Shane Jackson

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 02 May 2013 17:00
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Amanda Self, senior catcher, tags out a Lindenwood opponent just before she reaches home plate on last Sunday afternoon. With an overall record of 33-16, the Lady Hornets face Northwestern State in the MIAA conference tournament tomorrow in Overland Park.
Will Austin/The Bulletin

Every year, seniors come and go, leaving their mark on their school even when they’re gone. Some stand out more and leaves bigger marks in their university. This year’s seniors on the softball team are some of those seniors.

These five seniors include two conference tournament champions and a couple All-Americans, have been a part of three MIAA regular-season championships and have won 167 games and counting.

Last Sunday, Karley Scmelzer, Amanda Self, Jessica Brewer, Katie Huffman and Lauren Sharp took the diamond of at the Trusler Sports Complex for the final time in their careers. When they left, they walked away with a series split against Lindenwood, winning the first in an 8-0 mercy ruling victory.

“You always want your seniors to have a big day on senior day,” said head coach Julia LeMaire. “Karley was pitching very well, Amanda made some nice throws behind the plate, Katie has had a great season, Jessica had made some great plays, hopefully they feed off this going into post season.”

In the first game, Schmelzer got the start and continued her stellar senior year on the mound with six complete innings, striking out 9 batters and even retiring 12 straight batters, pitching four straight 1-2-3 innings between the second and the fifth.

Schmelzer got the help of a buzzing bat led by senior Amanda Self, who capped a four-run inning in the fourth with a two RBI single to put the Lady Hornets up 7-0.

“For three years now, I have seen seniors have this honor. Now, it was finally our turn. It was disappointing – we didn’t get the sweep – but we are just going to continue to work hard,” Self, a biology education major, said.

After mercy-ruling Lindenwood in game one, Sharp got her chance in the circle on her senior day. After being shut out through the sixth in the first game, Lindenwood got two quick runs in the first.

Schmelzer came in for relief in the third and then allowed only one more base runner the rest of the game. But the damage was done, and despite having a hit in every inning, the Lady Hornets couldn’t bat their way into a comeback, taking a 2-0 loss in the nightcap.

“It was bitter sweet,” Schmelzer, an elementary education major, said. “This is the last time I will play here, but not the last time I will play. Hopefully, we can bring it all together in conference play.”

Despite the senior day split, the Lady Hornets still sit at the fourth seed heading into the conference tournament. First-round game will be against Northeastern State on tonight at 6 p.m.

Maydew makes mark before “doughnut” meet

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 18 April 2013 15:00
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After the Emporia State Relays the weekend before, the Hornets hoped to have a less stressful track and field meet when they traveled to Wichita for the K.T. Woodman Invitational over the weekend.

“This meet is right in the middle of high-emotion meets,” said Steven Blocker, head coach. “ESU and KU relays – it’s always been the ‘doughnut’ meet. We just go into it with a relaxed mentality.”

Before the track team did their damage in Wichita, freshman Payson Maydew made some noise in his first collegiate decathlon. The freshman scored a remarkable 6,076 points in the ESU Open Multis to take second place.

“I have to credit my coaches and teammates. They pushed me where I am this year,” Maydew, an accounting major, said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I always set high standards for myself, but it was a bit of a surprise.”

Blocker said Payson’s sudden success came as no surprise.

“With his work ethic, I’m not really surprised,” Blocker said. “He is a fun guy to coach. He probably is one of the hardest working guys I have ever been around, (and) every now and then, I have to pinch myself and say, ‘This guy is just a freshman,’” Blocker said.

The Hornets took home the gold in two events at Wichita State. Gannon Mack ran a 52.62 in the 400 meter hurdles, and Briar Ploude continued to out-jump the nation with another first place finish in the high jump for an automatic qualification to nationals.

“It’s really nice to just get the automatic mark out of the way,” Ploude, a senior history education major, said. “It’s kind of a weight lifted off my shoulders, especially after my power performance at nationals.”

The entire hurdle crew provisionally qualified for the men in the 110 meter. Mack finished fifth, Andrew Etheride finished eighth and Tyler Swalley qualified with his preliminary time of 14.64.

Football wide-out Shjaun Richardson, who was recently named the tenth fastest football player competing in track in the nation, finished fifth in the 100 meter dash. Vincent Howze took sixth in the 200 meter run.

On the women’s side, Marqueita Marisette finished third in the 200 meter run, while finishing seventh in the 400 meter run.

Misty Lowe earned herself the silver in shot put with a toss of 43-02.50. Alaina Fairbanks vaulted her way into third place, clearing 11-11.75 to provisionally qualify.

The team travels to Lawrence today through Saturday for the Kansas Relays.

“Any big meet we go into, we don’t really have to get in their face,” Blocker said. “If they have been around the program, and they have a pulse, they know what is at stake this weekend.”

Hornets lose on Senior Day

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 11 April 2013 16:00
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At Senior Day, Mitch Kibbe, senior computer operating systems major, battles a Nebraska-Kearney Loper in singles April 6. The next game is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Northwest Missouri State.
Will Austin/The Bulletin

Three seniors were honored on Senior Day this past Saturday for their careers in Emporia State tennis. Mitch Kibbe and Matt Edwards of the men and Alex Crowe of the women each played four years for the team.

“It’s amazing. I talked to their parents before the match (and) they have just evolved as long they have been here,” said John Cayton, head coach. “At ages 18 to 22, you mature a lot. It’s been a privilege for me to coach them.”

But unfortunately, the Hornets were swept by the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers for the first time at home this season.

The women, who were riding a four-game winning streak heading into Saturdays’ matchup, including a 6-3 win over Fort Hays the day before, were battling injuries on Saturday, especially Crowe.

“Our squad size it a lot smaller on the women’s, and we are injured right now,” Cayton said. “I don’t think Crowe is at her 100 percent because of her injuries.”

The injuries were too much for the Lady Hornets, as they fell 8-1, with their only win coming from junior Somer Schmidt in the singles.

Unlike the women, the men were desperate for a win and were in contention on Saturday. With doubles tied up, senior Matt Edwards and sophomore Andrew Davids won a thriller doubles matchup to move to 2-1 heading into singles.

“It was just like any other day,” Edwards, earth and physical science major, said. “We just stayed in the match, stuck in there and volleyed well in doubles.”

But that momentum did not carry over into singles as the Hornets managed only one singles win and fell 6-3 to the Lopers. Senior Mitch Kibbe finished on a positive note with the only singles win of the day.

“(It’s) just exciting to be here, seeing seniors go through here all four years,” Kibbe, secondary math major, said. “I just never thought it would be my day – it was good to get the win.”

The men now find themselves at 7-10, while the women, who broke their winning streak, still find themselves in good shape at 13-5.

Seven provisionally qualified for track

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 04 April 2013 17:00
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At the ESU Spring Open, freshman thrower Travis Venniro competes in shot put for the Hornets.
Will Austin/The Bulletin

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Sarah Dunkin highlighted an eventful weekend track meet March 30, a meet that saw 36 marks provisional qualify, seven of which were from host Emporia State, including a school record by Dunkin, who recorded a javelin throw 151-07 to place second in the event.

Dunkin, sophomore thower, was one of two women to provisionally qualify, as Nikki Wetstein, junior hurdler and jumper, also qualified in the 100 meter hurdles, which marked her as third fastest in ESU history. Wetstein continued her successful day by placing second in the triple jump, third in the 400 meters, third in long jump and fourth in high jump.

“Overall, it went pretty well,” said Dominique Staats, freshman psychology major and sprinter. “We had a pretty hard week of training. I ran (the) 1,500 (meter) for the first time and took sixth. It was different than what I was used to, but it wasn’t awful.”

Peyton Weiss, sophomore sprinter and jumper, won the long jump. Carmen King, sophomore jumper and sprinter, walked away victorious in the 100 meter dash. Marquieta Marisette, sophomore sprinter, won the 200 meter dash, while Lindsey Kunkel, junior sprtiner, won the 400 meter run. Hornet women also won the pole vault, thanks to sophomore Maggie Wilson.

Both girls relays team dominated the meet with first places in both the 400 meter relay and 1,600 meter relay. The 400 meter consisted of Marisette, Jackie Jacobs, senior sprinter, Weiss and King. The 1,600 meter women were Marisette, Kunkel, Weiss and Jacobs.

The men picked up the remaining five provisional qualifying marks. The hurdle crew took charge again as Gannon Mack, senior sprinter and hurdler, and Andrew Etheridge, junior hurdler and sprinter, continued to ride their indoor success and finished in second and third place, respectively, in the 110 meter hurdles.

The 400 meter relay team consisted of Derwin Hall, senior sprinter, Vincent Howze, senior sprinter and hurdler, Etheridege and Shjuan Richardson, senior sprinter, provisionally qualified with a time 41.04.

Mack won the 400 meter dash and also joined the winning 1,600 meter relay team of Cody Miller, junior distance runner, Frankie Cortez, senior sprinter, and Howze who won the 1600 meter relay.

In spite of a few injuries, the Hornets still faired well at their home meet.

“I did okay – I just need to focus on getting my injury healed up and then get back to working hard every day in practice,” said Jonathon Baustert, freshman accounting major and sprinter.

As if Saturday wasn’t hectic enough, according to the Emporia State website, the Hornets are set to host the largest track meet at Emporia this season on Saturday during the ESU Relays.

Women continue trend, beats Washburn again

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 04 April 2013 17:00
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Fighting off rivals Lady Blues in doubles Tuesday afternoon, junior Nicole Jara of the Lady Hornets returns a low hit. Emporia State defeated Washburn, 7-2.
Will Austin/The Bulletin

Following this year’s trend, the Emporia State Hornets walked away victorious in another sporting event against rival Washburn. This time, the Lady Hornets tennis squad defeated the Lady Blues 7-2 at home on Milton Courts Tuesday.

“That’s what you want in a season, to beat your arch rival,” said Head Coach John Cayton. “Over the year, we have had a lot of matches that were 5-4 because they are our rival, and we know them so well.”

The Lady Hornets found themselves in a dogfight early in the doubles competition, as all three doubles teams were down.

Tiffany Khounsombath, sophomore, and Somer Schmidt, junior, earned the first Hornet win of the afternoon with an 8-3 match after falling 0-1 earlier on.

First doubles team Nicole Jara, junior, and Taylor Smith, sophomore, were not able to overcome their early deficit and dropped the second doubles match.

Unlike their teammates, number two doubles Alex Crowe, senior, and Kayla Fraley, freshman, found themselves in control early, up 4-1. After falling 6-7, Crowe and Fraley made a furious comeback to win the final doubles match, moving to the singles competition and up 2-1 on Washburn.

“It was really important because it made us more confident heading into singles 2-1,” said Crowe, biochemistry molecular biology major.

The Lady Hornets found some sort of spark from that furious doubles comeback, and continued to ride that momentum into singles play, winning all but one singles match.

After a Khoundsombath loss, Jara took care of business in her singles, winning it commandingly in two sets. Smith rebounded from that doubles performance as well as in her singles match, which she also won in two sets.

“(We) could have done more in doubles, but for singles, I played really well,” Smith, art education and graphic design major, said. “I just think we needed to get more returns in play in doubles.”

Jennifer Gerhardt, sophomore, secured a win with her number four singles battle.

Crowe and Schmidt finished off the Lady Blues, winning both singles and securing the overall win.

The Lady Hornets move to 11-4 on the season and 4-3 in league play, while their rival falls to 1-11. The tennis team will hit Milton Court again tomorrow and Saturday to take on Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney.

Lady Hornets Cut down Nets in Kansas City

Written by Shane Jackson
Wednesday, 13 March 2013 18:23
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For the third straight year, the Lady Hornets found themselves in the MIAA Championship game. This time, Head Coach Jory Collins and the Lady Hornets were able to get that monkey off their back, after 67-51 win over University of Central Missouri on Sunday, March 10 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

“It feels good – not going to lie,” Collins said. “We haven’t won the conference tournament since I was doing laundry. I’m just really happy for our players Jocelyn and Rachel. We won a national championship together when they were freshman, but I’m glad they could cut some other nets down.”

The MIAA Championship victory is the Lady Hornets fifth in history and the first since the tournament was moved to Kansas City. The win also secured a spot in regionals for the Lady Hornets.

After jumping out early on their previous two MIAA tournament opponents, the Lady Hornets found themselves in a dogfight in the first half with the Mules.

Municipal Auditorium saw six lead changes in the first half with both teams battling for a championship, and a post-season berth. Rachel Hanf, senior guard, did what she does best and hit some big shots when she added back to back threes with 10 minutes to go in the half, securing the lead.

Hanf’s threes helped the Lady Hornets cruise into the half with a 31-23 lead. But UCM made a push in the second half, pulling within five with 12:30 to go before Hanf hit another three.

Once again the Mules were not going to go down without a fight, as they pulled within seven after a three-point play. Hanf stepped up once again when the team needed her most, and sank a three to make it a 10 point game with 52-42.

“It always feels great to get the win, and if I’m the contributing factor, it feels even better, every player wants to do what they can to get the W,” said Merissa Quick, crime and delinquencies major.

Quick, sophomore forward, earned Most Outstanding Player for the tournament with her relentless play throughout the weekend.

The Lady Hornets received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II tournament. The appearance marks the 15th time in the last 17 years that the Lady Hornets will find themselves in the tournament.

The Lady Hornets look to keep their season alive in regional play with a familiar foe. They will travel to Topeka to take on archrival Washburn this Friday on Schendel Court at Lee Arena. The time of the game time is TBA.

Track sends 12 to nationals

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 07 March 2013 16:30
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Birmingham, Ala. will be the new stomping ground for 12 Hornets in the indoor indoor national championship when they travel to compete this weekend.

“It shows how hard this team has worked over the past six months to get where we need to be as a team at the end of the indoor season,” said Briar Ploude, senior education major and high jumper.

Ploude will join six other men who made the cut to compete at nationals. Fellow high jumper Marcus Calleja, who is ranked 12th in the event, and Ploude, who is ranked first, will jump at 5:15 p.m. Friday. Sprinters Derwin Hall and Vincent Howze will run in the 60 and 200 meter dashes, respectively.

Hurdler Gannon Mack, who won the event at the MIAA Championship, and Andrew Etheridge, also a hurdler, will compete as well.

“At a championship meet like this, rankings and favorites mean nothing – we are just going to do what we have been training to do,” Etheridge, a junior crime and delinquency major, said. “Personally, I plan to walk away with a title and a gold medal around my neck.”

Unlike his five fellow teammates, Payson Maydew is not an upperclassman. The freshman heptathlon athlete finds his way into the national championship ranked 8th in the MIAA after placing 4th in the conference.

“It’s an opportunity that I’m going to hold dear, thanks to my teammates, coaches and God,” Maydew, an accounting major, said. “As far as I see it, we only have four years to have a privilege to compete in college athletics – no time to take it in, but to give it everything you’ve got, which is what I plan to do.”

The women bring a 12th-ranked 4×400 meter relay team that consists of Jackie Jacobs, Lindsay Kunkel, Marquieta Marisette and Peyton Weiss. Marisette also comes in as the 19th ranked 400 meter dash runner. Nikki Wetstein joins the relay girls on the trip for the 60 meter hurdles.

“It’s simple – if we perform the way we know how to and are capable of, then we should finish the highest indoors in ESU history,” Etheridge said.

Men swallow tough loss

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 28 February 2013 16:00
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Senior guard Taylor Euler puts up an easy two against Northeastern State University on Saturday, Feb. 23. The close game ended in a 67-62 loss for the Hornets.
Will Austin/The Bulletin

Jump out early and struggle to close out games – that has been the formula for almost every loss the Hornets basketball team have taken this season. The Northeastern State game was no different, as they suffered a 67-63 loss to during alumni weekend.

“We just want to keep the tradition any time we get a chance to play for the guys who paved the way for us,” said Chris Sights, senior guard, “and today we just came up a little short.”

From the start, the Hornets looked inside to Paul Bunch, junior center, who scored six of the first eight points as they gained to an 8-5 start.

As the ball drifted out of Bunch’s hands, the Hornets began to slip away on the scoreboard. After being down by as much as six points, the Hornets regained the lead with a corner three-pointer by Gavin Brown, junior forward, just before the half, 33-32.

The RiverHawks swept the lead in the second half after an early run, but the Hornets hung on. Terrence Moore, freshman guard, became the go-to guy and regained a 53-51 Hornet lead with 7:54 to go.

“I had to step up,” Moore said. “(It was) just players making plays – (being a) freshman doesn’t mean anything. It’s just making plays.”

The RiverHawks controlled the rest of the game with some clutch free throws to seal the deal. As the leading free-throw shooting team in the league, they shot over 90 percent for the game.

“When you have a chance to finish off a team and don’t, it’s frustrating,” said Shaun Vandiver, head coach. “When things got tough we fractured; we didn’t stick together.”

Moore finished with 13 points. Bunch scored 12 inside to add to his seven rebounds and seven blocks. Brown scored 11 points.

“We got guys on our team that just sit back and wait – we can’t do that. We (have) got to show up,” Vandiver said.

Lady Hornets falter in front of alumni

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 28 February 2013 16:00
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Sophomore forward Sarah Wood goes for a layup from Northeastern State University on Saturday, Feb. 23. The Lady Hornets lost 66-56.
Will Austin/The Bulletin

On a day when several alumni were in attendance, Emporia State hung up former Lady Hornet Ali Volkens’ jersey. Volkens led the Hornets to the 2010 national championship.

“I was really proud of Ali – (it’s) well deserved,” said Rachel Hanf, senior guard and marketing major, who was also on that championship team. “She’s a good player,”

But the Lady Hornets were not able to secure a win as they dropped their second game in a row to Northeastern State, 66-56, Feb. 23 after winning nine straight games.

“(There were) kids here who put work in (during their time at ESU) for a lot of years and a had lot of success – I was embarrassed,” said Jory Collins, head coach. “That’s not how you want to perform in front of those guys (alumni).”

As a team, the Lady Hornets shot just over 31 percent from deep and just barely over 44 percent from the field.

“It’s really frustrating when we are missing shots, but when we are missing shots, we need to get rebounds,” said Laura Patrick, junior forward and accounting major.

Patrick led the way with 14 points but had to take 16 shots to get there. She got things going early for the team as she scored five quick points to help take a 12-9 lead in the first six minutes.

The RiverHawks snatched the lead with over 10 minutes to go, and they carried that into the half with a 37-33 lead.

After a soft puncture in the deficit, the Lady Hornets found themselves within four points of the RiverHawks with seven minutes to go, but Taylor Lewis of the RiverHawks took back control of the game.

She nailed a three-pointer with over five minutes to go to extend their lead 60-44. She finished the game with 26 points.

“We had breakdowns, but she’s (Lewis) a shot maker,” Collins said. “She’s shooting 50 percent from the three-point line. We didn’t have anyone on our team to guard her.”

The Lady Hornets, who were in contention before this two-game skid for the conference championship, now have to win out.

“We are not in that race anymore,” Collins said. “We haven’t beat any good teams all year long. We just haven’t been very tough, and now we are going to have to win the tournament to play any post-season play.”

The ladies take on Pittsburg State at 1:30 p.m. March 2 on the Gorillas’ home turf.

Briar Ploude: The Flying Hornet

Written by Shane Jackson
Thursday, 07 February 2013 16:00
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Senior Briar Ploude practices his high jump in the HPER building on Wednesday, Feb. 6. For the week of Monday, Jan. 28, Ploude was named a National Division II Track & Field Athlete of the Week.
Will Austin/The Bulletin

It wasn’t always Briar Ploude’s dream to represent the black and gold of Emporia State in the high jump event. Actually high jumping wasn’t even his original goal as the high school track star from Meridan, KS had different plans after high school.

“My dream since I was little was to go to the Air Force Academy, went through basic training, got told I was never going to be able to fly, so I ended up here, and just found a home,” said Ploude, the senior secondary education major.

Ironically the 5th best high school jumper coming out of high school, who was told by the Air Force he wouldn’t be able to fly, flew. He flew over the rest of the jumpers, and now stands not only as an ESU record holder in high jump, but the number one high jumper in division two.

Ploude wasn’t always a natural, as he struggled early on in his career. For a high jumper who now holds many records, and breaks 7 feet on a regular basis, he struggled to break 7 feet consecutively in his first couple of years.

“I came in with him my freshman year, and as a freshman he kind of had a big head, in your face, just like me, but as Briar has matured as a person, he has matured as an athlete, and it’s showing on the track,” said Tyler Swalley, senior hurdler and business education major.

His work ethic is the biggest factor as Ploude has climbed his way to the top of the bar, as he approaches his final months of his senior year.

“His work ethic has gotten a 100 times better since he got here, one of the hardest working guys on the team, and he is focused more off the track,” said head track coach Steve Blocker.

Unlike most division two athletes Briar doesn’t plan on his athletic career ending at the collegiate level.

“My ultimate goal is to compete professionally, being top ten in the nation makes it realistic, but my goal is to creep up to number 1, and even make the 2016 Olympics, if I did that I could go out happy,” said Ploude.

Being not only the top ranked division two high jumper, but the 7th ranked high jumper in the nation in all collegiate levels makes his Olympics dreams more realistic.