Sportscaster embodies Ichabod spirit

by Jonas Faria

Washburn has in Jake Lebahn’s voice the pride and experience of someone who considers the university his home.

Kyle Manthe, an athletic communications intern who works with Lebahn, said that once, in a pre-game interaction, someone asked if Lebahn, '07, preferred the University of Kansas or Kansas State University. Lebahn fired off that he cheered for Washburn.

This interaction illustrates the unique personality of Washburn’s basketball and soccer announcer who is the voice of the Ichabods.

Lebahn has been the voice of the Ichabods since 2014 and is currently sports director for Alpha Media USA Group and host of the talk show “Mic’d Up” on WIBW-AM 580.

Lebahn said he did not exactly have a plan for what he would do after graduation, but he knew he would be involved in sports.

“I applied for an internship here at the station when I was a junior in 2006 in the summertime and continued that through a part-time position during the football season, during the offseason,” Lebahn said. “I wanted to do something involved in sports because it was such a big part of my life.”

Being a passionate sports fan at Washburn is part of his DNA. Lebahn was a 6-foot-4-inch-tall receiver on the football team and his greatest memory from his college days is sports related.

“When we beat Pittsburg State for the first time in like 30 years on the football field at home, I caught a touchdown in that game,” Lebahn said. “That was the year we won the conference.”

Having been a student athlete is one of the factors that makes his play-by-play role so unique.

“He has these deep ties, and pride in the team and the school that he went to,” said Joy Smith, assistant athletic communications director. “He really cares about what he does.”

With 16 years in the sports industry, Lebahn said the biggest challenge is time management. He describes a typical week in the basketball season:

“I did my show from noon to 1 p.m., got in the car, drove three and a half hours. Got to Jeff City, Missouri, called two Washburn basketball games. Then I left Jeff City, got back home at 1:30 in the morning. I got up at 8 a.m. and took my kids to daycare, and then I went to work. I do my show from noon to 3 p.m., then I get done with work. I have to prepare for Saturday’s game, but also my sports talk show for the next day.”

Despite the challenge, Lebahn considers the expansion of his talk show as a career milestone.

“Our sports talk show was from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and last year we expanded from noon to 6 p.m. and instead of one show, we have two now,” Lebahn said.

Even after talking many hours a day about sports, Lebahn is a genuine Washburn fan.

“I want Washburn to win more than probably anybody,” Lebahn said. “When I wear Washburn gear like this, it is the only gear that I need to have because I am not a fan of anywhere else.”

Calling games for his alma mater is about pride, and when Washburn wins, it becomes the most enjoyable moment for Lebahn.

“That means the most,” Lebahn said. “To be the middleman between Washburn and the fans.”