MVP: Shawnee County High School Sports Magazine - December 2012

Wrestling

Warriors December 2012

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contents 4

MVP of the Game

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State Champions

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Junior Board

10 Wrestling Warriors 28 Coach Talk Mark Elliott interviews Seaman High School’s Basketball Coach Craig Cox

28 Exceptional Athlete MVP highlights 6A State Tennis Singles Champion Madeline Hill

10 wrestling warriors 26 Coach Talk // Seaman High’s Craig Cox

30 Made in Shawnee County JB Bauersfeld interviews former Highland Park Wrestler and Olympian Melvin Douglas Cover photo: Topeka High Wrestlers Austin Tillman Will Geary Marcus Reece

28 Exceptional Athlete// Madeline Hill

December 2012

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mvp of the game & contributors MVP of the Game is chosen by the announcers of each football game at Hummer Sports Park. They select the athlete who was most instrumental to their team.

Contributors Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Tara Dimick Photographer Rachel Lock Creative Director Jenni Ponton

topeka west vs. shawnee heights October 19, 2012 Michael Moten, II, Shawnee Heights Senior photo by David Vincent

TOPEKA HIGH VS. WASHBURN RURAL October 26, 2012 Raymond Solis, Topeka High Senior photo by Rachel Lock

state champions

Contributing Writers J.B. Bauersfeld Mark Elliott Contributing Photographer David Vincent Account Executive Tara Dimick 785.217.4836 Publishing Company E2 Communications, Inc.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY 4A State Girls Cross Country Champions Hayden High School Coach: Kathy Strecker

BOYS SOCCER 6A State Boys Soccer Champions Washburn Rural High School Coach: Brian Hensyel 4A State Boys Soccer Champions Hayden High School Coach: Klaus Kreutzer

VOLLEYBALL 6A State Volleyball Champions Washburn Rural High School Coach: Kevin Bordewick

GIRLS TENNIS 6A State Girls Tennis Champion Singles Madeline Hill, Sophomore Washburn Rural High School Coach: Kevin Hedberg

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MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2012

PO Box 67272 Topeka, KS 66667 785.217.4836 taradimick@gmail.com www.mvpsportsmagazine.com MVP Sports Magazine is published by E2 Communications, Inc. Reproduction or use of this publication in any manner without written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Every effort was made to ensure accuracy of the information in this publication as of press time. The publisher assumes no responsibility of any part for the content of any advertisement in this publication, including any errors and omissions there in. E2 Communications, Inc. makes no endorsement, representation or warranty regarding any goods or services advertised or listed in this publication. Listings and advertisements are provided by the subject companies. E2 Communications, Inc. shall not be responsible or liable for any inaccuracy, omission or infringement of any third party’s right therein, or for personal injury or any other damage or injury whatsoever. By placing an order for an advertisement, the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher against any claims relating to the advertisement.

--Michael Jordan

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www.educationalcu.org 785.271.6900 facebook.com/EducationalCreditUnion December 2012 MVPSportsMagazine.com 5

MVP Junior Advisory Board Meet the 2012-2013 Junior Advisory Board for the MVP: Shawnee County High School Sports Magazine.

The students selected represent their schools, serve as a liaison for MVP and will assist in guiding MVP into the future.

Highland Park High School // Junior

Washburn Rural High School // Senior

Topeka High School // Senior

Seaman High School // Junior

School Activities: Varsity Tennis & Basketball, Link Crew, Top 10%,Tutor for Save your Grades, Biotechnology, Spirit Club, National Honors Society

School Activities: Student Tutor, Girls’ Swim Team Captain, Boys’ Swim Team Manager, Philosophy Club Member, National Honor Society Member

School Activities: All-School President, National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Spanish Club President, Link Crew, Concert Choir, Madrigals and Tennis Team

School Activities: Football Manager, Boy’s Basketball Manager, Softball Manager, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Member, Interact Club Member

Outside Activities: Fashionetta, Church, Volunteer

Outside Activities: Employee at Planet Sub and Class Act Uniforms

What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“I hope to see Highland Park projected as the positive spirit filled environment it is.’

What’s your favorite quote?

“Anything worth having isn’t easy” - Anonymous

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What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“I hope to further develop my leadership skills and learn about journalism.”

What’s your favorite quote?

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” - Dr. Seuss

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2012

Outside Activities: Referee for Parks and Rec, St. Francis Volunteer, Technical Coach for Church Drama Ministry

Outside Activities: Mother Teresa Catholic Church Youth Group Member and Servers Coordinator, Part-time Sales Associate at Walgreens, Umpire/Referee

What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“I would love to get some work experience in the editing world, as well as meet great new people and make connections for the future.”

What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“I want to see the magazine reach new heights. I want to take it to the next level. I’m excited to be apart of something new.”

What’s your favorite quote?

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

What’s your favorite quote?

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

- Vince Lombardi

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Topeka West High School // Senior

Hayden High School // Sophomore

Topeka High School // Junior

Silver Lake High School // Freshman

School Activities: Football, Basketball, Baseball, West Singers, StuCo, and Matheletes

School Activities: STUCO, Tennis, Basketball and Soccer

School Activities: Soccer, Boys Soccer Manager, Robed Choir, Link Crew, FBLA, Mu Alpha Theta (math club), Special Opps, FCS

School Activities: Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Future Farmers of America, Choir

Other Activities: Volunteer at Golf Courses and Church What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“I hope to get my classmates exposure that they may not get otherwise.”

What’s your favorite quote?

“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”

- The Sandlot

Outside Activities: Top Soccer Buddy, Club Soccer What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“To help showcase good student athletes as role models to the local community. I also hope to make new friendship and take this opportunity to learn from the other members of the board.“ What’s your favorite quote?

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”

- Colin Powell

Other Activities: Soccer and YoungLife What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“I hope the bring helpful knowledge of the athletes and activities at my school so they can be put into the magazine for everyone in Shawnee County to see.”

What’s your favorite quote?

“So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact.

And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.”

-- Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Outside Activities: St. Stainlaus Catholic Church Youth Group & Member, Impact Club Volleyball Team, Level Up Club Softball Team, and Kansas Medical Clinic & Osteoporosis Services PA Volunteer What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“This position will give me the opportunity to see sports on a different level. Instead of just playing the game, I will be able to come up with ideas for the magazine on how sports have an impact on others.”

What’s your favorite quote?

“There’s no free pass in life, you have to work for it” - Anonymous

School Activities: Co-President of STUCO, President of National Honor Society, VP of Customer Relations of Seaman Bank, Seaman Clipper Sports Editor, Soccer Outside Activities: Soccer Referee, Full-time Statistician for Personal Purposes What do you hope to achieve by serving on the MVP Junior Board?

“By serving on the MVP Junior Board, I hope to strengthen my communication skills as I work with other knowledgeable students from the area and a well-published magazine. I’d enjoy providing assistance to MVP by shining light on interesting feature possibilities in North Topeka and offering opinions on materials covered by the magazine.”

Seaman High School // Senior

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What’s your favorite quote?

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, and others make it happen.”

- Michael Jordan

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“In order to become a wrestler, one should have the strength of a weight-lifter, the agility of an acrobat, the endurance of a runner and the tactical mind of a chess master.�

Alexander Medved, The Greatest Wrestler of the 20th Century in Freestyle

wrestling warriors Top wrestlers of Shawnee County Bryant Guillen, Seaman High School

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rossville

Tagen Lambotte // Junior

Ranked 1st in the 2013 pre-season ranking for weight class 2012 State Champion 2011 State Champion USAW Folkstyle National Champion Wrestling Weight: 145 lbs 2012 Record: 34-1 2011 Record: 48-2 Misconception about wrestling: Cutting weight. If you do it right it is good for you.

Cody Cooper // Senior Ranked 5th in the 2013 pre-season ranking for weight class Wrestling Weight: 285 lbs

Inspires you to wrestle: Being the best. It’s a demanding sport that is hard and I love the grind.

Inspires you to wrestle: Breaking a sweat and winning matches.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: The will to win!

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Alex Cavanaugh // Freshman Wrestling Weight: 106 lbs Most challenging part of wrestling: Sacrifice. Having to maintain a rigid diet, as well as proper conditioning, when other kids eat and drink what they want.

Misconception about wrestling: People think it is WWE when actually it is a martial art.

Inspires you to wrestle: The thrill of winning.

Braeden Reed Lockhurt // Junior Ranked 6th in the 2013 pre-season ranking for weight class 2012 State Qualifier Wrestling Weight: 170 lbs Misconception about wrestling: People think that anyone can wrestle. That’s false.

Someone cannot just jump into it and be great. It takes years of preparation, sweat, heart, determination and blood.

Inspires you to wrestle: My family inspires me to wrestle. My dad and step-dad wrestled. My family believes in me and believes that I can succeed.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: The roar of the crowd has something to do with it. It’s all about how much heart you have to hold your head high and finish with all you have left. It’s all about who wants it more.

You can never think that you are beat or someone is better than you. If you think that you will get beat every time. I also keep going because that my instinct. I hate losing but so does everyone else.

I still come out swinging no matter what I am up against.

Haegan Schaefer // Sophomore 2012 State Qualifier Wrestling Weight: 113 lbs Freshman Record: 39-10 Most challenging part of wrestling: Hard work and losing weight. Also to keep the weight down for about four months. Then, when you have put in all the hard work and time, and you go out and lose the match.

Inspires you to wrestle: My dad who is also my coach. Wrestling has taught me how to work hard in life and reach all my goals. Plus, last year I had a great shot at placing in state and I got hurt.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: The thing that keeps me going is my fans that want me to win, and my father who has trained me for these positions since I was five.

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hayden

Dalton Toelkes // Senior 2012 Honorable Mention All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 152 lbs 2012 Record: 21-14

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Simon Munoz // Senior Ranked 6th in the 2013 preseason ranking for weight class 2012 State Qualifier 2012 2nd Team All-City Wrestling

Most challenging part of wrestling: The preparation required to get your body in shape, and down to competition weight.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: Knowing the feeling of losing and doing everything you can to avoid it.

Wrestling Weight: 112 lbs 2012 Record: 31-7 Misconception about wrestling: The most common misconception is that wrestling is an individual sport. It’s really a team sport. If you take care of business as an individual, the team does well.

Plus, you have to practice with someone.

Most challenging part of wrestling: The hardest part of wrestling is keeping after it. It’s a long season and the grind gets to you.

Keeping your weight where you need it, grades, and practice. It gets pretty brutal and you have to be prepared.

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Alex Singer // Senior 2012 Honorable Mention All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 145 lbs 2012 Record: 16-9 Inspires you to wrestle: The amount of mental toughness shown on and off the mat by wrestlers.

How did you get started: I was born into the Singer family.

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highland park

Elijah Miller // Junior

Zach Ortega // Senior

Mason Dean // Senior

Kenny Knoll // Senior

2012 State Qualifier 2012 2nd Team All-City Wrestling

2012 Honorable Mention All-City Wrestling

Wrestling Weight: 220/230 lbs 2012 Record: 9-7

2012 State Qualifier 2012 2nd Team All-City Wrestling

Wrestling Weight: 220/285 lbs 2012 Record: 12-14

Most challenging part of wrestling: Conditioning and losing weight.

Wrestling Weight: 132 lbs 2012 Record: 26-15

Misconception about wrestling: You do not wear a mask. It is real wrestling, not WWE.

Most challenging part of wrestling: Wrestling third period when the match is too close.

How did you get started: Mom made me and I ended up liking it.  

Inspires you to wrestle: My dad (three time state champion), and the fact of knowing I can be good.

Wrestling Weight: 138 lbs 2012 Record: 10-5 Most challenging part of wrestling: Not eating when I want to.

Inspires you to wrestle: When you lose or win there is no one to blame but yourself.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: Thinking about what I can do after the match and how far I can go.

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Misconception about wrestling: That it is easy and everyone can do it.

Inspires you to wrestle: My grandma. Knowing that she is looking down on me and cheering me on.

How did you get started: My mom signed me up with the Topeka Tornados and I liked it ever since.

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What keeps you going when you have nothing left: The fact of knowing that no one else is beating me besides myself.

December 2012

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seaman Photo (L-R): Khamin Crow, Brandon Fuller, Spencer Wilson, Dylan Hall, Nathan Stanley, Bryant Guillen, Sam Mizell

Khamin Crow // Sophomore

Brandon Fuller // Senior

Ranked 4th in the 2013 pre-season ranking for weight class 2012 3rd Place at 3A State (Wrestling for Silver Lake High School)

2012 1st Team All-City Wrestling 2011 State Qualifier

Wrestling Weight: 106 lbs 2012 Record: 34-5 Inspires you to wrestle: The feeling you get when your hand gets raised at the end of the match.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: The thought that this match may be my last.

Misconception about wrestling: It’s easy.

Spencer Wilson // Senior

Inspires you to wrestle: I want to improve and become the best wrestler I can be with my ability.

How did you get started: In middle school, I went out for wrestling with my friends.

Nathan Stanley // Senior 2012 State Qualifier 2012 1st Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 195 lbs 2012 Record: 19-7

Ranked 2nd in the 2013 pre-season ranking for weight class 2012 4th Place at State 2012 2nd Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 285 lbs 2012 Record: 34-13

Most challenging part of wrestling: The mental and physical grind, day in and day out.

The truth about wrestling: It is really the most competitive and challenging thing I’ve ever done.

Bryant Guillen // Senior Ranked 1st in the 2013 pre-season ranking for weight class 202 State Champion 2012 1st Team All-City Wrestling

2012 3rd Place at 6A State (Wrestling for Lawrence-Free State High School) 2011 State Runner-Up

How did you get started: My dad.

Wrestling Weight: 160 lbs 2012 Record: 27-6

Wrestling Weight: 182 lbs 2012 Record: 35-4

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: All the pretty girls in the stands. That, and the embarrassment of losing isn’t that fun.

Most challenging part of wrestling: The week before a meet.

Most challenging part of wrestling: The hardest part of wrestling is finding people and places to practice.

Sam Mizell // Junior

Inspires you to wrestle: Wrestling is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life.

Wrestling Weight: 152 lbs 2012 Record: 6-12

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: There is always more to give. I know that my opponent can be beat and I can’t afford to lose.

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Wrestling Weight: 145 lbs 2012 Record: 14-11

Dylan Hall // Senior

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2012 State Qualifier

Most challenging part of wrestling: Cutting weight.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: Pride.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: I just don’t want to lose, so I’ll keep going no matter what.

December 2012

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Talin Golightley, Carter Hall and Justin Dyer

shawnee heights

Ben Taliaferro and Tyson Toelkes Shannon Meck and Nick Meck Alan Smith and Dalton Mulligan

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Trevor Wathke and Garrett Morris

Trevor Wathke // Junior

2012 Honorable Mention All-City Wrestling

2012 State Qualifier 2012 Honorable Mention AllCity Wrestling

Wrestling Weight: 138 lbs 2012 Record: 12-17

Wrestling Weight: 106 lbs

Most challenging part of wrestling: Practice. Practice. Practice.

Most challenging part of wrestling: The hard work we put in every day at practice.

Inspires you to wrestle: The commitment it takes to wrestle.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: The thought that I worked harder than ever all week, and that I’m not going to blow all that hard work and lose.

Garrett Morris // Junior 2012 State Qualifier 2012 Honorable Mention AllCity Wrestling

Inspires you to wrestle: Striving to always get better, and knowing that I can always work harder.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: Knowing that I have worked harder than my opponent.

Justin Dyer // Senior 2x State Qualifier 2012 Honorable Mention AllCity Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 145 lbs 2012 Record: 23-19

Wrestling Weight: 113 lbs

Most challenging part of wrestling: The conditioning.

Misconception about wrestling: That it is fighting.

Inspires you to wrestle: The dedication and the tough aspect of the sport.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: The coach yelling.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: I want to do well and make people proud. Also, I want to help give Shawnee Heights Wrestling a reputation and make everyone proud.

Alan Smith // Sophomore 2012 State Qualifier 2012 Honorable Mention AllCity Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 138 lbs 2012 Record: 8-10 Inspires you to wrestle: The challenge of winning and how difficult it is.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: My teammates push me to continue and win.

Dalton Mulligan // Senior Brute Nationals All-American 2012 State Qualifier

Carter Hall // Sophomore Ranked 6th in the 2013 preseason ranking for weight class 2012 State Qualifier 2012 Second Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 160 lbs 2012 Record: 12-12 Inspires you to wrestle: The intense competition and the feeling when you win.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: My mother’s loud cheering in the stands.

Talin Golightley // Senior Ranked 4th in the 2013 preseason ranking for weight class 2012 Honorable Mention AllCity Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 152 lbs 2012 Record: 16-4 Inspires you to wrestle: What inspires me to wrestle is the commitment and dedication that you have to put forth.

How did you get started: I started when I was four, when my dad talked me into it. I was successful from the start and it became a part of my life.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: My will to win. I have worked so hard to be in a position to win and I refuse to give up. I will go until it is over.

Nick Meck // Senior Ranked 1st in the 2013 preseason ranking for weight class 2012 State Champion 2012 First Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 182 lbs 2012 Record: 38-2 Most challenging part of wrestling: Practices.

Inspires you to wrestle: The challenge.

Ben Taliaferro // Senior

Ranked 6th in the 2013 preseason ranking for weight class 2012 State Qualifier 2012 Hardest Worker Award 2012 Honorable Mention AllCity Wrestling 2011 SHHS JV Wrestler of the Year Wrestling Weight: 195 lbs 2012 Record: 12-17

tices and the physical toll the sport takes on your body.

Inspires you to wrestle: Wanting to win and being better than my opponent.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: My will to win and trusting in my conditioning that I have got enough left in the tank. There is always a voice in the back of my head saying, “one more time, you’re almost done, gotta finish.”

Shannon Meck // Senior Ranked 4th in the 2013 preseason ranking for weight class 5th Place at 2012 State 2012 Second Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 280 lbs 2012 Record: 32-7 Most challenging part of wrestling: Learning new moves.

Inspires you to wrestle: My brother, Nick (Meck) How did you get started: Club wrestling. I started when I was 5-years-old.

Tyson Toelkes // Junior

Ranked 1st in the 2013 preseason ranking for weight class 4th Place at 2012 State 2012 Second Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 138 lbs 2012 Record: 25-6 2011 Record: 25-0 (JV) Most challenging part of wrestling: The time and effort you have to put in.

How did you get started: My whole family wrestled. I started young and just never stopped.

Most challenging part of wrestling: The conditioning and hard pracDecember 2012

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Topeka West

Zach Campbell // Sophomore Jacob Thrall // Senior 2012 Honorable Mention All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 138 lbs Most challenging part of wrestling: When you get into the final period and you feel like you want to give up but you don’t because you have practiced for times like that every day.

Misconception about wrestling: How hard it actually is. Wrestling for six minutes doesn’t seem like a long time, but when you are out on the mat. It seems like forever, but you practice and work hard and eventually six minutes is like nothing.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: I think about all the practice and time I have put in for moments like these. I know I have to leave everything on the mat.

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State Qualifier 2012 1st Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 106 lbs 2012 Record: 18-15 Misconception about wrestling: That it is just two sweaty guys grabbing each other on a mat.

Inspires you to wrestle: It gives you the self-discipline and confidence you need. The feeling once you win a match that you know you worked the hardest.

How did you get started: My father and older brother were great wrestlers and they encouraged me to try it.

Aaron Wilson // Senior 2012 State Qualifier 2012 2nd Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 138 lbs 2012 Record: 26-15 Misconception about wrestling: That all wrestlers are mean and violent kids.

Inspires you to wrestle: Getting my hand raised. There’s no other feeling that can compare to that.

Stephen Stamps // Junior 2012 State Qualifier 2012 Honorable Mention All-City Wrestling 2nd Pace at Summit Freestyle Wrestling Weight: 138 lbs 2012 Record: 11-8 Most challenging part of wrestling: Going against someone that I know is better than me. The fact is I have a chance of losing, but forgetting about it and just going out there and wrestling.

Misconception about wrestling: That we are all about starving ourselves.

We are much healthier than that.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: Forgetting about how I feel and being mentally tough.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: Knowing that I’ll never get that match back once it’s over, no matter what.

Weston Mikoleit // Senior 2012 State Qualifier 2012 1st Team All-City Wrestling Wrestling Weight: 132 lbs 2012 Record: 25-13 Misconception about wrestling: That you have to wear a singlet to practice.

Inspires you to wrestle: The great champions like Dan Gable, Cael Sanderson and Rulon Gardner.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: That feeling you get when your hand is raised at the end of the match instead of your opponent.

washburn rural December 2012

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Austin Tillman // Junior

Marcus Reece // Senior

Ranked 1st in the 2013 pre-season ranking for weight class 2012 6th Place at State 2012 2nd Team All-City Wrestling

2012 State Qualifier 2012 1st Team All-City Wrestling

Wrestling Weight: 182 lbs 2012 Record: 27-12 Misconception about wrestling: A lot of people think it is easy, but it is one of the toughest sports.

Inspires you to wrestle: I’ve done it my whole life and it helps me mentally and physically for football.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: My teammates cheering for me; and my coaches pushing me and telling me that I can rest when I win.

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Wrestling Weight: 126 lbs 2012 Record: 25-17 Most challenging part of wrestling: Getting in wrestling shape after the fall season.

Inspires you to wrestle: I wanted to get in better shape for football. I also had heard that wrestling makes you into a tougher man.

How did you get started: I started wrestling my freshman year because some of my friends were doing it also.

Topeka high Will Geary // Senior Ranked 1st in the 2013 pre-season ranking for weight class 2012 State Champion 2012 1st Team All-City Wrestling 2011 3rd Place at State Wrestling Weight: 285 lbs 2012 Record: 34-0 Most challenging part of wrestling: Beating the grind of the season.

Inspires you to wrestle: Those who do not have the privilege to wrestle and those who wrestle despite many limitations.

What keeps you going when you have nothing left: I don’t like to lose or to let anybody feel confident that they are going to win at any time in the match.

December 2012

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COACH TALK MARK ELLIOTT OF WIBW 580 AM SPORTSTALK INTERVIEWS SEAMAN HIGH SCHOOL’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH CRAIG COX.

MARK ELLIOTT: You started with Jack Hartman (Kansas State University) keeping the stats for four years; you go with Lonnie (Kruger) to Pan-American as a graduate assistant, you join Coach (Bill) Morse at Fort Hays State as a graduate assistant; and then, you went into high school. Why did you go into the high school level?

CRAIG COX: I think you have to have the confidence in

yourself that someone is going to be willing to hire you as a guy that’s going to go recruit for them. There are a lot of guys that struggle to catch that break and get that job to move from that GA position into a full time position.

When Coach Kruger came back to Kansas State, I was his grad assistant for the summer months. We came to Topeka for the Kaw Valley Catbackers in August 1986, and ran into Ellis Stall. He said that their basketball coach and P.E. teacher had just quit.

We’re talking August 10th and Shawnee Heights needed a P.E. teacher. I had rung up quite a few student loan debts, and the thought of somebody actually giving me a paycheck and being able to start a career sounded pretty good. So I interview with them and got hired on August 20th. I started teaching on August 22nd.

MARK: So do you ever think back and go “man what if I’d have stayed with Lon Kruger?”

CRAIG: I’ve heard Coach Kruger interviewed, and he talked about how he always hired guys that have been basketball m a n a g e r s to be the organizational guys, to run the camps, to be the director of operations. That

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might have been a fit, but at the same time I’ve tremendously enjoyed being a head coach and getting to write my own practice plans, develop my own philosophies and experience the relationship that you have with your players.

MARK: Everybody that I’ve ever talked to that knows basketball says that you are one of the best coaches in the state of Kansas. What took you so long to become the head coach at Shawnee Heights? Now, my theory is that by the time you were 30 you might’ve looked 17.

CRAIG: I really enjoyed my teaching job at Shawnee Heights. My first two years at Heights, Coach Bodenheimer won back-to-back state championships. They had a lot of great years and a lot of great players. I was having successful teams and the varsity teams were doing well. And so, I was really satisfied, and I knew that there was going to be the opportunity to start the baseball program. I mean we knew that a few years in advance, before 1991, and I knew I’d have a good shot to do that job.

I thought that I really needed to be the head coach in baseball to show people that “hey, I can be a head coach, I can make the cuts, I can run the program.”

I was very fortunate to have just tons of talent, so many good baseball players. For three years I was head coach in both sports (baseball and basketball) even though they overlapped.

So that was part of it, I was just making sure that I was ready. I was fortunate that Shawnee Heights gave me that opportunity.

MARK: At Shawnee Heights as the baseball coach, how many state titles, what years were those?

CRAIG: Our second year of baseball, 1992, we were the 6A runner-up to Manhattan, and then we dropped down to 5A and won state in 1994 and 1999.

MARK: State basketball titles, Gary Woodland led the T-Birds at Shawnee Heights.

CRAIG: 2000 and 2002, his (Woodland’s) sophomore and senior years. I think the thing that I have the most pride about is that 11 players on the 2000 roster had graduated and were replaced by 11 different players for the 2002 roster.

Gary was the constant, but there were a lot of other kids that got to experience a state championship.

After we won a couple of state championships in 5A, to be honest, I wanted to go to 6A. In 6A you’re talking about the Wichita schools and Kansas City schools that are so good, and I wanted to see if I could compete with the best in the state. Unfortunately, a bad decision on my part, ended my coaching career at Washburn Rural with the D.U.I., and I resigned.

Sean Higley, senior and Taylor Czajkowski, senior with Coach Craig Cox

MARK: You know nobody wants to go through what you did. How did you make it through that?

CRAIG: It really was difficult.

The most guilt you have is because of your family. My wife was tremendously supportive, and my kids were old enough to understand the mistake I made. When you have to look at them, that is difficult, but that also gives you the strength to deal with everyone because you know that they’re there and they’re going to support you and love you. The rest of my family was very supportive of the situation, as well.

Nobody likes it, nobody wants to go through it, you regret it, you learn from it, and you hope other people do the same and realize that every single choice that we have to make every single day has consequences. Some of those are good and some of those consequences are not good.

MARK: So Shawnee Heights, Washburn Rural and now you are at Seaman. How

are the three schools similar and how are they different?

CRAIG: The students are a lot more alike than people realize, but they each have their own unique personality.

The administrations at all three schools have been very supportive. I enjoy it here with Mr. Vinduska and Mr. Dietz, because they’re former basketball coaches. They’ve been tremendous to work for.

I think that our goal here for the boys’ basketball program is to try to get to that level that Seaman football has been respected at.

MARK: Try to get it to that Seaman baseball level.

CRAIG: Try to get it to that Seaman baseball level, because they’re a powerhouse and you know that they are going to be well-coached and play the game right, and do all the little things that you have to do to be successful.

1978 // Graduated from Silver Lake High School

Played for C.J. Hamilton and Ken Darting 1978-1984 // Kansas State University 1980-1984 // Kansas State University Basketball Manager Under Coach Jack Hartman & Assistant Coach Lon Kruger 1984-1985 // Texas Pan American Graduate Assistant Under Coach Lon Kruger 1985-1986 // Fort Hays State University Graduate Assistant 1986-2003 // Shawnee Heights High School

1986-2003: P.E. Teacher

1986-1987: 8th Grade Basketball Coach

1987-1996: Freshman Basketball Coach 1991-1999:Varsity Baseball Coach (State Champions 1994 & 1999; State Runner-Up 1992)

1996-2003: Varsity Basketball Coach (State Champions 2000 & 2002)

2003-2011 // Washburn Rural High School

2003-2009: Varsity Basketball Coach

2003-2011: P.E. Teacher 2011-present // Seaman High School P.E. Teacher & Varsity Basketball Coach December 2012

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Madelin

Washburn Rural High School // Sophomore

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ophomore // 6A State Singles Tennis Champion

ne Hill

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2012 6A State Singles Champion banner placed on the Wood Valley "Wall of Fame"

Ranked 4th in the 16s USTA Missouri Valley Tennis Standings (USTA Missouri Valley includes: Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri)

SOPHOMORE YEAR: - City Champion - League Champion - Regional Champion - Aquinas Champion - 6A State Singles Tennis Champion - 30-0 Record - All-City Tennis Team - All-State Tennis Team - 4.0 Student

FRESHMAN YEAR: - City Champion - League Champion - Regional Champion - Semi-finalist at Aquinas tournament - 4th Place Finish in 6A State Singles Tennis - All-City Tennis Team - All-State Tennis Team - 4.0 Student

BREAKING RECORDS: - First 6A Girls Singles Tennis Champion in Washburn Rural History.

- First Topeka 6A Girls Singles Tennis Champion since 1994.

MADE IN SHAWNEE COUNTY JB Bauersfeld, WIBW-TV Sports Anchor Talks with former Highland Park Wrestling Standout, Olympian and World Champion Melvin Douglas Melvin Douglas graduated from Highland Park in 1981, winning three state titles. From there, Douglas wrestled at Oklahoma, winning a pair of NCAA championships. Douglas then enjoyed a long and successful international career, winning a World Championship in Freestyle in 1993 and participating in two Olympics.

He currently lives in Arizona with his 15-year-old son Isaiah.

JB: As a fellow Hi Park grad, I have to ask; what was your experience like wrestling at Highland Park?

Melvin Douglas ( MD): Oh, it was the best. I couldn’t ask for more. I was a three time state champion. It was a great experience for me to be the only one in Topeka, Kansas to do so.

JB: There was a rumor going around when I was in school that your legs were too big to fit into the singlet back then. Any truth to that?

MD: [laughs] Of course they were. All singlets that were made were too small for my legs, I had to cut them.

JB: So they obviously weren’t made out of the same material that they are now?

MD: No, I had to cut the leg, cut the elastic area, cut the inside. It would squeeze my legs. And then as I started wrestling internationally, I just started cutting off the elastic completely.

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JB: So that actually kind of became your trademark?

MD: Awe yeah. If you had one of my singlets it either had a slit up the inside or the elastic was totally gone [chuckles].

JB: What was your most memorable moment from your international career?

MD: It was winning the Tbilisi Wrestling Tournament because it took me three times. AND, it was the Russian National Tournament. It was the number one tournament. You had the best and at that time, Russia was the best country there was (for wrestling).

JB: Was that during the cold war?

MD: Yeah, that was during the cold war when it was just one country. And believe me, (wrestler number) two and three was just as good as one.

They were just that stacked.

And to go win that tournament meant you had to go through all of ‘em.

But not many people know this, the World Championships are actually harder than the Olympics.

JB: Why is that?

MD: (In) the Olympics, only so many athletes can qualify.

In the World Championships, everybody goes. Everybody. But the Olympics are the one thing you want to win as an athlete, it tops off your career.

JB: That being said, does the career feel incomplete without that (Olympic) medal?

MD: Oh yeah. That’s why I lasted so long. That’s why I tried so many times. My first Olympic trial was in 1984. I tried out a bunch of times. I made two of them, I should have made three, and to not win that medal does make it tough to cap that career.

Unfortunately, for me, to not win Olympic gold kind of feels like you didn’t do it.

JB: You still manage to make it back to the Midwest for your annual tournament (the Melvin Douglas Invitational at Highland Park). What’s it like coming to Topeka on a regular basis?

MD: I don’t make it back every year, but when I do, I’m like: “hey, that’s the Melvin Douglas tournament.” It’s nice to see that, you know, that I’m still thought of after all these years.

[Laughs] Wow, it’s a thrill to me to walk into my old gym and see that my picture is the only one on the wall. It’s an honor to know that they still think of me like that.

JB: Does Topeka still hold a special place in your heart?

MD: Of course it does. That’s where my mom and dad live.

That’s where it all started for me.

JB: Was the Olympic experience, even without medaling, all it was cracked up to be?

MD: Going through the Olympic experience was good because it’s something only so many people could ever do, and I just happened to be one of those. It’s hyped up more than it is. People are happy just to win a medal. For me, I don’t train for that. I don’t train just to win a medal. I want to win the gold...

MVPSportsMagazine.com December 2012

Photo provided by http://www.amateurwrestlingphotos.com/spotlight/sunkist03.htm

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