Conference News

Lions dominate Mississippi Division mat team

Linn-Mar wrestlers claimed half of the spots on the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division all-conference team released this week.

Linn-Mar won the Mississippi Division with an 11-2 conference mark that was three matches ahead of runnerup Kennedy (8-5). The Lions had seven wrestlers on the first team and six on the second team.

Linn-Mar's first teamers are freshman Matt Wempen (106), sophomores Alijah Jeffery (113), Damon Griffin (120) and Ross Lembeck (145), junior Joel Northrup (132), and seniors Mitch Wantock (170) and Mark Atwater (182).

Iowa City West had eight wrestlers on the Valley Division first team. The Trojans won the division with a 13-0 mark that was one match better than Prairie (12-1). The Hawks had six first teamers and two second teamers.

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Griffin works extra hard for MVC mat title

IOWA CITY - Damon Griffin spends all day in school, practices for several hours with the Linn-Mar wrestling team and works out some more with an ex-Marine at home.

All that hard work paid off Saturday.

Griffin had an impressive day at the Mississippi Valley Conference wrestling tournament and grabbed the 120-pound title with four straight victories, capped by a 9-0 major decision over Ernest Willis of Iowa City West in the finals.

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2 Cougars, 1 Saint on MVC volleyball squads

Kennedy's Allie Hutcheson and Alexus Rogers were selected to the Mississippi Division first team, and Xavier's Kelly Biermann to the Valley Division first team of the Mississippi Valley Conference volleyball all-conference teams.

Biermann, a senior outside hitter, was a unanimous selection. She had team-highs for kills (293) and aces (30). She also had 41 blocks.

Hutcheson, a senior, was selected as a setter, even though she led the Cougars with 267 kills. She also had a team-high 735 assists to go along with 173 digs and 51 blocks.

Rogers, a junior middle hitter, had 214 kills and 82 blocks.

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Atwater MVC football Athlete of the Year

Linn-Mar senior quarterback Mark Atwater is the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division Athlete of the Year for the 2011 football season.

The conference announced its postseason teams Monday. They were chosen by vote of the conference coaches.

Atwater guided the Lions to an undefeated regular season, a Mississippi Division title and No. 2 ranking in the state. He completed nearly 64 percent of his passes for 1,715 yards and 25 touchdowns and also was Linn-Mar's second-leading rusher with 808 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Atwater was one of five Lions selected to the Mississippi Division first team offense and defense. Kennedy and Washington had four apiece.

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