?Life is great,? said my agent I.M. Slick. ?It doesn?t get much better than this.?

?What are you talking about?? I asked.

Friends University, winners of nine straight regular season games at the end of 2006, claimed the top spot in both the coaches and media polls at the annual Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference 2007 football media day Friday in Salina.

Tabor was rated fifth in both polls on the heels of a tumultuous season during which the Bluejays collected a 5-4 record in conference play and went 6-4 overall.

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?It doesn?t matter whether you?re a big school or a small school?anybody can play,? Lucas Hamm said following his solid performance at the 34th annual Kansas Shrine Bowl game Saturday in Hays.

The 6-foot, 4-inch, 215-pound standout from Hills?boro High more than held his own among fellow all-stars from across the state.

As the starting middle linebacker and special-teams player for the West squad, Hamm was a key contributor during his team?s 26-7 domination of the East team at Lewis Field.

TOP (L-R) Colmia, Crosson, Heldenbrand, Hendricks, Hooten, ; BOTTOM (L-R): .Kelley, Large, Lawrence, Perrault, Witham. Click image to enlarge

The Tabor College volleyball program has added 10 players for the 2007 season, according to Amy Ratzlaff, head coach.

?Tabor volleyball will certainly have a different face this year after graduating six key players,? Ratzlaff said.

?However, with 10 high- quality new players and talented returners, our goal is to play volleyball in such a way that we still look like Tabor volleyball. We are as excited as ever to get everyone together on one court.?

Two Hillsboro women competed at the Mud Water Triath?lon/Dualathlon at Lake Afton near Wichita on Saturday. In the triathlon, Anna Woods finished second in the women?s 20-29 division in 1 hour, 27 minutes, 40 seconds. Her sister, Kate Robin?son of Hutchinson, placed first in 1:24.26. The triathlon started with a 750-meter swim in Lake Afton, followed by a 12-mile bicycle […]

Jason Hamm (left) and Matt Foth go nose to nose during the championship heat. They were the only two left at this point. Hamm had smoke/steam coming out of his car, but they continued circling and hitting each other. Moments later Foth's engine caught fire for the second time; Hamm was declared the winner. Phyllis Richert photo. Click image to enlarge

Jason Hamm, Hillsboro, outlasted all other entries to claim the $1,000 championship prize at the Marion County Fair Demo?lition Derby on Saturday.

In a ceremony slated for Aug. 1 at the Washburn University Student Union in Topeka, the 1963 Durham Hornets will be inducted into the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association hall of fame in recognition of the team?s 26-game undefeated run to the state championship.

The history of those Hornets, as well the 16 other Class BB state champions, is documented in the book ?Title Towns: Class BB Boys Basketball Champions of Kansas? by Steven Michael Farney of McPherson.

With the start of training camp less than a month away, Tabor College head football coach Mike Gottsch is pleased with the off-season recruiting he and his staff have accomplished so far.

?If the head coach is looking at the problem the right way, you have to try to sign every spot again, and every year you?ll have the same needs,? he said.

With 33 recruits, Gottsch is confident that the team?s depth has increased in nearly every area.

?I feel, coming from the head coach?s standpoint, you have to bring in new players at every position during the off-season,? he said.

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The e-mail I received recently from longtime friend Frank Mize was short and to the point.

?I just learned that Clete Boyer died yesterday, which immediately reminded me of you. Would you like to get together for lunch today? It?s my turn to buy.?

Hey, it seemed like a bit of an odd lunch invitation, but since Frank was buying, who was I to argue?

Like many kids growing up in the 1960s, Frank and I were big Yankees fans. We found it easy to jump on the bandwagon of such stars as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Bobby Richardson, Whitey Ford and Clete Boyer, to name a few. In any case, Frank recently sent an e-mail to me touting golf?s many virtues. He could always golf circles around me, which isn?t saying much since my golf game in high school was consistently erratic.

HillsboroFlash.jpg Courtesy photo. Click image to enlarge ? The Hillsboro Flash placed third in the Under-10 softball state tournament in Wichita this weekend. With 15 teams competing in the double-elimination event, the Flash went 5-2 after being eliminated by the Wichita Chaos on Sunday morning. Pictured are: back row (from left), coaches Damian Ratzlaff, Chad Nowak, Stephanie Sinclair, Eddie Weber, […]