Spirit Lake Park girls wrestlers Aroura Preston and Cassie McKeen — both representing Buena Vista Wrestling Club — finished on the podium at the Iowa AAU Girls Junior and Senior High School State Wrestling Tournament held March 5 in Cedar Rapids.

Preston and McKeen each went 2-3 to place eighth at 102 and 107 pounds, respectively.

Okoboji’s girls track team opened the 2023 season at the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Indoor Championships held Thursday, March 9 in Ames.

The Pioneers put together several solid performances on the day, and first-year head coach Jacob Evenson was pleased with how his team competed despite having limited practice time.

Okoboji’s boys track team opened the 2023 season at the Iowa Association of Track Coaches (IATC) Indoor Championships held Friday, March 10 at Iowa State University in Ames.

The Pioneers put together a solid showing in their first meet of the year, earning four top-five finishes and placing fifth overall in Class 2A.

Spirit Lake’s boys track team — last year’s Class 2A state champions — opened the 2023 season at the Iowa Association of Track Coaches (IATC) Indoor Championships held Friday, March 10 at Iowa State University in Ames. The Indians – now competing in Class 3A — kicked off the season in style, earning several top-three finishes and placing fourth overall as a team.

Harris-Lake Park junior guard Payton Reimers was recently named to the Class 1A All-Northwest District basketball team by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

As a youngster, fishing was something that I enjoyed more than almost anything. It’s hard to explain why, and it doesn’t matter. I just really enjoyed fishing. But sometimes when I would listen to the adults talk about fishing, they would often refer to the “old days” of fishing, and how “fishin’ today just isn’t as good as it used to be”.

It’s been six months since pro walleye angler and Fresh Water Hall of Famer Keith Kavajecz’s fishing seminar at the Okoboji Blue Water Festival last August. With spring moving ever closer, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on his suggestions for open water fishing.

I know that he hit home with his points, because over 200 anglers sat through the 90-minute seminar, and nobody got antsy and left.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has finalized a drought plan for use by local, county, state agencies and governments in the event of droughts in the state.

The Iowa Drought Plan was developed in partnership with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The plan aims to provide the state with an approach to prepare for, identify, respond to and recover from a drought.

Harris-Lake Park’s boys track team opened its season at the War Eagle Conference indoor meet held Monday, March 13 at Dordt University in Sioux Center. Places were not recorded at the meet, but the Wolves set several benchmarks for the upcoming outdoor season.

“The guys did a nice job for a meet so early in the season,” Harris-Lake Park coach Lane Gunderson said. “It was good to get some times to build on.”

Harris-Lake Park’s girls track team opened its season at the War Eagle Conference indoor meet held Monday, March 13 at Dordt University in Sioux Center. Places were not recorded at the meet, but the Wolves set several benchmarks for the upcoming outdoor season.

Spirit Lake’s boys basketball team bounced back in a big way after suffering its first losing season in a decade a year ago to earning its first Lakes Conference championship in more than 70 years this season. The Indians compiled a 12-9 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the conference.

KEY VICTORY

Following the graduation of Lucas Lorenzen, arguably the best basketball player in school history, Okoboji’s boys basketball team struggled throughout the 2022-23 season. The Pioneers finished with a 7-17 overall record and a 6-12 mark in the Siouxland Conference in their first year under the direction of coach Alex Spielman.

KEY VICTORY