By Jonathan Zweygardt Hays Post

The TMP-Marian girls basketball program will have a new coach heading into next season.

While the school would not confirm the personnel move, the
position has been posted on the state's Educate Jobs website. 

Rose McFarland had served as the head coach of the TMP girls
basketball program for the past 12 seasons and a total of 17 seasons where she
amassed a record of 257-107. 

She surpassed the 400 win mark for her career earlier this season
and has a career record of 407-219 in 27 years as a head varsity coach.

TMP-Marian Athletic Director James Harris said he could not
comment on personnel matters. 

McFarland was unavailable for comment on Friday at the time
this story was published. &nbsp;

By Jonathan Zweygardt Hays PostThe TMP-Marian girls basketball program will have a new coach heading into next season.While the school would not confirm the personnel move, the
position has been posted on the state's Educate Jobs website. Rose McFarland had served as the head coach of the TMP girls
basketball program for the past 12 seasons and a total of 17 seasons where she
amassed a record of 257-107. She surpassed the 400 win mark for her career earlier this season
and has a career record of 407-219 in 27 years as a head varsity coach.TMP-Marian Athletic Director James Harris said he could not
comment on personnel matters. McFarland was unavailable for comment on Friday at the time
this story was published. &nbsp;

🏀TMP-Marian begins search for new girls basketball coach

The TMP-Marian Monarchs had three boys and two girls named
to the 2024 All Mid-Continent League teams released Friday by the league.

TMP’s Brooke Koenigsman was one of two juniors named to the
girls first-team.

Koenigsman averaged a team-high 16 points and six rebounds per
game. She was a second-team selection as a sophomore.

She is joined on the first team by fellow junior, Hoxie’s
Emily Bainter and senior Josey Kennedy. Kennedy was also a first-team selection
last season. Bainter was named to the honorable mention team as a sophomore.

Also on the first team was Smith Center’s Dakota Kattenberg
and Jenessa Ruder from Norton. Both were second-team selections last season.

You can see the complete list of all-league selections below.

TMP’s Gracyn Schippers was an honorable mention selection.

The TMP boys had two three-team picks. Sophomore Caden
Dinkel and freshman Ty Schmeidler earned that honor.

Senior Griffin Schumacher was an honorable mention
selection.

Norton’s Roman Hauser and Eli Jones were named to the first
team along with Plainville’s JD Dintino, Hill City’s Dylan Gansel and
Phillipsburg Rad Rodriguez. 

Hays PostThe TMP-Marian Monarchs had three boys and two girls named
to the 2024 All Mid-Continent League teams released Friday by the league.TMP’s Brooke Koenigsman was one of two juniors named to the
girls first-team.Koenigsman averaged a team-high 16 points and six rebounds per
game. She was a second-team selection as a sophomore.She is joined on the first team by fellow junior, Hoxie’s
Emily Bainter and senior Josey Kennedy. Kennedy was also a first-team selection
last season. Bainter was named to the honorable mention team as a sophomore.Also on the first team was Smith Center’s Dakota Kattenberg
and Jenessa Ruder from Norton. Both were second-team selections last season.You can see the complete list of all-league selections below.TMP’s Gracyn Schippers was an honorable mention selection.The TMP boys had two three-team picks. Sophomore Caden
Dinkel and freshman Ty Schmeidler earned that honor.Senior Griffin Schumacher was an honorable mention
selection.Norton’s Roman Hauser and Eli Jones were named to the first
team along with Plainville’s JD Dintino, Hill City’s Dylan Gansel and
Phillipsburg Rad Rodriguez.

🏀 TMP lands three boys and two girls on MCL teams

By BRETT MARSHALL Western Athletic Conference

Work ethic pays off for Dodge City girls’ wrestlers to win WAC

Great Bend’s Gomez caps off Sr. year with state title, WOY

When the Dodge City High School girls’ wrestling program organized for the 2019-2020 season, nobody really knew just how fast the sport would grow, not only locally, but regionally, statewide and nationally.

But one thing is for certain, the DCHS program has developed into one of the premier programs in the Sunflower State, along with 6-5A rivals Garden City, Hays, Great Bend, and Liberal.

That would be the five-school Western Athletic Conference.

In the three years that the WAC has recognized girls’ wrestling at the varsity level as part of the conference’s Champions Cup standings, DCHS coach Tate Lowe has never seen his team lose a conference dual.

The 12-0 spotless record continued in the 2024 round-robin format for the Demons as they swept past all four conference opponents.

In this year’s round-robin, which usually includes two home and two away matches, the Demons defeated Liberal (62-18), Garden City (48-34), Hays (54-19) and Great Bend (48-30).

“I think a lot of success is a credit to our kids,” said Lowe, also named WAC Coach of the Year for the sport. “We have had a core group of girls who have passed their early success down to our current group. All of them have put in a lot of hard work.”

It’s not an easy road through the WAC to the conference title, Lowe said.

“I think the WAC is the toughest league in the state in the big classifications,” he said. “Just look at how we did at the state.”

Indeed, at the recent 6-5A state tournament at Park City’s Hartman Arena, Garden City took second, Dodge City third, Great Bend eighth, Hays 10th and Liberal 12th. There were 57 teams competing.

In the five seasons of state competition, the Demons have gone from not placing in the top 10 teams to a fourth (2021), first (2022), and two thirds (2023 and 2024) in the team standings.

“One of the reasons for our success is the kids believe in themselves,” Lowe said. “Dodge City and the other schools in the WAC are blue-collar communities and we have blue-collar kids who are hard workers with a great work ethic.”

Lowe described his wrestlers in more detail, talking about what separates the WAC teams from many others.

“Our kids are tough and don’t give up,” Lowe said. “It’s a sport that requires toughness. We do things in practice that focus on both the physical and mental part of grinding all the way to the end of the match. You can see it when our kids are competing.”

As the sport grows, Lowe said he eventually sees Classes 6-5A splitting into two classes to reflect and compare to the boys’ divisions.

“We had such a tough regional that some of the fourth and fifth place finishers there were good enough to be competing at state,” Lowe said. “Perhaps one day, we’ll see it split into two super regionals like the boys (8 qualifiers advance in that division).”

Lowe said he has developed a good relationship with the other schools’ coaches and sees it as a lot of fun, but also important to the success all teams have beyond the conference.

“It’s a fun conference to be a part of and I have great respect for them (other coaches),” Lowe said. “When you win in the WAC, you know you’ve accomplished something important. I think we’ve shown that you can be competitors but also be friendly. We have a lot of camaraderie in the conference.”

To develop a full roster of 14 wrestlers, Lowe has seen some of his girls wrestle up one weight division, thus being among the lightest in those weights.

“We have a lot of girls who just want to compete, and they’ll do what they can to get into the lineup,” Lowe said. “We just shuffle the girls around to find the best place for them.”

Lowe is excited for the 2024-2025 season as he graduates just one senior. State champion Ashley Alonso (110-pounds, 36-1) headlines the group of returners. He also had a runner-up and third-place finisher at the state tourney.

“We are not the only team that is young,” Lowe said. “The other schools have a lot of good, young wrestlers too, so I know it will be super competitive again next season.”

DAIZY GOMEZ, GREAT BEND, Sr.WAC GIRLS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Getting to the top of your sports accomplishment by winning a state championship is certainly a long and winding road, marked by potential detours and potholes.

Daizy Gomez of Great Bend knows this all too well, but the Lady Panther 130-pound senior, overcame some of those obstacles in her final campaign to capture the Class 6-5A state title, while also winning the Western Athletic Conference title during the four-match, round-robin format employed by the conference.

As a result of her 38-3 record, a state championship and the WAC title, Gomez was voted 2024 WAC Girls’ Wrestler of the Year.

In her freshman year, when only eight wrestlers qualified statewide, she failed to reach the finals. In her sophomore and junior years she placed fourth. She was determined to make her senior year a different outcome.

“Winning state was my No. 1 goal,” Gomez said in a recent interview. “Getting the WAC Wrestler of the Year is pretty cool, too. There are some outstanding wrestlers in our league.”

The postseason laurels didn’t come easily as she and rival Ariana De La Rosa of Dodge City went head-to-head four times this season, with each winning twice.

De La Rosa won a December match in the Christmas Clash hosted by Great Bend by an 11-2 major decision. Turning the calendar to 2024, Gomez responded with a pin of De La Rosa in the WAC dual at the 2:27 mark and then duplicated the win by pinning De La Rosa just 0:54 seconds into the final match of the Dodge City Invitational.

When the Class 6-5A regional brackets were set, the two WAC rivals were on opposite sides of the bracket and met in the finals where De La Rose eked out a 5-4 decision.

That put them on opposite sides of the 6-5A state tourney bracket. What had been anticipated as a rematch (fifth of the season) didn’t materialize as De La Rosa was defeated in the semifinals while Gomez advanced to the final and then won her first state crown with a pin of Gracie Oppeau of Spring Hill at the 2:29 mark of the second period.

“There’s always that part of me that wishes we (Ariana) could have wrestled in the finals,” Gomez said. “But things didn’t work out that way.”

In a twist of irony, Oppeau had defeated De La Rosa in her half of the semifinal bracket with a pin at 3:57 of the second. De La Rosa had been dominating Oppeau at the time, leading 11-3, before Oppeau got the stunning pin. Also, Gomez had pinned Oppeau at the Topeka-Washburn Rural Invitational earlier in the year, so she knew quite a lot about her finals’ opponent.

“She was super flexible and I thought would be difficult to turn,” Gomez said. “I used one of my best moves (chicken wing). I use my left arm to hold hers and crush it, the grab the right wrist and turn it and then keep pushing until I get her turned over.”

It all worked out perfect for Gomez and she said at the moment of victory she wasn’t sure how she would react. She immediately jumped into the arms of her coach, Gannon Reichart, to celebrate.

“I always wondered how I would react and I didn’t know if I’d do some crazy thing,” Gomez said. “I just felt happy that things worked out the way they did.”

That would have been quite a rematch with Gomez and De La Rosa. But it wasn’t meant to be. De La Rosa went on to place third at the state. Gomez was dominating against Oppeau, leading 7-1 when she pinned her finals’ opponent.

Gomez plans to continue her wrestling career at Friends University in Wichita and pursue a degree in business and arts with a focus on interior design while including a pursuit of a real estate license.

“These are things I want to see how they develop,” Gomez said. “I’m excited to see what happens at the next level.”

She began her wrestling career in the eighth grade, but said it wasn’t until she was a junior that she actually grabbed hold of many concepts to make her the successful wrestler she became.

“Honestly, I was pretty clueless at first about wrestling,” Gomez said. “My junior and senior years I just stepped it up.”

Things paid off in big dividends for the Lady Panther and she will have the memories for the years to come.

The overall depth of qualify wrestlers comes perhaps in the fact that four different individuals from four different WAC schools collect state championships this season.&nbsp;

In addition to Gomez at 130, Ashley Alonso of Dodge City won the 110-pound class; Maya Tarbet of Garden City won her second straight state title at 125 pounds, and Hayleen Martinez of Liberal won the 190-pound division.

On the first-team all-WAC list are five Dodge City wrestlers, three from Liberal and two each from Garden City, Great Bend and Hays. That reflects the balance and the toughness of the WAC girls’ wrestling programs in 2024 and likely beyond.

100 Elizabeth Ramirez 10 Dodge City 105 Isabela Gutierrez 11 Liberal 110 Ashley Alonso 11 Dodge City 115 Crystal Loera 9 Garden City 120 Tionna Napue 11 Hays 125 Maya Tarbet 11 Garden City 130 *Daizy Gomez 12 Great Bend 135 Hailey Ramos 11 Dodge City 140 Lexi Burton 12 Hays 145 Yareli Garcia 10 Dodge City 155 Liliana Arroyo 10 Dodge City 170 Kirra Stevens 11 Great Bend 190 Hayleen Martinez 11 Liberal 235 Aileen Figueroa 9 Liberal

100 Kaira Acosta 10 Garden City&nbsp; 105 Camdyn Post 9 Great Bend 110 Marina Loera 9 Garden City 115 Madison Poulson 9 Hays 120 Alytia Serrano 11 Garden City 125 Kaylea McMullen 10 Great Bend 130 Ariana De La Rosa 12 Dodge City 135 Katie Gutierrez 12 Hays 140 Amaya Caro 11 Garden City 145 Timber Lovewell 9 Hays 155 Lexi Barnett 10 Hays 170 Erika Sandoval 9 Dodge City 190 Natalee Daniel 10 Great Bend 235 Maribel Castro 10 Dodge City

By BRETT MARSHALL Western Athletic Conference<h2>Work ethic pays off for Dodge City girls’ wrestlers to win WAC</h2><h2>Great Bend’s Gomez caps off Sr. year with state title, WOY</h2>When the Dodge City High School girls’ wrestling program organized for the 2019-2020 season, nobody really knew just how fast the sport would grow, not only locally, but regionally, statewide and nationally.But one thing is for certain, the DCHS program has developed into one of the premier programs in the Sunflower State, along with 6-5A rivals Garden City, Hays, Great Bend, and Liberal.That would be the five-school Western Athletic Conference.In the three years that the WAC has recognized girls’ wrestling at the varsity level as part of the conference’s Champions Cup standings, DCHS coach Tate Lowe has never seen his team lose a conference dual.The 12-0 spotless record continued in the 2024 round-robin format for the Demons as they swept past all four conference opponents.In this year’s round-robin, which usually includes two home and two away matches, the Demons defeated Liberal (62-18), Garden City (48-34), Hays (54-19) and Great Bend (48-30).“I think a lot of success is a credit to our kids,” said Lowe, also named WAC Coach of the Year for the sport. “We have had a core group of girls who have passed their early success down to our current group. All of them have put in a lot of hard work.”It’s not an easy road through the WAC to the conference title, Lowe said.“I think the WAC is the toughest league in the state in the big classifications,” he said. “Just look at how we did at the state.”Indeed, at the recent 6-5A state tournament at Park City’s Hartman Arena, Garden City took second, Dodge City third, Great Bend eighth, Hays 10th and Liberal 12th. There were 57 teams competing.In the five seasons of state competition, the Demons have gone from not placing in the top 10 teams to a fourth (2021), first (2022), and two thirds (2023 and 2024) in the team standings.“One of the reasons for our success is the kids believe in themselves,” Lowe said. “Dodge City and the other schools in the WAC are blue-collar communities and we have blue-collar kids who are hard workers with a great work ethic.”Lowe described his wrestlers in more detail, talking about what separates the WAC teams from many others.“Our kids are tough and don’t give up,” Lowe said. “It’s a sport that requires toughness. We do things in practice that focus on both the physical and mental part of grinding all the way to the end of the match. You can see it when our kids are competing.”As the sport grows, Lowe said he eventually sees Classes 6-5A splitting into two classes to reflect and compare to the boys’ divisions.“We had such a tough regional that some of the fourth and fifth place finishers there were good enough to be competing at state,” Lowe said. “Perhaps one day, we’ll see it split into two super regionals like the boys (8 qualifiers advance in that division).”Lowe said he has developed a good relationship with the other schools’ coaches and sees it as a lot of fun, but also important to the success all teams have beyond the conference.“It’s a fun conference to be a part of and I have great respect for them (other coaches),” Lowe said. “When you win in the WAC, you know you’ve accomplished something important. I think we’ve shown that you can be competitors but also be friendly. We have a lot of camaraderie in the conference.”To develop a full roster of 14 wrestlers, Lowe has seen some of his girls wrestle up one weight division, thus being among the lightest in those weights.“We have a lot of girls who just want to compete, and they’ll do what they can to get into the lineup,” Lowe said. “We just shuffle the girls around to find the best place for them.”Lowe is excited for the 2024-2025 season as he graduates just one senior. State champion Ashley Alonso (110-pounds, 36-1) headlines the group of returners. He also had a runner-up and third-place finisher at the state tourney.“We are not the only team that is young,” Lowe said. “The other schools have a lot of good, young wrestlers too, so I know it will be super competitive again next season.”DAIZY GOMEZ, GREAT BEND, Sr.WAC GIRLS WRESTLER OF THE YEARGetting to the top of your sports accomplishment by winning a state championship is certainly a long and winding road, marked by potential detours and potholes.Daizy Gomez of Great Bend knows this all too well, but the Lady Panther 130-pound senior, overcame some of those obstacles in her final campaign to capture the Class 6-5A state title, while also winning the Western Athletic Conference title during the four-match, round-robin format employed by the conference.As a result of her 38-3 record, a state championship and the WAC title, Gomez was voted 2024 WAC Girls’ Wrestler of the Year.In her freshman year, when only eight wrestlers qualified statewide, she failed to reach the finals. In her sophomore and junior years she placed fourth. She was determined to make her senior year a different outcome.“Winning state was my No. 1 goal,” Gomez said in a recent interview. “Getting the WAC Wrestler of the Year is pretty cool, too. There are some outstanding wrestlers in our league.”The postseason laurels didn’t come easily as she and rival Ariana De La Rosa of Dodge City went head-to-head four times this season, with each winning twice.De La Rosa won a December match in the Christmas Clash hosted by Great Bend by an 11-2 major decision. Turning the calendar to 2024, Gomez responded with a pin of De La Rosa in the WAC dual at the 2:27 mark and then duplicated the win by pinning De La Rosa just 0:54 seconds into the final match of the Dodge City Invitational.When the Class 6-5A regional brackets were set, the two WAC rivals were on opposite sides of the bracket and met in the finals where De La Rose eked out a 5-4 decision.That put them on opposite sides of the 6-5A state tourney bracket. What had been anticipated as a rematch (fifth of the season) didn’t materialize as De La Rosa was defeated in the semifinals while Gomez advanced to the final and then won her first state crown with a pin of Gracie Oppeau of Spring Hill at the 2:29 mark of the second period.“There’s always that part of me that wishes we (Ariana) could have wrestled in the finals,” Gomez said. “But things didn’t work out that way.”In a twist of irony, Oppeau had defeated De La Rosa in her half of the semifinal bracket with a pin at 3:57 of the second. De La Rosa had been dominating Oppeau at the time, leading 11-3, before Oppeau got the stunning pin. Also, Gomez had pinned Oppeau at the Topeka-Washburn Rural Invitational earlier in the year, so she knew quite a lot about her finals’ opponent.“She was super flexible and I thought would be difficult to turn,” Gomez said. “I used one of my best moves (chicken wing). I use my left arm to hold hers and crush it, the grab the right wrist and turn it and then keep pushing until I get her turned over.”It all worked out perfect for Gomez and she said at the moment of victory she wasn’t sure how she would react. She immediately jumped into the arms of her coach, Gannon Reichart, to celebrate.“I always wondered how I would react and I didn’t know if I’d do some crazy thing,” Gomez said. “I just felt happy that things worked out the way they did.”That would have been quite a rematch with Gomez and De La Rosa. But it wasn’t meant to be. De La Rosa went on to place third at the state. Gomez was dominating against Oppeau, leading 7-1 when she pinned her finals’ opponent.Gomez plans to continue her wrestling career at Friends University in Wichita and pursue a degree in business and arts with a focus on interior design while including a pursuit of a real estate license.“These are things I want to see how they develop,” Gomez said. “I’m excited to see what happens at the next level.”She began her wrestling career in the eighth grade, but said it wasn’t until she was a junior that she actually grabbed hold of many concepts to make her the successful wrestler she became.“Honestly, I was pretty clueless at first about wrestling,” Gomez said. “My junior and senior years I just stepped it up.”Things paid off in big dividends for the Lady Panther and she will have the memories for the years to come.The overall depth of qualify wrestlers comes perhaps in the fact that four different individuals from four different WAC schools collect state championships this season.&nbsp;In addition to Gomez at 130, Ashley Alonso of Dodge City won the 110-pound class; Maya Tarbet of Garden City won her second straight state title at 125 pounds, and Hayleen Martinez of Liberal won the 190-pound division.On the first-team all-WAC list are five Dodge City wrestlers, three from Liberal and two each from Garden City, Great Bend and Hays. That reflects the balance and the toughness of the WAC girls’ wrestling programs in 2024 and likely beyond.<h2>First Team All-Conference Selections</h2>100 Elizabeth Ramirez 10 Dodge City 105 Isabela Gutierrez 11 Liberal 110 Ashley Alonso 11 Dodge City 115 Crystal Loera 9 Garden City 120 Tionna Napue 11 Hays 125 Maya Tarbet 11 Garden City 130 *Daizy Gomez 12 Great Bend 135 Hailey Ramos 11 Dodge City 140 Lexi Burton 12 Hays 145 Yareli Garcia 10 Dodge City 155 Liliana Arroyo 10 Dodge City 170 Kirra Stevens 11 Great Bend 190 Hayleen Martinez 11 Liberal 235 Aileen Figueroa 9 Liberal* WAC Wrestler of the Year<h2>Second Team All-Conference Selections</h2>100 Kaira Acosta 10 Garden City&nbsp; 105 Camdyn Post 9 Great Bend 110 Marina Loera 9 Garden City 115 Madison Poulson 9 Hays 120 Alytia Serrano 11 Garden City 125 Kaylea McMullen 10 Great Bend 130 Ariana De La Rosa 12 Dodge City 135 Katie Gutierrez 12 Hays 140 Amaya Caro 11 Garden City 145 Timber Lovewell 9 Hays 155 Lexi Barnett 10 Hays 170 Erika Sandoval 9 Dodge City 190 Natalee Daniel 10 Great Bend 235 Maribel Castro 10 Dodge City

🤼‍♀️Hays lands six on WAC teams; Two on 1st team

WAC title(s) provide pathway to postseason success for Buffs

Hays’ unbeaten Zimmerman tabbed WAC Wrestler of the Year

When Carlos Prieto assumed the reins of the Garden City High School boys’ wrestling program in the 2012-2013 season, his first goal was to get the Buffs back on the road to success at the state tournament.

The program had not experienced a state championship since 1999, and only a smattering of wrestlers captured individual state titles during that time frame. Success in the WAC had also been sparse with one outright and one shared team title in the previous seven seasons.

The path to that success would eventually lead to success in the Western Athletic Conference’s round-robin dual matches that determine the conference champion each year.

Having just completed his 12th season at the Buffaloes’ helm, Prieto watched his boys capture their eighth conference title with a 4-0 record.&nbsp;

The dual match wins came against Liberal (65-12), Great Bend (37-33), Hays (50-26) and rival Dodge City (56-12). The Great Bend match came down to the final two bouts at 215 and 285 pounds. The Buffs, who been short-handed due to injury and illness, trailed 33-28.

Junior David Holguin secured a 3-point decision at 215 pounds and senior Sebastian Lopez clinched the Buffs’ dramatic victory with a pin at 285 pounds.

“Great Bend had a really good team with a lot of depth,” Prieto said of the Panthers. “The big thing during the dual season is to be healthy. You need everyone to wrestle to give yourself the best chance to win. For the most part, we were healthy for most of the duals.”

Prieto, who has guided the Buffs to four Class 6A state team championships and six other top five finishes, says he always points to his team peaking at the regionals and state, so while the WAC is important, it is not the end-all.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a high-water mark, but it is a goal that just comes naturally with the schedule,” Prieto said. “Don’t get me wrong, We’re happy to win WAC. But I think we always get a better sense of how our teams will do at state when we are competing in the bigger tournaments.”

For only the second time in his dozen years, the Buffs came home from the state tournament without an individual champion. And yet, the Buffs had two runners-up, both juniors (Braydon Pacheco and Matt Long), and a third-place finish at 285 pounds in Lopez.

“In the dual matches, you have to get your hammers in there to get pins for extra points,” Prieto said. “We were fortunate this year to have them in the early weights and then at the heavier weights. We bookended many of our duals that way.”

Prieto also recognizes the historic quality of the WAC through the years, with many schools having a number of individual state champions.

“You look back and you recognize that the league is really strong,” Prieto said. “Of the matches (duals) we had this year, the Great Bend one is the one that stands out. The crowd added to the excitement of the night.”

HARLEY ZIMMERMAN, HAYS, SR.2024 WAC BOYS’ WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Weight: 144; Record: 42-0/Class 5A State ChampionCareer Record: Won 138, Lost 15

His high school career is now completed; it is easy to see the year-by-year progression of Harley Zimmerman’s improvement as a wrestler.

He just finished his senior season with a dream campaign that was capped off with a Class 5A state title and finishing with an unblemished 42-0 record in the 144-pound weight class.

His last time on the mat as a high schooler, though, was one that was filled with drama. He battled Kaden Allen of St. Thomas Aquinas through three periods before going into sudden victory overtime and recorded a takedown at 0:42 to capture the crown with a 5-3 decision.&nbsp;

Zimmerman had won his first state title in his junior season with a 35-2 mark after a runner-up finish at 132 pounds in 2022 as a sophomore, where he went 41-3. His freshman year at 126 pounds saw him place fourth and finish a 20-7 season.&nbsp;

“I think the reward comes from working hard in the practice room,” Zimmerman, who was chosen by the WAC’s coaches as the Boys’ Wrestler of the Year, said in a recent interview. “You strive to reach your goals, but you’ve got to put in the hard work or it doesn’t happen.”

Zimmerman and Allen had faced each other earlier in the season, with Zimmerman winning that match, so he went into the championship match confident that he could do it again.

“You just make a plan and go with it,” Zimmerman said. “I’d beaten him once and one of my buddies said&nbsp; I could do it again. You just have to have that positive mindset that you can do it.”

In the concluding match, Zimmerman broke a 0-0 score after one period by taking the down position for period number two. He recorded and escape and then a takedown to go up 3-0 heading to the third period.

With Allen selecting the same bottom position, Zimmerman was unable to keep him down and Allen got a 1-point escape. Then, for what Zimmerman said he believed was the first time he could remember, he was taken down from the neutral standing position.

“It was a little bit of a surprise,” Zimmerman said. “He’s a really good wrestler (Allen is committed to the Navy). But I also knew going into overtime that all I had to do was to wait for the right moment to make my move. His shot into Allen came quickly and just like that he won his second state title and concluded a stellar prep career.”

What awaits him in his future is still uncertain, Zimmerman says. He’s a top-notch bull rider in the rodeo ranks, and is hoping that whereever he lands, he can do both sports.

“I’ve gotten some offers, but just haven’t made up my mind,” said Zimmernan, who helps on the family farm where they have cows and grow wheat and milo. “I’ll probably study ag business of some type and come back to the farm and help the family.”

Zimmerman said he has always thought bull-riding was easier than wrestling, but both use some similar physical skills of strength and leverage. Which is safer? Zimmerman said he always thinks the bulls are more fun!

“Wrestling practice is 10 times harder than practice on the bulls,” Zimmerman said. “But I”m just hoping to find the right school that will let me do both.”

Zimmerman said he has been told by others that some of his strong attributes on the mat are his speed and quickness and ability to get a fast takedown.

“I think one of my best moves is when I’m on the bottom and can make a quick switch,” Zimmerman said. “It has taken quite a long time to refine the move, but it’s been one of my go-to moves.”

106 Braydon Pacheco 11 Garden City 113 Elijah McCullough 12 Hays 120 Matt Long 11 Garden City 126 Raymond Hernandez 12 Dodge City 132 Kaiden Hoffman 12 Great Bend 138 Hayden Kelly 10 Great Bend 144 *Harley Zimmerman 12 Hays 150 Cooper Liles 12 Great Bend 157 Jace Schartz 11 Great Bend 165 Alan Flores 11 Dodge City 175 Jonathan Rigler 10 Hays 190 Trenton Kern 10 Great Bend 215 David Holguin 11 Garden City 285 Sebastian Lopez 12 Garden City

106 Julian Orrantia 11 Liberal 113 Pace Plankenhorn 12 Garden City 120 Tristan Tomlinson 10 Great Bend 126 Zachary Long 10 Garden City 132 Dylan Wainscott 12 Dodge City 138 Ramses Ruiz 11 Dodge City 144 Logan Avalon 11 Garden City 150 Saben Herrera 11 Garden City 157 Corbin Luck 12 Hays 165 Ethan Allen 12 Garden City 175 Jayden Amaro 11 Dodge City 190 Ayden Juarez 11 Liberal 215 Matthew Johnson 12 Great Bend 285 Will Linenberger 12 Hays

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709929431713.jpeg" alt="HHS 2024-Boys-Wrestling-POY.jpg" />
 <figcaption>HHS 2024-Boys-Wrestling-POY.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRETT MARSHALL Western Athletic Conference<h2>WAC title(s) provide pathway to postseason success for Buffs</h2><h2>Hays’ unbeaten Zimmerman tabbed WAC Wrestler of the Year</h2>When Carlos Prieto assumed the reins of the Garden City High School boys’ wrestling program in the 2012-2013 season, his first goal was to get the Buffs back on the road to success at the state tournament.The program had not experienced a state championship since 1999, and only a smattering of wrestlers captured individual state titles during that time frame. Success in the WAC had also been sparse with one outright and one shared team title in the previous seven seasons.The path to that success would eventually lead to success in the Western Athletic Conference’s round-robin dual matches that determine the conference champion each year.Having just completed his 12th season at the Buffaloes’ helm, Prieto watched his boys capture their eighth conference title with a 4-0 record.&nbsp;The dual match wins came against Liberal (65-12), Great Bend (37-33), Hays (50-26) and rival Dodge City (56-12). The Great Bend match came down to the final two bouts at 215 and 285 pounds. The Buffs, who been short-handed due to injury and illness, trailed 33-28.Junior David Holguin secured a 3-point decision at 215 pounds and senior Sebastian Lopez clinched the Buffs’ dramatic victory with a pin at 285 pounds.“Great Bend had a really good team with a lot of depth,” Prieto said of the Panthers. “The big thing during the dual season is to be healthy. You need everyone to wrestle to give yourself the best chance to win. For the most part, we were healthy for most of the duals.”Prieto, who has guided the Buffs to four Class 6A state team championships and six other top five finishes, says he always points to his team peaking at the regionals and state, so while the WAC is important, it is not the end-all.“I wouldn’t say it’s a high-water mark, but it is a goal that just comes naturally with the schedule,” Prieto said. “Don’t get me wrong, We’re happy to win WAC. But I think we always get a better sense of how our teams will do at state when we are competing in the bigger tournaments.”For only the second time in his dozen years, the Buffs came home from the state tournament without an individual champion. And yet, the Buffs had two runners-up, both juniors (Braydon Pacheco and Matt Long), and a third-place finish at 285 pounds in Lopez.“In the dual matches, you have to get your hammers in there to get pins for extra points,” Prieto said. “We were fortunate this year to have them in the early weights and then at the heavier weights. We bookended many of our duals that way.”Prieto also recognizes the historic quality of the WAC through the years, with many schools having a number of individual state champions.“You look back and you recognize that the league is really strong,” Prieto said. “Of the matches (duals) we had this year, the Great Bend one is the one that stands out. The crowd added to the excitement of the night.”HARLEY ZIMMERMAN, HAYS, SR.2024 WAC BOYS’ WRESTLER OF THE YEARWeight: 144; Record: 42-0/Class 5A State ChampionCareer Record: Won 138, Lost 15His high school career is now completed; it is easy to see the year-by-year progression of Harley Zimmerman’s improvement as a wrestler.He just finished his senior season with a dream campaign that was capped off with a Class 5A state title and finishing with an unblemished 42-0 record in the 144-pound weight class.His last time on the mat as a high schooler, though, was one that was filled with drama. He battled Kaden Allen of St. Thomas Aquinas through three periods before going into sudden victory overtime and recorded a takedown at 0:42 to capture the crown with a 5-3 decision.&nbsp;Zimmerman had won his first state title in his junior season with a 35-2 mark after a runner-up finish at 132 pounds in 2022 as a sophomore, where he went 41-3. His freshman year at 126 pounds saw him place fourth and finish a 20-7 season.&nbsp;“I think the reward comes from working hard in the practice room,” Zimmerman, who was chosen by the WAC’s coaches as the Boys’ Wrestler of the Year, said in a recent interview. “You strive to reach your goals, but you’ve got to put in the hard work or it doesn’t happen.”Zimmerman and Allen had faced each other earlier in the season, with Zimmerman winning that match, so he went into the championship match confident that he could do it again.“You just make a plan and go with it,” Zimmerman said. “I’d beaten him once and one of my buddies said&nbsp; I could do it again. You just have to have that positive mindset that you can do it.”In the concluding match, Zimmerman broke a 0-0 score after one period by taking the down position for period number two. He recorded and escape and then a takedown to go up 3-0 heading to the third period.With Allen selecting the same bottom position, Zimmerman was unable to keep him down and Allen got a 1-point escape. Then, for what Zimmerman said he believed was the first time he could remember, he was taken down from the neutral standing position.“It was a little bit of a surprise,” Zimmerman said. “He’s a really good wrestler (Allen is committed to the Navy). But I also knew going into overtime that all I had to do was to wait for the right moment to make my move. His shot into Allen came quickly and just like that he won his second state title and concluded a stellar prep career.”What awaits him in his future is still uncertain, Zimmerman says. He’s a top-notch bull rider in the rodeo ranks, and is hoping that whereever he lands, he can do both sports.“I’ve gotten some offers, but just haven’t made up my mind,” said Zimmernan, who helps on the family farm where they have cows and grow wheat and milo. “I’ll probably study ag business of some type and come back to the farm and help the family.”Zimmerman said he has always thought bull-riding was easier than wrestling, but both use some similar physical skills of strength and leverage. Which is safer? Zimmerman said he always thinks the bulls are more fun!“Wrestling practice is 10 times harder than practice on the bulls,” Zimmerman said. “But I”m just hoping to find the right school that will let me do both.”Zimmerman said he has been told by others that some of his strong attributes on the mat are his speed and quickness and ability to get a fast takedown.“I think one of my best moves is when I’m on the bottom and can make a quick switch,” Zimmerman said. “It has taken quite a long time to refine the move, but it’s been one of my go-to moves.”<h2>First Team All-Conference Selections</h2>106 Braydon Pacheco 11 Garden City 113 Elijah McCullough 12 Hays 120 Matt Long 11 Garden City 126 Raymond Hernandez 12 Dodge City 132 Kaiden Hoffman 12 Great Bend 138 Hayden Kelly 10 Great Bend 144 *Harley Zimmerman 12 Hays 150 Cooper Liles 12 Great Bend 157 Jace Schartz 11 Great Bend 165 Alan Flores 11 Dodge City 175 Jonathan Rigler 10 Hays 190 Trenton Kern 10 Great Bend 215 David Holguin 11 Garden City 285 Sebastian Lopez 12 Garden City<h2>Second Team All-Conference Selections</h2>106 Julian Orrantia 11 Liberal 113 Pace Plankenhorn 12 Garden City 120 Tristan Tomlinson 10 Great Bend 126 Zachary Long 10 Garden City 132 Dylan Wainscott 12 Dodge City 138 Ramses Ruiz 11 Dodge City 144 Logan Avalon 11 Garden City 150 Saben Herrera 11 Garden City 157 Corbin Luck 12 Hays 165 Ethan Allen 12 Garden City 175 Jayden Amaro 11 Dodge City 190 Ayden Juarez 11 Liberal 215 Matthew Johnson 12 Great Bend 285 Will Linenberger 12 Hays

🤼‍♂️Hays High's Zimmerman top WAC wrestler

By BRETT MARSHALL Western Athletic Conference

Hays boys get a slam dunk on WAC team title, honors

Indians’ Weimer plays big role in Hays title run

When Sean Dreiling assumed the head coaching reins of the Hays High boys’ basketball program for the 2021-2022 season, he already knew the school had a rich tradition in the sport.

He also knew from having transformed nearby Trego Community High School in WaKeeney that it was possible to enjoy the same success at the Class 5A school.

Perhaps to nobody’s surprise, then, in his two years on the bench with the Indians, he has guided the team to seasons of 13-9 and 13-8, including one Western Athletic Conference championship and a runner-up finish.

This time, Dreiling saw his team compile a 7-1 WAC record, splitting games with 5A state-bound Great Bend to win the league crown by one game, as Great Bend suffered its second loss to third-place Garden City early in the conference campaign.

“I think one of the reasons for our success is that we’ve been able to have the boys buy into our philosophy and to do what’s best for the team and put aside individual accomplishments,” said Dreiling, who was voted Coach of the Year by his peers. “We were fortunate with this year’s team to have a lot of different players who could score. We had outside and inside scoring so some nights we are a difficult match-up.”

The main cog in the Hays system was 5-10 senior Jack Weimer, voted the WAC Player of the Year (see story below), but also key contributors from senior Edwin Muller and Kyzer Fox. In the middle, though, was 6-6 sophomore Dawson Ruder, who became a force for Dreiling in his second season of varsity competition.

“If we needed the outside shooting, we had players to handle that,” Dreiling said. “If we needed the inside scoring, we had Dawson. It was just a matter of knowing how best to manage the game depending on what the opponents’ defense was doing.”

Dreiling said it has been the day-to-day work ethic of his players that has contributed to the program’s success.

“There are many games where we are not the most talented team on the floor,” Dreiling said. “So we know we have to be the hardest working team. They came ready to play, they came ready to work at practice and were able to focus on the job at hand. I think we were able to stick to the process and not worry about a big picture of goals in mind.”

Hays’ non-conference schedule was also one of the toughest in Class 5A, thus preparing the Indians for the double round-robin format that the WAC employs to determine conference champions.

“Every part of the season is a grind,” Dreiling said. “In December we were just trying to win some games in the (Hays City) Shootout, and then get three wins before Christmas.”

The Indians then competed in the Colby Orange &amp; Black tournament in mid-January and again faced some tough opposition.

“I’d say that in most cases we were a team that was good enough to win, but also a team that wasn’t so good that we couldn’t get beat,” Dreiling said. “

When Dreiling arrived at Hays, the Indians had come off two outstanding seasons with one state tournament appearance. The cupboard wasn’t exactly bare, but he had a&nbsp; young team for his inaugural season of 2022-23.

“Everything is new when you change coaches and systems,” Dreiling said. “These kids have put in the time and effort and I’m fortunate to also have a great staff of experienced coaches. We have talented kids and a very good culture and with the experience of the staff, we get a lot accomplished.”

While he loses three starters to graduation, Dreiling is still excited about the young prospects he will welcome back next season.

“It’s a good place to be with the younger players coming up,” Dreiling said.

WAC BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEARJACK WEIMER, HAYS/5-10, SR./GUARD

When Jack Weimer learned from his Hays High coach Sean Dreiling that he had been selected as the 2024 WAC Player of the Year for boys’ basketball, he was excited.

“It feels good to be named player of the year,” Weimer said in a telephone interview. “But the more important thing for me was winning the WAC as a team. Coach (Dreiling) really wanted us to come into the season and each game with the mindset of us being a (Wolf) pack.”

Weimer had been primarily a shooting guard during his sophomore and junior seasons, but Dreiling convinced him to become the point guard, the floor general, for this year’s Indians’ squad.

“Before the role change, coach said there would be times I’d still need to score, but I needed to play more like a point guard and get the offense started and get everyone involved. I think it just helped create a sense of everybody buying in to what was best for the team.”

Weimer’s senior season saw him average 12.7 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists while also taking on guarding some of the other team’s top perimeter players despite his 5-10 size.

“I think the biggest area of improvement for me this year was my passing and being a leader on the team” Weimer said. “The main thing is to get the guys involved and to get the best shot in the offense. I think my defense got better, but it was really bad before. I just tried to become a better rebounder and help where we needed it the most.”

One of the critical games and moments of the entire WAC season came the second week of January when Hays visited defending champion Garden City, which had knocked off preseason favorite Great Bend the week before in the WAC opener.

With the game tied in Garden City’s home gym, Weimer took the ball down the left side of the lane, went up for a baseline jumper and swished the game-winner with 0:02 on the clock, just before the final buzzer sounded.

“It was probably without a doubt one of the highlights of the seasons,” Weimer said. “At the timeout we took, I knew I was going to take the shot. It was a difficult shot and I just barely saw it go in. Then I got mobbed by my teammates.”

Weimer said transitioning to the floor general took a little adjustment early in the season.

“All games are different, so I knew the shots I would be taking had to be good ones,” Weimer said. “I had to feed the others and get them shots. There were some guys where I knew I was going to need to score, and I thought coach Dreiling did a good job of preparing us for those.”

Weimer hopes to continue his playing career at the next level and plans visits to several NAIA schools over the next month to evaluate his options.

“We’ll see how it goes, but I definitely hope to have the opportunity to play,” Weimer said.

His plans are to pursue a degree in sports medicine or business with an eye on setting up his own company in the future.

1 Jack Weimer 12 Hays 2 Ian Premer 10 Great Bend 3 Emilio Zundt 12 Garden City 4 Tochi Okoro 12 Dodge City 5 Dawson Ruder 10 Hays

1 J. Brooks Kappelmann 12 Liberal 2 Maddox Spray 12 Great Bend 3 Jacob Hall 10 Great Bend 4 Kyzer Fox 12 Hays 5 Brody Burns 12 Garden City

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709928786746.jpeg" alt="HHS 2024-Boys-Basketball.jpg" />
 <figcaption>HHS 2024-Boys-Basketball.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRETT MARSHALL Western Athletic Conference<h2>Hays boys get a slam dunk on WAC team title, honors</h2><h2>Indians’ Weimer plays big role in Hays title run</h2>When Sean Dreiling assumed the head coaching reins of the Hays High boys’ basketball program for the 2021-2022 season, he already knew the school had a rich tradition in the sport.He also knew from having transformed nearby Trego Community High School in WaKeeney that it was possible to enjoy the same success at the Class 5A school.Perhaps to nobody’s surprise, then, in his two years on the bench with the Indians, he has guided the team to seasons of 13-9 and 13-8, including one Western Athletic Conference championship and a runner-up finish.This time, Dreiling saw his team compile a 7-1 WAC record, splitting games with 5A state-bound Great Bend to win the league crown by one game, as Great Bend suffered its second loss to third-place Garden City early in the conference campaign.“I think one of the reasons for our success is that we’ve been able to have the boys buy into our philosophy and to do what’s best for the team and put aside individual accomplishments,” said Dreiling, who was voted Coach of the Year by his peers. “We were fortunate with this year’s team to have a lot of different players who could score. We had outside and inside scoring so some nights we are a difficult match-up.”The main cog in the Hays system was 5-10 senior Jack Weimer, voted the WAC Player of the Year (see story below), but also key contributors from senior Edwin Muller and Kyzer Fox. In the middle, though, was 6-6 sophomore Dawson Ruder, who became a force for Dreiling in his second season of varsity competition.“If we needed the outside shooting, we had players to handle that,” Dreiling said. “If we needed the inside scoring, we had Dawson. It was just a matter of knowing how best to manage the game depending on what the opponents’ defense was doing.”Dreiling said it has been the day-to-day work ethic of his players that has contributed to the program’s success.“There are many games where we are not the most talented team on the floor,” Dreiling said. “So we know we have to be the hardest working team. They came ready to play, they came ready to work at practice and were able to focus on the job at hand. I think we were able to stick to the process and not worry about a big picture of goals in mind.”Hays’ non-conference schedule was also one of the toughest in Class 5A, thus preparing the Indians for the double round-robin format that the WAC employs to determine conference champions.“Every part of the season is a grind,” Dreiling said. “In December we were just trying to win some games in the (Hays City) Shootout, and then get three wins before Christmas.”The Indians then competed in the Colby Orange &amp; Black tournament in mid-January and again faced some tough opposition.“I’d say that in most cases we were a team that was good enough to win, but also a team that wasn’t so good that we couldn’t get beat,” Dreiling said. “When Dreiling arrived at Hays, the Indians had come off two outstanding seasons with one state tournament appearance. The cupboard wasn’t exactly bare, but he had a&nbsp; young team for his inaugural season of 2022-23.“Everything is new when you change coaches and systems,” Dreiling said. “These kids have put in the time and effort and I’m fortunate to also have a great staff of experienced coaches. We have talented kids and a very good culture and with the experience of the staff, we get a lot accomplished.”While he loses three starters to graduation, Dreiling is still excited about the young prospects he will welcome back next season.“It’s a good place to be with the younger players coming up,” Dreiling said.WAC BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEARJACK WEIMER, HAYS/5-10, SR./GUARDWhen Jack Weimer learned from his Hays High coach Sean Dreiling that he had been selected as the 2024 WAC Player of the Year for boys’ basketball, he was excited.“It feels good to be named player of the year,” Weimer said in a telephone interview. “But the more important thing for me was winning the WAC as a team. Coach (Dreiling) really wanted us to come into the season and each game with the mindset of us being a (Wolf) pack.”Weimer had been primarily a shooting guard during his sophomore and junior seasons, but Dreiling convinced him to become the point guard, the floor general, for this year’s Indians’ squad.“Before the role change, coach said there would be times I’d still need to score, but I needed to play more like a point guard and get the offense started and get everyone involved. I think it just helped create a sense of everybody buying in to what was best for the team.”Weimer’s senior season saw him average 12.7 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists while also taking on guarding some of the other team’s top perimeter players despite his 5-10 size.“I think the biggest area of improvement for me this year was my passing and being a leader on the team” Weimer said. “The main thing is to get the guys involved and to get the best shot in the offense. I think my defense got better, but it was really bad before. I just tried to become a better rebounder and help where we needed it the most.”One of the critical games and moments of the entire WAC season came the second week of January when Hays visited defending champion Garden City, which had knocked off preseason favorite Great Bend the week before in the WAC opener.With the game tied in Garden City’s home gym, Weimer took the ball down the left side of the lane, went up for a baseline jumper and swished the game-winner with 0:02 on the clock, just before the final buzzer sounded.“It was probably without a doubt one of the highlights of the seasons,” Weimer said. “At the timeout we took, I knew I was going to take the shot. It was a difficult shot and I just barely saw it go in. Then I got mobbed by my teammates.”Weimer said transitioning to the floor general took a little adjustment early in the season.“All games are different, so I knew the shots I would be taking had to be good ones,” Weimer said. “I had to feed the others and get them shots. There were some guys where I knew I was going to need to score, and I thought coach Dreiling did a good job of preparing us for those.”Weimer hopes to continue his playing career at the next level and plans visits to several NAIA schools over the next month to evaluate his options.“We’ll see how it goes, but I definitely hope to have the opportunity to play,” Weimer said.His plans are to pursue a degree in sports medicine or business with an eye on setting up his own company in the future.<h2>First Team All-Conference Selections</h2>1 Jack Weimer 12 Hays 2 Ian Premer 10 Great Bend 3 Emilio Zundt 12 Garden City 4 Tochi Okoro 12 Dodge City 5 Dawson Ruder 10 Hays Coach of the Year: Sean Dreiling, Hays<h2>Second Team All-Conference Selections</h2>1 J. Brooks Kappelmann 12 Liberal 2 Maddox Spray 12 Great Bend 3 Jacob Hall 10 Great Bend 4 Kyzer Fox 12 Hays 5 Brody Burns 12 Garden City

🏀Hays High claims top awards from WAC

Friday, March 8
 KJLS: Fort Hays State women vs. Central Missouri, 1:50pm KHAZ: Northern Valley girls vs. Hanover, 3:45pm KKQY: Quinter boys vs. Seabury Academy,&nbsp; 7:45pm

Saturday, March 9 KKQY: Quinter boys (if lose 3/8) vs. South Gray/Olpe, 11:45am KAYS: Kansas basketball at Houston, 1:30pm KHAZ: Northern Valley girls (if lose 3/8) vs. Lebo/Wallace Co., 1:45pm KJLS: Fort Hays State women (if win 3/8) vs. NW Missouri State, 1:50pm KKQY: Quinter boys (if win 3/8) vs. South Gray/Olpe, 3:45pm KHAZ: Northern Valley girls (if win 3/8) vs. Lebo/Wallace Co., 6:00pm KJLS: Fort Hays State men vs. Pittsburg State/Central Oklahoma, 7:45pm&nbsp;

Sunday, 3/10
 KJLS: Fort Hays State women at MIAA Finals, 12:35pm KJLS: Fort Hays State men at MIAA Finals, 3:00pm

Friday, March 8
 KJLS: Fort Hays State women vs. Central Missouri, 1:50pm KHAZ: Northern Valley girls vs. Hanover, 3:45pm KKQY: Quinter boys vs. Seabury Academy,&nbsp; 7:45pm Saturday, March 9 KKQY: Quinter boys (if lose 3/8) vs. South Gray/Olpe, 11:45am KAYS: Kansas basketball at Houston, 1:30pm KHAZ: Northern Valley girls (if lose 3/8) vs. Lebo/Wallace Co., 1:45pm KJLS: Fort Hays State women (if win 3/8) vs. NW Missouri State, 1:50pm KKQY: Quinter boys (if win 3/8) vs. South Gray/Olpe, 3:45pm KHAZ: Northern Valley girls (if win 3/8) vs. Lebo/Wallace Co., 6:00pm KJLS: Fort Hays State men vs. Pittsburg State/Central Oklahoma, 7:45pm&nbsp;Sunday, 3/10
 KJLS: Fort Hays State women at MIAA Finals, 12:35pm KJLS: Fort Hays State men at MIAA Finals, 3:00pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

Fort Hays State (22-6) vs. Central Missouri (21-7) Friday, March 8, 2024 • 2:15 p.m. Kansas City, Mo. • Municipal Auditorium

Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

The Fort Hays State women's basketball team opens postseason play Friday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 MIAA Women's Basketball Championship, presented by Southern Bank. The third-seeded Tigers will face off with No. 6 seed Central Missouri beginning at 2:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo.

The Tigers (22-6) finished the regular season tied for second place in the MIAA standings, but will play in the league tournament as the No. 3 seed after Northwest Missouri State came out on top in the tiebreaking procedures. FHSU finished one game in front of Central Missouri (21-7) in the conference standings, winning 16 league games compared to 15 from the Jennies.

Fort Hays State has made it a tradition of playing into the weekend during the MIAA Championship, with the Tigers reaching the semifinals in each of the last six seasons and 10 of the last 11 years. FHSU's active streak of six-straight semifinals is the longest active streak in the league, while the Tigers' 10 trips to semifinal Saturday over the last 11 years are three more than any other program during that span.

This is Fort Hays State's 15th trip to the MIAA Championship since joining the conference 18 years ago in 2006-07. The Tigers are 20-12 all-time in the tournament, including a 10-4 record in the quarterfinals, a 3-2 record as the No. 3 seed, a 2-0 record against the No. 6 seed, a 15-11 record inside Municipal Auditorium and a 2-5 record against Central Missouri.

The Tigers and Jennies seem to play in the postseason almost every season, with Friday's game serving as the 10th postseason meeting between the teams since 2012. Central Missouri has controlled the series in the postseason, winning seven of those nine meetings, including five of the seven in the MIAA Championship and both NCAA DII Central Regional matchups.

Central Missouri needed overtime to defeat the Tigers in last year's MIAA semifinals, 66-64, after&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jessie-sallach/7529">Jessie Sallach</a>&nbsp;buried a 3-pointer at the end of regulation.

FHSU reached 20 wins for a 13th-consecutive season this year, extending the longest active streak in DII to 13 (since 2011-12). It's tied for the seventh-longest across all NCAA Divisions. The next-best streak in DII is Drury (11), while the next-best streak in the MIAA is Nebraska-Kearney (four).

The Tigers wrapped up the regular season with back-to-back games that were decided in overtime, playing extra periods in consecutive games for the first time since 2011.Fort Hays State is ranked third in the latest NCAA DII Central Region rankings, released Wednesday. Five other MIAA programs are in the top 10. The Tigers have six wins against regionally ranked teams, while all six of FHSU's losses also came against regionally ranked opponents.

Katie Wagner&nbsp;was voted MIAA Player of the Year in 2023-24, becoming the third Tiger to earn the conference's top honor (Kate Lehman 2014-15, Tatyana Legette 2018-19). She was also named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team in addition to earning first team honors for a second year in a row. Wagner is the 11th first team All-MIAA selection for FHSU since joining the league in 2006-07. She is the third to do so multiple times (Lehman 2013-14-15, Jaden Hobbs 2021-22). She is the 10th Tiger to earn a spot on the MIAA All-Defensive Team and the first since Cydney Bergmann three years ago.

The Maize, Kan. native is the only player in the conference to rank in the top five in the league in three primary statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks), ranking third in the MIAA in scoring (16.9 ppg), fifth in rebounding (8.3 rpg) and second in steals (2.3 spg). She was one of two players in the MIAA to score at least 30 points multiple times this season.

Olivia Hollenbeck earned third team All-MIAA honors for a second time this year. She was also a third-team all-conference pick last season after earning honorable mention accolades each of her first two seasons. She is just the fourth player in program history to earn all-conference honors in four-straight seasons (Annette Wiles, Shauna Porter, Kate Lehman).

Hollenbeck ranked second on the team in the regular season with 12.3 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 1.3 steals per game while leading the squad with 1.4 blocks per contest, fifth-most in the MIAA. She led the team in field-goal percentage, knocking down 52.4 percent from the floor on the year (130-248). Hollenbeck scored a career-best 30 points in a win over Newman in February, one of just five 30-point performances in an MIAA contest this season.

Wagner has scored in double figures in each of the last three games against Central Missouri, averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in nine career matchups. She's scored in double figures eight times, including two double-doubles. Brooke Loewe&nbsp;scored a career-high 17 points against UCM earlier this season in Hays.

Central Missouri leads the all-time series, 24-17. The Jennies are 7-2 against FHSU in games played at a neutral site. Central Missouri has won each of the last five games dating back to New Year's Eve 2022, tied for the longest winning streak for either team in series history (FHSU won five straight between 2014-17).Central Missouri is the No. 6 seed after finishing 21-7 overall and 15-7 in conference play, good for a tie for fifth with Pittsburg State. The Jennies had a pair of All-MIAA honorees, with Brooke Littrell garnering first team status for the third year in a row and Olivia Nelson earning second team accolades. Central Missouri ranks third in the league in scoring offense, putting up 74.9 points per game. Littrell leads the league in scoring, averaging 20.0 points per game, while ranking fourth by averaging 8.3 rebounds per game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709875716529.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsFort Hays State (22-6) vs. Central Missouri (21-7) Friday, March 8, 2024 • 2:15 p.m. Kansas City, Mo. • Municipal AuditoriumRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>The Fort Hays State women's basketball team opens postseason play Friday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 MIAA Women's Basketball Championship, presented by Southern Bank. The third-seeded Tigers will face off with No. 6 seed Central Missouri beginning at 2:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo.The Tigers (22-6) finished the regular season tied for second place in the MIAA standings, but will play in the league tournament as the No. 3 seed after Northwest Missouri State came out on top in the tiebreaking procedures. FHSU finished one game in front of Central Missouri (21-7) in the conference standings, winning 16 league games compared to 15 from the Jennies.Fort Hays State has made it a tradition of playing into the weekend during the MIAA Championship, with the Tigers reaching the semifinals in each of the last six seasons and 10 of the last 11 years. FHSU's active streak of six-straight semifinals is the longest active streak in the league, while the Tigers' 10 trips to semifinal Saturday over the last 11 years are three more than any other program during that span.This is Fort Hays State's 15th trip to the MIAA Championship since joining the conference 18 years ago in 2006-07. The Tigers are 20-12 all-time in the tournament, including a 10-4 record in the quarterfinals, a 3-2 record as the No. 3 seed, a 2-0 record against the No. 6 seed, a 15-11 record inside Municipal Auditorium and a 2-5 record against Central Missouri.The Tigers and Jennies seem to play in the postseason almost every season, with Friday's game serving as the 10th postseason meeting between the teams since 2012. Central Missouri has controlled the series in the postseason, winning seven of those nine meetings, including five of the seven in the MIAA Championship and both NCAA DII Central Regional matchups.Central Missouri needed overtime to defeat the Tigers in last year's MIAA semifinals, 66-64, after&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jessie-sallach/7529">Jessie Sallach</a>&nbsp;buried a 3-pointer at the end of regulation.FHSU reached 20 wins for a 13th-consecutive season this year, extending the longest active streak in DII to 13 (since 2011-12). It's tied for the seventh-longest across all NCAA Divisions. The next-best streak in DII is Drury (11), while the next-best streak in the MIAA is Nebraska-Kearney (four).The Tigers wrapped up the regular season with back-to-back games that were decided in overtime, playing extra periods in consecutive games for the first time since 2011.Fort Hays State is ranked third in the latest NCAA DII Central Region rankings, released Wednesday. Five other MIAA programs are in the top 10. The Tigers have six wins against regionally ranked teams, while all six of FHSU's losses also came against regionally ranked opponents.Katie Wagner&nbsp;was voted MIAA Player of the Year in 2023-24, becoming the third Tiger to earn the conference's top honor (Kate Lehman 2014-15, Tatyana Legette 2018-19). She was also named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team in addition to earning first team honors for a second year in a row. Wagner is the 11th first team All-MIAA selection for FHSU since joining the league in 2006-07. She is the third to do so multiple times (Lehman 2013-14-15, Jaden Hobbs 2021-22). She is the 10th Tiger to earn a spot on the MIAA All-Defensive Team and the first since Cydney Bergmann three years ago.The Maize, Kan. native is the only player in the conference to rank in the top five in the league in three primary statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks), ranking third in the MIAA in scoring (16.9 ppg), fifth in rebounding (8.3 rpg) and second in steals (2.3 spg). She was one of two players in the MIAA to score at least 30 points multiple times this season.Olivia Hollenbeck earned third team All-MIAA honors for a second time this year. She was also a third-team all-conference pick last season after earning honorable mention accolades each of her first two seasons. She is just the fourth player in program history to earn all-conference honors in four-straight seasons (Annette Wiles, Shauna Porter, Kate Lehman).Hollenbeck ranked second on the team in the regular season with 12.3 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 1.3 steals per game while leading the squad with 1.4 blocks per contest, fifth-most in the MIAA. She led the team in field-goal percentage, knocking down 52.4 percent from the floor on the year (130-248). Hollenbeck scored a career-best 30 points in a win over Newman in February, one of just five 30-point performances in an MIAA contest this season.Wagner has scored in double figures in each of the last three games against Central Missouri, averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in nine career matchups. She's scored in double figures eight times, including two double-doubles. Brooke Loewe&nbsp;scored a career-high 17 points against UCM earlier this season in Hays.Central Missouri leads the all-time series, 24-17. The Jennies are 7-2 against FHSU in games played at a neutral site. Central Missouri has won each of the last five games dating back to New Year's Eve 2022, tied for the longest winning streak for either team in series history (FHSU won five straight between 2014-17).Central Missouri is the No. 6 seed after finishing 21-7 overall and 15-7 in conference play, good for a tie for fifth with Pittsburg State. The Jennies had a pair of All-MIAA honorees, with Brooke Littrell garnering first team status for the third year in a row and Olivia Nelson earning second team accolades. Central Missouri ranks third in the league in scoring offense, putting up 74.9 points per game. Littrell leads the league in scoring, averaging 20.0 points per game, while ranking fourth by averaging 8.3 rebounds per game.

🏀🎧 LISTEN - FHSU women face UCM in MIAA quarterfinals

By BRETT MARSHALL Western Athletic Conference

Great Bend’s Sadie Spray named WAC Player of Year

Four seasons ago, Len Melvin and his staff took the reins of the Hays High School girls’ basketball program and inherited a team that had gone 6-15 the year before (2020).

Melvin, though, was no newcomer to coaching and not new to Hays High, having coached several sports there in the early 2000’s before leaving the profession to help run a local family business.

But things changed for Melvin, who was asked to take the head coaching position, and now has the Lady Indians competing at a much higher level, capped off by a 2023-2024 Western Athletic Conference championship.

Not only did the Lady Indians win the WAC title, but they swept all eight games in the double round-robin format, topping tough teams from Great Bend and Liberal twice along with sweeps of Dodge City and Garden City.

“We’ve been fortunate to have some good strong classes stacked on top of each other, so we’ve got a good group of juniors, sophomores and freshmen,” said Melvin, who was chosen WAC Coach of the Year by his peers.&nbsp;

He is the first to credit his staff, which includes former coaches and college players.&nbsp;

“I’m blessed to have a staff that has the knowledge to help contribute to every aspect of our program,” Melvin said. “In this way, we can break our practices down and focus on different areas and all the staff know exactly what needs to be accomplished.”

The challenge for Melvin in the first couple of years was to impress upon his players that the “We” mindset is more important than the “Me” concept in playing a team sport.

“I think the challenge is sitting down and talking with each player and discuss what their role on the team will be and needs to be,” Melvin said. “Some will be scorers. Some will be rebounders. Some will be defensive specialists. You must get all the pieces to fit together to be successful.”

The starting point for Melvin was the emphasis on defense.

“Collectively, we knew that if we were going to turn the program around we had to start with defense,” Melvin said. “If you can be a good defensive team, it allows you to compete against teams that perhaps have more talent than you do. The goal is to have your talent catch up after a couple of years, and we’ve started to do that.”

The evolution began in the 2021-22 season when the Lady Indians went 13-9, then a small increase in the 2022-23 campaign to 14-8 and then the just recently-completed season of 16-6 and an appearance in the Class 5A sub-state championship game.

A road loss of 38-34 to Wichita-Bishop Carroll prevented the Indians from reaching the state tournament, but Melvin said the team is closing the gap with other elite teams.

“We had the third hardest schedule in 5A, according to MaxPreps,” Melvin said. “Our next step is to qualify for state so the girls can taste it, smell it, and then move up to where you know you can go to state and win games.”

The 2023-24 season was boosted early when the Lady Indians opened their WAC season on Dec. 22 with a game against nemesis Liberal, a team they had not beaten for several years. They won that test, 60-55, and that propelled them to repeating a win at Liberal (59-49) and then sweeping another rival, Great Bend, 44-37 and 42-36. Liberal and Great Bend shared second place with 5-3 records.

“There’s a lot of good players and there are some great coaches in the WAC,” Melvin said. “Our schedule gives us a chance to know what good teams look like, but we’ve got to get ourselves in position to host a sub-state championship game. It is important to get your playoff games at home.”

And the other four teams in the WAC should be on the lookout as the Indians only graduate one senior, Brygette Ross, and she saw limited playing time.

“She’s an unbelievable young lady and was a leader for our younger girls,” Melvin said of Ross. “We are fortunate to have a lot of returners for next year, and I would expect us to be in the hunt again for WAC and postseason honors.”

WAC GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEARSADIE SPRAY, GREAT BEND, SR./5-9 GUARD/FORWARD

For many, seven always seems like a magic or lucky number.

But for Sadie Spray and her Great Bend Lady Panther basketball teammates, seven was a number that they were stuck on and wanted to wash away that number in their final season of playing the sport together.

In a twist of irony, seven was also the number of seniors on this year’s Great Bend girls’ roster. For three straight seasons, the Lady Panthers could do no better than post a 7-win, 14-loss record.

Things finally broke in favor of Spray and her teammates this year, going 15-7 overall, tying for second place in the Western Athletic Conference with Liberal at 5-3 and reaching the Class 5A sub-state championship game before falling to a red-hot Emporia team, one game away from the state tournament.

Spray had been a mainstay for the Lady Panthers in each of her three previous seasons, and at times carried the team on her back with a 16.72 scoring average that earned her the votes from the WAC coaches to capture WAC Girls Player of the Year honors.

“That’s awesome and just ‘Wow’,” Spray said when informed of her award. “I think it’s kind of crazy because there are some really outstanding players in the WAC. I’m happy, but surprised.”

Spray is a 5-9 (in sneakers) combo guard who has signed to play with Washburn University next year. Washburn is an NCAA Division II school in Topeka that competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, one of the top conferences at that level. Other Kansas schools include Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State and Emporia State.

<figure>
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 </figure> By BRETT MARSHALL Western Athletic Conference<h2>Great Bend’s Sadie Spray named WAC Player of Year</h2>Four seasons ago, Len Melvin and his staff took the reins of the Hays High School girls’ basketball program and inherited a team that had gone 6-15 the year before (2020).Melvin, though, was no newcomer to coaching and not new to Hays High, having coached several sports there in the early 2000’s before leaving the profession to help run a local family business.But things changed for Melvin, who was asked to take the head coaching position, and now has the Lady Indians competing at a much higher level, capped off by a 2023-2024 Western Athletic Conference championship.Not only did the Lady Indians win the WAC title, but they swept all eight games in the double round-robin format, topping tough teams from Great Bend and Liberal twice along with sweeps of Dodge City and Garden City.“We’ve been fortunate to have some good strong classes stacked on top of each other, so we’ve got a good group of juniors, sophomores and freshmen,” said Melvin, who was chosen WAC Coach of the Year by his peers.&nbsp;He is the first to credit his staff, which includes former coaches and college players.&nbsp;“I’m blessed to have a staff that has the knowledge to help contribute to every aspect of our program,” Melvin said. “In this way, we can break our practices down and focus on different areas and all the staff know exactly what needs to be accomplished.”The challenge for Melvin in the first couple of years was to impress upon his players that the “We” mindset is more important than the “Me” concept in playing a team sport.“I think the challenge is sitting down and talking with each player and discuss what their role on the team will be and needs to be,” Melvin said. “Some will be scorers. Some will be rebounders. Some will be defensive specialists. You must get all the pieces to fit together to be successful.”The starting point for Melvin was the emphasis on defense.“Collectively, we knew that if we were going to turn the program around we had to start with defense,” Melvin said. “If you can be a good defensive team, it allows you to compete against teams that perhaps have more talent than you do. The goal is to have your talent catch up after a couple of years, and we’ve started to do that.”The evolution began in the 2021-22 season when the Lady Indians went 13-9, then a small increase in the 2022-23 campaign to 14-8 and then the just recently-completed season of 16-6 and an appearance in the Class 5A sub-state championship game.A road loss of 38-34 to Wichita-Bishop Carroll prevented the Indians from reaching the state tournament, but Melvin said the team is closing the gap with other elite teams.“We had the third hardest schedule in 5A, according to MaxPreps,” Melvin said. “Our next step is to qualify for state so the girls can taste it, smell it, and then move up to where you know you can go to state and win games.”The 2023-24 season was boosted early when the Lady Indians opened their WAC season on Dec. 22 with a game against nemesis Liberal, a team they had not beaten for several years. They won that test, 60-55, and that propelled them to repeating a win at Liberal (59-49) and then sweeping another rival, Great Bend, 44-37 and 42-36. Liberal and Great Bend shared second place with 5-3 records.“There’s a lot of good players and there are some great coaches in the WAC,” Melvin said. “Our schedule gives us a chance to know what good teams look like, but we’ve got to get ourselves in position to host a sub-state championship game. It is important to get your playoff games at home.”And the other four teams in the WAC should be on the lookout as the Indians only graduate one senior, Brygette Ross, and she saw limited playing time.“She’s an unbelievable young lady and was a leader for our younger girls,” Melvin said of Ross. “We are fortunate to have a lot of returners for next year, and I would expect us to be in the hunt again for WAC and postseason honors.”WAC GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEARSADIE SPRAY, GREAT BEND, SR./5-9 GUARD/FORWARDFor many, seven always seems like a magic or lucky number.But for Sadie Spray and her Great Bend Lady Panther basketball teammates, seven was a number that they were stuck on and wanted to wash away that number in their final season of playing the sport together.In a twist of irony, seven was also the number of seniors on this year’s Great Bend girls’ roster. For three straight seasons, the Lady Panthers could do no better than post a 7-win, 14-loss record.Things finally broke in favor of Spray and her teammates this year, going 15-7 overall, tying for second place in the Western Athletic Conference with Liberal at 5-3 and reaching the Class 5A sub-state championship game before falling to a red-hot Emporia team, one game away from the state tournament.Spray had been a mainstay for the Lady Panthers in each of her three previous seasons, and at times carried the team on her back with a 16.72 scoring average that earned her the votes from the WAC coaches to capture WAC Girls Player of the Year honors.“That’s awesome and just ‘Wow’,” Spray said when informed of her award. “I think it’s kind of crazy because there are some really outstanding players in the WAC. I’m happy, but surprised.”Spray is a 5-9 (in sneakers) combo guard who has signed to play with Washburn University next year. Washburn is an NCAA Division II school in Topeka that competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, one of the top conferences at that level. Other Kansas schools include Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State and Emporia State.“Our main goal was to just get more than seven wins so getting twice that many has been an exciting time for our team,” Spray said. “We had the exact same team, and I think we just grew as individuals and we had a mentality of a family feeling that helped to get us over the hump. It meant a lot to all of us when we got the 8th win (against Dodge City).”Spray is the first to credit her teammates and coaches for any individual success she has accomplished and said she will miss her teammates with whom she has played since elementary school.She said she improved in almost every area of her offensive/defensive skills since her freshman season when she averaged a modest 7.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and barely over 1 assist and steal per game. Her senior stats included 4.0 rebounds, 2.13 assists and 3.2 steals per game.For her career, Spray went over the 1,000-point total, finishing with 1,090 (13.13 average) and totaled 357 rebounds (4.3), 136 assists (1.4) and 235 steals (2.83).“I think one area of improvement has been my ability to get to the basket and to see the lanes and find a teammate,” Spray said. “My mid-range jumper is better and my threes are good, but could get better.”On the defensive end, the steals are the area that show up the most on the stat sheet, averaging just under three for her career. She had her best stat in her junior year with 88 steals in 21 games (4.2).When she arrives at Washburn next season, she will begin pursuing a career in the medical profession. However, she is uncertain as to which path in that career she will take.Spray is joined on the WAC all-conference first team by Hays juniors Molly Martin and Katie Linenberger, Liberal senior Hailey Contreras and Liberal sophomore Shamari Lewis.Second-team all-conference selections included senior Easha Potts of Dodge City, sophomore Zoe Winter of Hays, seniors Emilee Hall and Makenzie Premer of Great Bend and sophomore KJ Pinchon of Garden City.Things finally broke in favor of Spray and her teammates this year, going 15-7 overall, tying for second place in the Western Athletic Conference with Liberal at 5-3 and reaching the Class 5A sub-state championship game before falling to a red-hot Emporia team, one game away from the state tournament.Spray had been a mainstay for the Lady Panthers in each of her three previous seasons, and at times carried the team on her back with a 16.72 scoring average that earned her the votes from the WAC coaches to capture WAC Girls Player of the Year honors.“That’s awesome and just ‘Wow’,” Spray said when informed of her award. “I think it’s kind of crazy because there are some really outstanding players in the WAC. I’m happy, but surprised.”Spray is a 5-9 (in sneakers) combo guard who has signed to play with Washburn University next year. Washburn is an NCAA Division II school in Topeka that competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, one of the top conferences at that level. Other Kansas schools include Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State and Emporia State.“Our main goal was to just get more than seven wins so getting twice that many has been an exciting time for our team,” Spray said. “We had the exact same team, and I think we just grew as individuals and we had a mentality of a family feeling that helped to get us over the hump. It meant a lot to all of us when we got the 8th win (against Dodge City).”Spray is the first to credit her teammates and coaches for any individual success she has accomplished and said she will miss her teammates with whom she has played since elementary school.She said she improved in almost every area of her offensive/defensive skills since her freshman season when she averaged a modest 7.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and barely over 1 assist and steal per game. Her senior stats included 4.0 rebounds, 2.13 assists and 3.2 steals per game.For her career, Spray went over the 1,000-point total, finishing with 1,090 (13.13 average) and totaled 357 rebounds (4.3), 136 assists (1.4) and 235 steals (2.83).“I think one area of improvement has been my ability to get to the basket and to see the lanes and find a teammate,” Spray said. “My mid-range jumper is better and my threes are good, but could get better.”On the defensive end, the steals are the area that show up the most on the stat sheet, averaging just under three for her career. She had her best stat in her junior year with 88 steals in 21 games (4.2).When she arrives at Washburn next season, she will begin pursuing a career in the medical profession. However, she is uncertain as to which path in that career she will take.Spray is joined on the WAC all-conference first team by Hays juniors Molly Martin and Katie Linenberger, Liberal senior Hailey Contreras and Liberal sophomore Shamari Lewis.Second-team all-conference selections included senior Easha Potts of Dodge City, sophomore Zoe Winter of Hays, seniors Emilee Hall and Makenzie Premer of Great Bend and sophomore KJ Pinchon of Garden City.<figure>
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