Iowa High School State Softball Tournament: Five Champions Crowned

The final days of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Softball Tournament brought with it the crowning of five champions and the conclusion of the 2025-2026 athletic sports season from Fort Dodge and Rogers Park.

Action took place over five days in the first-ever double-elimination tournament for softball. The Class 2A and Class 4A title games went down on Thursday, with Class 1A, Class 3A and Class 5A hitting the dirt on Friday.

Dubuque Wahlert Catholic Denies Williamsburg A Four-Peat

There will be no history-making championship this season, as Dubuque Wahlert Catholic knocked off three-time defending Class 3A champion Williamsburg, 13-6.

Williamsburg was looking to become the first Iowa school to win four consecutive summer state titles.

The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 11-1 lead, as Julia Roth and Natalie Ruba both homered twice. Roth was 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs, as she also recorded two doubles. Ruba drove in seven.

Sadie Schultz and Claire Brosius each had two hits for Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, with both scoring twice.

Kaylin Becker homered for Williamsburg, as Harper Meyers had two RBI.

Late HR Lifts Waukee Northwest To Second Straight 5A Championship

Hazel Leinen’s sixth-inning, two-run homer was the difference, lifting Waukee Northwest to a second consecutive Class 5A title over Ankeny Centennial Friday night, 3-1.

Leinen broke a 1-1 tie with her blast, setting off a wild celebration. Leinen finished with two hits, as did Alayna Schulte, who drove in one and scored once.

Sophia Schlader struck out nine and walked three, allowing just two hits to an offense that hit more home runs in one season in Iowa than any team before.

Jordyn Kennedy, who is headed to Minnesota, drove in Ava Faber for the lone run for the Jaguars. She had both hits off Schlader for Ankeny Centennial.

Lauren Sandholm, a Mississippi State commit, went five-plus, allowing just five hits and striking out four.

Clarksville Finishes Off Improbable Run, Defends Title

The week included some memorable moments for Clarksville, but none were bigger than the last one.

One year after winning the Class 1A state title, the Indians did the unthinkable, becoming the first team since 2019 to defend with a 5-2 victory over Edgewood-Colesburg on Friday.

Eve Jordan, the No. 9 hitter for Clarksville, homered on her way to being named captain of the all-tournament team, as Caty Lodge had two doubles. Jordan drove in two runs, with Gia Hoodjer and Hannah Wangsness adding an RBI each.

Sydney Lovrien struck out seven, as she was also the pitcher of record in the 15-inning win on Monday and threw the majority of the innings during two games with St. Edmond on Wednesday.

For Edgewood-Colesburg, Faith Dugan homered and stole two bases.

Grand View Christian Makes Program History

The new double-elimination format suited Grand View Christian just fine.

After the top-seeded Thunder lost in the opening round on Monday to Cardinal, they rallied, eliminating Cardinal and sweeping Iowa City Regina before scoring a comeback victory over Wapsie Valley, 7-6.

The title run marked the first for Grand View Christian’s softball team in program history.

A five-run third helped spearhead the rally, as the Thunder erased a 4-0 deficit. They added key runs in the fourth and sixth, as Wapsie Valley scored twice in the seventh to close the gap.

Sophie Bird homered, driving in four runs, as Jada Rogers had two hits. Morgan Pelham scored twice and stole two bases. Inside the circle, Chloe Cox struck out five.

For Wapsie Valley, Maddie Ladeberg homered, driving in two, as Taylor Buhr had three hits and scored twice.

ADM Dominates Carlisle For Class 4A Title

Two first-inning runs were more than enough for Lauren Hagedorn, as she led ADM to the Class 4A state title with a 6-0 victory over Carlisle.

Hagedorn allowed just four hits, striking out nine with three walks for ADM, the No. 1 ranked team in the class and top seed. Carlisle, who eliminated Fort Dodge on Wednesday, was ranked second and the No. 2 seed coming in.

Kinzee Maxwell went deep, finishing 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, as Makenna Pitlick drove in two.

Anyah Oatts and Alyvia Freeman each had two hits for Carlisle.

Add us as a preferred source on Google