Sports Ink., April 2013

A magazine focusing on all things sports in northwest Kansas

INK.

April 2013

At Wheatland-Grinnell, the girls are serious about Thunderhawk athletics.

Small school

big heart

The Hays Daily News

What’s up?

A look inside this issue

6

Powering up Powerlifting an

increasingly popular sport among area high school girls.

9

All about heart

The Wheatland-Grinnell girls are serious about athletics in Grainfield, the home of the Thunderhawks.

14 Final focus Area athletes leave

lasting impression at state.

17 Tiger’s tale

Stockton senior Koby Beougher is featured in this month’s Q&A.

Champion Everett Royer, Sports Ink. Norton’s John Risewick celebrates his victory in the 132-pound championship match of the Class 3-2-1A state wrestling tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum in February. Risewick’s win helped Norton to the team title.

Sports Ink. contributors: Nick McQueen nmcqueen@dailynews.net Conor Nicholl cnicholl@dailynews.net Everett Royer sportsink@dailynews.net Klint Spiller kspiller@dailynews.net Chelsy Lueth clueth@dailynews.net Nick Schwien nschwien@dailynews.net Chad Pilster cpilster@dailynews.net

Volume 3, Issue 2 Sports Ink. is published and distributed by The Hays Daily News. Copyright © 2013 Harris Enterprises. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Sports Ink. is a registered trademark of The Hays Daily News, 507 Main, Hays, KS 67601 (785) 628-1081.

C

The best of the best

halk one up for the fans in purple at this year’s Class 1A DiviSteinle, Norwich’s Mackenzie Klaver and Golden Plains’ Jordan sion II state championships at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Christensen. But, the player most exciting to watch this season Hays. was a freshman — Ingalls’ Kaisha Batman. She took control like a My unofficial award for the best crowd goes to both the crowds seasoned veteran. from Wilson and Ingalls High Schools for rocking the bleachers For a team that starts three freshmen, Batman scored nine points inside GMC for three days. in the Bulldogs’ opener, and then exploded in the semifinals. A Though the argument has been made, both by me and others, the slasher-type player, Batman hit 6 of 10 shots, scored 22 points, and tournament has become watered down since the split into DIvision collected four steals. She then scored nine points in Ingalls’ first I and II in Class 1A, the small-town crowds never cease to “bring it” state championship. She’s a big reason why Ingalls will be in the to Hays each year. mix for the next three seasons.

For starters This year’s groups from Wilson and Ingalls On the boys’ side, it’s tough to rule out guys such brought a ton of heart to the dance, and one group as Fowler’s Taylin Bird, Crest’s Kyle Hammond or of students had the student section rocking in a Axtell’s Aaron Schmelzle I think the most exciting way GMC probably hasn’t seen in quite a while — player to watch was on the most exciting team especially the Ingalls students throughout.

— Wallace County’s Eli Kuhlman. In what could When the Bulldog faithful got excited behind the have been labeled the most exciting game of the basket, the mobile stands almost seemed ready to take off — the tournament, Kuhlman posted 27 points with five straight 3-pointends were flapping like a giant pair of wings. Albeit it’s never good ers. Unfortunately, Kuhlman, like the rest of the Wildcats, used too when you see the Fort Hays facilities being abused, it was nice to much energy, and didn’t have the gas to keep it going. While the see some excitement in the student section. Ingalls made the stands Wildcats’ up-tempo game was exciting to watch, three straight days nearly take flight, while Fort Hays students normally sit on their of it just wasn’t going to happen. Had the boys played first this hands and hold the stands down. season, with a break from Round 1 to the semifinals, it might have Kudos also go to the Dighton fans for their originality. The orange been a different story. jump suits were a nice, unique touch.

One game I’d like to see: It might be wishful thinking, but what Now for the best in entertainment on the floor. Let me start with if 1A was one tourney. How about the Ingalls girls vs. Division I the girls’ side. champion Hoxie? Talk about two defenses that flat-out get after This tournament featured a variety of talented players from start it. This game would have the potential to see more turnovers, and to finish. There were experienced players such as Wilson’s Karlie maybe even more steals than points.

nick

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Who’s That?

Notable performances in northwest Kansas Karlie Steinle

A senior for the Wilson High School girls’ basketball team, Steinle was a record-setter at the Class 1A Division II state championships at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. Steinle, who averaged approximately 25 points per game this season, made 19 free throws in a third-place loss to Golden Plains. Those 19 makes from the line were a single-game state record in all classes.

Steinle also finished with 35 made free throws for the tourney, breaking the state record in all classes for most in a three-game tournament.

Gavin Mote

Mote, senior for the Wallace County boys’ basketball team had a consistent tournament for the Wildcats at the Class 1A Division II state tourney at Gross Coliseum.

In the Wildcats’ tourneyopening win, Mote was their second-leading scorer with 12 points. He scored nine in the semifinals and 17 in a third-place game loss to White City. Wallace County’s first-round win was the first for the program at a state tournament.

Colbie Decker

Part of Smith Center’s first girls’ basketball title in school history, Decker was key in helping the Lady Red accomplish the feat. In the sub-state championship win against Ellis in Plainville, Decker scored 18 points.

Then in the first round at Bramlage Coliseum, she scored 11 points in a win against Sedan. In the semifinal win against Sterling, Decker pulled in a doubledouble with 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Kane Washington

Washington, a senior on the Hoxie High School wrestling team, came into February’s 3-2-1A state tourney as the No. 5 ranked wrestler at 220 pounds, but captured a state title.

Washington upset top-ranked Ryker Greenbaum of Douglass in the title match with a 3-2 victory. Along the way, Washington also knocked off fourth-ranked Evan Slater of Marion in the second round.

Washington finished his senior season at 27-2, helping Hoxie to a second-place team finish with 97 points.

Got an idea of someone who you think should be included in Who’s That?

Send it to sportsink@dailynews.net with Who’s that? in the subject line, or call (800) 657-6017.

CHAD PILSTER, Sports Ink. Plainville’s Hannah Friend, right, and Shelbe Pywell lift during class earlier this month at the Plainville weight room.

lift Power P to

Weight room sport

increasingly popular among female athletes Page 6

lainville High School senior Hannah Friend quickly lists the main reasons why she enjoys powerlifting.

“Knowing you are strong and you can outmuscle people is the best feeling ever,” Friend said. “Coming in here and getting a new max by 20 pounds or 15 pounds is the best feeling. When you go to competition, and you beat people by a good 50 to 60 pounds is just the best feeling in the world.”

Senior Shelbe Pywell, sitting next to Friend on the stage in the Plainville weightlifting room, agrees with her lifting partner.

“I like knowing I am stronger than everybody,” Pywell said.

Friend and Pywell are arguably the two strongest female weightlifters in the area in a sport that has seen success at multiple April 2013

Northwest Kansas schools the last few years.

While male athletes long have used the weight room for multiple sports, especially football and wrestling, many girls have enjoyed the benefits of weight training and powerlifting.

“It all depends on their motivation,” Pywell said. “If they want to get better, they will come in here and lift. If they don’t want to get better, they sit at home.”

Sharon Springs-Wallace County has enjoyed back-to-back boys’ titles and also won the girls’ crown in 2011. Russell has multiple top-three showings in boys’ and girls’ powerlifting in the last few years.

Perhaps no school, though, has enjoyed success in powerlifting like Plainville, under fourth-year head football coach and powerlifting instructor Joe Simon.

SPORTS INK.

“Pretty

much one of my favorite sports to do.”

-Hannah Friend, Plainville senior

“I like being coached by him,” Friend said. “He is a really good motivator. He talks to us, tells us what we need to do and everything to get to our best.”

Last year, Plainville won the boys’ and girls’ Class 2A state titles. In 2011, the Cardinals collected the girls’ crown and finished runner-up on the boys’ side.

The 2A state powerlifting meet will be a 9 a.m. April 6 in Solomon. Friend won the 123-pound classification last year and set the state record with 525 combined pounds in the three lifts, clean, bench and squat.

A Kansas Wesleyan basketball signee, Friend had a clean of 165 pounds, a bench of 125 pounds and a squat of 240 pounds. This season, Friend already has squatted 285 pounds and is expected to compete at 132 pounds at state this year. Her goal is 300 pounds.

“My motivation towards squat is so much higher,” Friend said. “It’s such a drive.”

Pywell, a San Diego City College volleyball commit, would have won the 165-pound weight class, but didn’t meet her opening lift on the bench press. Instead, she finished sixth with 395 pounds, just 105 away from first, and won the clean and squat.

“Shelbe has always pushed in the weight room and has always done well in here,” Simon said. “She has improved a lot in the last few years. She works out with Hannah, so they improve each other. They both have some very good work ethic.”

Simon graduated from Argonia, a small eight-man school in 1997.

Simon hardly touched weights before his junior year of high school, and the school didn’t have a weightlifting program. However, Simon started to lift the summer before his junior year when Argonia hired a new football coach, Lance Williams.

Argonia didn’t have any equipment, and Wiliams gave Simon the idea to build some.

“He had built one earlier in life, and he just gave me the dimensions,” Simon said.

Simon was involved with several industrial arts classes and had some welding experience. He built a squat Sports Ink.

Friend, left, and Pywell practice in the weight room in Plainville. The two will go on to participate in college athletics.

rack and a bench press and had a friend who had some weights and a bar. Simon, who has two older sisters, three younger brothers and two younger sisters, saw his brothers lift as they grew up and went through high school.

Simon’s self-made equipment is still in his family’s basement. Simon and his brothers have used it often.

“They got more and more into weights,” Simon said. “I remember my brothers doing powerlifting and them enjoying that, and I wish that we would have had a weight program when I was in school. I think it would have benefitted me greatly.”

After high school, Simon worked for a couple of years before he played football at Dodge City Community College and then at Arkansas Tech University before he finished his schooling at Fort Hays State University. He student taught at Argonia and taught at South Haven and Liberal before coming to Plainville.

Simon had his first introduction to Olympic-style (clean and snatch) lifting at Dodge City, enjoyed it, and saw himself becoming stronger and more athletic. At Liberal, then-Redskin head football coach Tom Schroeder talked April 2013

with Simon about becoming USA certified.

Simon and his brother, Ken, the current football coach at Dighton, went to the two-day clinic. Simon said they “broke down everything” with the lifts and helped him understand it a lot better. It’s helped Simon teach form, an area he enjoys.

When Simon came to Plainville, he had three girls, Dani Winters, Taylor Hixon and Kylee Pywell, Shelbe’s sister, buy in quickly.

“Everybody saw them improving, their athleticism improving and wanted to be like them,” Simon said. “So they kind of forged the way and kind of helped the girls buy in. It’s been a lot of fun, and when you have girls that buy in, it really helps your program, because the guys don’t want to be outdone by the girls.”

Pywell, Winters and Hixon helped the Cardinals take fourth in Class 2A state volleyball in 2010, the first state volleyball appearance in school history. Winters went on to earn all-state basketball honors, win three track throwing titles and is now competing at Kansas State UniverPAGE 8 sity.

Page 7

Winters told Simon she was “very wellprepared� and “stronger than most� of the Wildcats who entered K-State in her first year. “She was one of the hardest working athletes I have ever coached,� Simon said. “Just came in and just would break herself down everyday, and sometimes I was actually worried for her, because she would just go so hard that most people would just break down.�

Hixon competed in track at Fort Hays, while Pywell played volleyball at Pratt Community College. Simon called Hixon his strongest pound-for-pound lifter — until Friend. “When I first started, we had more girls at powerlifting meets than guys, and the guys saw the girls have some success, and they have bought in, and they are starting to go to more powerlifting meets,� Simon said. “It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s made my job easier now, because when the younger kids come in, they see the older

kids lifting hard.�

Kylee helped her younger sister start in weightlifting. The training is one of the main reasons why Shelbe was able to play varsity volleyball as a sophomore when her sister was a senior. “She has always been a role model to me,� Shelbe said. “I have always wanted to do what she does, and she is the one who got me into starting to do weightlifting.�

Pywell and Friend, the granddaughter of former Plainville legendary coach Larry Friend, started coming to weights as freshmen. They’ve had perfect attendance almost every single year and participated in lifting classes.

Plainville usually attends two powerlifting meets a year. The first one was in WaKeeney the weekend of the high school state basketball tournaments.

Pywell set four state records, and Friend set two.

Mark Reif

State is the second tournament. Simon said the Cardinals start looking forward to the meets around Christmas and ask what weight class they should participate in. “These kids, they lift all year long and they compete all year long,� Simon said. “It’s not really that hard to sell (the meets) for me, because I just tell them — I don’t push them and push them — but I will mention to them, that this is like going to practice all year long, but not going to games.�

Last year, Pywell dropped weight too quickly before state, which kept her from performing her best in the bench. This season, Pywell has started losing weight earlier. Friend suffered an ankle injury near the end of basketball, but is expected to be fine for state. “Pretty much one of my favorite sports to do,� Friend said. “I enjoy doing it.�

- Conor Nicholl, Sports Ink.

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big heart

Small school

Wheatland-Grinnell girls carry on strong tradition

I

n high school, girls’ hearts feat for a Class 1A school with a often are broken by boys, but 2012-2013 high school enrollment at Wheatland-Grinnell High of just 54 students.

School, senior Brooke OstNowhere has that success been meyer said something else weighs more evident than volleyball. The more on the girls’ collective conThunderhawks have taken home sciousness: sports. three state trophies in the past “It’s pretty much all we six years and qualified for do around here, and all state in four of the past klint of us are on the same eight. spiller “It’s carried on with the page and have the same level of commitment,” pride and everything,” said said Ostmeyer, an all-state setter for junior Tristan Rathgeber, daughter the volleyball team in 2012. “We of middle school volleyball coach definitely take a lot of pride in it.”

Christy Rathgeber. “We look at the The Wheatland-Grinnell girls past years and try have enjoyed a wealth of athletic to achieve betPAGE 10 success in recent years, and it’s ter than what we come in all sports — a significant have.”

story by

Sports Ink.

April 2013

Page 9

However, that success has carried into other sports.

In cross country, sophomore Taylor Tustin recorded her second all-state finish, placing 11th her freshman year and improving to second this season.

Girls’ basketball has had successful seasons, highlighted best by a fourthplace finish in 2008 thanks to a 58-55 first-round upset of undefeated Olpe at state, and track and field returns four state qualifiers on the girls’ side, more than a third of its roster this season.

“We’ve started a culture I think, which is where it all comes from,” said fourth-year volleyball coach Allison Polifka.

“We have girls who push each other.

They are in the weight room constantly in the summer.”

Everett Royer, Sports Ink. Wheatland-Grinnell’s Taylor Tustin finished second at the Class 1A state cross country meet in October at the Wamego Country Club.

Culture of success Athletics runs in the girls’ blood at Wheatland-Grinnell.

Wheatland-Grinnell, located in Grainfield, is a relatively new concept in Kansas sports. It’s the product of a 2006 athletic consolidation of the two local high schools — Wheatland Shockers, which was in Grainfield, and Grinnell Warriors — and the schools consolidated a year later.

However, both schools had rich athletic traditions in girls’ sports, especially volleyball.

Wheatland won all nine of its volleyball state championships between 1974 and 1991, and Grinnell won all six of its volleyball titles from 1976 to 1988.

The school’s 15 shared titles are more than most schools in the state, regardless of classification. Only Shawnee Mission-Bishop Miege (16) has more, and Lawrence also has 15.

Many of the current players’ parents or relatives were on those squads.

Now, they attempt to carry on the legacy.

“That volleyball tradition already has been in the school, and we always want to carry on the tradition and do well in volleyball,” said junior middle hitter Paige Ramey.

In cross country, it’s a similar tradition. Wheatland High School won eight consecutive state titles on the boys’ side starting in 1980, and Grinnell won four consecutive girls’ state titles starting in 1978.

Since, those bloodlines have merged to create runners like Tustin, whose mother was a state champion from Grinnell and father was an all-state runner at Wheatland.

“They were big rivals back then,” Tustin said.

Summer days drifting away Genetics and the way children were raised have impacted the girls’ athletic success at Wheatland-Grinnell, but Ostmeyer said much of the athletes’ success was created during the summer.

The girls sacrifice vacation time and days at the lake to instead spend their mornings in the weight room, fill their days with athletic camps and compete in summer leagues for volleyball and basketball.

Combined with summer jobs, it creates

File Photo, Sports Ink Wheatland-Grinnell volleyball coach Allison Polifka instructs her players during a semifinal match in October at the Class 1A Division II state volleyball tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays.

a hectic schedule.

“I maybe had one or two free nights out of the week, because it was full of volleyball, work and weights in the morning,” Ramey said.

“It was a pretty full summer.”

Tyler Flavin, the head football coach, head girls’ basketball coach and assistant track and field coach who also runs summer weight lifting, said that time is critical for their progression and prolonged

success.

“Their commitment level in the summer to the weight room has been phenomenal,” Flavin said. “In the summers at 6 o’clock in the morning, we’ll have 15 to 20 girls in the weight room. ... It has elevated us to the level that we are at and has given us that edge.”

That commitment starts in middle school PAGE 12 for most of them.

“We

get each other on the court , and we work

really well together .�

- Brooke Ostmeyer, Wheatland-Grinnell

Ostmeyer said she remembers being dragged to summer weights sessions as a seventh-grader by her older sister, Taylor, and it helped create a habit for her that has carried into high school. “I’ve probably missed a few days, but probably just a handful,� Brooke Ostmeyer said. “I was usually pretty religious about it.�

It’s not just the volleyball girls.

Tustin also spends her summers lifting, but mostly she is running.

This past summer, she received a call inviting her to compete with the Kansas Flyers Track Team. She accepted and served as the anchor for the 3,200meter relay team. They made it to nationals in Baltimore, Md., and placed fourth in 10 minutes and 6.07 seconds.

Tustin said it was an eye-opening experience. “I kind of felt like an outsider, because those girls were fast,� Tustin said. “Being a small-town girl from Kansas, it definitely is a big difference going to Baltimore, Md., and seeing all these girls who can run low two-minute 800s. You definitely had to perform at

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been really fun to coach, because she works really hard and does the extra work to make her as good as she is now.�

NICK SCHWIEN, Sports Ink Wheatland-Grinnell’s Hannah Gillespie plays defense on Dighton’s Diamond Brown during the Quinter Castle Rock Classic in December.

your best.�

She also attended a running camp organized by David Ramsey in Colorado.

Between that and normal summer mileage, Tustin came into the fall in shape, and it showed at state when she placed second in 1A on the 4,000-meter course in 16:04.20. “She has done really well for herself,� said track and field coach Ed Mense. “She is very dedicated and works hard.

I’ve had her since sixth grade. She’s

Tight group Another reason for Wheatland-Grinnell’s success is its team chemistry.

Many of these girls have been playing together since third or fourth grade, especially in volleyball. “We started playing little league volleyball, so we really have that grasp of how to play together,� Ostmeyer said. “We get each other on the court, and we work really well together.�

When they get to the middle school level, they learn from a former state champion, Christy Rathgeber. Polifka said the middle school squad traditionally wins its league or finishes high in the standings. “My mom is a good coach and she was good in high school,� Tristan Rathgeber said. “It’s kind of in her blood. In middle school, she definitely taught us a lot of things and helped us to be successful in high school.�

When they get to high school, they are expected to play volleyball.

In fact, Tustin never imagined she would run cross country until just before high school.

She said she never intended to play basketball and always planned to do volleyball. Instead, the reverse happened.

Though there are expectations in volleyball in Grainfield and Grinnell, Tu-

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stin said the pressure to participate isn’t extreme. When she decided to run cross country, she said she didn’t get much flack for it.

“I’ve always been known as a runner,” Tustin said. “The whole community knows me as a runner.”

Bright future None of the girls have quite matched the success of the older generations, but they’ve come close.

Tustin was 15 seconds away from a state championship this fall, and the volleyball squads have been within a victory of winning state on several occasions.

However, the future is bright for Wheatland-Grinnell.

Though the squad’s libero, Brandi Goetz, also is graduating this spring, the most significant loss might be Ostmeyer.

Ostmeyer finished 2012 with 853 assists and is the career leader in assists with 2,044 — 453 better than second.

Though it will be difficult to replace an all-state first-team setter, the girls are confident her likely replacement, sophomore Tenille Tholen, will be able to carry the torch.

Not only that, but the volleyball squad will be senior-laden with eight juniors on the squad in 2012 and will have a strong freshmen class coming up that just capped an undefeated middle school season.

“We were almost there, but we lost the semifinals (in 2012),” Ramey said. “We just had a little collapse.

This year, we are probably going to work on that and try to get back there and get a state championship.”

The same is true with basketball.

The Thunderhawks have progressively gotten better, but they’ve been stuck at the 10- to 13-win mark. Flavin hopes with a loaded senior class next season and another year in the newly incorporated fast-tempo offense, his squad will be able to make a jump.

“I think there’s a lot of good things in store for us as we go through the next four or five years,” Flavin said.

In track, the Thunderhawks qualified qualified five girls for state, and four return this year — none of which are seniors.

“To say we are fortunate is really an understatement,” Mense said.

Sports Ink.

FILE PHOTO, Sports Ink. Wheatland-Grinnell’s Hannah Gillespie, Tenille Tholen (1) while Brandi Goetz (3) compete against Weskan during the third-place match of the Class 1A Division II state championships in October at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays.

April 2013

Page 13

The Hoxie girls celebrate with their fans after claiming their second straight Class 1A Division championship in Emporia.

Page 14

April 2013

SPORTS INK.

1A fourth in ey. t finished u rn b u s to s te lo uffered a t showing at a sta s ty n u o Wallace C the program’s bes , Division II

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state for

Area athletes leave lasting impression at state

focus Photos by Everett Royer, Klint Spiller, Chad Pilster

F

es up against Kami Miller go Golden Plains’ the third-place in kenzie Klaver ac M s h’ ic rw No II tourney. ass 1A Division game at the Cl

Sports Ink.

rom the first tip-off to the final buzzer, this year’s state basketball tournaments provided cheers and tears for teams from northwest Kansas.

The region had representatives at the Class 1A Division II tourney in Hays, the Class 1A Division I tourney in Emporia, the Class 2A finale in Manhattan, the Class 3A championships in Hutchinson and the Class 5A tourney in Topeka.

Out of those five state sites, the High Plains had teams playing on the final day of the season at four of the tourneys.

The Hoxie girls won their second-straight title at the Class 1A Division I championships in Emporia, knocking off highly touted teams in St. John and Olpe to defend their crown.

The Smith Center girls worked their way toward the title game in 2A, claiming the school’s first state basketball title under longtime coach Nick Linn.

The area proved to be a hotbed for hoops once again this season, and many of the teams that qualified for state return key players next year.

Will next winter provide more success from teams from northwest Kansas? Only time will tell

April 2013

Page 15

Russell

Ness City’s Koltyn Ratliff blocks Republic County’s Kyle Strut’s shot during a semifinal game at Bramlage Coliseum.

fans sho

w their s

pirit.

Smith Ce n lane aga ter ’s Sydney Be inst Sterl n ing at Bra oit drives the mlage C oliseum.

Far left: Stockton’s Jaden Williams goes up for a layup against Centralia in the thirdplace game at 1A Division I in Emporia.

Above left: Golden Plains Hailee Spresser fights for control of the ball against Wilson’s Adrianna Florke and Tanisha Steinike during the third-place game at 1A Division II. Below left: Hays High’s Kyler Niernberger fights to gain control of the ball during the Indians’ first-round 5A game against Lansing at the Topeka Expocentre.

Page 16

April 2013

SPORTS INK.

Just a Minute with Nick McQueen

Koby

Beougher

Stockton High School senior basketball player/golfer

Jaden Williams Teammate

Tom Stephens b-ball coach

Justin Wiltfong Teammate

What professional athlete do you think he most resembles?

Kevin Durant — he’s Lanky

Kyle Korver

Tiger Woods

If he could be anyone else for one day, who would he be?

Tom Stephens

Kobe Bryant or Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods

What song do you think is at the top of his iPod playlist?

“Could it be Call Me Maybe one of those nights”

“…Problems” -ASAP Rocky

What one word best describes him? cute

Q: What was it like to be a part of Stockton’s first state team in about 30 years?

A: I had a lot of fun. I am not sure about the other guys, but it was pretty special just bringing Stockton back to state. We’ve had a lot of good teams that haven’t made it — a lot of fun.

Q: Did you see your schedule as a big reason why you were able to make it through?

A: The toughness of the MCL was one of the reasons why we got through sub-state and got that first win against Hoxie. We play some really good schools. The toughess of our schedule really helps.

Q: Have you noticed a change in the attitude since you were a freshman at Stockton?

A: It’s changed a lot. We got into a … you can say a slump. It was probably more than that. It’s starting to get better. Football is turning around and basketball.

Coach is so intense, and that’s a pretty big reason we’ve played so much better.

Q: How much did things change with coach Stephens?

A: Pretty much everything changed — attitudes, preparedness. Everything has to be perfect. He has a photographic memory almost. He knows every play, almost eveyrthing. Just crazy what he can remember.

Q: With the guys they have coming back next year, do you feel good about the team you’ll leave behind?

A: I think they can win it next year — really only

Page 17

losing one senior who played a lot. They have a pretty solid group coming back, plus there were some guys injured most of the year. I think they’ll be pretty good.

Q: Did you guys consider the Hoxie win an upset?

A: We played Hoxie in MAYB, and we’ve beat them a couple times, and played with them when we didn’t.

We wanted them pretty bad after losing to them last year. We really didn’t think it was an upset.

Q: How do you feel about the upcoming golf season?

A: I’m pretty confident. As far as the team goes, we have a couple guys that play well, and I think we can make it (to state) as a team again, too. We should be pretty good. We have everyone coming back — no seniors last year. Couple new guys, too.

Q; What are some course around here you really enjoy playing?

A: We don’t play Smoky, but that’s probably my favorite. Hill City has a pretty nice course, too, and Norton’s always a good one to go to.

Q: What do you feel are your strengths as a golfer?

A: Mental game mostly. My freshman year, I would get mad at every little thing. Last year, I got a lot better at that. You just have to let things go. You can’t dwell on past shots, or anything like that. You can’t pay attention to what happened earlier. When you’re walking to the next shot, you can’t be thinking about the last one.

Arpil 2013

SPORTS INK.

Energetic

Genuine

If his life were made into a TV show, what would you call it?

The life and Adventures times and Koby of Koby and Beougher Friend

The odd life of Koby Beougher

Where will he be 10 years from now?

On the PGA Tour

ON

Good paying job and golfing every chance he gets.

PGA Tour

Basketball extravaganza I

n a rare circumstance, the Kansas high school state basketball tournaments and the MIAA postseason conference tournament matched up on the same week. I drove to Manhattan on Wednesday, watched four games (covered two of them). Then I woke up Thursday, drove to Kansas City and covered the Fort Hays State University men’s basketball team at noon.

Then, I drove back to Manhattan and covered Smith Center girls in its 6:30 p.m. start. On Friday, I drove back to Kansas City for Fort Hays women. On Saturday, I stayed in Kansas City for the final two FHSU games of the year.

All told: around 1,000 miles, seven games covered, three hotels stayed at.

Here are some observations from the basketball extravaganza.

1. Congratulations to Nick Linn and the Smith Center girls for winning Class 2A. Linn, after more than 40 years combined of coaching volleyball and basketball, finally earned his first title. He had been 0 of 5 in state finals in the two sports. I had two thoughts as the Lady Red won. First, a lot of things have to go right to win a title. A couple years ago, Hill City girls reached the 2A finale, but ran into an incredible Olpe team and lost. That Olpe team is one of the best 2A teams ever. No matter how strong Hill City was, I don’t know if anyone could have won. Teams have to play well and not have to face a historically great team that year. Secondly, it’s not always the coach’s best team that wins. Linn said he didn’t think Smith Center even had the most talent at this year’s tournament, it just had the most heart. Linn has probably had more talented teams, possibly even last year’s 22-1 squad. But he won it this year.

I also am reminded of a line from University of Kentucky coach John Calipari after he won his first title last spring after a long career. Calipari said he can now “just coach” the rest of his career. That’s true. No longer will Linn have “Well, he hasn’t won a state title yet…” question. Here is hoping Hays

High baseball/Hays Larks coach Frank Leo will lose that label next.

2. Every year, especially the last two, I find it utterly baffling how some teams reach the state tournament. I know a lot of people like the sub-state approach — win two or three games and you reach state — but something has got to change. Both Oswego boys and Sedan girls were unimpressive at state. Probably would have been mid-pack teams in the Mid-Continent League. As well, I don’t know how the “curtailing travel” argument affects sub-states. The Class 2A Plainville sub-state stretched from Mankato to Oakley, more than 150 miles. Palco and Weskan, three hours apart, are in the same league. At least two girls’ teams from the Plainville sub-state, Smith Center and Ellis, would have finished top four at state. At least three

THE CLOSER

conor

NICHOLL

ACIDIZING

teams, maybe four or five on the boys’ side at Plainville could have competed at state.

I wish KSHSAA would set sub-states after Christmas to get a feel for how teams are going to be to allow more high-quality teams to reach state. Then, you can better split the sub-states (i.e.

Smith Center and Ellis girls would be in different ones).

3. One of the undercurrents to state week was whether Kansas would adopt a view that several schools, including Missouri, use. Missouri’s “state” is just the Final Four and is always held at one site. Of course, Kansas’ “state” is eight teams at multiple sites.

If some of the sites are losing money as some are rumored to be, how long before something changes? I know I am in the minority here, but K-State is way, way too large to host state. If the state wants to stay with the multiple model, I would want nothing bigger than 8,000-10,000 seating for any venue. That way the noise doesn’t get drowned out.

CEMENT

GABI SPRESSER

Hoxie High School junior Spresser helped guide Hoxie to its second straight Class 1A Division I state championship earlier this month at Emporia’s White Auditorium.

Spresser got Hoxie started by scoring 18 points in the first-round game against South Haven, then scored nine points in the semifinals.

She then made four key 3-pointers in scoring 12 points as the Indians finished the season 26-0.

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