Archive: Sports

Most teams suffering the lose of seven seniors, three of which were all-staters,  might find themselves a tad bit under fire. That has not been the case of the 2010 version of the Lansing HS girls varsity soccer team. A perfect blend of aged experience and exuberant youth finds the four-time defending Section Four champs where it can usually be found, in early season form at the top of the division.

Going into tonight's 7pm home contest against Dryden, the Lady Cats are 5-0 and have outscored their opponents 39-3. As in years past, the team has been fearless on the attack and is getting back its defend at all costs mentality. Led by four four-year varsity playing seniors its seems as the more things change, the more they stay they same.

One quarter into its IAC season, Lansing's varsity volleyball team is developing its rhythm, despite a slow start in Tuesday's match at Southern Cayuga. Two early kills by Tara Miller and a couple SoCo errors were offset by 4 Lansing errors in blocking, defense, and service, tying the set at 4-4. The Bobcats gained momentum with kills by Hannah Armstrong and Blair Wigsten when SoCo passes cleared the net.

Similar opportunistic net play by Kelsey Thomas and Carolyn Prybyl later in the match, plus repeat action by Wigsten and Armstrong, accounted for one third of Lansing's kills on Tuesday. The Bobcats' lead in the first set was solidified by Miller's 3 aces and 7 consecutive service points, along with digs by Thomas and Miller, bringing the score to 12-4. Prybyl and Amber Howser scored the first block, and Prybyl expanded the lead with an ace and 5 service points, 21-10. Armstrong added another kill off a set by Breanna Brann, and continued Lansing pressure led to SoCo errors and a 25-16 win.

On September 9th the Lansing Girls Varsity Swim Team defeated SCCS 69-24.  First place scores:

• 200 Medley Relay  2:10.45  Lansing   Libby Drake, Anna Conte, Courtney Pollack, Marissa Lehr
• 200 Free  2:20.48  Lansing Allia  Ruparelia
• 200 IM  2:50.73  SC  Devon Balk
• 50 Free   27.07   Lansing   Anna Conte
• 100 Fly   1:21.07   Lansing   Chelsea Boles
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The Lansing Cross Country team competed in the annual Groton Labor Day 5K run. The run was held at Groton School and featured team and runners from around the surrounding area. Over 170 people competed in the race, which was to support the Groton Booster Club for their cross country team. Lansing had almost half of the team compete in the race.

Some of the top performers of the day were Cameron Bruce and Shanna Swanson. Cameron finished as the 2nd overall male, with a time of 17:04, and tops in his age group. Shanna finished 46th overall, with a time of 22:22, and that was good enough for her to be tops in her age group.

Lansing High Bobcats showed their tenacity in coming from behind in two volleyball matches this week, once successfully and once falling short, bringing its season record to 1-2.

On September 2, first-year Lansing coach Brenda Powers returned to Moravia High School, her home court in 2009. Her squad met little resistance in the first set, winning 25-13, with aces contributing 11 points. Although Moravia picked up its defense in the second set and held Lansing to 6 aces, Lansing maintained a high-energy game and ceded only 9 points, 25-9. In the third set, Moravia made the most of changes in Lansing's line-up, gaining 5 points before Lansing's first. Lansing's dropped balls and offensive errors stretched the gap to 12 points, 8-20, before the team pulled together.

Lansing showed flashes of talent in its opening volleyball match on Tuesday 8/31 in Trumansburg. However, teamwork fell short as Trumansburg's offense imposed a Swiss cheese effect on the young Lansing squad.

The night had an auspicious start for the visiting team when Tburg was unable to return Tara Miller's first serve and Nicole Washburn, Miller, and Amber Howser dealt with the Raiders' spikes. Breanna Brann's serving extended Lansing's lead to 7-1, with scrappy play by Amber Ryan at the net and Brann assisting Hannah Armstrong to Lansing's first kill.

What time is it?

What time is it?  Listen to the Small Fry football practice, and they’ll tell you.  They will tell you “IT’S FOOTBALL TIME!!!”.   Summer is winding down and instead of camps and cannonballs in the lake school is getting ready to start.  For some very energetic sixth and seventh graders it is also the start of Senior Small Fry football.   

The Fall season in Lansing athletics brings a lot of changes, not the least of which is a new athletic director.  Physical Education teacher and soccer coach Adam Heck has taken on that mantle, and it has forced him to broaden his scope as he prepares the season for almost a dozen varsity, junior varsity, and modified teams.  Other changes include a new athletic code of conduct and new coaches for varsity cross country, football, and volleyball.  But Heck says that the season promises to be a good one for Lansing athletes.

"It's been an adjustment.  I started in July and there has been a lot to do to make sure things are ready for the fall coaches," Heck says.  "To make sure the equipment and the schedules are all set... it's been an adjustment, but I've very excited.  Things are moving in the right direction."

Diane Hicks-Hughes, Aquatics Director for the Lansing Central School District in New York, has been appointed as the new Chairperson for the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) Swimming & Diving Rules Committee for a four year term beginning July 14th, 2010. Diane is the second female to chair the committee.

The rules committee is comprised of eleven members, the chair, one from each of the 8 sections in the country (Sect. 1 - Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont; Sect. 2 - Mideast: Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania,

The new athletic season has already started in Lansing with practices beginning last Monday.  But the season isn't the only thing that is new in athletics this school year.  Three key changes are a new athletic code, three new varsity coaches, and a new Athletic Director (AD).  When layoffs necessitated eliminating the assistant high school principal/athletic director position, the role of athletic director was split 4/6 with a teaching position.  The new AD may be new as AD, but when coaches and athletes began practice this week the face in the AD's office was familiar.

"The situation where I can still teach as well as be the athletic director, I feel, is perfect," says Lansing's new Athletic Director Adam Heck.  "Lots of times the only kids an assistant principal sees are the ones who make bad choices.    It's not a stick and a whistle.  I get to teach and be with the kids during the day, and not just the athletes that are part of our school sports program -- I get to see all the kids.  As a middle school teacher I loved that."

The Niagara District, which includes 80 youth swim clubs throughout Western New York, recently held it’s’ championships in an outdoor pool located in Syracuse’s scenic Burnett Park. Throughout the three-day meet, thunderstorms threatened the meet, but fortunately for the Lansing Cats Swimming Team (LCATs) no events were cancelled as the LCATs captured enough points to earn second place.

“The kids performed beyond the coaches’ expectations," said Coach Bob Terry, who often rides his motorcycle to meets. "This is the highest finish we have ever achieved in the Niagara District championships, and I had a gratifying, dry ride home (With the exception of being dumped on in Cortland for a few minutes!)."

The Lansing Community Aquatic Swim Team (LCATS) is a relatively small club. Rides are shared, overnights happen, parents know parents, parents know kids, and the kids know parents.  My first introduction to Lucas Zelehowsky and his mom, Barb, came when my son commented on how 'cool' Mrs. Z was as he walked me over to her car where a group of teen agers were gathered.  I investigated and found Mrs. Z with an open cooler filled with bread, meats and cheeses, milk, water, Gatorade… I found that interesting and then I found out why.