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BASEBALL

EMPORIA

CHASE COUNTY

LEBO/WAVERLY

HARTFORD/SOUTHERN

LYON COUNTY

NORTHERN HEIGHTS

OLPE/ SOUTHERN

LYON COUNTY

MADISON

CHASE COUNTY BULLDOGS

PITCHING TO ANCHOR BULLDOG BASEBALL

By Chris AdAms

The Emporia Gazette

Chase County High School baseball is poised for a strong 2026 campaign after posting a disappointing 1017 record in 2025.

The Bulldogs return a core group of players, especially on the mound. The pitching should anchor the 2026 squad.

The throwing arsenal starts with senior Wyatt Griffin, a Sports in Kansas First-Team All-State selection and Butler Community College commit. Griffin threw 53 innings last year, recording a 2.7 ERA against quality competition.

“He's been pitching since he was a freshman, so we're going to rely pretty heavily on him,” said Chase County coach Brent Monihen. “We have a really strong belief in our guys. Our second, third, fourth, I mean, all the way. It sounds crazy for a small 2A school, but I feel comfortable going really deep into our bullpen with the guys that I have.”

Twelve of the 15 players on the squad have been throwing bullpen. After Griffin, either Noah Green or Clark Miller will be the second starter. Both are juniors and could conceivably rotate back and forth in the second starter role.

A platoon of hurlers will be on bullpen duty.

“Hudson Doty, Rex Griffin, freshman Vincent Hodges, we have several guys,” Monihen said. “Dom Barrett, he'll be our lefty that we can hopefully have come out of our bullpen. Hudson Doty has pitched all four years of high school. He'll be a good reliever for us this year. Rex Griffin. We're expecting him to step in and get us some innings on the mound.”

Monihen is understandably optimistic about the pitching.

‘We’ve never been that deep. So hopefully it translates, and we can reach our goals.”

At the plate, the Bulldogs posted some notable numbers in 2025. Wyatt Griffin led the way with a .404 batting average, followed by Doty (.324) and Miller (.314).

“The other guys were in the high two hundreds,” the Bulldog coach said. “All those other guys were freshmen

who got a lot of innings for us last year. So I would expect them to take that step forward this year after a full year of seeing high school pitching.”

Defensively, Monihen feels confident with the infield.

Sophomore Carter Mann caught 75 percent of the games last season and is a field leader. The Bulldogs have varsity experience at the corners and in the middle. It’s the outfield that is the question mark. They graduated two players who spent a considerable amount of time there.

“We're just having to figure out who we're going to put where…and just seeing who's going to step up and be that leader out there,” he said. “That's probably our least experienced position…I have no doubt they'll be fine. They're looking really good at practice.”

Now that the season is in play, Monihen’s optimism is a charge to his players.

“I told the guys at the start of this year, ‘You shouldn't put the uniform on if you don't have state as your dream and what you think we can get to.’”

Schedule:

April 14 Northern Heights

April 16 Mission Valley

April 20 Sedgwick

April 24 Osage City

April 28 Southern Lyon

County

April 30 at West Franklin

May 13-21 Regionals May 28-29 State

LADY BULLDOGS MUCH BETTER THAN .500

By Chris AdAms The Emporia Gazette

Chase County High School was only 13-13 in 2025, but that wasn’t a true reflection of who they were and what they could become.

The Lady Bulldogs graduated one senior from last season’s squad, and their core returners bring back plenty of skill to the field. In particular, on offense. The defense still needs to catch up with the offense, but that should change this year as defense becomes the primary focus of Bulldog softball.

“I think we’re going to produce way more wins this year just in the fact that we’re honing in on our defensive skills,” said Chase County coach Linda Passmore. “We’ve been hounding the fundamentals the last three years.”

Passmore said they previously developed defensive skills or acquired reps via game experience, and now it’s an integral component of the Chase County practices.

“I don’t know why, but I can get hitting to turn around faster than defense,” she admitted. “But defense, I just think we don’t get enough repetitions, I guess.”

And spending even more time on defense is Passmore’s plan.

“I really see it coming around even in this first week of practice. They’re already starting to exceed my expectations in the drills and in the fundamentals that we’re doing defensively. And that’s the key part that we’ve been missing in the past years.”

But the offense still needs its love. That’s where the Lady Bulldogs excel. Speed on the base paths and run production are the team’s signature features.

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“We’re going to be very, very quick,” Passmore explained. “We have a very fast team. What we have going on this year is going to put a lot of pressure on the other teams to score a lot of runs. Last year, we scored a lot of runs. We averaged right at 10 runs per game. We hit the ball very well. We ran the bases very well, and we’re very fast. I don’t see that changing with just losing one player.”

USD 284 Chase County Schools August 10, 7:00 am-7:00 pm August 11, 8:00 am-12:00 pm K-12 Enrollment at Chase County Junior-Senior High School

The bats start with senior Madelyn Wilson, whose

Chase County Junior-Senior High School 620-273-6354 Chase County Elementary 620-273-6676

Schedule:

athletic accomplishments don’t require an introduction. Wilson hit over .500 in 2025 while simultaneously competing in track and field. Passmore said Wilson will focus on softball in the spring. The stellar athlete sustained a knee injury during the fall that still doesn’t allow a full range of motion. Wilson’s track and field events are the throws, and those events place a significant amount of torque on the knees during movement. Passmore will rely on Wilson’s physical contributions and maturity to help lead the squad.

“She’s a huge leader for me. It’s a coach’s dream to have a kid that’s super mature and just like a third coach for you,” Passmore said. “She pushes everybody around her. Softball hasn’t even been her primary sport the last two years because she’s so good at track. She’s going to be wherever we need her to be…she’s so determined. She’ll excel at everything she does.”

Speedy junior infielder Maggie Peters also brings hit-

ting authority to the lineup.

“She’s just a power hitter and a really clutch person who has a lot of speed on the bases,” Passmore said. “She’s a gritty, tough player who pushes everybody around her. So she’s going to be a key contributor.

Passmore said Maggie’s sister, Naomi, is a sophomore outfielder who is a tough out.

“She played every game as a freshman in left field. And I foresee her being another full-time starter, either in left field or center, wherever we may need her. She’s also going to be a force.”

Sophomore Vonda Danford should also bolster the lineup. The all-league catcher brings a spark to the squad.

“She’s a wall behind the plate…she’s also the team energy for us,” the Lady Bulldog skipper said. “She’s just that energy kid. She’s exciting to watch.”

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April 16 Mission Valley

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April 24 Osage City

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April 28 Southern Lyon

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County

May 30 at West Franklin

•

May 4 Lebo

May 7 at Burlingame

May 12 at Lebo JV

May 18-21 Regionals May 28-29 State

EMPORIA SPARTANS

SPARTANS LOOK TO BUILD OFF 15 WIN SEASON WITH NEW AND VETERAN TALENT

By Trey donovAn sports@emporia.com

As Spring Training in the MLB comes to a close, the baseball season is about to kick off. The pros aren’t the only season about to ramp up, either, as the Emporia High Spartans will also start their new campaign after a 15-win 2025.

Last season saw the Spartans hit a program mark in the win column that was helmed by their dynamic duo in the rotation, Madden Seidl and Owen Ruge, both of whom committed to play baseball at Kansas University and Emporia State University. The 2025 season came to a halt at the 5A Regional tournament, as the Spartans lost 4-3 to Kapaun Mt. Carmel in the first round.

“Last year, we were senior-led; we had a lot of seniors last year, and we have a lot this year. I think we were a little reliant on the big inning offensively and had a good pitching staff,” Head Coach Anthony Markowitz said. “This year, we are trying to be more diverse. Find more ways to score on offense and then obviously continue a pretty deep pitching staff with a good mixture of guys who got experience last year and some new guys.”

Losing two ace-level pitchers is difficult, but Markowitz isn’t super worried about replacing them. He explains that at the high school level, his team will have a chance if they just throw strikes.

The roster has players who pitched a fair bit last year, including senior Chase Harrington, juniors Colton Eubanks, and Micah Gray. Markowitz adds that while they might not have a guy throwing as hard as Madden Seidl or have a pitch mix like Owen Ruge, he is confident in the staff if they just throw strikes. Switching over to the offense, Markowitz explains what he hopes to change to be less reliant on the big innings.

create some motion on the basepaths, and that starts with getting guys on base. We got to be able to be aggressive at the plate and find ways to first base,” Markowitz said. “Last year, I think as a coach, learning and growing, we could have done more in practice to find ways to create motion on the basepaths and create some runs. We’ve worked through some of those things this year, and they have gone well.”

Another change he wants to bring is the mentality of not relying on the big inning and being steady in their run production. He explained that the team last year wanted to string together six hits and put up a crooked number in an inning, and that hurt them at times last season.

Another big change from last year is the difference in the roster. The team has a mix of seniors, juniors, and underclassmen who will be vying for playing time, and Markowitz explains what he has seen so far in the first month of practice.

“I think our strength is the growth of some of the guys that stepped in last year as sophomores or juniors. Our underclassmen also learned a lot last year, and then our freshmen have picked up a lot along the way. I really

ture baseball team this season,” Markowitz said. “We are trying to get guys to play multiple positions, and there

With a mix of new talent and veteran talent, the Spartans look to change course slightly to become a more consistent team. After about a month of practice, the team will open its season on the road and face off against Ottawa on March 26 before returning to Sodens Grove for the home opening game against Wichita South on March 27. Markowitz also shared his expectations for the season.

“Slowly progressing throughout the season is something we have done a good job of the last few years. Our expectations are to go out and compete in every game and be in it at the end of the game. Win or loss as long as we didn’t leave anything out on the field, our mentality was right, we were approaching the game in the right way, we were competing and tough. The wins will take care of themselves,” Markowitz said.

Schedule:

April 14 at Hayden

April 17 at Topeka High

April 20 at McPherson JV

April 21 at McPherson

April 24 at Manhatten

May 1 Iola

May 7 at Topeka High C Team

May 8-9 Emporia Invitational

May 15 at Wichita Southeast

May 18-21 Regionals

May 28-29 State

IMPROVEMENT AND EXPERIENCE DEFINE 2026 SPARTAN SOFTBALL

By Chris AdAms The Emporia Gazette

Improvement has defined the Emporia High School softball team the past couple of seasons, and with its core group of players returning, that trend should remain safe in 2026.

Despite offensive inconsistencies and a quick exit from the regionals last year, the 2025 version of the Lady Spartans (10-17) gained a wealth of experience that should echo throughout the 2026 campaign.

“Coming into the season with that core, I mean, you got six returners, returning starters, so our expectations are kind of a little bit higher,” said Emporia coach Tommy McClure. “I mean, they should be, because most of them have been playing varsity ball the last two seasons.”

The core group — comprising four seniors and two juniors — is also the starting group, and they’ve invested their efforts and time beyond the high school season, participating in summer ball (McClure coaches the Emporia Energy 18U team) and offseason training.

“To be honest, with this group, as long as we play like we should with a team that’s got a lot of veteran leadership — even with us being in this league — there’s a good chance, if we get the right matchup, we can try to push for state,” McClure confidently stated.

Again, the experience and commitment to further developing their skill sets could propel Emporia softball over the postseason regional threshold.

“That group put in the full load, I think they started every game,” McClure said. “This group, the four seniors, this year would be the year that we want to make that push. We’re kind of excited to get started with it.”

The Starters

The Lady Spartans will rely on seniors Alivia Barrett, Marley Sewell, Yzabel Ultreras, Molly Williams, and juniors Atlyn Heffron and Chloe Steele.

Also, two freshmen will probably tally some starting innings.

Alivia Barrett: She was First-Team Centennial League

Schedule:

April 10 Junction City

April 15 at Junction City

April 20 at Grant Sports Complex

April 21 at Grant Sports Complex

April 23 W. Independent

April 24 at Manhattan

May 1 at Iola

May 5 Topeka High at Hummer Sports Park

May 8-9 Tournament

May 13 Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park

May 18-21 Regionals

May 28-29 State

All League last year and worked 141 innings from the circle in 2025, logging 130 strikeouts to 40 walks, and earning 10 wins.

“She’s been the rock of our team for the last two years,” McClure said. “She’s pitched the majority of our games. She does it all.”

At the plate, Barrett led the Lady Spartans with a .338 average, amassing 25 hits (11 doubles) and 16 RBIs.

“When she’s on the mound, we have a lot of faith in her,” he added. “She’s kind of a rah-rah person, too. She’s one of those pitchers that you don’t get very often. You don’t have to pick them up and all that kind of stuff. She’s like another coach on the field. So it helps me because she can pick up her teammates.”

“She sees things. She changes things. When she’s against a certain batter and sees something, she’ll kind of change it up and attack them a different way. And then, she owns her mistakes as well.”

Marley Sewell: Sewell, Second-Team Centennial League All League in 2025, batted .316, collecting 18 hits and 13 RBIs. Defensively, she posted an .857 fielding percentage with 17 putouts in 21 chances.

“Marley is kind of, she’s some days goofy a little bit, and I think she keeps it a little bit light sometimes,” McClure said. “But she’s also one of those people that she’s a very vocal leader and she’ll help get everybody where they need to be at and get things settled. She’s another one of those who will do what it takes for the team to win.”

Yzabel Ultreras: The senior corner infielder, an Hon-

orable Mention Centennial League All League selection, recorded 15 hits, including three triples and11 RBIs. Ultreras also stole 12 bases and scored 20 runs.

“She moved to third base last year. She’s kind of like our bulldog. She’s really come in as a leader this year. A strong, tough kid.”

Ultreras had a collision with a catcher at home plate last season but didn’t want to leave the game.

“She’s like, ‘No, I got this.’ And she finished the game,” McClure recounted. “That was her mentality. She’s going to do whatever it is for the team. I love having her on the team because she kind of puts the stamp of, ‘Hey, we got to get this done.’ And when she barks, they listen.”

Molly Williams: Williams garnered 21 hits and batted .288 for the season.

“We’re going to make some personnel moves and move her back to center field,” McClure said. “With her out in center field, our defense really is stronger because she brings that glove, and she’s a fast runner.”

The Honorable Mention Centennial League All League selection led the Lady Spartans with 26 runs and 22 stolen bases. In the field, Williams registered 44 putouts in 84 chances, tabulating an .857 fielding percentage.

“She’s one of the top two base stealers that I’ve coached…I think she only got caught stealing once last year. It was against a really good catcher, and it was kind of a close play.”

Please see EHS Softball, Page 22

RETURNING TALENT LOOKS TO RETURN TO STATE FOR SPARTAN TRACK AND FIELD

By Trey donovAn sports@emporia.com

A team’s makeup can change quickly in an offseason in a multitude of ways, such as seniors graduating, a coach retiring, or, on the other hand, a team could be returning a majority of its key pieces and looking to retool. The Emporia Spartans track and field team is the exception, as they return most of their state qualifiers from last season and a lot of their contributors from last season.

The headlining names returning for the Spartans are seniors Harley Smith, Rylan Crowell, Paige Newland, and juniors Garrett LeBlanc, Kaylee DeWitt, Chance Duncan, and Emma Beaty. Smith is a multi-state qualifier who looks to cap off her career with another state qualification. Newland will look to build off two silver medals at State in the long jump and triple jump, alongside LeBlanc’s fourth-place finish in the triple jump. For the sprinters, DeWitt looks to finish the season strong at State after winning at the 300-meter hurdles in the Centennial League meet, while Crowell looks to prepare for his time at ESU playing football.

This roster is littered with talent as they look to make a splash throughout the season and make it to State.

“We would like to have more kids out; we fluctuate between 108 to 130 each year, or our goal is 70 boys and 70 girls,” Head Coach Randy Wells said. “Our roster has a good mix of upperclassmen and some talented freshmen and sophomores as well.”

While the upperclassmen take the cake when it comes to talent, Wells is excited about the underclassmen who are coming in, as they are also talented. The team has now practiced for about a month, and Wells explains where the strengths, event-wise, lie and the mentality of the team.

“Hard-working group, daily effort is great, and trying to improve each day is important,” Wells said. “The boys relays 4x100, 4x400, 4x800, Boys 3200, boys 110, and 300 Hurdles. Boys shot put, discus, and javelin. Boys 800 and

Schedule:

April 15 at Washburn Rural

April 17 at Manhatten

April 22 at Shawnee

Heights JV

April 24 at Lawrence

April 29 at Hummer

Sports Park JV

May 1 at Shawnee Heights May 6 JV League

May 7 at Circle

May 14 League at Junction City

May 21-22 Regionals May 29-30 State

1600. [On the] girls' side, the 4x100, high jump, hurdles 100, 300, 800, and 1600. The girls' long jump, triple jump, shot put, and discus will be some strong event areas.”

as many as possible to the state meet, and develop some men,” Wells said. Last season was good, but we would

roster, as Wells expects this team to be good in many different events. With the talent on the roster, Wells lays out his expectations for the season, and it is simple.

“Place in the top three at each meet as a team, qualify

The track and field season opens on March 28 at the ESU Invite hosted by Emporia State as the Spartans look to open the season strong and gear up for a potential big season.

LADY SPARTANS LOOK TO BREAK THROUGH TO A DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN SEASON AFTER BACK-TO-BACK NINE-WIN SEASONS

By Trey donovAn sports@emporia.com

Consistency is key in all sports, but there comes a point in time where consistency isn’t the only answer for progress. The Lady Spartans soccer team has been a consistent bunch coming off back-to-back nine-win seasons, but hasn’t been able to get over the hump to get double-digit wins.

As noted, the Lady Spartans finished last season with a 9-8 record, and their season was ended by Salina South in the first round of the regional tournament.

“Felt we had steadily improved through the season and as a team we felt confident going into our regional game vs Salina South,” Head Coach Oscar Macias said. “We learned a lot about our preparation and will carry that on into this season. We want to take this season

April 14 Manhatten April 17 at Wichita East April 21 at Wichita Classical April 23 Topeka West April 27 at Wichita Heights April 30 at Liberal

game by game and not get ahead of ourselves. Focus on what is in front of us and go from there.”

Heading into the new season, the roster will still have a core that features three All-Centennial League honorable mentions in seniors Madison Evans and Emma Swindle, and junior Emersyn Johnson. This iteration of the roster is led by a lot of upperclassmen, as 11 players are either juniors or seniors, but they did lose a key piece to graduation in the offseason.

“We lost a couple of solid seniors last year, in particular Katie Smart, who was our goal scorer. She could create her own shot, which took pressure off of others,” Macias said. “We will be searching for that this season and need a couple of girls to step up and provide us with chances at goal. However, we do have a strong core returning this year and a strong physical and mental group in our upperclassmen.”

Losing a player who can create offensively is a blow to the team, but Macias is ready to find the next Lady Spartan striker. While losing a key piece, the true strength of this team lies on the defensive side of the ball, and with a month of practices, Macias is happy with the early progress.

“Practices have gone well. Really enjoy this group of players as they have solid leadership in our juniors and seniors,” Macias said. “Leadership and team values are

strong within this group, which will bode well for the journey ahead. We have a lot of trust in our back line and keeper, but need to learn how to play team defense more consistently.”

The defense is veteran-laden, with Swindle and Evans anchoring the back line and senior goalkeeper Aracely Aleman keeping opponents off the scoreboard. With a core of defenders, Macias still hopes they can continue to improve on that half of the field.

The Lady Spartans begin the season with a matchup against Junction City on March 24, as they look to break into the double-digit wins category. Outside of breaking through the barrier, Macias explained how important a quick start is for the team and the goal for the season.

“A strong start to the season is definitely something we are searching to do. However, we would like to show significant growth by the end of the season and show that we are growing game by game,” Macias said.

SPARTANS TENNIS LOOKS TO BUILD OFF 2025 REGIONAL LOSS, WITH NEW LOOK ROSTER

By Trey donovAn sports@emporia.com

The Spring sports season is underway, and the Emporia High Spartans are looking to start up a new campaign on the tennis courts. With the tennis season ramping up, the Spartans are looking to build off their early regional exit last season with a roster mixed with returnees and new faces to the varsity level.

Last season, the Spartans had a roster that was new to the varsity level and in the regional tournament had some solid performances, but fell short of reaching the State tournament. The doubles team of Jacob Simons and Sheldon Stewart was one game away from qualifying for State after losing their third match of the tournament to Shawnee Heights. With a win, they would have qualified for state as the top-six finishers qualify. Ricardo Macias and Osmar Rubio Guzman, the other doubles team, had a tough draw as the 16 seed and had to face the top-ranked Topeka West.

For the singles, Tegan Mitchell and Micah Mischke lost to two top-ranked players in their regional matches. This year's boys tennis team will be similar to last year's in the fact that it is a roster with experience coming back, but also a lot of inexperience at the varsity level.

YOUTH AND POTENTIAL DEFINE SPARTANS GOLF ROSTER

HEADING INTO 2026 SEASON

By Trey donovAn sports@emporia.com

A new iteration of the boys’ golf season is right around the corner, and the Emporia High Spartans will be dealing with some changes to start the year. They are coming off a season that saw many accolades as they placed second at the Centennial League tournament, won the regional tournament, and had a good showing at the State tournament.

Coming into this season, however, the seniors who led the charge in 2025 are gone, and the team has lost long-time head coach Rick Eckert, as he stepped down after the 2025 season. Stepping into Eckert’s shoes is assistant coach PJ Marstall, who will look to lead the Spartans into the foreseeable future with a revamped roster.

“For the past three years, the seniors who graduated in 2025 did a fine job of playing well and leading our team. So the biggest challenge we will have is filling those vacant spots. We did have two underclassmen who saw plenty of varsity action, so we will look to them to lead now,” Marstall said. “I’ve enjoyed playing a part in player development as an assistant, and now look forward to

CHANGES FOR SPARTANS SWIM SEES DIFFERENT PIECES COME TOGETHER, SPARTAN DIVE STAYS THE SAME

By Trey donovAn sports@emporia.com

The pool is opening up again as spring approaches, and the weather steadily gets warmer. With the pool reopening, the Spartans’ swim and dive team will return to action soon, and one team saw a lot of changes while the other one stayed the same.

Starting with the swim squad, last season saw them put together a solid season with a third-place finish in the Centennial League meet and had plenty of individual showcases. With a successful season last year, this year is going to be a touch different as the team lost a hand ful of swimmers, and the roster is smaller than previous iterations. That is why they combined with Lebo’s roster of swimmers to supplement the roster.

“We have had a lot of change, more than I expected for the upcoming season. We lost 3 Seniors and several younger swimmers who never came back, which is ex pected, but I thought some would have stayed,” Head Coach Phil Metz said. “As it is, we have a small team of 11 swimmers and 2 divers for a total of 13 girls. We ex pect that Connelly Prouse, Ava Podrebarac, Taryn Woy dziak, and Ellie Grimmett for Lebo to be the standouts on the team this year.”

With the smaller roster, Metz acknowledges that it will be tough to get as many points at meets this sea son as they won’t have the roster to be in every event. That doesn’t deter him, though, from saying this roster is strong in terms of adaptability and the help of the se niors on last season’s team.

“We had strong leadership from our seniors that helped guide the younger swimmers in the effort and dis cipline needed to swim, and that leadership was evident at League,” Metz said. “The strength of the team is its diversification. Meaning that we are going to have girls toward the top in several different types of events, such as Taryn in the 50 free and Connelly in the 500 free. Same stroke but very different approaches to the events.”

While the roster is small, the team’s ability to adapt to their different events should see individual Spartans finishing high in some events. All of the roster changes have put Metz in a tough spot for what his expectations are for the season, as points will be harder to come by with a smaller roster.

lower classmen, to improve their times and work toward a State time.

coaching for Clark, as she and Weiss made a deal to keep coaching until Weiss graduated.

“I always want to finish in the top three at League and qualify for State. This year is going to be a lot harder because of the size of the team and not getting points from the second and third swimmers in the events, like in the past, because we don’t have the girls to fill the spots,” Metz said. “I am going to look for all the girls, upper and

Moving over to the dive team, the Spartans didn’t change at all. It will be headlined by the now two-time State Champion Allie Weiss, who will be looking for her third this season. Head Coach Barbara Clark will return to finish coaching Weiss in her senior season. Last season saw Weiss earn her second State Championship, and now look to finish her career with a third on her mantle.

“She worked really hard, and her goal is to get the school record in the six-dive and 11-dive, which was held by her sister Haylee. She won by a lot last year, but she still wasn’t satisfied because she didn’t get the State record,” Clark said. “Her goal this year is to get harder dives, which will start next week. We will get a meet under our belt and then start on those dives.”

Clark goes on to explain that Weiss is driven by the school record this season and that Clark will be with her every step of the way. This will also be the last season of

“I just want to leave on a good note, because this will be my last year coaching,” Clark said. “I’ve been coaching since the 80s, coaching both the boys and girls. I have coached 12 State divers. I was going to quit two years ago, but Allie said, ‘if your not going to be the coach, then I’m out.’ I responded with ‘If you win state next year, then I will wait until your senior year.’ And she won. She talked me into it, and we’ve been a good pair ever since.”

Clark adds that Weiss is mentally ready for the upcoming season and looks to break some records this year. Since it will be Clark’s final season coaching, she also explained that if Haylee Weiss, the current coach of the boys dive team at Emporia High, wanted to take over for Clark, she is welcome to.

The Spartans swim and dive team season will begin on March 26 with a home meet, as both teams will look to start the season strong.

COURTESY PHOTO EMPORIA HIGH

NORTHERN HEIGHTS

WILDCATS TO RELY ON CORE GROUP OF RETURNERS

By Chris AdAms

The Emporia Gazette

Like some of its area counterparts, Northern Heights High School baseball will bring back a solid group of players this season.

Coach Lane Callanan’s returning group excels on defense.

“We’re going to lean on Leo DeDonder (outfielder). You know, coming out of wrestling (state champion) and all that great stuff that he does there. He's going to bring a lot of leadership from that to us, which is awesome. TJ Dean is another name that is going to step up for us this year.”

Cole Gerleman and Wyatt Dobson are two more returners who should contribute.

“Cole Gerleman is a guy that we're going to look to move around a little bit more, and Wyatt Dobson, another

Schedule:

April 15 at MdCV

April 21 at Council Grove

April 24 at Lyndon

April 28 at Wabaunsee

May 1 Lebo

May 9 Chase County

May 14-16 Regionals

May 29-30 State

wrestler, is a guy that we're going to see in a lot of different positions this year as well,” Callanan said.

From the mound, the Wildcats should be in a good position to challenge opponents. Kelton Bish returns to the hill with several innings on his résumé.

“A lot of guys that spent time starting for us picked up a lot of great innings on the mound,” the Wildcat coach said. “Kelton Bish is a guy who spent a lot of time on the mound. We kind of developed him a little bit more over the winter, and now we're looking at him spending a lot of big innings, a lot of big moments on the mound for us.”

Callanan is confident that the Northern Heights’ bats will put the ball in play and hold their own this year.

“I think with the group that we got, we're going to put ourselves in a position offensively to be in some games.”

With a sturdy platform of personnel to build on, Callanan and company have established the realistic goal of

competing with many teams dotting the schedule.

“We want to go in and compete against some teams on our schedule,” Callanan said. “We have a couple games on our schedule that we're looking at like, ‘Hey, these are some big games that I think we can be in.’”

He mentioned Chase County, Marais des Cygnes Valley and Southern Lyon County.

“You know, Chase County is on our schedule. I think that's a good, solid group over there. I think we can go in, we can compete with them. Melvern is another one. They've stepped up with the group that they've got. They've grown from freshmen, and watching them now, they're a good ball club. I think that's a team we can go and compete with. Same with Olpe and Hartford combined.”

Callanan’s squad won’t be an easy out.

“I think we're going to surprise a lot of teams with how we're going to step up and compete.”

INDEPENDENCE COULD SPELL GROWTH FOR LADY WILDCATS

By Chris AdAms

The Emporia Gazette

Lady Wildcat softball has gone through a transformation. A softball mitosis. However, the division didn’t produce identical parts. One segment remains in Burlingame, the other in Allen.

That’s great news for Northern Heights softball.

“We are now independent. So we finally have kids who wanted to play, and we’re starting all over again,” said Lady Wildcat coach Dave Watkins.

Northern Heights had been in a co-op situation with Burlingame, but this year, they had enough student athletes who were interested in playing, hence the split. And that also means a classification change from 3A to 2A.

“That was difficult,” Watkins said. “The last couple of years with combined, we just didn't have enough to compete at that level…we've got a long way to go, but it's nice to finally have our own program back.”

And the program reset begins with senior Brylee McCullough and sophomore Kailyn Bish.

McCullough, who played on the last Northern Heightsonly squad as a freshman, will be called on to hold it down in the outfield.

“She'll be leaned on heavily to anchor down an outfield spot for us,” Watkins said. “And she's pretty versatile. She

may have to play some infield just with rotations of who’s on the mound.”

Watkins will rely on Bish to command in the circle.

“She's going to have to carry a portion of the load on the mound,” he said. “She's still a developing pitcher, but one we're going to look to because she's had some game experience on the mound.”

Otherwise, the Lady Cats’ roster favors the less experienced.

“We have two seniors, no juniors,” Watkins said. “The rest are freshmen and sophomores. So yeah, very, very young.”

He said sophomores Aubrey Morgan and Abby Disney could also be key contributors.

“Aubrey Morgan played for us last year and certainly developed. Kind of that versatile infield-outfield combination.”

Watkins said the aim now is to develop girls who can play multiple positions, as Northern Heights is basically in growth mode.

“We have 13 total out,” he said. “When one kid's on the mound, if she's our center fielder, we've got to make sure we have someone that can fill that role, etcetera, so it's truly a work in progress.”

An even greater need than solid defensive development is consistency on offense. He hopes to achieve that with sisters Briauhna and Braxtyn Pierce.

“Creating consistency at the plate is going to be our biggest piece, for a lot of the kids, like Briauhna, who is a senior and one of our better athletes, she's all-league basketball, and her sister,, Braxtyn, who's a sophomore,” Watkins explained.

It’s mainly a matter of the younger players getting reps with the bat and facing live action at the plate.

“So many of these kids, other than the four that played

with us at Burlingame last year, I don't know when the last time they've truly seen live pitching,” he said. “We’ve done some scrimmaging, they've seen that.”

As for bolstering the Lady Wildcat pitching with specific arms, it’s yet to be determined.

“We've got three kids that we're going to kind of look at. One of those kids is a freshman. So again, you know, first experience, high school ball. How does she handle it?”

It feels like growing pains for Northern Heights in 2026. However, they do have their own program.

“I don't know what we're going to look like. We open with West Franklin on the 26th…I have a ton of kids that play, what I would consider, competitive-level summer club ball. They're all still learning the game. We've talked all along with them day after day about this being a process. This is learning how to play the game, learning where you need to be, when you need to be there.”

Watkins admitted that it can be difficult to initially assess a squad when the majority of it are freshmen and sophomores. Nevertheless, he said they’re all in and committed to navigating the learning curve and improving.

“We’re working hard to develop that winning attitude and that culture. They have been great. They have worked hard in practice. They're incredibly coachable, and sometimes the kids with less experience are easier to coach because they don't know anything. They don't have any preconceived notions.”

LEBO WOLVES

IT COULD BE GROWING PAINS FOR WOLFDOGS IN 2026

By Chris AdAms The Emporia Gazette

The Lebo-Waverly Baseball team has a personnel void to fill.

The Wolfdogs (13-7) placed first in the challenging Lyon County League in 2025, led by seniors Drew Konrade and Zach Oswald. Konrade was a first-team all-state

Schedule:

selection and chosen to play in the 2025 KABC All-Star Game.

However, they will only return four starters: junior shortstop Kaden Balding, sophomore pitcher Colby Fehr, sophomore outfielder Jesse Durst and sophomore DH/first baseman Rayden Risner.

Lebo-Waverly coach Jason Konrade said the team is long on youth and short on senior leadership. A young squad usually means growing pains. Pains that are reflected in the win/loss column. The 2026 goal is to develop the inexperienced team and lean on the aforementioned starters.

“Jesse Durst looks to lead up the outfield as a returning sophomore, and Rayden Risner looks to add time at first base and as a DH, adding some punch to our lineup.”

Rylan Rassmussen, Jr., Ayden Ferguson Jr., and Daniel Raush, Sr., will also compete for starting roles.

Sophomores Brock Hadley and Mateo Plummer could also crack the starting lineup, and freshman Eli Konrade will most likely take up duty behind the plate, a position vacated by his brother Drew Konrade.

April 13 Mission Valley

April 16 Prairie View

April 23 Baldwin JV at Waverly

April 27 at West Franklin

April 30 Northern Heights

May 4 at Chase County

May 8 at Burlington JV

May 12 Chase County JV

May 13-20 Regionals

May 28-29 State

821 Commerical St. Emporia, KS (620) 342-2122

“Kaden Balding is one of our few upperclassmen, and looks to serve a big role on the mound as a pitcher and our starting shortstop,” Konrade said in a questionnaire sent to the Gazette.

“Colby Fehr returns as a top pitcher, anticipating many innings on the mound, and will also be expected to help fill the big loss of Zach Oswald…at first base.”

Konrade said defense is the primary key to success. Routine plays need to be consistently executed, while walks have to be minimized from the hill. And, of course, the intangible goals must be met.

“Each player buying into the team philosophy, and willingness to work hard at developing their baseball skills and developing as players,” Konrade said. “Toughness will be a theme this year; working to become a tough, competitive team.”

Y. Mackey,

LADY WOLFDOGS LOOK TO OVERCOME THE LOSS OF STARTERS

By Chris AdAms

The Emporia Gazette

The Lebo-Waverly softball team took some losses this year. Not in the game sense, but in personnel. Three seniors and five starters. That’s a sizable void to fill. Two were firstteam all-state selections.

But Lebo-Waverly coach Jim Jones understands well the challenge the situation presents.

The Lady Wolfdogs will get after it this season with a core group of returning seniors and a smattering of underclassmen. The Lady Wolfdog crew will be led by First Team AllLyon County League selection Kate Wagner (Waverly High School), a player whom Jones felt should have received allstate honorable mention recognition.

“She hit like 570 something. She just didn't have the home runs,” Jones reasoned. “She's got a lot of contacts, a lot of hard hit balls. She's just not fast, you know, quick. She'll pretty much be our leader.”

started turning the corner, and she had a really good regional showing. So I’m hoping that she'll step up and carry that on.”

The Lady Wolfdog roster does contain a lack of varsity innings, but Jones said those players will have to rise to the occasion.

“We got a lot of inexperience,” he said. “A lot of people who haven’t really had that varsity experience in any level at any sport. But they're gonna have to step up.”

“We’ve got five seniors — I got 13 girls — obviously, replacing those three seniors from last year is going to be hard…and losing five starters is going to kind of be our downfall,” Jones said. “That includes all three pitchers that had any varsity experience.”

Jones also knows how to roll with the punches.

“I told them yesterday after the first one, because some of the seniors already got, ‘Oh, gosh, this is going to be rough.’ I'm like, ‘Hey, we just got to get our heads up, keep our heads up. We'll just keep working and working at it. And what happens, happens. I mean, this might be that year that you don't have the pressure of, we can win this. It might be the year of let's go out there and just play ball and have fun.’”

Allison Konrade and Cassidy Potter should be key contributors in 2026. “Both came on last year, you know, had big junior years, really stepped up,” he said. Cora Plummer and Aubriana Vannocker round out the group of five.

“These five have been around high-level sports all four of their years. So I think they're going to bring a lot of knowledge and a lot of leadership,” Jones said. “Kate and Allison, they've been around me six or seven years. So they kind of know what is expected, and how I approach the game or how I approach the kids.”

Junior Brooklyn Hutchinson could also be a factor.

“Towards the end of last year, as a sophomore, she kind of

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And the pitching circumstances are going to be a work in progress as the season moves forward.

“So, I think lack of inexperience on the mound will be our, I wouldn't say weakness, but that's going to be my uncertainty.”

Schedule:

April 13 Mission Valley

April 16 Burlingame

April 23 at Prairie View

April 27 at West Franklin

April 30 Northern Heights

May 4 at Chase County

May 12 Chase County JV May 13-20 Regionals May 28-29 State

SOUTHERN LYON COUNTY

MOLDING YOUNG MEN TRANSLATES INTO SUCCESS FOR SLC

By Chris AdAms The Emporia Gazette

Southern County Lyon coach Dalton Laird isn’t married to winning. Of course, he’d like his team to achieve success on the field and earn a place in the state tournament, but it isn’t what inspires him to coach.

It’s what happens between the pitch and strike, the hit and stolen base, the practice reps and the bus ride, between the school and the road game.

“Our job as coaches is to help turn these young boys into young men and become great family members and community citizens,” Laird said. “Become good employees, become good business owners. Whatever they choose to do. And what better way to do that than through an avenue of sports.”

Especially in a game where below .500 is normally a mark of success, defeat is kind of an expectation and triumph is an asset that can be difficult to acquire.

“Baseball is a game of failure within itself,” Laird said. “And I don't like the term, failure. We're big on the term, temporary defeat, because you get defeated a lot in the game of baseball. You're expected to be defeated more than you succeed. That's just the nature of it. You grow from adversity. You grow from defeat.”

It’s within this framework of shaping teenage student athletes that SLC will embark on its 2026 campaign.

SLC returns seven starters, having only lost two to graduation. Four of them are seniors and will comprise the leadership core of the squad.

“I’ve got four seniors that I'm gonna rely on heavily on those who have been starters since they were freshmen for me,” Laird said. “Brayden Lienemann, Jaiden Kurzen, Kael

Schedule:

April 14 at Anderson County

April 16 at Olpe

April 17 at Olpe

April 23 at Burlington

April 28 at Chase County

April 30 at Olpe

May 4 at Mission Valley

May 18-20 Regionals May 28-29

and Eli Markowitz. Those four are going to play a massive role in leading this team to the place that they need to be.”

It’s not that simple to find quality leaders. They don’t grow in dugouts.

“I think that's always a challenge as a coach, especially at a smaller school, is you've got to have leaders and you've got to have good ones,” he said.

base and fill in on the mound.

Laird said this year’s schedule has a decent balance of adventurous games and easier ones.

Laird’s job was to mold the current foursome into a unit that could guide SLC to success and model strong character to the younger players. The process seems to have worked.

“Developing those leaders and turning those young kids into a position where they can then take a team and lead them is crucial to success,” he said. “We’ve got a core group of kids that are great leaders and are going to take on that role this year.”

Sophomore Ryker Windle will lead SLC from the mound. Windle worked his way into the starring role in 2025, after displaying continual improvement from the hill as the season progressed.

“I think he threw the most innings for us, as a freshman,” the SLC coach said. “That's impressive. And he really took that role on as he developed over the past year. If you would have asked me at the beginning of last year, I probably wouldn't have expected that he would have been that guy for us. Every time he was out there, he performed, and he just got better and better as the year went. And he was our go-to guy at the end of the year.”

SLC will also draw some innings from some freshmen players, too, particularly Henry Tajchman, who will play first

“I do my best to go try to play as much competition as possible,” he said. “We'll schedule 3A, 4A schools. I want the boys to be challenged. So we got Burlington on the schedule this year. We've had them in years past. They're always a tough team. I think they've made state runs the last couple of years…we also have Anderson County and Mission Valley. Mission Valley won state a couple years ago. Always a great program. Crest is another one that sticks out to me.”

State is the expectation for SLC each year. That never changes. Laird believes the goal is reachable each season. He attributes that to their focus on development and practice methods.

“I would say our goals are certainly achievable every year because of how we go about our development and our practice,” Laird said.

And, of course, personnel is a crucial factor.

“With those couple of new pieces and our core group of juniors and seniors, I just think that we're in a really good spot to have a great year.”

And if SLC makes a state run in 2026, the bottom line will remain the same: building character through adversity.

“That's what makes success feel so good. When you have it because you had to go through defeat and hard times to obtain it. That is our philosophy that we take to the field and into practice. And I think that teaches a lot about life itself.”

Wagaman

A PERFECT STORM COULD LEAD SLC SOFTBALL TO STATE

By Chris AdAms The Emporia Gazette

The forecast for the 2026 version of Southern Lyon County softball is a perfect storm.

SLC returns nearly all of its players and will inject a dose of newcomers, too, who will likely become key contributors.

“I'm hoping that's the perfect explanation for it,” said SLC coach Scott Steinke. “We’ve got a good shot of starting 10-0 before we really get into those really, really hard teams.”

Returning starters include Kayla Steinke, Addison Wright, Adriana Weeden and Taitlyn Cole.

Steinke will look to starting shortstop, Kayla Steinke, for squad leadership.

“Kayla’s kind of been the leader of the team since she was a freshman—shortstop,” Steinke said. “And then she's just fundamentally good.”

Wright brings next-level ability to the field.

“She’s started since she was a freshman. She has the potential to play at the next level if she wanted to. She just plays for fun.”

Weeden will be the primary arm for SLC, recording 89 strikeouts in 2025.

“I got a sophomore pitcher that is the winningest pitcher in our program history,” Steinke said. “I know it's not saying a lot for being year seven, but she came in and just really dominated.”

Cole is another sophomore who logged a fair amount of playing time in 2025.

“I really only lost one starter from last year,” Steinke said. “That was my center fielder. And I got some athletes coming in that are fighting for that spot.”

SLC will be leaning on some freshmen this year as well.

“I’ve got four freshmen on the team this year, and they're all athletes,” he said. “They're ready to roll.

Schedule:

April 15 at West Franklin

April 16 at Hartford

April 23 at Burlington

April 25 at Burlingame JV

April 28 at Chase County

April 30 at Olpe

May 4 at Mission Valley

May 18-20 Regionals May 28-29

They’re the girls that I've had through the summer. So I'm finally getting this group that I've coached for five or six years. We're all kind of finally meeting.”

With a collective that Steinke is very familiar with, and the combined experience of the younger players and veterans, the formulation of season goals was straightforward.

“They all want our first top-10 ranking,” Steinke said. “And then they want substate. We're just going to take it step by step. As they keep saying, ‘We’re just going to keep checking the boxes as we go.’”

In order to meet those goals, the defense and offense will need to be on point. Steinke isn’t concerned about the defense.

‘We’re going to have our our flaws here and there, in our areas. But my defense is going to be really, really solid. So I'd say probably the athleticism all the way around in our defense is going to be our big goal.”

The offense will be both an SLC strength and an area with room for improvement. They return five girls who ranked in the top six of program history batting averages.

“We're going to be very athletic on the base paths,” he

said. “We’re hitting the ball really well right now…it's a testament to these girls who have put the work in over the years, playing summer and traveling teams.”

But SLC hitting could also be a question mark. The lineup will face stellar pitching throughout the season.

“You know, the better pitchers. We faced two or three girls last year. I think a couple of them are pitching Division I right now, and some are Division II pitchers. But we were right on them. We just couldn't seem to find the spots. I think we just got to hit better.”

And if Steinke’s roster can bring the offense, they’ll be a team to contend with.

“If we can hit, you're going to hear our name a lot because we're going to be right there in the mix of things.”

AREA TRACK AND FIELD

SEVERAL RETURNING STATE QUALIFIERS HIGHLIGHT AREA ROSTERS

By Chris AdAms The Emporia Gazette

Area high school track and field schools have already begun their seasons.

CHASE COUNTY BULLDOGS

Chase County track and field graduated six seniors, including standout 800-meter state medalist Carson Schroer and 2A pole vault state champion Luke Budke.

“Graduation leaves some big holes for the Bulldogs to fill in the relays and indi-

Schedule:

April 10 Marion

April 16 Chase County

April 20 Waverly at Iola

April 23 Council Grove

May 5 Burlington

May 7 Herington

May 11 LCL Fr./Soph. Meet at ESU

May 14 LCL Meet at ESU

May 22 Regional Track

May 29-30 State Track at Wichita State

vidual events,” said Chase County coach Derick Budke in an email.

Key returner

Senior Wyatt Griffin. The all-around athlete has been a part of state-champion 4x100meter and 4x400-meter relay squads. He placed fifth in the high jump at the 2A state meet.

The Lady Bulldogs bring back 2024 800-meter state qualifier Sadie Mushrush to anchor the Bulldog mid-distance crew, but will not have the talents of 2024 state shot put champion Madelyn Wilson (40-3). Wilson chose to focus on softball this spring.

“Both the men and women’s teams will have relatively young squads,” Budke said. “Newcomer Grace Welsch will bolster the women’s throw crew, while the emergence of JP Ubert and Josiah Peters will be crucial for the men’s team.”

The 2026 squads are marked by either a transition to a younger group of student athletes or the return of several veteran performers.

HARTFORD JAGUARS

Graduation depleted Hartford track and field. However, a slate of returning throwers and standout athlete Keenan Renfrow will anchor the Jaguars.

“Lauryn Finnerty and Maricela Munoz Garner our top returning women,” said Hartford coach Tammy Windle in an email. “They are both throwers. Maricela is a senior and is battling an injury to her throwing hand that she obtained in basketball season. How well the hand heals and how she adjusts to how it affects holding the discus will determine how this season progresses for her. Lauryn had a very strong freshman year, and we are looking for her to continue to improve upon her marks from last year.”

Junior Nathan Cleveland will throw the shot put for the Jaguars.

“Nathan started to throw well as the season progressed and is a lot stronger

this year,” Windle said. “So we are hoping for big throws from him this year.” Key returner

Senior Keenan Renfrow. Renfrow missed the 2025 season and will compete in the high jump, long jump and 400 meters this year.

Schedule:

April 16 Chase County Invitational

April 28 Osage City JV

May 1 Madison Invitational

May 4 Burlingame Invitational

May 8 Chanute Invitational

May 11 LCL Fr./Soph. Meet at ESU

May 14 LCL Meet at ESU

May 22 Regional Track

May 29-30 State Track at Wichita State

OLPE EAGLES

Eagle track and field is marked by the return of two state distance runners, but it will also aim to develop the younger athletes on the roster.

“Our focus this season is to help our athletes be as competitive as they can be in their respective events,” said Olpe co-head coach Jaime Diaz in an email. “We also want our athletes to be focused on helping each other reach their full potential as well. This team will always be winners if we are able to enter every meet knowing that we have prepared to the best of our ability and showcased our best effort.”

Key returners

Senior Kaleb Arnold. To say that Arnold showed out at last year’s 1A state meet is an understatement. Arnold completed the “distance” triple with aplomb. He claimed the 3200 meters, placed third in the 1600 meters and finished sixth in the 800 meters. His personal records are 9:50.87 (3200), 4:27.76 (1600) and 2:01.74 (800).

“Kaleb is an extremely dedicated runner and a great role model for all of our athletes at practice,” Diaz said. “Kaleb’s hard work and dedication to getting better every day have played a major role in all of his success as a student athlete.”

Senior Lilly Skalsky. Skalsky has had a stellar career in Olpe athletics and will finish it out with the 2026 track season. She placed second in the 2025 1A 3200 and finished fourth in the 1600. Skalsky’s personal records are 11:52.89 (3200), 5:27.77 (1600) and 2:29.56 (800).

“What makes Lilly stand out is her dedication to the sport,” said Olpe cohead coach Jessica Knuth. “She was a dual-sport athlete in the fall with volleyball and cross country. She ended up qualifying for state cross country and placing in the top 20. Even during basketball season, you would see Lilly training for the upcoming track season. She doesn’t make excuses. Lilly is always giving it everything she’s got.”

Schedule:

April 16 Northern Heights

April 20 Waverly Invitation at Iola

April 28 Osage City JV

May 1 Madison Invitational

May 5 Burlington Invitational

May 11 LCL Fr./Soph. Meet at ESU

May 14 LCL Meet at ESU

May 22 Regional Track

May 29-30 State Track at Wichita State

COURTESY PHOTO JESSICA BOYLES

LEBO WOLVES

The Wolves program returns some seasoned veterans but also brings in a cadre of new athletes. Head coach Amanda Durst said season goals remain the same: continual improvement, setting personal bests throughout the year, and qualifying individuals and relays to the state meet.

“I believe I have a lot of new talent this year in the freshmen class and other athletes competing in Lebo track for the first year,” Durst said in a text message. “I’m looking forward to a successful season!”

Key returner

Junior Rachael Barnhardt. Barnhardt placed fifth in the 2025 State 1A discus competition final, throwing a school record of 120-11.

Schedule:

April 17 at West Franklin

April 20 at Iola

May 1 at Madison

May 5 at Burlington

May 11 LCL Fr./Soph. Meet at ESU

May 14 LCL Meet at ESU

May 22 Regional Track

May 29-30 State Track at Wichita State

NORTHERN HEIGHTS WILDCATS

The Wildcats are returner-heavy this season and heavy on potential state qualifiers. In particular, the throwing and middle-distance events.

“I have four senior boys returning for the throwing events this year,” said Northern Heights coach Jerritt Curtis in an email. “Of those four, Kelton Bish has a shot at the state track meet in the javelin. He threw 142-2 last year at the LCL meet. Cooper Spade is a returning sophomore who ran 4:58.31 in the 1600m last year and is expected to improve and qualify for the state meet this year.”

However, it is a group of girls who could be a lock for state. The Wildcats return the state-qualifying 4x800-meter relay team of Laura Cathcart, Grace Cathcart, Alanna Brecheisen and Josie Tiffany. The group finished fifth in last season’s 1A final, running 10:20.03.

Key returners

Junior Josie Tiffany. Tiffany anchors the 4x800-meter relay team and placed ninth in last season’s 1A 800-meter final, clocking 2:27.

Senior Jaitlyn Johnson. Johnson was the regional champion in the discus, tossing a personal record of 136-6.

Schedule:

April 16 Travis Sheeley

Meet

April 23 at Council Grove

April 28 Osage City JV

May 1 at St. Mary’s

May 5 at Burlington

May 7 at Herington

May 11 LCL Fr./Soph. Meet at ESU

May 14 LCL Meet at ESU

May 22 Regional Track

May 29-30 State Track at Wichita State

MADISON BULLDOGS

The Bulldogs return a handful of experienced track and field athletes. Five have competed in previous state meets. Octavian Dean (hurdles), Cruz Leiser (pole vault), Mason McDonald (200 meters), Caylin Luthi (4x800-meter relay) and Rylie Watts (4x800-meter relay).

Key returner-

Senior Octavian Dean. He qualified for state in both hurdle events last year, clocking 16.21 (110 hurdles) and 43.07 (300 hurdles).

“We’re hoping for him to be a state qualifier in the discus this year, as well as a repeat qualifier in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles,” said Madison coach Zach Nuessen in an email.

Nuessen’s goals for the 2026 team are straightforward.

“Our first season goal is to win our league meet as always. After that, we will turn our focus to regionals and qualifying for state, where we will just go out and compete our hardest and try to get some kids on the podium.”

Schedule:

April 10 Marion

April 20 at Iola

April 23 Council Grove

April 28 Osage City JV

May 1 Madison Invitational

May 5 Burlington

May 11 LCL Fr./Soph. Meet at ESU

May 14 LCL Meet at ESU

May 22 Regional Track

May 29-30 State Track at Wichita State

AREA GOLF

HIGH VOLUME, MINIMAL EXPERIENCE FOR AREA GOLF TEAMS

By Chris AdAms

The Emporia Gazette

Area high school golf teams are in developmental mode in 2026. High volume, minimal experience. Well, that’s not entirely true. They also return some expe -

rienced players. For instance, Chase County’s Caleb Dexter, Madison’s Carson Kusmaul and Southern Lyon County’s Gradey Pimple.

SOUTHERN LYON COUNTY

The Southern Lyon County golf team also comprises several young players. Of its 18 players, two are juniors, and the remaining 16 are sophomores and freshmen.

“A lot more than we usually have out,” said SLC coach LG Barnard. “I’ve got a lot of new kids. Obviously, the freshmen are new kids, but even just a lot of new kids in general.”

SLC brings back a trio of players that will make up its core. Pimple, JW Roberts and Carson Menke.

“They’re all three really good players,” Barnard said. “We think they have a good chance to qualify for state individually this year.”

Complementing the core are sophomores Megan Barnhart and Brady Kelley, and freshmen Levi Smith, Easton

McGuire and Jaxon Schmid.

Baranrd is impressed with the three freshmen from Olpe.

“I think they’re going to make a real positive impact on our team. They’ve got some talent, and they’ve got an extremely good work ethic. They stay late doing extra things. They’ve just done a really good job.”

From the Hartford side, Barnard sees improvement from a number of players, including Colt Heckathorn, Landen Schultz, Tyce Ndegwa and Connor Trester. “Some pretty good athletes that are part of the basketball team, and they’ve really come along.”

Overall, the SLC coach is optimistic about his group of players and their development.

“We’ve just been really thrilled with how the progress has been so far. We got a lot of kids, but we’re getting a lot done. And you know, the key to success is just to continue the hard work and improve, commit and spend extra time at the golf course.”

Barnard says 2027 will be more realistic in achieving multiple individual and team state berths. His top three could qualify this season, but beyond that work still needs to be done.

“It’s just hard when you got a young team. We’re sort of eyeballing some state berths, both Olpe and Hartford, next year. We know it’s going to take some time. But we’re not completely ruling out team berths. Olpe is a little farther along than Harford, mostly from

experience. We’ll see how we progress. We got an outside chance. It’d be more realistic looking into next year for those things.”

Schedule:

April 15 at Eureka

April 16 at Osage City

April 20 at Council Grove

April 21 at West Franklin JV

April 28 at Council Grove JV

April 30 at Sedan

May 1 at Lyndon JV

May 4 at Burlington JV

May 5 at West Franklin

May 13 League at Madison

May 18 Regionals

May 25-26 State

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO OLPE HIGH

MADISON BULLDOGS

For the Madison golf team, it’s kind of about the numbers. The Bulldog program totals 20 golfers this year. Ten boys, 10 girls. Madison coach Liz Kusmaul is busy.

“It’s been a lot of fun to work with these kiddos that have never golfed,” Kusmaul said. “They are just figuring out their swing. They’re figuring out what clubs do what. Seeing them start to be successful as the first few weeks have gone by has been a lot of fun. They’re getting more excited and more into it as they improve.”

Schedule:

April 15 at Eureka

April 16 at Osage City

April 21 at Lamont Hills JV

April 28 at Council Grove

April 30 at Jayhawk-Linn

May 1 at Lyndon JV

May 4 at Rock Creek JV

May 5 at Allen County Community College

May 12 Site TBD

May 18 Regionals

May 25 State

“We also have a lot of kids that are dual sport,” she said. “So if I have a varsity kid who has to go to a track meet one day, we’ll rotate a different kid into that spot, and try and get as many kids the opportunity to experience what a varsity meet truly feels like.”

With that said, the Bulldogs also return several varsity players. Senior Lane Smith and Sadie Albert, along with juniors Carson Kusmaul and Brayden Grimmett. will lead the way. Technically, it’s boys’ golf season; however, boys and girls combine to form the teams at smaller schools.

Kusmaul said returning players to the state tournament is a major goal.

“I really feel like our top competitors this year are going to be Carson and Brayden, and Lane. I’m really excited to see what they do this year out on the golf course. Last year, towards the end of the season, the kids started earning some medals and kind of getting more of a feel for a golf tournament and those big meets and getting on to different courses.”

The female players will have to overcome some challenges, such as using the boys’ tees and feeling they have to prove themselves.

CHASE COUNTY BULLDOGS

Chase County coach Brian Budke said it’s supposed to be a rebuilding year, but the Bulldogs are hoping to qualify a team for state.

“I don’t think we’ll be in contention this year to try to place at state as a team,” Budke said. “We have three returning golfers.”

The aforementioned Dexter, Wyatt Edmunds and Connor Herrick. Dexter had some success in 2026.

“Dexter is the main player,” Budke said. “He got a couple medals last year. He won the Western Plains tournament. So he could be a big contributor this year.”

The remainder of the Bulldog crew comprises seven new golfers, some of

Schedule:

April 14 Lincoln

April 16 Home

April 23 Western Plains

May 1 Lyndon

May 5 Marion

May 7 Leonardville

May 12 League at Emporia Municipal

May 26 State at Mankato

whom have playing experience.

“It’s not their first time on a golf course,” Budke said. “It should be fun. We have six freshmen coming in, which is exciting. It’s going to be focusing a lot on just trying to improve the fundamentals of our team, with all these new guys coming in, and trying to get them up to speed so they can go to tournaments and have fun.”

The Chase County schedule is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because the players will have opportunities to compete on grass. A curse, because the Bulldogs play sand green in the postseason. The grass doesn’t help.

“It’s a little bit different with us being a sand-green team. Our first four tournaments will be on sand green. And then we kind of switch over and start playing grass green for the second half of the season, which, you know, makes it a little bit tough because then we go to sandgreen state later…we normally don’t do very well on grass tournaments…it’s fun to get out and play a grass grass course, but you can’t really expect to compete against other teams that play every day on grass.”

Ultimately, whether it’s sand green or

“That’s something the girls and I have talked a lot about, too,” Kusmaul said. “We’re not golfing in girls season or golfing in boys season. And you’ve got to go out there and be strong and be competitive and just be confident in yourself. and not worry. “We have a lot of girls on our team, and it can be a little bit intimidating playing against the boys.”

Kusmaul said, overall, the Bulldog

squad could use a dose of confidence, male or female, first-timer or state qualifier.

“We definitely need to build our confidence. We do some great things. So hopefully, we can really get it coming together and figure out which clubs we’re most successful with and really cut down on our short game and hit more pars and birdies. That’s really our big goal this year.”

grass is irrelevant; it’s knowing that a lifelong skill set is evolving.

“The good thing about golf is that they

can play for life. If I teach them how to play good fundamentals, it’s something they can do forever.”

Team Photo Not Available at Press Time.

CC SOFTBALL

From PAGE 3

If Danford brings the spark, sophomore Dakota Phillips brings the “lightning.” At least, lightning between the bases and in the outfield.

“Dakota Phillips is a track kid, but she’s going to dual-sport for me, and she is fast as lightning,” Passmore said. “Everybody always talks about how fast she is. I think her numbers aren’t as good as everybody else’s because she picks track as her primary. So she isn’t there 100 percent of the time. But she’s a kid that I think would break the stealing record at Chase County if I did have her full-time. She’s just that fast. And she runs down so many balls in the outfield.”

Passmore said that senior Karlie Gibb is another field leader, and seniors Briley Johnson and Jadyn Evans will probably rotate at second base.

And pitching cannot be dismissed. Obviously. Without solid hurlers in the circle, success would be elusive.

“I’ve got Natalie Neff,” Passmore said.

From PAGE 8

building relationships with our golfers that will help me as the head coach to continue to develop the physical as well as the mental part of golf.

The roster has lost the likes of Nolan Jacob, Will Walker, Jared Johnson, and Hudson Sauder, who helped lead the Spartans to the regional tournament win. With the roster losing key seniors, the team has gotten a lot younger this season, as it will have only one senior, Hayden Thexton, and very few returnees with varsity rounds played. Those returnees who played varsity rounds are Chesney Erkel and Marley Harter, as they will have to step into the forefront as the leaders of the team.

“This year’s team is young with very little varsity experience. Our young team will need to step up and fill those slots. They will have to learn as they play, much

“She’s a junior this year and has picked up some more pitches. I just know that she’s gonna be really effective for us on the mound. She’s just a super tough competitor all the way around.”

The Bulldog coach expects to cycle in a couple of younger pitchers to fortify the rotation.

“We just haven’t had the strongest pitching in the past, compared to teams in our league,” she said. “Now, I’m comparing us to a couple 3A teams and a very solid Mission Valley team. They have two stud pitchers all the time that are pitching upper 50s, low 60s, which is very fast for our league.”

The Lady Bulldogs have steadily improved during Passmore’s tenure, and the 2026 edition could be the team that returns to the state tournament.

“We’ve won more games every year that I’ve been coaching, and I just expect that again this year. I think the girls also hold themselves to a higher standard, and they’re not just out there to have fun like their competitors. The girls I have are motivated to get better and motivated to put some W’s on the board. Our goal is to get back to the state tournament. That’s our number one goal as a team…and I think it’s very doable.”

like last year’s seniors did their freshman and sophomore years,” Marstall said. “Marley Harter and Chesney Erkel are the players from last year’s varsity group that I’m counting on to lead our team.”

Marstall knows his team will have some growing pains adjusting and learning the game of golf, but he hopes that this season will be a key building block for the next couple of seasons, like the journey of the seniors’ careers that was capped off with a great 2025. His goal for the season is to build as the season progresses and play consistent rounds when May comes around.

Heading into the 2026 season, the Spartans golf team has had some changes, including a coaching switch to seniors graduating, and with a younger squad this year, they will look to develop for the future while trying to be competitive in a lot of the rosters’ first varsity rounds of play. They will kick off the year by traveling down to the Salina Municipal golf course on April 6, hoping to start the development of the next Spartan golfers.

Schedule:

April 13 at Manhatten

April 20 at Western Hills

April 22 at Manhatten

April 22 at Village Green

April 24 at Salina

April 27 at Topeka Country Club

April 30 at Village Greens

May 5 at Emporia Municipal

May 6 at Stagg Hill

May 8 at Rolling Meadows

May 11 at Emporia Municipal

May 18 Regionals

May 25-26 State

EHS SOFTBALL

From PAGE 5

McClure said they’re going to try to add to Williams’ production this year with a freshman slapper.

“We want to try to pair that (slap hitter) with her (Williams) and see if we can get her even more offensive numbers.”

McClure is grateful for his senior core.

“Those four seniors — we have other seniors in the group — but those four are a very special group. We just love all four of them,” McClure said. “They’re like sisters out there, fighting for the last two years with me.”

To be fully transparent, the Gazette only asked McClure for comments about the team’s seniors.

Atlyn Heffron: Another Honorable Mention Centennial League All League selection, Heffron aggregated 19 hits, one home run, 24 runs and 13 stolen bases. Defensively, Heffron produced a .941 fielding percentage with 119 putouts in 135 chances.

EHS TENNIS

From PAGE 8

“Our whole roster was pretty much new to varsity last year, so we struggled quite a bit. We have half of our roster returning, and hopefully we have a better year,” Head Coach Saul Trujillo said. “Brecken Hines, Ricardo Macias, Collin Moody, Nicholas Weller, Aiden Sanchez, Baylor Santangelo [are the varsity roster this year]. It is Collin's, Nicholas, and Baylor’s first year playing varsity, so they are getting used to the pace of it. We still have a lot of room for growth this season, and I am looking forward to it.”

The Freshmen

Delaney Davis: Davis will fortify the Spartan pitching along with Barrett and offer some arm relief for the senior all-leaguer. Both players will rotate between the circle and shortstop.

“She’s a good, quick player and going to bring a little decent bat with her as well,” McClure said. “And she’s going to really give us a lot of innings on the mound, too.”

Lynnli Storm: “We’ve got another freshman, Lynnli Storm, who’s the slapper,” he said. “Her, Molly, Marley and Chloe will probably do some rotational stuff in the outfield.”

Positivity and confidence are threading the individual psyches together in the Lady Spartan lineup. McClure sees 2026 as an opportunity to advance the program, but there is also an immediacy to it. Immediacy spelled as s-t-a-t-e.

“Our motto, this year, is, ’Now is the time.’ That’s how we’re looking at it. We’re game planning already for the end of the season. Trying to make moves that’ll benefit us against those bigger teams, especially in the first or second round regional. You know, to get us to that state tournament.”

the team will do well this season. The practices leading up to the season have also shown Trujillo the strengths and weaknesses of the younger roster.

This roster is looking to develop throughout the season, and Trujillo explains his goal for the season is to do just that. He also adds that if they are consistently learning and correcting mistakes,

“First serves are strong, overheads are looking good, ground strokes are decent,” Trujillo said. “Being more consistent and knowing when to go for certain shots. We need to be more aggressive when the opportunity is presented. We have been double-faulting a lot lately, so not giving free points to the opponents.” This team will have some growing pains, but they have some good strengths early to help spark the development cycle early in the season. It will be an interesting season for the Spartans tennis team, which looks to build as the season progresses. With a newish roster that has some experience, the team could see some growing pains early, but peak at the right time late in the season to potentially qualify for State.