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The 2024 All-City girls tennis team -- Front, left to right: Madeline Deters, Topeka High, Sidney Chinn, Seaman; Camryn Lux, Seaman; Emma Sweney, Seaman; Kaylyn Hiebsch, Seaman; Ainzley Zulueta, Hayden; Emily Sheetz, Hayden; Avery O'Bray, Hayden; Grace Funk, Hayden. Back, left to right: Hailey Caryl, Topeka High; Ava Ritter, Topeka High; Peyton Henry, Seaman; Molly Gorman, Seaman; Emerie Catlin, Washbrn Rural; Isabelle Haggard, Washburn Rural; Carolina Chedzoy, Washburn Rural; Sophia Wichman, Hayden; Izzy Glotzbach, Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Hayden three-time Class 4A state singles champion Ainzley Zulueta headlines the 2024 All-City girls tennis team, which includes 13 state medalists.

Zulueta capped her high school career with an undefeated senior season, going through the postseason without losing a game as the Wildcats won their second state team title in three seasons.

All six of Hayden's players earned 4A state medals while helping the Wildcats sweep city, Centennial League, regional and state championships.

The Wildcats got a runnerup 4A double finish from senior Emily Sheetz and freshman Sophia Wichman while junior Grace Funk placed ninth in singles and juniors Izzy Glotzbach and Avery O'Bray finished 11th in doubles..

United Kansas Conference and 5A regional team champion Seaman, which finished third at state, also put six players on the All-City team.

Viking sophomore Emma Sweeney placed fourth in 5A singles while junior Molly Gorman finished 10th in singles and senior Sidney Chinn and junior Kaylyn Henry placed 12th in doubles. Seaman sophomores Kaylyn Hiebsch and Camryn Lux were also state qualifiers in doubles.

Washburn Rural's senior doubles team of Emerie Catlin and Isabelle Haggard placed ninth in the Class 6A state tournament after sweeping city, Centennial League and 6A regional titles while Junior Blue singles state qualifiers Carolina Chedzoy also earned an All-City spot.

Topeka High junior Madeline Deters finished eighth in singles in the 6A state tournament and is joined on the All-City team by state doubles qualifiers Ava Ritter, a junior and freshman Hailey Caryl.

All-City selections are based on finishes in the city meet and the recommendations of city coaches.

All-City capsules:

Read more …

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Defending Class 4A state girls golf champion Hayden will take a four-stroke lead into Tuesday's final day of the 2024 state tournament at Hesston Golf Course.

Hayden junior Lauren Borjon is tied for second place after Monday's opening round of the Class 4A state tournament at Hesston. [File photo/TSN]

Hayden finished Monday's opening round with a four-person score of 69 over par, while Wellington sits second at plus 73, followed by McPherson at plus 79.

Hayden junior Lauren Borjon finished Day 1 tied for second place individually with a 5-over-par 76, six strokes behind tournament leader Addison Douglas, who carded a 1-under 70.

Wildcat senior Addyson Baer is tied for 14th after a first-round 86 while junior Izzy Glotzbach is tied for 18th after an 89.

Brooke Johnson shot a 102, Nora Allphin a 107 and Kellyn Specht a 112 for Hayden.

The final round of the tournament is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.

Silver Lake senior Taylor Zordel, a three-time state medalist, is tied for fifth in the Class 3A-1A state tournament entering Tuesday's final round at Emporia. [File photo/TSN]

Silver Lake third in 3A-1A

Defending Class 3A-1A state champion Silver Lake will begin the final 18 holes of the state tournament at Emporia Municipal Golf Course in third place, seven strokes off the pace.

The Eagles finished Day 1 with a four-person score of 88 over par, seven strokes behind tournament leader Caney Valley and five strokes behind second-place Pittsburg Colgan.

Senior Taylor Zordel led Silver Lake with an opening-round of 86 and will begin Tuesday's round tied for fifth place.

Junior Kailyn Hanni is tied for 13th after a first-round 90 while Makenna Miller shot a 95, Savannah Wende a 101, Hope Thornton a 102 and Alyssa Streit a 113.

Rossville's Elley Sanders shot a first-round 94 and advanced to the second round of the tournament tied for 26th place.

The 3A-1A state tournament is set for a 10 a.m. start on Tuesday. 

Class 6A, 5A state tournaments postponed

Neither the Class 6A state tournament at Hutchinson and the 5A event at Salina completed the opening round on Monday.

Both state tournaments are scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday, with the final round scheduled to begin after the competion of Day 1.

All six of Washburn Rural's players completed their first round, with senior Reece Randall shooting a 79, senior Natalie Peterson, junior Lauren Cox an 82 and senior Colbey Stead an 86 to lead the Junior Blues.

Rural was tied for fourth place and in a good position to advance to the final round of competition.

Three of Seaman's six players completed their first round in the 5A state tourney, with senior Anna McLaughlin leading the Vikings with a 91 while Chloe Schmidtlein shot a 97 and Molina Quintana a 105.

Competing as individuals, Shawnee Heights' Lyla Blair shot an 87, Topeka West's Alex Baxter a 94. Shawnee Heights' Lauryn Valdivia a 105 and West's Berlyn Kolean a 113.

The 5A field will be cut to the top six teams and the top individuals after the conclusion of the first round.

 

By KEVIN HASKIN

TopSports.news

Musings two-thirds into the month:

• Quick one: What’s your favorite Halloween candy?

• This one sorta stumps me. One, because I don’t eat candy. Ha, fake news. I do.

• My favorite candy bar, though, is a Fifth Avenue. Tough to find. And, you rarely see the fun size bars.

• So, Butterfinger? Nope. Don’t mind them but I prefer other candy, including the nougat trifecta of Snickers, Milky Way and Three Musketeers.

• However, it’s a quinella for me since Three Musketeers is trash.

• All right, the point is we’ve all got our favorite. And I’m betting we all understand why the Neco Wafer, circus peanuts and jelly orange slices have never been branded to give to Trick or Treaters.

• But no Fifth Avenue fun-size bars? Come on, confectioners.

• Shout out to the Topeka Mars plant during this time of year.

• Hey, was that Kansas that I saw win a football game Saturday? In dominant fashion, no less.

• The Jayhawks ride on Jalen Daniels. When he’s on, look out. The KU receivers are good and Devin Neal loosens defenses.

• Hard sometimes to emerge from a tailspin and show the firepower that shaped high expectations in the preseason.

• Was it the breakthrough KU needed to be upset Kansas State?

• I already like the Jayhawks’ ability to keep games close. Finishing became a key issue.

• K-State, though, looks tough all around and will have a vociferous nighttime crowd in its favor. Also, there’s a 15-game series win streak to uphold.

• Seems, too, that Avery Johnson improves each week, even when limited to using his arm as a singular weapon.

• None of the K-State receivers will likely be all-conference picks, but they’re solid. Especially when opponents must contend with D.J. Giddens and Dylan Edwards out of the backfield.

• About halfway through the season, you get over players who moved on but for a few weeks I stared at the TV and missed K-State’s Cooper Beebe and KU’s Kenny Logan.

• Underrated quality for KU is the ability of their secondary to break on throws, as witnessed by Cobee Bryant’s three interceptions against Houston.

• For K-State, an underrated quality is the reconstruction of the offensive line into a competitive unit. That, and the Wildcats’ tacklers swarming to the ball.

• Picking K-State to beat KU, 38-30.

• After Saturday, the two most intriguing games for each team will be against Iowa State.

• For KU, it will be interesting to see how many ISU fans travel to Arrowhead for the Nov. 9 clash.

• For K-State, the Nov. 30 showdown in Ames could be for incredibly high stakes.

• The Cyclones are for real. Their late rally to avert an upset bid by UCF revealed the moxie possessed by quarterback Rocco Becht.

• The Big 12 is better than most national observers think, but when coverage tilts toward hyping the Big Ten and SEC, bias is king.

• And, in a year when the SEC looks balanced, down or both.

• We’re seeing Neal Brown’s final year at West Virginia, Willie Fritz’s worst year at Houston and, dare I write this, Matt Campbell’s best year at Iowa State.

• So, the league championship series to determine the World Series participants were on the other night. So, too was college football.

• Yet I found myself surfing to the WNBA finals and kept it there to watch a tight finish that sent the series to a decisive game.

• Credit Caitlan Clark for this. Rather than bully and berate her, opponents should be sending a percentage of their pay Clark’s way.

• Still, the fervor escalated among other fan bases, too.

• Is it fair to compare Clark’s rock star status to Michael Jordan in his prime?

• Well, she’s only played her rookie season but I’m willing to go there.

• My interest in the baseball playoffs wanes with big spenders such as the Yankees, Dodgers and Mets playing for league pennants.

• Drove with two buddies to the Wild Card series the Royals swept at Baltimore.

• Good time? Yes, but I root for the Orioles and was bummed about the outcome.

• Six straight postseason losses to the Royals for Baltimore. Not something many franchises get saddled with.

• One slight excursion we took on our own was getting in the truck and taking a limited tour of Baltimore filming locations for the HBO hit, The Wire.

• Topeka neighborhoods, you have it pretty good.

• As long as construction barrels don’t block your path.

• Joined my wife for her craft exhibit at Baldwin’s Maple Leaf Festival.

• Pretty cool to see a small town come alive for that kind of thing. The two-day event debuted in 1958, just like me. The festival, however, remains vibrant.

• Oops, I’m late getting over there to help man the booth.