Sports

SPIRIT LAKE - On a cool Monday afternoon here, Cherokee's golfing Braves finished third in the Lakes Conference Tournament held on the challenging Brooks Golf Course. Cherokee senior Carson Jenness highlighted the Braves' individual efforts with a 79 to earn one of the eight all-conference medals. Jenness logged rounds of 43/36...

Playing the best team in the conference (who also happen to be undefeated on the season) on their home turf is rarely pretty, and this was no exception. Jacob Kohn turned in another solid performance at #1 singles. He actually led 3-0 in the first set and 2-1 in the second set before falling 5-7, 3-6 to Spencer's top player. ...

HULL - Cherokee hurdler Brayden Farver came home with an All-Lakes Conference medal, highlighting his team's efforts at the Lakes Conference Track and Field Championships held here Thursday. Cherokee's dedicated senior hurdler, Farver, was second in a "photo finish" 400-meter hurdle race. ...

SPENCER - The Cherokee boys tennis team competed in the annual Lakes Conference Tournament here last Saturday, placing fifth behind champion Spencer, followed by Estherville-LC, Storm Lake, and Spirit Lake-Okoboji. For the Braves, Jacob Kohn placed third in First Flight Singles, earning Honorable Mention All-Lakes Conference in the process. Jacob Friedrichsen was fifth in Second Flight Singles...

Cherokee senior Carson Jenness is always working to improve his golf game. It paid off here Friday as he pocketed medalist honors with a 39 to lead Cherokee past Alta-Aurelia 165-199. Cherokee varsity golfers played consistent on this night with Drew Spooner and twins Joe and Trey Benson carding identical 42-stroke rounds. Spooner earned runner-up medalist bragging rights by winning a sudden death playoff over the Benson brothers. It was Spooner's second runner-up medalist of the season...

Spirit Lake golfers swept medalist honors in both the varsity and junior varsity matches here Thursday in claiming both team titles. In the varsity matchup, the visiting Indians clipped the Braves 164-178 led by medalist Mason Weeks with a 36 and runner-up medalist Jackson Laven with a 39...

In the boys' division of the Lynn Jolly Coed Relays here Tuesday, Cherokee placed sixth in the eight team field with 51 points. Cherokee tracksters mustered two third place finishes, three fourths and three fifths as the stiff competition saw MOC-Floyd Valley run away with the team title with 186.5 points. Next came LeMars (136.5), Unity Christian (108), Western Christian (103), Spencer (92), Cherokee (51), Sheldon (24) and Storm Lake (23)...

HARTLEY - On yet another cold and windy afternoon, Cherokee girls ran away with the team trophy here, the second title in five days after winning it all at Hinton earlier last week. The Braves put together four individual firsts and won three relays, along with three runner-up individual finishes and two relay seconds to fuel the team championship performance at the HMS Coed Hawk Relays here...

HARTLEY - Cherokee's track Braves finished in the middle of the pack here Friday, placing fourth in the nine-team Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn sponsored Hawk Relays. The Braves finished with 70 points, behind leaders Okoboji's 141, Sibley-Ocheyedan 134 and host Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn with 78. Following Cherokee, it was George-Little Rock 48, Harris-Lake Park 40, Akron-Westfield 27, Trinity Christian 25 and Remsen St. Mary's 15...

The South O'Brien Girls Golf Team hosted their first home meet of the season at Primghar Golf Course on Thursday, April 22, on a cool, windy night. It was set to be a double dual with HMS and Trinity Christian. However, Trinity Christian did not field a team this year, so the meet became a dual between county rivals South O'Brien and HMS. ...

Spencer is yet another strong team, vying year in and year out for the Lakes Conference title. Despite what appear on the surface as rather dismal scores, I am extremely pleased with the improving level of varsity play. There were many sustained rallies and well-constructed points played out that were testimony to the improved tennis savvy of our singles play. ...

HOLSTEIN - Cherokee's varsity boys' golf squad featured a balanced attack fueled by Drew Spooner's runner-up-medalist 38 to win the triangular meet here last Friday with Ridge View and OABCIG. As a team, Cherokee totaled 163, followed by host Ridge View with 171 and OABCIG with 177...

It was cold and windy so not the best night to get great times. Ridge View was led by Jacob Brinkman who had 3 1st's and a 2nd.  He won the discuss, the 110 Highs, and the shuttle.  He also ran the 400 M hurdles for the first time and ran a 61.  Tyler Kolpin also had 3 firsts.  Tyler was on the winning shuttle hurdle relay team, the sprint med and the 4 x 100.  Tyler also anchored the 2nd place 4 x 200 relay...

ESTHERVILLE - The Cherokee boys tennis team showed vast improvement but remained winless here Monday after a 9-0 defeat at Estherville-LC. In varsity singles, Jacob Kohn lost 10-4 to Grant Love at #1, Will Lugar fell 10-5 to Aaron Nissen at 32, Jacob Hodgdon lost 10-0 to Brendan Finley at #3, Cole Timmerman fell 10-3 to Jack Jensen at #4, Cael Lundy lost 10-7 to Joseph Amdahl at #5, and Andrew Creel lost 10-2 to Carson Madsen at #6...

Spencer and Ridge View track teams captured 2A and 1A team titles, respectively, in the running of the 76th Annual Tomahawk Relays here last Friday. A large crowd cheered competitors on the christening of Cherokee's new all-weather track. Spencer took the 2A crown with 173 points, followed by MOC-FV 110, Spirit Lake Park 98, Cherokee 91, Bishop Heelan 78, LeMars Community 72, OABCIG 55 and Estherville-Lincoln Central 54...

HOLSTEIN - Cherokee's track Braves pocketed two first place finishes here Tuesday in the 80th running of the Ridge View Relays. The Braves, who placed fifth in the overall 10-team standings, saw sophomore Colton Samsel overcome painful shin-splints and win the 1600-meter distance race in 5:19.58...

Seniors Ryan Jensen and Tate Brechwald return from our 2019 varsity team and Seniors Collin Aronson and Matt Cummins had significant meet experience in 2019.  We look for these Seniors to lead our team early as our younger players adapt to competitive golf...

Head Coach: Brian Bode 1. Who are your top returning performers this season? (Please list statistics or any accolades if available) Hannah Yockey - Senior 2. Who will be the top prospects to fill lost players from last year’s (2019) team? Abby Wandrey - Junior, Emma Vohs - Junior, Anais Najera - Junior, Beth Mentzer - Sophomore, Ashley Hansen - Sophomore, Kiersten Volkert - Freshman...

PAULLINA - Cherokee's varisty track boys carded two first place finishes in the five-team South O'Brien Early-Bird Track Meet here Monday. Cherokee's lone individual victor was junior hurdle ace Mason Carver as he glided over the timber to win the 400-meter hurdles in 58.87, battling strong and annoying winds all the way...

As the season concludes, we want to thank everyone for the consistent support throughout the season. The support contributed to our success more than anyone will ever know. Special thanks to Denny Holton for the amazing pictures and coverage always with the Chronicle Times. ...

Hearing that former KC Chiefs football coach Marty Schottenheimer died at age 77 from Alzheimer’s was a sad day as I had the opportunity to meet him up close and personal several years ago. My Dutch brother-in-law lives in the Kansas City area and using his genetic coupon clipping skills each spring would find early-bird golf specials in the Kansas City Star and we would play on he cheap at upscale courses in and around KC. ...

Cherokee's JeMae Nichols was one of only eight players named to the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association (IPSWA) Class 3A All-State First Team. The IPSWA released its all state selections last week, naming three, eight-member teams in each of the five classifications...

There was a ton of quality basketball players in our corner of the state this past season. As a result, a boat load of post-season honors continue to stream in. Just this week, the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association released its All-State teams, naming three, eight-member squads in each of the five classifications...

DES MOINES - Five points. That’s not many, but it was just enough to sideline a talented 21-3 MMCRU club here Wednesday afternoon in first round Class 1A state tourney play. This one easily could have went either way, but it went to a disciplined and undefeated 24-0 Exira-EHK Spartan squad advancing to Friday’s semifinals vs. Bishop Garrigan via a 60-55 win...

Cherokee girls take care of biz, on to semis!

Zane Griffin (Sioux Central) won by fall over Wyatt Johnson (Cherokee) (Fall 2:28) Wyatt Johnson (Cherokee) won by fall over Duane McGregor (Sioux Central) (Fall 0:27) Jack Gullet (East Sac County) won by fall over Kedan Johnson (Cherokee) (Fall 2:19)...

Angel Ponce won by decision 8-1 over Brandon Van Klompenburg (MOC-FV) Angel Ponce won by fall in 2:10 over Erik Reyes (Sheldon) Blake Lovell lost by decision 5-4 to Kyler Elser (Sibley-Ocheyedan) Blake Lovell won by decision 5-2 over Kolton Roos (Sheldon)...

SIOUX CITY — In their fifth season as a combined basketball program, MMCRU earned its first ever trip to the girls state basketball tournament, winning a Class 1A regional final contest by a 53-43 score over Westwood at the Sioux City West gym on Wednesday...

Congratulation's to Cherokee's 2020-21 state tournament bound Braves! No doubt, a huge accomplishment by a group of talented young ladies who will never forget the experience of playing in a state tournament atmosphere. A little advice from an old silver headed Irishman - "Enjoy every minute. Soak it up, all of it."...

ROCKWELL CITY - The bus ride home last Saturday night had a different vibe than the previous three years for Cherokee girls' basketball Braves. After losing three straight regional final games, this 2020-21 Cherokee Braves' squad celebrated all the way home last weekend after defeating Panorama 74-46, and punching their ticket to the state tournament...

ORANGE CITY - It was an emotional walk to the locker room for Cherokee seniors Braydon Farver and Colten Woltman here Thursday night following a 59-44 tournament loss to Unity Christian. The last time for anything positive is sad. However, Farver and Woltman left the floor knowing they gave their best effort. The two seniors represented Cherokee basketball for four years and were the epitome of hard work, dedication and leadership, setting a great example for future Braves...

Cherokee's Braves woke up from a first half nap and outscored MVAOCOU 20-4 in the third quarter on the way to a 58-34 Class 2A district tourney win here Tuesday afternoon. The win qualified the Braves for a second-round contest played at Orange City against Unity Christian on Thursday night. Earlier this season, Unity clipped the Braves 71-61...

ALTA - Cherokee's junior varsity boys' basketball squad capped a 4-11 season with a hard earned 47-43 win over Alta-Aurelia here last week. Cherokee turned a 18-23 deficit at halftime into a 35-32 lead after three quarters. "We had 21 turnovers in the first half, but our defense started to get stops and were were able to go up three going into the fourth quarter," said Cherokee JV coach Mike Nixon...