CEDAR RAPIDS — Brian Erbe sported a blue windbreaker at a preseason softball practice. And a broad smile. He’s home. “To be the head coach at the place I went to school … it’s an awesome feeling,” said Erbe, the new head coach at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. “I had 10 great years here as an assistant. [...]

    Area teams to watch for the 2013 softball season:   ALBURNETT Coach – Kevin Johnson (15th year, 482-325)          2012 record – 29-14 2012 postseason – Class 2A regional quarterfinalist Returning starters (10) – SS Taylor Huber (fr.), LF Madison Harger (jr.), 2B Kaitlyn Boline (jr.), 1B Danica Windfield (sr.), DH Amber Wieland (sr.), RF Taylor Matus (sr.), 3B Mikayla Hand (sr.), C Maddison [...]

  Area players to watch for the 2013 softball season: P Kelsey Lough, sr., Jesup – 30-7, 0.87 ERA. 261 K, 34 BB in 218 IP. Batted .356. Class 2A 1st-team all-state. P Hannah Cole, jr., West Delaware – 27-8, 1.82 ERA. 186 K, 75 BB in 223 2/3 IP. Class 4A 2nd-team all-state.             P Olivia Lugar, sr., Mid-Prairie – 24-10, [...]

IOWA CITY — Ally Disterhoft, the state’s leading scorer and Miss Iowa Basketball 2013, was named to the 40-player Parade Magazine girls basketball all-America team . Disterhoft averaged 26.3 points per game, shooting 63.5 percent from the field (including 47.0 percent from 3-point range) and 80.7 percent from the field. She grabbed 7.7 rebounds per game. She [...]

(RESULTS ) DES MOINES — The awards ceremony ended, then a lengthy, happy photo session with family and friends began near the finish line at Drake Stadium. The white banner rippling in the breeze was a championship banner. Linn-Mar captured its first boys track and field title in school history, scoring 72 points to grab the Class [...]

(RESULTS ) DES MOINES — Rachel Broghammer crossed the finish line for the final time as a high school athlete and turned toward Taylor Jacobson. Then came the tears. Not of disappointment, but of accomplishment and pride. “I’m just so happy,” Broghammer said. “Think back to where we were four years ago, and the bad reputation [...]

(RESULTS ) DES MOINES — There’s not much time to think in the course of a 110-meter hurdles race. But for Connor Ham, there was time to adjust. Time to come from behind. And time to win by the narrowest of margins. Ham won the Class 3A boys’ title in the highs at the state track [...]

(RESULTS ) DES MOINES — Olivia Loy’s self-expectations were fairly modest upon her arrival at Drake Stadium. “I just expected to do my best,” said the junior from Anamosa High School. “I never expected this.” Loy introduced herself to state-track stardom this weekend, claiming three girls championships in Class 3A. Saturday, the anchored the Raiders from [...]

(RESULTS ) DES MOINES — Thirty-eight years, Woodbine held the all-time Iowa best in the girls’ 800-meter relay. Thirty-eight years, but no longer. Cedar Rapids Jefferson was No. 1 in the Class 4A girls’ race Friday at the state track meet. And No. 1 ever. Maliya Rattliffe, Lucy Schneekloth, Jasmine Blue and Rachel Broghammer sizzled to a [...]

(RESULTS ) DES MOINES — The extent of Dalton Ferguson’s what-ifs was minor. Ferguson might have taken the lead in the Class 3A boys shot put on his final throw, but slipped out of the front of the ring. Regrets? Nah, not really. “(Winner Emmett Wester of Mount Pleasant) would have been thinking about it on his [...]

(RESULTS ) DES MOINES — In the span of about 15 minutes, the Solon Spartans made a swift move to the top of the leaderboard. A regular scorer at the state track and field meet, Lauren Benzing earned the first championship of her track career Friday. She anchored the Spartans to the Class 3A girls’ distance [...]

(RESULTS ) DES MOINES — Derek Jacobus spent a good chunk of the school year in a sling, on the proverbial disabled list. Injuries to his labrum, and then his ankle, forced Jacobus missed the entire junior football season and most of the basketball season. “It’s been a year of ups and downs,” he acknowledged. Friday [...]

( RESULTS) DES MOINES — Jared Ganschow redeemed himself. And then some. A runner-up two years ago, Ganschow won the Class 3A boys 400-meter dash at state track and field meet Thursday at Drake Stadium. “This is awesome,” Ganschow said. “I’ve been waiting for this for two years.” Ganschow, of Clear Creek Amana, was second as [...]

( RESULTS) DES MOINES — It took a while for her to reach full speed. Then, less than a minute later, it took a moment for the magnitude to set in. Anamosa junior Olivia Loy dethroned two-time defending champion Maddie Irmen of Davenport Assumption in the Class 3A girls 400-meter dash at the state track and [...]

( RESULTS) DES MOINES – Brook Price didn’t have much time to reflect. The 3,200-meter run was behind. The 3,200-meter relay was ahead. “I did a short cool-down, then I rolled out my hamstrings,” he said. “I really focused on getting rehydrated. “There was no way I was going to let these guys down.” Ryan Dorman put [...]

( RESULTS) DES MOINES — Stephanie Jenks enjoyed her 3,000-meter experience at the Drake Relays so much, she provided a sequel. A freshman at Linn-Mar, Jenks tracked Pleasant Valley’s Mackenzie Yanek for the majority of the race before pulling ahead and pulling away at the end. Jenks was timed in 9 minutes, 50.70 seconds to claim [...]

  DES MOINES — The high school state track and field meet is held at Drake Stadium. It may as well be down the road at Adventureland, according to Ken Hopkins. “It’s like a roller coaster,” said the boys’ coach at Linn-Mar High School. “You’ve got to ride it out through the ups and downs.” [...]

DES MOINES – The state track meet is Thursday through Saturday at Drake Stadium. Here is a thumbnail sketch of the boys’ competition (projections are based on regional results). (SCHEDULE ) (QUALIFIERS, HEAT & LANE ASSIGNMENTS ) CLASS 4A Individuals of impact — Linn-Mar has an elite sprinter in Perrion Scott, who leads the field in the 100 and anchors the No. 1 [...]

DES MOINES – The state track meet is Thursday through Saturday at Drake Stadium. Here is a thumbnail sketch of the girls’ competition (projections are based on regional results). (SCHEDULE ) (QUALIFIERS, HEAT & LANE ASSIGNMENTS ) CLASS 4A Individuals of impact — Drake Relays Outstanding Female Performer Agnes Sayeh of Des Moines Roosevelt is the top seed in the 100 and 200, [...]

DES MOINES — E. Wayne Cooley made girls’ high school athletics relevant, even celebrated, in Iowa. He did so long before Title IX made it mandatory. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union executive secretary for 48 years, Cooley died Saturday in Des Moines. He was 90. “It’s a very sad day for all of [...]