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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Nobody has to tell new Topeka High girls basketball coach Ron Slaymaker how old he is.
But the 87-year-old Kansas basketball legend said he's never lost his love for the game and or his enthusiam to help young people -- two things that drew him to the Trojan coaching vacancy.
Ron Slaymaker, whose career in basketball has spanned more than six decades, including his most recent stint with the Olpe girls, is the new Topeka High girls basketball coach. [Photo by Jenny Schmidt for KSHSAA Covered]
New Topeka High girls basketball coach Ron Slaymaker won 463 games during a storied Hall of Fame coaching career at Emporia State. [Photo courtesy of Emporia State Athletics]
Fresh off a three-year stint with the Olpe girls, including back-to-back state tournament appearances, Slaymaker takes over at Topeka High, pending approval by the USD 501 school board.
"I've got the age, but along with it goes wisdom and I feel like I've got the energy,'' Slaymaker told TopSports.news. "Energy in coaching is a big major issue and I've still got the energy. I don't walk very good, but I've got the energy and I've got the interest and I love a challenge.
"I think this will be a challenge and I think a good challenge because I think it's a good thing waiting to happen. I am excited about it.''
Slaymaker is best known for his long career with the Emporia State men's basketball program, finishing his 28-year career in 1998 with 463 wins, a national coach of the year honor in 1986 (31-5), six NAIA District 10 Coach of the Year awards, five Central States Intercollegiate Conference championships, four District 10 titles and four appearances in the NAIA National Tournament.
Ron Slaymaker (right) chats with former Kansas and North Carolina head coach Roy Williams before a game during Slaymaker's long tenure at Emporia State. [Photo courtesy of Emporia State Athletics]
In 1987, Emporia State inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Honor, while Slaymaker is also a member of the Kansas Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame (1997), the NAIA Hall of Fame (2000) and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (2002).
On Feb. 28, 2013 Emporia State re-named the White Auditorium court in Slaymaker's honor.
After retiring from ESU, Slaymaker put together a lengthy career as an official before hip replacement surgery forced him off the court. He eventually returned to coaching as the girls coach at Chase County when the Bulldogs needed a coach after the school year had already begun.
"I really kind of bailed them out and they gave me something to do when I thought I wasn't going to be able to referee,'' Slaymaker said. "I was only going to do it one year and wound up doing it seven years. I really just kind of fell in love with coaching the girls. They were a joy to be around.
"When you're talking about coaching and teaching, it's young people growing and, God, that excites me. It's one of my major motivations.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Audrey Appuhn
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
The Washburn Rural sophomore swimming star earned multiple Class 6A state medals for the second straight season in Saturday's state meet at the Shawnee Mission District Aquatic Center. Appuhn, who posted multiple wins in the city and Centennial League meets, finished fifth in the 200 individual medley (2 minutes, 12.72 seconds) and sixth in the 500 freestyle (5:17.70) to lead Rural to a 13th-place team finish with 73 points.
Kate Hinck
KATE HINCK, Washburn Rural
Hinck, a junior soccer star, scored a total of seven goals last week as Washburn Rural posted two Class 6A regional wins to advance to the state quarterfinals. Hinck scored three goals in the Junior Blues' 10-0 win over Campus last Tuesday and followed that up with four goals, all in the first half, as Washburn Rural rolled to an 8-0 win over Wichita East last Thursday in a regional final at McElroy Field.
Ryin Miller
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, the Vikings' nationally-ranked sophomore track and field star, qualified for the Class 5A state meet in four events in Friday's regional track and field meet, with three victories. Miller won the 800 meters in 2 minutes, 12.99 seconds, the 1,600 meters in 4:55.24 and the 3,200 in 10:57.40 and also helped Seaman qualify for state in the 4x400 relay with a third-place finish in 4:04.44.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After earning first-team All-American football honors last season at Hutchinson Community College and spending a short time at Division I Toledo, former Highland Park multi-sport star Tre Richardson decided that home is where his heart is.
Former Highland Park star and Hutchinson All-American Tre Richardson is transferring to Washburn to be a dual sport athlete in football and track and field. [File photo/TSN]
A two-time Class 5A state champion last spring at Highland Park, Tre Richardson plans to run track and play football at Washburn. [File photo/TSN]
Richardson, the 2023 Topeka Shawnee County Male Athlete of the Year, told TopSports.news Sunday night that he is transferring to Washburn where he will be a dual sport athlete in football and track and field for the Ichabods.
"What made me decide was the connection and care that the coaches showed on both sides,'' Richardson said. "In football they showed me how they were going to use me and I liked it and then track, I wanted to get back into track and the fact that they were excited for me to do both and not interfere with each other made me see that they really wanted me there.''
Richardson said the opportunity to be able to play in front of his friends and family was also a big drawing card to Washburn.
"I felt like it would be nice to play in front of a crowd that I know and knows me since high school,'' he said. "I've seen how the community helps Washburn and shows love and comes to the games and supports everybody and that's what I want around me and my son.
"I want him around a caring community and I feel like that's Washburn.''
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The 2024 All-City girls swimming and diving team -- Front, from left: Tauren Walz, Seaman; Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural; Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High; Joslynn Grace, Seaman; Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights; Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural; Jella Belgardt, Washburn Rural. Back, from left: Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights; Avery Walz, Seaman; Presley Green, Hayden; Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural; Maddie O'Brien, Washburn Rural; Molly Didde, Washburn Rural; Kaylee Gregg, Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Six state placers, led by second-place finishers Avery Walz, Tauren Walz and Joslynn Grace of Seaman, headline the 2024 All-City girls swimming and diving team.
Avery Walz posted four top-five finishes in last weekend's Class 5A-1A state meet, including a runnerup finish in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 freestyle and she also teamed with junior Joslynn Grace and senior Tauren Walz to post a runnerup finish in the 200 medley relay and a fifth-place finish in the 200 free relay.
Washburn Rural freshman Audrey Appuhn posted top-six finishes in a pair of 6A individual events, while Hayden junior Kaylee Gregg finished fifth in the 5A-1A state meet in one-meter diving and Washburn Rural sophomore Rhiannon Good placed seventh in the 6A diving event.
City and Centennial League champion Washburn Rural, which won its 21st straight city title, put a city-high six swimmers/divers on the All-City first team, which is determined by performances in the city meet, while Seaman, which finished third in the 5A-1A team standings, has three first-teamers..
Washburn Rural put Appuhn, Good, Jella Belgardt, Molly Didde, Genevieve Miranda and Madeline O'Brien on the first team while Seaman is represented by the Walz twins and Grace after the Vikings posted a top-five 5A-1Ateam finish for the fourth straight season.
Hayden's Gregg and Presley Green and Shawnee Heights' Kaitlyn Aldridge and Ashtynn Landry also earned first-team recognition and Topeka High's Hara Del Castillo is a first-team repeat honoree.
All-City first-team capsules:
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls swimming team fell just short of winning an event in Saturday's Class 5A-1A state championship at the Shawnee Mission District Aquatic Center, but three runnerup finishes and six trips to the finals paved the way for a strong third-place team finish for the Vikings.
Seaman senior Avery Walz closed out a banner high school career with a pair of second-place finishes and four medals overall in Saturday's Class 5A-1A state meet. [File photo/TSN]
Senior star Avery Walz finished second in both the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 9.40 seconds) and the 100 freestyle (53.17) and she also teamed with junior Joslynn Grace and seniors Tauren Walz and Avery Samuelson to post a runnerup finish in the 200 medley relay (1:56.90) and a fifth-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:44.47).
Seaman senior Tauren Walz earned four Class 5A-1A top-eight finishes on Saturday, helping the Vikings post a third-place team finish. [File photo/TSN]
eaman junior Joslynn Grace placed in four events in the Class 5A-1A state events, helping the Vikings finish third in 5A-1A as a team. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman also got a fourth-place finish from Tauren Walz in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.95) and an eighth in the 100 butterfly (59.97) while Grace finished fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.12) and eighth in the 200 individual medley (2:15.23).
It all added up to 147 points, with the Vikings third behind team champion Blue Valley Southwest (253) and Andover (198).
Saturday was Seaman's fourth straight top-five state team finish.
Washburn Rural sophomore Audrey Appuhn was a double Class 6A state medalist for the second straight season on Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
Appuhn earns pair of state medals in 6A
For the second straight season Washburn Rural sophomore standout Audrey Appuhn captured a pair of individual state medals in the 6A state championships.
Appuhn finished fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:12.72) and sixth in the 500 freestyle (5:17.70) to lead Rural to a 13th-place team finish with 73 points.
Sophomore Rhiannon Good posted a seventh-place finish in the one-meter diving event (359.40).
Appuhn, Genevieve Miranda, Jella Belgardt and Molly Didde won the 'B' final (ninth place) in the 200 medley relay (1:59.01) while Miranda, a junior, finished 11th in the 'B' final in the 50 freestyle (25.84).
Hayden sophomore Kaylee Gregg finished fifth in the Class 5A-1A state meet in the one-meter diving event Saturday, her second straight top-10 state finish. [File photo/TSN]
Gregg posts fifth-place finish in 5A-1A diving
Hayden junior Kaylee Gregg posted a fifth-place finish in the 5A-1A one-meter diving event, advancing to the finals for the second straight season.
Kaylee Gregg posted a score of 364.80 while her younger sister Maddie, a freshman, finished 11th with a score of 280.95.
Kaylee Gregg had finished 10th as a sophomore in the 2023 state meet.
Emporia sophomore Allisyn Weiss captured the state title with a winning score of 451.20.
