Harbinger Online » Sports

It’s a Family Affair

Grace Heitmann — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:49:59 +0000

Having just beaten SM South 14-0, a sweaty, proud boys’ lacrosse team makes plans to continue their celebration at Mexican restaurant Don Chilito’s. As one of a handful of freshmen on the varsity team, Nic Bailey isn’t sure if he’s allowed to tag along. Bailey waits around a little bit, worried that he won’t be invited. After all, he’s just a freshman. His worries are soon forgotten when a teammate steps up and invites Bailey. While sharing food with his teammates, Bailey realizes that while he may only be a freshman, he’s still part of the team. He’s still part of the family.

The lacrosse team has come a long way in the past several years to become the team it is today. Three years ago, the team lost to Rockhurst by 21 goals, but this year, under the direction of second year head coach Chris Kliewer, the team was finally able to beat Rockhurst 9-7. Using an emphasis on family to drive them, the team has become the first ever undefeated team in the Kansas City area and entered playoffs as the number one seed.

When Kliewer arrived at the Lancer lacrosse program last year, one of the first things he established was their sports motto, “family.” Coming from a large family, Kliewer understood the importance of being not only a team, but a family as well. At first, the team was confused and didn’t understand the significance of the saying.

“We kind of looked at it as a joke [at the beginning of the season], but embraced the idea in the end,” junior Connor McGannon. “It really brought us closer together.”

As the 2011 spring season progressed, the team really started to understand the concept. Through countless amounts of practices, games, team dinners and just joking around with each other, the team got what being a family is. Their off-game relationships had strengthened their playing and it was apparent on the field. They went into the Lacrosse Association of Kansas Schools (LAKS) State Championships as the number two seed closer than ever and continued on to win the LAKS Championships spring of 2011.

After the success of his first season at East, Kliewer reapplied the same team motto for this season. The players, especially the seniors, have continued to embody the motto and showed their younger teammates not only how to become better players, but how to be better people.

“They’re great leaders,” Bailey said. “They make me feel like I’m on the team and that I’m not an outcast, which I was afraid of.”

Kliewer said that the family bond is apparent everywhere in the team, during practices and games — even at tryouts. During the first week of tryouts, Kliewer remembers watching his team go over to a struggling athlete and support him as he finished a rigorous drill. Some teams would have just easily stood there and watch the kid struggle on his own, but not this team. This team was a family, and family must help each other out.

“These guys don’t see each other in the halls on a daily basis so when we’re here for our time of practice or at games, it’s important to stick together,” Kliewer said. “We talk about family a lot just in terms of helping each other out and when things are good, we are going to celebrate together, but when things are bad we all are going to get there to pick each other up.”

The record of past seasons 2007-2009 had been a disappointing 20-21, but ever since Kliewer took over the program, his record has been 33-7. This season, the team is 15-3. Having only lost to power schools in St. Louis and Dallas, the team has been ranked number one in the state.

“Everyone has taken it upon themselves to get better in the offseason,” senior Droste Milledge said. “We want to be the best in the Kansas City area and I think that we have accomplished that this year. We just want to keep that up and start a tradition.”

As the team continued beating team after team, they were excited, yet apprehensive about playing Rockhurst. In the 45 games against Kansas City teams over the past 17 years, Rockhurst has outscored their opponents 816-106. Rockhurst is known for being a very physical and merciless team.

“The Rockhurst game was unbelievable,” Bailey said. “I didn’t think I could compete with those guys. The defenders there are giant and really fast. And for years they’ve been top dog around here. And when we beat them, I really knew that [we were top dog].”

Kliewer is really proud of his team and the success they’ve had.

“The fact that these guys have done that [is great],” Kliewer said. “They’re kind of building their own tradition and
we’ve only been here for a short amount of time. It helps with confidence and belief and believing in what they’re able to do.”

The Lancers took on St. Thomas Aquinas at 5:30 on Wednesday night at Livestrong Sporting Park in the semifinals and won 12-7. The team will advance to play the winner of the Pembroke Hill vs. Olathe game at 7:30 on Friday night at Livestrong Sporting Park. The team hopes to repeat history and win the championship again, but they know that no matter what, they will always have each other.

“I’m a loyal guy and I hope to not go anywhere but I want these kids to come back and know that they’ll always be a part of this family,” Kliewer said.

Junior Succeeds in First Track Season at East

Will Webber — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:22:57 +0000

Maddie Schoemann | Harbinger Online

For 400 grueling meters, junior Juan Ramos sees nothing outside of his lane. He has his form on his mind and his goal — the finish line — in his sights. He doesn’t notice if the other sprinters are trailing or passing. He simply runs, lifting his scarred right leg with his scarred left arm and his scarred left leg with his scarred right arm. His drive will take care of the rest.

Juan was just a freshman in the backseat of his friend’s car when he went outside of the lane. The driver swerved into oncoming traffic, collided with a car and flew off the road. Juan didn’t know if he would regain control.

“I knew from that second, I might not live from this,” Juan said of the accident.

Juan knows that life is not an individual sport. He has individual goals — goals of making it to state and running under 50 seconds in the 400 meter dash — and he does everything in his power to make these goals a reality. But life is a team sport; he can never forget how the actions of others can impact his goals.

He can’t forget the impact of the tree on the car. The glass on his skin. The way his friends laid motionless in the backseat.

“[The driver]’s body was halfway out and he looked at me, tears and blood mixing in his face,” Juan said.

He can’t forget that. The driver made a mistake and they all paid for it — he had been drinking.

“Because of his mistakes, I’ve got scars on my body that will never go away,” Juan said.

Juan couldn’t feel his legs when he woke up in the hospital two days later. The doctors had put him under heavy anesthesia while they removed each individual shard of glass that had pierced its way into his muscles. He was banged up, bruised, scarred and numbed — but he was OK. He would run again.

Juan has been in the driver’s seat since the crash. His mother, Mary An Joers Pestano Ramos, doesn’t have to tell him what foods to eat anymore. She doesn’t have to tell him that quitting is unacceptable. She forced him into playing football, but no one told him to run track. Juan sets his own goals now. He runs out front during drop out 200s and speedmakers. He rides his bike to the gym because accepting a ride from his mom would mean losing an opportunity to get better. He runs another five miles after an hour long workout and the bike ride home. Juan wants success as badly as he wants to breathe.

“A lot of times, he might not hit his own goals, even when he did great in my mind,” Mary An said. “But to him, it’s not enough. Since it’s not enough to him, I tell him it’s not enough. I know that’s what he needs.”

Maddie Schoemann | Harbinger Online

Juan needs to be pushed. Before moving to Kansas at the beginning of this year, he attended a school less than half East’s size in Hickman County, TN. He didn’t have people pushing him.

“I was the fastest guy at the school and there wasn’t much competition,” Juan said. “But when I got to sectionals, I met a lot of guys who were better. I wound up placing fourth and my time didn’t match up.”

Juan knew that being the best in a small town wasn’t good enough; he would have to be better if he wanted to make state. He got a fresh start when his family moved to the East area. It didn’t take long for him to make an impression with sprinting coach Brie Meschke.

“He came and visited me at the beginning of the year and told me that he had run at his previous school and his times were very competitive,” Meschke said. “I was super excited, but a lot of times you hear about kids and it doesn’t pan out to what you think it’s going to be — but he’s the real deal.”

Juan proved his talent at the very first time trial, running a 52 in the 400, but Meschke saw plenty of room for improvement.

“He had a lot of raw talent, but didn’t have much instruction before,” Meschke said. “It’s been really fun to help him with that.”

Juan was on his own in Tennessee. His coaches expected him to carry the team, but offered little support. And it wasn’t easy being a black athlete on a predominantly white team — segregation is still a reality in Hickman County.

“There was me, my cousin and a Vietnamese boy on the team,” Juan said. “And when we’d go into the locker room, everyone else’s locker would be on one side. Leaving me, my cousin and the Vietnamese kid by ourselves. We didn’t care, because we played our hearts out on the court.”

Juan isn’t just part of the team at East, he’s part of a brotherhood. Along with junior Carter Olander and seniors Joe Lewis and Jack Fay, Juan has achieved great success with the 4×400 relay team. The group of runners quickly accepted him.

“He’s really fit into the track culture,” Lewis said. “He works hard and the team loves him.”

Juan has developed into a far better runner this season because he now shares his goal with the entire team. Lewis begins the race with a quick burst. Olander gains ground on the rest of the field. Juan chases down the leader. And Fay holds onto the lead. Each runner has an impact on the outcome of the race.

“When you run by yourself and you don’t run your best, only you are disappointed,” Lewis said. “But if you run in the 4×400 and don’t run your best, you’ve let down three other people.”

Juan knows all about being let down. He’s experienced the helplessness of freefall and the unforgiving crash of a car. He’s learned from his scars; he’s changed his work ethic, rebuilt himself and taken over the driver’s seat. He knows about the impact that his actions have on his teammates. But he’s doing everything he can to make it positive.

“I think, ‘what if this was my last day?’ Could I honestly say that I gave it my all?” Juan said. “I want to benefit, and have others benefit from my actions.”

Lancer Softball Makes History, Advances to State

Julia Poe — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:55:16 +0000

After winning the regional championships, the Varsity Lancers softball team will be playing for the state title. This is the first time that the East softball team has ever qualified for the state championship.

“It’s really a satisfying feeling,” sophomore outfielder Erin McGinley said. “Especially for the seniors, since they’ve been working towards this for so long. For all of us, it’s just a really cool feeling to be a part of something that made history at East.”

The Lancers beat Shawnee Mission West 9-3 and Olathe North 7-5 to qualify. The championship tournament will begin on May 25, where the Lady Lancers will mostly face teams from the Olathe and Blue Valley districts. After beginning their regular season 12-0, the team expressed feelings of confidence and pride going into these championship games.

“At state, it’s a big deal and it’s sudden death,” sophomore left fielder Savannah Bellem said. “But we’re just feeling really relieved to have gotten this far. A lot of the pressure’s off now, actually, and I think we’re going to be playing much more relaxed. We’re just really excited for this experience.”

Podcast: College Athletic Departments are Focused on the Wrong Things

Adam Lowe — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:21:21 +0000

College Athletic Departments are Focused on the Wrong Things by SMEHarbinger

Gallery: Girls’ Soccer vs. SM South

Marisa Walton — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:07:49 +0000

Gallery: Boys’ Lacrosse vs. Pembroke Hill

Marisa Walton — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:45:59 +0000

Live Broadcast Recording: Lacrosse City Wide Championship vs. Pembroke

The Harbinger Online Staff — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:04:22 +0000

The Lancers defeated the Pembroke Hill Raiders 5-4 in sudden death overtime to win the Lacrosse Association of Kansas City metro title.

Pregame Show

Game

Interactive Gallery: Boys’ Lacrosse vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

Marisa Walton — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:02:21 +0000

Live Broadcast Recording: Lacrosse Semifinals vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

The Harbinger Online Staff — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:22:24 +0000

The Lancers defeated the Saints 12-7 in the Lacrosse Association of Kansas City semifinals and will advance to play Pembroke Hill in the championship game Friday from Livestrong.

2012-2013 Junior Varsity Lancer Dancers Announced

Julia Poe — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:02:05 +0000

Junior Varsity Results

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Annika Kuhnke
Grade: Eighth
Experience: None
“I really like the idea of being on a team and getting to have a class where all you do is dance,” Kuhnke said. “Learning a dance with my friends was the best part of tryouts. They helped me through the process. I am looking forward to being on a team with amazing dancers.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Bea Workman
Grade: Eighth
Experience: None
“All of the dancing that they do at the games is so much fun to watch, and all of the dancers are so good,” Workman said. “Practicing with my friend Lauren Blackburn made tryouts fun. I’m looking forward to being on the team, and experiencing being a lancer dancer.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Brooke Erickson
Grade: Eighth
Experience: None
“I love to dance and the aspect of being able to dance in high school with a group of friends will be so much fun,” Erickson said. “I enjoyed the leaps and turns part of the tryouts. I can’t wait for the performances and family-like aspect of the team.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Carolyn Wassmer
Grade: Freshman
Experience: None
“Being able to perform at half times at games is probably the best thing about Lancer Dancers,” Wassmer said. “And also just being able to bond with a really cool group of girls. The best part of tryouts was the mock trial. It really lightened the mood after a week long of intense tryouts. I’m really looking forward to the performances and the team bonding.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Chloie Costello
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on JV team
“I love being part of a team and bonding with all the girls,” Costello said. “First day of clinics was the best day of tryouts. I’m looking forward to having another great year and performing at games.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Emily Meiring
Grade: Eighth
Experience: None
“I really look forward to being a part of a team and getting to be a part of the family that the sport of dance is,” Meiring said. “Also being able to do what I love – dance. Learning the routines was the best part of tryouts. Dancing all the time and being a part of an amazing dance group is going to be so much fun this year.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Emma Matthews
Grade: Freshman
Experience: None
“The Lancer Dancer performances are amazing,” Matthews said. “It’s nice having a high school dance team whose dances are fun to watch. Mock trials were the best part of tryouts. After the whole week of being completely stressed out, it was nice having a little bit of a break from just practicing the whole time. I’m looking forward to meeting new people and being a part of this amazing dance team.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Emma Olander
Grade: Eighth
Experience: None
“Working as a team and learning fantastic dances is what seems really awesome about Lancer Dancers,” Olander said. “Tryouts was great because I got to see my friends doing their best and working hard. I’m looking forward to dancing with my friends and really good dancers, and supporting others.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Grace Satterlee
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on JV team
“Dancing in front of my fellow peers is the best part of Lancer Dancers,” Satterlee said. “The best part of tryouts is when I would go home and get the dance down. I can’t wait to not be a freshman on the team.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Gracie Guignon
Grade: Freshman
Experience: None
“I really like the thought of performing and being able to do something that I love in front of my peers that involves my school too,” Guignon said. “Tryouts are always really stressful but my partner and I really bonded a lot. On the last day when the seniors did the mock try outs it was really funny and it kind of helped you relax. I’m really looking forward to being able to be a part of something at SME and especially something that I love to do. I’m excited for all of the games and most importantly bonding with the team.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Lauren Hunter
Grade: Freshman
Experience: None
“What I love about Lancer Dancers is seeing all the girls have a good time and of course all of the amazing dances,” Hunter said. “All the girls seem to get along really well and it looks like a really fun time. The best part of tryouts is the leaps. I like leaping the best so I feel like that’s my time to shine. I am looking forward to meeting new girls and learning new dances. I love all of the choreography and activities Lancer Dancers get to do.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Madelaine Heigele
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on JV team
“Dancing is what I love to do,” Heigele said. “I enjoy dancing everyday during school. My favorite part [of tryouts] is showing my personality in all the dances. I’m looking forward to dancing with my dance family. I can’t wait to start off the year with a brand new, fun start.”

Not present for pictures:

Kathryn Peterson
Grade: Freshman
Experience: None
“Dancing every single day as a class will be awesome. Hopefully it improves my technique a lot and I’ll get to meet some great new friends,” Peterson said. “The best part of tryouts is either the senior mock tryout or when it’s all done. Even if you messed up you feel a sense of accomplishment. I look forward to just having fun doing what I love – dancing.”

Lauren Blackburn
Grade: Eighth
Experience: None
“I love how good and put together their performances are,” Blackburn said. “Learning flags was great. It was new and I like new things. The freshman experience and learning so much more about dance is what I’m looking forward to the most.”

Lizzy Hall
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on JV team
“I love being a part of a team, meeting new people and doing what I love to do- dance,” Hall said. “Hearing the judges’ critiques and learning what I can improve on is the best part of tryouts, along with challenging myself. I am looking forward to learning even more and continuing to support SME school spirit.”

2012-2013 Varsity Lancer Dancers Announced

Julia Poe — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:01:40 +0000

Varsity Results

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Abigail Heying
Grade: Junior
Experience: Two years on JV team and one year on Varsity team
“I love getting to dance at pep assemblies, Nationals, and getting so close to the team,” Heying said. “The best part [of tryouts] is when the seniors do the mock try outs. It’s really funny to watch them do the exact opposite of what they do when they always perform. I can’t wait for Nationals, because it’s so cool to get to perform that competitively and it’s in Florida with your best friends.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Audrey Phillips
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on JV team
“I love the whole experience of being on a team and creating new bonds with new people,” Phillips said. “My favorite part of tryouts would be the mock trials because they are very humourous and you know what to do and what not to do. What I am looking forward to most would be a whole new year with new dancers and learning more and more each day.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Britney Hinote
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year JV team and two years on Varsity team
“The most appealing part about the Lancer Dancers is the enormous amount of bonding we do,” Hinote said. “Drill team is year round so we all get really close and become a family. My favorite part of tryouts is being able to see all the new girls coming in and waiting to see who the new team is. The thing I’m most looking forward to next year is Nationals. The last two trips have been some of the most amazing memories of my life and I would love to make a final trip my senior year.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Grace Cantril
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on JV team and one year on Varsity team
“I love everything about the team,” Cantril said. “Mostly the coach and the girls, and the awesome dances. The mock tryout was great because the seniors act really funny, and I laugh a lot. I’m looking forward to Nationals, being a senior, all the sisters I make, dancing at the South and Rockhurst games, and pep assemblies.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Frances Wooldridge
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on JV team and one year on Varsity team
“I love how Lancer Dancers is all year long,” Wooldridge said. “You become so much closer as a team and really become a family. Performing is a blast and it’s really fun to pump up the school at games. My favorite part about tryouts was watching the seniors do the mock trial on Thursday morning. I can’t wait to get close with a new team and form a new family. Also I am looking forward to going to Nationals again because it was probably the best trip of my life this year.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Hannah Smith
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on JV team and one year on Varsity team
“The most appealing parts of drill team to me are the performances at the basketball games and of course nationals,” Smith said. My favorite part of tryouts was watching the seniors do the mock trial during the clinic. I am most looking forward to getting to know all the girls on the team, performing at Nationals, and the incredible dances Bubba has in store for us.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Helen Petrow
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on JV team and two years Varsity team
“I love performing dances at games and pep assemblies,” Petrow said. “The energy is so exciting. Being apart of Lancer Dancers is like having a team of sisters. It’s the most supportive group of friends you could ask for. The feeling of relief you experience after is the best part of tryouts. It’s nice to have it all done. I’m looking forward to my last year on the team and going to Nationals one more time.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Kaitlin Morgan
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on JV team and one year on Varsity team
“I love how close all the girls get and I have such a blast dancing with all of them,” Morgan said. “Every single part of Lancer Dancers is appealing. The mock trial was my favorite part of tryouts. After working hard, it was fun to sit down and laugh for a while. I hope we get the chance to go to nationals again because it was a phenomenal experience.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Kaitlin Stewart
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on JV team and one year on Varsity team
“Drill team is a class during the school day so we get to dance every day at school and I love that,” Stewart said. “Watching the seniors do mock tryouts on the last day was great – they’re hilarious. Nationals is going to be great. It’s so much fun and a great bonding experience for our team.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Kara Lawrence
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on JV team
“I love all the dancing we do and performing,” Lawrence said. “Learning a new dance is the greatest part of tryouts beacause they are always fun. I look forward to performing with the team and bonding.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Kate Rumsey
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Varsity team
“All the people are so fun and we become like sisters,” Rumsey said. “Learning a fun new dance was the best part of tryouts, because I love to dance – it is my passion. I’m most looking forward to having another successful year with my dance sisters.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Lily Kaufmann
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on JV team and two years Varsity team
“As much as I love dancing, the best part of Lancer Dancers is definitely the bond that I make with my team and coach throughout the year that I love most,” Kauffman said. “Being a senior I know is going to be a huge transition this year. It’s going to be weird to be the eldest and to be the leaders, but I know how much fun that’s going to bring along with it. I hope to be as much of a big sister to all these girls as my past big sisters have been to me. And we’re gonna win Nationals.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Mary Kate Workman
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: Two years on JV team
“I love watching and performing with the Lancer Dancers at sporting events,” Workman said. “They always pump up the crowd during halftime and their routines look phenomenal every time. Nothing is better than being in the school gym dancing at six in the morning. I am looking forward to learning amazing choreography, dancing at sporting events and bonding with all my teammates.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Melissa Ator
Grade: Sophomore
Experience One year on JV team
“I just love dancing and having fun with teammates and performing in front of the school,” Ator said. “Picking up the dance and watching myself get better was great. I’m looking forward to getting to know all the girls and learning new dances.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Missy Linville
Grade: Junior
Experience One year on JV team and two years on Varsity team
“There is so much I love about Lancer Dancers,” Linville said. “I love performing and doing what we love to do, in front of big crowds. Aside from the dancing aspect, I love the bonds made between all of the girls on the team. Waking up at five in the morning is painful for everyone and not enjoyable in any way. But in years past, my favorite part is finding out who makes the team. Meeting the new girls and learning new dances, of course, is what I’m looking forward to.”

\Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Sadie Laughlin
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on JV team and one year on Varsity team
“All the people are so fun and performing in front of school is always fun,” Laughlin said. “I enjoyed learning a fun new dance. I can’t wait for another great year on Lancer Dancers and creating great new memories.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Sydney Lowe
Grade: Sophomore
Experience Two years on JV team
“I love dancing and it’s so fun feeding off everyone’s energy and spending time with friends,” Lowe said. “The mock trial that the seniors did was so funny and I love the feeling when tryouts are all over. Having more dance opportunities and being with friends is going to make this year great.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Taylor McCullough
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on JV team and one year on Varsity team
“The Lancer Dancers are such a talented and close-knit team,” McCullough said. “It’s something that I look forward to every day. I love performing, especially with such an amazing group of girls! My favorite part of tryouts is watching the seniors do their ‘mock tryout’. It’s so funny. I am looking forward to spending another year with my Lancer Dancer sisters. Basketball season is so much fun and will definitely be a blast this winter.”

Not present for pictures:

Elizabeth Cox
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on JV team
“The opportunity to possibly go to nationals in March,” Cox said. “Lancer Dancers is one of the best drill teams in the area. The mock trial was my favorite part. I love watching the seniors, and it’s going to be great making new friends and progressing as a dancer.”

Madison Stottle
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: Two years on JV team
“Lancer Dancers are my family,” Stottle said. ” I can’t wait to have fun with my friends.”

Peri Ogg
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: Two years on JV team
“I love dancing and having fun times with the team,” Ogg said. “I also love performing at basketball games and spring show. Tryouts are really stressful, but I loved practicing with Audrey and eating food. I am really excited to perform at basketball and football games. It will be really fun to bond with the team and get to know them better.”

You can find the JV results here.

Live Broadcast Recording: Track at SM North Relays

The Harbinger Online Staff — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:21:27 +0000

Watch the preliminaries from the North Relays.

Watch the finals from the North Relays.

Want to know more about track from this year? Read about staffer and track athlete Emma Pennington and her family’s legacy on the track here, as well as junior Grace Pickell’s record breaking high jump. For more on the track team, check out the SME Track site.

Live Broadcast: Girls Soccer vs. SM West

Connor Woodson — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:31:43 +0000

Gallery: Boys’ Lacrosse vs. Olathe

Marisa Walton — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:31:33 +0000

Junior Varsity Cheerleading Results Announced

Julia Poe — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:07:41 +0000

Junior Varsity Results

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Annie Savage
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“I really like the stunting in cheer,” Savage said. “It’s the best feeling in the world when your stunt group masters a new skill. My old stunt group and I did a push-up into a lip and it was the best feeling in the world. We try to do it every game. I’m also looking forward to a new coach, new girls and new stunts. I also can’t wait to cheer in front of big crowds.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Danya Issawi
Grade:: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on JV squad
“I like getting to spend a lot of time with friends and getting really close to each other, and cheering at the games is really fun,” Issawi said. “I was much calmer and more relaxed [at tryouts] this year; last year we were all freaking out. I can’t wait to have Lindsey as our coach. She has a ton of great ideas and is really easy to talk to.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Emma Handy
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“I love being a part of a squad and getting to make new friends,” Handy said. “My favorite part of tryouts was getting to show the judges how well I can perform. I’m excited to meet new people other than just the freshman students.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Jessica Mier
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on JV squad
“The most appealing thing about East Cheer is the involvement with the school and the girls on the squads,” Mier said. “The dance is my favorite because I used to be a dancer. The new head coach is going to help us have a fun year ahead of us.”

Stefano Byer | Harbinger Online

Keyli Kamin
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: None
“I enjoy meeting new friends and getting to know them better,” Kamin said. “Learning the material is fun because I think it is really fun to learn new chants and dances. It’s going to be great getting to know more people and learning new things.”

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Lindley Savage
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on JV squad
“I love getting to be a part of all of the SME sporting events,” Savage said. “I liked practicing with my friends after the clinics. The football games are going to be fun this season.”

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Maddie Hise
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on JV squad
“I’ve been on the squad for two years and I really like attending all the games and being part of the team,” Hise said. “We all really bond and have a great time together. I really hate tryouts but I like when you get done because there’s a rush of relief before you over-think how you did. I’m really excited about the girls and the fun activities next year. Lindsey got the freshmen this year so I’m hoping that will transfer over and make the whole program a fun experience.”

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Maria Dunn
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“Cheer is a fun way to get involved, and it’s just really fun in general,” Dunn said. “I love everyone on the squad too, which is nice. I love spiriting. You can just go crazy and be as loud and obnoxious as you want and no one cares. Its actually a good thing. Having Lindsey as our coach is going to be great.”

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Meghan Shirling
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on JV squad
“I love the team bonding,” Shirling said. “You are always together and you become really close with each other. We can have a good time and still get stuff done. I’m interested to see the new coach and see what she can bring to the table. I have heard nothing but good about her and I can’t wait to see it first hand.

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Morgan Clausen
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“Cheer is a great opportunity to get involved and make good friends,” Clausen said. “Nothing is fun about tryouts, its too nerve racking. I’m excited about the season and having Lindsey Haymond as a coach is going to be a highlight.”

Morgan Twibell
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on JV squad
“I really like the team bonding and the sister-like feel of the environment,” Twibell said. “Making people smile is a plus. Nothing was fun about tryouts because it was stressful. At this point I’m just hoping that I make it, but I am also looking forward to making new friends.”

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Ryley Johnson
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on JV squad
“I love all the girls. we have became a family by pushing each other to do better and be the best we can be,” Johnson said. “The best part of tryouts is getting them over. Just being with all of my friends and having fun is going to make a great season.”

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Samantha Pfeifauf
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on JV squad
“Being a part of a team is really fun,” Pfeifauf said. “Experiencing tryouts with the younger girls was great, because last year we were the babies. Getting to know the new girls and bonding with the squad will be great.”

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Sophie Paulk
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“It’s fun supporting my school and encouraging school spirit,” Paulk said. “Getting together with my friends and preparing for next year’s season that awaits us was great. I’m excited for a new team, meeting new people and getting more involved with my school.”

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Sophie Tulp
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“I love East Cheerleading because of the close bonds you come to make with the entire team throughout the year, as well as pumping up the crowd at games,” Tulp said. “My favorite part of tryouts is the adrenaline rush you get right before you enter the judging room. I’m looking forward to meeting the new coaches, cheering at more games and making more new friends through cheer.”

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Sydney Krause
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“I love East cheer because I love to be a part of a team,” Krause said. “My favorite part of tryouts was getting to learn new chants and dances. I am looking forward to meeting new people.”

Varsity Cheerleading Results Announced

Julia Poe — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:06:45 +0000

Varsity Results

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Alexis Welch
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“I love the bond that you build with your team and all of the activities you do,” Welch said. “I like actually trying out because after you know you are finally done and you can relieve your stress. I’m looking forward to watching and being a part of how much the team will grow and improve in skills.”

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Elisabeth Trecek

Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Varsity squad
“I love spending time with my friends on cheer,” Trecek said. “I wasn’t as nervous [for tryouts] as I was last year just because I know what to expect. I’m so excited that we have a new coach.”

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Elizabeth Birkenmeier
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“Cheer is very fun and you get really involved,” Birkenmeier said. “The end [of tryouts] was really scary though.”

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Emily Gray
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on Varsity squad
“I like being part of the games and getting everyone pumped up,” Gray said. “Tryouts aren’t fun but we obviously make it through every year. I’m excited for going to every single game and being able to be with our new coach.”

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Emily Woltering
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Sophomore squad and one year on JV squad
“I enjoy the school spirit we bring at the games,” Woltering said. “My favorite part about tryouts is how all of the cheerleaders work together to try and be the best we can be. I am looking forward to spending my last year with the rest of the varsity squad and becoming the best squad we can be.”

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Emma Robson
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Freshman squad, one year on JV squad and one year on Varsity
“I’m excited about pumping up the crowd,” Robson said. “The best part of tryouts was showing the judges what I am capable of being [as] a senior.”

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Faith Connelly
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on Varsity squad
“Cheer is a good way to get involved,” Connelly said. “Tryouts are really stressful but I like being there with my friends. I’m excited about our new coach.

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Grace DeGoler
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Freshman squad, one year on JV squad and one year on Varsity squad
“I am so excited for the upcoming year,” DeGoler said. “Tryouts are really stressful, but in the end it’s worth it. I’m really excited for our new coach also.”

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Hannah Yeoman
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Sophomore squad and one year on Varsity squad
“I like cheering at varsity football games,” Yeoman said. “I was glad when [tryouts] were over, because tryouts make me nervous. I’m looking forward to working on perfecting my tumbling.”

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Isabella Tomelleri
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Sophomore squad and one year on Varsity squad
“I love being able to put up stunts in the air and to know that with every practice you can start to develop new and better stunting skills,” Tomelleri said. “I like learning the material at [tryout] clinics. I’m most excited to continue cheering my third year as a senior. Most of the fun of cheerleading is being able to work your way up to Varsity as a senior and being able to chant “Hey Seniors!” to the stands.”

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Jayden Robert

Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“I like being able to try new things in stunting and spend time with friends, as well as make some new ones,” Robert said. “Practicing with my friends over the weekend at our slumber party was the best part of tryouts. I’m really looking forward to Friday night football games!”

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Kaileigh Frigon
Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on JV squad
“The girls are so much fun and I really like to cheer so its just a great experience,” Frigon said. “I like when tryouts are all over because there’s no more stress and it’s all done and decided. I’m really looking forward to cheering for the school and representing East.”

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Kendall Dunn
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“East cheer has a lot of fun girls and Tim to offer,” Dunn said. “I’m excited to start next year with Lindsey as our head coach. Cheer is one of those sports with extra fun things to get involved in. My favorite part about tryouts is going in in front of the judges and going crazy with my spirit. I’m excited to see the program move forward next year to reach new levels of amazing cheer.”

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Kendall Reeves
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“Team bonding helps you make friendships that last throughout high school, and everyone is so supportive of everything,” Reeves said. “Tryouts aren’t fun and are a huge relief when they are over. I am looking forward to making new friends and supporting East sports.”

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Leila Seabaugh

Grade: Sophomore
Experience: One year on Freshman squad and one year on Varsity squad

“It’s a lot of fun to get to know all the girls and have a physical activity that is motivating, rewarding and fun all at the same time,” Seabaugh said. “I always look forward to coming to practice and games and being involved in school activities. I like seeing everyone who is trying out and what they’ve been working on to get to all year. It shows everyone’s skills that they’ve built up through the year. There’s a new head coach and she’s is supposed to have a lot of new ideas and activities that we’ve never done before.”

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Lexi Belzer
Grade: Junior
Experience: Once year on Freshman squad, one year on JV squad and one year on Varsity squad
“I love all the girls,” Belzer said. “We have become a family and pushing each other to do better and be the best we can be. Easily the best part about tryouts is the end. It’s not like any other sports’ tryouts, so you can’t really prepare for what you’re getting yourself into. I’m looking forward to becoming closer to all the girls and getting better for the last year in high school.”

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Lindsey Grimm
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Freshman squad, one year on Sophomore, and one year on Varsity squad.
“I love being able to support all the teams at all times,” Grimm said. “I liked the dance this year and I appreciated the extra time we got to review the material over the weekend. I am really excited to have Lindsey as our coach this upcoming year, and I can’t wait to continue all the fun memories.”

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MacKenzie Bridges
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Freshman year, one year on Sophomore squad and one year on JV
“I really enjoy being able to connect with the student body and encourage school spirit,” Bridges said. “My favorite part of tryouts are the clinics- being able to learn the material and ask questions and bond with your future team. I look forward to continuing to push our skills as a squad and increase team building”

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Mackenzie Sweat
Grade: Freshman
Experience: One year on Freshman squad
“The best part of cheer is the team bonding with everyone and how everyone is so dedicated to what we do,” Sweat said. “Honestly, tryouts was terribly nerve racking. But I look forward to the school spirit and being with friends and having a good time. I’m so excited for next year.”

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Maddie Connelly
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Freshman squad, one year on Sophomore squad and one year on Varsity squad
“I enjoy always being the main support at the east sporting events and always having a reason to be peppy,” Connelly said.
“This year I really felt all of the material was taught well and I liked having the weekend to practice. I look forward to being a senior on Varsity and having Lindsey as our coach and ending my fourth year of cheering with a fresh start!”

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Madeleine Reynolds

Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Sophomore squad and one year on JV squad
“I enjoy the spirit we bring to this school,” Reynolds said. “It is so fun putting energy into the crowds at sporting events. I enjoyed the tryout dance because I love to dance. [Next year] will be my senior year and my grade is filled with so many talented athletes that are going to make cheering at games such a great experience.”

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Sarah Colburn
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Freshman squad, one year on Sophomore squad and one year on Varsity squad
“I really like to cheer in general and I love being in front of the student section and performing,” Colburn said. “I like doing the mock try-outs. Even though tryouts are nerve racking, it’s still a good thing to do to get ready for the real thing. I’m excited to be a senior on the Varsity squad. I’ve looked forward to senior year and senior night and all that that entails. I’m so excited.”

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Sydney Edmisten
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Freshman squad, one year on Sophomore squad and one year on Varsity squad
“I love being around my friends,” Edmisten said. “We always have a lot of fun. I also like cheering at football games. I love the adrenaline rush you get when you tryout. I think cheering at all the football and basketball games will be a highlight of my senior year.”

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Timothy Whittaker
Grade: Junior
Experience: One year on Varsity squad
“Practices are my favorite part of SME cheer,” Whittaker said. ” It is always something I am looking forward to in my day and I am always looking forward to learning new stunts.”

Not present for interviews/pictures: Caroline Breckenridge

You can find the JV results here.

East Athletic Director looks back upon his relationship with Saint’s former coach Gregg Williams

Mitch Kaskie — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:49:15 +0000

Gregg Williams has never forgotten Excelsior Springs, Mo. His long career in the NFL, starting in 1994 as the defensive coordinator for the Houston Oilers under head coach Jeff Fisher, eventually brought him a Super Bowl championship with the New Orleans Saints in 2009. Even after all those years with the NFL, Williams hasn’t forgotten Excelsior Springs, and Excelsior Springs hasn’t forgotten him.

That’s why Williams still keeps in touch with his high school head coach, currently East Athletic Director Sam Brown, and Brown’s old assistant, Ed Bush. That’s why Williams comes back every year to host his annual Tiger Classic Golf Tournament, which raises money for the Gregg Williams Foundation. That’s why almost $600,000 raised by his foundation has been given back to the school and community.

“His motto has always been ‘Once a Tiger, always a Tiger’,” Bush said.

Today, Williams is a coach under a lot of heat. After the NFL found that Williams had placed a bounty system in his defense which dates back to 2009 when the Saints won the Super Bowl, his reputation has drastically changed. The bounties involved players being paid bonuses for intentionally hurting or injuring opposing players. Williams, now with the St. Louis Rams as defensive coordinator again under head coach Jeff Fisher, has been suspended indefinitely and his status in the NFL will be reevaluated in a year.

To those watching breaking stories on ESPN or reading the daily papers like the Kansas City Star, Williams isn’t the same guy that his friends know. The people know that he used violent and shocking ways to motivate his defensive players- an act and a system that would not be excused by the NFL. It was something unexpected, uncalled for and could change the face of football in the future. But to his friends from his hometown, his family and his high school football coaches, he’s not a bad guy.

“He’s a tremendous person who made a mistake,” Brown said.

The first thing Brown will tell you is that he does not agree with the decision and tactic that Williams used in the NFL.

“The mistake was made that he supported a pot, and the pot shouldn’t have been supported,” Brown said. “The players in the NFL, since they make so much money, they are going to do things like that. But for coaches there is no place for that. And so he’s going to suffer from it for a year, and hopefully learn from it and go on.”

Williams has apologized to the media, and will try everything he can to get back to the NFL. Instead of appealing his suspension like others on the Saints staff such as head coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis, Williams has accepted his punishment and is working to get back to the NFL.

“Coach Fisher and coach Williams will do everything they can do to get [Williams] back into the NFL,” Brown said. “Obviously there were some mistakes made, and he is going to pay what he’s been delivered and hopefully he will get back into the NFL.”

Like everyone else, the community of Excelsior Springs and Williams’ friends were shocked when they first heard the news. As a personal friend of Williams, Brown felt like he needed to let people know that Williams really was a good person. But because of the personal degree of the situation, Brown turned down ESPN and Kansas City Star before doing a piece with Channel 9.

“It’s personal but, sometimes you want to make sure that people know that he’s a good person, and he really is a good person,” Brown said.

To Bush, Williams will always be a close friend. The two taught middle school PE for four years in Excelsior Springs, and stayed friends through his career in the NFL. If Bush ever asked for a favor, Williams was more than happy to help out.

“I’ll give you an example. My grandson’s birthday is in November,” Bush said. “Well when Gregg was at Tennessee, my grandson’s favorite football player was Eddie George, the Tennessee running back, and I called him up one morning and asked him if he could get me a personalized autographed picture for my grandson and he said sure. And in two days that was on my doorstep by special mail.”

Even with an unclear future and under the spotlight of a national sports scandal, the community of Excelsior Springs is hopeful for the future of Williams. The NFL has given second chances to players and coaches before.

Through thick and thin, Williams hasn’t forgotten where he came from. The four sided scoreboard donated by the Gregg Williams Foundation will still stand in the Excelsior High Gym. Just like every year he’ll be back for the Tiger Classic Golf Tournament, which he will kick off by emceeing the Hall of Fame Banquet on July 11.

“He made a mistake and is going to pay for it dearly, and maybe, maybe his coaching career. And that’s my main concern, because I’m from the same home town, and I just hate for that to be his legacy,” Brown said. “And you know what, that maybe what some people will always remember.”

New Cheer Coach Comes to East

Jeri Freirich — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:19:52 +0000

The varsity cheerleading squad will be making a change to the program with a new head coach, Lindsey Haymond. Next year will be different from years past because cheerleading at East won’t just be at games and pep assemblies. They will be competing at competitions around the state.

Haymond cheered in high school at Blue Valley Northwest, and then coached cheerleading in Texas for five years. Now that she has the opportunity to coach the East varsity squad, things will be different from years past.

“I hope we can compete at the Kansas high school competition and be successful at it,” Haymond said. “I am really looking forward to improving on what the squad learned last year.”

According to Haymond, if she can coach in Texas, she can coach anywhere. Texas cheerleading is way more than just football and basketball games. Her old squad competed nationally and was at a higher level so Haymond is prepared for the upcoming year. She is planning on using her coaching skills to improve the East varsity squad.

The cheerleaders are used to practices from five to seven at night five days a week, but Haymond wants to start practicing right after school Monday through Thursday. The team will be competing in competitions and will be participating in community service projects.

“I think we are going to be doing more community activities and social activities,” Haymond said. “Doing activities will help them become more united, which will improve their skills.”

Junior Maddie Connelly has been cheering for the past three years and thinks next year will be more organized and fun because of the new coach. Since the squad will be entering competitions, they will get a feel for working hard towards something besides games.

“I’m excited to get to know the new coach,” Connelly said. “I can’t wait to see what the new changes will be like and how the team improves next year.”

For tryouts this year, Haymond is looking for well rounded cheerleaders. She wants someone who can tumble, someone who is spirited and loud, and someone who has good motions.

Connelly is nervous this year only because tumbling is a big part of tryouts and in the past it hasn’t been based on that. Now that there is a new coach, the requirements have changed.

“I think most of the squad from last year has a good chance of making it again,” Connelly said. “We all had good varsity scores last year and we have really progressed.”

Top Sports Moments of the Last Four Years

Adam Lowe — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:36 +0000

2008-2009

1) Football vs. SM South
Just hours before gametime, senior star quarterback Curran Darling was diagnosed with mono. The coaches had no choice but to put their faith in sophomore John Schrock; with three hours, a 15-minute bus ride and the most important game of his life to look forward to, they gave Schrock the keys to the Lancer offense.Early in the second quarter, the Lancers were down 16-0. Schrock responded by leading four Lancer scoring drives, giving the Lancers the advantage at 24-16. The team was no longer thinking about the loss of the senior star quarterback, because they had a new one on their hands, as well the lead. With only minutes left, South ran the ball right over the left side of the center and walked easily into the endzone.The entire field stopped as the referee blew his whistle and tossed his flag to the ground.“Holding, on the offense. 10 yard penalty. Repeat 3rd down.”East had another chance to make the stop they needed to win the game. With the announcement, the South quarterback came rushing in with his own rendition of the “George Brett Pine Tar Incident”. Another 15 yards was taken away from the play. And just like that, it was 3rd and 25 from the 25 yard line with 11 seconds left. One more play for the win. As he took the snap, the South quarterback dropped back in the pocket, the pass went up and senior Marcus Webb knocked it down.“This game is why we have rivalries,” Webb says. “It was the best way to finish my career against the Raiders.”With the win came the rebirth of a long standing rivalry.

2) Boys basketball vs. Olathe East in Playoffs
Head Coach Shawn Hair describes this team as the most overachieving team he’s ever coached. With only two Varsity players returning, it seemed like it would be a grim year for the Lancers. However in the quarterfinals, seniors, Johnny Delgado and Charlie Luddington worked together, both having career highs for scoring and were able to beat Olathe East by single digits for the second time in the final month of the season.

3) Boys Swim wins league by 1 point over Olathe East
Olathe East had one of the best teams in state history. They were projected to win the Sunflower League championship by 60 points, and later this season they won state. However, at League, the Lancer Swim and Dive team had other plans. According to then-freshman Corbin Barnds even on a down year for East Swimming the Lancers “swam perfectly” in this meet. They only won by one small point, but it was a huge upset victory.

2009-2010

1) Boys Basketball at SM West-4 overtime
This team was built on ugly basketball. Not because they were bad, but because they were scrappy and they made other teams stoop to their level. According to head basketball coach Shawn Hair, this was how his team won games.

“We had a chance to win at the end of regulation, at the end of the first overtime and the second overtime, but we were not able to make shots,” Hair said.

This was a game in which nothing went right for the Lancers; a “roller coaster” as Hair describes it. A game where his Lancers were not able to convert in the final seconds when it counted.

“It really showed how raw energy isn’t always enough,” Hair said. “We played hard but at the end of the day we let a necessary win slip away from us.”

In the fourth quarter alone the Lancers missed seven free throws. Had they made them, they would’ve won the game. As the buzzer sounded with a score of 40-40 the Lancers were not happy.

“I just kept looking at the scoreboard and saying to myself ‘how in the world are we not winning this game’,” Senior guard Jackson Harter said.

Harter was the leading scorer for the game, racking up 20 points for the Lancers. With a final score of 64-64, both teams came close to doubling their scores from regulation.

This game could not have ended worse for the boys basketball team as they lost by two in the final overtime; however the “roller coaster ride” was enjoyed and will be remembered by all the fans.

2) Football Playoff Berth on goal line stop vs SM Northwest
The Lancer football team stunned SM Northwest in Chip Sherman’s first season as head coach. With a small lead that was about to be taken, Sherman called a timeout. He looked into his players eyes and assured them they were better than Northwest. After the timeout, the Lancers stopped the Cougars on the goal line four straight times setting the tone for the “new” East football team under Sherman.

3) Boys Golf sets low score record at tournament
According to senior Conner Schrock the only way to win in high school golf is when your team is consistent. Winning and consistency is something that the Lancer Boys Golf team has seen a lot of. With two straight state championships, the Lancers have consistently beat their competition. Three years ago the Lancers went to the largest high school boys golf tournament west of the Mississippi River when each player golfed under par, something nearly unheard of in high school golf. They also set a new tournament record.

2010-2011
1) Football vs. SM West
George Brophy may have been listed at 6 foot 2 and 230 pounds, but then-junior SM West quarterback Armani Williams would tell you that Brophy played much larger than that. And along with his Lancer teammates, he played with a huge heart. According to head football coach Chip Sherman, Brophy along with the entire Lancer football team had the game of their lives against SM West in the fall of 2010.

“Everything seemed to fall into place at the right time for us,” Sherman said. “But that can be attributed to the hard work of our boys.”

This Lancer football team not only went down in history as the winningest team the program had ever seen, but also brought the Nut Cup back to East for the first time in 14 years.

This game was highlighted by touchdown passes and runs by senior quarterback John Schrock, an airborne touchdown by then-junior Adam Lowe and a quick field goal by senior Chase Woofter. But what really made this game so special was the way the Lancer defense took control of the Vikings. At halftime, although the Lancers only held a single touchdown lead over the Vikings, they had been able to hold them to only five passing yards and just over 80 rushing yards. With SM West being a offensively driven team, this was impressive.

The Lancers were able to hold with a 21-10 victory over their district rival securing their spot in the record books as the greatest team in school history.

2) Boys Basketball vs. BV North
Sitting through an ugly basketball game with the score of a football game on a 90 foot court, the fans were still pumped up. With a score of 14-10 at halftime, head coach Shawn Hair describes this game as a game his Lancer team “had no business winning”. But through scrappy play and tough defense, the Lancers were able to pull off the upset with a score of 34-32.

3) Field Events Win Big
To have a good track and field team, you have to have a field team. According to Head Track Coach Brie Meschke what wins state championships is having good field events. In the spring of 2011, the Lancers had that going for them. Not only did shot put thrower Brian Williamson break a 50-year-old school record early in the season, but Kyle Engelken placed first at state.

2011-2012
1) Boys Soccer vs. SM West
With two minutes remaining, it was going from bad to worse for the Lancer boys soccer team. They were losing 1-0 to the inferior SM West team. It was senior night and someone needed to step up and make a play for the Lancers. Senior Jake Seitz was that somebody. As Seitz dribbled in and out of defenders he saw a wide open junior Tyler Rathbun gliding toward the goal. Seitz sent a pass hurling past defenders, leading Rathbun for the easy score in the back corner of the net. Just like that it was all tied up and the Lancers were going to overtime.What makes this score by the Lancers even more impressive was that they were playing with a man down. Early in the second half a red card was awarded to senior Nathan Ross. However this Lancer team did as they always did and kept on playing.In high school soccer overtime is played with a “golden goal” style so whichever team scores first wins. With this in the back of their minds Jamie Kelly’s team took the field. The first three minutes were back and forth; neither team could get an effective shot on goal. Three and a half minutes in, junior Austin Wilcox played the ball ahead of Rathbun once again. The pass looked to be heading too far in front of him, but with a magical diving header he was able to find the back of the net and finish off the win for the Lancers. The term golden goal really was fitting for the Lancer team in this win.

2) Lacrosse vs. Rockhurst
Coming off of a state championship and an undefeated start to their season this Lancer team knew they could beat anyone. However the Rockhurst Hawklets seemed like a difficult task. The closest East has ever come to beating Rockhurst was last season when they lost 13-6. Rockhurst had never been beaten by a Kansas team, but the Lancers changed that winning 9-7.
3) JV Boys Basketball vs. Rockhurst
Every year the East vs. Rockhurst basketball game redefines school spirit. It is a day circled on calendars year in and year out. This year the JV game took center stage. With stunning play and leadership by junior Conner McGannon, the Lancers were able to not only bring the students to their feet but were also able to pull off a close win igniting the atmosphere for tip off of the Varsity game.

2011-2012 Best of the Best Team

Coach Sherman: Not only did Sherman beat cancer while in the midst of the football season but he also helped lead his injury stricken team to a second round playoff berth for the first time in a decade. Sherman continued to battle cancer throughout the entire season only missing two practices.

Shannon McGinley: Since her freshman year McGinley has been tearing it up on the Varsity stage. Her leadership on the basketball court and fastball on the softball diamond have set her apart from other Lady Lancer athletes.
Grant Minick: After recovering from a broken leg Mincik was the fastest leg on a state champion 200 and 400 freestyle relay team. Grant Minick also placed second and third respectively in the 50 and 100 freestyle.
Zach Schneider: Schneider’s coming out party actually wasn’t a party. It was a three month rave. No one game was better than the rest. If he wasn’t vacuuming up boards, he was stroking from deep. He was the most consistent player for the Lancers this year.

Football Offensive Line: Five beefy seniors led the high power scoring offense of the Lancers football team this year. While the skill players of the team battled injuries the entire season these seniors helped put the team on their back.

Caroline Dodd: Head soccer coach Jamie Kelly calls Dodd’s leadership style infectious. Not only is she a stud athlete who has come up big for her team but she also has created a working environment that any high school athlete would want to be around.

Grace Pickell: Pickell may only be a junior but in the opening meet of the 2012 track season she shattered the school record for the high jump, leaping to height of 5 foot 8 inches.

Katie Crawford: Halfway through the 2012 Soccer season and Crawford already has two hat tricks. Crawford’s ability to make things happen while battling injuries has been a great learning tool for her teammates.

Conner Rellihan: Rellihan may have been shadowed by senior Elliot Faerber in the off season however while Faerber suffered a concussion in week 4 for the Lancer football team, Rellihan continued to have a strong junior season. Look for Rellihan to be the main target for his classmate Jordan Darling next season.

Weekly Spring Sports Update- Week 7

The Harbinger Online Staff — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:34:59 +0000

Boys’ Tennis-
The boys’ varsity tennis team beat Olathe Northwest 5 to 1 and swept them in doubles. The JV team also dominated the ravens by winning every match with an impressive 80 games to 12 in all.
On Thursday the Lancers will play in the Varsity Sunflower League Championship at the Indian Creek Recreation Center. Senior Jackson O’Gorman-Bean, sophomore Brooks Kendall and junior Jake Glazer will lead the varsity team as they try to take another Sunflower League Championship.
The team will play in the Desoto Tournament on Saturday and will look to continue they’re hot streak at the Gardner Edgerton Quad on Monday.

Baseball-
The Lancers continued winning and improving this past week. They are staying strong with an overall record of 9-4, the Lancers are in second place overall in the Sunflower league. The Lancers are in 8th place in the state according to the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches (KABC).
“We had a varsity game on Tuesday, we won 2-1 in nine innings,” sophomore varsity player Quinn Appletoft said. “We played great defense but our bats have coming around a little slow.”
The Lancers have a game on Friday against Blue Valley West. The team also has senior night on Saturday against Bishop Ward on the Shawnee Mission East field.

Boys’ Golf-
This Friday, the 27th, the Boys’ Golf team will compete in the Hutchinson Golf Tournament at Hutchinson Carey Park Golf Course. This is a one day tournament.
Next Thursday the Lancers will co-host an Invitational at St. Andrews Golf Course with eight other teams.

Girls’ Soccer-
Last Tuesday, the Varsity team beat SM South 2-0, making their record a current 5-game winning streak. Goals were scored by senior Kara Hines and junior Anna Colby.
“South is a huge rivalry, so it’s always fun to beat them,” Sophomore Quincy Hendricks said.
Tonight (Thursday) the Lady Lancers have a home game, breast cancer awareness themed, against Olathe Northwest at the SM Soccer Complex.
“Olathe Northwest is a really good team,” Hendricks said. “We beat them in overtime last year so it should be a really good game.”

Softball-
East handily beat SM Northwest this week in two games this Tuesday, 10-0 and 8-2. Their record is now 10-0, giving them the best start in team history. However, the competition is growing more intense. SME will face Olathe North tonight in a hard fight between two softball giants. The team has played solid ball all year, but they will need to step it up even more.
“We are aware that our schedule gets tougher, but we are excited because we know that this type of schedule will make us our best at the right part of the season,” said Senior Shannon McGinley. “Everyone wants to win and we are all aware of the increase in competition that is coming up.”

Boys’ Lacrosse-
Last weekend, the boys’ travelled to Dallas, Texas to play Frisco as well as Episcopal Dallas. The Lancers returned home with a 1-1 record, beating Frisco 9-4 and losing to Episcopal 14-6. Neither game affected the Lancers’ standing in league play where they are still undefeated. East had one day of practice on Monday before facing Pembroke Hill at Shawnee Mission North stadium Tuesday for Senior Night. The Lancers looked to have a decisive 5-2 lead early into the second half before the Raiders were able to gain back some ground, taking an 8-7 lead late in the fourth quarter. East went on to win the game 9-8 in exciting fashion as freshman Nick Bailey was able to put back a mishandled stop by Pembroke’s goalkeeper.

The boys head to St. Louis Friday morning for two non-conference games against O’Fallon of Illinois and Saint Louis University High.

Girls’ Lacrosse-
The Girls lacrosse team lost to Lee Summit West last Saturday, but the JV won. Their scheduled upcoming games will be against STA and Blue Valley. The girls are hoping to see more student support at the games as the season progresses.

Girls’ Swim and Dive-
With League a week away at Lawrence Free State High School the Lady Lancers swim team is preparing for the tough road ahead. The loss of senior Marston Fries was a big setback but it now gives other girls the chance to step up. Meg Stanley, Sarah Freshnock, Emily Minick, Lanie Leek and Tiernan Shank are the only girls on the team with their state qualifying times. The rest of the team are beginning their taper so they can be more rested and prepared for the league meet.

“We will see a lot of our competition for state at league,” said junior Meg Stanley. “It will be interesting to see which girls on our team can succeed and get their state cuts. After league we only have one more meet before state so there is a lot of pressure to do well.”

Track

Sprints/Hurdlers-

Last weekend was the KU Relays at the University of Kansas. The Relays have athletes from all over the region giving this meet stiffer competition than the state meet. Junior Devin Burton won his heat and placed fifth in the 300 hurdles running a 40.12. The boys 4×400 won the Sunflower Showdown with a team of Joe Lewis, Carter Olander, Juan Ramos and Jack Fay running a 3:27.69.

On the girls’ team senior Toni Aguiar was the only runner to score points. She placed eighth in the 100 running a 12.68. This week the Lancer runners are headed to the Aquinas meet on Friday.

Long Distance-

The varsity boys’ and girls’ had their work cut out for them at this KU Relays this week. The boys 4 by mile (Mitch Kasie, Ian Wiseman, Evan Nichols, Mitch Daniel) placed 7th overall with a time of 18:40, a new school record for East. The next day, the boys took 9th in the DMR and 14th in the 4×880.

Field Events-
High jumper Grace Pickell and Nick Pirotte represented East at the KU Relays last weekend. Pickell, ranked as the third best high jumper in the nation, placed third with a jump of 5’4’’, four inches off of her personal record.

Nick Pirotte threw for 149 feet, earning no points and falling 15 feet short of his personal record.

There is Still Hope for the Royals

Jeff Cole — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:58:05 +0000

If you are a Kansas City Royals fan, you know that this year has quite a bit of hype around it. Between the exciting young talent and hosting the All-Star weekend this July, KC has been surrounded by media attention. Unfortunately, it seems that the boys in blue haven’t been able to to live up to that preseason hype.The Royals started off somewhat hot, going 3-3 in their first six games, before dropping 12 in clean sweeps to the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays…at home. Local sports anchor Mick Shaffer recently tweeted jokingly about the Royals saying, “ Ya know that old baseball adage: play .500 on the road, lost all of them at home. #royals.” While this may sound like a joke, it was unfortunately true up to Wednesday. Thankfully, the Royals picked up two road wins this week with one on Wednesday night by a score of 8-2, and another today beating the Indians 4-2.So, you’re probably wondering why you should keep your head up during these tough times? There are a few reasons:We have youth-The Royals are notoriously known throughout baseball to have one of the top, if not the best farm systems. Talented players like Mike Mustakas and Eric Hosmer have only been with the club for two years, but already have been deemed great players. Just recently, Hosmer was compared to Hall of Famer George Brett. Other notable Royals minor league stars include Johnny Damon and up and coming hometown high school star Bubba Starling.

We’ve been competitive-

Six of the last ten games have been decided by two or less runs. We are competing in games, but we are struggling to find a good balance with our pitching. Bruce Chen, this year’s designated ace has had quality outings, but is still struggling to find his rhythm. Along with former Mizzou pitcher Aaron Crow, the two starters are the only pitchers with an ERA under 3.00. But it’s the team that scores the most points that wins games, said best and correctly analyzed by John Madden. If we could have scraped out a couple more runs a game, I firmly believe the Royals would bebe sitting at 9-7 as opposed to 3-13.

Time is on our side-

In the end, it is still April, and the Royals must remember that the most important game is the next one. We have the right guys in place and if we can solidify our pitching and become more consistent at the plate, this year could still be big for the Royals.

Live Broadcast Recording: Girls’ Soccer vs. Olathe Northwest

The Harbinger Online Staff — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:48:36 +0000

Watch the Lady Lancers take on the Olathe Northwest Ravens in a 1 – 0 win.

Junior Jumps into the Record Books

Jeri Freirich — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:41:35 +0000

Jake Crandall | Harbinger Online

Junior Grace Pickell wipes her sweaty palms on the Adidas spandex track uniform. She takes her mark, jumps and lands. While she lays flat on her back she gets up nervously to check the height. Her eyes are fixated on the bar-at 5 feet 8 inches. This was the highest she had ever jumped.

Grace broke her 5 feet 5 inches record from last year by jumping 5 feet 8 inches at the SME Quad at the beginning of the season. Not only did she break her own school record from last year, but after that meet she was also named third in the nation. Grace’s goal doesn’t stop there, she is hoping to stay undefeated for the rest of the season by keeping her height up.

“Once I heard that I was third in the nation I couldn’t believe it,” Grace said. “It was very exciting because I wasn’t expecting this to happen at the beginning of this year or this year at all.”

As a freshman, Pickell wasn’t sure if she wanted to swim or be a part of the track team. She realized swimming was not her calling because she only did it over the summer to stay in shape and not to compete so she decided to try something new. Pickell made this decision because of one of her major influences, her dad Tim Pickell. Tim was a jumper and hurdler; he convinced her to try one of these events.

“I think as a parent you want your kids to try new things,” Tim said. “I knew she was a really good swimmer, but I wanted her to try track to see if she would like it.”

When Grace was in elementary school, she did the standing long jump at field day. This was her first sign that she could jump high because she beat all of her peers. From then on, she went to her brother, Sam Pickell’s, track meets at East and watched him run. Grace thought it was great being out in the sun and there were boys and girls on the same team.

Grace not only shares her sport with her father, she shares her coach. High jump coach Chuck Sulzen has coached Grace for three years and also coached Tim when he was in high school. According to Grace, there is a special bond between her and her dad because they can compare their track experiences.

“My dad is my motivation to do well above anything else,” Grace said. “Since we were both coached by the same person we can easily share similar stories.”

Grace started jumping 4 feet 4 inches in her first meet as a freshman and by the end of the year went to state with a height of 5 feet 2 inches. As a sophomore, she started reaching 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 4 inches and a half but this year she was getting over 5 feet 4 inches consistently.

“I’ve been amazed with how much she has succeeded,” Tim said. “Not only did she surprise me, but I think she has surprised herself.”

Her goal for the season is to stay consistent; so she practices six out of seven days a week to maintain this. At practice she does plyos on boxes, over and under hurdle exercises and squats with a medicine ball to gain muscle in her legs so she can lift herself over the bar. Sulzen has the jumpers stretch, run laps around the football field and either do strength training or work on their form for jumping.

“Grace and I have to work through her band syndrome and tendonitis and bring it along slowly,” Sulzen said. “We work on how she approaches the jump which is a big percentage of her jump and also form which is a smaller percentage but she’s doing pretty well with it already.”

Grace puts a lot of mental preparation into warming up right before a meet. She drives to every meet with senior Maggie Fenton and listens to “Rack City” by Tyga on the way.

“We have become good friends by doing track together for the past three years,” Fenton said. “It is nice to have someone close to my age on the team that I can go to the meets with and get dinner with after practice.”

This season, Grace has started a tradition of her own for every meet. On her wrist she writes a bible verse, Isaiah 41:10, that says “Don’t be afraid of anything because God is behind you.” This reminds her to stay motivated and confident. One of Grace’s basketball teammates, Caroline Dodd, inspired her to write it on her wrist for every game, so she carried that over to track.

“Having something to remind me that God is behind me keeps me going when I am having a bad day,” Grace said. “Keeping a positive attitude and doing my best is all that matters to me.”

Grace’s competition hasn’t changed immensely throughout her three years on the track team: one from St. Thomas Aquinas and one from Lawrence Free State. Her goal for the past few years has been to beat both of them.

“I was always afraid of the girl from Aquinas because she was so good my freshman year,” Grace said. “I finally beat her this season, which was really exciting.”

Grace hopes to further her talent in high jumping by continuing in college. According to Grace, it’s not just a competitive sport to her, it’s relaxing even though it’s still a constant challenge. Since she has only had three meets this year, her goals are to jump at a higher height above 5 feet 6 inches or even 5 feet 10 inches.

“I would need to consistently be jumping as high as I can,” Grace said. “I really want to go to Arkansas because they have one of the best track programs in the nation.”

Grace’s dad thinks she will be getting college offers soon, but as a parent he says he only wants her to continue with it if she has a passion for it. He is excited for Grace because how talented she is, but he doesn’t want to push her.

“If I want to continue in the future, I need to stay focused,” Grace said. “I can’t let myself get psyched out because I know I can do anything I put my mind to.”

Live Broadcast Recording: Boys’ Lacrosse vs. Pembroke

The Harbinger Online Staff — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:46:12 +0000

Watch the boys’ varsity lacrosse team take on Pembroke Hill in an exciting 9 – 8 victory!

University of Missouri Coaches Come to East

Patrick Frazell — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:34:56 +0000

At approximately 12 p.m. Tuesday, the Missouri Tigers’ football team had a bus parked in the front circle drive of East. Missouri assistant coach Andy Hill and first year graduate assistant, Mack Brown, son of East athletic director Sam Brown were touring around area high schools meeting with possible recruits. Their other stops included Blue Valley High School and Olathe South.

Hill and Mack Brown spent time talking with head football coach Chip Sherman and Sam Brown. Sam Brown told the Harbinger Online that Missouri is not currently recruiting anyone here, but they are expressing interest in junior quarterback Jordan Darling. Darling has already received offers from KU and gaining interest from other Division I schools. For more on Darling, check out Corbin Barnds’ article here.

Weekly Spring Sports Update- Week 6

The Harbinger Online Staff — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:34:53 +0000

Boys’ Tennis-
The tennis season is beginning to wind down and the Lancers seem to be staying on top form. The Jv team beat Pembroke Hill high school 11 to 6 on Monday. Sophomore Brooks Kendall defeated junior Will Welte 8 to 3 to make up for junior Jake Glazer’s loss to junior Chandler McCray. Sophmore Jamie McDonald and freshman Reese Goulding also won their matches to give the varsity the win against the Raiders.
The boy’s tennis team also placed second at the BVNW Invitational to Rockhurst high school by only losing by two points. Senior Jackson O’Gorman-Bean and Glazer placed second in doubles while Kendal placed fifth in singles.
On Friday the Lancers will play in the Sunflower League tournament and will be getting ready for districts next week.

Baseball-
The Lancer varsity baseball team was able to improve on their record, moving up to 7-3. The Varsity team plays in Lawrence both today and tomorrow but not against Lawrence either day. The JV and C team play today against Olathe South.
“I think this team is good enough to win it all [state],” sophomore varsity player Quinn Appletoft said. “We have a good core of seniors that can carry us to state.”

Boys’ Golf-
The Boys’ Golf team competed in their first round of the Sunflower League tournament last Tuesday. A three round tournament, the Lancers came out of the first round in first place only standing one stroke ahead of Shawnee Mission Northwest.
Senior Conner Schrock lead the Lancers with a 73, 1 over par. He is placed second so far, next to SMNW’s Jackson Foth.
Next week, the Lancers will compete in the second round.

Girls’ Soccer-
Varsity won their game against Leavenworth last Tuesday, 10-0, implementing the mercy rule for the second time this season. Hoping to continue their winning streak, the girls will play Olathe North tonight (Thursday.)
“[The game against Leavenworth] was great, we played well as a team and it was good to score 10 goals against them,” Sophomore Kelly Pidcoe said.
Softball-
The team continued its run at perfection this week. East earned a victory and a shutout against Lawrence, winning 2-0. They went on to defeat Lawrence Free State 12-3. Pitching and defense has been a strength of the Lancers all year — they also shutout SM West 3-0 and won on Thursday 13-3. Despite their rigorous schedule, the girls continue to perform at a high level and are now 8-0.
“It feels great to be undefeated because it really shows that our hard work in practice is paying off in games,” said senior Shannon McGinley. “Our confidence is up and we are prepared to face our more difficult competition coming up at the end of the season.”

Boys’ Lacrosse-

The Lancers have continued their success from last week, and improved their record to 10-0 on Sunday morning against the Tulsa Bulldogs. East has benefited from strong scoring from Connor McGannon, Droste Milledge and freshman Nick Bailey, resulting in 114 goals through 10 games. The Lancer defense has also been strong so far this season, allowing only 39 goals. East will take on the Saints from Saint Thomas Aquinas at North Stadium on Wednesday at 8 p.m. before heading to Dallas, Texas for two games against Frisco and Episcopal Dallas.

Girls’Lacrosse-

The girls lacrosse team had their first loss of the season when they played Sion last Tuesday, April 17th. Even though they lost earlier this week the girls are looking forward to playing Lee Summit North this Saturday at SME.Girls’ Swim and Dive-

Last Tuesday the Girl’s Swim and Dive team had senior night against Lawrence Free State High School. At the meet senior Lanie Leek made the qualifying state time in the 50 yard freestyle and senior Hallie Beck qualified for state in the 100 yard breaststroke. The team still won the meet even though they were without their start swimmer senior Marston Fries who will be out this season do to mono and having an iron deficiency. On Friday 20, the team hosted the Lancer Invitational against Shawnee Mission North, Shawnee Mission West, Shawnee MIssion Northwest, Olathe East, and Blue Valley West High School. As the season reaches its peak the team and head coach Rob Cole are looking forward to the League meet, May 4 and 5, and the State meet, May 18 and 19.“I think so far we are doing very well this year,” said coach Rob Cole. “We’re better at this time in the season than we were last year. We are all together more consistent in our times but that being said if we want to win league and state, [the girls] are going to have to step it up and start getting those qualifying times.”

TrackSprints/Hurdlers-

While some of the top athletes are looking towards their events at this weekends KU Relays other JV and varsity runners participated in the District meet last Tuesday. On the girls team senior Emma Pennington won the 100 hurdles running a 17.41. In the open 400 the girls took second, third and fourth by Emma Vickers, Lauren Brown and Phoebe Aguiar. Kaycee Mayfield took first in the 200 meter dash running a 27.54.
On the boys side of things Sam Stewart placed second in the 100 meter dash running a 11.43. Sam also had an amazing run in the 4×400 relay running a 51.7 split. Freshman Will Oakley proved himself placing second in the 300 hurdles running a 43.88.Long Distance-

Middle and long distance runners had one of their most impressive across-the-field performances last Tuesday at the combined JV/Varsity District meet. Every SME 4×800 team, from JV girls to Varsity boys, took home a gold in the 4×800 relay. Other standout performances include senior Jake McCoy’s 2:08.88 in the boys’ varsity 800 and Freshman Hannah Arnspiger’s 2:34.4 in the girls’ varsity 800.
This Friday and Saturday a handful of East’s best runners will be competing in the KU Relays, a national meet whose competition level rivals that of the State meet. Here are the athlethes that will be competing:Nick Pirotte: Javelin
Toni Aguiar: 100m, 4×400 Relay, Sprint Medley Relay
Devin Burton: 110H, 300H 4×200 Relay
Chloe Stradinger: 100H, 300H
Mitch Daniel: 800m, Distance Medley Relay, 4x1Mile Relay, 4×800 Relay
Annie Kuklenski: 4×400 Relay, 4×800 Relay, Sprint Medley Relay
Grace Quinlan: 800m, 4×400 Relay, 4×800 Relay, Sprint Medley Relay
Abby Dunn: 400m, 4×400 Relay, 4×800 Relay, Sprint Medley Relay
Grace Pickell: High Jump
Carter Olander: 4×800 Relay, Distance Medley Relay, 4X400 Relay
Joe Lewis: 4×200 Relay, 4×400 Relay, Distance Medley Relay
Connor Rellihan: 4×200 Relay
Josh Winter: 4×200 Relay, 4×400 Relay
Blake Hill: 4×800 Relay, Distance Medley Relay, 4x1Mile Relay
Evan Nichols: 4×800 Relay, 4x1Mile Relay, Distance Medley Relay
Mitch Kaskie: 4x1Mile Relay, Distance Medley Relay
Juan Ramos: 400m, 4×400 Relay
Jack Fay: 400m, 4×400 Relay, 4x200m Relay
Ian Wiseman: 4x1Mile Relay
Kelli Johnson: 4×800 Relay
Sam Stewart: 4x200m Relay
David Sosna: 110H, 300H withdrawn due to injury

Field Events-

Even without Nick Pirotte (javelin) and Grace Pickell (jumps) at the District meet on Tuesday, the field athletes saw great success. Christian Blessen won the boys’ varsity javelin and Myisha Heinen took second. Both set new personal records for the season. Bennet Uhl also performed well for the throwers, placing second in the discus.Pickell’s absence provided freshman Justine Paton to fill a hole in the girls’ varsity in the high jump and Paton came up big with a second place finish. Alec Bartholemew and Ben Williams placed first and third respectively for the boys.

Alic Erpelding took first in the boys’ pole vault with Preston Vaughn sneaking in at a close third.

Live Broadcast Recording: Boys’ Lacrosse vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

The Harbinger Online Staff — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:54:46 +0000

The Lancers remained undefeated after rallying from a two point deficit in the first half to beat St. Thomas Aquinas 9-6.

Boys’ Tennis Team Runner Up at Rockhurst Invitational

Adam Lowe — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:13:41 +0000

The varsity boys’ tennis team competed and received second place overall at the Rockhurst Invitational Tournament. The tournament took place yesterday afternoon on the Plaza.The tournament consisted of 30 singles players and East Sophomore Brooks Kendall took fifth place overall. According to head coach Sue Chipman the Rockhurst tournament is always a competitive field of teams however East has competed very well in recent years.

“These players did an exemplary job representing East with intensity and class,” Chipman said in an email to the East staff. “Our parents were amazing and I could not have been more proud of our school.”

Along with Kendall’s fifth place finish, Sophomore Jamie McDonald came in seventh out of the 30 singles. On the doubles side of the tournament Jackson O’Gorman-Bean and Jake Glazer came in 2nd and Drew Surface and Reese Goulding finished 10th overall.

Lancer Track and Field Qualifies 22 athletes for Kansas Relays

Adam Lowe — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:43:34 +0000

The Lancer Track and Field Team is using this week to gear up for the annual Kansas Relays Meet. East has qualified 22 athletes, all of these athletes with the exception of a short number will be running in several events throughout the weekend. The relays will take place Friday and Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.

The Lancers have had recent success in the Kansas Relays. Most recently in 2010 when the girls 4×400 relay team took home gold medal on their way to a first place finish at state.

According to Head Coach Brie Meschke, all eyes will be on Junior high jumper Grace Pickell. In the first meet of the season Pickell skyrocketed over the school record with a leap of 5 foot 8 inches. According to Meschke she will definitely be one of the East athletes they expect on the leaderboard.

Junior hurdler David Sosna will be the only East athlete to qualify and not race. Sosna has been struggling with a broken foot since the beginning of the season and will not be racing this week.

East Qualifiers
Nick Pirotte Javelin
Toni Aguiar 100 meter dash, 4×400 Relay, Sprint Medley Relay
Devin Burton 110 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles, 4×200 Relay
Chloe Stradinger 100 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles
Mitch Daniel 800 meter dash, Distance Medley Relay, 4×1 Mile Relay, 4×800 Relay
Annie Kuklenski 4×400 Relay, 4×800 Relay, Sprint Medley Relay
Grace Quinlan 800 meter dash, 4×400 Relay, 4×800 Relay, Sprint Medley Relay
Abby Dunn 400 meter dash, 4×400 Relay, 4×800 Relay, Sprint Medley Relay
Grace Pickell High Jump
Carter Olander 4×800 Relay, Distance Medley Relay, 4X400 Relay
Joe Lewis 4×200 Relay, 4×400 Relay, Distance Medley Relay
Connor Rellihan 4×200 Relay
Josh Winter 4×200 Relay, 4×400 Relay
Blake Hill 4×800 Relay, Distance Medley Relay, 4×1 Mile Relay
Evan Nichols 4×800 Relay, 4×1 Mile Relay, Distance Medley Relay
Mitch Kaskie 4×1 Mile Relay, Distance Medley Relay
Juan Ramos 400 meter dash, 4×400 Relay
Jack Fay 400m, 4×400 Relay, 4×200 Relay
Ian Wiseman 4×1 Mile Relay
Kelli Johnson 4×800 Relay
Sam Stewart 4x200m Relay
David Sosna 110 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles withdrawn due to injury

Live Broadcast Recording: Girls’ Soccer vs. Leavenworth

The Harbinger Online Staff — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:07:24 +0000

Watch the girls varsity soccer team take on Leavenworth live at 6:45 p.m. from the District Soccer Complex.

Lancer Goals

Katie Crawford- 3

Caroline Dodd- 2

Anna Colby- 2

Kelly Pidcoe-2

*One goal was counted as an own goal for the Pioneers as it bounced off one of their defenders and rolled into the goal.”