Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week three of the spring sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

MEADE RUTHERFORD, SENIOR, BASEBALL

Louisburg senior Meade Rutherford made big contributions on the mound and at the plate for the Wildcat baseball team last week. On April 8 against Spring Hill, Rutherford took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and helped the Wildcats to win a over the Broncos. He pitched six innings and gave up just two hits and struck out five.

On April 10 at Wellsville, Rutherford had a big day with a bat as he hit two home runs to lead the Wildcats to a sweep of the Eagles. On the week, Rutherford finished with three hits — two home runs and a double — to go along with 5 RBIs.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners

Week 1: Luke Schultz

Week 2: Faith Sewell

WELLSVILLE — The Louisburg baseball team ventured to Wellsville for a doubleheader that ended up turning into a home run derby.

Louisburg cranked seven home runs in the two games, including six in the second game alone, as the Wildcats cruised to a 14-1 and 18-2 victory on April 10 in Wellsville.

It was a dominant offensive showing for the Wildcats as they combined for 28 hits in the two games. They now own a 7-game winning streak and are 9-1 on the year.

“The guys saw the ball well and put a good swing on it most of the night,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “It is always great to leave with a sweep. They really fed off each other’s energy and success and did a great job of staying locked in all night.”

Louisburg senior Meade Rutherford had a big night with two home runs — one in each game — to go along with 5 RBIs and a double.

In the opener, Max Amren tallied three hits to lead the Wildcat offense to go along with 2 RBIs. Luke Schultz, Danny Napier, Bristol Barbour also had two hits, while Schultz had two runs batted in.

Napier, Barbour, Evan Moreland and Rylan Carty each had an RBI of their own. Louisburg used a 7-run third inning to take a 13-0 lead and ended the game after five innings.

Senior Alex Saad was dominant on the mound for the Wildcats as he earned the compete game victory with 11 strikeouts and gave up just four hits.

Barbour did much of the same in the second game. The Louisburg junior got the victory with seven strikeouts and gave up just one run.

“Alex and Bristol both threw really well all night,” Larson said. “They did a great job of throwing strikes and mixing pitches to keep them off balance. It was a great outing by the entire team.”

The Wildcat bats certainly did their part with six home runs in the contest. Moreland, Napier, Carty, Carter Willey, Rutherford and Barbour all had balls leave the yard.

Barbour and Napier provided the Wildcats with a bulk of the offense as they each had three hits to go along with 5 and 4 RBIs, respectively.

Louisburg will try and keep its winning streak going as the Wildcats host Bonner Springs for a doubleheader on April 15. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. at Lewis-Young Park.

SPRING HILL — The Louisburg baseball team got a chance to avenge its lone loss of the season Tuesday against Spring Hill and the Wildcats took full advantage.

Louisburg scored nine runs in the fifth inning, and got a strong start from Meade Rutherford, as the Wildcats cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Broncos at Spring Hill High School. 

“The guys played really well overall,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “They were ready to play Spring Hill again after we lost to them the first time. We knew we didn’t play our best game the first time around, and showed up ready to roll his time.”

Rutherford set the tone early for the Wildcats as he shut down a talented Spring Hill lineup. The Louisburg senior didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning.

Overall, Rutherford went six innings allowed two hits, no runs and had five strikeouts.

“Meade competed his butt off on the mound,” Larson said. “He was all around the strike zone and did a great job pitching to contact to let his defense work.”

Rutherford’s performance gave the Wildcat bats a chance to heat up and they did so with big fifth inning. In a scoreless game in the top of the fifth, Louisburg racked up nine runs  and got a lot of those with two outs.

Senior Rylan Carty provided the Wildcats with a nice start as he opened the inning with a 2-run home run and he ended the scoring with an RBI double in the same inning.

The Wildcats (7-1) got a lot of important hits in-between as well. 

Louisburg worked four consecutive walks after Carty’s home run. Max Amren and Luke Schultz both scored on wild pitches.

Senior Carter Willey broke the game open with a bases loaded double that plated all three runners. Junior Christian Owens then reached on an error that allowed Willey to score.

“That fifth inning was huge for us,” Larson said. “We had two outs and just kept finding a way to keep the line moving. Rylan did a great job getting good pitches to hit and he hit them well when we needed it.”

Louisburg will try and keep its winning ways going as it travels to Wellsville today for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

The Louisburg baseball team couldn’t have asked for much better start to its season and it continued Thursday at home against Ottawa.

The Cyclones, who are perennially one of the tougher teams in the Frontier League, left Louisburg with a pair of losses — including one in walk-off fashion.

Louisburg scored the winning run on a wild pitch to win, 4-3, in the opener. The Wildcats used that momentum in the second game as it got out to a big lead and held on for a 10-5 victory.

The Wildcats have now won six of their first seven games to start the year.

“It’s always good to leave with a sweep,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “Ottawa is a good team every year and is coached really well. The guys played really well all night and found a way to get the job done.”

Louisburg (6-1) took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on RBI doubles by Carter Willey and Luke Schultz and held a 3-1 lead into the fifth.

Starter Alex Saad pitched well before running into a little trouble in the fifth as the Cyclones scored two in the bottom of the inning to tie it. Saad pitched five innings and gave up just two earned runs and had two strikeouts.

Junior Evan Moreland came in for relief and pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Moreland got the win thanks to a rally in the bottom of the seventh.

With one out, Meade Rutherford and Bristol Barbour hit back-to-back singles. The Cyclones then intentionally walked Jayce Toms to load the bases.

On the next batter, Ottawa threw a wild pitch, which allowed Rutherford to score the winning run.

“We found ourselves tied and the guys didn’t flinch,” Larson said. “They found a way to win and that’s always great to see. Alex threw really well in game 1 and Evan came in to close the door. They each competed on the mound and challenged Ottawa all night.”

Senior Rylan Carty had a big game with two doubles and a run scored, while Willey also finished with two hits.

In the nightcap, the Wildcats jumped out to a 7-2 lead after five innings thanks to a big game from Schultz, who finished the game with three doubles and 3 RBIs. Carty also had two hits and 2 RBIs.

Willey added three more runs batted in, while Toms had two hits, including a double, to go along with an RBI.

The Cyclones tried to rally in the fifth inning as they had the bases loaded and no outs, but got a highlight reel play in left field from Willey.

The Louisburg senior made a running catch on a fly ball, spun, and threw home to get the tagging runner for a double play to steal all of the Cyclones’ momentum.

“Luke and Rylan hit the ball well,” Larson said. “They each had some big time at bats that got us going early. The defense stepped up when needed to. Willey had a huge play in left to keep them at a distance on the scoreboard. Having bases loaded and no outs, to now having two outs and no runs scored, was a game changer for us and got us the momentum back.”

Bristol Barbour and Max Amren combined to throw nearly six innings and gave up four runs between the two of them, while Barbour had four strikeouts. Peyton Simpson pitched the final inning with two strikeouts.

Louisburg will try and avenge its only loss of the season tonight as the Wildcats travel to Spring Hill for a single game. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m.

After suffering its first loss of the week season last week against Spring Hill, the Louisburg baseball team bounced back nicely with a pair of road victories. 

The latest came Tuesday when the Wildcats traveled to Baldwin and earned an 18-1 Frontier League victory in three innings. On Monday at Santa Fe trail, Louisburg overcame a few mistakes and held on for a 12-8 victory.

“We swung it well in both games,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We had some issues defensively against Santa Fe Trail, but did a great job responding the next day against Baldwin. We cleaned those mistakes up and played really well.”

Louisburg jumped on Baldwin early with an 11-run second inning and never looked back in the 17-run victory.

Senior Carter Willey and junior Danny Napier each hit a 2-run home run to lead the Wildcats’ attack. Napier also tallied a team-high 4 RBIs. 

Seniors Jayce Toms and Luke Schultz each paced the Wildcats with three hits and 3 RBIs. Toms, Rylan Carty and Max Amren also doubled for Louisburg.

Meade Rutherford started for the Wildcats and got the victory. Rutherford pitched three innings and allowed just one unearned run and had five strikeouts.

The Wildcats (4-1) also racked up the runs Monday at Santa Fe Trail as they tallied 12 runs on 13 hits. Louisburg took a 12-4 lead going into the bottom of the fifth before the Chargers put together a late rally.

Rutherford and Amren each led the Wildcats with three hits and a double on the night, while Rutherford finished with 4 RBIs. Schultz added two hits and 3 RBIs, while Toms had two hits and 2 RBIs. Junior Bristol Barbour had two hits and an RBI.

Senior Christian Owens got the victory for Louisburg as he struck out five over four innings and gave up four runs — all of which were unearned. 

Peyton Simpson and Tanner Simpson combined for three innings of work to preserve the win for Louisburg.

Louisburg will try for a pair of wins Thursday when it hosts Ottawa in a Frontier League doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Wildcats fall in home opener to Spring Hill

Last Thursday, Louisburg hosted Spring Hill in its home debut at Lewis-Young Park, and the Wildcats had a hard time getting anything going against the Broncos.

Spring Hill took advantage of five Louisburg errors and handed the Wildcats an 11-5 loss.

“We have some things to clean up defensively,” Larson said. “We showed some great fight and never gave up. We will have to make some adjustments and continue getting better to be where we need to be by the end of the season.”

Spring Hill scored two runs in the second, four in the third and three more in the fourth to take a 9-2 lead after four innings. 

Schultz had a double and 2 RBIs to lead the Wildcat offense, while Toms and Rutherford each had a run batted in. 

Walks also hurt the Wildcats along with their errors. They issued 12 free passes on the night, which led to several Spring Hill runs.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week one of the spring sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.

LUKE SCHULTZ, SENIOR, BASEBALL

It didn’t take long for the bat of Louisburg senior Luke Schultz to heat up. In the Wildcats’ season opener last week at Harrisonville, Schultz was big reason for the Wildcats’ opening sweep. Schultz finished the day with five hits, including three doubles, a home run and 6 RBIs in the two victories.

Two days later in a loss against Spring Hill, Schultz continued his dominance at the plate with a 2-run double. In all, he finished his week with six hits, 8 RBIs, four doubles and a home run to begin his 2025 season.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — It was a perfect start for the Louisburg baseball team Tuesday in Harrisonville — albeit a sweaty one.

The Wildcats swept Harrisonville in a pair of 7-6 victories in their season opener and did so by winning in different ways. Louisburg rallied from a 4-run deficit in game one, and held off a late Harrisonville rally in the nightcap to earn the sweep. 

“It is always great to leave the field with a sweep,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We had some positives and some things that we need to clean up to take a step in the right direction for (today’s) game.”

Harrisonville took advantage of some opportunities in the opener as it forced Louisburg starter Alex Saad out of the game early. Harrisonville scored all six of their runs in less than three innings.

The Wildcats got good pitching from their bullpen, namely Evan Moreland. The Lousiburg junior pitched the final 4 and 2/3 innings and didn’t give up a hit. He also struck out seven and walked just one. 

“Evan threw really well for us,” Larson said,. “He did a great job of coming in and throwing a ton of strikes. He kept them off balance really well.”

Moreland’s performance allowed the Wildcat bats to play catch-up and they did that with a run in the fifth and sixth innings, and followed it up with three runs in the seventh to take the 7-6 lead.

Senior Meade Rutherford led the seventh inning off with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch. Moreland singled home Jayce Toms and then Ayden Spradling scored on a wild ptich to give the Wildcats the lead for good.

“We got down 6-2 and the guys didn’t flinch,” Larson said. “They knew what they needed to do and kept chipping away to get back in the game.”

Another senior, Luke Schultz, was big at the plate in both games for the Wildcats. Schultz had three hits in the opener, including a double and a home run, and had 3 RBIs.

In the second game, Schultz came through again with two more doubles and 3 RBIs to help get the Wildcats out to a lead.

“Luke saw the ball well all night and really came up clutch when we needed him to,” Larson said. 

Junior Danny Napier, who caught both games for the Wildcats, had a single and an RBI, and walked twice. Toms also had an RBI single for Louisburg as the Wildcats built a 5-3 lead after four innings.

Rutherford started the game for Louisburg and gave up just one earned run in three innings and struck out six. Christian Owens came in for relief and pitched three innings and struck out seven.

With the Wildcats holding a one run lead in the bottom of the seventh, Max Amren pitched a scoreless final inning with a strikeout. 

“Christian and Meade threw really well for us in game two,” Larson said. “Both gave us some great innings on the mound.”

Louisburg will try and make it three straight wins as it hosts Spring Hill in its home opener. It is a single game and first pitch is set for approximately 6:15 p.m., at Lewis-Young Park.

The loss was a difficult one to take for the Louisburg baseball team.

Despite having an historic season a year ago that resulted in the Wildcats’ first league title in 22 years and first state appearance in 15 years, Louisburg suffered a close loss to rival Paola in the first round of the state tournament.

As disappointing as the loss was, the Wildcats are hungrier than ever to get back to state for the 2025 season.

“I think confidence is high going into this season, but we all know we have to show up and play tough every game,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “The momentum from last season can definitely carry into this one and the guys have been practicing like they’re ready to build off of last season.”

Louisburg did lose a few key pieces from that historic 2024 team, especially on the offensive side, but the Wildcats return a bulk of their pitching staff that hopes to take another step forward.

Leading the way will be seniors Alex Saad and Meade Rutherford, who were both all-league players from a season ago. 

Saad also earned second team honors as the Wildcats’ No. 1 pitcher. He led the Wildcats with 45 strikeouts and had a 4.20 ERA. Saad also had seven wins on the season, which was the third most in Louisburg history.

Offensively, the Wildcats return two first team all-league selections in senior Luke Schultz and junior Danny Napier. 

As for Rutherford, he was the Wildcats’ No. 2 starter and had a successful season on the mound. He tallied 26 strikeouts on the season with a 4.51 ERA in six starts.

“We lost some really good players to graduation last year, but we bring back some great players, as well,” Larson said. “We have a majority of our pitching staff returning and some key bats. We will definitely have a few spots to fill, but I think we have a great group to step into those roles. We have five starters returning and three more that have had quite a bit of varsity experience. Alex and Meade were our leaders on the mound last year and they look to do so again.”

Joining them on the mound will be senior Jayce Toms and junior Bristol Barbour, who both have varsity pitching experience. Juniors Christian Owens, Evan Moreland and Ayden Spradling will also join the Louisburg staff.

Napier, who was the first team selection at catcher, will continue to work with the Wildcat pitching staff in his third year as a varsity starter.

He was behind the plate for all 26 games and was the workhorse behind the Louisburg pitching staff that recorded a program record 172 strikeouts.

He also provided the Wildcats with a big bat in the middle of the lineup. Napier had a .367 average, to go along with 29 hits, 12 doubles and two home runs. He also finished with 26 RBIs.

As for Schultz, who earned first team infield for his work at third base and with his bat. He had five home runs, a .381 average, 32 hits, 26 RBIs, and 32 runs scored.

Barbour and Rutherford both also had big hits at different points throughout the season and Barbour is a returning all-league player at shortstop. 

“Danny and Luke will be some big bats returning for us this season,” Larson said. “Meade had some really clutch hits for us down the stretch last year, as well. I think we have a chance to be solid at the plate but might have to find new ways to produce runs compared to last year.”

Schultz, Barbour, Saad, along with seniors Rylan Carty, Carter Willey and Moreland will all compete for time in the infield. 

Rutherford, Willey, Owens, Spradling and Max Amren will all be battling for a spot in the outfield. 

Louisburg opens its season Tuesday when it travels to Harrisonville for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m., as the Wildcats begin another run at a state tournament. 

“This group has some high expectations coming off a great season last year,” Larson said. “We will take it one game at a time and do everything we can to win every time we step on the field.”

Baseball has been a part of Meade Rutherford’s life for as long as he can remember and he isn’t ready for it to be over any time soon.

The Louisburg High School senior has always wanted to play in college and it was all about finding the right fit. 

Rutherford found it in Rockhurst University as he officially signed his letter of intent last November to join the Division II program.

“It meant the world to me knowing that all the hard work and effort put in by me, my parents, and my coaches payed off,” Rutherford said. “Playing college baseball was my No. 1 goal and I’m glad I could meet it.”

Rutherford, who was an honorable mention All-Frontier League player last season as a junior, helped the Wildcats both on the mound and in the field. It is that aspect that was important to him as he moved onto the college stage.

Rockhurst is providing him the opportunity to do both and it was one of the many reasons why he decided to join the Hawks program.

“Rockhurst is the perfect school because it checks off a lot of boxes,” Rutherford said. “It’s close to home, it has a nice campus, and has reputable baseball program. 

“Rockhurst is giving me a 2-way opportunity, which is exactly what I was looking for in a home. I’m going to work as hard as I can to earn a spot on the field as soon as possible whether that’s pitching, or hitting/outfield.”

The history of the program was also something that stuck out to Rutherford as he will play under coach Gary Burns, who has been at the school for 30 years, and has guided the Hawks to 16 postseason appearances. 

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know the coaches at Rockhurst,” Rutherford said. “Coach Burns has led the program for 30 years now and I’m excited to learn a lot. The team had quite the gain in wins last year and I’m looking forward to contributing to that success.”

Rutherford and the Wildcats had a lot of success of their own last season as they won the program’s first regional title in 15 years and earned a spot at the state tournament.

He played a big part in that role as he was the team’s No. 2 starter as Rutherford earned the win in the regional championship game against Wamego. He, and the rest of the Wildcats, are hoping for even more success in his final season.

“Louisburg had a historical season last year, and it was awesome to be apart of it,” Rutherford said. “I think that with the coaches and players we have, we could make another deep run this year.

“I’ve played baseball my whole life. The journey has been unforgettable with the traveling, the memories, the teammates, and the coaches. It also included overcoming adversity, which is what baseball is all about.”

It was a successful, and eventful, year for Louisburg High School athletics and for those who are connected to the Wildcat program. 

This past year created a lot of school history for LHS and a few programs made their way to state competition. 

Below are the top stories from 2024, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the writeup is the link to the actual story from the event.

When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site.

This year was a blast to cover and I am looking forward to seeing what 2025 will bring. Thank you to everyone for their support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.

10. Coaching Changes: Willer steps down from LHS volleyball, Roquemore takes over girls soccer

Louisburg volleyball and girls soccer saw some big changes in their respective programs. 

Over the summer, Jordan Roquemore was hired as the head coach for the Wildcat girls soccer program after spending several years as an assistant. 

He became the third head coach in the history of Louisburg girls soccer. He replaced former coach Ben York, who coached the Wildcats the last two seasons.

“I feel tremendously honored to take over as head coach,” Roquemore said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to take over an exceptional program with a great group of athletes, supportive parents and invested community members. I don’t take the responsibility lightly, but I am also really excited.”

On the volleyball side, head coach Leanna Willer submitted her resignation in early December.

Willer has spent eight seasons with the Wildcat program, including the last four as head coach. She accepted a new position as head coach at Olathe East.

“This decision is bittersweet, but deep down I know that this is the best decision for me and my life,” Willer said in an email to parents. “The team will move on, and I feel lucky that I could play a small part in the long-standing traditions of the program. To the alumni and class of 2024, I thank you for your commitment to this team and to this program, and for making my time at Louisburg unforgettable. To our younger players, I am sorry for not seeing your journeys all the way through, but please know that you have my unwavering support and I cannot wait to see what you all can accomplish with the time you have left as Louisburg Wildcats.”

9. Brueggen wins state swim medal

For the third straight season, Sabra Brueggen left the Class 5-1A state swim meet with some hardware.

The Louisburg junior showed why she is among the state’s best as she earned a fourth place medal in the 200-yard individual medley — her first ever state medal in that event — Saturday at the Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center.

The 2-day meet provided a lot of ups, and some downs, for the Louisburg swim program, but for Brueggen it was nice to return to the medal stand.

“I was very happy and content with my 200 IM swims last weekend,” Brueggen said. “Not only did I set a new personal best time, but I also walked away with fourth place in an event that is not one of my primaries.”

Janie Harth, Ella Bockelman and Cadence Weichert also joined Brueggen at the state meet as they qualified for the consolation finals in the 200 medley relay 400 freestyle relay.

8. Dixon achieves pro volleyball dream

It was setting up to be an epic finish to Anna Dixon’s collegiate volleyball career.

Dixon, as a graduate transfer, made the move to the University of Florida for her final season and quickly made an impact on the Gators’ roster.

Despite have to learn a new position due to an injury on the team, Dixon seemed to flourish. She helped the Gators out to a quick start and everything was going according to plan.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

Dixon suffered a season-ending elbow injury that put a premature end to her collegiate career. It was a devastating blow.

However, instead of sulking, Dixon worked that much harder to get back to the court and achieve her ultimate goal — playing professional volleyball. 

All that hard work finally came to fruition back in July when Dixon, a 2019 Louisburg High School graduate, signed with the Atlanta Vibe, which is a part of the Pro Volleyball Federation.

“I am super excited to compete at the highest level, but also to be able to do that here in the US,” Dixon said. “It has been a dream of mine to be able to play professionally, in front of club girls who are in the same shoes that I was in many years ago. I am excited to give them the opportunity to have something to look forward to and work toward. Blessed for the opportunity and ready to get to work.”

7. Cheer takes third at state

TOPEKA — The Louisburg High School cheerleading squad is no stranger to the finals of the Class 4A Game Day competition. 

Heading into the Nov. 23 showcase in Topeka, the Wildcats have made the final round in each of the last five seasons. Louisburg had no problem making it a sixth straight, and for the fifth time in six years, they came home with a state plaque.

Louisburg finished third in the state competition as it edged out Baldwin for the top three spot in Class 4A.

“Bringing home another trophy from the Game Day Cheer competition was a testament to our team’s hard work, dedication, and growth throughout the season,” Louisburg cheer coach Breanna Kostroske said. “It means so much to us because it reflects their skill, their heart, and spirit—three things we emphasize daily. For our athletes, it symbolizes their resilience and the countless hours they’ve spent perfecting their routines. 

“As coaches, we are incredibly proud of their overall performance. They left it all on the floor, and while there is always room for improvement, they gave a performance that showcased their teamwork, precision, and energy.”

6. Moore medals at state wrestling

SALINA — Louisburg has been no stranger to the medal stand at the Class 4A state wrestling tournament and it was the case again back in February in Salina.

Louisburg junior Ashton Moore reached the semifinals at 190 pounds on the first day to secure himself a medal, and then finished fourth overall on the tournament’s final day.

Moore had several close matches throughout the 3-day tournament at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center and was challenged each day. 

“I thought I wrestled some of my best matches of the season and it felt great to have it pay off with a medal,” Moore said. “It felt amazing to win those first two matches and know I was guaranteed my medal. Those wins really helped me gain a lot of confidence going forward in the tournament.”

Five other Wildcats made the trip to state, but faced some tough matchups. Juniors Canaan Clayton (113 pounds), Will Showalter (120), Logan Henry (132), Jay McCaskill (157) and senior Traden Noll (150) each finished 0-2 on the first day.

5. Wildcat boys swim makes history earning 5 medals at state

TOPEKA — The Louisburg boys swim program is still relatively new compared to other teams around the state, but the Wildcats made its presence felt back in February at the Class 5-1A state meet in Topeka.

Louisburg had its best postseason finish in its young history as the Wildcats finished eighth overall in the team standings with 104 points thanks in part to just four swimmers.

Two of those athletes — Colin Brown and Andrew Jamison — each brought home individual medals. Brown, Jamison, Colton Prettyman and Noah Sharp also medaled in the 200-yard medley relay.

Brown hit the pool strong as the Wildcat sophomore medaled fourth in the 100-yard butterfly and later finished fifth in the 100 backstroke with personal best times. 

Jamison, another sophomore, earned two medals of his own. He finished fifth in the 200 individual medley and later took sixth in the 100 breaststroke. 

Prettyman reached the consolation finals in the 50 freestyle and took 13th overall with a personal best time. 

4. Wildcat football nearly pulls upset of Miege as successful season comes to early close

The mountain of playing Bishop Miege is always a tough one for public schools to climb, especially when it comes to football.

Miege, which has won seven state titles in the last 10 years, has never lost to a non-private school in the playoffs during that decade long of dominance.

Louisburg wanted to be the first team to hand it that loss as the No. 2 seed Wildcats hosted the No. 15 Stags in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

The Wildcats were so close to that mountaintop, but came up just short as they fell to Miege, 21-14, to end their season with a 7-2 record.

Louisburg was behind 14 points, only to rally and tie the game at halftime. The Wildcats had one final drive to try and tie it again late, but a Miege interception dashed the Wildcats’ hopes of an upset. 

“In this moment, the only word I can come up right now is proud,” Louisburg coach Drew Harding said. “I am so proud of the team. Our biggest emphasis was we had to start fast and we didn’t. They got out to a 14-0 lead, and most times when you play teams like Miege that can snowball and get out of hand quick. Those guys just battled and were able to tie it up at halftime. Then for us to continue to fight and have a chance to tie it at the end — proud is all I can say about them.”

The Wildcats ended their season with back-to-back losses after they won their first seven games of the season. They were in line to win their third straight league title, but lost a close game the week before to Spring Hill that also bumped them off their No. 1 seed line, forcing a matchup with Miege in the first round.

Miege’s streak of state titles came to an end later in the season as the Stags fell to Andover Central in the state championship game.

3. Wildcat girls soccer wins regional championship

For the last two seasons, the Louisburg girls soccer team has seen heartbreak in the Class 4-1A regional championship.

Losses to Topeka-Hayden and Bishop Miege have prevented the Wildcats from that regional title, with their last coming in 2021. 

It is elusive no more.

The No. 1 seed Wildcats shutout No. 8 Maranatha Academy, 2-0, to win the Class 4-1A regional title at Wildcat Stadium. It was a dominating effort from start to finish as the Wildcats improved their record to 13-4-1 on the season.

“This was a preseason goal of ours,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “We fell short last year and we wanted to do as much as we could in the regular season to control our own destiny. The girls put a lot of work in and were focused to get to this game and get a win. They definitely earned this one and it was good to see them enjoy it.”

Louisburg faced a tough matchup in the state quarterfinals as the Wildcats lost to Bishop Miege at home, 7-0.

2. Wildcat baseball earns first regional title in 15 years

The current members of the Louisburg baseball team couldn’t remember the last time the Wildcats made the state tournament even if they tried.

That’s because they were just wee toddlers the last time the Wildcats earned a spot a state — 2009 to be exact. 

These players are going to have a hard time forgetting this one.

For the first time in 15 years, Louisburg is headed back to the state tournament after the Wildcats put together a convincing 10-3 victory over Wamego in the Class 4A regional championship back in May at Lewis-Young Park.

The Wildcats also defeated Parsons, 8-0, in the regional semifinal to put together what was a dominating performance from top to bottom.

“This is just amazing,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “To see how much work these guys have put in, then to come out and get the job done, it is pretty surreal. We had a bunch of guys step up and do exactly what they needed to do. They played great defense, pitched great and everyone in the dug out was into the game. It was a great win.

“It has been awhile and it has been a long time coming. We have had some great teams and this team finally pushed through and got it done.”

In the state tournament, the Wildcats had to battle rival Paola in the first round, but lost in a pitcher’s dual to the Panthers, 3-0.

1. Wildcat sweep pole vault state titles, medal 8 at state

WICHITA — Cooper Wingfield and Maddy Carpenter-Ross found their way atop the medal stand last May at the Class 4A state track meet.

All season, Carpenter-Ross had her eyes set on a second straight state title in the pole vault and she dominated her competition.

Going into the Class 4A state meet at Wichita State, Carpenter-Ross won every competition going away and was ready to do the same against some of the state’s best.

This time, however, it was much harder.

To get this state title, Carpenter-Ross was going to have to have to set a new personal best and break her own school record in the process.

She did it and accomplished that feat on her first try.

With two competitors left at 12 feet, Carpenter-Ross cleared it on her first try as did Holton’s Piper Robinson. Both competitors missed at 12-6, and since they were tied, they decided the winner based on misses at 11-6, where the Louisburg senior got it on her first try.

“It is pretty awesome,” Carpenter-Ross said. “I worked really hard for that and I am so relieved right now. It was a little stressful, but I was in that competitive mindset and I was so happy that I PR’d. Everyone was setting personal records, so I was just like ‘My turn.’”

Wingfield, who was the state runner-up last season, entered the competition at 14 feet. He missed the first two attempts on his opening height, and another miss would not only prevent him from a state title, but a spot on the medal stand.

On the third attempt, the Louisburg junior cleared it with ease and eventually cleared 15 feet on his first attempt, which was the winning height.

“I was really nervous there on that last attempt (at 14 feet),” Wingfield said. “All I needed was a good jump to get in the zone and from there I knew I could jump pretty high. The competition was a lot harder this time around than it was last year. I knew I had to make everything on my first attempt and once I had one good jump, I knew I could do it.”

It had already been a special season in the pole vault for Wingfield, as he earned a league and regional title, and broke the school record.

Other state medalists were Gavin Lohse (third, long jump), Jaymes Melton (seventh, shot put), Ben O’Bryan (seventh, discus), Suzanna Dansel (seventh 100 dash) and Jacob Brown (eighth, pole vault). The girls 4×100 team of Dansel, Kendall Crossley, Emma Vohs and Addi Mallett medaled sixth.