NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Christopher Bell will start from the pole for today’s (Saturday’s) NASCAR Xfinity race in Iowa after finishing first in qualifying. Bell, who posted a top speed of 132.855 MPH in his No. 20 Toyota, won a pole for the fourth time this season. Bell will be seeking his sixth win of the season later today on Iowa’s short track.

Chase Briscoe will join Bell on the front row. Brandon Jones and Riley Herbst will start third and fourth, and Justin Allgaier was fifth fastest in qualifying. Series points leader Tyler Reddick will start 11th.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Ric Hanson.

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Class 1A

#6 Don Bosco 3, #9 Coon Rapids-Bayard 1
#1 Newman Catholic 8, Pekin 7

Class 3A

Championship
#1 Davenport/Assumption 7, #2 Louisa-Muscatine 4

3rd Place
#4 West Liberty 8, #6 Columbus Catholic 3

Class 4A

Championship
#1 Carlisle 1, #3 North Scott 0

3rd Place
#4 Charles City 6, #6 West Delaware 5

Class 5A

Championship
#8 Valley 8, #1 Waukee 5

3rd Place
#6 Iowa City High 6, #5 Johnston 3

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt extended his homer streak to a career-high five games with a three-run drive in the eighth inning, and the surging St. Louis Cardinals took over first place in the NL Central with a 5-3 victory over the Houston Astros. Matt Wieters also connected as St. Louis won for the ninth time in 10 games. Coupled with the Chicago Cubs’ loss at Milwaukee, the Cardinals grabbed sole possession of the division lead for the first time since before play on May 7.

NEW YORK (AP) — St. Louis pitcher Perry DellaValle has been suspended for 50 games under baseball’s minor league drug program following a second positive test for a drug of abuse. The 23-year-old right-hander was 5-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 19 starts and one relief appearance this year for Class A Palm Beach of the Florida State League. Free agent Ricardo Frias, a 20-year-old left-hander, was suspended 72 games following a positive test for the performing-enhancing substance Stanozolol.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jose Ramirez homered for the second consecutive game, a three-run shot that sent rookie Zach Plesac and the Cleveland Indians past the Kansas City Royals 8-3. Francisco Lindor had three hits, including an RBI triple, as the Indians stayed two games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs are among a rapidly thinning number of franchises that leave the comforts of their own practice facility for camp, instead moving into the Spartan dorm rooms of the Division II college about an hour’s drive north of Kansas City. But the contract with the school ends after this year, as does an agreement that bounds the Chiefs to holding camp in Missouri for a 10-year stretch. That leaves the future of their training camp up in the air.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Christian Coleman cruised to the men’s 100-meter title at the U.S. championships in a final that Justin Gatlin elected to sit out. Coleman blasted out of the starting blocks and couldn’t be caught as the 23-year-old finished in 9.99 seconds. Gatlin already had a guaranteed 100-meter spot for the world championships in Doha this fall, because he’s the defending champion.

NEW YORK (AP) — Héber set a club record by scoring in his fifth straight game, helping New York City FC beat 10-man Sporting Kansas City 3-1. New York City (9-3-8) has won two consecutive games.

The fourth-seeded Don Bosco Dons used a big third inning and stellar pitching from Lewis Havel to defeat Coon Rapids-Bayard 3-1 in the Class 1A quarterfinals Friday at the state tournament at Principal Park. Havel only gave up one run in 5.2 innings improving his record to 5-0 and the Dons’ record to 29-4.

In the third inning, after a single by Easton Larson and a double by Kendall Becker, the Dons loaded the bases when Cael Frost was intentionally walked. Bryce Schares and Fisher Ohrt would capitalize on the situation by each hitting a single to give the Dons a 3-0 lead.

However, after retiring the side, the Crusaders struck back when Aaron McAlister hit a leadoff triple and eventually scored off a Josh Ramirez single.

Havel pitched 5.2 innings and struck out eight. Ohrt and Kendall Becker had two hits each to lead the Dons.

McAlister and Trenton Golay had two hits each to lead the Crusaders, which out-hit Don Bosco 7-6. CRB left 11 men on base.

Don Bosco advances to the semifinals and will face Newman Catholic, who held off Pekin 8-7. Coon Rapids-Bayard ends the season with the record of 29-5.

(IAHSBB.com)

Ally Anderson, who helped lead Atlantic to a pair of state softball tournament appearances, was presented an award Thursday at the State Softball Tournament in Fort Dodge.  Anderson was one of the pitchers honored for hitting the 100-win milestone in her career.  Anderson won a total of 109 games for Atlantic during a career that saw her team make the state tournament for the first time in school history.  Anderson is a 2018 graduate and will be a sophomore at DMACC this fall.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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Thursday, July 25, in Ft. Dodge:

Class 1A Third Place
Lisbon 6, Newell-Fonda 2

Class 1A Championship
Collins-Maxwell 4,  Clarksville 3

Class 2A Third Place
Mount Ayr 5,  East Marshall 4

Class 2A Championship
North Linn 3, Alta-Aurelia 0

Class 3A Semifinals
Davenport Assumption 6,  Columbus Catholic 0
Louisa-Muscatine 10, West Liberty 2

Friday, July 26
Class 3A Third Place
2:30 p.m. – Iowa Central Field
Columbus Catholic (36-5) vs.West Liberty (29-6)

Class 3A Championship
3:30 p.m. – Kruger Seeds Field
Davenport Assumption (40-2) vs. Louisa-Muscatine (35-4)

Friday, July 26
Class 4A Third Place
4:45 p.m. – Iowa Central Field
West Delaware (31-11) vs. Charles City (36-4)

Class 4A Championship
5:45 p.m. – Kruger Seeds Field
Carlisle (37-3) vs.North Scott (27-4)

Friday, July 26
Class 5A Third Place
7:00 p.m. – Iowa Central Field
Johnston (35-9) vs. Iowa City West (35-8)

Class 5A Championship
8:00 p.m. – Kruger Seeds Field
Waukee (40-3) vs. West Des Moines Valley (31-10)

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt’s power streak helped lift the St. Louis Cardinals into a share of the NL Central lead for the first time since early May. Goldschmidt homered in his career-high fourth straight game, lifting the Cardinals over the Pittsburgh 6-3 for a four-game sweep of the Pirates. St. Louis won the eighth time in nine games and at 55-47 tied the idle Chicago Cubs for first. St. Louis last held the lead before play on May 7.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jose Ramirez hit a go-ahead homer in the 14th inning and the Cleveland Indians held on to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 in a game that lasted just shy of five hours and finished after midnight. Jake Bauers singled home Jason Kipnis later in the 14th to add an insurance run _ and Cleveland needed it. Francisco Lindor homered on the first pitch of the night for the Indians, who remained two games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Allyson Felix advanced out of the first-round of the 400 meters at US championships in her first race in 13 months and as a mom. It wasn’t easy. The six-time Olympic gold medalist breathed a sigh of relief when her time held up.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hurdler Rai Benjamin used to compete for Antigua. He switched to the US and will take the track at nationals in the 400-meter hurdles. He’s hoping to be wearing the red, white and blue at worlds this fall.

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. men’s soccer team will play Uruguay in an exhibition at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium on Sept. 10, four days after the Americans face Mexico at East Rutherford, New Jersey. Both games are on FIFA dates, allowing the U.S. to call in Europe-based players for the match. After failing to reach the 2018 World Cup, the Americans start qualifying for the 2022 World Cup next June.