Five Little Cyclones sign to college programs

Five Little Cyclones have signed to continue their athletic and academic careers at the collegiate level next year. All five that signed this month will continue on playing either baseball or softball.

IRELAND BUSS | Softball at Iowa State Unviersity

• Played and lettered in four sports at Ames (volleyball, basketball, track and field, softball)
• Owns school single season (12) and career (19) home run records in softball
• Member of IGHSAU state championship track relay teams … 4×200 (2022)

ELLIE LYNCH | Softball AT UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

• Letterwinner in both track & field and softball
• Owns school single season record in stolen bases; holds career record in stolen bases and total runs scored
• Anchor leg of the 2022 IGHSAU state champion 4x200M relay team … also member of 2021 4x400M relay squad that won IGHSAU gold

“Success takes time – these athletes are a testament to that. They’ve worked hard, have been persistent, and now are successfully going to play at the next level. No matter what that ends up looking like, their work ethics will help them be successful. Thank you Ellie and Ireland for being inspirations to my daughters and all the other future softball players and for representing Ames High in a first-class manner.”

Ames softball head coach Meghan Von Behren on Buss, Lynch

“I’ve been competing with Ellie and Ireland every year since they were five years old. It’s hard to believe next summer we will run off the diamond together for the last time – I hope it’s in Fort Dodge on Kruger Field!”

Ames softball assistant coach Tom Lynch on Buss, Lynch

BRAYDON BEELNER | BASEBALL AT NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE

• Three-sport participant (football, basketball, baseball)
• Was member of 2022 IHSAA 4A state championship basketball team
• Has started past three seasons for baseball team; appearing in 88 games, starting 85 of them

AUSTIN GABRIELSON | BASEBALL AT LAKE LAND COLLEGE

• Will be a four-year varsity player for baseball team next summer
• Led the order last season for the Little Cyclones
• Recorded a .305 batting average with 36 hits … 11 extra-base hits in 2022

AIDAN NIGH | BASEBALL AT ELLSWORTH COMMUNITY COLLEGE

• Emerged as primary catcher for the Little Cyclones in 2022
• Appeared in 36 of 39 possible games as a junior, recording six home runs
• Efficient defensively, Nigh recorded just three errors on 186 total chances last season … prevented 10 stolen bases

“Braydon, Austin, and Aidan have done a tremendous job of building up the level of expectation of our program. It makes a coach’s life easy when you have guys that love what they do and are committed to it. Everything they have accomplished, they have earned through their hard work.”

Ames baseball head coach Nick Steenhagen on Beelner, Gabrielson, Nigh