Sports – Sumner NewsCow (2024)

Sumner Newscow report — Due to water pipe issues on the recirculating pump, the Wellington Family Aquatic Center will be closed for the Season, effective today. The acquisition of parts and work involved would take several of the remaining open dates. This system was already on the list of facilities that need to be considered for repairs/replacement over the winter.

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Sumner Newscow report — The 2024 Kansas Collegiate League Baseball tournament will start tonight. The Wellington Heat are a No. 3 seed in the eight-team tournament. They will be playing the Mulvane Patriots tonight at Hibbs-Hooten field. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Heat have had a good season – going 22-13. They were tied with the Kansas Curve which won the tiebreaker. The KCLB standings are as follows:

1. Park City Rangers – 27-8

2. Kansas Curve – 22-13

3. Wellington Heat – 22-13

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By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Five things to know about the Slate Creek Relay Great Race this weekend…

1 — Who, what, when, where.

The 33rd running of Wellington’s most unique event will be held this Saturday. The race begins at 5 p.m. at Woods Park. Spectators are urged to bring their golf carts if they have them. If you bring your car, please enter the park (south of the golf course) on the east end. Arrive a little early, between 4 and 5 p.m.

The 9 1/2 mile relay will include 360 sprint, 3/4 mile, X-Country, motocross, 3/4 miler, horse race, racing bikes, one mile, one mile, canoe #1, canoe #2, 1/2 mile, and 360 sprint.

2 — The teams.

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By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow —Fresh from coaching at the Kansas Shrine Bowl, Wellington head coach Jeremiah Meeks is now focusing his attention on the upcoming Crusader season ahead.

Believe it or not, it is less than two months away.

Wellington opens its season on Sept. 6, 2024, when it travels to Collegiate. High School practice will begin on Aug. 19. The season will come with high expectations for Wellington.

“This will be the best team I will have ever coached,” Meeks said.

Wellington is coming off an 8-3 season with two playoff wins in what was the most exciting season in recent memory. It was the first time the Crusaders got to the quarterfinals since 2018 and only the second time since 2004.

The best thing about last year is that almost everyone is returning – especially in the skill set positions. The offensive line will be the big question going into the season – having lost two to graduation and the status of center Greer Buchanan is still uncertain.

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Sumner Newscow report – The Wellington Swim traveled to Haysville on Tuesday. The home team won 517-136. The full results can be found here.

The Sailfish had 39 swimmers participating. District qualifiers for the meet include: Caroline Mott in the 50 free, Abby Ybarra in the 50 free, Georgia Shinliver in the 50 free and the 100 fly and Duke Shinliver in the 50 breasts.

The new swimmer highlights: Brecken Goodrum is a first-year swimmer who is 9 years old. He had a great meet, cutting 3.63 seconds off his 50 freestyle and 5.45 seconds off his 50 backstroke.

Time Cut highlight: Mia Rosenberg is 9 years old and a rockstar in the water. She had an amazing race with her 50 breast, cutting 35.83 seconds off her entry time.

Relay highlight: Ty Ternes, Lane Metzen, Kayden Clark, and Duke Shinliver made the team for the boys 11-12 200 freestyle relay. The relay team took first with a 2:55. 14 time.

Swim-A-Thon: The second annual Swim-A-Thon is scheduled for July 9; the swimmers are collecting donations to raise funds for the team. The goal is to raise $5,000, and we would appreciate your help. You can donate by reaching out to a swimmer you know or directly to the team Venmo, @wellingtonsailfish. If you are a business and would like to sponsor the team during the Swim-A-Thon, please send an email to wellingtonswimteam@gmail.com and a board member will be in contact.

Quote from team president Tawnya Ybarra:

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Sumner Newscow report — Aubreigh Haxton, a 2021 Argonia High School graduate, has signed with Grambling State University, a Div. 1 school. The university is a public historically black university in Grambling, La., and a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Haxton is the daughter of Monte and Robyn Haxton of Argonia.

This will mark her third year with a different volleyball team. After graduating from Seward Community College in Liberal, Kans., she signed with Western New Mexico University in Silver City, N.M. last fall. Unfortunately, during the fourth game of the season, she tore her knee with an ACL and meniscus tear, and her season ended. She decided to transfer to Grambling State this fall.

The Tigers were 10-20 in 2023.

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Sumner Newscow report – A couple of newsworthy items in the local golfing world…

Wellington Match Play

Wellington High School alum Ty Wilson was named “Club Champion” after winning the Championship Flight of the Wellington Golf Association Match Play held at the local golf course over the weekend. Wilson won the event by posting 1-up over Derek Harrison in the Championship Flight 18-hole Finals.

Match Play is based on holes won against your competitor instead of an overall score.

There were 16 players in the top-tier flight. Wilson, a 2018 WHS graduate, is a third-year head women’s golf coach for Dodge City Community College.

There were also “A” and “B” Flight brackets based on handicaps.

•Jim Sutton won the A Flight, posting a 3 & 2 score over Mark Erickson.

•Shawn Becker won the “B” Flight by one-up over Jared Brown. The full results can be found here.

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The Railer Kansas Stroke Play

This Sunday, Wellington High School graduate Deitrek Gill dominated The Railer Kansas Stroke Play Championship at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton this weekend.

Gill, a 2021 graduate who helped lead Wellington to a Class 4A state championship in golf, dominated the three-day 54-hole tournament held Friday-Sunday.

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Sumner Newscow report — The Wellington Swim Team held its second of two home meets Tuesday evening.

El Dorado eked out a victory over the Sailfish 289-268. The girls lost 160-147, while the boys lost 129-121. The full results can be found here.

“We are so proud of our swimmers,” said Cindy Tracy, Wellington co-head coach. “They work hard every day at practice to achieve a better time on their races.”

Wellington had two more district qualifiers. Caroline Mott won the 50 free, while Owen Camblin got two more district times in the 50 free and 100 back.

Here are some other notable performances:

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Sumner Newscow report – Changes to postseason formats and championship sites for basketball, football, wrestling and track and field highlight actions approved at the June 12-13 Kansas State High School Activities Association Executive Board Meeting. The postseason formats are set by the KSHSAA Executive Board each year.

Basketball –Beginning in March of 2026, the state basketball tournaments will be moving to four total sites. Four facilities will play host to the seven classifications, 14 championships. By honoring the KSHSAA membership voted in the fall of 2023 to qualify eight boys teams and eight girls teams involved at the final site, modifications to the daily schedule will be developed. The schedule and other event details, including classification designations for each site and venue selection will be determined and announced following the 2024-25 basketball season.

Another basketball postseason change effective with the 2024-25 season will come at the 3A, 2A, 1A DI and 1A DII classifications. Each class will be divided into four regions and then seeded into two sub-states within the region: Substate A: 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16; Substate B: 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15. The winner of each substate will advance to the state basketball tournament. Further format details and dates will be sent to member schools.

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Football –As announced in January, the state football championships will be moving to three sites, with three games being played at each site. The executive board approved the following sites and schedule for 2024:

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Sumner Newscow report — The Wellington Swim Team had its first home meet of the season when it hosted Valley Center. The boys came close, but would lose to Valley Center 140-100. The Valley Center girls beat Wellington 198-102.

The night was highlighted by the Wall of Fame being revealed. This is a wall of banners showcasing all of the Sailfish team records. The wall will be on the next display at the next home meet on June 18 and the second annual Swim-A-Thon on July 9.

Here is what occurred Tuesday night at the swim meet:

•There were 43 swimmers participating – seven new ones.

•District Qualifiers– Caroline Mott in the 50 free, Owen Camblin in 50 free and 100 back, and Georgia Shinliver in the 100 fly.

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Sumner Newscow report — The Wellington Sailfish, the youth competitive swimming club, has kicked off another season.

Wellington traveled to Derby on Tuesday, June 4. The meet was called off after event 16 due to the rainout. The rest of the meet has been rescheduled to June 27.

The district qualifiers included Caroline Mott in the 50 freestyle.

There were 36 swimmers participating. The Sailfish will be home Tuesday night.

Wellington Sailfish Coach Jensen Lynnes said.

“I am so proud of my swimmers working so hard to prepare for the meet in such a small amount of time. I am excited to see how they continue to grow and improve throughout the summer!”

The full results can be found here.

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Sumner Newscow report — The Kansas State High School Activities Association has selected sites for the 2025 KSHSAA state basketball championships. All seven sites have been hosted at least once previously.

After hosting the 1A Division I state championships last season, the Colby Event Center has been selected to host the 1A Division II state championships in 2025. The 2A tournaments will return to their traditional home at Bramlage Coliseum after a year’s hiatus.

The KSHSAA continues to have a strong relationship with Barton Community College, which has hosted the 1A Division II Tournaments for the last three years. Colby will be the fourth community to host the 1A Division II state championships since the class split into divisions in 2011. In 2019, Class 1A held a single tournament without divisions.

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By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The official signings of athletes and fine arts students to college scholarships have been a ritual that has grown in popularity. Wellington had 12 of them over the past six months.

This year, we decided to do something different, putting all the signings in one montage, much like we do academic scholarships. Those Wellington High School seniors who have signed on to either play a sport, cheerlead, or participate in choir and/or fine arts were: Whitney Zeka, Katelyn Kessler, Conner Walker, Maggie Dry, Olivia Smith, Kyra Cornejo, Madison Baker, Anika Fairbanks, Beegan Bevan, Savannah Saunders, Hunter Worley and Aubrey Hunt.

We have collected pictures of them performing and signing. Special thanks to Katie Ford and the Crusader Yearbook staff for the signing pictures and a few of the action pictures.

Whitney Zeka, the daughter of Blaine and Mary Zeka, has signed a scholarship to cheerlead at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas.

Zeka will be majoring in business communications. Trinity Valley has won 13 national titles in cheerleading and a Netflix show called “Cheer.”

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Sumner Newscow report — The Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV all-league selections for baseball and softball have been released. The selections were made by member coaches.

Wellington had three boys who made All AV-CTL Div. IV first team. Skyler Branam, a junior, was named twice as a first-team pitcher and outfielder. Tristan Tencleve of Wellington was named to the first-team outfield. Dusty Bannister was named first-team shortstop.

The Crusaders also had three players make the second team: Nick Giefer, jr., a second baseman; Emerson Brownlee, so., a utility player; and D. Bannister, jr., a pitcher.

On the honorable mention list, Hank Shinliver, so., was named as a catcher, James Redford, jr., as a first baseman and Milo Elder, so., as a pitcher.

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Sumner Newscow report — The track meet that was. Here are all the pictures of Sumner County athletes over the past two days. Just click here.

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By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — With the 2024 Kansas State Track and Field Championship in the books, two Sumner County girls made their mark in what will be the final event for what once was Wichita State University’s Cessna Football Stadium.

Wellington freshman Dru Zeka came home with two first-place medals in the Class 4A high jump and the 400 meters. She also placed fifth in the long jump.

Oxford junior Makhila Maupin has two state championships in the 100 meters and 200 meters and a third-place finish in the 400. She also now holds two records in both Class 2A 100 and 200.

Overall, the Wellington girls finished in the top 10 with a sixth-place finish. Look out for next year as most of these girls are freshmen and sophom*ores. The Crusader girls were leading after the first day.

Arguably, the biggest state track meet yet, Cessna is a meet in transition. The east stands have been torn down and portable bleachers were brought in for this year’s event. The west side is still erect in its 1969-built glory, but it will be coming down very soon. The new facility, once built, will undoubtedly be sweet. Whether it happens to be completed next year is the million dollar question.

The following is a synopsis of what occurred this past weekend for Sumner County teams:

WELLINGTON

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Sumner Newscow report — Early this morning, Dru Zeka leaped her way to a state championship.

Zeka won the Class 4A high jump with a leap of 5-4. She defeated Ayla Klingberg of Rock Creek, who also cleared the bar at 5-4, the only other 4A girl to do so. Neither could clear the 5-6 bar. Zeka then won the tiebreaker because she cleared the bar in the first attempt on the previous jumps.

It was quite the event, as sophom*ore Kylan Gregory placed sixth with a 5-2 leap.

Wellington has been busy this morning and we will have more details of other events including both Zeka and Cooper Hatfield qualifying for the finals in the 400 meters.

In the meantime, catch our live tweets on X here for the latest updates.

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Sumner Newscow report — The state track qualifiers have been set for next week at the Class 6-1A State Track and Field Championships at Wichita State University.

Oxford girls will have quite a presence next week after finishing second at the Class 1A Regional in Eirie. Makhila Maupin was a four-time regional champion, winning in the 100, 200, 400, and as a leg of the 4×100 relay — which also included Addyson Cranmer, Yasmin Gardea and Mya Johnson.

Elsewhere, the Belle Plaine 4×100 relay team consisting of Ryder Main, Ryder Slack, Bruce Lee, and Levi Christy placed first in the 2A Eureka Regional. They ran it in 44.20.

The following are the state qualifiers for the six outer Sumner County schools: Oxford, Belle Plaine, Conway Springs, Argonia, Caldwell and South Haven.For the full regional track results, click here and find your classification in the right column.

Class 2A Regional – Erie (Oxford participating)

Team results

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By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington girls’ track team was just four points short of winning its second regional championship in four years.

Wellington came away with 118 points, slightly behind Labette County with 122 at the Class 4A Regional in Coffeyville Thursday. It was a two-team race, as Chanute was a distant third with 89 points. Other team scores were Chanute 89, Rose Hill 79, Coffeyville 56, Winfield 49, Independence 26 and Parsons 19.

Wellington had five regional championships. Dru Zeka had three of them in the high jump, long jump, and 400 meters. Isabelle Cullens won in the pole vault, and Kylan Gregory in the discus.

On the boys’ side, Wellington placed sixth. Chanute won the event with 143 points, Coffeyville 86, Mulvane 84, Parsons 70, Rose Hill 68, Labette County 34, Winfield 14 and Independence 14.

Wellington will have 13 girls’ state entries and seven boys’ at the Kansas Track and Field Championships at Wichita State next weekend. Twenty-four athletes will be wearing Wellington red and silver at the nation’s largest high school track meet starting Friday.

Here is a list of the girls and boys who qualified for state from Wellington:

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