Mount Vernon sophomore Haley Gookin was named the WaMaC East Player of the Year last week, as postseason honors started to roll in for the Mustangs and Lions.
Gookin finished 21-6 as a pitcher with a 0.74 ERA and 0.61 WHIP. She had 247 strikeouts to 26 walks in 171.1 innings pitched.
At the plate, Gookin hit .446 with a team-high 14 doubles, 3 triples and 10 home runs. Despite hitting leadoff most of the season, she was second on the team with 32 RBIs.
Those 10 home runs set a school record.
“She was quite deserving,” Mount Vernon coach Robin Brand said. “She did a great job for us.
“She really made her mark this year and hit some huge milestones. But I think her best is yet to come.”
Also earning first-team WaMaC East honors were senior Addison Gookin (.310, 8 2B, 34 runs, 20 RBI), junior Abbie Moss (.324, 6 2B, 25 RBI) and senior Kenna Rolllinger (.316, 34 RBIs).
Second-team laurels went to junior Olivia Haverback (9-6, 2.58 ERA, 64 K) and junior Libby Dix (.312, 14 RBIs). Honorable mention for senior Elsa Appleton (5 2B, 21 runs) and freshman Riley Rasmussen (4 2B, 16 RBIs).
“It just shows the quality of our team and leadership on our team,” Brand said. “Our team was an outstanding group of girls. I’d like to recognize each of them for all they bring to the team.”
And it was a tough year for recognition in the WaMaC East, which was stacked with no pushovers. Mount Vernon won the division with 17-7 league record, followed by Marion (14-8), Solon (12-10), Center Point-Urbana (9-13), West Delaware (9-13) and Independence (8-14). Solon went to state in Class 3A (along with Williamsburg and Benton Community from the West Division).
The Gookin sisters also earned All-District honors in the Class 3A Northeast District.
Addison Gookin and Rollinger will play on the 2024 All Star Teams on Saturday, July 27, at Waukee Softball Complex. The event features 51 seniors across three teams.
“That’s quite the honor as a senior to be able to do that,” Brand said. “They’ll get to play with kids from around the state.”
Addi Petersen of Lisbon is also playing. The senior was also an All-District pick in Class 2A Northeast District.
Petersen was also a first-team Tri-Rivers Conference East Division pick. She hit .348 with 11 2B, 7 HR, 27 RBIs, 28 runs, and 13 stolen bases.
Junior Addie Clark (.357, 7 2B, 42 runs, 19 SB) was also a first-team pick for the Lions. Lisbon’s Abbey Shultz was the East Division Coach of the Year. Midland senior Gracie Harrison was the Player of the Year. The Lions won the East with a 17-5 record, followed by Calamus-Wheatland (13-9), Midland (6-16), and Bellevue Marquette (5-17).
Eighth grader Kyla Kahl (22-8, 3.13 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 136K), eighth grader Alex Roos (.288 9 2B, 25 RBI), sophomore Kamryn Kahl (.352, 11 2B, 20 RBI), senior Chloe Clausen (.336, 10 2B, 23 RBIs) and junior Kaitlynn Hasselbusch (.316, 8 2B, 26 RBIs) were second team Tri-Rivers East picks.
Hasselbusch was also nominated by Shultz for the 2024 E. Wayne Cooley “YOU CAN” Award.
Shultz wrote: “She works her tail off every day at practice and is a very coachable kid. She takes younger kids under her wing and shows them the rope of a program by being a great leader for us.”