The Garden City Telegram
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State qualifying events next for area volleyball, cross country; GCHS teams at Wichita, soccer home Tuesday
Published 10/24/2008 in None : Area High Schools
By BRETT MARSHALL
It's one meet, one race, a couple of matches and if it turns out right, it's on to the state meets in two high school sports.
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Laurie Sisk/Telegram - Holcomb senior Kristen Becker digs a low serve during an early season match at Holcomb High School.
That's what area schools and athletes will be vying for Saturday in cross country and volleyball.
For Holcomb's boys cross country team and Lakin volleyball, the schools will be looking for that edge to move through regionals and sub-state with an eye on the big dance the following week.
"There is the excitement of knowing this is what we've trained for all season," said Holcomb cross country coach Lindall Cox. "We want to seize the opportunity and be ready to race well."
Mike Wolf, the individual champion of the Hi-Plains League meet, will be among the favorites in Saturday's race at the Cimarron regional (Girls at 2 p.m., Boys at 2:45 p.m.) at the Cimarron Golf Club.
"Our top guys have been running with the other schools' top guys all season, so it will be important for our depth guys to run ahead of other team's fifth runner," Cox said. "That's been our key most of the year. We pay attention to where the others No. 5 runners are."
Cox indicated that the team had backed off its intense training of the regular season in preparation for Saturday's race.
"There's no second chances here," he said. "We want to get their legs back and leave them enough energy to be able to run through the entire race (3.1 miles)."
Cox said the regional would be one of the most competitive in the state with Norton, three-time defending 2A state champion Sterling and Lakin all vying for team qualifying (top 3 teams advance to state).
"Sterling's going to want to prove that they belong in 3A and will be very good," Cox said. "Lakin's been running very well lately and Norton is always strong. It will be a tough day, but one we're excited about."
For Lakin volleyball coach Steve Davidson, the challenge will be to have his Lady Broncs regroup quickly as they face Hi-Plains League rival Holcomb in the first round match at 3 p.m. at the Holcomb gymnasium. The teams just met in the third-place match Tuesday of the HPL tournament in Sublette with Lakin winning 25-13, 25-19. He expects a different Holcomb team to show up Saturday when they play at 3 p.m.
"We can't rely on what happened Tuesday," Davidson said. "Holcomb had beaten (Southwestern) Heights earlier in the season, and I'm sure they thought they could it again, but they lost (in HPL semis) and you could see they were a little down when we played them. I have no doubt they'll bring their 'A' game for the sub-state. We've just got to be ready and play more consistently."
Saturday the Garden City High School cross country team competing in Wichita at the Cessna Activities Center at 2 p.m. (girls) and 2:30 p.m. (boys) for spots in the Class 6A meet Nov. 1 at Rim Rock in Lawrence, while area schools from 1A-4A will be competing for spots at the respective class state meets the same day at Wamego.
In Class 4A, Hugoton, Scott City and Ulysses are at Lake Afton in Wichita (2:30 and 3 p.m. starting times for girls and boys); Meade entertains both 2A and 1A regionals with Stanton County, Wichita County, Sublette and Syracuse competing in 2A at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., and Deerfield, Ingalls, South Gray, Moscow and Ness City run at 3 p.m. (boys) and 4 p.m. (girls). Greeley County's boys and girls race at Grainfield/Wheatland at 3 p.m. (girls) and 3:30 p.m. (boys).
In sub-state volleyball, the Garden City girls are seeded sixth at the Maize tournament. The Lady Buffs meet Wichita Northwest in the first round, at 3 p.m. at the Maize High School gymnasium. Should the Lady Buffs make it through sub-state, the Class 6A state is at Topeka's Kansas Expocenter, Oct. 31-Nov. 1.
Area Class 4A teams Scott City (29-7) and seeded second will open against Mid State Activities Association rival Ulysses (8-26) at 3 p.m., while No. 6 seed Hugoton (11-22) meets Haven at 4 p.m. In Class 3A at Holcomb, Cimarron (15-18) is seeded sixth and opens against No. 3 seed Ellinwood. Class 3A and 4A state events are Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Salina Bicentennial Center.
The Sublette Lady Larks (30-8), crowned Hi-Plains League tournament champs, will be the No. 1 seed at the Class 2A Stanton County sub-state in Johnson. Stanton County is the No. 3 seed with an 18-15 record and faces off against HPL foe Syracuse (5-25) at 3 p.m. Wichita County (9-23) is seeded fifth and plays Spearville at 3 p.m.
Class 1A has already gone through its regionals on Tuesday with teams advancing to sites where there are two separate, four-team sub-states. Each group winner advances to the state tournament at Fort Hays State University in Hays. South Gray (34-4) is the No. 4 seed at its own sub-state site and opens against Quivira Heights (34-6) at 5 p.m. At the Ransom/Western Plains sub-state, Dighton (27-1) faces top-seeded Weskan (41-0) in one group. The Class 2A state is also scheduled for Fort Hays State University.
Garden City's boys soccer team received the No. 4 seed in the Class 6A South Central Regional 3 and will play Tuesday against Goddard. The game will be played at Memorial Stadium and is set for a 6 p.m. start. If they win, their next contest would be Thursday against either Wichita Southeast or Wichita Heights.
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