Louisburg junior Carleigh Pritchard and senior Liz Jacobs team up for a block Saturday during the Lansing Invitational.

It was an up and down week for the
Louisburg volleyball team last week – one with started with two wins and ended
with losses to three state-ranked teams.

During the Lansing Invitational on
Saturday, the Lady Cats finished with a 1-3 record in a tournament that
featured some of the state’s best teams.

Louisburg opened tournament play
with a 25-23 and 25-9 victory over Shawnee Mission North behind five kills each
from seniors Liz Jacobs and Haley Cain and senior Riley Kallevig added four.

The Lady Cats (5-5) also shined
from behind the service line as they recorded 10 aces in the match, including
five from sophomore Rinny McMullen and two from sophomore Davis Guetterman.
McMullen also handed out 12 assists to lead the Lady Cats.

The schedule got much more
difficult for Louisburg as they lost a pair of 2-0 matches to No. 6 Spring Hill
and No. 3 Lansing, who are both ranked in Class 5A. The tournament ended with a
2-1 loss to Olathe West.

Louisburg was also a little
short-handed as senior hitter Erin Lemke had to sit out with an injury

“Even though we went 1-3 on the day at
Lansing, there were some bright moments throughout the day,” Louisburg coach
Jessica Compliment said. “We struggled to find ‘our game’ and played that way
all day. The Lansing tournament is loaded with great teams, and has always been
one of our toughest tournaments we play in. We stayed with most of the teams
throughout the day, but once it got to 15-14 or 16-14, they took off and
finished, and we struggled to ‘play to win.’

“We became hesitant and played it safe
rather than fighting back and playing to win. There were many instances
throughout the tournament we were playing some great volleyball. Our back row
had some great saves and our offense clicked well. As I told the team, we need
to work on finding that drive, that motivation, that energy, and carry it
throughout every set and every match.”

On Thursday, the Lady Cats hosted
another state-ranked team in their home opener when they faced off with No. 5
Bonner Springs. Louisburg came up short in a 25-23, 25-19, 22-25 and 25-18 loss
to the Braves.

It was a competitive match
throughout, but the Braves were able to make several runs late in each set to
pull away.

Cain led the attack at the net
with 12 kills, Jacobs finished with nine and junior Alyse Moore added eight in
the loss. McMullen and Guetterman ran the offense well with 22 and 19 assists,
respectively, and Guetterman also added two aces.

Defensively, Kallevig paced the
Lady Cats with 18 digs on the night and senior Reilly Ratliff-Becher finished
with 13. Lemke and junior Carleigh Pritchard had two blocks each.

At the start of the week, the Lady
Cats traveled to Santa Fe Trail for a triangular with Burlington. Louisburg
left with a pair of easy wins.

The Lady Cats knocked off
Burlington 25-8 and 25-14 and downed Santa Fe Trail 25-10 and 25-14.

“The team played well,” Compliment said. “They weren’t our cleanest matches this season, but our serving was tough, and we moved the ball around well. It was hard for us to maintain our pace throughout the evening, but we were able to get on some long runs where we were very efficient in both the front and back row.”

Everyone got involved in the win
against Santa Fe Trail as Kallevig led the way with nine kills, while Lemke and
Pritchard each finished with seven. Guetterman had three aces to lead Louisburg
and Kallevig finished with two. Guetterman and McMullen also had 12 and 11
assists, respectively.

Defensively, sophomore Chase Kallevig
had a team-high nine digs and Ratliff-Becher added seven.

Against Burlington, Pritchard had
a team-high four kills in the match, but it was the serving that was the story
of the match.

Louisburg tallied 11 aces against
Burlington, including five from Guetterman and three from McMullen. The two
sophomores also combined for 13 assists.

Louisburg returns to action with a
pair of home duals this week, including a rematch with Spring Hill at 6:30 p.m.
tonight.

A big change to the Kansas High School
Activities Association (KSHSAA) postseason could be coming sooner rather than
later if a proposal, submitted by the Frontier League, passes the KSHSAA Board
of Directors and its member schools.

Last month the Frontier League,
led by Paola High School principal Jeff Hines and Louisburg superintendent Dr.
Brian Biermann, petitioned KSHSAA to separate public and private schools into
their own postseason competitions.

In order for it pass, the petition
must be signed by 20 percent of the 355 member schools according to KSHSAA
bi-laws. The Frontier League got the 71 needed petitions and have now submitted
this to appear in front of the KSHSAA Board of Directors for vote in their
Sept. 18 meeting.

The board of directors would then
have to pass it by simple majority of those in attendance to bring the proposal
to a vote from all the member schools.

“Kansas needs to catch up with
the rest of the country and get this competitive imbalance under control in our
state,” Hines said. “The longer we wait then more students will be negatively
impacted. We have a responsibility as educators to create the best
opportunities possible for our students. No one can honestly say we have
the best system possible right now. It can definitely be improved.”

The proposal submitted by the Frontier League is the same one the state of Texas uses that keeps the schools in their same classification, but only separates the schools come postseason.

Other options were discussed
before submitting the proposal, such as implementing a multiplier on all
private schools like Missouri currently does. In fact, it is the most popular
proposal among the schools that were surveyed by Hines last January.

They also talked about the “Oklahoma
model” where schools are bumped up a classification based on success for
competitive balance.

Seventy-four percent of the
schools said they would support a population multiplier, 64 percent would
support competitive balance factors and 51 percent would support separate
divisions.

However, KSHSAA would not be able
to make this change with a multiplier due to state statute K.S.A. 72-130 that
states a high school association “must establish a system of classification of
member high schools according to student attendance.”

KSHSAA would not be able to pass a
new bi-law that goes against state statute, and therefore, the Kansas State
Legislature would have reword the statue to allow the association to make those
changes.

The Frontier League believes the Texas model, or separate postseason divisions, does not deal with classifications. Also, this model had more support from 5A and 6A schools as neither classification would likely vote for a multiplier.

“We don’t view that as a classification decision as we are not affecting classification, but KSHSAA and their lawyers view that it is,” Biermann said. “5A and 6A schools that we talked to really wanted us to push for the Texas model because they don’t want to play them (private schools) either. The biggest thing for me is if 5 and 6A schools don’t want to play them, then why do we? As a superintendent, I am supposed to create opportunities for kids. We had four teams last year in both soccer teams, football and volleyball that all saw their season end to Bishop Miege. It is not right that we have kids and coaches that work their tails off and they don’t have the opportunity to win.

“Am I all about state
championships? Absolutely not. But we also know the reality of it in the
current system. Winning state championships is important for communities and is
always a goal. I am not ever going to give up on this idea and neither will the
Frontier League.”

The public versus private school
debate has been going on for the last several years and Hines has been leading
the charge since 2015 when he put together a study that displayed the disparity
of state championships won by private schools.

In 2018-19, private schools won 32
percent of the state championships in Classes 5A through 1A. There are currently
no private schools in 6A. Twenty-one of those 24 state titles were won by
private schools in Class 4A and 5A.

That is a high number considering
that out of the 355 member schools, only 27 of them are private.

The Frontier League wanted to see change, so Hines surveyed the 355 member schools late last year and presented his findings to KSHSAA in January. More than 88 percent of the schools responded, that included 22 private institutions, and 87 percent said they want the current system changed.

Although most schools said they
would support the multiplier model more, Hines and the rest of the league
schools, believe it is the best way to proceed at this time.

“Our
survey indicated that separate divisions was the least popular option among
member schools, however as a league we feel like it is the most appropriate
option,” Hines said. “A multiplier will pass through and will be our next
option if this does not go through.  A multiplier will impact many private
schools that are not quasi sports academies that are not very successful in athletics. The
separate divisions avoids this situation.”

If
the proposal does pass the board of directors, KSHSAA will then put it to a
vote with all 355 member schools and it must pass by a simple majority and by
four of the six classes.

From
there, KSHSAA executive director Bill Faflick would take it to the Kansas
Legislature before change could be implemented.

“We
know it won’t happen overnight,” Biermann said. “Even if this passes, nothing
will change this year and probably not the following year. It could be three
years out with the way football schedules take shape. We are honestly ok with
that if we knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel. If this would
not pass, we would turn right around and do the multiplier one.”

Despite what happens at the
upcoming board of directors meeting, Hines believes changes to the system will
happen sooner rather than later.

“I am now confident something will get done,” Hines said. “I
think it will ultimately take a multiplier to get something done. If the
separate divisions fails then we will propose a multiplier for the spring board
of directors meeting.”

 A lot of obstacles are still in the way for change to happen, whether it has to deal with state statues or member votes, but none of the schools in the nine-member Frontier League are going to stop until they see a more even playing field.

“I am very proud of the Frontier League, and even though we compete against each other, we are very unified on this,” Biermann said. “It is about fairness and equality and I am tired of having my kids at Louisburg High School not having the same opportunity as some others. The throttle is down and it is going to stay down.”

Louisburg senior Erin Lemke goes up for a kill during a match earlier this season.

DE SOTO – It is never easy to go
on the road and get a win, especially against bigger school, and the Louisburg volleyball
team found that out Thursday in De Soto.

The Lady Cats took the first set 25-23 over De Soto, but lost the last two 25-18 and 25-22, to fall 2-1 against the Class 5A school. Instead of letting one loss turn into two, the Lady Cats bounced back nicely in their other match against Olathe West.

Louisburg took care of business as it swept Olathe West, 25-16 and 25-19, to end its day on a good note and improved its record to 2-1 on the season.

In that match, junior Alyse Moore
led the way up front with a team-high five kills, while seniors Erin Lemke and
Riley Kallevig each added four.

Serving was also a big key for the
Lady Cats as they tallied six aces, including three from sophomore Chase
Kallevig and two from sophomore Rinny McMullen. McMullen also led the team with
nine assists on the night.

Louisburg was strong defensively
with 17 digs, including five from senior libero Reilly Ratliff-Becher and four
from Riley Kallevig.

“It
was good to see how the team regrouped and rebounded for the Olathe West match,”
Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “Olathe came out strong with some big
blocks at the beginning. We had to work to find the hits around their big
blockers, and once we did, we were able to find our rhythm offensively.

“Our
back row defense made some huge plays during the Olathe West match. Chase Kallevig
did a great job defensively and we served more aggressively as well.”

The
Lady Cats got off to a good start against De Soto as it took the first set, but
had a tough time finding a rhythm offensively in the final two sets.

Middle
hitters Haley Cain and Carleigh Pritchard were big up front for the Lady Cats
as they each finished with nine kills, while senior Liz Jacobs and Moore each
had four. Jacobs also led the team with two blocks.

Chase
Kallevig and McMullen each had two aces for the Lady Cats, while sophomore
setter Davis Guetterman led Louisburg with 12 assists and McMullen added 10.

“During
the De Soto match, I felt like we never found our groove as a team,” Compliment
said. “We played a little tight and nervous. We talked afterwards how everyone
on this team can be a playmaker, and is fully capable of putting the ball
away. But during the second and third set with De Soto, it was almost as
if we were waiting for someone else to step up.”

“We
also seemed to be fairly reserved or cautious with our serving. We are normally
a tougher serving team, but we didn’t show De Soto that. Good teams like De
Soto will capitalize and take advantage of those types of situations.”

Louisburg
is back in action at 6:30 p.m., tonight when it travels to Santa Fe Trail for a
triangular with Burlington. The Lady Cats will face off with Bonner Springs on
Thursday in their home opener.

Louisburg senior Liz Jacobs goes up for a kill in between two Paola blockers Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ season opener at Paola High School.

PAOLA – The Louisburg volleyball team is ranked toward the top in the state again in Class 4A this season, and on Tuesday, Paola found out exactly why.

The Lady Cats got off to a hot
start and never let up in a 3-0 dual win over the Panthers in their season
opener at Paola High School. It was exactly the start Louisburg was looking for
as it begins its quest to get back to the state title game for the third
straight season.

“For the first time out, I think they
did well,” Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “We knew coming in that
Paola is always tough, and it is a good rivalry, and the girls were ready for
that. We obviously have some ideas of some things that we can work on, and how we
can keep building from here.”

Louisburg opened with a 25-14 victory in the first set after jumping out to a big lead and then followed it up with a 25-13 win in the second. Paola made things interesting in the third set, and the match was tied at 23-all late, before Louisburg scored the final two points to compete the sweep.

“They had high energy in those
first two sets and some in the third,” Compliment said of her team. “That resilience
in that third set was good to see, instead of just throwing in their hat and
saying we will win the next one. To finish the match out like that was
important.”

The Lady Cats had balance all over
the floor as several girls chipped in and made impacts.

At the net, seniors Liz Jacobs and
Erin Lemke each finished with a team-high six kills, while senior Riley
Kallevig and junior Carleigh Pritchard each added five in the win.

Sophomore setters Rinny McMullen
and Davis Guetterman ran the offense well as they recorded 11 and nine assists,
respectively. Sophomore Chase Kallevig had a big game from behind the service
line as she tallied a team-high four aces and senior Haley Cain added three.

Defensively, the Lady Cats were
strong as well. Senior libero Reilly Ratliff-Becher had a team-best nine digs.
Chase and Riley Kallevig were right behind her as they had eight each.

Cain and Pritchard also had strong
games in the middle for Louisburg as they each had three blocks to lead the
team.

“I think Reilly did a really good
job getting to balls, and on the front row, I thought Haley had some big plays at
the net and so did Carleigh,” Compliment said. “They both had some good blocks
and were key up there. I thought Rinny did a good job with her serves and
moving things around offensively. Davis did a great job as well from the setter
spot.

“To be honest, we are just a well-balanced team and I thought each of the girls did something well out there. We are just more spread out offensively and it could make us more of a threat down the road.”

As well as they played at times on
Tuesday, the Lady Cats know it will get tougher as the season goes along. That
begins today when they travel to De Soto High School for a triangular with
Olathe West. Those matches begin at 5 p.m.

“We hit aggressive and we blocked
aggressively,” Compliment said of her team’s performance on Tuesday. “The thing
I really like about this group is that they just have so much fun, as has been
the case with the team’s past. They just enjoy playing together.”

Senior middle hitter Haley Cain is one of several returning players from last year’s state runner-up volleyball team for Louisburg.

In the last two seasons, the
Louisburg volleyball team has found itself one win away from capturing its
ultimate goal – a state championship.

Most programs would relish the opportunity to play in one state championship game – much less two. Still, as proud as the players are of their accomplishments, they have concluded each season with a rotten feeling in their stomach.

That feeling provided the Lady
Cats with extra motivation as they head into the 2019 season – trying to get
that elusive first state title.

“The players understand that nothing has been given
to them in the past,” Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “Because of
their past experiences, they understand how important summer
weights/conditioning/open gym/camps, etc are. They’ve been working really hard
and have set high expectations for themselves this season. They also understand
the history and tradition of Louisburg volleyball and want to continue that
tradition of not only qualifying for state, but for placing at state.”

The Lady Cats have had a big advantage on their side
the last two years as they have had the Class 4A Player of the Year on their
roster in Anna Dixon. After putting up big numbers as a four-year starter for
Louisburg, Dixon has moved on to play for Kansas State and left a big hole to
fill on the Lady Cat team.

Although one player might not be able to replace her production, Compliment is looking to several players to fill that role.

“Anna has
probably been the best volleyball player to come through Louisburg in my 13 seasons,
so losing her is huge,” Compliment said. “However, I think this year’s team
could be just as good, if not stronger, because each player is taking more
ownership and owning their role on the team more.”

Louisburg will
continue to run its 6-2 offense with returning setters Rinny McMullen and Davis
Guetterman. The two Lady Cat sophomores played well last season as freshmen and
their coach has seen them take a big step forward in the offseason.

McMullen was a second-team All-Frontier League selection a year ago, and both her and Guetterman, were considered among the best setters in nine-team league.

“They did a
great job last year as freshmen, and they each continue to get better and
better,” Compliment said. “They were both awarded with the ‘Best Setter Award’
at Nebraska’s team camp. We have five players that are versatile across the net
and that gives us lots of options to run different offensive plays. Our key
defensive players are returning as well, and a few new faces are going to make
our defense stronger.”

Defense also
will be another strength for the Lady Cats as they return all of their
defensive specialists – including senior libero Reilly Ratliff-Becher. Senior
Riley Kallevig will also play a big role in the back from her 6-rotation spot,
as will sophomore Chase Kallevig, who will see full-time varsity action for the
first time this season.

“We are a
versatile team with players who are comfortable and willing to play at any
position,” Compliment said. “That is huge when I can play with rotations, and
it gives the setters multiple options at the net. Reilly Ratliff-Becher has had
a great summer. She was good last year, but this summer and so far this season,
I’ve been really impressed with her go-get-it attitude and her leadership.
Riley Kallevig is returning and is solid as a 6-rotation player.”

Louisburg also
returns its two middle hitters as senior Haley Cain and junior Carleigh
Pritchard both bring experience to the position and the Wildcats will have
several options on the outside with senior Erin Lemke, senior transfer Liz
Jacobs, senior Sydni Keagle, Riley Kallevig and junior Alyse Moore.

Cain is in her fourth-year as a starter and will be one of the leaders at the net for the Lady Cats. Cain, Riley Kallevig and Ratliff-Becher were all honorable mention all-league players last season and Compliment expects them all to take another step forward.

“Between Haley’s
leadership and experience, we’ll look to her to be more of a threat at the net,”
Compliment said. “Erin Lemke and Carleigh have both improved their play since
last season as well. I’m really excited to see what they can bring to the team.

“We also have a
few new faces. Liz Jacobs is a transfer senior who joined us this summer and
fit right in with the team. She’ll be able to help us both offensively and
defensively. There is a lot of depth in positions this season, which is
awesome. These players have great chemistry and are unselfish.”

The Lady Cats, which are currently No. 4 in the Class 4A preseason rankings, will have some competition for their second consecutive Frontier League title as they will play a difficult schedule in and out of league.

Louisburg
begins its season at 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday as it travels to Paola. The Lady
Cats open their home schedule Sept. 12 against Bonner Springs.

“Spring Hill
and Eudora will be two strong teams in league this season,” Compliment said. “The
Lansing and Emporia Tournament will continue to be tough, and we’ve added a few
different teams to our schedule this year. I’m excited to kick the season off
Tuesday at Paola.”

Last fall, each of the four
Louisburg High School athletic programs had something to brag about.

Whether it was football’s 10-1
season that ended with a regional championship, volleyball’s state runner-up
finish, cross country’s two state medalists and state qualifying girls team or
the boys’ soccer regional championship appearance – the Wildcats had plenty to
cheer about and several athletes took notice.

Numbers are up for all four programs following the first day of practice Monday and the coaches and athletes are excited to get the season started after last year’s successes.

The Wildcat football team saw a big jump in numbers as they have 70 students out this season and football coach Robert Ebenstein and has liked what he seen through the first couple days of workouts.

“Our numbers are up and based on the numbers at the middle school and youth programs and I expect them to keep growing,” Ebenstein said. “I am very excited for practice to get going. When you finish the season off with a loss in the playoffs it sticks with you and the opportunity to go play another game creates that energy and that eager feeling to get going. So far I am very pleased with our kids’ focus and effort. We need to continue to get better every day.”

Louisburg volleyball has also seen a spike in its numbers as 40
athletes have attended tryouts. Those tryouts will go through Wednesday and
head coach Jessica Compliment believes those high numbers will be beneficial
down the road.

“The players are excited, but I
think some are nervous as well with tryouts and cuts these first few days,” Compliment
said. “Forty is the most we’ve had tryout for quite some time. Generally we
have around 35. The higher numbers leads to more competition for uniforms and
playing time.”

Cross country head coach John Reece is pulling
double duty this season as he, and assistant coach Paul Restivo, will also be
leading the new Louisburg Middle School program. The Wildcats have a combined
59 runners out between the two programs, including 37 on the high school side.

Louisburg returns a majority of its girls team
that qualified for state a year ago, including its two state medalists in
senior Trinity Moore and sophomore Reese Johnson.

Despite a little hiccup with the heat during
the first two days of workouts, coach Reece likes what he sees from both teams.

“It was great to get started, and yes the
heat caused us to change our workout a little bit, but we still got in our
miles,” Reece said. “We had a good turnout during summer running, so as a whole
they are ready to get to the good stuff and go compete.

“There is definitely a huge difference
with LMS joining the crew. Two coaches managing 59 kids is a lot, and we might
need more help for supervision as we get more personalized with workouts for
different levels of runners, but this is a good thing for Louisburg’s cross
country program. It is going to be a fun year.”

Soccer also saw a big increase in
interest as the Wildcats have 44 athletes trying out this season and they will
continue the tryout process through Thursday. It is a good problem to have for
head coach Kyle Conley and he has liked what he has seen so far as the Wildcats
look to take another step forward this year.

“The kids worked hard, but showed we have
a lot of work to do,” Conley said. “We had a really, really good summer, but we
got a little rusty with the month off. This year we are getting back to focus
on our culture and getting back to playing for each other. The boys have been
focused and determined to improve this season.”

However, the first two day of practices weren’t without their challenges as intense heat and humidity caused some of the programs to change their schedules, including soccer, which moved its practice to the evening on Tuesday and spent some time indoors Monday.

“The
heat was an interesting factor to go along with the late start due to the
KSHSAA schedule,” Conley said. “We started in the AUX gym for the first hour
and 15 minutes then transitioned outside for an hour. It was frustrating but
the boys handled it very well.”

With
the heat advisories, teams had to take precautions with their athletes and
everything seemed to go smoothly with the hot weather.

“There is nothing you can do about the heat, and it is not centralized to Louisburg, so everybody has to deal with it,” Ebenstein said. “So you just do what you have to do when it comes to moving practice to the evening or whatever. I do not mind these hot early practices as it sets the tone that athletes need to take care of their bodies, and the acclimatization process gets going from the beginning. I would much rather have it this way instead of it being cool and the first hot week comes on a game week.”

With the first day of practice starting
later than normal, the start of competition will also be pushed back. Team
scrimmages will be the Friday before Labor Day and actual competition won’t
start until Sept. 3.

Soccer will host Fort Scott in its season
opener on Sept. 3 and volleyball will travel to Paola for dual on the same day.
Cross country opens its season on Sept. 5 at the Anderson County Invitational
and football will travel to Spring Hill on Sept. 6.

Louisburg’s Wyatt Axmann (left) and Ben Ratliff-Becher pose for a picture after helping the Kansas City-MAVS volleyball team to a national championship earlier this month.

In a packed and deafening arena in
Dallas, Texas, Louisburg’s Wyatt Axmann and Ben Ratliff-Becher looked around
and couldn’t believe what was about to happen.

With the rest of their Kansas City-MAVS volleyball teammates, Axmann and Ratliff-Becher were on the verge of completing memorable journey – one they weren’t sure was always possible.

In the 16 USA Volleyball National Championship match on July 5, the MAVS huddled up one point away from winning the biggest trophy either player had ever seen. When the MAVS forced a side out and took the second set in a 25-22 win, the bench emptied and they celebrated their USA Division National Championship.

“The experience was amazing,”
Ratliff-Becher said. “There is nothing else like it. You’re out on the court
and there are announcers and huge stands and it feels like you are playing in
an Olympic game. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment.”

Playing for six years, Ratliff-Becher is a veteran to the sport of boys volleyball and has dreamed to be in this position. For Axmann, he didn’t join Mavs program till February of 2018 and had little volleyball background.

That didn’t stop him from
contributing in a big way to the Mavs this season as he played on the front
left side and also saw some time in the middle of the back row.

“It meant the world to me and my
team to win a national title,” Axmann said. “We had worked so hard together for
such a long time and it was amazing to see all of our hard work pay off.”

Ratliff-Becher was a defensive
specialist for the MAVS and was a back-up libero. Both Louisburg players saw significant
time during the 11-match tournament as they played big roles on the floor and
off.

“I was also a really big
cheerleader on the bench,” Ratliff-Becher said. “The entire experience was awesome.
I love volleyball so much and winning a national title means so much to me. It
was such a great experience and it’s one to remember for a lifetime.

“Going into the year, we knew we
could win it. We honestly had all the right players at the right time. Everyone
on the team had a role to play and they played that role perfectly.”

The MAVS finished the tournament with a 10-1 record and rallied back to avenge their only loss later in the competition.

Volleyball has been a fixture in both players’ lives this past year as they also both played for the Louisburg High School boys team that was started this year and played in a league in Kansas City.

“The tournament was crazy from
beginning to end,” Axmann said. “We ended 10-1 so we didn’t lose much, which
was crazy. Our team just had to keep talking with each other and making sure
our heads were on straight.

“Playing volleyball for MAVS and
our Louisburg team has been on the biggest blessings in my life. I would
encourage anyone and everyone to at least give it a try.”

Louisburg High School graduate, and Kansas State freshman, Anna Dixon was recently selected to the Junior National Team and will represent Team USA in the World Championships in Mexico.

Anna Dixon hasn’t officially
played in her first collegiate match with Kansas State yet, but Dixon has spent
this summer traveling all over the world honing her volleyball skills.

Earlier this week, the Louisburg
High School graduate received even more good news.

Dixon was selected to the Under 20
Junior National Team that will compete in the World Championships in Mexico
later this week. Dixon will represent Team USA as she will go up against some
of the best the world has to offer.

“It is a huge honor to make the
Junior National Team,” Dixon said. “It has been a goal of mine since I started
playing volleyball competitively, so accomplishing that goal was an amazing
feeling. I’m very excited to compete for a gold medal in Mexico. We have some
tough competition, but it will be a wonderful experience and I can’t wait.”

Dixon and Team USA will begin pool
play on July 12 against Mexico, then follow it up with matches against Italy
and Cuba to complete action. The national team will be led by University of
Texas head coach, Jerritt Elliott.

Dixon was one of 20 players
invited to train in Colorado Springs earlier this month for the Junior National
Team and the roster was eventually whittled down to 12. Those 12 will participate in the 2019 FIVB Women’s U20 World Championship
July 12-21 in Léon Guanajuato & Aguascalientes, Mexico. The U.S. qualified
for the World Championship by winning the 2018 NORCECA Women’s U20 Continental
Championship.

Hosts Mexico will be up against USA,
Italy and Cuba in Pool A, while reigning WU-20 champions China will take on
Poland, Egypt and Peru in Pool B. Pool C includes 2017 runners-up Russia,
Turkey, Argentina and Serbia. The last edition of the competition’s bronze
medallists Japan are in Pool D with Brazil, who with six titles have won the
competition more than any other nation, the Dominican Republic and Rwanda.

In June, Dixon traveled with the Kansas State volleyball team to Brazil where they trained with the Brazilian U20 National team and also played several exhibition matches. Brazil is considered one of the best countries in the world for volleyball as it won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.

Dixon was also chosen to train with the Collegiate National Team in Anaheim, Calif.

“My experience is Brazil was incredible,”
Dixon said. “Not just getting to play against different teams there, but
actually building relationships down there and getting to understand and
respect their culture.”

When the hectic summer for Dixon has
finally ended, she knows she will be ready when her collegiate season gets
underway in the fall.

“I feel like my experiences over the summer
has pushed me to grow as a player and a person, tremendously,” Dixon said. “Seeing
high level competition that resembles the Big 12 play gave me an idea of what
to expect going into my college career and made me more prepared. I’m very
excited to see what our team can do in the fall.”

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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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

Class of 2007

Alan
Taylor – 1949 – Football

Tim
Dozier – 1987 – Wrestling/Football

Beth
Dodson Dixon – 1989 – Volleyball/Basketball

Jeff
Lohse – 1991 – Baseball/Football/Basketball

Class of 2008

Greg
Kahmann – 1987 – Baseball/Football/Basketball

Mark
Buckingham – 1994 – Basketball

Not many athletes had the
opportunity to experience the success Carson Buffington did during the 2018-19
school year.

Buffington found herself in two state
championship matches and was a team captain in all three seasons. The 2019
Louisburg High School graduate played at a high level in all the sports she
competed in and did so with the respect of her teammates of coaches.

Those are just a few of the reasons why Buffington was chosen as the 2019 Louisburg Sports Zone Female Athlete of the Year.

The award, which is in its second
year, is to recognize an outstanding LHS student athlete. Louisburg Sports Zone
asked the head coaches at LHS to submit nominations and those nominations were
then organized and submitted back to the coaches for a vote.

The coaches then submitted their
top three choices and the number of votes were added up, which decided the
winner.

Buffington began her memorable senior
year on the volleyball court as she helped the Lady Cats to a state runner-up
finish for the second consecutive season. She was an outside hitter on the 2018
squad, which was a position she had to learn on the fly.

She spent the last two seasons as
the team’s starting setter and Buffington made the move to the front line –
which gave her team the best chance to win.

Along with her state runner-up
finish, Buffington also earned second team All-Frontier League honors and was
named to the Greater Kansas City Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All-Star
match.

“Carson was a great leader again this
past season and played a vital role on the team,” Louisburg coach Jessica
Compliment said. “She handled transitioning to a new position with a lot of
grace and was bound and determined to learn the ins/outs of being a hitter,
than a setter. She previously ran our offense as the setter for two years. But
as with each new season, new players are added to the mix and the possibility
of changing positions/rosters arises.

“I was very proud of how she ‘handed’ over the reins of the offense to two freshmen and how she encouraged and pushed them every day in practice. She was a great role model. Carson added a lot of emotional energy when we needed it and made huge plays at important times throughout matches.”

Buffington was also a big part of the
Lady Cat basketball team this past season, despite finishing short of a state
tournament. She earned all-league and all-state honorable mention honors after
she averaged eight points, seven rebounds and three steals per game.

She currently holds a school record with 864
career rebounds and was an all-league player for her entire four year stint
with the Louisburg basketball team.

“Carson is one of the hardest working players that I
have worked with coaching basketball, boys or girls,” Louisburg girls
basketball coach Shawn Lowry said. “She never took a day off and always led by
example. Carson was relentless as a player and was always the first one on
the floor for a loose ball.  As good an athlete, she is an even better
young woman with great character, integrity, unselfishness and passion.”

Buffington might have had her most successful season,
both team-wise and individually, in the spring as the Wildcats’ starting goalkeeper
on the Louisburg girls’ soccer team.

For the second year in a row, the Wildcats were the Class 4-1A state runner-up and Buffington was a big reason why. She started all 20 games and set school records in shutouts (13), saves in a season (115), goals against average (.952) and wins (17).

With all that success, Buffington was named the
Class 4-1A Goalkeeper of the Year by the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association.

“Carson in her first year as the starting
goalkeeper was unbelievable,” Louisburg girls soccer coach Kyle Conley said. “She
kept us in a lot of games and even won us a few. Carson is in her third year ever playing
soccer as well. She started her sophomore year and has grown so much. She is a
gifted three sport athlete and it shows in her ability to play goalkeeper. She
has a fantastic attitude and work ethic.”