Washington Girls Basketball

Piper helps Colorado Christian win NCCAA title

WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Ashley Piper of Cedar Rapids helped Colorado Christian University win a national basketball title Saturday.

Piper scored nine points and collected five assists as Colorado Christian topped Cedarville, 62-44, in the championship game of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I tournament.

Colorado Christian entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed with a 14-16 record, but the Cougars collected three straight upsets to win national honors.

Piper, a 5-foot-9 guard from Cedar Rapids Washington, scored five points as Colorado Christian defeated No. 1 seed California Baptist, 67-56, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Piper scored three points as the Cougars upended No. 5 seed Grace College, 66-53, in the semifinals on Thursday on the Grace College home court. The Cougars finished their string of impressive victories by conquering No. 2 seed Cedarville (Ohio).

Colorado Christian began the week with a 20-hour bus ride from Colorado to Indiana, then turned around and went home after winning the first national title in school history in any sport.

Piper averaged 6.1 points this season as a freshman.

Micha Mims named NAIA All-American

Micha Mims of Mount Mercy University has been named an NAIA Division II third team All-American.

Mims, a 5-foot-7 senior guard from Cedar Rapids Washington, averaged 14.4 points this season and helped Mount Mercy (27-9) reach the quarterfinals of the NAIA national tournament.

Mims led the Mustangs in assists, steals and free-throw percentage and finished second in scoring. She hit 40.3 percent of her 3-pointers, which ranked 10th in the country.

Roundtree suffered torn ACL in left knee

Cedar Rapids Washington senior Tasha Roundtree tore the ACL in her left knee in the regional finals against Iowa City High last Tuesday and will need surgery, Coach Frank Howell confirmed Monday.

Roundtree, a 5-foot-7 point guard, also suffered a torn meniscus and a bone chip in the accident.

Howell said he expects Roundtree to go through the rehabilitation process and try to play college basketball somewhere. The date for surgery has not been set.

Roundtree was hurt when she leaped to make an interception against City High and landed awkwardly late in the third quarter. She had already scored 19 points at that point, leading the Warriors to a 44-41 lead.

Washington faltered after Roundtree got hurt and lost, 65-59, falling one game short of the Class 4A state tournament.

Roundtree averaged 9.1 points and 5.5 assists for the Warriors (14-8). She suffered an ACL injury to her right knee two years ago.

Franklin 1st team in MVC & Metro

Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior Courtney Strait collected a pair of big honors Wednesday.

Strait was named the Athlete of the Year for girls basketball in the Mississippi Valley Conference (Mississippi Division) and in the Metro area, based on voting by coaches.

Strait, a 5-foot-9 guard, leads all Class 4A scorers this season with an average of 20.9 points per game.

Danielle Franklin of Washington, Madison Dellamuth of Prairie and Maddie Koolbeck of Jefferson joined Strait as first-team selections on the all-MVC and all-Metro teams.

Katyln Andersen of Xavier was a first-team choice on the all-conference team. Emily Walvoord of Xavier, Mykaela Brandt of Linn-Mar and Dani Peyton of Marion were first-team picks on the all-Metro squad.

Tom Lilly of Xavier was named the Metro Coach of the Year. The Saints are the only Metro team that will play in the state tournament next week in Des Moines.

ALL-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONFERENCE

MISSISSIPPI DIVISION

FIRST TEAM: Danielle Franklin* (CRW), Mickey Hansche (ICH), Tessa Leytem* (DW), Kristie Sommer (DS), Courtney Strait* (CRK), Blaire Thomas* (WW), Claire Till (DW).

SECOND TEAM: Mykaela Brandt (LM), Sierra Chambers (ICH), Zinka Duric (WW), Haley Puk (WW), Jazz Royster (CRW), Katie Sommer (DS), Beth Walker (DW).

HONORABLE MENTION: Paige Hendrickson (CRK), Stephanie Botkin (CRK), Abby Herb (CRW), Madison Kramer (CRW), Nakiah Kimble (DS), Elizabeth Reuter (DS), Logan Lynch (DW), Olivia Smith (DW), Haley Lorenzen (ICH), Kiera Washpun (ICH), Shanice Cheatham (LM), Courtney Major (LM), Ashley Hill (WW), Makayla Stokes (WW).

ALL-ACADEMIC: Courtney Strait (CRK), Grace Reinhart (CRK), Kelli Klaus (CRW), Lauren Goodlove (CRW), Elizabeth Reuter (DS), Natalie Jacobsmeier (DS), Tessa Leytem (DW), Beth Walker (DW), Katherine Van der Woude (ICH), Harper Beasley (ICH), Shanice Cheatham (LM), Kelsey Duggan (LM), Zinka Duric (WW), Ashley Hill (WW).

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Courtney Strait (CRK).
COACH OF THE YEAR: Kris Spiegler (DW).

VALLEY DIVISION

FIRST TEAM: Katlyn Andersen* (CRX), Kaz Brown* (CF), Madison Dellamuth (CRP), Ally Disterhoft* (ICW), Brittani Graves (DH), Maddie Koolbeck (CRJ), Mckenzie Piper (ICW).

SECOND TEAM: Rachel Broghammer (CRJ), Tatum Klein (ICW), Courteney McCrary (CRP), Jessica Shull (ICW), Shelly Stumpff (ICW), Emily Walvoord (CRX), Allie Wirth (CF).

HONORABLE MENTION: Krystal Graves (CF), Emily Neff (CF), Madison Blietz (CRJ), Kaitlyn Davidson (CRJ), Alisa Weiland (CRP), Cyerra Hutchins (CRP), Alex Bartz (CRX), Kayla Armstrong (CRX), Haley Van Cleave (DH), Megan Doty (DH), Brianna Sturtz (ICW), Shahana Williams (ICW), Dakia Frazier (WE), Shakari Baker-Bruce (WE).

ALL-ACADEMIC: Kaitlyn Hennings (CF), Krystal Graves (CF), Maddie Koolbeck (CRJ), Dani Stromert (CRJ), Marisa Adams (CRP), Brianna Bennett (CRP), Emily Walvoord (CRX), Katlyn Andersen (CRX), Stephanie Cox (DH), Sephanie Tauke (DH), Kelley Fliehler (ICW), Mckenzie Piper (ICW), Dakia Frazier (WE), Shakari Baker-Bruce (WE).

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Ally Disterhoft (ICW).
COACH OF THE YEAR: Dan List (CF).

ALL-METRO

FIRST TEAM: Courtney Strait* (CRK), Madison Dellamuth* (CRP), Maddie Koolbeck* (CRJ), Danielle Franklin* (CRW), Emily Walvoord (CRX), Mykaela Brandt (LM), Dani Peyton (MAR).

SECOND TEAM: Courteney McCrary (CRP), Rachel Broghammer (CRJ), Katlyn Andersen (CRX), Jazz Royster (CRW), Courtney Major (LM), Paige Hendrickson (CRK), Stephanie Botkin (CRK).

HONORABLE MENTION: Kaitlyn Davidson (CRJ), Dani Stromert (CRJ), Madison Meier (CRK), Kaylese Johnson (CRK), Shanice Cheatham (LM), Sara Strauel (LM), Michalyn Mohr (MAR), Beth Knapp (MAR), Alisa Weiland (CRP), Cyerra Hutchins (CRP), Abby Herb (CRW), Tasha Roundtree (CRW), Alex Bartz (CRX), Kayla Armstrong (CRX).

* Unanimous