Sports

After a week of being completely idle due to winter weather, a busy week of three games saw the Kee boys basketball team ride a bit of a rollercoaster in taking more control of its current lead in the Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) standings but also having its season-long undefeated streak brought to a close. The stronger grip on the Hawks’ UIC reign came Tuesday, January 16 when they handed second-place North Fayette Valley just its second UIC loss of the season in completing a season sweep of the TigerHawks with a 69-56 home triumph. Coming off that fateful UIC win two  nights before, the Hawks had to make up a January 9 home game with MFL/MarMac Thursday, January 18 in a rematch with the defending undefeated UIC champion Bulldogs that again went right down to the wire before the Hawks ended up on the short end of a 57-54 final result for their first loss of this winter’s campaign.

Looking to find their first win of the new year, the Waukon boys basketball team traveled to MFL/MarMac Monday, January 8, a team riding a four-game win streak dating back to mid-December. Riding an early rollercoaster to a 23-22 lead early in the second quarter, the bucket Tribe fell off that early pace to score not much more than that total for the game’s reminder while the host Bulldogs tripled up their total in that same remaining timeframe to deal the Indians a 76-51 defeat.

The Waukon junior varsity boys wrestling team competed in the Central Invitational Saturday, January 6 following the holidays. The Indians had 11 wrestlers take to the mat against multiple teams in round-robin divisions of four wrestlers, with two of them wrestling to undefeated championships in their respective divisions and four more suffering just one loss on the way to division runner-up finishes.

The two Indians wrestling their way to tournament titles included junior Memphis Miller in Division 11 and freshman Trent Schullo in Division 16. Miller recorded two falls and received one forfeit in this three matches and Schullo pinned one opponent and claimed two wins by decision, including one in overtime.

Senior Mia Kurth claims 100-pound championship at Central; Tribe defeats Charles City, 39-30

The Waukon girls wrestling team returned from the holiday break with one of its busiest weeks of the season this past week, wrestling in three different events over a span of just four days, including two large tournament competitions. The Lady Indians opened the new year with a smaller line-up to finish 13th out of 21 teams at the Osage Tournament Tuesday, January 2 before securing their first dual match win of the season, 39-30, at Charles City Thursday, January 4. The mat Tribe then competed with a fuller squad at the 22-team Central Elkader Invitational Friday, January 5, finishing fifth as a team and crowning one individual champion in senior Mia Kurth at 100 pounds.

Freshman Tryston Johnson wins 215-pound crown, three others finish runner-up

The Waukon wrestling team returned to the mat following the holiday break to produce some of its best overall success so far this season, competing in both dual meet and tournament action this past week. The Indians began the new year securing their first Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) dual match win of this season with a 54-27 triumph at Charles City Thursday, January 4 before wrestling to a third-place team finish in the seven-team field at the Flanagan Invitational Tournament hosted by Crestwood High School in Cresco Saturday, January 6.

The mat Tribe was next scheduled to wrestle at New Hampton Thursday, January 11 before competing at the Cascade Tournament Saturday, January 13. The Indians will then host Crestwood Thursday, January 18 before competing in a double-dual at Caledonia, MN Friday, January 19.

The Kee boys basketball team picked up where it left off as the 2023-2024 season transitioned to the new year and the Hawks’ undefeated start to this season has remained intact through it all following two more wins this past week to start the 2024 portion of their campaign. That still unblemished result got a strong late test in a 52-45 victory at Waukon Tuesday, January 2 before the Kee boys rolled to a 78-49 home win over Turkey Valley Friday, January 5.

After wrapping up the pre-holiday portion of its schedule on a three-game losing streak, the Waukon girls basketball team returned from that holiday break to start the 2024 portion of its schedule with an undefeated week of two victories this past week. The Lady Indians began the new year with a 70-43 home victory over Kee Tuesday, January 2 before traveling to Charles City Friday, January 5 and bringing home a 64-30 win.

The Indians now hold a 5-6 record that includes a 2-3 mark in NEIC play. They were next scheduled to play at Crestwood Friday, January 12 before playing Wapsie Valley Saturday, January 13 at the UIU Shootout hosted by Upper Iowa University in Fayette. The bucket Tribe will then play at Houston, MN Thursday, January 18 before hosting New Hampton Friday, January 19.

The Waukon boys basketball team played through its busiest week of the season with three games played this past week, all at home, prior to the holiday break. The Indians managed to put the final of those three games into the win column, snapping what had amounted to a three-game losing streak.

The week started with losses on back-to-back nights, including 56-48 to Oelwein Monday, December 18 and 86-57 to Class 3A top-rated Decorah Tuesday, December 19. The Indians wrapped up the week bouncing back from those losses with a 68-55 win over Sumner-Fredericksburg Thursday, December 21.

Holding an even record, 3-3, heading into the holiday break, including a 2-2 mark in Northeast Iowa Conference play, the Indians will return to the court after the new year Tuesday, January 2 for a home game with Kee before traveling to Charles City Friday, January 5.

The 2023 portion of this season’s Kee boys basketball schedule has turned into a “perfect 10,” as the Hawks of the hardcourt have played their way to an undefeated 10-0 start to this winter’s campaign, earning themselves a number-eight ranking in the initial Class 1A rankings recently released by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. The Hawks added two more games to that unblemished result this past week prior to the holiday break, including a 79-32 win at West Central in Upper Iowa Conference play Tuesday, December 19 and a 57-50 triumph at home over New Hampton Thursday, December 21.

Kee will return to the court after the new year with a Tuesday, January 2 game at Waukon followed by a home match-up with Turkey Valley Friday, January 5.

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The Waukon girls basketball team wrapped up the 2023 portion of its schedule with two final games prior to the holiday break, both of them played at home and both of them ending up shy of the win column. The Lady Indians played to their second and third consecutive games of scoring 35 or fewer points, dating back to a 59-34 loss at Class 4A fourth-rated Waverly-Shell Rock in the week prior - that total not being enough to get past Class 4A 13th-rated Decorah in a 58-34 loss Tuesday, December 19 nor Sumner-Fredericksburg in being dealt a 52-35 defeat Thursday, December 21.

The Indians enter the holiday break with a 3-6 record that includes a 1-3 mark in NEIC play. They will return to the court after the new year Tuesday, January 2 for a home game with Kee before traveling to Charles City Friday, January 5.