Metro Sports Report

New look J-Hawks want to return to old haunt

Sun - 15 May

(EDITOR'S NOTE: First in a series of preseason Metro softball stories. Next: Kennedy.)

The Jefferson J-Hawks know exactly where they want to end up at the end of the season.

“We want to get back to the state tournament,” junior pitcher Hannah Petersen said. “Last year was obviously disappointing, but we all think that we can do it. We have really good team chemistry this year.”

Missing the state tournament is unusual for Jefferson. The J-Hawks are perennially one of the top teams in the state in softball, led by Coach Larry Niemeyer, who has racked up more wins than any coach in the country with more than 2,000.

This year's team is determined to get back after a disappointing loss with a tough draw in the regional tournament. The fourth-ranked J-Hawks had to travel to face No. 3 Muscatine in the final and got beat 7-2, to finish the season at 34-7.

“We just want to work hard and prove to everyone that we can do it," said senior pitcher Katie Naber. “(And) prove to ourselves that we can do it.”

Leading the J-Hawks will be a strong returning pitching staff in Naber and Petersen. Naber led the team last season with a 16-2 record and 1.03 ERA, but Petersen was not far behind with a 17-5 mark, 1.28 ERA. Petersen, who has been the ace of the J-Hawks' pitching staff since she was an eighth grader, was second team all-state last season.

“Our pitching will be our strength,” Niemeyer said. “I usually pitch Hannah in the first game because she throws harder and then we use Naber the second game because she has better control and can throw to spots.”

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Xavier's Kelsie Sargent (blue) is challenged by Prairie's Katilyn Yanacek (3) and Alisa Weiland (14) during Saturday's soccer game at Prairie. Sargent scored a goal in the second half and Class 2A No. 1 Xavier beat Prairie, 6-2. (Photo by Ken Gilchrist)

Armstrong nets 4 more goals in Saints wins

Sat - 14 May

The Xavier girls soccer team continued their offensive dominance on a rainy Saturday at Prairie, picking up a 6-2 victory over the Hawks.

The Saints (13-1, 10-1 MVC) six goals against Prairie (4-10, 4-7) brings their total to 36 goals in the last five games, since they had their 35-game winning streak broken by Washington on April 30. Before that game, Xavier had scored 17 goals through their first seven games.

“Offensively we are playing well,” said Xavier Coach Doug Graham. “We are kind of hitting our stride at the end of the season. The two girls up top, Kayla (Armstrong) and Annie (Dale) are connecting really well, and then you’ve got Lauren Konchar coming in. Now the three of them are all looking for each other so that is helping us out a lot.”

Those three accounted for five of the six goals with Armstrong and Konchar both scoring two goals. Senior Kelsey Sargent netted the other goal for the Saints. Armstrong boosted her Metro-leading goal total to 20.

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Lions throttle Warriors in boys tennis substate

Sun - 15 May Written by Metro Sports Report

Linn-Mar rattled off five straight wins in singles and blanked Washington, 5-0, Saturday in a Class 2A substate boys tennis meet at Coe.

Linn-Mar clinched the win with five match wins and that ended the meet. The Lions (14-2) advance to the substate semifinals May 21 against Cedar Falls at Washington. That match is at 9 a.m. The substate finals are scheduled for 2 p.m. against either Marshalltown or Iowa City West. Marshalltown beat Waterloo West, 5-1, Saturday to adavance.

"We came out ready to play today. Nobody wanted their season to end today and it showed," Linn-Mar Coach Cris Wundram said. "Cedar Falls will be a tough match for us next weekend but we're all excited to move on and we'll start getting ready for Cedar Falls come Monday."

Washington ended its season at 12-3. The Warriors played without Charlie Hammond and Mitch Blades, who were disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct during doubles play at Thursday's district meet. Hammond and Blades were the Warriors' top two singles players and top doubles team during the season.

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Wash notches 5th extra-time win

Sun - 15 May Written by Metro Sports Report

WATERLOO -- Washington won its fifth extra-time game of the season Saturday, beating Cedar Falls 1-0 in a shootout that gave the fifth-ranked Warriors their second win of the day.

Washington (11-2, 10-1 MVC) beat Waterloo West, 2-0, Saturday morning. C.J. Cooper and Tori Carson scored goals. Cooper and Sarah Keppler had assists.

Washington is 5-1 in extra-time games, including a 4-1 mark in shootouts.

Cedar Falls also lost a 1-0 shootout to Jefferson on Saturday.

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Holland keeping a sunny outlook at Corpus Christi

Fri - 13 May Written by Jim Ecker

Matt Holland lives in a four-bedroom house near the Gulf of Mexico, he has his marketing degree from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and he's hitting a robust .385 for the college baseball team.

"The best part about it? It's always nice, it's always warm," said Holland, who graduated from Marion High School in 2006. "I really, truly did not know how much of an advantage southern baseball players have over the northern players."

It struck him when he saw Texas Little Leaguers playing baseball in December. Outdoors.

"Up north," he said, "you're just hanging out, playing basketball or wrestling."

Right now, Holland is hanging out with some of the best hitters in Division I baseball with eight home runs and 43 RBIs to complement his .385 average.

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