Ciana Sonberg, at home on the diamond, in the show ring, on the wrestling mat

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

Ciana Sonberg has only missed the Floyd County Fair once, but she had a good excuse: The Charles City High School softball team was busy competing at state tournament last year.

On Tuesday, the Comets are back in the field at Fort Dodge — and Sonberg, an incoming Charles City senior, doesn’t plan to be home before Friday.

“Our game plan is winning,” Sonberg said Monday. “It’s not every day you have a chance to go to state.”

Every year at the Floyd County Fair since fourth grade, Sonberg has shown pigs and dairy cows. She started by showing bucket bottle calves as a 2- or 3-year-old Clover Kid.

“It’s just something you’re born with,” Sonberg said.

While she enjoys working in both livestock categories, showing pigs is her favorite because “it’s eventful.”

This year, despite being at the state softball tournament, “I will get to show my pigs,” Sonberg confirms. “Whether we win or not will decide if I show my cow.”

Sonberg bred this year’s fair pig three years ago, and started preparing it for showtime this past May. Judges will watch for whether the pig meets its class hallmarks, and the quality of showmanship Sonberg displays in the arena.

Although her beef competition has separate animal standards, the expectation for showmanship remains high for Floyd County participants.

“Every judges watches how it walks, how it handles,” Sonberg said. “A lot of memories get made. Everyone just has a fun time.”

On the softball team, Sonberg is the starting third baseman and backup catcher, and is hitting a batting average of .427 this season. She’s also an all-Northeast Iowa Conference third baseman.

Outside of the softball field, Sonberg is a two-time letter winner in wrestling, and a competitor with the Charles City/Nashua-Plainfield trap shooting team.

“Being an upperclassman at state, my role is keeping everyone up, telling people it’s OK to be loud and cheer. This is where your memories get made,” Sonberg said.

“Last year was a little different. We had a pretty good pitcher but a really tough team right off the bat. I don’t think we were as good as we are this year,” she said.

“We’re more confident when we go to state tournament.”