Norton scholars hoping for 3A state title
By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN
For all the success in scholars bowl competition, Norton Community High School never has won a state title.
The Bluejays hope to change that this weekend.
Following one of its most successful seasons under the direction of longtime coach Nancy Sebelius, the Bluejays once again will compete at state Saturday, in the Class 3A state championships at Kingman.
Eric Becker, the youngest of five siblings who all have excelled at scholars bowl competition at Norton, has one more shot at bringing home a first-place trophy for the Bluejays, and for his family.
All four of Becker's older brothers and sisters have been to state but never have been able to help the Bluejays reach the top. Norton, which has qualified for state 13 times under Sebelius, has finished second once, fourth twice and was fifth last year.
Becker and three other seniors, along with a couple of talented underclassmen, cruised through the 3A regional at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School with a perfect record before losing to Russell in a close match in the last match of the finals round-robin competition.
Joining Becker in their last career high school tournament will be classmates Brae Bigge, Rhees Carlson and Mariah Farber. Carlson's younger brother, Leif, is a sophomore, and freshman Stephen Cummings rounds out the Bluejay state-tournament squad.
The Bluejays' goal is simple.
"We would love to place at state," Sebelius said.
Here are this year's other state qualifiers from northwest Kansas.
Almena-No. Valley
Class: 1A, Division II
Coach: Jason Dibble (fourth year)
Regional finish: Third at Palco.
State roster: Seniors Daniel Field, Gunnar Hays, Zane Miller and Tyler Montgomery; freshman Macy Kasson.
Team notes: The Huskies are making their second consecutive trip to state with a goal of improving on last year's effort, which saw them go winless in pool play. Dibble thinks a "lot more balanced team" could help his all-male squad break into the finals this year. The Huskies also are experienced, with two seniors, Daniel Field and Tyler Montgomery, in their fourth year on the varsity.
Healy
Class: 1A, Division II
Coach: Vic Tuttle (second year).
Regional finish: Second at Palco.
State roster: Seniors Kylan Bennett, Felix Kellersmann and Derek York; sophomore Maria Coker; freshman Jaylee York.
Team notes: As students in one of the smallest schools in the state, most of the scholars bowl team members participate in several other activities as well. So "any time we win anything, we're pretty excited," said Coach Tuttle, who has guided the Eagles to state in both of his first two years as their coach.
The Eagles hope to make it out of pool play, which could be a tall order considering that group includes last year's state champion from Class 1A, Division I (Rolla) and two of the top four teams from the 2011 Class 1A, Division II state tourney (second-place Sharon Springs and fourth-place Axtell).
Oberlin
Class: 2A
Coach: Marlene Moxter (26th year).
Regional finish: Third at Sublette.
State roster: Senior Nolan Henningson; juniors Miki Dorshorst, Matthew Helm and Elizabeth Nedland; sophomores Caleb Koerperich and Sierra Lohoefener.
Team notes: The Red Devils took the hard road to get to state for the second time in three years. After barely making finals in a tiebreaker, Oberlin also came out with the final state-qualifying spot on a tiebreaker in the finals when four teams tied with the same record. Moxter hopes the tough competition in western Kansas this season can help the Red Devils continue their successful season and maybe even repeat the school's performance earlier in the decade when it finished second in 3A in 2002, then won the 2A state title the next year.
Ransom-Western Plains
Class: 1A, Division II
Coach: Debbie Hagans (26th year).
Regional finish: First at Palco.
State roster: Juniors Nepthaly Gomez, Colton Rein and Katie Showalter; sophomores Andrew Flax; and freshman Brady Mishler. Alternate: Freshman Kelly Flax.
Team notes: The Bobcats were excited last year when they went 2-3 at state in pool play, but this year they would like to make the finals -- and then place in the top three. Western Plains, one of the top 1A teams in the area this year, has given schools from larger classes plenty of competition and hopes to continue the success it displayed in winning the regional championship at Palco a week ago.
The Bobcats will be tested early, having landed in the same pool as Hutchinson's Central Christian, last year's state champ in Class 1A, Division II.
Russell
Class: 3A
Coach: Blaine Maier (fifth year)
Regional finish: First at Hays/TMP.
State roster: Senior Nathan Holland; juniors Nathan Barney, Christopher Gullick and Ethan Kaufman; sophomore Hunter Brown; freshman Shiv Gupka.
Team notes: Coach Blane Maier hopes the experience of competing at the 4A state meet a year ago helps the Broncos succeed in 3A this time around. Russell barely missed making finals with its 2-3 pool play record, and two of those losses were to Chanute and St. James Academy, which both went on to finish in the top four.
Maier also thinks competing in the tough North Central Activities Association, along with strong competition in several class levels, in the area this year should prove beneficial. In fact, fellow NCAA member Minneapolis will join Russell at state after finishing third at the TMP regional.
Sharon Springs
Class: 1A, Division II
Coach: Jacalyn Mai (eighth year)
Regional finish: First at Tribune.
State roster: Seniors Catherine Jenkinson, Jayne Klinge, Miranda Mai and Cody Pearce; junior Grace Hammer; freshman Clay Schemm.
Team notes: Sharon Springs is in the same pool as perennial state contender Rolla, the defending state champion in Class 1A, Division I. But Sharon Springs already has a win over Rolla, which has won 10 state titles since the Kansas State High School Activities Association took over the scholars bowl program in 1987. The Wildcats beat Rolla at regionals on their way to the championship and return their entire team from last year's state runner-up team in Class 1A, Division II.
WaKeeney-Trego
Class: 2A
Coach: Dawn Kenyon (third year)
Regional finish: First at Sublette.
State roster: Seniors Deven Schoenthaler and Joe Wolf; sophomores Kristen Hanks, Blake Huxman, Tyler Lowry and Tabitha Wolf.
Team notes: The Golden Eagles placed in the top three of all their meets this season, including a championship performance at the Sublette regional, en route to qualifying for state for a second consecutive year.
Coach Dawn Kenyon hopes the experience of competing at state a year ago will help her squad improve on last year's 1-4 mark in pool play. The Golden Eagles will be making just their school's third trip to state.
Weskan
Class: 1A, Division II
Coach: Ed Harold (fifth year).
Regional finish: Second at Tribune.
State roster: Senior Kelsie Hoss; juniors Victoria Purvis, Nils Rosenboom and Nick Smith; sophomore Kelsey Hale; freshmen Grace Purvis.
Team notes: Weskan hopes to ride a strong finish to the regular season into its first state tournament. The Coyotes won their league title by beating Sharon Springs, last year's state runner-up in Class 1A, Division II, a team they have met several times this season and is from the same county (Wallace).