With the year coming to a close it marks the time of the year when everyone looks back at all the events and happenings over the course of the year. We at Kanzaland radio thought there's no better way to close out a great year of Kanzaland area sports with a Top 10 countdown of the top Kanzaland area sports moments in 2012.

We will announce the top 10 on the Kanzaland sports reports during the week leading up to the number one announcement on December 31st. You can listen to the sports reports throughout the day on 103.9 KNZA and 92.1 KMZA to find out the top sports moments and also you can follow them online here, too.

2012 Kanzaland Sports Top 10 Moments:
#10 Centralia Native, Bob Fischer Gets National Attention for His 14 Guinness World Records
#9 John Riggins and Family has Centralia Football Field Dedicated to Them
#8 Highland CC Makes Noise on the National Sports Scene at Community College Level
#7 50 Area Wrestlers Compete at State and One Captures a State Title
#6 72 Area Runners Competed at State in Cross Country with Three Runners Capturing State Titles
#5 B&B Captures State Volleyball Crown & Centralia Takes 3rd; Other Area Teams Perform Well
#4 League Realignment and Movement Has Shaken Up Kanzaland Area Teams

Kanzaland Sports 2012 Moment #3:
Kanzaland Area Track & Field Performers Clean Up at State Competition

Once the accolades started to compile for the Kanzaland area athletes they didn’t stop as in the area 11 state titles were won and 104 total medals were won at the State Track and Field Championship. With all the hardware won their was 14 silver medals, 16 bronzes and 27 mutli-medal winners for the Kanzaland area.

While 11 state titles were captured and that is a big story in itself, one performer stood out the most of the Kanzaland area performers and performers at state overall, as Centralia Panther, Lukas Koch captured three state titles winning the 800 meters, 1600 meters and 3200 meters. Koch defended his state titles in Class 1A in the 1600 and 3200 meters, while completing the sweep this year in the distance runs with the 800m crown.

Four more state titles from the area came from Class 1A, also. It was a B&B Falcon sweep in the high jump competition as Cody Heiman and Haley Starthman both registered winning marks. Frankfort Wildcat, Jacob Broxterman brought home the state title in the shot put, while Hanover Wildcat, Courtney Jueneman won the 800 meters.

In 2A, two more state titles were captured by area performers with the Jefferson County North Charger boys racing their way to a win in the 4x400 meter relay and Washington Counties, Jordyn Alexander tallying the winning mark in the discus throw.

The final two area performers that captured state titles were both in Class 3A, as Riverside Cylcone, Dylan Piorier vaulted his way to a win in the pole vault and Horton Charger, Jacob Lott tossed his way to a win in the discus throw.

Best team performances at state came at the hands of a pair of 1A schools in Centralia and Hanover who registered second and fourth, respectively as a team at state.

With many area top performers back for another year the Kanzaland area looks to be primed for more state titles in track and field to be captured this coming 2013 year.

(Click here for story on State Track & Field performer’s form 2012)

Kanzaland Sports 2012 Moment #2:
Nine Area Teams Make State Basketball Tourneys and Two Capture State Titles

The bounce of the ball on the hardwood fell the right way for quite a few Kanzaland area teams with their great play propelling nine area teams to the state tournaments. For two of the nine the bounces continued to go in their favor as they captured state titles. Both the Frankfort Wildcat boys and Jefferson County North lady Chargers captured state titles in Class 1A-Division II and Class 2A.

After a slow start to the season the Frankfort Wildcats hit their stride in the Twin Valley League tournament and the rest was history from there as Frankfort went on a 14 game winning streak to end the season and win the Class 1A-Division II state title and finish with a 22-5 record on the season. Wildcats made it to the state championship game were they would play the game of their lives as they needed double overtime to take down Otis-Bison for the state title, using a 16-4 second overtime period to win the game. Frankfort had guys like Calahan Brown, Lucas Adams and Alex Surdez play key parts to the team but the play of the two seniors, Jacob Broxterman and Jonathan Keating truly provided the main punch inside with their play helping propel Frankfort to a state title.

With a few heartbreaking endings to the seasons before the Lady Chargers of Jefferson County North made sure their 2011-12 season ended a lot better, as they captured the 2A state title. It wasn’t an easy task coming away with a state title for the Lady Chargers as they faced off with Olpe was a riding a 77-game winning streak at the time, but the sister tandem of Jordan and Jacee Kramer lead JCN to a 51-40 win. Kramer sisters accounted for 138 of the 198 total points scored by the Chargers at the state tourney. Jordan a senior earned the top honors in Kansas for the top girls’ basketball player in the state being named “Miss Kansas Basketball.” JCN finished the season off with a 17-game winning streak and a 25-1 record on the year.

While, JCN and Frankfort squads highlighted the state competitions for the Kanzaland area seven other teams made the state tournaments, also. Two area teams were on the cusp of capturing state titles as the Nemaha Valley boys and Holton girls both fell in their state championship games.

For Nemaha Valley they returned zero starters but things started to click early in the season and the team was one of the top in the Big Seven making the state tourney and then earning a bid into the state championship in 3A. Raiders fell to Scott City in the championship but capped off the season with a 23-3 record.

The Lady Wildcats of Holton suffered their first loss of the season in the 4A championship falling to McPherson in a grind it out game. Holton finished the season 25-1 and pushed their Big Seven league win streak to 98 games (which now is at 102 straight games).

Pair of fourth place finishes were earned also as the Lady Tigers of ACCHS and Lady Cardinals of Wetmore both took home a fourth place finish. For ACCHS they capped their season off with a 23-3 record in Class 3A, while Wetmore finished 22-4 in Class 1A-DII.

The Jefferson County North Charger boys and both Centralia girls and boys squads made the state tournament but all bowed out in the first round of action.

This season there are 17 area teams in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings headed into the holidays. Many area teams look primed to make another run at the state tournament as some with revamped rosters and other with plenty of returners.

(Click here for a story on 2012 State Basketball performances & Click here for latest KBCA rankings)