By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

This softball season is gearing up to be a special one for Southeast of Saline.

Yes, the team finished the 2023 campaign 22-4, with a share of a league title and a win at state.

Yes, the team graduated just three seniors and will be seen as a force to be reckoned with in Class 3A this year.

And yes, the team does return two of the top pitchers in the state, and a lineup as deadly as it is experienced from top to bottom.

But despite all that, this season represents one last ride, for a group of players who have been with the same coach for the better part of 15 years.

“I’ve been coaching a lot of these girls since they were 4 years old,” SES head coach Pesha Ptacek said. “I intended to hand some lucky high school coach the gift of these girls that I had taught to play and love the game the right way, it just so happened that that lucky coach was me.”

Under Ptacek's leadership, this group, including the three seniors who came before them, have reignited Southeast’s softball program, punching tickets to state, winning league titles, and dominating their competition.

On Thursday afternoon, when the Smoky Valley Vikings come to town, that ride will officially get underway, and the Lady Trojan’s quest for glory will begin.

“We’re excited and we’re ready to get out there and play,” Ptacek said. “Expectations are high and we’ve been holding each other accountable in the small things. We don’t want to settle for ‘good enough,’ we want to do the little things that make us great.”

The troubles for Southeast’s opponents begin in the circle, where all-league pitchers Lexi Jacobson and Bryna Baird return for another year, after shredding lineups and tossing ten shutouts a season ago.

“Lexi and Bryna have been a dominant 1-2 punch and I expect that to be even more pronounced this year,” she said. “We also have Abigail Pearson who’s a sophomore that we can go to if we need a third.”

The lineup that entered the state bracket with a +259 run differential will also be widely unchanged, with six returners including a trio of four-year starters.

Maddie Harris (C) and Brielle Ptacek (SS), join Jacobson and Baird as All-League returners in the lineup, and will slot in alongside familiar faces in Kimber Ogorzolka (1B), Adyson Rohr (3B), Jayci Burgardt (OF), and Brookelyn Adams (OF).

Following the graduation of Chase Gilpin, Carly Commerford and Savannah Sutton, a strong crew of newcomers will also get their shot, as Avery Kinkelaar, Makenzie Riedel, and Abby Wyatt all battle it out for the final few spots in the starting nine.

While there is no denying this team's stark talent, the Lady Trojans still feel they have another gear to find, and will need to take one last step to have a shot at walking away with the ultimate prize in Class 3A.

“We’re capable of dominating but we’ve had a tendency to let teams that I don’t believe should have been in games play with us,” Ptacek said. “Last year we wanted to prove that we belonged at state and we did that with a win, but this year we want to prove that we can be real contenders.”

Today is opening day for Southeast of Saline as the Lady Trojans play host to Smoky Valley in a doubleheader with first pitch scheduled for 3:00.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>This softball season is gearing up to be a special one for Southeast of Saline.Yes, the team finished the 2023 campaign 22-4, with a share of a league title and a win at state.Yes, the team graduated just three seniors and will be seen as a force to be reckoned with in Class 3A this year.And yes, the team does return two of the top pitchers in the state, and a lineup as deadly as it is experienced from top to bottom.But despite all that, this season represents one last ride, for a group of players who have been with the same coach for the better part of 15 years.“I’ve been coaching a lot of these girls since they were 4 years old,” SES head coach Pesha Ptacek said. “I intended to hand some lucky high school coach the gift of these girls that I had taught to play and love the game the right way, it just so happened that that lucky coach was me.”Under Ptacek's leadership, this group, including the three seniors who came before them, have reignited Southeast’s softball program, punching tickets to state, winning league titles, and dominating their competition.On Thursday afternoon, when the Smoky Valley Vikings come to town, that ride will officially get underway, and the Lady Trojan’s quest for glory will begin.“We’re excited and we’re ready to get out there and play,” Ptacek said. “Expectations are high and we’ve been holding each other accountable in the small things. We don’t want to settle for ‘good enough,’ we want to do the little things that make us great.”The troubles for Southeast’s opponents begin in the circle, where all-league pitchers Lexi Jacobson and Bryna Baird return for another year, after shredding lineups and tossing ten shutouts a season ago.“Lexi and Bryna have been a dominant 1-2 punch and I expect that to be even more pronounced this year,” she said. “We also have Abigail Pearson who’s a sophomore that we can go to if we need a third.”The lineup that entered the state bracket with a +259 run differential will also be widely unchanged, with six returners including a trio of four-year starters.Maddie Harris (C) and Brielle Ptacek (SS), join Jacobson and Baird as All-League returners in the lineup, and will slot in alongside familiar faces in Kimber Ogorzolka (1B), Adyson Rohr (3B), Jayci Burgardt (OF), and Brookelyn Adams (OF).Following the graduation of Chase Gilpin, Carly Commerford and Savannah Sutton, a strong crew of newcomers will also get their shot, as Avery Kinkelaar, Makenzie Riedel, and Abby Wyatt all battle it out for the final few spots in the starting nine.While there is no denying this team's stark talent, the Lady Trojans still feel they have another gear to find, and will need to take one last step to have a shot at walking away with the ultimate prize in Class 3A.“We’re capable of dominating but we’ve had a tendency to let teams that I don’t believe should have been in games play with us,” Ptacek said. “Last year we wanted to prove that we belonged at state and we did that with a win, but this year we want to prove that we can be real contenders.”Today is opening day for Southeast of Saline as the Lady Trojans play host to Smoky Valley in a doubleheader with first pitch scheduled for 3:00.

SES Softball Begins One Last Ride With the Ultimate Prize in Mind

For the first time in a long time, the Southeast of Saline baseball team has entered a season seemingly with more questions than answers, but despite all that, the feeling around Gypsum remains one of optimism.

The Trojans graduated nine seniors a season ago, including a good chunk of the All-League squad that helped Southeast to a 15-8 record and a sixth-straight NCAA title.

“It’s a whole new crew around here,” SES head coach Mike Garretson said. “We have just two guys (Cole Gilpin and Grady Gebhardt) who were on varsity last year and we had a lot of guys that just had to wait for their time.”

For most of Southeast’s roster, that time has finally come, and following a 2-2 start, it’s clear that despite some inevitable growing pains, this Trojan team still has teeth, after dismantling Wichita Independent 20-5 and 17-1 over the weekend.

While battles rage on at a majority of positions early in the year, that competition is a good sign for a Southeast squad that has just two seniors on its roster in 2024.

“We’re still be giving a lot of guys playing time and by the end of the year we’ll have it whittled down to 11 or so but we’re playing 14-15 guys to let them show us what they can do,” Garretson said. “We’re hoping to build a good foundation that will pay off for us whether that’s this year or years in the future.”

Those aforementioned growing pains are the kind of thing you’d expect out of a team with several players just getting their feet wet at the varsity level, but underneath the early-season walks, strikeouts, and errors lies a group filled to the brim with raw talent, and willing to put in the work to get better day by day.

“These guys are eager to dive in and do their best,” he said. “We’re not real experienced but we’re coaching them up as the moments arise and they’re very receptive. Effort and attitude have been great and it’s a lot of fun to work with kids like that.”

The two returning anchors from last year’s team are all-league pitcher Cole Gilpin, and speedy outfielder Grady Gebhardt, who lead the team alongside the two seniors Eli Commerford and Treytan Olson.

Among the slew of newcomers, standouts include freshmen catchers Noah Rupert and Casson Klover and third baseman Ian Nickelson, who will back up a mostly new pitching staff filled out by Gilpin, Olson, Rupert, Killian Vaughan, Jackson Calvin, Tiernan Ptacek, and Drew Weller.

Despite their inexperience and facing down one of the best leagues in the state of Kansas with heavy hitters in Sacred Heart, Ellsworth, and Beloit, the goals in Gypsum have not changed, and the Trojans are keeping their eyes on the prize.

“We still want to win our league,” Garretson said. “We’ve won it six times in a row and these guys don’t want to be the group that ends the streak. We also still want to go to state, but mostly we just want to win the next game we play and that’s where we’re at.”

That next game will come on Thursday evening as the Trojans travel to Salina for a remote home doubleheader against Smoky Valley starting at 3:00.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>For the first time in a long time, the Southeast of Saline baseball team has entered a season seemingly with more questions than answers, but despite all that, the feeling around Gypsum remains one of optimism.The Trojans graduated nine seniors a season ago, including a good chunk of the All-League squad that helped Southeast to a 15-8 record and a sixth-straight NCAA title.“It’s a whole new crew around here,” SES head coach Mike Garretson said. “We have just two guys (Cole Gilpin and Grady Gebhardt) who were on varsity last year and we had a lot of guys that just had to wait for their time.”For most of Southeast’s roster, that time has finally come, and following a 2-2 start, it’s clear that despite some inevitable growing pains, this Trojan team still has teeth, after dismantling Wichita Independent 20-5 and 17-1 over the weekend.While battles rage on at a majority of positions early in the year, that competition is a good sign for a Southeast squad that has just two seniors on its roster in 2024.“We’re still be giving a lot of guys playing time and by the end of the year we’ll have it whittled down to 11 or so but we’re playing 14-15 guys to let them show us what they can do,” Garretson said. “We’re hoping to build a good foundation that will pay off for us whether that’s this year or years in the future.”Those aforementioned growing pains are the kind of thing you’d expect out of a team with several players just getting their feet wet at the varsity level, but underneath the early-season walks, strikeouts, and errors lies a group filled to the brim with raw talent, and willing to put in the work to get better day by day.“These guys are eager to dive in and do their best,” he said. “We’re not real experienced but we’re coaching them up as the moments arise and they’re very receptive. Effort and attitude have been great and it’s a lot of fun to work with kids like that.”The two returning anchors from last year’s team are all-league pitcher Cole Gilpin, and speedy outfielder Grady Gebhardt, who lead the team alongside the two seniors Eli Commerford and Treytan Olson.Among the slew of newcomers, standouts include freshmen catchers Noah Rupert and Casson Klover and third baseman Ian Nickelson, who will back up a mostly new pitching staff filled out by Gilpin, Olson, Rupert, Killian Vaughan, Jackson Calvin, Tiernan Ptacek, and Drew Weller.Despite their inexperience and facing down one of the best leagues in the state of Kansas with heavy hitters in Sacred Heart, Ellsworth, and Beloit, the goals in Gypsum have not changed, and the Trojans are keeping their eyes on the prize.“We still want to win our league,” Garretson said. “We’ve won it six times in a row and these guys don’t want to be the group that ends the streak. We also still want to go to state, but mostly we just want to win the next game we play and that’s where we’re at.”That next game will come on Thursday evening as the Trojans travel to Salina for a remote home doubleheader against Smoky Valley starting at 3:00.

Trojan Baseball Optimistic Amidst Rebuilding Year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals owner John Sherman said jokingly that he doesn't sleep very well under normal circumstances, so just imagine how his nights are going these days, with opening day on deck and a key vote for a downtown ballpark coming up next week.

The Royals play AL Central rival Minnesota on Thursday in their opening three-game series. After an offseason spending spree resulted in a revamped starting rotation, rebuilt bullpen and revitalized lineup, expectations in Kansas City are the highest in years for a club that lost 106 games last season.

“I'm trying not to play the expectation game,” Sherman said Wednesday before a public workout at Kauffman Stadium, the 51-year old building affectionately known as “the K” that the Royals want to replace with a downtown ballpark by 2028.

“We've done a lot to make this team better,” Sherman said. “I'm particularly encouraged by the mix of veterans in the clubhouse, the energy, setting an example for the younger guys. I would say my expectations are high. Time will tell.”

The biggest additions were starters Seth Lugo, who signed a $45 million, three-year deal, and Michael Wacha, who got a $32 million, two-year contract. They will fill out an rotation headlined by opening day starter Cole Ragans, who arrived last year in a trade with Texas, along with Brady Singer and Alec Marsh, who won the final job in spring training.

More money was spilled on the bullpen, where the Royals signed left-hander Will Smith — a three-time World Series champion — to a $5 million deal to close out games, and right-hander Chris Stratton to a $4 million deal to hold onto leads.

The biggest lineup addition is outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who signed a $13 million, two-year deal to provide some pop.

In all, just seven players are left on the 26-man roster from the club that struggled so mightily lsat season.

“That's a pretty significant revamp,” Sherman said.

One of those seven back? Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals' brilliant young shortstop, who committed to their future by signing an 11-year deal worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed to serve as their cornerstone going forward.

That deal also sent notice to weary Royals fans, many of whom will vote Tuesday, that they are serious about winning.

On the ballot in Jackson County, Missouri, is the renewal of a 3/8-cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Kauffman Stadium and neighboring Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs.

The Royals want to use their share of future money to help pay for a $2 billion ballpark and entertainment district in a section of Kansas City known as the Crossroads, just south of the T-Mobile Center and Power &amp; Light District. The Chiefs plan to use their share to help with an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium after the 2026 World Cup is played there.

“What keeps me up at night? It's really thinking about this decision, this process for our ownership group,” Sherman said. “This is the most important thing we'll probably do while we are the stewards of this franchise.”

Neither the Royals nor the Chiefs have said what they would do should the ballot measure fail. But Sherman is doing his best to allay concerns among voters, which range from traffic to parking to what would happen to current Crossroads businesses. He spent last weekend knocking on doors, attending a church service and taking part in a neighborhood meeting in the 18th &amp; Vine district, which is near the Crossroads and home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

“I've got my ear to the ground,” said Sherman, who joked that his wife went to a restaurant in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City recently and “she had four yeses, three nos and a couple of maybes" in her informal polling.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro made his opinion clear, wearing a shirt Wednesday that read “Vote Yes on 1.”

“When you travel around to different cities in the league, the downtown ballparks put a ton of energy into the city. The players enjoy it. The fans soak that kind of thing in,” Quatraro said. “And what a new ballpark could bring our team — the amenities, the facilities underneath (Kauffman Stadium) are smaller. The operation is continuing to grow, and players need certain things that are hard to provide here. From a player-development standpoint, I think it would be a great thing for the team.”

In the meantime, Quatraro is much like Sherman in that his expectations are high for a better season in Kansas City.

“We came into last year with great expectations as well. We don't come into any season thinking it's not going to be good,” he said. “From a team concept, we expect these guys to go out and try to win every game.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705687592823.jpeg" alt="File Photo- (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>File Photo- (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals owner John Sherman said jokingly that he doesn't sleep very well under normal circumstances, so just imagine how his nights are going these days, with opening day on deck and a key vote for a downtown ballpark coming up next week.The Royals play AL Central rival Minnesota on Thursday in their opening three-game series. After an offseason spending spree resulted in a revamped starting rotation, rebuilt bullpen and revitalized lineup, expectations in Kansas City are the highest in years for a club that lost 106 games last season.“I'm trying not to play the expectation game,” Sherman said Wednesday before a public workout at Kauffman Stadium, the 51-year old building affectionately known as “the K” that the Royals want to replace with a downtown ballpark by 2028.“We've done a lot to make this team better,” Sherman said. “I'm particularly encouraged by the mix of veterans in the clubhouse, the energy, setting an example for the younger guys. I would say my expectations are high. Time will tell.”The biggest additions were starters Seth Lugo, who signed a $45 million, three-year deal, and Michael Wacha, who got a $32 million, two-year contract. They will fill out an rotation headlined by opening day starter Cole Ragans, who arrived last year in a trade with Texas, along with Brady Singer and Alec Marsh, who won the final job in spring training.More money was spilled on the bullpen, where the Royals signed left-hander Will Smith — a three-time World Series champion — to a $5 million deal to close out games, and right-hander Chris Stratton to a $4 million deal to hold onto leads.The biggest lineup addition is outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who signed a $13 million, two-year deal to provide some pop.In all, just seven players are left on the 26-man roster from the club that struggled so mightily lsat season.“That's a pretty significant revamp,” Sherman said.One of those seven back? Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals' brilliant young shortstop, who committed to their future by signing an 11-year deal worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed to serve as their cornerstone going forward.That deal also sent notice to weary Royals fans, many of whom will vote Tuesday, that they are serious about winning.On the ballot in Jackson County, Missouri, is the renewal of a 3/8-cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Kauffman Stadium and neighboring Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs.The Royals want to use their share of future money to help pay for a $2 billion ballpark and entertainment district in a section of Kansas City known as the Crossroads, just south of the T-Mobile Center and Power &amp; Light District. The Chiefs plan to use their share to help with an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium after the 2026 World Cup is played there.“What keeps me up at night? It's really thinking about this decision, this process for our ownership group,” Sherman said. “This is the most important thing we'll probably do while we are the stewards of this franchise.”Neither the Royals nor the Chiefs have said what they would do should the ballot measure fail. But Sherman is doing his best to allay concerns among voters, which range from traffic to parking to what would happen to current Crossroads businesses. He spent last weekend knocking on doors, attending a church service and taking part in a neighborhood meeting in the 18th &amp; Vine district, which is near the Crossroads and home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.“I've got my ear to the ground,” said Sherman, who joked that his wife went to a restaurant in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City recently and “she had four yeses, three nos and a couple of maybes" in her informal polling.Royals manager Matt Quatraro made his opinion clear, wearing a shirt Wednesday that read “Vote Yes on 1.”“When you travel around to different cities in the league, the downtown ballparks put a ton of energy into the city. The players enjoy it. The fans soak that kind of thing in,” Quatraro said. “And what a new ballpark could bring our team — the amenities, the facilities underneath (Kauffman Stadium) are smaller. The operation is continuing to grow, and players need certain things that are hard to provide here. From a player-development standpoint, I think it would be a great thing for the team.”In the meantime, Quatraro is much like Sherman in that his expectations are high for a better season in Kansas City.“We came into last year with great expectations as well. We don't come into any season thinking it's not going to be good,” he said. “From a team concept, we expect these guys to go out and try to win every game.”

⚾ Royals ready for opening day, key vote next week to help fund downtown ballpark

Kansas-&nbsp;Kansas Shrine All-Star Events is excited to announce that the inaugural KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals raised $25,000 for Shriners Children’s. The high school senior all-star wrestling event that featured 56 of the state’s top girls and boys wrestlers was held on Sunday, March 17th&nbsp;in Wichita, Kansas on the campus of Newman University.

“All of Kansas Shrine All-Star Events are produced with one big goal in mind; to make the biggest impact possible on the lives of the children served by Shriners Children’s Hospital,” said Brice Kesler, Executive Director. “We’re excited that a first-time event, like the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals, was able to have such a significant impact towards that goal. Both the financial contribution generated and the opportunity to spread awareness for our cause, which was created by this event, will make a tremendous addition to the overall impact Kansas Shrine All-Star Events will have for Shriners Children’s Hospitals in 2024.”

Complete results and the archived broadcast of the 2024 KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrineduals.com/" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineDuals.com</a>. “We want to thank all of the participants, their families and friends, the businesses and organizations that supported these athletes and our cause, the many volunteers that helped make this event happen, our host Newman University, and our partners in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association,” said Kesler. “Everyone played an important role in this event’s success, and everyone should be very proud of the lasting impact their participation in events like the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals will have on the children receiving care at Shriners Children’s Hospitals.”

Kansas Shrine All-Star Events will host the 51st&nbsp;Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth on Saturday, June 29th, 2024 in Emporia, Kansas at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University. In addition to the annual all-star football game on Saturday night, the weekend of the Kansas Shrine Bowl includes many other events and activities. Additional events include the Hospital Experience, the Kansas Shrine Bowl golf tournament, the largest annual Shrine Parade in Kansas, the Friday Night All-Star Showcase and concert, an alumni gameday reunion, and more. 

Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/Events" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineBowl.com/Events</a>&nbsp;for a full lineup of events and details, along with ticketing information. The annual All-Star Cheer Camp and Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp will also be held in Emporia for the 51st&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl, registration details for those camps can also be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineBowl.com</a>.

All Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Children’s. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s. Shriners Children’s is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.

Photos Courtesy of Dan Alcala, Midian Shrine Temple

Kansas-&nbsp;Kansas Shrine All-Star Events is excited to announce that the inaugural KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals raised $25,000 for Shriners Children’s. The high school senior all-star wrestling event that featured 56 of the state’s top girls and boys wrestlers was held on Sunday, March 17th&nbsp;in Wichita, Kansas on the campus of Newman University.“All of Kansas Shrine All-Star Events are produced with one big goal in mind; to make the biggest impact possible on the lives of the children served by Shriners Children’s Hospital,” said Brice Kesler, Executive Director. “We’re excited that a first-time event, like the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals, was able to have such a significant impact towards that goal. Both the financial contribution generated and the opportunity to spread awareness for our cause, which was created by this event, will make a tremendous addition to the overall impact Kansas Shrine All-Star Events will have for Shriners Children’s Hospitals in 2024.”Complete results and the archived broadcast of the 2024 KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrineduals.com/" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineDuals.com</a>. “We want to thank all of the participants, their families and friends, the businesses and organizations that supported these athletes and our cause, the many volunteers that helped make this event happen, our host Newman University, and our partners in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association,” said Kesler. “Everyone played an important role in this event’s success, and everyone should be very proud of the lasting impact their participation in events like the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals will have on the children receiving care at Shriners Children’s Hospitals.”Kansas Shrine All-Star Events will host the 51st&nbsp;Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth on Saturday, June 29th, 2024 in Emporia, Kansas at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University. In addition to the annual all-star football game on Saturday night, the weekend of the Kansas Shrine Bowl includes many other events and activities. Additional events include the Hospital Experience, the Kansas Shrine Bowl golf tournament, the largest annual Shrine Parade in Kansas, the Friday Night All-Star Showcase and concert, an alumni gameday reunion, and more. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/Events" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineBowl.com/Events</a>&nbsp;for a full lineup of events and details, along with ticketing information. The annual All-Star Cheer Camp and Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp will also be held in Emporia for the 51st&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl, registration details for those camps can also be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineBowl.com</a>.All Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Children’s. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s. Shriners Children’s is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.Photos Courtesy of Dan Alcala, Midian Shrine Temple

KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals Raises $25,000 for Shriners Children’s

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;As spring football practices continue, Kansas State has welcomed the additions of staff members&nbsp;Nate Kaczor,&nbsp;Drew Liddle,&nbsp;Sean Maguire,&nbsp;Riley Galpin&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lonnie Maddox&nbsp;over the last month.

Kaczor (pronounced KAT-sir) will serve as the Special Teams Quality Control Coach, Liddle and Maguire as Offensive Analysts, Galpin as Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting and Maddox as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.

A 16-year NFL coaching veteran who has served as the Special Teams Coordinator for the Washington Commanders over the last five seasons, Kaczor has worked as a college or NFL coach each of the last 33 seasons. He got his start in the NFL as an assistant special teams coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2008 to 2011, was an assistant offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans in 2012 and has also served as the special teams coordinator for the Titans (2013-15) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-18).

A native of Scott City, Kansas, Kaczor also worked 17 seasons as a college assistant coach as he was an offensive assistant at Utah State from 1991 to 1999 – crossing paths with current K-State assistants&nbsp;Mike Tuiasosopo&nbsp;and&nbsp;Matt Wells&nbsp;– in addition to serving as the offensive coordinator at Nebraska-Kearney (2000-03), co-offensive coordinator at Idaho (2004-05) and tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe (2006-07).

Liddle returns to Manhattan after working the previous two seasons as the tight ends/fullbacks coach at UTEP. Liddle, who played in 26 games throughout his four-year Wildcat career, was an Offensive Graduate Assistant at K-State for the 2015 and 2016 seasons before working as an Offensive Quality Control Coach and Assistant Director of Recruiting for the 2017 through 2020 seasons. Liddle then became the offensive line coach at Abilene Christian in 2021 before moving to UTEP a year later.

A former quarterback at Florida State, Maguire comes to Manhattan after working last season at the University of Buffalo as a Defensive Analyst and Quality Control Coach. He went to upstate New York after working four seasons at Texas A&amp;M, the first two as an Offensive Graduate Assistant in 2018 and 2019 before serving as an Offensive Analyst the next two seasons. Maguire played four seasons at Florida State, including the National Championship campaign of 2013. His best season came during his junior campaign of 2015 when he made five starts and threw for 1,520 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Galpin has spent the last two seasons as the Director of On-campus Recruiting and an Operations Assistant at the University of West Georgia where she directed and supervised all planning of official and unofficial visits to campus. She also helped plan and execute football camps, prospect days and junior days, while she helped transitioned incoming players both athletically and academically.

Maddox arrives in Manhattan after spending the last four seasons at Valdosta State as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for all 14 athletics programs, while he did the same the 2017 through 2019 seasons at Alcorn State. A graduate of Troy University, Maddox received his start in the strength and conditioning field at Troy for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, while he worked with the South Carolina football program as an intern in 2016. He is a certified strength and condition specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a registered strength and conditioning coach by the NSCA.

The Wildcats have held six of their 15 allotted spring practices, and they will continue to practice three to four times per week leading up to their final practice on April 13.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;As spring football practices continue, Kansas State has welcomed the additions of staff members&nbsp;Nate Kaczor,&nbsp;Drew Liddle,&nbsp;Sean Maguire,&nbsp;Riley Galpin&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lonnie Maddox&nbsp;over the last month.Kaczor (pronounced KAT-sir) will serve as the Special Teams Quality Control Coach, Liddle and Maguire as Offensive Analysts, Galpin as Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting and Maddox as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.A 16-year NFL coaching veteran who has served as the Special Teams Coordinator for the Washington Commanders over the last five seasons, Kaczor has worked as a college or NFL coach each of the last 33 seasons. He got his start in the NFL as an assistant special teams coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2008 to 2011, was an assistant offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans in 2012 and has also served as the special teams coordinator for the Titans (2013-15) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-18).A native of Scott City, Kansas, Kaczor also worked 17 seasons as a college assistant coach as he was an offensive assistant at Utah State from 1991 to 1999 – crossing paths with current K-State assistants&nbsp;Mike Tuiasosopo&nbsp;and&nbsp;Matt Wells&nbsp;– in addition to serving as the offensive coordinator at Nebraska-Kearney (2000-03), co-offensive coordinator at Idaho (2004-05) and tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe (2006-07).Liddle returns to Manhattan after working the previous two seasons as the tight ends/fullbacks coach at UTEP. Liddle, who played in 26 games throughout his four-year Wildcat career, was an Offensive Graduate Assistant at K-State for the 2015 and 2016 seasons before working as an Offensive Quality Control Coach and Assistant Director of Recruiting for the 2017 through 2020 seasons. Liddle then became the offensive line coach at Abilene Christian in 2021 before moving to UTEP a year later.A former quarterback at Florida State, Maguire comes to Manhattan after working last season at the University of Buffalo as a Defensive Analyst and Quality Control Coach. He went to upstate New York after working four seasons at Texas A&amp;M, the first two as an Offensive Graduate Assistant in 2018 and 2019 before serving as an Offensive Analyst the next two seasons. Maguire played four seasons at Florida State, including the National Championship campaign of 2013. His best season came during his junior campaign of 2015 when he made five starts and threw for 1,520 yards and 11 touchdowns.Galpin has spent the last two seasons as the Director of On-campus Recruiting and an Operations Assistant at the University of West Georgia where she directed and supervised all planning of official and unofficial visits to campus. She also helped plan and execute football camps, prospect days and junior days, while she helped transitioned incoming players both athletically and academically.Maddox arrives in Manhattan after spending the last four seasons at Valdosta State as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for all 14 athletics programs, while he did the same the 2017 through 2019 seasons at Alcorn State. A graduate of Troy University, Maddox received his start in the strength and conditioning field at Troy for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, while he worked with the South Carolina football program as an intern in 2016. He is a certified strength and condition specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a registered strength and conditioning coach by the NSCA.The Wildcats have held six of their 15 allotted spring practices, and they will continue to practice three to four times per week leading up to their final practice on April 13.

K-State Football Announces Staff Additions

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball had four student-athletes earn All-KCAC honors as the KCAC announced its 2024 Men's Basketball All-KCAC teams selected by the conference coaches.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/982d2a23-dad4-47c9-adc4-c7fcfdd32beb?elinkdata=7797">Jun Murdock</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e59e74fc-e47f-4881-82e6-1d8f55493b7d?elinkdata=7797">Alex Littlejohn</a> were named to the first-team, while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/19ea26e1-4ffb-4e0d-a945-a1fd1b3e61a0?elinkdata=7797">Izaiah Hale</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/97807c66-d9a1-4d1e-9c61-3b61fe113567?elinkdata=7797">Thurbil Bile</a> were named to the honorable-mention team.

Murdock was outstanding during the KCAC season for the Coyotes. He averaged 17.6 points per game during the conference season, ranking fifth in the KCAC in scoring. He ranked 13th in the KCAC in field goal percentage, shooting 50.9 percent during conference play and ranked 12th in free throw percentage at 79 percent. He ranked fourth in the KCAC in assist average (4.8), and fifth in steals average (1.7). He also ranked third in the KCAC in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Overall, Murdock ranked 27th in the NAIA in assists per game, and 67th in scoring average.

Murdock's defensive prowess also earned him a spot on the All-KCAC All-Defensive Team, tasked every night with guarding some of the top scorers in the country, and affecting their efficiency greatly becoming high-volume shooters, or by limiting their chances entirely. This was Murdock's second selection to the all-defense team.

Littlejohn was again phenomenal for the Coyotes coming off last season's NAIA All-America campaign. During KCAC play he averaged 18 points and 11.4 rebounds per game over 22 conference games. He ranked fourth in the KCAC in scoring average and led the KCAC in rebounding per game. He shot 54.9 percent from the field, ranking eighth best in the KCAC and shot 80.2 percent from the free throw line.

Overall, he ranked fifth in the NAIA in rebounding average, and in the Top 100 in scoring average.

Hale averaged 10.2 points per game for the Coyotes this season, and 12.2 per game during conference play, ranking 23rd in the KCAC. He also shot 39.1 percent from 3-point range in conference play, which ranked 12th in the KCAC.

Bile was an inside force for the Coyotes as he averaged 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for the Coyotes. His 9.5 points ranked 40th in the KCAC and he ranked 29th in rebounding. He ranked third in the KCAC in blocks per game, averaging 1.8 per contest.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball had four student-athletes earn All-KCAC honors as the KCAC announced its 2024 Men's Basketball All-KCAC teams selected by the conference coaches.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/982d2a23-dad4-47c9-adc4-c7fcfdd32beb?elinkdata=7797">Jun Murdock</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e59e74fc-e47f-4881-82e6-1d8f55493b7d?elinkdata=7797">Alex Littlejohn</a> were named to the first-team, while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/19ea26e1-4ffb-4e0d-a945-a1fd1b3e61a0?elinkdata=7797">Izaiah Hale</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/97807c66-d9a1-4d1e-9c61-3b61fe113567?elinkdata=7797">Thurbil Bile</a> were named to the honorable-mention team.Murdock was outstanding during the KCAC season for the Coyotes. He averaged 17.6 points per game during the conference season, ranking fifth in the KCAC in scoring. He ranked 13th in the KCAC in field goal percentage, shooting 50.9 percent during conference play and ranked 12th in free throw percentage at 79 percent. He ranked fourth in the KCAC in assist average (4.8), and fifth in steals average (1.7). He also ranked third in the KCAC in assist-to-turnover ratio.Overall, Murdock ranked 27th in the NAIA in assists per game, and 67th in scoring average.Murdock's defensive prowess also earned him a spot on the All-KCAC All-Defensive Team, tasked every night with guarding some of the top scorers in the country, and affecting their efficiency greatly becoming high-volume shooters, or by limiting their chances entirely. This was Murdock's second selection to the all-defense team.Littlejohn was again phenomenal for the Coyotes coming off last season's NAIA All-America campaign. During KCAC play he averaged 18 points and 11.4 rebounds per game over 22 conference games. He ranked fourth in the KCAC in scoring average and led the KCAC in rebounding per game. He shot 54.9 percent from the field, ranking eighth best in the KCAC and shot 80.2 percent from the free throw line.Overall, he ranked fifth in the NAIA in rebounding average, and in the Top 100 in scoring average.Hale averaged 10.2 points per game for the Coyotes this season, and 12.2 per game during conference play, ranking 23rd in the KCAC. He also shot 39.1 percent from 3-point range in conference play, which ranked 12th in the KCAC.Bile was an inside force for the Coyotes as he averaged 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for the Coyotes. His 9.5 points ranked 40th in the KCAC and he ranked 29th in rebounding. He ranked third in the KCAC in blocks per game, averaging 1.8 per contest.

Coyote MBB has four earn All-KCAC honors

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball saw three student-athletes earn honors from the KCAC as All-KCAC selections for the 2023-24 season. All-KCAC selections were made by the conference coaches.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9785bee9-dd07-4c2d-a9c7-62c618ea40a9?elinkdata=7774">LaMyah Ricks</a> was selected to the second-team, while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0bc30e86-cf19-4a0c-8643-0798fea34006?elinkdata=7774">Jill Stephens</a> was an honorable-mention selection and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d5d5c8c-2835-4854-bf73-fc2f181798b8?elinkdata=7774">Odessa Ozuna</a> earned a spot on the All-KCAC All-Freshman team.

Ricks averaged 11.8 points per game during the conference season for the Coyotes, which ranked No. 18 in the KCAC. She also averaged 4.6 rebounds per game ranking No. 32 in the conference. She also averaged 1.4 steals per game, ranking No. 17 in the conference. She scored her 1000th career point on February 7 against Bethany.

Stephens averaged 12.1 points per game during conference play, which ranked No. 16 in the KCAC, and shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range, which ranked fifth best in the KCAC during conference play. She led the KCAC in 3-point field goals made during conference play with 57 and ranked second in the KCAC in free throw percentage at 88.4 percent (61 of 69).

Ozuna averaged 7.0 points per game during conference play as a freshman. She poured in 26 points in a double overtime win over Sterling on January 17 and had 21 against Oklahoma Wesleyan in pair of breakout games.

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball saw three student-athletes earn honors from the KCAC as All-KCAC selections for the 2023-24 season. All-KCAC selections were made by the conference coaches.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9785bee9-dd07-4c2d-a9c7-62c618ea40a9?elinkdata=7774">LaMyah Ricks</a> was selected to the second-team, while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0bc30e86-cf19-4a0c-8643-0798fea34006?elinkdata=7774">Jill Stephens</a> was an honorable-mention selection and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d5d5c8c-2835-4854-bf73-fc2f181798b8?elinkdata=7774">Odessa Ozuna</a> earned a spot on the All-KCAC All-Freshman team.Ricks averaged 11.8 points per game during the conference season for the Coyotes, which ranked No. 18 in the KCAC. She also averaged 4.6 rebounds per game ranking No. 32 in the conference. She also averaged 1.4 steals per game, ranking No. 17 in the conference. She scored her 1000th career point on February 7 against Bethany.Stephens averaged 12.1 points per game during conference play, which ranked No. 16 in the KCAC, and shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range, which ranked fifth best in the KCAC during conference play. She led the KCAC in 3-point field goals made during conference play with 57 and ranked second in the KCAC in free throw percentage at 88.4 percent (61 of 69).Ozuna averaged 7.0 points per game during conference play as a freshman. She poured in 26 points in a double overtime win over Sterling on January 17 and had 21 against Oklahoma Wesleyan in pair of breakout games.

KWU WBB has three earn All-KCAC honors

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Kansas State senior center Ayoka Lee continues to pile up honors, as she was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Region 3 team and is a finalist for All-America honors from the WBCA. Lee is one of 52 finalists and is one of eight from the Big 12 Conference.

The 2024 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team will be announced on Thursday, April 4.

Lee is the third K-State player to earn three WBCA All-Region honors in a career, joining Kendra Wecker (three times) and Nicole Ohlde (three times).

In addition to her WBCA All-Region honor, Lee is a Second Team All-America selection by The Athletic, a Third Team All-America honoree by The Sporting News and on the 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot as a top-15 candidate.

Lee averaged 19.7 points on a .619 field goal percentage, 8.6 rebounds and 2.78 blocked shots. She is the first player in program history with two or more seasons of 500 or more points, 200 or more rebounds and 75 or more blocks. Her 75 blocks were the sixth-most in program history and was her third career season with 75 or more blocked shots.

She ranked sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is third in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.

In her seven games this season against Associated Press top-25 opponents, Lee averaged 20.6 points on a .637 field goal percentage, 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Lee has recorded 14 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.

This season, Lee led the Big 12’s top defense with 21 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14.

In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,194, holds the school record for career scoring average at 19.2, holds the school record for career rebounds with 1,118, holds the school record for career rebounding average at 9.8, the school record holder for career blocks with 310 and blocks per game at 2.72 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 60. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.

K-State (26-8) completed the 56th season in program history, as the Wildcats achieved its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and collected 26 wins for the first time since the 2002-03 season. The Wildcats were ranked among the Associated Press top-25 for 18 consecutive weeks, including a high of number two in the nation on January 29.

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Kansas State senior center Ayoka Lee continues to pile up honors, as she was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Region 3 team and is a finalist for All-America honors from the WBCA. Lee is one of 52 finalists and is one of eight from the Big 12 Conference.The 2024 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team will be announced on Thursday, April 4.Lee is the third K-State player to earn three WBCA All-Region honors in a career, joining Kendra Wecker (three times) and Nicole Ohlde (three times).In addition to her WBCA All-Region honor, Lee is a Second Team All-America selection by The Athletic, a Third Team All-America honoree by The Sporting News and on the 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot as a top-15 candidate.Lee averaged 19.7 points on a .619 field goal percentage, 8.6 rebounds and 2.78 blocked shots. She is the first player in program history with two or more seasons of 500 or more points, 200 or more rebounds and 75 or more blocks. Her 75 blocks were the sixth-most in program history and was her third career season with 75 or more blocked shots.She ranked sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is third in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.In her seven games this season against Associated Press top-25 opponents, Lee averaged 20.6 points on a .637 field goal percentage, 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.Lee has recorded 14 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.This season, Lee led the Big 12’s top defense with 21 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14.In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,194, holds the school record for career scoring average at 19.2, holds the school record for career rebounds with 1,118, holds the school record for career rebounding average at 9.8, the school record holder for career blocks with 310 and blocks per game at 2.72 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 60. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.K-State (26-8) completed the 56th season in program history, as the Wildcats achieved its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and collected 26 wins for the first time since the 2002-03 season. The Wildcats were ranked among the Associated Press top-25 for 18 consecutive weeks, including a high of number two in the nation on January 29.

K-State’s Lee Named WBCA All-Region 3

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ed73d1d2-a1ca-4cd0-952e-076124e8ec1f?elinkdata=7728" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;of Kansas Wesleyan University has earned the KCAC Women's Outdoor Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week honor the conference office announced Tuesday. Student-athletes in the KCAC Player of the Week program are selected for their performances from March 18-24 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/be64f68c-63d6-4e44-870f-8c3e3ffaa7b4?elinkdata=7728" target="_blank">Equity Bank</a>.

Ehrlich won the 800 meter run at the Bethel College Invitational and ran the top time in the KCAC. She also was a part of the second-place 4x400 relay team.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ed73d1d2-a1ca-4cd0-952e-076124e8ec1f?elinkdata=7728" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;of Kansas Wesleyan University has earned the KCAC Women's Outdoor Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week honor the conference office announced Tuesday. Student-athletes in the KCAC Player of the Week program are selected for their performances from March 18-24 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/be64f68c-63d6-4e44-870f-8c3e3ffaa7b4?elinkdata=7728" target="_blank">Equity Bank</a>.Ehrlich won the 800 meter run at the Bethel College Invitational and ran the top time in the KCAC. She also was a part of the second-place 4x400 relay team.

Ehrlich earns KCAC Women's Outdoor Track and Field weekly honor

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8f742f16-60a1-4229-921c-3f5267a6ac33?elinkdata=7705" target="_blank">Jacob Williamson</a>&nbsp;of (RV) Kansas Wesleyan University has earned the KCAC Baseball Player of the Week honor, the conference office announced Tuesday. Student-athletes in the KCAC Player of the Week program are selected for their performances from March 18-24 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/091d02eb-a9a1-45dd-a579-882d1ad8617d?elinkdata=7705" target="_blank">Equity Bank</a>.

It was a huge week for Williamson, as he helped lead KWU to a sweep over York. He was 3 of 6 with a double and drove in 3 runs against York in their first game, as KWU came from behind to win in extra innings. In that first contest, Williamson had a 2-run double as KWU started its comeback after trailing 8-3, and had a RBI single in the 10th to push the lead out to 13-10. In game 2, he went 4 of 5 with a double and a triple, hitting the RBI triple in the sixth to fuel KWU's comeback as it was 6-3 York at that point, and added a double to keep the line moving as part of KWU's 10-run 7th inning for the win. In the final game of the series, Williamson went 3 of 5 and added two more RBIs in the blowout win over York.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8f742f16-60a1-4229-921c-3f5267a6ac33?elinkdata=7705" target="_blank">Jacob Williamson</a>&nbsp;of (RV) Kansas Wesleyan University has earned the KCAC Baseball Player of the Week honor, the conference office announced Tuesday. Student-athletes in the KCAC Player of the Week program are selected for their performances from March 18-24 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/091d02eb-a9a1-45dd-a579-882d1ad8617d?elinkdata=7705" target="_blank">Equity Bank</a>.It was a huge week for Williamson, as he helped lead KWU to a sweep over York. He was 3 of 6 with a double and drove in 3 runs against York in their first game, as KWU came from behind to win in extra innings. In that first contest, Williamson had a 2-run double as KWU started its comeback after trailing 8-3, and had a RBI single in the 10th to push the lead out to 13-10. In game 2, he went 4 of 5 with a double and a triple, hitting the RBI triple in the sixth to fuel KWU's comeback as it was 6-3 York at that point, and added a double to keep the line moving as part of KWU's 10-run 7th inning for the win. In the final game of the series, Williamson went 3 of 5 and added two more RBIs in the blowout win over York.

Williamson earns KCAC Basetball weekly honor

LOS ANGELES (AP) - JuJu Watkins&nbsp;scored Southern California's first seven points of the game, giving her team a shot of confidence.

The stellar freshman finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and the top-seeded Trojans led all the way in defeating Kansas 73-55 on Monday night to reach the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA Tournament.

Watkins raced over to the student section at Galen Center and high-fived her way down the front row in celebration, wearing the scratch on her face like a badge of honor.

“I really wouldn't want to be anywhere else,” she said.

McKenzie Forbes hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Trojans (28-5), who will face fifth-seeded Baylor (26-7) in the Portland Region 3 in Oregon on Saturday.

USC last went this deep when it reached the Elite Eight in 1994, 10 years after the school won the second of its back-to-back national championships.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-usc-texas-am-corpus-christi-score-93dd62ab3b84ec67ad9a3ee01bd7425f">The Trojans</a>&nbsp;beat 16th-seeded Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in the first round.

“It's just been really fun to see this place come back to life,” said Forbes, a graduate transfer from Harvard. “We didn't want to leave the court. They had that place jumping.”

Freshman S’Mya Nichols scored 22 points for the Jayhawks (20-13). Taiyanna Jackson had 10 points and 18 rebounds. Kansas fell to 0-6 all-time when facing a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

After Kansas got within one in the third, the Trojans took over with a 17-2 run that carried over into the fourth. Watkins had nine points and Kayla Padilla hit a 3-pointer that extended USC's lead to 64-48.

Clarice Akunwafo, who at 6-foot-6 equaled Jackson's height, disrupted the Kansas center with a career-high six blocks among USC's 10 in the game and even did a little scoring down the stretch.

“Their physicality not only wore down Taiyanna, but wore down our team a little bit,” Jayhawks coach Brandon Schneider said. “Even when we could get to the rim it was hard to finish.”

The Jayhawks outscored USC 22-20 in the third, scoring nine in a row to close to 47-46. Watkins closed the quarter by hitting a 3-pointer and making a pair of free throws before picking up her third foul. Forbes stole the ball and Akunwafo got fouled, making 1 of 2 to keep the Trojans ahead 53-46.

Kansas rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-kansas-women-score-1e45b5170df7f4a7a2c1c4a79b4bed10">to force overtime against Michigan</a>&nbsp;in the first round but was completely taken out of it in the fourth by the Trojans.

Watkins got off to a sizzling start with the crowd chanting “USC! USC!” The Trojans ran off 12 straight points over the end of the first and start of the second quarter, capped by Watkins' 3-pointer that extended USC's lead to 24-9.

“Ju was spectacular,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “They had to change and go to zone because of her attacking early on.”

The Trojans forced 12 Kansas turnovers that led to 16 points for them in the first half, which ended with USC ahead 33-24. The Jayhawks made just one 3-pointer in the half. They started the game shooting 3 of 14 from the floor.

“The difference in the game was points off turnovers,” Schneider said. “Uncharacteristically, we turned the ball over quite a bit in the first 15 minutes of the game.”

Among the USC supporters were Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, former NBA player John Wall, former USC quarterback Matt Leinert and football coach Lincoln Riley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711447177488.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) - JuJu Watkins&nbsp;scored Southern California's first seven points of the game, giving her team a shot of confidence.The stellar freshman finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and the top-seeded Trojans led all the way in defeating Kansas 73-55 on Monday night to reach the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA Tournament.Watkins raced over to the student section at Galen Center and high-fived her way down the front row in celebration, wearing the scratch on her face like a badge of honor.“I really wouldn't want to be anywhere else,” she said.McKenzie Forbes hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Trojans (28-5), who will face fifth-seeded Baylor (26-7) in the Portland Region 3 in Oregon on Saturday.USC last went this deep when it reached the Elite Eight in 1994, 10 years after the school won the second of its back-to-back national championships.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-usc-texas-am-corpus-christi-score-93dd62ab3b84ec67ad9a3ee01bd7425f">The Trojans</a>&nbsp;beat 16th-seeded Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in the first round.“It's just been really fun to see this place come back to life,” said Forbes, a graduate transfer from Harvard. “We didn't want to leave the court. They had that place jumping.”Freshman S’Mya Nichols scored 22 points for the Jayhawks (20-13). Taiyanna Jackson had 10 points and 18 rebounds. Kansas fell to 0-6 all-time when facing a No. 1 seed in the tournament.After Kansas got within one in the third, the Trojans took over with a 17-2 run that carried over into the fourth. Watkins had nine points and Kayla Padilla hit a 3-pointer that extended USC's lead to 64-48.Clarice Akunwafo, who at 6-foot-6 equaled Jackson's height, disrupted the Kansas center with a career-high six blocks among USC's 10 in the game and even did a little scoring down the stretch.“Their physicality not only wore down Taiyanna, but wore down our team a little bit,” Jayhawks coach Brandon Schneider said. “Even when we could get to the rim it was hard to finish.”The Jayhawks outscored USC 22-20 in the third, scoring nine in a row to close to 47-46. Watkins closed the quarter by hitting a 3-pointer and making a pair of free throws before picking up her third foul. Forbes stole the ball and Akunwafo got fouled, making 1 of 2 to keep the Trojans ahead 53-46.Kansas rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-kansas-women-score-1e45b5170df7f4a7a2c1c4a79b4bed10">to force overtime against Michigan</a>&nbsp;in the first round but was completely taken out of it in the fourth by the Trojans.Watkins got off to a sizzling start with the crowd chanting “USC! USC!” The Trojans ran off 12 straight points over the end of the first and start of the second quarter, capped by Watkins' 3-pointer that extended USC's lead to 24-9.“Ju was spectacular,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “They had to change and go to zone because of her attacking early on.”The Trojans forced 12 Kansas turnovers that led to 16 points for them in the first half, which ended with USC ahead 33-24. The Jayhawks made just one 3-pointer in the half. They started the game shooting 3 of 14 from the floor.“The difference in the game was points off turnovers,” Schneider said. “Uncharacteristically, we turned the ball over quite a bit in the first 15 minutes of the game.”Among the USC supporters were Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, former NBA player John Wall, former USC quarterback Matt Leinert and football coach Lincoln Riley.___

🏀 March Madness: USC tops Kansas for trip to women's Sweet 16

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Tameiya Sadler scored all 10 of her points in the second half to lead a balanced scoring attack and No. 5 seed Colorado beat four-seed Kansas State 63-50 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Buffaloes (24-9) will face the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 seed West Virginia Saturday in Albany, N.Y.

This was the first home sellout for Kansas State since they hosted No. 1 UConn on Dec. 11, 2016.

Colorado, which had six players with nine or more points, used an 11-2 run in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game at 48-41. The Buffaloes outscored K-State 19-7 in the third quarter to take a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats (26-8) had multiple chances to trim the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the shots to fall.

Gabby Gregory scored 12 points to lead Kansas State. Ayoka Lee added 10 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

Neither team could grab control in the first half. The first quarter ended with the score tied at 14. Kansas State used an 8-0 run early in the second quarter to open a 22-15 advantage, the largest by either team to that point.

Serena Sundell hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter and sank an accompanying free throw to give K-State a 33-24 lead. But Colorado responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 33-33.

Colorado: The Buffaloes were not intimidated by the partisan crowd. Every time K-State grabbed the momentum and the crowd got louder, the Buffs responded.

Kansas State: The Wildcats will be totally different next year without Lee, who anchors the middle on offense and defense. With 13 assists, K-State set a school record for assists in a season with (631). And with eight blocks, the Wildcats established a school record for blocks in a season 178.

Colorado: The Buffaloes will go to Albany to play the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 West Virginia.

Kansas State: The Wildcats are done for the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711313286627.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Tameiya Sadler scored all 10 of her points in the second half to lead a balanced scoring attack and No. 5 seed Colorado beat four-seed Kansas State 63-50 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.The Buffaloes (24-9) will face the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 seed West Virginia Saturday in Albany, N.Y.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KStateWBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KStateWBB</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarchMadness</a> <a href="https://t.co/r3DO2SF6tL">pic.twitter.com/r3DO2SF6tL</a>&mdash; K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) <a href="https://twitter.com/kstatesports/status/1771619297392992405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This was the first home sellout for Kansas State since they hosted No. 1 UConn on Dec. 11, 2016.Colorado, which had six players with nine or more points, used an 11-2 run in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game at 48-41. The Buffaloes outscored K-State 19-7 in the third quarter to take a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter.The Wildcats (26-8) had multiple chances to trim the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the shots to fall.Gabby Gregory scored 12 points to lead Kansas State. Ayoka Lee added 10 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.Neither team could grab control in the first half. The first quarter ended with the score tied at 14. Kansas State used an 8-0 run early in the second quarter to open a 22-15 advantage, the largest by either team to that point.Serena Sundell hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter and sank an accompanying free throw to give K-State a 33-24 lead. But Colorado responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 33-33.THE TAKEAWAYColorado: The Buffaloes were not intimidated by the partisan crowd. Every time K-State grabbed the momentum and the crowd got louder, the Buffs responded.Kansas State: The Wildcats will be totally different next year without Lee, who anchors the middle on offense and defense. With 13 assists, K-State set a school record for assists in a season with (631). And with eight blocks, the Wildcats established a school record for blocks in a season 178.UP NEXTColorado: The Buffaloes will go to Albany to play the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 West Virginia.Kansas State: The Wildcats are done for the season.___

🏀 March Madness: Colorado ends season for Kansas State WBB 

The Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes checked every box in their Kansas Conference game against York on Saturday afternoon.

KWU extended its winning streak to 10 and improved to 21-7, 14-4 in the KCAC.

The Coyotes didn't waste any time taking control scoring five runs in the first three innings and giving Maddock a sizable cushion to work with. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/448f571b-7714-4221-a35e-686cbd078c27?elinkdata=7659">Jarrett Gable</a> singled in <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/42ca77be-29c3-4912-81b6-e17a024a83f7?elinkdata=7659">Jacob Williamson</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/812d8889-2ddd-4898-88b7-ac4d29b5a3ff?elinkdata=7659">Kendall Foster</a> in the first inning, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4950a898-1eeb-499a-a274-4675b00f6c99?elinkdata=7659">Eric Romero's</a> single scored <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/50a1ed62-ca48-4914-8d54-299ced89a65f?elinkdata=7659">Reece Bishop</a> in the second and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7be37dce-ac9d-436c-b74e-0480d7ba58af?elinkdata=7659">Tyler Favretto's</a> double scored Foster and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7aaeaf63-129f-4606-adf9-2afe2510a80a?elinkdata=7659">Cruz Oxford</a> in the third.

Meanwhile Maddock (1-0) allowed two hits and no runs through the first five innings.

"Our offense got off to a great start and gave Brett a lead to pitch with," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6eb07cef-4e67-4471-829f-30c3a144e840?elinkdata=7659">Bill Neale</a> said. "Their one through five (hitters) are one of the best one through fives in the conference. When you have the lead, you can do some different things and it's a little better."

The game was scheduled to be played in York, Nebraska but was moved to Salina because of weather issues.

The Coyotes had no issues from start to finish. The game became a rout when they scored 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings and led 15-0.

Favretto, who drove in six runs, singled home two runs in the fifth and Romero doubled in two more. They added six runs in the sixth as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/70f994f0-29e6-42df-97d2-eb1284e4b21e?elinkdata=7659">Kendall Foster</a> hit a solo homer, Favretto belted a two-run homer, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/92a32f88-f158-46b4-a11c-d1951f40aef9?elinkdata=7659">Jalen Jones</a> drew a bases loaded walk and Williamson hit a two-run single. Foster and Favretto's home runs were down the leftfield line - both are lefthanded hitters.

KWU scored its final run in the seventh when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a2ca0dee-b370-484f-b068-080eeeb3842a?elinkdata=7659">Jackson Harriger</a> scored on an error.

Favretto, Foster and Williamson apiece while Bishop, Romero, and Gable had two each.

"Fav was a triple away from the cycle," Neale said of Favretto. "He's had kind of a tough year at the plate but he's hit balls hard, they just haven't fell in (for hits) for him. It was good to see some fall in and see him get those RBI too.

"It was a great day, it was a great team effort when it came to the offense."

Maddock allowed two earned runs - a pair of solo homers in the sixth - in seven innings.

"Brett was outstanding, he's settling in," Neale said. "He struggled at the start of the year a little bit but he's new and kind of feeling his way in. Him and coach Huff (pitching coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f8d4ac9a-7831-4d4c-85b6-549c7a498401?elinkdata=7659">Tyler Huffstickler</a>) are on the same page and he's executed a bunch of pitches. He's getting better every outing."

Neale said the 10-game streak has been a team effort.

"It's people stepping up at different times and different people stepping up," he said. "We were kind of leaning on Gable, Foster and Williamson at the start of the year and we can't do it all the time, we need other guys. Through this 10-game stretch someone different has stepped up, a lot of people off the bench."

The Coyotes play rival Bethany in a three-game series next weekend in Lindsborg. It starts with a single game at 3 p.m. Friday followed by a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes checked every box in their Kansas Conference game against York on Saturday afternoon.<ul>
 <li>Pitching: <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0c5fbde3-7be7-4bc9-819d-a46daa7deb1b?elinkdata=7659">Brett Maddock</a> threw a complete game allowing four hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks.</li><li>Hitting: KWU scored 16 runs on 17 hits with three Coyotes getting three hits apiece.</li><li>Defense: Just one error.</li><li>Outcome: A dominant 16-2 run-rule victory at Dean Evans Stadium and a sweep of the three-game series.</li>
 </ul>KWU extended its winning streak to 10 and improved to 21-7, 14-4 in the KCAC.The Coyotes didn't waste any time taking control scoring five runs in the first three innings and giving Maddock a sizable cushion to work with. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/448f571b-7714-4221-a35e-686cbd078c27?elinkdata=7659">Jarrett Gable</a> singled in <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/42ca77be-29c3-4912-81b6-e17a024a83f7?elinkdata=7659">Jacob Williamson</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/812d8889-2ddd-4898-88b7-ac4d29b5a3ff?elinkdata=7659">Kendall Foster</a> in the first inning, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4950a898-1eeb-499a-a274-4675b00f6c99?elinkdata=7659">Eric Romero's</a> single scored <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/50a1ed62-ca48-4914-8d54-299ced89a65f?elinkdata=7659">Reece Bishop</a> in the second and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7be37dce-ac9d-436c-b74e-0480d7ba58af?elinkdata=7659">Tyler Favretto's</a> double scored Foster and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7aaeaf63-129f-4606-adf9-2afe2510a80a?elinkdata=7659">Cruz Oxford</a> in the third.Meanwhile Maddock (1-0) allowed two hits and no runs through the first five innings."Our offense got off to a great start and gave Brett a lead to pitch with," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6eb07cef-4e67-4471-829f-30c3a144e840?elinkdata=7659">Bill Neale</a> said. "Their one through five (hitters) are one of the best one through fives in the conference. When you have the lead, you can do some different things and it's a little better."The game was scheduled to be played in York, Nebraska but was moved to Salina because of weather issues.The Coyotes had no issues from start to finish. The game became a rout when they scored 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings and led 15-0.Favretto, who drove in six runs, singled home two runs in the fifth and Romero doubled in two more. They added six runs in the sixth as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/70f994f0-29e6-42df-97d2-eb1284e4b21e?elinkdata=7659">Kendall Foster</a> hit a solo homer, Favretto belted a two-run homer, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/92a32f88-f158-46b4-a11c-d1951f40aef9?elinkdata=7659">Jalen Jones</a> drew a bases loaded walk and Williamson hit a two-run single. Foster and Favretto's home runs were down the leftfield line - both are lefthanded hitters.KWU scored its final run in the seventh when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a2ca0dee-b370-484f-b068-080eeeb3842a?elinkdata=7659">Jackson Harriger</a> scored on an error.Favretto, Foster and Williamson apiece while Bishop, Romero, and Gable had two each."Fav was a triple away from the cycle," Neale said of Favretto. "He's had kind of a tough year at the plate but he's hit balls hard, they just haven't fell in (for hits) for him. It was good to see some fall in and see him get those RBI too."It was a great day, it was a great team effort when it came to the offense."Maddock allowed two earned runs - a pair of solo homers in the sixth - in seven innings."Brett was outstanding, he's settling in," Neale said. "He struggled at the start of the year a little bit but he's new and kind of feeling his way in. Him and coach Huff (pitching coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f8d4ac9a-7831-4d4c-85b6-549c7a498401?elinkdata=7659">Tyler Huffstickler</a>) are on the same page and he's executed a bunch of pitches. He's getting better every outing."Neale said the 10-game streak has been a team effort."It's people stepping up at different times and different people stepping up," he said. "We were kind of leaning on Gable, Foster and Williamson at the start of the year and we can't do it all the time, we need other guys. Through this 10-game stretch someone different has stepped up, a lot of people off the bench."The Coyotes play rival Bethany in a three-game series next weekend in Lindsborg. It starts with a single game at 3 p.m. Friday followed by a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday.

KWU Baseball completes sweep of York, posts 10th straight win

MANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp;K-State (26-7, 13-5 Big 12), the 4-seed in the Albany 2 Region, will face the 5-seed, Colorado (23-9, 11-7 Pac 12), in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m., in Bramlage Coliseum.

• Friday’s game can be seen on ESPNews, as Brenda VanLengen (play-by-play) and Holly Warlick (analyst) will have the call.

• With a win, K-State would reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2002.

Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball

1. Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament

• K-State is making its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance and the fifth under head coach Jeff Mittie. The Wildcats own a record of 15-17 in its 18 appearances and have advanced at least one round 13 times.

2. K-State Against AP Foes in 2023-24

• The Wildcats have collected five wins against Associated Press top-25 foes this season, tied for the second most in program history.

• With one blocked shot, the 2023-24 edition of K-State women’s basketball will set the school single-season record for blocks. The current record for 170 was set in 2021-22 and this season.

• Serena Sundell (174) and Gabby Gregory (113) have combined for 287 assists this season, which is third in school history for combined assists by two players in a season.

5. Gregory &amp; Lee With Big NCAA Effort

• Gabby Gregory (22) and Ayoka Lee (21) were the first Wildcat teammates since Kendra Wecker and Laurie Koehn on March 19, 2005, against Bowling Green to score 20 or more points in the same NCAA Tournament game.

• K-State has dished out 618 assists (18.7 apg) this season, which tied for the most in school history for a single season.

• The Wildcats have tallied 600 or more assists for the third time in program history and the first time since 2002-03.

• This marks the third straight season K-State has handed out 500 or more assists. This is the second time the Wildcats have registered 500 or more assists in three or more straight seasons and the first time since carding five straight seasons of 500 or more assists from 2001-06.

• K-State’s 18.7 assists per game ranks 13th in the nation and would rank second in school history for a single season.

• The Wildcats feature four players with 50 or more assists this season: Serena Sundell (183), Gabby Gregory (114), Taryn Sides (91) and Jaelyn Glenn (67).

• Colorado (23-9, 11-7 Pac 12) reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament with an 86-72 win over Drake on Friday.

• On the sideline, Colorado is led by eighth-year head coach JR Payne. The 1999 graduate of Saint Mary’s owns a record of 142-102 (.582) during her time in Boulder.

• The Buffaloes are led on the floor by the trio of Aaronette Vonleh, Jaylyn Sherrod and Frida Formann.

• Vonleh leads Colorado with 14.2 points on a .557 field goal percentage. She also has hauled in 5.1 rebounds per game. She had 18 points and 10 rebounds against Drake.

• Sherrod, an honorable mention Associated Press All-American, is averaging 13.1 points on a .450 field goal percentage, and leads the squad in assists with 5.0 per game and steals with 2.2 per game. Sherrod tallied 16 points, eight assists and three steals against Drake.

• Formann is Colorado’s top 3-point shooter with 79 connections on a .427 percentage. She is averaging 12.6 points with 33 steals.

(15/16) K-State 78, Portland 65 (March 22, 2024; Manhattan, Kan.)

• K-State led wire-to-wire against Portland to claim a first round win in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

• The Wildcats have advanced at least one round in the NCAA Tournament 13 times in its history.

• K-State was led by Gabby Gregory with a NCAA Tournament career-high 22 points, while Ayoka Lee carded an NCAA Tournament career-high 21 points and nine rebounds. Serena Sundell added 16 points and an NCAA Tournament career-high nine assists and five rebounds.

• The Wildcats are 92-241 (.276) against teams ranked in the Associated Press (AP) poll including a 58-69 (.457) mark against AP ranked teams in Manhattan.

• The Wildcats are 5-3 this season against AP top-25 opponents and are one of 11 teams in the nation with five wins against AP top-25 foes.

• This is the fifth time in program history that K-State has won five or more games against AP ranked foes in a season. The five wins are the most since the 2003-04 season when the Wildcats won five games against ranked opponents.

• The Wildcats captured its second-ever win over an Associated Press number two ranked foe and first since the 1982-83 season by defeating then-second-ranked Iowa, 65-58, on Nov. 16, 2023 in Iowa City. K-State is 24-114 (.174) all-time in games against AP top-10 opponents.

• This was the highest ranked opponent K-State has defeated on the road.

MANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp;K-State (26-7, 13-5 Big 12), the 4-seed in the Albany 2 Region, will face the 5-seed, Colorado (23-9, 11-7 Pac 12), in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m., in Bramlage Coliseum.• Friday’s game can be seen on ESPNews, as Brenda VanLengen (play-by-play) and Holly Warlick (analyst) will have the call.• With a win, K-State would reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2002.Starting 5Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball1. Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament• K-State is making its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance and the fifth under head coach Jeff Mittie. The Wildcats own a record of 15-17 in its 18 appearances and have advanced at least one round 13 times.2. K-State Against AP Foes in 2023-24• The Wildcats have collected five wins against Associated Press top-25 foes this season, tied for the second most in program history.3. Cats Equal Blocks Record• With one blocked shot, the 2023-24 edition of K-State women’s basketball will set the school single-season record for blocks. The current record for 170 was set in 2021-22 and this season.4. Happy Helpers• Serena Sundell (174) and Gabby Gregory (113) have combined for 287 assists this season, which is third in school history for combined assists by two players in a season.5. Gregory &amp; Lee With Big NCAA Effort• Gabby Gregory (22) and Ayoka Lee (21) were the first Wildcat teammates since Kendra Wecker and Laurie Koehn on March 19, 2005, against Bowling Green to score 20 or more points in the same NCAA Tournament game.Number to Know618• K-State has dished out 618 assists (18.7 apg) this season, which tied for the most in school history for a single season.• The Wildcats have tallied 600 or more assists for the third time in program history and the first time since 2002-03.• This marks the third straight season K-State has handed out 500 or more assists. This is the second time the Wildcats have registered 500 or more assists in three or more straight seasons and the first time since carding five straight seasons of 500 or more assists from 2001-06.• K-State’s 18.7 assists per game ranks 13th in the nation and would rank second in school history for a single season.• The Wildcats feature four players with 50 or more assists this season: Serena Sundell (183), Gabby Gregory (114), Taryn Sides (91) and Jaelyn Glenn (67).At a Glance: Colorado• Colorado (23-9, 11-7 Pac 12) reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament with an 86-72 win over Drake on Friday.• On the sideline, Colorado is led by eighth-year head coach JR Payne. The 1999 graduate of Saint Mary’s owns a record of 142-102 (.582) during her time in Boulder.• The Buffaloes are led on the floor by the trio of Aaronette Vonleh, Jaylyn Sherrod and Frida Formann.• Vonleh leads Colorado with 14.2 points on a .557 field goal percentage. She also has hauled in 5.1 rebounds per game. She had 18 points and 10 rebounds against Drake.• Sherrod, an honorable mention Associated Press All-American, is averaging 13.1 points on a .450 field goal percentage, and leads the squad in assists with 5.0 per game and steals with 2.2 per game. Sherrod tallied 16 points, eight assists and three steals against Drake.• Formann is Colorado’s top 3-point shooter with 79 connections on a .427 percentage. She is averaging 12.6 points with 33 steals.Last Time Out(15/16) K-State 78, Portland 65 (March 22, 2024; Manhattan, Kan.)• K-State led wire-to-wire against Portland to claim a first round win in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.• The Wildcats have advanced at least one round in the NCAA Tournament 13 times in its history.• K-State was led by Gabby Gregory with a NCAA Tournament career-high 22 points, while Ayoka Lee carded an NCAA Tournament career-high 21 points and nine rebounds. Serena Sundell added 16 points and an NCAA Tournament career-high nine assists and five rebounds.K-State Against Ranked Opponents• The Wildcats are 92-241 (.276) against teams ranked in the Associated Press (AP) poll including a 58-69 (.457) mark against AP ranked teams in Manhattan.• The Wildcats are 5-3 this season against AP top-25 opponents and are one of 11 teams in the nation with five wins against AP top-25 foes.• This is the fifth time in program history that K-State has won five or more games against AP ranked foes in a season. The five wins are the most since the 2003-04 season when the Wildcats won five games against ranked opponents.• The Wildcats captured its second-ever win over an Associated Press number two ranked foe and first since the 1982-83 season by defeating then-second-ranked Iowa, 65-58, on Nov. 16, 2023 in Iowa City. K-State is 24-114 (.174) all-time in games against AP top-10 opponents.• This was the highest ranked opponent K-State has defeated on the road.• According to ESPN Stats &amp; Info, K-State became the first NCAA Division I women’s basketball program in the last 25 years to be unranked and defeat the same Associated Press top-5 team in consecutive seasons.• According to Stats Perform, K-State is the sixth team to defeat an AP second-ranked team on the road since 1999-00.• The wins over Iowa and 10th-ranked Texas marked the third and fourth top-10 wins for the Wildcats in three seasons, as K-State downed fourth-ranked Iowa on Nov. 17, 2022, and 10th-ranked Baylor on Jan. 2, 2022.• K-State is 20-64 (.238) against AP ranked opponents in head coach Jeff Mittie’s 10 seasons.Halftime Lead = K-State ‘W’• Since the 2001-02 season, K-State is 375-51 (.880) when leading at the break, including a 20-1 record in the 2023-24 season.• K-State is 149-18 (.892) when leading at the break under head coach Jeff Mittie.• Since the start of the 2007-08 season, K-State is 281-19 (.937) when leading with five minutes to play including a 165-8 (.954) record under Mittie.Magic Number is 70 Points• Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 106-21 (.835) when scoring 70 or more points in a game.• The Wildcats are averaging 72.3 points per game this season and have scored 70 or more points in a game 18 times (15-3).• K-State has scored 2,387 points this season. This is the third straight season K-State has registered 2,000 or more points and the seventh time in the Jeff Mittie era (2014-present).• Kansas State tallied a season-high 102 points against Oral Roberts on Dec. 18 and tallied 101 points against McNeese State on Dec. 6.• This is the first time since the 2002-03 season in which the Wildcats have scored 100 or more points in two or more games in a season.• In its history, K-State has scored 100 or more points in a game 28 times (28-0) including five times under Mittie.Three is not a Crowd, It’s a Benefit• Since 2011-12, when three or more players reach double figures in scoring in the same game, K-State is 177-84 (.678) including a 20-4 record this season.• The Wildcats had a season-high five players reach double figures against Oklahoma on Jan. 10 and again at Iowa State on Feb. 14.• This season, the duo of Ayoka Lee and Gabby Gregory have scored in double figures in the same game nine times including a combined 43 points against Portland on March 22.• Gregory (22) and Lee (21) were the first Wildcat teammates since Kendra Wecker and Laurie Koehn on March 19, 2005, against Bowling Green to score 20 or more points in the same NCAA Tournament game.• The combination of Lee and Serena Sundell have scored in double figures in the same game 36 times since 2021-22, including 17 times this season (13-4).Cats Send Back Shots Under Mittie• During the Jeff Mittie era, K-State has dealt out rejection to its opponents and has maintained a high rate in the 2023-24 season.• This season, K-State has registered 170 blocked shots (5.1 bpg) and lead the Big 12 and are 12th in the nation for blocks per game and tied for 12th for total blocks. Of the 13 active players on the roster, 11 have recorded at least one blocked shot.• K-State has a blocked shot differential of +89 this season (170-81). Since blocks became official in 1982-83, K-State has 21 seasons with a positive blocked shot differential including a school record +73 (163-90) in the 2005-06 season.• With a block, K-State will set the school record for blocked shots in a season. K-State’s total this season is tied for the single-season record in program history.• The Wildcats have four games with 10 or more blocks, with 12 against McNeese State on Dec. 6 and Oklahoma on Jan. 10, 11 blocks against Presbyterian on Nov. 6 and 10 against Oral Roberts on Dec. 18. The 12 blocks against McNeese State and Oklahoma are tied for the third-most for a single-game in program history. The 12 blocks against Oklahoma set the school record for blocked shots in a conference game.• Under Mittie, K-State has blocked 10 or more shots in a game 16 times, including a school record of 14 at Tulsa on Nov. 13, 2015. K-State is 15-1 during the Mittie era when blocking 10 or more shots.• During the Mittie era, Kansas State has sent back 1,519 shots for 4.69 per game in the 324 games. K-State has blocked 120 or more shots in each of Mittie’s 10 seasons, the longest streak of 120 or more blocks in program history.• The 1,519 blocks in the 10 seasons are the most in any 10-season span in program history.Sundell Top-5 for Career Assists• Serena Sundell has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills.• Sundell, a 2023-24 All-Big 12 First Team recipient, owns a career total of 543 and ranks fourth on the K-State career assists list. She is the fifth player in school history with 500 or more career assists.• Sundell ranks second in school history for career assists per game at 5.32. She ranks 23rd in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists and 10th in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists per game.• Her combined assist total from 2022-23 (184) and this season (183) of 367 ranks fifth in program history for most assists over consecutive seasons.• She has 64 career games with five or more assists including four games with 10 or more assists and a career-high of 11 assists. Her 64 career games with five or more assists ranks third in school history. She ranks fourth in program history for career games with 10 or more assists.• Her career assist to turnover ratio of 1.70 is fourth in program history (min. 100 career assists).• This season, Sundell is averaging 5.55 assists per game (183 assists) and leads the Big 12 for assists per game and total assists. In league action, Sundell was second in the league at 5.71 assists per game.• Sundell’s 183 assists this season ranks seventh in program history for assists in a single season. This season marks her third straight with 150 or more assists. She is the first Wildcat since Shalee Lehning (four seasons) and the third overall (Megan Mahoney; three seasons) to hand out 150 or more assists in three or more seasons.• In the 2022-23 season, Sundell handed out a career-high 184 assists (5.11 apg) including a season-high 10 against Oklahoma State on Jan. 4.• Sundell was the second player in program history (Shalee Lehning, 368) with 350 or more assists by the conclusion of their sophomore season.• Sundell’s 184 assists last season set the school record for assists in a sophomore season and ranked as the sixth-most in a season in program history.Sundell Moves into Top-25 of Scoring• In addition to her distribution skills, guard Serena Sundell adds a scoring punch to the K-State lineup.• During her career, Sundell has scored 1,252 points (12.3 ppg) and was the 45th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career and currently ranks 23rd on the K-State career scoring list. She has tallied double figures in 70 career games, including 15 career games with 20 or more points.• This season, Sundell is second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points on a career-high .535 field goal percentage. She registered a personal season-high 22 points at UCF on Jan. 6 and has scored in double figures in 25 games, including three games with 20 or more. She scored in double figures in 13 straight games from Jan. 3 to Feb. 25. In Big 12 games, Sundell averaged 13.8 points per game on a .539 field goal percentage. She ranked 12th in the league in scoring and is fourth in the league in field goal percentage.• During the 2022-23 season, Sundell was second on the team and 12th in the Big 12 in scoring with 13.9 points per game on a career-best .489 field goal percentage. In Big 12 games, she averaged 15.11 points and ranked eighth in the league.• Sundell recorded a personal career-high 501 points last season. She was the seventh player in program history to score 500 or more points in their sophomore season. Her total ranked tied for sixth for a sophomore season at K-State.• At Oklahoma on March 1, Sundell carded a career-high 33 points on 11-of-17 shooting. She joined Gabby Gregory as the only Wildcats last season with 30 or more points in a game.• Against Kansas on Feb. 22, Sundell registered the most unique stat line in the nation. According to Stats Perform, Sundell was the only player last season, one of four since 1999-00 and the only player in the Big 12 since 1999-00 to record 24 points on 80 percent shooting and also registering seven assists, five rebounds, four steals and one block.Gregory From Long Range• Guard Gabby Gregory established a new career-best from 3-point range in the 2022-23 season and has been a 3-point threat over the course of her career.• In her career, Gregory is 231-of-722 (.320) from long range including 134-of-429 (.312) during her time at K-State. She has made two or more 3-point field goals in a game 70 times and has 12 games with four or more connections. She has made a career-high six 3-pointers in a game three times, twice at K-State.• This season, Gregory leads the Wildcats with 50 connections from long range (50-of-172, .291). Her 50 made 3-pointers this season are the second-most in a season in her career.• In the 2022-23 season, Gregory led the Wildcats and was third in the Big 12 with 84 connections and was sixth in the league with 2.40 three-point field goals made per game. She ranked 31st in the nation for 3-point field goals made.• Gregory’s 84 threes made in the 2022-23 season were fourth in school history in a senior season and were 10th all-time for a single season. Her 257 attempts last season ranked tied for fourth in school history for a single season. She notched 26 games with two or more connections including seven games with four or more.• Gregory achieved a new personal single-season career-high for 3-point field goals made and attempted in a season with 84 and 257, respectively. Her 84 connections were the most by a Wildcat since Kindred Wesemann made 90 in the 2016-17 season.• Against Utah Tech on Nov. 20 and the following game against Clemson on Nov. 24, Gregory tied her career-high with six 3-pointers made. Over the two games, Gregory was 12-of-25 (.480) from 3-point range.Nobody Scores It Like Ayoka Lee• Ayoka Lee has moved into the top-5 for career scoring at K-State and has a chance to achieve the school career scoring record.• In her career, Lee has scored 2,184 points in 113 career games (19.3 ppg) and ranks third in school history for career points scored. Her career scoring average of 19.3 ranks first in school history, ninth in Big 12 history and seventh among active NCAA Division I players.• To surpass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 2,333), Lee needs to score 150 points.• She was the 44th player in school history with 1,000 or more career points and was the fastest player in program history to reach 1,500 career points, needing 77 games to reach the milestone. She was the first player in school history to reach the 1,000-career point mark and the 1,500-career point mark in the same season.• Lee has scored in every game of her career (113 games) and has reached double figures in 104 games. She is the fourth player in program history with 100 or more career games with 10 or more points scored.• This season, Lee is averaging a team-high 20.1 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 25 games this season. She is second in the Big 12 and ranks 22nd in the nation for scoring average.• With her 523 points this season, Lee joins Nicole Ohlde (2000-04) and Kendra Wecker (2001-05) as the only players in program history with four consecutive seasons with 400 or more points scored. She is the fourth player in program history with 500 or more points and 200 or more rebounds in two or more seasons.• When combining her point total with her last active season of 2021-22, Lee’s two-season total of 1,250 ranks second in school history for most points in consecutive active seasons.• In the 2021-22 season, Lee averaged a career-best 22.0 points per game which ranked 10th in the nation and second in the Big 12. Lee was fifth in the nation in total points scored (727).• Her 22.0 points per game in the 2021-22 season was the highest per game average in school history and was the third time a K-State player averaged 20 or more points in a season and first since Brittany Chambers in the 2012-13 season.• With her 727 points scored, Lee established a new career single-season high, broke the school record for points in a junior season and ranked second in school history for points in a single-season. She was the first center in school history to score 700 or more points in a season.• With her efforts of 61 points against Oklahoma on Jan. 23 and 43 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, Lee was one of three players in the nation during the 2021-22 season with two games of 40 or more points scored in a game.• Her total of 86 points in two games from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23, set the school record for most points in consecutive games. She also set the school record for points in a 10-game span from Dec. 11, 2021 to Jan. 26, 2022, with 277 points. During that 10-game span, Lee scored 20 or more points in six games including four games with 30 or more points.