Four Tiger football players were selected to the Iowa Football Coaches Association Academic All-District Class 4A Team. Kaleb Cline, Riley DeWitt, Gavin Timmer and Sam Feldmann all received the honor for their excellence in the classroom for this past season. In order to receive this achievement, students must have a GPA between 3.7 and 4.0.

A common theme in the first half of a lot of schools in northwest Iowa has been patience. Spencer basketball hasn’t really had the chance to get into a rhythm of playing games.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

The girls have played well sitting at 5-0 at the moment. Defeating Emmetsburg, Sioux Central and Mason City by 20 points. Jada Piercy has led the girls on offense averaging 20.8 points a game, shooting 46% from deep as well.

For most of the first half of the season, Spencer has been hit with cancellations and postponements constantly, effecting their winter sports seasons. The wrestling grind is about to intensify for the programs in the coming months.

BOYS WRESTLING

ILCC women win on the road

The Iowa Lakes women's basketball team defeated Ellsworth 63-55. The Lakers were led by Jasmine Jones with 22 points. Emma Kanz scored 16 points and Jaydan Nitchals added 12 points. The Lakers are 8-7 on the season and 3-2 in conference play. They return to play at home on Saturday, at 1 p.m., against Iowa Western Community College.

Laker men knock No. 7 Ellsworth to start ’23

In a special gathering in the Spencer High School field house where he is in the midst of his senior basketball campaign, Kaleb Cline inked his letter of intent to extend his football career as a member of the University of Northern Iowa program.

• On a night where champions were literally minutes from being crowned in Coralville, the IWCIOA Girls State Wrestling Tournament crowd received a little extra, added jolt. Just prior to the start of the championship round, it was announced the first IGHSAU-sanctioned season will take place during the 2022-23 school year. The welcome news came on the heels of nearly two days of wrestling featuring 740 competitors representing more than 140 Iowa programs.

The Iowa Lakes Basketball Club has announced its tryout dates for the upcoming 2023 spring and summer traveling basketball season. Tryouts will be held on Sunday, Jan. 15, and Sunday, Feb. 19, in Laker Gymnasium on the campus of Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville. Tryouts for ages 10u, 11u, 12u, 13u, will be from 1-2:30 p.m., and tryouts for ages 14u, 15u, 16u, and 17u will be from 3-4:30 p.m.

• Celebrating the lives and memories of a trio of Spencer High School alumni who died in a tragic accident on homecoming in 1983 warranted the No. 2 Sports Story of 2022. Honoring the trio, on the 40th anniversary of their passing, family and friends gathered to remember at this year’s SHS homecoming game. The story printed in the Sept. 23 Spencer Reporter.

• Spencer claimed its first sole district title in 27 years with a road win at Storm Lake to finish the regular season, but the real showdown occurred two weeks prior against district favorite Webster City on the Lynx home field. In a game for the ages, the Tigers battled for a 49-40 win to set up their district championship run.

• The recap of a historic night, preceding the official announcement of girls wrestling being sanctioned by the state of Iowa, brought two girls teams together for a dual in the Spencer field house in mid-January. The fact the gym was packed and rocking as the Tigers dominated is just a bonus for the Spencer Reporter’s No. 4 Sports Story of the Year.

SPENCER — It was an amazing evening at Spencer.

CARROLL — The Spencer boys swimming team traveled down to Carroll Tuesday to wrap up their final meet of the 2022 calendar year. The boys would face off against Fort Dodge and the Tigers during the event. Spencer would lose both matchups, losing to the Dodgers 70-68 and Carroll 92-46.

CARROLL — Spencer had their girls wrestling meet of 2022 on Tuesday at the Kuemper Catholic tournament. The Tigers had six girls in the championship match on the day. Shaylee Sutherland and Olivia Huckfelt picked up class wins, while Atalia Rosales, Breanna Johnson, Laila Nielsen and Kaylee Nachtigal all finished in second place. Sutherland defeated Averi Burke of Carroll, pinning her in 32 seconds. Huckfelt dominated Riley Ernst of Le Mars with a fall in 54 seconds.

MASON CITY — The Spencer girls basketball team has a lot to be cheerful for so far this season. Looking to stay undefeated into the new year with games against Mason City and Fort Dodge before Christmas. Huge opening quarters in the first and second half put the Tigers ahead early, dominating the Riverhawks 81-61 on Tuesday. Spencer would also dominate the Dodgers, 53-36 behind dominating defense.

SERGEANT BLUFF — Spencer wrestled its final meet of the 2022 school calendar year on Tuesday night. Traveling to Sergeant Bluff-Luton to face off with the Warriors. Spencer would lose the dual with SBL 57-12.

Logan Huckfelt and Gabe Cauthron were the only Tiger wrestlers to pick up a win over the Warriors. Cauthron defeated Cam Keokenchahn, picking up a fall in the third period. Huckfelt dominated Sean Zimmerman picking up an early fall in the first period.

SPENCER — The Tigers finally got a chance to play some basketball on Monday and Tuesday night, hosting Fort Dodge and then traveling to Mason City before Christmas break. Spencer would split the games losing to the Riverhawks 57-52 in a heartbreaker, after defeating the Dodgers 62-53 on Monday.