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Sara Bell

Stories by Sara

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DeSpain announces retirement for June 2014

Minister to the University Ira DeSpain announced he will retire after the conclusion of the 2013-2014 school year. The 1970 Baker alumnus and has served as the university minister since January 1992.

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Track teams repeat as conference champions

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The Baker University track and field teams captured two more conference banners Saturday and Sunday at Liston Stadium as the Wildcats repeated as Heart of America Athletic Conference champions. The men's team claimed its fifth-straight title, while the women took home their fourth consecutive championship.

Wildcats prepare for HAAC Championships

The Baker University track and fields teams are scheduled to host the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships Saturday and Sunday at Liston Stadium.

Athletic department hires new head wrestling coach

The Baker University athletic department announced Tuesday that it has hired Pete Di Pol as the Wildcats' new head wrestling coach. Before accepting the position at BU, Di Pol served as the head coach at Gloucester County College in Sewell, N.J., since 2011. He coached 19 national qualifiers during that time, including one national finalist.

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Track teams host back-to-back meets

In their first of back-to-back home meets, the Baker University track and field teams won nine individual championships and improved on national-qualifying marks during the Wildcat Open Saturday at Liston Stadium.

Wildcats hit standards in KU Relays, Tabor Invite

With the end of their outdoor season quickly approaching, members of the Baker University track and field teams saw some of their toughest competition yet during the Kansas Relays Thursday-Saturday in Lawrence.

Track and field teams win top spots in Dan Gourley Open

The Baker University men’s and women’s track and field teams swept the top spots of the Dan Gourley Open Saturday in Liberty, Mo. The men’s team edged out runner-up Grand View University by nine points, while the women’s team bested No. 2 Grand View by 20.5 points.

Wildcats win eight event championships in CMU Invite

The Baker University track and field teams won eight event championships during the Central Methodist University Invitational Saturday in Fayette, Mo. Junior Katie Thurbon and sophomore Tyler Sloan both recorded first-place finishes and national-qualifying marks.

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Order of Omega rolls in campus bike program

Order of Omega helped sponsor the new Campus Bike Program, which brought eight refurbished bicycles to Baldwin City for the use of students, faculty and staff.

Golfers place first, third in season openers

The Baker University women’s and men’s golf teams finished first and third, respectively, during their season openers. Both teams finished ahead of competing conference opponents in their respective tournaments.

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Track teams open season despite rain delay

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A three-hour rain delay during the Wendy’s Pittsburg State University Invitational Saturday caused events to carry over late into the night, but this did not faze the Baker University track and field team as it claimed five top-two finishes.

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May to retire as head wrestling coach

After five years at Baker University, head wrestling coach Jimmy May announced his retirement effective in the summer of 2013 Monday. May has led the wrestling program throughout its first four seasons and along the way has coached eight All-Americans and 70 national qualifiers.

KNBU stations win five awards in state contest

Baker University’s student radio and television stations, KNBU-FM and KNBU-TV, won five awards from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters.

Faculty evaluates intercultural requirement

During a town hall meeting, Assistant Dean for Liberal Studies Erin Joyce outlined the Liberal Studies Advisory Group’s proposal to implement international or intercultural experience within the Quest program effective in fall 2014.

Eagles sweep baseball team in HAAC opener

The Baker University baseball team dropped its conference-opening doubleheader 2-1 and 3-1 to Central Methodist University Friday at Sauder Field. The losses dropped Baker to 1-15 on the season and 0-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

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Gebhardt, Owen snag All-America status

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Seniors Brandon Gebhardt and Parker Owen worked their way through their respective brackets in the NAIA Wrestling National Championships March 1-2 in Des Moines, Iowa, and earned All-America honors for their performances.

Five Wildcats earn All-America honors

After sending his largest class of athletes to the NAIA Indoor National Championships, head coach Zach Kindler and the Wildcats returned from Geneva, Ohio, with five All-Americans and eight new school records. Sophomore Tyler Sloan, freshman Khadijah Lane, senior Jeremy Gathright and juniors Katie Thurbon and Lauren Jaqua earned All-America honors for the Wildcats by placing within the top eight of their respective events.

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Wildcats win playoff opener 96-64

During the regular season, the Baker University women’s basketball team defeated Peru State College by seven points in both of its matchups. However, the Wildcats exploded for a 32-point victory over the Bobcats in the opening round of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament Thursday, March 1, in Collins Center.

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Seven wrestlers to compete at nationals

Seven athletes on the No. 12 Baker University wrestling team will compete among the country’s elite wrestlers in the NAIA Wrestling National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

1-on-1: with Matt Fry

Learn more about junior baseball player Matt Fry

Track and field teams repeat as conference champions

For the second straight season, the Baker University track and field teams swept the Heart of America Athletic Conference Indoor Championships in dominating fashion Saturday in Lamoni, Iowa.

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Wrestlers finish fourth in NAIA regional

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For the second straight season, the No. 14 Baker University wrestling team finished fourth in the NAIA Central Qualifying Group Tournament Saturday in Collins Center. However, seven wrestlers earned bids to NAIA Wrestling National Championships for their performances.

Wrestling team to host NAIA Central Regional

The No. 14 Baker University wrestling team will return to Collins Center for the third and final time Saturday as the Wildcats host the NAIA Central Qualifying Group Tournament in Collins Center.

1-on-1 with Ciarra Washington

Learn more about junior women's basketball player Ciarra Washington. Washington drained the game-winning free throws Saturday to put the Wildcats ahead of Culver-Stockton College with 3.6 seconds left on the clock.

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Men's basketball drops third straight in 84-67 loss to C-SC

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The Baker University men’s basketball team dropped its third straight conference contest after an 84-67 loss to Culver-Stockton College Saturday in Collins Center. C-SC ranks second in the NAIA in 3-point shooting percentage and the Wildcats showed why Saturday as they nailed 13 from behind the arc.

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Spirit squad captures conference crown

By combining the scores of the performances from WOWzer and the dance and cheer teams, the spirit squad earned the overall Heart of America Athletic Conference banner Saturday in Marshall, Mo. Both the cheer and dance teams also received bid to compete at the national championships in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Underclassmen lead track and field teams in Jayhawk Classic

Three underclassmen had top-five finishes for the Wildcats in the Jayhawk Classic Friday in Lawrence. Sophomore Tyler Sloan finished second in the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Vincent Tadokoro also finished second in his session of the 1,000-meter run and freshman Jeremy Bryan hit a NAIA national qualifying time in the later session of the 1,000-meter run.

Eight wrestlers place in Missouri Valley Invite

The No. 12 Baker University wrestling team continued to steamroll through its schedule Saturday as eight Wildcats placed in the Missouri Valley College Invitational in Marshall, Mo. Baker placed third of 16 teams, falling only behind NCAA Division II Maryville University and No. 6 Oklahoma City University.

Track and field teams add to list of national qualifiers

Seven athletes and two relay teams either hit or improved on NAIA qualifying standards during the ISU Open in Ames, Iowa Friday and Saturday to add to the Wildcats' growing list of national qualifiers.

Three Wildcats finish first at Dave Burgess Invitational

Even with a limited squad competing, the Baker University track and field teams continued to make their presence known Friday as three athletes posted first-place finishes during the Dave Burgess Invitational at Johnson County Community College.

Track and field athletes hit standards, break records

During the Wildcats’ first meet of the season Dec. 8, five athletes earned bids to nationals, and two more athletes joined that list Saturday during the Bill Easton Classic in Lawrence.

Bell forms resolutions for future of women's athletics

Junior Sara Bell discusses strides female athletes made in 2012 and suggests action for further improvements.

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Gebhardt defeats No. 1 NAIA wrestler

After fighting his way to the championship of the NAIA National Wrestling Tournament last season, Gebhardt was pinned by Grand View University’s Eric Thompson and went home the national runner-up. But No. 2 Gebhardt got his revenge Sunday by defeating No. 1 Thompson in a 5-3 decision in triple overtime during the Desert Duals.

Wrestling team faces tough schedule

Head wrestling coach Jimmy May feels as though his team is competing against some of the country’s top wrestlers week after week. At first this might seem like an exaggeration, but May has planned such a competitive schedule this season that it appears to be true.

Students indifferent to national loan debt

When an October report announced that the average loan debt for 2011 college graduates increased by 5 percent from 2010, many national media outlets panicked. While some Baker University seniors appear to be apathetic toward these statistics, others are concerned about what they will mean for the future of the American economy.

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Former Jaguars anchor cross country team

While looking at the individual results from the Baker University men's cross country team's races this season, it is clear that the efforts of the alumni from one Overland Park school have helped turn the team into the nationally-recognized program it is today. The No. 10 Wildcats are led by a group of Blue Valley West High School alumni.

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Men's basketball defeats Vikings to end losing streak

After dropping its conference opener Thursday, the Baker University men’s basketball team bounced back against Missouri Valley College to improve to 1-1 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Saturday in Collins Center. The Wildcats lost to Avila 66-59 but then defeated Missouri Valley 74-61.

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Men's basketball team sweeps Baker Classic

The Baker University men’s basketball team improved to 5-1 on the season Friday and Saturday by sweeping its opponents in the Baker Classic. In their first game of the tournament, the Wildcats defeated Bethany College 77-72, and then they turned around Saturday to beat McPherson College 65-48.

Men's cross country team places 10th at national championships

On Saturday morning the Baker University men’s cross country team was ranked No. 27 in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll, but by the afternoon it earned a spot as one of the top 10 teams in the country.

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Teams to compete in national championships

While their regular seasons have ended, three Baker University fall sports teams have earned bids to the NAIA National Championships. The men’s cross country team, the football team and the women’s soccer team will all compete Saturday.

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Student-athletes try to find balance

Three sports teams and three individuals have qualified for national competitions this season, and while this is exciting for the university, it can put an overwhelming burden on the individuals who made this success happen—student-athletes.

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MNU ends volleyball team's season in HAAC semifinal

In a scene similar to 2011, the Baker University volleyball team once again had the opportunity to end MidAmerica Nazarene University’s season Wednesday in the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament. However, the Pioneers cut the Wildcats' season short by sweeping Baker 25-20, 25-12 and 25-21.

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Volleyball team proceeds to semifinals, defeats Avila

In the opening round of Heart of America Athletic Conference postseason play, the Baker University volleyball team advanced to the tournament semifinals by defeating Avila University 3-1 Saturday in Collins Center.

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Men's cross country team clinches HAAC title

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As the defending Heart of America Athletic Conference champions, the Baker University men’s cross country team had been working to reclaim its title all season. The Wildcats achieved just that Saturday by grabbing five spots in the top 10, and had the meet’s individual winner.

Wrestling team ranked No. 4 in preseason poll

In just its fourth year, the Baker University wrestling team is ranked No. 4 in the country, according the NAIA Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Although head coach Jimmy May said he is appreciative of the recognition, he said the team still has a lot of work to do.

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Smith, Boss shine on senior night

Seniors Savannah Smith and Jana Boss helped lead the Wildcats to a 3-1 victory over Benedictine on senior night and the team’s regular-season finale. The team fell 25-23 in the opening set but bounced back to take the next three 25-11, 25-23 and 25-19.

Volleyball team sweeps Waldorf in final non-conference match

The Baker University volleyball team got back on the winning trail by sweeping Waldorf College 25-15, 25-18 and 25-14 Saturday in Collins Center. Senior Savannah Smith led the Wildcats with a double-double as she recorded 10 kills and 10 digs during the match.

Long, Posler discuss data surrounding first strategic goal

Baker University President Pat Long and Brian Posler, executive vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college of arts and sciences, updated Administrative Cabinet members Tuesday at the Collins House on ways the university anticipates to measure achievement of their vision.

Cross country teams compete at Mid-States Classic

Prior to the NAIA Mid-States Classic Saturday in Winfield, the Baker University cross country teams were excited about the opportunity to see tough competition during the meet, including conference rival Central Methodist University.

Volleyball team falls to MNU in key match

In the opening set, No. 21 MidAmerica Nazarene grabbed an early three-point lead and never looked back as it swept the Wildcats 25-20, 25-15 and 25-22.

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