Metro Sports Report

Hawkeye gridders need consistency

The Iowa Hawkeyes face two games to get the ship in order for the Big Ten football campaign.

The Hawks, after their loss to Iowa State, went right back to the positive mode, with no finger pointing or woe-is-me talk. A la Kirk Ferentz, it was going forward and improving.

Now is the time for improvement with the University of Northern Iowa coming to Kinnick on Saturday. I would think Iowa will be certainly tested Saturday to see if its play can get to a higher level.

Miller has big shoes to fill with Saints

The Xavier Saints list Brendan Miller at 5-foot-7, but that might be a stretch.

"The physical says 5-foot-6," he said Thursday with a smile, "but maybe with some cleats on 5-7."

Regardless of his actual size, Miller has big shoes to fill as he replaces Cal Stovie as Xavier's starting tailback for Friday night's home game against Dubuque Wahlert (1-2).

Stovie suffered a torn ACL in his knee last Friday against Prairie and has been lost for the season after rushing for 488 yards in three games.

Kennedy girls run to Engel Classic title

CEDAR FALLS - The Kennedy girls placed four runners in the top 10 Thursday and rolled to the team title at the Rich Engel Classic cross country meet at Birdsall Park.

The Cougars scored 40 points to easily outdistance host Cedar Falls, which was second with 71.

Allison Culver, Katie Wampole, Alyssa Averhoff and Lauren Meyer finished fourth through seventh to lead the Cougars. They all finished within six seconds of each other. Carolyn Stone finished 18th to round out Kennedy's scoring.

Kellen Sweeney returns home a champion

Baseball is a funny game. Just ask Kellen Sweeney.

Sweeney scuffled much of the season and got demoted, but he finished strong and got the game-winning hit as the Vancouver Canadians won the Northwest League title Sunday night.

He was up, down and sideways, but survived and feels good about his career again.

"It was good to end the season on a good night," he said Wednesday, a day after returning to his home in Cedar Rapids.