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MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016
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CAUCUSES SEE RECORD VOTER TURNOUT
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Over 1,000 votes were cast in the Republican Caucus held at the
Anderson Building on Saturday.
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
Voters came out in large numbers
on Saturday to caucus for the presidential candidate of their choice.
Passionate voters waited in line to
make their opinion known at both
the Republican and Democrat caucuses with close to 2,000 votes cast
in total.
Republican caucus
The Republican caucus was held
at the Anderson Building on the Lyon County Fairgrounds. Voters cast
their vote by private ballot. Karen
Hartenbower, caucus chair, said
voter turnout was much larger than
in previous years.
“In our packet for the caucus the
state sent us 500 ballots and said
‘be prepared that you might have
to print more,’ we have printed 700
more,” Hartenbower said. “We have
had lines out the door, it’s as huge
here as it is in Kansas and all over
the United States. This is my third
caucus and before we’d have like 200
people.”
There were representatives for
Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio at the
caucus. They each had 10 minutes
to present information about the
candidate. Donald Trump had a
representative sign up, however the
representative did not make an appearance at the caucus.
Jessie and Bobbi Niedfeldt from
Allen attended the caucus to support Cruz.
“I’ve been following Ted Cruz for
a couple years in the senate, there’s
a few issues you know that are very
important,” Jessie Niedfeldt said.
“Second Amendment is important,
following someone who believes in
that is important and he stood up
against the Supreme Court for that.
We’re Christians, born again, and
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Sage TeBeest speaks on behalf of Bernie Sanders during the Democratic Caucus held at Emporia High
School on Saturday. Sanders received 562 votes and Hillary Clinton received 177 votes.
the things he supports are definitely
what we believe in that are essential.
Since I’ve been voting he’s the most
specific on what he would do on taking care of major issues.”
Gayle Woodhouse of Emporia
cast her vote for Cruz as well. This
was the first time Woodhouse had
participated in a caucus.
“We need to win, and we can’t afford to let it go to the democrats this
year,” Woodhouse said.
By the end of the caucus republicans had claimed Cruz as their
big winner in Lyon County. Cruz
won with 433 votes. Trump had 263
votes, Rubio had 197 votes and John
Kasich ended with 149 votes. There
was a total of 1,147 votes cast, the
largest amount to ever participate
in the Lyon County Republican caucus.
Democrat caucus
The Democrat caucus was held
at Emporia High School. Rather
than private ballot the democrats
lined up for their candidate and
were counted. Former senator Jerry
Karr said this was the largest caucus
he has seen.
“I chaired and organized the 2008
caucus,” Karr said. “We were out at
the Best Western and it was standing room only with about 200 people…This is a great turnout, I would
have guessed about half of this number wise. The diversity we have here
today too is great.”
Representatives for both Hilary
Clinton and Bernie Sanders had an
opportunity to speak in favor of the
candidates. Supporters for both canPlease see Caucus, Page 3
MARCHING FOURTH
Lady Hornets
win 4th straight
MIAA Tourney
By Corbin McGuire
[email protected]
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Wherever
Kelly Moten and Kathryn Flott go,
a piece — specifically a small sliver
of nylon — of their postseason accomplishments usually travels with
them.
The two added another traveling
memento to their collection Sunday,
as Emporia State’s women secured
the program’s fourth straight MIAA
Tournament title with an 80-66 victory over No. 16 Pittsburg State in
Municipal Auditorium.
“I tie it on my book bag and just
carry it around everywhere,” Flott
said in the postgame press conference.
“I got a spare change (container)
at home that I just toss them in,”
ESU head coach Jory Collins said
of his spot for each small piece of
net, but he didn’t downplay what
his team just accomplished by any
means.
ESU became only the second
team in MIAA history to win the
tournament as a four seed, matching
its own accomplishment from 2013.
The Lady Hornets also became the
first team since 2010 to win the tournament without a four-year senior
and matched the MIAA’s record for
most tournament titles won in a row.
Not to mention the fact that
ESU knocked off arguably the hottest team in the country, ending Pitt
State’s 15-game win streak.
“This team from the beginning
has been really together and is pretty close-knit. They get along terrific
and I think want to play hard for each
other,” Collins said. “I told them that
this is going to go in a book and
somebody 15 years from now is going to look at that and ask you if you
VOL. 124, NO. 212
played on one of those teams, and
that’s something you can be proud
of.
“We know it’s a nice accomplishment, but we take these things one
game at a time, one tournament at
a time, and this one, for this team,
is special.”
Moten and Flott each finished
with 17 points, leading the team
with six assists and 13 rebounds,
respectively. Both have been on the
team for the four straight MIAA
Tournament titles, though redshirts
and injuries kept them from being on
the floor for all of them.
“It’s a special time,” Flott, the
tournament’s Most Outstanding
Player, said. “This is what you work
all summer, all preseason for, and it
pays off.”
Sandra Ngoie added 14 points on
5 of 11 from the floor, joining Moten
and Flott on the MIAA All-Tournament Te