The Junction City Blue Jay wrestling team captured the championship in the Emporia Winter Duals over the past weekend.

Junction City defeated Washburn Rural, Prairie View, Topeka Seaman, Emporia, and Valley Center in dual matches to run their dual unbeaten streak this season to 9-0, and overall streak to 24-0.

In the individual competition in Emporia six Blue Jays made the All Tournament team. All of them went 5-0 in their individual dual matches including Jake Bazaan at 138 pounds, Andrew Millsap 152, Jeryl Denton at 160, Mikah Felton 170, Devonte Wilson 182 pounds, and Kayne Hutchinson at 220 pounds.

The K-State Baseball team has, for the first time, been ranked in two preseason Top 25 polls, the Perfect Game and Baseball American preseason polls. They Wildcats are ranked No. 22 in both, and are now ranked in three different preseason polls for the 2014 season, being ranked No. 28 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason Fab 40.  

The Wildcat’s won the Big 12 title last year, and finished the 2013 season No. 13 in Baseball America’s final poll and No. 14 in Perfect Game’s final season rankings. K-State is one of four different Big 12 teams to be ranked in the preseason Perfect Game and Baseball America’s preseason rankings, including Texas, TCU and Oklahoma State.

Kansas State starts play in three weeks on a road trip starting Friday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, Feb. 16. The first home game will be at Tointon Family Stadium on Friday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. against Milwaukee.

Information from kstatesports.com.

The Junction City Lady Jays will open play against Leavenworth in the first round of the 2014 Firebird Winter Classic at Lawrence Free State High School on Thursday.

Junction City, 3-7, will meet Leavenworth, 10-0, in a first round game at three p.m. Thursday. The same half of the tournament bracket finds Maize meeting Hutchinson. The other half of the eight-team bracket has Seaman playing Free State, and Olathe South meeting Sumner.

The tournament continues Friday and Saturday at Lawrence Free State.

Rural Vista ( Hope – White City ) captured first place in the boys basketball competition at the Centre Tournament.

Rural Vista topped Centre 63-43 in the championship game.

Marion defeated Flint Hills Job Corps 62-60 in the third place consolation game, Solomon downed Wakefield in the fifth place contest, and Elyria Christian defeated Peabody – Burns in the seventh place consolation game.

In the girls competition at the Centre Tournament, Centre topped Marion 50-36 in the championship contest.

The Junction City Blue Jays lost to Kansas City Turner 50-45 in the seventh place consolation game at the January Jam Tournament in Valley Center.

The loss capped off an 0-3 Tournament run for the Blue Jays, who fell to 4-7 on the season.

Junction City coach Pat Battle felt his team played pretty hard in the second half against Kansas City Turner, but flat in the first half. “And that’s really where I think things turned a little bit. Then we got ourselves together, but you’ve got to play a full 32 minutes, and we didn’t do that”

Jonathan Wilds led the Blue Jays in scoring with 12 points.

Junction City fell to Olathe Northwest 48-34, and to Topeka Seaman 65-62 in overtime earlier in the Tournament.

In other games in the final round of the Tournament, Garden City defeated Topeka Seaman in the fifth place consolation game 53-51, Olathe Northwest downed Valley Center in the third place game 54-43, and Blue Valley Northwest defeated Wichita Southeast in the championship game 75-56.  For Blue Valley Northwest it was their fourth consecutive championship in the January Jam.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Three straight losses and the distraction caused by the ongoing Bubu Palo saga left No. 16 Iowa State in desperate need of some good news.

A close win over a ranked opponent was a good place for the Cyclones to start.

Melvin Ejim scored 20 points and Iowa State beat No. 22 Kansas State 81-75 on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak and get back to .500 in the Big 12.

“I wanted to see how our guys responded, and we had as good a week of practice as we’ve had all year,” Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Guys put those losses behind us. They wanted to come out and win in the worst way.”

Georges Niang had 18 points and freshman Matt Thomas matched a career high with 14 for the Cyclones (15-3, 3-3 Big 12), who blew a 12-point halftime lead before putting the game away late in the second half.

Ejim blocked a potential game-tying 3 from Shane Southwell and hit two free throws to put the Cyclones ahead 79-73 with 23 seconds left.

Freshman Marcus Foster scored 20 points for Kansas State (14-6, 4-3), which lost consecutive games for the first time since November.

Thomas Gipson had just four points for the Wildcats.

“We had our opportunities. Again, we battled. They’re a good team. We knew it would be tough to win here after they had lost three in a row,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Ashland 45, Minneola 39
Central Plains 61, Pratt 42
Eureka 63, Madison 28
Fowler 66, Ingalls 51
Hill City 64, Ellis 52
Hodgeman County 46, Bucklin 19
Paola 55, Labette County 39
Plainville 47, Smith Center 36
SM North 63, Belton, Mo. 52
Adolph Rupp Tournament
Semifinal
Cheney 44, Andale 43
Moundridge 56, Douglass 35
Baldwin Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Anderson County 64, Perry-Lecompton 62
KC Bishop Ward 49, KC Christian 39
Semifinal
Augusta 58, Wellsville 55
Baldwin 72, Bonner Springs 60
Burlington Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Santa Fe Trail 65, Iola 59, OT
Semifinal
Sabetha 60, Burlington 51
Canton-Galva Tournament
Seventh Place
Canton-Galva 80, St. John’s Military 50
Fifth Place
Sedgwick 51, Ell-Saline 48
Third Place
Rock Creek 69, Derby Invasion 59
Championship
Bennington 48, Wichita Home School 38
Centre Tournament
Rural Vista 40, Marion 37
Chaparral Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Chaparral 41, Arkansas City 36
Mulvane 70, Belle Plaine 42
Semifinal
Kingman 59, Conway Springs 43
Coffeyville Tournament
Semifinal
Wichita Defenders 77, Save Our Youth Academy, Okla. 61
Colby Classic Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Colby 63, Burlington, Colo. 34
Liberal 60, Hugoton 47
Semifinal
Palmer Ridge, Colo. 49, Wichita West 34
Scott City 65, McCook, Neb. 42
Dodge City Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Hutchinson 45, Wichita Heights 43
Leavenworth 65, Dodge City 39
Semifinal
Hays 42, Manhattan 36
El Dorado Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Newton 50, Wichita Campus 37
Wichita Trinity 66, Great Bend 46
Semifinal
Kapaun Mount Carmel 49, Circle 45
Wichita Collegiate 72, El Dorado 64
Frontenac Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Fort Scott 78, McDonald County, Mo. 75, 2OT
Semifinal
Riverton 49, Winfield 42
Hi-Plains League Tournament
Consolation
Sublette 43, Johnson-Stanton County 42
Hillsboro Tournament
Semifinal
Hesston 59, Wamego 45
Holcomb 66, Hillsboro 60
Hoisington Tournament
Semifinal
Minneapolis 57, Otis-Bison 32
Victoria 57, LaCrosse 50
McLouth Invitational Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Maranatha Academy 61, Oskaloosa 49
Semifinal
McLouth 69, Heritage Christian 50
Valley Falls 65, Riverside 59
McPherson Invitational Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
BV West 66, Wichita Bishop Carroll 41
McPherson 72, Buhler 41
Semifinal
SM East 53, Derby 50
NEO Tournament
Quapaw, Okla. 75, Tyro Community Christian 42
Northern Plains League Tournament
Consolation
Pike Valley 61, Tescott 49
Seventh Place
Wilson 46, Natoma 40
Fifth Place
Rock Hills 60, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 39
Third Place
Thunder Ridge 60, Osborne 58
Championship
St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 53, Sylvan-Lucas 33
Northwest Kansas League Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Quinter 55, Oberlin-Decatur 54
Semifinal
Hoxie 67, Dighton 49
Wallace County 60, Rawlins County 56
Pleasanton Tournament
Central Heights 57, Uniontown 30
Humboldt 58, Jayhawk Linn 36
Marmaton Valley 62, Pleasanton 58
Ralph Miller Classic
Consolation Semifinal
Andover Central 54, Emporia 48
Semifinal
Olathe North 68, Chanute 63
SM South 59, Shawnee Heights 47
Royal Valley Panther Classic
Royal Valley 61, Chapman 26
Wabaunsee 70, Pleasant Ridge 53
Salina Tournament
Seventh Place
Clay Center 47, Smoky Valley 30
Fifth Place
Andover 58, Salina Sacred Heart 33
Shawnee Mission West Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
KC Harmon 52, KC Wyandotte 46
SM West 61, KC Schlagle 32
Semifinal
Blue Springs South, Mo. 79, BV North 68
Lansing 62, Rockhurst, Mo. 41
South Central Border League Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Oxford 32, South Haven 26
Sedan 46, Cedar Vale/Dexter 34
Semifinal
Udall 55, Argonia 33
Spring Hill Tournament
Seventh Place
Osawatomie 54, Metro Academy 39
Fifth Place
Spring Hill 77, KC Sumner 65
Third Place
Louisburg 76, KC Piper 51
Championship
Goddard-Eisenhower 65, Gardner-Edgerton 52
St Thomas Aquinas Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Barstow, Mo. 70, Washburn Rural 64
Bishop Miege 45, St. James Academy 44
Semifinal
Olathe East 67, Grandview, Mo. 53
SM Northwest 64, St. Thomas Aquinas 47
St. John Tournament
Macksville 51, Ness City 48
Semifinal
St. John 68, Larned 40
Sterling Tournament
Fifth Place
Southeast Saline 44, Hutchinson Trinity 36
Third Place
Wichita Independent 70, Sterling 38
Tonganoxie Invitational
Atchison 65, Holton 54
DeSoto 48, Blue Valley Southwest 43
Eudora 56, Tonganoxie 46
Topeka Invitational Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Topeka 47, Wichita Northwest 34
Topeka West 58, Wichita South 56
Semifinal
Lawrence 87, KC Washington 81, OT
Twin Valley League Tournament
Consolation
Washington County 56, BV Randolph 31
Consolation Semifinal
Axtell 45, Baileyville-B&B 32
Troy 58, Onaga 48
Semifinal
Centralia 69, Linn 56
Valley Heights 44, Hanover 40
Valley Center Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Garden City 57, KC Turner 43
Topeka Seaman 65, Junction City 62
Semifinal
BV Northwest 68, Olathe Northwest 36
Wilson County Classic
Championship
Independence 55, Girard 20
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Andale 55, Buhler 52
Ashland 45, Minneola 39
Baldwin 79, Osawatomie 17
Bucklin 53, Hodgeman County 24
Cheylin 55, Triplains-Brewster 44
Ellis 53, Hill City 37
Flinthills 50, Elk Valley 38
Herington 51, Osage City 38
Leavenworth 53, Topeka 25
Manhattan 50, Emporia 41
Mill Valley 36, SM South 28
Moundridge 60, Goessel 21
Nemaha Valley 51, Horton 33
Norwich 47, Hutchinson Central Christian 22
Pratt 50, Macksville 27
Rock Creek 49, St. Mary’s 30
South Central 56, South Gray 35
Topeka Seaman 71, Topeka West 33
Wheatland-Grinnell 47, Logan 39
Winfield 42, Maize South 40
Basehor Linwood Invitational
Fifth Place
Holton 54, Park Hill, Mo. 40
Burlington Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Labette County 41, Iola 39, OT
Rossville 60, Wichita Northfield 13
Semifinal
Burlington 41, Santa Fe Trail 37
Sabetha 54, Paola 53, OT
Centre Tournament
Centre 59, Elyria Christian 30
Marion 36, Rural Vista 28
Coffeyville Tournament
Semifinal
Coffeyville 72, Rose Hill 66
Wichita Defenders 44, Ulysses 42
Colby Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Scott City 58, Sunrise Christian 29
Semifinal
Colby 34, Liberal 25
Palmer Ridge, Colo. 52, Hugoton 36
Flint Hills LeagueTournament
Consolation Semifinal
West Franklin 41, Mission Valley 29
Semifinal
Council Grove 48, Lyndon 43
Frontenac Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Fort Scott 58, Prairie View 28
Hogan Prep, Mo. 47, Baxter Springs 43
Semifinal
Blue Valley Southwest 51, Frontenac 42
Hillsboro Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Goodland 35, Hays-TMP-Marian 27
Holcomb 64, Republic County 26
Hoisington Tournament
Semifinal
Ellinwood 45, Russell 39
Hoisington 36, Minneapolis 33
Northern Plains League Tournament
Seventh Place
Natoma 35, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 33
Fifth Place
Pike Valley 36, Sylvan-Lucas 26
Third Place
St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 48, Wilson 40
Championship
Thunder Ridge 31, Osborne 26
Northwest Kansas League Tournament
Consolation Semifinal
Wichita County 58, Rawlins County 52
Semifinal
Dighton 50, Trego 20
Hoxie 69, Wallace County 26
Pleasanton Tournament
Humboldt 62, Marmaton Valley 26
Uniontown 44, Central Heights 43
Royal Valley Panther Classic
Royal Valley 54, Chapman 26
Wabaunsee 56, Pleasant Ridge 36
Salina Invitational Tournament
Seventh Place
Salina Sacred Heart 39, Clay Center 35
Fifth Place
Concordia 47, Smoky Valley 33
Sterling Tournament
Third Place
Beloit 52, Southeast Saline 30
Championship
Sterling 69, Lyons 57
Washington County Tournament
Heritage Christian 66, KC Turner 59
Wilson County Classic
Third Place
Caney Valley 53, Girard 39
Championship
Cherryvale 55, Independence 41

The Junction City Blue Jay’s fell in overtime Friday afternoon in the January Jam tournament in Valley Center 65-62 to Seaman.

The Blue Jays were led in scoring by Jonathan Wild with 16 points, but fouled out in the fourth quarter. Tanner Lueker finished the game with 14 points.

Junction City will now play in the 7th place game Saturday at 2:00 p.m. against KC Turner. That broadcast will start at 1:45 p.m. on 1420 KJCK AM.

—

The Lady Jays were in action against Highland Park in Shenk Gym Friday night falling 50-44.

Junction City led for the most part halfway through the first quarter through the third quarter. However a 15-2 run that started halfway through the third quarter and in to the fourth quarter put an end to it.

The Lady Jays were led by Kealee Rains who finished with 18 points. Junction City fell to 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the Centennial League.

Junction City won’t be in action again until they head to Lawrence on Thursday for the opening round of the 2014 Firebird Winter Classic. They will take on undefeated Leavenworth in a 3:oo p.m. tip off.

 

Olathe Northwest ( 3-7 ) took the lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it enroute to a 48-34 victory over Junction City in the first round of the January Jam Invitational in Valley Center, Kansas.

The Blue Jays did not get a lot of scoring inside around the basket.  Blue Jay coach Pat Battle noted his team also missed a lot of shots inside as well. “But the big thing is we’re not getting enough in there.”  Battle said you want teams to shoot 50 percent inside so that means’ they’ll miss one out of every two. “The key is how many you’re going to get in there. And, quite honestly, we did too much standing around and watching a little bit today. Guy goes up and shoots, it doesn’t go, but there’s nobody there to rebound the basketball.”

Battle stated the Blue Jays have to do a better job as a team of rebounding the ball, “particularly on the offensive end.”

Junction City ( 4-5 ) was led in scoring by a pair of guards….Tanner Lueker and Danny Thornton with 13 points.

The Blue Jays will meet Topeka Seaman in the consolation round of the tournament on Friday at 3:15 p.m. Seaman fell to Blue Valley Northwest 73-47.   The game can be heard on KJCK AM, The Talk of JC, with the broadcast beginning at 3 p.m.

 

Following a soft opening during the fall semester Kansas State’s new state-of-the-art Ahearn Fund Student-Athlete Performance Table at Bill Snyder Family Stadium has officially opened its doors.

The new facility on the terrace level of the new West Stadium Center, will meet the nutritional needs of the all 450 K-State student-athletes, five days a week. Hours of operation will be 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Sodexo, the official food service partner for K-State Athletics, will be responsible for daily operation of the facility.