The Akron-Westfield boys wrestling team picked up a win against Sioux City East in a quad meet on Dec. 3 held at Sioux City East High School.  

It didn’t look pretty at times for the Akron-Westfield and Gehlen Catholic girls on Dec. 6. Both squads struggled to score, but in the end Gehlen was able to escape with a 29-27 win over the Westerners.

The A-W boys basketball team felt they let one get away in their season opening loss against Westwood on Dec. 2.  The next night, the Westerners made sure it didn’t happen again as they played a solid fourth quarter to pick up their first win of the season 48-46 over West Sioux.

Western Iowa Tournament at West Monona (11/23)

The Akron-Westfield girls wrestling team took part in their first match in school history when they participated in the Western Iowa Tournament at West Monona on Nov. 23.  The Westerners finished in 9th place with 56 points.

The Akron-Westfield girls basketball team came into the season with very high expectations. The Westerners were coming off a 14-8 season and ranked 8th in the Class 1A pre-season poll.

Season openers are always tough for head coaches as they begin a new year with a different lineup and different roles. It’s always a little more difficult when you add a new coach and a new system to the equation. 

Rachel Harris and Kailee Tucker have come full circle.

Their stories may not be identical, but the themes are certainly similar.

Harris and Tucker both enjoyed tremendous success as athletes at Akron-Westfield. They also were positively influenced by some amazing teachers and coaches along the way which is part of the reason both are back “home”, teaching and leading the next generation at A-W.

 The Akron-Westfield cross country program continues to head in the right direction under head coach Jerod Bruget.

The fourth-year program is still growing, but the numbers that matter tell Bruget the foundation for success is in place.

“We had two all-conference runners in Noah Boie and Isabel Utesch, and Noah was also an Academic All-American” Bruget said.

 The Akron-Westfield volleyball team had plenty of reasons to feel good about the 2024 season. Head Coach Robyn Van Eldik had a talented senior class coming off an 11-win season in 2023.

“I have eight seniors and probably six will be starting,” Van Eldik said before the season. “I’ve coached the senior class since seventh grade AAU, and our goal is always to do the very best we can and make it the state tournament.”

The Akron-Westfield football team may not have achieved all their goals in 2024, but they certainly proved to be a resilient group who never gave up on the season.

Head coach John Sievert had to replace 14 seniors from an 8-2 team in 2023, but he did not shy away from the expectations of himself and the program as the season began.

 It was a season to remember for the Akron-Westfield volleyball.  The Westerners finished 21-5 overall and 9-1 in the War Eagle Conference. A-W won three state playoff matched before falling to Riverside in the regional final.

It’s been a busy few months for Akron-Westfield senior Makenzie Hughes. In addition to playing summer basketball, Hughes was making on-campus visits to a handful schools as she narrowed her college decision.

Akron-Westfield vs Riverside - Class 1A Region 4 Final

Riverside 3

Akron-Westfield 0

25-19, 25-9, 25-19

The 11th ranked Akron-Westfield volleyball team knew winning a regional championship would not be easy. The Westerners had to find a way to beat 4th ranked Riverside (37-3) on Oct. 30 to earn a trip to Coralville and the Class 1A quarterfinals.

Natalie Nielsen is truly happy again. As she walks around campus at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN, the joy is evident.

Nielsen is beginning her first season on the Mustangs basketball team after transferring from South Dakota State. She spent two years in Brookings and truth be told, loved almost all of her time. The decision to leave was not easy.

A-W volleyball breezes by Remsen-St. Mary’s & Trinity Christian

By Brett Newtson
Contributing writer

Class 1A-Region 4 Quarterfinals
Akron-Westfield 3
Remsen-St. Mary’s 0
25-12, 25-22, 25-20