LYNX SENIORS (left to right, above) CJ Hisler, Ty McKinney and Connor Hanson stand together after a game this past season.

Their final game didn’t come at the state tournament, like they had hoped. A four-year stranglehold on the North Central Conference baseball championship came to an end. The 2023 season was certainly a challenging one, filled with difficult opponents and tough losses.

No accomplishment — team or individual — would have ever overshadowed the overall body of work for Webster City seniors Ty McKinney, CJ Hisler and Connor Hanson, though. As athletes, as leaders, and as representatives of the Lynx community.

The Webster City trio recently concluded their high school athletic careers together on the diamond after five full seasons of varsity ball for head coach Addison Kehoe’s program. The track record is remarkable: 96 victories, a win percentage over .700, NCC titles in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, and a league record of 55-7.

But this era of Lynx baseball isn’t just about statistics, records or honors. McKinney, Hisler and Hanson — on the field together for all but a small handful of the school’s 136 games since 2019 — both provided and shared memories that will last a lifetime.

“Connor and CJ are like my brothers when it comes to being on a ballfield,” McKinney said. “We understand our roles and make sure we do them well. Playing alongside them as an 8th grader made me much more comfortable as a player and teammate.

“It’s been a special experience, being able to play a varsity sport my whole career with my brothers.”

McKinney recently became the NCC’s first-ever four-time first team all-conference athlete in a sport voted on by the league’s coaches. He batted over .400 in three different seasons.

“Growing up, being a Lynxman was all I knew and wanted to be,” McKinney said. “With my dad (Marty) as head basketball coach in years past and assistant football coach, I grew up riding buses with the teams to games and I absolutely loved it…but man did those boys scare me. They were never mean or anything, but just scared me.

“I took it upon myself to make sure to always talk to a kid when walking by, giving them a high-five or anything they wanted. I was that same little kid years ago, and I want those kids to not be scared but remember me as the guy who will always help or acknowledge you no matter what.”

Hisler was recently named the 2022-23 Ed Thomas Faith-Family-Football Award winner. The academic all-state honoree and Wartburg football recruit was also an Iowa Bankers Association Student-Athlete Achievement recipient this past winter.

“Playing with Ty and Connor since grade school has been a blast,” said Hisler, also a standout in football, wrestling and track at Webster City. “I’m glad to have made life-long friends on and off the field.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to have played multiple sports with a supportive community like ours. Watching the Lynx as a kid was like watching superheroes. Then to play in their spots and hopefully set the bar high for those to come…it’s been an honor.”

The chemistry built from wearing a Lynx baseball uniform before they even set foot on the Webster City High School campus created a special bond between the trio as the years passed, according to Hanson.

“I’ve loved getting to play with Ty and CJ all these years,” said Hanson — like McKinney and Hisler, also a four-year varsity regular in football. “We’ve grown up playing all sports together, and it’s been great. We’ve all gotten used to the way each other plays, making the transition to varsity much smoother.

“Playing with my friends for the past five years is definitely an experience I’ll never forget. We really got to know each other on and off the field. It’s bittersweet now that it’s all over, but I wish both Ty and CJ the best of luck in the coming years.”

One of McKinney’s favorite baseball moments — fittingly — came from Hanson’s heroics in the postseason last year.

“There are so many (memories) it’s hard to just pick one, but when Connor hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh (inning) with two outs to send us to substate (in 2022)…the feeling of watching the ball go out and doggy-piling (in celebration) was truly such an unforgettable experience,” McKinney said.

Hisler added, “I don’t have a single memory that stands above the rest. I enjoyed all the moments I made with my teammates and those two in particular. From the many bus rides, mid-inning talks, and celebrations like home runs and touchdowns, I enjoyed it all with Connor and Ty.”

Hanson valued both the similarities and differences of his long-time teammates.

“We all had the same goal and level of intensity we wanted to reach,” Hanson said. “We went into each game wanting to win and with (a high degree of) competitiveness. I always enjoyed coming to practice and getting to talk to each of them, as they both were so different in the types of conversations we’d have.

“Ty and I enjoyed talking about the future and our plans. CJ would keep me on my toes, as I would never know what he was going to say next.”

McKinney will always value his role as a Webster City student-athlete.

“All I cared about was being able to wear a Lynx uniform and bring something special back to my town,” said McKinney, who plans on attending Iowa State University this fall. “I will forever cherish representing (Webster City).

“I hope people say I was a leader and winner. I may have some confidence on the field or court, but that was to get my team pumped up and going. There was always a reason behind everything I did, and only did things that were going to better my team. I hope that kids were able to learn from me the mindset of, ‘nobody is better than me, and I’m going to put forward the work to be the best possible version of myself physically and mentally.’ Always push yourself and your teammates, but always make sure to have fun.”

Hanson called Webster City a “great community to play for.”

“I have loved being able to represent the Lynx for the past five years,” Hanson said. “There are no better colors than purple and gold. In the years to come, I hope people remember me as a student-athlete who put in the hard work on the field and classroom, and left it all on the field.

“As an individual, I hope they remember me as a person who was always willing to do anything for others and for my acts of selflessness.”

McKinney knows the seniors are moving on, but the times shared together will always be a part of their life story.

“My time as a Lynx was truly unforgettable, and a piece of me will always be left on that ball field,” McKinney said.