Sterling Cub Reporter: Oct. 27, 2015 (Extra Edition)

Extra!

Oct. 27, 2015

State bound

(Photo by Morgan Anderson) Members of the Sterling High School volleyball team show off their Sub-State Championship trophy after taking the title at Southwestern Heights High School in Kismet, defeating Lakin 2-0 in the final match of the tournament.

By winning the Sub-State Tournament, the Lady Black Bears punched their ticket to the State Volleyball Tournament in Emporia, starting on Friday.

SHS volleyball makes State Tourney for first time in school history

T

KYLAH COMLEY Cub Reporter

he Sterling High School volleyball team, despite their 20-16 record, overcame the seven-loss record of Lakin High School to secure its first State trip in SHS history.

“The experience of going to State itself is so exciting,” Head Coach Sheri Bennett said. “Having gone as a coach,

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I know that this is something that I will never forget.”

The bus traveled the three hour trip to Kismet early last Saturday morning.

“On the way there we kept to ourselves and got ourselves focused,” senior Holly Davis said. “On the way home was a different story.”

After defeating the host school, the Bears faced the 22-14 Chaparral Roadrunners, finishing the match in

two sets.

“A lot of the energy from our Chaparral win shifted into the championship match,” senior Emma Lambert said. “We got really fired up because the girls were cocky and we wanted to prove them wrong.”

Their momentum carried into the final match, when they faced off See STATE, on page 2 Oct. 27, 2015 • Sterling Cub Reporter • 1

Boys Cross Country team snags State spot LINDSAY GILMORE Cub Reporter

For the first time since 2011, the Sterling High School Boys Cross Country team has qualified all seven members to the State Meet on Saturday.

The team took third out of 10 teams at the Cimarron Regional Meet this past Saturday.

The whole-team berth gives the Runnin’ Bears a chance to win the State Title for the first time since the team’s three-peat in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

“We had our best effort as a team

on Saturday. Norton’s number five runner actually beat our number five, but we put four runners in front of their number three runner,” Head Coach Dan Whisler said. “All of the girls and five of the boys ran a personal best. We ran well when it counted the most.”

Along with the boys traveling to State at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, freshman Zoe Miller also earned her spot to run for a championship, placing 10th at the Cimarron Regional and recording a personal-best time of 21:41.00.

“She really decided that she wanted it,” Whisler said. “We’ve talked to all the team members throughout the

season. There’s a difference between running and racing. Zoe decided on Saturday that she wanted to race.”

Whisler believes these State appearances are just the beginning for the young athletes in the cross country program.

“To get to the State Meet and get experience is irreplaceable. The boys team has four freshman. Zoe is a freshman. We only have two seniors on the team total, and so that means all of the runners at the State Meet will learn a lot. We have good years ahead of us.”

At the championship race, the boys will run at 10:45 a.m., and the girls start their action at 1 p.m.

Sub-State win built on working as family, team Making history.

What does that mean?

Well, for the SHS volleyball team it means going to the state SHERI BENNETT tournament for the first time in 42 years.

Title IX was passed by the federal government in 1972, stating, “Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity.”

Ironically enough, I was a freshman in 1973 when Sterling High School started girls’ athletics. Sports have always been a part of my life. Growing up with three brothers and a dad that coached, it was all I knew. So naturally, I was very excited when they started girls’ athletics. That’s another story in itself!

When I had the opportunity to be

an assistant coach in 1993, never did imagine I might coach for 17 years . . . not in a row but overall. I truly never wanted to be a head coach. I thought I just didn’t have the knowledge.

So when given the opportunity to be the head coach, I went with my motherly instincts, as well as some of the knowledge I learned from my years with Lisa Surface.

My emphasis was on skills, character, having fun and just caring for each other like a family. This year’s team was special in the fact that they are hard working, kind, honest, respectful and caring young women. That carried onto the court. Going into Sub-State at 18-16, I think we might have been overlooked a little.

I said early in the season, “I hope we go west,” and we went way west.

Western Kansas schools don’t seem to play the competition we do. A lot of our losses came from ranked teams in 2A, 3A and some 4A schools. I kept telling my girls that no one at sub-State, other than Larned, plays the teams we do. The CKL is a tough league, but it makes us better.

We had two good practices Wednesday and Thursday. I stressed to the girls that this was it. They had nothing to lose. We control what we do on our side of the net with what the other team gives us. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, we play our game.

So, wow! Saturday the girls were doing things I’d never seen them do before: playing balls we haven’t gotten to all year; making plays I knew they were capable of and just not giving up.

I think we were only behind one time in one set. We always had the lead. Saturday was all about mental toughness and heart, along with an awesome crowd cheering us on.

Making history is about 24 players, four managers and three coaches working as a family and a team.

That is what is taking us to State.

Those that have experienced State competition either as a player or a coach know what I mean when I say, “You will never forget this, and it will stay with you forever . . . history.”

And finally, we get a State banner on the wall of OSAC!

From STATE, on page 1

(Photo by Morgan Anderson)

against the one-seed Lakin Broncs.

“We had 10 minutes to rest before we had to play Lakin,” sophomore Raegan Mantz said. “I just kept thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, we are one match away from State. Let’s do this.’”

The Lady Bears succeeded at SubState, partly thanks to the level of competition during the regular season.

“It prepares us both mentally and physically for Sub-State,” junior Kadie Smith said.

The squad will head to Emporia on Saturday in search of a State title.

“God has blessed me with such a great group of girls to be able to experience this dream come true with,” senior Sarah Stallings said. “I know we are ready, and I wouldn’t want to take on State with anyone else.”

Sterling senior Sydney Wilson flies above the net to spike the ball down on a Southwestern Heights defender. Sterling defeated the Mustangs and all other competitors last Saturday to win the Sub-State Tournament and earn a berth into State, which will be held Friday and Saturday in Emporia. This is the first time in Sterling High School history the volleyball team has made it to State.

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Oct. 27, 2015 • Sterling Cub Reporter • 2