A Farewell to Sigourney

Some of you know by now I’m leaving my position at the Sigourney News-Review and Keota Eagle. For those that don’t know, now you do. I’ve been the Regional Sports Editor the past couple of years, but I decided now was as good a time as ever to make a leap elsewhere. As most of the sports talent would proclaim, “I’m taking my talents to Colorado.”

It’s nothing personal, trust me. I just felt like a couple of years was a good jump start, considering it was my first full-time job out of college. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I moved to Sigourney, by far the smallest town I’d ever lived in. Several things highlighted my time in Sigourney, such as State Cross-Country, State Wrestling, State Track, the Drake Relays, State Golf, and RAGBRAI to name a few. 

My philosophy when it comes to sports coverage is pretty simple. If you do well, you’re going to get the coverage you deserve. Regardless of results, the effort put in throughout the season deserves recognition, while also maintaining a balanced view on school and athlete coverage. Occasionally during staff meetings, we’d touch on some of our favorite aspects of our jobs. One of my top consistent answers was seeing athletes from in and around the area grow and make it to the big stage. Was I expecting to cover State competitions? Not necessarily, although I did have my expectations raised after year one of wrestling. For the most part, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the home-grown talent from the area, with several names coming to mind with some of the better background stories. 

There are so many names that stick out and it’s been exciting to witness them take control of their sport. I might catch some flack, but I can back up my choices. One event happened earlier this year when Aydan Bos and Miranda Little successfully qualified for the State track meet. The duo ended a multi-year drought in which Tri-County hadn’t made it to the Blue Oval and it was great to see that end while I was here.

Another recent occurrence was when the Sigourney boys’ golf team qualified for State. I got to witness one of the best teams the school has ever produced compete against the best in the state. While the experience wasn’t the best for either the athletes or me, due to heavy rainfall, it’s certainly a memory that will endure in my mind. Going along with the Sigourney route, watching a young Mason Dye dominate opponents was fascinating, along with Kaleb Reeves in 2017. Those two put in a lot of hard work and committed themselves to their sport of wrestling, rewarded by medaling several times in “The Well”.