By CRISTINA JANNEY

Hays Post

Three members of the Striders Track Club traveled to Lawrence Monday to compete in the USATF Junior Olympic Games, while a fourth will compete in the AAU Junior Olympics in Ypsilanti, Michigan, July 29-Aug. 5.

Youth form 5 to 18 from all over the country will be competing in the event.

Makayla Lewallen, 8, of Hays; Lacy Droegemeier, 11, of Hays and Lyndi Zimmerman, 8, of Hays will all compete in Lawrence. Zane Viegra, 9, LaCrosse and Hays, will compete in Michigan.

Droegemeier will compete in the 80 m hurdles, Makayla Lewallen in the 400 and long jump, and Lyndi Zimmerman in the 1500. Viegra will compete in the 800 and 1500.

Lewallen became interested in running because of her sister. She said she likes the long jump best because it feels like you are flying. She said she likes to push herself to do better. This will be her first trip to the Junior Olympics.

Droegemeier, 11, has been with the Striders for four years. Her mother encouraged her to start track because she couldn’t stop her from running around their home. This is her second year to compete at the Junior Olympics.

“I get to meet all new people from different places,” she said.

She said she would love to compete in the international Olympics some day. Her hero is Usain Bolt.

Zimmerman is in her second year with the Striders. She also is a long jumper and says she loves it when she crashes into the sand and she sprays sand everywhere.

Her father also was a Strider when he was younger, and he helps her with her events.

Viegra has spent five years in the Striders with a personal best of 2.48 in the 800 and 5.51 in the 1500.

“I like to run a lot,” he said. “Every year you get to meet new people. It is fun to run with new people.”

Viegra said his hero is Steve Prefontaine, a middle distance runner who competed in the 1972 Olympics. Prefontaine once held seven distance records, but was killed at the age of 24 in a car accident.

Twenty-six athletes from the Hays Striders Track Club were in competition in two regional meets to qualify for the 2017 AAU and USATF Junior Olympics.

Six athletes competed in the AAU Regional Championships on June 24-25 in Joplin, Missouri. All of them qualified for the AAU Junior Olympics in Ypsilanti.

Lance Lang and Viegra were regional champions in their events.

Lang placed first in the 100 m hurdles and 400 m dash, also qualifying in the 200. Viegra placed first in the 800 and also qualified in the 1500.

Also qualifying were Hunter Molthan (800, 1500, 3000), Grace Molthan (800, 1500), Lyndi Zimmerman (800, 1500, long jump), and Emery Zimmerman (1500).

On July 8-9, 19 Hays Striders competed in a Missouri Valley USATF Qualifying meet, also in Joplin.

Droegemeier also competed in the 200 and long jump, Lewallen in the 200, and Zimmerman in the 800 and long jump.

Other athletes in competition were Tacoma Augustine (pentathlon, 80 m hurdles, 3000, high jump), Hunter Molthan (800, 1500, 3000), Carson Moore (100, 200, long jump), Easton Moore (100, 200, long jump), Anthony Ventura (100, 200), Zane Viegra (400, 800, 1500), Connor Winter (shot put and discus), Morgan Armbruster (400, 800) Kinzie Cox (high jump), Brooklyn Lewallen (100 m hurdles, 200 m hurdles, 400, long jump), Sydney Lewallen (long jump), Grace Molthan (800 and 1500), Olivia Rankin (400, long jump, high jump), Katie Rankin (200, 400, long jump), Abby Rueschhoff (200, 400, long jump, triple jump, and Sasha Wasinger (shot put, discus).

“The competition at the USATF Joplin meet was definitely the best competition I have seen in 20 years,” head coach Dave Haberman said in a news release.”We are proud of all of our Striders. Even though some did not qualify to compete in Lawrence, most had their best performances of the year, despite the oppressive heat and humidity of that part of Missouri.”

Haberman said the Striders not only helps the young people develop as athletes, but it helps them become well-rounded people.

PHILLIPSBURG – Rodeo fans will see a different face behind the microphone at Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg.

Randy Corley, who has announced the Phillipsburg rodeo since 1984, is unable to be in Phillipsburg this year, due to his upcoming induction into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs August 4-5.

So his good friend Wayne Brooks will take care of his duties while he is gone this year.

Corley was influential in getting his friend Brooks started in the announcing business.

It was 1994, and Brooks had been riding bareback horses for six years. He loved it, but “I wasn’t any good at it,” he said. He had started announcing small rodeos, and at a rodeo in Phoenix, a mutual friend introduced him to Corley and Corley’s father-in-law, Hadley Barrett. A friendship was struck, and Corley and Barrett signed for Brooks to get his PRCA announcer’s card. “If it hadn’t been for those guys, I don’t know where I’d have been today,” Brooks said.

And it blossomed from there.

Since 1994, Brooks has announced rodeos across the U.S. and Canada, working the Calgary Stampede, Pendleton, Ore., Salinas, Calif., Austin, Texas, Reno, Nev., Tucson, Ariz., and a host more. He’s won the PRCA’s Announcer of the Year award five times, and has been selected to work the Wrangler NFR six times (three times with Corley.)

He has a great regard for his friend. “There’s a reason Randy has won (the PRCA) Announcer of the Year twelve times,” Brooks said. “It’s because he’s positive, he’s fun, he’s energetic, and he’s easy to get along with. Whether you’re at a barbecue or at a rodeo, he’s the same guy.”

Brooks was born in Arizona and grew up in Wyoming and Montana. His dad worked for a western apparel company, opening new stores for them, so the family moved as his job required. He married his wife Melanie in 1992, and they have three children: daughters Taylor and Sheridan, and son Ace. Taylor is a graduate of Texas A&M and employed with a marketing firm. Sheridan is a student at Texas A&M, and Ace will be a sophomore in high school.

When his kids were little, the family traveled with him, leaving as soon as school was out and retuning in August. Those were good days, Brooks said. “Summertime always allowed a feeling of vacation, even though it was a working vacation. There’s no better feeling than having your whole herd of kids and family. It afforded us a lot of years of family bonding.”

The best part of rodeo, for him, is the people. “I enjoy the people,” he said. “Our most valuable group of people in our business is the volunteers, and they are some of the finest, most benevolent people in the world. We wouldn’t have our jobs without them. They are great, great people, doing what they do, for the good of scholarships, their communities, and the economic impact.”

When the Phillipsburg rodeo is over, Brooks will be in a hurry to get home to play a new role: father of the bride. His daughter Taylor will marry the weekend after the Phillipsburg rodeo.

And in 2018, Randy Corley will return. Brooks’ job is only for one year, he emphasized. “I’m glad I can do it for him.”

The Phillipsburg rodeo is August 3-4-5. Performances begin at 8 pm each night. Tickets for the rodeo go on sale July 3 and are available at Heritage Insurance in Phillipsburg and at the gate. They range in price from $12 to $18.

For more information, visit the rodeo’s website at KansasBiggestRodeo.com or its Facebook page (search for Kansas Biggest Rodeo.)

DCF

TOPEKA – Hundreds of young people age out of the Kansas foster care system each year. Many of them leave with few support systems and resources to start their lives as independent adults. In an effort to get them started on the right foot, the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is offering several computer camps this week across the state, where the youth (ages 16 to 21) are receiving free computers and instruction.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to support our youth in foster care, and show them we care about their futures, and we want them to succeed,” DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore said.

The first camp was held Monday, July 17, in Wichita. A second camp was held Wednesday, July 19, in Overland Park, and the final camp took place today, July 20, in Topeka. The camp includes eight hours of instruction on word processing, spreadsheets and Power Point applications to prepare them for employment, managing personal finances and pursuing post-secondary education. Youth also learn how to search and apply for work and complete job applications. One assignment during the camp involves developing a personalized budget. Instructors also educate participants on internet safety and security. At the end of the camp, participants receive a convertible touch screen laptop, three-year warranty, printer and a laptop backpack. This year, 150 young people participated in the computer camps.

“Kansas has been on the forefront of providing current youth in foster care and young adults from foster care with the tools they need to become successful adults,” DCF Independent Living Program Manager Stacey Tidwell said. “Access to technology has become essential for education and employment.”

Kate Ziegler of Salina, was among the camp goers at Washburn University, Topeka. She says that receiving a laptop and technological instruction will help her further her education.

“I’m going to go to Salina Tech for my CAN, and the laptop itself will help me with class work, and the printer will help me with essays,” said Ziegler. “I hear a lot of foster youth say that no one listens and no one cares. Events like this camp, show that people do care.”

This initiative is paid for by the federal Chafee grant, which is 80 percent federal funds, with a mandatory 20 percent State General Funds match. This is the 13th year for the camp.

Additional services are offered to youth who age out of foster care, through the DCF Independent Living program.

· Financial support for post-secondary education and/or certified training programs
· Room and board assistance
· Transportation costs
· Books and materials related to education
· Leadership opportunities
· Medical services through the age of 26.

To be eligible for Independent Living services, young people must have been in foster care after age 15 and likely to age out of care, graduated from high school or completed their GED while in foster care, or had a finalized adoption or guardianship placement after the age of 16.

Learn more about this program.

James Meier recently earned his Board Certification as an Oncology Pharmacist from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties, the premier post-license certification organization serving the pharmacy profession.

BPS Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist have the advanced knowledge and expertise to deal with an increasing number and complexity of drug therapies for treating and preventing cancer, manage cancer-related and drug-related adverse events or clinical situations not encountered in other disease states. BCOP can optimize outcome for patients with malignant diseases by:

• recommending, designing, implementing, monitoring and modifying pharmacotherapeutic plans
• reducing medication errors
• recognizing and responding to adverse physical and emotional issues that may arise during treatment and when providing education and counseling.

Meier is the inpatient pharmacy supervisor and oncology pharmacist at HaysMed and has been with the hospital since 2011.

Today Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. South wind 7 to 16 mph.

Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. South wind 10 to 14 mph.

Wednesday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 98. South wind 10 to 13 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon.

Wednesday NightA 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. North wind 8 to 11 mph.

ThursdayA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. North northeast wind 8 to 11 mph.

Thursday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 64.

FridayMostly sunny, with a high near 88.

Friday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 65.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A new amusement ride law would affect more than a dozen counties in western Kansas that have home-owned carnivals and rides.

Gov. Sam Brownback signed the bill in April following the death of a 10-year-old who rode a giant water slide in Kansas City. The new standard includes more expensive insurance and having rides examined by a certified inspector.

The Kansas Senate passed a subsequent bill postponing the amusement ride law until January 2018. Kansas House Majority Leader Don Hineman says criminal penalties won’t go into effect until then, giving small rural rides a chance to operate this year.

Carrie Handy of the Lane County Amusement Association says there likely will be no rides at their fair next year because certifying volunteers is difficult.