[ STATE HIGH SCHOOL NOTES ]

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Mar 6, 2001 by Capital-Journal

- High school state basketball championships

STATE HIGH SCHOOL NOTES

Class 6A

BOYS

Five of the eight teams in the field are repeaters, although the field is missing last year's champion, Leavenworth. The Pioneers, with Kansas recruit Wayne Simien playing sparingly because of an injury, were upset in the semifinals by Lawrence Free State. ... Free State (11-11) is one of the state tournament repeaters, losing last year to Leavenworth 57-51 in the first round. Other teams returning in 6A are SM West (10-12), Wichita Northwest (17-5), Wichita Southeast (19-3) and Junction City (19-3). ... Felix Grimmett's Junction City team was second last year, with Southeast third and Wichita Northwest fourth. ... Former Hayden coach Ben Meseke is taking his SM Northwest team (14-8) for the first time as the Cougars' coach. ... A key first-round matchup 0could be Wednesday's 4:45 p.m. game between 17-5 Wichita Northwest and 16-6 Olathe East. ... Junction City got a big game from Lechon Trammer in its 69-61 win over Wichita East in Saturday night's sub-state championship game at Washburn Rural. ... Free State advanced to state with a 53-51 win over Lawrence on the Lions' home floor. Pat Krivoshia led the Firebirds with 15 points. ... Wichita Northwest advanced to state with a 67-53 win over Wichita West, getting 22 points from Trent Watts and 17 points from Tyler Luke. ... Hutchinson kept its undefeated record intact with a 56-44 victory over Maize in the sub- state championship game. Kyle Mendenhall led Hutch with 17 points.

GIRLS

Blue Valley North has won two of the last three 6A crowns and is the defending champ. The Mustangs have produced three Division I players in the last two years and have a fourth this year in 6-foot- 1 guard Blair Waltz. ... Aquinas moves up from Class 5A and immediately takes on contender status after a runner-up showing a year ago. The Saints' lone loss came in Emporia, but no team in the state has as many quality wins this year and sophomore Lauren Wenski is one of the state's best. ... Derby was a surprise state-qualifier last year, but this year's berth is no shock. The Panthers handed 5A favorite McPherson its only loss of the season and junior center Jessica McFarland (6-1) is a top-notch post player. ... Hutchinson returns to Emporia for the fifth straight year, looking for some better fortune than previous trips. All four previous trips have ended in the first round. Kristin Hibler averages 12 points to lead the Salt Hawks. ... Wichita Heights makes its first state-tourney appearance in 13 years and has the only undefeated record in the field. Balance is the Falcons' key as three players average just more than 14 points per game, led by senior Nicole Switzer. ... Free State will make the first state appearance in school history. Firebirds coach Craig Hershiser formerly coached at Aquinas, Free State's first- round foe. The Firebirds were 0-21 three years ago. ... Shawnee Mission North beat rival Shawnee Mission East in overtime for the third straight meeting, taking a 41-36 win. ... Washburn Rural doesn't have a player averaging in double figures, but the Junior Blues are back at state for the fourth straight year. The Junior Blues won titles in 1996 and 1999 and were third a year ago.

Class 5A

BOYS

Shawnee Heights (16-6) and Highland Park (19-3), which finished first and third in last year's state tournament are back in the field. Other repeaters include Miege (19-3) and Wichita Kapaun (12- 10), who were both first-round losers a year ago. ... Miege's Jamar Howard is one of 5A's premier players and considered one of the state's top senior prospects. ... Shawnee Heights, which beat KC- Schlagle by a point in last year's championship game, got back to state with a 55-49 win over KC-Washington on Saturday at Seaman. Junior guard Gary Woodland, one of the state's premier 3-point shooters, led the T-Birds with 25 points, including five treys. ... Highland Park advanced with a 67-58 win over Schlagle's home court, with the Scots getting 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field from senior standout Karwin Johnson. Johnson was the city's regular- season scoring champ, averaging 15.6 points a game. ... Shawnee Heights' Jesse Schmidt, a 6-foot-7 senior, was right behind Johnson in the city scoring race, averaging 15.3 points during the regular season. ... Arkansas City, at 10-12, routed Liberal 68-48 to win a sub-state title, getting 28 points from Danie Jennings and 22 points from Ryan Blevins. The Bulldogs burned Liberal for 30 first-quarter points.

GIRLS

No girls team in the state has a more decorated state history than Bishop Miege, winner of eight 5A titles since 1989 and 11 overall. The Stags have another title contender this year and four of their five losses have come to 6A powers Aquinas and Blue Valley North. ... McPherson was the 1997, 1998 and 1999 champion and had won 56 straight before getting upset by Shawnee Heights in the first round last year. Stacy Becker and Jamie Fithian are as formidable a duo as there is in the state. ... Buhler was fourth a year ago, but comes in with just one loss, an early-season defeat to Valley Center. Wichita State signee Aubrey Cameron leads the Crusaders with 15.7 points per game and scored 19 and had 16 rebounds in Saturday's sub-state win over Great Bend. ... Shawnee Heights ended McPherson's three-year stranglehold on the 5A crown and gets a first-round meeting with the Bullpups again this year. T-Bird Dani McHenry was the Centennial League player of the year and is headed to Kansas for volleyball next year. ... Winless two years ago, Seaman is back at state for the first time since winning 6A in 1991. The Vikings' relentless defense is led by senior Lindsey Gatewood, one of three all-league picks along with Lori Leiker and Rebekah Mueller. ... Goddard's Rikki Hall averages 17.3 points per game. Two of the Lions' three losses have come to Buhler. ... Campus got 23 points from Emporia State signee Nicole Patry to topple Bishop Carroll in Saturday's sub-state finals. ... Paola handled the move from 4A to 5A just fine, qualifying for state by beating Gardner-Edgerton.