Kennedy High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Armstrong, Dale, Dickerman top girls all-state soccer

Kayla Amstrong of Xavier, Annie Dale of Xavier and Kaela Dickerman of Kennedy have been named first team all-state by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Armstrong and Dale made the Class 2A all-state team after helping the Saints win the Class 2A state title. Dickerman helped the Cougars capture the Class 3A state crown.

Lauren Konchar and Mary Levett of Xavier received second-team honors in Class 2A.

Olivia Garcia of Linn-Mar was named second team all-state in Class 3A. Rylie Frese of Linn-Mar received Honorable Mention in Class 3A.

Hoyer's 600th win sends Cougars to state

Kennedy's win Wednesday night wasn't much different than the other 599 wins Coach Bret Hoyer has experienced.

With one major exception.

This one was for a berth in the Class 4A state baseball tournament.

Kennedy used nine hits and seven Cedar Falls errors to bury the Tigers, 9-1, in a Class 4A substate final at the Cougar diamond.

It was the 600th career win for Hoyer, his 536th in 20 years at Kennedy. He also had 64 wins in three seasons as coach at Iowa City Regina.

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Jahlas juggles Kennedy baseball and Shrine football

Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer gave Josh Jahlas a big hug before practice Tuesday night, but it wasn't because Jahlas has hit .450 this season and patrolled center field like a vacuum cleaner in spikes.

Hoyer appreciates what Jahlas has done for the second-ranked Cougars, but the embrace was a tribute to the senior's extra hustle this week as he juggles playing baseball for Kennedy in the substate tournament and practicing in Ames for the 40th Annual Shrine Bowl football game that will be played Saturday night.

Jahlas had a three-hour workout in pads Tuesday morning and a lighter one-hour practice Tuesday afternoon on a sweltering day in Ames, then shot back to Cedar Rapids to join the Cougars for practice and a team picture Tuesday night.

"Yeah, I had two workouts, and after the second workout I came straight here," said Jahlas, looking fresh as a daisy. "I'm having a lot of fun, but it's felt a lot longer than three days."

Kennedy (31-6) hosts Cedar Falls (22-18) in the Class 4A substate finals Wednesday night, with the winner claiming a berth in the state tournament next week in Des Moines.

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Hayden saves Cougars against Waterloo East

Unlike their doubleheader last month when Cedar Rapids Kennedy blew out Waterloo East twice, the Cougars had to work hard to eke out a 2-0 victory Friday night at home in the first round of the Class 4A substate tournament.

Kennedy ace Alex Hayden (9-2) was all but untouchable, limiting the Trojans to just three infield hits and a bloop single to left barely over the head of third baseman Cody Bell.

The crafty right-hander struck out 11 and walked only one batter in six innings. Nick Appleget pitched the seventh inning for the save.

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Cougars reach 30 victories with split

All Metro baseball teams set goals at the start of the season, some loftier than others, but they all do it.

Winning the Metro tournament is a good one. So is winning a conference title. A high ranking in the polls is always nice, and so is winning 30 games.

Kennedy has done it all this season.

The second-ranked Cougars won their 30th game Tuesday by blanking Pleasant Valley, 5-0, on a neat five-hit shutout by senior Nick Appleget on Senior Night.

Pleasant Valley took the nightcap, 4-3.

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Sievertsen named preseason All-American

CEDAR FALLS - University of Northern Iowa placekicker Tyler Sievertsen has been named a second team preseason All-American by The Sports Network.

Sievertsen, a junior from Cedar Rapids Kennedy, led the Panthers in scoring last season. He connected on 18 of 20 fields and was a perfect 39-for-39 on PATs.

He had a pair of 48-yard field goals during the 2011 campaign and made 13 straight field goals at one point.

Northern Iowa opens the season Sept. 1 at Wisconsin.

No. 2 Cougars stung by Solon, 10-4

SOLON - The Solon Spartans have struggled through a losing campaign this season after winning the Class 3A state title in 2011, but they gave themselves something to remember Saturday night.

The Spartans upset No. 2 Kennedy, 10-4, in a non-conference ballgame at Solon.

The Spartans (14-24) scored nine runs against Kennedy ace Alex Hayden in four-plus innings of work, although only four of those runs were earned.

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Cougars go swimming for 3 victories

Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer found a new way to try and win the Mississippi Valley Conference baseball title on Friday.

In the midst of playing three games on a scorching hot day, he told his players to go for a refreshing dip in the Kennedy High School pool.

It worked swimmingly.

The Cougars defeated Dubuque Wahlert, 6-2, in the completion of a suspended game Friday afternoon as the thermometer flirted with 100 degrees, and they had 90 minutes to kill before their scheduled doubleheader against Waterloo West would begin.

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Jahlas sets table; Cougars feast on J-Hawks

Josh Jahlas set the table and the Kennedy Cougars dined on Jefferson pitching Tuesday night at Jefferson.

Jahlas was 3-for-3, scored four runs and drove in one to lead No. 2 Kennedy past Jefferson, 10-0, in six innings in a Mississippi Valley Conference baseball game.

Cody Bell swatted a two-run home run and drove in three runs for Kennedy (26-4, 19-4).

Jahlas, Kennedy's lead-off hitter, reached base all four plate appearances.

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