Pella Christian Shine Dance Solos Today, Teams Perform Thursday

Indianola High School Jazz Band students performed at the Iowa High School Music Association State Jazz Band Contest at Norwalk High School last week. Jazz I received a Division I rating, their 10th consecutive Division I rating, while Jazz 2 received a Division II rating. The bands were judged by a panel of three judges and received feedback after their performances.

As the calendar finished out January, the Pella girls and boys basketball teams found victory heading into the final weeks of the regular season and looming playoffs. The #9 in 4A Dutch girls held off an Oskaloosa second-half surge in a 52-43 win, while the boys pulled away early in a 70-43 lopsided contest in the nightcap Tuesday, with both heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The Indianola wrestling team was just six points shy of a consecutive appearance at the State Dual Tournament Tuesday night at Valley High School. The Indians defeated Norwalk 37-22 in the first round, getting wins by Jensen Dyer at 113lbs, Isaac Seger at 120lbs, Ryan Young at 126lbs, Bowen Downey at 132lbs, Jake Pontier at 145lbs, AJ Pontier at 160lbs, Dax Clatt at 170lbs, and Isaiah Kellow at 182lbs to earn the victory and advance to the regional final against Valley. Norwalk would find wins from Tyler Harper at 106lbs, Donovan Card at 138lbs, Dominic Tigner at 152lbs, Harrison Tripp at 195lbs, and Kolton and Maddux Borcherding-Johnson at 220lbs and 285lbs respectively.

The athletes from Pella and Newton of the NCMP Boys Swimming Team placed 3rd at the North Central Conference meet on Saturday. The team was just five points from 2nd. Top three finishers from Pella included: Eli Eekhoff who placed 2nd in the 100 fly, Jonah Brown and Mason Gaulke in the medley relay, Eli in the 200 freestyle relay, and Eli and MacK Copeland in the 400 freestyle relay.

Those dreaming of warmer days ahead may be thinking about when the tulips will be in full bloom and car windows open as they drive through town, with Tulip Time drawing ever closer. Chris Allen with Crossroads of Pella says registration is now open for a springtime tradition in Pella, as the Klompen Classic returns for its 30th race on Wednesday, May 3rd, as the unofficial kick off to Tulip Time. Each year, 2,000 participants cross the finish line to help others, as proceeds raised from this fundraising event are used to help local families through Crossroads of Pella. Find registration and race details here.

After both the Simpson Storm basketball teams dropped both of their conference games to Loras and Wartburg last week, both squads are now fighting for a postseason tournament spot or seeding. The Storm women are currently holding the sixth spot and have a lot of cushion, currently three games ahead...

Just five days following their regular season clash, the Indianola and Norwalk wrestling teams will square off again tonight in the first round of Class 3A Regional Duals at West Des Moines Valley High School. Both Warren County schools qualified for this year’s regional duals based on their top-24 rankings...

The Pleasantville Trojan boys basketball team went on the road and thumped Woodward Academy 76-44 Tuesday evening. Dayson Leerhoff tallied 34 points, Ryder Thill added 17 and Peyton Major tossed in 10 as the Trojans beat the Knights. Pleasantville will return to the court for varsity action Friday, Feb. 3...

In a back and forth match, the Knoxville Wrestling Squad fell one point short of advancing in the class 2A regional duals to Burlington-Notre Dame 39-38 on Tuesday night in Williamsburg. The Panthers actually got out to a 12-0 lead early on a forfeit at 220 points and Trenton Kingery’s pin fall at 285. But the Nikes would rack up four straight pins to go up 24-12, but back came the Panthers would get back in it with ten points in a row with a Marco Alejo pin and a Luke Spaur major decision to make it 24-22. West Burlington-Notre Dame would put nine more points on the board and go up 33-22. Knoxville was not done yet as the Panthers would get a major decision from Tristian Sinnard at 160 pounds and a Daniel Gorskikh pin at 170 to make the score 33-32 heading into the final two matches, but the Nikes salted it away with their star C.J. Walrath, who is ranked #1 at 182 pounds gave West Burlington-Notre Dame an insurmountable seven point lead heading into the final bout of the match in which Wayne Johnston won by pin to get the final margin to one at 195 pounds. Knoxville falls to 9-4 in duals and the Panthers dual meet season is not quite over as the Panthers will wrestle in a triangular next Tuesday at Martensdale-St. Mary’s.

The Twin Cedars Basketball Squads were swept by arch-rival Melcher-Dallas on Tuesday as the girls lost 48-to-36 and the boys fell 64-to-51. The girls game was largely controlled by the road team as the Saints got off to a 21-to-14 halftime lead. The Sabers would close that gap to two points heading into the 4rth quarter, but the Saints outscored the Sabers 14-4 in the final frame. Addi Wadle and Gabby Overgaard both scored 11 points with Overgaard pulling down 16 rebounds and Kasyn Reed had 12 boards. For Twin Cedars, Cheyanne Bruns led the Sabres with 12 points and Cristien Durian scored 11. Kisha Reed pulled down 17 rebounds but it was not enough. In the boys game, Melcher-Dallas started the game on an 18-3 run and controlled the game from there. The Sabers made several runs, but could not close the gap below ten points. Owen Suntken scored 36 points and was nearly unstoppable for the Saints. Holden Roberts led the Sabers with 20 points. Both Twin Cedars squads will head to Saydel on Thursday. Melcher-Dallas will take on Seymour Thursday.

The Indianola basketball teams are back home tonight after four straight road games, hosting the Tigers of Grinnell. The Indians boys dropped their first conference game of the season last Friday at Norwalk, but will try to replicate their dominant second-half performance against the Tigers earlier this year where they held Grinnell to just sixteen points and scored 36.

Murphy’s Law struck the Knoxville Boys Basketball Squad last night as anything that could go wrong did in a 67-41 loss to Grinnell heard live on 95.3 KNIA and the KHS Activities You Tube. The Tigers were unstoppable from inside and out and built an 11 point lead by halftime and increased it to 20 before Knoxville made a slight run to close the gap to 15 but the Tigers increased the lead up to the final margin of 26. Panthers Coach Troy Pearson told KNIA/KRLS Sports his team did not have the normal energy and drive.

The Little Hawkeye Conference basketball slate resumes tonight as Norwalk travels to Dallas Center-Grimes for a girl-boy doubleheader starting at 6:15 p.m. Both games can be heard live on kniakrls.com (KNIA3), with pregame coverage beginning at 6:00. DC-G swept the first meeting on January 3 in Norwalk, winning the girls...

The PCM basketball teams welcome West Marshall to Monroe this evening for a Heart of Iowa Conference doubleheader. In the girls game, the Mustangs are looking for a much better showing against Class 3A’s #4 ranked Trojans following a 69-25 loss in State Center on December 16th. PCM struggled offensively in the prior matchup, connecting on just 19% of their shots and scoring double digits in just one quarter in the game. Mustangs head coach Sami Allison-Rodriguez knows her team struggled the first time around but is excited for a chance at redemption tonight.

Entering Tuesday night, the Norwalk boys basketball team had lost five straight games against Dallas Center-Grimes, including a 57-46 decision on January 3 and two defeats last year that featured a combined seven overtimes. Courtesy of some late-game shooting heroics by sophomore Cameron Thomas, that streak is officially over. Thomas...

The Pella Area Community & Economic Alliance will honor four Pella Impact Award recipients at their Annual Membership Breakfast on Friday, February 17. Recipients were selected for their overall impact on the quality of life in Pella, collaboration/partnerships, innovative programs or events, products or marketing, entrepreneurial spirit, impact on the local economy, and longevity of impact on the community.

Knoxville native Charles Holdefer will be reading from his new novel “Don’t Look at Me,” at the Knoxville Public Library Thursday, February 9 at 6:00 p.m. Holdefer attended Melcher-Dallas and Knoxville schools, and later the University of Iowa. He now lives in Brussels, Belgium. Holdefer returns to Knoxville every year to visit family and to teach at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.

Indianola Parks and Rec is hosting the next installment of their Afternoon Adventures Speaker Series tomorrow, featuring the Underground Railroad movements in southwest Iowa, including details about activities in Madison and Warren County. Kathy Kester with Indianola Parks and Rec tells KNIA News Madison County Historical Society President Linda Griffith Smith and former Warren County Historical Society President Deb Taylor will host a program about the Underground Railroad movements, and the punishments for helping your fellow man that included prison, a $10,000 bounty, and your life. The Afternoon Adventures Speaker Series will be tomorrow from 2-3pm at the Indianola Activity Center.

Indianola Parks and Rec is hosting the next installment of their Afternoon Adventures Speaker Series this afternoon, featuring the Underground Railroad movements in southwest Iowa, including details about activities in Madison and Warren County. Kathy Kester with Indianola Parks and Rec tells KNIA News Madison County Historical Society President Linda Griffith Smith and former Warren County Historical Society President Deb Taylor will host a program about the Underground Railroad movements, and the punishments for helping your fellow man that included prison, a $10,000 bounty, and your life. The Afternoon Adventures Speaker Series will be from 2-3pm at the Indianola Activity Center.

Kisha Reed had a double double of 16 points and 13 rebounds as she led the Twin Cedars Girls basketball Squad to a 44-34 win over HLV on Monday night. The Sabers trailed early on but went on a 10-0 run to take control, then went on an 11-2 run to take control. Cheyanne Bruns was the other Saber in double figures with ten. On the boys side, the Sabers got down early and could not recover in a 59-31 loss to the Warriors. Coach Mateo Varese told KNIA/KRLS Sports, defense was a step slow. Holden Roberts had 11 points to lead the Sabers. Next up for Twin Cedars is another bout with arch-rival Melcher-Dallas tonight.