Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008
The auburn has all but drained from Tony Dudik’s moustache, and his foot speed admittedly has diminished. But something in the mid-August air helps him identify with the teenage athletes he’s been coaching for more than three decades. “Just like with kids, there’s highs and lows,” Mr. Dudik said. “Sometimes you go, ‘My gosh, how do I keep doing this?’ But then sometimes you go, ‘This is the greatest thing ever.’ I love it.”
Central coach continues to prowl sidelines
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008
The auburn has all but drained from Tony Dudik’s moustache, and his foot speed admittedly has diminished. But something in the midAugust air helps him identify with the teenage athletes he’s been coaching for more than three decades.
Local district institutes drug testing for activitiesTuesday, July 29, 2008
In Brad Colhour’s years of collegiate coaching, he’s seen the toll that steroids can take on the minds and bodies of his athletes.
That’s why Lathrop’s new drug-testing policy doesn’t include performance-enchancing substances and instead will randomly test extracurricular participants for more common and prevalent illegal substances.
“I’ve seen (steroid use). I know what it looks like, and it’s just not there,” said Colhour, Lathrop’s former athletic director and head football coach. “If it were, I would be pushing hard for it.”
Friday, July 25, 2008
Even though they’ll never suit up for Trenton again, Wes Croy’s former players haven’t received any favorable treatment leading up to the Missouri Lions All-Star Football Game.
“Certainly not,” Croy said. “I’m probably harder on them than anybody.”
After a week of strenuous practices, six Trenton graduates will compete for the West team in today’s game, slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. at Walton Stadium in Warrensburg — along with a smattering of representatives from across Northwest Missouri.
Reigning News-Press Offensive Player of the Year De’Andre Vandevender, who leaves for the University of Northern Iowa in a week and a half, should feel right at home running behind former teammates Kyle Hoyt and Ethan Tabbert — both bound for Missouri Western. Griffon-to-be Mitch Giger, a North Platte grad, adds additional size to a beefy set of blockers.
POWER SURGE: Royals hit 'em out in June
Friday, July 18, 2008
KANSAS CITY — As the crowd thundered its approval, David DeJesus endured a violent and lengthy congratulation from his teammates at Kauffman Stadium last week. It was hard to blame the mob assembled at home plate for its enthusiasm. After all, it had been waiting awhile for such an opportunity. With his last-gasp blast in the ninth inning, the Royals’ veteran outfielder ended the team’s three-year drought without a walk-off home run — the first since April of 2005. His 10th long ball of the year assured them a fourth-place spot going into the All-Star break.
Coy adjusts to collegiate lifestyle at Arizona St.Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Johnny Coy spent his first days as a Sun Devil finding ways to settle in and beat the heat.
The Benton graduate and Arizona State freshman attended his first classes this week amidst scorching, triple-digit temperatures.
Friday, July 4, 2008
In the past two weeks, the Big 7 League just got a lot smaller.
After a series of June meetings and subsequent school board rulings, three Big 7 schools — Holton, Jefferson County West and Royal Valley — confirmed their intention to leave the conference in order to start their own league along with Perry-Lecompton and Santa Fe Trail.
The moves won’t take effect until the 2010-11 school year but leave Hiawatha, Sabetha and Nemaha Valley in a precarious position.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
For Kate Gallagher, there’s no such thing as an off-season.
While most of her classmates are enjoying their summers off, the Savannah junior-to-be practically will spend the entire month of July on the road.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Hamilton freshman Lindsay Vollmer arrived on the track and field scene with quite a splash. Actually, her impact more closely resembled a tidal wave.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Every high-powered offense needs a talented decision-maker at its core — equal parts deadly goal scorer and unselfish point guard.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
On the heels of an all-state basketball season, Johnny Coy put up even more impressive numbers in his “secondary” sport.
LeBlond teammates battle at Lions All-Star ClassicSaturday, June 7, 2008
Maryville, Mo. — As Bishop LeBlond teammates, Tyler Irizarry never had to worry about guarding Jonathan Wright.
McCarthy to coach Central baseballFriday, June 6, 2008
When injuries prematurely ended his playing days at Missouri Western, Justin McCarthy struggled to find many positives in his situation.
Maryville athletes finish 2nd day of track championships with strong performancesSaturday, May 24, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — For a few exuberant moments, John Farmer allowed his steely demeanor to crack wide open.
The compact Maryville junior leapt and pumped his fists as he ran along the runway at Dwight T. Reed Stadium. A 22-foot long jump will do that.
His personal best vaulted him ahead of the competition and landed him a second-place finish at Saturday’s Missouri Track and Field Championships.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Taylor Woodruff had nowhere to go but up.
During her last trip to Dwight T. Reed Stadium, the Benton runner struggled to a last-place finish in the two-mile run and wasn’t eager to repeat the feat.
“Nothing can get worse than that,” she said.
Although she finished short of an all-state medal, Woodruff placed 10th this time around at the Missouri State Track and Field Championships and broke the 12-minute mark for the first time of her career.
Friday, May 23, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — With so much hugging and squealing, you wouldn’t know Benton’s 4x400-meter relay team had just run its last race of the year.
Although it didn’t reach the finals, the Cardinals’ youthful squad broke its own school record at the Missouri State Track and Field Championships on Friday. The underclassmen-heavy squad finished 10th in 4 minutes, 8.64 seconds at Dwight T. Reed Stadium after entering the Class 3 preliminaries with the second-slowest time.
Friday, May 23, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Jenny Zweifel stayed rooted to her spot in the sand, contemplating the final jump of her career.
Her head hanging, she finally lifted one foot. Then the other.
Zweifel’s downtrodden reaction quickly changed when she discovered she’d leapfrogged two girls for a second-place finish in the Class 3 long jump at Friday’s Missouri State Track and Field Championships at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Two years ago, Megan Walker left Dwight T. Reed Stadium a two-time medalist and helped Worth County to its second straight state track title.
She returns to today’s Missouri State Track and Field Championships for the first time since as the same solid thrower. The pond just got a little bigger.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Arms dangling at her sides, Lindsey Prawitz sighed deeply and enjoyed her short-lived break.
Moments later, she was yanked back into action.
The LeBlond goalkeeper didn’t get much down time Tuesday at Memorial Stadium. Platte County’s blitzkrieg offense peppered the Golden Eagles to the tune of a 9-0 blowout in Class 1 sectional play.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
KEARNEY, Mo. — Hannah Moore wasn’t running for herself anymore — not after advancing to state earlier in the day.
But the Benton sophomore knew the other three underclassmen on the 4x400-meter relay wouldn’t get to see the track in Jefferson City without her.
“That’s what motivated me — for the other three to make it to state,” Moore said. “I knew I had to do it for my girls.”
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Every point counts.
That might sound head-smackingly obvious and a bit cliche, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
State track championships are just as much a product of the first-place phenoms as they are the eighth-place overachievers. Need an example? See Worth County’s 2007 girls’ squad, which won its third straight title by a point over Norborne.
With enough events, those sixth- and seventh-place winners start stacking up in a hurry.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The News-Press track and field leaderboard is compiled by Andy Meyer through coaches submissions and meet results. If there is an inaccurate or missing time/distance, please e-mail Andy at andymeyer@npgco.com or fax it in to the News-Press at (816) 271-8692.
Tigers tame LeBlond batsWednesday, May 14, 2008
DEARBORN, Mo. — Plattsburg’s Korbin Hicks sat front and center, watching Bishop LeBlond’s freight train offense steamroll its first two district games by a combined 38 runs.
He tempered his team’s chances of beating the Golden Eagles accordingly.
“We knew if we could hold them under 10 runs, we had a chance to win,” Hicks said.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Riding a recent streak of hot hitting, Central steamed into districts with a fresh batch of confidence in its bats.
Park Hill left-hander Albert Minnis doused that enthusiasm and ended the Indians’ season with a dominant performance during the Trojans’ 3-0 victory on Monday in Kansas City.
“I was not surprised it was low-scoring. I was surprised that we got shut out,” Central coach Stan Weston said. “Still, it’s probably one of the better hitting teams I’ve had.”
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
As course conditions deteriorated at Deer Lake Golf Course, so did Cameron’s chance at a second-day comeback.
But the Dragons’ top four shot as well or better than they did Monday to fuel a comeback that landed them in second place at the conclusion of the Class 2 Golf Championships in Springfield, Mo.
“We were a little disappointed in yesterday, but I’m proud of this group and how they kept battling,” Cameron coach Kevin Nichols said. “That’s how this team’s been all year.”
Ivory towers over 'Hounds
Monday, May 12, 2008
Benton forward Ivory Baldwin didn’t look that imposing as she streaked up the right sideline at Alumni Stadium. Then she got her feet on the ball. The pint-sized Cardinal blasted in three consecutive goals, each one harder than the next, and led her team to a 4-2 victory against Maryville in the Class 1 District 16 semifinals. Benton will take on city rival Bishop LeBlond in Wednesday’s final.
State just a leap away for Irish athletesSaturday, May 10, 2008
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. — Kyle Williams didn’t want to watch, but he couldn’t look away.
The Lafayette senior sat helplessly in fourth place, forced to watch three long jumpers attempt to take his spot at sectionals. With each measurement, he peeked out from under his black hooded sweatshirt, afraid of what he might hear.
His anxiety disappeared a short time later when Kearney’s Austin Stephens scratched his final attempt at the Class 3 District 8 meet to send Williams to his first sectional appearance.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Mike Weil and Tyler Deatherage weren’t adjusting well to the consolation bracket.
The Benton duo committed error after error, both shouting in frustration as they rapidly fell into a 6-2 hole against Grain Valley. They certainly didn’t look like comeback candidates.
“We were kind of getting down on ourselves. One mistake turned into another and another,” Weil said. “Once we got rolling, we couldn’t really stop after that.”
Thursday, May 8, 2008
This much drama is hard to find outside of daytime television.
*Cue Don LaFontaine, the epic-sounding movie trailer guy*
In a meet...where two conference champions will decide the team title, only one can be victorious.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Without looking back, Lindsay Vollmer picked herself up out of the long jump pit, brushed herself off and jogged to her starting blocks for the the 100-meter hurdle finals.
She had another event to dominate.
There was no rest for the victor of four events at Saturday’s Class 2 District 8 track meet at Bishop LeBlond, where the lanky Hamilton freshman swept her events by significant
margins.
Friday, May 2, 2008
With six state medals to his name, De’Andre Vandevender has made a name for himself in the jumping pits.
But for the first time in his accomplished track-and-field career, the Trenton senior will lace up his spikes for a running event at today’s Class 2 District 8 meet at Bishop LeBlond.
Never quite quick enough to crack the top four until this year, Vandevender’s rigorous workout regimen landed him on the 4x100-meter relay team.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Colton Garton held his tongue as the rest of his Benton teammates mobbed his twin brother, Austin, at the plate.
After all, he has a sibling rivalry to maintain.
“I knew he was going to start saying stuff whenever he came up and hit one,” Colton said of Austin’s second-inning home run.
But Colton one-upped his brother — both in distance and run production — with a grand slam that capped Benton’s offensive explosion Thursday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Four Cardinal hitters homered during the Cardinals’ 18-6 victory against Chillicothe.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Three local football programs closed the books on their coaching searches, as Cameron, Plattsburg and Tarkio all filled their vacant positions recently.
Cameron tapped former Kearney assistant Dave Rash to succeed Eric Thomas, who departed for a job at Columbia-Hickman. During his first two seasons with the Bulldogs, Rash got to savor the thrill of back-to-back state championships.
“Once you’ve gone through the playoff experience, you always strive to get back to it,” Rash said. “That’s definitely going to be one of our focuses.”
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Benton’s Luke Talbot is accustomed to winning, thanks to his blistering serves and powerful ground strokes.
Turns out his coin-flip predictions are just as accurate.
The Cardinals’ senior claimed the No. 1 singles title at Thursday’s Benton-Savannah Invitational at Noyes Tennis Complex with a 'heads’ call — much to the disappointment of Bishop LeBlond’s Ryan Walker, who tied Talbot’s 57 points.
Chillicothe rallies again for 1st Pony Express title in 13 tries
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
For the third straight day, Chillicothe followed its ill-advised scoring pattern — fall behind early, wait until the final innings and unleash the pent-up offense in a few short bursts.
The Hornets claimed their first Pony Express Tournament title in 13 tries Wednesday with its ulcer-inducing brand of baseball during a 9-5 victory against Benton at Hyde Park No. 6. Trailing 4-1 with five outs left, Chillicothe stung three Benton pitchers for eight runs on seven hits in the come-from-behind effort.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
SEATTLE — Jose Lopez became the 12th player in major league history to hit three sacrifice flies in a game, Yuniesky Betancourt drove in three runs and the Seattle Mariners set a season high for runs with an 11-6 victory over the previously stingy Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Benton, Chillicothe advance to Pony Express final
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Mike Musser is sick of seventh-inning comebacks.
Three times this season, the Benton coach has watched his Cardinals build a hefty lead only to watch the opponent make things too close for comfort in the final frame. Lafayette did it in the City Round Robin. Then Chillicothe. Then Savannah.
The Cardinals didn’t leave the door open Tuesday, however, and slammed the Fighting Irish 19-9 in the semifinals of the Pony Express Tournament at Hyde Park No. 6.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Instead of a bright, red “S,” Adam Nelson wore a blue “V” across his chest.
The superstar St. Joseph Christian senior played the hero during a Thursday afternoon assembly that celebrated his status as a preferred walk-on to Villanova’s baseball program. As soon as he takes the diamond wearing a Wildcat uniform, he will become the first Christian athlete in the school’s 20-year history to display his skills on the Division I level.
“I still don’t think I realize the significance of it yet,” Nelson said. “It’s really exciting, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Mara Grayson was running on fumes.
The Lafayette senior’s lead seemed to shrink with each labored step and didn’t look ready to fend off a hard-charging Hannah Moore.
Somehow, Grayson reached down to some unknown reserves, tore across the finish line ahead of the Benton sprinter and secured her third 100-meter title at Tuesday’s City Track Meet by eleven-tenths of a second.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Make sure not to blink at the wrong time during Tuesday’s City Track Meet.
You might miss something thrilling.
With an abundance of returning speedsters, the short-distance events look to be the highlight of the annual showdown between all five city schools at Central.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Shooting even par at the halfway point, most golfers would be content to maintain the same pace down the stretch. But Derek Baade isn’t like most golfers.
The Savannah junior, defending Class 3 state champion, reeled off seven straight birdies on the back nine Friday en route to a runaway win at the inaugural Lafayette Invitational at Fairview Golf Course.
His 5-under 67 led the way for the Savages, who claimed the team title by a mere two strokes over a balanced Bishop LeBlond team.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
With his stellar attendance record, Kort Reynolds might be one of bull riding’s biggest enthusiasts.
He just doesn’t know it yet.
The 6-week old son of Seth Reynolds watched his dad post a score of 90 1/2 and claim a first-round victory in the National Federation of Professional Bullriders’ Federation Finals on Thursday at Civic Arena.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Change has been an aggravating constant for Andrew Ellis — especially when it comes to doubles partners.
The Central senior, who got to state with Alex Dobyan as a sophomore, has paired with a different teammate each of the past three years with roller-coaster results.
Ellis is riding high with his newest partner — sophomore Sirish Veligati — after the Indian duo finished a close runner-up in the No. 1 doubles flight during Wednesday’s Central Invitational at Noyes Tennis Complex among a field of potential state qualifiers.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
After Central’s offense spat and sputtered for almost six innings, it appeared Benton — for once — was headed for a ho-hum victory against its cross-city rival.
The Cardinals should have known better.
Central used a lightning-quick, two-out rally to stun previously undefeated Benton and come away with a 3-2 win Saturday at Phil Welch Stadium. The come-from-behind win added another thrilling chapter to the teams’ competitive rivalry and enabled the Indians to exact revenge after an 8-7 loss in the City Round Robin two weeks ago.
Central makes some noise in city baseball tournament
Thursday, March 20, 2008
As vocal as Landin Eckhardt was Thursday, his bat shouted the loudest. The Central senior catcher blasted a three-run home run during the sixth inning and helped the Indians pad their tenuous lead against Lafayette. After a heartbreaking loss to Benton the night before, Central rebounded with a 6-1 win against the Fighting Irish in the City Baseball Round Robin Tournament.
“I feel like I’ve got to back things up with as much as I say,” said Eckhardt, a vocal leader and Illinois State commit. “It feels good to put your money where your mouth is.”
The Indians’ sluggish finish against Benton seemed to carry over in the early stages against Lafayette (1-2), as Central (1-1) stranded three runners in scoring position through the first two innings.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Benton needed a boost.
The Cardinals pitching had been rocked. Their offense continued to stall with the bases loaded. Central threatened their perfect record in the City Round Robin Baseball Tournament.
With so many new starters thrown onto the starting line-up card, the only question was who would emerge.
Friday, March 14, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Winning has become more than a habit for this group of Hamilton players.
It's turned into a lifestyle.
Several members of the Hornets' hoops team -- including the entire starting five -- have contributed in one way or another to one of Hamilton's five state championships (four in cross country, one in track in 2007).
Friday, March 14, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Watching Scott County Central and Jefferson destroy their respective opponents Friday simply confirmed what we already suspected.
Thursday's early afternoon semifinal was the de facto state championship.
Without Doug Archer harassing him in the post, 6-foot-2 freshman forward Otto Porter went nuts for 21 points and 11 rebounds and benefited from some highlight-reel assists from D.D. Gillespie and Bobby Hatchett. Once again, the Braves hassled the opposing team -- this time, Fair Play -- into upward of 20 turnovers and used them to score 22 fast-break points in an 83-58 win in the third-place game.
Friday, March 14, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The game-changing plays came early in Jefferson’s third straight championship victory.
Craig Mattson’s baseline jumper off of a loose ball in the first quarter, his first 3-pointer to open a double-digit lead and Kyle Schieber’s trey at the first-half buzzer all fueled the title game rout.
The contest featured several more notable moments, however — some of them humorous, most of them ultimately irrelevant. Here’s what else transpired:
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Last fall, Bishop LeBlond’s imposing front line volleyball players spiked the Golden Eagles to a playoff berth.
Two of those hitters — Maggie Adams and Lauren Hicks — will get the chance to continue their careers collegiately. Adams signed a letter of intent with Coffeyville Community College on Thursday, while Hicks intends to play at Division III Simpson College in Iowa.
“Those two girls have been very dedicated to the program for the last four years,” LeBlond coach Kim Huss said. “This is the sport that’s most important to them, and their passion for it allowed them to be able to continue to play.”
- More Headlines
- Recently Discussed
Content © 2008, NPG Newspapers Inc, St. Joseph News-Press
Services: Privacy Policy / Subscribe / Forms / Contacts / Feedback / Contacts / Profiles / Careers / Newsstands
Affiliates: St. Joe Live / St. Joe Now / NIE / Atchison Daily Globe / Hiawatha Daily World / Green Acres
