1993 Girls Golf Team

The Pleasantville Trojans were your 1993 Class 1A Golf Champions. The team members of the 1993 team were: Natalie Phillips, Tara King, Amy Heaberlin, Angela Gordon, Lisa Thill, Erin Chapman, Danae Heaberlin, Kayla Woodside, Lori Calhoun, Andrea Danks, Missy Vroegh, Leann Jarvis, and Amy Miller. The 1993 team was coached by Dan Calhoun.

In the two-day, 36-hole tournament the girls walked away with first place by earning a 20 stroke margin over second place Hubbard-Radcliffe. Six members of the golf team traveled to Cedar Falls to participate in the state tournament. Despite the cold and rainy weather, the girls had a very successful two days of golf shooting a 768. Amy Miller was the Class 1A individual state champion shooting a 165.

Inducted in 2023

Lois Turnage

Lois Turnage was Pleasantville High School’s Dance Team coach for nearly 40 years. Turnage’s teams won a total of 30 state championships during her tenure.

One of her greatest joys was the impact she had on young people at Pleasantville and across the state of Iowa. She mentored hundreds of women, coaches, and dance parents through her role as “Coach T,” and helped shape the lives of those involved in Special Olympics, serving as their biggest advocate and number-one fan.

She retired from teaching in 2013 and the dance team in 2020. She continued to serve as President of the Iowa State Dance Team Association, coached the Special Olympics Dance Team, served as the Pleasantville Christian Church Board Chair, and was selected as a Bill Riley State Fair Talent Show Judge.

Inducted in 2023

Frank Jolly

Frank Jolly graduated from Pleasantville in 1954. After high school, he attended Iowa State University. While at Iowa State, he lettered in track and cross country 9 total times. Frank has 9 American patents and has helped entrepreneurs bring several products to the marketplace. He also promoted the idea of the Cora Shadle land donation to the city to be made into a park.

His experiments in the early 1960’s at Iowa State University included a Hydraulic motor which was way ahead of its time, and was the blueprint for electric drive systems. In the early 1960’s, Frank designed and built hydroelectric power generators for use in isolated communities without conventional infrastructure. He donated the design to the Peace Corps, which was built and installed in several third world countries. In 1969-1971 he invented and had copyrights on a series of over 30 teaching models which became the teaching supply company Edmark. They are still in use in high school and college Industrial Arts classrooms throughout the world today. In the early 1970s, Frank developed a magnetic typewriter paper which became a precursor to the earliest large-format floppy disc.

Frank was also inducted into the Pleasantville Hall of Fame as a member of the 1954 championship track team.

Inducted in 2023

Pat Myers

Pat Myers graduated from Pleasantville in 1955. Pat was a member of the 1954 state track championship team. Following graduation from Pleasantville High School, Pat attended the University of Iowa where he obtained his law degree. During his undergrad at the U of I, Pat was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and a member of the Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band.

Pat was very active in the Pleasantville community and high school athletics, having served on numerous boards and committees throughout the years. Pat sold the FFA livestock farm to the school at a very cheap price, officiated many JV games when Pleasantville needed someone, was the PA person for many years for Pleasantville football, and donated many hours mowing and taking care of the softball field. Pat was also a referee for high school basketball for 37 years and was inducted into the Iowa Girls Basketball Officials Hall of Fame in 2005.

Pat was also inducted into the Pleasantville Hall of Fame as a member of the 1954 championship track team.

Inducted in 2023

Linda (McGraw) Johns

Linda Johns graduated from Pleasantville in 1961. She is most known around Pleasantville for her excellence on the basketball court. Linda helped lead the Pleasantville Trojans to its only current state tournament qualifier in 1961. During the 1961 season, she was also selected as 3rd team all-state; when there was only one classification in the state of Iowa. In her career, Linda scored 2,411 points which ranks 4th all time at Pleasantville. Linda’s junior year she averaged 33 points per game for the season which held the record for 15 years. Linda’s senior year the team finished 22-3, and qualified for the state tournament. Her junior year, the team went 16-8, and her sophomore year the team went 22-2 and were the conference champions.

Linda has also been an excellent supporter and promoter of Pleasantville Activities, and you can often see her attending Trojan events. Linda joins her brother, Verle McGraw, and her nephew, Grant McGraw, in the Pleasantville Hall of Fame.

Inducted in 2023

Dan Calhoun

Dan Calhoun was the head girl’s golf coach at Pleasantville for 41 seasons before retiring after the 2016 season. He had a coaching record of 1,236 wins and 274 losses. While at Pleasantville, Dan’s teams won 27 conference titles, 28 district/regional championships, and 8 regional final championships.

Dan had 9 teams qualify for the state tournament with his 1993 & 2011 team winning state titles. He also coached the 1993 individual state medalist (Amy Miller). He was voted coach of the year 2 times in class 2A, and in 2017, he was inducted into the Golf Coaches Hall of Fame.

Dan graduated from Pleasantville in 1966, and he was also a longtime counselor for the school district. Dan and his wife, Ruth Ann, were very active in the community of Pleasantville.

Inducted in 2023

George Wares

George Wares graduated from Pleasantville in 1972. He is the winningest softball coach in NCAA Division III history, and in 2007, Wares was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame.

In the 37 seasons as Central Colleges head coach (starting in 1985), Wares has compiled a 1178-409-3 record (.741). He became the first Division III coach to record 1,000 wins on April 8, 2014 and has guided the Dutch to a record 30 NCAA Division III tournament berths. Wares piloted the Dutch to national championships in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 2003 with national runner-up finishes in 1986 and 2001. His 29 NCAA playoff teams have finished in the national top eight 13 times, with 14 regional tournament titles, including 2015.

Wares and his assistants were named the NFCA Division III coaching staff of the year in 2003. He has also won or shared the conference coach of the year award nine times.

Inducted in 2022

Carla Horstmann

Carla Horstmann graduated from Pleasantville in 1976.  While at Pleasantville, Carla earned four varsity letters in basketball, four varsity letters in track, four varsity letters in softball and one varsity letter in cross country.  As a 6 on 6 forward, she scored a total of 2,473 points in her career, which is 2nd all time in Pleasantville Girls Basketball history. Carla was a four time all-conference player for the Trojans in basketball and was twice mentioned with the all state teams. She was also a multiple time all-conference softball player.  

After graduating from Pleasantville, Carla enrolled at Simpson College where she became a two year starter for Simpson in women’s basketball. During Carla’s Sophomore year, she averaged 25 ppg while scoring 657 points during the season. She recorded a career high of 42 points in one game. All three of these accomplishments still stand as Simpson College WBB records. She then transferred to powerhouse Delta State University for the last two years of her playing career. Carla became 1 of 55 women invited to the Pan American Games tryouts in 1977, and was also invited to the National Team tryout in 1978.

Inducted in 2022

Scott Koerselman

Scott Koerselman graduated from Pleasantville in 1996. While at Pleasantville, Koerselman was a 4 year letterman in football, 4 year letterman in basketball, 4 year letterman in track & field, and a 5 year letterman in baseball.

Koerselman was all-state in football for 3 years, and was named to the Des Moines Register elite all-state football team his senior year. He was also voted as the USA Today Iowa High School football player of the year in 1995. He currently holds the school record for passing yards in a game, season, and career. Koerselman was also all-state in basketball, and is the current school record holder for points in a career. On the track, Scott is part of the team that holds the current Pleasantville record for the 4x400 relay.

Upon graduation from Pleasantville, Koerselman attended Iowa State University as a walk-on, and later transferred to Central College. While at Central, he was the starting quarterback, and led the team to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Inducted in 2022

Grant McGraw

Grant McGraw graduated from Pleasantville in 1996. While at Pleasantville, McGraw was a 4 year letterman in football, 4 year letterman in basketball, 4 year letterman in track & field, and a 5 year letterman in baseball.

McGraw was all-state in football for three years, and was named to the Des Moines Register elite all-state football team his senior year. He was voted by the Des Moines Register onto the All-Century Iowa High School Football Team in 2013. Grant was also voted one of the top 50 players in Iowa High School football history. At the time of graduation, McGraw held three all-time records in football for all-classes which were: career touchdown pass receptions, career receiving yards, and career receptions. On the track, Grant is part of the team that holds the current Pleasantville record for the 4x400 relay and 4x800 relay.

Upon graduation from Pleasantville, McGraw attended Iowa State University as a walk-on, and later transferred to Simpson College.

Inducted in 2022

Gladys Black

Gladys Bowery Black may be Pleasantville’s most widely read and most honored alumna. After graduating from Pleasantville High School in 1926, she earned degrees in nursing and worked as a public health nurse in Iowa and Georgia, where she was awarded the “Woman of the Year’ honor in 1953 for her volunteer work at Robins Air Force Base. After she returned to Pleasantville in 1956, she dedicated her energy and intellect to the study and protection of Iowa’s birds. Through her writings and her educational presentations in Iowa’s schools and parks, she helped spread awareness of our environment and the need to preserve it. For her lifelong efforts, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Simpson College in 1978, elected a Fellow of the Iowa Academy of Science in 1983, and inducted in the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1989 she received recognition from Governor Terry Branstad for her volunteer work. Her name and legacy live on through her books and through the Gladys Black Bald Eagle Refuge and the Gladys Black Environmental Education Project at Red Rock Lake.

Inducted in 2021

Midge Brooks

Midge Knowles graduated from Pleasantville High School in 1947. Midge has been a constant source of help and support to numerous programs at  Pleasantville Schools over the past 50 years…at least! Midge has mended, altered and  repaired countless athletic uniforms, dance costumes, band uniforms and cheerleading  uniforms for PHS students over the years. She has created costumes for numerous plays and dance team performances, has mended the curtains for the stage in the  Event Center, and has helped so many high school girls with alterations of their Prom or  Homecoming dresses over these many years. It is difficult to guess how many  Pleasantville coaches and directors have called on Midge to help them out in a  pinch….and her constant response: “Sure, kid….it’s for the school!” 

Midge is a constant presence at Pleasantville School events: concerts, athletic games  and meets, drama and dance performances, elementary programs, and more! If it  involves Pleasantville students you can count on Midge to be in the audience. In  Midge’s 92 (almost 93!) years, she supports and encourages Pleasantville young  people in so many ways. Midge continues to be active with the Pleasantville Christian  Church (where she has been a member since childhood) as the church organist, and  she has assisted Ray Bertrand and the Bertrand/Mason Funeral Homes for over 30  years with visitations and services. 

Mildred “Midge” (Knowles) Brooks epitomizes what it means to be a Pleasantville Hall of  Fame “Friend” through her decades of humble and generous service and support for “all  things Pleasantville”.

Inducted in 2021

1954 Track Team

The Pleasantville Trojans were your 1954 Boys Class C State Indoor Track Champions!

The Trojans competed against 15 teams in Iowa City for the Class C title. They edged New Sharon for the title with a score of 49 points to 44 pts. The Trojans placed in 9 events. 

They were the State Champion in the Mile Medley Relay with a time of 3:59.1. The relay consisted of Jerry Horstmann, Donald Becker, Harold Horsman, and Frank Jolly.

They were 2nd in 3 other relays:

• The 4x220y Relay with a time of 1:41.1. The relay consisted of Harold Horsman, Dale Harkin, Jerry Horstmann, and Donald Becker.
• The 4x440y Relay with a time of 3:51.9. The relay consisted of Jerry Horstmann, Donald Becker, Gary Blodgett, and Bob Calhoun.
• The 4x880y Relay with a time of 9:06.5.  The relay consisted of Larry Horstmann, Ronald Core, Bill Mesecher, and Frank Jolly.

Individual place winners:

• Melvin Shivvers was 3rd place in the 60y High Hurdles and 4th place in the high jump.
• Ronald Core and Larry Horstmann were 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the 880y run.
• Bob Calhoun was 2nd in the 440y dash.

The 1954 team was coached by Jim Cooper.

The squad members were Jack Core, Harold Horsman, Donald Becker, Pat Myers, Ronald Core, Melvin Shivvers, Gary Blodgett, Bob Calhoun, Delbert Doty, Larry Horstmann, Bill Mesecher, Jerry Horstmann, Leslie Shaeffer, Frank Jolly, Dale Harkin, Leo Hodgson and Gene Heaberlin.

Inducted in 2021

Earl Wagner

Earl Wagner a 1954 graduate of Pleasantville High School and a lifelong resident and business owner of Pleasantville.  Was arguably one of the best race car drivers ever from the state of Iowa. Earl started his racing career at the old pioneer Speedway in Des Moines in 1957 and then won his first of 43 feature events at Knoxville Raceway in 1958 and he was also crowned the 1958 season champion at the famous half mile Speedway. He successfully defended his championship title in 1959 but then the stock cars were losing their identity and the birth of the super modified donned at Knoxville. He was a 1961 Knoxville super modified champ and started touring to outlying states and racetracks. Between 1961 and 1964 he went on a winning rampage with the super modified winning features of Waterloo, Rockwell City, Des Moines, Mason City and Boone in addition to his triumphs in Knoxville he also scored out of state wins in Missouri, at Marshall and Kirksville and Sioux Falls in South Dakota. 

He raced his first Sprint car race in 1959 and divided his time between the supers and the sprinters until 1965 when he became a full time Sprint car racer . His modified as super modified rides were with owners Dean Sylvester an Harold “slim” Gutknecht also of Pleasantville. He also steered sprint cars for Bob Trostle, Hank Smith ,Fred Cain and Bill Moyer among others. 

Wagner continued his winning ways with the Sprint car and assaulted cushions as he always ran up top seeking or building his own cushion and scored victories in multiple states including the 1973 western World Championships at Manzanita in Phoenix Arizona in Hank Smith's number 5 car. Although no Iowa driver has ever won the famed Knoxville Nationals Earl finished third in 1961.

 Earl was known as a genuine Sprint car racer but  Earl was also an accomplished stock car racer and won several features including the 100 lap feature at the Iowa State Fair.  Wagner returned from stock cars to his beloved Sprint cars in 1974 when he again won the Coveted Knoxville track championship and  two features of the Iowa State Fair and then  promptly retired from driving race cars in 1975. He became the chief pit steward at Knoxville Raceway and held that position through 1999 when he retired. He also served as a one term mayor of  Pleasantville from 1994 - 1996, was a Marion County supervisor from 1997- 2001 and on July 7th 1985 the Des Moines Register named him Iowa’s best race car driver which was an honor presented to him by the governor.  Earl was always laid back about his racing accomplishments with an aw -shucks  weren’t nothing attitude” but indeed he was one of the very very gifted men who could manhandle a Sprint car with the finesse of a brain surgeon. A  Sprint car fit him like a glove as he could interact the steering by throttle response, could read the quickly changing dirt surface, adapt his technique and never ever breathe the throttle.

Earl was a charter member of the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame in 1979 and received the heritage award from the Speedway in 1990 and then inducted into the Iowa Racing Hall of Fame in 2019 as well as the National Sprint car Hall of Fame in 2008.

Earl and his wife Harriett also owned Wagner Plumbing and heating a staple of the downtown business community. His nickname was the “Pleasantville Plumber'' and at that time between Earl and Shorty’s Steakhouse they put Pleasantville on the map in the racing community. They raised three children, Diane, Debbie and Jeff of which two make Pleasantville their home.

Inducted in 2021

Verle McGraw

A  high school All state athlete, Simpson college hall of famer,  Vietnam veteran, community volunteer and  pioneer in the purebred livestock industry is our next honoree for the Pleasantville Hall of Fame class of 2021. 

Verle McGraw a 1964 graduate of Pleasantville Community School was an outstanding   four sport athlete earning the state individual track championships in the indoor 60 yard low and 60yard high hurdle also in 1964 Verle was selected to the all state basketball  team as well as numerous all conference accolades.  

Upon graduation Verle attended Simpson college where he was not just an athlete there he was a 3 sport athlete earning multiple letters in all 3 sports an achievement that is virtually unheard of today. 

His on field and on court accolades eventually earned himself a place in the illustrious Simpson college athletic Hall of Fame. in 1982. During this same decade Verle also represented his community and his country by serving in the military and the Vietnam war. 

Verle’s “adult ‘ or life after sports was and is highly regarded as well, being a long time Pleasantville Community Schools board member and alongside his dad put Pleasantville on the map in the purebred swine industry by being arguably the most dominant producer of elite Hampshire and Yorkshire genetics in the world. Holding four big sales a year on the farm southwest of Pleasantville. When you mentioned Pleasantville in the livestock circles during this time the quick question would inevitably always be “do you know Verle and Dale McGraw?”

The McGraw athletic lineage is simply impressive and perhaps the best in Pleasantville’s history . Verle’s sister Linda led the Pleasantville Girls basketball team to a state tourney birth and his three sons Garth- All American Wrestler at Simpson, Grant-Broke Iowa High School State records for receptions and receiving yards and his youngest son Graham was a State Track Champion. He also has nieces and nephews that achieved high school and college greatness.

Inducted in 2021

Lloyd Thornburg

Lloyd Thornburg graduated from Pleasantville High School in 1966.  During his four years as a starter on the Pleasantville basketball team, Thornburg amassed multiple records.  In his senior year, he led the state of Iowa with 35.5 points and 21.8 rebounds per game.  Thornburg is one of just 18 players in Iowa High School Basketball history to have scored more than 1500 career points and grabbed more than 1000 rebounds with 1570 points and 1371 total rebounds.  His 415 rebounds during his senior year still ranks tenth all time in Iowa and is a school record.  Thornburg also holds Pleasantville school records for most points in a season (675), rebounds in a game (32), and rebounds in a career (1371).  Thornburg earned all-state honors in basketball in 1966 and was named to the Iowa High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Thornburg continued his basketball career after high school playing at Centerville Community College and Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.  He was a letter winner at Washburn from 1968-1970.  

Thornburg was also an outstanding high jumper in high school. He won two state indoor high jump titles and a Drake Relays high jump title.

Inducted in 2021

Chris McCullough

Chris graduated from Pleasantville in 1998. While at Pleasantville, Chris was a 3 year letterman in football, 3 year letterman in basketball, 4 year letterman in track & field, and a 3 year letterman in baseball.

Chris’s most distinguished athletic career was in track & field. He is 1 of only 50 individuals in the history of boys track and field to win 3 individual events in a single state meet. These events included the 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, and long jump. He also helped guide the Trojans to a medley relay state championship his junior year. Chris currently holds the 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 4 x 400 meter relay, and 4 x 800 meter relay at Pleasantville.

He was also a 1st team all-state football player his junior and senior year, 1st team all conference basketball player for 2 years, and an all-conference baseball player for two years.

Chris went to Central College to play football and run track & field. He was a 3 year letterman in football, and earned 3 varsity letters in track and field. He currently ranks 3rd all-time in receiving yards for Central College. He was a first team all-conference selection in 2001, and was also selected to the all-star Aztec Bowl in 2001. Chris was a 9 time NCAA DIII track and field All-American. He was a member of the 4 x 4 meter relay national championship teams in 2000, 2001, and 2002. He currently holds the Central College records in: 400 meter dash, long jump, 4 x 100 meter relay, 4 x 200 meter relay, and the 4 x 400 meter relay.

Inducted in 2021

Chelsea Thomas

Chelsea is a 2008 graduate of Pleasantville High School. She was a four-sport varsity athlete throughout her high school career. She earned all-conference, all-district, and all-state awards in basketball where she also is a member of the 1000 point Club. As a pitcher for the Trojans, she was a four-year letterwinner, all-conference, academic all-conference, all-district, and all-state pitcher. The Trojans placed sixth in the 2A State Softball Tournament in 2007 and seventh her senior year in 2008. 

Chelsea was inducted into the Iowa Girls High School Softball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Chelsea graduated from the University of Missouri in 2013.

While playing softball at MIZZOU, she became one of the most decorated pitchers in Missouri Softball history. She left the Tigers’ program as the winningest pitcher with 111 victories and number one in career strikeouts with 1,174. She also has the record for most no-hitters (10) and perfect games (4).

In addition, Thomas ranks among the top five all-time at Missouri in career appearances (159), complete games (97), innings pitched (925), shutouts (46) and winning percentage (.782). She tied for the program’s single-season wins mark with 32 in 2011, the same year she struck out a school-record 397 batters. Thomas also led the NCAA with a 0.95 earned run average that season. She was one of three finalists for USA Softball’s National Player of the Year Award in 2011.

Chelsea was a part of three consecutive Women’s College World Series appearances from 2009-11,and was named to the WCWS All-Tournament team following the 2011 trip. She was twice named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year (2011 and 2012) and was named the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year award as a senior in 2013 which was MIZZOU’s first year in the SEC. Thomas earned All-Conference accolades three times in her career – twice in the Big 12 and once in the SEC. She also excelled in the classroom, grabbing Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors twice in her career. She was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree while receiving SEC Academic Honor Roll mention in 2013.

Chelsea was the first athlete in MIZZOU history to be named a three-time First Team All-American.

In 2018, her first year of eligibility, Chelsea was inducted into the University of Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame.

Chelsea was also a two-time member of Team USA pitching for the Women’s National Softball team in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, Team USA won gold medals at the World Cup of Softball and were gold medalists at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara. In 2012, Team USA won the gold at the World Cup of Softball and were silver medalists at the ISF World Championships.

After graduating from MIZZOU, Chelsea played four seasons professionally in the National Pro Fastpitch League (NPF) as a member of the USSSA Pride in Florida. The Pride were 2013 and 2014 NPF Cowles Cup Champions.

Chelsea retired from playing professionally in 2016 but remains active promoting her sport by coaching softball and has started her own business providing softball instruction to young players around the country.

Inducted in 2021