Metro Sports Report

Kernels see 15% increase in ticket sales

Wed - 13 Mar Written by Jim Ecker

Attendance for Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball games declined each of the past three years to an 11-year low of 160,064 in 2012, but the club's new partnership with the Minnesota Twins could move the needle in the opposite direction.

The preseason sale of season tickets is running 15 percent of last year's pace with opening day just three weeks away, according to Kernels General Manager Doug Nelson.

"Our season ticket total already exceeds the entire amount that we sold last year," he said. "I would say it's 100 percent attributable to the Twins and the excitement within the community."

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Marissa Estelle of Kennedy strides to victory in the 200 meters Tuesday in the MVC girls indoor meet at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Estelle, a senior injured most of the past two seasons, also won the 60 meter hurdles. (Photo by Margaret O'Banion)

Estelle steals show at MVC girls track

Tue - 12 Mar Written by Jim Ecker

CEDAR FALLS - Marissa Estelle appeared to have a promising track career when she finished fifth in the 100 meter hurdles at the Class 4A state track meet as a freshman in 2010 for the Kennedy Cougars.

Then came the injuries.

She tore several muscles in her hip as a sophomore, then grew four inches prior to her junior year in high school and suffered from growing pains, shin splints and apophysitis in her hips. "It's when you grow too fast and the bone pulls apart," she explained.

After placing fifth as a freshman three years ago, she did not get an opportunity to compete at the state track meets as a sophomore or junior.

"I couldn't build up speed, just because of the injuries," she said.

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Wash's Bryan Cline 2nd at boys state bowl

Tue - 12 Mar Written by Metro Sports Report

DES MOINES - Washington sophomore Bryan Cline fired a 279 in his second game to shoot a 503 series and finished second Tuesday at the Class 2A boys state bowling tournament at Plaza Lanes.

Washington was third in the team race and Linn-Mar was fourth, 18 pins behind the Warriors.

Davenport North won the team title with a score of 3633. North's Zach Fries rolled a 300 in his first game and followed with a 255 to win the individual crown with a 555 series.

Prairie's Nick Blood shot a 479 series and tied for seventh.

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J-Hawks' Petersen 3rd at girls state bowl

Tue - 12 Mar Written by Metro Sports Report

DES MOINES - Jefferson senior Nicole Petersen rolled a 461 series to finish third Tuesday in the Class 2A girls state bowling tournament at Plaza Lanes.

Jefferson finished sixth in the team race. Washington was eighth.

Waterloo West won the tournament with a score of 3152.

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Jefferson's Timauntay Jones (right) strides ahead of Washington's Trevor Luebe on the first lap of the 800 meter run Monday at the MVC indoor meet at the UNI-Dome. Jones won the race, Luebe ran third. (Photo by Ken Gilchrist)

Jones leads strong Metro show at MVC

Mon - 11 Mar Written by Jim Ecker

CEDAR FALLS - Timauntay Jones smiles when he pictures himself running for the University of Northern Iowa track team in the spacious UNI-Dome the next four years.

The Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior sure looked at home in the Dome on Monday.

Jones blazed to victory in the 800-meter run in 1:57.58 at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor meet, surprising even himself with the swift clocking.

"It was a little unexpected," he said. "I was really going for 2:01 or 2:02."

Jones placed third in the 800 meters at the Class 4A state meet last year in 1:55.89, so he came within two seconds of matching that time on a 200-meter track in early March.

Jones committed to Northern Iowa in December.

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