Welcome to Top Sports News

The 2025 All-City girls bowling team: From left -- Kenzie Lawson, Washburn Rural; Megan Glinka, Washburn Rural; Addison Van Metre, Shawnee Heights; Paige Snyder, Seaman; Claire LaDuke, Seaman, and Leah Crawford, Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The future appears bright for city girls high school bowling, with the 2025 girls All-City first team comprised of six underclassmen, including a freshman and three sophomores.

The All-City team, selected by city coaches, includes first-team sophomore repeaters Paige Snyder of Seaman and Megan Glinka of Washburn Rural along with Seaman junior Claire LaDuke and Washburn Rural junior Kenzie Lawson, Shawnee Heights sophomore Addison Van Metre and Seaman freshman Leah Craword. 

LaDuke, Lawson and Van Metre all earned individual medals during the 2025 state meet.

Lawson and Glinka helped Washburn Rural finish third as a team in the Class 6A state tournament while LaDuke, Crawford and Snyder helped Seaman post a third-place finish in 5A.

All-City capsules:

Read more …

By Todd Fertig

TopSports.news

The Hayden softball team took two home games from Centennial League foe Emporia Wednesday in a makeup date from the previous day, improving to 5-1 on the season.

Hayden sophomore Maura Valdivia picked up the Wildcats' 5-2 first-game pitching victory over Emporia. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]

Sophomore Olivia Kennedy went the distance for the pitching win in Hayden's 11-3 victory over Emporia. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

The Wildcats limited Emporia to just five runs in the doubleheader, which gave the Hayden offense time to get cranked up after being shut out the first four innings of the opener.

Hayden rallied for four runs in the fifth inning to come from behind to win the opener 5-2. Junior Emily Peterson put the Wildcats ahead, breaking a 1-1 tie in the fifth with a single that drove in two runs.

The Wildcats struck early in the second game, plating three runs in the first inning. They poured on six more runs in the fourth inning and won going away, 11-3.

Junior Emily Peterson starred in Hayden's twinbill sweep over emporia. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]

Peterson was again in the middle of the rally, blasting a two-RBI double in the fourth.

“We had a lot of energy, talking a lot,” Peterson said. “Our pitchers did good. We had their backs on defense.”

Junior Emmy Jeffers threw the first four innings of the opener before giving way to sophomore Maura Valdivia, who picked up the victory.

Sophomore Olivia Kennedy recorded the Wildcats’ first complete game of the season in the second game.

“This year, we’ve got four pitchers that we can rely on,” Hayden coach Cody Reynolds said. “Last year, we were in a bind. We didn’t have a lot of pitching to keep us in the games, so it was tough last year watching some of that.”

Read more …

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

ELLA BOLAN, Silver Lake

A senior, Bolan was a member of Silver Lake's Class 3A state championship 4x400 relay team in the 2024 state meet, with the Eagles posting a winning time of 4:06.64. Bolan also ranked No. 4 in Shawnee County last season in the 400-meter dash (61.69 seconds).  

Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink (1666) is a multiple Class 6A state placer in both track and cross country. [File photo/TSN]

PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural

A senior, Fink, a multiple time first-team All-Shawnee County pick, is one of Class 6A's premier distance runners. Fink finished fifth in 6A in the 3,200 (11:14.85) and seventh in the 1,600 (5:17.66) last season. A four-time state cross country medalist, Fink finished fifth in 6A last fall as the Junior Blues tied for first place in the team standings and finished second on a tiebreaker.

ALI GERBER, Silver Lake

Gerber, a sophomore, was a member of Silver Lake's Class 3A state championship 4x400 relay team in the 2024 state meet, with the Eagles posting a winning time of 4:06.64. Gerber ranked fifth in Shawnee County last season in the 400 (62.18) and fourth in the triple jump (34-0) and was also a state qualifier in cross country.

EMILY GRAF, Washburn Rural

A junior, Graf ran on Washburn Rural's 4x800 relay team that finished sixth in the Class 6A state meet last spring (9:47.16) and finished seventh in the 3,200 (11:20.57), earning All-Shawnee County first-team recognition. Graf is also a multi-time state placer in cross country, finishing in 14th place at state as the Junior Blues tied for the 6A team title and finished second on a tiebreaker.  

Seaman senior Taylie Heston was a Class 5A state medalist and an All-Shawnee County first-team pick last season. [File photo/TSN]  

TAYLIE HESTON, Seaman

A senior, Heston earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition the past two seasons, earning a Class 5A state medal as a member of Seaman's second-place 4x800 relay team (4:02.39). A 5A state runnerup in wrestling, ranked No. 5 in Shawnee County last season in the 800 meters (2:28.82).

Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert was a multi-event Class 6A state medalist last spring, earning first-team All-Shawnee County honors. [File photo/TSN] 

RYLEE ISMERT, Washburn Rural

A senior distance runner, Ismert helped Washburn Rural post a sixth-place finish in Class 6A in the 4x800 relay (9:47.16) in the 2024 state meet and also placed sixth in the 1,600 (5:17.31). Ismert, a two-time first-team All-Shawnee County team pick, ranked among the county leaders in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters last spring. Ismert placed second individually in the 6A cross country meet last fall as Rural tied for the team title and finished second on a tiebreaker.

Topeka High junior Keimara Marshall was a Class 6A state medalist in the last spring. [File photo/TSN]

KEIMARA MARSHALL, Topeka High

A junior, Marshall has established herself as one of the area's top sprinters, earning first-team all-county honors. Marshall ranked No. 1 in the county in the 100 (12.41) and 200 (26.25) in 2024 and capped her season with a 6A state medal in the 100, finishing seventh in 12.41.

Seaman junior Ryin MIller has been named Gatorade Kansas Athlete of the Year in both track last spring and in cross country this past fall. [File photo/TSN]

RYIN MILLER, Seaman 

Miller, a junior, won a pair of Class 5A state titles last spring, winning the 1,600 (4:51.58) and the 800 (2:10.80), and also finished second in the 3,200 (10:13.97) and anchored Seaman's second-place 4x400 relay (4:02.39. Miller is also the Kansas state record-holder in cross country and was the 5A runnerup this past fall

BROOKLYN NOLTE, Washburn Rural

A senior, Nolte earned All-Shawnee County first-team honors last spring after running on Washburn Rural's 4x800 relay team that finished sixth in Class 6A (9:47.16). Nolte is also a three-time all-county pick in cross country and ran on the Junior Blues' cross country team that tied for first and finished second in the 6A state meet last fall, posting a 1st-place state finish.

Topeka High freshman Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton was a two-time Class 6A medalist as a freshman in 2024. [File photo/TSN]

AHSIEYRHUAJH RAYTON, Topeka High

A sophomore, Rayton had a big freshman season for Topeka High, earning first-team All-Shawnee County recognition after placing second in the Class 6A triple jump (38-5.25) and fourth in the long jump (17-5.75). Rayton was the Shawnee County leader in both jumps and also ranked No. 5 in the 200 (26.78). 

Senior Jaida Stallbaumer ran on Seaman's second-place 4x400 relay in the Class 5A state meet last spring and also led Shawnee County in the 100-meter hurdles. [File photo/TSN]

JAIDA STALLBAUMER, Seaman

Stallbaumer, a senior, was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2023 and 2024 and ran on the Vikings' second-place 4x400 relay (4:02.39). Stallbaumer ranked No. 1 in Shawnee County last season in the 100 hurldes (15.85).

ALLY STEINER, Seaman

A senior sprinter, Steiner ran on the Vikings' second-place 4x400 relay (4:02.39) in last spring's Class 5A state meet, earning All-Shawnee County first-team honors. Steiner ranked No. 3 in Shawnee County in the 100 (12.86) and the 400 (60.92). 

ELLIOT WRENCH, Hayden

A senior, was a Class 3A state qualifier in the 1,600 and 4x400 relay last season and is coming off a big cross country season last fall. Wrench set a school five-kilometer record with a time of 19 minutes, 20 seconds, surpassing last year’s record of 20:01 and finished sixth in the 4A state meet after finishing sixth in the city meet, seventh in the Centennial League and fourth at regionals.