Hillsboro qualifies six for state

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 21 May 2013 16:04

Shaq Thiessen clears 6 feet, 6 inches to tie the school record and qualify for state with a second-place in the high jump. Six Hillsboro track and field athletes will be heading to state this weekend to compete in a total of nine events as a result of their efforts Friday at the Class 3A regional in Marion.

For the boys, Shaq Thiessen’s efforts in both the long jump and high jump will rewrite the school-record book.

Thiessen bettered the school record he set earlier this season in the long jump by soaring 23 feet, 71⁄4 inches, beating his previous best of 23-5 and claiming the gold medal.

Prior to that, Thiessen cleared 6-6 in the high jump, tying the record set by Darrin Hiebert in 1993 and matched by Eric Driggers in 1997. The height was good for second place.

“They moved the high jump to the first competition since there were only six jumpers...

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MHS baseball state-bound after regional win over Halstead

Written by Janae Rempel Tuesday, 21 May 2013 16:03

Jacob Harper fires a pitch in Marion’s 9-8 regional championship victory over Halstead Tuesday night. Harper entered the game in the fourth inning in relief of MHS starter Ethan Hett and earned the win, giving up two hits and two runs (both earned) while walking three hitters and striking out three. The Marion Warriors earned the 2013 regional baseball championship title and a state berth with a down-to-the-wire 9-8 victory over Halstead Tuesday in Hillsboro.

The win was a reversal of fortune from a week prior when Marion, playing at Halstead, had given up a three-inning, 8-2 lead in Game 2 to fall to the Dragons by the same 9-8 score.

This time Marion was facing an 8-2 deficit after the top of the sixth inning, but the Warriors battled to within 8-6 by the end of the inning.

“There wasn’t any panic,” coach Roger Schroeder said. “They understood what was in front of them. We had six outs to play with, and we had to make the most of those outs.”

With Jacob Harper pitching in relief of starter Ethan Hett, the...

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Fighting terrorism will be a marathon

Written by Joe Kleinsasser Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:50

What was your reaction to the recent terrorism at the Boston Marathon?

Shock?

Stunned?

Did you wonder why?

Did you ask, “What’s this world coming to?”

Did you think, “How could anybody do something like this?”

Are you more surprised this tragedy happened or surprised that it doesn’t happen more often at sporting events?

The reactions vary, but answers to these manmade tragedies are few, and it reaffirms the depravity of man.

We live in a sinful world where evil continually rears its ugly head.

Truth be told, terrorism at sporting events is relatively rare. Perhaps the most brazen and infamous act of terrorism in sports took place when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in...

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AREA BASEBALL

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:49

Canton-Galva—The Eagles dropped a home stand to Southeast of Saline Tuesday.

Canton-Galva lost Game 1, 16-0, in a no-hitter shutout. Tanner Klingensmith absorbed the pitching loss.

The Eagles managed four runs in Game 2, but fell, 12-4. Jacob Dailey had one hit in two at-bats with two RBIs. Connor Farnham and Klingensmith both went 2-for-3.

Dailey was the Eagles’ losing pitcher.

The Eagles entered the Moundridge regional as the No. 5 seed at 2-12 and defeated No. 4 Herington (2-11) Monday, 13-2.

Canton-Galva was slated to face No. 1 Moundridge (10-10) Tuesday in a semifinal game.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 3 Rosalia-Flinthills (5-10) defeated No. 6 Chase County (0-21) 13-3 and was scheduled to face No. 2 Inman (9-9)...

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AREA TRACK

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:49

Centre—The Cougars participated in the eight-team Wheat State League track meet Thursday at Goessel.

The Cougar boys placed eighth with 21 points. Solomon won with 133.

Ty Simons led Centre with a second-place finish in the 110 high hurdles (16.9 seconds) and a third-place finish in the 300 intermediate hurdles (44.6).

The Centre girls, meanwhile, placed fourth with 80 points behind Wakefield (134), Little River (106) and Goessel (97).

Cacey Simons earned the team’s only gold medal with a leap of 4 feet, 6 inches in the high jump.

The Cougars enjoyed four second-place finishes: Shelby Makovec in the 1,600 (6:26.5) and the 3,200 (14:17.2) and Brenna Shields in the 100 (13.4) and the 400 (1:07.0).

Three events placed third: Ally...

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