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 ...

  Area teams to watch for the 2013 softball season: ALBURNETTCoach – Kevin Johnson (15th year, 482-325)         2012 record – 29-142012 postseason – Class 2A regional quarterfinalistReturning starters (10) – SS Taylor Huber (fr.), LF Madison Harger (jr.), 2B Kaitlyn Boline (jr.), 1B Danica Windfield (sr.), DH Amber ...

 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 ...

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 ...

(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, ...

(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 ...

(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 ...

(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 ...

(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 ...

(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 ...