Kennedy High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sydney Hayden will join UNI soccer

Cedar Rapids Kennedy junior Sydney Hayden has accepted an offer to join the University of Northern Iowa women's soccer program for the 2016-17 school year.

Hayden helped Kennedy win the Class 3A state title last year as a sophomore and led the Cougars in scoring with 16 goals. She also started for Kennedy as a freshman in 2013.

Hayden was named first team all-conference and second team all-district in soccer in 2014. She also started for the Kennedy basketball team that reached the Class 5A regional finals this season.

No.9 Cougars roll by Tigers

Kennedy Coach Jon McKowen has preached to his team all year about the importance of playing their best basketball at the end of the season when it really counts.

The Cougars are getting pretty darn close.

Kennedy rode two different 13-0 streaks Friday night to an impressive 71-55 conquest of Cedar Falls in the Class 4A substate semifinals at Kennedy.

Now comes the showdown that Metro fans have craved with the ninth-ranked Cougars (17-5) facing the sixth-ranked Linn-Mar Lions (18-4) in the substate finals Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center for a berth in the state tournament.

Cole Murdock and Zach Daniels picked Cedar Falls apart with their sharp passing Friday night, the Cougars attacked the backboards with reckless abandon and Brendon Manning got the place jumping with a rebound dunk with the game just 20 seconds old.

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Kirkwood women clinch tie for title

BOONE - The seventh-ranked Kirkwood women's basketball team topped DMACC, 85-67, Thursday night and clinched at least a tie for the ICCAC conference title.

The Eagles (24-5, 12-1) have a one-game lead over NIACC heading into the final game of the regular and can win the outright championship by defeating Iowa Central Saturday afternoon at Johnson Hall.

Taylor Silva played a strong all-around game for Kirkwood with nine points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and four steals.

Cassidy Clark topped a balanced scoring attack with 13 points. Ariel Sneed and Kirsten Larson scored 11 points apiece. A.J. Downs and Peyton Bockholt had 10 points apiece.

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Botkin, Sellers, Ollinger named all-district

Stephanie Botkin of Kennedy, Lela Sellers of Kennedy and Amanda Ollinger of Linn-Mar have been named to the Class 5A Eastern District all-star basketball team by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA).

Botkin is a senior. Sellers and Ollinger are juniors.

Botkin was averaging 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds heading into the regional finals Tuesday night. Sellers was averaging 14.5 points and 5.3 rebounds. Ollinger was averaging 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.

BJ Mayer of Iowa City West was named the Eastern District Coach of the Year.

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Cougars fall to Tigers in final second

The Cedar Falls Tigers worked on a "junk" zone defense for two days in preparation for the Class 5A regional finals against Kennedy, but Cedar Falls Coach Gregg Groen did not want to use it until the time was right.

His timing was impeccable Tuesday night.

The Tigers handcuffed Kennedy stars Stephanie Botkin and Lela Sellers in the fourth quarter with their "junk" defense and upended the Cougars, 51-49, on a layup by Ally Conrad with nine-tenths of a second left in the game at Kennedy.

Cedar Falls (18-5) will make its first trip to the state tournament in seven years next week and face Waukee (21-2) in the opening round on Wednesday.

Kennedy retired with a 16-7 record after seeing a six-point lead evaporate in the fourth quarter.

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Milbrath will join N. Illinois volleyball

Brinley Milbrath of Kennedy has accepted an offer to join the Northern Illinois University volleyball team for the 2016-17 school year.

Milbrath, a 6-foot-1 junior, led the Cougars last season with 297 kills and 77 blocks. Kennedy finished with a 28-12 record.

Milbrath was named second team all-conference and second team all-Metro. She is also a member of the Kennedy basketball team.

Kennedy girls move to regional finals

The Kennedy girls basketball team will enjoy all the comforts of home Tuesday night when it hosts Cedar Falls in the Class 5A regional finals.

The Cougars earned another home date in the tournament by whipping Dubuque Senior, 59-43, in the regional semifinals Saturday night at Kennedy.

Lela Sellers camped out at the foul line and scored 18 points for the Cougars (16-6). Sellers cashed 13 of 17 free throws to take scoring honors for both clubs.

Sydney Hayden tossed in three 3-pointers and contributed 11 points for Kennedy. Stephanie Botkin also scored 11 for the winners. Linden Runels hit three triples and added nine points.

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Daniels leads Kennedy boys with 21

IOWA CITY – Zach Daniels popped in five 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead the ninth-ranked Kennedy boys basketball team to a 57-49 win over Iowa City High on Thursday to complete the regular season.

Bryton Heisler added 13 points for the Cougars (16-5), who pulled away with a 19-10 run in the second quarter.

Chuck Johnson scored 10 points for the Little Hawks (7-15).

KENNEDY (57): Daniels 7 2-2 21, Heisler 4 4-6 13, Murdock 1 2-2 5, Gardner 0 0-0 0, Diggins 2 0-0 4, Brewster 2 3-6 7, Manning 1 4-10 6, Girling 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 15-26 57.

IOWA CITY HIGH (49): Hooper 0 0-0 0, Smith 1 0-0 2, Mulligan 3 0-0 8, Weiland 3 2-4 8, Grace 0 0-0 0, Johnson 4 4-4 12, Jones 2 0-0 4, Ringen 1 0-1 3, Craig 0 0-0 0, McNutt 0 0-0 0, Martin 5 2-4 12. Totals 19 8-13 49.

Halftime – Kennedy 26, Iowa City High 19. 3-point goals – Kennedy 8 (Daniels 5, Heisler, Murdock, Diggins), Iowa City High 3 (Mulligan 2, Ringen).

Kennedy boys clip Wahawks, 69-63

The ninth-ranked Kennedy boys basketball team came alive in the fourth quarter and beat Waterloo West, 69-63, Tuesday at Kennedy.

The Cougars trailed 46-45 after three quarters, but they scored 24 points in the final frame.

Cole Murdock and Brendon Manning each scored 20 points for Kennedy (15-5) and Zach Daniels added 16 points. The Cougars made ten 3-point baskets, with Murdock hitting five triples and Daniels sinking four 3-pointers.

Gabe Pepin scored 20 points and Lincoln Conrey had 18 for the Wahawks (7-13).

WATERLOO WEST (63): Sehic 0 0-0 0, Conrey 7 2-3 18, Funchess 0 0-0 0, Pepin 7 2-3 20, Samardzic 2 0-0 5, Moore 4 1-2 9, Schultz 2 0-0 4, Harris-Anderson 3 0-0 7, Kuljuhovic 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 5-8 63.

KENNEDY (69): Daniels 6 0-0 16, Heisler 3 0-0 7, Murdock 7 1-1 20, Gardner 1 0-0 2, Diggins 0 0-0 0, Manning 8 4-6 20, Girling 0 0-0 0, Wall 0 0-0 0, Brewster 2 0-0 4. Totals 27 5-7 69.

Halftime – Waterloo West 27, Kennedy 27. 3-point goals – Waterloo West 8 (Pepin 4, Conrey 2, Samandzic, Harris-Anderson), Kennedy 10 (Murdock 5, Daniels 4, Heisler).