At the Mike

At the Mike Weekly column that runs in the local newspaper and extras revolving around sports in the Great Bend

06/04/2026

At the Mike - June 4, 2026

Finally some rain, prep sports close out season and an anniversary

May and June showers bring June flowers. Wait, what? April brought us hardly any rain. May didn’t either until the last week or so.

The total rainfall amount from January until the last week or so when it started raining here was 2.2 inches. For a total of nearly five months - 2.2 inches.

In just the last week since the rainfall begin, we have had almost 3.8 inches of rain here in town. Areas around us have had even more. Nearly double the moisture in a short period of time.

It was too late to do anything about the wheat crop for the farmers in the area, but it will help the soybeans and corn especially as well as the milo.

And the livestock, well there may actually be grass in the pastures now for a while.

We are still in drought conditions. We still need more rain (although it could space itself out a bit at this point). Hopefully the rest of June and July bring more moisture.

But I am quite thankful for the nearly four inches of rain in the last week or so. Very thankful.

Prep Sports

The prep sports season is officially in the books. The Great Bend baseball and softball teams both took 3rd place at the 5A level. Neither team played a third place game after a semifinal loss due to the rain that altered the events.

On the track, things were fun both Friday and Saturday. Sprinters and jumpers were highlights from the area all season long and it was no different over the weekend.

For Great Bend, Karys Leu took 3rd in both the 100m and 200m to pace the Panther girls. Cooper Ohnmacht led the way with a third place effort in the triple jump and a 4th place finish in the long jump.

Both the boys and girls finished with 18 points, placing 12th and 16th respectively.

As a team, the Ellinwood girls placed 4th in 2A. Reagan Wirtz paced the Eagles, capturing the 100m and long jump as well as taking 2nd in the 200m.

Hoisington’s Marley Bittel led the Cardinal girls in the sprints. Bittel finished 3rd in the 100m and 4th in the 200m.

At the 1A level, both Chase and St. John finished just outside the top 10. Jericho Mawhirter led the Tigers with a win in the 400m while Malik Carson scored all 21 points for Chase, winning the long jump, taking 3rd in the 200m and 4th in the 100m.

Kambree Nixon took 2nd for the Central Plains girls in the 800m while Gavin Alloway of Otis-Bison took 2nd behind Carson in the long jump.

And Finally

June is the month for weddings. Beginning of the summer. The weather is usually decent and all. Surprisingly, though, it is not the most popular month for weddings in the US. I figured it was but my phone tells me differently.

But it is October that is actually the most popular month for couples to wed in the US. October weddings make up 15-17 percent of weddings each year here. June and September are close behind as well as May.

On average, September weddings are next at 14-15 percent while June rolls in around 11-14 percent. May is on the heels at 11-13 percent. Who would get married during the high school football season in September and October? Seriously? Oh well.

I got married in June like many others. Today, actually, June 4th. Two days before D-Day so I could remember when it was.

The month of June was named after a lady named Juno back when the Romans made the current calendar. She was the goddess of marriage and childbirth so it was thought to be good luck to marry in June.

Many modern couples, though, prefer the crisp air of fall, placing October and September ahead of June for marriages in the US. That shift didn’t take place until the last 10 years or so, however.

So there you have it. As far as my family, May was the month my parents married, June was the month my sister married while my brother, well he got married on New Year’s Day. My daughter Katelyn got married in August.

Anyways, I got married on June 4 some 21 years ago, way back when June was still the most popular month to get married. Married at the Methodist Church in Iuka. If you don’t know, Iuka is just north of Pratt. We were not able to book the church in Pratt so we made our way a little north of where my lovely wife grew up.

It has been a fun, crazy, wild 21 years. Good times. Bad times. Fun times. Sad times. We’ve shared the birth of our grandchildren and the death of three of our parents. The adoption of a 2nd daughter and addition of a son-in-law.

Yep, 21 years in the books. Here’s the next 21 and beyond.

05/28/2026

At the Mike - May 28, 2026

Big Bend Bash, Panthers shine on the diamond and the longest two days in sports

The Big Bend Bash. A lot of Bs there. It’s set for this weekend in downtown Great Bend.

It can be called an offshoot of June Jaunt. And, to an extent, you’d be right. But June Jaunt was centered around Jack Kilby Square. The Big Bend Bash is centered around the streets and alleys just off Main.

But many of the activities are the same. The number of people that find their way to downtown Great Bend is high. And the fun times remain the same.

And while the days of Mike and Ice Shaved Ice are in the past and June Jaunt was probably the biggest event of the season, there most likely will be shaved ice. Albeit, probably not to Mike and Ice quality.

That first Mike and Ice appearance at June Jaunt in 2014 was one still talked about by the crew. Myself and three high school freshmen had no idea what we were in for but they did an outstanding job. Even if Katelyn’s cheesy fries were cold by the time she got to eat them.

Great Bend stepped away from June Jaunt as have other towns along K-96 over the past few years. GB did so last year with the Big Bend Bash.

So get out and enjoy the Bash. Temps look to be in the 70s and 80s. Some rain is possible, but if this spring so far is any indication, the chances of rain actually happening are slim to none.

Prep Sports

Go Great Bend. The Panthers softball and baseball teams are headed to the 5A state tournament. Softball came up one game short last year while baseball is trying to reach the title game for a second straight year.

Last year the Panther baseball team was the No. 2 seed. This year they came in as the 8th seed. In a new format, the quarterfinals were played earlier this week as the Panthers knocked off the top-seeded Salina Central to make their way to the semifinals.

Awaiting GB in the semis in Wichita in an 11 am first pitch this morning - St. Thomas Aquinas. The team that beat the Panthers in the title game last year - St. Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas was the top seed last year in its title run. This year they are the 4th seed. If Great Bend can get past the winner of the 6th and 7th await was St. James and Shawnee Heights.

The Panther softball team has been among the tops in 5A all year. They ended the regular season with just one loss and were the top seed going into the state tournament. The Panthers took care of Goddard Eisenhower in the first round and now get … St. Thomas Aquinas. Oh, yeah, and like baseball, the defending 5A softball champs are St. Thomas Aquinas. That game will take place in Wichita at 1 pm today.

Unlike the baseball side where the lower seeds won three of four first round games, the top four seeds all made the semifinals in softball. On the bottom side of the bracket it is 2nd seed Basehor-Linwood and 3rd seed Bishop Carroll.

The title games will be Friday. Championships games start at 6:45 pm for both baseball and softball. Third place games will be at 1:30 pm.

It’s great to be a Great Bend Panther.

And Finally

Welcome to the Kansas High School State Track and Field Meet. Cessna Stadium is absolutely insane for two straight days. The longest two days in sports.

That term the ‘longest two days in sports’ dates back to the days Steve Webster and I covered the meet together through much of the 90s. Steve for Eagle Radio out of Hays and myself for the Hays Daily News.

This was before the days of the internet and cell phones as portable computers.

Steve would give live updates on the radio I believe every hour. I wrote several stories for the Sunday newspaper. It wasn’t just the Hays Indians and TMP Monarchs, but area schools and pretty much all of northwest Kansas.

I would help Steve and his fellow radio mate Gerard Wellbrock gather information for their reports as well making my way from the press box to the infield to watch events up close and get interviews with athletes.

But here is what you have to understand. As I said, this was before the internet. Results were printed out in the press box, put into a folder that had the classification, event and boys or girls. There were folders, or boxes, everywhere along the backside of the press box. Mostly organized, but a lot of information in one area to sift through.

And results weren’t always instant. Sometimes up to a half hour or longer before they were printed and placed in their folder. They would also be stapled up on a board on the concourse for fans and athletes to see. It seemed like every year there was that one event that took forever to get printed out you were waiting for.

But what made things really fun was keeping team scores. They were not updated and placed in a folder. Today you jump online and instantly see teams scores as the meet progresses. Then you had to keep your own. And hope you were right if a team you were covering was in a tight race for a state title.

But some of the most vivid memories from that time were things that went along with the meet. Back in the 90s those that rode the elevator up to the press box at Cessna Stadium usually held their breath. If you could hold it that long. It was as if a team of oxen were pulling you up. Slowly. You could hear the elevator making noises that, well, weren’t okay. And shaking. Holding the rail was not uncommon. This went on for years.

You could also slip up to the upper level of the press box and smoke a cigarette. Steve, his dad Jim, who was the coach at Skyline High School, and myself shared one every few hours in the north end of the top level.

Then there was the ‘Bed Challenge'. Three of us, Steve, Gerard and myself, shared a hotel room. It has two beds. We would play a round of golf on Thursday on the way there to see who got to sleep in a bed by themselves.

Yes, the state track meet is the longest, craziest, most entertaining, and insane two days in sports. The ability for KSHSAA to run it so smoothly is probably the biggest accomplishment the association has ever had.

05/21/2026

At the Mike - May 21, 2026

It’s about track this week as regionals take place across the state

Track, track and more track. That is what At the Mike brings you this week as regional meets across the state take place.

Today we look at some local and area athletes looking to earn a spot at the state meet and have some fun with Artificial Intelligence dating back to the 1980s.

So Runners, on your mark. Get Set. Go.

Prep Sports

Track regionals are here. Today and tomorrow runners, throwers and jumpers will be doing their things around the state of Kansas. Roughly half of those will be today and half tomorrow. Many will be watching the sky for possible rain around the state.

Central and Eastern Kansas are at risk for storms today later in the afternoon and Friday could bring rain mostly on the east side of the state.

Great Bend will be heading to Hays to take part in regional action. That takes place today as the only 5A Regional doing so. It looks as if it may be able to avoid weather delays there.

Several Great Bend athletes looking to make it to state will have a tough row to hoe in Hays. For the girls, Karys Ley is among the top sprinters in 5A girls. But she is going to have to be on her game. In the 100m, Leu has the 4th best time in the state at 12.32. That is the second best time at Hays where five of the Top 10 times in 5A will be. In the 200m, Leu has the second best time at Hays as well, as six of the Top 12 times will be competing.

Sydney Stein and Decorah Schroeter will have to battle a Salina Central standout and Bishop Carroll runners for their spot at state. In the 800m, Stein and Schroeter have the 5th and 6th best time as the Central runner and three Carroll girls are ahead of them. In the 1600m, it is a similar scenario.

The field events aren’t quite as loaded as the track as a trio of Panther eye state. Chloe Crawford enters 2nd in the high jump, Kimberly Hofflinger comes in 4th in the javelin and Kayle Baldwin 2nd in the pole vault.

For the boys, Cooper Ohnmacht, fresh off a fantastic effort at the WAC Meet, will be looking to get to state in three, maybe four events. His 46-2 winning jump at WAC is nearly two feet ahead of the next best jump. The javelin gold medal toss of 167-4 is just ahead of Corbin Giebler of Hays as they sit nearly 10 feet from the next best effort. In the long jump, Ohnmacht enters with the third best distance in a deep field. Ohnmacht has added high jump as well in what is a weak field at Hays.

Tavon Stroup will bring the third best 800m to Hays with his 1:55.89 - five seconds ahead of that fourth best time. Grant Watkins has a 12-0 pole vault which puts him in contention in a field that has 10 of the top 15 heights.

At 3A, Marly Bittel has the third best time in the 100m at 12.2 but the field in Beloit is loaded as 7 of the top 12 times will be there. It is no different in the 200m where her 25.75 sits at the top of the field that has 6 of the Top 11.

Larned is off to Cheney as Cammy Upson eyes a spot at state in the shot put. Upson enters with the 7th best throw in the state at 3A but the 4th best distance at Cheney.

Regan Wirtz has once again established herself as the top sprinter in 2A. She takes the top time in the state to Inman in the 100m (12.07) and the second best time in the 200m but the top time in her regional. Her long jump of 19-3.75 is the top in 2A by more than a foot as the top four distances in 2A are all at Inman.

Eleanor Joiner will go to Inman with the top times in 2A in both the 800m and 1600m. Her 2:17.93 is more than three seconds ahead of the next best time in Inman while the 5:14.14 in the 1600m tops a field with five of the top eight times.

For 1A girls, Kambree Nixon’s 2:24 in the 800m sits 2nd best in the Lincoln Regional, Taylin Davis the 3rd best time in the 3200m, and Boston Robinson the 4th best time in the 100m hurdles.

For area boys, Carson Asher has the 4th fastest 100m in 2A at 10.86, but that is 3rd at the Inman Regional where five of the top six times will be.

In 1A, Malik Carson of Chase will take the top time of 10.8 to the Kiowa County Regional as the second fastest in all of 1A. St. John sprinter Jericho Mawhirter has the 2nd fastest time at 11.16 and Pawnee Height’s Cody Holste is fourth. Carson has the top in all of 1A in the 200m at 22.47. Mawhirter has the best 400m time at the Kiowa County regional. The St. John boys have the top 4x400m in 1A at 3:32.41.

In the jumps, Carson will have the best distance in the long jump at Kiowa with the 2nd best jump in the state while Braxton Alpers leads the field in the triple jump.

And Finally

Track Regionals make for some crazy moments. Athletes from around 350 schools compete.There are no combined schools or co-ops. If your school has one athlete, that person represents your school. It is crazy stuff.

Back in 1985, I made my way to Seneca for regional action. I took 3rd place there and eventually 7th at the state meet. I ran a 4:44 at regionals and school record 4:39 at state. Since that time Waconda East High School closed up shop and my record will stand forever.

As I was researching this information through AI (Gemini) it got fun. First, I asked where the regionals were held for 1A. It gave generic answers that did not include Seneca. So then I asked if Seneca has a 1A regional and it suddenly remembered it did.

Then I asked about the 1600m and it listed a few runners of which I was not listed. I then asked it about Mike Marzolf. Oh, yeah, he did that 3rd that year but missed state because only the top two runners went. It said I went to school at Centralia.

So I asked AI if it was sure Mike Marzolf went to Centralia or maybe he went to Waconda East? He told me I was absolutely right, he was from Waconda East and he was a premier miler from North Central Kansas. Yeah, okay. Sucking up now. Even told me he appreciated the correction.

So on I went. I asked for the results from the 1600m that year at state. It listed the top three and times, which were not correct. I then asked for the top six times. I know I was just outside the top six at 4:39. It has 4:42 as the sixth best and listed a runner from Downs, a rival, in the fourth spot.

It then told me that Richard Mick, from Downs, and Mike Marzolf had some great battles that season. He asked me if I knew Mike Marzolf or was a rival runner.

When I told Gemini I was Mike Marzolf he told me it was an honor to meet me. I also mentioned Kip Schoen from Downs, who I battled all year as well and beat in Wichita that year. AI then put up a section called ‘The 1985 Rivalry: Marzolf, Mick and Schoen’ and talked about how we often finished in the top three spots and were among the best in the North Central Activities Association.

Only problem was we ran in the Twin Lakes League.

While AI has some great knowledge and is very useful, it still has a ways to go yet. But it did give me a chuckle.

Fun stuff.

05/15/2026

At the Mike - May 14, 2026

Dragstrip back in business, baseball and softball brackets taking shape and cutting wheat in May

Open for business once again. It’s been three years, but the Great Bend Drag Strip is back in business.

This afternoon marks the ribbon-cutting ceremony with the initial ‘tune and test’ grudge night set for Friday and the first Summit Points Race of the season on Saturday.

Not to be outdone, the Splash Pad also opens today here in Great Bend.

Yes, the summer season is unofficially here even though summer doesn’t ‘officially’ start until June.

May also ends with a bang as the Big Bend Bash, on offshoot of June Jaunt, closes out the month on the 30th. Final Fridays on Forest precedes the Bash the night before.

Prep Sports

Baseball and softball regional brackets have pretty much taken shape. The lower classes are set. The upper classes have established themselves for the most part.

While not official until Saturday, the Great Bend softball under the direction of 1st-year coach Shawn Behr will be the top seed on the West side of 5A.

They are looking at hosting Hutchinson in the opener with Ark City, Goddard or Valley Center most likely the foe standing between the Panthers and a state tournament berth.

A tough stretch to end the regular season dropped Hoisington to the 8th or 9th spot in the west in 4A softball. That will send the Cardinals to Clearwater where they will take on either Augusta or Buhler. Larned is the 12th seed from the west and will head to Pratt, Andale or McPherson depending on what happens in the doubleheader between Pratt and Andale today.

Ellinwood, the 12th seed in is regional, will travel to Sterling to open play Monday.

The Great Bend baseball team is pretty much locked into the 6th spot on the west side of 5A and will head to Andover or Carroll for regional action.

At 4A Larned looks to be going to its long-time rival Pratt for its first round regional contest. Hoisington is on the outside looking in after finishing 8-15 in a very competitive west side of 4A.

Ellinwood won five of its last six games to move up to the 9th spot in its 3A bracket. The Eagles opened play at Southwestern Heights last night with the winner most likely getting Russell in the semifinals.

And Finally

Harvest in May?

Don’t look now but that is more than a real possibility, it is quickly becoming a probability.

As of this week, 86 percent of the wheat is headed out. Normally, this runs at about 25 percent for this time of the year.

The Russell Wheat Plot Tour, a staple for farmers in this part, has been cancelled this year because the wheat was maturing too fast. It was too short, too thin and stressed from drought for the tour to be any good.

Make no mistake, harvest in May is not a good thing. While there is no such thing as normal for wheat harvest, mid 40s for bushels her acre are just that. Last year it went into the 50s in a lot of fields. This year … well … 40s would be a ‘bumper’ field. In the 30s will be much more common.

Now, I am old and forgetful, but I do not remember cutting wheat in May before. Currently, the estimated start dates for the harvest in the Great Bend area are May 28.

Father’s Day combines rolling are commonplace, but Memorial Day combines rolling? Crazy.

A drive through the countryside amongst ‘know-it-alls’ Steve Webster and myself this past weekend left us with the conclusion harvest will be in May. It was not uncommon to see wheat barely one foot tall and headed out. Typically, it is close to three feet tall.

Southern Kansas will occasionally start in May. But here in central Kansas and where I grew up in northern Kansas, this does not happen.

My phone tells me this happened in 2012 in the Great Bend and Hutchinson areas. I don’t recall that but, hey, I forget things. Ask my wife. Several comparisons are being made between the two years.

It also tells me if harvest starts in May here in the Golden Belt, it will be an event that has happened less than a handful of times over the past 100 years.

05/07/2026

At the Mike - May 7, 2026

Graduation, area sprinters among the state’s best and Happy Mother’s Day

Graduation.

Sunday marks graduation at Great Bend High School. Class of 2026. A class that has accomplished a lot of things over their time at GBHS both athletically as well as other activities.

Ellinwood will join the Panthers in graduating this weekend while other area schools graduate next weekend.

Graduating on a weekend is commonplace nowdays. Everybody does it. In 1985 at Waconda East High School, we had graduation on a Thursday night. I remember because I had to get up early the next day to head to the regional track meet.

If I remember right, all graduations in my area were on a week night in the way back. You did nothing school-wise on a Sunday.

Anyways, happy graduation to all the 2026 graduates in the Golden Belt.

Prep Sports

Regional track is two weekends away. Great Bend will head to Hays. Hoisington is off to Beloit, Ellinwood goes to Inman and Central Plains makes the trek to Lincoln. Larned will go to Cheney while St. John, Macksville and Stafford all head to Greensburg.

As the season winds to an end, some area athletes are keeping up with the best in the state in their class, especially on the girls’ side of things. Especially in the sprints.

Great Bend’s Karys Leu has the top time in 5A for the girls’ in the 200m with a 25.72. Her 100m time of 12.32 is the third best. The Hays regional is loaded in the girls’ sprints with half the top 10 at that meet in both events.

Sydney Stein is sitting 10th in the 800m and 1600m. The freshman has run a 2:25 and 5:20 in those events. Kim Hofflinger has the eighth best javelin throw in 5A at 115-8.

Also sitting at the top of the sprint charts in 2A is defending state champion Reagan Wirtz of Ellinwood. Wirtz tops the charts in the 100m in 12.28, is third in the 200m with a 25.84 and tops the long jump field with a leap of 19-3.75 - two feet better than second.

She isn’t the only category leader from Ellinwood as Eleanor Joiner has the top time in the 1600m at 5:14 and the third best time in the 800m in 2:22. The Ellinwood 4x400 sits third at 4:18.

Hoisington’s Marley Bittel is among the top sprinters in 3A. Bittel has the second best time in the 200m and third best clocking in the 100m. Bittel has run 25.93 and 12.25 on the season.

Larned’s Camy Upson is sixth in the shot at 3A with a heave of 37-2.

At 1A, a pair of Central Plains runners are in the Top 10 with Taylin Davis eighth in the 3200 in 12:35 and Kambree Nixon ninth in the 800m in 2:30.

The guys aren’t as stacked.

Hoisington has a quartet in the Top 10 led by a pair of pole vaulters. Taylen Morales has the 3rd best effort at 13-6 while teammate Joseph Hekele is 7th at 13-0. Layton Hoffman is 4th in the discus at 164-0 and 9th in the shot at 51-3. Courtney Bryant is also 9th in the triple jump at 42-2.25.

Larned’s Gary Pinkstron is 5th in the 400m in 52.01 and Lane Elam 7th in the 300m hurdles in 41.07.

At 1A, St. John’s Braxton Alpers is 3rd in the triple jump with a leap of 43-8.5. Teammate Jericho Mawhirter is 9th in the 400m in 52.77.

Chase sophomore Malik Carson is fourth in both the 100m (11.2) and 200m (22.87). Stafford’s Joel Valdez is 10th in the 3200m at 10:20.

And Finally

Mother’s Day. Sunday brings about the latest edition of a holiday to celebrate mothers.

It has always been a special day for me. And while this year’s edition of Mother’s Day will look a bit different for me, it will remain a very special day. Maybe even more so.

This will be the first Mother’s Day without the lady I affectionately called Mom for 58 years. Well, I guess I didn’t call her Mom the first year or so of my life, but you get what I mean.

I lost my Mom last October. Becky Marzolf was 85. My mother and I had a very special relationship.

And while I will certainly have moments that will be tough come Sunday, a couple of ladies very special to me will help ease some of that loss.

Watching my daughter Katelyn become a fantastic mother has been one of the most precious joys of my life. Her son Wade is two closing in on three. Willow is one knocking on the door of two. Being able to see her ‘mom’ up close fills my heart.

She makes being a great mom seem easy. She does it so smoothly. Although I know it is not nearly as easy as she makes it look, you could never tell it watching her do her thing. I can guarantee you this - her Grandma Becky is smiling as she watches her from heaven. No doubt.

Then there is my lovely wife Crystal. Her Mom days are far from over but as Katelyn has become a mom, Crystal has transitioned into a Grandma mode as well. Now, Crystal is a fantastic mother but let me tell you, she is an even better grandma.

To see the grandkids' reaction when they see her is awesome. Willow will give a huge smile and point at her. Their relationship is a special one. The grandkids' faces light up when they pull up in front of our house and see us coming out to greet them.

So while this will be my first Mother’s Day without my Mom, it will still be a day to celebrate. To celebrate the 65 years my mother spent on earth as a Mom. Wait, I think I just outed by sisters’ age. Ooops. Sorry about that Rhonda.

To celebrate Crystal’s 26 years as a Mom and now three years as a grandma. That doesn’t tell you Crystal age, whew. And to celebrate Katelyn’s now three years as a mom. Puts a smile on my face.

Happy Mother’s Day Becky. Happy Mother’s Day Crystal. Happy Mother’s Day Katelyn. Happy Mother's Day Rhonda. Happy Mother’s Day to my mother-in-law Sharon.

And a Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there.

05/01/2026

At the Mike - April 30, 2026

Saving the peonies, baseball and softball info and eyeing the end of the school year

I knew it was about to happen. I can’t recall it happening in April before.

What is it you ask? My peonies have bloomed. Opened up last week. April 22. Crazy.

It is usually around Memorial Day. Maybe high school graduation if they are early. But April? I do not remember that happening before.

Then Tuesday night I had to cover them because of the frost warning. Really.

I will say there was a bit of figuring involved. Just laying a blanket over the peonies that had bloomed would most likely crush that particular bloom. Probably even hurt the ones that are what you might call a marshmallow bloom where they are just opening.

The fix? Place a chair on each side of the peonies, then drape the blanket over the chairs to cover the peonies. I think it worked.

Hopefully it’s the last time this spring for that. I don’t like the cold.

Prep Sports

Baseball and softball have passed the halfway point so let’s take a peek at where the area teams are as far as postseason seedings go.

The Great Bend softball team is among the best in the state at 5A. The Panthers are 19-1 on the season. The lone loss was a 3-1 decision to an 18-0 Derby team. That record is the best in all of 5A. There are a couple of teams on the east side of 5A with one loss but GB is the lone team on the west side. Salina Central and Bishop Carroll both have a pair of losses.

Hoisington is also having a pretty good season on the diamond. The Cardinals, co-op with Central Plains, are 12-6 and currently in a log jam with teams for the 3rd and 4th spots on the west side of 4A. Larned is 7-12 in 4A but has won four straight.

Ellinwood sits in the middle of its 2A regional with a 7-9 mark. That would currently put the Eagles on the road to start the postseason but they are easily in striking distance of hosting an opening round contest.

On the baseball side of things, Great Bend climbed into the top four on the west side of 5A after a rough start but fell out following another rugged stretch. The Panthers are currently 10-7 and just one loss outside the top four and hosting. There is a lot of baseball left for the Panthers, who are hitting stride.

Ellinwood just completed one of its toughest stretches of baseball and now look to find some footing and move up in the 3A standings. The Eagles are 7-11 but have their eye on a home playoff game to start the postseason.

Hoisington and Larned are both near the bottom part of 4A on the west side with the Cardinals coming in at 6-10 and the Indians at 5-10 after sweeping Hugoton.

And Finally

Down to just two weeks of school. It doesn’t even go to the middle of May anymore. That is just crazy.

Here in Great Bend the final day of school is May 13. Stafford also gets out on the 13th while Ellinwood is done the following day.

A handful of schools in our area go into the third week of May. Central Plains, St. John and Macksville all get out on the 19th, Hoisington’s final day is the 20th while Larned goes the longest with its last day on the 21st.

Those are some numbers that are closer to the dates for my final day way back in the 80s. Even that was early for us. Our final day was always in the 20s, usually around the 24th or 25th day of May.

The main difference now? School starts like the 2nd week of August now. Here in Great Bend August 14 was the start day. We did not start until the Tuesday after Labor Day at Waconda East High School in the mid 80s.

Earlier start for an earlier release. Is it worth it? Would you rather start in Mid August to get out in Mid May? It’s easy to say yes since it is almost May now. But come August, is the answer to that question the same?

I vividly remember that football practices back then were tougher due to the later start. We had 2-a-day practices nearly every day leading up the start of school. That is not possible anymore since KSHSAA has changed the rules as to the amount of 2-a-days you can have and when you can have them.

I still think I would rather have a later start. August is still summer. As a kid, enjoying that month of August as summer would beat getting out early in May when you are never sure what the weather may be like.

Guess it’s a horse apiece. But for me a later start is better. Nobody asked me though. Oh, wait, yeah they did. A survey for the school calendar is sent out to vote on. So, yeah, I’m in the minority on this one.

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