Pair of area ex-high school standouts pace Cavaliers
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Johnson County Sun 01/12/2011 Copyright © 2011 NPG Newspapers - Sun Publications. All rights reserved $$edition January 13, 2011 6:14 pm / Powered by TECNAVIA Copy Reduced to 72% from original to fit letter page SPECIAL TO THE SUN In early November, the basketball season tipped for the Johnson County Com- munity College men’s and women’s teams. Both carried expectations to be in the run for a national tournament appearance. Two years ago the men captured the NJCAA Division II national championship, and last year the women reached the elite eight at nationals. Now it is January, and both teams are living up to those lofty expectations. The Lady Cavaliers opened the season 12-1, holding down the No. 1 rank- ing for seven straight weeks. The men, meanwhile, got off to a 12-2 start and ranked seventh, marking the first time in school history both teams have been in the top 10 at the same time. Two major reasons why both teams’ head coaches are optimistic about playing deep into March have been the return of two area play- ers, 6-3 sophomore guard Ryan Magdziarz out of Blue Valley High School, and Liz Smith, a 6-2 sophomore for- ward and Blue Valley North- west product. As freshmen, both players were significant contributors to the success of their teams. Magdziarz started all but one game and averaged 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while dishing out 105 assists, second most on the team. Smith nearly averaged a double-double, finishing the season at 11.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She also earned all-region honors and was selected to the National All-Tournament Team. Through the first half of their sophomore seasons, both are the top players on their respective teams. Magdziarz is averaging 17.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 52 percent. He also was se- lected the NJCAA National Player of the Week in early December. Smith averages 13.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest and is knock- ing down 60 percent of her shots. That is tremendous pro- duction, but both say it is their work ethic and desire to succeed that has helped them get to that level of play. “I call Ryan a gym rat and a weight room rat,” men’s head coach Mike Jeffers said. “I have not had a player who works as hard every day as he does and is so dedicat- ed to always getting better.” Magdziarz realized after his junior year at Blue Valley that he needed to get to the weight room if he were going to improve as a basketball player. “I began lifting and going to the gym before my senior year because I wanted to get better,” Magdziarz said. “I saw the benefit of lifting my senior year and last year. I am always working hard, and I am never satisfied.” Smith also had a realiza- tion that for her to reach her goals she, too, needed to improve how she played the game. “I was always the tallest in high school, so I had an easier time getting to the basket,” Smith said. “Once I got here I realized I needed to work on my skills.” After the fall portion of the season last year, Smith began working with JCCC as- sistant coach Doug Schakel on her post moves. The two continued work- ing through the season, sum- mer and this fall. Smith also has spent a lot of time work- ing on her shot. All of her effort is geared toward one thing. “I want to go back to nationals,” Smith said. “Last year we really didn’t know what to expect. This year we have players back who have experienced playing there and that will benefit us.” Magdziarz also has aspi- rations of leading his team deep into the post-season. “I didn’t know what to expect my freshman year – how we practiced, how the game day was – so I looked to the sophomores for lead- ership,” he said. “We are well-rounded and have a lot of players who can contribute this year, but I want to be the guy our fresh- men look up to.” www.sunpublications.com Pair of area ex-high school standouts pace Cavaliers The Sun Newspapers Sun Country Only Class 6A (Through Dec. 30, 2010) 112 6. Matt Paxton, sophomore, Blue Valley West 125 2. Tre Humphrey, senior, SM South 3. Ross Whitmore, senior, SM Northwest 130 6. Mitchell McCulley, senior, Blue Valley Northwest 135 1. Zack Tanenbaum, senior, Blue Valley North 152 4. Chase Woofter, senior, SM East 160 4. Blake Hill, junior, SM East 5. Cody Carson, senior, SM North 171 4. Blaine Hill, junior, SM East 5. Jeff Lyons, junior, Blue Valley Northwest 285 4. Arbanas Elliott, senior, Blue Valley Northwest Class 5A St. Thomas Aquinas 130 5. Tommy Williams, junior, St. Thomas Aquinas 160 4. Johnny Perz, sophomore, St. Thomas Aquinas 215 2. Eric Mason, junior, St. Thomas Aquinas Class 4A (Through Dec. 30, 2010) 103 5. Reece Cokeley, freshman, St. James Academy 135 4. Dustin Vielhauer, senior, St. James Academy 140 1. Taylor Moeder, senior, St. James Academy 152 1. Ryne Cokeley, senior, St. James Academy 160 5. Rory Haug, senior, St. James Academy
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Pair of area ex-high school standouts pace Cavaliers - Published in the Sun on 1/12/2011
Transcript of Pair of area ex-high school standouts pace Cavaliers
Johnson County Sun 01/12/2011
Copyright © 2011 NPG Newspapers - Sun Publications. All rights reserved $$edition January 13, 2011 6:14 pm / Powered by TECNAVIA
Copy Reduced to 72% from original to fit letter page
SPECIAL TO THE SUN
In early November, the basketball season tipped for the Johnson County Com-munity College men’s and women’s teams.
Both carried expectations to be in the run for a national tournament appearance.
Two years ago the men captured the NJCAA Division II national championship, and last year the women reached the elite eight at nationals.
Now it is January, and both teams are living up to those lofty expectations.
The Lady Cavaliers opened the season 12-1, holding down the No. 1 rank-ing for seven straight weeks.
The men, meanwhile, got off to a 12-2 start and ranked seventh, marking the first time in school history both teams have been in the top 10 at the same time.
Two major reasons why both teams’ head coaches are optimistic about playing deep into March have been the return of two area play-ers, 6-3 sophomore guard Ryan Magdziarz out of Blue Valley High School, and Liz Smith, a 6-2 sophomore for-ward and Blue Valley North-west product.
As freshmen, both players were significant contributors to the success of their teams.
Magdziarz started all but one game and averaged 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while dishing out 105 assists, second most on the team.
Smith nearly averaged a double-double, finishing the season at 11.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
She also earned all-region honors and was selected to the National All-Tournament Team.
Through the first half of their sophomore seasons, both are the top players on
their respective teams.Magdziarz is averaging
17.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 52 percent. He also was se-lected the NJCAA National Player of the Week in early December.
Smith averages 13.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest and is knock-ing down 60 percent of her shots.
That is tremendous pro-duction, but both say it is their work ethic and desire to succeed that has helped them get to that level of play.
“I call Ryan a gym rat and a weight room rat,” men’s
head coach Mike Jeffers said. “I have not had a player who works as hard every day as he does and is so dedicat-ed to always getting better.”
Magdziarz realized after his junior year at Blue Valley that he needed to get to the weight room if he were going to improve as a basketball player.
“I began lifting and going to the gym before my senior year because I wanted to get better,” Magdziarz said.
“I saw the benefit of lifting my senior year and last year. I am always working hard, and I am never satisfied.”
Smith also had a realiza-tion that for her to reach her
goals she, too, needed to improve how she played the game.
“I was always the tallest in high school, so I had an easier time getting to the basket,” Smith said. “Once I got here I realized I needed to work on my skills.”
After the fall portion of the season last year, Smith began working with JCCC as-sistant coach Doug Schakel on her post moves.
The two continued work-ing through the season, sum-mer and this fall. Smith also has spent a lot of time work-ing on her shot.
All of her effort is geared toward one thing.
“I want to go back to nationals,” Smith said. “Last year we really didn’t know what to expect. This year we have players back who have experienced playing there and that will benefit us.”
Magdziarz also has aspi-rations of leading his team deep into the post-season.
“I didn’t know what to expect my freshman year – how we practiced, how the game day was – so I looked to the sophomores for lead-ership,” he said.
“We are well-rounded and have a lot of players who can contribute this year, but I want to be the guy our fresh-men look up to.”
www.sunpublications.com
Pair of area ex-high school standouts pace Cavaliers The Sun Newspapers
The YMCA of Greater Kansas City, founded on Christian principles, is a charitable organization with an inclusive environment committed to enriching the quality of family, spiritual, social, mental and physical well-being.
Sun Country OnlyClass 6A
(Through Dec. 30, 2010)112
6. Matt Paxton, sophomore, Blue Valley West
1252. Tre Humphrey, senior, SM
South3. Ross Whitmore, senior,
SM Northwest130
6. Mitchell McCulley, senior, Blue Valley Northwest
1351. Zack Tanenbaum, senior,
Blue Valley North152
4. Chase Woofter, senior, SM East
1604. Blake Hill, junior, SM
East5. Cody Carson, senior, SM
North171
4. Blaine Hill, junior, SM East
5. Jeff Lyons, junior, Blue Valley Northwest
1894. Jamie Barnhart, senior,
SM North
2854. Arbanas Elliott, senior,
Blue Valley Northwest
Class 5A(Through Dec. 22, 2010)
1033. Luke Henes, freshman,
St. Thomas Aquinas130
5. Tommy Williams, junior, St. Thomas Aquinas
1604. Johnny Perz, sophomore,
St. Thomas Aquinas215
2. Eric Mason, junior, St. Thomas Aquinas
Class 4A(Through Dec. 30, 2010)
1035. Reece Cokeley, freshman,
St. James Academy135
4. Dustin Vielhauer, senior, St. James Academy
1401. Taylor Moeder, senior, St.
James Academy152
1. Ryne Cokeley, senior, St. James Academy
1605. Rory Haug, senior, St.
James Academy171
4. Zach Pollum, senior, St. James Academy
Polar Bear Plunge,5K strut on tap
The 2011 Polar 5K Strut and Plunge to benefit Spe-cial Olympics Kansas are set for 10 a.m. and noon, respectively, on Saturday, Jan. 29 at Shawnee Mission Park Swim Beach, 7900 Renner Road in Shawnee.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. at the Swim Beach.
The 5K Polar Strut will be officially timed. All strutters receive a long-sleeved T-shirt with their registration.
An After Party Cele-bration kicks off at 1 p.m. at Johnny’s Tavern at K-10 and Ridgeview in Olathe.
Early registration is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28 at the Special Olympics Kan-sas headquarters, located at 5280 Foxridge Drive in Mission.
For more information on the event, contact Luke Schulte at 236-9290, ext. 109 or [email protected]; or Amber Hellwig at [email protected] or 789.0347.
To register online, visit www.firstgiving.com/ksso.
