CLINTON— For the first time in 5-on-5 Olin High School history, the Lion girls basketball team will be playing for a trip to the state tournament.

After a memorable and thrilling performance in Clinton Friday, February 15, Olin turned back No. 14 ranked Clinton Prince of Peace on their home floor in a class 1A regional semi-final contest and advanced to the regional final Tuesday, February 19, which was played in Wyoming against No. 6 ranked Springville.

“I have never been so excited after a sporting event as I was after we were able to hold on and beat a very good Prince of Peace team,” said Lion girls basketball coach Wayne Lasack after his team posted a 58-56 triumph over the Irish to move to within a game of a coveted state tournament berth. “The last one minute and 30 seconds was about as exciting as you can get. We had an eight point lead and had to hold on for dear life to win, but we were able to do just that.”

Olin (16-6) led for just about the entire 32 minutes, and other than a two minute stretch in the first quarter, controlled the contest against Clinton Prince of Peace until the hosts made one last gasp run late in the fourth quarter.

“We knew we were going to get a run from Prince of Peace, we didn’t know when exactly that was going to be, but we knew one was coming,” said Lasack. “Did we have what it took to withstand that run? Yes!”

The Lions led by eight points, 57-49, in the final 1:30 of the fourth quarter before the Irish connected on an old-fashioned 3-point play then a few seconds later, added a lay-up to trim the Olin lead to 57-54.

After Danielle Frederick connected on a free throw inside the game’s final minute, Olin’s lead grew to 58-54. The Irish wouldn’t quit however, and scored again cutting the Lion lead to just two points.

“We had our chances for a little breathing room in this game if we would have been able to hit a few more free throws, but that didn’t happen,” said Lasack. “At the end, it got very scary.”

Prince of Peace stole the basketball and rushed up the floor for one final shot and launched a three-pointer at the basket that would have won the game.

“Thank goodness it rimmed off as the buzzer sounded,” said an exhausted Lasack as his team exulted in the huge two-point victory.

DES MOINES — Just qualifying for the state wrestling tournament is enough for some to be satisfied.

For Midland star senior Spencer Bowen however, qualifying for the class 1A state meet has been the norm. Standing among the elite of his sport has been what he strives for, and he did it again Saturday, February 16.

“Last year I placed eighth in the state at 125-pounds, and I wanted to come back this year and do even better than that,” said Bowen who bettered his finish of a season ago placing seventh at 130-pounds during his four days wrestling at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines Wednesday, February 13, through Saturday. “I wanted to move up the podium and I was able to do that. It was just one spot, and I would have liked to have done a little better, but looking back on it, I’m pretty happy with what I was able to accomplish at state this year.”

Bowen took to the mat five times during his busy four-day state stint posting a 3-2 record overall and finished the 2007-2008 campaign with a 30-8 record overall.

“Spencer is our all-time wins leader with 115 and a three-time state qualifier,” said Midland wrestling coach Erik Wagler who guided Bowen through each state season. “He’s been a special wrestler for this program.”

Bowen opened his 2008 state wrestling experience Wednesday, battling against North Linn’s No. 2 ranked Chris LeClere (34-2).

DES MOINES — With all 10 of the state ranked wrestlers advancing to the 2008 state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines in the class 2A 140-pound bracket, Anamosa senior Derek Young knew he was going to have his hands full advancing in one of the toughest high school wrestling state tournaments in the nation.

“I was very happy with the way Derek not only wrestled, but handled himself out on the mat at state,” said Raider wrestling coach Ron Timp as Young was able to advance to the second day of the prestigious tournament before bowing out in the consolation second round. “He kept his composure in every match and was respectful to his coaches, the officials and his opponents. Those are the kinds of things people will remember. Derek represented his town and his school very, very well here in Des Moines on the sports’ biggest stage.”

Young didn’t seem the least bit rattled in his opening match of the class 2A 140-pound tournament Wednesday, February 13, battling against Creston’s No. 3 ranked Trent Tucker.

“My coaches had me pretty much prepared mentally for what I was going to see so I wasn’t too nervous coming in to my first match ever at state,” said Young. “Tucker was good on his feet and a very good wrestler, obviously. I tried to shoot and make some moves, but he made getting anything going very tough.”

Young scored three escapes while Tucker (39-3) tallied three takedowns in the first period before the Creston senior, who went on to win the class 2A 140-pound state championship, added another takedown in the second period to go with a two-point nearfall and a penalty point.
“Derek had a very tough match right off the bat, but I felt he kept working and battled all the way through,” said Timp. “The Tucker kid was tough on his feet and Derek struggled getting anything going.”