Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Mariah Myers of St. Edmond makes a play during the regular season. The Gael junior was named a first team all-state softball selection by the IGCA.

St. Edmond’s banner run to the state softball tournament garnered the squad elite postseason honors.

For the third time in school history, the Gaels reached the state semifinals. This week they reaped the benefits by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

Junior Mariah Myers was picked to the first team, while senior Kaili Henning was on the second squad and sophomore Faith Shirbroun earned an honorable mention pick.

“It’s great for the school and the younger kids to see the accolades these girls get,” said St. Edmond assistant Bill Myers, who filled in for an interview with head coach Bill Shirbroun currently in Canada. “It should drive our underclassmen to work hard and someday, achieve what they can.”

Bishop Garrigan senior Abbie Capesius was on the first team in Class 1A from the area, as was Newell-Fonda’s Kierra Jungers.

This is Myers’ second time on the top squad, as she was a Class 5A first teamer for Fort Dodge as a freshman. The University of Iowa recruit was also a third-team pick as an eighth-grader.

The Gael senior-to-be became the program’s first all-state first teamer since Maggie Harvey and Amanda Lansman both made it in 2015.

Myers’ on base percentage of .732 was tops in the state. She was fourth overall and second in Class 1A with 14 home runs.

Myers was also third in the state with a .623 batting average.

Henning, the squad’s lone senior, has now been on the 1A second team for three straight years.

“Nobody works harder than Mariah,” Myers said. “She would be disappointed if she didn’t make the first team. It’s great to see the other coaches recognizing her.”

Henning, who is headed to Loras later this month, went 16-3 in her final season and boasted a 2.34 ERA with 161 strikeouts. At the plate Henning batted .347 with 35 RBI on 37 hits.

“Kaili was definitely first-team material,” Myers said. “She pitched phenomenal this season. We are going to miss her a lot and wish her the best at Loras.”

Shirbroun, a third teamer as a freshman, blasted seven home runs and drove in 28 runs with 34 hits. She scored 46 runs and stole 35 bases.

“Faith and Mariah would always work together in the offseason — every day,” Myers said. “She put a lot of time in the weight room and added on a lot of muscle.

“There are a lot of good things to come for her.”

The Gaels are slated to return eight starters from the 2024 ballclub.

“We start open gym in August,” Myers said. “This is a building block for what we want to continue to accompish as a program moving forward.”

Capesius, who was on the second team as a junior, batted .506 for the Golden Bears with 13 homers and 47 RBI. She recorded 40 hits and scored 36 times.

Jungers, who was on the first team as a sophomore and second team as a freshman and an eighth-grader, finished the year with a 19-4 record and sported an 0.74 ERA, striking out 258 batters. At the plate, the DMACC recruit batted .365 with 24 RBI and 38 hits.

Four Messenger-area players accrued additional postseason honors. Webster City senior Delainey Bargfrede was on the third team (Class 4A) for a third straight season, Southeast Valley senior Chloe Lambert (3A) was a third-teamer, as was Newell-Fonda senior Isabel Bartek (1A).

Newell-Fonda junior Kinzee Hinders was an honorable-mention choice.

Bargfrede finished the year 15-6 in the circle with a 1.16 ERA and 218 strikeouts. She also hit .376 at the plate with 32 hits and 19 RBI.

Lambert hit .556 and drove in 28 runs with 50 hits.

Bartek hit .438 with 46 hits and scored 47 runs, while swiping 43 bases. Hinders drove in 34 runs on 35 hits and scored 41 runs.