Local

Perhaps the most important weekend of the high school wrestling season is here. At sites all across the state, Class 1A and 2A sectional tournaments will be held. The top two individuals at each weight class will be one step closer to a state tournament berth, while the top two teams will also move on to regional duals.

8th boys Atlantic topped the Creston eighth-grade boys Monday, 42-27, stretching a five-point game to a 17-point margin in the third quarter. Chris Foster led Creston with 11 points.

Southwestern Community College Head Softball Coach Lindsay Stumpff has announced that Ashley Strong of Vinton will be joining the Spartans softball program during the 2012-13 school year.

Age group winners in the Elks District Hoop Shoot competition held Jan. 21 at Southwestern Community College advanced to the state contest Feb. 18 at the AIB campus in Des Moines. The competition involves best score in 25 free throw attempts. District results (competitors listed by local qualifying site):

The seed was planted in Clarinda years ago. Adam Carper was one of Collin Bevins' baby-sitters. Carper, a multi-sport star for the Cardinals, went on to play football at Iowa State.

Murray 72, Melcher-Dallas 53 MELCHER — The Mustangs wrapped up the Bluegrass Conference championship with a dominating league road win over the Saints here Tuesday night.

BEDFORD - The Bedford/Lenox wrestling team closed out the regular season with three dual meet victories here Tuesday night. The team defeated Pride of Iowa Conference rival Corning, 48-27, and picked up non-conference wins over Shenandoah, 56-18, and Southwest Iowa, 56-18.

Bowling league scores from Panther Lanes and Pine Valley.

Corning 72, Lenox 33 LENOX — The Red Raiders jumped out to a 14-2 lead and closed out the Tigers with a 28-8 run the end the game here Tuesday night.

BEDFORD — Corning went 1-2 in dual action Tuesday night, including a 48-27 loss to area conference rival Bedford-Lenox. Shenandoah nipped the Red Raiders, 39-36, and Corning topped Southwest Iowa (Sidney), 42-36.

Murray 41, Melcher-Dallas 37 MELCHER — Kate Patton scored 19 points with seven rebounds to lead Murray girls to a 41-37 victory over Melcher-Dallas Tuesday night. Patton made a 3-pointer to get the lead for the final time and converted 4-of-5 free throws down the stretch.

Wrestling RED OAK — Creston/O-M wrestlers won 41 matches and lost 13 in action Jan. 24 against Red Oak, Atlantic and Bedford/Lenox.

East Union 56, Bedford 48 AFTON — Jake Hoff scored 24 points with four rebounds, four assists and four steals in leading the Eagles to the Pride of Iowa Conference victory Tuesday.

GREENFIELD — After watching a 16-point lead disappear and staring a six-point deficit in the face midway through the fourth quarter, someone needed to step up and make a play for the Nodaway Valley boys basketball team here Tuesday night. There is no shortage of options on offense for the Wolverines and this night was junior Dean Frank's turn to shine.

GREENFIELD — The Nodaway Valley girls basketball team turned defense into instant offense early in the second half here Tuesday night to win going away against Mount Ayr, 51-32.

LC times Feb. 4 will be a busy day of athletics in Creston, with the Panthers hosting Class 2A sectional wrestling while also playing Lewis Central in girls basketball at Southwestern Community College.

7th girls Creston seventh-grade girls earned their third victory of the season Thursday, 22-18, over Atlantic.

Monday, Jan. 30 Mormon Trail 60, Diagonal 47 HUMESTON — The Maroons took a 39-36 lead into the fourth quarter, but were outscored 24-8 by the Saints in the final period in a road loss here Monday night.

KEOKUK — Southwestern women made the long trip to Keokuk Saturday and fell to 16th-ranked Southeastern Community College, 72-38.

OSKALOOSA — Southwestern men earned their second win of the season over William Penn JV Sunday, 86-67.

Guthrie Center Invite GUTHRIE CENTER - Cody Ladd finished second at 220 pounds to lead the Nodaway Valley wrestling team to an eighth-place finish here Saturday.

Monday, Jan. 30 Mormon Trail 46, Diagonal 35 HUMESTON — The Saints pulled away in the fourth quarter for a victory over the Maroonettes here Monday night.

The final games to determine the boys basketball postseason seeds were contested late last week and the Class 1A and 2A postseason pairings were released Monday. Of the nine teams in the Creston News Advertiser coverage area, eight of them are in Class 1A this season. The Class 3A brackets — which will include Creston — have not been released yet.

STORM LAKE — Buena Vista interim director of athletics Brian Van Haaften has announced that Lori DeJongh-Slight has been hired as the new head volleyball coach for the Beavers beginning Feb. 1.

Friday, Jan. 27 Nodaway Valley 69, Wayne 30 CORYDON — Another lopsided win kept the Wolverines one step ahead of Mount Ayr in the Pride of Iowa Conference race.

CLARINDA — Winning Hawkeye 10 Conference dual titles — like this season with a perfect 9-0 record — has not been a problem for the Creston/O-M wrestling team. The Panthers have won or tied for the dual crown five of the past seven years and nine times overall. The league tournament crown, however, has been another story.

Creston split a pair of boys basketball games over the weekend, but picked the right one to pull out a victory. The Panthers ended their district seeding period with an 6-5 record, and likely chance to host a first-round game, by winning 71-65 Friday night at Denison-Schleswig.

Saturday, Jan. 28 Nodaway Valley 44, Clarke 32 GREENFIELD — The Wolverines outscored the Indians 22-10 in the second half to claim a non-conference showdown between a pair of two-loss teams. Nodaway Valley improved to 16-2 on the season, while Clarke fell to 14-3.

Creston's girls basketball team played two games that were reverse images of each other over the weekend. On Friday, the Panthers traveled to Denison and knocked off the Class 3A 14th-ranked Monarchs, 45-33, with a stellar defensive effort and a cold-shooting home team struggling offensively.