The top 10 best sports stories from the 2021-22 academic year continues with number eight on our list for area schools of Columbus Community, Highland, Lone Tree, Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, Sigourney, and Keota. The eighth best story takes us to Winfield when a WMU great had a fitting farewell.

Mitch Wachs has been the head coach of the WMU girls’ basketball team since 1992 and the 30th and final season had plenty of accomplishments. Fresh off of an undefeated regular season in 2020-21, the Wolves followed that up with a 19-5 record this past winter and a regional semifinal berth. Wachs eclipsed the monumental 400 win barrier in a 70-24 triumph over Wapello on December 17th. That catapulted the team into an eight game win streak where the defense got into a groove without giving up more than 36 points in that stretch. The 2018 Iowa Girls Coaches Association Basketball Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame inductee finished his tenure with a 412-228 record that puts him 74th on the state’s all-time wins list. He led the Wolves to back-to-back state titles in 1995 and 1996 en route to an 80-game win streak. The WMU icon will stay on as a math teacher and golf coach for the school. 

Our top 10 countdown continues tomorrow when we dive into the seventh best story.