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Mt. Pleasant’s top stories of 2023
Iowa Wesleyan University closes (March 28-May 31)
March 28
Iowa Wesleyan University announced their plans to shut down at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, Tuesday, March 28 citing financial challenges officials attributed to a drop in philanthropic donations, increased operating costs and a denial of COVID-19 relief from the state. The school said its 20-member board of trustees voted unanimously.
The announcement came despite reported record enrollment from the institution, which a news release from the school said was still not enough to ensure financial stability.
“We have much gratitude for the faculty and staff who have worked extremely hard and with remarkable resilience throughout our current financial circumstances,” said an email to students on Tuesday, signed by the school’s board of trustees chair Robert Miller, and University President Christine Plunkett, who took over the position in 2019 after the departure of Steve Titus. “Many of our indicators were trending in a positive direction but we needed more time and funding to complete a full recovery.
Members of the 878-strong student body said they were blindsided by the announcement. Students and other school officials said they also struggled to grapple with the sudden change for the university, which was established in 1842, and predates Iowa’s statehood.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the board of trustees has made the heartbreaking decision to close our beloved Iowa Wesleyan after 181 years as an educational pillar in this community,” Plunkett said in a statement. “Our focus is now on assuring our over 850 students have a smooth transition to another educational opportunity.”
May 6
Iowa Wesleyan University in Mt. Pleasant held commencement exercises for the final time on Saturday, May 6.
Ruble Arena was packed with onlookers who had come to congratulate this year’s graduating seniors, and to bid goodbye to the university that has called Mt. Pleasant home for 181 years. In March, the university’s board of trustees announced that ongoing financial challenges forced them to make the tough decision to close the university effective May 31. After that date, the campus will become the property of the United States Department of Agriculture, since the university had offered its campus as collateral for a $26 million loan from the USDA.
The graduating class of 2023 had a roller coaster experience at college, which included the pandemic canceling classes, then transitioning to hybrid learning, and finally going back to something resembling normalcy.
May 31
Wednesday, May 31, a group of faculty, staff, and community members gathered in the heart of Iowa Wesleyan University Campus to bid a final farewell to the beloved University by opening a time capsule buried in 1992.
September
Community Days allowed the public to sifted through remains of IW buildings for treasures.
“So, everything inside is free, just no tools inside, so, you can’t take anything off the walls or ceiling,” Caleb Miller, a gentleman asking treasure hunters to sign waiver forms, said. “But other than that, feel free to take whatever, no matter how big in this building [Sheaffer-Trieschmann (ST) Residence Hall] and the next building over is also open.”
MPCSD approves $1.25 million IW purchase agreements (Aug. 15)
With a unanimous vote from the board, Mt. Pleasant Community School District agreed to purchasing a three-parcel lot making up the IW practice fields and a five-parcel lot consisting of the majority of IW’s central campus.
The school put together a purchase agreement of $115,000 for the IW practice fields and a purchase agreement of $1.135 million for central campus which includes, “everything in the Central block of Iowa Wesleyan to include the Howe Activity Center, the Howe Student Union, the P.E.O building, the chapel, Old Main, and Pioneer Hall and the parking lot south of the activity center,” Henriksen stated.
One citizen at the school board meeting expressed concerns about this purchase as he asked, “Is this a competitive price?” and “How will this impact our taxes?”
“This won’t impact your taxes because we have cash in the bank to purchase this,” School Board President Jennifer Crull responded.
“Have we done our due diligence to make sure this is a competitive price?” the same attendee asked.
“We have not done an appraisal on that property,” Superintendent John Henriksen answered.
Henriksen elaborated that the purchase price is not the asking price, but the offered purchase price from the district.
Iowa Wesleyan archives moved to Henry County museum (July 24)
The majority of Iowa Wesleyan University archives from the Chadwick Library were inventoried and categorized at the Henry County Heritage Museum following the University’s closure.
The archives with moved with help from community members and Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility inmates.
“We had several lady volunteers that came to box all the things up to be moved over here,” Henry County Heritage Trust Treasurer Pat White said. “We had our board members helped take down shelving units to bring over here. Then we contacted the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility, and they set aside three days to actually load all the things onto trucks, bring them over here, unload things and put the shelving together.”
Under the expertise of the former Harlan Lincoln House Director Spencer Barton and White, an inventory of many of the archives now exists.
“The main intent is to keep it all local as it should be,” White explained. “I think that’s what the community wanted, as well, and the powers-that-be at Wesleyan. I think that was their hope and intent.”
“The intent of this room is certainly going to be Wesleyan related items, but we’re going to expand from that to include a lot of Iowa history that we haven’t focused on in our research library that we have upstairs,” she said.
Harlan-Lincoln House will continue as own entity (Oct. 5)
The morning of Wednesday, Oct. 4, Elizabeth Garrels excitedly announced a transfer of ownership of Harlan-Lincoln House it’s very own new 501[c] (3) charitable organization.
“In collaboration with our lenders, Iowa Wesleyan University has transferred ownership of the Harlan-Lincoln House to its very own Iowa nonprofit corporation Harlan-Lincoln House Incorporated,” Secretary of the Iowa Wesleyan board of trustees and Chair of Harlan-Lincoln House Incorporated board of directors Elizabeth Garrels said. “The Harlan-Lincoln House is now an IRS 501[C] (3) designated charity.”
“The Harlan-Lincoln House Heritage Museum will continue,” Garrels announced from the porch of the house.
According to IW board of trustees Chair Robert Miller, getting a 501[C]3 usually takes six-nine months, but Garrels was able to obtain this designation in only 30 days.
“This steadfastness is a tangible reminder of its intertwined history with Iowa Wesleyan University,” Garrels continued. “Standing for nearly 150 years on the north edge of the former campus, the house and its artifacts are resources to tell the story of four generations of two famous families that of James and Eliza Harlan, and Robert and Mary Harlan Lincoln.”
Votes lean toward new candidates (Nov. 8)
The MPCSD Board elections filled the ballot as every seat required re-election following redistricting last year. With new seats for the board, seasoned board members along with new names appeared on the ballot with three contested races.
Angie Blint, current school board member, went head-to-head with Michael Hampton and Dana Millard for two At-Large four-year terms on the MPCSD Board. Blint remains on the board and became the new board President. She is joined by newcomer Michael Hampton.
While Hampton is new to the school board, he is not new to education or even the Mt. Pleasant Community School District. Hampton taught Government, European, and World History at Mt. Pleasant Community High School for 23 years, coached a variety of sports for over 20 years, and has served as an active member of the Mt. Pleasant community for just as long.
“I’m excited to be able to serve the people of the Mt. Pleasant Community School District,” Hampton commented the morning following the election. “I’ve been in education my whole life and I want to be able to continue to serve the kids, the staff, the administration and the voters of this district.”
Josh Maher maintained a seat and beat out his competition for a seat, Kevin Sandersfeld for a two-year term At-Large position.
Sarah Donnolly earned enough votes to join the baord thanks to her passion and willingness to get involved readily apparent last year and early this year as she addressed concerns to the school board directly from a parent’s perspective multiple times.
“Well we did it! Now the hard work really begins!” Donnolly posted to her MPCSD Board campaign Facebook page. “But first, I really have to say a huge Thank You to my family, friends, and the many people I spoke with over the last few months who supported me in countless ways!”
First Miss Mt. Pleasant and Outstanding Teen crowned then placed as Miss Iowa finalists (Jan. 30/June 14)
The new Miss Mount Pleasant Scholarship Program crowned Mariah Martinez as the first Miss Mt. Pleasant and Elizabeth Maine as the first Miss Mt. Pleasant Outstanding Teen at the Heatilator Performing Arts Center, Saturday, Jan. 28.
An audience sprinkled with sparkling crowns filled the Heatilator Performing Arts center as Five young women competed for the title of Miss Mt. Pleasant, and four teenagers competed for the Outstanding Teen title.
In a beautiful light pink sparkling gown, chosen by her mother, Martinez accepted her crown as Miss Mt. Pleasant. Martinez is currently a third year special education educator at Rock Island and Milan School District. She aspires to be an Elementary Principal in the future.
Miss Mt. Pleasant Outstanding Teen Elizabeth Maine from Wapello hopes to become a high school math teacher and dance coach in the future.
Later in the year, for the first time ever, a Miss Mt. Pleasant and a Miss Mt. Pleasant Outstanding teen took the stage to compete at Miss Iowa in at the Adler Theater in Davenport.
Martinez finished in the top 10 Miss finalists, while Maine earned second runner-up for Miss Iowa’s Outstanding Teen.
“They both did very well, and they were both very happy with their performances,” Miss Mt. Pleasant Scholarship Program Director Emily Folker said.
Henry County's Kalayna Durr crowned 2023 Iowa State Fair Queen (Aug. 13)
Kalayna Durr, 18, of Henry County, was crowned the 2023 Iowa State Fair Queen by Darwin Gaudian, president of the Fair Board, and Mary Ann Fox, the 2022 Fair Queen.
This year's ceremony took place on Saturday evening at the Anne and Bill Riley Stage sponsored by Pepsi with media sponsor iHeart Radio. The 2023 Iowa State Fair Queen Coronation is presented by Nature Hill with Spirulux.
The daughter of Tony and Ann Durr, Daniel Hester and Deana Boecker, Kalayna was chosen out of the 104 contestants who participated in this year's competition. All had been crowned queen of their respective county fairs prior to the State Fair.
For her last summer before entering the new adventure of college, Durr decided to listen to the prompting of her family and friends and throw her hat into the ring for Henry County Fair Queen, and ultimately earning the title of Iowa State Fair Queen only a few short weeks later.
“Like I said during my county fair queen interview, I wasn't going to run at all, but everybody convinced me to,” Durr said. “so, you know, listen to the people that know you best because they're your biggest supporters and know you better than yourself sometimes. So, you know, just advice from other people and don't be afraid to go for it.”
As surprised as she was to earn the title of Henry County Fair Queen, Durr says she was even more surprised to win Iowa State Fair Queen.
“I didn't expect it at all,” she said of winning the honor. “I think I didn't expect it, but I was scared that they wouldn't necessarily notice me because I'm so involved in ag and showing. I was scared that was going to alter how they saw me, I guess you could say, but obviously that wasn't the case.”
Local women honored at DAR 100-year anniversary (March 29)
On Thursday, March 24, 1923, a group of women led by Ella Rosemond Mackin gathered in Mt. Pleasant to form the James Harlan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and they still gather to this day.
As Women History month began to wind down, the James Harlan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) fittingly drew a crowd of willful and wonderful women a 100 years later to celebrate Saturday, March 25.
During their 100-year anniversary celebration James Harlan DAR Regent Gayle Olson bestowed the chapter’s first two Women in American History Awards to Lugene “Lucky” Krieger and posthumously to Joy Conwell.
“The Daughters of the American Revolution present the Women in American History Award to a woman who is making or has made a difference in their community and serves as an example in her contributions of the areas of education, religion, social, scientific, or cultural innovation.” Olson began. “We’re so proud of the first recipients we have chosen. We are so proud of all they have done to help our community and are so pleased to be able to present these awards to them today.”
Children and adults discover the joys of the new Discovery Center (March 22)
Adults and children alike enjoyed imaginative and creative play at the Mt. Pleasant Public Library’s Children’s Discovery Center grand opening, Saturday following a ribbon cutting with the Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce.
Upon entering the colorful Discovery Center, children young and old let their imaginations lead the charge as they discovered opportunities to create buildings, music, and imaginative scenarios.
Shortly before the country locked down due to the Pandemic in 2020, the Children’s Department hosted a soft opening for the center. Since then, library staff have worked tirelessly to make the space even bigger and better.
“They cut down half of that wall,” Scheitlin explained as she pointed toward a bright yellow wall.
According to the Children Department’s Assistant Director Tia Scheitlin, during the lockdown, a section of the basement where the center is located flooded.
“We didn’t have as much of this,” Scheitlin said of the opening in 2020. “We just had a little bit of stuff because we wanted to see what families liked to do … We added more to it.”
The brightly colored walls welcome families and children to a space ready for imaginative play and childhood exploration. Freehand chalk drawings by Scheitlin add more whimsy to the space. A PVC pipe system located near the pretend kitchen area travels across two rooms of the center for children to send secret messages to one another.
Mt. Pleasant FFA celebrates test plot success (Dec. 20)
Over a year after it’s conception, the Mt. Pleasant FFA and high school agriculture classes celebrate the success of their inaugural test plot made possible through many generous donations.
Chapter members Chase VanBibber Cohen Aplara, and Dakota Lange began efforts to establish a test plot for Mt. Pleasant Community High School Agricultural classes and the Mt. Pleasant FFA Chapter to establish their first student led farming operation in September 2022.
Students broke ground on four acres of land donated by Wellspring Evangelical Free Church and Randy Seeberg April 12 and harvested Oct. 21.
Their first harvest, despite an abnormally dry year, yielded 196 bushels per acre, or 786 bushels total, which gave a total revenue of $3,448.70 at $4.39 per bushel.
“The total revenue of the harvest is put into an account to build up the financial standing of the test plot so one day we don't have to ask for donations and can pay for it ourselves,” VanBibber said.
The Mt. Pleasant FFA program and MPCSD Agricultural classes would like to thank all those that made this success possible.
“Had it not been for your support, advice, and generous donations we would not have been able to accomplish our goals,” VanBibber wrote in a letter about the project. “Our hope is to expand this endeavor with additional acres for Mt. Pleasant FFA members and ag classes in the future.”
Dome sweet dome! WMU to state football semifinals
GILBERTVILLE — Nearly 25 years after the last Winfield-Mount Union football team played at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, the Wolves are finally going back.
Top-ranked WMU survived an absolute dogfight on the Don Bosco football field in Gilbertville. A heavyweight fight saw the Wolves staging to a five-point lead in the final seconds, when the final Don Bosco drive ended with a throw to the end zone, where senior Cole Milks lept up and picked off the potential game-winning pass right at the goal-line on the final play of the game.
Milks, who had been landed on awkwardly in the first half, was playing with a bad shoulder, yet somehow managed to come up with the game-saving play in front of a raucous crowd of both home and visiting fans.
“I barely caught it,” said Milks. “I don't know how. I gave it everything I had left.”
Don Bosco had rallied from a 34-22 fourth quarter deficit. Star quarterback Kaiden Knaack scored on a run with 6:29 remaining, and had marched his team down the field on a drive that started with 2:35 left on the clock, inside the Dons’ 15-yard line. Knaack had already run for three touchdowns and thrown for one in the contest.
“I don't know if I even remember it happening,” said WMU head coach Scott McCarty about the final play. “I watched him. He squirted out, and I was worried he was going to take off.”
On a drive that included a 4th-and-9 conversion, Don Bosco had a first down at the 12-yard line with 26 seconds on the clock. The Dons had run out of timeouts, but the Wolves’ backs were squarely against the wall.
Not only was Milks playing hurt, but two of WMU’s best defenders had been knocked out of the game. Junior Lane Genkinger, who has been a postseason standout was injured on the opening drive, and senior Cam Buffington, who came into the game hurt, went out in the fourth quarter.
Genkinger, Buffington, and what seemed like the entire WMU school district stood inches away from the field, trying to will the Wolves’ defense to one final stop.
“My gut was just wrenched,” said Buffington. “If something happened when I wasn't in there, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.”
After a first down incompletion, Knaack fell victim to a sack when Eli Miller and Cooper Buffington bull rushed into the backfield, and the ladder wrestled Knaack down to the ground. The Dons had to waste the third down play on a spike, and that left just one more chance to win it.
Fortunately, Milks’ interception was instead the exclamation mark on the Wolves’ run to the Dome.
“Our defense has been huge all night,” McCarty said. “I'm super proud of our defensive guys.”
After falling into an early hole when Don Bosco scored on the first drive, WMU took its first lead midway through the first quarter when Jake Edwards found Abram Edwards on a 23-yard touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion made it 8-6, where it stood until the end of the opening period.
WMU stretched that lead to 14-6, when Jake Edwards found Miller on a nine-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. Don Bosco, however, would tie it at 14-14 shortly after.
Cam Buffington’s first carries of the game came late in the third quarter after an Abram Edwards fumble recovery. The senior star, who came in with a lower-body injury, carried the ball twice in a row from the 11-yard line. The first took the ball to the goal line, and the second punched it in. The two-point conversion made it 22-14.
Don Bosco scored a big touchdown with just 24 seconds left in the half. The Dons completed a 23-yard touchdown pass, and the two-point conversion tied the game at 22-22 before halftime.
Despite being hampered with injuries and giving up momentum before the half, WMU was the sharper team in the third quarter. The Wolves broke the tie on a 56-yard touchdown pass, as a scrambling Edwards found Carter Loyd wide-open down the sideline for the biggest offensive play of the night.
“We've been run-heavy all year,” said Abram Edwards after the game. “We showed today that we can come out and pass the ball.”
WMU scored once more in the third, giving the ball to Cam Buffington from two-yards out. Both two-point conversions failed, however, leaving the score at 34-22.
After Don Bosco’s fourth-quarter score made it 34-29, the Wolves were forced to punt, leading to the final intense drive, which was ended by the Milks interception.
Jake Edwards threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns in the game. The junior quarterback spread the ball out to three receivers, but Loyd had the biggest night, catching three passes for 106 yards and one touchdown.
Abram Edwards caught three passes as well. He went for 75 yards and one score. Miller caught three balls for 25 yards and a touchdown.
Milks had just four carries on the night, but he led the team with 54 yards. Cam Buffington ended the night with 46 yards and two touchdowns.
Kael Johnson led the defense with 10 tackles on the night. Loyd had nine tackles, and both Miller and Abram Edwards had eight.
Abram Edwards’ fumble recovery and Milks’ interception were the only two takeaways in the game.
The top-ranked Wolves, now 11-0, will face Bishop Garrigan (10-1) in the Class 8-Player semifinals on Wednesday at 10 a.m. No. 3 Bedford (11-0) and No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (10-1) will play in the second semifinal.
“The whole town basically came out today,” said Jake Edwards. “I can only imagine what it's going to be like next week when we're playing for a lot more.”
Destiny fulfilled! New London basketball to state
SOLON — It’s not easy to get to the state tournament. The New London boys basketball team knows this all too well.
That’s why Saturday night’s Class 1A Substate 4 final was so significant. The Tigers broke a streak of five years of promising seasons falling short with a thrilling 70-69 overtime win over Marquette Catholic, and for the first time in six years, New London is going to the state tournament.
“It means everything,” said senior Blaise Porter, who has been a varsity standout since freshman year. “The last three years, we came up short. It just means everything.”
It was another longtime star who got things going for New London. Kade Benjamin was dominant in the first quarter, as the Tiger big man had 10 first quarter points. Marquette, however, held a 16-14 lead after the first quarter.
New London temporarily took back the lead early in the second period with the help of two clutch 3-pointers by Rylan Martin, who sank two-straight shots to send the New London crowd into a frenzy.
“I'm not really a basketball player at all, but when I hit those 3-pointers, I like to really celebrate,” said Martin. “I like to let people know.”
Marquette, however, had the upper hand down the stretch in the first half. New London failed to take the lead on its final chance, and a couple of free throws earned when Porter got caught fouling on a half-court heave put the Tigers down 36-33 at the break.
After scoring just four points in the first two quarters, it was Porter who found his rhythm in the third. Porter scored 10 points in the third quarter, and helped New London get up by two possessions. Marquette, however, closed out the third and tied the game up at 53-53.
The Tigers had their backs against the wall multiple times in the fourth quarter, but the two players who have led the team since they were freshman were ready to shine.
Down 57-55 with just over five minutes left, Benjamin came away with a steal just past half -court and busted down court for a game-tying dunk. Then, down 62-59 with 1:50 showing on the clock, Porter stole the ball at half-court and converted a game-tying 3-point play.
“It's just awesome to get them there,” said New London head coach Bryant Porter. “They've been itching and coming up short, and they finally put their heads together said 'we're going to do it this time.'”
Tied 62-62 both teams had a chance to win it. First, Porter’s layup attempt with eight seconds left fell just short, and then Marquette’s Evan Scott had not one, but two shots at the buzzer fall off the rim.
“That was probably the highest my heart rate has been, man,” said (Blaise) Porter. “I can't explain it.”
When overtime came, the big two kept on churning out points. Porter and Benjamin attacked the rim over and over, and eventually, New London found itself with a 70-67 lead and 35 seconds to go.
“I had plenty left,” Benjamin said. “I was going to leave it all out there.”
New London played tough defense, and Marquette had to settle for a two-point shot in the final 10 seconds. Although the shot went in, the Tigers could bleed out five seconds before throwing the ball in, and by the time Marquette had fouled junior Brendan Richey, only 0.3 seconds remained in the game.
“I thought the buzzer rang, so I was going crazy,” Martin said.
Martin and his teammates would be doing just that minutes later. After sorting out the clock situation, Richey hit back rim with his free throw, and Marquette’s full-court heave went wide left.
“I just looked at Kade and gave him a big hug,” said Porter. “We deserve it. Our team deserves it. Our coaches, and fans and communities deserve it.”
Porter ended the night with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Benjamin finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Martin had eight points. Leo Gebauer scored six. Brigham Porter scored two, and Richey finished with a rebound and an assist.
“We've been at this for four years,” Benjamin said. “The fourth year at it, we finally got it.”
And the Tigers will get top-seeded Grand View Christian in the first round of the Class 1A state tournament. New London and Grand View will start off the tournament with a game at 10:30 a.m., on March 6.
“We're not just happy to be there,” said Coach Porter, who has now led the only two New London teams to the promised land. “We're going to compete. We want to keep playing.”
Mt. Pleasant secures SEC title
MT. PLEASANT — On Dec. 20 in Burlington, Mt. Pleasant fell victim to a buzzer-beating 3-point shot by Grayhound guard Christos Kantzavelos. Kantzavelos gave his team a two-point win, and cast a shadow over the Panthers’ conference championship dreams.
On Thursday night in Mt. Pleasant, the ninth-ranked Panthers made sure the Grayhounds were never in position to burn them again. Mt. Pleasant lead start to finish, beating the Grayhounds 67-57 in a game that decided the 2022-23 Southeast Conference title.
“I don't know if the Panthers are back,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Eric Rawson. “But they certainly were tonight.”
And back they were. Mt. Pleasant was not only back on top of Highway 34 rival Burlington after dropping the last four games in the series, but the Panthers were also back to celebrating a conference title for the first time since the back end of a 3-peat in 2017-18.
“I remember going to Wells Fargo and watching them,” said senior Carter Amos. “It's nice to know that we're the next team to do it.”
A packed crowd at Mt. Pleasant Community High School saw the Panthers absolutely dominate the first five minutes of the game. Mt. Pleasant at one point held a 17-2 advantage, threatening to run away with the game early.
“There's a lot of energy coming in,” said Panther senior Owen Vansickel. “We know how much we want to protect our home ground.”
The Panthers led 21-11 after one quarter, thanks in large part to 13 points from the starting posts, with Amos scoring seven first quarter points, and Nate Strout adding six.
Junior Payton Hagans took over much of the scoring in the second quarter. He had 14 points at halftime, but Mt. Pleasant’s lead was down to single digits, at 37-28.
A buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Vansickel helped the Panthers hold a 53-42 lead after three quarters. Burlington chiseled the advantage down to as little as three points, but the Grayhounds could never tie it back up.
“The focus and the energy was outstanding, and I just want to thank the community for the support,” said Coach Rawson. “That was a huge factor in the game.”
It was Mt. Pleasant’s 11th-straight win. The Panthers haven’t lost since the buzzer beater in Burlington.
“Since we've lost to them, that's all we've been thinking about,” said Amos. “The win streak going on right now has all kind of been gassed by that.”
Hagans finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists to lead Mt. Pleasant. Amos and Aaiden Ashton each had 13 points. Stroud finished with 11, and Vansickel added 10.
Mt. Pleasant is now 16-3 overall. The Panthers are 9-1 in SEC play, two games above Burlington and Washington with only one left to go. The Panthers play a non-conference home game against Ottumwa on Monday.
Bowlin ready to lead Panthers
MT. PLEASANT — It was 20 years ago that John Bowlin last put on the pads for the Mt. Pleasant Panthers. Now, 20 years later, he’ll be putting on the headset.
Bowlin accepted Mt. Pleasant football job this summer after a thinking long and hard about leaving Iowa Valley, where he has taught for 15 years.
“My wife and I, if we were ever going to consider going somewhere, it would be my hometown or hers,” Bowling said. “We were very happy at Iowa Valley, but it was the only thing that would pull us away from here.”
Bowlin has been the head coach at Iowa Valley for the past three years, where he most recently went 6-4. The Tigers are common opponents for the other three Henry County teams; New London, WACO and Winfield-Mount Union.
Bowlin will be moving to Mt. Pleasant with his wife and there kids, aged 7, 5 and 2. He says moving to a familiar community will ease the nerves of starting fresh.
“Having those familiar faces, and just good people just made us feel welcome,” Bowlin said. “That was a big thing for us coming that way.”
Bowlin was in high school when current Athletic Director Scott Lamm was hired, as well as current principal Mike Wilson. He played under former coach Bob Jensen.
“I’m excited,” Bowlin said. “I talked to Coach (Jensen) just last weekend, and he let me know how excited he was for, and I let him know how much I have appreciated him as a coach.”
After high school, Bowlin went on to play football at Coe College.
Bowlin will take over for a Mt. Pleasant team that has struggled mightily over the last two years. After going 20-14 from 2017-2019, the Panthers went 4-4 in 2020, 1-8 in 2021 and 0-9 in 2022.
Bowlin says he’s excited to get the ball rolling.
“They have athletes down there, and they have kids that I think will be able to get after it,” Bowlin said. “Little by little, we'll just try to progress as we go.”
Bowlin will work in the at-risk classroom at the high school. His wife also will be joining the high school, as an English teacher.
Bowlin’s first year at Mt. Pleasant will see him moving from a Class 8-Player coach to a Class 3A coach. He says he has been in contact with 11-Player coaches, who are helping him with the transition. The Panthers are going through a transition of their own already, as Mt. Pleasant moves back down to Class 3A from Class 4A this season.
