Metro Sports Report

Mia Laube wins Metro Spotlight Award

Mia Laube of Marion is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Laube is a member of a strong freshman class that has helped Marion High School reach the finals of the Class 4A regional basketball tournament. The 13th-ranked Indians (17-5) will face fifth-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock (22-0) in the regional finals Tuesday night at Vinton, with the winner advancing to the state tournament in Des Moines.

Laube matched her career-high with 21 points Saturday night when Marion defeated West Delaware, 63-48, in the regional semifinals. She also had 21 points earlier this season against Benton Community.

Kuehl, Cadena share Metro Spotlight Award

Dalton Kuehl of Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Jarod Cadena of Prairie are the co-winners of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Kuehl and Cadena both finished second at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament in Des Moines Saturday night, helping their teams to high finishes in the overall standings.

Kuehl, ranked second in the state at 285 pounds, pinned Blake Moser of Iowa City West in the first round in 1:59. He beat eighth-ranked Collin Olson of Ankeny Centennial, 3-1, in the quarterfinals and pinned third-ranked Tyler Clark of Clinton in the semifinals in 2:57.

Reflections on top stories in girls basketball

We're not supposed to root for the athletes and teams we cover for the Metro Sports Report, but it's only natural to feel a special tug for the local kids who work so hard.

In particular, I was looking forward to following two story angles as the girls basketball season unfolded this year. I was looking forward to seeing Shelby Hembera of Cedar Valley Christian become only the sixth player in state history with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career, and I was looking forward to seeing Amanda Ollinger help Cedar Rapids Jefferson have a winning season and perhaps reach the state tournament.

Neither happened. Or will.

Hembera suffered a severe ankle injury in January and finished her remarkable one-girl show at Cedar Valley with 1,859 points and 893 rebounds, among the best ever in Metro 5-on-5 history. The Huskies were riding high with a 7-3 record when Hembera got hurt, but they managed to win only one more game without her and the season ended quietly with the lanky senior on the bench.

Wenger claims state title at 138

DES MOINES - Josh Wenger got tired of having to settle for fourth place at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament.

This time the Cedar Rapids Prairie star made it all the way to the top.

Wenger defeated top-ranked Dan Kelly of Cedar Falls, 8-2, to win the 138-pound championship Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Jarod Cadena of Prairie (182) and Dalton Kuehl of Jefferson (285) lost in the finals.

Wenger finished fourth at the state tournament each year as a freshman, sophomore and junior, but he finished his career in style by dominating Kelly in a battle of Mississippi Valley Conference grapplers.