AVOCA -- The AHSTW girls basketball team notched its second victory of the season here Thursday night, easily defeating Earlham 54-32 in non-conference action. The Lady Vikes also beat Tri-Center 53-43 on Friday, improving to 3-8 on the year. AHSTW gradually pulled away from Earlham, holding leads of 10-4 after one quarter, 22-11 at halftime and 37-19 after three quarters.

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW boys basketball team improved its record to 9-1 overall Thursday night with a 69-64 non-conference win over Earlham. Trailing 34-30 at halftime, the Vikings used a 22-13 third quarter to take the lead and were able to hold off the Cardinals (6-3) the rest of the way.

 HARLAN – Mike Nichols described his month of June as phenomenal. The same adjective can be applied to his entire season. Nichols won all 15 of his June starts and 54 times in all en route to his career sixth IMCA Sunoco Stock Car national championship. He joined 2016 Hobby Stock king Shannon Anderson as the first drivers to win six national titles in the same division during the modern era of IMCA.

 CHURDAN -- Sophomore Cole Burmeister finished with 22 points and seven assists on Friday night, leading Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton to a 63-49 boys basketball victory at Paton-Churdan. Drew Buckholdt added 17 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists for the Spartans, who improved their Rolling Valley Conference record to 7-2. Dakota Rold also tallied a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds while blocking six shots.

 HARLAN -- When it comes to defensive strategy, a long-held mantra by Harlan Community boys basketball coach Mitch Osborn is that three-pointers will not beat you. So even though Atlantic finished 15-of-33 from the three-point arch against a combination of zone and junk defenses Tuesday night, it was no surprise that a man with 656 career wins was once again proven correct. Countering Atlantic’s long-range attack with 10 treys of their own, fo

 ATLANTIC -- Nicole Lange led four Harlan Community players in double figures with 20 points while adding seven rebounds and four assists as the Cyclone girls topped Atlantic 67-49 in their first game of the new year Tuesday night. Allison Bruck also had a big game with 18 points and nine steals, Lexi Larsen totaled 11 points, six rebounds and six assists and Bailey Hansen scored 11 points as well. The Cyclones knocked down 9-of-21 three-point

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW wrestling team finished 1-1 in a home double dual Tuesday night, losing to Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln 37-28 and beating Riverside 63-13. A.L. won the meet by defeating Riverside 42-33. Five Vikings wrestlers finished 2-0 on the night, led by 106-pounder Joel Sampson recording a pair of first period wins by fall.

Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Spartan Girls Basketball Team Front row, L-R: Sadie Schultes, Rachel Walker, Mara Burmeister, Sophia Peppers, Maggie Rasmussen, Kealey Nelson, Alex Petersen. Back row, L-R: Head Coach Tom Petersen, Assistant Coach Hilary Runyan, Jacey Anthofer, Lauren Hansen, Damian Peterson, Grace Greving, Leslie Caniglia, Kamryn Waymire, Ellie Schultes, Assistant Coach Cory Bartz. (Photo courtesy of Beth Hansen)
 

 MARYVILLE, MO.

AHSTW Girls Varsity & JV Basketball Teams Front row, L-R: Josie Denning, Lexy Knop, Emma Jorgensen, Ashley Lees, Jaycie Schueman, Sidney Nelsen, Katie Anzalone, Paige Osweiler. Back row, L-R: Hayli Paulsen, Kaitlyn Zimmerman, Sarah Butcher, Kinsey Scheffler, Kate Wise, Morgan Eckmann, Saige Huss, Tristin Heiny. (Photo by Mike Oeffner)
 

IKM-Manning Girls Varsity Basketball Team Front row, L-R: Rylie Muhlbauer, Payton Sporrer, Kia Rasmussen, Aly Stadtlander, Shauna Reitan, Katelyn Crawford, Paige Gaskill. Back row, L-R: Head Coach Gene Rasmussen, Sadie Thompson, Sydney Wegner, Caitlin Muhlbauer, Kira Barry, Erin Langel, Peyton Gross, Gabby Cadwell, Taylor Gross (manager), Assistant Coach Joy Gross. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Storjohann, Carroll Daily Times Herald)
 

 DES MOINES -- One bad quarter led to a fourth straight loss for the Harlan Community boys basketball team last Friday in a neutral-site game at Wells Fargo Arena. Leading Mount Pleasant 30-27 at halftime, HCHS was outscored 24-13 in the third quarter and never recovered in a 70-63 loss to the Panthers. Mount Pleasant, which was one spot away from cracking the top 10 in last week’s Class 3-A (A.P.) state rankings, improved to 5-1 overall with

 AVOCA -- Rhett Welsh and R.J. Harris combined for 43 points and 19 rebounds last Thursday night as the AHSTW boys entered the holidays with a commanding 84-60 win vs. Underwood. In a battle for first place in the Western Iowa Conference standings, AHSTW led 27-17 after one quarter, 46-29 at the half and 69-43 after three.

 AVOCA -- Underwood’s Karley Larson knocked down 6-of-14 three-pointers and scored 32 points to lead the Eagle girls past AHSTW, 59-40, in Western Iowa Conference action last Thursday. AHSTW’s sixth straight loss dropped the Lady Vikes to 1-8 overall and 1-6 in the WIC as they entered a two-week holiday break.

 WESTSIDE -- Falling behind 39-24 at the half, Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton was unable to mount a second-half comeback in last Thursday’s 70-53 loss at sixth-ranked (1-A) Ar-We-Va. The unbeaten Rockets improved to 8-0 overall and 7-0 inside the Rolling Valley Conference while the Spartans entered the holiday break at 6-2 overall and 6-2 in the RVC.