On as a late substitute, forward Kate Del Fava sprinted toward the Houston goal as the Current tried to tie the match in the closing minutes. The Current lost the home opener 2-0 to the Houston Dash. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The Kansas City Current looked like it had the better of the Houston Dash in the Sunday home opener at Children’s Mercy Park, but the 2-0 final score told a different story.
The home side conceded the first goal shortly before halftime on a controversial penalty awarded to the Dash when Elizabeth Ball defended a run from Houston forward Michaela Abam. Ball checked Abam’s momentum toward goal and made contact but didn’t appear to foul her.
Though the in-stadium replays drew loud boos from the fans, NWSL does not have video review, and the call stood. Forward Rachel Daly stroked the penalty kick confidently into the net for the 1-0 lead.
Kansas City goalkeeper A.D. Franch kept the visitors from extending their lead with a diving stop four minutes into first half stoppage.
Houston midfielder Bri Visalli, a late game substitute, scored the second goal late well after the 90th minute as Kansas City pressed high up on the field in search of an equalizer.
Despite the one-sided score line, the Current generated plenty of offense to keep the home crowd engaged in the match, outshooting the Dash 15 to 9.
Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell was put to the test in the second half, collecting five saves overall in the match. In the 73rd minute, a Kristen Hamilton shot from the right side forced a kick save from Campbell.
Again in the 78th minute, after a flurry of activity in front of the Houston goal, Hailie Mace blasted a shot up the middle that Campbell had to dive to keep out of the net.
Winless in its first two regular season matches, the Current now faces a stretch of three games on the road at Orlando, Angel City, and the OL Reign, before taking on Louisville in its next home match on May 30.
Many moms and kids celebrated Mother’s Day at Children’s Mercy Park. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Houston goalkeeper leaped to snatch the ball on a Kansas City corner kick. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta headed a shot on the Houston goal. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Forward Kristen Hamilton made a run toward the Houston goal. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Defender Hailie Mace overlapped on a play to take a shot. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Midfielder Victoria Pickett slid to keep possession and cross the ball in front of the Houston goal. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Defender Elizabeth Ball played a cross from the right side. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Forward Kristen Hamilton and Houston defender Katie Naughton were both determined to get possession. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Houston defender Haley Hanson took down midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta on a first half run on the Houston goal. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Piper senior Kaiti Lindstrom won the girls’ pole vault at the Shawnee Mission North Relays with a height of 11-feet, 6-inches. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The 70th Shawnee Mission North Relays were held Friday afternoon, featuring elite high school track competition from the Kansas City area and around northeast Kansas.
Athletes from several Wyandotte County high schools qualified for the competitive meet, including Piper, Harmon, Wyandotte, Washington, Sumner Academy, Bishop Ward and Turner high schools.
The Piper Pirates figured heavily in the competition, winning two events and placing second in two others. The Piper boys placed fourth in the team competition, and the girls placed 12th.
Piper’s Kaiti Lindstrom won the girls’ pole vault with a vault of 11-feet, 6-inches, beating out Reece Baker, her 5A rival from Lansing. Lindstrom narrowly missed a follow-up attempt at 12 feet.
The Piper boys’ 4×100-meter relay team, the fastest in the state this season, also took first place at the meet. The team beat its own school record with a time of 41.87 seconds, less than a tenth off the meet record set by Schlagle in 1993.
Piper softball star Kylie Brockman placed second in the girls’ javelin throw and beat her own school record with a distance of 124-feet, 9-inches.
Grant Lockwood placed second and bettered his previous Piper school record time in the boys’ 800-meter dash at 1-minute, 54.04-seconds.
Wyandotte’s Jaquelyn Perez-Vela brought home some meet points for the Bulldogs by placing seventh in the girls’ 400-meter dash with a time of 59.86 seconds. She also placed 11th overall in the girls’ 100-meter dash.
A’luel Miller of Harmon and Mikayla Henry of Washington tied for ninth in the girls’ long jump with identical marks of 16-feet, 4 1/2-inches.
Seven meet records were broken at this year’s event, and a new Kansas record was set in the boys’ 400-meter run by William Jones of Blue Valley High School. Jones’s time of 46.29 seconds was also the second-best in the country this season.
The North Relays cap the regular season for most teams. League meets start this week, then regionals the following week. The state meet in Wichita will take place May 27 and 28.
Piper’s boys’ 4×100-meter relay team (Dominique Herrig-Brittian, Grant Lockwood, LaMar Lynch, and Divante Herrig-Brittian) won the event and set a school record with a time of 41.87 seconds. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Piper sophomore Kylie Brockman placed second in the girls’ javelin throw with a distance of 124-feet, 9-inches. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Wyandotte’s Cyan Walker, left, and Jaquelyn Perez-Vela posed together after competing in the girls’ 400-meter dash. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Piper sophomore Jayden Henry ran in the boys’ 110-meter hurdles. Henry placed fourth in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Divante Herrig-Brittian, left, crossed the finish line narrowly ahead of teammate LaMar Lynch in the preliminary heat of the boys’ 200-meter dash. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Bishop Ward senior K.J. Smith ran in the boys’ 100-meter dash. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Harmon senior Ndoma Gazadikwe ran in the boys’ 400-meter dash, finishing with a time of 52.49 seconds. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Washington senior Mikayla Henry placed ninth in the girls’ long jump with a distance of 16-feet, 4 1/2-inches. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Piper junior Ryann Clark ran in the girls’ 400-meter dash. Clark finished with the 11th best time, 1:01.12. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Turner senior David Taylor accelerated into the first turn of the boys’ 400-meter dash. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Piper junior TyJanae Hooks threw in the girls’ shot put. Hooks took eighth place with a distance of 35-feet, 9.75-inches. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Harmon junior A’luel Miller ran in the girls’ 400-meter dash. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)Harmon freshman Kamahni Jackson chatted with Washington’s Tamea Heard and Kyinn Lawrence at the finish line of the girls’ 300-meter hurdles. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Runners crossed Leavenworth Road and headed into the Washington High School stadium near the end of the Are You Faster than a Fifth Grader two-mile run on Friday. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The Kansas City, Kansas, school district’s annual Are You Faster than a 5th Grader race took place Friday morning.
“Everybody does their best to whoop our superintendent,” is how the event was described by Tom Lawlor, music teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary.
Four hundred fifth-graders took superintendent Anna Stubblefield’s challenge to run or walk two miles from Kansas City Kansas Community College to Washington High School, and 201 beat the superintendent to the finish line on the Washington track.
Two of Lawlor’s students, Ximena and Angie, were among the top 15 girls’ finishers. After the race, they talked about how much training they had to do to get ready.
“We had to stretch and practice a lot,” Ximena said. “Two times a week and then this week we practiced four days a week.”
Many participants were new to running, but found they enjoyed it.
“This is my first race,” Angie said, “I guess I’m going to take track now.”
Fifth-graders from Eugene Ware Elementary posed together after the race with teacher Tom Lawlor. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Superintendent Anna Stubblefield got congratulations as she crossed the finish line. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Runners crossed the finish line on the Washington High School track. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Runners crossed the finish line on the Washington High School track. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Students and teachers made the two-mile run together. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Runners crossed the finish line on the Washington High School track. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Music played and students danced in the stands after the race. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Racers packed the stands at Washington High School after the race. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Superintendent Anna Stubblefield posed together with the top boys’ finishers. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Superintendent Anna Stubblefield posed together with the top girls’ finishers. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
