Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Channel Seeds Field sits vacant at Rogers Park before the state softball tournament began in Fort Dodge. Forty teams from around Iowa competed for titles in five classes this week. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Erin Gerlich was able to exhale a little in Fort Dodge this week after a whirlwind first few months as the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s new executive director.

There are always moving pieces and plenty of pressure that comes with Gerlich’s new role at the top. And while both evolution and change is constant in softball — like every other sport — there is also a sense of comfort and confidence in knowing Rogers Sports Complex has been the tournament’s home for 54 consecutive years and counting.

“There are many things to love about having state softball in Fort Dodge,” Gerlich said. “First and foremost for us, it’s the deep relationships we have with the people here who work alongside us. Lori (Branderhorst), Hannah (Angstrom), Chad (Graaf), Alexis (Wolfe) and their respective staffs have always felt like an extension of our staff, so it’s easy for us to remain on the same page while looking forward to the future together. They understand our organization, who we serve, and what we are about.

“There is zero doubt that the City of Fort Dodge values our organization and this event, and we feel that every single time we come to spend the week here. They truly make IGHSAU softball the crown jewel of the summer.”

A native of Panora, Gerlich officially took over for Jean Berger this past spring. Berger had announced her retirement in February.

Gerlich previously served as the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association president, and was the middle and high school activities director in the Panorama Community School District. She moved into the executive director role after her time as an associate director and sports administrator under Berger with the IGHSAU.

“Transitioning to the executive director role in the spring during our busiest time was a bit tricky, since I was also serving as the sport administrator for tennis,” said Gerlich, an Iowa State University graduate who also has a Master’s Degree from Oklahoma State University. “Making sure that I didn’t drop the ball in learning my new responsibilities while creating the best possible postseason experience for tennis was something I felt passionately about.

“We have such a great staff at the IGHSAU, so I knew if we encountered any hiccups, we’d be able to troubleshoot and move forward — and that’s basically what we’ve done.”

Gerlich also spearheaded the girls wrestling movement as it became a sanctioned sport in Iowa a little over two years ago. She has been with the IGHSAU since 2021.

The Fort Dodge experience for softball is about more than just the tourney venue.

“We always hear from our teams that they also love the experience of staying in the Iowa Central Community College dorms, which is a unique partnership that provides great deals and quality housing for our teams for the week,” Gerlich said. “The constant work by both the IGHSAU and our friends in Fort Dodge to collaborate to make each (season) better than the last is what will keep us coming back here year after year.”

Gerlich noted the IGHSAU constantly strives to make the state experience as user-friendly and personalized as possible.

“We are sitting in a really great spot with our tournament venues and contracts,” Gerlich said. “We feel strongly about keeping our pink branding and all of the tournament ‘extras’ that we bring toward our tournament experience for all sports. I love that we continue to offer free live streaming of our tournament series for the sports we are able to capture, and we have no plans to change that.

“Our tournaments are filled with those traditional experiences, and while we don’t want to lose any of that ‘Iowa Girl’ charm, we are certainly always looking to add creativity and efficiency with our future planning.”

Both the format and use of Rogers Sports Complex may be changing in the years to come during state week.

“We are having a lot of continued conversation about a double-elimination tournament for our championship series,” Gerlich said. “For this to happen, there are some facility changes that we’d like to see. The addition of lights on more fields and general logistic considerations have been (a part of) the talks. It doesn’t make much sense for us to roll out a different format if we don’t have the ability to run that event the way it needs to be at a high level.

“The IGHSAU and the Parks and Recreation Department of Fort Dodge are working together to prioritize some large-scale improvements to the existing facility at Rogers Park for the near future. The investment that the city of Fort Dodge is willing to make in this space just increases our commitment to returning each year. We all love celebrating the Iowa Girl, and in Fort Dodge, we see it.”

THE CREDITS: Branderhorst (Director — Parks, Recreation and Forestry), Graaf (Grounds and Turf Superintendent), Angstrom (Assistant Parks and Rec. Director), Wolfe (Recreation Technician) and Sports Turf Technicians Ryan Zeka and Tom Miller provide the leadership both in the trenches and behind the scenes to help bring Rogers Sports Complex to life during tourney week.

Maintenance crew members Glenn Yenger, Matt McCrady, Seth Ramirez, Drayton Miller, Evan Pratt, Ty Adams, Carson Hanson, Justin Krog, Evan Zeka, Gavin Pederson, Zeke Pineda, Brady Major, Elijah Moore, Jordan Lessmeier and Josh Jass put in long hours of preparation and preservation both on the diamonds and around the park at Rogers Sports Complex. Program Supervisor Erin Arndt, Public Areas Superintendent Kevin Lunn, Public Areas Supervisor Aaron Steburg and Technical Operations Lead Rich Peterson all keep the engine humming as well.

Gerlich, Associate Director and Softball Administrator Jason Eslinger, Associate Director and Diamond Supervisor Gary Ross, Assistant Directors Taylor Anderson, Madison Melchert, Ben Van Wyk and Kiersten Schneider, Program and Art Coordinator Heidi Reed, Officials Coordinator Cathy Creighton, Diamond Supervisor Craig Snider and countless others are not only the collective face, but the heart and soul of the IGHSAU.

Tim Fitzpatrick, Rex Baker, Matt Bos and Josh Smith are serving as announcers this week. Konnie Snider, Jim Legvold, Ted Schultz and Tara Williams have been scoreboard operators, with Mike Yilek, Barb Baker, Patty Niedermyer, Chuck Schoffner, Mark Adkins and Ted Schultz keeping book.

Fort Dodge Parks and Recreation commission members are Michael Payne (chair), Mark Campbell (vice chair), Josh Calvert, Mary Jo Kirby, Sara Horn and Nik Moser.

THE UMPIRES: A special thanks goes out to the tournament umpires who put the time, effort and energy into keeping the games fair and the players safe.

Mark Amadeo, Paul Bird, Jerry Bowhay, Tom Burger, Greg Buster, Travis Chizek, Mike Christner, Ryne Christner, Brian Cole, Casey Conover, Cam Cooksey, Phil Creese, Todd Donels, Duane Duncan, Daryl Erickson, Tim Fredrickson, Mike Fry, Terry Giofreddi, Joe Havenhill, Al Hermsen, Jordan Hill, Myron Jack, Tom Jones, Bruce Keizer, Arnie Krukow, Mike Lang, Jason Lewis, Randy Link, Diedra Mohr, Kathy Munoz, John Nanhsen, Jeff Niehaus, Ed Oliver, Jeff Osborne, Jake Parker, Brian Pearce, Josh Perkins, Mark Schaefer, Aaron Schmidt, Keith Schmitz, Tom Schreuers, Mark Shea, Tom Sullivan, Raun Taylor, Tony Vandegriff, Gary Wax, Stan Wisnieski, Shane Weigel and Karl Wooldridge are the best of the best in action at Rogers Park this week.

HONOR ROLL: 2024 IGHSAU Softball Hall of Fame inductees are Kendyl Lindaman (Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial), Brittney Roby (Twin Cedars), Amber Fiser (Benton) and Haylee Towers (Johnston). Jill Hulsing of BGM is the Golden Plaque of Distinction honoree. Ex-North Linn standout Ellie Flanagan is the Jack North Softball Award recipient.

North Union’s Emily Meyer and Lauren Summers of West Burlington Notre Dame are the 100-game winners being recognized.

Delainey Bargfrede (Webster City) and Kierra Jungers (Newell-Fonda) will play in the 2024 IGCA All-Star Games in Waukee on Saturday.