HARLAN -- A total of 61 runners in grades 7-12 attended this week’s Harlan Community Cyclone Cross Country Camp, under the direction of HCHS head coach Doug Renkly. The Cyclone harriers took part in various workout drills throughout the five-day camp, which will end with Friday’s timed race at Prairie Rose State Park.

 AREA -- A Hunter Safety Education Online Field Day will be held Saturday, Sept. 3, from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Nishna Bend Recreation Area south of Corley. Prospective hunters must register for this field day online at iowadnr.gov/huntered and complete the online class before attending.

 PORTSMOUTH -- Persia outlasted Portsmouth in an old-fashioned slugfest, 14-13, in the championship game of the Iowa Western Baseball League Tournament held July 31 at the Portsmouth diamond. Only five half-innings did not feature at least one run scored as the teams combined for 27 runs, 38 hits, 10 errors and 32 men left on base.
 

 AREA -- The 2016 Hawkeye Ten, Western Iowa and Rolling Valley all-conference baseball and softball teams include 15 first-teamers and 45 total players from the Harlan Newspapers’ four-school coverage area. This year’s local squads combined for a total record of 133-87 (.605), led by the Harlan Community baseball team’s 30-5 overall mark and Class 3-A state championship.

 HARLAN -- Setting the stage for the first day of high school football practice on Monday, August 8, Harlan Community held its annual Cyclone Camp of Champions last week (Aug. 1-5) at Merrill Field. According to HCHS head coach Curt Bladt, 85-90 players attended this year’s high school camp, including 23 incoming freshmen.

 HARLAN -- Five Harlan Community boys soccer players were recognized earlier this summer on the 2016 Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association Academic All-State teams. The list includes three first-teamers on the Class 2-A boys squad - Ethan Knudson, Drew Voge and Alan Holloway - and two honorable mention selections - Alex Assmann and Wren Koch. 

 WEST DES MOINES -- Harlan Community’s Ethan Knudson, a 2016 graduate, scored a header goal for the winning team as the West defeated the East 4-1 in Iowa’s East-West All-Star Cup soccer match, held June 18 at Valley Stadium. Knudson’s goal was assisted by Atlantic’s Ryan Hawkins on a throw-in. David Thomsen of Atlantic scored two goals for the West and Underwood’s Jake Dotterer had the other.

 WAUKEE -- Harlan Community’s Logan Schaben officially capped her high school softball career on Monday, July 25, participating in the 31st annual Iowa Girls Coaches Association Senior All-Star games at Waukee. Schaben played for the Blue Team, which lost its two games vs. the Red and White squads. She finished 0-for-3 with three walks during the event, playing her usual solid defense at shortstop.

 DES MOINES -- With team success comes individual plaudits. On Tuesday, four players from the state champion Harlan Community Cyclones were recognized on the Iowa Newspaper Association’s 2016 All-State Baseball teams. HCHS junior Dillon Sears (infield) and senior Kyle Juhl (utility) were both selected to the Class 3-A first team, senior Brett Croghan was named second-team utility and junior Josh Cheek earned third-team utility status. Croghan

 STATE -- Highlighted by a pair of first-team selections, six area softball players have been recognized on the 2016 Iowa Girls Coaches Association All-State Softball teams, released July 28. Harlan Community senior Logan Schaben (Class 4-A) and IKM-Manning senior Abbey Youngren (Class 2-A) were both named to the first team after putting together monster seasons at the plate.

 DES MOINES -- It’s time for one last tip of the hat to the 2016 Harlan Community baseball team - Class 3-A champions at last week’s state tournament. One year after losing to Waverly-Shell Rock, 11-1, in the state title game, this year’s Cyclones charged back to Principal Park and saved their best performance for last.

 DES MOINES -- Harlan Community couldn’t have picked a more perfect time to play its best baseball game of the season. Facing a red-hot Carlisle team renowned for its hitting prowess and gaudy statistics, the Cyclones stole the show with their own brand of balls-to-the-wall pressure offense in Saturday’s Class 3-A state title game at Principal Park. As state championships go, this was a no-doubter. Sparked by a two-run opening salvo in the top

 DES MOINES -- Clinging to a two-run lead in Friday’s Class 3-A state semifinal vs.

 DES MOINES -- It should be an interesting two days that determine the Class 3-A champion of the 2016 State Baseball Tournament at Principal Park. Friday’s 3-A semifinals will feature the top pitching team in the field (Pella) vs. the top hitting team (Carlisle), followed by the team with the best record (Harlan Community) against the Cinderella qualifier with the most losses (Solon).

 DES MOINES -- There’s no such thing as an ugly ‘W’ at the state tournament. Harlan Community head baseball coach Steve Daeges probably had to tell himself that a few times on Tuesday afternoon, but left Principal Park in a good mood nonetheless after the Cyclones held off Sioux City Bishop Heelan 8-6 in a Class 3-A quarterfinal. HCHS, which scored five unanswered runs to take a seemingly-comfortable 8-2 lead into the seventh, sweated a couple