CEDAR RAPIDS — Katie Kuch kept Cedar Rapids Prairie in the game with her arm.
Then she won it with her bat.
Kuch laced a two-run double with one out in the top of the ninth inning to give Prairie a 3-1 victory over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the first game of a Mississippi Valley Conference softball double-header Tuesday night at Kennedy.
“It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time,” Kuch said. “My heart was beating so hard.
“I just wanted to put the ball in play hard …

IOWA CITY — Bad weather couldn’t stop Kyle Dunn last week.
And a full day’s work couldn’t slow him last night.
Dunn continued to chip away at his 400-meter hurdles time, motoring through a 51.51-second lap at a Class 4A state-qualifying track and field meet last night at Trojan Field.
That ranks No. 4 all-time in Iowa. And he did it in his fourth race of the evening.
The junior credited a teammate.
“My buddy (Nick) Lucas goes really hard for the first 200, and that pushes me a lot,” said Dunn, who had run …

CLASS 4A
At Iowa City West
(The top 2 in each event automatically advance to the state meet, plus the next 12 best times/distances statewide, next week at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.)
Teams — 1. Iowa City High 193, 2. Iowa City West 188, 3. Burlington 89, 4. Linn-Mar 83, 5. C.R. Prairie 59, 6. C.R. Jefferson 58, 7. Davenport West 37, 8. Muscatine 26.
Shot put — 1. Micaela Haight (ICW), 45-0; 2. Courtney Fritz (ICW), 41-7 1/2; 3. Alicia Steffany (Burl), 40-6 3/4.
Discus — 1. Courtney Fritz (ICW), 139-9; 2. Amanda Piche …

CLASS 4A
At Iowa City West
The top 4 in each event advance to the state meet, next week at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Teams — 1. Linn-Mar 140, 2. Burlington 137, 3. Iowa City High 127, 4. Iowa City West 91, 5. C.R. Prairie 78, 6. Muscatine 51, 7. C.R. Jefferson 44, 8. Davenport West 30.
Shot put — 1. Mark Jennings (LM), 56-3 3/4; 2. Nick Ganzley (Musc), 52-7 1/2; 3. Jacob Gannon (ICW), 52-6 1/4; 4. Ryan Piche (LM), 52-3 1/4.
Discus — 1. Jacob Gannon (ICW), 179-5; 2. Ryan Piche …

CEDAR RAPIDS — This is the time prep tennis coaches are put to the test.
With rosters due Monday for Thursday’s Class 1A and 2A district meets, boys’ tennis coaches are challenged to find their best possible lineup.
It turns out that determining lineups for district competition is more complex than filling out a sheet with names. Coaches implore strategy to try to advance as many athletes to the state meet as well as improving the team’s chances to reach team substate.
Coaches and players have to decide whether to compete in singles …

CEDAR RAPIDS — Some dreaded the wind. Courtney Fritz embraced it.
“I like it when it’s coming in from the right,” she said. “With the right wind, you can really catch it.”
Fritz caught it.
The Iowa City West thrower broke the Prairie Relays discus record Thursday at John Wall Field, flinging her final attempt 152 feet,  8 inches.
“When it’s windy, you just have to adjust, but you don’t want to change too much,” Fritz said. “If you do, then you’re dealing with a bigger issue.”
A strong wind from the south aided Fritz, but …

The Class 2A district assignments were released by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. They begin May 13. The top two in each districts, in both singles and doubles, advance to the state meets May 28 and 29 in Waterloo (Class 1A) and Cedar Rapids’ Veterans Memorial Tennis Complex (2A).
Cedar Rapids Jefferson hosts a district with Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Cedar Rapids Washington, Cedar Rapids Xavier and Marshalltown. Iowa City High also hosts a district with Iowa City West, Burlington, Davenport West, Muscatine and Ottumwa. Linn-Mar heads to Dubuque …

IOWA CITY — Bob Askelson walked around Pleasant Valley Golf Course for four hours Wednesday morning. He didn’t hit one ball and wasn’t out to get extra exercise or anything.
He was there to watch and support his daughter, Kimmy.
“I come to as many (meets) as I can,” Askelson said. “Yeah, it was a good choice to come today.”
A real good choice.
Kimmy Askelson did her dad proud with a two-over-par 74 that earned her medalist honors at the nine-school CRANDIC tournament. The Cedar Rapids Xavier junior flirted with even-par until finding …

There are the divisions for the MVC in 2010-11 and 2011-12:
MISSISSIPPI DIVISION
Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Cedar Rapids Washington
Dubuque Senior
Dubuque Wahlert
Iowa City High
Linn-Mar
Waterloo West
VALLEY DIVISION
Cedar Falls
Cedar Rapids Jefferson
Cedar Rapids Prairie
Cedar Rapids Xavier
Dubuque Hempstead
Iowa City West
Waterloo East

As voted by coaches.
2009-10 All-Metro Boys’ Basketball