In her second season playing basketball for Emporia State, Kelsey Balcom, sophomore nursing major, has become a leader for the young team. Her poise, patience and leadership have been noticed by both players and coaches.

“Kelsey is an obvious leader on our team,” said Jory Collins, head coach. “She is one of our more talented players, even as a sophomore. We are really excited to have her leadership on our team.”

Growing up in Olathe, Kelsey competed in track, volleyball and basketball. She was involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Student Volunteers, where she worked in a sixth grade classroom her senior year.

In high school she focused on basketball with support from her family. According to ESU’s website, she played in three straight Kansas state championship games while leading her team to victory as a senior.

“I am really close to all of my family,” Balcom said. “My parents never forced me to play but have always been very supportive by coming to watch me.”

Kelsey’s sister, Megan, will be joining the team next season.

“My sister and I are very close,” Balcom said. “She is my biggest fan, and I am her biggest fan.”

According to ESU’s website, Balcom was the MIAA Freshmen of the Year and earned Honorable Mention All MIAA last season. She averaged 11.6 points and 7 rebounds per game to go along with four double-doubles.

“Ali V. (Volkens) was a senior last year as a post player,” Balcom said. “She was great. She helped me with a lot of things, helped the whole team with a lot of things. It was a good learning experience all around. I want to continue to improve from there.”

Kelsey has high hopes for the team and their future and plans to work as hard as necessary to reach those goals.

“We don’t want to settle with just being good,” Balcom said. “Every day we want to get better and better. We want to be great. Personally, I want to improve and be as good as I can every day. I need to move away from not thinking as much and just play the game.”

Her presence and leadership on and off the floor is vital to the success of this team. The team chemistry is noticeable to many.

“Our team chemistry is one of the strengths of this team,” Balcom said. “We all get along. We have players at every position that can play.”

Marcus Hix

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In her senior season, Katie Mona, health promotions major, has been nothing less than dominant. Her early season success can be attributed to hard work and determination. One would not expect the quiet, shy and modest Mona to be a dominant force on the oval track.

Growing up in Illinois, Mona competed in gymnastics. She moved to Kansas and started attending Olathe Northwest. It was not until her sophomore year that she joined the track and field team.

“I am very timid and shy, so gymnastics didn’t work for me growing up,” Mona said. “Then I just kind of changed with my friends and decided to go run. I started running track and field as a sophomore. I then started running cross-country when I was a junior. Then I just kept working at both.”

Mona runs the 800 meter, mile and the 3k. Occasionally, she will compete in the 4X4 relay. According to ESU’s website, Mona dominated at the University of Central Missouri Invitational Meet on Jan. 20. Mona shattered a 21-year-old building record and 4-year-old ESU record in winning the women’s 3000 meter run.

Her time of 9:47.15 bettered Pittsburg State’s Christie Allen’s Multipurpose Building record of 10:05.26 set in 1991, and Jonel Rossbach’s ESU record of 9:50.39 set at Iowa State in 2008.

“She is really fun to watch,” said Steve Blocker, head coach. “She is running a little care-free right now, and I think she feels the confidence from that. She has put in the work without a doubt. The cumulative effect of the three years of training is paying off for us now. Her dedication speaks for itself.”

Katie has consistently improved each season. Her times have increased with hard work and determination while working through injuries.

“I have been improving my times from previous years,” Mona said. “I had an injury, stress fracture twice. I think that coming back from that, I feel a lot stronger, and it is kind of showing in my times this season.”

Although Mona is reserved, her teammates have noticed her hard work and determination. She was voted a team captain for the 2012 season.

“It’s an honor to be named captain,” Mona said. “We have several captains overall, and I’m glad to be noticed by my teammates. It’s nice to know that they look up to me and would nominate me to be a captain.”

Marcus Hix

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Born and raised in Wichita, Lucas San Martin, one of the track and field team captains for the 2012 season, has always had a knack for sports.

Growing up, he played both football and ran track at Goddard High. Majoring in political science with a minor in philosophy, there is much more than meets the eye.

“I was very involved in orchestra and chamber orchestra,” San Martin said. “Chamber music is something that is very near and dear to my heart. I have played the cello since I was a young boy and I fell in love with the instrument.”

San Martin said he has had many influential people in his life, but one in particular comes to mind – his father, Lazaro San Martin. The journey his father made to America is full of courage and passion for a better life.

Lazaro immigrated from Cuba, coming to America in 1962 through Catholic charities while being aided by the Central Intelligence Agency through an operation known as “Pedro Pan,” “Peter Pan” in English. Lazaro sought a better life for himself.

“They were called Peter Pan because they were the boys that flew,” San Martin said. “This is something that has inspired me throughout my life. The fact that he came from a society with no opportunity, no future and was given a chance at a life to make something of himself. I strive every day to be half the man he is.”

Track and field has given Lucas one of many opportunities to be a positive influence on others, just like his father was to him. His leadership and determination have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“Lucas leads by example,” said 400 meter sprinter Frank Cortez. “He shows determination and hard work every day. The work ethic is there and others see it as well.”

San Martin does not overlook being named a team captain. He said he takes great pride and is humbled by the honor his teammates have bestowed upon him.

“It’s an honor on this team to be elected as a captain,” San Martin said. “This squad of men is full of hard workers. I’m honored to go to school with these guys. I take this honor very seriously.”

The men’s track and field team finished fourth overall last year, according to Emporia State’s website, and the team has high expectations going into this season.

“When you have a team of this caliber, you focus together as one heartbeat,” San Martin said. “You have to go out and perform. I think we are going to be very tough to stop this year. I expect everyone, every practice, to go out and give it absolutely 100 percent, as if they were competing day by day.”

Marcus Hix

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KAISER

The athleticism that the Hornets bring to the volleyball court is valuable to the team’s success. For Emporia State this season, no one personifies this more than sophomore outside hitter Briana Kaiser.

“She’s so athletic,” said Bing Xu, head coach. “She has tremendous physical ability. She has all the tools and fundamentals, especially defense and passing… she has a lot of potential (and) is very talented and has a lot of natural ability.”

Growing up, Kaiser played many different sports including basketball, volleyball, track, softball and cheerleading. In junior high Kaiser said she realized that volleyball was her favorite sport. During high school she earned all-state tournament team, all-metro, MVP and was a four time letter winner in volleyball at Valley Center.

Photo Illustration by Jon Coffey/The Bulletin

“In sixth grade I was playing intramural volleyball and quit cheerleading,” Kaiser said.      Once finished with high school, Kaiser went to Wichita State for two seasons before transferring to ESU.

“I transferred here because I loved the nursing program after I visited,” Kaiser said. “Then volleyball just fit in and I love the game.”

This season, she has made a tremendous impression on both the coaches and the players.

“This year Briana has really stepped up,” said junior Meg Schwartz. “She is one of the leaders on the team. She makes a really big impact and we are really happy to have her here. She is definitely a dominating force on our team… she’s always there encouraging, always supporting the teammates and always has a really positive attitude.”

Although she has 243 kills and 333 digs so far this season, Kaiser seems to be modest. She strives to be a good team player and puts the needs of the team before individual stats or awards.

“Teamwork is the most important thing,” Kaiser said. “Just meshing together with the other girls is very important to me. We practice hard every day. We are a very new team so having that chemistry is vital to our success.”

Her teammates and coaches have noticed how important teamwork is to Briana.

“Everybody likes her,” Xu said. “She is really fun both on and off the court. She is always there joking with her teammates and the team chemistry is right there.”

Marcus Hix

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ANDERSON

In her fourth year at Emporia State, Sarah Anderson emerged as a consistent offensive weapon for Hornet soccer, an area the team need improvement on in going into the season.

Under her leadership, the Hornets have been able to generate 184 shots this year, 103 of those shots on goal.

“She’s a quiet leader,” said head coach Bryan Sailer. “But she does the right thing. She leads by example. She’s a hard worker. She’s here everyday. She’s not missed one practice, one game, not late, nothing. She’s just a good kid, in the community (and) just as a person.”

Anderson grew up in Overland Park where she began playing soccer at an early age, as her dad influenced her to take up the sport.

Although soccer was the first sport she played growing up, she was also a pitcher for a competitive softball team until she entered high school. But in the end, soccer was Anderson’s first choice.

“Honestly, I just love the sport,” Anderson said. “I really like endurance… I love long distance running, so that matches a lot more with soccer than it did softball. Plus, just the whole soccer atmosphere, I like it better than softball.”

Anderson attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School where she lettered for three years in soccer. During her senior season, she scored five goals and had two assists and was a member of the 2006 and 2007 state championship teams.

After high school Anderson chose ESU over other MIAA members Truman and Washburn. In the end, her future plans and the location of the campus persuaded her to choose ESU.

“The location was pretty good for me… I wanted to be close to all my friends and be able to have my parents come to my games, and stuff like that means a lot to me,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s career plans include becoming an elementary teacher or a middle school math teacher. During her time at ESU, Anderson has scored six goals and has had seven assists. This year she scored her sixth goal against Southwest Baptist in a game the Hornets won 3-0. Anderson also had an assist in the game.

Anderson, who has had three assists this year, is currently tied for second on the team in total points. Her leadership this season has not gone unnoticed.

“She shows us by, not only verbally speaking to us, but she also shows us by playing to her best ability,” said junior forward Ashley Hill.

This year is the first for the MIAA soccer tournament. The top six teams will earn a bid, and the Hornets are currently seventh and one point behind Washburn.

As the Hornets attempt to make it into this year’s tournament during their final two games, Anderson’s play at forward will be essential for the team’s success.

Brandon Schneeberger

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CORTEZ

Coming into his fourth season on the track team, Frank Cortez shows determination in his pursuit of being a national qualifier in the 400 meter dash.

Cortez finished fourth in the 400 meter dash at the MIAA Outdoor Track Championship last season and in last season’s overall standings he finished third. His personal best was 48.36 seconds, which he ran during the preliminaries at a conference meet.

Despite all of last season’s successes, there were also bumps along the way.

Cortez grew up in Wichita playing football and basketball, his first love. Then in eighth grade he moved to Ellinwood, where he would realize he had a knack for running track.

Like a lot of track athletes, he wanted to compete in the 200 meter dash, but by luck the 400 meter fell into his lap.

“It’s really funny how I fell into the 400,” Cortez said. “I was always big on the 200 when I was younger. I’ll never forget it. On the day of the meet, (my coach) said let’s switch races. Me being the freshman, said ‘ok’ because I was trying to impress the coaches. I ended up winning the meet that day. I have stuck with it ever since.”

Cortez said he decided to come to Emporia State on a partial scholarship. Due to less than ideal grades in high school, he red-shirted his freshman season. After another hiccup, he would become academically ineligible his sophomore season.

But this did not discourage Cortez from running track.

“It’s really almost like a movie,” said track head coach Steve Blocker. “His story transcends him… he went from not even being on the team to making it all the way back. He literally made it back to being our number one 400 runner.”

In his fourth season with the team, he has improved and worked very hard to be in the position that he is today. He continues to work hard in the weight room to be a better athlete.

“His work ethic is awesome,” Blocker said. “After being away from the track team for nine months, he came out and was in horrible shape. But he came back and hung in there… Before you knew it, Frank Cortez placed in the MIAA conference meet.”

Even through all of the highs and lows in his track career, Cortez seems to have persevered.

“The competition drives me more than anything,” Cortez said. “The sport itself gives me motivation in life. That inspires me the most.”

Marcus Hix

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VANDERPOOL

For Paige Vanderpool, sophomore outside hitter for the Hornets volleyball team, the sport is an escape.

“Once I am on the court, it is all volleyball,” Vanderpool said.

Vanderpool, an undecided major, is in her second season with the Hornets. Although she is currently undecided on her future, she said she is leaning towards becoming a physical therapist, so she will be able to help people.

“She is a really great player and a great leader as well. She always speaks up when we need someone to, and she steps up when we need a really big play,” said freshman outside hitter Carly Spicer. “She is a great role model. She is doing a really good job and becoming a true leader this year.”

Vanderpool has been playing volleyball for seven years and has been an outside hitter since the eighth grade. Growing up, she ran cross country but eventually decided she wanted to do something different. She settled on volleyball.

It was a new sport for her and one in which she looked forward to participating in every day. Vanderpool continued playing the sport throughout high school and was named all-conference, all-district, and all-regional as a player. Last year, she was honored with all-conference honorable mention as a freshman.

“Paige is a great leader on and off the court,” said freshman outside hitter Hunter Porter. “If I ever have any questions, she is the teammate I go to.”

Being such an outstanding high school player, Vanderpool had many options when it came to playing in college. The University of Central Missouri, the University of Missouri, Missouri State University, Appalachian State University and several other out-of-state colleges showed an interest in her, but it was Emporia State that won her over with the success of the program and the style of coaching the staff offered.

“I like how laid back the coaches are,” Vanderpool said. “They do not get too wound up about anything. If you make a mistake they tell you how to fix it without getting on you too hard. They just allow us to play and have fun and step in when they need to.”

Vanderpool said she feels that this year’s young team has a lot of potential.

“I love all of the girls and we play really well together and get along well,” Vanderpool said. “It is a good atmosphere.”

Being about halfway through the season, she said she feels there is still work to be done and things to improve on, but the team is getting better day by day. Vanderpool continues to strive to be the best she can be on and off the court in order to help her team. She hopes the team is able to make it to the NCAA Tournament and to the elite 8 as well.

Chelsie Slaughter

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HUSTON

The women’s tennis team has one returning senior player on their roster this season.

Emily Huston, senior athletic training major, has been with the team all four seasons, and her leadership and experience will be valuable assets this season.

“I’m comfortable both at the net and at the base line,” Huston said. “I am more confident in my abilities than I have ever been.”

Huston started playing tennis as a freshman at Olathe Northwest High School. She won many accolades including All Johnson County Team twice and All-City team three times. She also led Olathe Northwest to three separate class 6A tournament appearances, including the school’s first win at the state tournament her senior year.

With all of her success in high school, she had many different opportunities to play tennis at the collegiate level. Fort Hays State, Nebraska-Omaha and Missouri University in Kansas City all pursued Huston, but in the end, she chose Emporia State due to her interest in athletic training and the coaching staff.

“I really liked the coaches here at Emporia State,” Huston said. “ESU was also willing to allow me to do both tennis and athletic training.”

Huston is taking a leadership role on the court. Being the lone senior, she offers advice, encouragement and guidance.

“Emily has been a great leader so far this season,” said Jenny Gethardt, freshman elementary education major. “She is a role model both on and off of the court.”

Huston is not only a vocal leader, but she also leads by example with her success on the tennis court. As a freshman, she was an All-MIAA player in singles and All-MIAA player in doubles as a sophomore.

But last year, she suffered a season ending injury.

“I had a really tough year dealing with the injury,” Huston said. “It put a lot of things into perspective for me. I also learned a lot about being mentally tough and mentally prepared for anything.”

As a singles player, Huston said she believes this season will go smoothly and hopes to accomplish many goals. She also said she hopes to play well with her doubles partner, sophomore biology pre-vet major Abby Morris.

“The experience she has as a college athlete definitely helps considering we are a pretty young team,” Morris said. “Emily is positive and encouraging.”

Morris said she enjoys playing with Huston because she is a “solid player and is driven on the court.” Morris said Huston is also very motivated.

“This is our first year together as a doubles team, but we work really well together,” Huston said. “We complement each other very well and we have a lot of potential.”

Huston said she looks forward to taking advantage of her senior season and hopes to end her collegiate career on a high note.

Chelsie Slaughter

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PORTOFEE

The young members on a team are often a good indicator of the team’s future successes. This year, the Emporia State cross country team has four senior leaders but will need some younger members to step up, like sophomore runner Marcus Portofee.

“He is a very good up and coming runner,” said head coach Steve Blocker. “From last season to now, he has matured not only as an athlete but as a leader. His leadership is a vital building block to the future of the Hornets cross country team.”

Portofee, a pre-physical therapy major, began running cross country in junior high. He also competed in track and in baseball. Although he was successful all three sports, he knew he enjoyed cross country the most. Portofee stated that he always had really good mile times when running, which led to his decision to run cross country in college.

“I was always too skinny to play football or sports like that in high school,” Portofee said. “My junior high coach pushed me into cross country. That is when I became interested in running cross country. I have liked to run ever since I was young. I always did really well at long distance runs.”

Portofee said he tries not to think about anything while he runs.

“You can break yourself and it can be tough on you mentally,” Portofee said. “I just do it (run).”

With a senior led squad this season, Portofee will transition into a leadership role. With the influx of young runners, Portofee is taking the lead. He will try to keep the other young runners focused, mentally tough and keep their confidence high.

“Marcus is making the transition into a leadership role very smoothly,” said assistant coach Eric Wellman. “He has gotten a lot stronger and become a better runner. His leadership will be greatly needed moving into next season.”

Last season at the Mid America Athletic Association cross country championship in Hays, Portofee, ran a personal 26:13.00 in the 8K, finishing in 44th place overall as a freshman, while helping the team finish in eighth place.

Portofee has high hopes for himself and the team this season.

“I hope to get my 8K to under 26 minutes this season,” Portofee said. “I want to help lead this team and continue to push us to constantly be better.”

The first cross country meet on Sept. 2 was cancelled due to heat. The next meet is at 10 a.m. on Sept. 17 in Lincoln, Neb.

Marcus Hix

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Emporia State senior Dillon Hazlett gets a hit against Nebraska-Omaha April 2 at Glennen Field. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Every successful team has to have their player that can make good things come out of tight situations and bring out the

best in the ball club.

For the Emporia State baseball team, that player is Senior Centerfielder Dillon Hazlett. Hazlett is a native Kansan but went to North Carolina University for his first years of collegiate baseball before transferring to ESU.

“Baseball is a mental game, and he brings that to the table each and every day,” said Head Coach Bob Fornelli. “He can run, and he is a great offensive player. He does a lot of little things that make our team good.”

This season alone, Hazlett has earned the MIAA Hitter of the Week twice and has also been named the Regional and National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Hazlett became the first player from the MIAA to earn either award.

“It is nice to (get the honors),” Hazlett said. “As long as we keep winning is the main thing. I can get all those, but if we don’t win then it’s not so fun.”

Hazlett earned the hitting accolades after a particularly spectacular game against Lincoln University. With the score tied in the fifth, Hazlett singled to get on base then stole second and advanced on a hit to third before stealing home to score the go-ahead run.

“He is the guy (who) when we need a big hit he comes up with it (or) when we need to get somebody on base,” said Third Baseman Kevin Wempe. “He is a complete package as a baseball player and a great teammate as well.”

Known for stealing bases, Hazlett is 36 for 36 in stolen base attempts thus far in the season. Also adding to his offensive power is his .437 batting average and a high on base percentage of .489. This, coupled with his foot speed, makes him a capable player to score once he is on base. His speed also lends itself to his abilities as an outfielder.

“He can really run and has great baseball instincts,” Fornelli said. “He is not afraid to fail. He just competes, makes up his mind and goes.”

As well as being an outstanding baseball player, Hazlett is also a leader by example on the team always having a great attitude and working hard to reach team goals.

“He’s got a great attitude each and every day,” Fornelli said. “A lot of times, when your best player is one of your hardest workers, you’re going to have a good team that year. He definitely brings that everyday, works hard, competes, and on top of that, he is probably our best athlete in our baseball program that Emporia State has ever had.”

Chris Dvorak

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Emporia State senior Kirsten Ford practices with a partner Wednesday afternoon at the Milton Courts. Ford has been captain of the tennis team since her sophomore year. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

It’s hard to have a good team without good leadership, and Senior Kirsten Ford provides that leadership for the

Off the court, Ford has had a wide array of leadership experiences on the team as well as representing ESU’s entire athletic program on a national level. Her list of accolades includes being the captain of the tennis team since her sophomore year and being on the ESU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) a registered student organization that represents ESU athletes. Ford has been president of SAAC for two years.

“It’s been a growing experience,” Ford said. “I think I’ve matured and learned a lot since my freshman year. It’s made me a better leader and hopefully a better teammate. Having those leadership positions has helped me work with different people and understand how certain people respond to different things so that I can help each of my teammates individually based off their needs.”

Ford has also had the unique opportunity to be the first president of the ESU chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, a student-athlete academic honors society that was chartered last year. She is also the national SAAC representative for the MIAA conference.

On the court this season Ford has been playing at number six singles and number three doubles and has contributed greatly to the team’s overall success this year. Entering this weekend’s MIAA tournament, she has a 7-1 record in singles as well as a 6-2 record in doubles.

“(Ford) has really developed over the four years,” said Head Coach John Cayton. “She came in as number seven on the team and didn’t get a lot of playing action – mostly a doubles specialist, and she has gotten better every year.”

Winning conference and getting the team to regional competition are Ford’s goals for the rest of the season. After Ford graduates this year, she is looking to go on to graduate school, but the impact of her leadership on the team will remain.

“We will keep a lot of the traditions going,” Cayton said “Everyone that comes here – including her and the other players and seniors that we have – made a really good impact on the team from what they’ve done for us, and their work ethic and the way they’ve played. It’s been good to have all these good players.”

Chris Dvorak

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