Louisburg Sports Zone will be running senior spotlights through April and May everyday (Monday through Friday) in an effort to honor seniors who had their seasons taken away due to the spread of COVID-19.
For the last two years, Trent Martin has found himself on the biggest stage in Kansas high school track and field and he was ready for a third opportunity.
Martin, a pole vaulter for Louisburg High School, was making sure his final season as a Wildcat was a good one as he had been prepping for one last trip to the state meet. He already had one state medal under his belt, but he was looking for more.
“I was really excited for my last year of vaulting for LHS and I felt like this year was going to be a good year,” Martin said. “I was hoping for my second state medal.”
Instead, Martin won’t ever get that sense of closure. The spring sports season was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19 and his pole vaulting career came to a premature end.
“When I found out the season was canceled, I was pretty upset,” Martin said. “It was my last year to do the sport I love.”
Pole vaulting has been a big part of Martin’s life. He has been working on the event since middle school – and not just during the school season – but doing off-season workouts and instructional work in the Kansas City area. It had become a passion of his.
Martin took a big step forward as a sophomore as he medaled eighth at the Class 4A state meet in Wichita and returned as junior. He finished 12th overall in his final trip state.
It is a part of his life Martin is truly going to miss.
“I started pole vaulting in seventh grade,” Martin said. “I just wanted to try pole vault because my dad was a good pole vaulter in high school. I have put a lot of time and effort into this sport throughout the years.”
As for the team itself, the Wildcat boys returned several state qualifiers from a season ago were ready to infuse a lot of young talented athletes to the mix as well. It was all set to be a special year.
Louisburg senior Trent Martin was a two-time state qualifier for the Wildcat track team.
Even though the 2020 season won’t happen, Martin still has plenty of good memories to fill the tough times.
“I think the boys team would have done great things this year,” Martin said. “I think my favorite moment from track was placing at state my sophomore year because it was a big accomplishment for me. It showed that all my hard work had paid off.”
Other than track, Louisburg Sports Zone also had a chance to catch up with Trent on how he has been coping with an early end to his senior year and some of his other interests. Here are his responses from the rest of our Q&A.
LSZ: What have you been missing the most during this time away from everyone?
TM: I have missed having social interactions with my friends, teachers and coaches.
LSZ: What is your most memorable moment as an athlete or in school, and why?
TM: One of the most memorable moments was taking a trip to Wichita for state track with my teammates and friends.
LSZ: What is your favorite activity/hobby outside of sports and why?
TM: Fishing is my main hobby outside of sports, work and school. Fishing is a calming and relaxing activity to do either by yourself or with other people.
LSZ: What are your plans for after graduation?
TM: I am attending Pittsburg State University to major in Business Marketing
LSZ: What accomplishments that don’t involve athletics are you most proud of and why?
TM: One accomplishment was rebuilding the dock on my pond. It was in bad condition and it felt good to do something productive with our time off.
LSZ: What do you think would be something that a lot of people don’t know about you?
TM: Most people know quite a bit about me, but one thing not many people do know is I work at Home Depot.
Trent’s Favorites
Pro athlete: Mondo Duplantis
Pro team: USA Track Team
College team: KU Basketball
Movie: Superbad
TV Show: Tiger King
Song: Graduation by Juice Wrld
Band/Musician: Juice Wrld
Pregame meal/snack: McDonald’s
Class/subject: Coding
Teacher and why: Mr. Holloway – he was a great teacher in middle school and a great principal now.
Michael Pickman (left) was hired as Louisburg High School’s new activities director and assistant principal last week following the USD Board of Education meeting. Current Louisburg AD, Scott Hinkle (right), will move to the middle school to serve in the same capacity starting next school year.
Louisburg High School will have a little different look to its activities department for the 2020-21 school year.
Following the USD 416 Board of Education meeting on April 13, Michael Pickman was hired to serve as the school’s new assistant principal and activities director. Pickman will replace Scott Hinkle, who has been in that position for the last two years.
Hinkle will remain in the district and will move over to the middle school to serve in the same capacity.
“I had known for a while that I wanted to continue my education by getting a second master’s degree, but I didn’t really know which area,” Pickman said. “I talked with current administration and was both inspired and encouraged to explore administrative leadership. This is the job I wanted because it meant staying in Louisburg and continuing to work with the staff and coaches who I know have, can and will achieve great things when it comes to our students and student athletes.
“We are a Louisburg family and I want my daughter in the Louisburg community and school system, so I wouldn’t have done this anywhere else. The atmosphere from district leadership to the building leadership is top notch and I am ready to grow as an educator and work alongside (principal) Jeremy (Holloway) and the administrative staff at the high school and the amazing coaches and support them.”
Pickman has taught English at the high school for the last seven years and has also worked in the Prairie View, West Franklin and Maur Hill Prep school districts.
He has also spent a lot of time in the athletic arena as he has served as the Wildcat boys and girls soccer assistant coach, alongside head coach Kyle Conley, for the last five-plus years.
“It will be tough to give up all aspects of it, but the magic of these soccer programs will be especially difficult,” Pickman said. “Kyle has been an amazing person to coach with and his passion is contagious. Getting to start the girls program with him and the immediate success has been amazing. State finals and big wins and the atmosphere – some don’t ever get to experience that – and lastly the players, both boys and girls who have graduated and those who remain to carry on the greatness are why I said yes to coaching. They make the whole experience amazing and fun.
“So it will be hard, but I would also not have gone anywhere else to do a different job and so I will still be able to support the soccer players and every other student and athlete through my new opportunity and to do so the Wildcat Way.”
As for Hinkle, he spent the last two years as the LHS activities director after coming from Liberal High School. He is excited that his new position at the middle school will allow him to spend more time with family.
“I really enjoyed my time at the high school, even though it was only two years,” Hinkle said. “I am leaving behind a great workplace with a great culture and an unbelievable staff. It was not an easy decision.
“I made the move to the middle school to get back some evenings and weekends. I have been an athletic director for 11 years at the high school level in my career, and I was ready to free up some time. I know I am joining another great staff at LMS, and look forward to the new challenge ahead of me.”
2020 Senior Spotlight: Michael Waldron
Louisburg Sports Zone will be running senior spotlights through April and May everyday (Monday through Friday) in an effort to honor seniors who had their seasons taken away due to the spread of COVID-19.
Fifteen inches.
That is all that stood between Michael Waldron and his first state medal last year at the Class 4A Kansas State Track and Field Championships in Wichita.
Although he was a little frustrated at the time, Waldron recorded a personal-best throw in the javelin and it was a good way to go into his senior season. Not too bad for an event he only had two years of experience in – and one he nearly gave up on.
“I gave up baseball after my freshman year and went back to track, this time I was competing in the discus throw only, until my mom begged me to try javelin,” Waldron said. “I decided to take her up on her offer and I tried it. I was terrible. I barely threw it 60 feet and for two straight weeks I couldn’t figure it out. I told my parents I was done throwing javelin, but my mom insisted I keep trying.
“That next week, everything finally clicked and I threw one just around 100 feet. We were also measuring that day to see who would go to the first varsity meet and coach (Pete) Skakal gave me a chance. So yes, javelin is a huge part of my life at the moment. It has taught me that even when a situation or life seems hopeless and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, you still have to power through and have faith.”
Waldron is using those words, now, more than ever.
Right before the start of his senior track season – that was all set to give him his first state medal – spring sports across Kansas were canceled due to the spread of COVID-19. Seniors everywhere were left speechless and angry, Waldron included.
“It was a slap in the face – a sucker punch,” Waldron said. “At first, I couldn’t believe I wouldn’t have a senior track season, senior prom or graduation day. Just recently, I thought of how there is also no senior skip day or senior prank day and how there was just so many more activities left in this school year. The hardest thing was thinking about how that last day before spring break, might have been the last time I see some of my fellow seniors for the rest of my life. We are all going our separate ways and for some people that is far away from Louisburg.
“My so-called therapy for all this is just hoping that this pandemic comes to an end soon and maybe just maybe some of these events will be rescheduled, we may have a half-season possibly, who knows. The last thing, I can do is just be ready and stay positive, whether that’s staying in shape or throwing my javelin.”
Waldron was one of several returning state qualifiers from a season ago and the Wildcats were not only poised for individual success, but team success as well.
“Personally, I think with the addition of a few freshmen jumpers and sprinters, I think we could have won a league championship this year as a team,” Waldron said. “On top of that, I think we could’ve had at least 15 or more boys qualify for state this year. But with the amount of ‘point-getters’ we had returning this year, I believe we had a chance to win every meet this year. We had some returning state qualifiers and placers from last year ready to rock and roll this year. Adding those guys and the platoon of newcomers this year, I was excited to see where we would compete as a team at league and regionals.”
It has been a busy senior year for Waldron already as he was a starter on the Louisburg football and basketball team and it was a year that featured a lot of highs and lows. Even through all that, he was looking forward to the spring the most.
Louisburg senior Michael Waldron was poised for his state medal this year in the javelin.
“Let’s just say I have always loved all my sports equally but this year, in terms of track, I was ecstatic,” Waldron said. “I have my own javelin, so I would be throwing it and practicing in my backyard even during my other sports seasons as long as the weather was good. I could not hold back my excitement for the season and having new uniforms was even more thrilling. On top of that, 12 of the 16 javelin throwers last year at state were seniors, so I was ready to shine and hopefully make it back to state and take a step on that podium to receive a state medal.”
Waldron’s state medal dream, unfortunately, will stay just that. He still has a lot of good memories to hold on to, and that helps during the difficult times as he prepares to throw in college at the University of Central Missouri.
“My favorite moment would have to be the opportunity to throw at KU relays last season,” he said. “I mean the state track meet and everything that was included with it was memorable, no doubt, but KU relays was just so surreal. I was throwing against the best of the best in all classes in the state, like multi-time state champions and the nation’s leading high school thrower from Manhattan High. I felt like I didn’t belong there and that’s what made it so special to me.
“To add onto that, having the opportunity to see all the collegiate throwers compete was also extremely cool. I went to this week-long KU Track and Field camp in the summer before my junior year and I met a ton of kids my age doing all sorts of different events and those memories and friendships I created there carried over into this meet. Every 15 minutes, I saw one of my friends from camp and getting to watch them compete and seeing them in the crowd when I was competing was just really special and honestly one my favorite parts of the moment.”
Other than track, Louisburg Sports Zone also had a chance to catch up with Michael on how he has been coping with an early end to his senior year and some of his other interests. Here are his responses from the rest of our Q&A.
LSZ: What have you been missing the most during this time away from everyone?
MW: Besides missing track the most, I definitely miss seeing my friends and teachers. Also, not being able to go to the gym, movie theater, or simply leave my house is also a huge bummer. I like having school in session, because not only do I see my friends but I feel like I just understand the material and subject better while learning at school. Online school is definitely weird, mostly because I have never taken an online class, but you are also missing that face to face instruction. I guess, you could say I’m missing the “usual” or everyday life. I just feel out of routine.
LSZ: What is your most memorable moment as an athlete or in school, and why?
MW: I know this isn’t spring sports related, but I want to say my most memorable moment as an athlete would be the 25-7 victory (2018) over Paola on their home football field. Both teams were undefeated and fighting for a league championship. We were able to pull off a win there but it wasn’t that close of a game. Sure, we didn’t score a lot of points but we just dominated. That would be a game and memory I will never forget. As a student, I want to say my most memorable moment would be the Homecoming Day Talent Shows, just remembering all of my classmates up there performing their songs, dances or special talents. But also being able to be up there with my friends my senior year and doing that Mr. LHS pageant was definitely something ingrained into my mind.
LSZ: What is your favorite activity/hobby outside of sports and why?
MW: I think most boys can agree with me on this one, my favorite hobby outside of sports would be just playing video games. It’s even better playing with your friends because then there’s the laughter and the fun that comes with playing the game. It is just a good way to get your mind off of the busyness that surrounds high school athletes and the amount of homework. Now, I only play video games when I have the free time, but it is definitely my favorite hobby.
LSZ: I know you are going to throw at Central Missouri next year, but how tough has it been to kind of stay in throwing shape and have you been able to work on that at all on your own?
MW: Well, being able to go throw at Central Missouri next year is a blessing, but the preparation surprisingly hasn’t been stopped, since I have my own javelin and just about 75 yards of open space in my backyard, I can just throw in my backyard every day. Now, obviously it is different, because not having the instruction that I would have had this track season and not being able to have a coach telling me what I am doing wrong or what I need fix, makes training and preparing a little bit harder. Also, in terms of staying strong and keeping my body in shape, workout equipment is slim at my house which makes workouts difficult to come up with. It’s hard not having a weights class or the local gym open, but I do what I can. The positive is that having some equipment rather than none is good and owning a javelin is great, so I can take this extended time and really perfect some techniques before my first collegiate season.
LSZ: What accomplishments that don’t involve athletics are you most proud of and why?
MW: Well, being on the honor roll and getting good grades every year has always been a thing I work for. My GPA is something I am proud of, but I think there is always room for improvement. Taking the advanced science and math classes throughout high school was definitely challenging and I’m glad I could say I had a 3.8 GPA in classes like physics, AP Biology and AP Calculus. But definitely, being a member of National Honor Society would be my favorite achievement. Lastly, finishing with so many college credits in AP courses and my Accounting classes was my biggest accomplishment, I think, as a student because now I am just more ready for college and the next step in life.
LSZ: What do you think would be something that a lot of people don’t know about you?
MW: Honestly, I don’t think that most people know I was originally born in California. I moved here when I was 3, so like it isn’t that big of a deal. I have been around here for a bit so no one really knows. All of my relatives are out in California, so not having any of them around throughout my life has been weird. Most people I see have their grandparents at sporting events or awards ceremonies but no one has really asked me about my grandparents, so most people may not know that I grew up in Southern California.
Michael’s Favorites
Pro athlete: Well, my all-time favorite would be Kobe Bryant, but my current favorite would be Mike Trout.
Pro team: Kansas City Chiefs
College team: My beloved Kansas State Wildcat Football Team
Movie: Remember the Titans
TV Show: The Office
Song: Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees
Band/Musician: The Bee Gees
Pregame meal/snack: My meal would definitely be a chicken bacon ranch sandwich from anywhere. My snack would be a Nature Valley protein bar with a glass of milk.
Class/subject: Anything history because it comes easy to me.
Teacher and why: Mrs. Lane is definitely my favorite, not only because I have a lot of classes with her, but I just took accounting my junior year not knowing what would become of it. She helped me find what I wanted to major in, I ended up loving accounting and that’s what I want to do with my love and that’s because of her.
Louisburg Sports Zone will be running senior spotlights through April and May everyday (Monday through Friday) in an efforts to honor seniors who had their seasons taken away due to the spread of COVID-19.
Running has been a way of life for Anthony Davis, especially the last two years.
A season ago, Davis qualified for the state track meet for the first time in the 1,600-meter run and was the top runner on the Louisburg boys cross country team. Distance running had quickly become a passion of his.
“I have actually only been in track two years,” Davis said. “I started in eighth grade, quit freshman year, skipped sophomore year and then was all in junior year. The thing that I love about it so much is how little experience I have. Every single race was still a learning experience. I would consider track and cross country to probably be two of the biggest things in my life right now. The feeling of setting a new personal record is unmatched, or just the look on someone’s face who hates running when you tell them you ran 12 miles at 6:30 pace.”
Davis was ready to make amends for a difficult ending to his cross country season after coming up short of qualifying for the state meet. Once that was over, he began his training on making sure the same thing wasn’t going to happen in track.
He was the top returning distance runner on the Wildcat team this season and was hoping to improve his time enough to possibly earn a medal at the state meet in Wichita in late May.
“I was probably looking forward to this track season more than any other sport season I’ve had,” Davis said. “It was a big deal for me for a lot of reasons. First off, my cross country career had not ended the way I wanted it to on that golf course in Baldwin where I’d had one of the worst races of my life and missed my ticket for state.
“I had pretty much taken one week off of running and then gotten right back into it, running all winter to get myself ready for this year in track. I had a lot of hopes and aspirations for a few state medals. In addition, this year was a big one for me to prove myself to some colleges and get some money to do what I love in college.”
However, once the team parted ways for spring break, little did they realize it would be the last practice they would have as the season would later be canceled due to COVID-19.
Davis had an inkling that, at the very least, the season would be delayed, but he tried not to think about it.
“I ignored it and trained as well as I could,” Davis said. “It was literally the last thing that I wanted to happen. A delay would be okay, no fans would be whatever. But there’s nothing I wanted more than to run for one last season. I took a few days off, then went right back into running because I knew I had a future in a college somewhere and it has all worked out for me, and I’m so blessed.
“The cancelation of school was out of nowhere. The biggest blow to me was no more prom, but then I realized, as cliche as it is, I miss all the little things. Isolation is no fun and seeing all the friends you’ve had since elementary school is pretty special no matter how sick and tired you may get. Saying hi to your locker neighbor every morning – it’s all special – and it’s a shame none of my fellow seniors will experience this again.”
All the time off has given Davis a chance to reflect on his high school career and think about all the good memories track has given him – especially his favorite from a year ago – when he qualified for state for the first time.
“It was a huge accomplishment for me to qualify for state in the 1,600, but man I would’ve been lonely there,” Davis said. “My favorite part was right when I crossed the finish line, and my teammate and good friend, Ryan Rogers, was right behind me. I had no idea what happened at first, then I heard all of our Louisburg guys go crazy and I turned around and saw Ryan crossing the finish line, qualifying right beside me. I was so incredibly proud of him and happy he’d be there to accompany me in Wichita.”
Anthony Davis was a returning state qualifier in the 1,600 meter run for the Wildcat boys track team.
Davis was going to be a vital part of the distance group for the Wildcat boys track team. Along with Rogers, they also welcomed junior Carson Houchen to the group and they had hoped to put a 4×800 relay together. It was just one of many events the Wildcat boys could have place in this season.
“I can guarantee you this would’ve been a historic year,” Davis said. “The addition of Carson Houchen was gonna be huge for Ryan and I. We had a lot of hope for a state 4×8 team. Carson has some wheels to him as well as a lot of stamina, obviously, and I think we would make a deadly trio. Not sure who our fourth would’ve been, but I’m proud of all the distance guys and gals and I know I’m excited for what they do next year.”
Other than track, Louisburg Sports Zone also had a chance to catch up with Anthony on how he has been coping with an early end to his senior year and some of his other interests. Here are his responses from the rest of our Q&A.
LSZ: What have you been missing the most during this time away from everyone?
AD: If I am being honest, I can’t really say I’ve been self-quarantining too much. I’ve gotten to see my best friends quite often so I’m grateful for that. I do miss being able to go out to Overland Park and actually have stuff to do (and be within my legal limits) and once this is all over I’ve compiled a list of things I really want to do – starting with climbing Pikes Peak this summer.
LSZ: What is your most memorable moment as an athlete or in school, and why?
AD: My favorite memory is a tough one… but it would probably have to go to when I did eighth grade track with my best bro Deven Wieland and all the shenanigans that went with it. I remember one week where we both sucked at long jump, but did it anyway and so we decided to goof off that time and try to re-create Eric Berry’s bow and arrow celebration. So as he was doing his jump, I pretended to throw up a ball and he shot the pretend bow midair. Safe to say coach wasn’t pleased with that one.
A second experience that comes to mind is probably some of the memories I’ve had during select choir, like sophomore year perfecting the song ‘Abide.’ Because of the performance, we were picked to go to New York the next year and that was probably the most fun I’ve had in my life.
LSZ: What is your favorite activity/hobby outside of sports and why?
AD: I really love to walk countless laps at the lake, especially with my new pup, Toby (golden retriever and an angel). I also really, really love music. I took drum lessons for a few years back in middle school, but I’m also involved with the choir so I love to sing. Playing Animal Crossing is a lovely way to pass the time as well.
LSZ: What are your plans after graduation?
AD: Going to Baker to run cross country and track with Louisburg graduate, Wyatt Reece.
LSZ: What accomplishments that don’t involve athletics are you most proud of and why?
AD: My best accomplishment is probably the fact that I made it through an entire year of AP Lit without touching a book
LSZ: What do you think would be something that a lot of people don’t know about you?
AD: Something everyone probably doesn’t know about me is that I’m actually ranked No. 3 in the world in Gunfight in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Anthony’s Favorites
Pro athlete: Patrick Mahomes
Pro team: Kansas City Chiefs
College team: Baker Wildcats
Movie: Cat in the Hat
TV Show: How I Met Your Mother
Song: Everlong
Band/Musician: Taylor Swift
Pregame meal/snack: Fruit Snacks
Class/subject: History or AP Gov
Teacher and why: That is a tough one. Not a single teacher I don’t like, but I really like Mrs Staab. She’s very selfless, sweet and persistent.
Players, coaches mourn loss of spring sports season
Louisburg softball, along with the rest of the Wildcat spring sports teams, saw their season come to a close with the spread of COVID-19.
It has been almost a week since Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly closed all schools for the rest of the 2019-20 school year due to the spread of COVID-19.
When most students hear school has
been closed, especially in the winter, cheers erupt. In this case, however, the
tone was much more somber – especially among the senior class.
Proms were canceled. Any plans
they had for a graduation ceremony were put on hold, and for more than 30
seniors, their last opportunity at playing a sport at Louisburg High School was
taken away.
In fact, close to 200 students
were planning on participating in an activity in the spring, but with no
school, the Kansas State High School Activities Association followed suit and
canceled the spring season the day after Gov. Kelly’s declaration.
Students, parents and coaches alike have had to come to grips that a season they had been looking forward to all year, was never going to happen. Tears flowed, walls were punched in frustration and some were left speechless.
There would be no game days, no Senior Nights and no postseason runs. Athletes had to figure out how to cope with this fact – and in many cases – are still trying to do so.
GIRLS SOCCER
Mackenzie Scholtz didn’t spend as much of her Spring Break relaxing with family and friends as she wanted.
Instead,
she found herself focused on social media, constantly checking updates on what
was going to happen with the rest of her senior year. She was scared that her
final soccer season was going to be taken away from her.
Turns
out, those fears became a reality.
“When
I read it for the first time, I just couldn’t believe it,” Scholtz said. “I
immediately broke down in tears. I think I cried for about four hours non-stop
just thinking that I would never get to step on that field with my best friends
ever again. I had such high hopes for this season too and had been so excited
all year.”
Before
this all came about, none of the 12 Louisburg seniors had any idea they had
already played their last match as a Wildcat.
The
senior class of Scholtz, Avery O’Meara, Erin Lemke, Lily McDaniel, Ashley
Moore, Trinity Moore, Skylar Bowman, Haley Cain, Hannah Straub, Olivia Chase,
Andie Masten and Morgan Messer provided Wildcat coach Kyle Conley with a lot of
good memories, which left the news even harder to stomach.
Louisburg
was looking for its fourth consecutive state final four appearance after
earning second place finishes the last two seasons.
“The decision absolutely broke my heart,”
Conley said. “I couldn’t in a million years fathom something like this could
happen. I honestly felt the cancellation was harsh this early, but would have
rather like to have seen a postponement and then reevaluate at a later date.
This group of 12 seniors was going to be very special. If they would have
returned to the state final four this season, they would have been one of only
two 4A-1A teams to do this improbable feat. This group was 44-18-1 in their
three years. I would be willing to bet this is the most successful program over
those three years in regards to win percentage. Obviously, winning state
championships would trump that, but we were extremely successful.”
The one thing that has helped players get
past this disappointment is that there are so many seniors to lean on and they
have done a lot of that this past week.
“The amount of support from this team has
helped me so much,” Scholtz said. “As soon as we found out that we would no
longer play, all of us seniors were sending nothing but love to one another as
well as to the whole team. Individually, there were many messages sent showing
how much we love each other and that this would get better. Coach Conley and
the younger girls also shared a lot of great messages as well. Hearing positive
words is really helping me get through this whole thing.”
The 2020 Louisburg High School girls soccer team
Many of the 12 seniors and their parents were a part of the group that helped raise money to start the Louisburg program nearly five years ago. They had always dreamed of winning a state title, but the wondering what could have happened is the worst part for a lot of them.
“This group had three goals: they wanted
to win a league title, to win a regional championship and finally win a state
championship,” Conley said. “This would have been our program’s fifth year
and everything was built for this season. I believed in this group and I felt
we were going to compete for that league title and we were going to go back to
the state final four. We wanted three banners: league title, regional championship,
and a state championship. It’s so sad that we will never get the opportunity to
show the state what this team is capable of accomplishing.”
BASEBALL
Kade Larson was all set to begin
his first season as the head baseball coach at Louisburg High School.
Larson, who was hired late last
spring, was looking forward to leading his alma mater and had high expectations
for a group that was young, but returned experience from the year before.
Then came the news from KSHSAA to cancel spring activities, which left Larson, and the rest of the Wildcat program, speechless – including seniors Madden Rutherford, Andrew Krause and Kaden Oehlert.
“To say I am disappointed is an
understatement,” Larson said. “I was very excited for this upcoming year. Being
my first year as head coach I was more than ready to get the season
underway and see what kind of team we had. I thought we could do some great
things this year with the group that we were working with. For the short time
we were able to practice, they had a great chemistry and worked super hard.
“I feel terrible for all the players having
to lose a season like this, especially the seniors. Madden Rutherford and Andrew
Krause were showing great leadership skills and I hate that they had their
final season taken away. They are unprecedented times that I never thought
would happen.”
Rutherford, who is a two-time All-Frontier
League player himself, was ready to make one final run with the Wildcats. Even
though he has signed to play baseball for Washington University in St. Louis,
he regrets not being able to have one final run in high school.
“Personally
I was just ready to just play ball again,” Rutherford said. “My football season
ended with an injury, and two surgeries later I was just starting to get back
into the swing of things. I was excited for the baseball team this season; we
had a different looking coaching staff and a different mentality which was
evident at practice. I’ll always be left wondering what could have happened.”
Senior Madden Rutherford, along with fellow seniors Andrew Krause and Kaden Oehlert, all saw their high school careers come to a close with the spread of COVID-19.
As
difficult as it was for the seniors, the junior class will also have some
obstacles to overcome – especially for those who are wanting to play at the college
level.
“To go with the seniors, this is also
horrible for the juniors,” Larson said. “Junior year is a big
recruiting time and a lot of these guys are missing that. So all around
this just is a bad time for an athlete, but I know they will work through it
and come back next year ready to go.”
Even
with all the hardships athletes are facing, including the loss of a season,
several are trying to find the silver lining in it all.
“The
whole COVID-19 situation has made me appreciate what I have,” Rutherford said. “It’s
hard to truly recognize how nice you have things until they’re taken away. I
just hope and pray that things don’t escalate further.”
TRACK AND FIELD
Carlee
Gassman and Sydni Keagle were ready for the seasons of their lives on the track
this season.
Gassman,
who is a returning a state medalist in the hurdles, was considered one of the
best returning 300-meter hurdlers in Class 4A. As for Keagle, she finished one
spot away from a state medal last year in the 100 hurdles.
Both
Louisburg seniors had high hopes, as did the rest of the Lady Cat track team
that was ranked high in Class 4A in the preseason. That made the news of
canceling spring sports all the more crushing.
“I honestly couldn’t believe it,” Keagle said. “At first I
was in shock and then I was just incredibly sad at this loss of opportunity and
it’s taken a while to come to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to
compete in my favorite sport one last time.”
Gassman felt much the same way as she earned three state
medals as season ago. Along with sophomore Delaney Wright, who garnered four
state medals, the two athletes figured to score a lot of points for the Lady
Cats this season.
“When I heard the last quarter of my senior year was cancelled and knowing track would be over as well, I found myself crying about not having school,” Gassman said. “I never thought I’d find myself crying over school. I am just trying to keep my head high – there are better things to come.”
Girls coach John Reece said there were 34 out for track
before the team departed for Spring Break, which was one of the bigger groups
the Lady Cats have had in several years.
The Louisburg 4×400 relay of (from left) Carlee Gassman, Rain Pugh, Sydni Keagle and Delaney Wright were some of several returning Lady Cats trying for a big state performance.
“It is a huge bummer
that everything got nixed,” Reece said. “We had a chance to do some great
things this track season on the girls side. We could have been a top three team
at state with a handful of very talented girls. My heart goes out to
the girls and the missed opportunity for them.”
The
same could be said for the boys as the Wildcats featured a big roster of 74
athletes and Louisburg would have been competitive in most events throughout
the season.
“I
am just extremely disappointed,” boys coach Andy Wright said. “We had 74 boys
out, which is the biggest number we have had in several years. We had multiple
state qualifiers returning as well as some newcomers that could have helped
contribute to a successful year.”
One
of those qualifiers was javelin thrower Michael Waldron. The Louisburg senior
finished just a few feet away from earning a state medal a season ago, and now
his attempt at getting there has been dashed.
“It’s really hard to describe the disappointment I had when I
heard that I wouldn’t be able to throw javelin this year,” Waldron said. “It
was tough and very hard to wrap my mind around, it’s tough knowing that I had
about a week of practice under my belt and a lot of preparation for the first
meet of the year. Just finding out I wouldn’t be competing at all was crushing.”
The season was an important one, not only to Waldron, but to
the rest of the track seniors as well. Anthony Davis (distance), Trent Martin
(pole vault), Charlie Koontz (sprints, relays), Carter Anglin (discus), Garrett
Harding (shot put) and Indy Strumillo (jumps) were all in their final year and
were excited with what lied ahead. A few of them had already made plans to work
out together over Spring Break to get some extra work in.
“I texted Carter Anglin and Garrett Harding about the fact
that our season was over, since we all threw together,” Waldron said. “It was
tough for Carter because I knew he was thinking about a possible state
appearance this year. For Garrett, it was his first year but he had some good
success in the first few weeks with throwing shot put, so I know he was
excited. It’s just a bummer and we have texted each other, and comforted one
another. We are just still in shock – it
was like a slap in the face.”
GOLF
Calvin Dillon has already had the best career in Louisburg High School golf history, and he accomplished that after his junior season.
Still, he wanted a lot more.
Dillon, who is a three-time state medalist, was looking for
that elusive state championship this year and was considered one of the
favorites going into the season. With the cancellation of spring sports it left
Dillon, like many others, wondering ‘What if?’
“It was definitely hard to hear that the regular season, as
well as postseason were canceled,” Dillon said. “It seemed like it happened all
of a sudden. When you hear of professional and collegiate seasons being
cancelled, you feel some remorse and disappointment for them, but when your own
season gets cancelled, it becomes real.”
The remorse for his own season wasn’t what Dillon was feeling. It was the fact that he had hoped to lead a team – full of seniors – to its second consecutive state tournament appearance.
Seniors Drake Varns, Garrett Rolofson, Ryan Haight and Colin
Cook all returned from that team, while other seniors like David Perentis,
Deven Wieland and Luke Wickersham were also trying to vie for the final spots.
Five of the six golfers from Louisburg’s state team returned in 2020 to try and make another trip to the state tournament. (From left) Colin Cook, Drake Varns, Calvin Dillon, Ryan Haight and Garrett Rolofson.
“We definitely had high expectations for this season,” Dillon
said. “With the heavy amount of seniors on the team, as well as our regional
and state experience last year, we were really excited. I think the most
disappointing thing for all of us is going to be the lack of closure. We were
all looking forward to one last go-around, and to have our season disappear in
a matter of days is devastating.”
Like with every other conflict in life, the Wildcats are
trying to make sense of it all and find a positive side to what has been a
forgetful week.
“One
positive that comes from this situation is the gratitude we will now have for
our everyday lives,” Dillon said. “You never know when something catastrophic
like this can happen, and we need to be thankful for the life we do have.
Although this situation is disappointing for us, it was ultimately God’s plan.
He is the one that is in control, and if we seek him in this time of
discomfort, we will find the closure and satisfaction that we lost along with
our senior season.”
GIRLS SWIMMING
It was
an historic season before it even started as Louisburg would join the
Osawatomie-Paola girls swim team for the first time this year.
Unfortunately,
thanks to the pandemic spreading across the country, history will have to take
a back seat for another year.
Head
coach Maddie Carrigan was in her first year with the program after assisting
with the boys team last winter, so finding out the news with everyone else was
a little tough to take.
“It
was really upset when I heard the news,” Carrigan said. “Obviously, I
understand the reason for the cancellation of school and sports season, so I
completely back the decision. It was still a huge bummer for me because this
was my first time having a high school head coaching role. It was a pretty big
honor since I’m only 23 and I was super excited to try some fun new things I
came up with for the girls. The first two weeks were already so much fun and
the girls improved so much, so I can’t imagine how great the whole season would
have been.”
Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg
had three seniors swimmers this season, including Shayla Aye from Louisburg and
Brayden Hanf and Grace Shore from Paola.
In
all, Louisburg had eight swimmers on the team including Aye, Claire Brown,
Bailey Hallas, Sydney Keaton, Dana Mattison, Anna Morrison, Dagen Page and
Reese Reitz.
“Everyone
is really bummed, especially the seniors,” Carrigan said. “We had a lot of
first time swimmers, as well, so I hope this doesn’t deter them from joining
the team again next year.”
SOFTBALL
Last year was a special season for the Louisburg softball
team as the Lady Cats made a run to a regional championship and a state
tournament appearance.
It was a great last part of the season for several of the
Lady Cats.
Unfortunately, with the news of COVID-19, this year’s version
of Louisburg softball team will never get another chance at a magical season.
“When
I found out my season was canceled, I was devastated,” senior Reilly
Ratliff-Becher said. “It would be the last time I ever played softball and it’s
just taken away from me.”
The
seven Lady Cat seniors were excited to begin this season, as was their coach,
Nick Chapman. Chapman was in his first year as head coach with the program
after spending last season at the junior varsity level.
After a couple weeks of practices, Chapman had barely gotten a chance to get to know his new team. Then he had to deliver the news that no one wanted to hear.
“This was not easy news to get,” Chapman
said. “It was even harder to have to tell the girls and even worse that I had
to do it over the phone. It’s still not real. Next week, we were going to get
back to work and prepare for a special season. The girls had bought into what
we were trying to accomplish. Just in two weeks, the culture was changing and
girls were understanding what it meant to play team softball and do what is
best for the team. The end of last week we had our first team bonding night.
The seniors set their team expectations and goals for the year. I listened to
each of them say how excited they were for this specific year and to make one
last run at it.
“I was crushed to have to tell them they
weren’t going to get that chance. All seven of them helped mold this team into
something special and set the tone for what Louisburg softball should be. I was
excited for the product we were going to put on the field game one. I thought
this year was going to be a season full of success.”
The seven seniors consisted of
Ratliff-Becher, Allie Boles, Lauren Cutshaw, Kayla Willey, Kat Coolidge, Gabby
Duggar and August Daniels. Some of those seniors were a big part of the Lady
Cats’ state run a year ago, while others were looking to make an impact on the
varsity level this year.
“I had
very good expectations for this year,” Ratliff-Becher said. “As much as I feel
bad for myself, teammates and my fellow seniors, I feel especially bad for
Chapman. He worked so hard once he found out he got this job. I was so ready to
learn and make him proud this season.
“I
tell myself is that I have to think of other people in this situation. This
could all be much worse. We are just containing this virus and protecting the
ones at the most risk, although it’s going to be hard on everyone for a while.”
Local college athletes watch as seasons canceled due to COVID-19
Bethel College junior Emalee Overbay was off to a great start to her softball season with the Threshers before she saw her season canceled thanks to the COVID-19 virus.
Before the Kansas High School
Activities Association announced it would be canceling the spring sports season
Wednesday, colleges and their athletes were already days in to a horrible
realization.
Both the NCAA and NAIA canceled
all spring sports and their postseasons last week due to the spread of the
COVID-19 virus that has left the entire country scrambling for an ounce of
normalcy.
Louisburg High School graduates
Emalee Overbay and Isabelle Holtzen are still trying to find it.
Overbay, Holtzen and college
athletes across the country were shocked when they were informed their seasons
that they had prepared for months for, was taken away in the matter of minutes.
Although Holtzen and Overbay are considered underclassmen, and still have the opportunity to compete next season, the loss of the next two months of competition has been hard to swallow.
It was a life no one saw coming.
———-
All was going well for Holtzen,
who is a sophomore pole vaulter at the University of Northern Iowa. She competed
in the indoor season over the winter and achieved some personal bests in the
process.
Holtzen finished her indoor
campaign on top as she took third at the Missouri Valley Conference meet with clearance
of 3.63 meters (close to 12 feet). That placing earned her all-conference
honors for the first time in her career.
“Indoor season this year was
honestly a bit of a challenge for me,” Holtzen said. “Early on in the year, I
was able to PR, but then kinda fell into a slump about halfway through. It was extraordinarily
frustrating as I was dealing with a bit of an injury and wasn’t performing as
well as I wanted. Luckily, I have amazing teammates, coaches and family that
helped me figure it out. I was very excited to be able to receive
all-conference honors, especially since it ended up being my last meet of the
year.”
Northern Iowa sophomore Isabelle Holtzen had just competed her indoor track season with all-conference honors before she found out her outdoor campaign was shut down.
The thought of canceling the season hadn’t even crossed Holtzen’s mind as she found herself at practice just days later getting ready for a team meeting to talk about the upcoming outdoor season. It was there where she heard the news.
“It truly was a surreal moment, looking around at my fellow athletes and seeing the disbelief, disappointment and sadness in everyone’s eyes,” she said. “No one could believe that it was real. It was so sad to see the seniors realize that they would never get to put their uniform on and compete for UNI again.”
The same could be said for
Overbay.
She had already kicked off her
softball season for the Bethel Threshers and was off to a promising start
herself. Overbay had put up some good numbers and was recently named as the
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
All that optimism quickly went
away when the team was informed on a Friday morning that their season was over.
“None
of it felt real, it still doesn’t,” Overbay said. “I never would have guessed
that my season would have been cut short, or soon evaporated completely. When
the news came out there other schools/colleges were shutting down, I was confused.
I guess I didn’t understand how serious the issue was. I was still very
disconnected from the problem, assuming that nothing like that would happen to
us.
“The
news flooded me with emotion as there goes the possibility of playing my junior
year. What was I going to do with
softball, something that has been so consistent in my life, confusion as to why
all this was happening, why are people canceling our sports, and I couldn’t
help but to think what was going to happen to my seniors. I met up with the
three seniors after the announcement and we all cried together.”
To
help athletes try to get through the difficult time, the NCAA approved an extra
year of eligibility for those spring sports athletes that are affected.
As nice of an option as that was, going back for an extra
year of school to compete in a sport that doesn’t provide a full scholarship in
many cases might not makes sense for those involved.
“A lot of seniors already have jobs lined up and cannot
afford to go to school for another year,” Holtzen said. “While for some this
extra year offers some relief, with my current plan I will not be able to
utilize that year because I plan to graduate in four years.”
The NAIA did much of the same the NCAA did, but like those
athletes, it doesn’t make much sense for them to attend college for another
year when it isn’t in their plans.
“This is great for the people who didn’t have plans for the
following year,” Overbay said. “Looking at it through a seniors’ perspective,
it is hard to put one’s life on hold, to put money towards another year of
tuition when they could be finding a job, and starting a new chapter of their
lives.
“A lot of this is just so inconvenient. I’m not sure what
the girls are going to do, I’m not sure of what I myself will do. It’s all such
a confusing time. All I can do is have faith that God has a plan.”
It has been difficult adjustment for athletes all across
the country and is something no one could have planned for.
Instead, they find themselves trying to make the best of a
bad, unfortunate situation.
“My teammates and I have definitely been leaning on each
other to get through this,” Holtzen said. “Our blood, sweat and tears go into
competing and hopefully getting a PR to earn a spot on the podium. To have that
goal ripped away from us this year was heartbreaking.
“It really brought into focus to never take a minute for
granted because you never know when it will be the last time you compete. Life
is like a track meet – full of obstacles. This is just another bar to get over.”
Faulkner sets personal record at national pole vault meet
Louisburg junior Luke Faulkner stands with his pole vault coaches after setting a personal record in January at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev. A week later, Faulkner would set a new mark at a meet at the University of Kansas.
Track and field season is still
more than a month away from starting, but Louisburg junior Luke Faulkner is
already in midseason form when it comes to the pole vault.
Last month, Faulkner participated in two different meets, including a national meet in Reno, Nev., and another at the University of Kansas. At both, he soared to new heights as he set personal records each time.
On Jan. 18, Faulkner traveled to
train and compete at the National Pole Vault Summit. He learned from some of
the top instructors in the country and then got a chance to compete.
In his group, Faulkner finished
third overall where he set a then-personal best of 13 feet and 10 inches, breaking
his old mark of 13-6.
“It was an amazing event to compete
at,” Faulkner said. “On that Friday, I learned from elite vaulters and got
coached by professional level coaches about new technique work for pole vault
and how to get better and I competed the next day.
“I
was excited to get results from what I’ve been doing in practice at the gym I
go to, Xtreme Athletics, and was happy to place high in my group. It was more
important to me to show that I got a new personal record then placing because
it showed that I’m improving.”
Luke Faulkner clears a height at the Pole Vault Summit back in January in Reno, Nev.
Although
he enjoyed setting a new personal record, Faulkner had a chance to learn from
his coaches and from some of the best vaulters in the country.
“I learned a lot from my coach, things
like top hand extension, extending the top arm to get more pressure on the
pole, jump angles and being tall jumping into the swing and getting connected
to the pole at the top when finishing,” Faulkner said. “It was amazing meeting
and talking to professional vaulters like Mondo Duplantis, Andrew Irwin, Chris
Nilsen, Cole Walsh, and many more that I got to watch that night compete.”
A week later, Faulkner attended at the meet at the University of Kansas and set a new personal best by vaulting nearly 14 feet. He recorded a clearance of 13-11.25.
As a sophomore, Faulkner earned his first state medal at the Class 4A meet in Wichita as he cleared 13-6 to finish fourth and is hoping for even bigger things this season. It is an event that he has grown to love.
“I’ve
been vaulting since seventh grade track season in the spring,” Faulkner said. “It
became a passion of mine as I got into high school. I really enjoy following
the pros and how they’re doing each year and looking up to them.”
Top 10 Louisburg Sports Stories of 2019
It was a successful, and eventful, 2019 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 several programs brought back state hardware.
Below are the Top 10 stories from 2019, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation 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. There were stories that I had to leave off that normally would easily make it. 2019 was that successful of a year for Wildcat athletics.
This year was a blast to cover and I was blessed to have the opportunity to go along for the ride with many of these. As much fun as it was, I can’t wait for 2020 to begin. Looking forward to it!
10. Tucker, Ratliff-Becher win powerlifting titles, Tucker breaks state record.
Two Louisburg High
School weightlifters made their way to the top of the podium in March during
the Class 4A State Powerlifting Meet at Basehor-Linwood High School.
Not only did Tucker
win a state title in the 220-pound division, he also broke a 24-year state bench
press record as he recorded a bench of 375 pounds to surpass the old mark of
365. He also won the squat competition at 505 pounds and had a total of 1,165
pounds to run away with the crown.
Tucker’s total was the
highest three-lift mark at the entire state meet in all weight classes.
“I had messed around with 375
and 385 before on bench, so I was confident that I could lift it if I had the
chance,” Tucker said. “I was more worried about my first lifts on bench at 345
and 365 because if I messed up on those attempts then I would not have had the
change to even attempt 375. It was definitely a sigh of relief when I finally
locked it out.
“It was a great feeling to beat the state
record. To put Louisburg up on the record chart definitely brought a smile to
my face.”
Ratliff-Becher had a big day
in the women’s division as she won a state crown in the 180-pound weight class.
She finished with a three-lift total of 575 pounds.
The Louisburg junior took first in bench press with 155 pounds,
first in clean at 150 pounds and second in squat with a 270-pound lift.
“Winning the state title
meant a lot to me,” Ratliff-Becher said. “I have put in a lot of time and
effort in weights class, so it’s nice to see it has paid off. But, also because
I feel as if I put out a message to girls that it’s cool to be strong
physically. I know that being sometimes the only girls in a class with a lot of
strong guys is intimidating. Weightlifting is all about your own personal
growth and seeing how far you can push yourself.
“I was honestly surprised I won because there are lots of very
strong girls there and it’s good competition. It’s also fun to meet new people
that have the same interests and motivation as you.”
9. Golf qualifies for state, Dillon medals for third straight season
As the scores trickled
in to the clubhouse at Paola Country Club, the Louisburg golf team could hardly
stand it.
The Wildcats were
nervously waiting to hear if they had qualified for state, but they knew it was
going to be close. Louisburg had to be in the top three of the team standings
to earn a spot and the Wildcats had some tough competition amongst them.
As it turned out, the
Wildcats had nothing to worry about.
Topeka-Hayden won the
regional title going away with a 332 and Louisburg was just three strokes
behind runner-up Tonganoxie, which had a 349.
“It feels great,
especially with all the hard work we have put in the offseason and last few
months,” Dillon said. “It was our goal coming in and we did it. I felt like we
had a good chance. It was borderline with those four teams being as close as we
are. I knew we had a chance, but it was nice to actually qualify. It was
definitely a little nerve-racking waiting for the scores to come in.”
As impressive as that
feat was for the Wildcats, Dillon’s performance blew away the rest of the
competition.
The Louisburg junior
won his first individual regional title as he carded a 1-over 73 to win the
tournament by six strokes. Dillon’s 73 was his best score on the season and he
has now won all but one tournament on the year.
Dillon went on to record his third consecutive state medal and finished 11th overall in Dodge City after the tournament was postponed several times, and eventually moved due to weather.
8. Wildcat wrestling sends six to state, Moore earns first state medal
Back in early November
of 2018, Austin Moore was in a sling with a broken collarbone and he wondered
why all this was happening.
Moore suffered the
injury during the regional football playoffs and he didn’t get to finish his
final high school season. Not only that, his hopes of getting his first state
wrestling medal was in serious jeopardy.
A little more than
four months later, Moore was on the medal stand with some of the state’s best
wrestlers in his weight class.
“It was pretty special
for me to get a state medal, especially because it has been a goal of mine ever
since I started wrestling,” Moore said. “Overall, I felt like I wrestled pretty
well, but I just wish I could’ve ended it on a win.”
Louisburg’s talent was
certainly on full display during the two-day tournament. Brandon Doles, Blue
Caplinger and Austin Moore won regional crowns, Cade Holtzen was a regional
runner-up, while Gabe Bonham and Ryan Owens also qualified for state by placing
third and fourth, respectively.
As a team, the
Wildcats ended up with 138.5 points and was just 2.5 points out of second
place. Ottawa won the regional with 149.5 points and Eudora was second at 141.
It was the highest regional team finish for Louisburg since 1998.
“The way these guys
wrestled this weekend shows that the program has been doing so many things
right this season,” Louisburg coach Bobby Bovaird said. “We’ve had the obstacle
of low numbers, which hurt us in our duals, but when it comes to tournament
time, we have a bunch of guys who are placing high and that gives us a lot of
team points. Taking six to state feels pretty encouraging, and finishing third
at regionals is an awesome statement for this team.
“If a few things had
gone the other way, we would have been in second as a team. On paper, we
weren’t supposed to be in the race for a regional plaque. Almost all of our
guys stepped up and scored huge team points for us.”
7. Louisburg softball captures regional title
OTTAWA – Madison
Svoboda could feel her heart starting to come out of her chest.
Karson Griggs was a
feeling a little nauseous.
Those are some of the
same feelings that were flooding the Louisburg softball’s team dugout during the
final inning of the Class 4A regional championship game against Chanute on
Tuesday in Ottawa.
Louisburg held a one
run lead, but Chanute had the tying run on third, two outs, and a trip to the
state tournament was on the line. On the mound was sophomore Brooklyn
Diederich, and with two strikes, the Chanute batter fouled five straight
pitches.
The tension was
mounting.
Finally, on the 10th pitch
of the at-bat, Diederich got what she was looking for – a swing and miss.
“I want to cry, but at
the same time I am just really happy,” Griggs said. “It is exciting because I
never thought something like this could happen, especially this year. It feels
really nice and now maybe people will actually start taking us seriously.”
Not many gave people
gave the Lady Cats a chance as they entered the Class 4A regional tournament
with just five wins and were forced to begin tournament action in the play-in
game.
After a 17-2 win over
Parsons last Monday in the play-in game, No. 15 Louisburg advanced to the
regional semifinals and upset No. 2 seed Ottawa, 9-7, which helped set up the
Lady Cats’ first state tournament appearance since 2014.
“I think a lot of
other teams underestimated us,” Diederich said. “The fact that we came out and
played our hardest ball showed what type of team we actually are. It is just
crazy.”
At the state tournament in Salina a week later, the Lady Cats faced off against Andale and lost to the eventual state champion in the first round, 10-0.
6. Cross Country qualifies for state, Moore breaks school record and takes third at state
BALDWIN CITY – One by one,
members of the Louisburg girls cross country team crossed the finish line and
coach John Reece was unsure whether or not his team did enough to qualify for
state.
The Lady Cats had made
school history by qualifying the last two seasons, but the third time was a
little bit in jeopardy – that was until the results were released.
As it turned out,
Reece didn’t need to be so worried.
Louisburg finished third overall with 96 points in October at the Class 4A regional meet at the Baldwin Golf Course, and beat out Bishop Miege by six points to earn a spot at the state meet this weekend in Wamego.
The team of Trinity
Moore, Carlee Gassman, Reese Johnson, Claire Brown, Ruth Minster, Kennady
Wilkerson and Bree Gassman competed for the Lady Cats at state.
“This group of girls runs
well, they race well and they train well together,” coach Reece said. “They are
a good group and this is just as exciting as the other two times. The
competition was a lot tougher than the previous two times. We had to run our
races and we did. From our third to fifth runners was about an eight point
spread.”
Trinity Moore has left a
lasting impression on the Louisburg cross country program over the last four
years, but she saved the best moment for her final act.
Moore broke her own school record with a time of 19 minutes and 39 seconds to finish third overall at the Kansas Class 4A State Cross Country Championships at the Wamego Country Club a week later.
The Louisburg senior
recorded the program’s best ever state finish as she eclipsed her fourth-place state
medal from a season ago.
“It meant so much to
me to finish with such a great race for my high school career,” Moore said.
“Going into the race, I didn’t know how well I would finish. This race had the
best competition that I have ran against all year and I think that is what
really pushed me.
“When I saw my time
crossing the finish line, I was ecstatic. I felt great the entire race and was
able to control everything I did. Finishing third was icing on the cake. I was
surprised but so incredibly happy to be able to place in such a great spot, but
I also knew that this what I had worked for all year.”
This made the fourth
state medal for Moore in her high school career and she improved on her state
finish every year. Last season, she took fourth overall and bested her state
time from a year ago by more than 30 seconds.
5. Boys Soccer wins league, regional titles to earn No. 1 seed in playoffs.
For more than 70
minutes, the goals for Louisburg were hard to come by and it started to leave
an eerie feeling on Halloween night.
However, the Wildcats
got their treat when it was all over.
“This group is
special,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “It is going to be tough when it is
all over. This group has changed our culture. They came back to what this
program believes and they have bought in to what we are teaching them. They
have worked so hard since June. For these seniors, this is their third title in
four years and I think it is a lot of fun for them.
A school record 16
wins, a Frontier League championship and a regional title are all something
worth celebrating, but following the state quarterfinal match with Bishop
Miege, all Louisburg could think about was the finality of it all.
Despite all those
accomplishments, the Wildcats fell one win short of their main goal – a spot in
the state final four.
Louisburg saw its season come to a close with a 3-0 loss to Bishop Miege at the Wildcat Sports Complex. The Wildcats lost to the eventual state champion, as Miege went on to defeat Wichita-Trinity on Saturday, 3-1, for the Class 4-1A state championship – the Stags’ fourth in a row.
As difficult as the
loss was for Louisburg, there was no forgetting how big of a jump the Wildcats
made from the season before as they went from a 6-win team to one that earned
the East’s No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.
“Going 6-11 last year
and seeing this Miege team almost mercy-ruling us in the regional championship
last year in the rain, was a program changer,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley
said. “After that was over, we talked about how things needed to change and it
starts now. For our first practice in June, I told them that they are the ones
that has to change them. Since day one, they have played for each other, played
hard in practice and it was a total mindset change. When someone got hurt, it
was the next guy up. We missed two starters for half of the year and it was
always the next guy up taking advantage of his opportunity to fill in. The
freshmen stepped up huge for us.
“This team is special.
16 wins is a school record and only two losses is probably a school record.
This team is incredible, played so hard and did everything I asked them to do.
They were always there to pick each other up and that is what this soccer
family is all about. It will be tough to say goodbye to these kids.”
4. Volleyball knocks off Miege to win regional title, takes fourth at state
ATCHISON – The
sub-state semifinal game between Louisburg and Bishop Miege had all the feels
of a state tournament match.
Partially because a
year ago, it was.
Louisburg met Miege in
the state championship match only to see the Stags send the Lady Cats to a
runner-up finish in two sets. Then three weeks ago the two teams met again, and
like before, Miege dispatched of Louisburg in two sets.
However, Bishop Miege
saw a different Louisburg team during the sub-state tournament at Atchison High
School – one they didn’t expect.
The Lady Cats came out on fire and never let up in a 25-18 and 25-22 win over Miege to end the Stags’ season. It marks the first time in at least 12 years, if not longer, that Miege will not be at the state tournament.
Since the state
tournament began in 1971, Bishop Miege has made 39 state appearances during
that time in either Class 5A or 4A and is the most in Kansas history.
“Our energy was going
to be the difference in that match, so we knew we had to bring it,” Louisburg
senior Erin Lemke said. “We knew we had the same skill set as Miege, but our
energy was what was going to pull us through there in the end. To get there, we
just had to believe in ourselves and work hard this past week to give us the
confidence that we needed.”
However, even after
pulling off a big revenge win that expended a lot of energy, the Lady Cats
still had a sub-state championship match to play against No. 2 seed Atchison.
The No. 7 seed Lady Cats took care of business as they won in straight sets,
25-12 and 25-15, at Atchison High School.
For the third straight
season, the Lady Cats were among the last four teams playing and brought home a
little hardware for their efforts. Louisburg took fourth overall after losing
its third place match to Towanda-Circle, 2-1, in October at Hutchinson Sports
Arena.
“Every season our goal
is to put ourselves in the best position to qualify for state and then to
hopefully advance to bracket play on Saturday,” Louisburg coach Jessica
Compliment said. “Leading up to state, we talked about how nothing is
guaranteed and in order to make it to bracket play, we have to show up and play
our best from the first whistle to the last whistle. If we play our game, then
hopefully the winning will take care of itself and we’d advance.
“The eight teams at
state this year were all very talented. I was happy that we qualified for the
semifinals because that put us one step closer to the championship. Even though
we didn’t reach the championship match and finished fourth, I was still very
proud of how the team played throughout the tournament.”
3. Louisburg cheer wins first state championship
The Wildcat
cheerleaders competed at the Class 4A KSHSAA Game Day Spirit Showcase
Competition on Nov. 23 at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka and came
back home with a big trophy in tow.
“I was so nervous at
the awards,” Louisburg senior Lauren Vincent said. “We were all holding hands
and had our heads down. We thought that we would get second place at best, most
likely third. We were content because we put everything out on the mat and did
the best we could. But when they called out second place and it was Augusta, we
screamed, cried, and hugged each other because we knew that we had just won.
“When our name was
called for first, we jumped up and hugged each other. Then I ran out onto the
mat and grabbed the trophy and we held it up and jumped around victoriously. It
was the best feeling in the entire world. Knowing that all of our hard work had
finally paid off was indescribable feeling of joy.”
The Louisburg
cheerleaders that competed are Lexi Pena, Lauren Vincent, Ashlyn McManigal,
Brooklyn Mitchell, Gabby Tappan, Andrea Gaza, Eleanor Willming, Jayden Trester,
Lacie Kallevig, Sammy McDaniel, Mable Graham, Anna Morrison, Bella Feikert,
Audrey Anderson, Sydney Dudzik, Kaitlyn Vest, Jolie Hendrickson, Abby Bradley
and Zoe Cutshaw. Louisburg’s head coach is Jayna Guerra.
Not only were the
Wildcats the third team to win a state title in school history, they were also
the first female squad to win a team crown as well. All the history just added
to what was a special day for the program.
“It means so much to
me and all my teammates,” Tappan said. “As someone who’s been a part of a variety
of sports my entire life, I know how hard each of our teams work to do their
very best in whatever sport they’re a part of. We are so thankful that we got
to make history for Louisburg and it is something that I can guarantee that
each and every one of us will remember it for the rest of our lives.”
2. Girls soccer
takes second at state, Conley named coach of year and Scholtz, Buffington awarded
players of year.
When it was all said and done, the Louisburg girls soccer team held its trophy high in front of the Wildcat faithful and the tears were easy to spot.
After nearly 200
minutes of soccer in a nine-hour time period, including one match that ended in
penalty kicks, the Wildcats were spent. They gave everything they had.
Frustration and
sadness was easy to see following the Wildcats’ loss to the defending state
champion, but the team realizes what they have accomplished in just four years
of existence is to be celebrated.
“Being in this
situation two years in a row is something that doesn’t happen very often,”
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “There are a bunch of teams that haven’t been
to a state final four and we have been to three in three years. It is pretty
cool and it is special.”
It was a wild 24 hours
for the Wildcats. Louisburg was supposed to play Hayden on Friday in the
semifinals, but severe weather forced the postponement to early Saturday
morning.
The Wildcats battled
Hayden through four overtimes and eventually led to penalty kicks. After an
intense first five penalty kicks that left the match still tied, senior goalie
Carson Buffington recorded a big save and then senior Hallie Hutsell converted
the sixth penalty kick to break the tie and give Louisburg a 2-1 win over
Hayden.
“We usually play 80 minutes, but this time we
had to play 110 minutes and we were gassed,” Conley said. “We were holding on
and had some chances at the end to win it, but then we went to overtime and
then to penalty kicks. It was all about to see if we could survive. Emotionally
it was just a high for us and an unbelievable response and a great finish.
Carson making a big save, Hallie putting it in for the win – it was just a
great game.”
In the championship match,
the Stags were just too much for the Wildcats and junior Sophia Stram provided
a big spark. Stram scored all four goals for Miege in the title game, all of
which came in the first half, and the Wildcats didn’t have an answer.
“They are just so freaking good,” Conley said. “I think the
girls were mentally ready, but I don’t think their legs were quite ready, but
we lost to one of best teams in the state of Kansas. They have great players,
they are well-coached, but our girls played their butts off.
Coming off its second
consecutive state runner-up appearance, Louisburg had some positive
repercussions from its historic season.
However, none bigger
came when the all-state teams were released by the Kansas Soccer Coaches
Association. Not only did six Wildcats earn all-state selections, but they were
honored with some of the highest awards out there.
Louisburg was also
recognized on the other side of the ball as senior Carson Buffington was named
the Class 4-1A Goalkeeper of the Year.
“Seeing Mackenzie and
Carson recognized for their positional player of the years was fantastic,”
Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “They both had incredible years.”
The Wildcats weren’t
done, as for the second consecutive season, Conley was named as the Class 4-1A
Coach of the Year as he guided Louisburg to a 17-4 record. He also led the
Wildcats to three consecutive final four appearances.
1.4×400 boys wins state championship, Wright wins four state medals and team breaks six school records at regional meet.
Three days after
arriving in Wichita for the Kansas State Track and Field Championships, Justin
Collins, Blue Caplinger, Ben Wiedenmann and Chris Williams finally got the chance
to get on the Cessna Stadium track.
The four Wildcat
runners had the top time in Class 4A going into the 4×400-meter relay, but
weather threw a little wrench into their plans. The meet, which was supposed to
end on a Saturday, was postponed to Sunday morning and all races were judged by
times with no preliminaries.
It wasn’t the ideal
situation, but they made it work – and it worked well.
That was just one
event in what was an historic week for Louisburg track.
Louisburg freshman Delaney Wright earned four state medals, while junior teammate Carlee Gassman finished with three as the Lady Cats went on to finish 10th in the team standings. The Lady Cats earned several other medals at the state meet coming off an impressive performance at regionals.
During the Class 4A
regional meet at Paola High School, Wright qualified for state in four events,
broke two school records and earned a regional title in her first postseason
track meet.
Wright won a regional
title in the long jump and finished second in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. She
also helped Carlee Gassman, Rain Pugh and Sydni Keagle to a second place finish
in the 4×400-meter relay.
“I am so grateful for
everything,” Wright said. “I had been having trouble with my hip this week and
I just wanted to come out and make state in at least one event. I didn’t
realize I would make it in four. It is an unbelieveable feeling.”
As a team, the Lady Cats nearly earned the regional runner-up trophy as they racked up 86.5 points and finished a half a point behind second place Baldwin and Bishop Miege, who tied for second. Paola won the regional title with 107 points.
KSHSAA releases classifications for 2019-20 school year
The Kansas State High School Activities Association released its classifications for the 2019-20 school year, along with the football classifications for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
There were a few changes in both areas, but more so on the football side.
Football classifications are determined based on enrollment figures in ninth, 10th and 11th grade. Louisburg is still in 4A with 432 students and is toward the lower half of the classification.
Entering Class 4A beginning in the 2020 school year will be St. James Academy, Lansing and Great Bend, who have all moved down from Class 5A. Wamego also made the jump back in from Class 3A.
Goddard, Pittsburg and Spring Hill all saw their enrollment grow and will be moving up from 4A to 5A next year. Baldwin saw their enrollment decline and will move down to Class 3A in football the next two years.
In the rest of the sports, not much changed with regards to Class 4A for this year.
Enrollment figures for all grades in Louisburg this year is 573, which puts the school in the upper half of Class 4A. The biggest school is Buhler with 661 and Bishop Miege is the second biggest at 656 and Ottawa is third at 653.
Three schools will make the move up to Class 4A this year. Clay Center, Girard and Holton all saw their enrollment increase and will come back to 4A, while Osawatomie, Anderson County and Wichita-Trinity Academy will move out of 4A to 3A this year.
Stiles, Lohse, Burk and Bowes to be inducted into LHS Hall of Fame
Dennis Stiles (top left), John Lohse (top right), Jason Burk (bottom left) and Krystal (Bowes) Grojean will be inducted into the Louisburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.
It has been 11 years since
Louisburg High School had inducted a class into its athletic hall of fame, but
the wait for a new class is finally over.
The USD 416 Endowment Association, which oversees the LHS Athletic Hall of Fame, has announced a new 4-member class. Dennis Stiles (Class of 1969), John Lohse (1995), Jason Burk (1999) and Krystal (Bowes) Grojean (2001) were the top four vote getters in this year’s hall of fame voting and will be honored in an induction ceremony sometime this fall.
“Louisburg has a history of great athletes,” said Damon Dennis, a USD 416 Endowment Association board member. “We had a good cross-section of both young and older voters this year that really took their job seriously. The four athletes chosen represent several generations of former Wildcats and each one were dominant in their particular era and sports. The Endowment Association is excited to get the Hall of Fame going again and plan on some big things in the future.”
More than two dozen voters, that includes current members of the hall of fame, long-time Louisburg residents, teachers and coaches, voted on the class in June. Each voter was asked to submit their top four choices for the hall and votes were then tabulated.
To be eligible for the hall of fame, the inductee must wait at least 10 years following graduation to be nominated.
The last class that was inducted was in 2008 and Dennis, and the rest of the Endowment Association, is committed to making this a yearly occurrence moving forward.
Here
are the accomplishments of each of the newest hall of fame inductees. Look for
more information on an induction ceremony in the coming weeks.
Dennis Stiles
Dennis Stiles – Class of 1969 – Football, Basketball, Track
Stiles
lettered 4 years in football and
track and 3 years in basketball. His senior year he was named all-league and
all-state in football and was co-captain on the Wildcat team that finished the
year 4-4.
As sophomore, he played on the varsity basketball team which was 12-0 in
league play, finished the year 19-3 and were district champions. He earned
honorable mention all-state honors his sophomore and junior seasons and was
second-team all-state his senior year. Stiles was at one time the school’s
career scoring leader.
Stiles competed at the state
track meet as a junior and senior where he placed fourth in the discus his
senior year. He previously held school records in the discus and triple jump.
He also received a football scholarship to Kansas State University.
John Lohse
John Lohse – Class of 1995 – Football, Basketball and Baseball
Lohse lettered all four years in baseball and was selected to represent
Kansas in the all-star baseball classic his senior year. He was an all-league
pitcher and centerfielder for the Wildcats his sophomore through senior years.
He had a .510 average his junior and senior seasons with 10 home runs his
junior year and 12 more his senior season.
In football, Lohse was a 3-year letterwinner. He was an all-league wide
receiver his junior and senior seasons. In his senior year, he had 850 yards
receiving and 11 touchdowns and was later selected to represent Kansas in the
Metro Classic All-Star Game.
Lohse was also a 3-year letterwinner in basketball and was an
all-league selection his junior and senior seasons. He averaged a double-double
his junior and senior years.
Post-graduation, Lohse attended Pittsburg State on a baseball
scholarship and played on the Gorilla team for four years. He was selected to
the all-MIAA team his sophomore and junior seasons before injuring his shoulder
his senior year. He had a .315 average his junior and senior seasons. In his
first collegiate at-bat his freshman year, Lohse hit a game-winning grand slam
to give Pitt State its first win over Missouri Southern in five years.
Jason Burk
Jason Burk – Class of 1999 – Track and Football
Burk was a 4-year letterwinner for the Louisburg track and field team
and qualified for state in all four years in four events. He accumulated 12
state medals, 16 regional track medals and 14 Frontier League medals. Burk was
selected to the Kansas City All-Metro track team in 1998 and 1999.
During his senior season, Burk was a state champion in both the triple
and long jump. He won the triple jump with a leap 48 feet and the long jump
with a mark of 22-5. He also finished fifth in the 100-meter dash and sixth in
the high jump. As a junior, Burk won a state championship in the triple jump
with mark of 46 feet and won three more state medals. He took second long jump,
fourth in the 100 dash and sixth in the 200 dash. As a sophomore, Burk won
state medals in the triple jump (second), long jump (fourth) and 4×100 relay
(third). He was a member of the 4×100 team that took second at state as a
freshman in 1996.
At one time, Burk held seven school records. He currently holds school
records in the triple jump, high jump and long jump. Burk holds the school
record for most points in a season with 326.
Burk also played football, where he was a part of bi-district, district
and regional championship teams.
Krystal (Bowes) Grojean
Krystal (Bowes) Grojean – Class of 2001 – Volleyball, Basketball, Track
Bowes was a 4-year letterwinner in track before she was offered a
scholarship on the Wichita State track and field team.
In her senior season at Louisburg, Bowes earned three state medals,
including a second-place finish in the javelin with a throw of 145-10. She was
also third in the discus with a toss of 126-9 and fifth in the shot put at
37-5. As a sophomore and junior, she finished sixth in the discus at state. In
all, Bowes racked up five state medals in her high school career before moving
on to Wichita State. She is the current Louisburg record holder in the javelin
(146-10) and discus (137-11).
At Wichita State, she earned academic All-American honors and was a
team captain all four years. Bowes was a two-time NCAA national qualifier and
finished fifth in the javelin and was second in the Missouri Valley Conference
in 2006. In 2004, Bowes took first in the MVC in the javelin and fourth in the
discus. In 2003, she won the Missouri Valley Conference discus title, was
second in the javelin and fourth in the hammer throw. Bowes was also a member
two Shocker teams that won conference titles.
In volleyball and basketball at LHS, Bowes was a 3-year letterwinner in each sport and earned first-team all-Frontier League honors each season.
Current members of the LHS Hall of Fame
Class of 2005:
Tom
Stevens – 1934 – Track and Field (High Jump)
1947/48
Undefeated Football Teams
Richard
Meiers – 1949 – Basketball/Football
Don
Meek – 1965-1998 – Coach/Administrator
Larry
Harding – 1976-1994 – Volleyball/Golf Coach
Amy
Dodson Goode – 1986 – Volleyball/Basketball
Class of 2006:
Jim
Wells – 1936 – Track and Field (Pole Vault)/Football
Doug
Eaton – 1971 – Wrestling
Sue
Truman Apple – 1974 – Track and Field/Volleyball/Basketball
Mike
Meek – 1985- Football/Wrestling/Track and Field
Jamie
Waite – 1991 – Track and Field (Pole Vault)/Football/Basketball
