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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
For all his accomplishments in track and field, it’s possible that the most significant aspects of Cliff Wiley’s career occurred away from the track.
Former University of Kansas track star Cliff Wiley will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 2 at Washburn University. [Submitted photo/Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
One of the world’s top sprinters in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Wiley will be inducted to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony at Washburn University on August 2.
Highlighting Wiley’s career are wins in the men’s 400 meters at the 1981 Athletes World Cup in Rome and at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas. As a member of the University of Kansas track team, Wiley was an All-American and three-time national champion.
But before he hit those heights, Wiley was embroiled in a lawsuit with far-reaching implications for college athletes.
Having accepted Pell Grant money, which the NCAA considered an extra benefit, in addition to his track scholarship, Wiley was ruled ineligible by the governing body.
“It just didn’t make any sense to me,” Wiley said about the NCAA ruling. “I was 19 years old, fighting a case against the NCAA in federal court, sitting there with a guy from the Douglas County Legal Aid Society. We look over at the NCAA lawyers and they’re wearing these expensive suits…they weren’t shopping at the discount store.
“Where I came from, you tried to stay as far away from the law as you could, because in my neighborhood, if you had contact with the legal system, it was because you had done something wrong, or somebody had done something wrong to you.”
The lead plaintiff in Clifford Wiley vs. the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Wiley wound up separated from his KU teammates and without much of a support system.
“It was a tough deal,” Wiley said. “I didn’t understand all of the legalities, so it was difficult to talk to your family and friends about it.
“Other athletes were getting (Pell Grant) money. They would ask me what to do. I said ‘Keep taking the money. I wouldn’t tell anybody about it. But keep taking the money.' ”
Wiley trained on his own during the spring of his freshman year while the case went to court. He was finally permitted to compete thanks to an court injunction.
“I only competed in two meets that year – the conference meet and the NCAA meet,” Wiley said. “Then you go to the Olympic Trials. That’s not enough time when you’ve been sitting out the whole outdoor season, training by yourself.”
In what Wiley calls the biggest disappointment of his career, he failed to make the 1976 Olympic team.
“Guys who I had beaten my freshman year made the team,” Wiley said. “I lost that opportunity. The 200 was my best race, but I thought even if I didn’t make it in the individual race, I had a good chance of at least making the top six at the Olympic Trials in the 200, which would have put me in the relay pool.”
Wiley returned to KU and set his sights on the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He qualified for the team in the 200 meters. But tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union escalated over the Soviets’ invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979, leading President Jimmy Carter to boycott the Summer Games. Wiley’s dream was once again deferred.
Those disappointments didn’t tarnish Wiley’s college resume, however. As one of the top sprinters coming out of high school in 1974, Wiley had offers from a lot of the best track programs in the nation. Kansas State University and the University of Kansas were both in the running.
“If you sent me a plane ticket, I came to visit your school,” Wiley said. “I visited Kansas and Kansas State because neither I nor my family understood the difference. It didn’t make sense to us. My mom would say, ‘The coach from Kansas called,’ not knowing which school it was. Several calls came in and we were like, ‘Didn’t I just talk to this coach yesterday?’ ”
Wiley ultimately selected the University of Kansas, which he called ‘one of the blue bloods of track and field in those days.’ He said the track athletes at KU exuded a quiet confidence.
“I could feel it when I got there,” Wiley said. “They were focused on the nationals. They had several guys who were national champions. It was like KU basketball is now – you just expected to be the best.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After being rained out on Monday, the Topeka Junior Golf Association wrapped up its 2025 summer season on Tuesday at Western Hills, crowning eight champions.
Eighty players competed in the six-event juniors program, ranging in age from 7 to 17 years old.
"It's increased from year's past and this has been a record summer as far as participants and the amount of people wanting to get involved with these junior tournaments,'' said Washburn Rural golf coach Jared Goehring, who has been the director of the TJGA program for 21 years.
Peyton Wright (middle) won the girls 15-17-year-old title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championships, while Elise Eckert (left) finished second and Lauren Borjon third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
LynnLee Mullins (middle) won the girls 13-14 title in Tuesday's Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championships at Western Hills while Brynlee Harmon (left) finished second and Reese Elliott third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sadie Harmon (right) and Rowan Martinek finished one-two in the 12 and under girls division in Tuesday's Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championships at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
On the girls side, Peyton Wright won the 15-17-year-old title while LynnLee Mullins won the 13-14 division and Sadie Harmon was the 12-and-under champion.
Easton Moulin (middle) won the 15-17 boys championship in a three-hole playoff in Tuesday's Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championships at Western Hills while Chase Hastert (left) finished second and Higgins Hawks third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Brody Buessing (middle) won the 13-14 boys championship in Tuesday's Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championships at Western Hills while Leyton Eckert (left) finished second and Jaxon Leonardi third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Easton Moulin won a three-hole playoff to take the championship in the boys 15-17 division while Brody Buessing was the 13-14 champ, Arjun Rao won the 11-12 division, Nikhil Rao was the 9-10 champ and Maxon Baker won the 8-and-under title.
Arjun Rao (middle) won the 11-12 boys championship in Tuesday's Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championships at Western Hills while Keaton Cox (left) finished second and Zander French third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]L
Nikhil Rao (middle) won the 9-10 boys championship in Tuesday's Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championships at Western Hills while Beckham Schmidt (left) finished second and Jaxson McFarland third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Maxon Baker (middle) won the 8 and under boys championship in Tuesday's Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championships at Western Hills while William Roe (left) finished second and Bennett Shinn third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Wright, who attends Baldwin High, recorded an 18-hole score of 71, while Mullins had a nine-hole total of 49 and Harmon won with a nine-hole score of 54.
Moulin, a Holton resident, shot an 18-hole score of 77 while Buessing posted an 18-hole win at 75, Arjun Rao won with a nine-hole score of 4, Nikhil Rao won the 9-10 division with a nine-hole total of 37 and Walker shot a winning nine-hole score of 40.
TJGA CITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Dodge City seemed like a foreign land to Larry Brown, a native of the roughest part of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame 2025 inductee Larry Brown earned NFL Most Valuable Player and All-Pro honors for the then-Washington Redskins. [Submitted photo/Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
In 1965, Brown traveled by train halfway across the country following one of the few offers he had to play college football.
“When I got off the train and I looked up and saw Gunsmoke Avenue and the Wyatt Earp Hotel, I got down on my knees and cried, thinking ‘What have I done?’ '' Brown recalled.
Induction to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame would have seemed equally foreign to Brown in 1965. But what seemed impossible will come true for Brown on Aug. 2. He is one of 10 new members who will join the hall in a ceremony at Washburn University.
In Dodge City, Brown found a poorly-funded program in a community with few African Americans. With no other options, he chose to stick it out and made an ally in coach Leroy Montgomery.
“It went extremely well because I developed a good friendship with the coach,” Brown said. “He would pull me in when there was a problem with any of the minority players who I had a closeness with. He trusted me, and I helped resolve some issues with the minorities that he felt uncomfortable doing.”
Despite not having a scholarship initially and buried on the depth chart, Brown fought his way to a starting position. He became known for a tenacious running style and ability to endure a beating. After two seasons, he earned a couple of offers from small colleges. He was pondering those options when the Dodge City coach popped back into his life.
“I received a letter from Montgomery that said he had taken a position at K-State and he wanted me to join him,” Brown said. “So, I went back to Kansas.”
Brown joined another downtrodden program – the Wildcats had not won a game in two seasons – once again at the bottom of the pecking order. He was assigned to the scout team. But as he had at Dodge City, Brown showed a fierce relentlessness that eventually earned him playing time. His senior season was played in Kansas State’s new football stadium.
“Adjusting to K-State wasn’t a major problem because I knew coach Montgomery and was glad to be part of the team,” Brown said. “I was rejoined with my familiar coach and things went well. Playing in the new stadium was a great experience. It felt a little like being in the pros with a stadium that was built to resemble many of the pro stadiums I eventually played in.”
Larry Brown was a standout running back at Kansas State before becoming a star in the NFL. [Submitted photo/Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
A solid if unspectacular senior season got Brown drafted in the eighth round by the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) in 1969. As at his two college stops, Brown had to earn everything the hard way in the NFL. And he had to earn it under the critical eye of legendary coach Vince Lombardi, who had just been named the team’s head coach.
“When Vince Lombardi took the job with the Redskins, I knew that I had to prove myself to this coach,” Brown said. “He was very tough and we didn’t get along initially, but I warmed up to him, and he warmed up to me when he realized that I had some talent. I remember he used to point his finger at me and call me ‘Mister Brown’ so much, I started to think that my first name was ‘Mister.’”
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Most inductees to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame are recognized for feats accomplished in the past, some the distant past. But one inductee from the class of 2025 is still adding to her resume.
Former Kansas State and current national age-group distance star Deb (Pihl) Torneden will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 2 at Washburn University. [Submitted photo/Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
Distance runner Deb (Pihl) Torneden might have earned a spot in the hall of fame for her accomplishments at Kansas State University and shortly thereafter, when she contended for a spot on the United States Olympic team. But it’s what Tornedon has done, and continues to do, in her 40s, 50s and 60s that makes her special.
Torneden holds 22 Kansas age group records in road running, most recently setting the state’s 60-64 year age group records in the mile, two mile, and 5 kilometers. She is the best female runner in Kansas over 60.
And she’s not slowing down.
Growing up on a farm near tiny Falun, Kansas, Torneden discovered at an early age that she loved to run. When she wasn’t helping with chores, she was running in the fields and on dirt roads, discovering her talent.
“Growing up on a farm, I was raised with that work ethic and taught to never give up,” Torneden recalled. “That’s what you do to achieve anything. Kansas is hard-working people. That hard-working attitude was instilled in me, and I applied it to running.”
In an era when girls sports were gradually being added around the state, Torneden joined the Lindsborg (now Smoky Valley) High School track team. She started out as a sprinter before transitioning to distance races. She found her niche and set state records in the 800 and 1600 meters as a senior.
Torneden walked on at Kansas State, a small-town girl and a bit of an unknown to her coaches and teammates. The first cross country race she ever saw, she ran in as a member of the K-State team. But despite her lack of experience, she quickly proved she could compete. The name “Pihl” started popping up in the race results and news stories as she established herself as one of the top distance runners in the Big 8 Conference.
Deb Torneden continues to hold Kansas State school records more than 40 years after completing her Wildcat career. [Submitted photo/Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
Torneden was a four-time NCAA All-American and an eight-time conference champion. As a senior, she was named Big 8 Most Outstanding Performer at the 1984 Big Eight Indoor Conference Championships for winning the mile, 1,000 meters and 4x800 meter relay. She still holds school records for the indoor mile (4:39.06) and outdoor 3,000 meters (9:09.60).
Torneden tried out for the 1984 Olympics in the 3,000 meters, but failed to make the team. Her running career was at a crossroads. But she had recently become acquainted with Fred Torneden, an accomplished runner at Fort Hays State University, who had moved to K-State to train for the Olympic trails in the marathon. He became not just her husband, but a partner who understood the joy of running.
“Fred gets it. I am thankful to have him,” Torneden said. “He’s my best friend, my coach, my training partner, my biggest fan. It’s fun to be able to do this together.”
Rather than hang up her running shoes after college, Torneden found new goals to pursue.
“There was never a point in my life that I thought ‘Now I’m done,’ ” Torneden said. “That desire to push myself and see what I could do never left.”
After taking up marathon running at age 30, Torneden qualified to try out for the Olympics three times. She placed sixth at the 1984 U.S. National Outdoor Track Championships in the 1,500-meter run (4:12.94). She represented the United States in two distance relays in South Korea and China, and the 1995 World Cup Marathon in Greece. And she won the 2015 USATF National Championship in the 15K road race for masters runners over 40 years of age.
When most athletes are reliving their glory days, Torneden continues to win honors. She has been named Kansas Runner of the Year six times (1991, 1997, 1998, 2006, 2013 and 2021).
“The awards are great, but you don’t do it for attention from people,” Torneden said. “God blesses you when use your gifts. I don’t need to be in the spotlight. It’s just instilled in me. I would do it if no one noticed. I just really like to run.”
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Tim Jankovich will enter the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 induction class with a unique perspective.
Many members of the hall entered representing either Kansas State University or the University of Kansas, beloved by one fan base, reviled by the other.
Jankovich is unique in that much of his resume – compiled over a playing and coaching career that spanned more than 50 years – is split between the state’s two major universities.
Former Kansas State star guard Tim Jankovich will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 2 at Washburn University. [Submitted photo/Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
A native of Manhattan, Jankovich fulfilled his childhood dream when he played three seasons for the Wildcats – 1979-1982. Little did he suspect at the time that he would wind up on the KU bench for four seasons – 2003-2007 – as an assistant to Bill Self.
“How lucky does a person have to be to get to experience those two things?” Jankovich remarked. “Growing up, I loved Kansas State with all my heart. I was fortunate to get to play there. At the time, Ahearn Field House had to be one of the two or three toughest places in America to play. But then, years later, to go to the rival school and get to coach in Allen Fieldhouse, one of the other toughest places in America to play. That’s beyond what you could hope for.
“This will sound like a political statement, but I was one of the few people I knew growing up who didn’t hate KU. When we played, I wanted to beat them, but I didn’t have that hatred that a lot of my friends had. It was incredible to get to coach there, part of arguably the greatest college basketball program in history. To be in both of those arenas was one of the great experiences of my life.”
Jankovich is one of 10 individuals who will be inducted into the hall of fame in a ceremony at Washburn University on August 2. Although Jankovich spent a good portion of his career coaching in other states, being recognized in Kansas is particularly meaningful.
“Kansas is my home. I’ve always been really proud to be from there,” Jankovich said. “So, to be recognized back home is so special. It’s made me reflect on a whole lifetime in basketball starting as a little kid. It’s been wonderful to really rehash a lot of great times. And then to look at the people who’ve been inducted and the list of people going in this year, it doubled down on the impact that it had on me. It’s an incredible honor to be listed on the same page as them.
“You get honors and awards along the way and they’re great, but they do fade quickly. Then you’re on to the next one. This one is going to stay with me. It’s the most meaningful.”
Tickets for the Aug. 2 ceremony and lunch, which begin at 10 a.m., are available online at kshof.org.
The event is at the Washburn University Union Ballroom at 1700 SW College Ave.
Jankovich earned a name for himself even before high school. He was recognized in Manhattan as the kid who dribbled blindfolded, shot thousands of shots and developed his skills anywhere a court was available. When he wasn’t practicing, he could be found working as a ballboy for K-State games.
“That Kansas work ethic – it felt like it was injected into me,'' Jankovich said. "When you grow up from third grade on going to Ahearn, serving as a ball boy for the visiting team, being in the huddles and going out on the court in Ahearn, to feel the power of those crowds, I couldn’t help but grow up incredibly motivated.
“So, I lived in the gym. One of the great benefits was that I had a great gym at Manhattan High and a great gym at Kansas State that I could practice in.”
Jankovich confessed his obsession for practice may have gone a little too far.
“Hopefully the statute of limitations has run out so that I can confess that I did, at an early age, learn how to break into the high school gym and the K-State gym. And I can promise you I put it to full use. I was never happier than when I was in the gym, and I was there almost all the time.”
A two-time All-State selection at Manhattan High, Jankovich led the Indians to the state tournament as a senior in 1977. By beating Liberal and FL Schlagle, the team advanced to the championship game, one of only two times the Indians have played for a title. Those hopes were dashed in a 67-66 loss to Highland Park.
“That loss will never go away,” Jankovich said. “One thing I’ve learned from reflecting recently is that it’s so much easier to remember the heartaches from your career – the tough losses and the bad games – those stay with you a lot longer than the great things. The recognition from the hall of fame is helping make those rough times seem not quite so rough.”
The most significant moment of Jankovich’s playing career stands out as an equally significant moment in the history of Kansas State basketball. He was the starting point guard on teams that reached the NCAA tournament three consecutive years. As such, he was credited with the assist on perhaps the biggest shot in Wildcat history – Rolondo Blackman’s buzzer-beater to defeat second-ranked Oregon State, which sent K-State to the Elite Eight in 1981.
