Kennedy High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Murdock helps Cougars hold off Wash

Cole Murdock has already made a name for himself as a premier golfer at the high school level, but the Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior has elevated his game on the basketball floor as well.

Murdock scored 13 points and led the Cougars to a 63-57 victory over the Washington Warriors in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Kennedy Tuesday.

Murdock was primarily a shooter and off-guard for Kennedy last year when AJ Carter ran the show, but he's made a smooth transition to the point this season with his ballhandling, passing and shooting.

"He had the skill set last year. He might not have had the confidence," said Kennedy Coach Jon McKowen. "The team puts a lot of faith in him and he's taken over a leadership role."

And make no mistake, Murdock likes running the club.

Read more...

O'Donnell helps Wash top No.10 Cougars

There is life after Dani Franklin and Aleena Hobbs.

The Washington Warriors proved that Tuesday night with a convincing 53-46 victory over 10th-ranked Kennedy in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball game at Kennedy.

Franklin and Hobbs enjoyed prolific careers for the Warriors before heading to college this year, with Franklin at Valparaiso University and Hobbs practically across the street at Coe, but the Warriors still have some arrows in their quiver.

Kandis O'Donnell led Washington with 13 points and six assists Tuesday in their best win of the year.

"I feel very excited," said O'Donnell, a 5-foot-11 senior. "I couldn't be more proud of our team.

Read more...

Urbi is lone winner for Kennedy

Brennan Urbi was the Kennedy boys swimming team’s lone winner in a 96-74 loss to Iowa City West on Tuesday at Kennedy.

Urbi won the 100-yard backstroke in 57.10 seconds for the Cougars as the Trojans won the 10 other events.

Iowa City West 96, Kennedy 74

Winners

200 medley relay – Iowa City West 1:38.64.
200 freestyle – Aidan Keen (ICW) 1:42.92.
200 individual medley – Matt Anderson (ICW) 2:04.44.
50 freestyle – Oliver Martin (ICW) 21.81. 
100 butterfly – Mark McGlaughlin (ICW) 50.70.
100 freestyle – William Scott (ICW) 49.08.
500 freestyle – Keen (ICW) 4:41.36.
200 freestyle relay – Iowa City West 1:25.11.
100 backstroke – Brennan Urbi (J) 57.10.
100 breaststroke – Oliver Martin (W) 1:01.29.
400 freestyle relay – Iowa City West 3:11.89.

Lela Sellers wins Metro Spotlight Award

Cedar Rapids Kennedy junior Lela Sellers is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Sellers transferred to Kennedy from a high school in Minnesota this year and has made an immediate impact with the basketball team. The lanky 5-foot-11 guard is averaging 17.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.7 steals through six games.

Kennedy has compiled a 5-1 record so far and is ranked 10th in Class 5A.

Read more...

Kennedy swimmers take 2nd in Marshalltown

MARSHALLTOWN - The Cedar Rapids Kennedy boys swim team finished second at the Bobcat Relays in Marshalltown Saturday.

West Des Moines Valley won the meet, which consisted entirely of relay races.

Brennan Urbi and Evan Bednar claimed the 200 backstroke relay for Kennedy. The Cougars finished third in nine other events.

Team Standings

1. West Des Moines Valley 88, 2. Kennedy 58, 3. Marshalltown 54, 4. Newton 52, 5. Waterloo East 23, 6. Atlantic 20.

200 medley relay - West Des Moines Valley 1:41.35
400 free relay - Marshalltown 3:51.45
400 medley relay - West Des Moines Valley 4:20.76
100 free relay - West Des Moines Valley 44.59
200 butterfly relay - Marshalltown 1:58.04
200 free relay - Marshalltown 1:42.59
1000 free relay - West Des Moines Valley 10:28.84
200 free relay - West Des Moines Valley 1:30.34
200 backstroke relay - Kennedy (Brennan Urbi, Evan Bednar) 1:58.88
200 breaststroke relay - Newton 2:04.48400 free relay - West Des Moines Valley 3:22.75

Sellers leads Cougars by Saints

Kennedy girls basketball coach Tony Vis says he is glad that Lela Sellers “fell in his lap.” Friday night at Xavier High School, we found out why.

Sellers played all five positions and had a game-high 24 points, scoring eight points in the final three minutes, to help Class 5A 10th-ranked Kennedy win a 55-52 thriller 55-52 over Class 4A No. 13 Xavier in Mississippi Valley Conference action at Xavier.

Kennedy moves to 5-1 for the season. Xavier drops to 3-3.

Sellers, a versatile 6-footer, transferred from Minnesota this past summer when her father landed a new job in Cedar Rapids.

“It was a fun and intense game,” Sellers said. “Xavier came out aggressive and we had to come out and play well.”

Read more...

Cougars clamp down on Saints, 72-44

The Kennedy Cougars played a tricky defense Friday night that combined the best principles of a matchup zone and a switching man-to-man.

It's a little hard to describe on paper, and it's even harder to solve on a basketball court.

"That's what everybody asks," said Kennedy guard Cole Murdock. "Is it a zone? Is it a man? That's what we like. Keep them guessing and they don't know what's coming next."

The Cougars smothered the Xavier Saints with their tricky defense Friday and rolled to an impressive 72-44 victory in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at the Kennedy gym.

Read more...

White, Nutt lead Kennedy bowlers

Alec White rolled a 410 series and Seth Nutt finished one pin behind with a 409 for the Kennedy Cougars Thursday in a 2787-2627 loss to Dubuque Hempstead in a Mississippi Valley Conference meet at the Cedar Rapids Bowling Center.

White and Nutt posted the top series in the meet, but Hempstead prevailed with slightly better depth.

HEMPSTEAD: Mitchell Rubie 185-161=346, Cody Bartels 183-224=407, Aaron Gross 180-175=355, Andy Johll 219-175=394, Nolan Wagner 133-144=277, Zach Pregler 236-159=395.

KENNEDY: Ross Grekoff 139-174=313, Seth Nutt 212-197=409, Alec White 180-230=410, Dakota Dippel 158-141=299, Maxwell Hiatt 151-147=298, Jon Eastman 192-104=296.

Hempstead: 1897 + 890 = 2787.

Kennedy: 1729 + 898 = 2627.

Linn-Mar girls climb to 6th in poll

The undefeated Linn-Mar Lions jumped three spots to No. 6 in the new girls basketball Class 5A rankings Thursday, the IGHSAU announced.

The Lions and new coach Jaime (Printy) Brandt have won all four of their games.

The Kennedy Cougars (4-1) fell two spots to No. 10 in Class 5A after losing at home to Iowa City High.

The Xavier Saints (3-2) stayed 13th in Class 4A.

CLASS 5A

1. Dowling (2-1), 2. Waukee (2-0), 3. West Des Moines Valley (4-0), 4. Iowa City West (5-0), 5. Johnston (5-0), 6. Linn-Mar (4-0), 7. Ankeny Centennial (3-1), 8. Southeast Polk (3-1), 9. Iowa City High (4-1), 10. Kennedy (4-1).

CLASS 4A

1. Harlan (2-0), 2. North Scott (4-0), 3. Western Dubuque (4-0), 4. Ballard (5-0), 5. Sioux City Heelan (1-0), 6. Perry (3-1), 7. Carlisle (5-1), 8. Keokuk (4-0), 9. Waverly-Shell Rock (4-0), 10. Indianola (4-1), 11. Lewis Central (5-0), 12. Davenport Assumption (1-3), 13. Xavier (3-2), 14. Pella (2-1), 15. Davenport North (4-0).