COLBY, KS — The Colby Event Center was a hub of high-stakes hoops this past weekend as the 41st Annual Orange and Black Classic concluded on Saturday, January 24th. The three-day tournament featured 16 boys and girls teams from Kansas and Colorado, but ultimately, it was a dominant weekend for Hays High School, which secured championship trophies in both brackets.
Girls’ Bracket: Hays Edges Out Standley Lake
The girls’ championship was a nail-biter that saw Hays fend off Colorado’s Standley Lake with a 56-53 victory. Hays marched to the final after convincing wins over Goodland and Wellington.
Final Girls’ Standings:
- Hays (Champions)
- Standley Lake
- Wellington
- Concordia
Individual Honors:
- MVP: Jenna Schmeidler (Hays)
- Sportsmanship Award: Jojo Martin (Standley Lake)
- Coaches Award: Bill Biermann (Goodland)
- Super Shot Champions: Rylie Jessup & Charlize Cash (Concordia)
Boys’ Bracket: Hays Dominates Beloit
On the boys’ side, Hays left no room for doubt in the title game, stifling Beloit in a 52-29 defensive masterclass. While Beloit fought hard to reach the finals with wins over Ulysses and Colby, they couldn’t find an answer for the Hays offense in the finale.
Final Boys’ Standings:
- Hays (Champions)
- Beloit
- Concordia
- Colby
Individual Honors:
- MVP: Jordan Jones (Colby)
- Sportsmanship Award: Dawson Ruder (Hays)
- Coaches Award: Mike Doll (Beloit)
- Super Shot Champions: Gage Pommer & Titus Schrecengost (Standley Lake)
All-Tournament Teams
The following players were recognized for their outstanding individual performances throughout the three-day event:
| School | Girls All-Tournament | Boys All-Tournament |
| Hays | Jenna Schmeidler, Zoe Winter | Izaac Fox, Trey Oakley, Dawson Ruder |
| Beloit | Karlie Smith | Kale Leners, Truitt King |
| Colby | Shaylee Holzmeister | Josiah Hoppe, Jordan Jones |
| Standley Lake | Jojo Martin, Chloe Miller | Titus Schrecengost |
| Concordia | Charlize Cash | Ayden Krier |
| Wellington | Lyndi Barton, Dru Zeka | — |
| Goodland | Lauren Linton | — |
Academic Excellence
The tournament also highlighted “student-athletes” in the truest sense, naming All-Academic Teams for both brackets. Schools like Wellington (Girls) and Standley Lake (Boys) led the pack with the highest number of athletes maintaining top-tier academic standing while competing at a high level.
The 41st edition of the Classic once again proved to be a premier showcase for regional talent, bridging the gap between Kansas and Colorado programs.
Girls All-Academic Team
| School | Student-Athletes |
| Beloit | Lundyn Knight, Ava Sloan |
| Colby | Shaylee Holzmeister, Brittany Swartz |
| Concordia | Rylie Jessup |
| Goodland | Hope Biermann, Autumn Russell |
| Hays | Molly Buckles, Zoe Winter |
| Standley Lake | Heather Johnston, Sami Heath |
| Ulysses | Yoselyn Lerma, Rianna Wilken |
| Wellington | Lyndi Barton, Cruz Cornejo, Kylan Gregory, Clair Ginter, Addy Schnelle, Elle Wright |
Boys All-Academic Team
| School | Student-Athletes |
| Beloit | Charlie Burke |
| Colby | Caleb Cersovsky |
| Concordia | Baylor Knox |
| Goodland | Braylon Mull |
| Hays | Trey Oakley |
| Pine Creek | Rylan Hallam |
| Standley Lake | Asher Serlen, Titus Schrecengost, Gage Pommer |
| Ulysses | Jorge Aguilar |
