Stangl & McGinn recognized in softball
IKM-Manning’s Anna Stangl and Alikxa McGinn were recently awarded for their efforts in softball. Stangl made 2nd Team in All Conference and McGinn received honorable mention.
“When I saw that I did, I was in shock and I was like, oh my gosh, that’s amazing,” McGinn said. “I know that I had a pretty good year, maybe not as a team, but we all came together and definitely couldn’t have done it without them.”
During their season, McGinn batted .358 with 24 hits, including a home run. She knocked in 12 runs, scored 16 runs and stole 18 bases.
Stangl finished her season with a .286 batting average, leading the team in runs batted in with 13, had 22 hits, scored 20 runs and stole 20 bases.
“I like the first pitch and that’s always what I try to swing at,” Stangl said. “When I got on base, I was always aggressive trying to get home and I just did the best I could to help my team out and win more games than we did last year.”
The Wolves won just four games during their 2023 campaign, but still had fun going to battle everyday.
“Our team is really close,” Stangl added. “We have a couple of good years coming up because we have a lot of young players, and I’m just excited to see what the next few years bring, and everyday is a chance to get better.”
Head coach Joy Gross received kudos for all she’s done to help the girls along the way.
“She’s always been an amazing coach, and having her in our school throughout the days definitely helped me build confidence just because I knew that she was there to help me with anything,” McGinn said. “During softball, she always took time and with anything, you could rely on her.”
With two years ahead of her and more time to play the game, McGinn highlighted a fond memory that came against a Western Iowa rival.
“Definitely my grand slam this year against Riverside,” she said.
Both McGinn and Stangl come from families that support them in their sporting endeavors.
“My parents have always come to everything, at least one of them, but most times it’s both of them,” Stangl said. “My little brother is very supportive, too. He likes to come and watch me when he can.”