WRITER: David Rodish

Lawrence sends 5 wrestlers to state, Free State sends 4 in regional girls wrestling tournaments

OVERLAND PARK — Lawrence girls wrestling is set to send five wrestlers and Free State will send four to the 6A state tournament in two weeks following regional tournaments on Saturday. Lawrence competed in the 6A East in a tournament at Shawnee Mission South, while the Firebirds wrestled at Wichita South for the 6A West tournament. The Lions scored 53.0 team points, which put them 13th out of 18 teams. Free ...

Lawrence boys, girls basketball lose close road games to Olathe Northwest

OLATHE — The Lawrence boys and girls basketball teams lost two close games on the road against Olathe Northwest on Friday, with the girls losing 56-50 and the boys losing 53-51. Both Lawrence teams were coming off substantial losses from Tuesday’s road games against Shawnee Mission South, and both teams put themselves in positions to win but ultimately fell short. In the girls game, the Lions and the ...

Free State wrestler Berg ready to continue strong freshman campaign with first regional tournament

Jessica Berg paces the length of the wrestling mat as she prepares for her next bout. The key to her game is aggression: As a freshman, she has to beat older wrestlers by controlling the match. To get into that mind frame, Berg cues up music while she stares down her opponent. First up on her playlist: "Let It Go" from Disney’s "Frozen." “I listen to it every tournament,” Berg said. “It helps clear my ...

Lawrence boys, girls basketball teams lose on the road to Shawnee Mission South

OVERLAND PARK — Lawrence’s boys and girls basketball teams faced a pair of state championship favorites on Tuesday, with Shawnee Mission South defending its home court with two commanding wins over the Lions. The Raiders won the girls basketball game 82-42 and won the boys game 80-51. For the girls basketball game, the Lions had a tough challenge facing the top 6A East team in the state, but the Lions ...

Preps Notebook: Free State tennis state champion Ward earns recognition

Free State freshman Eli Ward was as about as dominant as possible during the 2025 girls tennis season. Ward won every set this season with a 24-0 record, winning the Sunflower League singles, regional singles and state singles brackets. She dominated every game, never allowing more than four points. For her season, the Women’s Intersport Network for Kansas City recognized Ward at an event on Wednesday that ...

Free State takes seventh, Lawrence 13th in Sunflower League boys wrestling tournament

Free State and Lawrence’s boys wrestling teams competed in the Sunflower League tournament on Saturday, with the Firebirds placing seventh and the Lions 13th. Free State started with a first-round dual win over Olathe East, 54-29. The Firebirds won nine matches in the dual, three of which were open wins. Damian Quick won the 120-pound match with a pin, as did Emmett Williams in the 126-pound bout. Free State ...