Kolby Martinez, 21, is born and raised in Fort Scott, according to his cousin Alexis Wilson, Fort Scott.
“He enjoys fishing at Fort Scott Lake, and Gunn Park pond,” she said. “On June 16, 2023 he caught his new personal record of a 50-pound catfish at Fort Scott Lake, using bluegill for bait.”
“He loves fishing and does it as a hobby,” said Wilson.
Kolby is open to helping newcomers learn how to fish, she said.
Left to right: Martin Hudecek-Ashwill, Martin Ashwill II (rear), Adam Ashwill, Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill in this 2017 submitted photo.
The 42nd annual bicycle “Race Across America” will pass through Fort Scott this week, according to a press release.
The bicyclists will cross the length of the American continent, over 3000 miles from Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Ocean, stopping to sleep only when necessary. The average sleep time for a solo is 2-3 hours per day.
Along the route, they pass 54 time stations, spaced approximately 50 miles apart, where their crew must call RAAM headquarters to report the rider’s or team’s arrival time and any other important news.
The Fort Scott Time Station 30 is the 1,778.6 Mile mark.
“Our family runs the time station (Time Station 30) for Race Across America,” said Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill. “We’ve been doing it since 2015 and have entertained hundreds of cyclists and crews from all over the world.”
The family runs the time station from their house at 21 N. Caldwell, Fort Scott.
“We provide a place for the racers and crews to rest, get some food and water, use the bathroom, and we provide escort service to any stores they might want to go to and to Buck Run (Community Center)for showers,” Kristi said. We also fly their nation’s flag on Wall Street and cheer for them as they approach. It is a festive atmosphere and many racers and crew members have said this is the best time station on the route.”
The community provides for the visitors as well.
“Walgreens provides water, Fort Cinema provides popcorn, Taco Bell provides tacos, Dominos provides pizza, and the refrigerator is provided by Rent-A-Center, 4-States Sanitation provides trash bins,” she said. “In addition, Buck Run lets racers and crew members take showers there.”
“Martin also has a small repair shop here where he fixes their bicycles if they need him to,” she said. “He’s a bike mechanic and has an array of tools that the bike mechanic on the team may not have.”
Pictured is the kitchen of the Ashwill family. The family gets food donations from area businesses for the racers.
“Race Across America is an annual international 3000+ mile bicycle race that starts in Oceanside, California and ends in Annapolis, Maryland and runs right through Fort Scott,” she said. “The solos have to make it in 12 days while the teams have to make it in 9 days. There are various times for women and older riders and teams, but the finish times are all around the numbers given.”
This year their are 31 solos and 16 teams.
“One of the teams is a four-man team from Germany in the age category of 80-84,” she said. “They have nine days, 12 hours provided they leave with the solos.”
“The race starts on June 13 and we expect the first rider to arrive on June 18 or 19, depending on how things go in the desert.”
By June 22, all riders should be through the area.
“It gets so hot out there (in the desert) that sometimes the riders succumb to the heat and end up not finishing the race. The forecast for this year is that it’s supposed to be cooler and, if that’s the case, there won’t be as many DNF’s and this time station will be very busy. We are every year, but this will make it even more so.”
“DNF means Did Not Finish,” she said. “Nobody wants that, but it does happen often during this race.”
Martin Hudecek-Ashwill with Christoph Strasser from Austria.
The time station in Fort Scott will be staffed with enthusiastic volunteers and provide a festival-like atmosphere for spectators of all ages and the traveling group of racers and crews as they pass through the community, according to the press release from Ashwill.
The manned time station is located at 21 N. Caldwell and is an open house to all racers and crew, she said.
“Race officials are invited to take their sleep at the Time Station 30 house instead of spending money at a hotel or sleeping in their cars, which is the majority case,” Ashwill said. “In 2015 we opened our house for the event and the racers and crew loved it. It is the first time that the Race Across America actually had a house opened up to them.”
May-Brit Christiansen from Norway, Adam Ashwill, Johnny Stausholm, from Norway, Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill, Martin Hudecek-Ashwill holding the flag of Norway in this 2017 submitted photo. “Johnny was the rider and had to DNF in Arizona, but still drove to Fort Scott to see the time station and brought gifts for Adam,” Kristi said.
“This is the only time station that has been in RAAM movies, one of which was shown at the AMC Theater in Olathe,” Kristi said. “The movies have been on airlines and have been shown all over the world.”
The time station members with Stefan Schlegel and his crew from Germany in 2017. Schlegel had to quit the race at this time station for health reasons and threw a barbecue for the family and anyone who happened to walk by,
The Fort Scott Hurricanes team, 2022. Submitted photo.
Fort Scott Hurricanes is a competitive summer swim team for youth who range in age from 5-18 years.
The group started around 1980, said Tara Holt, who is the Parent Board President of the swim team.
This year the team is part of the Tri-State Swim Conference.
The local club petitioned Tri-State at the fall conference meeting in 2022 to become a permanent member.
“Full, official membership gives our team the right to vote at conference meetings and to be on the rotation to pick invitational swim meet dates,” she said. “The conference approved our permanent membership… at the first of the month. Being a part of the Tri-State Swim Conference has given our swimmers more consistent competition.”
The head coach of the Hurricanes, in her fourth season, is Samantha Short.
Hurricane’s Assistant Coach Claire Holt, Eli Holt and Coach Samantha Short at the 2022 Tri-State A Championships. Submitted photo.
“We are fortunate to have her back coaching for us this season! The kids and parents love her!” Holt said “Our new assistant coach will be Claire Holt. Claire is joining us as a coach after having been a swimmer for the Hurricanes for 13 seasons. She graduated last year.”
One way to support the youth swim team is to order Papa Don’s Pizza on Wednesday, May 17 from 10:30 A.M. to 8 P.M.
“Papa Don’s will be giving the Hurricanes 10% of the proceeds that day!” Holt said. “The Hurricanes thank Papa Don’s for their generosity!”
“The Hurricanes will have a meeting for the parents of new swimmers on Wednesday, May 3 at 5:30 P.M. in the small gym at Buck Run Community Center,” Holt said.
The 4A Girls Sub-State Basketball Championship game between Topeka-Hayden and Fort Scott will be Saturday, March 4th at 5:00 at Fort Scott High School.
Doors will open to spectators at 3:45.
Admission is $8 adults, $6 students. No passes per KSHSAA post-season policy.
FSHS students will get in for free but must get ticket at door.
The FSCC Cheer Team: Front row: Seth Thomas, Angie Martinez, Allie Brewer, Karlie Knechtel, Emily Noll. Second row: Addey Froggatte, Madison Warner, Haven Conner, Mackenzie Heuszel, Lamyjah Lewis- Kent, Denise Barnard, Brooke Snell, Lillie Easterby. Boys: Brayden Moore, Xavier Kasper,Josh Martin, Gage Pugh, Malachi Kucza, Ethan Bittle, Donovan Law and Javonte Garrett Top row of girls: Julia Lopez, Hannah Merando, Savanna Fisher, Haily Sheat, Stephanie Matul, Macy Michalski, Claire Holt Not pictured: Andrea Matul and Ally Gomez Gonzales. Submitted photo.
The Fort Scott Community College Cheer Team is heading a second time to Florida for the National Cheer Association contest. There are over 400 teams competing in the contest on April 5-9 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
“We compete small coed advanced against other junior colleges all over the nation,” FSCC Head Cheer Coach Chelsea Yount, said.
The cheer teams cheer all FSCC men’s and women’s basketball games, home flag football games, and “We are super fans home volleyball games,” Yount said.
“We also compete in four competitions this year,” she said. “National virtual college championship-we are reigning national champions,
Innovative choreography College open competition, and NCA nationals Region 6 regional games.”
The team practices Monday – Friday from 8-10 a.m. plus three hours a week of weights, and has a two-hour study hall in addition to the FSCC games.
Head coach Yount, from Shawnee, is assisted by coach Allee Morillo, Olathe.
From left Allee Morillo, FSCC Assistant Cheer Coach and Head Coach Chelsea Yount. Submitted photo.
The team is comprised of the following athletes and where they are from:
Addey Froggatte – Princeton, KS
Allie Brewer – Ottawa, KS
Ally Gonzales Gomez- Carthage, Mo
Andrea Matul- Carthage, Mo
Angie Martinez- Houston, TX
Brayden Moore- Fort Scott, KS
Brooke Snell- Wichita, KS
Claire Holt- Fort Scott, KS
Denise Barnard- Nevada, MO
Donovan Law- La Cynge, KS
Emily Noll- Spring Hill, KS
Ethan Bittle- Prattville, AL
Gage Pugh La Cynge, KS
Haily Sheat- Lamar, MO
Hannah Merando- Walnut, KS
Haven Conner- Mound City, KS
Javontte Garrett Memphis, TN
Josh Martin La Cynge, KS
Julia Lopez- Arma, KS
Karlie Knechtel- Boulder, CO
Lamyjah Lewis-Kent- Omaha, NE
Lillian Easterby- Wichita, KS
Mackenzie Heuszel
Macy Michalski- La Cynge, KS
Madison Warner
Malachi Kucza- Lawrence, KS
Mason O’Brien- Uniontown, KS
Savanna Fisher- Carthage, Mo
Seth Thomas- Lawrence, KS
Stephanie Matul- Carthage, Mo
Xavier Kasper La Cynge, KS
The FSCC Cheer Team. Submitted photo.
To help get the team to nationals, they have several fundraisers.
“We currently have a raffle for a Visa 500$ gift card,” Yount said. “You can reach out to us on social media or email me at [email protected] .”
“We will have several other fundraisers coming up, and are always looking for business sponsors to help fund the trip,” she said. “All funds raised will go to competition fees, hotel stay, food, flight/travel expenses, team gear and more.”
The Fort Scott 5/6th grade Tiger football team is undefeated and will host on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. at Frary Field the championship game against Prairie View.
“These boys have worked so hard, said Leslie Godden “They’d love to have the stands packed and have other community schools/ events and older athletics there to support them!”
“Also the youth cheer team will be there cheering them on,” she said.
AXELL HODGES RECLAIMS FREERIDE VICTORY ON THE LARGEST FREERIDE COURSE IN THE WORLD AT RED BULL IMAGINATION
Tyler Bereman and Julien Vanstippen Complete the Podium in Second and Third Place Respectively
Viewers can Watch the Competition Highlights on ESPN2, ESPN+ or Red Bull TV
KANSAS, Sept. 25, 2022 – Every so often a unique and exceptional phenomenon comes along leaving almost every person in its presence speechless – the third year of Red Bull Imagination was kind of like that. Event visionary Tyler Bereman proved that there were plenty of ideas left in the tank, as he and Jason Baker of Dream Traxx brought forth a course so large and dense that it set a new standard for the already watershed event. To put it to use, ten of the world’s top freeriders journeyed to Fort Scott, Kansas for a week of remarkable action and progression, taking the sport to new heights, figuratively (and almost literally as well). As freeriding is not all about competition, a three-day “expression session” preserved the integrity of the sport before the final event day that saw Axell Hodges claim a victory with Bereman and Julien Vanstippen earning second and third place, respectively.
The terms “art” and “dirt bikes” aren’t usually used in the same sentence to describe anything, let alone freeride motocross, but there are few words to translate the visual impact of this year’s course. Rookie and returning riders, judges, and spectators were stunned at first sight of it, with some describing it as “an art installation in its purest form,” and others’ just shaking their head in disbelief. The bespoke playground spans twelve square acres and contains more than 120 confirmed jumps (an increase from 94 jumps in 2021). The smallest jump was an estimated 65 feet long and the largest jump reached more than 160 feet. Once the initial shock wore off, the riders took to this “art installation” and used their dirt bikes like paint brushes to bring it to life.
The complete lineup of riders at Red Bull Imagination 2022 included:
Red Bull Imagination visionary, host, and 10-time X Games medalist Tyler Bereman
2022 X Games Gold medalist, 12-time X Games overall medalist Axell Hodges
2022 X Games ‘Best Whip’ Gold medalist, six-time X Games overall medalist Tom Parsons
Four-time X Games medalist and World Record Holder Vicki Golden
Two-time X Games medalist and current freeride motocross rider Josh Hill
2022 Hill Jam ‘Best Whip’ winner freerider Christian Dresser
2022 X Games quarterpipe medalist Guillem Navas
Two-time X Games medalist Julien Vanstippen
X Games participant Kohl Denney
Best Style at Farm Jam New Zealand rider Lewi Woods
The top of the week started with the riders steadying their nerves and feeling out the course for the first time. But what started with hesitation quickly turned into enthusiasm, and it didn’t take long before everyone was feeding off each other’s energy, navigating the jumps, finessing the technicality, and truly pushing each other to try more and more. Riders brought their A-game in every way possible, often hitting a line so creative others might not have envisioned it before. And because everything was taller, bigger, steeper, and more technical, the anticipation, camaraderie and downright fun persevered all week long. By Thursday’s final session, the skills on display were astounding, and the vibe was unmatched.
Some of the expression session highlights included:
Bereman hitting an iconic 184-foot jump at approximately 70 feet in the air – soaring for about six seconds and stealing the attention of every single person on the course, before finally pulling off a somewhat sketchy landing. The entire place erupted in celebration with raw emotion and many describing it as “the gnarliest jump they had ever seen.”
Golden shined in true form as a leader amongst the other riders in the practice sessions. She led the pack into the 120-foot road gap transfer over the container just before dark, which inspired Twitch, Hodges and Vanstippen’s back flip session later that night.
Shortly after, Vanstippen hipped a transfer from the technical jib zone to K-Dubs Kingdom and landed a 130-foot super flip, sending the riders and onsite personnel into a roar.
Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg, Hodges and Denney landed backflip transfers thereafter, while the other riders hit the jump with whips and nac nac’s.
On competition day, the riders had two three-minute windows to ‘wow’ the judges and showcase their most artistic line they had dreamt up all week. The riders were scored on magnitude, creativity, execution, and the overall line they carved on the competition day with only the best single score run counted. The panel of legendary judges included Robbie Maddison, ‘Twitch,’ Steve Haughelstine, and Ronnie Faisst, observed the competition from a tower overlooking the entire course.
Australian Woods opened the competition, giving the first-time spectators a rich taste of what the next several hours of riding would bring. Denney was next, and in true Denney fashion, the vibe of his button-down shirt was all party as he led off his run with a backflip nac nac on the big air zone. Navas, Vanstippen, Parsons, Dresser and Hill maximized creativity through their lines, hitting massive whips, flipping the “moon booter,” and throwing no footers over the “dumb and dumber” double jumps. Bereman and Hodges followed suit, giving the crowd an absolute show, and arguably spending more time in the air than on the ground. Despite Bereman’s impressive “big dawg” jump and huge air over the Fasthouse on-course feature, Hodges wowed the judges with a run that tricked nearly every jump including clearing the 180-foot jump with a no-footed can can, a massive backflip over the road, catching big air in K-Dubs Kingdom and playing to the crowd throughout. Hodges, Bereman and Vanstippen led 1-2-3 after the first round with 98, 96 and 92 points respectively.
The winds were higher than desired heading into round two and many riders weighed risk and reward, ultimately making the tough decision to sit out and end the day pleased with their first round’s score. But Dresser and Navas weren’t quite done yet, as both took a second run on the course and further displayed their inventiveness by hitting tricks and new lines not seen from them before. Dresser’s score increased from 82 to 85 and Navas’ score increased from 85 to 88, moving him up to fifth place.
As for Hodges and Bereman, they put their second pass at a competition run aside and paired up to show the crowd exactly what the sport is all about. In the spirit of freeride, the two hit their final line together. It’s hard to overstate how important this moment was for freeride motocross. Two competitors, setting aside the competition to simply vibe. Parallel lines, tandem hits, culminating in both riders revving their engines atop the Fasthouse feature at the center of the course. Hodges and Bereman embraced each other amid the smoke of their rear tires. It was a joyful moment, a celebration of sport, and the purest expression of Bereman’s imagination.
The final scores for the event were as follows:
Axell Hodges – 98
Tyler Bereman – 96
Julien Vanstippen – 92
Kohl Denney – 90
Guillem Navas – 88
Josh Hill – 87
Christian Dresser – 85
Lewi Woods – 82
Tom Parsons – 80
Coming off a compound fractured wrist with a 12-week mandatory recovery period, Bereman was only cleared to ride the week of Red Bull Imagination. “There is something to be said about facing your fears and overcoming them,” said by Bereman. “We [Bereman and Baker] are just scratching the surface of what’s possible at Red Bull Imagination.”
Last week, Red Bull Imagination – the ultimate evolution of freeride motocross – returned to Fort Scott, Kansas for its third year bigger and badder than ever. A sport that’s always lived on the fringes of motocross will have its national moment this Sunday @ 5pm ET with an ESPN 2 broadcast and ESPN+ stream.
Once again, event visionary Tyler Bereman and course builder Jason Baker have put their heads together to create a course boasting a seemingly endless array of new features and massive jumps to inspire and challenge riders like never before. Bereman is now a proven leader of a sport defined by its disregard for convention and embrace of creativity to see what’s possible on a bike.
To learn more: hyperlink to History of Freeride video put out by Red Bull Motorsports and the just-released first episode previewing Sunday’s competition.
All the action will debut in a one-hour show on September 25, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2 and ESPN+. #RedBullImagination
John Metcalf, a Fort Scott Middle School Physical Education teacher and student support employee, has received the Middle School Coach of the Year award from the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
He will be receiving the award on October 8 in Salina.
“I have coached middle school wrestling for five years,” he said.
“We have around 50 kids come out each year for middle school wrestling.”
“I enjoy coaching the sport of wrestling because wrestling is a one on one sport,” he said. “So the happiness on a kids face when they know they are the only reason that they won is amazing!”
“I kind of always coached wrestling,” he said. “Since I was in high school, I would show up and help out with the kids club practices whenever I could make it. While I was at Fort Scott Community College I was offered to help start the wrestling program as an assistant wrestling coach at Uniontown. I coached there for one year before I went to Pitt State for college.”
“I didn’t get back into the coaching side of wrestling until I graduated in 2018,” he said. “I then got a job at Fort Scott Middle School as a para and also got hired as an assistant middle school wrestling coach with my dad who was the head coach at the time.”
“This past year my dad retired and I was then hired to replace him as the middle school head wrestling coach,” he said.
Kathi Hall, taken from the USD234 website.
Kathi Hall is a 6th Grade Language Arts, Reading, and Social Studies Teacher at Fort Scott Middle School and she helps coach wrestling.
“This is my fourth year coaching wrestling,” she said. “I did become an assistant coach because of the increase in girl athletes in wrestling. The count of female athletes in the program varies but you can be sure that they increase each year.”
“I have always been around wrestling for the last 28 years, since my three adult boys wrestled from the time they were 5, 7, and 9 in kids club and then in high school,” she said.
The Marmaton Massacre Festival, a mountain bike race held annually in Fort Scott’s Gunn Park is September 17 th and 18th.
The Marmaton Massacre Festival is a full weekend of mountain bike racing, free camping, food, and live music, with the Marathon Race on Saturday, followed by live entertainment, free camping, and then category races on Sunday, according to https://www.singletracks.com/bike-races/the-marmaton-massacre-festival/ .
“This is a real grass roots event, on hand-built single-track trails,” according to the website.
Gunn Park is located on Fort Scott’s west side on Park Avenue.
The first bike race trails were built by Frank Halsey, an avid mountain bike rider, who than established a group called Gunn Park Trails. The group maintains the trails throughout the year and organizes local rides. See their Facebook page for updates on the trail conditions. https://www.facebook.com/GunnParkTrails
Athletes from the region participate in the annual event, with last year’s winner from Oklahoma City and the previous year, from Wisconsin.
Even though the mountain bike race is not really a spectator sport, the public is encouraged to attend the Saturday evening entertainment, because local musicians D.J. Brown and the Bourbon County Revival will be playing at 7 p.m., Frank Halsey, event coordinator said.
Frank Halsey, event organizer, hugs his grandson following a first place win in the kids’ race in July 2018.
Also performing will be the Fort Scott High School Select Music Ensemble in the late afternoon, Halsey said.
Races occur on Saturday, the 17th, from noon till 4 p.m.
All activities are staged at Shelter House #6.
Volunteers are welcome and needed, Halsey said. He can be contacted at 620-704-2730.
A food truck, “Bogan’s Bites”, will be onsite for refreshments.
On Saturday, events begin with packet pickup at noon, and a four-hour marathon race will begin at 1 p.m.
“The little kid’s race is at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday,” Halsey said. “Kids must wear a helmet, and parents must sign a liability waiver. Eric’s Bike & Board from Overland Park will have their event van onsite and be repairing bikes.”
Kids 10 and under, race for free, and compete in a one-mile race.
At 6 p.m. there will be a dinner for participants.
KANSAS, Sept. 7, 2022 – Red Bull Imagination year three promises to preserve its integrity and continue to deliver on its mission to progress the sport of freeride motocross. Ten new and returning riders will square off on the 2022 evolution of the event’s custom-built “playground” course. These ten riders bring an immeasurable amount of talent to Red Bull Imagination, and will demonstrate their impressive level of skill, taste, and creativity over the four-day event. Alongside Tyler Bereman, the founder of Red Bull Imagination, will be returning riders Josh Hill, Vicki Golden and Axell Hodges, the reigning champion who will defend his crown. Joining in on all the action for the first time are rookie riders Guillem Navas, who recently impressed with his first X Games appearance, Julien Vanstippen and more.
Rest assured that the returning riders won’t have a leg up on the rookies as the course continues to transform in ways that devalues prior knowledge from previous years. Best described as a life-sized video game at this point, it will feature more options, such as blade transfers in the “technical jib section,” a snowboard-style spine to open up new lines, and scalable options to make the course as simple or complex as the riders see fit. In addition, the huge jumps, 150-foot tree jump, and moon-booter will require technical prowess, creative ability, and downright finesse.
Riders returning for Red Bull Imagination 2022 are:
Red Bull Imagination visionary, host, and 10-time X Games medalist Tyler Bereman
2022 X Games Gold medalist, 12-time X Games overall medalist Axell Hodges
2022 X Games ‘Best Whip’ Gold medalist, six-time X Games overall medalist Tom Parsons
Four-time X Games medalist and World Record Holder Vicki Golden
Two-time X Games medalist and current freeride motocross rider Josh Hill
2022 Hill Jam ‘Best Whip’ winner freerider Christian Dresser
Riders who will bring their style and skills to Fort Scott for the first time:
2022 X Games quarterpipe medalist Guillem Navas
Two-time X Games medalist Julien Vanstippen
X Games participant Kohl Denney
Best Style at Farm Jam New Zealand rider Lewi Woods
The 2022 course will debut expanded features and new concepts that continue to move away from the confines of racing and traditional freestyle motocross. The course is brought to life by Bereman and Jason Baker of Dream Traxx who have seemingly infinite visions for how to create a space for riders to push the sport. As described by Bereman after the 2021 competition, “[Red Bull Imagination] is a massive work in progress. We’re learning as we go and we’re going to continue pushing freeriding in the right direction, giving opportunities to riders that they wouldn’t have anywhere else.”
The competition format follows suit from 2021 with judging criteria based on magnitude, creativity, execution, and the overall line the riders carve on the competition day. The panel of legendary judges includes Robbie Maddison, Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg, Steve Haughelstine and Ronnie Faisst. The riders will have two three-minute windows to ‘wow’ the judges and the best single-scoring run will count as their overall result. The competition will be commentated by Jason Weigandt and Jeff Emig on Saturday, Sept. 17.
All the action will debut in a one-hour show on September 25, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2 and ESPN+. In-person tickets are still available for purchase at https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/imagination. Pricing starts at $65 for adults and $30 for kids. Red Bull Imagination 2022 is supported by Bereman’s partners Fasthouse and 805.
“Tickets are still available for the event on Adam LaRoche’s ranch,” Mike DeCarlo, Scrimshaw PR- Co-Founder, said.
Through the Red Bull network, hi-res video and still images are captured and made immediately available for editorial use for all media channels including television, film, print, mobile and digital. The content is centrally located in the Red Bull Content Pool for media partners. For photography and footage on Red Bull Imagination, visit www.redbullcontentpool.com.
About ESPN+
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