Archive: Sports

This year Daylights Savings time not only made us 'spring ahead' one hour with our clocks, but it also heralded in the spring athletics season at Lansing High School.  Athletic Director Ed Redmond says that coming off of a great winter season he is optimistic that the spring teams will continue the momentum.  "Great kids, good coaching, community support," Redmond says.  "It was a fun season.  Kids are having successes on and off the playing fields.  We're expecting another good season.  Numbers are high again.  We have good participation, which is always a goal of mine."

Only a few days into the season, Redmond says he already likes the earlier switch to Daylight Savings.  "I like the early Daylight Savings time," he says.  "The days are longer.  It seems to perk the kids up a little bit.  The more daylight you get, the more the kids' mindset goes toward Spring."

With the State Championships finishing for some teams last week, Lansing had some outstanding successes.  Four swimmers participates in the State meet.  Jake Sandgren earned second place in the 100 yard backstroke event, and Lansing's 200 medley relay team finished sixth in the State.  Indoor Track also went to States, with Ryann Cretney setting a new school record in the 3000m, and the top performance coming from the girls 4 x 200 meter relay team, which set a new Section IV and school record.


Last year's State Wrestling Champion Kyle Dake, who won the top slot at 119 pounds was back again in a higher weight class this year.  "He jumped up to the 130 pound weight class," Redmond says.  "He finished second in the finals to a kid who was already a two-time State Champion.  He beat Kyle 9-4, but Kyle had an outstanding season."

On top of these athletic achievements, two Lansing teams were honored for academic achievement.  The varsity girls basketball and boys bowling teams won the New York State Scholar Athlete award for their academic successes this year.  The top seven kids on each teams had to average 90 or above to be honored with the award.  "In my 12 years as Athletic Director we've never gone a season without at least one," Redmond says.  "Our kids are doing the job in the classroom, which is good to see."

Baseball
This is Redmond's 24th season coaching the varsity baseball team.  10 juniors and 8 seniors return to the team after winning the sectional and regional championships last year.  9 Sophomores have come out for baseball and three freshmen.  "We just started Monday," Redmond says.  "We're starting to feel our way through where we're going to be this year.  A lot of them have been in the program from the modified level up."


"My goal is to improve every day," he says.  "Give them a positive experience so they're having fun and enjoying it.  Keep in mind the high school philosophy of athletics is to enjoy yourself, develop skills, develop them mentally and socially so they learn teamwork, cooperation, hard work -- those are all things that I focus on as a coach, and all the other stuff, the winning and losing, that takes care of itself.  I don't focus the end result as much as the journey to get there."

Varsity Girls Softball
Stacey Bartels takes over the coaching of varsity girls softball this year.  This Fall she coached Lansing's junior varsity volleyball team.  She comes to Lansing from Trumansburg, where she was an assistant softball coach last year.  Bartels has a physical education degree from Ithaca College.

Redmond says the numbers look good with more than 30 players coming out for the junior varsity and varsity teams.  "She's going to bring a lot of enthusiasm into the program," he says.  "We're looking to solidify that program.  We're hoping we can keep Stacey around for many years to coach.  She's a great coaching prospect and I'm confident she's going to do a good job with the girls."

Golf
In golf news, John Kotmel has withdrawn as coach after several stellar seasons, culminating last year with John Duthe's second golf State Championship.  Matt Loveless takes over the team this year, and Redmond says that with about a dozen players coming out for the team the prospects are looking good.  "I'm very confident that Matt Loveless is going to take the program over and continue the tradition that was started many years ago, that John was able to continue, Redmond says"

Kotmel decided to withdraw in the middle of last month.  He had committed a lot of time to the wrestling program as an assistant to head coach Doug Dake.  "John felt like it was time to step back to spend more time on his academics, his math responsibilities," Redmond explains.  "It was a tough decision, because John has some kids coming back that are outstanding players, and he's done a great job with the program in the last few years."

Redmond is confident that Loveless will continue the tradition, and notes that with States on the home course at Cornell this year Lansing will have a home course advantage.  "Matt has good golf background," he says.  "He's an excellent teacher.  He has a good rapport with the kids, and a good manner, so we're looking for good things from our golf team again."


Varsity Tennis
With a highly successful tennis season last year, coach Cindy Wright will face the challenge of replacing seven seniors who helped bring the team into the number two slot iat both the IACs and Sectionals.  The team started the new season Monday with a practice on the indoor court at Eastlake Recreation.  "She's fairly aggressive with her practice philosophy, Redmond says.  "She's pretty creative about finding places to play before the weather gets better."

But Redmond is confident that this year's team will do well, in large part because of his confidence in the coach.  "Cindy Wright has just done a remarkable job building our tennis program," he says.  "We started a few years back and our numbers were not great.  Now there are almost 30 kids in the tennis program.  It's an outstanding program.  Our kids love it and do an outstanding job.  She is able to draw these kids to her.  As an athletic director you love to see coaches who are magnetic, who can draw kids to them."


Varsity Track
With more than 30 boys and over 20 girls coming out for track this Spring, Redmond says he expects Lansing to build on the winter's successes.  Matt Scheffler returns as the boys coach, and David Ames, who assisted Scheffler in the winter season will be taking over the girls team.  "Our track program has had outstanding success," Redmond says.  "We've had kids at the State meet, and our numbers are good again.  They had a great indoor season, and sent some kids to State.  I feel like we're in great shape.  Our track program is respected for the kids and the coaching all throughout Section IV."

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