“Emma will bring a great work ethic to practice every day and I believe she’ll immediately compete for playing time this fall,” Kehr said. “Emma is a gifted student and will be a great fit on the Hesston campus.”

Cloud is the daughter of Don and Dorothy Cloud, Chandler, Ariz. The family attends Koinonia Mennonite Church in Chandler.

“Brooke will do a good job of providing quality crosses from the midfield next fall,” Kehr said. “She made good connections with players when she visited Hesston and I think she’ll bring a positive attitude to the program and be a great student athlete for our campus.”

Brooke is the daughter of Luke and Beth Hodgson, Dacula.

“Jasmin will be a great fit in the Hesston College soccer program,” Kehr said. “We expect her to make a significant contribution on the field next fall and we are excited with the talent she brings to the team.”

Yoder is the daughter of Dean and Lola Yoder, Sweet Home. The family attends Sweet Home Mennonite Church.

Roth averaged 9.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for Hesston High his senior year, helping the Swathers reach the state tournament. He was a second-team all-league selection following his senior year.

“Eyan is the type of athlete that makes any team better,” Galyon said. “He’s a great competitor who plays hard every possession. Eyan will help us, especially on the defensive side of the ball.”

Roth is a member of Whitestone Mennonite Church, Hesston, where he is active in the youth group and praise team. He will pursue studies towards a biology degree at Hesston.

Roth is the son of Clark and Deb Roth, Hesston.

“We are extremely excited and proud of Joe, Nolan and Andrew,” Ramseyer said. “They are going to schools that are good fits for them where they will have a chance to contribute. It was very important to me to have strong leadership this year, and we certainly had that from our sophomore class. These guys have worked exceptionally hard and have been great for our program.”

For Smith, Hesston became a home-away-from-home, and playing for the Larks has afforded him opportunities that were not there after high school.

“On the baseball field, Hesston became a proving ground for me,” he said. “I had a few offers to play college ball after high school but that offer sheet more than doubled after I came here. We played a great schedule, and I think that will help me at the next level. Off the field, Hesston was an amazing experience, too. I built great relationships with people all across campus and really enjoyed my time at Hesston.”

“At Hesston we look for guys who can impact our baseball program and our campus,” Ramseyer said. “I want them to succeed in the classroom, on the field and make a positive contribution in the community. Nolan, Andrew and Joe did just that, and I’m proud to see them moving on as student athletes.”

“I was very pleased with our year,” said first-year Hesston coach Rob Ramseyer. “Our guys worked exceptionally hard and improved everyday. I am especially grateful for the hard work and commitment of our sophomore class. We played pretty good baseball at the regional. We had a lead on Dodge City late and made a few mistakes that cost us.  Sophomores Andrew Pina, Joe Smith and Logan Rierson were very good offensively for us and Nolan Huelsmann finished his Hesston career by throwing very well against Dodge City.”

Hesston Baseball has now recorded four consecutive winning seasons.

“I’m extremely proud of our kids and how hard they played this weekend,” said Hesston coach Andrew Sharp. “We came together in the last few weeks of the year and played our best softball when it mattered most. Our players represented Hesston College very well throughout the season.”

The Larks end the year with 23 wins, a new school record.

“We played well yesterday,” Ramseyer said. “Our guys showed great character in game one coming back from an early deficit and then carried that momentum into game two. We feel like we are set up to play well in the postseason. Our goal all year was to peak at the beginning of May. We are swinging the bats well and are guys are competing exceptionally hard.”

Dodge City (Kan.) Community College will host the three-team regional starting Friday, May 4, with the Larks squaring off against Brown Mackie at a time yet to be announced.

Freshman Preston Hornbeck (McKinney, Texas) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI in the opener, while Joe Smith (Hartville, Ohio), Andrew Pina (Goddard, Kan.) and Seth Davenport (McPherson, Kan.) each had a hit and an RBI. Smith got the win on the mound for the Larks.

Hesston finishes its Region VI schedule with a doubleheader at Brown Mackie College (Salina, Kan.) on Monday, April 30, at 1 p.m.

Pitcher Erin Albrecht (Sebewaing, Mich.) did it all for the Larks in game one, as the freshman threw seven frames to earn the win and had a crucial two-run double in the sixth inning that put Hesston up 3-1. Freshman Hayley Gately (Roseville, Calif.) put the game away with a two-run homerun later in the sixth to make it a four-run lead.

Game two saw Dodge City race out to a commanding 5-0 lead after two innings and later extend the lead to 8-4 after Hesston had crept to within 5-4. Down four runs heading into the sixth, the Larks tied the game with a six-hit inning, highlighted by Gately’s two-run, two-out single to left to make it 8-8.

In the Hesston seventh, Ashlyn Knepp (Millerburg, Ind.) was hit by a pitch with two outs  and moved to second after a Brooke Beckerman (Inman, Kan.) walk. Albrecht then lofted a single down the left-field line that scored Knepp easily to give the Larks its first lead of the game. Albrecht nailed down the series win with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.

Hesston is one of four teams to play in this weekend’s Region VI, District D playoff in Topeka, with the winner advancing to the NJCAA Division II national tournament. The Larks square off with Labette Community College on Saturday, May 5 at 10 a.m. to open the tournament.

The award was created to recognize an outstanding male and female student athlete each year. Hesston coaches were able to nominate one of their players for the award, with votes from the entire department determining the winners. Rittenhouse and Wagner-Davis tied for Female Athlete of the Year in this year’s voting.

The new award, which recognizes excellence on the field, in the classroom, in the dorms and campus community, was created by a desire from the athletics department to acknowledge the outstanding men and women who represent Hesston College through athletics.

“Athletics play a pivotal role at Hesston College,” said athletic director Joel Kauffman. “We’re proud of what our student athletes contribute to our college, both in the athletic venue and around our campus and community. Pierre, Krista and Emily are excellent examples of the type of athletes we look for at Hesston College.”

Zook led the nation in three-pointers with 127, setting a career mark in that category at Hesston. As a captain, he averaged more than 20 points per game and will lead a strong returning class for the Larks in 2012-13.

“Pierre continues to grow and be challenged while challenging others,” said Hesston men’s basketball coach Dustin Galyon. “He pursues his life with integrity and is a terrific leader, and I’m excited to see what he can do next year.”

Rittenhouse capped off an outstanding career by representing the Larks at the NJCAA National Cross Country Championship Race in Hobbs, N.M., in November, finishing 47^th out of 268 runners with a time of 20:53.57. A team captain, Rittenhouse was a 2011-12 Academic All-American.

“It has been a pleasure to coach Krista the last two years,” said Hesston cross country coach Gerry Sieber. She brought an infectious enthusiasm for running and training which was a real gift for our team. Krista is a kind, caring, servant leader.”

Wagner-Davis, an Academic All-American, ranks second in all-time hits at Hesston College and sixth in career runs batted in. She started every game of her career with the Larks and served as team captain in 2011-12.

“Emily represents everything I look for in a Hesston College softball player,” said Hesston softball coach Andrew Sharp. “She’s a team leader, a tremendous competitor and has a heart for serving others. She will be missed.”

A Southeast Iowa Conference honorable mention player in volleyball and track in 2011, Wyse earned the Coaches Award for those sports during her junior year. She is a three-time state-qualifier in track through her junior year.

An accomplished student, Wyse received all-conference academic team honors in track her junior year. She attends Bethel Mennonite Church, Wayland, Iowa, and is active in the youth group there.

“I’m excited about Sierra’s decision to join our cross country program,” Sieber said. “Sierra was a good high school track athlete and I expect her to adapt well to cross country training and make a great contribution to our women’s program.”

Wyse is the daughter of Ron and Susan Wyse, Mt. Pleasant.