— Sports Corner —

Dago pegs baseball leaders

We are a month into the 2008 major league baseball season and, as always, there are a few early surprises.
In the National League East, the Florida Marlins are a major surprise as they battle for top spot with favorites, the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves.
The NL Central has another early surprise with the Houston Astros being only four games out, while the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are still among the favorites to win the division.
The NL West has one disappointing surprise, as last season’s NL World Series team, the Colorado Rockies, are playing back to their old ways.
The Rocks just flat don’t have any pitching and their offense isn’t very consistent. They will be lucky to remain out of the cellar. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers will vie for first.
Dago still believes the East will have the Mets, the Central the Cubs and the West the Diamondbacks as the winners with the Phillies as the wildcard. Arizona will be top team in the NL.
The American League has been just as wacky early on.
In the AL Central, the early favorite, Detroit tigers, started out slow, but have came on to be out of first by a mere three games.
This division is going to be a dog fight between all five teams: Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Tigers and the very surprising, Kansas City Royals.
Dago still believes the Detroit Tigers will be on top at the end.
In the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels are in a familiar first place spot. They are in an early fight with mild surprise, Oakland only a game out. The Angels will be top dog at the end.
In the AL East, the Boston Red Sox will prevail even though the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Baltimore Orioles have been very surprising early.
The New York Yankees will overcome their annual early season woes and be at or near the top with the Red Sox at the end.
Of course, it’s still very early and there are at least a 130 or so games left. We haven’t even reached the heat of summer yet. Anything can, and more than likely will, happen.

Buffalos face tough
competition at Oberlin

Rawlins County boys placed third with 74 points behind Phillipsburg with 105 points and Norton with 97 at the Oberlin meet April 29.
“The boys won four gold medals in a very tough 10-team track meet with some very good athletes we hadn’t seen yet this year,” Coach John Terry said.
John Binning won both the discus and shot. His discus throw was 140’10” and his very good shot put was 53’4.5”.
Drew Basgall won the 1600m in a time of 4:38.12 and was beaten right at the finish line in the 800m with a very fast time of 2:02.73.
The relay team of Kevin Wolters, Marcus Cahoj, Keaton Argabright and Keegan Peckham won the 4 x 800 in 8:52.96.
Kevin Wolters finished the 800m in 2:08.75 for third place.
The 4 x 400 relay team of Basgall, Wolters, Argabright and Jackson Grafel placed third with a time of 3:39.38.
Binning was fourth in the 200m race with 23.25. Peckham ran the 1600m in 5:16.54 to place fourth.
Greg Solko, Grafel, Jayce Cook and Binning raced the 4 x 100 relay in 45.8 to finish fifth.
Cahoj was fifth in the 800m with 2:16.13, Cook ran the 200m in 23.8 and Alex Bebb ran the 3200m in 11:48.64 to take sixth place.

Lady Buffs set meet records

Rawlins County girls were out-numbered at the Oberlin meet April 29, but the team finished second with 88 points behind Norton’s 106. There were 10 teams in the competition.
“The girls placed second in a very quality track meet, winning five events, setting three new meet records and one school record,” Coach John Terry noted.
Macy Migchelbrink won four events again. She won the 100m H H in 15.62, the 300m LH in 47.3 to set a meet record. She long jumped 15’10.5” and triple jumped 34’9” which also broke a meet record.
Sara Miller threw the discus 137’4” for a new meet and school record. She also placed second in the shot with a throw of 37’9.75”. Her javelin throw of 106’ earned third place.
Laura Wolters placed second in the 1600m with a very good time of 5:36 and third in the 800m with 2:22.6.
Emily Chessmore finished sixth in the 1600m with a time of 6:36.6.
The 4 x 400 relay team of Wolters, Kayla Cozza, Melissa Rall and Chessmore placed fifth with a time of 4:23.96.
Wendy Castens pole vaulted 7’ for a sixth place finish.
“This Friday we have the always very tough NWKL meet in Colby with field events starting at 3 p.m. and the running event prelims at 4:30,” Terry reminded fans.

Jr. high boys
place well in Oakley

Rawlins County junior high boys continued to do well in track competition at Oakley May 1.
“I have been impressed with how competitive the guys are in their individual fields,” Coach Kjell Nordgren said.
Among the seventh graders, Cade Noble won the pole vault, Cade Sharp took second in shot put and third in discus, John Solko was second and Noble third in the 1600m run. Noble placed second and Solko third in the 800m.
The seventh grade team finished second in the 4 x 200 and fourth in the 4 x 400.
On the eighth grade team, Blake Bergling took third in long jump and won the triple jump. Gabe Skolout took fourth in triple jump and second in pole vault.
Noah Jones won the pole vault event. Kris Enfield won the shot put and took third in discus. Damian Kogl was fifth in shot put.
Tyler Herold finished fourth in the 3200m. Marcus Portschy took third in the 1600m.
Kyle Zeigler placed fourth in the 100m, won the 400m and took third in the 200m.
The eighth grade team finished fourth in the 4 x 100 but won the 4 x 400.

Girls improve records

The junior high girls track team struggled against the cold and wind a Oakley last Thursday, but several personal records were broken.
8th grade
Hillary Chvatal took first in both discus with 79’6” and shot put at 31’9.75”. She was second in high jump at 4’6”.
Haley McCain was fourth in triple jump with 25’10.5”. Abbey Wolters ran the 400m in 71.15 to place second. She was second in triple jump with 29’6.5”.
Summer Castens took third in 100m at 15.09 and second in 200m with 31.86. Kaela Stoney was fourth with a shot put of 29’4.5” Sydney Studer finished fourth in the 800m.
The 4 x 400 team of Castens, McCain, Chvatal and Wolters took second with a time of 4:58.
7th grade
Tasia Reuber was second in the 100m hurdles with a time of 20.59.
Sierra Castens finished fifth in the shot put with a throw of 23’1.75”.
Cindy DeCock took third with a long jump of 13’5.5”.
Taylor Leitner won the 400m race in 66.40 and took second in the high jump at 4’4”.
The 4 x 100 m team of Reuber, DeCock, Tory Philpot and Leitner came home with a gold after running it in 59.08.
The league meet is in Oberlin May 8.

Luedke qualifies
for Olympic Trials

Eric Luedke, a noted wrestler for Colby High School. Colby Community College and Iowa University has qualified to wrestle in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials to be held in Las Vegas.
First, Luedke had to place in the top eight of a 42 man bracket qualifier to compete in the National Championship tournament. He qualified by gaining three wins, two with 4-3 6-0 decision and a 1-0,2-1 decision. He finished the day with a pin.
Only the top seven placers at the National Championships are eligible to compete for the Olympic trials.
He will be wrestling to qualify for competition at the 2008 U.S. Olympic team trials at 74kg/163 pounds in Las Vegas June 13-15.
Eric is the son of Brian and Judy Luedke of Colby and the grandson of Norman and Bonna Luedke and Bill Cahoj Sr. all of Atwood.

Full stories in this week's
issue of The Square Deal.