Linn-Mar High School - Marion, Iowa

Wensel captures 400 at Big River meet

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Linn-Mar sophomore Payton Wensel won the 400-meter dash at the Big River meet Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

Wensel was clocked in 56.82 seconds, which broke the meet record and was one of the fastest times by a high school sophomore in the country for the 2016 indoor season.

Wensel starred for the Linn-Mar track team last year as a freshman.

Klostermann wins Metro Spotlight Award

Beau Klostermann of Linn-Mar is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Klostermann, a 6-foot-5 senior, is a key member of the Linn-Mar boys basketball team again this season and he's been one of the hottest players in the state the past two weeks.

Klostermann has averaged 23.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in his last four games and has been nearly unstoppable from the field. He's made 71.4 percent of his shots from the field during that stretch (35 of 49), 66.7 percent of his 3-pointers (14 of 21) and all nine of his free throws.

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Supporters defend Linn-Mar football program

Members of the Linn-Mar football community have rallied in defense of the program.

The Metro Sports Report posted a story Thursday night regarding allegations that have been made by unhappy Linn-Mar families against the football program and against members of the coaching staff, specifically assistant coach Matt Casebolt and head coach Bob Forsyth.

The article brought forth a considerable amount of comment in the community, including responses from former players who say they had a favorable experience with the football team.

The unhappy families claim their sons have suffered verbal, mental, emotional and physical abuse while participating in the football program and weight training program at Linn-Mar High School. Five families filed complaints with the school district, but at least 20 families share common grievances and have banded together as a group in an effort to remedy their concerns.

The Linn-Mar school district has dismissed the formal complaints filed by families following an in-house investigation, but those families are in the process of filing a formal complaint with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners about Casebolt, Forsyth and Linn-Mar administrators.

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Perfection! Hartzler snares 160 crown

DES MOINES - Shea Hartzler owes Linn-Mar Coach Doug Streicher a debt of gratitude for helping him win the Class 3A state wrestling title Saturday night.

He owes Streicher's wife, Terri, a big thank-you as well.

"Second grade, I had Mrs. Streicher as a teacher," Hartzler related Saturday night after winning his title. "I think it was during the parent-teacher conference, she encouraged my parents to sign me up for wrestling."

A star was born.

Hartzler blanked Jacob Carlson of Mason City, 5-0, in the 160-pound finals before a sellout crowd at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Coach Streicher beamed with pride as Hartzler spoke with reporters and the veteran coach got a big kick out of Hartzler saluting his wife.

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