K-State Slate: 3.27.14

The Bill will finally be a bowl (sort of) in 2015.

Three Kansas players landed on the top three NABC All-America teams, but none of them were Marcus Foster. Andrew Wiggins and Cleanthony Early gained spots on the second team, and Fred Van Vleet was named to the third squad (along with the Big 12's only other representative, Marcus Smart).

David Miller, sports editor at the Ponca City Times (and K-State alum), writes a random little column talking about K-State's Final Four squads, primarily the 1951 team.

An east coast public relations news-and-education newsletter committed a major PR blunder of its own yesterday, taking a shot at the Shockers in a blast e-mail intended to try and drum up business. Worse, the "apology" e-mail to Wichita State got the recipient's name wrong -- and tried to offer Wichita State some free product. I mean... wow. Not sure whether they get more positive points for chutzpah or negative points for stupid.

Tim Carroll of Illinois State's student paper, the Vidette, notes that the Valley may be looking for a new tournament home once their contract with Saint Louis ends after next year. His editorializing isn't too sharp, as he dismisses Indianapolis and Chicago due to Big 10 dominance but thinks Kansas City would work, but ultimately he's probably right that they'll work out an extension to keep Arch Madness, well, Arch Madness.

Ross Kivett hit for the cycle, the first Cat to do so in 17 years, as the BatCats trounced those guys up north 12-6. JT's there with your recap, and the media was all over it too: reports from John Zetmeir at the Collegian, Ken Corbitt at the Cap-Journal., the Omaha World-Heraldd and even NCAA.com decided to pick up the offical recap from K-State Sports.

The track teams split up for the weekend, with one group heading to Austin for the three-day Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and the other staying in-state for a Saturday-only competition at the Emporia State Spring Open.

The women head back to Arizona again for the Mountain View Collegiate on Friday and Saturday, which the Wildcats are co-hosting along with Missouri. #UnholyAlliance

News dump! Ten -- TEN -- members of K-State's equestrian team were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Equestrian team Tuesday, seven to the first team and three to the second. As far as plain old competition awards, the Wildcats landed six riders on the NCEA All-American lists. Kelly Bovaird led the way, garnering second-team honors in horsemanship. Honorable mention went to Rachel Webster and Henley Adkins in equitation on the flat, Alexis Graves in equitation over fences, and Jordan Cox and Kara Guy in reining. Rival Oklahoma State landed four first-team nods and a pair of seconds; Baylor had four firsts and a second.

All of this, of course, is just prelude to this weekend's Big 12 Championship at the Willis Family Equestrian Center in Waco. The fifth-ranked Wildcats are the fourth seed, because the Big 12 is serious about this stuff. The Cats take on Oklahoma State on Friday, and face either Baylor or TCU on Saturday.

K-State's second varsity eight, coxed by Kara Omo, earned the Big 12's first Boat of the Week honor of the season after their performance in Austin last week.

You like M&M's and Snickers? Mars Inc.'s ffirst new North American plant in 35 years opens today just south of Topeka, and they're going to have a temporary store downtown through the spring to sort of celebrate.