Whaley, Steffensmeier, Rehm get 1st team SEC honors

PCC STAFF

FORT MADISON - The strength of Fort Madison's softball is it's future, and that was exemplified in the Southeast Conference all-conference announcements released last week.

Two freshman and sophomore were named to the 1st-team all conference selections with 9th graders Lexi Whaley and Emily Steffensmeier both being named to the first team, while sophomore Neeley Rehm was also tapped for the squad.

Whaley was again the Hounds punch from the plate connecting on 10 home runs. That number was tops in loop play, one more than Fairfield's Hannah Simpson and two more than Washington's Kellie Dallmeyer.

Whaley was also third in the conference in RBIs with 40. Simpson led the league with 64. Dallmeyer had 43. Whaley's home run and RBI totals were tops for the Hounds and her home run mark was eighth best in the state in Class 3A.

She was also the only Bloodhound, and one of just two freshman named to the Southeast Iowa All-District squad.

Steffensmeier had the fourth best hitting clip in the conference at .448. Conference Player of the Year Coty Engle hit .518 and Dallmeyer led the conference with a .529. Simpson hit .458. Steffensmeier's mark was tops for the Hounds right ahead of Rehm at .415.

Steffensmeier also had 29 stolen bases on the year which was tops in the Southeast and 10th best in Class 3A. She was fourth in the conference in runs scored with 40.

Rehm had the fifth best ERA in the Southeast Conference with a 4.12 clip in 17 appearances for the Hounds and led the team in wins with seven. She recorded 64 strikeouts from the circle and held opposing hitters to a .288 average.

The 10th grader was also second in the conference in singles with 39 and led the Hounds with 44 hits one ahead of Steffensmeier at 43. Engle led the loop with 42 singles. Rehm was second on the Hounds with 26 RBI.

Junior Logan Johnson and senior Kylee Cashman were picked for the 2nd team. Cashman was third on the Hounds with a .388 batting average. Johnson was fourth at .372. Cashman was tops on the Bloodhound squad with two triples.

Freshmen Erika Kruse and Lauryn Helmick were both received honorable mention.

Cashman, Kendall Beebe, Allyson Helmick and Johnson all were named to the Southeast Conference All-Academic list.