Metro Sports Report

Jeff girls win 6 events at MVC meet

WATERLOO - The Jefferson girls track team captured six events at the MVC Mississippi Division meet in Waterloo Thursday.

Jasmine Blue blazed to victory in the 100 meter dash (12.87) and Madison Ranschau claimed the 100 hurdles (15.87).

The J-Hawks won the shuttle hurdle relay with Abbie Ranschau, Sam Kitterman, Ellie Trosky and Madison Ranschau clocked in 1:06.09. Abbie Ranschau, Blue, Morgan Meese and Lucy Schneekloth took the 4x200 relay in 1:44.92.

Madison Ranschau, Schneekloth, Abbie Ranschau and Blue captured the sprint medley in 1:52.14. Schneekloth, Abbie Ranschau, Meese and Blue won the 4x100 relay in 49.43 seconds.

Alyssa Averhoff of Kennedy won the 3000 meter run in 10:57.31.

Iowa City High won the meet with 166 points. Jefferson finished third (89) and Kennedy was fourth (69).

Wisconsin sinks Kernels with 4 homers

APPLETON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers socked four home runs Thursday night and dumped the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 11-7, in a Midwest League game before 2,944 fans at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wis.

Kernels starter Felix Jorge (2-3) was touched for eight runs in 3.2 innings before yielding to Alex Muren, who allowed three runs in 2.1 innings. Brandon Bixler tossed two shutout innings at the end for the Kernels, but by then it was too late.

Jason Kanzler went 3-for-5, scored three runs and hit his second home run for Cedar Rapids. J.D. Williams and Engelb Vielma had two hits.

Cedar Rapids (18-15) and Wisconsin (15-18) meet again Friday night at 6:35.

The Kernels have lost three games in a row.

Kernels       022 003 000 -  7 10 1
Wisconsin   032 411 00x - 11 13 1

W - Seidenberger (2-0). L- Jorge (2-3).

Jaime Printy named Linn-Mar coach

Jaime Printy has made a quick jump to becoming the new head coach at her alma mater.

Linn-Mar High School announced Wednesday that Printy has been selected as the new girls basketball coach for the Lions, just a year after graduating from the University of Iowa and just five years after finishing her all-star career at Linn-Mar.

Printy, 23, replaces Michael Brandt, who resigned after 13 seasons with the Lions. Printy served as one of Brandt's assistant coaches this past season.

Printy was a first team all-state player for three years at Linn-Mar and also was the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2009. She then starred for the Iowa Hawkeyes, despite knee injuries.

Slegers standing tall for Kernels

The Cedar Rapids Kernels brought a highly heralded group of pitchers north out of spring training. The opening-day pitching staff was littered with highly rated prospects obtained with high draft picks and big-money international free agency signings.

Even among top prospects, however, you’re never sure what kind of start you’ll get in a Midwest League season. Some of these pitchers are still teenagers. Some are a long way away from home for the first time.

Some have seldom, if ever, pitched in front of a sizable crowd. Some have never experienced the kind of bone-chilling spring weather that is commonplace in Cedar Rapids and other MWL locations.

Any of those factors can cause a pitcher to get off to a slow start, but if you can find a guy who’s already spent a few years away from home, matured as a pitcher, pitched in high-pressure situations and is no stranger to cold weather, he just might have a chance to impress early.

But where could you possibly find such a pitcher? Maybe a guy who's spent the last three years away from home at college, pitching in front of big crowds in big games, and regularly played in cold weather during his college years.

Meet Kernels starting pitcher Aaron Slegers.