Metro Sports Report

Witte repeats as champ; Walters, Kremer 2nd

DES MOINES - Prairie senior Zach Witte was a bloody mess after winning the 152-pound title at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament Saturday night.

Bloody forehead, bloody nose and bloody proud.

Witte became the sixth multiple state champion in school history when he defeated Dylan Blackford of Southeast Polk, 5-3, before a packed house at the Wells Fargo Arena.

Witte captured the 145-pound title last year and did not lose a single match as a junior or senior.

"I had a goal all year and last year. I accomplished it, so it feels really good," he said.

Witte (23-0) began the championship match with white tape around his head, covering a gash on his forehead, but the blood seeped through several times and trainers had to make hasty repairs.

Jeffery takes 3rd again for Lions

DES MOINES - Linn-Mar sophomore Alijah Jeffery knows his way to third place on the victory stand at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament.

He's been there twice now in two years.

Jeffery placed third at the state tournament last season at 103 pounds as a freshman and climbed to the third step on the victory stand again Saturday at 113 pounds.

Jeffery topped Josh Wenger of Cedar Rapids Prairie, 5-3, in the wrestle-backs Saturday morning to claim the bronze medal and finish the season with a 45-6 record.

Warriors shackle River Queens, 75-27

Defense dominated.

The Washington girls basketball team used an intense full-court press and a stifling half-court defense to limit Clinton to only nine field goals and ran away with a 75-27 Class 4A regional semifinal victory at Washington Saturday night.

Washington (14-7) will play Iowa City City High on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kennedy High School in a regional final. The winner advances to the state tournament.

Saints knock Cougars out of tourney

Courtney Strait has had such a stellar high school career that it’s a shame it ended the way it did.

As the final horn sounded Saturday night in the Xavier gym, the steady sharpshooting Kennedy senior looped one last shot from half-court. It clanged off the back of the rim.

Not that it would have mattered, since the Class 4A fifth-ranked Saints simply ran over the 12th-ranked Cougars, 59-32, in a regional semifinal girls basketball game.

Xavier (17-5) now faces Prairie (12-9) Tuesday at Linn-Mar for the Region 3 title.

Strait’s desperation heave was her 11th miss of the night to go with just three baskets and two free throws.  The state’s leading scorer at 21.2 points a game, she was held to just nine by a pair of stifling Saint defenders and uncharacteristically poor marksmanship.