Every day, Free State seniors Taryn Jones and Annie Pilakowski think about the girls tennis state meet. Jones and Pilakowski are longtime friends and teammates on Free State’s girls tennis team, but this is their first time working together on the No. 1 doubles team as Pilakowski makes the switch from singles to doubles. With a 6-0 start to the tennis season, the duo is confident. “We think about (making ...
Free State and Lawrence competed in their first home quad of the girls tennis season against Shawnee Mission South and Olathe South at Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Tuesday, with the Firebirds going 11-1 and the Lions going 0-12. The Firebirds and Lions faced each other for the first round, and the Firebirds won all four matches. Eli Ward defeated Lucy Miller-Coleman 8-0 at No. 1 singles, and Cami Lee beat Emma ...
Tyson Heck spent the last few years as an assistant coach for Free State soccer, working with junior varsity teams. So when the head coaching position opened up, it was the opportunity he was looking for. “Stepping into this was kind of my long-term goal,” Heck said. “A lot of things are new, but the level of competition in my heart is always the same.” Heck was a part of Perry-Lecompton High ...
Olathe — A few crucial mistakes proved too costly in Lawrence football’s season opener to Olathe West, as the Lions (0-1) lost 35-31 on the road. Despite the loss, coach Jason Thoren was pleased with how the team battled. It was a tough, physical contest, and the Lions played the way he hoped they would. “I thought they competed hard for 48 minutes, so I was very happy with that,” Thoren said. ...
After months of offseason preparation, the Lawrence football team is ready for week 1. The Lions will start their season on the road against Olathe West, a team that went 3-6 in 2024 in its second season under coach Jon Wiemers. That season featured youth on the Owls that the team will bring back. “It’s hard to tell (what teams will look like) with the first opponent, but they brought a few guys back,” ...
Free State boys soccer (1-1-1) lost 3-2 in heartbreaking fashion to Shawnee Heights at home on Thursday when the Thunderbirds scored a goal with one second on the clock. “That feeling (of losing) is not a different feeling ever,” Free State coach Tyson Heck said. “It’s good to get that feeling now this early in the season. There’s a lot of games left, a lot of time on the field.” The Firebirds had ...