J-Hawks sweep rebuilding Linn-Mar

Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Morgan Allee slides safely past Linn-Mar's Lindsey Harms on Thursday at the Jefferson Softball Complex. The J-Hawks swept the Lions, 4-0 and 11-1. (Photo by Cliff Jette)

CEDAR RAPIDS — A spectator made the observation early and accurately:

“This doesn’t seem like Jeff/Linn-Mar.”

Class 4A third-ranked Cedar Rapids Jefferson struck for 22 hits and dominated rebuilding Linn-Mar, 4-0 and 11-1, in a Mississippi Valley Conference softball double-header Thursday night at the Jefferson Softball Complex.

Big award for Niemeyer

Larry Niemeyer, here huddling with his Cedar Rapids Jefferson softball team during the 2008 state tournament, has been selected as the 2009 National High School Coaches Association national coach of the year. (AP photo)

CEDAR RAPIDS — For a day, Larry Niemeyer felt young again.

The nation’s all-time leader in softball victories, Niemeyer has been selected as the 2009 National High School Coaches Association national coach of the year.

A late call, a surging team

It was getting toward late summer a year ago, and Nick McCool hadn’t received a job offer.

Finally, a call came from Iowa Valley. An elementary PE job. And a varsity head-coaching job.

Just what he wanted. Plus a bonus — the softball team is quite good.

Winless, not necessarily hopeless

Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Brittany Madsen slides into second base as the ball gets away from Cedar Rapids Washington shortstop Jordan Carr in Jefferson's sweep Thursday. (Photo by Chris Mackler)

CEDAR RAPIDS — Looking strictly at Cedar Rapids Washington’s record and the lopsided defeats, you figure it’s another dead-end season for a softball program that’s been spinning its wheels for years.

Fanaye Kifletsadik sees it as a beginning.