Metro Spotlight

Mitch Keller wins Metro Spotlight Award

Cedar Rapids Xavier senior Mitch Keller is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Keller, a right-handed pitcher, was selected in the second round of the 2014 Major League draft Thursday by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 64th pick overall.

Keller is very interested in signing with the Pirates, which would officially end his prep baseball career at Xavier. He's pitched twice for the Saints this season and played shortstop, but does not plan to play for Xavier anymore.

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Soccer teams share Metro Spotlight Award

If you follow boys soccer, you know the Metro area is a hotbed for some of the top high school teams in the state.

Linn-Mar, Washington and Xavier have reached the state tournament and will be competing at the Cownie Sports Complex in Des Moines this week, starting with the opening round Thursday.

Kennedy, Prairie and Marion also enjoyed strong seasons this year and the Jefferson J-Hawks had a good squad as well. Six Metro teams were ranked at times during the season, a testament to the high caliber of boys soccer in our area.

The Metro Sports Report has decided to honor all of the boys soccer teams in Cedar Rapids and Marion as the joint winners of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week.

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Alyssa Olson wins Metro Spotlight Award

Cedar Rapids Jefferson junior Alyssa Olson is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Olson is an all-state pitcher for the Jefferson softball team, which is ranked No.5 in Class 5A this season. She pitched a one-hitter with 19 strikeouts in a victory over Waterloo West last week for the J-Hawks, who are off to a 6-0 start.

Olson has a 3-0 record and 0.31 ERA, with 39 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. She has allowed only one earned run and six hits.

Olson compiled a 21-4 record and 1.03 ERA last year when Jefferson finished fifth at the Class 5A state tournament. She struck out 237 batters in 163.1 innings.

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Metro Spotlight honors track athletes

Athletes from the Metro area enjoyed a fabulous weekend at the state track meets in Des Moines with 10 gold medals, 11 silver medals, seven bronze medals and two handsome trophies.

As a result, the Metro Sports Report is honoring all of these track stars as the Metro Spotlight Athletes of the Week.

Josh Evans of Linn-Mar collected four gold medals in the 800, 1600, 3200 and distance medley with Austin Fielder, Tim Wolfe and Duggan Trenary.

Stephanie Jenks of Linn-Mar claimed two gold medals in the 1500 and 3000. Curtis McCrary of Linn-Mar won the long jump, giving the Lions seven titles overall.

The Cedar Rapids Jefferson girls captured the 4x200 relay and sprint medley relay. And the Cedar Rapids Prairie boys won the 4x800 relay as part of the Metro's golden haul.

In addition to all that gold, Evans ran the fastest 1600 in state history (4:06.32) and set a Class 4A state meet record in the 3200 (9:00.97). The Lions also set a 4A state meet record in the distance medley in 3:24.39 with Evans on the anchor.

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