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Jalen Rima commits to UNI football

Cedar Rapids Prairie speedster Jalen Rima plans to continue his football career at the University of Northern Iowa.

Rima scored 15 touchdowns this season for the Hawks and scored in four different ways on pass plays, running plays, kickoff returns and punt returns. He caught 22 passes for 566 yards and carried the ball 35 times for 517 yards.

Rima won the 200 meter dash and 400 meter dash at the Class 4A state track meet last May. He will have an opportunity to run for the UNI track team if he chooses.

Rima is a four-sport athlete at Prairie. He also plays basketball and baseball.

Prairie girls look to rebound this season

Josh Bentley was accustomed to success in his previous stops as a head basketball coach, so his initial campaign at Cedar Rapids Prairie last season came as a cold slap in the face.

The Prairie girls lost six games by single digits and finished with a disappointing 4-18 record.

Bentley blames himself as much as anyone.

"It wasn't fun at all," he said Friday. "To be honest, it was a year that humbled me, woke me up, made me reflect on some things that I'd grown accustomed to and I wasn't totally focusing on details. I don't think I did justice to the girls as much as I should have.

"I definitely learned a lot," he said, "and I think that's helped me move forward for this year and hopefully for years in the future. Avoiding another year like that would be great. I don't want to have another one like that ever again."

Neither do his players.

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VanDraska will run for Hawkeyes

Tysen VanDraska could probably run from Cedar Rapids Prairie to the University of Iowa when he joins the UI track and cross country programs next year.

VanDraska, one of the top distance runners in the state, signed a national letter-of-intent with the Hawkeyes Monday morning during a ceremony at Prairie High School.

Kenzie Soeken signed with Upper Iowa at the ceremony Monday morning to play volleyball and run track for the Peacocks.

VanDraska finished second at the Class 4A state cross country meet in Fort Dodge this month. He also placed second in the 800-meter run (1:54.68) and 1,600 (4:21.70) at the Class 4A state track meet last May.

Prairie Hawks stopped by Hempstead

The Cedar Rapids Prairie volleyball team accomplished some terrific things this year with a conference title and the most victories in school history, but the season ended in sadness and abundant tears Tuesday night.

The eighth-ranked Hawks were bounced by No. 12 Dubuque Hempstead, 25-18, 19-25, 25-22, 25-22, in the Class 5A regional finals at Prairie and denied a spot in the state tournament.

Prairie and Hempstead were no strangers this season, with the Hawks holding a 2-1 edge during the regular season in three meetings, but the fourth confrontation belonged to the visitors from Dubuque.

The Hawks were still crying 15 minutes after the match, following a closed-door meeting in a classroom.

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