Several area athletes make college choices

A pair of Cedar Rapids Jefferson seniors have cemented their college basketball plans.Guard Taylor Olson will play at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, in hopes of eventually gaining a Division I scholarship. Olson led the J-Hawks to the state tournament this past season as their leading scorer and was a second-team all-state pick in Class 4A by the Iowa Newspaper Association.Classmate Tyler Hemphill will sign a letter of intent Thursday to play basketball at William Penn College in Oskaloosa. Hemphill was a starter for the J-Hawks this past season as a swing player.Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Josiah Coleman will play college basketball at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs. Coleman averaged 9.6 points per game after sitting out the first half of the season via school-imposed suspension.Lisbon multi-sport star Ben Knake will stay home and attend Cornell College, where he will play football and basketball. Knake was the captain of the INA's Class A all-state football team, leading Lisbon to a state championship. He also helped direct the Lions to their first state basketball tournament appearance and was a third-team all-state pick.