Category: Sports

by Alan Hoskins

Earning a first-time ever berth in the national volleyball tournament is great but doing it a second time is even better.

“It is absolutely. To do it in front of our home crowd with all the emotion of fighting back from losing the first set, I couldn’t be happier,” said an elated Kansas City Kansas Community College coach Mary Bruno after her Blue Devils had rallied for a 3-1 win over Fort Scott in front of a couple hundred home fans Saturday.

The win in the District N championship game sends the Lady Blue Devils to the NJCAA Division II national tournament in Phoenix, Ariz., Nov. 27-29. It’s the second trip to the national tournament for Bruno, who led KCKCC to its first ever national tourney berth two years ago in just her second year as head coach.

If the Blue Devils needed a wakeup call, they got it in a hurry as Fort Scott jumped in front 18-13 in the first set. KCKCC got back to 18-18 on three kills by Jasel Gonzalez but then fell back 21-18 in a subsequent 25-23 setback.

“It’s funny; that was the exact score Fort Scott beat us the first time and we won the next three so we knew we could come back,” said co-captain Blair Russell.

“We just wanted to set it up to come from behind to keep it exciting for the crowd,” laughed Lily Thornberg, also a co-captain. “Seriously, we knew they would come out fired up and we need to keep cool.”

And stay cool they did. After pulling even with a 25-19 win in the second set, the Blue Devils jumped in front 9-2 in a 25-15 win in the third set and led 9-3 in the fourth on the way to a 25-19 clinching win that set off a jubilant dog pile on the court and hugs and smiles everywhere.

“I am so proud of these girls; they’ve worked so hard and deserve it so much,” Bruno said. “We had to play without our No. 1 middle blocker (injured Kailee Dudley) but everyone stepped up and played well. Allyssa Lutgen, a freshman, did a great job filling it at middle blocker. We came out a little lethargic but then everyone stepped up. It was so sweet.”

Sidelined with a sprained ankle, Dudley is expected to be back to close strength for the national tournament. “I’ll be ready,” vowed Dudley.

To reach Saturday’s title game, the Blue Devils polished off Labette 25-17, 25-254, 25-18 while Fort Scott eliminated Hesston 25-13, 25-14, 25-15.
Alan Hoskins is the sports information director at KCKCC.

by Alan Hoskins

For 42 years, the name of Duane Shaw has been synonymous not only with Kansas City Kansas Community College but athletics in and around the state of Kansas.

The director of athletics for 12 years and a high school and amateur sports official for more than 40 years, Shaw is the newest inductee into the KCKCC Athletic Hall of Fame and will be inducted along with the late Keith Lindsey prior to the final game of the 2014 Keith Lindsey Basketball Classic Saturday, Nov. 15, at about 6 p.m.

A 1956 graduate of Pomona Rural High School where he starred in basketball, football and baseball, Shaw was a member of Kansas State’s nationally ranked basketball squad as a freshman on his way to earning both BS and Masters degrees. He began his career in education at Central Junior High School where from 1961-72, he taught health, physical education and driver’s education. In 1969, the received the Jaycees’ Outstanding Young Educator Award.

Shaw joined KCKCC as Director of Student Activities in 1972 when the college moved from downtown KCK to its present location. During 15 years in the position, he started the college’s first Academic Challenge team and Teacher-Staff Appreciation Day; initiated KCKCC’s outstanding program of trips to foreign countries; and conducted countless new student orientation programs, blood drives, student activities workshops and political forums. The sponsor for Student Senate and Phi Theta Kappa, he twice received the KCKCC Outstanding Staff Service Award along with a Career Education Award in 1978 and the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished Service Award in 1988.

But it was in athletics that Shaw was best known. The Director of Athletics from 1987-1999, he took KCKCC athletic programs to new levels by increasing the number of coaches, athletes and scholarships; improving physical facilities; developing a training room; and increasing the budget resulting in a marked increase in grade point averages and graduate rates of the athletes. Shaw was also heavily involved with the Jayhawk Athletic Conference where he served on countless conference and Region VI committees. In 1991, he was selected to “Who’s Who in American Education.”

At the same time, Shaw was widely recognized throughout the Midwest as one of the premier basketball officials and baseball and softball umpires. During a 30-year career, Shaw worked more than 1,100 high school and college basketball games including eight state championship games. An officer in the Northeast Kansas Officials Association and the Kansas College Officials Association, he also conducted numerous officiating clinics.

For 40 years, he umpired baseball at every possible level, from Pee Wee and Little League all the way through Ban Johnson and the college level including one stint in the major leagues during the strike season. A photo of Shaw calling a strike on Royals’ Hall of Famer George Brett still looms large in the Shaw household.

He umpired 22 state high school champions and numerous Big Eight, NCAA Regionals and NAIA Nationals and was one of three umpires selected for the filming of “Baseball Rules Update” which was used nationally by umpires associations. Three times, in 1992, 1993 and 1995, he was chosen National Federation Umpire of the Year for Kansas.

His career as a softball umpire lasted even longer, 41 years, and included hundreds of local, state and regional tournament and five Amateur Softball Association national tournaments. Often honored, he received the KC Umpires Assn. Distinguished Award in 1969 and was named Kansas City’s ASA Umpire of the Year in 1970 and Kansas’ Outstanding Softball Umpire in 1986.

While he officially retired from KCKCC July 1, 1999, Shaw has never been one to sit around and rest on his laurels. He still works mornings at the College making deliveries throughout the campus – when he’s not competing in his current passion, the Senior Olympic Games where he’s enjoying an All World career.

You may have to read this twice to get the full effect but – in 15 years (2000-2014) Shaw has competed in 155 Senior Games at 30 different locations in 12 states in bowling, track, table tennis, shuffleboard, electronic darts and sports skills in soccer, football, softball and basketball, a total of 1,333 events. Of those events, he has won a staggering 565 gold medals, 352 silvers and 200 bronze.

His greatest success has come in basketball where he’s won six gold medals at the World Games in St. George, Utah. He’s also won two third place trophies at the International Shootout and at the age of 76, is currently ranked 10th in the nation for shooters 50 and over by the National Basketball Shooters Association.

This year alone, he’s won state championships in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Nevada and Missouri and senior tournaments in St. Louis, Perryville and Springfield, Mo., and Salina, Kan. His score in winning the Gold in Hot Shot Shooting at the World Games was the second highest of 95 shooters.

His success, however, does not just happen. In 2014, Shaw made 97 percent of more than 55,000 free throws in practice and 96 percent in competition. He also shot 76 percent in three-point shooting where he’s won six gold medals and a silver.

For many years, Shaw’s wife, Ola, also competed and was a frequent winner in the Senior Games, particularly in bowling and basketball. Married 51 years, they have two sons, Howard and Danny. A nationally known physician, Howard was inducted into the Mid-America Education Hall of Fame in 2013.

Alan Hoskins is the sports information director for KCKCC.