HARLAN -- Perhaps it was only fitting that the Harlan Community boys soccer team’s 15th and final win of the season came on home turf. Improving to 9-0 at Merrill Field, the Cyclones handled an outmatched West Central Valley squad 5-1 Monday night (May 22) in the opening round of the Class 2-A, Substate 8 tournament. HCHS, ranked 15th by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association, improved to 15-2 overall while WCV finished 5-11.

 ANITA -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton boys golf team finished one spot shy of a state tournament berth last Friday (May 19) after placing third in the Class 1-A District Tournament at Anita’s Crestwood Hills Golf Course. The Spartans tallied a team score of 343 in cool and wet conditions, finishing behind state qualifiers Coon Rapids-Bayard (329) and North Mahaska (332). There were 10 total teams in the field.

 DES MOINES -- In the days leading up to last weekend’s co-ed state track meet, the practice workload lessened for Harlan Community senior Gillian Streit. The hay is in the barn, HCHS girls assistant coach Todd Bladt told his standout thrower.

 DES MOINES -- As Gage Clay prepared to win a Class 2-A state championship on Saturday afternoon, AHSTW’s junior sprinter couldn’t help but think about one of his favorite people. Clay’s grandmother, Linda Best, was one of his biggest fans before she passed away in July of 2015.

 DES MOINES -- Making her third career state track meet appearance on Friday (May 19), AHSTW senior Jaycie Schueman saved the best for last. Starting out of lane one in the third section of the Class 2-A 400-meter hurdles, Schueman gracefully handled the tight inside turns around Drake Stadium’s blue oval, ran a clean race and sprinted hard to the finish line after clearing the 10th and final obstacle. She finished fifth in her section and six

 DES MOINES -- Nick Foss and Caleb Bieker combined for three personal bests and one state medal at the State Track and Field Championships last weekend as the Harlan Community boys scored six points to tie for 26th place in Class 3-A. Foss, competing in his first track season since the seventh grade, capped an outstanding junior year by placing third in the 3-A boys long jump with a top mark of 21 feet, 11.5 inches on Friday (May 19).

 DES MOINES -- Shut out of the state medals for the first time in many years last May, the Harlan Community girls track team responded last weekend with a state champion thrower, a sixth-place hurdler and a top-20 team finish at the 2017 state meet. HCHS senior Gillian Streit set the tone Thursday afternoon (May 18) with an impressive gold-medal performance in the Class 3-A discus, throwing a school record 137 feet, three inches on her first a

 DES MOINES -- The IKM-Manning track teams didn’t take home any medals from the 2017 state meet last weekend, but improvement was made in two out of three events, including one school record broken for the second time in a week. On Thursday afternoon (May 18), the IKM-M girls 4x800 relay team finished fourth in their section and 13th out of 24 Class 2-A qualifiers, clocking a school-record time of 9:58.83.

 DES MOINES -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton boys placed in the middle of the pack in their two events last Thursday (May 18) at the state track meet in Des Moines. Spartan junior Evan Wilson clocked a personal-best time of 10:04.74 in the Class 1-A 3,200-meter run, finishing 15th out of 24 qualifiers.

Class 4-A Girls Team Scoring Top Five: 1. Waukee 116, 2. Iowa City West 89, 3. Southeast Polk 56, 4. Linn-Mar 44, 5. Cedar Falls 41. Also: 9. Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln 26, T-12. Sioux City West 18, T-18. Sioux City East 11, 26. Lewis Central 6.33, 33. Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson 3, T-37. Sioux City North 1.Class 4-A Boys Team Scoring Top Five: 1. WDM Valley 73, 2. Waukee 69, 3. Epworth, WD 54, 4. Cedar Falls 48, 5. Waterloo West 42.

 HARLAN -- It was a night of firsts for the Harlan Community boys soccer team Monday (May 15) as the Cyclones overcame a slow start to beat Creston 5-0 at Merrill Field. HCHS junior Tanner Fink scored the team’s first three goals to record his first-ever hat trick and the team’s first of the season.

 HARLAN -- Playing without two of their standouts in injured seniors Haley Arkfeld and Michaela Bissen, the Harlan Community girls soccer team lost a pair of Hawkeye Ten Conference games earlier this week, falling at third-ranked (2-A) Lewis Central 10-0 on Monday (May 15) and losing at home to Atlantic 4-1 on Tuesday (May 16).

 AVOCA -- With postseason play just around the corner, the unbeaten AHSTW boys soccer team is showing no signs of slowing down. The Vikings improved to 11-0 last Friday night (May 12), shutting out Tri-Center 5-0 behind two goals each from Brayton Tuma and Blake Osbahr.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- Michael Heithoff’s goal just five minutes into the match proved to be the difference maker last Friday night (May 12) as the Harlan Community boys soccer team held off St. Albert, 1-0, at the YMCA Soccer Fields in Council Bluffs.

 ATLANTIC -- Drew Voge’s goal off the back post tied the game with 5:03 left in regulation and Michael Heithoff scored the game-winner in sudden-death overtime as the Harlan Community boys soccer team survived a tough test at Atlantic last Thursday (May 11) with a 2-1 victory. The Trojans led nearly the entire second half after Majerus Dulberg’s short rebound goal put the home team on top with 7:28 left in the first.