2-27-09 Today’s Local Sports Headlines

Posted By: adminknia
February 27, 2009 @ 8:10 pm
Today’s Local News

The Pella Little Dutch season came to a close last night in Oskaloosa. Pella fell to Norwalk 52-to-40 in the finals of the boys class three-A Distrcit. Norwalk wasted no time taking control of the game going on a seven/nothing run to start it off. Clark Hammes then answered with two three pointers and after that it was a nip tuck battle for most of the first half. Down by seven late in the halfPella was holding for the last shot when a questionable offensive foul was called on Clark Hammes giving Norwalk the ball. The Warriors then hit a three ball as the buzzer sounded giving them a ten point halftime lead and stealing all the momentum. In the second halfNorwalk was able to stay ahead despite an outstanding defensive effort by Pella. The Little Dutch never took the lead but did get as close as seven before eventually falling by 12. Head Coach Mark Core said after the game that even though the team won’t be advancingthey are still ranked among the best teams he’s coached. Kirk Korver led the Dutch in the final game of his career with 13 points and Clark Hammes added eight. Pella has five seniors who won’t be back next year. KorverHammesAndrew TerlouwSteven Overbergenand Bryn Boswell.

As heartbreaking as Tuesday loss wasthe Knoxville girls will look back in the near future and realize how special this season was. The Panthers went 21-and-threebroke several shooting recordsand had three different girls lead the state in three-point shooting. Coach Jim Utimarkt hopes that Tuesdays loss to Pella wont define the season. The Panthers lose five seniors this seasonSteph KingeryCourtney KingeryAshley KingeryAshley Larsonand Morgan Helle.

The Pella Christian Lady Eagles season may be overbut it was certainly a successful one. Their final record was 16-and-nine and they made it all the way to the regional final before falling to an excellent Central Decatur team who is yet to lose this year. The leading scorer was senior Jana Van Zanten. Van Zanten also made the all-academic team. Beckah Posthuma was a force all year defensively ranking second on the team in steals with 40 and third in rebounds with 78. There is a bright future for the Lady Eagles as well with Posthuma returning for her senior year and Schelhaas and Christina Nolte are just freshmen and will play another three years. Other players returning include Juniors Courtany Van KootenJackie VeenstraCourtany KroezeHeather Van Santand sophomore Shelby Weaver.

Former Knoxville Baseball Standout Grant Grgurich is playing at Northern Iowa. Grgurich played at Marshalltown Community College for two years before coming to U-N-I. In his first three gamesGrgurich is batting 333and leads the team in on base percentage and runs scored. Grgurich is listed as a utility player for the Panthers. He played shortstop in high school. Northern Iowa stands at one-and-two on the season. Grgurich and his teammates were informed last week that this would be last season for U-N-I Baseball as the school is dropping the program due to budget cuts. It was announced that if the program can raise one-point-two million dollars by March 15thit would help continue the sport for at least three more years.