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 …

Marion’s Brittany Fish and JoAnna Forkner will sign national letters of intent Wednesday.
Forkner will play volleyball at Kirkwood Community College; Fish will play basketball at Maryville University (St. Louis).
The signings will be at 3 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.
Forkner was a part of Marion’s state-championship team in 2008. Fish helped lead the Indians to two state-tournament appearances in basketball.

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has released the Class 4A regional golf assignments. Unlike the other classes, the class of largest schools do not have district meets. Just regionals and state. The Cedar Rapids/Marion Metro 4A schools all travel north to Irv Warren Memorial at Waterloo for their regional meet. In a little bit of an odd circumstance, the Iowa City schools are being sent to very different locations. Iowa City High heads north to Peosta to play Timberline. Iowa City West goes to Ottumwa.
Class 4A Golf regional assignments …

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has released the Class 3A district and regional golf assignments for the 2010 season. Marion heads to Stone Creek Golf Course for a district hosted by Williamsburg and could join the regional qualifiers from the Manchester district at Springbrook Country Club in DeWitt.
3A Golf district and regional golf assignments

CEDAR RAPIDS — Remember the last time Morgan Paige and Carli Tritz were on the same floor at the same time?
Both stars put on a show of brilliance in Sioux City Heelan’s 69-61 Class 3A quarterfinal win over Marion at the girls’ state basketball tournament last month.
They’ll be together again Saturday, on different terms.
Teammate terms.
The annual six-game Iowa Girls Coaches Association all-star series is this weekend at the Hennessey Recreation Center on the Mount Mercy College campus.
More than 100 of the state’s best seniors will gather. Tritz and Paige are …

Corby Laube, athletics director at Marion High School, hopes to have a girls’ basketball coach in place soon.
“We’re in the middle of the process,” Laube said Tuesday. “I hope in the next couple weeks, we’ll know more.”
Sherryl Gaffney-Paige stepped down after Marion’s appearance at the state tournament. The Indians were 23-2 last year and have won three consecutive championships in the Wamac Conference.
Laube said there are “a decent amount” of applicants. He would not divulge any names.
“We’ve been on spring break, now we’re back in the swing of things, and …

DES MOINES — So we’re down to 1-vs.-2.
Twice.
The girls’ state basketball tournament concludes today with a pair of championship-game showdowns.
In Class 3A, top-rated Sioux City Heelan (25-1) faces No. 2 Waukon (25-1) at 6 p.m.
And in 4A, it’s No. 1 Linn-Mar (25-0) vs. No. 2 Des Moines East (25-0) at 8.
“We just don’t have a lot of size,” said Waukon Coach Gene Klinge. “Our kids will play hard. They’ll battle hard. But we’ll have our hands full.”
Heelan and Waukon have been 1-2 all season.
“Heelan is a great team,” said Waukon’s …

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

DES MOINES — Morgan Paige had the points. Carli Tritz had the help.
Top-rated Sioux City Heelan dominated the glass and defeated No. 8 Marion, 69-61, in a Class 3A quarterfinal at the girls’ state basketball tournament Tuesday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.
Afterward, Indians Coach Sherryl Gaffney-Paige announced her resignation.
“Our administration knows,” she said. “It’s time for me to watch my son (Marcus, a sophomore at Linn-Mar). I’ve missed a lot of his games.
“I’ll miss it, but it’s time for a change.”
Gaffney-Paige closes a 10-year career at Marion with a 126-96 …

A look at the action at the girls’ state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Tuesday.
CLASS 2A QUARTERFINAL
Mount Vernon (22-3) vs. #11 Audubon (21-1)
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Coaches: Mount Vernon Coach Bob Kintzel is in his third season, and owns a 57-11 mark. Derek Sonderland is 81-33 in five years at Audubon. He also had a successful run at Tri-Center.
Top players: Liz Skotowski (5-7, soph.) paces a young Mount Vernon team, averaging 12.0 points per game. Amanda Platte (6-1, jr.) adds 10.2 ppg. Mykel Brannan (5-6, sr.) leads …