ELK HORN (Dec. 8) -- Easton Nelson led the way with 24 points as Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton defeated Paton-Churdan 59-42 here Tuesday night in a Rolling Valley Conference boys basketball game. The Spartans improved to 2-1 on the season.
   Exira-EHK Points: Easton Nelson 24 (9-13 FGs), Jackson Radcliff 15 (7-10 FGs), Trey Petersen 9, Hunter Andersen 5, Tyler Petersen 4, Aiden Potts 2.

 HARLAN -- When Abi Albertsen ultimately decided that college athletics was part of her future, the Harlan Community senior did not mess around. About a month after capping a successful high school cross country career at the state meet in Fort Dodge, Albertsen signed a national letter of intent last Wednesday, Dec.

 HARLAN (Dec. 7) -- The Harlan Community girls bowling team is off to a 2-0 start on the season while the boys are 1-1 following home duals against Tri-Center and Shenandoah at Cyclone Lanes. The Cyclone girls defeated Tri-Center 2,402 to 1,836 last Thursday (Dec. 3) and easily defeated Shenandoah 2,419 to 1,683 on Monday. Lily Hegarty led the team with a two-game series of 396 vs. the Trojans, including a 218 in the first game of the year.

 HARLAN (Dec. 5) -- Claiming three champions and a pair of runners-up, the Harlan Community wrestlers opened the season by placing fourth out of eight teams in Saturday’s Dan Hill Cyclone Invitational in Harlan. Senior Jesse Schwery (195 pounds) and juniors Luke Freund (113) and Jeremiah Davis (220) all placed first for HCHS while junior Luke Musich (126) and sophomore Zane Bendorf (170) both took second in their weight class.

 HARLAN (Dec.

 SHENANDOAH (Dec. 4) -- The Harlan Community boys basketball team took control of Friday’s game with a 32-6 second-quarter run and improved to 1-1 overall with a 77-36 Hawkeye Ten victory at Shenandoah. Connor Frame made 5-of-9 three-pointers and paced the Cyclones with 20 points as they made big strides offensively from Thursday’s home loss to Blair.

 SHENANDOAH (Dec.

 AVOCA – The AHSTW basketball teams swept visiting Riverside in a girl-boy doubleheader Friday evening, Dec.

 MANNING (Dec. 4) -- Slow starts and effective zone defense by Logan-Magnolia thwarted the IKM-Manning basketball teams Friday night as the Wolves were swept in a Western Iowa Conference doubleheader. Both IKM-M squads dropped to 0-2 in the WIC. Logan-Magnolia won the girls game 57-43 behind 21 points from senior Emilie Thompson.

 TREYNOR (Nov. 30) -- In a game dictated by the defenses, the Harlan Community girls basketball team found some offense at just the right time Monday night to open the season with a 34-25 victory at Treynor. Ashley Hall book-ended a crucial 10-1 run with a three-pointer and a baseline drive as the Cyclones turned a 21-19 deficit into a 29-22 lead during a six-and-a-half minute stretch of the third and fourth quarters.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Dec. 1) -- The Harlan Community girls basketball team improved to 2-0 here Tuesday night with another hard-fought road win, outlasting 12th-ranked (1A) St. Albert 44-42 in a non-conference matchup. HCHS senior Jocelyn Cheek drained a go-ahead three-pointer in the last 30 seconds that turned out to be the game-winning shot. The Cyclones led 11-5 after one quarter but were outscored 29-19 during the middle two periods.

 TREYNOR (Dec. 1) -- A cold shooting night hampered the IKM-Manning girls basketball team Tuesday night in a 52-39 loss at Treynor.

 TREYNOR (Dec. 1) -- Trailing by nine points at the end of the third quarter, the IKM-Manning boys basketball team was outscored 13-0 the rest of the way in a season-opening 62-40 loss at Treynor Tuesday night. The Wolves shot 28.6 percent from the field and were outrebounded 40-21 by the Cardinals, who were led by Sid Schaaf’s 25 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Schaaf shot 12-of-14 from the field.

 AUDUBON (Dec. 1) -- The AHSTW boys basketball team improved to 2-0 on Tuesday night, winning its Western Iowa Conference opener 68-47 at Audubon. Viking scoring leaders were sophomores Brayden Lund and Kyle Sternberg with 27 and 22 points, respectively, as they combined to make 5-of-8 three-pointers and 12-of-16 free throws. They also combined for 15 rebounds. Raydden Grobe scored 11 points and Cole Scheffler added eight.

 HARLAN -- Wes Muenchrath of Harlan Community was one of six Iowa high school senior football players to receive a 2020 Iowa Bankers Association Student Athlete Achievement Award during the state football championship games held Nov. 19-20 in Cedar Falls. One student from each class was presented with a $1,000 scholarship from the IBA to the college of his choice.