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Xavier boys net 1A state title

WEST DES MOINES - The Xavier Saints captured the first boys state tennis title in school history Tuesday with an impressive performance at the Class 1A championships in West Des Moines.

The Saints whipped Pella, 5-2, in the semifinals and blanked LeMars, 5-0, in the championship round.

Jon Lansing, Alex Hinrichs and Charlie Esker won both of their singles matches for Xavier. Blake Magill won his singles match in the semifinals against Pella, while Calvin Ford and Ryan Jasper took their singles matches in the finals against LeMars.

Lansing and Esker, who won the Class 1A state doubles title in Waterloo on Saturday, won their doubles match in the semifinals  against Pella for the fifth and deciding point in that meet.

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Xavier girls roll into regional finals

The Xavier girls soccer team rolled into the Class 2A regional finals Tuesday with a 10-0 victory over Ballard in the semifinals at Heco Field.

The seventh-ranked Saints (11-4) will host Grinnell in the regional finals on Monday, June 5 at 5 p.m., with the winner advancing to the 2A state tournament in Des Moines.

Addy Hoffman led Xavier with three goals Tuesday. Elena Minor and Paige Diebold scored twice. Tana Felton, Molly Kinney and Quinn Hanigan also scored for the Saints.

Felton, Hanigan, Hoffman and Minor collected assists.

Mel Snow made three saves for the shutout.

Julie Kadlec honored by IGHSAU

Julie Kadlec of Xavier is the 2017 golf recipient of the Golden Plaque Award from the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union.

The award honors an Iowa coach who has demonstrated a successful career while making notable contributions toward their school, community and the coaching profession.

Kadlec has been coaching golf since 1980. She started coaching at Cedar Rapids Regis and has been at Xavier since 1988.

Four of Kadlec's teams have reached the Iowa State Golf Tournament, highlighted by the 2014 team that won the Class 4A title by 53 strokes. That same year, Maddie Bertsch of Xavier was the 4A state  medalist.

Kadlec has had seven individual state qualifiers and 15 of her players have competed in college.

In addition to coaching golf, Kadlec started the Regis volleyball program. She also has coached gymnastics and cheerleading and has taught Fitness and Wellness for many years.

Saints march back to state again

The Xavier Saints were sorely disappointed last year when they were upset by Hudson in the opening round of the Class 2A boys state soccer tournament.

Now they hope to make amends.

The fourth-ranked Saints dumped Mount Pleasant, 4-0, in the substate finals Saturday at Heco Field and are heading back to the state  tournament for the 16th time in the last 17 years.

The Saints were one of the top-ranked teams in the state last year  when they lost 3-2 in the first round.

"I think we've had a chip on our shoulder from Day 1," Xavier Coach Amir Hadzic acknowledged. "That was really a bad feeling for everybody."

The Saints (12-4) will face the Marion Indians (11-4) in the opening round of the 2017 state tournament on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines.

Marion is making its first trip to the state tournament in school history. Xavier makes regular trips to state and will be seeking the  eighth title in its rich history.

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