March 28, 2024

SWCC welcomes new coaches

Two new head coaches and an assistant brought into the fold

Image 1 of 3

Southwestern Community College Athletic Director Todd Lorensen has been busy with more than a few responsibilities excluding his role as head men’s basketball coach of a defending national championship program.

Lorensen has had his hands full leading and assisting several of the school’s sports programs to find new leadership.

No official announcements have been made on the school website, but Lorensen recently confirmed the hiring of Marty Maynes as the school’s head softball coach, Trey Bruton as the head cross country coach and assistant to track and field coach Jordan Strofaci, and Ryan Palser as assistant men’s and women’s golf coach.

Maynes follows Paige Cassady, who resided in Creston as a coach for just over a year.

The father of two girls, one in middle school and one of high school age, only came into the game of softball within the last five years, but took to the game with a passion quickly.

“I originally just started as a volunteer because my kids played,” Maynes said.” I wanted to coach them and I just fell in love with coaching the sport and decided to continue to up my game as my kids upped their game.”

He has been a coach with Iowa Premier Fastpitch and has travelled all over the country, coaching girls of NCAA Division I talent and squaring off with talent just as strong.

Maynes wanted to match the speed with which his daughters were picking up the game.

“I realized real quick I had to become a student of the game if I wanted to keep pace with them,” Maynes said. “I spent a lot of time at camps and coaches clinics and learning from people who are the best in the business.”

He is no stranger to high level athletics. Maynes graduated from Southeast Polk High School as a multi-sport athlete, and competed at Grand View University for baseball and Central College as a wrestler before persistent injuries forced him to drop collegiate athletics. He finished off his education at Grand View.

Maynes resides in Pleasant Hill, and plans on commuting for softball for the foreseeable future.

He would like to move closer to Creston if possible, and plans on prioritizing personal relationships as well as athletic growth with his athletes.

“As a college coach, I think you have the ability to change people’s lives,” Maynes said.

“This opportunity came around I thought that it’d be pretty exciting to tackle a program that historically hasn’t been phenomenal, hasn’t been bad, but I always like a challenge where there’s a little bit of room for improvement. See if I can go in and do a little bit of good.”

Bruton to lead

After the departure of former cross country and track and field coach Nick Ekel to Graceland, SWCC was in need of a cross country coach.

The Spartans signed Jordan Strofaci to both roles, but Strofaci’s background was more geared toward sprinters.

Now, SWCC has its man for its cross country runners. Trey Bruton, a native of Meridon, Kansas, will take the helms and will move to Creston soon.

Bruton was a recent graduate of Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, an interesting quirk that caught his attention when looking for jobs to step into coaching.

Bruton also was a cross country volunteer coach at Western Illinois University will instructing in Physics at a nearby area college.

Bruton at one point nearly took a job at a college in Alabama, but found Creston more to his liking, and closer to home.

He will start out in residential life at SWCC, but will stay on the lookout for instructional opportunities.

“It (Creston) just seems like a good place and everybody has been real friendly talking to them through communications and when I’ve been up there,” Bruton said. “I came from a small town. About 600 is my hometown. Creston’s not real large and the surrounding area there’s not anything that’s too large. It just seems like a good small town type feel. A good fit for me.”

Bruton realizes the program needs new talent, he heads into his first season optimistic about the program’s outlook.

“I think we have a good chance at competing well with everybody else in the conference and also qualifying for nationals,” Bruton said.

Bruton looks to place a heavy emphasis on growing athletes away from running. He wants to push kids toward four-year educations and entering the workforce with strong prospectives immediately after departing SWCC.

“I want to be competitive but we also have to take care of things outside of track and cross country,” Bruton said.

He will work with middle distance runners in track and field season.

Creston all-stater to work with Spartans

The Southwestern golf program welcomes a native Panther to the fold.

Ryan Palser, a Creston native and 2012 all-state performer for the Panther golf team, as a new assistant men’s and women’s coach,

Palser was a standout performer and top 50 ranked NJCAA golfer at Kirkwood Community College.

“He’s going to be great. He played at a high level at this level,” head coach Doug North said. “I played at this level but I didn’t at that high a level. It’ll be nice to have his ultra competitive abilities.”

Palser will work more extensively on the side of strength and conditioing, something that North noted that Palser was much more qualified for as a student of kineseology.

His experience golfing across the state, and resulting knowledge of courses the Spartans will play on, could play big dividends.

“Having him walking around the fairway side by side with them is going to have this confidence go through the roof,” North said.