A CAREER EXCLAMATION POINT

MacLagan inducted into 2016 IHSAA Hall of Fame

by Brandon Hurley

Sports Editor

sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

One of the most decorated multi-sport athletes in Jefferson-Scranton High School history earned the state’s most prestigious accolade last month. 

Four-time state champion and the 1995 Iowa Male Track Athlete of the Year Brent MacLagan was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame Nov. 21 during halftime of the 4A state football championship in Cedar Falls. 

The 1995 graduate and University of Northern Iowa track was joined by Iowa City West’s Nate Kaeding, Maquoketa’s Sage Rosenfels, West Lyon’s Levar Woods, Indianola’s Todd Blythe and Sioux City North’s Matt Chatham in the 2016 Class. 

“It’s a big honor, there aren’t a ton of people that get into (the Hall of Fame),” MacLagan said. “To be nominated by coach Bill Kibby, was an honor for me. And to just be included in that group is something special.” 

MacLagan excelled as a multi-sport star at Jefferson-Scranton in the mid-1990s. The former Ram captured a staggering four track state championships and was also named Iowa Newspaper Association first team all-state twice for football. 

The now father of two was a five-year starter in baseball and a three-year starter in basketball as well. 

MacLagan lays claim to perhaps the rarest feat of the 2016 Hall of Fame inductees. 

The Ram alumnus dominated the oval as a middle-distance runner and hurdler, winning three consecutive 400 meter hurdle state titles while capturing a 1,600 meter run title in his junior year. 

The combination of a hurdle championship and a one-mile title in the same year is a feat that had never been accomplished before and has yet to be duplicated more than 20 years later. 

On the gridiron, MacLagan guided the Rams to a 21-7 record over three years as a starter at running back and defensive back for the Jefferson-Scranton football team, including a trip to the 1994 playoffs. 

He was a do-everything offensive player as MacLagan tallied 22 total touchdowns at an 8.1 yards per carry clip, amassing 16 rushing, two receiving TDs, and four return touchdowns – two each on punts and kickoffs. 

The individual success put MacLagan in the record books along with some of the greats, but the former Ram got more joy out of his accomplishments he garnered alongside his teammates. 

“Obviously, the state championships in track were nice, but the team sports are what really stand out to me,” he said. It’s always more fun to share achievements with other people. Making the playoffs in football and even running at the state track meet in relays was fun. Just hanging out with those in baseball and basketball was fun. The championships are nice by theirselves but the team achievements are always a little bit more special.” 

MacLagan won multiple Missouri Valley Conference Championship running for the UNI Panthers while guiding the team to two outdoor conference titles and an indoor conference championship. 

MacLagan is now an executive senior sales rep at KLS Martin in the Iowa City area, selling medical equipment. He is married to Melissa and together the couple have two kids, a daughter, Amara, and a son, Jack. 

MacLagan and his wife are big proponents of the idea of letting their kids participate in as many sports as possible. The father not only played multiple sports, but excelled in them. It certainly has helped him later on in life, he believes. 

“I’m definitely in that group that feels you should be as well rounded in your sports as you can. We throw our kids in everything as we possibly can and try not to pigeon hole them into one sport,” MacLagan said. “Getting involved with multiple coaches is good. It develops a lot of different skill sets and you don’t over use one part of your body.  It helps in overall development not only physically but cognitively. You are doing different things in different sports to help you mature mentally.” 

Kaeding captured the hearts of Iowa Hawkeye faithful as one of the greatest college kickers of all-time while he became one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. Kaeding helped Iowa City West to back-to-back state titles and won a championship in basketball and soccer. 

Rosenfuls can comfortably be labeled as Iowa State’s most successful professional quarterback, but was also a five-sport athlete for Maquoketa, earning all-state in three sports in high school. 

Rosenfuls led ISU to its best record in program history, an 8-3 mark in 2000 and helped capture the Cyclones’ first-ever bowl win, a victory over Pittsburgh in the Insight Bowl. 

Blythe graduated as ISU’s most prolific wide receiver in program history and was named the 2002 Class 4A player of the year while at Indianola. He held the all-time ISU marks for career receptions, touchdowns and receiving yards. 

Woods helped guide his West Lyon squads to a 41-5 record over four years. The linebacker played college ball for the Iowa Hawkeyes and spent eight years in the NFL for Arizona, Detroit and Tennessee. 

Woods is now on the University of Iowa football staff and just completed his ninth season. 

Chatham led his Sioux City North team in tackles, receptions, touchdown catches and receiving yards. He went on to play for the University of South Dakota and and played eight years in the NFL, winning three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots (2002, 2003, and 2005). Chatham has written for the Boston Herald, foxsports.com, founded footballbybootball.com and has spent time in the booth for the Big Ten Network and ESPN.  

“Those are all good guys and they obviously went on to do special things in football,” MacLagan said. “I live in Iowa City and my kids are sports with Levar Woods’ and Nate Kaeding’s kids also. They are great guys and have gone on to not only do well in football but do great things in life also. It’s a great group to be included with.”

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