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xBy Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Led by conference coach of the year Daryl Halsey, the Seaman girls placed second in the United Kansas Conference swim meet at Capitol Federal Natatorium Tuesday.
Avery Walz, Seaman
Tauren Walz, Seaman
The Walz twins – seniors Avery and Tauren – accounted for four first-place individual medals for the Vikings to lead the team. They also led relay teams that placed first and second.
Junior Joslynn Grace added two firsts and two seconds and senior Avery Samuelson claimed a first and a second-place medal.
Seaman swimmers placed first in five of the eight individual events, but the Vikings’ 218 points fell a distant second behind Lansing’s 287.
“All of the Seaman swimmers were on fire today,” Halsey said. “They all swam their best times of the year. I think regardless of what the final scores say, they all did excellently and I’m proud of every single one of them.”
The Vikings are a senior-led team with Avery Walz taking both the 50 and 100 freestyle races and Tauren Walz winning the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke. Samuelson contributed to first- and second-place finishes in relays.
“They really build the team up,” Grace said of the team’s senior leaders. “They make the environment fun and they’re really motivating. Having them do so well raises the energy of the team.”
Grace qualified for state in two different events as a sophomore and hopes to build on that performance this year.
“She is right up there with the seniors on the team not only on her performance in the water, but in the leadership that she provides to the team,” Halsey said of Grace.
Shawnee Heights chased the leaders and finished in sixth place in the nine-school league with 114.50 points. The T-Birds were led by Ashlynn Landry, who placed third in the 200 freestyle. She also helped Shawnee Heights place fourth in two relays.
Halsey was announced coach of the year for the United Kansas Conference in his second year as Seaman head coach. He shared the honor with two other coaches in his first season.
“The only reason that I got it is because of the swimmers on the team and the success that they’ve had,” Halsey said.
The Vikings placed second in the City Championships last Friday, trailing only Washburn Rural. Halsey said he believes the team is trending in the right direction.
“We had such a good city meet last week that I was a little worried that they might be peaking a little too early,” Halsey said. “But they came out today and swam even better. I think they are peaking at the right time. We have a week and a half until state and I’m really excited to see what they’re going to do at state.”
UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
By his own admission, Myles Alonzo's putting still needs some work.
Topeka West senior Myles Alonzo chips onto the 18th green in Monday's UKC tournament at Lake Shawnee. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN[
But other than that, the Topeka West star, a two-time Class 5A state medalist, appears to be at the top of his game entering the biggest meets of his senior golf season.
The city champion added the United Kansas Conference individual title to his resume on Monday at Lake Shawnee, shooting a three-over-par 73 to take a four-shot victory over Basehor-Linwood's Carson Youngblood and Piper's Brody Cook.
"If I can just start putting better my scores would be a lot lower,'' Alonzo said. "I'm hitting my irons very well and my driver so I'm right on the edge. I just need to start making my putts and I'll be good.''
Alonzo has now won three of his last five tournaments heading into next Monday's 5A regional at Cypress Ridge.
"I'm hitting my irons better than I ever have and my driver very well and I think I'm good where I'm at,'' Alonzo said.
Host Shawnee Heights stayed in the hunt for the team crown down to the end of the day, with Basehor-Linwood prevailing by three strokes (327-330) over the T-Birds while Seaman finished third (340).
Senior Jensen Crawford tied for fourth place with a 78 to lead the T-Birds while junior Logan Hahn finished seventh with an 80, senior Zack Hohman tied for 11th with an 84 and sophomore Ayden Valdivia tied for 19th with an 88 to round out Shawnee Heights' top four.
Junior Alexander Flanagan paced third-place Seaman with a sixth-place 79, while sophomore Timothy Lister tied for ninth (83), junior Bradley Williamson tied for 15th (85) and Kaleb Mack rounded out the Vikings' top four scores with a 93.
Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West will all compete in next Monday's regional meet at Cypress Ridge (9 a.m.), with competitors vying for berths in the 5A state tournament May 20-21 at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton.
Topeka West senior Myles Alonzo reacts after sinking a par putt on the ninth hole of Monday's UKC tournament at Lake Shawnee. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Alonzo said he feels comfortable with both of the upcoming courses he'll be playing at.
"My confidence for regionals is very high and I expect myself to do really well because I play there almost every day and I played (at Sand Creek Station) twice last year and I love the course and I think I'll do very well there,'' Alonzo said.
UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University softball team has earned its sixth NCAA postseason appearance in program history as the squad was named the No. 6 seed in the upcoming NCAA Central Regional Monday morning.
Washburn softball has been installed as the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Central Region and will play Central Oklahoma on Thursday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will face Central Oklahoma in the opening round in Claremore, Okla. with Rogers State serving as the host site for one of the two four-team tournaments beginning on Thursday.
Starting times will be announced soon.
Pittsburg State will host the other site. The winner of the two tournaments will then face off in a best two-of-three series with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II Softball World Series in Longwood, Fla.
In Claremore, the four teams include Rogers State, which won the MIAA Tournament Championship as the No. 2 seed. Central Oklahoma is the No. 3 seed with the Ichabods seeded sixth and Southern Nazarene is the No. 7 seed.
In Pittsburg, the Gorillas are the No. 1 overall seed in the region, and joining Pittsburg State will be No. 4 seed Augustana, No. 5 seed Oklahoma Baptist and No. 8 seed Southern Arkansas.
The Ichabods have made NCAA postseason appearances in 1999, 2006, 2008, 2018, 2022, and now 2024, with the last three berths coming under head coach Brenda Holaday.
NCAA Central Regional Seeds
1. Pittsburg State
2. Rogers State
3. Central Oklahoma
4. Augustana
5. Oklahoma Baptist
6. Washburn
7. Southern Nazarene
8. Southern Arkansas
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Audrey Appuhn
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
A Washburn Rural sophomore swim star, Appuhn posted individual victories in the 200-yard freestyle in 2 minutes, 00.39 seconds and the 500 freestyle in 5:18.50 and also swam on the Junior Blues' winning 400 free relay (3:56.74) to lead the Junior Blues to their 21st straight city championship on Friday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium by a 580.50-490 margin over Seaman. Appuhn also swam on Rural's second-place 200 medley relay (2:00.94).
Jackson Esquibel
JACKSON ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights
The T-Birds' senior distance star captured titles in the 1,600 meters and 800 meters in Friday's Joe Schrag City Championship at Hummer Sports Park. A Class 5A state champion in both track and cross country, Esquibel won the city meet title in the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 20.63 seconds and came back later in the evening to win the 800 in 1:56.43. Esquibel has signed to run track and cross country at Kansas State.
Lawsen Lobatos
LAWSEN LOBATOS, Washburn Rural
A senior tennis player, Lobatos teamed with Dylan Willingham to win Centennial League, City and Class 6A regional doubles championships over a five-day period, helping Washburn Rural capture team titles in all three tournaments. Lobatos and Willingham won the league championship with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Manhattan, took the city crown with an 8-6 victory over Topeka West and won the regional title with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Manhattan as Rural qualified its entire team for state.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly girls swimming and diving honor roll for Topeka high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY
Seaman 1:55.71
Washburn Rural 2:00.94
Shawnee Heights 2:13.20
Hayden 2:13.49
Topeka High 2:15.52
200-YARD FREESTYLE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:00.39
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 2:03.30
Avery Walz, Seaman 2:03.60
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 2:04.96
Genevieve Miranda 2:12.50
Avery Walz, Seaman
200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Avery Walz, Seaman 2:11.82
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:12.54
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 2:12.97
Presley Green, Hayden 2:16.62
Tauren Walz, Seaman 2:19.25
Tauren Walz, Seaman
50-YARD FREESTYLE
Tauren Walz, Seaman 25.16
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 25.87
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 26.93
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 27.26
Molly Didde, Washburn Rural 27.55
ONE-METER DIVING
Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural 239.80
Kaylee Gregg, Hayden 239.80
Natalee Grauberger, Washburn Rural 197.80
Maddie Gregg, Hayden 177.20
Giselle Soto, Washburn Rural 162.20
