Linn-Mar Girls Basketball

Ollinger pours in 30 for Linn-Mar

Amanda Ollinger poured in 30 points, grabbed six rebounds and made four steals as the Linn-Mar girls basketball team opened the season with a 67-29 win over Waterloo East on Tuesday at Linn-Mar.

Kamryn Finley added 12 points for the Lions, who are ranked No. 10 in Class 5A.

Kerris Roberts had 16 points for the Trojans.

WATERLOO EAST (29): Sisk 0 0-0 0, Clark 4 1-2 10, Werner 0 0-0 0, Roberts 7 2-3 16, Anderson 1 0-0 3, Johnson-Love 0 0-0 0, Sims 0 0-0 0, Campbell 0 0-0 0, Dickens 0 0-0 0, Watson 0 0-0 0, Baker 0 0-0 0, Shannon 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 3-5 29.

LINN-MAR (67): Simons 0 0-0 0, Lorenz 0 1-2 1, Johnson 0 2-2 2, Noggle 1 0-0 2, Akers 2 0-0 4, Frese 0 0-0 0, Lancial 0 3-4 3, Glanz 0 0-0 0, Murphy 2 0-0 6, Fensterman 0 0-0 0, Finley 4 1-4 12, Larson 1 5-6 7, Ollinger 14 2-2 30. Totals 24 14-20 67.

Halftime - Linn-Mar 38, Waterloo East 12. 3-point goals – Waterloo East 2 (Clark, Anderson), Linn-Mar 5 (Finley 3, Murphy 2).

Comfortable Lions seek trip to state

Jaime Brandt, Amanda Ollinger and the Linn-Mar Lions are a lot more comfortable in their roles on the girls basketball team this season after a year of getting to know each other.

They hope it translates into a successful season and a trip to the Class 5A state tournament in Des Moines.

Brandt became the head coach at her alma mater last year when she was just 24 years old following an outstanding career at the University of Iowa and one year as an assistant coach at Linn-Mar. The Lions got off to a good start in November and December, but everyone was thrown an unexpected curve when Ollinger transferred from Cedar Rapids Jefferson to Linn-Mar and began playing for the Lions in January.

Ollinger is one of the top players in the state and a future Hawkeye, but the Lions hit a few bumps in January with a six-game losing streak before clicking again in February.

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Niki Sharma commits to Washington U.

Linn-Mar senior Niki Sharma has accepted an offer to play college basketball at Washington University in St. Louis.

Sharma, 5-foot-11, averaged 5.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Linn-Mar this season. The Lions reached the championship game of the Class 5A regional tournament and finished with a 16-8 record.

Sharma received Honorable Mention on the all-Metro and all-MVC basketball teams this season.

Stephanie Botkin of Kennedy also will play basketball at Washington. Botkin and Sharma have been teammates in AAU basketball and club soccer.

Botkin, Sellers, Ollinger named all-district

Stephanie Botkin of Kennedy, Lela Sellers of Kennedy and Amanda Ollinger of Linn-Mar have been named to the Class 5A Eastern District all-star basketball team by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA).

Botkin is a senior. Sellers and Ollinger are juniors.

Botkin was averaging 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds heading into the regional finals Tuesday night. Sellers was averaging 14.5 points and 5.3 rebounds. Ollinger was averaging 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.

BJ Mayer of Iowa City West was named the Eastern District Coach of the Year.

CLASS 5A EASTERN DISTRICT TEAM

Mikaela Morgan, Iowa City West, Senior, Forward
Stephanie Botkin, Kennedy, Senior, Forward
Ashley Joens, Iowa City High, Freshman, Guard
Annabel Graettinger, Muscatine, Senior, Forward
Lela Sellers, Kennedy, Junior, Guard
Chrislyn Carr, Davenport West, Freshman, Guard
Danielle Craig, Iowa City West, Senior, Guard
Amanda Ollinger, Linn-Mar, Junior, Forward
Adrienne Boettger, Cedar Falls, Senior, Center
Emma Noel, Dubuque Senior, Senior, Forward
Courtney Joens, Iowa City High, Junior, Guard/Forward
Kira Arthofer, Pleasant Valley, Freshman, Guard
Lana Lindstrom, Pleasant Valley, Junior, Forward