Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – There was a lot for August Palmer to adjust to in her first season at City High after transferring from West Branch.

Along with attending a new school Palmer had a new coach, new teammates and was playing in a new conference against completely new competition.

Even with all that change the adjustment has been virtually flawless for Palmer.

The sophomore guard is off to as good of a start as perhaps any player in the state, scoring at least 23 points in each of the first four games while helping a new-look City High squad to a 2-2 start.

“I’m having a lot of fun and I really enjoy playing with my teammates,” Palmer said. “It’s been great.”

Palmer has been adjusting to her new team her teammates have been doing their own adjusting.

City High lost its top five scorers from last year’s state tournament team and had a first-year head coach in Lynsey Barnard.

Sophomore Emmy McComas was the only returning City High player with starting experience.

Palmer and her City High teammates are learning on the fly and picking things up quickly during a 2-2 start that includes wins over Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Muscatine and losses to 4A seventh-ranked Clear Creek Amana and 3A No. 11 Dubuque Wahlert.

“We are all new and we are all learning the same stuff at the same time,” Palmer said. “I think that’s helped everyone.”

Palmer has emerged as a star in her short time at City High.

Last season as a freshman at West Branch Palmer averaged 14.8 points, 6 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from the floor including 32 percent from 3-point range.

Early into her sophomore season Palmer has improved on those numbers.

Palmer is averaging 27.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

“We absolutely love her, she brings the spirit up every day in practice and just works her butt off,” McComas said. “Her showing how hard she works in practice and in games really helps everybody else step up their game.”

The biggest improvement for Palmer thus far has come in her offensive efficiency.

She is shooting an impressive 54 percent from the floor including 47 percent from 3-point range.

Palmer is also shooting 73 percent from the free throw line while making a team-leading 33 trips to the foul line.

“I worked on shooting a lot,” Palmer said. “I’m trying to make plays for everyone but I did work on shooting a lot and it’s getting better and better.”

The 5-foot-10 guard had 30 points in her City High debut against Cedar Rapids Jefferson and had 30 again in a win over Muscatine on Saturday.

“She is so willing to work hard and she is constantly asking what else she can do,” Barnard said. “Her IQ is getting higher and on top of how much she puts in to her skill development it’s showing.”

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