DES MOINES — Cascade’s Tessa Helmle called it “a rough start to the season” for her 800-meter relay team.No kidding.But as injuries piled up, team pride swelled up.The Cougars resolved not to relinquish their hold on the Class 2A 800-meter relay’s top spot and Friday ...

GIRLSCedar Rapids Xavier - The Saints return all-Metro  selections Maddie Bertsch and Grace Winker. They provide a strong nucleus for Xavier, looking to get back to the state tournament for the second time in three years. Xavier was a Mississippi Valley Conference divisional runner-up for ...

 MOUNT VERNON -- Better now than later.The Cascade Cougars are defending state track champions. They're loaded for a repeat. And they're also a bit banged up.Sprinter Allison Gibbs hopes to join practice in mid-April; she suffered a broken leg during volleyball season. Distance ace Mariah ...

Area girls track teams to watch for 2013:CASCADECoach: Tim Frake2012 state finish: 1st in Class 2A, 82 points (68.5 return)Returning state placewinners: Mariah Kauder, sr. (1st, distance medley relay; Sydney Rickels, soph. (1st, distance medley relay); Abbey Meyer, jr. (1st, distance medley relay; 1st, 800 ...

DES MOINES -- The Davenport Assumption students knew at 10-0.Mike Sconsa had a feeling earlier than that.Top-ranked Assumption solved the vaunted zone defense of No. 4 Cascade, drilling 10 3-pointers in a 63-26 Class 3A semifinal rout at the girls' state basketball tournament Thursday afternoon ...

Thursday's games at the girls state basketball tournament:CLASS 2A SEMIFINALNo. 14 Maquoketa Valley (20-5) vs. No. 2 Lawton-Bronson (25-1)Time: 1:30 p.m.Coaches: Scot Moenck is 162-69 in 10 years, including 123-41 in seven years at Maquoketa Valley. Trish Martin is 43-7 in two seasons at Lawton-Bronson.Key players: ...

DES MOINES -- The Cascade Cougars are devoted to defense."More than half of our practice is centered around defensive stuff, every day," said Holly Hunt.All that shifting and all those stances. Grunt work that isn't glamorous, or much fun.But Tuesday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena, ...

Tuesday's games at the girls state basketball tournament:CLASS 2A QUARTERFINALNo. 14 Maquoketa Valley (19-5) vs. No. 3 IKM-ManningTime: 10 a.m.Tournament history: Maquoketa Valley is making its fifth appearance, its first since 2004. IKM-Manning is at state for the fourth time, all since 2009. The Wolves ...

 Capsules on area teams that have qualified for the girls state basketball tournament:BENTON COMMUNITY (Class 4A)Coach -- Laurie Donald (9th year, 160-54)Top players -- UNI signee Madison Weekly (5-7, sr.) leads the Bobcats in scoring (18.8 points per game), assists (3.3) and steals (4.6). She ...

It's not Apollo 13, but Aaron Feddersen is facing the task of bringing his team back to Earth."It will be a challenge," the girls basketball coach at Williamsburg High School said. "The kids were so proud and excited (Wednesday). As much as you want to ...