Metro Sports Report

Neila Bell wins Metro Spotlight Award

Neila Bell of Cedar Rapids Prairie is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Bell, a junior, has burst onto the scene this season as a strong hitter and catcher for the Prairie Hawks after getting only seven at-bats last year as a sophomore. She is hitting .359 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 21 games.

Bell went 9-for-18 with three doubles and seven RBIs in six games for Prairie last week. The Hawks swept a doubleheader from Xavier on Tuesday, split a doubleheader with sixth-ranked Jefferson on Wednesday and split another twinbill with 10th-ranked Linn-Mar on Thursday.

Jenks named Gatorade Athlete of Year

Stephanie Jenks of Linn-Mar has been honored as the Gatorade Iowa Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year for the second time in her prep career.

Jenks, an outstanding distance runner, also was honored by Gatorade when she was a freshman during the 2012-13 school year. She will be a senior at Linn-Mar this year.

The award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement and character.

Ranschau wins 100 hurdles at USATF meet

AMES - Abbie Ranschau of Cedar Rapids Jefferson won the 100 meter hurdles in 15.64 seconds at the USATF Iowa Association Junior Olympics in Ames Sunday.

Ranschau, entering her senior year at Jefferson, also won the 100 hurdles at the Class 4A state meet this spring and ran on several record-setting relays with the J-Hawks during the school year.

Jasmine Blue, another member of the record-setting relay teams at Jefferson, placed third in the 200 meter dash at the Junior Olympics in 25.90 seconds. Ranschau finished fourth in the 200 in 26.06 seconds.

Kernels end 1st half with 41-29 mark

CLINTON - Five scoreless innings from the bullpen paced Cedar Rapids to a 5-2 win over the Clinton LumberKings Sunday afternoon in a Midwest League game at Ashford University Field in Clinton.

Randy LeBlanc (5-0) recorded the win in the series finale. He retired eight in a row at one point and allowed just two hits while striking out two in three scoreless innings of relief.

LeBlanc's three scoreless innings extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 26, tying him with Trevor Hildenberger for the team lead.

Hildenberger picked up his team-leading eighth save in a scoreless bottom of the ninth. He struck out all three hitters he faced in his one inning of relief.