The Free State and Lawrence girls basketball programs are heading into the 2026-27 season with young rosters once again, but both teams are taking advantage of the summer to grow together. Lawrence girls basketball succeeded last season in large part due to the team’s passing and ball movement. To start this summer, the team went back to the basics as they shook off the rust from not having played together ...
Jayme Savage has been around Free State since she was 13 and has spent 18 years with the school’s volleyball program, first as an assistant for nine years and the last seven as head coach. But with Savage taking over Free State’s open assistant principal position, Savage is stepping away from leading the program she’s been involved with for nearly two decades. “There's never a good time to have those ...
When Maddon Brittingham is on the football field, he’s running through someone. It doesn’t matter if the Free State senior is at wide receiver, safety or running back — the latter being the position he’s found a home in — he’s a physical player who likes to punish defenses over and over until they can stop him. “I've never been a super flashy guy, so just being able to have the ball in my hand ...
Finn Moore’s up and working out at 6:45 a.m. with the Free State football team, and later in the day, he’s at baseball practice with his club team. When he’s not lifting or practicing, he’s often at baseball tournaments. It’s a busy summer for Moore, who is gearing up for one final year at Free State, but it’s all worth it. Moore wants to win with his longtime teammates before their time together ...
Ten local athletes will compete on a national stage this weekend in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota. The Douglas County Special Olympics program has over 103 athletes, and sending 10 athletes to the USA Games is a strong number for the Douglas County program. “I don't know if it's uncommon for the state of Kansas, but it's certainly uncommon for our county,” said Jacqui Folks, the program ...
Lawrence and Free State boys basketball teams have been hard at work over the summer in regional basketball tournaments as they lay the groundwork for the upcoming basketball season. Both the Firebirds and Lions have spent the last two weekends competing against high school teams at Pittsburg State and in Columbia, Mo. Both teams took advantage of the opportunity to compete and grow together. “I thought the ...