KMCH & F&M Bank Honor Student Athletes at Banquet

Coaches, student athletes and their families gathered Wednesday night at Windmill Hill near Manchester for the annual KMCH and F&M Bank Standout Performer of the Week Banquet. 

The event is the culmination of our weekly feature honoring high school athletes from across the KMCH listening area for their standout performances. 

This year’s guest speaker was B.J. Hermsen. A Masonville native, Hermsen was a 4-time All-State baseball player for the West Delaware Hawks, drafted into the Twins organization in 2008. He notes that his journey was not a path he walked alone.

After his playing career ended in 2015, Hermsen served as a volunteer assistant baseball coach for West Delaware’s varsity team in 2015 and 2016 before moving to Waverly-Shell Rock where he was assistant boys’ basketball and baseball coach. He took over as head coach for the Go-Hawks Baseball program in 2022 and stayed for four seasons. Now moving back closer to home in Manchester he will return as an assistant coach for West Delaware Baseball this season. He shared his biggest advice to the student athletes.  

Twenty student athletes were honored at last night’s event. Among them was Mary Grace Lyons. The Monticello cross country runner was pleasantly surprised to hear of the honor.

For Mary Grace, running is more than a sport.

Maquoketa Valley Basketball’s Brady Wall was also excited to learn of his recognition.

Wall said he takes away some great lessons from the court.

West Delaware Basketball’s Keaton Emerson says getting the honor was a goal for this past season.

Emerson says he found inspiration in Hermsen’s talk.

Find the photo gallery courtesy of F&M Bank on our website HERE!

audio courtesy of Janelle Tucker & Eric Walker/KMCH; photos courtesy of Janelle Tucker/KMCH