Mount Ayr Community will be hosting a junior varsity basketball tournament the opening weekend of 2012.  

The tournament will be held on January 7  in the Mount Ayr Community middle school and high school gymnasiums.  

The championship games for both boys and girls will be held in the high school gymnasium.  

The games schedule for the Saturday tournament are shown below.

Girls Division

9 a.m. -- Mount Ayr Community vs. Worth County, middle school gym.

10:30 a.m. -- Central Decatur vs. Creston, middle school gym.

12  p.m. -- Consolation game, middle school gym.

1:30 p.m. -- Championship game, high school gym.

Boys Division

9  a.m. -- Mount Ayr Community Black  vs. Worth County, high school gym.

10:30 a.m. -- Pleasantville vs. Mount Ayr Community White, high school gym.

12  p.m. -- Consolation game, high school gym.

3  p.m. -- Championship game, high school gym.

  It was a low scoring affair, but the North Harrison, MO boys were able to take a 44-27 win over the Diagonal Maroons in Diagonal Tuesday, Dec. 20.

The Maroons are now 0-8 for the season and 0-3 in Bluegrass conference.

Next action

Action resumes following the holiday break when the boys host Murray Tuesday, Jan. 3.

  Diagonal’s Maroonettes came the closest to a win they have this season, but fell by a bucket 43-41 to North Harrison, MO in Diagonal Tuesday, Dec. 20.

With the loss the girls fell to 0-7 for the season and have a 0-4 Bluegrass conference record.

Next action

Action resumes following the holiday break when the girls host Murray Tuesday, Jan. 3.

  A victory over East Union and a loss to Nodaway Valley in home dual wrestling action and five placings in the Pride of Iowa conference tournament including championships for Shane Swank and Joe Ricker were the story for the Mount Ayr Community Raider wrestlers in action this past week.

The Raiders handled a short-handed East Union squad 52-6, then fell to a strong Nodaway Valley squad 57-6 in the dual meet with the two conference schools Thursday, Dec. 15.

The Raiders finished seventh as a team in the conference tournament Saturday, Dec. 16, and moved their dual wrestling mark for the season to 4-4 with last week’s play.

Next action

The wrestlers are now off until after the holiday break when they host a meet with Atlantic and Central Decatur Thursday, Jan. 5.

  First loss of the season for the Mount Ayr Community Raiders came this week against conference leader Nodaway Valley, but the Raiders bounced back for a pair of wins as well.

The Raiders fell to Nodaaway Valley 58-48 in Mount Ayr Tuesday, Dec. 13. Thursday, Dec. 15, they handled Lamoni 81-53 on the road. They traveled to Interstate 35 on Friday night and brought home a 43-35 vicory.

The action this week makes the Raiders 4-1 in the Pride of Iowa conference and 7-1 overall heading into the Christmas break.

Next action

The Raiders pick up action after the holiday break Tuesday, Jan. 3, when they host Corning.

  A conference loss and a conference victory marked the down and up week for the Mount Ayr Community Raiderettes.

After losing to Nodaway Valley 54-27 at home last Tuesday night, the girls bounced back to take a 48-40 win over Interstate 35 in a road game.

Mount Ayr Community is 2-3 in the Pride of Iowa conference and 5-4 overall.

Next action

Action for the girls picks up after the holiday break on Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Raiderettes host Corning.

  Mount Ayr Community’s bowling teams dropped matches with Clarke in the finale of the 2011 portion of their season Thursday, Dec. 15.

The boys fell to Clarke 2,560-2,330, the girls lost  2,012-1,266 and the junior varsity boys were defeated 1,558-1,475 in action in Osceola.

Next action

The bowlers pick up action after the holiday break Friday, Jan. 9, when they host Lamoni.

  It’s five in a row after two weeks of action for the Mount Ayr Community Raider basketball team so far this season.

The boys handled East Union 65-41 in Afton Tuesday, Dec. 6, then got past Bedford 54-32 in Mount Ayr Friday, Dec. 9.

The Raiders now are 3-0 in Pride of Iowa conference play and 5-0 for the season.

  Dual meet record for the Mount Ayr Community Raider wrestling team slipped to 3-3 after the Raiders went to a quad meet in Truro Thursday, Dec. 8.

The squad also wrestled at the Central Decatur Invitational tournament in Leon Friday, with Dawson Knapp’s third place finish the top one for the team there.

In the quad meet the Raiders defeated Wayne 53-6, then fell to Eddyville-Blakesburg 53-24 and to host Interstate 35 71-5.

Next action

The Raiders host East Union and Nodaway Valley in their first home meet tonight (Thursday) and go to the Pride of Iowa tournament at Southeast Warren Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. for their final pre-holiday action.

  An East Union victory and a loss to Bedford were added to the record books by the Mount Ayr Community Raiderettes in basketball action this past week.

The girls squeaked out a 46-45 win over East Union Tuesday, Dec. 6, then were thumped by second-ranked Bedford 40-26 on Friday night.

The Raiderettes are now 1-2 in the Pride of Iowa conference and 4-3 overall.

Next action

The Raiderettes hosted Nodaway Valley Tuesday night and finish out the 2011 portion of the campaign at Interstate 35 Friday, Dec. 16. 

  Mount Ayr Community’s Raider bowlers are off to a good start while the Raiderettes are struggling in early action for the MAC squads this season.

The teams opened the season in the Panther tournament in Creston on Tuesday, Nov. 29, and then hosted Lenox and Central Decatur Monday, Dec. 5.

In the Panther tournament the Raiders placed third while the Raiderettes came in sixth.

In the bowling in Mount Ayr, the Raiders defeated both visitors while the Raiderettes lost to Lenox and Central Decatur.

Next action

The bowlers travel to Clarke today (Thursday) for their final pre-holiday action.

  The Mount Ayr Community’s Sparks drill team competed in the Iowa State Drill team competition held in Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on December 1, bringing home state awards.

The state of Iowa hosts the largest drill team competition in the nation.  There were over 270 high school teams in this year’s competition. There were six divisions based on school size. 

In the pom category alone, there were over 110 routines.  The Mount Ayr Community’s Sparks accomplished something special as the team captured the first place trophy as the top pom squad in their division.  This is the first time a drill team from Mount Ayr Community has ever placed higher than third in state competition.  

The Sparks also garnered the runner-up trophy in the kick division to cap off an exciting day.

The Drill Team Association also presents academic awards to the participating teams.  Teams receive an excellence in academic award for a cumulative grade point average of 3.0-3.49 and a distinguished academic award for a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 to 4.0.  

Mount Ayr Community received the distinguished award for posting a cumulative GPA of 3.85.

The head coach of the Mount Ayr Community Sparks is Jill Weehler.  Coach Weehler pointed out that Deb Lynch, Amy Levine and Amy Wood also helped with the squad this year.  

Coach Weehler recognized her captains and co-captains this year and praised the team’s hard work, dedication and team cohesiveness this year.  

She also was appreciative to the staff, student body, fellow coaches, parents and entire community for all the support she and the Sparks receive throughout the year. 

The members of this year’s squad are: Taylor Lynch, Megan Doubleday, Kylie Wilson, Maggie Jennett,  Allison Wallace, Ashton Johnson, Madison Hosfield, Caitlin Giles, Logan Wimer and April Shields.  

The Mount Ayr Sparks will perform their winning routine at the half of the Mount Ayr-Bedford boys basketball game on Friday, Dec. 9.

  A pair of victories moved the Raider boys basketball record to 3-0 this week with victories over Mormon Trail and Corning.

The Raiders rolled past Mormon Trail 63-37 on the road Tuesday, Nov. 29, then picked up their Pride of Iowa conference opener with a 64-53 win over Corning Friday night there.

The Raiders are 1-0 in conference action.

Next action

The Raiders traveled to East Union Tuesday night and host Bedford Friday, Dec. 9. Tuesday, Dec. 13, Nodaway Valley comes to visit.

  A victory over Mormon Trial in non-conference action and a loss to Corning in conference play marked the week for the Mount Ayr Community Raiderette girls basketball team.

The girls rolled past Mormon Trail 51-38 and then fell to Corning 51-31.

The Raiderettes are 0-1 in the POI and 3-2 overall.

Next action

The Raiderettes traveled to East Union Tuesday night and host Bedford Friday, Dec. 9. Tuesday, Dec. 13, Nodaway Valley comes to visit.

  A victory over Mormon Trial in non-conference action and a loss to Corning in conference play marked the week for the Mount Ayr Community Raiderette girls basketball team.

The girls rolled past Mormon Trail 51-38 and then fell to Corning 51-31.

The Raiderettes are 0-1 in the POI and 3-2 overall.

Next action

The Raiderettes traveled to East Union Tuesday night and host Bedford Friday, Dec. 9. Tuesday, Dec. 13, Nodaway Valley comes to visit.

  Mount Ayr Community’s Raiders won two out of three dual matches in the opening quadrangular meet in Osceola, then had five wrestlers place in the top six in the Coach Riley tournament at Greenfield in a busy first week of action.

The Raiders traveled to Osceola for the meet with Clarke, Corning and East Union Thursday, Dec. 1. They defeated host Clarke 33-27, downed East Mills 36-27, then fell to Corning 42-34.

In the Greenfield tournament, Grant Staats placed second, Dawson Knapp and Shane Swank were third and Jacob Roach and Joe Ricker took sixth in the tournament.

The Raiders placed eighth in total points out of the nine teams at the tournament.