NEED STORIES!!!!!!!!

I need story ideas. I want to do a story on some high school car racers! I want to! SO I need names and info. If you race at the Speedway in Hays or at SRCA Dragstrip in Great Bend - I want, need!, your information. If you want to be on Catchitkansas, or if you are cool, CIK - and you know you want to, help me help you.

Or extreme sports or action sports; Motocross, BMX, Streetluging - even though it is no longer cool, even though I think it still is. EX-treme fishing? X-treme billiards? eXtreme Poker!? Whoa! Something. Let me know what you are doing out there!

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I heard the story of Haley Wolf today, a track and basketball superstar for Ellis High School. She isn't very big but she is quicker than anything, and can score points in the bucketloads, but she hasn't been recognized for any of it.

No state championships despite lots of success on the court and the track, but the biggest injustice of it all was not being recognized for her basketball achievements. She led the Ellis girls to the 2A final and didn't receive anything for it. Not even honorable mention! From a player who scored 30 in the game that got them to the title game. Shame.

Word on the street is she is planning on walking on at Fort Hays for basketball. Keep watching, I'll be rooting for her.

Maize, Goddard gear up for soccer showdown

The Maize and Goddard soccer teams will face off Thursday, May 14, in a battle of west-side rivals that are undefeated in their division.

Maize, 12-1 overall, is 4-0 in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League’s Division I. Goddard, 13-0 on the season, is 3-0 in the league. The Lions will play league foe Hutchinson on Thursday, May 7.

Goddard and Maize both advanced to the Class 6A state tournament last year, where Maize placed second and Goddard finished fourth. Maize beat the Lions 1-0 in their regular-season matchup, but Goddard was missing three varsity players due to injuries – including offensive weapon Whitney Berry.

Whitney, a senior, leads the entire AVCTL – regardless of division – with 40 goals this year. She is on track to surpass last year’s total of 48.

Maize has its own stellar credentials. The Eagles return most of their seniors from last year’s squad, which wasn’t scored on until the state tournament. That’s where the girls suffered their first loss of the season.

Goddard and Maize didn’t meet each other at state, so their upcoming date should prove exciting. After Whitney, the next three leading scorers in Division I are from Maize. That includes Leah Talley, Tia Stovall and Blair Terry.

Both schools no doubt are anticipating the showdown. Last summer, Whitney recalled how tough it was to watch her teammates fall to Maize.

“That was the worst, having to sit out that game,” she said.

The May 14 contest may offer a chance for redemption. Goddard will host the game, but Maize fans won’t have to travel far – and the Eagles are motivated to defend their league title.

Another batch of signings

Lots of college scholarship signings announced this past week. Here’s the quick run-down:

• Megan Taylor of Rolla signed to play basketball for Friends University. Taylor averaged 14.4 points and 8.4 rebounds last season and was named first-team Santa Fe Trail League and academic all-state by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
Taylor is pictured above with (back row, left to right) her summer coach, Donna Glave, assistant high school coach Jolene Kabriel, head high school coach Rich Spencer and Friends coach Gayla Soyez. Flanking Taylor on the front row are her mother and father, Traci and Harve Taylor.
• Liberal’s Alexa Wentworth signed to play soccer for Cowley County Community College.
• Wichita State’s women’s track program signed seven Kansas high school athletes, some of which we’ve mentioned previously. Here’s the complete list: distance runners Laura Burke of Derby, Kylie Graves of Rossville and Keli Russell of Olathe North; jumpers Tanya Friesen of Buhler, J¹Lynn Ledesma of Wellington and Courtney Reinke of Olathe East, and thrower Andrea Markel of Pretty Prairie.
• Kapaun’s Jessica Shea will sign a volleyball scholarship with Rockhurst on Monday.

Who's hot?

Nobody's hotter in baseball than Bishop Carroll's Brandon Tangney, Northwest's Erik Harbutz and Sedgwick's Ethan Odle.
Even if you subtract 10 percent for the coaching tendancy to generously score the occasion booted ball as a hit for his own player, these guys are still hot -- getting hits two of every three at-bats.
Odle has the highest average in the area at .679 through 28 bats, while Tangney (.677 on 31 at bats) and Harbutz (.676 on 34 at bats) are right there with him.
If I had to pick one as the area's best hitter, I might go with Harbutz right now because of his 10 extra base hits and 25 RBIs. The other two have only 10 RBIs each.
When it comes to pitching, Maize's Garrett Gould, who could be getting a sunburn from all the radar guns scouts are pointing at him, is in a class of his own.
Gould (upper left) is 5-0 and has yielded only five hits, no earned runs and two unearned runs in 24 2/3 innings pitched. But here are some numbers that will have you bailing out of the batter's box -- Gould has struck out 58 of the 88 batters he has faced.
Ark City's Drew Palmer is having a pretty good year too. He's only 2-2, but he has a 0.85 ERA over 33 innings and has struck out 60. But he has faced 134 batters.

What about the Players?

Last week Grant talked about consolidation of schools. You know the 2A-1A football brackets being cut down.... Well Grant and I have a lot in common when it comes to covering small schools. I, like him, see the small populations and wonder how in the world these schools make sports teams work at all.

I got intrigued to do a story about it in fact. (A story you will see on the Catch it Kansas show in the coming weeks... Just a small tease.) So I went to Minneola to talk to the baseball coach there and to my surprise he filled me in on how teams consolidate just the same as schools.

Some of you may know this but I was clueless until just last Friday. He said that if a school doesn't have enough boys or girls out for a specific team KSHSAA rule is that 2-1A teams can consolidate without the students actually consolidating schools.

Minneola has a kid from Fowler playing on their baseball team. He attends Fowler school and all his friends and family live in Fowler but he plays baseball as a Wildcat instead of a Goldbug.

I was also told by some of the Minneola players that they had to steal golfers from the golf team to have enough guys to even form a team. Two golfers gave up their number one sport so the baseball guys would be able to play. That's loyalty.

So do the math for the Wildcats. They currently have 12 players. 9 players on a baseball field.... you would have to have at least 11 to even consider fielding the team.... Take away the two golfers now they have 10. Take away the Fowler kid... Only 9.... What about courtesy runners? What about relievers? What about the players? But what can you do?

No hitters

First to Joe Brown - I just got back from Fort Collins a few weeks ago, and campus looks great! The new indoor facility is coming along great and hopefully, *cross your fingers* some new uniforms and a new sponsor are on the way for 2009! I thought Blake would join you there, seeing as his father and uncle played there in the 80's and Rams Head Coach Steve Fairchild is a QB himself, but it's OK - maybe he will change his mind when it's 110 degrees in Norman...
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If you've been reading the national sports blogs, you've probably heard about Patrick Shuster, a high school pitcher for Mitchell High School in Tampa who has thrown four, 4!, consecutive no-hitters. WHA!?! Major Leaguers dream of pitching ONE and this kid in high school has thrown four in a row!

While it isn't on the same level, TMP's Maddie Holub has thrown a few no hitters this season. A lot of times, she doesn't get credit for them because TMP's games almost never make it the full seven innings because, well, TMP softball is just that dominant. The future Fort Hays State Tiger pitched six innings Tuesday against Russell, faced 18 batters and struck out 16 batters! She had a no-hitter going into the seventh but Coach Billinger put Kaylee Hoffman, another excellent pitcher, in to finish it out.

Holub is money on the mound. She is scary good. I'd like to see some boys try and hit off her.
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City League Softball Heats Up

With City League softball winding down, we start to see a clearer picture of how the standings might end up. Next week should present the biggest matchup of the season.

Northwest currently sits atop the City League at 8-0, while Carroll is just half a game back at 8-1. The two will meet Thursday in a double-header that should help determine the City League champion.

If Northwest sweeps they should be locked in for the title assuming they beat East the following week. If Carroll sweeps the Grizzlies, they will have a half-game lead but still must face Kapaun in a game that was originally supposed to be played tonight but was rained out.

Now there are still other games to be played before the two meet on Thursday, but with the way they’re playing I think both teams should still be able to hold the top two spots in league by then.

The games will present what should be a fantastic pitching matchup between Carroll’s Katie Armagost and Northwest’s Jessica O’Dell. The games should come down to which team steps up defensively and comes up with timely, clutch hitting.

While we look forward to this double-header to help determine the City League champs, we shouldn’t count out Heights. The Falcons have a solid team but have three losses – one to Carroll and two to Northwest. If those teams slip up and Heights finishes strong they could make a push for a share of the league title.

Things are heating up in City League softball action. Who do you think will take the title?

Coaching milestones, league tennis highlight week

A couple of Division I coaches from the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League reached milestones in their careers during the past week.

Rocky Helm, Maize’s longtime baseball coach, earned his 200th win Tuesday, when the Eagles beat Salina South. Maize remains undefeated at 13-0 on the season.

Kenny Waldman, Salina South’s softball coach, achieved his 100th win Friday, when the Cougars defeated Derby. Salina South is 10-4 overall.

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The City League tennis race is heating up this week. Wichita Northwest leads the league with a 7-0 dual record. Bishop Carroll is close behind with only one loss – to Northwest. The squads will battle it out Saturday in the league tournament at Wichita State’s Coleman Tennis Complex.

Wichita Heights won the tournament last year, but Bishop Carroll was the overall league champion since final standings are determined by points from league duals and tournament competition.

In fact, Carroll has won or shared the past five league titles. Northwest’s last championship was in 2003-04, when the Grizzlies tied with – who else? – Carroll for the league crown.

Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League tournaments will be Monday, including the Division I competition at Maize. Two traditional powerhouses in this area, Maize and Goddard, will be tough competitors. Another Division I team – Hutchinson – is ranked No. 3 in Class 5A, according to the Kansas Tennis Coaches Association. The top-ranked 5A team is Salina Central, the five-team defending state champ. All those squads will be at Monday’s showdown. Last year, Maize upset Salina Central by one team point to win the tournament title.

Joe Mitchell Heading to Hutch CC

I am super happy to see that Southeast's Joe Mitchell is getting a shot to play at the collegiate level, I mean, why shouldn't he? Here's the official release from Hutch:

Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball coach Steve Eck announced his fifth signing for the 2009-10 season.

The Blue Dragons have signed Wichita Southeast All-State guard Joe Mitchell to a letter-of-intent.

Mitchell is a 6-foot-1 combo guard who played on Southeast’s 2009 Class 6A state runner-up team and 2009 Class 6A state championship team.

“He’s scorer and a good defender,” Eck said. “He is a nice shooter who knows how to play the game. Some considered him to be the best guard in the state.”

Mitchell averaged 22 points per game in his senior season with the Buffaloes. He was a consensus all-state player by the Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital-Journal.
Mitchell is the fifth player Eck has signed for the 2009-10 season. He is the third in-state player.

Six Liberal soccer players sign letters of intent

Six soccer players from Liberal’s Western Athletic Conference boys championship team signed scholarship agreements on Thursday.

Nestor Morales, Sammy Duque signed with Cesar Jurado Garden City Community College, and Noel Grajeda, Alfredo Garcia and Mario Lopez signed with Dodge City Community College.

Duque, a goal keeper, was the WAC player of the year. Jurado, who led Liberal in scoring with 19 goals, Garcia and Morales were all members of the All-WAC team. Liberal went 17-2-1 overall and 6-0-1 in the WAC. The Redskins finished third at the 5A state championships.

The six players are pictured above with their coach, Lori Navarro. They are, left to right: Garcia, Grajeda, Mario Lopez, Navarro, Morales, Duque and Jurado.

Four Carroll girls sign scholarship agreements

Basketball players Abby Fawcett and Abby Henning and thrower Molly Voth signed with Butler Community College on Wednesday, and golfer Rachel Stanley signed with Newman University.

Fawcett and Henning were both good outside shooters for Carroll, which won a share of the City League title and finished third at the 5A state championships. Fawcett averaged 13.3 points and four assists despite being bothered by a sore knee in the second half of the season. Henning averaged 10.9 points, 4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Voth has thrown the shot put, discus, hammer and javelin for Carroll this spring. She was 11th in the discus at the 5A state championships last year.

Stanley finished in the top five in at least eight of 10 tournaments last fall. She shared the City League championship and one other regular season tournament title, was second at her regional and eight at the 5A state championships.

The four are pictured above, left to right: Stanley, Voth, Henning and Fawcett.

McPherson's Adam Porter turning in strong performances

McPherson junior Adam Porter has turned a corner as a runner. Porter won the KU Relays 1600 Meter Run with a 4:18.54. That was four seconds faster than second place finisher Jeff Warren of Mountain Vista (CO).

Porter then put on a show at his home meet on Tuesday. He ran on McPherson's winning 4 X 800 relay team. Then won the 1600 with a 4:34, Porter did just enough to win the race over Campus' Tre Doherty.

Then came the 800. Porter, with two races under his belt, busted out a 1:54.58 with nobody to truly race as he won the race by six seconds. Doherty finished second with a 2:00.27.

Porter then came back for the 3200 and held off 6A Cross Country champion Brayden Barrientez of Campus to win the race in a 10:04.44.

On the season, Porter has the fastest 800 (1:54.58) and 1600 (4:18.54) in the state this season. He also has a top ten 3200 time (9:55.14).

So the question is, Can Porter win the distance triple (800, 1600 and 3200) at State in 5A?

It has been done five times since 2000, but only two of those were from a class bigger than 3A. Scott Loftin of Blue Valley North won the 6A distance triple twice, once in 2000 and again the next year in 2001.

Porter will be battling a pair of St. Thomas Aquinas runners in the 3200 with PJ Greer and Kyle Hanson both likely to be in the race. They hold the two best 3200 times in the state so far this season.

The 1600 will again be between Porter and the Aquias runners as they sit with the top three mile times so far this season. Hays' Josh Munsch and Kapaun's Kyle Glasgow could also contend.

In the 800 Topeka West has a pair of guys that will have a say in this race. Derrick Perry has run a 1:56.73 and teammate Robert Segura has run a 1:58.04. Perry was the runner-up to Emporia's Jacob Davies in the 800 last year.

The 800 is 3.5 hours after the 1600.

Three 5A State Meet records could fall in these contests. The 800 record is 1:53.5 set in 1985 by Kevin Waters of Bishop Miege. The 1600 record is 4:16.6 set in 1986 by Jason Goertzen of Salina-South. The 3200 record is 9:14.78 set by Dwight Davis of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Porter has already flirted with those 800 and 1600 times this season.

It will be interesting to see if Porter can pull off the first 5A distance triple in this millenium.

Will There Be Any 2A-1A Football Left???

Further evidence that Western Kansas is dying off: the 2A-1A football playoff bracket(ing) is being cut from 32 teams to 16 teams in 2009.

The bracket will now look exactly the 8-man playoffs.

KSHSAA made the changes because fewer and fewer teams are competing in the 2A-1A classification. If a school consolidates with another, usually they fall into 3A class, and if they don't consolidate the school, assuming, they already play 8-man football anyway.

The fact that the playoff situation is being changed, brings up a larger issue. A census report confirmed that every county in Western Kansas has seen a decline in population since the 70's, and from living out here and visiting some of these towns, it's the truth.

The families in town raise kids, to keep the population going, but once the kids head off to college, they usually don't return.

So as the town population declines, the school population declines too. And as fewer and fewer kids fill the halls, they usually don't have the kids to fill out a football team, and consolidation is often the only option.

LaCrosse High School flirted with the idea of consolidating with Otis-Bison (a school that has already been consolidated) and becoming Rush County High. (one thing no one wants to admit is often when schools think about consolidate - the two towns often hate each other and don't want to consolidate.)

It makes me wonder if there will even be a 2A-1A football class in the future of will every little school play 8-man football??

Knox to conclude stellar sports career at Salina Central

Salina Central is completing its final high school sports season with Craig Knox as a Mustang.

Central no doubt will miss the senior (at left), who helped his soccer and basketball teams to third-place finishes in Class 5A this year. He and his doubles partner, Will Exline, are the defending state tennis champions.

Craig is part of another prominent pair; he and his frequent teammate, Blaine Knox, are twin brothers. Both played soccer for a successful Salina Central squad that finished the season 17-4, and both were named to the all-league first team. The Knoxes also received all-region honors, Blaine on the first team and Craig on the second.

The duo continued to shine for Salina Central in the winter. Craig scored 29 points and Blaine added 17 in the Mustangs’ third-place game at state. It was their last high school basketball game. Just like the soccer season, they ended their basketball careers with a win, even though it wasn’t a state championship.

On the tennis courts, however, it’s all Craig. As a sophomore, he and senior doubles partner Nic DeTurk placed third at state. Last year, he and fellow junior Will Exline earned the 5A title. They hope to duplicate that success this season.

Salina Central is the five-time defending state champion, and the Mustangs are the top-ranked team in 5A, according to the Kansas Tennis Coaches Association. Salina Central doesn’t shy away from tough competition. The team won the tough Goddard Invitational on April 11, when Craig and Will placed third in doubles. Most recently, Salina Central prevailed at the McPherson Invitational, which was April 18. Again, Craig and Will placed third.

Although Craig will close his high school sports career by competing without his brother, another twin duo takes the spotlight during tennis season: Connor and Spencer Brass. Spencer placed second in singles last year at state.

After graduation, Craig will attend Kansas State University and major in construction science. His twin brother will attend the school’s arch-rival, the University of Kansas.

Recent scholarship signings

Here’s catching up on some late scholarship signings in the last few weeks:

Bishop Carroll volleyball player Kylee Stuever signed a letter of intent with Butler Community College on Friday.

Halstead’s Stephanie Drake signed a softball letter of intent with Florida State on April 8.

Carroll’s Zach Reynolds signed a cross county/track agreement with Cowley Cowley Community College on March 26.

And Carroll’s, Alyssa Northcutt signed a track and leadership scholarship with the University of Memphis on March 31.

Separated at birth?

Am I the only one who thinks former Vice President Dick Cheney might be the evil twin of Northwest swimming coach Doug Vannaman?

KT Whatever

by Bryan Holmgren

Some late thoughts on the new KT Woodman – now the Pre-State Challenge (Classic?) (Invitational?). I think I heard all four names dropped at least once throughout the weekend. This changeover is a process, I guess.

WSU track coach Steve Rainbolt told me the name switch was in effort to up the profile of the annual high school track meet by linking it with the State meet, which has been held there each May for several years. Similar to Pre-Nationals in NCAA cross country, where athletes get an opportunity to sample the national championship site early in the year. Rimrock Farm (site of Kansas’ 5A and 6A cross country) does the same, drawing elite runners from all over, hoping to get a leg up by making an early run-through. The hope is track’s version of “Pre-State” will do the same.

The results were mixed in year one of the experiment, which also saw the creation of Elite divisions. The hope was to funnel the best athletes into the same heats (rather than have runners grouped solely by enrollment classes). I thought this turned out to be a great move, though not for reasons you might expect.
The elite heats, themselves, weren’t anything special. Mostly because the Easter weekend timing kept the number of teams and athletes down. That ended up being a blessing because it made the meet run a little faster and smoother (or maybe that was the improved weather).

The real advantage of the Elite section was that it allowed the “non-elites” to build a little confidence. KT Woodman/Pre-State Challenge (whatever you want to call it) is typically great for the upper-level athletes but can be a confidence crusher for younger kids. By taking the top performers out of the general pool, it allows the average kids to get a taste of success as well. Instead of finishing 10th out of 24, a jumper in the 1-3A pool might have finished 2nd or 3rd.

I know some coaches who have split their squads for this meet in the past, taking the big guns to KT Woodman and finding a smaller meet for their lesser performers. Now they can feel a little better about bringing everyone.

Well-deserved rest

Last Saturday's Northwest Invitational was the last major swim meet for Doug Vannaman.

The Northwest swimming coach is retiring in May after 35 year of teaching and coaching.

He joked that he plans to watch television until 2 a.m., sleep until 2 p.m. and then ride his motorcycle.

Actually, he and his wife, who teaches in Valley Center, plan to visit their son, who is in the military and stationed in Germany.

A retirement party is planned for May 30. Pool-side, of course.

Derby soccer player commits to GCCC

Brooke Feikert of Derby has committed to play soccer next season at Garden City Community College.
Feikert also played club soccer for EFC Spirit her freshman through junior seasons of high school and for the renamed Spirit her senior year. She has played two seasons on the Derby High team. Last year she played forward. This season she is playing a variety of positions. That versatility was one fo the qualities that GCCC coach Jeff Huffman found appealing.

Marion junior a threat on the court, track

Basketball players who dreaded facing Marion’s Julia Zeiner last winter should be equally uneasy about meeting her on the track.

Julia helped Marion win a state title in the 4x100 meters last year on a relay team of all sophomores. She also took second in the 300-meter hurdles and third in both the long jump and triple jump.

It appears she has picked up where she left off at the Class 3A state meet. The Marion girls won the Centre track meet Tuesday, April 7, and Julia played an important part in that victory. She won the long jump, triple jump and 100-meter dash.

Julia is no less formidable in the gym. Her basketball coach, Randy Savage, described her as “a track machine.”

“You can see it on the basketball court,” he said. “She’s very good at going full speed with the ball, changing directions, changing speeds.”

Julia averaged 16.8 points per game for Marion last season. She also averaged 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.1 assists per game. Her field-goal percentage was 51.6, and she shot 64.6 percent from the stripe. Julia went off in the last game before Christmas break, scoring 31 points Dec. 19 against Moundridge.

As explosive as she is on the hardwood, Julia has a reserved personality.

“She would be what you would call a quiet leader,” Randy said. “If you get her to say a sentence, you’ve done something.”

Julia, a junior, was an all-MCAA selection on the first team. Randy said she was working on her outside shot.

“She’s a slasher right now and a darn good one,” he explained. “She plays well on the front of a press, anticipates well if she’s playing on the back row of the press, runs the floor well.”

Julia certainly is an athlete to watch. Fortunately for the Warriors, they have more than a year left to enjoy her athletic talent – regardless of the season.

Spring edition of the Catch It Kansas Show begins tonight

The Catch It Kansas Show is back for the spring.

The show will air on Fridays at 11 p.m. on the KSCW Channel 33/Cable Channel 5.

Tonight, April 3, is the first episode. We will take a look at highlights from the week, as well as having in-depth stories from athletes and teams from the area. Tonight's episode will feature the Maize baseball team, the Heights soccer team and much, much more.

If you miss the Friday episode catch rebroadcasts on Saturdays at 5 p.m. on the KSCW and Sundays at 11:05 p.m. immediately following "Sports Sunday" on KWCH 12. And every Monday, watch video from the show on CatchItKansas.com.

If you have story ideas send those to feedback@catchitkansas.com.

It’s track season

As the snow melts off the track the season will get into the full swing. Here are some athletes to watch.

Mike Flores – Maize

Can he break a 16-year-old state record in the quarter? Flores ran 48.71 at the state meet last season in great running conditions. The current state record is 46.76. Two-seconds in the quarter is a huge leap, but Flores is by far the best returning quarter-miler in the state as he was the only runner to break 48-seconds at state last season. Flores will also look to win the 200-meter dash.

Robbie Garcia – Wichita Northwest

He pulled a huge upset in the 1600-meter as a sophomore with a tactical win. He will look to defend his 1600-meter title and add a 3200-meter title, but defending champion Jake Wike of Derby and cross country champion Brayden Barrientez of Campus will have something to say in both the distance races.

Alex Muff – Concordia

Muff is the lone returner of an outstanding trio of hurdlers from a traditionally strong hurdling school. She was the state champion in the 100-meter hurdles and took fourth in the 300-meter hurdles last season.

Young Pole Vaulters

Jamie House of El Dorado won 4A girls pole vault last season as a freshman. Nate Arnold of Carroll was third as a freshman for the Golden Eagles. Ben Horsch of Andale returns for his junior season after a winning 4A state as a sophomore.

Tom O’Connell – Andover

O’Connell finally got his long awaited cross country championship last fall in an undefeated senior season. He will try to recreate that success on the track with several difficult meets on his schedule. O’Connell is the defending 3200-meter champion and will look to win the distance double this spring.

Anyone I left out? Let me know and leave a comment!

KWU volleyball signs two high school seniors, two more from jucos

Kansas Wesleyan has signed a couple Kansas high school volleyball players – Jenna Miller of Salina South and Abby Broxterman of Marysville.

Miller, a 5-2 libero and second-team All-AVCTL Division I, led Salina South in digs each of the past three seasons, including 338 this season and 1,067 in her high school career. She also was South’s leader in serve receiving and second in service points in 2008.

Broxterman is a 5-8 right side hitter.

Wesleyan also signed two junior college players who came out of Kansas high schools -- Stephanie Wilken of Chanute and Mandie O’Connell of Parsons.

Wilken, a 6-0 outside/right side hitter,just finished two seasons at Neosho County Community College. Wilken averaged 2.2 kills and .62 blocks per game for the Panthers in 2008.

O’Connell, a 6-0 middle/outside hitter, played the one season for Labette Community College, averaging 1.65 kills and 1.07 blocks.

Area soccer looks strong; some teams must regroup

Some local girls soccer teams managed to start their season before the snow and sleet descended on the area. This year should be interesting since some programs are expected to remain as strong as ever, while others must regroup after losing key players who were difference-makers in games.

First, the toughies: I expect Maize, Goddard and Wichita Trinity to be as formidable as ever. They have established a successful tradition and should provide the biggest challenges in this area.

The Maize Eagles entered last year’s state tournament after no one had scored on them all season. They were undefeated at the start of the Class 6A tournament, and although they placed second at state, they completed a magical season. Maize will miss goalkeeper Christina Farid and other graduated players such as Kayde Kluge and Hannah Kern, but the squad retains its top scorer from last season, Tia Stovall. She led Maize with 22 goals, and fellow returner Leah Talley was close behind with 19. Both girls had double-digit assists totals, too.

Maize’s west-side rival, Goddard, returns its top player, Whitney Berry. The senior has steadily increased her goals scored each season, from 25 to 39 to 48. After her final campaign at Goddard, she will play for KU.

Trinity had an impressive season last year, and judging by its first couple games, that trend should continue. The Knights overwhelmed Thomas More Prep 11-1 and then shut out Wichita Independent 10-0 last week. The team’s disadvantage is its school size. Trinity moved from Class 3A to 4A this year, but that won’t make much difference in soccer, which lumps Class 1A through 5A into one. As a result, Trinity dominates schools of comparable size, but the girls suffered a blowout loss to Class 5A Kapaun Mt. Carmel in quarterfinals last year.

Andover must go on after losing twins Kortney and Kelsey Clifton to graduation. Kortney set the state record for goals in a season and a career, while Kelsey provided numerous assists. Andover was the only public school that advanced to state in 5-1A last year. The Cliftons now play for KU.

Kapaun was a force in the City League last season and then placed second at state. However, the Crusaders lost valuable players like forward JoJo Palko and goalkeeper Michelle McElroy to graduation.

One more soccer player to watch: Garden City senior Cindy Benitez, who accumulated 49 goals last year. (That’s one more than Goddard’s Whitney Berry.) The team’s second-leading scorer was Maricella Ruvalcaba, who contributed 25 goals in just her freshman year. Garden City won the Western Athletic Conference and advanced to 6A quarterfinals, but Goddard stopped the Buffs’ stampede to state.

Halstead's Stephanie Drake to sign with Florida State

Halstead head softball coach Jason Wilson reports that senior shortstop Stephanie Drake will sign a letter of intent to play softball at Florida State University. She has been verbally committed for awhile now, but will make it official Wednesday, April 8 at Halstead High School at 3 p.m.

Drake was recruited by the likes of Marshall, Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Syracuse and Troy but settled on Florida State because of its strong softball tradition, good academic programs and warm weather location.

Last season, as a junior, Drake was a first team All-League MCAA selection and tabbed an All-Area player by the Hutchinson News after helping lead Halstead to a 14-8 overall record. She finished with a batting average of .838, with 60 hits in 94 at bats. She scored 47 runs and stole 38 bases on 39 attempts. In the field, Drake had 97 putouts in 100 opportunities at shortstop. She will look to make a switch from shortstop to third base when she gets to FSU in the fall.

Some Random Thoughts on a Windy Day

Ok, so I haven't blogged in a while...ok I haven't blogged in a really really long time. I've just been busy, I swear! I mean, honestly, shopping for shoes on J.crew to wear to my best friend's wedding takes precedence, right?

Anyway, there are a few rambling thoughts in my head today that I guess have gotten shaken loose thanks to these Hurricane force winds! So here goes: my random thoughts on a random Monday in March.

I feel bad for spring sports in Kansas. I mean, we get all this build-up throughout football season and when that's over it's like, don't worry, basketball season is next, and then we're calmed down until state basketball and we get all hyped up again and then it's like...dead. Spring sports just don't hold the same cache as fall and winter sports. Want to know one of the main reasons why? Highlights don't always happen right away. In fact, sometimes they don't happen at all. Want to know something kinda funny? I was covering a baseball game in Washington last spring and I got to the game in the top of the second inning and it was 1-0. It was a rivalry game between two very good schools and it proceeded to be an intense pitcher's duel. Want to know what I had to use as a highlight? Not a sacrifice bunt, not a sacrifice fly, no no, I had to use a balk. A balk. A BALK!!

This is why spring sports are so much harder to cover than volleyball, basketball and football. We simply don't have time to do most of these spring sports justice. Luckily, however, we at Channel 12 have been given a phenomenal outlet known as the Catch it Kansas show. We will continue (once March madness is over) to produce the show through the end of school. A lot of work for us, but in the end, I feel like we may actually, finally be able to do spring sports justice.


It's been over a week now that state championship basketball games were played. I was up in Topeka for the 5A games. Unfortunately, the game that should've been the championship matchup between Bishop Carroll and Bishop Miege was a semi-final game that Carroll ended up losing. I like the Carroll girls team, I like Julia Marshall, Abby Henning, Abby Fawcett, all the girls on that team. They work hard in order to improve their talent, they're kind, they're not whiny, and they're good sports. Not sure I can say the same about their coach. Look, I understand the team had just lost a game that they should've won. I get that. I understand it's emotional. Heck, I was emotional after the game! I was rooting for Carroll! But that does not give Coach Racine any excuse to shove his hand in my face walking off the court. I was doing my job, walking up to coach, keeping my distance and asking as politely as possible if he might be available for a couple minutes after he's done talking to his team for an interview. He proceeded to shove his hand in my face, in front of everyone in the stands, and say very tersely that he wasn't going to do an interview.

Cut to the locker room after the game. My photographer Tim and I stand patiently outside, waiting for coach to get done talking to the girls and trying to respect the fact that they just lost a heartbreaking game. I start chatting with the Wichita Eagle reporter who is there too, we compare notes, talk about other games, etc. A minute or so later, Tim, my photographer, tells me our battery is running low and he needs to go grab another one. He hustles off, and the minute the Carroll head coach sees Tim leave, he beckons the Eagle reporter into the hallway to give him an interview. I am a little upset, but not about to bust into that interview, wanted to give coach his space, all that jazz. Well, he gets done with that interview, Tim gets back, and Coach starts to leave. I walk up to him and say, "Excuse me coach, if I could just grab you for one or two questions.." He then cuts me off, says that he is not going to go on camera for anything, and walks away.

I get the emotion, I get the let-down, I get it, trust me, I've been there as an athlete myself. But what I don't get is one adult treating another adult like that when we're both just trying to do our jobs. I'm not sure what I did wrong but I'd like to know so I don't make the same mistake again.


Wow, after about a month of forgetting to blog I've now written way more than I anticipated. Hopefully, it had some sort of flow but it most likely did not. I've been reading a lot of Chuck Klosterman lately so that might explain a lot about this post.

Hopefully, everyone out there is having fun watching March Madness which has obviously driven me insane for the time being.

Liberal athletes picking colleges

This just in from Liberal athletic director Scott Hinkle:

Marcus Calleja signed a track and field scholarship agreement with Emporia State on Monday. Calleja was third in the high jump at the 2008 5A state championships.

Brittany Odle will sign a rowing scholarship agreement with Kansas State on Friday. Odle played volleyball for Liberal.

And MaKayla McPhail will sign to play volleyball for Fort Hays State on April 15. The Kansas Volleyball Association picked McPhail for second-team Class 5A All-State this past season.

Buhler's Friesen headed to WSU

Buhler athletic director Gregg Gordon reports thatTanya Friesen will sign a track and field letter of intent with Wichita State on Wednesday.

Friesen, who also played basketball, won Class 4A state championships in the long jump in 2008 and the triple jump in 2007. She also has been one of the top high jumpers in the state, and she ran the lead-off leg on Buhler's 4x100-meter relay, which took second at the 2008 state championships.

LAX is M.I.A.

When I was in high school, my spring time did not consist of wearing short shorts and running long distances, or stepping out of the dugout and swinging a bat as the weather got warmer and sun shone for more hours.

No, my spring was spent strapping my helmet on, padding up and stepping back onto the field for 60 minutes of the fastest sport you've never heard of. Or many have never heard of.

I played Lacrosse in high school and as spring break has hit the high schools in Kansas, I am reminded that this sport, which I hold very near and dear to my heart, is absent from Kansas high schools. Actually, saying that it is absent would be an understatement. Never heard of would be more like it.

If you have no idea what I am taliking about, lacrosse is a field sport that combines the speed of basketball and the physicality of football; essentially it's Ice Hockey on grass. Players use their stick to throw a rubber ball into a net, and the team with the most goals at the end wins the game. Players may use their stick to steal the ball from their opponent, and may 'check' their opponent with their hands, stick or body, and no one is allowed to touch the ball with their hands.

I won't do this often, but on Saturday or Sunday, if you can peel yourself away from the Jayhawks or Tyler Hansborough, turn on ESPNU and watch some lacrosse. I promise, you will not turn the channel away. It's fantastic! They score a lot, hit a lot and run a lot. It's called the fastest game on two feet.

The sport is predominately played on the east coast, and is the official state sport of Maryland. Lacrosse is expanding though, and you can find it played all over the country now; in Colorado, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Washington and California. It is the fastest growing high school team sport in the country, and now you can run down any roster of any college lacrosse program and you will find players from all over the country.

But you won't find much in Kansas. Outside of the Kansas City area, lacrosse is not seen in the Sunflower State. Go to Lawrence or Manhattan and you will find club teams on campus, and suprisingly you will find players from Kansas, but outside of that it's a pretty bare landscape. And I think that is a shame.

It's such a great sport for everyone, and one of the best things about lacrosse is the accepting nature of the game for players. It doesn't matter what size you are, there is a position for you on the field. Often times football and basketball can over look the smaller kids, but if you lack a little height of size, lacrosse will gladly open it's arms.

Some of the best players in the country right now are under six feet tall and less than 200 pounds. Our captain in high school was 5'7", 150 pound mouse with a shot that hit almost 90 miles per hour.

Lacrosse often thrives in private and Catholic schools, mostly because the sport can be expensive when you add up all the equipment, like Ice Hockey. Really nice sticks itself can be almost $200 dollars! But that aside, I get sad when kids step out of the basketball court and off the wrestling mat, and don't step onto the lacrosse field.

Could you imagine Blake Bell and Bishop Carroll, with all their football skills taking on Wichita Heights, with all their basketball speed, in a big school clash?! That would be awesome! Or all the tradition of winning at Hutch translating onto the lacrosse field against the winning tradition of Smith Center?! Hays and Great Bend lacrosse game would be a precursor for the football game in the fall, and then the reverse in the spring. It would be awesome!

But sadly, that won't happen. Not at least for a while. For now, kids in Kansas, especially Western Kansas, will never know the thrill of throwing a low to high shot on a goalie, or throwing an awesome wrap check to start a fast break. Brings a tear to my eye...

If you live in the Wichita area, you can join the Renegades, and play the more experienced teams in Kansas City and Olathe. If I were you, I would. I promise you won't regret it!

Oops! St. Thomas Aquinas still tops in All-Sports standings

Good catch by one of our readers.
My original post said Bishop Carroll had overtaken St. Thomas Aquinas in our all-sports standings.
But the eight points Aquinas earned for its boys soccer state championship had somehow been erased from my spreadsheet.
With those eight, Aquinas has 59 points through the winter season, best in 5A and the state overall.
Bishop Carroll, with state championships in boys and girls bowling and third-place state finishes in wrestling and girls basketball, is a close second, in 5A and overall, with 57.5
Carroll now has 57.5 points and Aquinas 51. Those two schools lead the overall as well as 5A standings.
In Class 6A, Topeka Washburn Rural, which won the girls state basketball title, leads with 38.5 points, while Wichita Heights, which won the boys basketball championship, is second with 35.5.
In Class 4A, Topeka Hayden, which finished second in girls basketball and third in boys basketball, has a big lead over St. James Academy, 36-17.
In Class 3A, Collegiate leads Holcomb 22-16.5 after winning the boys basketball title and finishing second in girls basketball.
In Class 2A, St. Marys, which won both girls and boys basketball championships, leads Pittsburg Colgan 32.5-20.5.
In Class 1A, Centralia, which finished third in both boys and girls basketball, leads Goessel 23.5-18.
The rankings are based on points awarded for top eight finishes at the state championships, with eight points awarded for a state title down to one point for an eighth-place finish. In sports such as basketball where only first through fourth places are determined, all quarterfinal teams split the total points that would be awarded for fifth through eighth places.

And now what about Blake Bell?

Standing at the back of the room at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and watching Bryce Brown announce his college choice (Tennessee) was Bishop Carroll quarterback Blake Bell, who probably will be the top recruit in Kansas, if not the nation, next year.
Bell is going to pass up playing baseball this spring to put in more time in the weight room and tour some of the colleges that have already offered him a scholarhship. The list is long. But just three of those he mentioned Monday at Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Kansas.
Some schools, especially elite programs, want their recruits to commit early, often before their high school senior season starts. But Bell said that won't happen with him because Carroll won't let its players make commitments that early.
Bell also was Carroll's leading scorer and rebounder this past season in basketball. But don't worry about him passing up next basketball season because his future is in football. He said he won't miss the chance to play in Carroll's new 2,000-seat gym, which will be done in time to host graduation this spring.
Note to Blake: If you haven't told basketball coach Lonnie Lollar that yet, do so soon so he can breathe again. Lollar loses eight seniors off this season's team, and Bell will be the only returning player with significant experience.

State championship trivia

Last Sunday, I mentioned that 19 schools had a chance to do what only nine have done before -- win state championships in boys and girls basketball in the same season.

Well, only three still have a chance in tomorrow's finals across the state.

Still in the running are: St. Mary's in Class 2A, Wichita Collegiate in Class 3A and Bishop Miege in Class 5A.

State tournament notes

Top scoring performances so far in the 2009 state tournaments:

Boys – 27 points, Darian Kelly of Girard vs. Cheney, first round of 4A tournament.

Girls – 33 points, Julia Marshall of Bishop Carroll vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, first round of 5A tournament.

Interested in the all-time records?

Boys – 47 points by Josh Reed of Brewster in the 1996 Class 1A tournament.

Girls – 53 points by Jackie Stiles of Claflin in the 1994 Class 1A tournament.

Who Invented Basketball

With sub-state games last week and state games all this week all of us in the sports department have seen or will see our fair share of all levels of basketball competition in the past and next few days.

So last Thursday night while I was at the Dodge City Civic Center watching girls foul every possession my mind started wondering as it often does. Things about the game came into my mind. Things such as fouls, (only because the girls were in the bonus in the second quarter) rules, regulations. The aspects of what makes the game run correctly.

As I thought things like "Why did they make a rule that says you can't run with the ball unless you dribble it?" and "You can't pick the ball up after a dribble and then dribble it again?" otherwise known as the traveling and double dribble rules. I also wondered why only 5 players could play at a time.

Then I thought every time I asked myself a question like that I always said, "Why did THEY... " Who is they? The inventor? So I laughed because I realized I really don't know the history of the game.

So prepare yourself for a load of information..... Here We Go!

A Canadian by the name of James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891 when he was employed at the YMCA College at Springfield, Massachusetts. The 1st official basketball game was played at the Springfield, Massachusetts YMCA Training School.

The first intercollegiate match took place in 1895 when Minnesota State School of Agriculture played and beat the Porkers of Hamline College, 9-3.

The first 5 player college match was in 1896 against Iowa and the University of Chicago. Chicago won 15-12.

Basketball became an Olympic sport in 1936 at the Berlin Games.

The first men's college basketball championship was held in 1939.The University of Oregon beat Ohio State 46-33.

The first televised college games were in 1940. Pittsburgh defeated Fordham, 57-to-37, and New York University beat Georgetown, 50-to-27, at Madison Square Garden.

And the most watched college basketball game is the 1979 NCAA Championship game against Michigan State and Indiana State. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in that game.

So there is some of the History but that doesn't really answer my questions.... Although I don't think my questions have been answered after this next bit of research either... It was just fun to look up the rules.

The Original 13 Rules of Basketball

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with 1 or both hands.
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with 1 or both hands, but not with the fist.
3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it
4. The ball must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding the ball.
5. No shouldering, pushing, holding, striking or tripping an opponent.
6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist.
7. If a side makes 3 consecutive fouls it counts as a goal for the opposing team.
8. A goal shall be scored when the ball is thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stays there.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person who touches it.
10. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when 3 consecutive fouls have been made.
11. The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall be the timekeeper.
12. The time shall be 2 fifteen minute halves with 5 minutes' rest between.
13.The team scoring the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner.


Some have changed... Some remain the same.... Just a bit of information if anyone was wondering. Now you're all set for March Madness! Enjoy

Weekend Recap

Our part of the state saw several area teams have successful weekends.

Bishop Carroll brought home state championships in both girls and boys bowling for 5-1A. Carroll’s girls team scored 2,409, and sophomore Morgan Kuckelman placed third individually with a 614 series.

The boys score of 2,686 was good for first by a margin of 23 pins. The top finisher for the Golden Eagles was Jake Schoenberger. He finished third overall with 715 pins.

This weekend was also sub-state basketball championships, which determine who advances to the state tournaments. Heights girls are making a return trip to the 6A state tournament in Emporia. Both Goddard boys and girls are heading to 6A state in Emporia. Both teams faced and beat Wichita North in the Northwest-A sub-state bracket championships. City League champ Wichita Heights boys (21-1) will be there, as well as defending state champion Southeast. Dodge City boys and Garden City girls are moving on. Garden City beat Northwest to advance and are now 11-11 on the season.

In 5A, Liberal boys and girls have both punched their tickets to state in Topeka. Great Bend girls, Andover Central boys, Hutch boys and Salina Central boys are all going on as well. Salina Central was 13-8 going into its sub-state championship game with McPherson, which was 20-1.Central came away with the huge 58-50 upset.

Cheney is yet another school to advance both their girls and boys teams to state. They will compete at the 4A state tournament at Salina. Hesston boys are also going on. After moving up to 4A this year, defending state champion Wichita Trinity have made it to state. Rose Hill girls are also going on.

Collegiate’s boys and girls are both on their way to 3A state in Hutch. Hillsboro girls and Medicine Lodge boys made it too.

Defending state champion Berean Academy girls are heading back to defend their title in 2A state at K-State’s Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. The Berean boys will join them at state.State tournament play is Mar. 11-14. Click here for state tournament brackets.

My solution to 1-seeds playing 8-seeds in sub-state

After Andover’s 92-7 there is an outcry among seemingly everyone for a total overhaul of the tournament system in Kansas because it is not fair to the bad teams.

I will agree after watching the first round of sub-state action is boring. Many teams are overmatched. So what is the easy fix? Here is my solution for 4A-2A.

In 5A and 6A teams only have to win two games to make the state playoffs, so why not reward the top teams in 4A-2A similarly. In my solution for an eight-team bracket, the one and two seeds would get byes into the semifinals.

The first round would be play-in games between the 5-8 seeds and the 6-7 seeds. The winner of the 5-8 game would play the three seed and the winner of the 6-7 game would play the four seed. Then the winners would move on accordingly. Here is the breakdown:

Play-In round:
Game 1 - #5 vs. #8Game 2 - #6 vs. #7Quarterfinals:
Game 3: #3 vs. Winner of game 2Game 4: #4 vs. Winner of game 1

Semifinals:
Game 5 - #1 vs. Winner of game 4Game 6 - #2 vs. Winner of game 3

Finals:
Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6

Under this bracketing system the only way an eight seed plays a one seed is by going through a five seed and a four seed. It would give the top seeds and advantage by not having to play an extra practice game of sorts. It would appease everyone who wants to see every team make the playoffs. And a lower seeded team would get one more home game on the year.

I think it makes sense....maybe too much sense?

That's going too far!

I got a hoot out of the instructions wrestlers received before marching out to receive their medals at the 6A and 5A championships at the Kansas Coliseum last Saturday.

I came across them when one of the kids tossed the distinctive blue sheet of paper on the floor on his way across the arena.

"Congratulations! We are proud of you, and we want this State Wrestling Tournament Awards Ceremony to honor your and your boosters."

Several paragraphs later was a bold-face instruction:

"When the cheerleader comes forward to present your medal, lean forward so that she can get it over your head. Shake hands with her -- DO NOT KISS HER."

Protocol is protocol. But you know, if I was a senior who had just wrestled my last match ...

Short But Sweet...

The wrestling season is over. Seems like such a short season, barely three months. That just doesn't seem long enough.

For what is turning into a redundancy, Smith Center won the 3-2-1A title. So many kids wrestle out here, but not a ton of schools, so they mashed them all together to make one big super class, as Holmgren so described it.

The Redmen had seven wrestlers medal, four finalists and three champions. They had the team title in the bag before the finals even started. Not too shabby.

But not as good as the 15-year-old freshman sensation, Dylan Schumacher of TMP. The #1 ranked wrestler at 103 pounds, pretty much all season, the Freshman finished an undefeated season by pinning his opponent in the first round of the championship bout.

If I didn't say it before, he is 15-years-old. You have a bright future, young man.

Players to watch: Isaac Ruiz, Megan Taylor

This week we featured a Junction City wrestler, Isaac Ruiz (left), who has an interesting story – on and off the mat.

Isaac advanced to the Class 6A state finals last year, where he faced an intimidating opponent in the 103-pound class. Isaac was familiar with the other state finalist, Jeff Vesta of Manhattan. They had faced off several times; both schools are part of the Centennial League. In fact, Jeff – an undefeated state champion – had beaten Isaac nine times in his career.

But Isaac, a sophomore, pushed the state-championship match to overtime and pulled off the upset. Some family members witnessed the improbable achievement, but his father watched from Iraq. A member of the U.S. Army, Toni Ruiz was lucky enough to have the competition broadcast so he could watch from overseas.

Isaac placed second in last weekend’s regional at Wichita Heights, so he advanced to the state tournament. He spent the season as the top-ranked 112-pounder in 6A, according to the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.

Isaac is no stranger to success. He also plays wide receiver for the Junction City football team, which capped its undefeated season with a state title in the fall. Isaac plays on the varsity and JV teams.

His Manhattan foe has moved up to 119 pounds, where he is the top-ranked wrestler in 6A. For most of the year, Isaac was No. 1 and Dalton Miller of Campus was No. 2 at 112. Junction City and Campus have not attended the same tournaments this year, so the two wrestlers have not had a showdown.

In today’s rankings, however, Dalton switched to No. 1. Ulysses DeShazer of Wichita Heights, the first 6A wrestler to beat Isaac, shot up to No. 2. Isaac is now No. 3.

Regardless of whether he defends his title, the upcoming state tournament at the Kansas Coliseum will be a special weekend for him. Isaac’s family will be there to support him – including his father, who is home from Iraq.

As wrestling season approaches its conclusion, basketball is nearing the post-season. Class 1A regionals are under way, and sub-state brackets are just being released.

It’s worth noting that the Rolla girls basketball team will enter sub-state action Thursday with a 17-1 record. The 1A school recently has benefited from the impressive play of senior Megan Taylor. She had 37 points and 17 rebounds Feb. 13 against Moscow, and she added 26 points in the Pirates’ last home game of the season Feb. 17. In those two games, Megan combined for 63 points and 24 boards.

XC Shrine Bowl rosters released

The rosters for the second annual cross country race were announced. The race will be run in Wichita on July 25. Last season's race saw the East boys and West girls prevail.

Tom O'Connell of Andover will lead the way for the West boys. O'Connell had an undefeated senior season. His fierce rival David Roberts of Mulvane will join him on the team. Roberts is a former state champion.

Jason Martin of Herington, the 3A state champion will be on the West squad along with 5A runner-up Kyle Glasgow of Kapaun.

For the East boys, St. Thomas Aquinas will send three runners including state champion PJ Greer. Teammates Ben Grace and Kyle Hanson will also be running.

The women's West squad is highlighted by 3A state champion Amanda Callaway of Belle Plaine and Manhattan's Marley Crusch who was the 6A runner-up last season. Laura Baird of Norton will also join the West squad.

On the East team, BreAnna Briggs of Wamego and Corinna Papps of Baldwin should provide a potent 1-2 punch. The two finished second and third at 4A state last season. Kylie Graves from Rossville will get one more shot to beat Callaway. Graves was the 3A runner-up last fall.

For the complete rosters click here: Shrine Bowl XC rosters announced

Go Ask Kenyon Martin....

I was in Ellsworth this week, shooting an interview with a wrestler who has a disability but is in no way shape or form disabled. Two things struck me when I was there, 1. The Ellsworth Correctional Facility is WAY too close to the high school.

Driving in off of I-70, take the state road about 10 miles in, you start seeing no hitchhiking signs. Curious as to why, you see a sign not too far past saying, "Ellsworth Correctional Facility -->" You pass that, make a few right turns, hang around the bend and you then you hit the high school. I know its easy for me to sit here and say that they should move the school or the facility, but do something.

Second thing; What in the world is a Bearcat?? It is the Ellsworth Mascot, but more famously it is also the University of Cincinnatti mascot. I see it all the time, but what in the world is it? Is it a large cat-like-animal, like a Panther with the body of a Bear? Or a Bear with the body of a Panther?

Every logo you see has a large cat face, so I assume they are trying to conjure up fear with a hybrid type animal, with twice the amount of ferocity of your average mascot. But then they use the paw for an additional logo, blurring the lines a little more. Or do you think they just ran out of ideas and didn't want to call themselves the Wildcats?

So what is a Bearcat?? Thank you Wikipedia for this glowing answer.

"A "Bearcat" is another name for a binturong, a viverrid mammal from Southeast Asia."

Interesting. Not what I figured an actual Bearcat to look like. Looks intimidating but also kind of startled when whoever took the picture, and actually looks like something they would be investigating on Monsterquest.

If you feel bored, try looking up the other links on the page. I've provided the link, because I'm just that nice of a guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearcat

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It's nice to be wanted

Football recruiting season is upon us.

Wait, you say. You thought we just finished.

Hey, it never ends. We're talking 2010 recruiting now.

Bishop Carroll's record-setting quarterback, Blake Bell, the Gatorade Kansas player of the year for the 2008 season, already has offers from 17 major universities, including KU and K-State, according to his coach, Alan Schuckman.

Schuckman said today that Bell, who's also the basketball team's leading scorer, wants to give all his time and energy to basketball right now. Last year, the Eagles made it to the state championship game in basketball, but Bell was out with a broken hand. He'd like to be a participant this time in another deep playoff run.

But once the season ends, Schuckman said, Bell, his parents and Schuckman will sit down and put together a time table for evaluating schools. Right now, he said, Bell has no favorites.

In the meantime, here are the schools that have made offers:

Arizona
Clemson
Colorado State
Georgia
Iowa
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
LSU
Maryland
Miami
Missouri
Nebraska
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Texas A & M
UCLA

Top 5A wrestling teams gain momentum

Three of the four top teams in Class 5A won their league wrestling tournaments, gaining valuable momentum for regional wrestling this weekend.

Emporia, which has earned 25 of the past 28 Centennial League titles, reclaimed its position as league leader after Manhattan won the championship last season. The Spartans are the No. 1 team in Class 5A, according to the Kansas wrestling coaches’ rankings.

Valley Center, ranked No. 3, and Liberal, No. 4, each won their fourth league championship in a row. Valley Center went undefeated in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League’s Division II, and Liberal prevailed in the Western Athletic Conference.

Of the top four teams in 5A, only Bishop Carroll – ranked No. 2 – did not win its league. Carroll, which had triumphed with at least a share of the City League title eight years in a row, fell to Wichita Heights in their last dual of the season. Carroll again lost to Heights – by only 1.5 points – at the league wrestling tournament.

Andover Central, ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, will host a regional tournament Feb. 20 and 21. Perhaps the most competitive 5A regional will be at Liberal. The Redskins will host seven other teams, including some familiar ranked foes – Bishop Carroll and Valley Center.

The closest regionals to the Wichita area will be a 6A tournament at Wichita Heights and the 5A tourney at Andover Central. One change awaits 5A wrestlers who advance to state. After 6A and 5A competition traditionally had taken place at the Kansas Coliseum, last year’s 5A state tournament was held at Hutchinson High School while the 6A battles took place at Koch Arena. This season, 6A and 5A will be back at the Coliseum.

East's Frazier picks Independence CC

Wichita East athletic director Kevin Hartley says that Selwyn Frazier, a defensive back on the football team and a guard on the basketball team, has decided to sign with Independence Community College to play football.

Quality over quantity

Last year The Independent School sent one swimmer to the boys state championships in Topeka.
This year, all seven boys on the Independent team have qualified for the state meet this weekend: Christian Kilgore, Michael Patton, Phillip Zimmerman, Misha Yakubovich, Colin McMaster, Andrew Parker and Ahmad Yaffine.
Independent's small team has been an underdog in every meet this season, because other schools almost always have much larger teams.
"I told them before the season we weren't going to win meets but we would just improve," said Maureen Hansen, who is in her first year as a high school swim coach. "And we've far surpassed that. They were so determined. They wanted to make it to state so bad. And they did."
Hansen also will coach the girls team this spring. She expects to have 16 girls, about double the number Independent had a year ago.

Regional Wrestling

The wrestling season is winding down, and it’s time for regionals. Some of the area’s best grapplers will be in action this Friday and Saturday. Check out the regional locations of some of the local teams below.

City League champion Heights will host its own regional for 6A. Also there will be Derby, Junction City, Manhattan, Topeka, Topeka-Washburn Rural, Wichita East and Southeast.Dodge City is also hosting for 6A. Garden City, Goddard, Maize, Campus, Wichita North, Northwest and South will all be present.

Overland Park-Blue Valley North and Shawnee Mission-South are the other two schools hosting for 6A.

In 5A, Bishop Carroll will be out at Liberal along with Great Bend, Hays, Hutchinson, Valley Center, Kapaun and West.

Andover Central will host. At Central will be Ark City, McPherson, Newton, Pittsburg, Salina Central, Salina South and Winfield for 5A.

Emporia and Bishop Miege will host the other 5A regionals.

In 4A, Andale, Buhler, Cheney, Clearwater, Colby, Haven, Hesston, Hugoton, Nickerson, Pratt, Russell, Scott City, Wellington and Independent will be at Ulysses.

Andover, Augusta, Labette County, Caney Valley, Chanute, Coffeyville, Columbus, El Dorado, Fort Scott, Independence, Iola, Mulvane, Parsons, Rose Hill and Circle will be at Caney Valley, also for 4A.

Abilene and Spring Hill are the other two hosts for 4A.

For 3-2-1A assignments and complete regional listings for all classes click the link below.
KSHSAA's Regional Wrestling Assignments

Isn't It Ironic?

Here it is February 12, just passed the month mark of a new year. So let me ask you this... How many of you have already ruined your new year’s resolution? Personally, I never make them because it is way too hard to stick to something that intense. Instead I just make some minor changes. Like this year, I said I would start eating healthier. What I didn't say was I am going to lose 20 pounds in two months. Hmmmm that would never happen!

As most of you know the towns in Southwest KS are extremely far apart therefore I do a lot of thinking on many trips, and most of the time my thoughts turn to random and just downright weird things. So just last week I started wondering how many people in the United States made resolutions to lose weight. Well with over 300 million people in this country and nearly seven billion people in the world I figured it was a number that would take days to count to. So I stopped wondering and started planning for the story I would be doing later in the evening.

Which led me to wrestlers, which in a since revolved right back to my previous thought of how many people are trying to lose weight at this point in time. I laughed because those poor wrestlers are ALWAYS trying to lose weight; until now.

Typically the rule for wrestling is not an ounce over your weight class. Then comes Christmas break. The guys are allowed two pounds plus. So let’s say you’re in the 160lbs weight class ... at your next weigh in you can be 162 and it's still legal to wrestle.

So here's the fun part. If you go to a two day tournament you are allowed a pounds per day plus your two pounds granted for growth. (That's how judges justify giving the extra two pounds. It's for the freshman, they are going to grow.) So let's say you weigh in on Friday at a tournament and weight 162. Saturday morning when you weigh in you get an extra pound because it's day two... so you are legally allowed to weigh 163.

Then the really fun part happens. Lets say you have a Thursday night dual then a two day tournament that very same weekend. Thursday you weigh in at 160… you can weigh 162… Friday you can weigh 163…. Saturday for the last day of the tourney you can weigh 164!!! WOW

Man, a bit confusing when you first hear it. Once I figured it all out I realized the wrestlers are probably trying to gain weight. They want to use those extra two pounds plus some that they get as an advantage and if it's a two day tournament right after a dual, shoot use all four!

Isn't it ironic that while most of the country and maybe even the world is trying to lose weight, the guys in a sport that have to maintain their weight is trying to gain it?

Hoop Dreams

I know you will probably laugh at me out here, but we have some great ballers out here, too.

For one, Spencer Hammert from Trego Community. Dude is averaging 29 points a game. He's good for at least 5 three-pointers a game, and wicked crossover on the way to an easy layup because everyone on the opposing team is watching him.

My personal opinion is he is good enough to play at the next level - more than good enough, but someone out there is going to knock him down because he is under 6 feet tall. Shame. But Hammert is the main reason that Trego is the 2nd-ranked team in 2A.

Another one is Hays' Zach Danner. He is seriously quick. Crossovers are second nature to him. He's good for at least a few steals a game. And he can shoot from the outside, too. Arguably the best point guard in the WAC. Teams have to plan around him. He's got skills. And the same affliction that affects Hammert affects Danner - height. Shame. But Danner is one of the main reasons Hays is now ranked in 5A.

Oh, and the best stat for Danner is best game-winning shot against Salina Central to knock off the then 2nd-ranked Mustangs.

Keep an eye on them in the future, or better yet, I'll let you know what happens.

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I was at the Panther Classic Wrestling Tournament last weekend in Phillipsburg, where I met Jason Hughes of Ellsworth High School. Jason is the 152 lbs varsity wrestler for the Bearcats. He's a pretty normal high school kid, except when you find out that he's blind.

Jason is a blind wrestler. He has a seeing eye dog named Indy and he goes where Jason goes, and he has a teammate lead him onto the mat, and then the referee takes over, puts him in place on the mat. He and the other wrestler touch hands at the beginning of the match, the ref blows the whistle and they go at it. It didn't look any different from other wrestling matches. Jason is very quick with his hands.

The other wrestler wound up winning, Jason said he was nervous because everyone was watching him, but he is remarkable.

Think how important your sight is to you, and then imagine having that taken away, and then decide to compete in a sporting event. Think of all the coaches that stressed playing with your eyes open, or keep your eye on the ball, and then not having that ability. Pretty Unbelievable.

Watch for his story soon.

I'll take your best Ken, and raise you some underdogs

So my colleague Ken just posted a short list of who he thinks are the best players he's seen in our area. Of course with the caveat that he's actually had to have seen them in action, not just heard of them. Unfortunately he's never gotten to see people like Ashia Woods from Collegiate or Tiffany Bias from Andover Central. Both of those girls are electric on the floor. On the boys side you have your usual super stars like Cecil Shaw at Southeast who is aboslutely lights out when he's on. You can pretty much guarantee a Buffalo victory when Shaw and his counterpart Joe Mitchell are both incapable of missing a shot.

As much as I love to talk about the best of the best in our area I think it's time to give a little love to the underdogs. The assist leaders, the hustlers, the ones who can score a "quiet" 10-12 and are fundamentally sound. The "set-up" players who make the super stars look good.

First off, I gotta tell you about a gal named Whitney Bates from Rose Hill. Not only does she have an excellent last name (no relation that I know of) but she is absolutely mezmerizing when she has the ball in her hands. It's very rare to find a high schooler who has that much finesse when it comes to taking the ball down the court and juking out opposing guards with ridiculous crossovers and mind-boggling behind the back dribbles. If you let her get open, odds are Bates is going to hit the shot. She's a player that you can't really game plan for becuase she's got great court awareness, high "basketball IQ", and is extremely unselfish with the ball.

On the boys side, the first one has to be Christian Ulsaker from Mcpherson. He's one of the main reasons behind the Bullpups nearly perfect record this year, and he's only a sophomore! I'm not sure how many points he averages per game but he's always near the top of the stats list. He makes great cuts to the hoop, is extremely energetic, and most importantly, I've never seen him whine about a foul that did or did not get called. Attitude on the court is everything to me!

Gotta give some love to Heights now. Not only do they have undoubtedly the most talented player in our area in Perry Ellis, they've got one of the deadliest guards as well in Evan Wessel. He's a 6'3 Sophomore that coach Joe Auer aboslutely raves about after every game, even though you may never notice him on the court. Ellis gets most of the love, Austin Bahner is the senior leader with the hot hand from three, and Dorrian Roberts has the flash. However, it's Wessel who makes the Falcons go. He's got great ball handling skills and sees the court beautifully. He sets up the offense and keeps it going. He can play the point or shooting guard and excels at both. Heck, you could even have him post up inside and he'd get the job done. Next time you're at a Heights game, make sure you check out the guard with the Georgia boy haircut and I guarantee you'll be impressed. (Dreamis Smith, another sophomore guard for Heights, came in as a close second to Wessel. But from what I've heard from different sources, Wessel is the harder worker so the nod goes to Evan).

My final "underdog" recognition goes to Abby Henning from Bishop Carroll. I covered the Carroll vs. Goddard girls game a few weeks back and it was just one of those nights for Abby Fawcett. The normally sure-handed Fawcett couldn't seem to connect, but luckily Henning was able to pick up the slack. A combined effort from Henning and Julia Marshall propelled the Eagles past the Lions with Henning impressing me greatly. Fawcett and Marshall get a lot of the publicity, as they should because they are excellent players. However, Henning is the rock of the team. She's always going to put point on the board, seems unfazed if she misses a few shots because she knows eventually she's going to hit from the field. Also, when Marshall or Fawcett start to get into a groove, Henning has no problem handing it off to let them put points on the board. She's another one of those "quiet scorers" that's always reliable, but not usually the one in the spotlight.

Players to go see

I was impressed when I saw Alex Santiago light it up for a Burrton school record 43 points last Friday night.
Burrton’s is just a 1A school, but I thought Santiago could probably play in any league in the state. He’d be up against quicker players in the City League, and he might not be able to drive the lane as successfully as he did against Pratt Skyline. But Santiago has nice range with his outside shot and would still find a way to score.
Anyway, watching Santiago started me thinking about the best players I’ve seen this season.
So here’s my list. Most are underclassmen, so if you haven’t seen ‘em yet, there’s still plenty of time.
Remember, these are only player’s I’ve seen. Check back later, because some of my colleagues at KWCH will be posting their lists too.

BOYS
Alex Santiago, Burrton, 6-0 junior
Dorrian Roberts, Heights, 5-11 senior
Perry Ellis, Heights, 6-9 freshman
Joe Mitchell, Southeast, 5-11 senior
Bubba Starling, Gardner-Edgerton, 6-4 sophomore
Brett Comer, Blue Valley NW, 6-3 sophomore
Trey Unrau, Moundridge, 5-11 freshman

GIRLS
Julia Marshall, Carroll, 5-9 senior
Abby Fawcett, Carroll, 5-6 senior
Jhasmin Bowen, Heights, 6-1 sophomore
Krystie Ehm, Circle, 5-11, sophomore
Natalie Knight, Olathe South, 5-6 sophomore
Taylor Chandler, Heights, 5-4 freshman

One Burrton record falls; another will soon

Alex Santiago, one of the hottest players in the state right now, broke Burrton's single-game scoring record with 43 points on Friday against Pratt Skyline. The record of 42 points by Rusty Baker had stood since the 1981-82 season.

Santiago, who's averaging 29 points a game, should get Baker's single-season record in the next two or three games. Santiago has 464 points thus far this season. Baker's record of 544 was set in the '80-81 season.

To read more about Santiago and see video of his record-breaking game, click here.

Movin' On Up...

I know I said this before, but I feel the need to say this again - Joe Brown, congrats! Fort Collins is a great city and the Rams are coming back from a few years in the cellar, coincidentally when I was in school there. Didn't make tailgating much fun, but we did anyway. I tried getting Musil to head there, but the allure of Bob Stoops was too much for the call of the Rocky Mountains. Oh well, we got the Judge. So in conclusion, congrats! My dad will meet you at the airport when you arrive.

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Now to the point of the blog.

Hays made a great move a week ago when they hired Ryan Cornelsen from LaCrosse. Cornelsen wanted to make a move up and he said he really wanted to take on a challenge. No better place for a challenge than Hays, who have been stuck in mediocrity on the gridiron since the Clinton Administration. Ugh.

The Indians haven't made the playoffs since then, and scored only a few touchdowns in their three district blowouts this season, including a 69-0 slaughtering at the hands of the juggernaut that is Hutchinson football. And that was at home. During the regular season, except for about three games, they looked helpless. There was even talk of them dropping down to 4A.

(Personally, I think they need new uniforms. No logos on their gold helmets, with plain maroon jerseys, and plain gold pants. Its like they were trying to be the Notre Dame of Western Kansas, just without the wins, tradition and Touchstone movie deal.)

Cornelsen took over at LaCrosse and turned the program around by getting the community involved - and he needs to do the same thing at Hays, where basketball is king and the soccer programs have taken over.

He could be the next good coach in the making. Could be. Great Bend's Bo Black is thee next great coach in the making down there. But Cornelsen, who has learned from Black and texts on occasion could make the Hays-Great Bend rivalry an actual rivalry again.

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On the recruiting front, Luke Keener committed to play at the Air Force Academy next fall, but that should actually be the other way around. You don't choose the AFA - they choose you. You have to be good at football, but mostly you have to be a good person for them to want you. Impressing Troy Calhoun and the rest of the Zoomie coaching staff is one thing, but impressing Senator Brownback and Senator Roberts is another thing.

Oh, did I forget to mention that - you have to pass a Senate appointment to go to the AFA, and also be in the top, oh, 1% of your graduating class. Oh and have a super ACT score. And be an awesome person. No so easy.

But graduate from AFA and you will be set for life. Not too shabby.

Also, Jeremy Garcia and Lucas Ruff from LaCrosse are headed to Hutch CC. Sounds like that place will be (picture Comedian Ron White saying Loaded) loaded. They picked up almost ever player in the state of Kansas, it sounds like. And they have awesome uniforms, too.

Andover Central, Carroll signings

Andover Central signees Michael Starnes , Ben Fulgum and Jeff Page (topphoto) posed with their coaches after signing with Butler Community College on Wednesday.

Bishop Carroll lined up 10 football players with their coaches for a signing ceremony in the school library (llower photo). Golden Eagles who signed college scholarship agreements were Joe Brown (Colorado State), Jacob Cole, Garret Kraft and Cody Mills (Butler CC), Antonio Rodriguez (Dodge City CC), Nick Johansen (Emporia State), Tony Marquez (Friends U) and Miles Galaway, Austin Butcher and Andrew Hoffman (Hutchinson CC).