Metro Sports Report

Surging Hawks ready for No.2 Ankeny

The Cedar Rapids Prairie softball team became an overnight sensation last Tuesday when it stunned fourth-ranked Pleasant Valley, 3-2, for a cherished spot in the Class 5A state tournament this week in Fort Dodge.

The Prairie community has embraced the Hawks with open arms.

"It's been crazy," said pitcher Katie Kuch. "It's blown up social media and everyone has been talking about it."

The acclaim may have come overnight for the team, but the hard work and dedication took five long years for the fifth-year seniors on the club.

Versatile J-Hawks ready for state

One of the secrets to the success of the Jefferson softball program over the years is that few of its players are ever one-dimensional.

As the J-Hawks begin play Tuesday in the state tournament for the 20th time in the past 31 years, for instance, leading slugger Maddie Hansen prides herself for defensive skills as a catcher.

Even when she’s not on the mound as a pitcher, Brooke Stauffer is in the starting lineup as a solid hitter.

MSR starting 'Metro Spotlight' awards

The Metro Sports Report will be starting a new feature in August that will honor outstanding high school athletes in the Metro area on a weekly basis.

The feature will be called the "Metro Spotlight," and there will be one male winner and one female winner each week for the entire year.

The "Metro Spotlight" stories will be posted every Monday on the Home Page of the Metro Sports Report. The first winners will be announced on Monday, Aug. 5.

The "Metro Spotlight" is being sponsored by Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, which is located at 4640 1st Avenue NE in Cedar Rapids.

Steady Johnson finishes 6th at Open

Cedar Rapidian Zach Johnson found himself one shot out of the lead when he birdied the 11th hole Sunday at the British Open, but he couldn’t generate much more magic down the stretch.

In fact, no other player did except Phil Mickelson, who birdied four of his last six holes and won The Open by three shots with a closing 5-under-par 66. The victory at Muirfield in Scotland was Mickelson’s first in an Open and his fifth major overall.

Johnson closed in 1-over-par 72 with a birdie and two bogeys, finishing in a tie for sixth with Tiger Woods and Hideki Matsuyama. They were five shots behind Mickelson. Johnson tied for ninth in last year’s Open.