Piper’s Devon Marshall crossed the finish in the boys 4 x 100-meter dash preliminaries. The team took second place in the Sunflower Showdown, a race among the top Kansas high school teams in the meet. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The 92nd Kansas Relays held Wednesday through Saturday at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas, attracted some Wyandotte County athletes.
The Relays draws high school and college athletes from across the Midwest.
Participation is highly selective, and athletes have to obtain a qualifying mark in their event to enter.
Top 10 finishers included:
Piper High School, 2nd place, boys 4 x 100-meter Sunflower Showdown, 43.56 seconds
Schlagle’s runners passed the baton in the boys 4 x 100-meter relay at the Shawnee Mission West Invitational Meet in Lenexa. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
Schlagle, Harmon and Turner high schools participated Friday in the Shawnee Mission West Invitational track meet in Lenexa, competing against several other local high schools.
Kendall Brewer, Schlagle, 3rd, boys 100-meter dash
Kendall Brewer, Schlagle, 4th, boys 200-meter dash
Nancy Landford, Harmon, 5th, girls discus
Marcus Wilbert, Harmon, 5th, boys 400-meter dash
Reneaux Jackson, Turner, 3rd, boys javelin
Harmon’s Gerald Miles attempted to clear the bar in the boys high jump. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Mareyion Holmes of Turner sprinted out of the blocks in the boys 200-meter dash. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Schlagle’s Aleah Netherland landed her jump in the girls long jump. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Tynica Gilmore of Schlagle took off in the girls triple jump. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Turner’s Cyra Chronister raced in the girls 800-meter run. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Schlagle’s Cory Macon and Harmon’s Gerald Miles crossed the finish line in the boys 100-meter dash. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Datsima Perea of Harmon raced in the girls 200-meter dash. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)
Piper senior Brandan Jackson held the state championship trophy high. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The Piper High School boys basketball team won the 4A KSHSAA state championship, defeating Augusta 86-53 in the tournament final in Salina on Saturday evening. It’s the first basketball championship in Piper school history.
Piper controlled the game from early on, outscoring the Orioles 20 to 12 in the opening quarter. The Pirates used their length to bother the Augusta shooters, and they used their speed to get to the basket and to misdirect the Oriole defense.
Piper senior Trey Bates controlled the offense, and his quick first step caused problems on the perimeter. He was repeatedly able to get space from his defender with a decoy move, then used the space for a step-back jumper or to find a teammate streaking to the basket. Piper got 46 points in the paint because of the quick movement out front, and active cutters to the lane along the baseline.
With a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter, Piper piled on, leaving no chance for a comeback. They continued to look for high-percentage shots, hitting 68 percent of their second-half chances.
Trey Bates led the scoring with 21 in his last game in a Piper uniform. Tamar Bates was right behind with 20 points, and Friday night’s hero Ty Shelley poured in 15, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
The state championship caps a 20-4 season, in which the Pirates also captured their first Frontier League title.
The Piper boys basketball team posed together after winning the 4A state championship. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Piper senior Trey Bates (1) wiped away tears as he left the court for the final time as a Pirate. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)The Piper cheerleaders reacted to the championship win. The Piper cheerleading team also won a state championship this year. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Piper senior Braijion Barnes (4) went sky-high for a basket in the second half. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Piper brought along a large and noisy contingent of fans to the Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Piper sophomore Tamar Bates (2) went up for a shot in the lane. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Brandan Jackson shot a runner in the lane. Jackson finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Trey Bates made a move off the dribble to get past Augusta defender Blake Altenhofen (4). (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Piper coach Toure Grimes addressed the team during a timeout in the second half. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Piper junior Gabe Eskina (24) drove in along the left baseline. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Tamar Bates drove in from the left side. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Trey Bates pulled down an offensive rebound in the second half. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Gabe Eskina had a shot blocked by Augusta’s Ely Wilcox (25). (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Braijion Barnes came down with a dunk. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Trey Bates released a 3-point shot from the right elbow. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Braijion Barnes went up with a runner in the lane. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Braijion Barnes lined up a 3-point shot from the left corner. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Trey Bates drove to the basket. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)
