Metro Sports Report

Xavier bowler Tara Trcka won the Class 1A state title a year ago as a sophomore. She is pictured here at May City Bowl, where she practices twice a week, works part time and bowls in tournaments on weekends. The bowling alley is owned by her parents. (Photo by Sher Jasperse)

Xavier's Trcka at home on the lanes

Wed - 07 Dec Written by Sher Jasperse

No, Tara Trcka was not born in a bowling alley. It just seems that way.

“I grew up here ever since I can remember,” she says of May City Bowl, which her parents purchased the year before she was born. “It’s been my second home.”

The Xavier junior hoisted her first bowling ball – a 6-pound “Mini-Mouse” – at age 3 and never stopped rolling.

Through untold hours spent practicing and competing in youth leagues over the last 13 years, she has rolled her way into elite company among high school bowlers.

Trcka (pronounced “terch-ka”) is part of a large Czech-heritage family that is loaded with bowlers. Her parents, aunts, uncles and cousins all bowl, she says.

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Prairie's Jace Hanna pops the game-winning shot over a Mount Pleasant defender in the closing seconds of Tuesday night's game at Prairie. Hanna's basket lifted the Hawks past Class 3A No. 6 Mount Pleasant, 55-53. (Photo by Ken Gilchrist)

Hanna's shot lifts Prairie at buzzer

Tue - 06 Dec Written by Jim Ecker

Jace Hanna showed Tuesday night that he can race 80 feet in less than four seconds when he has to.

So did James Moses.

Hanna drove the length of the court in the final seconds and hit a floater as time expired to give Cedar Rapids Prairie a dramatic 55-53 victory over Mount Pleasant in the Prairie gym.

Moments after Hanna hit his winning bucket, Moses flew out of his chair and raced around the court to celebrate the victory with his players and Prairie students. Moses moved almost as quickly as he did 20 years ago when he starred for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

"Don't let this big body fool you," he said with a big smile after the victory.

Prairie trailed by 10 points with 2:19 left, but the Hawks turned up the heat, hit clutch shots and caught a break when Mount Pleasant missed four of five free throws.

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Linn-Mar's Sara Strauel makes a deft left-handed shot out of the reach of Jefferson defender Maddie Koolbeck during Tuesday's game at Jefferson. Linn-Mar wore down the short-handed J-Hawks, 50-40. (Photo by Margaret O'Banion)

Lions outlast shorthanded J-Hawk girls

Wed - 07 Dec Written by Tom Fruehling

The die-hard Jefferson girls Tuesday night proved just as tough as their coach.

Despite surgery to remove kidney stones the day before, J-Hawk Coach Larry Niemeyer was on the bench to watch his seriously shorthanded team battle Linn-Mar tooth-and-nail in a 50-40 loss at home.

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Calm, collected Cougars conquer Hempstead

Wed - 07 Dec Written by Sher Jasperse

Dubuque Hempstead held the lead midway through the first period, regained it in the second, and outscored Kennedy in the fourth.

But the Cougars kept their heads and rode balanced scoring to a 50-41 victory over the Mustangs Tuesday night at home.

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Xavier girls drub Waterloo East, 82-25

Wed - 07 Dec Written by Randy Krejci

Xavier Coach Tom Lilly had several goals for Tuesday night's game against Waterloo East.

He wanted to make a smooth transition from defense to offense and play up-tempo. He also wanted to use a zone defense, which is uncharacteristic for the Saints, to stay out of foul trouble.

Mission accomplished.

Xavier drubbed Waterloo East, 82-25, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball game at Xavier.

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