Benton Smith / LJWorld.com

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Benton Smith

Benton Smith is a sports writer for the Journal-World.

Recent stories

Firebirds girls win regional track title; city athletes qualify for state: By Benton Smith; May 18, 2013; For some high school track and field athletes, earning a trip to state with a top-four regional finish is nothing new. The state veterans from Free State and Lawrence knew nothing would be guaranteed Friday at a Class 6A regional at LHS, and showed no lack of satisfaction upon getting back to the ultimate meet next weekend in Wichita. Still, the Firebirds and Lions who became first-time state qualifiers made it clear the bliss of that moment is unique. By Benton Smith
Offseason pairing leads to success for FSHS runners: By Benton Smith; May 17, 2013; Free State High juniors Bailey Sullivan and Molly McCord have been running together year-round since they were freshmen, and the pair say that close bond has translated into success on the track. By Benton Smith
Young LHS relay teams emerging as state contenders: By Benton Smith; May 17, 2013; The Lawrence High girls 4x800 and 4x400 relay teams have emerged as a force to be reckoned with this season, despite the relative inexperience of the Lions’ runners. By Benton Smith
FSHS soccer falters after half, loses regional final to Washburn Rural: By Benton Smith; May 16, 2013; Long after the final horn sounded, and even longer since Washburn Rural High’s girls soccer team took control in the second half to win a Class 6A regional championship, 4-1, Free State’s players embraced near midfield and wept, refusing to accept the finality of their season. By Benton Smith
LHS softball falls in semi: By Benton Smith; May 16, 2013; Lawrence High’s softball players couldn’t fault their bats Wednesday after a 10-6, season-ending loss to Olathe Northwest in a Class 6A regional semifinal. By Benton Smith
Free State softball rolls into state: By Benton Smith; May 16, 2013; Free State beat Olathe Northwest, 4-0, to earn its first trip to state since 2007. By Benton Smith
FSHS softball wary of regional foe; Lions finally healthy: By Benton Smith; May 15, 2013; As the regional playoff host with the gaudy regular-season record, it might be easy to assume Free State High’s 17-3 softball team is the heavy favorite to win two games today at home and move on to the Class 6A state tournament. By Benton Smith
City baseball teams battle-tested entering regional play: By Benton Smith; May 15, 2013; Coaches like to talk about the importance of using the regular season to set their teams up for the best possible postseason scenario. No baseball team took advantage of that formula better than Free State High (17-3), which plays host to a four-team Class 6A regional today. By Benton Smith
Chemistry key for FSHS soccer in regional-opening victory over ONW: By Benton Smith; May 15, 2013; Free State girls soccer coach Kelly Barah trusts his team to improvise on scoring opportunities. That trust paid off Tuesday night in the Firebirds’ Class 6A regional opener as Chelsea Casady connected with Maddie Dieker for the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Olathe Northwest. By Benton Smith
Next stop: state — FSHS first, LHS third at golf regional: By Benton Smith; May 13, 2013; Wilson Hack (78), Alex Green (80), Matt Siler (81) and Max Soto (82) all finished as top-10 medalists, and Free State won its Class 6A golf regional title with a team score of 321 — beating out Olathe East (328) and rival Lawrence High (339), which also advanced their teams to state by finishing in the top three. By Benton Smith

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Recent photos

Lawrence High's Grace Morgan

Fred Wyatt, left, and Joe Dineen

Joe Dineen

Former Kansas City Royals second baseman Frank White speaks with Brian Hakan, Overland Park, Monday morning prior to the start of the Rawlings Negro League Gold Glove Celebrity Golf Classic, at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta. White is the first base coach for the Kansas City T-Bones.

Former Kansas City Royals outfielder Willie Wilson tries to talk a practice putt into dropping Monday morning, prior to the start of the Rawlings Negro League Gold Glove Celebrity Golf Classic at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta.

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