The heartbreak started early in New Hampton’s regional girls basketball game Wednesday.
In the first minute, in fact.
That’s when Isabel Leichtman went to the floor with a knee injury, and she wouldn’t return.
The second time was just as nice as the first.
And New Hampton/Turkey Valley can now call itself the two-time defending Class 2A state dual-meet tournament champions.
New Hampton/Turkey Valley reeled off five straight wins late in the meet and overpowered West Delaware 47-24 to earn a spot in the Class 2A state-dual tournament.
Top-ranked New Hampton/Turkey Valley survived a stern test from Webster City to beat the Lynx 40-33 in the opening round of the Class 2A state dual tournament.
Although co-coaches Carla Nymeyer and Dan Stepan made all kinds of decisions during Turkey Valley’s regional opener, the best call may have come before the Lady Trojans took the court against Riceville.
Moments after his team overcame a relatively slow start to beat Union Saturday night, New Hampton coach Chad Pemble was asked what his team needed to do to beat fifth-ranked and unbeaten Osage in Wednesday’s Class 2A regional semifinal game?
New Hampton/Turkey Valley had itself one whale of a day at the Class 2A district tournament as the Chickasaws had six champions, qualified nine wrestlers for the state tournament and ran away from the field to win the team title.
After a quick 54-27 win over Charles City — which only took 40 minutes — New Hampton’s wrestlers earned yet another banner for the Chickasaw gymnasium as they won their regional with a 57-17 victory over Clear Lake to qualify for the state dual me
New Hampton/Turkey Valley’s Noah Fye may not like the injury or the brace it means he has to wear, but the New Hampton senior is more than ready to return to the mat.
After Monday’s win over Tripoli, coach Chris Sullivan said his Trojan boys would be playing the next night, in Postville, a team “we seem to always have battles with right down to the final buzzer.”
Should Turkey Valley get past Riceville in the first round of regional action, they could again meet Tripoli, a team they defeated Monday night by a close 58-51 score.