VYPE Kansas – NCK March 2024

Levi

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• STARTING CLASSES IN FALL 2024

It

Southeast

of Saline’s Brielle Ptacek

By Hayden Swope

Brielle Ptacek of Southeast of Saline was a first team all-league softball selection last season. Ptacek has aspirations to add on to those stats, and even make it to state.

“I want to help lead my team back to the state tournament,” Ptacek said. “We have a really strong group of returners and some new teammates joining us that we are really excited about. I also want to work to continue my 100 percent contact percentage and improve on my fielding percentages.”

While continuing to train and improve her softball skills, Ptacek stayed in physical and mental shape by competing in other sports.

“I am a three sport athlete and believe that each season makes me a better overall athlete,” Ptacek said. “The skills and mental aspects transfer from sport to sport. I have also spent a lot of time in the weight room during the off seasons and summers to get stronger and more explosive.”

The memories made heading into state is what Ptacek will forever remember, and the teammates and coaches she got to experience it with.

“Being able to compete in the state tournament with my team has to be my favorite memory so far,” Ptacek said. “Along with actually playing in the tournament our team has a bunch of fun activities that we do the week before the tournament. One of these activities is a scavenger hunt around town. We all load onto a bus and take pictures in different locations or with different items.”

While softball may come to an end, Ptacek plans to continue her education in college.

“I am planning on attending Kansas State University and majoring in architecture,” Ptacek said.

COMMERCIAL TIRE CALL OF THE WILD ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Bennington’s Karson Hobby

By Matt Browning

When it comes to being an outdoorsman, it all started when he was six for Bennington’s Karson Hobby.

“I started hunting when I was six years old,” Hobby said. “My dad got me started hunting and fishing.”

One of the best things about being outside for Hobby is the tranquility and peacefulness. It offers him a release that he cannot find anywhere else.

“I like being outdoors because it is relaxing to me and I don’t have to stress,” Hobby said.

With hunting and fishing being such a family activity and pastime, it is no wonder that some of his favorite memories were with his family. In fact, Hobby has two distinct memories – one from hunting, the other from fishing – that stand out to him.

“One of my favorite duck hunting memories is this last season when me and my dad (Brad), sister (Kennadi), Trevor, and my dog, Dally, Teal hunted at Jamestown for opening day of teal season and we all shot our limit which is six birds a person,” Hobby said. “One of my favorite fishing memories is during 2020 when my dad and I would go fishing two to three days a week catching lots and lots of crappie.”

Wichita State

By Matt Browning

Wichita State University opens their 2024 baseball and softball seasons with Hellas as the Official Turf of the Shockers. Hellas installed Major Play® turf at Wilkins Softball Stadium in 2023 and will soon be installing turf as part of phase 1 at the team’s Indoor Practice Facility.

“Partnering with Hellas has been one of the best decisions for this program. Hellas has provided turf for our game field, hitting facility, and the new indoor facility. Between the customer service and quality of product we couldn’t be happier,” said Wichita State Head Softball Coach Kristi Bredbenner.

Since 2012, the Shockers softball team has secured three regular-season championships, two conference tournament titles and five NCAA regional appearances. The facility renovation will allow Wichita State to host NCAA postseason play and other national events according to Bredbenner.

In 2020 Hellas installed Major Play turf at Tyler Field at Eck Baseball Stadium. The Shockers have enjoyed the playability of the Major Play Turf System specifically designed for America’s Pastime. Wichita State’s baseball field also incorporates Helix Technology, enhancing the structure and strength of each turf fiber. The monofilament fibers act like muscles, allowing them to bounce back after use. Helix technology improves the turf’s lifespan, making fields look better, hold infill, and eliminate fly-out. The Major Play turf installed at Wichita State softball and baseball offers high utilization, functionality, and performance throughout all seasons.

“One of the things we strive for in everything we do at Wichita State is providing a first-class experience for our student-athletes, and the turf provided by Hellas is a major part of that,” Wichita State Head Baseball Coach Brian Green said. “The surface drains exceptionally well, handles high amounts of traffic, and gives us the look of a truly top-notch college baseball facility.”

HELLAS

Carter Long Clay Center Prep Performance of the Month !

Clay Center’s Carter Long was a proli c hitter last season. He hit .509 with three home runs and 12 runs batted in. He was a rst team all-league and second team all-state selection.

But Long wants to make his o ensive abilities even more extensive.

“I have been hitting in the local batting cage with friends and teammates,” Long said. “I want to improve on hitting opposite eld. I have been focusing on that in the batting cage.”

The Tigers have made the state tournament three straight seasons and with a familiar group back this season, Long wants to make it a fourth appearance.

“I am excited for another great season with teammates I’ve grown up playing with,” Long said. “As well as making another trip to the state tournament.” As well as going back to state, Long has other goals he wants to accomplish in senior season.

“My goals are to receive all league and all-state honors,” Long said. “My goals for the team are to return to the state tournament for the fourth year in a row and to win state. As well as winning the NCKL.”

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY ECK STADIUM - HOME OF TYLER FIELD

Ellsworth’s Lane Rolfs

By Hayden Swope

Ellsworth’s Lane Rolfs was a first team all-league baseball player last season, and he’s hoping to add on to his accolades this year. Rolfs spent the offseason staying with a bat and a ball to keep up his training and conditioning.

“Preparing for the upcoming season I play summer and fall ball throughout the year and once the new year comes around I like to start swinging a bat and keeping my arm in shape as much as I can so I don’t get behind once it gets closer to the season,” Rolfs said.

While pushing himself to the limits to better himself as an player, Rolfs also has big hopes and dreams for his team to finish strong in the end.

“The number one team goal I have would be to make it to the state tournament,” Rolfs said. “I think we’re gonna have a good group of guys this year that have the talent to make it into a regional championship

Sports Card

game to give us that shot at state. Throughout the year for us is just to see improvement and more dedication from everyone each day.”

Even with his final high school season right around the corner, Rolfs started building his stats four years ago, where he broke a school record as a freshman.

“My favorite memory from baseball came during my freshman year when we played at Ellinwood,” Rolfs said. “I started on the mound in our second game of the double header and went six and two-third innings ending with 14 strikeouts which broke the Ellsworth single game strikeout record.”

Rolfs has aspirations to continue playing the sport he loves at the next level while also furthering his education.

“My future plans are to hopefully attend a D1 junior college in Kansas to play baseball and study construction science,” Rolfs said.

Ruxton Birdsong – Little River HS

By Matt Browning

Ruxton Birdsong of Little River took a devastating hit during the 2022 football season that left him with a complex lateral meniscus tear. This led to him having surgery the summer afterwards.

Birdsong used Advanced Physical Therapy for rehabilitation of his knee and he said there were many exercises and treatments that were used that helped him.

“I used banded monster steps, banded side lungs, weight ankle raises, wall sits, banded range of motion, road a stationary bike and tens machine therapy,” Birdsong said. I also sat on a machine that allowed for assisted squats. I was also given a sheet with some exercises I could perform at home. I really like all of the banded exercises. The most difficult were the weighted exercises and exercises that required me to squat and hold the position.”

Advanced Physical Therapy provided Birdsong the service he needed so he could play football again.

“Everyone was very welcoming,” Birdsong said. “They were very easy to talk to and were keen on listening to any issues I was having. They were also very accommodating to my needs. Like if I needed a water or needed a break. Devon was an awesome therapist. He gave off really great energy. He was great at pushing me. He was easy to relate to.”

Corey Jackson, PT, DPT

Favorite sport: Baseball (but I love watching football and college basketball)

Favorite activity/exercise to get in easy movement: Walking outside. It has such big benefits for both physical and mental health.

Sports you played in high school: Baseball and Football

What you treat/specialize in: Any orthopedic issue but I am really confident in treating throwing athletes, hip and knee injuries.

Best tip for high school athletes: Develop good habits. Motivation is easy to lose but if you develop good habits or an internal drive they will last through good and bad times.

Marion’s Cooper Bailey

By Blake Chadwick

After falling short in the state championship game a year ago, Cooper Bailey and the rest of the Marion baseball team now know what it takes to make it to that stage and have every intention of winning one this season.

Bailey is a center fielder and a pitcher, who has played almost his whole life. On top of his school work, Bailey is also currently the Vice President of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and the owner of the school coffee shop.

If there’s one thing this commitment shows, it is that the senior has always been one for teamwork.

“As a senior, to be a true leader I have to be a role model for not only the underclassmen below, but the youth that will come into the Marion Baseball program,” Bailey said. “I believe that establishing a culture that has leaders that hold each other to a high standard is vital to having a long-term successful program.”

His head coach, Roger Schroeder, has seen his leadership since the time he stepped in the doors of Marion.

“Cooper has been a very solid player for us the past three years on the diamond,” the head coach said. “He was a platoon guy for us as a freshman, got his feet wet at the varsity level, and has settled into a starting role for us the past two seasons.”

From there, Bailey hasn’t looked back. Becoming a very key part of their pitching rotation and a great outfielder who coach knows he can count on.

“As an individual, I feel I can place my success in the outfield to my commitment in every ball that is hit, never giving up on anything and always believing that I am going to catch everything that comes my way,” Bailey said.

Where the only thing missing... is YOU!

PRESCOTT AUSHERMAN AMERICAN FAMILY ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Minneapolis’ Shelby Davidson

By Hayden Swope

Shelby Davidson of Minneapolis finished off her junior year with a bang. Leading the softball team in home runs, Davidson is proud of how far the team finished last season.

“Last year our second game against Ellsworth got rained out so they traveled back a couple of days later on my birthday to finish the game,” Davidson said. “I hit a walk-off home run to win us the game first at bat and my first home run ever.”

This year, Davidson is hoping her team adds on to their substate record, and even makes an appearance at the state game.

“My goal for this season is to grow on our one win at substate last year and hopefully win our substate,” Davidson said “I would like as a team for our postseason finish to be at state. For stats I am looking to break the career doubles record at my high school and hit some more home runs, but ultimately improve my batting average.”

With a lack of upperclassmen support and leadership from the previous year, Davidson and other teammates were able to step up when it was important. This year, Davidson is looking to grow that leadership.

“We didn’t have any seniors last year so us juniors had to step up,” Davidson said. “This year I would like to build on that leadership especially with the freshman being the future of our program.”

Davidson has big plans for the future to continue her volleyball journey and academics.

“I am attending Kansas Wesleyan University to continue my volleyball career and major in Business Administration,” Davidson said. “After college, I am considering owning my own event planning business or taking over The Davidson Agency.”

By Matt Browning

Wendy Rusco attended Hutchinson Community College from 2003 to 2005 and was a basketball player for the Blue Dragons. She received her Associates Degree in Science.

“The support I received from great coaches, teammates, and my academic advisor played a significant role in my growth and success,” Rusco said. “Whether on the court or in the classroom, their guidance and encouragement pushed me to strive for excellence. Through the challenges and triumphs of collegiate athletics, I learned invaluable lessons in teamwork, perseverance, and time management.”

Not only were athletics key for Rusco, but she also had an academic support system, which helped her pave the way to her successes now.

“My academic advisor provided invaluable guidance, helping me navigate course selections, career paths, and academic challenges, ensuring I stayed on track toward my goals,” Rusco said. “Together, these mentors and peers created a nurturing environment where I could flourish both academically and athletically.”

Rusco said that any student who wanted to start their college career at Hutchinson would be wise doing so.

“The faculty creates an incredibly welcoming environment that makes you feel right at home,” Rusco said. “Whether you’re pursuing academic aspirations, athletic goals, or both, Hutchinson Community College offers an enriching college experience that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact. I would choose to be a Blue Dragon all over again.”

Wendy Rusco

By Blake Chadwick

Sedgwick Baseball TEAM OF THE MONTH

Fresh off of a regional championship and an 18-6 record the season before, Sedgwick comes into the 2024 season as a Class 2-1A favorite to win their second state championship and first since 2021.

Head coach Doug Mabry enters his 16th year as the coach at Sedgwick with a 220-69 record.

The Cardinals return six starters and ten total lettermen in all Heart of America first teamers senior outfielder Jeff Nold, senior pitcher and infielder Sterling Lies, senior pitcher Jackson Scarlett, junior pitcher and infielder Corey Crumrine, sophomore catcher Owen Luper and honorable mention junior outfielder Braeden

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Briggs.

The strength of the team starts with their pitching, as they return over 80 percent of it, led by Crumrine. Despite coming into the season with a team that is very talented, one of the very few concerns for Mabry is offensively.

“I believe that this team will be competitive every night,” Mabry said. “Our goal is to improve every day and play like a veteran team by the end of the season. Offensive consistency was an issue last season and is an area in which we would like to improve. We need to get production from all parts of the lineup.”

That being said, the team will definitely be challenged night in and night out.

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“This should be a very competitive league, as the teams seem fairly evenly matched,” Mabry said. “Based on returning talent, Marion and Inman are expected to be near the top of the standings.”

Mabry expects the class 2-1A field to be very competitive as well.

“The smallest classification for baseball has no shortage of talented teams,” Mabry said. “Returning champion St. Mary’s-Colgan (Pittsburg) is a perennial favorite, Elkhart has consistently put very good teams on the field, and more locally, Little River and Marion will be among the favorites.”

TABLE TENNIS TITANS CLASH IN WICHITA

Experience the intensity of Major League Table Tennis, April 5-7! See the West Division’s finest compete in their decisive clash at Wichita State University’s Charles Koch Arena, ahead of the late spring championship. Experience the pinnacle of table tennis action!

Butler Community College’s Dr. Kim Krull

By Matt Browning

After years of dedicated service to the students, faculty, staff and constituents of Butler Community College, President Dr. Kim Krull has announced her plans to retire.

Krull made the announcement following the February meeting of the Board of Trustees. She will finish her contract, which runs through June 30, and has agreed to serve month to month until a replacement and transition plan are finalized.

“It has been the privilege of my career to serve as Butler’s president. I owe a huge thank you to Trustees Ted Dankert, Ted Albright, Ron Engelbrecht, Dr. Greg Joyce, Jim Howell, Candace Kunkel, Tom McKibban, Sara Hurd, and Jim Wilson for trusting in me in 2013,” said Krull.

Inducted as the fifth president of one of the state’s largest community colleges, Krull oversaw the successful completion of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation visit last year. The HLC’s findings last fall claimed the college’s operations to be outstanding and designated Butler as a highly mature institution; one of the highest functioning colleges related to teaching and student assessment.

an “open pathway” institution, a privileged status among institutions. This provides Butler greater freedom to pursue improvement projects that meet current needs and aspirations.

The successful HLC report extended Butler’s designation as

Krull was chosen due to her passion and focus on student success, which never wavered. During her tenure at Butler, she made decisions and led projects that kept student success at the forefront, and in 2021 was named a Wichita Business Journal Executive of the Year.

Whether you come for a degree or to take a few gen eds, Butler has hundreds of courses guaranteed to transfer to any Kansas public university, taught by faculty who know their students’ names.

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Salina South’s Brea Vidrine: Coach of the Month

By Blake Chadwick

Now in her fourth year as the head coach and fifth season with Salina South, softball coach Brea Vidrine is gearing up to get her girls back to the state tournament.

After a fourth-place finish a season ago, coach Vidrine had to take a step back during that time as she was on maternity leave.

“It was great getting to watch my girls receive a fourth-place finish last year,” Vidrine said. “The girls coming in have big shoes to fill, but I have no doubt that they are willing to do whatever it takes to step up.”

The Cougars return just two starters from their infield in senior Maliyah Koster and junior Sadie Xaysongkham.

The DNA for Vidrine is to create a defense that doesn’t bend at all.

“I really love to focus on creating a

defense that can handle any type of offense. I also believe that this is where your leaders are born.”

The head coach knows she couldn’t do it all without her great staff.

“I am lucky to have a coaching staff that come from all types of softball backgrounds, so we are able to focus on the different abilities of each of our players.”

This type of makeup has helped the Cougars, as this has been a big off-season for them. They are expecting a lot of new players, young and old, to step up.

“Our team goal is to create a well-rounded team,” Vidrine said. “Getting every player situated at the position that they are taking this year is incredibly

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Salina South’s Kaden Budke

By Hayden Swope

Salina South’s Kaden Budke ended his 2023 season strong with a 11-10 record and was a first team all-league pitcher and third baseman for the Cougars. Budke focused on taking his weaknesses and turning them around for the spring season.

“I knew that to be successful for the upcoming season that this offseason was super important,” Budke said. “My offseason consisted of playing around forty games in the fall, working with the team throughout the winter, and hitting the weightroom hard. My main focus this offseason was getting stronger and to hit for more power while maintaining the high contact rate.”

Knowing the areas where the team may struggle, Budke is ready to step into the leadership position to set the standard for the season.

“Our main focus, just like everyone else, is to make it to Wichita,” Budke said. “My main focus, since we have a younger team, is to set the tone and expectations for future seasons.”

Budke’s top memory includes what felt like a never ending game and a victory with his teammates.

“Possibly my favorite memory would be last year playing Maize,” Budke said. “In our second game, we went into 16 innings and won the game. It was just a crazy game all the way around, which made it enjoyable to play in.”

After high school Budke plans to continue his academic and athletic career in college.

“I am committed to Cloud County Community College to play baseball.” Budke said. “I am majoring in Kinesiology, and then I plan to attend a four year school to further my athletic and academic career. In the end, I plan on becoming a physical therapist.”

State Bowling Recap

Class 5A State Boys Bowling

Salina South’s Campbell Peterson finished first with a score of 713.

“I enjoyed watching Campbell grow as a bowler and leader this year,” head coach Seth White said. “He was always there to help his teammates figure out a new ball or tough lanes. Over the past four years, he has put in a lot of work to get to where he is with his average and how he placed at State. Overall, we were both super excited after finding out. He would have loved to be the State Champ, but second is still a great season.”

Class 4A State Boys Bowling

28 lanes of state of the art bowling

Large game room • Helios Laser Tag Hologate VR attraction • AJ’s Sports Grill

Watch for this year’s High School Bowlers of the Month

Home Lanes for:

Salina Central · Salina South · Sacred Heart

• AJ’s Sports Grill

Watch for this year’s High School Bowlers of the Month

Home Lanes for:

Salina Central · Salina South · Sacred Heart

The Alley of Salina

115 E Ash St

The Alley of Salina

115 E Ash St

McPherson’s Alex Wheat finished 10th with a score of 626.

Wedel, McPherson,

football Jayce Schriner, McPherson, Garden City CC football Alex Wheat, McPherson, Barton CC bowling

Blaise Hoover, McPherson, Hutchinson CC football

Gavin Runyon, Abilene, Ottawa University football

Jayla McLeod, McPherson, McPherson College track

Keanna Sullivan, McPherson, Oklahoma Wesleyan soccer

Teegan Haines, McPherson, Garden City CC football

Salina South’s Maliyah Koster

By Hayden Swope

For many athletes, preparing for the upcoming sports season looks the same. Salina South’s Maliyah Koster on the other hand, her preparation looks a little different.

“Preparing for the season has looked a little different for me my past two seasons,” Koster said. “In August of 2022 I had surgery on my right knee for my ACL and then exactly one year later I had surgery on my left knee for my ACL. After this most recent surgery I spent about three months attending physical therapy and working on the basics like getting my range of motion back, gaining stability, and learning to trust my new ACL.”

Even with doubts, Koster has gotten back up time and time again and plans to return this softball season stronger than ever.

“The most important thing for me

was getting even stronger than I was before to make sure my legs could support my knee,” Koster said. “I started getting back into softball training around January and I would say my biggest weakness working up to this season was getting past that mental block that most athletes get after an ACL injury. With this being my second time dealing with an ACL injury it’s hard to not be afraid of it happening again.”

With a big season ahead for Koster, big goals and aspirations come along with it.

“As a team we are eager to make it back to state after placing fourth at the 5A state tournament last season,” Koster said. “Our field is going to look a lot different after losing seven varsity starters from last season but we have so many talented players that are already filling those spots and performing at a varsity level.”

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McPherson’s Kenna Dale

By Hayden Swope

McPherson’s Kenna Dale was an honorable mention all-league player last season for the Bullpups, and knows she has a lot riding on this season. Dale spent the whole offseason training and playing in hopes of improving for the spring season.

“I prepared by playing club soccer in the fall with my club team Mid Kansas United, and conditioning,” Dale said. “I wanted to improve my mentality and confidence on the ball.”

Hillsboro’s Lauryn Vogt

By Hayden Swope

Lauryn Vogt of Hillsboro has spent years dedicating herself to swimming, and it all paid off last season as she came home a state champion in the 50 free.

After falling short last year, Dale and the Bullpups are looking for a comeback season to head to the state championship.

“A big individual goal of mine is to be more confident on the ball,” Dale said. “A team goal would be to make it as far as possible in state this year. Ours got cut short last year so I know a bunch of my teammates and I are wanting this way more than ever.”

While last season didn’t quite end the way she hoped, Dale still thinks about the wins it took to get the team as far as they did.

“One of my favorite memories would be with my high school team,” Dale said. “It would be last season in the first round of regionals. We played Thomas More Prep and were dominating, so coach put in some of the junior varsity girls and the bench was electric. There was a specific moment from that game when one of our junior varsity girls scored and the bench went crazy. It was so amazing to see and experience.”

Dale plans to continue her education after high school but is undecided as to where.

“I’m undecided on the college I want to go to at the moment,” Dale said. “I have a few options but I hope to get recruited for soccer and get my undergrad in human health sciences or biology and then go to PA school. I’m also really interested in paramedicine.”

McPherson’s Addison Chapman

By Hayden Swope

Addison Chapman of McPherson has been showing off her pitching skills since day one. Last season Chapman was a first team all-league and all-state pitcher. After a successful season last year, Chapman is thankful for all the obstacles she and the Bullpups overcame to push far into the postseason.

“My favorite memory was the first round of state last year when the game went into 12 innings and our team battled to the very end to win and advance to the semi finals,” Chapman said.

After a short time off, the work began again for Chapman as she prepared and trained for the season ahead.

“I prepared for the season by pitching twice a week and practicing with my club team twice a week. I have also been lifting and doing conditioning multiple times a week,” Chapman said.

In hopes of making another postseason run, Chapman has been improving her skills and adding a few new pitches onto the list.

“What I want to focus on this season is improving as a team and making it back to state to compete for a state title,” Chapman said. “I have added an additional pitch to my caliber and hope that it brings my pitching game to a higher level. I want to continue to keep my batting average high and consistent.”

Chapman hopes to further her athletic career after high school, but is undecided on where.

“My future plans are to attend college for softball,” Chapman said. “I want to major somewhere in the medical field.”

“I swim with my club swim team the Nitros of Kansas during the offseason and before the season starts I set goals and try to achieve them,” Vogt said. “One thing I am really working on right now is improving my underwater skills, making them faster with a stronger kick. Last year I had a shoulder injury early fall which I was in physical therapy for and then later developed mononucleosis in the winter. Since then I have been trying to stay healthy and get stronger.”

Coming off of an injury, Vogt hopes to achieve all of her season’s goals and more.

“This season I want to win all my races or place top three at each meet and get best times at the bigger more competitive meets, along with setting records at state which I almost achieved last year in the 50 free, I was .07 away from it,” Vogt said. “This year at state I want to succeed in getting that record along with others.”

While still undecided on where to attend, Vogt plans to further her education and swim career after high school.

“I plan to swim in college and most likely will major in health science with a business emphasis but have not decided where yet,” Vogt said.

Salina South’s Aunisty McNeal

By Blake Chadwick

Whether it is breaking school records or leading the team, Aunisty McNeal from Salina South is one of the most consistent performers in the state. The senior has a current PR of 36-4 in the shotput, a 126-5 in the discus and a 124-10 in the javelin.

McNeal has been participating in track since seventh grade and has always had the “locked in” mindset that has gotten her work ethic to be so high. Coming off of a year where she finished as the Saline County shotput, javelin and discus champion, the senior was also the AVCTL-1 javelin champion.

“In the off season I do my best to work out and work on my technique,” McNeal said. “And on nice days I try to go outside and throw.”

The senior has also competed in basketball the whole time while doing track. Where she enjoys the competitive spirit during games and practices which have helped her with the throwing growth as well.

“My mindset while throwing is to always throw farther than my previous throw,” McNeal said.

But throwing far isn’t all for the senior.

“Some goals for this season that I would love to achieve are to obviously beat my old PR’s, Set a new school record, but most importantly to me is to go to state and do well and make the podium.”

Of course the senior wants to win and knows that the leadership starts with her.

“She’s been a great leader for us both in the classroom and at practice,” head coach Cameron Magnall said.

Little River’s Logan Renken

By Matt Browning

Logan Renken of Little River was one of the most dominating players last season in Class 1A. On offense, he hit .633 with 33 hits, while striking out 48 batters with a 1.71 ERA on the mound.

“I have gotten a lot faster and stronger this off-season and hope to put that to use to help my team score runs,” Renken said. “I put a lot of focus into my strength training and nutrition this fall. An area I am looking to improve upon this season would be my baserunning and power.”

The Redskins will have a very young team this spring, but that has not stopped Renken from having big plans for his team come May.

“I am most excited to see how we can rebuild and learn to compete as a young team after graduating a lot of guys last season,” Renken said. “As a team we plan on going out and competing every day to get better and by the end of the season hopefully give ourselves a chance to compete in Great Bend.”

It is pretty simple for Renken: if he can improve his game, the Redskins will improve, too.

“My biggest goal this season is to better the guys around me along with finding the weak spots in my game to improve upon for the future,” Renken said.

Goessel’s Levi Schrag

By Matt Browning

Golf practices are fun for Goessel’s Levi Schrag, but he cannot wait until tournaments start.

“I am most excited about getting back into tournament play for the upcoming golf season,” Schrag said. “Adding a competition layer makes the game much more fun and exciting.”

Schrag finished in a tie for 17th place last season at the 1A Tournament and shot a seasonbest 84 at regionals.

Salina Central’s Jameer Moore

By Blake Chadwick

Salina Central’s Jameer Moore might be a KU football commit, but that isn’t deterring him from running his final track and field season. Always being a fast athlete, Moore and his family knew he was going to be really fast when he was around eight years old.

“I was running in my backyard, and my mom and grandpa said I was really fast,” Moore said. “She took a video of me running and sent it to my dad. He said I ran fast like a jet.”

From there, Moore joined the family trade of being a sprinter and competed in the 4x1, 400, and triple jump for most of his career.

The senior has been named all-league since his freshman year and finished eighth place in the state in the triple jump during his sophomore year. That same year, he also won the triple jump during his league meet.

Now for Moore, his jumping days are over as he prepares his body for the college football grind and tries to get as fast as possible before he steps onto campus in Lawrence.

“A personal goal of mine is to achieve a 49 or 48 second for the 400,” Moore said. The senior also knows that leaving the program better than it was when you first got there is also important, so he has made a point to be a good senior leader as well.

“As a senior, the coaches look towards a lot for describing drills or any sort of help towards newcomers,” Moore said. “I also make coming into high school track less scary of a transition.”

“An area I want to improve on this year is consistency,” Schrag said. “Last year I struggled to play the same golf for 18 holes. Some ways I worked on this during the offseason were by hitting lots of shots and trying to build endurance and muscle memory in my swing.”

Being able to consistently get under 80 is one of things Schrag is focused on accomplishing this season.

“The goals I have for myself this season are to break 80 twice and get top 10 at state,” Schrag said. “The team goals I have this year are to qualify for state and win a meet. Things I have been doing in the offseason to prepare for the golf season consist mainly of hitting many balls in the simulator and getting out on the course whenever the weather allows.”

Smoky Valley’s Keaton Leiker has mixed emotions about his upcoming and final season as a Viking tennis player.

“I feel joyful about my future experiences with the team, but also sad it is my last year,” Leiker said. “I plan to make the most of this year and start the season strong.”

It was all tennis, all of the time for Leiker throughout his offseason.

“This last summer I played tennis almost every day, whether it was with friends, at tennis camp, or Lindsborg Netters,” Leiker said. “I always had time for the court.”

Even though Leiker finished 11th at the state tournament last season, there were still some things that he felt like needed to be refined – one thing in particular.

“Something that needs work before the start of the season is my ball placement,” Leiker said. “Placing the ball has always been a struggle for me. A way I have improved this is just hitting the ball with either a partner or a ball machine over and over again placing it with more precision than power.”

Being one of the leaders on Smoky Valley’s team, Leiker has the proper balance of individual and team goals for this season.

“Individually, my goals are to continue to improve in the short term of the season and for the rest of my life,” Leiker said. Team-wise I want each player of the team to be successful and place high at state.”

McPherson’s Ian Razak

By Hayden Swope

Ian Razak of McPherson was an honorable mention all-league baseball player as a sophomore last season for the Bullpups. The pitcher spent an endless amount of time preparing for the upcoming spring season.

“This offseason I worked a lot on my offspeed pitches and felt more comfortable throwing them for strikes,” Razak said. I prepared for the upcoming season by throwing and making sure my arm is healthy and ready for the season.”

While preparing his arm for the long season ahead, Razak took some time to hit so he’d be ready to step up on the plate.

“I also spent time working on my hitting and being ready to play the field this year,” Razak said. Razak is looking to accomplish one of the hardest goals in high school sports, heading back to state to win it all again.

“My main goal for this season is to return to state and attempt to defend our title,” Razak said. “As far as individual goals I would like to reduce my walks from last year.”

Getting to be a part of a state winning team and knowing you played a part in the win is something not many athletes get to experience, but Razak knows the feeling quite well.

“My favorite memory is winning state both times with my teammates and getting to celebrate with them,” Razak said.

Razak is undecided on his plans after high school, but would like to continue playing baseball at the next level.

Clay Center’s Emma Pfizenmaier: Athlete of the Month

By Hayden Swope

Emma Pfizenmaier of Clay Center knows what’s on the line for the upcoming season. The first team all-league softball selection is the only returning varsity senior, with big goals for her and her team throughout the season.

“I feel like the success of our season is on my shoulders,” Pfizenmaier said. “Our goals are always to compete well at league and to win regionals. We have a lot of talent but we also have a number of girls that haven’t played a lot of ball together, so we need to be focused on communication and team work from day one.”

With years of experience under her belt, Pfizenmaier remembers her favorite moment on the field.

“My most memorable moment was winning regionals my sophomore year at Pratt, for an opportunity to go to state,” Pfizenmaier said. “I remember making a diving play at second to retire the inning

to give my team a chance to stay in the lead going into the last inning.”

Outside of softball, you could find Pfizenmaier getting involved with lots of other sports and clubs throughout high school.

“I have participated in volleyball all four years of my high school career and basketball my freshman through junior year,” Pfizenmaier said. “I am a member of FFA and FCA. I’m on the yearbook editing staff and I’m currently interning at various businesses in Clay Center as part of my senior project and work study program. I’m a member of the Clay Center United Methodist Church and Youth Group too.”

Pfizenmaier plans to head to Manhattan in the fall to continue her education journey.

“Currently, I’m planning to attend Kansas State University to major in Psychology,”

Sports Card

Pfizenmaier said. “My long-term plan is to receive my Commercial or Residential Real Estate license with the intent of owning my own business one day.”

CLASS 5-1A

1 Meter Diving

Salina South senior Carson Crow finished sixth with a score of 331.55

Salina Central senior Daxton Foos finished 10th with a score of 267.35

100 Yard Breastroke

Salina Central senior Brock Dolton finished 11th with a time of 1:05.68

200 Yard Medley Relay

Salina Central’s Carson Ablard, Brock Dolton, Daxton Foos and Ben Sheppard finished 13th with a time of 1:52.56

Team Standings

Salina Central finished 19th with a score of 20

Salina South finished 23rd with a score of 13

Boys State Wrestling Recap

Boys

Class 5A

126

Salina Central’s Jase Adam finished second after a championship loss to Goddard’s Kolton McElwain.

150

Great Bend’s Cooper Liles, finishes second after losing to Goddard’s Jacob Goodwin.

175

Salina Central’s Cooper Reves finished first after a win over Pittsburg’s DeMarus Partee. “It was nice knowing that all my hard work paid off,” Reeves said. “I have been working towards this from a very young age, and getting fifth last year sucked but only made me push myself harder.”

Cooper Reves Salina Central

Kolton McElwain Goddard Jase Adam Salina Central