COLUMN: And the winner is...

     We’re not doing full-fledged year-end reviews for sports and news as we have done in years past. Nor are we having any sort of vote-for-the-biggest-story pieces, which we have done the past few years with varying degrees of success.

     But there were too many cool things that happened in area sports in 2017, as far as I’m concerned, to let the calendar change without one more mention.

     So I’ve created several fictional “awards” for many of the things that happened. It’s possible I cheated, just a bit, by tailoring the names of the awards to fit the event.

     The envelopes please…

     Best Batting Average: Figuratively speaking, that is. The Monticello High School dance team went 3-for-3 at the ISDTA state championships, winning all three of the categories it entered: Contemporary, Jazz and Pom.

     Team Consistency Award: The Panther girls cross country team earned the state runner-up trophy at State, giving Monticello its fourth straight top-two finish.

     Team Consistency Award, Vol. II: The boys cross country team has now reached State for 21 straight years, a streak that started before any of the current Panthers were born.

     Individual Consistency Award: Paige Holub completed her outstanding cross country career by finishing in the top four at State for the fourth straight year.

     Near-miss Award: The Monticello girls track team finished fourth at the state meet, despite scoring more points than its 2016 third place team. The season included a state title for the 4x800 relay team of Paige Holub, Taylor McDonald, Jordyn Patterson and Corinne Gadient. Also, Gadient finished second in the 800 at the Drake Relays.

     Best End of a Drought: Monticello won a division title in baseball, the first conference title for a Panther baseball squad in 51 years. The season also included a perfect game pitched by Ryan Manternach.

     Breaking Through Award: The MHS volleyball team won a conference tournament title in 2005. But its co-division title in 2017 was its first regular season conference title of any kind in school history.

     Moving Up the Ladder Award: Chase Luensman reached the state tournament podium in his second year there, finishing fifth in Class 2A at 120 pounds.

     Girl Power Award: Alaina Sunlin became the first MHS female wrestler to reach the district tournament.

     Best Team Debut: Monticello’s first-ever high school bowling teams swept Cascade in the first match in school history, winning the boys’ and girls’ varsity and JV matches.

     Down-to-the-Wire Award: For the second straight year, the Panther football team won the Cowbell Trophy game over Anamosa in the closing minutes. This time it was a two-point conversion run by Max Keleher with 2:34 to play to secure a 42-41 win.

     Best Maquoketa Valley Highlight: Alec McDowell was state Class 1A wrestling champion at 182 pounds.

     Best Midland Highlight: Midland’s football team pulled out a dramatic state quarterfinal win over Tripoli to reach the state eight-player semifinals at the UNI-Dome for the second straight year.

     Local-Coach-Makes-Good Award: The Greg Stephen-coached Iowa Barnstormers Class of 2019 boys basketball team won the Adidas Gauntlet Tournament in South Carolina.

     Best Family Story: Bruce Menster’s fifth career 300 game was made more special because his bowling team also includes his two sons.

     Most Surprising Weather Event: In sharp contrast to this world of rising temperatures, your local sports editor sought shelter during the State Track Meet in May because it was … too cold.