Metro Sports Report

Ranschau, J-Hawks are right on time

CEDAR FALLS - Abbie Ranschau does not like to waste time.

That's a great attribute to have for a track star, where tenths of a second can spell the difference between victory and defeat, but Ranschau's attitude carries beyond sports.

"I've always enjoyed being active and staying in shape," the Cedar Rapids Jefferson junior said Tuesday. "I don't like staying at home and doing nothing. It's kind of boring.

"I like to get stuff done," she said, "so I don't feel like I've wasted a day."

Ranschau and her Jefferson teammates did not waste any time at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor track meet Tuesday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

The J-Hawks captured the shuttle hurdle relay, 4x200 meter relay and 4x100 meter relay, proving they'll be ultra-strong in those events again this season. Ranschau ran on all three relays and finished a tight second in the 60 hurdles.

Printy transfers from Wash to Linn-Mar

Cedar Rapids Washington junior Jared Printy has decided to change schools and will begin classes at Linn-Mar High School next Monday, his father told the Metro Sports Report Monday night.

Printy, 6-foot-5, was the leading scorer for the Washington basketball team this season at 12.2 points per game. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists and made 51 3-pointers.

"It was a family decision, something we thought was best for Jared moving forward. A difficult decision," said Boyd Printy, Jared's father.

Washington Coach Adam Sanchez and Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson could not be reached for comment Monday night.

Jared Printy's cousins are basketball coaches at Linn-Mar. Jordan Printy is an assistant coach with the Linn-Mar boys basketball team and Jaime Printy Brandt is the head coach of the Linn-Mar girls basketball team.

Rhoads loves jumping high for Cougars

CEDAR FALLS - Willie Rhoads loves dunking basketballs.

"If you search on YouTube, I swear to god there are like 100 videos," he said Monday. "It's kind of ridiculous."

The odd thing is, Rhoads does not play basketball for Kennedy. He's a high jumper, and a darn good one. Dunking is part of his off-season training for track and field.

"At Kennedy, the 'Y,' every court in town," he said.

Kirkwood women seek 7th national title

The numbers are phenomenal and have cemented Kim Muhl's spot as one of the most successful women's basketball coaches of all time.

Six national titles. Sixteen trips to the national tournament. A career record of 762-140. A winning percentage of 84.5 over 26 campaigns. An incredible streak of 106 straight wins in conference games.

Muhl is such a humble guy that you'd never know any of these things if you casually bumped into him at Kirkwood Community College, but the man is a walking Hall of Famer.

Muhl and the Eagles are back in the NJCAA Division II national tournament this week in Overland Park, Kan. The sixth-ranked Eagles (28-5) play North Arkansas (20-9) in the opening round Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Kirkwood is not favored to win the title, but the Eagles are seeded No. 4 in the 16-team event and are definitely talented enough to make a long run. Parkland is seeded No. 1 and ranked No. 1, so everyone is chasing them.

The Eagles won their first national title in 1997 and claimed their second in 2002. They spent the next four years finishing 4th, 3rd, 4th and 2nd before capturing four straight crowns in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 with an unprecedented four-peat.