Marion High School - Marion, Iowa

Zrudsky returns as Marion track coach

Chad Zrudsky has been hired to coach the Marion High School boys track team this spring, pending board approval.

Zrudsky coached the Indians from 2005 through 2011, winning Wamac Conference titles in 2008 and 2009. He will succeed Matt Thornton as head coach.

Zrudsky is the associate principal at Marion High School. He graduated from Coe College in 2001, where he was a two-time Iowa Conference champion in the triple jump and captain of the track team. He received his master's from the University of Northern Iowa in 2008.

Madison Bach wins Metro Spotlight Award

Marion High School junior Madison Bach is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Bach is one of the premier distance runners in Eastern Iowa. She finished second in the Class 3A district meet at Solon Thursday to qualify for the state meet in Fort Dodge this Saturday.

Bach finished 37th at the Class 3A state meet last year as a sophomore, but she's ranked 15th in the state this year and will be looking to climb the standings in Fort Dodge.

Bach has enjoyed a solid season for Marion this year. She placed third at the Center Point-Invitational and finished fourth at the Wamac Conference meet, fourth at the West Delaware Invitational and fourth at the Cascade Invitational.

Saints knock off proud Indians

Marion’s hard-luck football season came to a merciful end Friday night with another tough defeat, this time a fiercely fought 37-6 loss to Xavier on the Saints home turf.

But at least Indians senior Dontavious Young closed out his career with a bang.

Down 16-0 at halftime, Marion kicker Carter Stigge opened the second half with a boot that bounced around the near the goal line. Running pell-mell downfield, Young pounced on the loose ball at the 1 yard line.

“Astonished, that’s what I was,” Young said of his fortuitous fumble recovery. “It hit one of their players, and then I think he thought it was going to go out of bounds or in the end zone.

“It was kind of amazing, but it shows you should never give up on a play ‘til the whistle blows.”

The lead was whittled two plays later when Hayden Meister made a sliding catch of a short pass from hard-nosed quarterback Gage Kray.

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Cougars ranked 9th in volleyball poll

The Kennedy Cougars will enter the postseason volleyball playoffs next week as the highest ranked Class 5A team from the Metro area.

Kennedy climbed one spot to No. 9 in the final poll of the season Thursday after reaching the championship round of the Mississippi Valley Conference tournament last Saturday.

The Marion Indians remained third in the Class 4A rankings despite losing two matches in the tough Wamac Conference tournament Tuesday.

The Prairie Hawks dropped out of the Class 5A poll Thursday.

CLASS 5A

1. Bettendorf (34-0), 2. Ankeny Centennial (36-3), 3. Dowling (35-5), 4. Johnston (34-5), 5. Ankeny (33-6), 6. West Des Moines Valley (35-10), 7. Council Bluffs Lincoln (35-13), 8. Iowa City High (22-9), 9. Kennedy (26-11), 10. Southeast Polk (30-9).

CLASS 4A

1. Harlan (35-2), 2. West Delaware (41-2), 3. Marion (30-7), 4. Sioux City Heelan (28-11), 5. Clear Creek-Amana (24-9), 6. Charles City (39-4), 7. Indianola (30-9), 8. LeMars (29-9), 9. Waverly-Shell Rock (31-19), 10. Boone (31-6), 11. Dallas Center-Grimes (23-13), 12. Davenport Assumption (18-13), 13. Fort Madison (28-10), 14. Glenwood (16-13), 15. ADM (21-12).