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2013-2014 Preview and Summary Headlines
(links to archived athletic pages from 2013-2014 are in the drop down menu below)

 

Softball Goes To State
Led by Kim Waltman, the Rose Hill Rocket softball team had a winning record of 12-11. Seniors Shelby Simmons, Kate Shields and Kylie Simpson led the Lady Rockets to many victories this season. Most notably, the Lady Rockets won their Regional games against the Winfield Vikings and Mulvane Wildcats for a chance to compete in the State Tournament. The last game for the Rockets was against the Louisburg Wildcats on Thursday, May 29. Unfortunately, the Lady Rockets lost the game 3-5 and were knocked out of the tournament. However, it was still a great season for the Lady Rockets.
Baseball - Third at State
The Rose Hill Rocket baseball team had a phenomenal year with a season ending record of 17-8. The team greatly improved from last year’s record of 5-14. Three seniors led the team: Garrett Forsberg, Dylan Faflick, and Harrison Haydock. The rest of the varsity team was mostly sophomores and a few freshmen. At Regionals, the Rockets won both games against the Mulvane Wildcats and Winfield Vikings, which led them to compete in the State Tournament over Memorial Weekend. The State Quarterfinal was against the Andale Indians. The Rockets beat the Indians 6-4, which gave them a spot in the Semifinals against DeSoto. Unfortunately, the Rockets fell to DeSoto 0-9. The Rockets final game of the season was for third or fourth place against Fort Scott. The Rockets overcame Fort Scott, 5-3. This was a great season for the Rockets with a record of 17-8 and third place at State. The Rockets hope to do even better things next year with many young, experienced players on the team.
Coach Smith Leads Team
Led by new coach Sally Smith, the Rose Hill Rocket swim team was a young and inexperienced team. With only one returning swimmer, senior Chandler Boese was normally the swimmer gaining most of the points for her team at the meets. The other swimmers were Joslyn Pinkerton, Rachel Hull, Casey Schultz, Jadan Heinz, Kelly Bailey, and Hope Helton. Unfortunately, none of the swimmers placed to compete in the State Invitational. However, with many young swimmers on the team, the team has a good chance of improving their times for next year. 
Great Season Ended Early
Finishing the season with a winning record of 9-8-1, the Lady Rocket soccer team greatly improved from last season and hope to accomplish even more in future years. Eleven seniors will be leaving the team this year and will be greatly missed. Big wins for the Lady Rockets this year included beating the 5A Andover Trojans and the 5A Goddard Lions. After beating the Mulvane Wildcats 4-0 for the first round of regionals, the Lady Rockets went on to play the Thomas More Prep-Marian Monarchs in Hays. After tying the normal game, the two teams went into quadruple overtime. Thirty minutes later, neither team had scored which led to penalty kicks. Unfortunately, the Lady Rockets season was ended after the Monarchs won the shootout.
Two Place For State
The Rose Hill Rocket track team had great finishes throughout the season in preparation for State. New coach, Travis Sell, led the team to many victories. The boys’ team took first at the Kingman Meet and second at Belle Plaine and Early Bird at Rose Hill. The girls’ team took first at the Early Bird at Rose Hill and second at Wellington. However, only two team members placed high enough at Regionals to qualify for State. Kenton Weber placed in the boys’ 1600 Meter Run and Peyton Brower placed in girls’ discus. At the State Meet, Weber took fifth with a time of 4:31.08 and Brower took 12th with a distance of 106’00”. With Sell leaving after this year, the Rockets will have another new head coach to look forward to next year.
Season Ends Early for Golf
The golf team had a great season led by Coach Siemens. They took first at three of the tournaments they competed at: Wellington, Bluestem and Valley Center. They also took second at Eureka and the league meet, along with a third place at Augusta. Although the Rockets did a great job in previous tournaments, none of them were ready for Regionals at Winfield. None of the team was able to get a score low enough to qualify for the State Tournament. Ethan Aberg scored a 91, Jagger Ashby scored a 93, Ryan Walker scored a 93, Nash Lipscomb scored a 95, Ryan Pfaff scored a 96, and Parker Austin scored a 100. The Rocket golf team will miss seniors Jagger Ashby and Alex Dinicola. However, with young experience on the team, they hope to make great things happen next season.

Coach Waltman Takes Over
The Rocket Softball team looks to improve their 8-11 record from last year with new head coach, Kim Waltman, who has been an assistant coach since 2011.  The loss of last year’s seniors, Bailey Santo and Ashton Wheeler, left two varsity pitching positions open.  Seniors Kate Shields, Kylie Simpson and Shelby Simmons will all be leading the team this year.  Shields has already signed at Pratt Community College and Simmons has signed at Highland Community College; both girls look forward to playing softball at the collegiate level. The Lady Rockets have been working hard in preparation for their first games against the McPherson Bullpups on Thursday, March 27.

Large Sophomore Class
The baseball team’s record was 5-14 last year. This year they hope to improve from last year and achieve a better record. Seniors Dylan Faflick, Garrett Forsberg and Harrison Haydock hope to lead the team to many victories. The underclassmen are looking to fill the spots of five seniors who graduated last year. This year the sophomore class accounts for over half of the team. The baseball team will be hosting the McPherson Bullpups on Thursday, March 27 for a double header. 
Swim Team Looks To Build
Eight girls have joined the swim team this year, along with senior Chandler Boese who has been on the team for the past two years. Another new addition to the team is the head coach, Sally Smith. Along with Boese’s two years of previous experience, freshman Jadan Heinz has had previous competitive experience. This will be a building year for the girls as they gain valuable experience in the water. The girls’ first meet will be on Friday, March 4 at the Wichita Heights Invitational.
New Options On Field
Last year the girls’ soccer team had a rough season, with a record of 4-11-3. Captains Hannah Knaak and Dom Milsap will lead the team this year. With eight seniors, the team hopes to make this season one to remember.  A larger number of girls came out for the team than in recent years, which gives the team more options out on the field. New assistant coach, Stephanie Wuthrich, has done an excellent job preparing the JV team for their upcoming season. The Lady Rockets will make their first appearance out on the field on Thursday, March 27 at Goddard.   

Small Turnout For Track
Track had a smaller than usual turnout this year with new head coach, Travis Sell. However, the team has been working hard to improve times. Returning runners Kenton Weber and Brogan Collins were apart of the 2013 4A State Team last year. Many younger athletes look to step up and fill the place of many seniors who graduated last year. The first meet of the year will be at Rose Hill on Tuesday, April 1.
Experience Is Key
Seniors Jagger Ashby and Alex Dinicola will be leading the golf team for the 2014 season. Other experienced golfers include Ethan Aberg, Parker Austin, Dustin Lampe, Nash Lipscomb and Ryan Pfaff. The team will be loaded with players who have had at least one year of varsity experience. At regionals last year, Ashby was a few points shy of qualifying for state. Each individual hopes to shave a few strokes off his/her score throughout the season to get closer to the goal of qualifying for state. The golf team’s season will start on Monday, April 7 at Crestview in Andover.

Boys Take Fourth at State
The Rose Hill Rocket boys’ swim team had a phenomenal season, always placing above fifth place as a team at all of their tournaments. Senior Matt Baden led this successful team to fourth place at the 5-1A state tournament. Juniors Brady Mounts and Geoffrey Stitcher; sophomores Austin Farber, Gavin Smith, and David Steinhilpert; and freshman Noah Baden all qualified for the state tournament some time throughout the season. Smith was the champion of the 100-yard butterfly and Noah was the champion of the 100-yard breaststroke. Baden had a great three years on the boys' swim team and will be missed. However, an abundance of young, experienced talent will make for a great team next year. 


Looking Ahead To Next Year
The Rose Hill Rocket boys’ basketball team went 3-18 for the 2013-2014 season. After the Rockets lost their first game of the Halstead Tournament, they went on to win the next two games against Halstead and Garden Plain. They placed fifth at the tournament. The Rockets also stepped up their game against the Mulvane Wildcats on Homecoming night, winning the game with a score of 61-55. The boys’ season ended in the first round of Sub-State against the Winfield Vikings. Seniors Harrison Haydock, Gabe Nickel, Logan Welch, and Ben Priebe will be missed next year. The Rockets will be led next year by juniors Logan Santo, Alek Santo, Nash Lipscomb, Adam Eilert, Louden Smith, and Nick Jehle.

Season Ended Early
A loss in the first round of Sub-state to the Mulvane Wildcats ended the 2013-2014 season for the Rose Hill Rocket girls’ basketball team. Seniors Kate Shields, Autumn Lipscomb, Kylie Simpson, Jaelyn Glennemeier, Paige Decker, and Cristina Sainz were all great additions to the team this year. The Lady Rockets record for the season was 7-13; the seven wins were against the El Dorado Wildcats (twice), Augusta Orioles, Collegiate Spartans, Wright Christian Wildcats, Mulvane Wildcats, and the Winfield Vikings. Junior Kynnedy Myers will lead the team, along with young but experienced freshmen Mackenzie Herman and Kayna Simoneau.

Wilson Runner Up At State
Due to a few injuries and a small turnout this year, the Rocket wrestling team had a rough season. Seniors Jake Wilson and Kyle Loecke led the small team to one dual victory. Wilson was the only one to qualify for the 4A state tournament this year. At the tournament, Wilson won all three matches that led up to the championship. During the championship match, he fell behind and lost 3-5, making him the runner-up in the 138-weight class. Wilson had a great career with 120 wins; which makes him tied for second all-time in wins with Jeremy Terrell (2000-2004). Zac Sparr (2006-2010) is the all time leader with 130 wins. The Rockets look to improve next year with juniors Ashtyn Cody and Toby Gray leading the team.

 

Low Numbers, Big Dreams
The Rose Hill Rocket boys’ basketball team will have five seniors leading the team this year: Gabe Nickel, Logan Welch, Ben Priebe, Harrison Haydock, and Tristan Smith. With the loss of some key players, such as graduated players TJ Slade, Wyatt Clark, Michael Cleveland, and Austin Sapp, the team will really have to bring some intensity to the court. Welch said, “I think we will be a good team from us pushing the ball and playing as a team. I want to see every Rose Hill students supporting at the games!”  Their record last year was 6-14; however, the Rockets had many close games and will hopefully step it up to overcome their opponents. The Rockets will start their season when they travel to Emporia on December 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Swimmers Excited for Season
The Rockets are beginning their third season of boys’ swimming with twenty-one swimmers. Head coach, Jared Gaskill, is back again to coach his third year for Rose Hill. There are eleven returning swimmers from last season’s team. Four of the returning swimmers’ were state qualifiers last season: Gavin Smith, Austin Farber, Brady Mounts, and Matt Baden. Farber said, “winning league is going to be our main goal this year and of course, going back to the state meet.” The senior swimmers this year will be Matt Baden and exchange student, Geraldo Guercio. With the increased number of swim team members there will plenty of room for improvement. The Rocket’s first meet will be held at the Northwest YMCA at 1:00 on Saturday, December 7th.

High Hopes For Girls
The Rocket girl’s basketball team had a rough season last year. They finished with an unpleasant record of 4-16. After the loss of some key players, including senior, Alia Khalidi, this year’s team will need to step up to improve. This year, there are five returning seniors, Paige Decker, Autumn Lipscomb, Jaelyn Glennemeier, Kate Shields, and Kylie Simpson. There are a few underclassmen returning for varsity as well. This experienced team has high hopes for this season. Their first game will be in the Garden Plain Pre-Season Tournament on Tuesday, December 10 at 6:00 pm at Emporia.
State Qualifers Return
Eleven wrestlers are returning to the Rocket wrestling team for the 2013-2014 season. The wrestling team, as of now, has not decided what team member(s) will step up as captain(s). There are three state qualifiers returning this year: senior Jake Wilson, and juniors Hunter Black and Nathan Lamb. Wilson is a three-time state qualifier and placed third at the 2013 State Tournament. Lamb and Black are one-time state qualifiers and hope to take another swing at state this year. The wrestling team’s dual record last year was 3-8; however, the Rockets are working hard everyday to improve individually so they will win more as a team. The wrestling team’s first tournament will be at the El Dorado Dual Tournament on Saturday, December 7 at 9:00 a.m.
Team Builds For Future
The Rose Hill Rocket football team ended their season with a record of 4-6. The graduating seniors are Harrison Haydock, Dallen Rodman, Tristan Smith, Owen Zimmerman, Logan Gardner, Garrett Forsberg, Bailey Rushing, Dallas Barnhart, Aaron Schlenker, and Clint Burton. Each played a vital part out on the field by pushing the younger players to do better everyday, game or practice. Haydock, Gardner, Forsberg, and Zimmerman were the official captains of the team and did a great job leading the team throughout the season. A lot of the players were young and inexperienced, so the team struggled for the first few games. The Rockets picked up momentum with wins over the Winfield Vikings, the El Dorado Wildcats, the Augusta Orioles and the Trinity Knights. The victories against the Orioles and Knights in districts led the Rockets to the bi-district playoffs. The Rockets’ season came to a halt when they faced the Winfield Vikings for the second time this season, but unfortunately lost 12-14.
Soccer Second at State
The Rose Hill Rocket soccer team took second place in 4-1A state soccer, rounding out their season with a phenomenal record of 15-4-2. The graduating seniors are Field Benning, Czyz Taylor, Kenton Weber, Ben Priebe, Andrew Stuewe, Quentin Heidt, and Reed Strawn. Weber and Taylor were the captains for the Rockets this year and did an outstanding job of leading the team to many victories. All of the seniors have dedicated great time and effort into the team and will be missed. The Rockets went into the state tournament with seven consecutive shutouts, including a regional 3-0 win over Perry-Lecompton and a semifinal 4-0 win over Berean Academy. At the state tournament, the Rockets won their first match 1-0 against the Baldwin Bulldogs with a beautiful shot by junior Christian Helmke. This win advanced the Rockets into the championship game the next day. Unfortunately, the Rockets fell 0-1 to the Bishop Meige Stags. Out of the Rocket’s 15 wins, 11 of them were shutouts. The Rockets had a great season; taking second at state is no small feat.
Two All-Metro Players
The Rocket volleyball team finished the season with an outstanding record of 33-11. The Rockets started off the season with six consecutive wins. One of the biggest wins of the season was against the McPherson Bullpups on September 24th. Beating the 2012 State Champions set the standards high for the rest of Rose Hill’s season. The Rockets took first at the Clearwater tournament when they beat Trinity in the final match. At Sub-State, Rose Hill shut down Winfield and Mulvane in just two matches each as they won Sub-State. At the state tournament in Salina, the Rockets beat Topeka-Hayden and Kansas City-Piper and lost to Chanute in pool play. Unfortunately, the Rockets lost their next two games against Bishop Miege and Chanute in the semi-finals and consolation matches. However, the Rockets still took fourth place, a huge accomplishment for the Rose Hill volleyball program. Kylie Pfaff and Kynnedy Myers were named first team all-league, as well as all-metro. Olivia Lipsey and Erin Walls were named second team all-league. Coach Segovia was named AVCTL Division III coach of the year. The Rockets will lose six graduating seniors; Kylie Pfaff, Olivia Lipsey, Erin Walls, Victoria Egidy, Madi Mermis, and Miranda McElroy. Congratulations on a great season ladies.
CC Exceeds Expectations
The cross country team ended the season with many more accomplishments than expected. “The girls exceeded my expectations this year. If you asked me if we were going to go to state at the beginning of the season, I would’ve said no because of the competition we were up against”, said Coach Brandon Barger. Underclassmen had to step up to fill spots on both the girls and boys varsity teams this year. The AVCTL Division III league meet was huge for the Rocket runners. Emily Terrell and David Reaves both took third place in their varsity races. Erin Treiber, Terrell, and Reaves were all first-team all-league runners. The girl’s team took second place and the boys took fourth. At regionals, twelve of the fourteen runners ran their best time of the season. The girls team took third place, advancing them to state. The boys took sixth. David Reaves and Kenton Weber both qualified for state as individuals. At the state meet Emily Terrell, Kenton Weber and David Reaves all received medals. The cross country team will lose nine graduating seniors: Christian Boudreaux, Kenton Weber, Kyle Locke, Sheldon Zarling, Emily Terrell, Courtney Nusz, Erin Treiber and exchange students Marcella Pellizer and Karla Karbach.
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New Era for Rocket Football
With the departure of head coach Greg Slade after 15 years and a very successful 96-62 record including the 4A State Championship in 2011, assistant coaches Jarrod Foster and Mike Allard, and 16 seniors who graduated after the 2012-2013 school year, the Rocket program will face many changes while attempting to maintain the same level of success. Ray Boese, the defensive coordinator for Coach Slade the past 15 years, has stepped up to the head coach position. Defensive Line Coach Bill Wright, a veteran of 13 Rocket football seasons, also returns along with receivers coach Ryan Hill, beginning his 4th season in Rose Hill, and running backs coach Rob Curtis, beginning his 3rd year on the Rocket coaching staff. Joining the Rockets coaching staff this year are defensive coordinator Austin Wuthrich, offensive line coach Travis Sell, and linebackers coach Aaron Hynick. With so many changes taking place, both the players and the coaches have been working hard this summer. A very young and inexperienced Rocket football team will face the state ranked Buhler Crusaders on September 6th at 7:00 p.m.
Chemistry Counts
The seniors this year must step up and form team chemistry as they graduated many valuable players, including 1st Team All State Forward Austin Dinkel, 1st Team All State Goal Keeper Aaron Parrot, and Honorable Mention All-State Midfielder Brandon Aubuchon. Last season ended in disappointment with a loss in a shootout vs. Trinity in the second round of regionals. Lots of experience and talent returns, however, and the boys are once again planning on chasing that state championship that the program has been so close to several times over the past decade. The boys will open their season when they travel to Coffeyville on August 30th at 7:00 p.m.
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Redemption
Getting third at state the year before may be good enough for some players. However, the volleyball girls have been preparing themselves for the 2013 season, playing in Summer League and dedicating a good chunk of their summer to our new weightlifting program. Nine experienced seniors, led by 4A First Team All State Outside Hitter Kylie Pfaff, look to lead the team towards state this year. The girls step onto the court for their first games on September 3rd at Winfield at 5:00 p.m.

Talent Returns
Emily Terrell led girls cross country to state in 2012 while Kenton Weber and David Reaves also individually qualified for the boys. Terrell received 1st Team All League, 1st Team All State; Weber received 1st Team All League, 2nd Team All State; Erin Treiber received 2nd Team All League; and Reaves received 2nd Team All League. With the addition of some new boy runners, they are hoping to improve and compete on the state level. Their first meet is September 5th in Clearwater at 4:30 p.m. 
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