They’re both considered generational talents, if not all-time greats. In our area, though, we were lucky enough to catch lightning in a bottle twice during a span of less than a decade. Elle Ruffridge. Audi Crooks. The former was a dynamic, diminutive ball of fire from Pocahontas Area. ...

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Andi Adams couldn’t help but laugh — mostly, I’m sure, to hide the nerves. Her daughter, Jalen, was getting ready to pitch as a true freshman for the University of Iowa against the top-ranked softball program in the nation, UCLA, on Friday. One of her other ...

AMES — Don Miller’s name will forever be synonymous with wrestling in our area. The same could easily be said for the Fort Dodge legend’s impact on the programs at Iowa State University and the University of Wyoming. The long-time Dodger head coach and athletic director is being honored ...

I’m often asked about the greatest athletes in Fort Dodge city history. I have lived here for 34 years now, and I’ve been an avid sports fanatic since day one. This is my 23rd “season” as Sports Editor at The Messenger — the paper I first joined as a part-timer in the fall of ...

In sports, there really is no such thing as a guarantee. However, Dee Brown has certainly created something very, very close to just that. Brown’s Iowa Central cross country program swept the Region XI Championships on Sunday at Lakeside Golf Course. They also maintained control of the ...

The crown jewel of Fort Dodge championship hospitality has always been the state softball tournament, now 53 years and nearly one million all-time spectators strong. What many people may not know is that next year will mark our community’s 30th anniversary of hosting the co-ed state cross ...