by joanna

The postseason honors are out for spring sports, which is the clearest sign that a high school sports year has ended.

There were some excellent moments from the past year — what were your favorites? Some of mine are below, but if I left off some key ones, remind me. If you’ve got some memories you want to share, definitely do so.

*Heights’ 5 championships

Heights went undefeated in football, and boys and girls basketball en route to Class 6A titles in those sports. Heights also won the state wrestling title and state girls bowling. It was definitely a banner year for the Falcons, where it’s always “a good day to be a Falcon.”

Heights was the favorite to win boys and girls basketball, and the Falcons lived up to the expectations, no easy task. The football team had similar expectations, but it seemed so daunting because it had been nearly 30 years since a Wichita public school football team had won a 6A title.

*Maize’s spring sports season

In baseball, girls soccer and softball, Maize entered the postseason with a combined one loss. It was a dominating spring for the Eagles, and there was no doubt that they were among the contenders to win titles in all three.

The only 6A title went to the baseball team, but oh, what a team it was. Many are arguing that the Eagles’ baseball team was one of the state’s best, if not the best. That’s high praise. They capped the season with a run-rule win in the championship game. Impressive.

*Bishop Carroll sweeps Class 5A cross country, and David Thor won the individual title, then went on to win two state track titles.

*The Collegiate girls were not favorites to win the Class 3A basketball title this year. It was a young team with three-time All-State player Ashia Woods, but the Spartans did it.

*The McPherson boys won the Class 5A basketball title with two of the state’s top players — Christian Ulsaker and Jack Pyle. One of the best games this season was the Heights-McPherson game in the championship of the Mac tournament. Awesome game between two great teams.

*McPherson’s Christian Ulsaker and Heights’ Evan Wessel were named to The Eagle’s Top 11 football team and the All-State basketball team. A rare feat for double-sport athletes.

*Bishop Carroll beat Hutchinson. This was a huge feat for the Eagles’ program, as it got them over a major stumbling block. Carroll couldn’t carry that over into the 5A championship, though, as Blue Valley played a better game. Will that win over Hutch carry Carroll forward? Both should reload this year, and I know I’d love to see another Hutch-Carroll semifinal game.

*Andale won the Class 4A girls golf title and Cheney’s Jacie Scheer won the individual medal.

*Many thought the Northwest boys soccer team had what it needed to get a 6A title. Winning soccer titles is more of a northeast-Kansas thing. While Northwest didn’t win, the Grizzlies certainly must be considered a contender this fall. Trinity Academy won the 4-1A boys title.

*Andale-Garden Plain wins yet another softball title. That’s two Class 4A titles and a 5A title since 2008. Bishop Carroll won the 5A title.

*While the KC-area teams won the swimming team titles, Independent girls finished second in 5-1A and Newton was third. Northwest’s Nikki Daniels capped her career with two individual titles. On the boys side, Carroll took second in 5-1A.

*In tennis, Independent boys won their first 3-2-1A title, edging Collegiate by one point. Jake Norman, a sophomore, won his second singles title. In girls tennis, Collegiate won the team title by one over Independent.

*In wrestling, Andover Central sent longtime wrestling coach Terry Alley out right — with a team title in 5A. Andale won 4A. Heights’ Daniel Deshazer won his third individual title.

*In track, Peabody-Burns’ Lauren Pickens became the first to win the 100, 200 and 400 all four years at the state meet. Trinity’s Morgan Burns won the 100, 200 and 400 in 4A, while Valley Center’s Joe Fisher won the 100 and 200 in 5A.