College athletes update: Colfax and Elk Mound

By Cara L. Dempski

A pair of tracksters and pair of batsmen are just four of the Colfax and Elk Mound athletes who have gone on to play spring sports as college students.

The quartet of Heidi Lieffort (UW-Stout Track and Field), Jonah Bauer (UW-LaCrosse Track and Field), Cole Tyman (College of St. Scholastica Baseball) and Brandon Bohl (UW-Stout Baseball) forms two thirds of the group of six athletes from the Viking and Mounder spring programs who kept right on competing after high school.

All four athletes have had great opportunities in their college careers, with Lieffort being named an all-region thrower for discus this season and qualifying for nationals, Bauer qualifying for nationals, and Tyman and Bohl playing this summer for the Eau Claire Cavaliers and Menomonie Eagles.

Isaac Lee of Colfax, Emma Hayes of Elk Mound also competed at the college level. Attempts to reach their coaches at UW-Stout (Lee) and UW-River Falls (Hayes) were unsuccessful.

Heidi Lieffort

Former Viking athlete Heidi Lieffort is a junior at UW-Stout and competes as a thrower on the Blue Devils’ women’s track and field team.

The environmental science major also ranked second in discus in the Midwest Region, and fifth nationally, in the NCAA Division III women’s discus. She earned the distinction with a 160-00 throw at the St. Mary’s Open held April 29 in Winona, Minnesota.

The thrower concentrated on discus and javelin for the 2017 outdoor track season, and increased her distance nearly 40 feet from her first throw of the season, a distance of 122-10 at the Willie Williams Classic in Arizona in March. Her previous personal best was 141-06, set in 2016.

Blue Devil throwing coach Kody Zahrte described Lieffort as an incredible athlete.

“She’s had the physical talent to throw far ever since I met her,” Zahrte stated. “But this year she really learned how to relax into her throw, and with that, it took her to the next level.”

Lieffort earned a birth in the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, the weekend of May 25-27. She was one of six members of the Blue Devils track team to travel to the meet.

The UW-Stout thrower earned eighth place in the women’s discus with a throw of 143.08 in her first year of competition at the national level.

Jonah Bauer

The head track coach at UW-LaCrosse, Matthew Gordy, made no bones about his feelings regarding Jonah Bauer.

“Getting Jonah to UW-LaCrosse had been a priority of mine since he was a sophomore,” Gordy explained. “He has been competitive at the state level since his freshman year, and won an individual title as a sophomore.”

While Gordy saw a few areas where Bauer could improve, he also knew that once those blemishes were cleared, Bauer could be highly competitive at the college level.

The first-year Eagle sprinter took some time to adjust to the college program after being Elk Mound’s top competitor for most of his high school career. Gordy noted Bauer found teammates who would push him, guide him, and challenge him in ways he had not previously experienced. The UW-LaCrosse coach said the former Mounder had adopted a more broad-minded, team-based approach by the end of the 2017 outdoor season, and seemed to have a better understanding of how individual competitors contribute to the team’s success.

All that, and the Elk Mound sprinter had to sit out part of the indoor season due to a hip injury last fall and hamstring tendonitis by the middle of the indoor competition season. Tendonitis can take a very long time to heal, which hindered what Bauer could do outdoors.

Injury aside, the newly-minted Eagle runner qualified for nationals in the 60m and 200m dashes, earning all-American honors in the 60m race. The UW-LaCrosse men’s team tied for the indoor national title, and Gordy said Bauer’s contribution was essential in earning that win. Bauer also was part of the conference-winning, national-qualifying 400m relay team.

Sadly, the first-year runner was experiencing pain and discomfort in his hamstrings, and opted to let another athlete take his place in the race.

Bauer’s coaches and former teachers will be pleased to know he has not lost his curiosity, his ability to absorb information, or his need for precision.

Gordy said he discovered Bauer’s ability to take in and use information he is given early in the outdoor season. He also said the former Elk Mound sprinter has caused some amusement with all his questions.

“The second I think I’ve answered everything, he (Bauer) will approach me to ask three more questions,” Gordy said of the Mounder sprinter. “I used to poke fun at him for it, because as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow, Jonah will have more questions.”

The Eagles’ coach said he is accustomed to silent freshmen, but seemed to appreciate Bauer’s willingness to learn.

Brandon Bohl

Brandon Bohl’s passion for the game is what drew the eye of UW-Stout baseball coach Ben Kincaid.

“He (Bohl) is kind of a quiet kid, but he shows his passion for his team on the mound and in the dugout,” Kincaid noted. “That type of player is what I look for when I recruit. Whenever we talked before his arrival to Stout, he was always excited to get on the mound and show us what he has.”

Kincaid said Bohl has been fun to work with. He described Bohl as having a strong work ethic that makes him stand out from other players. The Blue Devil coach indicated the former Mounder always wants to learn more about the game and how he can become a better pitcher.

The head coach for Stout said Bohl will likely see a lot more innings next season after he came in 2016 and had difficulty adjusting.

“He will be a guy we call on to get the job done when we need him to,” Kincaid explained. “I am excited to see how he develops as a pitcher and as a person.”

Bohl will spend his summer playing for the Menomonie Eagles, along with future UW-Stout teammate and former Dunn-St. Croix rival James Palmer of Boyceville.

Cole Tyman

Former Mounder pitcher Cole Tyman seems to have found his niche at the College of St. Scholastica. The Elk Mound hurler saw only two varsity games in the 2017 season, but appeared in almost all of the junior varsity games according to head coach Corey Klemp.

The first-year Saints’ player had to make some adjustments in 2017, particularly in batting, but his efforts were definitely noticed by the St. Scholastica coaching staff.

“We asked Cole to make a lot of changes to his swing to help develop him as a hitter,” Klemp indicated. “Our coaching staff was pleased to see his progress during first year, and we expect him to continue to get better.”

Tyman will have ample opportunity to practice what he learned during his first college season when he plays with the Eau Claire Cavaliers this summer. Klemp said the opportunity to play with the Cavaliers will be a good chance for him to work on his approach and get in plenty of at bats to continue his learning curve.

Klemp also said Tyman is a trustworthy person who earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. The former Mounder is described as engaged in games and training sessions, and the Saints’ coach said Tyman shows a strong passion for being part of St. Scholastica’s program.

“I am looking forward to seeing how Cole’s hard work will impact our team as he continues his career in college with us in the fall,” Klemp finished.