Trio of area girls make All-State basketball teams

 DES MOINES (March 6) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton senior Sophia Peppers became a two-time, first-team all-state selection this week, recognized among the top eight girls basketball players in Class 1A by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.
 The newly-formed IPSWA announced its first-ever girls basketball All-State teams on Tuesday, also citing area seniors Kealey Nelson of Exira-EHK (1A) and Kia Rasmussen of IKM-Manning (2A) as third-team selections.
 In addition to naming the all-state teams, the IPSWA also voted Iowa City High senior Ashley Joens as Miss Iowa Basketball for 2018.
 Peppers and Nelson were fixtures on Exira-EHK’s four consecutive state tournament teams during their careers, including three trips to the 1A semifinals. The Spartans finished 96-6 during that time and went 72-1 inside the Rolling Valley Conference. IKM-M went 75-18 during Rasmussen’s career, including one state tournament trip in 2015.