BY BUDDY TABLER
LARNED — The 4A Larned Indians softball team (15-12, 6-10 CKL) finished with a 15-0 regional loss to Mulvane. The Indians were 9-2 in non-league games.
The Indians return P/3B Jadyn Crosby (.287; 23 H; 20 R, 23 RBI; 47 IP); C Eowyn Hedding (.381, 32 H, 33 R, 24 RBI) and SS Brooke Simmons (.275, 22 H; 25 R, 16 RBI).
No. 1 pitcher Crosby will be backed up freshman Brileigh Stahlecker.
"We return senior Jillian Smith and six juniors," said Larned softball coach Jordan Haney. "That group will lead and set the tone for our team culture. Our goal is to compete and challenge every time we step on the field."
The Indians will rely on several sophomores and freshmen.
"Our sophomore class will play an important role as they continue to gain confidence and adjust to the varsity level," Haney said. " While we will be young in many areas, we are confident in our work ethic and commitment to growth."
The 16-player roster will allow the Indians to schedule junior varsity games which the younger players develop.
“We have 16 players on our roster, which is exciting,' she said. "Our incoming freshmen bring knowledge and playing experience."
Haney is assisted by Brooke Stahlecker and Lupe Perez.
LARNED SOFTBALL
LARNED SCHEDULE—3-24—at Ellis Jamboree; 3-31—at Lyons; 4-7—*Hoisington; 4-10—*at Hesston; 4-14—*at Smoky Valley; 4-17—*Haven; 4-21—*at Hillsboro; 4-24—*Halstead; 4-28—Hugoton; 5-1—Ellis; 5-5—at Russell; 5-8—*Nickerson; 5-11—*Pratt; 5-18/21—at 4A regional; 5-28/29—at 4A state
LARNED ROSTER
SENIORS—1—OF Jillian Smith
JUNIORS—4—SS/C Brooke Simmons (.275, 22 H; 25 R, 16 RBI); 10—C/IF Eowyn Hedding (.381, 32 H, 33 R, 24 RBI); 13—1B/OF Jillian Hagerman; 31—P/3B Jadyn Crosby (.287; 23 ; 20 R, 23 RBI; 47 IP); 32—OF Alexis Stewart; 33—IF/OF Jozlyn Mead
SOPHOMORES—3—OF Devora Bowersox; 11—OF Jenna Fischer (.500); 12—IF Kendra Marvin; 16—1B Ember Nelson; Lauren Sleder
NINTH-GRADERS—2—OF/IF Jadae Robinson; 5—P/IF Brileigh Stahlecker; 17—OF Micayla Brewington; Brenn Castro
Cara Herbert headlines Larned track
BY BUDDY TABLER
LARNED — With 46 athletes on the boys and girls roster, expectations are high for the Larned Indian track and field team.
Larned standout hurdler Cara Herbert has placed three times at the 3A state meet in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles.
In the 100-meter state hurdles, Herbert has placed fourth (15.78), fourth (15.87) and 11th (16.77). She's finished seventh (47.87), seventh (48.01) and ninth (48.53) in the 300-meter hurdles.
Cammy Upson (34-7) placed 12th in the 3A shot put.
Cassidy Wachs returns after scoring well last season in the high jump and middle distance events. Taeten Reynolds will be counted on to score in the sprints. Discus thrower Addison Townsend and shot putter Mallorie Ceniceros will score points.
Senior Grady Pinkston returns and should score well in the 400m and 800m, Eli Kelty will be competitive in the pole vault and David Colglazier should be a point-getter in the sprints. Caleb McDonald returns in the distance events and Lane Elam in the hurdles.
Hunter Pontius returns for the boys and will provide strength in the sprints as will returner Kooper Rasmussen in the javelin.
Larned track coach Scott Upson has strengthened the schedule.
“We’ve toughened up our schedule by adding the Russell and Holcomb meets so that we see more teams in our regional," Upson said. "If we compete well at those meets, that will be a good indicator. We should be competitive at all of our meets. We're excited to get our season going.”
LARNED ROSTER
3A STATE—100m hurdles—4TH—Cara Herbert, 15.78; 4TH—Herbert, 15.87; 11TH—Herbert, 16.77; 300m hurdles—7TH—Herbert, 47.87; 7TH—Herbert, 48.01; 9TH—Herbert, 48.53; 400m relay—16TH—Larned, 1:06.9 (Herbert); 1,600m relay—6TH—Larned, 4:13.76 (Herbert); Shot put—12TH—Cammy Upson, 34-7
SENIORS—Cara Herbert, Caleb McDonald, Grady Pinkston, Kooper Rasmussen, Addison Townsend, Cammy Upson, David Colglazier, Mallorie Ceniceros, Addison Townsend, Addison Townsend, Lane Elam, Elijah Webster, Eli Kelty, Isaac Redgate, Micky Rasmussen
JUNIORS—Taeten Reynolds, Cassidy Wachs, Slade Sundahl, Hunter Pontius, Cayden Shaver, Zev Cox, Paisley Weiszbrod, Doreen Jepkiriu, Jax Johnston, Hunter Pontius
SOPHOMORES—Anna Simmons, Koby Lang, Grayson Maxwell, Mason Cooper, Madelyn Snodgrass, Jazmin Naugle, Zoiey Garcia, Alissa O'Crotty, Mylee Hammond, Peyton Jones, Gaby Fabela, Jayden Ramirez
NINTH GRADERS—Javon Topps, Mason Cooper, Katy Gardner, Breckyn Cline, E.J. Condry, Edith Linderer, Emma Pritchett, Katy Gardner, Aurora Rothchild, Twila Rothchild, Jaylon Lemuz, Olivia Holt, Danielle Hemken, Dayana Lopez
INDIAN SCHEDULE 3-31—Larned JV; 4-2—at Russell; 4-10—at Lyons; 4-17—Larned Invitational; 4-21—at Kingman; at St. John JV; 4-24—at Holcomb; 4-30—at Medicine Lodge JV; 5-1—at Hillsboro; 5-8—at Lakin; 5-14—Central Kansas, Hillsboro; 5-21—at 3A regional; 5-29/30 3A state, Wichita
Five Indian starters return
BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
LARNED — Five starters return to bolster Larned's baseball team. The Indians (16-11, 11-5 CKL) lost 2-0 in 4A postseason to Buhler. Buhler pitcher Nixon Standlee outdueled Larned's Reese Morgan. '
Larned features veterans P/3B Reese Morgan, P/RF Tristan Regan, 2B/SS/P Anthony Gonzalez, CF/P Mason Miller and LF Easton Fox.
"Our pitching rotation will be senior heavy with Reece Morgan and Tristan Regan," said Larned coach Chad Erway. "Mason Miller will earn a lot of innings. Anthony Gonzalez get quality innings. We want to pound the strike zone, and make smart pitches within the count. Our younger arms will start as mid-relief to get us through games. We're looking for a closer."
Regan and Morgan will lead the offense behind top two hitters Gonzalez and Miller.
"Tristan Regan and Reece Morgan will provide pop and Gonzalez and Miller will set the offensive table," Erway said. "We'll focus on being better contact hitters and reducing strikeouts and soft contact. We'll play 'small ball,' and manufacture runs by bunting, hit-and- run and being aggressive on the bases. We need to be a better offensive team. We've struggled with run support after good pitching outings."
Miller and Fox will anchor a strong defensive outfield. The Indians must replace catcher Carson Smith.
"Our outfield will be our strength defensively with Regan Miller and Easton Fox running down fly balls," Erway said. "Our defensive strategy is make the routine plays exceptionally well. Our biggest void is replacing our catcher Carson Smith."
Erway believes the Indians have decent potential to be competitive.
"One big measuring stick is how much work we get in over spring break," he said. "When players get after it, we're productive."
Pratt is the Central Kansas favorite.
"The CKL is a competitive league with the majority of teams quality opponents," Erway said. "It's hard to speculate with underclassmen in key positions for us. We typically figure it out mid-season to play competitive baseball by season's end."
LARNED ROSTER
SENIORS—Mason Miller; Antonio Torres; Tristan Regan; Luke Krehbiel; Reese Morgan; Conner Spreier
JUNIORS—Anthony Gonzalez; Landis Hageman; Hunter Hobbs; Eli Morgan
SOPHOMORES—Easton Fox; Asher Alexander
NINTH-GRADERS—Jason Baez; Denton Pfannenstiel; Kaden Jones; Myles Binger; Adrian Davenport; Rylan Harting; Weston Bauer; Kade Johnson; Bentley Nelson; Dominic Mead; Cooper Herbert; Caden Finger; Owen Shaver
LARNED SCHEDULE—3-24—at Ellis Jamboree; 3-31—at Lyons; 4-7—*Hoisington; 4-10—*at Hesston; 4-14—*at Smoky Valley; 4-17—*Haven; 4-21—*at Hillsboro; 4-24—*Halstead; 4-28—Hugoton; 5-1—Ellis; 5-5—at Russell; 5-8—*Nickerson; 5-11—*Pratt; 5-18/21—at 4A regional; 5-28/29—at 4A state
Larned tennis reloads for success
LARNED — The Larned Indian boys tennis team features a returning varsity lineup to challenge for Central Kansas League and postseason success.
Longtime Larned coach Mark Lessard returns No. 1 singles Tristan Thompson (16-15); No. 2 singles Troy Hemken (14-17); No. 1 doubles Aiden O'Crotty/Brayden Smith (12-21); and No. 2 doubles Ryan Hill/Hunter Hewson (15-16).
At 3-1A regionals, WaKeeney's Hudson Deines defeated Thompson, 6-1, 6-1 and Cimarron's Landon Houseman downed Hemken, 6-3, 6-1. Meade's Chandler Hanks/Tate Jones defeated Hill/Hewson, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), (7-5) in a tiebreaker and Meade's Ken Leterle/Conley downed Smith/O’Crotty, 6-4, 6-2.
At the Central Kansas League meet, fifth-place Thompson beat Pratt's Jediah Tatro 8-0; fifth-place Hemken beat Hillsboro's Jace Forker 8-4; 7th place Smith/O'Crotty downed Nickerson's Brady Engelland/Isaiah Hathaway 8-0; and 6th place Hill/Hewsom lost 8-4 to Pratt's Liam Gordon/James Bushnell.
"Our varsity lineup will be similar to last year," he said.
Lessard is intrigued by the potential of 13 players, the most he's had in more than 20 years at Larned.
"It's exciting to have so many young men out for tennis," he said. "We'll field a full varsity and junior varsity squad, something we haven't been able to do since I started coaching tennis in Larned 20 years ago. Practices are challenging, since we share the courts with the middle school team. But that's a good problem to have."
Freshmen Gray Lloyd, Adam O'Crotty, and Sybastian Sterns played middle school tennis.
LARNED ROSTER
SENIORS—Tristan Thompson (S 16-15)
JUNIORS—Troy Hemken (S 14-17); Aiden O'Crotty (D 12-21); James Garetto; Ricky Roberts
SOPHOMORES—Brayden Smith (D 12-21); Ryan Hill (D 15-16); Hunter Hewson (D 15-16)
NINTH-GRADERS—Cullyn Elledge, Dylan Leatherman, Gray Lloyd, Adam O'Crotty, Sybastian Sterns.
LARNED SCHEDULE—3-31—at Ellsworth JV; 4-2—at Pratt; 4-7—at Ellsworth; 4-9—at Cimarron; 4-14—at Larned; 4-21—at Larned; at Hoisington JV; 4-25—at Garden City; 4-30—at Pratt; 5-4—Central Kansas at Lindsborg; 5-5—at Ellsworth JV; 5-8/9—at 3-1A regional; 5-15/16—3-1A state at Kansas City
Indian golf features four veterans
LARNED — Larned boys golf coach Dan Collins features four regional qualifiers from last year. The Indians (426) placed seventh at Kingman's 3A regional.
"Brennon Stahlecker and Gavin Collins are 2-year lettermen," Collins said. "We're still young, but we'll have six players who can play better than last year. Our team depth will be better. Two of those guys started playing golf last spring."
Collins likes the work ethic by the 8-player squad.
"I'm excited because the guys work hard with enthusiasm," he said. "We've got a better chance of making the state tournament. Brennon played our best golf last year. Gavin has played good golf at times. We didn't post consistent scores as a team. Gavin Auble has played a lot of junior golf, so he's got potential."
Collins said the Indians will continue to stress the short game.
"We always work on our short game, chipping and putting, which is the name of the game. We've got eight players who hit the ball off the tee."
LARNED ROSTER
JUNIORS—Gavin Collins (REG 27TH, 99); Jace Holopirek (REG 29TH, 101); Brennon Stahlecker (REG, 31ST, 104)
SOPHOMORES—Koby Lang (REG 42ND, 122)
NINTH-GRADERS—Caycen Auble; Calvin Keith; Jaylon Lemuz; Khang Tran
LARNED SCHEDULE—4-2—at Lake Barton; 4-7—at Salina; 4-13—at Hutchinson, Carey Park; 4-14—at Stafford; 4-21—at Larned; 4-27—at Hays, Smoky Hill CC; 4-30—at Russell; 5-11—CKL at Hutchinson (Crazy Horse GC); 5-18—at 3A regional
