Northwest Recognizes Athletes on National Signing Day

Waukee Northwest High School (NWHS) held its second annual National Signing Day recognition on February 1. There were 29 athletes that committed to a Div. I, Div. II, Div. III or NAIA school and they earned a total of 121 varsity letters. The group of athletes represents 15 out of the 21 sanctioned sports at NWHS. They also have been a part of seven Waukee and two Northwest state championship teams and have an average cumulative GPA of 3.68.

AJ Abram is signing to swim at the University of Kentucky. He is a 4-year letter winner in swimming and holds the school record in four events. Abrams is a 12-time state place winner including 3 state championship finishes.

Jackson Adams will be playing football at Augustana University. He is a 2-year letter winner in football and baseball with the most receiving yards on the team this past fall. Adams was a starter on back-to-back state playoff football teams and hit the first grand slam in NW school history.

Levi Beeler is signing to play baseball at Elsworth Community College. He is a 2-year letter winner in baseball and was a member of the state semi-final baseball team last summer.

Payten Coates will be swimming at Simpson College. She is a 3-year letter winner in swimming and a 1-year letter winner in girls wrestling. Coates was a member of the back-to-back state champion girls swim team and the inaugural girls wrestling team.

James Coffey is signing to swim at the University of South Dakota. He is a 4-year letter winner in swimming and has been a part of the back-to-back state champion boys swim team.  Coffey is also a 5-time state meet place winner and 2-time all-state selection in the 500 Freestyle.

Sam Davey will be swimming at McKendree University. He is a 4-year letter winner in swimming and has been a part of the back-to-back state champion boys swim team. Davey also won the state championship in the 400 free relay last year and holds the school record in 2 events.

Lauren Dillon is signing to run track at Drake University. She is a 4-year letter winner in track and makes up 7/10 performances for NW girls track as both a sprinter and long jumper.

Natalie Gallagher will be playing soccer at Colorado State University. She is a 4-year letter winner in soccer and a 3-year letter winner in basketball. Gallagher also holds three school records and was selected for all-conference and all-state selection in soccer.

Trey Hanke is signing to bowl at Iowa Western Community College. He is a 3-year letter winner in bowling and a 1-year letter winner in golf. Hanke also helped lead the combined Waukee/NW bowling team to a state championship last year and has the highest team average (222.4).

Asher Havenhill will be swimming at Arizona State University. He is a 4-year letter winner in swimming and has been a part of the back-to-back state champion boys swim team. Havenhill has a state championship in the 100 Backstroke where he swam the second fastest all-time and also has a school record in 3 events.

Mallory Kell is signing to swim at the University of Iowa. She is a 4-year letter winner in swimming and helped lead the girls swim team to back-to-back state titles. Kell also has an individual state title and is a 3-time all-American athlete.

Aidan Kongtahworn will be playing soccer at the University of Dubuque. He is a 2-year letter winner in soccer and is a starting defender on the NW boys soccer team. Kongtahworn also played a key role in the team’s run to state finals last spring.

Kye Krofta is signing to play football at St. Ambrose University. He is a 2-year letter winner in football and is a starting defensive tackle on the NW football team. Krofta has also received all-district recognition and was selected for academic all-state.

Grant Macke will be playing football at St. Ambrose University. He is a 2-year letter winner in both football and track and is a starting cornerback on the NW football team. Macke was also a part of the state-qualifying football team and received all-district recognition.

Zoey Mahoney is signing to play soccer at Drake University. She is a 4-year letter winner in soccer and a 1-year letter winner in track. Mahoney has also received all-conference and all-state selections and holds/shares 5 school records.

Henry Manning will be playing golf at the University of Central Missouri. He is a 4-year letter winner in golf and a 2-year letter winner in basketball. Manning has been a part of 3 state qualifying golf teams at Waukee and NW and has also been a starter for two years on the NW boys basketball team.

Isaiah Moody is signing to play football at Grandview University. He is a 2-year letter winner in football and a 1-year letter winner in wrestling. Moody was a blocking tight end and was 3rd on the team in receptions last fall.

Luke Morrison will be running track at Iowa State University. He is a 4-year letter winner in track and a 2-year letter winner in baseball. Morrison is a Drake Relays place winner, conference champion, and he also holds the school record for Discus.

Eli Moses is signing to play football at Winona State University. He is a 3-year letter winner in football and a 2-year starter. Moses is also a 2-time all-district performer as a defensive end.

Maddie Oetzman will be playing softball at Minnesota State University. She is a 4-year letter winner in softball and helped lead NW to their state championship last summer. Oetzman received individual all-state honors and was named captain of the all-tournament team.

Caden Sammler is signing to play baseball at North Iowa Area Community College. He is a 2-year letter winner in baseball and has a high fielding percentage as a catcher (.990) committing only 2 errors.

Pryce Sandfort will be playing basketball at the University of Iowa. He is a 4-year letter winner and starter in NW boys basketball. Sandfort helped lead NW to the state tournament last year and averages 26 ppg and will hold the most single-season points at NW.

Cole Shrage is signing to play soccer at Drake University. He is a 3-year letter winner in soccer and a 2-year letter winner in track. Shrage helped lead NW to a state runner-up finish last spring and holds 8 school records (6 in soccer and 2 in track).

Ava Smith will be playing softball at Indian Hills Community College. She is a 4-year letter winner in softball and a 3-year letter winner in track. Smith was a member of the state-winning softball team and is a 2-time state place-winner in Shot Put.

Kaid Smith-Fitzgerald is signing to play basketball at Cornell College. He has earned varsity letters in football, track, and basketball during his high school athletic career.

Alaina Steading will be playing soccer at Iowa Western Community College. She is a 4-year letter winner in soccer and is a starting forward on the NW girls soccer team. Steading was a part of the soccer team’s conference championship and state-qualifying season.

Mia Trewin is signing to play softball at Des Moines Area Community College. She is a 2-year letter winner in softball and was a member of the state championship team.

Carter Van Horn will be playing baseball at Colorado School of Mines. He is a 2-year letter winner in baseball and a 1-year letter winner in basketball. Van Horn was a part-time starter on the state-qualifying basketball team.

Cael Winter is signing to play football at the University of Iowa. He is a 3-year letter winner in football, a 4-year letter winner in wrestling, and a 3-year letter winner in track. Winter has outstanding accomplishments in each activity and will be the first male athlete to earn the 33 club award at NW.