WRITER: David Rodish

Wood steps down as Lawrence boys basketball coach, takes over as school's athletic director

Lawrence boys basketball coach Nick Wood is stepping down from the position to take over as the school’s athletic director and assistant principal, starting July 1. “Lawrence High School and this community has provided me with so much, and I feel as if it's important to do my absolute best to give back to it and help provide these kids with experiences that I had growing up,” Wood said. This isn’t the ...

Senior Spotlight: Lawrence girls basketball center Nauholz looks to lead team to a deep playoff run

The Lawrence girls basketball team overperformed expectations in the 2025-26 season as the young roster managed to host and win a substate game. A key to that success last year was junior center Cami Nauholz, who was one of the top point scorers in the Sunflower League and led the league in both rebounds and blocks. Now that she’s a senior, Nauholz is ready to lead the team further to the state tournament for ...

Lawrence center Nauholz commits to NDSU

Over the last year, Cami Nauholz’s recruitment took off. Colleges from Division II and Division I started to reach out last summer, thanks to her summer work with club team Della Lamb and her sophomore year at Lawrence High. The interest and offers only grew after she averaged over 20 points per game and led the Sunflower League in blocks and rebounds this last season. But pretty quickly, North Dakota State ...

Free State baseball coach Mike Hill announces retirement

As long as there’s been a Free State baseball team, Mike Hill has been the one leading it. Since the school opened in 1997, Hill has been the baseball coach, and through 29 years with Free State, Hill led the Firebirds to three state titles, four second-place finishes, 10 Sunflower League titles and over 450 wins. But next year, the Firebirds will have their first season without Hill after he announced his ...

Baldwin girls take third in 4A state track meet; local schools finished with 7 state champions combined

The track and field season concluded at Wichita State University on Saturday for all area schools, and that included several teams placing in the top five as local athletes finished their seasons as state champions. 6A Free State’s girls team scored 44 points and tied for fifth with Manhattan among 6A schools. The Firebird boys scored seven points, which put them tied for 24th. The Free State boys ...