Month: May 2015

KCKCC coach believes Jayhawk softball belongs in fall

KCKCC softball coach Kacy Tillery (KCKCC photo)
KCKCC softball coach Kacy Tillery (KCKCC photo)

Cold, wet springs lead to numerous postponements, cancellations and injuries

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

If Kansas City Kansas Community College softball coach Kacy Tillery had her “druthers,” she’d play the Jayhawk Conference softball season in the fall instead of the spring.

“We lost 28 games – 14 doubleheaders – to bad weather this spring and it’s been about the same the last four or five years,” Tillery said. “By the time we’re playing our first games, they are against teams that have already played as many as 20.

“A fall season just makes more sense. The weather is warmer in November than it is in February and March when we’re trying to get started. We could start in September and play all the way up to December. It would also cut down on injuries. Trying to play in the cold and sometimes rain is a sure way to get someone injured.”

Injuries took their toll this spring when the Blue Devils finished 17-24.

“Losing shortstop Mekayla Guerreo midway through the season with a fractured bone in her leg caused by a collision was a real big loss to both our offense and defense,” Tillery said. Second baseman Bailey Letts also missed games while pitcher Elizabeth Seimears had to take a redshirt season because of elbow soreness.

Graduation will strip the Blue Devils of their five leading hitters this season along with pitching ace Leslie Ford, who finished with an 11-11 record and a 4.05 ERA. Ford completed 20 of her 21 starts, striking out an average of 7.2 hitters per game while walking 2.6. Signed to play this fall at Indiana Purdue at Calumet, she also recorded 99 strikeouts in 138 innings.

Two of the departees, second baseman Bailey Letts and centerfielder Justice Scales, both were first team All-Region and second team All-Jayhawk selections. A Shawnee Mission Northwest graduate who transferred from Pittsburg State, Betts led the Blue Devils in hitting with a torrid .496 average. Signed to play at Austin-Peay State University in Tennessee this fall, she also led in extra base hits with 28 while driving in 30 runs.

A repeat All-Region and All-Jayhawk selection from Shawnee Mission South, Scales finished second in hitting (.414) and RBI (29) and led in stolen bases with 12. A two-year starter at first base from Blue Valley Southwest, Laura Vanderheiden batted .400. A Turner graduate, McKay finished fourth in hitting at .385 with Ford fifth at .341.

Savannah Dungen, a catcher from Piper who earned All-Jayhawk honorable mention, and Guerrero head the list of returnees. Dungan hit .333 with 17 RBI while Guerrero hit .324 with 11 RBI in half a season. Other starters who will return include leftfielder Morgan Oroke of Tonganoxie, who hit .319 with 24 RBI; leftfielder Makayla Foskett of Leavenworth, who also hit .419; designated hitter Reagan Clough of Galena, who hit .294; and all-purpose Tiffany Killam of Brandon, Wisc., who hit .282.

Killam, who led the Blue Devils in home runs with five and RBI with 41, is expected to team with Seimears at the top of the pitching staff next season. In addition to Ford, the mound staff may lose Megan Mason of Belton for the year due to Tommy John surgery. Mason was 6-11 with a 4.89 ERA this past season.

Alan Hoskins is the sports information director of KCKCC.

Wyandotte Art Association to celebrate 50th anniversary with exhibit Saturday at Alcott Arts Center

Area artists and musicians are pitching in this weekend to help the Alcott Arts Center.

The Wyandotte Art Association will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, May 9, with an art exhibit at the Alcott Arts Center, 180 S. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan. The building is not yet handicapped-accessible.

Ten local artists from the Wyandotte Art Association will be on hand with their artwork, said Chris Green, executive director of the Alcott Center.

This free art exhibit will start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. It is open to the public.

There will be a silent auction in conjunction with this event, with all proceeds going to Alcott Center. There will be some refreshments at the event.

The same evening, a music fundraiser will be taking place starting at 7:30 p.m. at the theater at the Alcott Center, she said.

Gary Barber, soloist, and Debbie Goddard, accompanist, will present “An Evening of Songs,” Green said. They will perform selections in Italian, German, from Broadway and 1930s pop.

Admission to the musical concert in the theater will be $10 per person. All of the money raised will be donated to the Alcott, Green said.

“They approached us about doing a fundraiser for us,” Green said. “They believe in what we’re doing, and this is their way to help.”

“Gary has a beautiful bass voice,” she said. “It sounds wonderful. He did the Cats show up here a few years ago. He did wonderful with it.”

Green expressed appreciation and said the Alcott is always in need of funds to keep the doors open.

For more information, visit http://www.alcottartscenter.org/.

Color your plate with veggies

by India Luetkemeyer

Nothing shouts May like firing up the grill and spending time with family cooking, eating, and playing outside.

With the array of colorful, nutritious vegetables available to add to your barbecue feasts, it seems easy to make these a family favorite.

However, getting your children to eat them is often easier said than done. Whether an outdoor picnic or quiet family dinner inside, here are some tips to help color your child’s plate with veggies.

Make veggies fun: Give vegetables names. It’s more exciting to eat a “dinosaur tree” than broccoli.

Get kids cooking: Kids are more likely to eat meals they help create. Let them pick out produce at the grocery store or toss the salad.

Disguise the greens: If all else fails, try hiding them in meals. Blend spinach in fruit smoothies, or add zucchini to muffins and soups. Kids will never even know they have eaten a vegetable.

India Luetkemeyer, a dietetic intern and Masters of Dietetics and Nutrition student at KU Medical Center, is a guest columnist for Kansas State Research and Extension, Wyandotte County. For more recipes visit www.kidsacooking.org. Like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KSREWyco and follow us on Twitter @WyCoSnapEd.

Veggie-bobs
Makes 6 kabobs

Vegetables:
1 zucchini
1 bell pepper
1 onion
1 package (8 oz) mushrooms

Marinade:
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Soak skewers in warm water for 10-30 minutes.
Chop vegetables into 2-inch pieces.
In a small bowl, mix marinade ingredients together.
Combine marinade with the vegetables in a large ziploc bag and let sit for 30 minutes.
Place marinated vegetables onto skewers and place onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until tender.

Nutritional information for each serving: 22 calories, <1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 5g carbohydrates, 1.5g fiber, 3g sugars, 1.5mg sodium, 1.0g protein, 7% Vitamin A, 6% Vitamin C, 1% calcium, 1.5% iron.