Metro Sports Report

Story No.2 for 2010-11: Linn-Mar basketball

Life has few certainties. There's death, taxes and, lately anyway, Linn-Mar basketball.
 
Both the boys and girls teams have been outstanding during the past several seasons. Coach Mike Brandt's girls tied a Mississippi Valley Conference record this year for most consecutive conference wins and made it back to the state tournament.

The Lions fell in the semifinals to fellow MVC school Iowa City West in a game where all-state center Kiah Stokes fouled out for the first time in her career. It wasn't the way the Lions wanted to end the year, but it was a great followup to the 2010 state championship.

Now let's concentrate on the boys' side -- a perfect 21-0 regular season in a year when the MVC may have had its best assemblage of talent ever. The undefeated year included wins over talented out-of-state teams with several Division I players.

A perfect run though the substate and state tournament in Des Moines added up to a fourth title in school history for Coach Chris Robertson and the Lions.

Marion City Council supports Prospect Meadows

Members of the Marion City Council liked what they saw Tuesday afternoon of the proposed $9.4 million baseball and softball complex north of the city.

Developers of the Prospect Meadows Ball Fields are not asking the city for anything, but merely wanted to update Marion officials on their progress.

The 17-diamond facility, to be located near the Abbe Center at Highway 13 and County Home Road, is intended for local league play for all ages and as a site for major tournaments drawing teams from throughout the Midwest.

Last week, the local non-profit group planning the 120-acre development was cheered when the Linn County Board of Supervisors seemed prepared to donate the county-owned land.

"We should know for sure by the end of August," said longtime Marion businessman Dick Bice, one of the prime movers in the project. "If we get the land, then you'll really see us moving along. That's the next big step."

It is hoped that play can begin in 2013.

Tuesday's presentation at the council's work session was the first time Marion officials were given a broad overview, although there have been informal discussions since the facility was first proposed more than a year ago.

A scale model of the park in the lobby at Marion City Hall has drawn considerable interest, officials said.

Megan Furnish 71st at PGA Junior event

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Megan Furnish shot a 21-over-par 93 Wednesday in the second round of the 36th Junior PGA Championship at Sycamore Hills Country Club.

Furnish has posted rounds of 92 and 93 for a 36-hole today of 185, which is 41 strokes over par.

Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand has fired rounds of 69 and 68 for a 36-hole score of 7-under 137 in the four-day tournament.

Furnish stands in 71st place out of 78 golfers in the event, which is for players under 19 from around the world. Furnish will be a senior at Cedar Rapids Jefferson this year.

Christensen named 4A all-state team captain

Some people thought it was premature when Austin Christensen was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in May when only a handful of baseball games had been played.

As it turned out, Gatorade got it right.

The Iowa Newspaper Association named Christensen the captain of the Class 4A all-state team on Tuesday, putting the Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior at the head of his class. Christensen made the all-star squad as an outfielder.

Christensen hit .555 with 19 homers and 52 RBIs for the Cougars this season. He also compiled an 8-1 record on the mound and helped Kennedy reach the state tournament for the ninth time in 12 years.