Sports
Former NCCC coach returns to Kansas to chase NJCAA title
Kurt Boyer Special to the Tribune SALINA — In a 2011-12 season filled with adversity, sidelined stars and miracle finishes, it’s illustrative that former NCCC women’s basketball coach Tonika Bruce is talking about good ol’ fundamentals these days. “Our execution has been the biggest factor in advancing to the national tournament,” said Bruce, who is now the head coach of the Jefferson College Lady Vikings. “We’re taking care of the ball, pla...
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Giacalone sets school RBI record during Panthers’ sweep of Indy
INDEPENDENCE — First baseman and pitcher for the NCCC Panthers Adam Giacalone cemented his place in history on Saturday by setting the school record for career RBIs. He now has 128 RBIs as a Panther. This was among the highlights of the Panthers’ weekend sweep of the Independence Pirates. The wins were capped off with a thrilling, extra-innings 4-3 victory Sunday afternoon that was won by a home run by Kaz Sanders and a lights-out pitching pe...
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Brenna Olson and Comets team win post-season honors
The Chanute girls basketball team has added to its tally of post-season honors, as the Comets picked up the Class 4A Sportsmanship certificate for the good behavior showed at the state tournament in Salina. Also, Comets’ junior guard Brenna Olson, a key player for the team on both offense and defense, was given honorable mention in all-state lists by both the Topeka Capitol-Journal and Wichita Eagle newspapers.
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Chanute boys tennis season gets off to frustrating start in Indy
Brian McDowell Sports Editor INDEPENDENCE — The spring sports season started in a frustrating way for the Chanute boys tennis team at the Independence tournament on Tuesday afternoon. The Comets placed fourth out of five teams at the event, getting five wins. The team’s number one singles player, senior Ian Cheshier, won one out of four matches at the season-opening tournament. Cheshier fell against players from Fort Scortt (8-5), Independen...
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NCCC softball hopes to regain momentum after scary weekend
Brian McDowell Sports Editor The NCCC Panthers softball team was scheduled to play Marshalltown Community College as part of the Broken Arrow softball tournament over the weekend. Thirty minutes before the match-up was due to start, Neosho County coach Kim Alexander received some disturbing news. Marshalltown’s team van was struck by another vehicle at an intersection, it flipped over, and an equipment trailer the van was hauling flipped on t...
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NCCC baseball back on right track after victories in Fort Scott
FORT SCOTT — The NCCC baseball team followed up a week in which they lost four out of five games by winning five of six games this week. Coach Steve Murry said his team was now “out of the doldrums.” “It seems like we have lacked confidence as of late,” Murry said. “When things got close or bad, we didn’t believe in ourselves enough to get through it.” This didn’t appear to be the case in the two games that the team played Monday in Fort Scot...
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Chanute basketball players named All-SEK
Three Chanute basketball players were honored by inclusion in the all-SEK basketball teams, which were announced on Monday. Junior Brock Gilmore was named as part of the third team on the boys side. Sisters Brenna and Morgan Olson, who both helped to propel their team to the state tournament, were both named to the third team on the girls side. Four Erie players honored as All-League Four members of Erie’s basketball teams have been honored ...
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Boys golf team ready to tee-off spring season
Brian McDowell Sports Editor Last year, the Chanute High School boys golf team finished 5th in the SEK without one of their best players, Mitch Hale, most of the year. The Comets finished 2nd in the regional that allowed CHS to go to the state tournament edging out Parsons who had finished ahead of Chanute in the SEK. The team finished 12th at The state tournament. Coach Bill Woodard believes that the young kids on the team, those who will b...
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NCCC baseball splits with Fort Scott
The NCCC Panthers baseball team split its Saturday match-ups with Fort Scott, losing the first game 2-1 in extra innings, but winning the second game 3-0. The first contest had no score until the Panthers’ first baseman Adam Giacalone hit a double and then scored on a ground-out by Robbe Ewing. The Greyhounds tied the score with a sacrifice fly in the next inning. Fort Scott won the game in the eighth with a RBI single. Matt Strahm pitched se...
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Chanute boys tennis hoping to overcome challenges
Brian McDowell Sports Editor Chanute boys tennis coach Wayne Woodyard faces a daunting challenge heading into this season. His team currently has only three players with significant varsity experience; its seniors Ian Cheshier, Jefferson Holmes and Tyler Dillow. Some of the previous JV players on the team got some varsity playing time last year, but none for more than two or three meets. “We’re hoping to do well,” Woodyard said. “I’m not sure...
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Chanute girls’ state bid ends with loss to defending champs
Brian McDowell Sports Editor SALINA — The first Chanute girls basketball team to make it to the state tournament since 1991’s season came to an ugly end in Salina, as the eighth-seeded Comets lost their Wednesday evening match-up with the undefeated, number-one seeded, defending state champion Holton Wildcats by a wide margin. “They’re good,” Chanute Coach Dustin Fox said. “One through ten, they can all play and it’s hard to go against a full ...
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SEK Jr. Comets wrestling results
The SEK Jr. Comets had 17 out of their 23 wrestllers place at subdistricts this last weekend in Pittsburg. These kids will advance to districts this coming weekend in Olathe. 8U: 40 lbs Nathan Wilson 4th place 52 lbs Ty Leedy 1st place 55 lbs Trent Clements 1st place 58 lbs Colton Seely 2nd place 61 lbs Trenton Harding 3rd place 10U: 58 lbs Devon Walker 2nd place 64 lbs Gunner Elder 1st place 100 lbs Dagen Goodner 1st place 12U: 64 lbs Hunte...
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Chanute sixth, fourth, in baseball, softball polls
PITTSBURG -- The Southeast Kansas League coaches picked the Iola Mustangs baseball squad and the Labette County Grizzlies softball team as the favorites to top the standings in 2012. That is according to The Ticket -- 99.1 ESPN Radio coaches polls announced during the second annual Southeast Kansas High School Baseball/Softball Media Luncheon at the Watco Companies Conference Room Monday. Iola, playing its last season in the SEK League before...
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Blues finish season with two tough losses in Kansas City
The Chanute Blues finished up their third season over the weekend at the USSSA Division 1 Missouri/Kansas State Tournament in Kansas City. The Blues had been invited to the tournament due to their outstanding 84-2 record. “We talked as a team and we wanted to find out how good we were against the best teams in Missouri and Kansas,” Coach Jason Feeback said. “We chose to play Division 1 knowing what we would be up against. The kids, coaches a...
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CCA boys take second at state
On Friday, Feb. 24, Chanute Christian Academy traveled to Manhattan for the Class 1A KCAA State Tournament. The CCA boys opened play against 3rd seed Heartland Christian from Colby. CCA came out on fire playing good defense and shooting well from the floor as they took a first period lead of 22-10. Freshman guard Alex Clover was hot early putting up 14 points in the first half, knocking down four of his five three-pointers. Alex finished with...
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Panthers blow lead but pull out win on sophomore night
Andrew Towne Special to the Tribune The NCCC Panthers men’s basketball team blew a 28-point lead but then held on for a 91-84 victory over the Independence Community College Pirates on Saturday night. Escaping with the win, the Panthers closed out the regular season with a 17-13 overall record. Despite the win, it was not enough for the Panthers to gain home court advantage in the upcoming first round of the KJCCC Region VI tournament on Wedn...
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NCCC baseball struggles against Coffeyville
After starting the season with a 12-game winning streak that boosted its national ranking to number four in the NJCAA, the NCCC Panthers baseball team has struggled last week. Over the weekend, the team (12-4) lost three of four home games against Coffeyville. “When things are going good, this team’s really good,” Coach Steve Murry said, “and we have the talent to be outstanding. Unfortunately, I think we figured out this week that when thing...
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NCCC track stars shine at Nationals meet
The NCCC Track and Field team competed at the NJCAA National meet this weekend at Eastern Illinois University in Charlston, Ill., led by two All-America finishes by Nickola Shingles. The competition started for the Panthers with Shingles competing in the heptathlon on Friday and Saturday. The heptathlon is a combination of seven events that includes the 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, and high jump on the first day, followed by the 60-met...
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Lady Panthers come up short in overtime loss
Andrew Towne Special to the Tribune NCCC sophomore Autumn Zenon made the most of her final home game on Saturday night against the Independence Community College Lady Pirates. With just seconds remaining in regulation, Zenon hit possibly the biggest three-point shot in her career. The three would tie the score up at 51 to send the game into overtime against the No. 19 team in the nation. The team’s Head Coach Kelley Newton described Zenon as...
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Chanute girls upset top-seeded Prairie View to gain sub-state finals
Brian McDowell Sports Editor LOUISBURG — By scoring a Thursday night sub-state upset over top-seeded Prairie View (18-4), the Chanute girls basketball team (10-12) lives on to fight another day. The Comets beat Prairie View 52-41 in the rough and tumble match-up in front of a loud Chanute student cheering section at Louisburg High School. With the victory, the team will return to Louisburg to take on Osawatomie (13-9) on Saturday night. “The ...
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