VARSITY
Fall 2020
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. -Theodore Roosevelt
varsity Fall 2020
Bishop Seabury Cross Country
8
Lawrence High Soccer
10
Free State Volleyball
12
Free State Gymnastics
16
The King of Lawrence - Devin Neal
24
Free State Cross Country
32
Athlete of the Year - Talia Gay
42
cover & table of contents photos: Amber Yoshida a project of Four Birds Media info@fourbirdsmedia.com (785) 766-5669 All content property of Four Birds Media. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
Thank you for reading.
Newkirk, Adams and Willms
Experienced, comprehensive friendly dentistry for the entire family. Fillings / Same-Day Crowns Cleanings / Veneers Implants / Whitening Invisalign Referral Rewards
Drs. Newkirk, Adams and Call our office today!
(785) 843-2636
d Willms www.freestate.dental
Bishop Seabury Cross Country 2A State 4th Place When Bishop Seabury Cross Country Coach Brian Anderson met his girls team at the beginning of the season, he didn’t know what to expect. “I knew we had a young team and that the girls had some talent, but each new year is a new adventure, especially this year,” Coach Anderson explained. “Other than Oona, we were a bit of a mystery.” The young Seahawks (the varsity squad was composed of one junior, one sophomore, and five freshmen) found their stride midway through the season and peaked at the right time, taking 2nd at the regional meet and 4th at the state 2A meet in Hays. The 4th place finish is the second highest in Seabury history. “The girls really came together as a team and worked,” Coach Anderson said. “Obviously this was a strange season and we were all thankful to have the opportunity to run.” The Seahawks were led by sophomore standout Oona Nelson. In her second varsity stint, Nelson was the top team finisher in all meets, placed 2nd at regionals, and earned all-state honors at the state meet, finishing 7th. Freshman Isabelle Pro also earned all-state honors, finishing 9th at the state meet. “Oona is a natural leader and the team follows the example she sets,” Coach Anderson said. “She works her tail off to get ready for races and her performances show. That means a lot to the other girls on the team.” With such a young team achieving so much, the expectations for next season are on the rise. “We always want to compete,” Coach Anderson said. “Now that these girls have an idea of the level they can achieve and the work it takes to get there, and they have a year of experience, I’m excited to see what they can do.”
Oona Nelson / photos by Sarah Hill-Nelson
Lawrence High Soccer
6A Regional Finalist Nothing about the 2020 Lawrence High School soccer season was usual, other than the passion. “All season long the team really focused on their love of playing,” Coach Mike Murphy said. “We knew that COVID-19 might not let us play another game, so the team took each practice and game to heart and played with passion.” The Chesty Lions ended the season with an 8-9 record and a spot in the regional championship after defeating Free State in a memorable regional semifinal game. “The boys were thrilled to win that game against Free State,” Coach Murphy said. “I know it meant a lot because it was the playoffs, but anytime we play Free State it’s a big game. Most of our team grew up with most of the Firebirds, so that was a fun game for the seniors.” Senior Mason Anderson ended his season with 16 goals and 30 for his Chesty Lion career, while being named All-Sunflower League first team. “Mason is a fighter, “ Coach Murphy said. “He battles every day at practice and on game day. I don’t know if there’s been a more prolific single-season goal scorer at LHS.” The Chesty Lions, like all teams in the fall of 2020, learned to appreciate the small, everyday things that make up a season. No longer were players taking drills off during practice or complaining about conditioning. “The boys knew we might not get to practice tomorrow and the next game on the schedule might not happen,” Coach Murphy said. “I’m proud of the way the team handled the unknown and focused on what they could control. They controlled how they approached each practice and each game. That’s an example that will be remembered by the younger players.”
photos by Justine Hamilton
Free State Volleyball
6A Sub State Champions Heading into the 2020 volleyball season, the Free State Firebirds had a singular goal: return to state. “That’s it,” Coach Jayme Savage said. “That’s the goal every year.” After replacing nine seniors from 2019’s state team, and starting the season 0-4, the Firebirds were state bound for the second consecutive year. “This season was obviously unique,” Coach Savage said with a laugh. “We came into the year with no pre-seaon workouts or camps and most of the girls didn’t have much time with their club teams in the summer, so it was interesting when we finally got the green light to start practice. We always work to promote team chemistry in the off season and that was all built on the court this season.” The Firebirds were a relatively young team, featuring sophomore middle blocker Sawyer Thomsen, a second-team allstate selection and sophomore setter Rylee Unruh, all-state honorable mention. “Those girls don’t play like sophomores,” Coach Savage said. “They are both absolute team players and they raise the play of all the girls around them. I’m excited to see what they can accomplish. I really think they are just getting started.” The Firebirds spent the first few weeks of the season tinkering with lineups and trying to shake the rust off. An early season match against Washburn Rural was the spark for the rest of the season. Washburn Rural came into the match as the top-ranked team in Kansas and the Firebirds swept them in two sets. “That was an eye-opener, for sure,” Coach Savage said. “The girls realized they had the talent to beat anybody. They really carried that confidence through the rest of the season and into the state meet.”
Then. NOW. Tomorrow.
www.cekinsurance.com
FREE STATE GYMNASTICS 6A State Champions photographed by Amber Yoshida at Circle S Ranch
“You have to be a little bit crazy to do gymnastics,” Free State gymnastics coach Kat Farrow said. “You have to be really crazy to do some of the things these girls do.” Farrow’s Firebirds gymnastic girls were just crazy enough to win the 2020 Kansas state championship. “These girls are just simply amazing,” Coach Farrow said. “This year was unlike anything any of us could have ever imagined and the girls just rolled with the punches, kept their heads up, and put in the work required to be champions.” Because of COVID-19, the opportunity to do the work—getting in the gym and going through rep after rep and routine after routine—was in doubt. When they finally got the green light, the girls had to train in a new gym, wear masks unless they were in the middle of an event, and sterilize their hands after every station. “It was a little tedious at first,” said senior Talia Gay. “But we got used to it pretty quickly and knew that we had to be smart or our season wouldn’t happen.” The Free State team entered the season with lofty expectations because they knew they had experience, depth, and, most importantly, the best gymnast in the state. “There’s no question, Talia is the best in Kansas,” Coach Farrow said of her senior standout. “She outworks everybody and when you combine that with her natural talent and drive it’s pretty hard to beat. She’s not loud or obnoxious, but she’s the driving force behind the team. She’s a natural leader and a champion.” Gay finished her high school career with an avalanche of accomplishments. She won her second all-around state championship, her fourth state championship on the bars, a state championship on beam, and second Sunflower League all-around championship. “I’ve always been pretty good at gymnastics,” Gay said humbly. “I’m glad I was able to compete well and help the team. We have some great girls on the team and winning a team championship with them was such a special accomplishment.” Fellow senior Ellie Vickers joined the team after three years of club gymnastics. “I wish I would have been doing Free State gymnastics the whole time,” she admitted. “It’s so much more fun and relaxed than club. It’s less stressful and I think that helps girls perform better. Our team got super close through the season and I love these girls. I’m so proud to be a part of this team.” Coach Farrow said one of the bright spots of competing through the pandemic was the way the team came together. With no fans allowed at meets, there was no one to distract them. “It was tough not having many friends and family at the meets,”
Coach Farrow said. “A lot of gymnasts feed off the buzz of a crowd so the girls had to find the external support from each other. That brought them closer and helped tighten the team bond.” Farrow coaches both the Free State squad and the Lawrence High team and the two crews share practice space and time. While Free State will hang the championship banner in their gym, the two teams share an identity and support each other. “They call themselves the Fire Lions,” Coach Farrow said. “I know the LHS girls were thrilled for the Firebirds.” LHS junior Paris Spotted-Tail secured two individual championships for the Chesty Lions by nailing her vaults and floor competition. “Paris is a stud,” Coach Farrow said. “She busted her tail all season because she knew she had a chance to get the gold. I was thrilled for her and I know the Free State girls were pumped when she nailed her vaults and floor routine.” Kenzie Vaughn also joined the Free State team after competing at the club level for years. She finished 4th in the all-around competition while competing on a painful ankle. “Kenzie had surgery on her ankle almost immediately after the state meet,” Coach Farrow said. “She was so strong and adamant that she wanted to compete. She kept telling me ‘I got this coach. I can do it. I got this.’ So, we let her roll.” While the Firebirds were confident headed into the state competition, nobody took a championship for granted, especially Coach Farrow. “I’m really superstitious and I wouldn’t believe we won until I was holding the trophy,” she said with a laugh. “As the meet progressed, I got a good feeling. I kind of felt like it was our day. I kept telling the girls, after each rotation, ‘We got this, girls. Do your job and we got this.’” For Talia, the moment the team held the trophy was euphoric. “I think we were all crying,” Gay said. “Gymnastics is a pretty brutal sport and all of us had injuries that hurt and we were all sore, but winning as a team was worth all of it. It was so great to accomplish something as big as this, with these great girls.” Coach Farrow said the Firebirds accomplished great things because of heart and determination. “I’m so, so, so proud of these girls,” Coach Farrow said. “They are tough ladies that never lost sight of the team goal. They had a lot of fun and kicked some major butt.”
DEVIN NEAL / THE KING OF LAWRENCE 6A ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM
Lawrence High running back Devin Neal’s introduction to Kansas high school football was a thunderclap. “Of course I remember it,” laughs Lawrence High School football coach Steve Rampy. “Rock Trips - 31 Iso Indiana Frisco. It was the first play of the season and Devin took over. He got the handoff at our 40 yard-line, made a quick cut and was gone.” Sixty yards later, on his first varsity carry as a Chesty Lion, Devin Neal scampered 60 yards through a stunned Olathe South defense for a touchdown. “I knew from practices and being around him that he was a talent, but after that play it was clear he was a special player.” Neal ended his senior season at LHS with 1,370 rushing yards (including 20 touchdowns), caught 16 passes for 186 yards, 2 scores, and was named Kansas Football Coaches Association first team all-state. “I’ve been blessed to be able to play this game,” Neal said calmly. “I’m very lucky to have been surrounded by so many people that loved and supported me. For a long time I thought baseball was my sport.” Neal has committed to play football and baseball at the University of Kansas next year. From the first time he played the game in second grade, Neal loved football. He was drawn to the physicality and speed of the game. It was pretty clear, even at eight years old, that Neal has a special set of skills. “Well, I’ve always been pretty fast,” Neal said with his charming laugh. “I’ve always been a running back and I think I knew I was talented because I was able to break a lot of tackles and outrun most other kids. That early success really helped build my confidence. It was probably around eighth grade when I really started to think about playing football at the next level.” Devin hasn’t lost that burst of speed that helped him escape his fellow rugrats. “I don’t know if there’s a faster kid in the the state,” Coach Rampy said. “First, at 210 pounds he’s just bigger than other kids. But when he hits the open field I don’t think there’s anyone in Kansas that can catch him. I’ve never seen it happen.” Neal’s career as a Chesty Lion is a testament to perseverance. His sophomore season ended with a 1-8 record. The
photo by Fernando Yaluk
team turned the corner in 2019 and posted a solid 8-2 mark. Neal’s impressive junior season put at the top of the recruting rankings for the state. Soon major college football recruiters, including K-State, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State came calling.
“He’s the type of player that gives you hope,” Coach Rampy said. “When a player like Devin Neal is on your side you know there’s always a chance that he’ll do something to spark the team. You know that a big, big play is only one snap away.”
Neal had been recruited to play college baseball and the University of Kansas was the first school to offer the chance to play both sports at the Division I level.
Neal dominated in every game his senior campaign, even as opposing defenses keyed on him.
“I knew right away I wanted to go to KU,” Neal said enthusiastically. “I’m a Lawrence kid. I love this city. I love what this city has done for me. This is home and I knew I wanted to stay in the city.” The entire recruiting process was fun to watch for Coach Rampy. “Devin is as good of a young man as I’ve ever come across,” Coach Rampy said. “When these big-time college coaches would meet him, it was so impressive to see Devin just make them feel at ease.” With his commitment to KU settled, Neal and crew were determined to add their own chapter to the storied tradition of Chesty Lion football in 2020. Then COVID-19 struck. “This summer was absolutely not what anyone expected,” Neal said. “Obviously none of us seniors expected a global pandemic would show up. We had to really trust each other to do what we had to do to be in shape and ready for practice, whenever it would start. I think we did a pretty good job taking the restrictions seriously and doing our part. We kept each other in check and made sure we all had our goals in mind. We just wanted to play.” Coach Rampy said Neal was a key figure in setting the tone for how the LHS team handled the unprecedented season. “Devin knew that he had to be a leader off the field,” Coach Rampy explained. “He knew he was a leader on the field, but Devin took it upon himself to make sure other kids followed protocol and didn’t get together in big groups. I know he would get on guys for not wearing masks when they were suppose to. Add that to the fact that he’s the hardest working guy on the team and others looked to him. He wanted this season to happen.” The Chesty Lions were a freight train the first nine games of the season, spending the majority of the year as the state’s top-ranked team and Neal was the engineer leading the way.
“It wasn’t much of a secret that to stop our team, you had to stop #4,” Coach Rampy said. “We knew that and Devin knew that. Even with all the attention on him, he found ways to make big plays. He’s a special player.” Led by Neal, the Chesty Lions ended the regular seaon 7-0, including a dominant 49-20 win over rival Free State, and as the top-ranked team in Kansas. It was a 180-degree change from his sophomore year. “We’ve known since we were freshmen that our class had the talent to really get something done,” Neal said. “We’ve worked hard and it was so much fun to have it pay off the past two years.” Unfortunately, the season ended in familiar fashion when the Derby Panthers rolled into Lawrence for a playoff matchup in November. The perenial 6A power ended the Chesty Lions’ title hopes with a flawless game. The disappointing end to his high school football career didn’t diminish Neal’s spirits. “That game was pretty ugly,” Neal said. “I think we knew pretty early in the night that we just didn’t have it. We still battled, but sometimes it’s just not your night. We got beat by a better team that night. It’s that simple. But I’m so proud of this team and our senior class. I knew we didn’t have to hang our heads. We had a dominant year and have a lot to be proud of.” For Neal, as one season ends, another opens. He’ll spend the winter getting ready for his final high school baseball season and continuing to make plans for his future off the fields. “I’ve always admired Lebron James,” Neal explained. “Obviously he’s the greatest basketball player of all time, but I think he’ll be remembered even more for all he’s done off the field. His passion for his community and using his platform to help improve things for people around him is really inspiring. Hopefully, someday, I can do things to help pay back Lawrence for all the love and support its given me.”
FREE STATE CROSS COUNTRY 6A State Champions photographed by Amber Yoshida at Rim Rock Farm
The 2020 Free State boys cross country team ended their season standing in a field outside Augusta holding the Kansas 6A championship trophy. “It was almost surreal,” senior Brock Cordova said. “I’m not sure it has even fully sunk in yet. We did it. We won the state championship.” The Firebirds’ season was as dominant as any in recent memory. They won all but one meet that they entered (they placed 2nd to St. Thomas Aquinas in an early season meet, but beat the 5A powerhouse in two other meets), repeated as Sunflower League champions, and won their regional meet for the third consecutive year before winning the state title. Four runners earned Kansas 6A all-state honors and three runners tied or beat the school record time. “We kind of thought this could be a special group,” said long-time Firebirds coach Steve Heffernan. “These kids achieved a lot the last couple of seasons and had to deal with a big disappointment, so I wasn’t sure how they’d respond this year. We just tried to focus on running. That was the only thing we could control.” The “big disappointment” Coach Heffernan referred to is a 5th place finish at the 2019 state meet after entering the contest as the overwhelming favorites to win. “Last year was disappointing,” said senior Ethan Sharp. “That’s undeniable, but we didn’t focus or even talk much about it. We know. It haunted us for a while. I think the onset of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of having a season helped us focus on this season. We were forced to spend our energy on the task directly in front of us, not knowing if we’d get to compete or not.” Prior to the season, the Firebirds knew they had four top-tier upperclassman and a couple of younger runners that would compete for the fifth scoring spot on the team. Seniors Sharp (2019 and 2020 all-state) and Cordova, and juniors Ben Shryock (2018 and 2020 all-state) and Jack Keathley-Helms (2020 all-state) have ran together since 2018. “Those four have really helped form the nucleus of our team for three years now,” Coach Heffernan said. “And we planned on Carson Marsh and Blake Wohler running well this year.” What the Firebirds (and the rest of the Kansas cross country community for that matter) didn’t expect was a senior who had never ran cross country to join the team. “I’ve known Brock and Ethan since junior high and most of the team from track,” said senior Chris Stone. “They would always hassle me and tell me that I should give cross country a shot. So, this year I did. It was a pretty quick learning curve and the guys were all really great at offering tips. In the end it was just about running.”
Stone had played soccer in the fall. He didn’t think he’d make the varsity squad this year and enjoyed running, so he listened to his old friends and joined the cross county team. “We knew that Chris is an excellent runner,” Cordova said. “But we also know that he is a good guy and a really interesting person. I know all the guys were excited when he joined summer running. He was an invaluable addition to our team.” Stone proved to be the ace up the Firebirds’ sleeve. He ended his only season of cross country running by earning allstate honors and signing to run at the University of Kansas. As the season progressed, roles on the team often changed from meet to meet. A runner who finished 2nd on the team one week might finish 5th the next week and win the next race. No one complained or let their ego get in the way of the team’s goal. For example: The last three races of the season, Ethan Sharp finished 3rd on the team at the league meet, 4th on the team at the regional meet, and 1st on the team at the state meet. “You know, it’s a real testament to these kids,” Coach Heffernan said. “Having that much competition, just on your own team, let alone from a new guy on the team, can really hurt many teams. But these guys never showed any issue with it. They really ran for the team.” “I think it helped knowing that if one of us had a bad day, the other guys were out there giving it their all to help us,” Cordova added. “If one guy passed another during a race, we knew that would ultimately help the team.” The Firebirds started the season ranked 4th in 6A. After the first meet the team shot to the top of the poll and stayed there the rest of the season. Expectations for the season took a dramatic turn after a meet in Baldwin City when the team scored an astonishing fifteen points, with runners finishing 1st through 5th. The team, subconsciously, set their sights on bigger prizes. At the Sunflower League meet, which was held at night under property and stadium lights in Olathe, Stone, Sharp, and Shryock bested the Free State school record. Shryock claimed the individual crown with a time of 15:30 and the team won the league title, traditionally regarded as the best league in Kansas, by fifty-seven points. “We spent all last year with that huge expectation of a state title weighing on us,” Sharp said. “I think we all had it in our mind this year, but we really did just try to focus on getting to the weekend race. After league we knew we were pretty good, but we didn’t really discuss state until after the regional meet. Then it was like ‘Okay, this is right in front of us. Let’s go get it.’”
In normal years, the Kansas 6A state meet (and the Sunflower League meet) is held at Rim Rock Farm, just north of Lawrence. Thanks to COVID-19, the 2020 meet was held in Augusta, Kansas. While the entire season was, essentially, week-to-week, Cordova said the team didn’t begin to focus on the state meet until they were in the vans headed south the day before the race. “The drive was pretty quiet, which is unusual for this team,” Cordova said. “We were all pretty focused on getting to the course, which we had never seen, and getting acquainted. We knew what we had to do and felt like, if we took care of our business, we could accomplish our goal.” The day of the state meet was blistery, with thirty mph winds howling. Not long after the starting gun shot, things started to wrong for the favorites from Free State. Within the first half-mile Stone and Cordova both lost shoes, Wohler was spiked, and Keathley-Helms strained his knee. Teams focused on the boys in green and bunched them into the pack. The uncharacteristically slow race was tight until the final 800 yards. “I had a good idea of where we were, but you never know,” Coach Heffernan said. “For most of the race I didn’t know Chris and Brock lost shoes. I might not have survived if I did know sooner.” “When my shoe fell off, I panicked for half a second,” Stone explained. “But I knew there was nothing I could do about it, so I said ‘Alright, let’s do it.’ And I just tried to pass a few guys to find some space.” Scoring at the meet was slow, so the boys didn’t know the final results for almost fifteen minutes. “Those fifteen minutes were stressful for sure,” Sharp said. “We knew we ran our race and we knew it would take a pretty great effort by Manhattan or another team to beat us. When we finally found out we won it was both ecstatic and a relief. We did it.” Coach Heffernan said the championship (his first with the boys, his Free State girls teams have won two state titles) was the culmination of a unique year. “We pride ourselves as a program on our team environment,” he said. “Because of COVID we didn’t get to do most of the team building things we normally do. However, these guys pulled the wagon for the team. Distance runners are often cerebral and these guys fit that description. They knew what they had to do to stay healthy through the pandemic. They did it and set an example for their peers.” Cordova said the miles and miles of training are worth it. “We’ve worked for this for four years,” he said. “I can’t believe I ended my senior season with a state championship. It’s a special feeling.”
2020
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Talia Gay / Free State Gymnastics + 2-time Kansas All-Around State Champion + 4-time Kansas Bars State Champion + 2020 Kansas Beam State Champion + 2-time Sunflower League All-Around Champion + 3-time Sunflower League Bars Champion + 2020 Kansas Team State Champion
Nobody has to be told that Talia is a leader. It never has to be said. If you walk into the gym it’s obvious. She’s that kind of talent. - Kat Farrow, Free State Coach
photo by Amber Yoshida at Circle S Ranch