Ready or not -- and like it or not -- here it comes.The world of pentaclassed girls' athletics in Iowa officially makes its debut Monday, when the Class 1A softball regional tournament begins.Thus begins a nine-day race for Fort Dodge, host site of the state ...

By Rob GrayCorrespondentDES MOINES — Lisbon runners John Noll, Nathan Budde and Ben Knake served as the ultimate set-up men.Their job: Run hard and pass the baton to Conner Smock.And they did it well Friday, turning a time of 3:35.48 into Class 1A boys’ state ...

From the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Tough quarterfinal draws for both Lisbon and Iowa Mennonite. 

Jeff Linder of The Gazette/KCRG picks the Class 1A girls' state basketball tournament:QuarterfinalsAr-We-Va 60, Bedford 56North Butler 46, LeMars Gehlen 34Lynnville-Sully 43, West Sioux 39North Mahaska 51, North Tama 45SemifinalsNorth Butler 52, Ar-We-Va 47Lynnville-Sully 45, North Mahaska 43 (OT)ChampionshipNorth Butler 45, Lynnville-Sully 411A state-tournament statistical ...

CLASS 1A SUBSTATE FINALSIowa Mennonite (22-4) vs. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (16-8) Where: Cedar Rapids Prairie When: 7 p.m. Scouting Report: IMS avenged two regular-season losses to Lone Tree with a 59-35 win in a district final Thursday. Johnny Lackender had 18 points. All five starters average in double figures, led ...

CLASS 1A DISTRICT SEMIFINALSMetro-Area Bellevue Marquette (12-7) at Calamus-Wheatland (11-12) BGM (16-5) at Lynnville-Sully (19-3) Cedar Valley Christian (13-9) at Lone Tree (19-3) Gladbrook-Reinbeck (14-8) at North Tama (17-5) HLV (12-10) at Iowa Mennonite (19-4) Postville (10-12) at North Linn (21-2) Preston (11-11) at Lisbon (17-6) Sigourney (14-8) at Keota (22-0) Starmont (12-11) at ...

Some of it was adrenalin. A lot of it was preparation.Brian Wheatley spent late Friday night (and early Saturday morning) in college-student mode, cramming for an exam.A regional-final exam."I was up until 2 in the morning," said Wheatley, girls' basketball coach at North Linn High School. "We're playing another ...

An early illness put the Belle Plaine girls' basketball team in an early hole.Now, the Plainsmen are more than playing catch-up. They're two games from Never Never Land.Belle Plaine continues its postseason journey Friday at Huxley, when it faces Woodward-Granger in a Class 1A girls' ...

 Alburnett's Tyler Shulista has always had someone special by his side and in his corner during his wrestling career.That same person has sacrificed as much and has shown as much dedicated to Shulista's quest to be champion. The Pirates senior is grateful his dad, Brett Shulista, has accompanied him ...

Game, set, rubber match.Iowa City Regina and Mid-Prairie were unable to determine girls' basketball superiority in the regular season, splitting their two games and sharing the Cedar Valley Conference championship.As far as tie-breakers go, Tuesday's Class 2A regional quarterfinal certainly will suffice."Every game is important, ...