MILFORD — Although Mother Nature ended the night early, Spencer’s girls track and field team continued to show early-season promise during 13 events at Okoboji’s meet Tuesday. The Tigers girls returned as champions in eight events and runner-ups five occasions...

SPIRIT LAKE — There was a track meet after all Thursday. Spencer joined three other boys track and field teams at Spirit Lake’s last minute meet Thursday. This replaced the boys’ day at the Cherokee Tomahawk Relays, which was canceled due to weather...

The Tigers boys soccer team posted back-to-back 3-0 wins over Spirit Lake Park Okoboji and Bishop Heelan Tuesday and Thursday. --- SHS 3, SLPO 0 A trio of goals by Spencer senior Kenny Rasch propelled the boys soccer team to a 3-0 victory over Spirit Lake Park Okoboji Tuesday...

ESTHERVILLE — Iowa Lakes Community College athletic teams had two reasons to celebrate Thursday. The Lakers men’s basketball team advanced to the NJCAA Region XI Division II finals with a 79-56 win over Kirkwood Thursday at Laker Gym. The Lakers, 17-7, were led by Ryan Hall’s 26 points. ...

HOLSTEIN — Three champions led the Sioux Central girls track and field team to a fourth place finish among 14 teams at the Ridge View meet Tuesday. “This meet has shown our athletes’ potential and that our effort and work ethic are paying off,” Sioux Central head girls coach Brent Trierweiler said...

SIOUX RAPIDS — Sioux Central’s track and field teams hosted four teams at the Rebels’ Relays Monday. The Rebels efforts were highlighted by one relay championship as the 800 sprint medley relay emerging victorious behind the efforts of EJ Madsen, Devyr Wilson, Carter Boettcher and Greg Peterson...

Photos by Steve Peterson Spencer’s Maureen McDermott concentrates at the first hole during the dual match with Sioux Central Tuesday. McDermott won medalist honor by one shot at Spencer Golf & Country Club. Sioux Central sophomore Kendra Casey follows through on her first hole tee shot Tuesday at Spencer Golf and Country Club. Casey earned runner-up medalist...

A whitewash and a challenge opened the first two matches for Spencer’s girls soccer team for the 2021 season. The Tigers beat Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji 11-0 due to the 10-goal rule Tuesday then faced a challenge from Bishop Heelan and prevailed 4-2 Thursday...

Spencer girls tennis coach Bob Schlaeger believes the Tigers are off to a solid start as they defeated Fort Dodge 7-2 at Riverview Tennis Courts Monday. “None of the girls had ever played varsity tennis before,” Slaeger said. “The players all played very hard, but we are still learning to play. We are a very athletic team. This was a very good start and I know that we will continue to improve every day.”...

HUMBOLDT — The Spencer girls golf squad finished third at the Humboldt triangular in the season opener Monday. Bishop Garrigan won the match with a score of 186, followed by Humboldt’s 214 and the Tigers’ 229 strokes. Maureen McDermott and Sadie Nelson tied for low score for Spencer with a 56; Meredith Baker shot 58; Caitlyn Muggenberg 59 and Aubrie Rabel a 70...

FORT DODGE — The Spencer boys tennis team opened the season with a 9-0 shutout of Fort Dodge at the Dodgers’ home court Monday. In singles play, No. 1 singles player Charlie Steele fought off Luke Vaugh’s stiff competition. Spencer coach Joe Steele was pleased with his team’s efforts...

Spencer’s boys golf team started the season with a victory in a triangular varsity meet and the effort also featured the medalist winner Jagaar Halverson Monday. The Tigers beat Humboldt and Bishop Garrigan at Spencer Golf & Country Club. It was a close meet with the varsity teams separated by 17 strokes...

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College women’s basketball team downed Ellsworth 88-65 to close the regular season Saturday. Five players reached double figures. Madison Hough led with 17 points. Jaeda Whitner was close behind with 16 points, Rachel Puck contributed 13, Rachel Breck and Andrea Vasquez added 11. Hailey Miranda tallied nine points. Puck paced the rebounds effort with 10...

After a start to her soccer career near Fresno, California, Alexis Vasquez is pleased to be a contributor to the Iowa Lakes Community College women’s soccer team. The Lakers won 2-1 against Hawkeye Community College Friday in Spencer. Vasquez, a center-midfielder, tallied both of the team’s goals...

Four boys and girls track and field teams fought a common opponent Monday at Spencer High School's Dale Norton Field — a windy late-March day. Spencer boys champs included Taron Green twice, for the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash; Ethan Heiter earned titles in the high jump and discus and Zach Schoelerman won the 800-meter run...

The Spencer boys soccer team hosted Garner-Hayfield at the Community Soccer Complex pitch Thursday in a scrimmage. Three 30-minute sessions were played. Coach Jessie Kuehler said the Tigers played well after the initial kinks were worked out. Tiger Owen Olson (4) battles a G-H player for control. Davis Hogge (18) begins to dribble to start a play. Tigers Brayden Heiter (15) and Owen Olson team in a clash with a G-H player. The Tigers host Spirit Lake at the complex at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The Tigers' home golf course, Spencer Golf & Country Club, will host a Class 3A sectional meet at 10 a.m. May 13. Also competing will be Algona, Estherville Lincoln Central, Humboldt, MOC-Floyd Valley, Sioux Center, Spirit Lake and Storm Lake. Qualifiers, individual and team, will advance to district tournament competition at 10 a.m. May 20 at Landsmeer Golf Course in Orange City...

ROCKWELL CITY — The Sioux Central boys track and field squad had one champion and several top five finishes at South Central Calhoun hosted meet Monday. Eight teams participated in the nonscoring meet. “The conditions were very windy but it was nice to have a meet to see where we are this early in the season,” Sioux Central coach Jeff Tiefenthaler said. “We competed well.”...

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College softball team earned a split on their final day of the series against Ellsworth Tuesday in Estherville. The Lakers, 4-6 overall, won game one 4-2 but the Panthers prevailed 18-4 in five innings in the second game. ...

Iowa Lakes Community College soccer teams will open their 2021 season on the pitch Friday at the Spencer Soccer Complex. The Lakers play Hawkeye Community College with the men kicking off at 1 p.m. and the women getting started at 3 p.m. The Laker men look to pick up where they left off as they finished last season ranked third nationally in NJCAA Division I...

Karter Petzenhauser remembers his earliest days of basketball. “I started playing basketball at Spencer Family YMCA when I was in kindergarten and started playing youth basketball in the fourth grade,” the Spencer junior said. Petzenhauser’s basketball skills have helped him become the No. 2 points producer in recent Spencer High School history...

HAWARDEN — Spencer’s track and field team opened the season West Sioux Falcons Early Bird Relays and the girls came home with a baker’s dozen of champions and the boys had a double winner. Although the meet was non-team scoring, Spencer girls finished with 13 champions, seven runners-up and three third placements. The 11-team field consisted of 10 Class 1A and 2A teams with the Tigers as the only Class 3A school...

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College softball team improved to 3-5 overall, 3-3 in the ICCAC with a sweep of Ellsworth, 8-0 and 9-3 Sunday. Pitcher Lexi Chase allowed one run in the doubleheader and the Lakers recorded 25 hits. In the first game, Kamryn Buntock was 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs and scored one run. ...

HAWARDEN — The Spencer High School track and field team traveled to the West Sioux Early Bird Relays meet Thursday in Hawarden. Results were not available by deadline and will be published in next Tuesday’s edition.

WAVERLY — Three Spencer gymnast members of the Turn Around GK Gymnastics Storm team traveled to Waverly to compete in the USAG XCEL State Meet March 19-21. Caitlyn Barr, Aubrie Davis and Kahlie Genson all represented Spencer. Events included Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise at the meet where 1,200 gymnasts competed...

SIOUX RAPIDS — Sioux Central boys basketball players voted on four awards recently, head coach Stephen Tjaden announced. The honors were: team MVP, Jacob Hargens; up and comer (a bright future), Tate Axdahl; Rebel (exemplifies all the characteristics of a Sioux Central boys basketball player on and off the court), Conor Christian. Sioux Central was 13-11 for the 2020-21 season...

A new golf fee payment system is being offered at Spencer Municipal Golf Course. Golfers may use a new way to pay their 2021 fees and enter a drawing at Spencer Municipal Golf Course. There is a link to pay online at www.spencermunigolf.com by credit card or monthly automatic bank withdrawal...

OTTUMWA — The Iowa Lakes Community College softball team split a doubleheader with 11th-ranked Indian Hills Community College Saturday. The Lakers prevailed 5-2 in game one. The Lakers lost game two, a five-inning 8-0 contest. In game one, pitcher Lexi Chase was the winning pitcher as she went the distance, allowed two runs, one earned and four hits. She struck out four and walked five. At the plate, Chase was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Elyna Johnson hit a home run, Myah Ehlenfeldt and Kamryn Buntrock contributed hits. In the second game, Indian Hills scored eight runs on three hits, four walks and three Lakers errors. Johnson took the loss in the circle, allowing seven runs, five earned over 4.1 innings. She gave up five hits, walked eight and struck out four. Hill pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowed one earned run and one hit. Chase led the Lakers at the plate with a 2-for-3 game. Kailey Makism, Johnson and Buntrock had one hit apiece.

The Spencer High School boys basketball team honored players for their efforts during a 14-8 varsity season at a banquet. Spencer’s girls basketball players received team awards for the 2020-21 season. The Tigers finished 15-8, tied for second in the Lakes Conference, 7-3. Spencer High School’s wrestling team members received team awards for their efforts during 2020-21.

A dedicated effort to raise awareness of girls wrestling earned Spencer High School volunteer coach Dave Storm a statewide honor. Storm was recently awarded the Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year accolade by the Des Moines Register. “This award was a total shock and very humbling,” Dave Storm said. “It’s hard to accept because of all of the people who made it happen; it wasn’t just me. I feel truly blessed to have been part of the journey with these girls.”...

• Editor’s note: This story is a corrected version from Tuesday’s Sports page story. Any inconvenience is regretted. The pop of the arrow from the pull-back of the bow could be heard often at Spencer Middle School Saturday. After stepping to the line, Spencer Archery Club members heard a whistle blow preceding flying arrows to targets...

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College wrestling team fell to Iowa Central 43-10 Thursday in the final home dual of the season. Winners for the Lakers were Jeremiah Boykins at 133 pounds by pin over Chad Klein, 3:52. Logan Koedam at 184 pounds, won by major decision over Jesus Gutirerez, 13-4. The Lakers will compete in a dual at Northeast Iowa Community College in Mason City at 6 p.m. March 24.

GARNER — Three Iowa Great Lakes Lutheran School students participated in an archery tournament in Garfield with other elementary schools recently. Competing in the fourth and fifth grade elementary division were Keegan Hutchinson, who placed 16th, Jack Koenecke, 20th, and Jeff Franker, 22nd...

Spencer’s football team will play one higher class as it moved to 4A for the next two seasons under the new five-class system for the 2021 and 2022 seasons than in recent years. The IHSAA assigns football districts every two years. Spencer will be part of Class 4A, District No. 1, along with Denison-Schleswig, Fort Dodge, Le Mars, Storm Lake and Webster City. Storm Lake and Le Mars were in Spencer’s previous Class 3A district...

MARSHALLTOWN — The Spencer Family YMCA TigerSharks youth swim team won its Division 3 at the Marshalltown swim meet held March 6-7. The TigerSharks have 89 members and 37 competed at Marshalltown. Coaches are Sandy Holck, Emily Sexton and Krista Determan...

SIOUX RAPIDS — Twin Lakes all-conference and all-academic honors have been announced for the Sioux Central boys basketball team. The Rebels’ first team selection was sophomore Jacob Hargens; second team, sophomore Carter Boettcher and third team, senior Connor Christian...

Haley Berends clears the hurdle during a drill at a Spencer girls track and field practice. The Tigers open the season April 6 at Okoboji.

ESTHERVILLE — The Iowa Lakes Community College women’s basketball team battled on even terms with Des Moines Area Community College in a ICCAC game Wednesday but fell 61-52. Jaeda Whitner led the home team with 20 points while Rachel Breck added 12. Rachel Puck was the leading rebounder with 14 and added seven points...

Spencer Municipal Golf Course will be open for the season at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Tee times are available by phone at the clubhouse, 712-580-7280. Visit the website at www.spencermunigolf.com for more information.

DES MOINES — The YDC Dance Company of Spencer Family YMCA’s spring season is underway. The YDC Dance Company members fared well in the Midwest Starz Dance competition in Des Moines Saturday and Sunday. “The YDC Dancers had an exceptional weekend at Midwest Starz,” coach Stephanie Zahrt said...