Wayland, IA- Southeastern Community College added another local talent to their Track and Field program as WACO’s Eli Cavin signed his letter of intent to become a member of the Blackhawks as a sprinter.

(Left to Right: WACO Track Coach Scott Meth, Eli and WACO Track Coach Caylon DeVaul)

Cavin ran the 100 and 200-meter dashes last season and turned in season best times of 12.73 and 26.65 seconds, respectively. At the indoor meet at the UNI-Dome earlier this week, the senior claimed a time of 27.33 seconds in the 200-meter dash.

WACO’s athletic director Chad Edeker had this to say about Cavin’s decision,

“It is a proud moment for the WACO community to see Eli transition his passion for track and field to the collegiate level. His journey is a testament to the dedication and championship culture we strive for, and we look forward to seeing his continued success as a student-athlete.”

The Warriors will compete at the IATC Indoor Championships tomorrow, March 13th, with the first outdoor meet scheduled for March 26th in Washington for the Steve Roth Relays.

Des Moines, IA- There was a gleam for #4 Burlington Notre Dame in the Class 1A semifinals, but a three-point halftime deficit turned into a 14 to 2 run for #1 St. Edmond that the Nikes could not dig themselves out of in a 74-55 final.

In Notre Dame’s first trip back to the state semifinals since 1981, the Nikes had no problems scoring early in the contest with Griffin Kies knocking down his first two threes of the game to give the underdogs a 6 to 2 lead.

The Gaels were looking for redemption after being knocked out of the semifinals last year by the eventual state champions Madrid, 71-58. St. Edmond has also had an extra ounce of motivation for the season with long-time head coach Adolph Kochendorfer announced he would retire at the end of the season after 40 years of coaching and over 600 career wins.

The result was a trading of punches with L.J. Harris for Notre Dame and Hunter Horn, St. Edmond’s all-time leading scorer, each putting up eight points in the first quarter as the Nikes and Gaels exited the first frame tied at 18.

Notre Dame had an early opportunity in the second quarter to go on a run with Horn sitting on the bench in early foul trouble. Tatum Warner’s layup and a Payne Prottsman triple gave the Nikes a five-point lead, but that was as far as the offense would go for either team as they both mustered only four field goals.

Nevertheless, second chances and four more made free throws gave the Gaels a 31 to 28 lead entering halftime. The third quarter quickly got out of hand as St. Edmond missed only four shots in the quarter, while the Nikes again struggled on offense with four made field goals. Nike head coach Dan Kies discussed what went awry during the Gaels’ run,

“Yeah, I mean, we didn’t finish or take, we took some shots that maybe weren’t the best shots, didn’t finish some shots, got beat defensively. So some of the things defensively that we normally do a better job of didn’t stay in front very well, we did not keep them off the offensive glass… You take that away and it’s a different story going into half. Talked about it again, we still didn’t really focus on going and getting bodies and hitting people… So that was a huge thing, and we just didn’t play as well defensively. But they did what they needed to, they’re a solid program, we know they’re good, they’re not gonna get the number one seed for nothing. So, I don’t think the difference is as big as what the board looks like, but it’s still, they did what they needed to, they worked hard, they executed, so the better team today for sure comes out on top.”

Unfortunately, St. Edmond outscored Notre Dame 22 to 11 in the third quarter and continued that success at the free throw line into the fourth quarter, finishing the game 26-38 from the free throw line.

If you were looking for a positive, Shay Stephens, the Western Illinois commit, secured an 18 point and 10 rebound double-double. The senior entered the game needing only two more rebounds to cement his name into the Iowa high school history book for a season double-double (500-plus points and 250-plus rebounds).

When Stephens checked out of the game for the final time as a Nike, he paused for a long while distributing hugs to assistant coach Gavin Kies and head coach Dan Kies. Coach Kies understood how bad his team wanted to play in the Class 1A championship,

“So, it’s rough for him [Shay Stephens], and it’s very disappointing for these guys. But they still gotta be proud of what they’ve done this year…I mean, unfortunately, we didn’t come here to just participate. We came here to try and get to Friday and see what we could do after that. So obviously did not overlook anything, and we prepared, we thought. We just didn’t execute very well, and they did, so.”

(Picture from Notre Dame NIKES Athletics Facebook)

Still, the historic season saw Notre Dame collect 25 wins for the season, win the Southeast Iowa Super Conference, punch their first ticket to the state tournament in 17 years, and win their first game at the state tournament since 1981. For coach Kies, he’s hoping this is a launching pad for the program,

“There’s plenty of talent coming, whether it’s size or abilities or whatever. But get on to their next sport or whatever they’re doing and then put in some offseason work and really just get ready to go again next year.”

Notre Dame Scoring: Shay Stephens 18 points, Griffin Kies 12 points, L.J. Harris 8 points, Tatum Warner and Kellan Porter 5 points, Eli Oleson 4 points, Payne Prottsman 3 points.

Boys’ State Basketball

The Iowa High School Athletic Association’s (IHSAA) state tournament has completed all of its quarterfinal matchups and even has a championship matchup scheduled after yesterday’s competition. 

In Class 2A, #1 Kuemper Catholic’s hot start led to the Knights dispatching #8 Union Community to tip-off the day, 70-54. Griffin Glynn tallied 24 points in the victory.

Another quick start but a better finish gave #4 Treynor the 57-48 edge past #5 Grundy Center. Alec Lovely netted 21 points for the Cardinals. 

#1 Kuemper Catholic will face off against #4 Treynor tonight at 5:30 pm in the semifinals.

On the bottom half of the bracket, #2 Unity Christian was able to rally from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat #7 Western Christian, 70-64. Tyce VanDonge went off for 28 points. 

#3 Regina Catholic demolished #6 Aplington-Parkersburg, 76-54, as Will Litton tallied 21 points in the victory. 

The semifinal matchup between #2 Unity Christian and #3 Regina Catholic is scheduled for 7:15 pm tonight.

Class 3A featured an all-time classic last night to decide the championship matchup. 

#1 Ballard nearly watched their 14-point fourth quarter lead disappear as #5 Carroll went on a 21 to 9 run to end the game, but it was not enough with the Tigers falling, 57-55. Evan Abbott’s 19 points led the winning effort.

A buzzer-beater, two overtimes, and 142 combined points. The final game of yesterday’s slate saw #2 ADM survive the thriller against #3 Storm Lake, 72-70. Hudson Lorensen scored 38 points, but Trey Bryte nailed the lay-up as time expired to send it to overtime and hit the two game-winning free throws in double overtime. 

The Class 3A championship between #1 Ballard and #2 ADM is scheduled for tomorrow, March 13th, at 1 pm.

In today’s action, the Class 4A semifinals will lead off the day with #1 Cedar Falls facing off against #4 Dowling Catholic at 10:30 am, while #6 Johnston will attempt another upset at 12:15 pm against #2 Waukee.

In Class 1A, #4 Burlington Notre Dame will look to knock off #1 St. Edmond today at 2 pm in the semifinals. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 1:45 pm. Nike head coach Dan Kies is hoping to continue their success from behind the three-point arc,

“I mean, it’s one of those things. We’ve got Shay, obviously, and then we’ve got Griffin. Payne can knock down threes, Tatum can knock threes down, Kellan can knock down threes, Eli can knock down threes. I don’t think he hit one today, but they’ve all got confidence to shoot it. So, the big thing there is knowing, hey, trust each other. When they’re doubling, Shay, or trying to triple, whatever, find a spot, get open. And he trusts his teammates, you know, so that’s a big thing.”

#6 Marquette Catholic will look to continue their Cinderella story when they take on #2 MMCRU today at 3:45 pm.

Girls’ High School Basketball

The Iowa Girls Coaches Association released the All-State teams yesterday and three of our local players found a spot on their respective teams.

In Class 3A, Grace Holsteen of Mediapolis earned 2nd Team All-State honors. The Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division Player of the Year led the Bullettes in scoring with 16.3 points per game to go along with 3.3 assists per contest. Additionally, her leadership helped usher Mediapolis back to the state tournament for the first time in 11 years.

Over in Class 4A, Keokuk’s Kendra Boatman took home 1st Team honors, while Mylee Stiefel of Burlington claimed a spot on the 2nd Team. Boatman, the two-time Southeast Conference Player of the Year, led the conference in points, assists, and steals per game. Stiefel averaged 24.4 points and 4.3 assists per game, as both marks ranked behind Boatman. The Grayhound did lead the conference in three pointers made per game.

High School Track and Field

The IATC Indoor Track Championships will start today at Iowa State University with Classes 3A and 4A competing, while Classes 1A and 2A will run tomorrow, March 13th.

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team will travel to Delgado Community College on Saturday, March 14th. 

The softball team will take on St. Louis Community College on Monday, March 16th, for a road doubleheader.

College Basketball

The #7 Iowa and Iowa State women’s teams will see their postseason fate determined on the Selection Sunday Show on March 15th at 7 pm.

The Iowa men’s team advanced to the third round of the Big 10 tournament after dropping 50 second half points to beat Maryland, 75-64. Cooper Koch led the effort with 19 points. The Hawkeyes will face off against Ohio State at 11 am today.

The #7 Iowa State men’s team trounced Arizona State in their second-round matchup in the Big 12 Tournament yesterday, 91-42. The 49-point victory is the largest in Big 12 Tournament history. Milan Momcilovic hit four three pointers for a game high 21 points. The Cyclones will take on #16 Texas Tech today at 11:30 am.

This Day in Sports History

1881 – Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world’s first Black international football player and captain.

2020 – The 2020 NCAA men’s basketball tournament is canceled over concerns of the spread of COVID-19; first time ‘March Madness’ not held since it began in 1939; women’s tournament also canceled.

2023 – PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Scottie Scheffler becomes the third golfer, after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to hold the Masters and Players titles at the same time.