Champion junior Owen Kuhl was named Co-District 26-5A MVP and Boerne High’s Jackson Grimes was voted the unanimous Pitcher of the Year.

For the Chargers, junior Cal Isley was a unanimous first team outfielder, senior Brody Bendele was a first-team first baseman, senior Austin Garritano was a first-team third baseman and junior Ethan Coleman was a unanimous first-team pitcher, while Boerne High senior Jake Perez was a first team outfielder Champion junior Zak Al-Arashi was a second- team outfielder and Charger senior Garland Whitehead was a second- team shortstop, while Boerne High senior Ronnie Scarbrough was a second-team catcher and Greyhound senior Eli Srp was a second-team pitcher.

For the Greyhounds, senior Otis Skubal, junior Josh Kory, senior Colton Shaver and junior EJ Goolsby were named honorable mention.

For the Chargers, senior Jaedyn Yamaguchi, senior Blake Ott, sophomore Lyndon Austin and junior Brody Eisert were named honorable mention.

Both Boerne ISD baseball teams made the playoffs this year after the Chargers claimed their third straight district title at 13-3, while the Greyhounds rallied to finish third in 26-5A at 11-5.

Boerne High (20-13 overall) faced Cedar Park in the first round and dropped the first game, won the second game and then fell in Game 3.

Champion (34-8-1) beat Buda Hays in the first round in three games and defeated Southwest in three games before sweeping La Joya Palmview.

The Chargers faced Leander Rouse in the fourth round for the regional title and the right to advance to the state semifinals. The Raiders took the first game, Champion evened it by winning the second game and then Rouse closed it out by claiming the third game.

Galloway wrapped up his career at Texas State University and Johnson plays at the University of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma played in the Atlanta Regional that featured host Georgia Tech, The Citadel and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

OU beat The Citadel, 8-3, lost to Georgia Tech, 9-3, and then beat The Citadel again, 15-5. From there, the Sooners had to beat Georgia Tech twice and did it.

Oklahoma won the first game, 15-8, and then Johnson scored the tying run in the ninth and then the Sooners won it in the 10th with a run, 8-7, to advance to the Super Regionals this week against the University of Kansas in the Lawrence regional.

Texas State played in the College Station Regional that featured host Texas A&M, USC (Southern Cal) and Lamar University.

Texas State beat USC, 5-4, lost to A&M, 17-2, and was then eliminated by USC, which went on to win the regional and will play UNC in the Chapel Hill regional.

Galloway made a great catch in right field but needed attention after running into the wall. He played a few more games with the injury.

Galloway is a senior at Texas State and graduated from BHS in 2022. Johnson is a junior at OU and graduated in 2023. The duo played on the same Greyhound teams for several seasons.

Rashawn’s father, Greg Galloway, is an assistant baseball coach with Geneva School of Boerne.

Senior Gray Bruner and senior Robert Jons were named to the DIII - District 5 first team, while senior Brady Chandler, junior Bryce Hanover and sophomore Chase Doran were voted to the second team.

Senior Harris Priesmeyer, junior TJ Cross, freshman Eli Arnold and freshman Levi McPherson landed on the honorable mention team.

Bruner was also named honorable mention all-state, while Bruner and Chandler earned academic all-state recognition.

The Eagles had a solid year and took first place at the Centerpoint tourney. Geneva went 15-9 overall this year and finished 7-3 in district to claim second place. They faced First Baptist Christian – Pasadena in the first round and were defeated 4-2.

Both Dear and Thiele were multi-sport standouts and had great senior seasons.

Jackson Dear

Jackson Dear is the son of Andy and Emily Dear. He was a multi-sport letterman, competing in cross country, basketball and track during his career and excelled in all three.

Dear is the only fourtime regional qualifier in cross country and was a state qualifier this year and a two-time cross-country MVP. He owns seven of the top 35 fastest cross-country race times, including three in the top 11.

Dear was a two-time first-team all-district performer in basketball and is the only track athlete to win district in all three distance races – the 800, 1600, and 3200.

Dear leaves Comfort as the school record holder in the 3200.

Ella Thiele

Ella Thiele is the daughter of Brian and Leslie Thiele. She was one of the best performers ever in the sports in which she competed.

Thiele was a three-time regional qualifier and one of only three, two-time state qualifiers in cross country and owns 14 of the top 40 fastest cross-country race times.

Theile was a district champion and three-time MVP in cross country and was a threetime MVP in softball. She was a perennial all-district performer in softball, including Co-Utility Player of the Year in this, her senior season. Thiele leaves as the school record holder in RBIs, runs scored and stolen bases.

On the first Saturday in June of each year, everyone can fish recreationally without licenses or endorsements. This opportunity exists so that more people can try fishing for the first time, Consider inviting a friend or family member to join you.

Fishing in State Parks

Anglers can also enjoy free fishing all year at more than 70 state parks (park entry fees still apply). All other fishing regulations, such as length and bag limits, remain in effect. A fishing license and endorsement are not required if fishing on state park property or in waters completely enclosed by a state park. On man-made structures (docks, piers, jetties, etc.) within state parks, fishing is allowed by pole-and-line only, and each person is limited to two poles. Please check with the park before participating in any fishing activity and to confirm any additional regulations.

Fishing on Private Property

A fishing license is not required to fish on waters completely enclosed within private property.

Geneva School of Boerne has been recognized by the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) as the top school in the TAPPS 4A classification for the fifth time. The school has earned this honor 12 times since 2010 in various classifications.

The Henderson Cup is awarded by TAPPS to each school in the six classifications that scores the most points during the year in competitive academic, athletic and fine arts events sponsored by TAPPS.

“Winning the Henderson Cup is an affirmation of Geneva’s triple commitment to academics, athletics and fine arts. Our school resists early specialization in any one area. Instead, we encourage all our students to participate in all three and we work hard to make it possible for them to do so. We want our students to explore who God created them to be and what it is that He created them to do. The Henderson Cup is a result of the enthusiasm with which they have embraced these opportunities at Geneva,” Geneva Head of School Leslie Moeller said.

This 2025-26 TAPPS accomplishment included a Division II Orchestra State Championship for the third year in a row (and six times overall) as well as state runner- up finishes in the visual arts, varsity girls soccer and varsity girls tennis.

Geneva has won the Henderson Cup five times as a TAPPS 4A school (201718, 2018-19, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26), twice as a TAPPS 3A school (20142015, 2015-2016), twice as a 2A school (2012-2013, 2013-2014) and three times as a 1A school (2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012).

Geneva tallied 78 total points to win this year’s cup and received 26 points from fine arts and 52 from athletics – 28 from girls teams and 24 from boys teams.

Lubbock Christian School finished second with 65 points (20 fine arts and 45 athletics) and The Covenant School – Dallas placed third with 64 points (8 points from fine arts and 56 athletics).

“Students at Geneva have continued to excel in all the areas that this cup represents. This shows the consistency of student engagement, excellence and achievement by our students, coaches and faculty by winning this award 12 times over the last 16 years,” Rhetoric School Headmaster Matt Donnowitz said.

The school first introduced varsity competition to its students in the 200809 school year. The first graduating senior class was in 2011 with 19 students. This year, 39 seniors graduated in the Class of 2026.

Geneva is a 12-PK school that provides a classical education from a biblical worldview to equip students for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership to the glory of Jesus Christ. Geneva focuses on developing core skills needed to learn and succeed— reading, writing, speaking, listening, understanding, thinking and creating. Geneva shapes students to embrace virtue faith, hope, love, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, according to the school’s website.

The Chargers graduated last Thursday and then played Games 2 and 3 of their series against Leander Rouse that weekend. Champion was hoping to play a little longer, but the Raiders defeated the Chargers in last Saturday’s winner-take-all Game 3 in Seguin.

After Champion had closed the gap to 5-4, Rouse pulled away by scoring the last five runs of the game for the 10-4 win.

The Chargers end their season at 34-8-1 and graduated nine seniors. Seniors are Nick Landin, Garland Whitehead, Brody Bendele, Ethan Jensen, Jaedyn Yamaguchi, Parker Davis, Austin Garritano, Blake Ott and Jacob Whitaker.

Champion coach Ben Woodchick said the seniors left quite a legacy and would be missed.

“A lot of the legacy that goes into this program falls on their backs,” he said. “That relationship we’ve forged through it all is super special for me.”

Only Whitehead was on the varsity as a freshman in 2023 when the Chargers played Rouse for the regional title that Champion claimed and moved on to play at the state tourney. The Raiders took the regional title this year and played in the state semis this weekend.

Champion got hot offensively in last Saturday’s game, but it was only for one inning and the team was already trailing 5-0 before that happened. A walk to Jaxson Denman and a double by Whitehead got them going in the fourth frame. Ott grounded out but brought in Denman and it was 5-1.

From there, Bendele smacked a 2-run homer over the left field fence to score himself and Whitehead and the Chargers had cut the gap to 5-3. With the bases loaded and two outs, Yamaguchi walked and brought in Lyndon Austin to make it 5-4, but that’s as close as the Chargers would get.

Rouse fired back with 2 runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-4 and then added 3 in the bottom of the fifth for the 10-4 lead that held until the end.

The Chargers didn’t get many breaks early and had a couple of interference calls that went against them and also lost a starter due to an injury in the outfield chasing a deeply hit ball.

“The game was out of our control more than we’ve had all year. You make mistakes against good teams because they put pressure on you,” Woodchick said. “There was a time when it was under control, but it was brief. We had a lot of momentum, but Rouse bounced back; they’re a dang good ball team.”

It was pitching by committee on both sides after the Chargers used four different arms and the Raiders threw three different pitchers in Saturday’s game.

Brody Eisert started and was replaced by Game 2 closer Parker Davis. Cal Isley, normally the closer, made an early appearance and then Caleb Brown finished it out in the sixth.

Jack Doss started for Rouse and was pulled during Champion’s rally in the fourth but since the Chargers never tied the game, Doss recorded the win and remained undefeated at 8-0.

Rouse tallied 7 hits and Champion had 6 hits, the homer by Bendele, a double and single by Whitehead, two singles from Isley and a single from Owen Kuhl.

While they are graduating nine seniors, Woodchick said the players that are returning are excited about next year.

“The way the program is built, people are excited about next year and rightfully so,” he said. “We have a lot of juniors that are super hungry. They’ve looked at the success the seniors have had and are asking, why not us?”

The Chargers came through with a 6-4 victory Friday at Buda Johnson and it was Jaedyn Yamaguchi, who had the hit of the game after he broke a 4-4 tie with a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to score Lyndon Austin and Cal Isley for the two-run lead that held.

The Chargers 6-4 win forced a Game 3 Saturday in Seguin that was won by Rouse to advance to the next round.

Yamaguchi, Champion’s senior catcher, said he got the pitch he wanted and smacked it.

“It was a fastball right over the plate and I drove it somewhere in the gap and it helped get the win for us,” he said.

Yamaguchi had slipped to the No. 9 in the batting order but caught fire and was hitting in the clean-up or the No. 4 spot by the third round of the playoffs.

“I had some struggles early, but I just kept fighting and kept doing my thing,” he said. “I just keep playing, I put in the work and my hitting came back.”

Owen Kuhl started on the hill and earned the win. Usually, Cal Isley is the closer, but Chargers head coach Ben Woodchick brought in Parker Davis in the fifth and left him in to finish it out because Davis was doing so well and it also let Isley rest his arm. The strategy worked and Davis picked up the save.

“He had good stuff, so we’re not going to take a guy out of the lineup that’s productive,” Woodchick said. “He’s a short-end stopper, but it was a different role for him tonight. He’s been out there quite a bit in big situations in the playoffs.”

Davis said he’s ready to go whenever they need him.

“I kind of train that way and I’m always ready for the big moment,” he said. “When my name is called I kind of get in a zone.”

While he wants the pitcher on the mound to do well, Davis said if that’s not happening, he wants to get in the game to help the team.

“I always want my teammates to do good, always, but if the moment comes then I’ll get to work,” he said.

Davis induced a double play to end the game.

“I was ecstatic, it was awesome,” he said.

Last week’s schedule was different. The Chargers played against the Raiders on Wednesday and lost. Champion graduated on Thursday and then went back to work on Friday and Saturday.

“They wanted to play the next day after the loss, but we had that gap because of graduation,” Woodchick said. “When you’re going through so many emotions, it might have helped us to put life in perspective. Baseball’s important but maybe it was good to get our mind off the game a little bit.”

On the first Saturday in June of each year, everyone can fish recreationally without licenses or endorsements. This opportunity exists so that more people can try fishing for the first time, Consider inviting a friend or family member to join you.

Fishing in State Parks Anglers can also enjoy free fishing all year at more than 70 state parks (park entry fees still apply). All other fishing regulations, such as length and bag limits, remain in effect.

A fishing license and endorsement are not required if fishing on state park property or in waters completely enclosed by a state park. On man-made structures (docks, piers, jetties, etc.) within state parks, fishing is allowed by pole-and-line only, and each person is limited to two poles. Please check with the park before participating in any fishing activity and to confirm any additional regulations.

Fishing on Private Property

A fishing license is not required to fish on waters completely enclosed within private property.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Lara Ramos | Veterans Memorial • Senior

OUTSTANDING PITCHER Abigail Antenen | Smithson Valley • Soph

OUTSTANDING CATCHER Olivia Salesberry | Smithson Valley • Fresh

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Harlie Massey | Pieper • Fresh

OFFENSIVE MVP Kaiden Esparza | New Braunfels • Senior

DEFENSIVE MVP Presley Kuykendall | Pieper • Senior

FIRST TEAM Olivia Malizt | Alamo Heights • Junior

Addison Reidy | Boerne • Fresh

Micah Bellamy | Boerne • Fresh

Mylie Parker | Champion • Senior

Torin Tucker

| Champion • Junior Parker Jachade | Kerrville Tivy

• Fresh

Emmery Davila | Kerrville Tivy

• Junior

Haley Salas New | Braunfels • Junior Cecilia De Los Santos | New Braunfels • Senior

Leyla Goodwin | New Braunfels • Senior

Lena Pullin

| Pieper • Soph Reagan Lenamond | Pieper • Fresh Catherine Van Nordheim | Pieper • Fresh

Piper Moeller | Smithson Valley

• Soph

Mia Norton | Smithson Valley • Senior

Ava Deboy | Smithson Valley • Junior

Ava Capek | Smithson Valley • Soph

Kyani Morn | Veterans Memorial • Soph Bonnie Garcia | Veterans Memorial • Soph

Avery Delapaz | Veterans Memorial • Fresh

Jasmine Allen | Veterans Memorial • Junior

SECOND TEAM Elle Leavitt

| Alamo Heights • Senior Jaylee Ledger | Alamo Heights • Junior

Kenley Thomason | Boerne • Soph

Tessa Murphy | Boerne • Senior Aidan Kavanagh | Champion • Soph

Brylyn Thornburgh | Champion • Fresh

Brenna Davila | Kerrville Tivy

• Soph

Jalynn Mitchell | Kerrville Tivy

• Fresh

Sophia Leos | New Braunfels • Soph Emery Tompkins | New Braunfels • Junior

Ava Le Mar | Pieper • Junior Samamtha Adamson | Pieper • Senior Taylor Fleming | Smithson Valley • Soph Kailee Gonzales | Smithson Valley • Junior Jocelyn Garibay | Veterans Memorial • Soph Alyssa Richardson | Veterans Memorial • Soph

Evelina Nuncio | Wagner • Soph

Kennedy Elder | Wagner • Fresh

HONORABLE MENTION (BISD ONLY) Leni Caldwell | Boerne • Soph

Riley Partin

| Boerne • Senior Brooklynn Thomason | Boerne • Junior

Lizzy Thornton | Boerne • Junior

Reese Rogers | Champion • Junior

Anna Hurst | Champion • Soph McKenzie Wilson | Champion • Soph

Teagan Rogers | Champion • Fresh

The Greyhounds and Chargers had two each on the first team, two apiece on the second team and an additional four Hounds and Chargers were named honorable mention.

Champion senior Mylie Parker and junior Torin Tucker were named to the first team, while Greyhound freshman Addison Reidy and freshman Micah Bellamy also landed on the first team.

Charger sophomore Aidan Kavanagh and freshman Brylyn Thornburgh were named to the second team, while BHS sophomore Kenley Thomason and senior Tessa Murphy were also picked for the second team.

Honorable mention picks for the Chargers included junior Reese Rogers, sophomore Anna Hurst, sophomore McKenzie Wilson and freshman Teagan Rogers.

For the Greyhounds, sophomore Leni Caldwell, senior Riley Partin, junior Brooklynn Thomason and junior Lizzy Thornton were all named honorable mention.

Both the Greyhounds (14-10 overall) and the Chargers (1112 overall) finished 6-10 in district play and tied for sixth place in the nine-team league. BHS and CHS split their two games this year and each won on the other’s home field. It was Champion’s first win in the series.

Smithson Valley, Veterans Memorial, Pieper and New Braunfels all made the playoffs, and SV had the deepest run and advanced four rounds (regional finals) before they were defeated by Leander.

May 26-29

9 am - 11:30am - 2nd-5th graders at CHS

1 pm - 3:30pm 6th/7th graders at BHS (Tues/Wed) and at Champion HS on (Thur/Fri)

1 pm - 3:30pm 8th/9th graders at CHS (Tues/Wed) and at Boerne HS on (Thur/Fri)

BISD GIRLS BASKETBALL

Dates: Monday June 1-June 4 at CHS

9 am – 11 am Incoming K-5th Grade

12 pm - 3 pm Incoming 6th-9th Grade

BISD CROSS COUNTRY June 1-4 at CHS track

7-9 am

BISD BASEBALL

YOUTH BASEBALL CAMP

Dates: June 1-4 Time: 9:00-10:30 AM Location: Boerne High School Baseball Field (Monday-Tuesday) Location: Champion High School Baseball Field (Wednesday- Thursday) Campers: Incoming 1st - 6th graders

SECONDARY BASEBALL CAMP

Dates: June 1-4 Time: 10:45 AM- 12:45 PM Location: Boerne High School Baseball Field (Monday-Tuesday) Location: Champion High School Baseball Field (Wednesday- Thursday) Campers: Incoming 7th, 8th & 9th Graders (Must be attending middle or high school in 2026-2027)

BISD SOFTBALL June 1-3

9-11 am Location: BHS

BISD BOYS SOCCER

June 1-4

8-9:30 am (2nd-5th grade)

9:45 am – 11:15 (6th-9th) At CHS

BISD GIRLS SOCCER June 8-11

8-9:30 am, 2nd-5th grade

9:45 – 11:15 am, 6th-9th At BISD Stadium

BISD TENNIS CAMP

June 22-25 at BHS Incoming 2nd grade-8th grade

8:30 am – 11 am Boot Camp at CHS incoming 9th-12th grade

8:30 am – 11:30 am drills

1-3 pm match play

BISD VOLLEYBALL CAMP July 21-24 at CHS

4th-6th grade, 10 am to 12 pm

7th-8th grade, 1:30-4 pm

BISD FOOTBALL CAMP July 27-30

1st-6th grade

6-7:30 pm at BISD Stadium

BHS FOOTBALL CAMP July 27-30 Incoming 7th – 9th grade

9-11 am at BISD Stadium For info visit www.boerneisd.net/departments/athletics

Both teams scored early, and the Chargers plated a run in the first, but the Raiders punched in two runs in the second and that’s where it stayed after neither team scored over the last five frames.

Rouse claimed the 2-1 win and took a 1-0 series lead. It’s the first Game 1 the Chargers have dropped in the postseason so far. They needed to win Game 2 on Friday to force a third game on Saturday, which has been moved to Seguin, 2 p.m.

Champion had a good start against Rouse pitcher Jacob Sainz, who is undefeated this year. Cal Isley tagged Sainz for a single in the first and then Isley stole his 27th base of the season to get into scoring position at second.

With two outs, clean-up hitter Jaedyn Yamaguchi singled to bring in Isley and the Chargers were up 1-0 in the first but were kept off the board in the last six innings.

Rouse answered with two runs in the bottom of the second. The first three batters reached base after a hit batter, a fielder’s choice and a walk.

With two outs and runners at first and second, Rouse’s Leon Mongold smacked a double to left field to bring in Christian Caro from second. Brody Sharp was on first and made it to third and then scored on an errant throw to the plate for the 2-1 lead.

It stayed there as it turned into a pitcher’s duel. Both hurlers pitched well enough to win after Champion’s Ethan Coleman only gave up 2 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 6. The only other hit Coleman surrendered besides Mangold’s double came in the fifth inning to Jacob Soliz.

For the Raiders, Sainz yielded 4 hits, 1 walk and fanned 4 batters and improved his record to 10-0.

The final hit that Sainz gave up came to Zak Al-Arashi in the seventh inning when the Chargers tried to mount a comeback. The pinch runner stole second and made it third on a ground out with two outs.

Brody Bendele came up and took a walk, but the base runner at third came too far off the bag after the Bendele walk and was caught in a rundown where he was tagged out to end it.

Al-Arashi and Isley singled, Yamaguchi recorded 2 of their 4 hits and had their only RBI, while Isley scored their only run of the contest.

*3x UIL 5A State Champion (Track)

*2x Foot Locker National Champion (x-country)

*2X Nike Indoor Nationals Champion

*2X Texas Gatorade Cross Country Player of the Year

*4X Cross Country All American

*4X Track and Field All American *No. 2 fastest outdoor time in 5K for a high schooler

*2024 US Olympic Trials Qualifier 5K

After winning the Foot Locker Cross-Country Championship in December 2024 during her junior year, her life took an unexpected turn.

Around that time, the running phenom’s biggest battles were away from the track/course as she faced some health issues that caused her heart rate to spike and forced her to stop running in the middle of at least two different races.

After a series of doctor visits and various tests trying to find answers, Leachman finally ended up at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where she was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS.

According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, “POTS affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functions such as heart rate and blood pressure.”

In Leachman’s case, POTS caused her heart rate to spike to more than 200 beats a minute when running.

Leachman decided to tell her story and spoke with Runner’s World magazine writer Cory Mull in an article that was posted last January. Leachman said she was happy with how the story was written.

“We talked about making sure we delivered it in a good way, but I was okay with having it out there,” she said. “Overall, I think a lot of love has come out of it.”

Leachman told the Boerne Star that it was time to go public with her health issues in hopes of helping others.

“It’s good to spread awareness for things going on to try to get more resources for people who might be in a similar situation,” she said. “I wanted other girls out there to realize that they aren’t alone, and other people are going through it. It does affect a lot of teenage girls especially, and they need to realize they aren’t alone. Hopefully one of these days there will be more resources and funding, and those people will be better understood by their peers.”

The Mayo Clinic’s website states that “teenagers - the group most often affected by POTS – usually outgrow the disorder by the time they reach their 20s.”

Treatment usually involves diet, exercise and medications, and Leachman said meds help but aren’t a panacea.

“They manage some of the symptoms, but it isn’t a great fix for any of it,” she said.

Cause for hope

Because there is a chance for Leachman to outgrow the disorder, she’s hoping to run again competitively and recently signed with Stanford University where she will major in economics and political science.

Even though she hasn’t raced competitively since December 2024, Stanford has reserved a spot for her on their cross country/track teams in hopes it might happen again.

“If I got back to a place where I’m competitive on the national level, not necessarily winning races, then they would give me a full ride,” she said. “They have saved a spot for me on the team, and I appreciate it, but I wouldn’t be on an athletic scholarship until I’m competing at least. As soon as possible would be great because Stanford is not cheap.”

Leachman signed with the Cardinal in April at a ceremony in Charger Gym and admits it’s a slow process as she tries to get back into competitive form.

“It’s not going great to be honest; it’ll probably be a while before I compete again. I am back to fully working out and I can cross train with mostly no problems, so it’s a big step from where I was last October,” she said.

As a point of reference, Leachman posted a 15:25 in a 5K race in 2024, which set a girls national high school outdoor record at the time. She said if she were to run a 5K today, she wouldn’t be near that time.

“I think if I raced a 5K on the track right now the best I could do would be right under 19 minutes, so not super close,” she said.

A silver lining

Leachman admits that not being able to race has been frustrating but adds that she is dealing better with it now than she was at the beginning.

“It’s been incredibly frustrating, last year I think it was a lot harder on me because it was new to me and for a long time, so unknown. Seeing other people go out there and race was hard for me, but something that helped was that people who I admire, we’re supportive of me during that time,” she said. “I think over the last year I’ve learned to find value outside of the running world, and as much as I miss it and hope to go back one day, I’ve learned a lot about myself and learned other ways to find a sense of self-worth.”

Leachman said she’s doing all she can in hopes of returning to top form and added that she will put the rest in God’s hands.

“Ultimately, I’ve come to realize that it’s not in my control and I’m going to have to trust in God’s plan for me,” she said. “I’m doing everything in my power to get there, but I’m going to have to be patient and pray and hope things work themselves out in a good time frame.”

While none of the Chargers earned state medals, one posted a top-6 finish on the girls side, which means the girls team scored a point in the final team standings against the best athletes in the state.

Juliana Syroney finished sixth in the 200 with a time of 24.17 to earn a team point. The senior also raced in the 100 and posted an 11.95 to place ninth.

Fort Bend Marshall won the 5A girls title (74), Red Oak came in second (56) and Alvin Iowa Colony was third (42). District foe Smithson Valley finished sixth with 30 points.

Varsity Boys

Champion had two entries on the boys side and competed in the 3200 and 4x200.

Shawn Edwards ran in the first race of the day, the 3200 on Friday morning, and placed ninth with a time of 1:05.81.

Later in the day, the Charger 4x200 relay competed and finished eighth with a time of 1:27.29, ahead of district foe Wagner (1:27.33).

Hayden Fridley started off the relay race for Champion and then it was Jaxon Harbuck to Ryan McDonald before McDonald handed the baton to anchor Brogan Dempsey to close it out.

Mansfield Timberview won the 5A boys title (44), while Frisco Heritage and Liberty Hill tied for second (34).

Sivek plays with the Akron Zips and Renteria competes for the Texas State Bobcats.

Sivek is a 2022 Boerne High graduate and helped the Zips win the Mid-American Conference regular season championship and the MAC tournament for an automatic bid to the regional tournament in her senior season.

Akron traveled to the Baton Rouse regional hosted by LSU that included the Tigers, Virginia Tech and South Alabama, where Sivek recorded her 200th career hit. The Zip lost to LSU, beat South Alabama and then were knocked out by Virginia Tech.

Renteria is a 2025 Boerne High graduate and helped the Bobcats finish runner up in the Sun Belt championship tournament to earn a bid to the regional playoffs. Texas State played in the Gainesville regional that included Florida, Georgia Tech and Florida A&M. Texas State lost by a run to Georgia Tech, beat Florida A&M and was knocked out by Georgia Tech in a rematch.

Merkens raced to silver in the 800 last Friday afternoon in her first year running at the high school level. The freshman clocked in at 2.11.99 to set a new school record in the process.

“I’m super excited,” she said. “It’s been a very fun season.”

In last Friday’s race on the UT campus, Merkens had the fastest time after the first lap in the two-lap race. She posted a 1:03.34, almost a full second ahead of the second-place runner, but the field closed on her during the final stretch. Merkens said her goal was to fight off the rest of the runners.

“I tried to use everything I had left, I was pretty tired,” she said. “I was trying to keep my position.”

Adelaide Wortman of Dallas Highland Park passed Merkens but was the only one to do so. Wortman ran a 1:06.47 on the second lap (1:04.79 on the first lap), while Merkens turned in a 1:08.65 on the second lap.

The result was that Merkens claimed silver, just behind Wortman, who ran 2:11.25. Aaliyah Williams earned bronze in 2:12.83 and Savanah Moya of New Braunfels, who was second after the first lap, finished fourth with a 2:12.96.

Both Merkens and Wortman are freshman so it may be a battle for the next three years. Merkens said her goal is to win gold.

“As soon as I can,” when asked how soon she would like for that to happen.

Merkens said she plans to train and will run cross country to help improve her time on the track.

“I use cross country to keep me in shape,” she said. “I hope to continue doing well and hope I can get here again next year and try to place higher. Hopefully by next year I can run under 2:10.”

In the final team standings, Boerne finished tied for 24th with the 8 points earned by Merkens.

Fort Bend Marshall won the 5A girls title (74), Red Oak came in second (56) and Alvin Iowa Colony was third (42). District foe Smithson Valley finished sixth with 30 points.

The Raiders scored 4 runs in the second and added another in the third for the 5-0 lead before the Chargers could get on the board. Champion tallied 4 runs in the fourth and made it 5-4, but the Raiders pushed in 5 more runs, while the Chargers didn't score after the fourth frame.

Rouse advances to the state semifinals, while Champion's season ends at 34-8-1.

For more, see the Star.

Game 2

Boerne Champion bounced back from its Game 1 loss to Rouse and defeated the Raiders on Friday at Buda Johnson.

The Chargers (34-7-1) and Raiders (36-5) were tied 4-4 after four innings, but Champion pulled ahead in the fourth with two runs and held on for the 6-4 victory to force a Game 3.

Saturday's Game 3 will be in Seguin, 2 p.m.

With runners at second and third, Jaedyn Yamaguchi singled to bring in two runs and put the Chargers on top for good by the bottom of the fifth.

Owen Kuhl went 5.1 innings and gave up 3 hits and 4 runs before he was replaced by Parker Davis who threw the final 1.2 innings and picked up the save. Davis held the Raiders hitless and didn't give up a walk or run.

With a runner at first and one out, Davis induced a double play to end it.

Game 1

Rouse captured Game 1 against Boerne Champion for the early series lead Wednesday at Buda Johnson.

The Raiders tallied 2 runs in the second inning and it was enough to beat the Chargers 2-1.

Champion took the early lead after Cal Isley scored in the first inning on a Jaedyn Yamaguchi hit for the 1-0 lead but Rouse answered with 2 in the second and it stayed there after neither team scored after the second.

The Chargers had the tying run on third base in the top of the seventh but the runner came too far off the bag and was caught in a run down and eventually tagged out to end the game.

Ethan Coleman pitched well enough to win after he only gave up 2 hits and struck out 6. Rouse pitcher Jacob Sainz went all seven innings and scattered 4 hits but picked up the win to stay unbeaten this year at 10-0.

Game 2 is Friday in Buda, 7 p.m., and a third game if needed, will be Saturday in Seguin.

SINTON — Champion baseball coach Ben Woodchick said he feels like the Chargers are playing their best ball of the year and it’s hard to argue with the coach based on the recent results.

Ever since the Zak Al-Arashi home run in the fifth inning against Southwest in Game 3 of their series in the last round, the Charger have outscored their opponents 26-1 in 16 innings.

Champion faced La Joya Palmview last weekend in Sinton and swept the Lobos, 10-1 and 10-0 (6 innings).

“I think we’re playing our best ball at the right time,” Woodchick said.

The Chargers advance to the fourth round or regional finals this week against Leander Rouse, a team they faced in the regional finals in 2023 on their way to the state tourney.

Game 1 is Wednesday, 6 p.m., the second game is Friday, 7 p.m. and a third game, if needed, is Saturday, 2 p.m. All games will be at Buda Johnson.

Woodchick adjusted his batting lineup a bit against Palmview and it paid off after they scored 10 runs in both games against the Lobos. The previous high in the postseason was 6 runs scored prior to last week.

“Our lineup is super competitive and it’s moved around quite a bit throughout the year, so it wasn’t anything new,” he said. “There is always competition and guys that are swinging it better than others week-to-week, so we monitor that in practice and adjust accordingly.”

After a 10-1 win over Palmview in Game 1 on Thursday (see the 5-17-26 issue of the Boerne Star for the game story), the Chargers didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal on Friday and tallied 10 more runs to avoid Game 3.

It’s the first Game 2 the Chargers have won in the playoffs after dropping the second games in their series against Hays and Southwest.

Friday’s contest was 0-0 through three innings, but Champion blew the lid off the game starting in the fourth inning after they scored 6 runs with two outs.

A Cal Isley walk and an Austin Garritano single put two runners on in the fourth to start the inning. Jaedyn Yamaguchi moved them over with a sac bunt for the first out and then Isley scored on a wild pitch.

After a pop up for the second out, Garritano scored on a Garland Whitehead single, and it was 2-0. Blake Ott and Brody Bendele singled, and Bendele’s hit pushed in Whitehead for the 3-0 lead.

Ott’s courtesy runner, Colton Munsell, made it home on a wild pitch and it was 4-0 before Lyndon Austin tripled to bring in Bendele and the score bumped to 5-0 and the Chargers weren’t done.

Leadoff hitter, Owen Kuhl singled and drove in Austin to make it 6-0 to put Champion in charge.

It stayed 6-0 until the sixth when the Chargers pushed in 4 more runs to close it out. A fielder’s choice and an error put Bendele at second with one out.

Kuhl singled again and Bendele made it home for the 7-0 lead. Later in the inning, a bases-loaded walk to Garritano made it 8-0.

A fielding error by Palmview on a Zak Al-Arashi hit allowed courtesy runner Jaxson Denman and Isley to score, and the Champion lead was 10-0, kicking in the mercy rule since it was after the fifth frame.

Champion finished with 10 hits, including the triple from Austin, who scored twice and picked up an RBI. Kuhl recorded 3 hits and drove in 2 runs, Isley walked twice and scored 2 runs, while Garritano singled, took 2 walks, picked up an RBI and scored a run.

Al-Arashi singled and collected 3 RBI, Whitehead singled and scored, Ott singled, Munsell plated a run, Bendele finished with 2 hits, had an RBI and scored 2 runs.

Kuhl went all six innings on the hill and scattered 4 hits on 74 pitches. Kuhl recorded his second straight shutout in the playoffs and didn’t give up a walk or run, while striking out 2.

The last time the Boerne Champion baseball team made it to the regional finals in 2023, they faced Leander Rouse. Fast forward three years later and the Chargers are in the regional finals and guess who they’re playing?

That’s right, it’s a rematch as the Chargers (33-6-1) and Raiders (35-4) meet again in the regional finals, although the format is a bit different since there is now a two-tier playoff system in each classification that wasn’t around back in 2023.

Either way, the two will meet this week in Buda Johnson, and the winner advances to the state semifinals.

The series is built around Champion’s graduation on Thursday. Game 1 is Wednesday at 6 p.m., Game 2 is Friday at 7 p.m., and a third game, if needed, is Saturday, 2 p.m.

This year’s series is in the fourth round because of the new playoff format, while their 2023 meeting was in the fifth round and the Chargers won that series after dropping the first game, 9-3.

Champion rallied to win the second game, 6-5, and then closed it out on in Game 3 at Wolff Stadium, 10-4, and played in the state semifinals and were defeated by Argyle, 5-2.

The only players that would be part of that series are seniors now, who were on the varsity as freshman.

At this point, the only teams left are elite, and this series features a battle of heavyweight contenders. Rouse enters the series ranked No. 1 in 5A, while the Chargers are No. 4.

Both were district champions and Chargers coach Ben Woodchick said they are very similar teams.

“They throw strikes, play good defense and are athletic and competitive,” he said. “They hit well 1 through 9 and are a lot like us.”

Rouse defeated Smithson Valley, Seguin and Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial and swept the first two rounds. The Raiders won Game 1 against CC Vets, but the Eagles took the second game, 5-2, to force a third game that Rouse won, 5-0.

Champion is coming off a sweep of La Joya Palmview and went three games with Buda Hays and Southwest in the previous two series. The Chargers won the first game, dropped Game 2 and closed it out in the third game through the first two rounds.

Chargers coach Ben Woodchick, who reached career win No. 200 against Palmview, said he likes how his team is playing as they enter the series.

“I think we’re playing our best ball at the right time,” he said.

Champion outscored Palmview 20-1 in the last series and knocked out 20 hits in their series with the Lobos.