diagnosed with macular degeneration, a progressive eye disease, which has caused her to become legally blind. Although she...
Amanda Ross, Sports Writer
September 24, 2019
With anything in life, practice makes perfect.
Freshman Charlie Allen practiced golf for three hours a day during the summer. He practices two hours every day with the Xavier varsity boys’ golf team and one to four hours on the weekend by himself. This practice prepared him to have a hole-in-one at Valley Oaks and he also took home medalist honors with a 2 under par 33 at Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course in Waterloo.
“I am most excited to play in districts ...
Kya Loffswold, Sports Writer
September 24, 2019
The love of running is shared between two family members.
Co-captain of the Xavier girls’ cross country team Megan Meyer and her aunt Assistant Coach Bridget Lemker have both found a passion for running together. Lemker has been running since fourth grade and Meyer has been running since freshman year when she decided to go out for cross country.
They have found running to be an opportunity to get closer and form a bond.
“I run with her everyday so we have grown clo...
Caitlynn Daniels, Sports Editor
September 24, 2019
New season, new team, same mindset. The Xavier girls’ volleyball team still has the same goal as last season: be the first volleyball team at Xavier to win a state championship.
“We want to be the first volleyball team to hang a state championship banner,” Head Coach Austin Filer said. “It is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, to get to where we want to be.”
The Saints lost five seniors from last year’s team and have five new players in their rotatio...
Libby Arnold, Sports Editor
September 18, 2019
The Xavier Saints’ football program has created a legacy. The legacy of countless home wins on a grass surfaced field. On Friday, August 30 at 7 p.m., a new era began on the new turf field.
On December 19, 2018, Xavier High School announced the donations from multiple donors to place turf on the Saints Field.
“I thought it was very generous of the donors. They are true saints,” Head Coach Duane Schulte said.
Multiple Xavier coaches were there when they origin...
