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page 27 [sports]
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photo by samantha ludington
lancer sports
The girl’s drill team had one of their best finishes ever at the Kansas Spectacular. Seniors Molly Emert and Natashia Howell were first runner-up in the duet category. Their next stop is Florida the first weekend of March for a national competition. A Shawnee Mission school has not won the state wrestling team title since 1977, when SM West won 5A. With seven wrestlers in the top five in their respected weight class, East has the second most topfive wrestlers in 6A , trailing only Goddard by a spot. The last boys’ golf state champion from East was Simon Thompson in 2001. However, East will have a good shot this year behind junior Scott Willman. As a sophomore, Willman tied for second at state losing by only two strokes. East is one of two schools that has both the girls and boys basketball team ranked in 6A. As of Feb. 14, the boys are ranked first, while the girls are only a couple spots behind at sixth. They have the most combined wins out of any school in 6A. In the history of the East boys’ swim team, they have won backto-back state championships three times: in 74- 75, 78- 79 and in 05-06. However, if they won last Saturday it would be the first time they have ever won three consecutive state championships.
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predictions by peter goehausen
Terrance Thomas will break the Kansas 6A 100 meter dash time set 11 years ago. Thomas’s 10.4 second personal record is .04 seconds from the record.
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Behind, junior Taylon Johnson, the girls basketball team will advance to the state tournament for the first time under Coach Rick Rhoades.
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Although his East career is over, senior All-American swimmer Luke Tanner will still make waves by qualifying for the 2008 Olympics. Wrestling coach Chip Ufford, will turn the East wrestling program into one of the best programs in Kansas 6A.
they said it
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“ I felt bad for the fans who were at that game because it was so boring,” senior basketball player Bryan Nelson said. He was referring to the low-scoring 38-26 win over SM Northwest on Feb. 9. Nelson finished the game with 10 points.
The Week Ahead
What to watch for in Lancer Athletics By Peter Goehausen FRIDAY 2/23
Girls Basketball @ SM South
With a top 10 ranking in Kansas 6A and a second place standing in the Sunflower League, Rick Rhoades is experiencing his best season in three years at East. Rhoades’s team has been lead by junior guard Taylon Johnson (13 points per game) and has been successful with a strong defense. Rhoades’s idea of having his team scrimmage former boys players has also paid off -- they have won eight of their last nine games.
TUESDAY 2/20
FRIDAY 2/23
Boys Basketball @ SM South
After winning six straight over the hated rival, this game shouldn’t be much more than a warmup game for sub-State. However, with it being South senior night and having already lost to East by 30 once this year, expect the Raiders to give the Lancers a run for their money. The Raiders, who are led by senior Brad Lewis and freshman Will Spradling, have been dwelling near the bottom of the Sunflower League all year with a lowly three league wins.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 2/23-24
Wrestling @ State (Wichita Coliseum)
Since Ryan Sonderegger and his two state championships left two years ago, the wrestling team struggled; until now. With seven Lancer wrestlers in the top five in their respective 6A weight classes going into last Saturday’s regional qualifying meet, head coach Chip Ufford seems to have completed a total turnaround. With junior Matt Baker at first in the 189 pound class, senior John Carr second in the 160 pound class and senior Drew Robinson third in 215 pound class, East has at least three legitimate contenders for the state championships and a shot at the team championship. photos by samantha ludington
Feb. 20, 2007
GAME OF THE WEEK-Boys Basketball vs. Olathe East (Senior Night) After departed JD Christie donned an East jersey for the final time last year, many were skeptical about the direction of this year’s team. However, behind the leadership of senior Bryan Nelson (15 points per game), the Lancers are in the running for the Sunflower League title, which would be a first under Hair. The key match up in this game will be senior guard Ross Simpson against the Hawks’ sharp-shooting Blake Bales, who leads them in scoring.
MONDAY 2/26
Start of spring sports
After placing third at state last year, the boys’ track team will be the headlining story this spring. Behind junior sprinter Terrance Thomas and senior jumpers Dylan Ballard and Peter Helmuth, they will be expected to be back in Wichita competing for the state title this May. The boys tennis, who won state last year, will also be expected to fair well behind sophomore Chris Fotopolous.