For the Olathe North football players, the season came to an abrupt end, as if they were riding on a bus, cruising along, and the driver suddenly slammed on the brakes.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way: That’s the sentiment surrounding the Olathe East football program at the moment.

First-year coach Jeff Gourley inherited a program fresh off an appearance in the Class 6A championship game, but Olathe South didn’t play nearly as deep into the season in 2008.

Behind Olathe Northwest’s 1-8 season lies the promise of a roster full of athletic juniors who got valuable starting experience this season.

The MidAmerica Nazarene University men's basketball team turned in its best defensive performance of the year Thursday, holding Park University to 31 percent shooting in a 75-53 victory. Danny Hawkins led the Pioneers with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Brenton Bell added 16 points, Cal Kiburz had 13 and Ben Swinger had 11. Updated: Nov. 20, 2008 10:25 PM |Full Story

There was something important lost amid the hoopla of recent events like the playoff football game between Olathe North and Olathe East and the state soccer championship between East and Olathe South.

Ah, the power of sticktoitiveness, which Marissa Stom knows well.

All of the heavy lifting had been done in MidAmerica Nazarene University’s overtime win against Baker University a week earlier. The Heart of America Athletic Conference championship and subsequent NAIA national tournament bid were locked up.

MidAmerica Nazarene University's women's basketball team crept back above .500 Saturday in the finale of the MNU Tipoff Classic thanks in large part to senior JoNel Henning.

Pioneers finish regular season unbeaten

MidAmerica Nazarene University capped a perfect regular season Saturday with a 59-22 demolishing of Culver-Stockton College at Poulton Stadium in Canton, Mo.

Strong winds, cold temperatures and fourth-quarter precipitation didn’t help Olathe North’s cause Friday during the Class 6A state quarterfinals at the Olathe District Activity Center, but it was the Eagles’ inability to solve Free State’s defense that ultimately spelled doomed.

This year’s Olathe North football team was loaded with juniors, including key offensive linemen like Zach Maggard, Lucas Vincent, Jake Carroll and Oliver Venegas.

Olathe East senior Libby Marden went to school Thursday thinking it was just a normal day, so she was surprised when she was called to the gymnasium about 10:40 that morning.

In elementary school, they were teammates.

Eight Olathe Northwest athletes committed to college programs Thursday: Alexis Boeh (Northwest Missouri State basketball), Candace Boeh (Northwest Missouri State basketball), Marley Suckow (Iowa State swimming), Cami Hansberry (University of Nebraska-Omaha swimming), Brandon Stoppelmoor (University of Utah diving), Harrison Lambert (University of Northern Colorado baseball), Mitch Ransburg (Missouri Western State baseball) and Jesse Foulk (Cloud County Community College baseball). Updated: Nov. 13, 2008 9:05 PM |Full Story