Pittsburg wins third straight Rohde Trophy

For the third consecutive year, Pittsburg High School is the winner of the Martin Rohde Southeast Kansas League All-Sports Trophy, an award given each school year to the school that performs the best overall in the sports the league sponsors.

This was the closest finish in the recorded history of the award. The first trophy was handed out after the 1976-77 school year but extensive records begin with the 1992-93 year. Pittsburg scored 97 1/2 points with runner-up Chanute finishing with 97.

Previously, the slimmest margin had been 1 1/2 points, which happened in consecutive years. Fort Scott edged Labette County by that margin in both 1999 and 2000.

Points are awarded on a scale where the highest-finishing school in a sport receives the most points. The last-place school receives one point. For the most part, this is a nine-point scale, but in sports where not every school fields a tram, the scale begins at a lower number (Soccer is scored 5-4-3-2-1 since there are only five league schools which sponsor the sport).

This is Pittsburg's eighth Rohde Trophy. It also won the award from 1981 through 1984 and again in 1990. Pittsburg won four league championships, which were in girls cross country, baseball, girls track and boys track.

Chanute's total was the most ever for a school which finished second. Chanute had league titles in boys cross country, girls golf, football and wrestling.

The previous point record for a second-place team was 86 by Independence last year. This year, Indy set a record for most points by a third-place team with 83. Oddly enough, Chanute set that record last year with 82.

Independence won championships in girls tennis, boys tennis and soccer.

Fort Scott finished fourth with 72 1/2 points. FSHS, which has won the most Rohde Trophies (nine), was SEK volleyball champion.

Labette County finished fifth with 69 points, winning girls basketball and softball. Iola was sixth with 55 1/2 points followed by Coffeyville with 50, Parsons with 46 1/2 and Columbus with 42. Iola, Parsons and Columbus did not win any sports. Coffeyville won boys golf and boys basketball.

Pittsburg's eight Rohde Trophies are second all-time. Independence follows with seven awards while LCHS has won five, Parsons and Coffeyville two each and Chanute one.