Minneapolis Softball – Team of the Month – Presented by Visit Wichita
By Matt Browning The Minneapolis softball team went 21-5 last season and qualified for the Class 3A Tournament, but the Lions lost a significant amount of talent from that squad. However, head coach Bryan Weatherman remains optimistic about his team’s chances in 2026. “We are replacing six seniors, but we can be as successful as […]
Minneapolis’ Bladen Johnson – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Scott Ausherman American Family Insurance
By Cooper Chadwick Batting .375 with nine RBIs early in the season, junior Bladen Johnson has been a steady presence at the plate for Minneapolis. Johnson plays first base and pitches for Minneapolis and has high expectations for himself this season. “I want to be able to strike people out when I get on the […]
Little River’s Kal-El Robinson – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Horizon Real Estate
By Blake Chadwick For most athletes, pressure can be overwhelming, but for Little River’s Kal-El Robinson—named after Superman—pressure is part of the process. It’s something he embraces rather than avoids. For Robinson, pressure is earned through preparation, and it’s where he believes his best performances come. “We compete in practice every day and push each […]
Salina South’s Jakub Szyndlar – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Kelly Kitchener Shelter Insurance
By Matt Browning Salina South’s Jakub Szyndlar saw significant progress in his javelin throwing toward the end of his junior season. He hopes that momentum carries into a successful senior campaign. “I want to build on the groundwork that I set at the end of last season,” Szyndlar said. “Improving not only in my form […]
Canton-Galva’s John Erskin – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Advanced Physical Therapy
By Matt Browning John Erskin has spent this track and field season focused on refinement, resilience and running faster in the sprint events for Canton-Galva. This season, he has recorded a 12.32 in the 100-meter dash and a 24.67 in the 200-meter dash while anchoring the 4×100 relay. His personal bests from the 2024 season […]
Salina South’s Jalen Cheeks – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Kelly Kitchener Shelter Insurance
By Matt Browning Last season, Salina South’s Jalen Cheeks made significant strides in his two main events, triple jump and 800 meter. Now the plan is to take last year’s momentum and continue it into the 2026 season. “I want to focus more on my triple jump and 800 meter this season,” Cheeks said. “I felt […]
Southeast of Saline’s Malachi Hopkins – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Nex-Tech
By Matt Browning Senior standout Malachi Hopkins is approaching his final season at Southeast of Saline with a clear mindset: push beyond limits and chase a state title. “My primary focus this year was to give it all I got and even when that’s all I got give more,” Hopkins said. “If I keep working […]
Smoky Valley’s Dalton Eastep – Coach of the Month – Presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic Clinic
By Matt Browning Entering his fifth season as head coach, Dalton Eastep has built his baseball program at Smoky Valley around a simple but impactful idea: maximizing each player’s potential. Eastep, who previously served as an assistant under former coach Troy Miller, has also spent time coaching middle school football at Smoky Valley, including three […]
Clay Center’s Miller Coffman – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Hog Wild Pit BBQ
Clay Center’s Miller Coffman and jaw-dropping stats last year. He hit .433 which earned him first team all-league honors. He hopes for status quo this season as he leads the Tigers. “My main focus is just to be better than last year,” Coffman said. “Specifically getting on base because that’s my main job for this […]
Concordia’s Charlize Cash – Call of the Wild Athlete – Presented by Commercial Tire
By Matt Browning For Charlize Cash, the outdoors has always felt like home. Growing up surrounded by family traditions rooted in nature, Cash said her appreciation began long before she could fully understand it. “My love for the outdoors started at a really young age,” she said. “We have been camping with my family for […]