Austin Kochsmeier put Bishop Ward (Kansas City) on the board first Saturday in the championship game of the Kansas Class 4A state baseball tournament at Dean Evans Stadium in Salina, with an RBI double in the top of the second inning.
Then the floodgates opened as the Cyclones added four more runs to open up a 5-1 advantage through three innings on their way to a seventh state title in eight seasons.
The eventual 6-4 win over Spring Hill allowed Dennis Hurla’s club to crawl back on top after having its state title streak stopped at six a season ago to eventual 4A king Topeka Hayden 5-0 in the semifinals. The Cyclones then fell to Ottawa 9-8 in the 2009 consolation contest.
"They were very motivated to get back to the state championship game because of what happened last year," Hurla told the Kansas City Star. "This isn’t the most talented group I’ve had, but it might be the most competitive."
Bishop Ward, who finished the season 16-6, began its 2010 quest for a state title with a 5-0 win over Fort Scott in the quarterfinals. A 6-1 triumph over Valley Center then vaulted the Cyclones into the title game against the 19-6 Broncos. With its latest title, the Cyclone state baseball championship count grew to 12, including nine crowns since 1998.
Other baseball champions crowned included: Class 6A – Blue Valley (Stilwell) (20-5), 11-3 over Maize; Class 5A – Seaman (Topeka) (23-2), 4-3 over Wichita-Bishop Carroll; Class 3A – Galena (21-4), 10-0 over Thomas More Prep Marian; Class 2-1A – Pittsburg-Colgan (24-2), 12-2 over Valley Falls.
Peoples surpasses 50 feet
Finally! Kearsten Peoples can sit back, take a deep breath and let it soak in.
Throw-after-throw, during the nearly four seasons that Peoples had been trying to break the 50-foot barrier in the shot put, fell short. But not on Saturday. With only five throws remaining in her prep career, Peoples unleashed the throw she had been waiting for.
The behemoth toss of 51 feet, 10 3/4 inches came on her second attempt at the Kansas state high school track and field meet at Wichita’s Cessna Stadium last weekend, breaking the state meet mark for the last time. It ranks No. 1 in the nation this season. Peoples bettered her old state meet mark of 46-3 on each of her five throws that counted. The University of Missouri recruit’s final career attempt reached 51-0.
"I have been trying for this for a long time," Peoples told the Ottawa Herald of breaking 50 feet. "I wanted to break it. It has not sunk in yet.
"I had a goal that I was determined (to get)," she added. "I cleared my mind."
Peoples also owns the Kansas state meet record in the discus after unleashing a throw of 166-7 on her third attempt in Wichita. The toss netted her a second gold and broke the old mark of 150-7 formerly held by Iola’s Molly Lonergan in 2000. That record throw ranks her in the top five nationally this year. Peoples fouled twice, but the remainder of her throws reached at least the 160-foot barrier.
Triple and quadruple gold medal winners
Shawn Smith led the Olathe East boys to a Class 6A-best 87 points by running the anchor leg of the winning 1,600 relay (3:19.78) and winning the 100 (10.69) and 200 meters (21.99).
Pittsburg speedster Keenan Soles paced the Dragons to a seventh-place effort of 36 points in Class 5A by winning the 100 (10.96) and 200 meters (22.34) and the triple jump (45-6 1/4).
Adam Porter was a big reason why McPherson was able to take home the Class 5A runner-up trophy, with 49 points, after he swept the 800 (1:54.97), 1,600 (4:23.11) and 3,200 meters (9:38.96).
Garden Plain grabbed the top spot in the Class 3A boys standings after scoring 57 points. Kurt Pauly led the way winning the 100 (11.00), 200 (22.71) and 400 meters (48.34), as well as running the anchor leg of the triumphant 1,600 relay (3:25.92).
Austin Riggs was responsible for 30 of Pittsburg-Colgan’s 42 points by winning gold in the Class 2A boys 100 (11.00), 200 (22.32) and 400 meters (48.66). The Panthers finished third in the team standings.
The Olathe East girls scored 74 1/2 points and pulled away from the rest of the 6A field. Breeana Coleman led the way by winning the 100 (11.71) and 200 meters (24.65) and the 100 hurdles (13.80).
Abreanna Parker paced Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights to a Class 5A second-place team effort of 63 points by winning the 100 (11.92) and 200 meters (25.75) and running the anchor leg of the winning 400 relay (48.73).
Danyelle Cole ran the anchor leg of Kansas City-Piper’s record-breaking 400 relay (48.69) and won the 100 (12.12) and 200-meters (25.31) as the Pirates finished third in the Class 4A team standings with 44 points.
Rossville’s Mandy Wilson paced the Bulldogs to the Class 3A title and 61 points by winning the 400 meters (58.17) and running legs on the winning 1,600 (4:04.41) and 3,200 (9:32.61) relays. Wilson’s sister Mindy also ran legs on the relays and won the 300 hurdles (46.12).
Heather Ruder took top honors in the Class 3A 800 (2:19.12), 1,600 (5:18.45) and 3,200 meters (11:40.63) to lead Thomas More Prep Marian to a third-place tie with Wichita Independent and 50 points.
Lauren Pickens scored all 30 Peabody-Burns points in pacing the Warriors to a Class 2A fifth-place team effort by winning the 100 (12.20), 200 (25.38) and 400 meters (57.02).
Hallie Kuhlman singlehandedly led Wallace County to a Class 1A runner-up finish by scoring all 40 Wildcat points. Kuhlman won the 100 (12.51), 200 (26.32), 400 (57.85) and 800 meters (2:24.28).
Ashley Shearer scored 30 of Cunningham’s 31 points to lead the Wildcats to a Class 1A fifth-place finish by sweeping the jumps. Shearer won gold in the long jump (16-10 3/4), high jump (5-2) and triple jump (38-4 1/2).
Double gold winners
Class 6A
Boys – Andrew Etheridge, Wichita Northwest: 110 hurdles (14.22) and 300 hurdles (38.58).
Girls – Janessa Clay, Shawnee Mission North: 400 meters (57.16) and 300 hurdles (45.07). Avery Clifton, Topeka Washburn Rural: 1,600 meters (5:02.85) and 3,200 meters (10:44.24).
Class 5A
Boys – Tyler Rathke, Hays: Discus (168-0) and Shot Put (53-5 1/4).
Girls – Clarissa Johnson, Gardner-Edgerton: 800 meters (2:19.49) and 1,600 relay (4:00.73). Mackenzie Maki, Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel: 1,600 meters (5:12.36) and 3,200 meters (11:12.58). Le’Tristan Pledger, Kansas City-Washington: 100 hurdles (13.90) and Long Jump (19-3 3/4). Natalie Morerod, Gardner-Edgerton: 300 hurdles (44.07) and 1,600 relay (4:00.73). Alex Hartig, Great Bend: Discus (144-7) and Shot Put (46-2 1/2).
Class 4A
Boys – Brendan Soucie, Osawatomie: 800 meters (1:54.48) and 1,600 relay (3:21.44). James Wilson, Abilene: 1,600 meters (4:23.02) and 3,200 meters (9:29.71). Ethan Fulton, Iola: 110 hurdles (14.95) and Long Jump (22-4 1/2). Luke Wilson, Paola: Discus (165-10) and Shot Put (57-6 1/4).
Girls – Molly Milbourn, El Dorado: 1,600 meters (5:03.92) and 3,200 meters (11:13.17). Kearsten Peoples, Ottawa: Discus (166-7) and Shot Put (51-10 3/4).
Class 3A
Boys – John Siale, Chaparral: Shot Put (54-10) and Javelin (177-1).
Girls – Imani Fenner, Wichita Independent: 100 meters (12.51) and 200 meters (25.96). Julia Zeiner, Marion: 100 hurdles (15.20) and Long Jump (17-11).
Class 2A
Boys – Eric Ruth, Stanton County: 1,600 meters (4:24.60) and 3,200 meters (9:50.85). Joe Sumpter, Osborne: 300 hurdles (39.18) and 400 relay (43.63).
Girls – Katelyn Henderson, Olpe: 800 meters (2:23.92) and 1,600 meters (5:24.99). Abbie Smith, Uniontown: 100 hurdles (15.46) and Long Jump (17-9 1/2).
Class 1A
Boys – Gage Kepple, Ness City: 100 meters (10.93) and 400 relay (44.43).
Record-breakers
Johannes Swanepoel shattered his own 2008 Class 6A state meet javelin record of 221-2 with a new record toss of 238-4.
Valley Center’s Joe Fisher broke former Wellington sprinter Tim Lira’s 2002 Class 4A 100-meter record of 10.73 seconds by out racing the rest of the field to the tune of 10.67.
D.J. Lindsay of Tonganoxie out ran Justin Chandler’s 2002 Class 4A 400-meter record of 48.34 with his 47.98 clocking. Chandler ran for Towanda-Circle.
Osawatomie’s 1,600 relay team consisting of Dustin Kueser, Brandon Oaks, Jameson Greenwood and Brendan Soucie moved ahead of Ottawa’s 2000 Class 4A state meet mark of 3:21.50 with Saturday’s 3:21.44 clocking.
Breeana Coleman breezed to a Class 6A state meet record in the 100 meters with Saturday’s 11.71 clocking. The Olathe East sprinter moved ahead of former Great Bend speedster Tisa Johnson's 1983 mark of 11.80.
Kansas City-Washington hurdler Le’Tristan Pledger shattered former Newton star Maisha Prewitt’s 1996 Class 5A 100-meter hurdle record of 14.10 by racing to a time of 13.90.
Great Bend thrower Alex Hartig surpassed her own 2007 Class 5A shot put mark of 45-1 1/2 with her throw of 46-2 1/2.
Cassie Wait of Gardner-Edgerton and Wichita Bishop Carroll’s Cara Detmer both broke former Emporia vaulter Samantha Kraft’s 2008 Class 5A state meet pole vault record of 11-2 by clearing 12-0. Due to misses Wait edged Detmer for gold.
Kansas City-Piper’s Danyelle Cole shattered former Ellsworth sprinter Shawnee Call’s 1983 Class 4A 100-meter state meet mark of 12.20 by winning the event Saturday with a time of 12.12.
Cole ran anchor on Kansas City-Piper’s record breaking 400 relay team Saturday. The Pirates zipped by Marysville’s 2000 record of 48.74 with its own 48.69 clocking.
El Dorado vaulter Jaimie House bettered her own 2009 Class 4A pole vault record of 12-0 by clearing 12-1.
Rossville’s 3,200 relay consisting of Lindsay Seele, Becky Jensen, Mindy Wilson and Mandy Wilson shattered Salina Sacred Heart’s 2007 Class 3A record of 9:39.59 by blazing to a time of 9:32.61.
Maranatha Academy vaulter Keegan Williams bettered former Wathena star Annika Haedt’s 2002 Class 2A pole vault mark of 11-0 by soaring over 11-4 last weekend.
The Hoxie 3200 relay consisting of Carman Hill, ShayLinn Kaus, Marlee McKenna and Shelby Heim upended Victoria’s 2001 Class 1A record of 9:59.04 by racing to a time of 9:53.66.
State track team champions
Boys – Class 6A Olathe East, 87; Class 5A Hays, 85; Class 4A Paola, 63; Class 3A Garden Plain, 57; Class 2A Bennington, 56; Class 1A Ness City, 62.
Girls – Class 6A Olathe East, 74 1/2; Class 5A Gardner-Edgerton, 105; Class 4A Baldwin, 53; Class 3A Rossville, 61; Class 2A Olpe, 47; Class 1A Victoria, 44.