Sports
Labette softball sweeps Iola
IOLA — The defense is on. The two-time defending champion Labette County High School softball team has two Southeast Kansas League shutouts to its credit already. LCHS started the 2012 season with a sweep over Iola here Tuesday, winning 13-0 and 14-0 against the Fillies. After going scoreless the first two innings in game one, the Labette County bats exploded for six runs, three runs and four runs over the next three innings. “We came out a li...
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Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Sara Cruse catches a pop fly during game one of a doubleheader with Girard Tuesday evening at the PHS softball field in Forest Park. Cruse snagged the pop fly and also came up with a two-out RBI to give the Lady Vikings a split with Girard after falling 17-5 in game one.
Late rally gives Parsons softball split with Girard
By Anthony Cook acook@parsonssun.com The Lady Vikes looked out of sync in game one. But they had the last laugh Tuesday. Parsons High School softball moved to 1-1 on the season with a two-game split over Girard Tuesday at the Forest Park softball fields in Parsons. After earning a lopsided win in game one, Girard held a 4-1 lead with two outs gone in Parsons’ half of the seventh, but the Lady Vikings pounded three hits in a row to end the game...
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Anthony Cook/Sun photo Labette Community College sophomore pitcher Brandon Jackson (right) tags home plate while teammates Pat Dudkiewicz (left) and Rickey Sanchez (center) greet him after a two-run homer Monday against Independence Community College. Jackson scored Sanchez on the two-run shot and Dudkiewicz made it back-to-back homers with a solo shot on the next at-bat. Labette lost the game 14-10 but defeated Indy in game two to earn a split Monday.
Labette takes game four Monday to avoid sweep
The Labette Community College baseball team avoided a four-game sweep by the hands of the Independence Community College Pirates with a late offensive explosion Monday. After dropping the first three games to the Pirates Sunday afternoon and in Monday’s opener, Labette scored 11 runs in game two Monday to move to 6-10 within the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Eastern Division and 13-12 overall. Labette pitcher Brandon Jackson face...
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St. Paul jumps out to 2-0 start
ARMA — The St. Paul Indians moved to 2-0 Monday with a two-game sweep during the Northeast High School baseball tourney here. The Indians defeated Chetopa 17-2 in the opening-round of the four-team tourney before scoring a 5-0 victory over Liberal, Mo., the Missouri Class 1 state runner-up from 2011, in the finals. “The pitchers got ahead of batters all day long,” said St. Paul head coach Pat Schibi. “For the first time out, I thought we playe...
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LCHS junior varsity softball earns sweep
The Labette County High School junior varsity softball team swept Iola in a doubleheader Monday evening in Altamont. The team came out firing with an 18-2 win in game one and came away with a 21-6 victory in game two. Darcy Cole earned the victory in the opener, giving up only one hit and a walk. Chelsea Harness, Cole, Bethany Holsinger and Haley Nalley each had hits in the win. In game two, Kara Bogner took the mound and gave up two hits and ...
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LCHS JV baseball grabs two wins
The Labette County High School junior varsity baseball began the 2012 season with a pair of victories over Iola Monday in Altamont. LCHS defeated the Mustangs 6-2 and 5-3. In game one, Jake Mattox and Zack Stewart combined for five innings of five-hit ball on the way to the opening-day win. “Jake and Zack threw really well for the first time out. They both had three strikeouts. It was a great way to start the season,” said LCHS head coach Jess...
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Parsons Babe Ruth early sign-ups end Saturday
March 3 is the deadline to sign up without paying any late fees. After that date, registration forms will still be accepted but the fees will be higher. Registration forms for all ages can be picked up at Bleacher Gear. Parsons Babe Ruth is also on Facebook, and you can download a registration form from their home page. All the latest information regarding the league is available at the Facebook page. The age determination date is May 1, so...
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LCHS JV tennis travels to Independence
The Labette County High School junior varsity tennis team traveled to Independence for a junior varsity event Monday afternoon. Due to injuries and sickness, the team only had two doubles teams at the meet. In No. 1 doubles, Conner Traxson and Aaron McCoach defeated Parsons 8-6, lost to Indy Black 8-1 and lost to Indy Orange 8-4 to place fourth. In No. 2 doubles, Michael Banowetz and Madison Ramirez lost to Parsons 8-4, to Indy Black 8-4 and t...
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PWC returns from state with six placers
The Parsons Wrestling Club took 10 wrestlers to the Kansas Kids’ Folkstyle State Championships in Topeka over the weekend. There, 1,439 entries represented 163 teams across the state. Each wrestler was placed into a 16-man bracket consisting of the four top wrestlers from each district. The tourney took place Saturday and Sunday with the championship rounds on Sunday afternoon. For the second year in a row, the PWC improved its team finish. Pa...
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Jan Strait/Sun photo Jock's Nitch manager J.R. Allen and assistant manager Breign Bennett are shown with a 7-foot-tall Jayhawk Monday afternoon. The store's Jayhawk was on display Monday morning and afternoon in celebration of Kansas University's trip to the Final Four thanks to an 80-67 victory over North Carolina in Sunday's Midwest Regional final.
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk

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Anthony Cook/Sun photo Labette Community College sophomore infielder Lacie Cook makes contact with a bunt in game two of a doubleheader with Pratt Community College Sunday evening. The Lady Cardinals defeated Pratt 6-1 in game two to earn a two-game sweep and to improve to 11-1 in Kansas Jayhawk Community Collenge Conference Eastern Division play heading into a key week of league play.
Labette sweeps takes 3 of 4 from Dodge, Pratt
By Anthony Cook acook@parsonssun.com The Lady Cardinals lost their first conference game of the season Saturday. They were quick to respond. After dropping the opening game of a packed weekend, the Labette Community College softball team won the next three to improve to 21-9 overall and 11-1 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Eastern Division. Labette fell to Dodge (14-14 overall, 7-5 KJCCC) 3-0 in Saturday’s opener in Parsons but won the...
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Parsons Dolphins ready to begin summer season
By Anthony Cook ACOOK@PARSONSSUN.COM Swim season is year round. For about 25 hardcore Parsons Dolphins swimming team members there's nearly always an event to train for, with February's trip to the Division II SCY South Championships in Wichita the culmination of the winter season. But soon, the spring and summer season will begin for the Dolphins — who have 50 to 60 swimmers during the summer season. The Parsons Dolphins began in 1976 as a gr...
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BEARS complete girls' tourney
EDNA — Thirteen area teams entered the girls’ fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade BEARS (Better Edna Area Relations and Support) Basketball Tournament March 12-17 at the Edna Community Building.  Sixth-grade teams were entered from Bartlett, Coffeyville, Edna and Mound Valley. Edna placed first overall, defeating second-place Bartlett 29-28 in the finals. Mound Valley was third overall. Teams from Bartlett, Edna and Meadow View competed in the fi...
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Ten locals named to all-state teams
Ten local athletes were named to the Wichita Eagle all-state team released this weekend. Parsons High School had five total members on the team with three girls making the squad and two boys receiving nominations. For the Southeast Kansas League champion Viking girls, seniors Sierra Kemp, Taylor Kemp and Kiralyn Mosier each found a spot on the Class 4A all-state honorable mention team. The SEK co-champion boys received nominations for seniors ...
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Labette softball takes 3 of 4 with Hesston, Hutchinson
The Labette Community College softball team split with a region opponent and swept a league opponent over the weekend. The No. 7-ranked Lady Cardinals hit the road for four games beginning with Friday’s doubleheader with Hesston (7-15 overall, 4-6 region). Things started out poorly for the Cardinals, who struggled at the plate and in the field in a 6-1 loss to Hesston in the opener. Hesston pitcher Erin Albrecht held the Kansas Jayhawk Communi...
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LCC baseball earns split with Coffeyville CC during weekend meeting
COFFEYVILLE — The Labette Community College baseball team earned a four-game split with Coffeyville Community College over the weekend in a pivotal Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Eastern Division series. The two squads faced off in back-to-back doubleheaders here Saturday and Sunday with each team splitting on both days. The Cardinals opened the series Saturday afternoon with an 8-3 victory behind 14 hits. Labette jumped out to a ...
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Sedan knocks off LCHS baseball in tourney finals Friday
SEDAN — The Labette County High School baseball team began its season Friday evening in Sedan with a doubleheader in a tourney hosted by the Blue Devils. The Grizzlies opened the tourney with a 1-0 victory over Caney. LCHS pitcher Tyler Burris went seven strong innings, striking out eight Caney batters and surrendering just two hits to lead the Grizzlies to the opening-day victory. “Obviously, Burris pitched extremely well. It was a tremendous...
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Rae grabs three top-five finishes at NJCAA championships
By Anthony Cook acook@parsonssun.com Maggie Rae was back at the podium over the weekend in her second trip to the NJCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship. After finishing with two firsts and a second as a freshman at Lincoln College, the Parsons native returned to the NJCAA championships in Fort Pierce, Fla., over the weekend and placed in the top five in three separate events. Rae is the daughter of Jerry and Robin Rae of Parso...
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Three Rivers League releases postseason hoops team
Fifteen local athletes were named to the 2011-12 Three Rivers League team, which was released Thursday morning. The list was highlighted by six girls on the all-TRL first team, including four Oswego High School players. League champion OHS placed senior Kinzie Nesbitt, junior Sydney Pemberton, junior Bricynn Johnson and junior Jaymie Nesbitt on the first team while St. Paul landed juniors Nikki Sears and Kacie Phillips on the squad. Hope Jurge...
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Two Cardinals named to all-KJCCC hoops teams
The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Eastern Division has released its all-Conference teams for the 2011-2012 season. Labette Community College received a nomination on the men's and women's team with each team placing a team member on the first team. The Labette men placed sophomore guard Dre Conner to the list. Conner averaged 17.6 points per game and shot 35 percent overall and 37 percent from the 3-point line this season for the...
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