Kalaya Jackson takes the hop that comes before the step en route to a 32-111⁄2 mark in the triple jump Friday the MCAA meet at Smoky Valley. Andrew Ottoson / Free Press
Meet host Smoky Valley ran away with the Mid-Central Activities Association league girls title, edging Hesston 110-1091⁄4 for the top spot Friday.
Cody McMillen barely finds the handle on the baton during Hillsboro’s first-place 4x800 meter relay run. The awkward handoff barely slowed the Trojans on their way to a time of 8:22.34. Andrew Ottoson / Free Press
Sterling’s one-two punch of Steven Fankhauser and Kaleb Humphreys proved to be too much for the Hillsboro boys to overcome. The Black Bears edged the Trojans by four points to win the Mid-Central Activities Association meet title in Lindsborg on Friday.
The Hillsboro softball team advanced to the semifinals of the Class 3A regional tournament in Council Grove Monday with an easy 15-0 win over Northern Heights in three innings.
The second-seeded Trojans, now 14-7, benefited from numerous walks again their winless opponents (0-19).
Maybe it’s not all about the money, but when it comes to sports, the almighty dollar still has plenty of clout.
Perhaps there’s some consolation, albeit miniscule, that rising gas and food prices won’t render major professional athletes or coaches among the working poor anytime in the near future.
Consider that New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez makes more this year than his entire hometown Florida Marlins team.
Sports 
