WICHITA — The Halstead High School track team didn't have many athletes in the Class 3A state track meet, but made the most of its very small contingent.?The Halstead girls had just one athlete at state who will come away with two medals. Sophomore Jena Black finished fourth in the javelin at 125-9 and fifth in the discus in 110-8.?Matthew Rodenberg, the sole athlete for the Halstead boys, placed third in the triple jump in 43-8 3/4 to claim a medal. He finished seventh...

WICHITA — Newton junior Cory Martens jumped out to an early lead in the discus, but an early throw by Willie Morrison of Leavenworth and a late throw by Cade Sharp of Hays, kept Martens from a state title.?Martens finished third at 161-9, the first of his six attempts in the compeition. Morrison won it with his second attempt at 163-9 and bettered it on his third at 166-5. Sharp moved into second on his sixth throw at 165-5.?"(Sharp) came to throw on his last throw,...

WICHITA — The Hesston High School track team opened Class 4A state track competition Friday at Cessna Stadium with a pair of medals.?Ryan Schadler placed fourth in the boys' long jump at 21-10.?Schadler reached the finals of the 200-meter dash, finishing fifth in the prelims in 23.19.?The first medal for the Hesston girls went to Hannah Schmitt, who tied for eighth at 5-0.?Drew Hageman finished ninth in the 3,200-meter run in 10:25.25.?John Birch finished 12th in the...

WICHITA — A pair of Moundridge freshmen set the bar for the remainder of their track careers after a 2-3 finish in the Class 2A girls' high jump Friday at Cessna Stadium.?Rylie Dyck finished second and Ashley Holler finished third. Both finished with best jumps of 5-2 in a four-way tie at the top spot. The finish was settled by tie-breaker.?"I was very nervous," Holler said. "It was very scary. Once I started, it was just like any other track...

WICHITA — The Goessel Bluebird boys and Burrton Charger boys each claimed a medal after the first day of competition at the Class 1A state track championships at Cessna Stadium in Wichita.?The Goessel boys claimed a medal when senior Davis Cook took fourth in the triple jump in 42-2 1/4. Teammate Heath Goertzen finished 14th in 39-2 1/4.?In the 100-meter high hurdle prelims, Goessel's Tia Goertzen finished third in her heat and sixth overall in 16.97 to move to the...

INDIANAPOLIS — Katherine Legge didn't know she'd have a shot at the Indianapolis 500 until it was time to qualify, when Schmidt Peterson Motorsports decided to put her in its second car at the last second. Pippa Mann chatted with tire makers, dropped in on the folks from the television networks and even tried to get cozy with engine maker Honda in the hopes of landing a ride. Both of them have overcome long odds to join Ana Beatriz and Simona de Silvestro in Sunday's 33-car...

 

Fresh off a KCAC title and a national tournament berth, Bethel College tennis coach Lonnie Isaac bolstered his lineup for next season by signing Hesston High grad Rachel Shogren to a letter of intent.?Shogren is a four-year letterwinner and two-time state medalist at Hesston High School. She is the sister of current BC player Steph Shogren.?Rachel Shogren won three Central Kansas League team titles with the Swathers. She was CKL champion at second doubles as a sophomore,...

Bethel College golf coach Gregg Dick signed Jaden Schmidt of Moundridge to a letter of intent to play for the Threshers beginning this fall.?Schmidt attended Moundridge High School, which does not field a golf team. He did play baseball and basketball for the Wildcats.?"I am very excited Jaden has chosen to play golf at Bethel College next year," Dick said. "Jaden will be a great addition to the team, as well as to the Bethel Community. Jaden participated...

 Lauren AndersonSenior?Second-year qualifier?Medals won — 1st 4x100-m. relay (2012).?Events — 100-m. dash (best time 12.7), 200-m. dash (27.06), 4x100-m. relay (50.7).Andrea BaronSenior?Fourth-year qualifier?Medals won — 8th 300-m. LH (2010), 6th 300-m. LH (2011), 5th 100-m. HH (2012).?Events — 100-m. HH (15.8).Lauren Duerksen

HESSTON — Hesston College signed Sydni Carter of Muskogee, Okla., to play basketball and soccer for the Larks.?Also signed for women's soccer was Dusti Diener of Harrisonville, Mo.?Carter played for Muskogee High School.?She was a midfielder and defender in soccer. In basketball, she was the starting center, averaging 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds a game as a senior. The basketball team finished the season ranked second in the state.?"I’m excited to have Sydni join...

Hesston College?names top athletesHESSTON — Hayley Gately of Roseville, Calif., and Jacob Landis of Sterling, Ill., were named Hesston College athletes of the year at the annual HC athletic banquet.?Gately is a member of the HC softball team, where she earned all-region honors. She is the team's all-time leader in home runs, doubles, triples, runs scored and RBIs.?“Hayley made countless contributions to our program and the broader Hesston...

HESSTON — Hesston College softball coach Andrew Sharp signed Tihani Palomares of Mililani, Hawaii, Whitney Bilbao of Elko, Nev., and Tricia Ogle of Elko, Nev., to a letter of intent to play for the Larks beginning this fall.?Palomares is an infielder and pitcher for Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Hawaii, where she served as a team captain as a senior. She was named to the New City Nissan Goodwill Classic, an all-star game for players from the island of...

Bethel College women's basketball coach Mark Fox looks to bolster his numbers by signing two players to letters of intent for the 2013-14 season.?Players signed include MeKale Chapple of Jones, Okla., and Mackenzie Hammond of Rose Hill, a transfer from Butler Community College.?Chappel is a 5-foot-11 guard-forward from Millwood High School, where she helped lead the team to a state title in 2012 and state runner-up spots in 2009 and 2011. She was an alternate to the...

TOPEKA — The Newton High School girls' swimming team needed a surge in the final three meets of the Class 5-4-3-2-1A State Swimming and Diving Championships to stay in the top 10.?Newton, aided by a fourth-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay, Newton moved into eighth place.?Blue Valley Southwest won the team title with 326 points, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas at 234 and Wichita Trinity Academy at 183. Newton scored 105 points.?The Railers were fourth among...

SALINA — The Newton High School girls' track team barely survived a challenge from Valley Center to claim the title of the Class 5A regionals Friday at Salina District Stadium. On the last event for the girls, the 4x400-meter relay, Newton could clinch the meet by finishing no worse than one spot behind Valley Center. The Hornets took fourth and the Railers were fifth, preserving the regional title. Newton scored 113 points, followed by Valley Center with 112, Salina Central with 87 and Hays...

SALINA — It was a tight race for most of the afternoon at the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League Division I Girls' Swimming and Diving Championships Saturday at the Salina South pool, but in the last five events, the Newton Railers were able to pull away for a comfortable win. Newton downed Salina South 318-267 for the team title. Salina Central was third at 249, followed by Hutchinson at 199, Derby at 123, Campus at 76 and Maize at 49. Newton and South captured titles in four events each.

Katrina GerbrandSenior Fourth-year qualifier State medals won — 5th 200-yd. individual medley (2010), 7th 200-yd. freestyle relay (2010), 5th 100-yd. backstroke (2010), 3rd 400-yd. freestyle relay (2010), 5th 200-yd. medley relay (2011), 4th 200-yd. individual medley (2011), 6th 200-yd. backstroke (2011), 4th 400-yd. freestyle relay (2011), 4th 200-yd. medley relay (2012), 8th 200-yd. individual medley (2012), 8th 100-yd. backstroke (2012), 3rd 400-yd. freestyle relay (2012). Events...

ANDOVER — The Newton High School girls' soccer team suffered its fair share of close losses. The Railers racked up their sixth one-goal loss of the year Tuesday, falling to Andover Central 1-0 in the semifinals of the Class 5A regionals at Andover District Stadium. The Jaguars improve to 9-4-4 and face Bishop Carroll Thursday in the regional finals. Newton finishes the season 6-9-2. Central wins the season series on aggregate 2-0. Scoring details were not reported at press...

GREAT BEND — The Newton High School baseball team showed glimpses of the season it was hoping to have this season. A couple key hits by Goddard Eisenhower denied the Railers a berth in the state tournament as Newton fell 6-2 Tuesday in the finals of the Class 5A regionals at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Newton had its most complete game in the semifinals, upending second-seeded Great Bend 11-1. Eisenhower, 10-11, advances to the state tournament, which begins Feb. 23 at Eck Stadium in...