No. 2 North girls try to end Sioux City's girls tourney drought
By Steven Allspach, Journal sports writer | Posted: Sunday, March 05, 2006
It remains to be seen if North High can break up that old Linn County gang and finally bring an Iowa Girls State Tournament victory, if not three, to Sioux City.
Coach Kirk Walker's Stars, ranked second in the state, will meet sixth-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington in a first-round Class 4A game in the 2006 girls state tourney in the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines Wednesday (2:30 p.m.).
If North wins, it could meet Cedar Rapids Prairie in the semis and either Cedar Rapids Jefferson or Linn-Mar in a potential title game. Class 4A qualifiers Washington, Prairie, Jefferson and Linn-Mar are all located in Linn County.
North is making the school's second state tourney appearance. The Stars lost an opening game to No. 1-ranked Des Moines Lincoln in 2002, 78-59.
"We're going into this tournament with a lot of confidence and maybe a little bit of a chip on our shoulders,'' said Walker. "A Sioux City school has never won a girls state tournament game and we'd like to change that.
"But, it's not just winning a game. We'd like more than that. We've had a great season, but the girls are pretty businesslike and they understand there's more to accomplish.''
Sioux City high schools have played seven state tournament games and lost them all. East has five losses, North one and Heelan one in the old six-player state finals in 1984.
North's ranking may put the Stars in the favorite role against Washington.
But, there is history, here, too.
East was ranked second going into the 2002 state tournament, but lost a first-round game to sixth-ranked Davenport West, 55-52, and finished 23-2.
North's frantic style centers around speedy junior guards Tanaeya Worden (5-5) and Jacqui Kalin (5-6). Kalin averages 13.8 points and Worden 13.1.
Senior Cat Nelson chips in with an 11.9 scoring average.
Walker utilizes his entire squad and as many as 10 players may appear in the first quarter of any game.
North's only loss is Bellevue (Neb.) East, 65-56, and the Stars defeated Phoenix St. Mary's in the finals of the Sacajawea tournament in the Tyson Events Center in mid-December. St. Mary's is currently the No. 1-ranked 5A team in Arizona and has reached the state tourney title game.
Cedar Rapids Washington resembles North in many ways.
Coach Frank Howell starts three guards, including quicksilver 5-7 sophomores Katelin Oney and Micha Mims. Oney averages 12.9 points while 5-8 junior guard Alyssa Green averages 13.5 points.
"Washington likes to get out and push the pace and for us that's a good thing,'' says Walker. "We play more effectively in an up-tempo game.
"We match up pretty well in size, too.''
Senior Libby Glass (5-9) and junior Mikeaela Fisher (5-10) are the other Washington starters.
Mims averages 8.3 points, Glass 8.1 and Fisher 6.1. Fisher and Glass are the rebounding leaders, averaging 5.1 and 4.6 caroms, respectively.
Howell, a 1992 William Penn graduate, is 53-18 at the school. He also guided Audubon to Class 2A state tourney berths in 1998 and 1999 with his '99 club winning a state championship.
Washington's losses are to Prairie (68-55), Iowa City West (55-51), Cedar Rapids Xavier (50-42) and Jefferson (78-48). The Warriors have also beaten Jefferson (67-54) and Xavier (50-45), along with Linn-Mar (81-67).
Xavier is the fifth Linn County school in the tournament and will face Siouxland power Spirit Lake in a first-round Class 3A game Tuesday at 1 p.m.
Coach Kirk Walker's Stars, ranked second in the state, will meet sixth-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington in a first-round Class 4A game in the 2006 girls state tourney in the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines Wednesday (2:30 p.m.).
If North wins, it could meet Cedar Rapids Prairie in the semis and either Cedar Rapids Jefferson or Linn-Mar in a potential title game. Class 4A qualifiers Washington, Prairie, Jefferson and Linn-Mar are all located in Linn County.
North is making the school's second state tourney appearance. The Stars lost an opening game to No. 1-ranked Des Moines Lincoln in 2002, 78-59.
"We're going into this tournament with a lot of confidence and maybe a little bit of a chip on our shoulders,'' said Walker. "A Sioux City school has never won a girls state tournament game and we'd like to change that.
"But, it's not just winning a game. We'd like more than that. We've had a great season, but the girls are pretty businesslike and they understand there's more to accomplish.''
Sioux City high schools have played seven state tournament games and lost them all. East has five losses, North one and Heelan one in the old six-player state finals in 1984.
North's ranking may put the Stars in the favorite role against Washington.
But, there is history, here, too.
East was ranked second going into the 2002 state tournament, but lost a first-round game to sixth-ranked Davenport West, 55-52, and finished 23-2.
North's frantic style centers around speedy junior guards Tanaeya Worden (5-5) and Jacqui Kalin (5-6). Kalin averages 13.8 points and Worden 13.1.
Senior Cat Nelson chips in with an 11.9 scoring average.
Walker utilizes his entire squad and as many as 10 players may appear in the first quarter of any game.
North's only loss is Bellevue (Neb.) East, 65-56, and the Stars defeated Phoenix St. Mary's in the finals of the Sacajawea tournament in the Tyson Events Center in mid-December. St. Mary's is currently the No. 1-ranked 5A team in Arizona and has reached the state tourney title game.
Cedar Rapids Washington resembles North in many ways.
Coach Frank Howell starts three guards, including quicksilver 5-7 sophomores Katelin Oney and Micha Mims. Oney averages 12.9 points while 5-8 junior guard Alyssa Green averages 13.5 points.
"Washington likes to get out and push the pace and for us that's a good thing,'' says Walker. "We play more effectively in an up-tempo game.
"We match up pretty well in size, too.''
Senior Libby Glass (5-9) and junior Mikeaela Fisher (5-10) are the other Washington starters.
Mims averages 8.3 points, Glass 8.1 and Fisher 6.1. Fisher and Glass are the rebounding leaders, averaging 5.1 and 4.6 caroms, respectively.
Howell, a 1992 William Penn graduate, is 53-18 at the school. He also guided Audubon to Class 2A state tourney berths in 1998 and 1999 with his '99 club winning a state championship.
Washington's losses are to Prairie (68-55), Iowa City West (55-51), Cedar Rapids Xavier (50-42) and Jefferson (78-48). The Warriors have also beaten Jefferson (67-54) and Xavier (50-45), along with Linn-Mar (81-67).
Xavier is the fifth Linn County school in the tournament and will face Siouxland power Spirit Lake in a first-round Class 3A game Tuesday at 1 p.m.
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