Varsity Kansas - The Blog

by joanna

Here are the all-state soccer teams that I’ve just received. Thanks to Maize’s Ron Speck for being so vigilant in tracking this down and getting it to me.
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by joanna

As I was heating up my Healthy Choice french bread pizza — it’s not too bad, actually — I was talking to my co-worker about how I have two of my boys, 5 and 3, in swim lessons and T-ball. My 5-year-old plays T-ball, while my 3-year-old is in his first year, which is micro T-ball, essentially learning the fundamentals, playing games that have nothing to do with baseball and whining because it’s so hot (ooops, that’s me).

Anyway, my point is that assistant sports editor Tom Seals made the oh-so-snarky comment that “Caring parents wait to get their kids involved in organized sports when they’re 7″ or something like that. What I heard was “You are the worst parent ever for subjecting your child to sports at such a tender age.”

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by joanna

Just got this e-mail with the all-region girls soccer teams for Class 6A and 5-1A for the southwest region. Just passing it along.

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by joanna

I’m not sure if any of you are aware of just how small this very large city of ours is. I’m reminded of it when I go anywhere with my husband — my stepdaughter and I count how many people he knows at each place — but it doesn’t happen as often when I’m out on my own.

It did today, twice. The second time was with the very nice driver from the auto shop who brought me to work. He lives down the street from the woman whose job I took in 1996 — Melinda Via. She’s a Mizzou grad, who finished up at Missouri right when I started covering the Tigers.

The first time, though, was especially intriguing. It turns out the guy I’ve dealt with in the service center for several years is married to Kimi Ratanamorn. I laughed in disbelief because I covered her in high school. She was a catcher — a very good one — for North and East. She caught stud pitcher Andrea Rhoads for East.

So I asked how Craig, her brother is doing. Now Craig, a Heights grad, was an All-Metro goalkeeper in 2004, the first year of All-Metro. He was also an All-City goalkeeper in 2003 and 2004.

Turns out Craig is at Marshall, where he went to play soccer after playing at Barton County for two years. But he’s not playing soccer anymore — he’s kicking for the football team and made the team in spring practice.

What a saga for Craig, whose dad has worked at The Eagle for years. He’s obviously still got quite a leg on him.

Are there other athletes we need to update? I’d love to hear about them. Or do you have examples of how this is a very small or world?

 by joanna

Goddard’s Whitney Berry was named to the 2008 all-region soccer team and was also a NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) All-American.

No doubt, she’s a stud. And she’s from Goddard, which should please half the posters on this blog. Which brings me to — I can’t believe one of you Goddard faithful failed to pass this on? You’re slacking! (do I need to put ‘joke’ mode here to make sure no one starts yelling at me?)

by joanna

With Goddard’s loss in the 6A baseball final on Sunday, it officially ended the 2007-08 school year and sports season. Unblievable, huh?

There were a lot of great moments throughout this year, a whole lot of success in the Wichita area in all the sports, whether it was football and basketball or bowling. We compiled a nice wrap-up page in sports with pictures, a list of team champions and some quotes.  

There were so many high moments — Andover Central girls going undefeated and winning the 4A basketball title, Southeast winning the 6A title, Trinity winning the 3A boys title. Andale, Garden Plain and Hutchinson all won in football and Bishop Carroll got to the championship game in 5A football but made a bigger statement in my mind of suspending some key kids for the game because they broke team rules. That says so much about that administration.

There were some down moments, such as West struggling in all sports, Goddard girls losing in the championship game of 6A basketball, the Wichita area only coming away with one title — Andale-Garden Plain softball — outside of track this weekend.

The saddest things were the deaths — Ed Kriwiel, Hanston’s Jerry Slaton, Stan Pulliam.

East’s Arthur Brown committed to Miami and then graduated early to get started. Northwest’s Chris Harper committed to K-State, took it back, committed to Oregon and then graduated early to get started out there as a quarterback. East’s Bryce Brown has committed to Miami, too.

The Wichita area has shown itself to be a hotbed for girls basketball and baseball this past year (not that it’s the first).

So there were a lot of high points and some low points. While Wichita area didn’t come away with as many titles as it would have liked to this weekend, many teams put themselves in the position to win — Goddard baseball, Carroll softball, Kapaun baseball, Andale-Garden Plain baseball and softball, Kapaun soccer, Maize soccer, Independent baseball and softball, Udall softball. That’s impressive

Overall it was a great year.

Now tell me your memories — good and bad.

by joanna

Right now Andover and Andale are posing for the Class 4A team title photo, being that they tied. That was a pretty cool finish, with Andover’s Ryan Haswell winning the 300 hurdles to take the lead in 4A, then Ethan Ungles of Andale coming back with a winning 200 meters to tie it for good.

A weird little finish to the 1600 relay in 6A boys. I’m sitting up here in the press box waiting to see if an area team wins so I can make it a small item in my track notes. But I don’t see Heights. Turns out that Heights didn’t write down all six runners for the relay (4 plus the two alternates), so they didn’t let the team run. Seems a little weird there.

I was impressed with Bonner Springs’ Walker twins today. Jeremy won the 100, Jonathan won the 110 hurdles and Jeremy finished second, both were on the winning 400 relay team and Jonathan won the 200.

Overall it was a good day. The meet moved quickly, quicker than usual. Yay for us. The events were exciting — especially the 400 boys and girls 6A relays.

There were multiple winners, and a whole lot of action. And pretty much everything will finish up today — except 6A baseball, which for some reason won’t play its championship until Saturday. That stinks.

Did you see someone you were impressed with? A team or individual? Feel free to post it here. Track, baseball, softball or soccer. I do not care.

If you’re feeling sad because Kapaun and Maize both lost in the soccer championship games, understood. If you’re happy that the Andale/Garden Plain softball team won, let us know.

by joanna

Got a prediction? I know that softball and baseball we don’t know who the finalists will be because semis are this morning (feel free to come on here and update, but we’ll be doing the same).

But who’s got the best chance to win? Is there an event in track that you know the winner? Tell me now.

By the way, a reader wondered why it’s Andale-Garden Plain in baseball and softball. They are joined in those sports because they’re too small otherwise for two teams. Football they have their own teams. They’re in the same district, the Renwick school district, too.

 by joanna

It was sprinkling as I walked into Cessna Stadium this morning. Nice and cool, but I hope that rain stays just sprinkles, you know.

There’s an awful lot of state championships to be decided yet. In track it’s a huge day for the running events, then we have all the softball, baseball and soccer to be decided.

Yesterday, some teams won statement games, as far as I’m concerned. Kapaun beating Aquinas in soccer is a huge, huge accomplishment. So was Goddard beating Olathe East in softball. Now, I don’t know if Olathe East is as dominant as it has been in the past, but beating the four-time champ is major. I’ve watched too many OE wins to not note how important that win is for Goddard. I do believe that puts Goddard in a wonderful position to win it all.

The 100 prelims are going on right now. We’re into 4A boys and we just watched a 3A prelim that was definitely slower than what Heights’ Audacia Moore ran earlier.

The infield is crowded with athletes wearing sweat pants and hoodies. There’s lots of umbrellas in the stands. The parking lot is jam packed with cars, vans and buses.

I’ll try to update as we go.

by joanna

Now, I know I’ll probably miss something, but what about the area teams today.

Look at Maize soccer which is playing for the 6A title — but gave up a goal. What’s up with that? (that’s sarcasm. sarcasm, not hatin’)

And I heard Kapaun’s up 2-0 at half over Aquinas. Is that possible that a Wichita team is beating an Aquinas team? Miracle.

Andover Central softball moves on, Andale-Garden Plain baseball, too. Goddard baseball in 6A wins, Kapaun in 5A, Independent in 3A. That’s all I seem to have for now.

Feel free to pass on anything you know.

Obviously there were some disappointing losses — North baseball, Andover soccer, Valley Center and Rose Hill baseball. Feel free to talk about those, too.