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Rick Peterson, Top Sports News Writer — Rick Peterson

Details: Created: 04 December 2024

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural junior swimming standout Daniel Allen had a valid reason for sitting out the 2024-2025 high school season.

After a season away from high school swimming, Washburn Rural junior Daniel Allen was a part of three wins in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But Allen is happy to be back with his Rural teammates this winter, and the Junior Blues are certainly happy to have him.

"I decided to focus on the club career last year to try to get to sectionals and futures, which I made this last summer and just see how far I could get my sophomore year,'' Allen said. "And then this year I'm just doing it (high school) for the guys. This is a lot more fun than club swim and there's a lot more camaraderie on the team since we're all about the same age, and I think that's a good aspect of it.

"We're able to have more fun at the meets. It's not as high intensity (as club), it's more relaxed and there's not as much expectation from you until you get closer to state and league, so I think it's just a good experience overall. I would say all club swimmers should try high school just to feel the different atmosphere.''

Allen made his season debut in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium with a pair of individual victories while also helping Rural post a relay victory and a runnerup finish.

Allen won the 200-yard freestyle by more than nine seconds in 1:50.28 and he took a five-second win in the 100 butterfly in 52.82.

Allen also teamed with Castle Wallace, Hunter Kennedy and Joseph Jensen to win the 200 freestyle relay in 136.77and teamed with Quenten Jessop, Braeden Montgomery and Thomas Appuhn to finish second in the 400 free relay in 3:34.33.

Washburn Rural's Thomas Appuhn was a double individual winner in Wednesday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn Rural's Castle Wallace (top) and Seaman's Kinser Barbosa finished one-three in the 100-yard breaststroke in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Appuhn and Wallace also had three wins on the day, with Appuhn winning the 200 individual medley (2:07.93) and the 100 backstroke (57.15) and teaming with Wallace, Andres Morao-Jaspe and Quenten Jessop to win the 200 medley relay (1:38.95) while Wallace won the 100 breaststroke (1:07.86) and swam on Rural's winning 200 medley and 200 free relays.

Washburn Rural coach Bob Burdick was thrilled with the Junior Blues' opening day performance as Rural won a meet-best seven events and posted five runnerup finishes and a third on the way to a second-place team finish behind Olathe Northwest (514-501).

"We had a lot of surprises with a lot of younger guys who had really great times and we've got to keep building to the future and not just looking at the present,'' Burdick said. "We had nine young guys who had never swam in a meet and suprised us beyond expectations and our top swimmers did great, even dropped time from where they ended last year, so that is fantastic.

"We had a good solid meet and now we can just keep working and building the team.''

Seaman finished fifth with 157 points, led by a third-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:09.03) by Kinser Barbosa.

Topeka High's Will Stewart posted third-place finishes in the 50 freestyle (23.52) and the 100 free (53.35).

TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL

Details: Created: 04 December 2025

By JUSTIN BURKHARDT

TopSports.news

It was the first game of the season for both teams Wednesday night as the Highland Park Lady Scots would host the Topeka West Lady Chargers in a city rivalry.

Senior Addaline Hall scored 22 points with four 3-pointers in Wednesday's 68-45 win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Last season the Chargers and Scott each beat each other once.

But this year there are changes with both teams as the leading scorers for both the Chargers and Scot transferred to Shawnee Heights, leaving both teams looking for new faces to lead them this season.

Wednesday's game would get under way with it needing two jump balls as both teams where full of excitement to get underway.

The Chargers would get the first basket of the season and take an early 4-0 lead but the Scots would bounce back and hit a layup and then a 3-pointer and take a 5-4 lead before West answered with a 7-0 run to go up 11-5 to end the first quarter with a 11-8 lead.

The Scots would answer the call to start the second quarter and go up 12-11, but that would be all it wrote for the Lady Scots as they would go cold and be held scoreless for the final 2 minutes before halftime as the Chargers would take 30-24 halftime lead.

The Chargers would come out of the locker room at halftime with urgency as they would play defense and force the Lady Scots to commit turnovers and take bad shots.

West would hold the Lady Scots scoreless until the 3-minute mark in the third, outscoring them 18-5 in the third quarter to take a 48-29 lead into the fourth.

“We talked about it at halftime, turning the defensive pressure back up, and the girls came out ready,'' West coach Angie Ketterman said. "They all stuck together as a team. They didn’t care when we were subbing in and out. It was a family team atmosphere and it looked good.”

The Lady Scots would try to chase the Chargers down in the fourth but could never get close as the Chargers would get the win, 68-45.

“They all came together as a team,'' Ketterman said. "We had freshman playing, we had sophomores, juniors and seniors all playing. And they all contributed to everything we did tonight. That’s what was so good about tonight.”

The Chargers got a huge night from 5-foot-10 senior Addaline Hall as she would lead all scorers on the night with 22 points with four 3-pointers.

“She’s tough, she’s not tall but she is tough, she can hang with the big girls on the inside.” Ketterman said.

“The adrenaline was really going for our first game, so every possession after we got going was helpful,'' Hall said. "The freshmen really came in and helped a lot as well.”

“It was the Chipotle before the game.”

The Chargers returned three seniors with plenty of varsity experience in Hall, Teairra Gonzalez and Breonnah Keeling. Keeling was already scheduled for surgery on her left knee and would fall hard on her right knee and would come out of the game and is most likely done for the season.

Teairra Gonzales scored 10 points in Wednesday's 68-45 Topeka West win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Teairra Gonzalez would put 10 points on the board for the Chargers.

Details: Created: 03 December 2025

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The ultimate goal for Washburn University basketball this season is to make another run at an NCAA Division II championship after reaching the national semifinals a year ago.

But the immediate goal for Brett Ballard's Ichabods is to successfully defend their MIAA regular-season title, a quest that begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Lee Arena against Nebraska-Kearney.

Brett Ballard's 8-0 Washburn Ichabods will open MIAA play Thursday at home against Nebraska-Kearney. [File photo/TSN]

"I told our guys I don't know that the people outside of our circle appreciate it as much as we do, but winning the conference is a big, big deal for us,'' Ballard said. "It was a huge deal last year and we're going to fight like heck to do it again this year.

"If you can win this conference, that's a memory these guys will have forever, so a new season kind of starts (Thursday) and we need to try to take care of business at home.''

Washburn is 8-0 after topping the 100-point mark for the second game in a row in a 115-30 win over Ottawa last Saturday in Lee Arena, setting several school records in the process.

The Lopers enter the game with a 4-3 overall mark and have won their last three games in a row, including a 62-59 win over Wayne State (Neb.) last time out last Saturday in Kearney.

The Ichabods are 22-13 all-time in MIAA openers winning, last season's conference opener over the Lopers 87-52 in Kearney.

The Ichabods lead the nation in scoring margin in the NCAA D-II ranks at plus-35.4 points per game and third in field goal percentage at 55.1 percent.

Washburn is also ninth in assists per game (21.3), 10th in assist/turnover ration (1.84), seventh in effective field goal percentage (.619) and sixth in rebound margin (plus-15.3).

Washburn is also seventh in scoring defense (59.3 points per game), sixth in fastbreak points (23.4), eighth in defensive field goal percentage (35.7) and seventh in turnover margin (plus-7.6).

The Ichabods have not been out-rebounded in a game this season.

Washburn went over the 100-point mark for the 84th time in program history in its 115-30 win over Ottawa last time out.

Jack Bachelor is 11th in the nation in 3-pointers made with 22 and Dillon Claussen is eighth in the nation in field goal percentage at 71.4, leading the MIAA.

Bachelor and Claussen have scored in double figures in all eight games this season.

Jeremiah Jones is eighth in the nation in total steals with 21 and is ranked 16th in steals per game at 3.00 per contest.

The Ichabods have five Nebraska natives on their roster this season in Brady Christiansen (Lincoln), Claussen (Omaha), Marcus Glock (Wahoo), Kade Cook (Gretna) and Tayvin Zephier-Murphy (Omaha).

Tyson Ruud has scored a career-high 13 points in three of the last four games.

Details: Created: 03 December 2025

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University women's basketball begins MIAA action at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Lee Arena, hosting Nebraska-Kearney.

Senior Payton Sterk is averaging a team-high points with 3-pointers for Washburn, which opens MIAA play at home Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney. [File photo/TSN]

Senior Payton Sterk (20) is averaging a team-high 14.3 points with 16- 3-pointers for Washburn, which opens MIAA play at home Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney. [File photo/TSN]

Senior Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 12.3 points and a team-high rebounds for Washburn, which opens MIAA play at home Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney. [File photo/TSN]

Senior Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 12.2 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds for Washburn, which opens MIAA play at home Thursday against Nebraska-Kearney. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn is 4-2 on the season after being 2-4 at this point a year ago, but Ichabod coach Lora Westling knows there's still plenty of room for improvement for her team.

"Honesty, I just feel like we're making it a little harder than it needs to be right now,'' Westling said. "But that's part of the process, defining roles and having a little more consistency.

"I was proud of how we responded on Saturday (after a Friday loss) but we've got to figure out how to come out on top in those close games that we've lost.''

Washburn senior Yibari Nwidadah agreed.

"I think in our two losses there were definitely controllables, so we know what we need to work on to continue to be successful and continue on an upward trajectory,'' Nwidadah said.

Nebraska-Kearney is 4-4 on the year and 0-0 in the MIAA after defeating Wayne State 69-59 last Saturday.

Senior Payton Sterk leads the Ichabods with a 14.3 scoring average while starting every game and playing a team-high 29.0 minutes per game. Sterk is averaging 2.2 steals and has made 16 3-pointers, which both also lead the team. She has scored 14-plus points in four games this season. Sterk ranks third in the MIAA and 34th nationally in 3-pointers, fifth in the MIAA in three-point percentage and fourth in steals.

Nwidadah averages 12.2 points in just 22.8 minutes per game and leads the team with 6.7 rebounds a game while also shooting 53.4 percent from the floor. She is first in the MIAA in field goal percentage.

Senior Gabi Giovannetti averages 10.7 points and is shooting a team-high 44.4 percent from deep with 12 3-pointers, second most on the team. She also averages 4.5 rebounds and is second in the MIAA and 38th nationally in 3-point percentage and eighth in the conference in triples per game.

Details: Created: 03 December 2025

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The NCAA Volleyball Tournament begins for No. 7-ranked Washburn volleyball at 11 a.m. Thursday in Kearney, Neb., with the Ichabods facing off with No. 4-ranked Wayne State in a Central Region quarterfinal.

No. 7-ranked Washburn volleyball will open its NCAA Tournament bid at 11 a.m. Thursday against No. 4 Wayne State. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn is making its 19th appearance in the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed in the Central Region and will face the No. 3 seeded Wildcats.

Wayne State College enters the tournament with a 27-4 record on the year after going 19-1 in the NSIC regular season. The Wildcats fell 3-1 to No. 11 St. Cloud State last time out in the semifinal round of the NSIC Tournament on Nov. 21.

The Ichabods head into the national tournament with a 26-4 record overall after posting a 13-3 mark inside the MIAA. Washburn dropped a 3-0 decision to Nebraska-Kearney in the MIAA Tournament championship on Nov. 22.

Washburn remains No. 7 in the most recent AVCA poll released on Nov. 24. The Ichabods received 886 total points in the poll.

MIAA Player of the Year Austin Broadie leads Washburn with 326 kills (3.23 per set) while hitting .312, third best on the team. She has started all 30 matches and also has racked up 67 blocks with 64 digs. The senior has 16 double-digit kill matches and ranks fifth in the MIAA. She is fifth among conference players in points per set and kills per set.

Bella Limback is slashing a team-high .457 with 202 kills (2.04 per set) while starting all 30 matches. She has also added 115 blocks (1.16 per set), also a team high, and served 13 aces. She has hit over .400 in 20 matches this season with four double-digit kill efforts. She is second in the nation and MIAA in hitting percentage. She is also is fifth in the MIAA in blocks per set and 31st in the nation.

Corinna McMullen has started all 30 matches this season and leads Washburn with 631 assists (6.36 per set). She has also chipped in 30 service aces, tied for the most on the team, while ranking second on the team with 265 digs (2.65 per set). The senior has delivered 17 matches of 20-plus assists with 12 double-doubles. She ranks eighth in the conference in assists per set.

Taylor Rottinghaus leads the Ichabods with 430 digs (4.26 per set). She has chipped in 112 assists while serving 30 aces as well, tied for the most on the team. The junior has five matches making at least 20 digs. She ranks seventh in the MIAA in digs per set and in total digs.

Delaney Miller leads Wayne State with 387 kills (3.83 kills per set) while hitting .292. She has played in 30 matches making 14 starts and is adding 50 digs with 22 blocks.

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