Kansas City’s Varsity Sports
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Although high school wrestling is a winter sport in high school, many are still wearing the singlet over summer and competing against their top peers in the nation.
Park Hill coach Bill Erneste recently sent three of his best youngest wrestlers to the Cadet National Duals in Daytona Beach, Fla., in which a state puts together a dual-meet team made up of freshmen, sophomores, and sometimes even eighth graders, to wrestle against other states. Rising Park Hill freshmen Ke Shawn Hayes and Colston Diblasi along with future junior Russ Coleman all made the Missouri team.
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“Our kids did well,” Erneste said of the mid-June experience “Anytime you make a state dual team and you’re competing in the summer, as a high school coach you’re sitting back with a smile on your face.”
Now, five Park Hill wrestlers, along with other local participants, prepare to travel with the Missouri team to the Cadet/Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D., for the July 15-23 competition. Unlike the Cadet Duals, this format allows its participants like Hayes, Diblasi and Coleman as well as sophomore John Erneste and junior Nick Harper to perform well as individuals.
“Every year, that’s our goal is to have kids place at this tournament,” Erneste said, “because that lets all the college coaches know you’re good in Missouri but you can be good everywhere.”
BASEBALL The Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association has released its all-state teams that honored several Kansas City area players stretching as far south as Raymore-Peculiar to the northern city limits of Liberty.
The Lee’s Summit West Titans placed three on the Class 4 first team (pitcher Matt Hall, catcher Matt Fultz and utility and designated hitter Luke Knott), the Staley Falcons also enjoyed the first-team trifecta with pitcher Bryan Young, catcher Mikey Yeager and outfielder Isaac Geisinger.
The Liberty Blue Jays finished second in the Class 4 state tournament also got two on the first team (pitcher Matt Hinkley and infielder Nathan Winfrey). Other all-state first team players include Jacob Boylan of Raymore-Peculiar who made the team as a utility player. For the complete list, go to www.mhsbca.net.
Class 3 first-team players are Zach Morgan, Oak Grove, catcher; Richard Moriarty, Pembroke Hill, infielder; and Grant Gavin, St. Pius X, utility/DH.
Class 2 first-team status went to Jordan Eckley, Barstow, infielder.
TRACK AND FIELDOver the weekend, members from the Lee’s Summit West girls’ track and field team competed in the Nike Track Nationals meet in Eugene, Ore. On Saturday, the Titans finished seventh overall by posting 7,420 points (the elite 12-team meet scores points like a decathlon), so LS West just missed repeating in fourth place by only a slightly better finish in one of its events.
“I think we did very well,” LS West distance coach Jesse Griffin said. “I think the girls had a lot of fun and got to compete at Hayward Field in conjunction with the national meet.”
Lauren Cheadle, despite battling sickness, finished eighth in the 100-meter dash in 12.42 seconds and seventh in the long jump in 17 feet, 1 ½ inches.
Other Titans were: Jacque Timberlake, 11th in the 400 in 1 minute, 3.39 seconds; Kennadee Williams, seventh in the 800 in 2:20.77, a personal record; Chelsey Phoebus, third in the 1,600 in 5:02.19; Essence Chalmers, fourth in the shot put with 39 feet, 6¼ inches; Katie Kelly, fourth in discus, 109-2; and Brittany Kallenberger, fourth in high jump, 5-5 ¾ and third in the pole vault in 11-6 ¾.
submitted by CANDACE BUCKNER – 2011-06-28 13:52:02
