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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
All 12 members of the 2024 All-City boys tennis team earned state tournament berths, with eight bringing home state medals from last weekend's state events.
All six Washburn Rural players earned All-City spots, based on performances in the city tournament, as the Junior Blues swept city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships before finishing fifth in the 6A state tournament at Wichita.
Senior Lawsen Lobatos-Dick and sophomore Dylan Willingham paced Rural with a sixth-place state doubles finish after sweeping city, league and regional titles.
Rural is also represented on the All-City team by senior Dylan Dodge and sophomores Keegan Knudtson, Cale Deutscher and Brayden Kohls.
The Topeka West senior trio of singles player James Maag and doubles players Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew earned 5A state medals for the second straight season, with McGee and Weybrew finishing eighth and Maag ninth. All three players helped the Chargers win the 5A state team title as juniors in 2023.
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Drew Fay, a two-time state qualifier, posted a city-best fourth-place singles finish in the 3A-1A state tournament at Prairie Village while Hayden's doubles team of senior Joseph Luke and junior Chase Blaser finished fifth at state, with Luke earning a state medal for the third straight season.
All-City tennis capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four of the top teams in Class 3A softball, including defending state champion Rossville, are among the eight schools that battle it out for a state tournament berth on Tuesday and Wednesday at Hayden while Washburn Rural in 6A and Seaman in 5A will also host regional events.
The top four seeds in the Hayden regional are a combined 72-13, led by top seed Silver Lake at 19-2, No. 2 Rossville at 19-3 and No. 3 Santa Fe Trail at 20-4.
Seaman is the No. 3 5A West seed at 20-6 and will host a Tuesday four-school regional while Washburn Rural, the No. 4 West seed in 6A at 16-7, will host a Thursday regional.
Here's a look at regional tournament involving Shawnee County schools:
CLASS 6A
At Two Rivers Youth Complex (Maize) -- Topeka High is the No. 6 seed in the West at 16-10 and will be on the road Tuesday for a 3 p.m. semifinal game against No. 11 Wichita Heights (9-13) at TRYC.
The Trojans were 7-9 on the season before winning nine of their last 10 regular-season games.
Tournament host Campus, the No. 3 West seed at 14-6 will play a 4:30 p.m. semifinal against No. 14 seed Wichita South (6-18).
The two semifinal winners will play for the regional championship at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, with the regional champion advancing to the state tournament May 23-24 at Arrocha Ball Park in Lawrence.
Topeka High won back-to-back 6A state titles in 2021 and 2022.
At Washburn Rural -- Washburn Rural, 16-7 on the season, is the No. 4 West seed and will open its postseason bid at 4:30 p.m. Thursday against No. 13 seed Liberal (6-18) in the second semifinal at Rural.
No. 5 seed Maize (18-8) will play Thursday's first semifinal at 3 p.m. against No. 12 Garden City (9-15).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five city high school girls soccer teams will be at home to open their postseason bids with regional contests while a sixth city school received a first-round bye.
Washburn Rural and Topeka High in Class 6A, Seaman and Shawnee Heights in 5A and Hayden in 4A-1A earned home field advantage for their regional openers while Cair Paravel Latin earned a first-round bye in 4A-1A.
The first two rounds of regional competition will be held this week, followed by state quarterfinals and the final four in all three state tournaments next week.
Here's a look at regional tournament involving city schools:
CLASS 6A
Campus at Washburn Rural
Washburn Rural is the No. 1 West seed with a 13-3-0 record and will be at McElroy Field for a 6 p.m. regional opener Tuesday against No. 16 Campus (3-13-0).
Rural, third in 6A last season, has assured itself of being at home through the state quarterfinals if the Junior Blues continue to win and the Class 6A state tournament will also be held in Topeka at Hummer Sports Park.
The Junior Blues are coming off a 1-0 heartbreaker to nine-time state champion Blue Valley West on Friday, but that was the first goal Rural had allowed since late March while running off 10 straight victories and clinching the Centennial League title and the top West seed.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County high school baseball teams will compete in regional tournaments this week, vying for berths in state May 23-24 at sites across the state.
Topeka High in Class 6A and Seaman in 5A both earned home-field advantage for regionals, with the Trojans gunning for their second straight state appearance after ending a seven-decade drought last season while the Vikings set a state record with their 19th straight appearance a year ago and will be gunning for their 20th consecutive trip to state this week.
Here's a look at regional tournament involving Shawnee County schools:
CLASS 6A
At Hummer Sports Park -- Topeka High is the No. 2 seed in the West and will be at home to host its four-school regional on Tuesday.
Topeka High is 15-4 on the season and will host No. 15 seed Wichita East (7-18) in Tuesday's second semifinal at approximately 4 p.m. following a 2 o'clock game between No. 7 Liberal (13-10) and No. 10 Derby (11-15).
The winners will play for the regional title at about 6 p.m., with the regional champion advancing to the 6A state tournament May 23-24 at the University of Kansas' Hoglund Stadium in Lawrence.
Topeka High has won 10 of its last 11 games, including four straight wins, entering postseason.
At Lawrence Free State -- Washburn Rural, 13-9 on the season, is the No. 6 West seed and will open its postseason bid at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Free State against No. 11 seed Campus (10-14) in the first regional semifinal at Free State.
Host Free State, the No. 3 seed at 19-6, will play the second semifinal at about 4 p.m. against No. 14 Dodge City (9-15).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Drew Fay posted a fourth-place finish in Class 3A-1A singles Saturday at Harmon Park Tennis Complex in Prairie Village, pacing eight city state medalists in three classes.
Fay (23-11) posted two straight wins on Friday advance to the semifinals before dropping a 6-0, 6-1 decision to Kansas City Christian senior star Caleb Bartels.
Fay then dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision to sophomore Charlie Gentile of team champ Wichita Collegiate in the third-place match.
Bartels went on to finish off a perfect 33-0 season, winning his second straight singles title and his third state crown overall, including a doubles title in 2021.
Hayden's doubles team of senior Joseph Luke and junior Chase Blaser (24-10) posted a fifth-place state finish, going 6-1 on the weekend.
Luke and Blaser finished off their state run with a 9-7 win over Smoky Valley juniors Gabriel and Ezekiel Baker in the fifth-place match.
Hayden finished seventh in the 3A-1A team standings with 12 points while Cair Paravel tied for eighth with 11 points.