Jefferson High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Jenks, J-Hawks double up at Dickinson Relays

CEDAR FALLS - Stephanie Jenks ran 15 laps around the UNI-Dome track Monday at the A.D. Dickinson Relays, took one deep breath and then waited for the rest of the girls in the 3000 meter run to cross the finish line so she could shake their hands.

The Linn-Mar freshman had to wait a while to greet them all.

Jenks won the 3000 in 10:16.27 in a breeze. She clocked a 9:49.24 at the same distance last week at a major meet in Ames when she faced serious competition from Anna Holidman of Waverly-Shell Rock, but there wasn't much of a challenge Monday.

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Maddie Koolbeck will play ball at Coe

It pays to be smart, talented and energetic.

Maddie Koolbeck is a prime example.

Koolbeck has been an all-state basketball player during her career at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, but she's been much more than that.

She carries a 4.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale with numerous Advanced Placement classes, serves as editor of the school newspaper, is vice president of the senior class, vice president of the National Honor Society, a member of the Service Club and plays softball.

Colleges drool over student/athletes like that.

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Jefferson baseball gets Kernels scoreboard

Players and fans shouldn't have any trouble knowing the score at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School baseball games this season.

The J-Hawks have purchased a scoreboard from the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the city of Cedar Rapids and plan to install it in right-center field for everyone to see.

The scoreboard is 36 feet long and 9 feet high, much bigger than the current board at the high school field in southwest Cedar Rapids.

"It's a beast, that's for sure," said Kyle Rodenkirk, a Jefferson grad who will be the head coach this season. "It will be really neat."

"It's going to be nice, because that little one we have there now malfunctions all the time, so I thought we had to get something that works."

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Kramer headed to Iowa Central for hoops

Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior Ky Kramer probably could have found a home for himself in the Iowa Conference next season and played college basketball at the NCAA Division III division, but he'd like to compete even higher than that someday.

That's why Kramer has committed to Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge.

"Hopefully I can get looks there and go on and play at a higher level," he said Saturday. "I felt like the junior college route was the best way for me to go."

Kramer, a 6-foot-2 wing player, was a three-year starter at Jefferson and helped the J-Hawks make the Class 4A state tournament in 2011 and 2012. He averaged 5.0 points as a sophomore, 9.3 points as a junior and 12.9 points this season.

Kramer scored 648 points in his career and made 86 3-pointers. Jefferson compiled a 45-26 record during his three years on the team.

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J-Hawks' Petersen 3rd at girls state bowl

DES MOINES - Jefferson senior Nicole Petersen rolled a 461 series to finish third Tuesday in the Class 2A girls state bowling tournament at Plaza Lanes.

Jefferson finished sixth in the team race. Washington was eighth.

Waterloo West won the tournament with a score of 3152.

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Jones leads strong Metro showing at MVC indoor

CEDAR FALLS - Timauntay Jones smiles when he pictures himself running for the University of Northern Iowa track team in the spacious UNI-Dome the next four years.

The Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior sure looked at home in the Dome on Monday.

Jones blazed to victory in the 800-meter run in 1:57.58 at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor meet, surprising even himself with the swift clocking.

"It was a little unexpected," he said. "I was really going for 2:01 or 2:02."

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Jacob Olson named to INA 3rd team

Jefferson junior Jacob Olson has been named to the Iowa Newspaper Association's Class 4A third team it was announced Tuesday.

Olson was the only Metro player named to an INA all-state team.

Peter Jok of West Des Moines Valley, who will attend Iowa, was named Iowa's Mr. Basketball.

No.1 West sidelines J-Hawks, 56-27

It was a dejected Ky Kramer who walked out of the Cedar Rapids Jefferson locker room on Thursday night.

The J-Hawk senior guard had just taken off his uniform for the final time following a 56-27 loss to top-ranked Iowa City West in the Class 4A Substate 6 final at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

A three-year regular for Jefferson, Kramer has plenty to be proud over his 73-game career, which included a pair of state tournament trips.

But that didn't mean much to Kramer after his team was manhandled by the defending state champions.

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Van Oort named Jefferson volleyball coach

Mary Kay Van Oort, an accomplished volleyball player and coach, has been named the new coach at Jefferson High School.

She replaces Kelly Phelan, who resigned in January.

Van Oort played volleyball at the University of Notre Dame and was a two-time MVP. She played pro volleyball in France for one year and with the Iowa Blizzard for one season.

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