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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin posted a third-place team finish in the Class 2A state tournament at Mariah Hills in Dodge City while Silver Lake senior Bryce Badsky finished third in 3A at Emporia to lead five local individual medalists.
Cair Paravel Latin golf posted a third-place team finish in the Class 2A state tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Cair Paravel finished third as a team, 13 strokes behind runnerup Ellinwood while perennial state champion Salina Sacred Heart earned the state championship by 19 strokes.
State medalist Rich Helmbold led the Lions with a sixth-place individual finish, shooting a 78 on Tuesday after an opening-round 76.
CPLS' Jase Pavlik tied for 26th place with a 36-hole total of 173 (83-90) while Caleb Cleverdon tied for 32nd (89-87), Luke Budden tied for 38th (86-96), Simon Everhart tied for 40th (90-93) and Ty Gossard finished in 50th place (101-103).
Eagles' Badsky third, Hayden fourth in 3A
Silver Lake senior Bryce Badsky earned his fourth straight Class 3A individual medal on Tuesday at Emporia Municipal, placing third with a 36-hole total of 151.
Bryce Badsky, Silver Lake
Badsky shot a 75 on Tuesday after an opening-round 76.
Hayden finished fourth as a team, four strokes behind third-place Wichita Collegiate. Hesston and Sabetha went one-two in the team race, with the Bluejays winning by four strokes.
James Kuta finished with a two-day total of 159 (73-86) to tie for 14th place and earn a state medal.
James Kuta, Hayden
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Reaching the Class 6A soccer semifinals will never get old for Brian Hensyel and the Washburn Rural girls, but it has become an expectation for the proud Junior Blues instead of a dream.
Washburn Rural extended its impressive streak of final four appearances to 10 with Tuesday's 4-0 shutout over Lawrence Free State at McElroy Field, with the Junior Blues advancing to Friday's 6A semifinals at Hummer Sports Park.
Washburn Rural junior star Kate Hinck (9) registered a hat trick in Tuesday's 4-0 win over Free State at McElroy Field, giving her 10 goals in three postseason games. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
"It's crazy because the coaches on the sideline were talking about the first time we did it 15 years ago and it seemed like this huge accomplishment and it was, 'Man, we finally broke through,' '' Hensyel said. "And to see where the program is at 15 years later and to see that now become the norm and the standard is really something to be proud of.
"All year this was our goal. All year our goal was to get back there with a chance to try to win two games against the best teams in the state. The girls took care of business, but now we've got to try to make some noise this weekend.''
Junior standout Kate Hinck had reason to celebrate the number 10 as well, with Hinck recording a three-goal hat trick to give her 10 goals in Rural's three postseason games and 25 goals on the season.
Washburn Rural junior Kate Hinck's three goals Tuesday gave her 25 goals on the season. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural, which improved to 16-3-0 with its 13th win in 14 games (all shutouts), got the only goal it would need at the 31:44 mark of the first half on Hinck's first goal and got a goal from junior Destiny Higgs with 10:35 left in the half to give the Junior Blues a 2-0 halftime advantage.
Junior Destiny Higgs scored Washburn Rural's second goal in Tuesday's 4-0 win over Free State in a Class 6A quarterfinal. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hinck scored her second goal of the game just 4:14 into the second half and finished off her hat track at the 28:32 mark.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park put three players on the All-Meadowlark Conference softball team, selected by league coaches.
Jon'nae Buffett, Kalie Barnes and Azaria Jones represent the Scots on the first team while Buffett was named the conference utility player of the year.
Seven other Scots received all-conference recognition, with DeVeaha Monroe-Drew, Myka Calhoun and Majhany Justice named to the second team and Koralee Jones, Yoliechka Rodriguez-Davila, Asia Brooks and Makayla Cadet earning honorable mention.
ALL-MEADOWLARK CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
First team
Arianna Leaper, KC-Washington; Jon'nae Buffett, Highland Park; Presley Simpson, Atchison; Keneth Rodriguez, KC-Sumner Academy; Ariana George, KC-Sumner Academy; Kaylie Barnes, Highland Park; Azaria Jones, Highland Park; Jadyn Boldridge, Atchison; Aliyah Hughes, KC-Sumner Academy.
Second team
Makenzie Weedon-Jacobs, Atchison; Andi Estes, Atchison; Izzy Bowen, Atchison; DaVeaha Monroe-Drew, Highland Park; Miah Trowbridge, KC-Sumner Academy; Myka Calhoun, Highland Park; SaRae Johnson, Atchison; Mahjanay Justice, Highland Park; Mary Keller, KC-Wyandotte.
Honorable mention
Koralee Jones, Highland Park; Lilly Faught, KC-Washington; Yoliechka Rodriguez-Davila, Highland Park; Asia Brooks, Highland Park; Makayla Cadet, Highland Park.
Player of the year -- Arianna Leaper, KC-Washington.
Utility player of the year -- Jon'nae Buffett, Highland Park.
Coach of the year -- Elizabeth Langa, KC-Sumner Academy.
Highland Park freshman standout Micah Williams was named to the All-Meadowlark Conference soccer first team. [File photo/TSN]
Micah Williams All-Meadowlark Conference first-team soccer pick
Highland Park freshman soccer standout Micah Williams, who scored 23 goals on the season, was named to the All-Meadowlark Conference soccer first team.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High senior Nate Plankinton and Hayden junior Cooper Grace have been named Centennial League baseball co-players of the year by league coaches after helping lead their teams to state tournament berths this week.
Topeka High senior Nate Plankinton was selected as the co-player of the year in the Centennial League after helping lead the Trojans to a second straight Class 6A state berth. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden junior Cooper Grace has been named the Centennial League co-player of the year after helping lead the Wildcats to a Class 3A state tournament berth. [File photo/TSN]
Plankinton helped 17-4 Topeka High reach the Class 6A state tournament for the second straight season while Grace helped 15-12 Hayden reach the 3A state event.
Plankinton and Grace also earned first-team honors from league coaches, their team's lone first-team selections.
Both Plankinton and Grace made the all-league first team for the second straight season.
Washburn Rural, which posted a 13-10 record this spring, put a league-high four players on the All-Centennial League first team, with seniors Kyle Walker, Colin Redeker, Connor Wells and Braden Hauschel representing the Junior Blues.
Walker moved up to the first team after being a second-team pick as a junior.
Rural coach Jay Mastin was voted the league coach of the year by his peers while Manhattan sophomore Jackson Goos was named the newcomer of the year.
Topeka High put seniors Isaiah Kincade, Hank Stamper and Matt Genrich and sophomore Drayden Acosta on the all-league second team while Hayden is represented by senior Evan Lenherr, junior Brady Heinen and freshman Mason Becker and Washburn Rural by senior Braden Ailslieger.
A total of six city players received all-league honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE BASEBALL
First team
Cooper Grace, jr., Hayden; Nate Plankinton, sr., Topeka High; Kyle Walker, sr., Washburn Rural; Colin Redeker, sr., Washburn Rural; Jake Wolcott, sr., Manhattan; Connor Wells, sr., Washburn Rural; Sam Spiegel, jr., Manhattan; Braden Hauschel, sr., Washburn Rural; Owen Ruge, jr., Emporia; Lincoln Upham, sr., Junction City; Carter Aslin, jr., Manhattan.
Second team
Jackson Goos, so., Manhattan; Isaiah Kincade, sr., Topeka High; Drayden Acosta, so., Topeka High; Evan Lenherr, sr., Hayden; Brady Heinen, jr., Hayden; Muaadh Harris, fr., Junction City; Hank Stamper, sr., Topeka High; Braden Ailslieger, sr., Washburn Rural; Matt Genrich, sr., Topeka High; Cael Smith, jr., Junction City; Mason Becker, fr., Hayden.
Honorable mention
Landon Ott, sr., Manhattan; Kaeden Fenton, sr., Washburn Rural; Aiden Roberts, so., Hayden; Jamarcus Tyson, so., Junction City; Chris Coy, so., Junction City; Kyler VanDonge, sr., Washburn Rural; Micah Gray, fr., Emporia; Owen Goode, sr., Manhattan; Branton DeWeese, sr., Washburn Rural; Andrew Ruxton, jr., Emporia; Brock Bazan, sr., Junction City; Lee Gonzales, sr., Topeka High; Isaac Ansley, so., Washburn Rural.
Co-players of the year -- Cooper Grace, jr., Hayden, and Nate Plankinton, Topeka High.
Newcomer of the year -- Jackson Goos, so., Manhattan.
Coach of the yer -- Jay Mastin, Washburn Rural.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Nine days after a frustrating 1-0 home United Kansas Conference loss to Basehor-Linwood, Seaman's girls soccer team responded with one of its best performances of the season last Thursday, taking a 4-1 road win over the Bobcats to advance to the Class 5A quarterfinals.
Seaman celebrates its Class 5A regional soccer championship after last Thursday's 4-1 road win at Basehor-Linwood. [Seaman Athletics]
"We played a lot better,'' Seaman coach Kyle Seevers said. "We had probably our best overall game of the season. Every person that went in competed hard, connected, defended, won 50-50 balls. It was just a complete game.''
After dropping three straight one-goal games to end the regular season, the Vikings bounced back with a 10-0 win over Kansas City-Schlagle in its regional opener and never trailed in the regional final after Parker Ayres and Marin Schuler scored first-half goals to give Seaman a 2-0 advantage.
Midway through the second half Basehor-Linwood cut its deficit to 2-1 but Seaman's Taylin Stallbaumer answered with a pivotal goal to put Seaman up 3-1 and Ryin Miller found the net less than a minute after Stallbaumer's goal to give the Vikings their final margin.
Miller had a pair of assists in the Seaman win while Schuler also had an assist.
Now the 12-4-1 Vikings will attempt to build off that win in Tuesday's 6 p.m. quarterfinal at Blue Valley Southwest (15-2-0).
Blue Valley Southwest probably has to be considered the favorite, particularly at home, but Seevers has no doubt his team will put up a fight.
"Anything can happen,'' Seevers said. "When we beat De Soto (1-0) it wasn't always pretty but sometimes you've just go to muddy the waters to get a catfish so that's kind of been our go to ever since the De Soto game, to muddy the waters. It may not be pretty but it gets done.''
Seaman will be looking to continue what has been a magical 2023-2024 school year, with the Vikings winning 5A state titles in volleyball and basketball and punching their ticket to the state tournament in softball.
"We've got such a great group of athletes right now,'' Seevers said. "Not always the best soccer players, but oh my God do we have winners that are great athletes.''
Also looking to extend its season will be 13-5-0 Shawnee Heights, which will be on the road to face 16-1-0 St. Thomas Aquinas in the other 5A East quarterfinal at 7 p.m.
