Metro Sports Report

Nick Saulnier wins Metro Spotlight Award

Cedar Rapids Washington junior Nick Saulnier is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Saulnier is one of the top swimmers in the state for the Warriors and he got off to a fast start at the Metro meet at Washington last Tuesday. He won the 200 individual medley in 1:58.46 and captured the 100 backstroke in 53.29.

Saulnier's times in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke are the best in the state so far this season.

Saints eye state tourney with Mims

The Xavier Saints came within one game of reaching the Class 3A state basketball tournament last year, falling to Dubuque Wahlert in a memorable substate final in Epworth.

Now the Saints plan to finish the journey to Des Moines with Cedar Rapids Prairie transfer Michael Mims joining Adam McDermott and Calvin Winker in a potent lineup of three all-conference players.

Mims, a 5-foot-9 point guard, averaged 13.7 points at Prairie last season before deciding to play his final year at Xavier. McDermott, who has committed to North Dakota, averaged 16.5 last season. Winker, who has committed to Missouri Western, averaged 13.0 points.

All three players are capable of scoring 20 points on any given night and Coach Ryan Luehrsmann plans to play an up-tempo game to take advantage of their ability.

Luehrsmann claimed he has a new coaching philosophy this year with so much firepower on the club. "Just try to get out of the way," he joked.

Red-hot RoughRiders win again

Imagine being just 16 years old and playing for the hottest team in the United States Hockey League.

Imagine scoring the decisive goal for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders before 3,014 roaring fans against an arch-rival and hearing the crowd go nuts at The Stable.

Imagine having all that much fun.

That's Hugh McGing, and it's all real.

McGing snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period on a gorgeous pass from Derek Daschke as the RoughRiders posted a 5-2 victory over the slumping Waterloo Black Hawks Saturday night.

Daschke, who is also 16, flipped a diagonal pass in front of the Waterloo goal to McGing, who was yelling for the puck.

Timm helps Coe top Clarke

Coe junior Jake Timm was not thrilled with the way he played in the first half against Clarke Saturday afternoon at Eby Fieldhouse.

Neither was Coach Bryan Martin.

"He kind of got on me about my crappy defense," Timm said. "He told me to take my head out of my butt and get playing."

Timm scored all of his team-high 14 points in the second half and collected 11 assists as the Kohawks held off the Crusaders, 85-78, in an entertaining non-conference affair.

David Neis poured in 45 points for Clarke, but five Kohawks scored in double figures to overcome a sensational performance by the 5-foot-11 junior from Benton, Wis.