Xavier High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Saints win MVC title despite setback

DUBUQUE - The Xavier Saints lost another basketball game Thursday night with a 68-56 setback to Dubuque Wahlert, but they returned from Dubuque with a consolation prize.

The Saints won a share of the Mississippi Division title in the Mississippi Valley Conference with a 9-7 record, despite losing their last six games of the regular season. It's the first MVC basketball title in school history.

Xavier and Iowa City High tied for the division title.

Xavier was sitting pretty with a 13-2 record a month ago, but the Saints will limp into the postseason with a 13-8 overall mark after falling to a succession of ranked teams in Iowa City West, Linn-Mar, Cedar Falls and now Wahlert.

Wahlert (16-5) is ranked No. 2 in Class 3A and is seeking its third state title in a row. Xavier is ranked No. 8 in Class 3A.

Max Techau led the Saints Thursday with 22 points. Mitchell Burger and Matt Mims scored 10 apiece.

Cordell Pemsl poured in 35 points for Wahlert.

17 Metro wrestlers win state openers

DES MOINES - Seventeen wrestlers from Metro schools won their opening-round matches at the Class 3A state tournament Thursday in Des Moines and advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday.

The Prairie Hawks finished with a 5-3 record in the first round with Conrad Braswell (106), Marcus England (113), Sam Uthoff (132), Morgan Hood (152) and Taylor Mehmen (195) all advancing. Tyler Pasker (220) lost in the first round, but bounced back in a consolation match and stayed alive in the tournament. Trenten Wennermark (126) and Alex Heisdorffer (285) dropped both of their matches for the Hawks and were eliminated.

Prairie is tied for third place in the team standings with 19.5 points with Johnston and West Des Moines Valley. Fort Dodge leads the Class 3A standings with 31 points, with Southeast Polk second at 28.

The Kennedy Cougars had an impressive day in the opening round with Nolan Hromidko (126), Logen Rodriguez (152), Ben Sarasin (160), Garrett Kubovec (170) and Dalles Jacobus (220) all prevailing in the Round of 16. Kennedy is tied for ninth in the team standings with 14 points after going 5-for-5 in their openers.

The Jefferson J-Hawks went 2-2 in the opening round with Joseph Sibomana (113) and Kyle Briggs (152) advancing. Brenden Baker (120) and Nick Dreckman (182) lost in the first round, but won in their wrestle-back to stay alive. The J-Hawks are in 17th place in the standings.

The Xavier Saints went 2-1 in the opening round with Clint Lembeck (138) and Josh Gerke (145) collecting pins. Keegan Schultschik (120) lost in the first round, but won his wrestle-back. The Saints are in 21st place.

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Xavier girls bounce Vinton-Shellsburg

McKenna Andersen scored 15 points Wednesday night and Lexi Noonan added 12 as the Xavier Saints drubbed Vinton-Shellsburg, 67-25, in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A regional basketball tournament at Xavier.

The Saints (10-12) will face 12th-ranked Grinnell (15-6) in the semifinals Saturday night at Grinnell.

Maci Griffith scored 18 points for Vinton-Shellsburg (3-19).

VINTON-SHELLSBURG (25): Griffith 7 3-5 18, Blake 0 4-4 4, Speidel 1 0-0 2, Cornell 0 0-0 0, A.Gloede 0 0-0 0, E.Gloede 0 0-0 0, Spies 0 0-0 0 Mull 0 1-2 1. Totals 8 8-9 25.

XAVIER (67): Andersen 6 0-0 15, Bastian 0 0-0 0, Brown 3 2-2 8, Dickes 1 0-0 2, Ivester 3 0-0 6, Joens 1 4-4 6, Noonan 4 4-4 12, Stanek 3 0-0 8, Helms 0 0-0 0, Kadlec 1 0-0 2, Callahan 0 0-0 0, Stovie 1 0-2 2, Jasper 2 2-3 6. Totals 25 12-15 67.

Halftime - Xavier 38, Vinton-Shellsburg 13. 3-point goals - Vinton-Shellsburg 1 (Griffith 1), Xavier 5 (Andersen 3, Stanek 2).

Marion girls, Zaugg star at 2A bowling

Bre Smith of Marion won the individual title and the Indians captured the team championship and earned a state tournament berth with 2,600 pins in a Class 2A district meet Tuesday at May City Bowl.

Tanya Zaugg finished second behind Smith and earned an at-large individual trip to state.

Smith rolled a 264 game and a 497 series for the Indians.

Zaugg had a 267 game and a 489 series for the Saints.

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