Marion Home

Xavier is host site for Metro tourney

Xavier is one of two host sites for the 48th annual Bob Vrbicek Metro Tournament, which kicks off the high school baseball season for the  Saints, the other six schools in the Cedar Rapids Metro and Mount Vernon.

Xavier Coach Bob Cataldo's team, which finished last season at  12-23-1, will host Marion at 7 p.m. on Monday, following the 5 p.m.  contest between Jefferson and Washington at Ken Charipar Field.

Prairie is the other host site. Coach Todd Rima's Hawks, the defending Class 4A state champions, face a tough opener against traditional power Kennedy at 7 p.m. following a 4:30 p.m. contest between Mount Vernon and Linn-Mar.

Semifinal and consolation round games are set for Tuesday. The championship and third-place games will be Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Stadium with the fifth and seventh-place games to be played at Xavier.

Read more...

Saints win historic volleyball match

Xavier High School should just go ahead and cancel all of its classes on Thursday and declare it a sports holiday.

Lots of students will have trouble concentrating on school Thursday with the volleyball and football teams participating in the semifinals of their state tournaments that day.

Get some rest and get ready to cheer.

The Xavier volleyball players carved their names into the record books Tuesday night when they clipped the Marion Indians, 27-25, 25-18, 22-25, 26-24, at the U.S. Cellular Center for the first victory at the state tournament in school history.

The Saints (32-9) will face Dubuque Wahlert (26-6) in the semifinals of the Class 4A tournament at noon Thursday.

And in a rare day-night doubleheader, the Xavier football team will play Pella in the semifinals of the Class 3A tournament at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls Thursday at 8:21 p.m.

"They are giving us a half-day off," said Xavier kill-shot artist Charlotte Richards, who rolled up 29 kills against Marion. "I think they are dismissing us at 11."

Richards would like to see the Xavier football team play top-ranked Pella Thursday night, but not if she and her teammates upset Wahlert and reach the state finals Friday at 12:15 p.m.

"If we have a match on Friday I will not be going to the game," she announced. "I've got to get some sleep."

Read more...

Indians win 5 events at Wartburg track

WAVERLY - The Marion Indians won five events at an indoor track meet hosted by Wartburg College Tuesday.

Blair Brooks was a double-winner for Marion, taking the high jump (5-10) and the long jump (20-1 1/2).

Myles Bach captured the 1600 (4:43.08) and Jeremy Fopma took the 3200 (10:13.05).

Madison Bach won the 1500 for the Marion girls (4:58.40).

Mahlia Brown finished second in the shot put (35-11). Skylar Miller-Baker took third in the 200 (28.27) and the Marion girls placed third in the 4x800 relay (10:18.01).

The Marion boys finished third in the 4x400 relay (3:39.69).

Smith will sign with Saint Ambrose

Marion senior Bre Smith will sign a letter of intent to continue her bowling career at Saint Ambrose University in Davenport.

Smith finished second in the Class 2A state bowling meet this year, leading Marion to a third-place team finish. She finished fourth as a sophomore and ninth as a junior.

She will sign her letter on Thursday at 3:05 p.m. in the school district board room.