ANITA (April 1) -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton boys golf team opened the season with a first-place showing at Crestwood Hills Golf Course last Monday in the first Rolling Valley Conference Meet of the season. The Spartans, who return four members of last year’s third-place Class 1A state tournament team, scored a 180 in Anita to top CAM, the host school, by seven shots.

 COON RAPIDS (April 1) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton junior Jacey Anthofer shot a medalist round of 41 last Monday as the Spartan girls golf team opened the season with a Rolling Valley Conference Meet at the Coon Rapids Country Club. Anthofer, who placed 12th at the 1A state tournament last year, parred four out of nine holes on the par-35 course, finishing five shots ahead of runner-up medalist Sammi Jahde of CAM. The Spartan scorecard also i

 HARLAN (April 1) -- The surprise of Monday’s soccer match between Harlan Community and Lewis Central wasn’t the fact that the Cyclone boys won, but the manner in which they did so. Dodging several early bullets during a scoreless first half initially controlled by the Titans, HCHS gradually took over the match from a possession and opportunity standpoint and scored four goals in a 25-minute span of the second half to win 4-0 at Merrill Field.

 SERGEANT BLUFF (April 2) -- The Harlan Community track teams fell just one point short of a third straight sweep to start the season - the girls placing first and the boys coming in second at Tuesday’s Sergeant Bluff-Luton Warrior Relays. Bolstered by four gold medals and 22 top-four finishes, the Cyclone girls scored 159 points to win their third team championship in as many tries.

 AVOCA (April 2) -- Lane Nelson and Emma Jorgensen both earned medalist honors once as the AHSTW golf teams opened the season with a pair of home meets earlier this week. On Monday, the AHSTW boys posted a team score of 202 and defeated a short-handed Griswold squad playing with just two golfers.

 TREYNOR (April 1) -- Capped by a gold medal in the 4x400 relay, IKM-Manning scored 19 times in 16 events Monday night and placed second to Treynor in the Jerome Howe Relays boys track meet. The host Cardinals won four events and easily earned the team title with 145 points, followed by the Wolves with 95, St. Albert 93 (four golds), Underwood 84 (three golds) and Shenandoah 66.

 OAKLAND (April 1) -- IKM-Manning sophomore Alexa Ahrenholtz tied her personal best with a first-place leap of five feet in the high jump here Monday, helping the Wolves finish second out of 11 teams at the Riverside Lady Dawgs Invitational. Ahrenholtz, who also soared over the five-foot bar indoors at Storm Lake last month, contributed to three place-winning relays as well, including a gold medal in the distance medley relay along with Mya Ir

    WESTPHALIA -- Betty Specht, 77, Westphalia, died Thursday, April 4 at Elm Crest Retirement Community in Harlan.    Services will be held at a later date.    Specht is survived by grandson Tristan Specht of East Earl, PA; siblings Leona “Jonsey” Klein of Westphalia and Leo “Spike” (Alice) Kloewer of Harlan; nieces and nephews.    Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan is in charge of arrangements.

    HARLAN -- Orrin D. Plagmann, 82, Harlan, died April 6 at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan.    Services will be held Wednesday, April 10 at 11 a.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.  Visitation is Wednesday from 9-11 a.m.