Metro Sports Report

Put Drake on your Bucket List

I was reading over the weekend about television sports history and, in particular, the history behind ABC's "Wide World of Sports." The first episode of sports longest running show of all-time was live from one of America's top events, the 1961 Drake Relays in Des Moines.

Jim McKay and ABC knew, even then, the draw of Drake.

The annual "Track Carnival" remains to this day one of the country's greatest sporting events.

For four days, the best track athletes in the world perform in the same stadium as the top prep athletes of the state. The premise is unique, and is something that more than likely wouldn't be attempted this day and age.

Former Metro preps in pro baseball

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Boston Red Sox) --  Came into the game as a pinch hitter and played right field Friday and was 1-for-3 in Boston's 6-4, 13-inning loss to Baltimore. Ryan leads the majors in doubles (12) and is fourth in the AL in batting (.360). Year to date: BA -- .360 (27-75), R -- 7, RBI -- 8, 2B -- 12, 3B -- 1, HR -- 0, SB -- 0.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Lansing (MWL, Blue Jays) -- Started at third base Friday and was 0-for-4 with a run scored in the Lugnuts' 9-8 loss at Great Lakes. Year to date: BA -- .185 (15-81), R -- 5, RBI -- 7, 2B -- 2, 3B -- 1, HR -- 0, SB -- 0.

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Great Lakes (MWL, Dodgers) -- Started in left field Friday and was 1-for-4 with a run scored in the Loons' 9-8 win over Lansing. He also threw out a runner at the plate. Year to date: BA -- .243 (26-107), R -- 14, RBI -- 18, 2B -- 9, 3B -- 4, HR -- 1, SB -- 1.

Lindo aiming to be like Zach

Golfer Ali Lindo’s summer tournament friends took to calling her “the fiery Filipino” – a nod to her heritage, her temperament and pro golfer Suzann Pettersen, aka “the fiery Norwegian,” who piled up six runnerup finishes on the LPGA Tour in 2010.

That’s where the Kennedy junior has landed for much of this season, often tightly bunched with Jefferson senior standout Megan Furnish and Washington sophomore MJ Kamin, with the rest of the field a distance behind.

“I’m definitely at the bottom of those two,” says a modest Lindo, who hasn’t played head-to-head with Furnish but knows Kamin well from summer tournaments. “I love playing with MJ. Megan and MJ are both very serious golfers, which is a problem for me.

O'Donnell resigns as Marion coach

Marion High School has become the fifth Metro school that will have a new basketball coach for the 2012-13 campaign.

Brian O'Donnell, 37, resigned as the girls basketball coach at Marion on Wednesday to become the new principal at St. Piux X Elementary School in Cedar Rapids.

O'Donnell compiled a 21-25 record in two years with the Indians, including a 15-9 mark this past season. He has a 150-134 record in 12 years as a head coach and won the Class A state title at Springville High School in 2008. O'Donnell continued to teach at Springville after he became the head coach at Marion two years ago.