Shawnee Heights ThunderbirdsBy RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural three-time Class 6A state champion and four-time finalist Easton Broxterman headlines the TopSports.news 2025 All-Shawnee County boys wrestling team.
Shawnee County wrestler of the year Easton Broxterman ended his high school career with three Class 6A state titles and four straight trips to the 6A championship match. [Photo by Mac Moore/KSHSAA Covered]
County wrestler of the year Broxterman, who won the 144-pound championship to wrap up a 37-2 season, is joined on the All-Shawnee County team by two-time Washburn Rural state champions Kristjan Marshall and Landen Kocher-Munoz as the Junior Blues finished third as a team.
Washburn Rural senior Kristjan Marshall won his second straight Class 6A state title in 2025. [Photo by Mac Moore/KSHSAA Covered]
Washburn Rural junior Landen Kocher-Munoz won his second Class 6A state title in his third straight state final in 2025. [Photo by Mac Moore/KSHSAA Covered]
Marshall, a senior, won the 157-pound championship to cap a 33-5 season with his second straight title while junior L. Kocher-Munoz won his second state title in his third straight trip to the finals, winning the 138-pound crown with a 30-3 record.
Washburn Rural wrestling coach Josh Hogan has been named the Shawnee County coach of the year after three Rural wrestlers won state titles and Rural finished third as a team. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural, which finished third in the 6A team standings, put a county-high nine wrestlers on the all-county first team, while Rural's Josh Hogan was named the county coach of the year and freshman 215-pounder Kaiden Marshall was selected as newcomer of the year.
The TopSports.news all-county team is based in part on selections made by the seven Topeka head coaches as well as at large selections for county schools Rossville and Silver Lake.
Also earning All-Shawnee County first-team honors for Rural in addition to the three state champions were 120-junior Ryder Harrison (27-15), senior 126-pounder Walker Doyal (28-14), junior 132-pounder Cooper Stivers (26-8), sophomore 150-pounder Brodye Kocher-Munoz (16-7), sophomore 190-pounder Jadyn Baum (28-6) and K. Marshall (17-11).
Topeka High and Hayden both put two wrestlers on the all-county first team.
Topeka High is represented by 106-pound sophomore Jose Gomez (24-13) and 165-pound senior Nick Davis (40-7) while Hayden is represented by 175-pound junior Jude Krentz (42-2) and 285-pound senior Hunter Diederich (24-10).
Shawnee Heights is represented on the first team by 113-pound sophomore Jacob Reyes (15-14).
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BOYS WRESTLING
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 5A state champion Makayla Cadet of Highland Park headines the TopSports.news 2025 All-Shawnee County girls wrestling team while third-place teams Washburn Rural and Shawnee Heights combined for 13 spots on the first team.
TopSports.news picked the All-Shawnee County team based in part on city coaches' picks for the All-City team while also adding at-large selections.
Highland Park junior Makayla Cadet has been named the Shawnee County wrestler of the year after winning the Class 5A 190-pound state title. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
County wrestler of the year Cadet, a junior, won the Class 5A state championship at 190 pounds, becoming Highland Park's first-ever girls state champion while posting a 23-4 record on the season.
Washburn Rural senior Molly Spader posted a runnerup Class 6A state finish for the second straight season, leading Rural to a third-place team finish. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural put seven wrestlers on the TSN All-Shawnee County first team, led by senior Molly Spader (37-6), who posted a runnerup Class 6A state finish for the second straight season to lead the Junior Blues to a third-place team finish in 6A after winning back-to-back state titles.
In addition to Spader, Washburn Rural is represented on the all-county team by senior 115-pounder Maddy Blow (35-11), junior 120-pounder Lacey Middleton (37-9), junior 135-pounder Madison Blanco (30-8), junior 140-pounder Emme Blanco (35-10), junior 170-pounder Elia Smith (36-8) and sophomore 235-pounder Justice McBurney (15-7).
Smith placed third in 6A while Blow, Middleton, M. Blanco and E. Blanco all placed fourth at state and McBurney posted a sixth-place finish.
Spader and Blow are three-time first-team all-county selections while M. Blanco and Smith are first-team repeat picks and Middleton and E. Blanco moved up from the second team.
Shawnee Heights senior Isabel Reyes posted a second-place Class 5A state finish at 130 pounds, helping the T-Birds finish third as a team. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights, which earned the third-place team trophy in 5A, is represented on the all-county first team by senior Isabel Reyes (37-3), the 5A runnerup at 130 pounds, along with freshman 100-pounder Ava Gutierrez (19-13), senior 125-pounder Reece Taylor (37-4), senior 140-pounder Madison Freeland (32-7), junior 145-pounder Olivia Stevens (35-10) and junior 155-pounder Cianna Graves (39-3).
Taylor, Freeland and Graves finished third in 5A while Stevens finished fourth.
Shawnee Heights' Chad Parks was named the county coach of the year after the T-Birds posted a program-best third as a team.
Seaman senior Taylie Heston was the 120-pound runnerup in Class 5A. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman senior Koti Best was the 125-pound runnerup in Class 5A. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman put senior state 120-pound runnerup Taylie Heston (32-8) and senior 130-pound runnerup Koti Best (20-3) on the All-Shawnee County first team, along with 110-pound senior Natalie Smith (28-11).
Best was a two-time state finalist will Heston is an all-county first-team repeat pick.
Rounding out the all-county first team are Silver Lake senior 110-pounder Karley Holmes (40-12) and Rossville 145-pounder Madelyn Wonnell (34-11).
Holmes posted a third-place finish in 4A while Wonnell finished fifth in 3A-1A after helping the Bulldawgs win the 3A-1A state team championship in 2024.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY GIRLS WRESTLING
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Three-time conference player of the year Anna Becker of Seaman leads three city players on the All-United Kansas Conference girls basketball first team while Viking coach Matt Tinsley is a repeat pick as the UKC coach of the year.
Seaman senior Anna Becker has received UKC player of the year recognition for the third straight season. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Seaman coach Matt Tinsley, who led the Vikings to a third straight UKC title and a second-place finish in Class 5A, has been named the conference coach of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Becker, a senior, was named co-player of the year with De Soto senior Makenzie Farmer and is joined on the first team by junior teammate Maddie Gragg, a first-team repeater.
Seaman junior Maddie Gragg has received All-UKC first-team recognition for the third straight season. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Shawnee Heights sophomore KK Emmot has been named to the All-UKC first team. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights sophomore KK Emmot also earned a spot on the first team after being a second-team selection as a freshman.
Seaman seniors Ava Esser and Kinley Wilhelm were named to the All-UKC second team along with Shawnee Heights junior Reianna Vega and Topeka West junior Imani McGlory.
Seaman senior Jaida Stallbaumer received all-conference honorable mention as did Shawnee Heights seniors Kaydence Torrez and Taylor Brees and Topeka West sophomore Sydney VanDyke.
ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE GIRLS BASKETBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Anna Becker
ANNA BECKER, Seaman
Becker, a senior guard, capped her banner four-year high school basketball career with a game-high 28 points in Saturday's 68-61 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class 5A girls state championship game. Becker, a Drake signee, hit 4-7 3-pointers and dished out five assists as the Vikings finished a 24-1 season. Becker had 49 points in the tournament.
Kailyn Hanni
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake
Hanni, a junior guard, scored a game-high 19 points and hit 7 of 8 free throws in Saturday's 48-45 loss to Halstead in the Class 3A girls state championship game. Hanni's big game in the finals came after she scored 28 points (15 made free throws) with 6 assists and 4 rebounds in the Eagles' 65-58 semifinal victory over Hesston.
Dayne Johnson
DAYNE JOHNSON, Silver Lake
A junior, Johnson registered a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday's Class 3A boys third-place game, leading the Eagles to a 63-51 win over Galena. Johnson scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds on Friday as Silver Lake fell 66-60 to Goodland in the state semifinals.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
City players earned three of the seven spots on the All-United Kansas Conference boys basketball first team, led by Shawnee Heights co-UKC player of the year Jaret Sanchez.
Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez has been named the UKC co-player of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Sanchez, a senior who helped Shawnee Heights advance to the Class 5A state tournament for a second straight season, shares the player of the year honor with Piper senior PJ Moore.
Sanchez and Seaman junior KaeVon Bonner are first-team All-UKC repeat picks while Shawnee Heights senior Deacon Pomeroy moves up to the first team after being a second-team selection in 2024.
Seaman junior KaeVon Bonner is a repeat pick on the All-UKC first team. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Deacon Pomeroy has been named to the All-UKC first team. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka West junior Malakyah Duncan and Seaman senior Bryer Finley earned second-team recognition while Shawnee Heights juniors Jaeveon Alston and Ontarius Emmot and Topeka West seniors Kamoni Ford and Jalen Foy and Charger junior Keimani Paul all received honorable mention.
Piper coach Steve Wallace, whose Pirates finished third in 5A, was named the conference coach of the year.
ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE BOYS BASKETBALL
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- Top seed and undefeated Highland Park got everything it wanted from No. 8 Andover Central in Thursday's Class 5A boys state tournament opener at White Auditorium, but senior Mikey Williams made sure that the Scots lived to see another day.
Senior Mikey Williams scored a game-high 33 points in Thursday's 65-56 Class 5A state tournament win over Andover Central. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Williams scored a career-high 33 points, including an amazing 7 of 7 performance from 3-point range as Highland Park advanced to Friday's 4 p.m. semifinal with a 65-56 win over Central.
"I just knew going into it I had to step up,'' Williams said. "We know we rely on Ja'Corey (Robinson) and Jamon (Wilson) and all our other guys to step up, but I know in every game I can't just rely on another guy I know I've got to step up and do it for myself and do it for my team and do whatever it takes to get us to the next round and that's what I had to do.''
The Jaguars trailed by just a 24-22 margin at the end of the first quarter and led 35-33 at halftime before the Scots rallied in the third stanza for a 61-56 advantage.
Hi Park went up by 10 (56-46) on a Williams hoop with 6:19 remaining, but the Jaguars cut their deficit to two (58-56) at the 3:20 mark before the Scots ended the game with a 7-0 run.
The Scots also got 14 points (7 of 9 shooting) and a game-high eight rebounds from senior Isaiah Kelley.
Andover Central, which stayed in the hunt with a 10 of 21 performance from 3-point range, was led by Jayden Brown with 17 points (4 of 8 3s) while Jace Jefferson added 12 points on four treys and Jason Adler also had 12 points.
Highland Park advanced to the state semifinals for the third straight season to face last year's runnerup, Piper, a 70-52 winner over Shawnee Heights.
HIGHLAND PARK BOYS 65, ANDOVER CENTRAL 56
Andover Central 22 13 11 10 -- 56
Highland Park 24 9 18 14 -- 65
Andover Central (14-9) -- Brown 5-13 3-6 17, Degarmo 1-5 0-0 3, Jefferson 4-7 0-0 12, Meschke 1-2 1-2, Adler 5-10 2-4 12, Neal 0-0 0-0 0, Archibald 0-0 0-0 0, Balke 1-5 0-0 2, Stupka 3-7 0-0 7, Inslee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-49 6-12 56.
Highland Park (23-0) -- Wilson 0-4 1-2 1, Hales 0-2 0-0 0, Kelley 7-9 0-1 14, Williams 12-14 2-6 33, Robinson 1-5 5-6 7, Brown 0-0 2-2 2, Jones 1-2 0-1 2, Kingcannon 3-4 0-0 6, Montgomery 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-40 10-18 65.
3-point shots -- Andover Central 10-21 (Brown 4-8, Jefferson 4-6, Degarmo 1-1, Stupka 1-3, Balke 0-3), Highland Park 7-10 (Williams 7-7, Robinson 0-2, Hales 0-1). Total fouls -- Andover Central 21, Highland Park 17. Fouled out -- Degarmo, Adler. Technical fouls -- Robinson.
Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez led the T-Birds with 16 points in Thursday's 70-52 Class 5A state tournament loss to Piper. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
PIPER BOYS 70, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 52 --After spotting Piper a 13-point halftime advantage, Shawnee Heights gave itself a chance to win Thursday's first-round game before a disasterous start to the fourth quarter ended the T-Birds' hopes.
No. 5 seed Piper, now 20-3, opened up a 21-12 first-quarter advantage and boosted its lead to 39-26 at the halftime break.
But Shawnee Heights (19-4) came to life in the third quarter, outscoring the Pirates 22-11 to get within two points (50-48) at the beginning of the fourth period.
The T-Birds then had an opportunity to take the lead, but missed back-to-back 3-pointers and turned the ball over on its next possession as the Pirates scored the first 15 points of the quarter to put Shawnee Heights away.
"We went out and we fought and 'O' (Ontarius Emmot) was shooting a wide open three to go ahead and misses it and gets a rebound and shoots it again and gets it blocked and they go down and hit a three, so instead of being up one, we're down five,'' Heights coach Ken Darting said. "And when you've played that hard to get back in it... we just got emotionally drained and tired, physically tired.
"But you can't spot a good team that much and come back.''
Heights went scoreless over the first five minutes of the quarter and was outscored 22-4 over the final eight minutes as Piper took its third straight win over the T-Birds this season and fourth straight dating back to last year's first-round state game.
Phillip Moore led Piper with 18 points while Isaiah Sayles added 16 points and Derrick Jackson 10 as the Pirates shot 60.9 percent from the field, including a nine of 15 performance from 3-point range.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's been an outstanding 2024-2025 high school basketball season for Shawnee County teams, with 10 of 20 making it to state tournaments in five different classifications.
Now we wait to see how many of those teams can achieve the ultimate goal of a state championship on Saturday.
For what it's worth -- and it's not much -- here's my take on what we could see in all 14 of this week's state tournaments across the state.
If I didn't pick your team don't fret because it could bode well for you.
If I did pick the team/teams you root for, good luck.
By Saturday night we'll know, and win or lose, it promises to be a fun week. Enjoy!
CLASS 6A BOYS
Finalists -- Shawnee Mission Northwest (4: 19-3) vs. Wichita Heights (3: 20-2).
Champion -- Wichita Heights. I give Heights, the 6A runnerup the past two seasons, a very slight edge in what could be a repeat of the 2024 title game, won by Northwest to cap a 25-0 season.
Other contenders -- Shawnee Mission South is the top seed at 21-1, with its lone loss coming against SM Northwest, while Derby is also 21-1 and the No. 2 seed. Washburn Rural (6: 18-4) is certainly capable of knocking off Wichita Heights while Derby could get a big test from No. 7 Olathe North (16-6).
CLASS 6A GIRLS
Finalists -- Blue Valley North (3: 18-4) vs. Olathe South (4: 18-4).
Champion -- Blue Valley North. It's worth noting that although North has lost four times, but none of those four losses came against Kansas teams. The Mustangs finished third last season after winning the championship in 2023.
Other contenders -- It's been an up and down season for Washburn Rural (6: 16-6) but never count out a Kevin Bordewick team in postseason. The Hall of Fame coach has led Washburn Rural to three straight 6A championship games (title in 2022, runnerup in 2023 and 2024) and the Junior Blues have won a pair of championships since 2019. Derby is the top seed at 19-3 and the pre-tournament team to beat.
Highland Park standout Ja'Corey Robinson and the 22-0 Scots will be looking for a Class 5A state title this week after back-to-back third-place finishes. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 5A BOYS
Finalists -- Highland Park (1: 22-0) vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (2: 19-3).
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park's boys basketball team has put together an amazing run of success over the past three seasons, advancing to the Class 5A state tournament all three years while posting a 65-8 overall record, including a 47-3 mark over the past two campaigns.
Highland Park boys basketball celebrates its Class 5A sub-state championship after Saturday's 53-35 win over Bashor-Linwood. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But there's a feeling of emptiness that remains for those closest to the Scot program after back-to-back heartbreaking semifinal losses to the eventual state champions the past two years.
Two years ago Highland Park led virtually the entire game against Andover before the Trojans pulled out a 55-54 win with a late 7-0 run. The drama continued last season when Kapaun Mt. Carmel outlasted the Scots in overtime, 67-64.
Highland Park bounced back both seasons for dominating wins in the third-place game, but that provided little consolation to the Scots.
And now the Scots' main focus -- really their only focus -- is on doing everything they can to wipe that bad taste out of their mouths with a state title run this week in Emporia's White Auditorium.
"I feel like the last three or so years we get down there and I'm not saying we were playing bad but I feel like we could have played a little better,'' Highland Park coach Mike Williams said. "So we are really, really focused on wanting to get to state and kind of show a little bit of the essence that we saw tonight.
"I like our prep, I like what we're doing going into it and we're looking forward to next week.''
Scot senior standout Ja'Corey Robinson agreed.
"We've got some fire under us,'' Robinson said. "We're trying to go out with a win. We're tired of getting third place. We're trying to finish it all out and win a state championship.''
Highland Park, which has had only three single-digit games all season, enters this year's state tournament as the top seed with a perfect 22-0 record and will face off with No. 8 Andover Central (14-8) at 2 p.m. Thursday in the opening game of the 5A boys event.
Highland Park made it back to the state tournament with a 53-35 romp past Basehor-Linwood in Saturday's sub-state final at Hi Park.
Senior Mikey Williams led the Scots with a game-high 18 points, including three 3-pointers, against the Bobcats, while Robinson added 15 points.
The Highland Park-Andover Central winner will advance to a 4 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the first-round winner between No. 4 seed Shawnee Heights (19-3) and No. 5 Piper (19-3).
"We're just making it a point to come out every day in the state tournament with the same fire and the same juice and the same fire that we've had throughout this whole season so we can end up hoisting the state championship trophy,'' Mikey Williams said. "
The Shawnee Heights-Piper first-round contest at 4 p.m. Thursday is a rematch of last year's first-round game that saw Piper close with a 14-1 run to pull out a 72-71 win on the way to a runnerup state finish.
Heights and Piper will be playing for the third time this season, with the Pirates winning the first two games.
Shawnee Heights earned its second straight state berth under Ken Darting with a 49-42 sub-state win over St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 seed and defending champion Kapaun Mt. Carmel (19-3) will play a 6 p.m. first-round game against No. 7 Topeka West (14-8) and No. 3 Andover (19-3) will face No. 6 Bonner Springs (18-4) at 8 o'clock, with the winners playing an 8 p.m. Friday semifinal.
Topeka West is making its first state tournament appearance under coach Christian Ulsaker after making it to state with an 81-54 home win over Valley Center in Saturday's sub-state final.
Here's a team-by-team glance at the other first-round games involving Shawnee County teams:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Trevor Christy
TREVOR CHRISTY, Hayden
Christy, a senior, posted a third-place individual finish in last Thursday's Class 4A state bowling championships at Wichita's Bowlero Northrock, helping lead Hayden to its first-ever state bowling team title. Christy finished third with a 698 series, bowling games of 244, 239 and 215 as the Wildcats won the team championship by 95 pins (3,666-3,571) over Mulvane.
Jalen Foy
JALEN FOY, Topeka West
A senior guard, Foy scored 40 points in two Class 5A sub-state victories on the week as Topeka West boys basketball advanced to the Class 5A state tournament. Foy scored 19 points with a pair of 3-pointers in a 69-63 overtime semifinal win over Bishop Carroll and had 21 points while hitting 8 of 10 free throws in Saturday's 81-54 home win over Valley Center in the sub-state championship game.
Emily Lee
EMILY LEE, Hayden
Lee, a senior bowler, earned her second straight Class 4A-1A state medal last Thursday at Wichita's Bowlero Northrock, bowling a 551 series to place fourth individually. A regional champion, Lee bowled games of 188, 203 and 160 as the Wildcats finished sixth as a team. Lee posted an 11th-place state finish as a junior in 2024.
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Shawnee Heights boys survived a knock-down-drag-out Class 5A sub-state battle with St. Thomas Aquinas 49-42 Saturday night to earn a return trip to the Class 5A state tournament.
Shawnee Heights senior standout Jaret Sanchez cuts down the nets after Saturday's 49-42 Class 5A sub-state win over St. Thomas Aquinas. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Shawnee Heights poses for a team picture after Saturday's 49-42 Class 5A sub-state win over St. Thomas Aquinas. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
The T-Birds utilized a new defense to stymie the Saints in the first half. In a low scoring struggle, Shawnee Heights held the visitors scoreless for all but 2.7 seconds of the second period to build a 16-10 halftime lead.
The T-Birds led by as many as nine points in the third period, and as many as 10 midway through the fourth period. But the Saints wouldn’t fold. They closed to within three points with just under two minutes remaining. But Shawnee Heights held on to punch their ticket for the state tournament, which tips off next Wednesday at Emporia’s White Auditorium.
“We’re feeling great. We know that hard work pays off,” said Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez. “But now it starts over here. The new season has begun.”
Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting prepared his team for just such a moment as this.
“This is the first time we played zone all year,” Darting said. “It might be about the fifth time in the history of my 50 years, but we’ve been practicing it all year for this game and for the state.”
“Coach (Darting) said back at Christmas break that the 3-2 and 2-3 zone is going to win us the state,” said Sanchez. “We saw that in the first round, (Aquinas) struggled against zone. So, we just knew that we were going to come out here and play it to the best of our ability.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There was no doubt that Wednesday's Class 5A sub-state semifinal between No. 3 East seed and No. 14 Kansas City-Sumner was a game that Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting expected to win.
But there were also plenty of things Darting wanted his team to accomplish in the T-Birds' postseason opener.
Senior Deacon Pomeroy led all scorers with 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Wednesday's 74-41 Shawnee Heights Class 5A sub-state win over KC-Sumner. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez scored 22 points with six 3-pointers in Wednesday's 74-41 sub-state win over KC-Sumner. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]AAr
And for the most part Darting felt like his team, now 18-3, accomplished those goals in Heights' 74-41 home romp past the 7-14 Sabres.
"We had a few people that I saw selfishness, happy with the 3 and wanted to get that easy bucket, but what I like about this group is I can never say they don't play hard,'' Darting said. "They come to play. Every game they're going to play hard.''
Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez connected on three 3-pointers in the first two minutes to stake the T-Birds to a 9-4 lead and Heights was in command by a 24-9 margin by the end of the opening quarter.
By halftime the T-Birds had stretched their margin to 27 points (47-20) and Shawnee Heights led 70-33 at the end of the third quarter, forcing a running clock over the final eight minutes.
Heights senior Deacon Pomeroy and Sanchez combined for 46 points, with Pomeroy scoring a game-high 24 points and also grabbing 11 rebounds and Sanchez adding 22 points with six 3-pointers.
Junior Da'Quan Lee also cracked double figures with 15 points.
BY RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Not everything went Hayden's way in the hours leading up to Thursday's Class 4A-1A state bowling tournament, with the Wildcats forced to switch hotels late in the night due to a bed bug infestation.
Hayden's boys celebrate after being announced as the Class 4A-1A state bowling champion. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Hayden's boys bowling team poses for a picture after winning the Class 4A state championship Thursday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
But once the Wildcats got on the lanes at Bowlero Northrock, a nightmare of a night transformed into a dream day, with Hayden's boys claiming the school's first state bowling championship by a 95-pin margin (3,666-,3571) over Mulvane as four Wildcats earned individual state medals.
Hayden, which had finished fifth as a team in the 2024 state event, got their state bid off to a good start with a solid 931 opening game, taking a three-pin lead over Mulvane and then followed that up with a school-record 1,026 second game, including a 279 from sophomore Reece Renyer and a 277 from senior John Strickland, stretching its advantage to 181 pins.
"The momentum in the first game was just absolutely just monumental for us,'' said Hayden senior Trevor Christy, who led the Wildcats with a third-place individual finish. "Having the energy going the first game and bowling those high 200s (four games between 203 and 258) it just kept us alive.
"Without the energy today I don't think we would have won.''
Mulvane cut 88 pins off its deficit in the final game of American 10-pin and cut another 27 pins through the first three games of Baker before Hayden closed out its title with a spectacular 276 game in the fourth and final Baker game.
Senior Trevor Christy paced state-champion Hayden with a third-place individual finish Thursday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
"We didn't think we had the win (going into Baker), we were scared out of our minds,'' Christy said. "We knew Mulvane was right there on us and we knew that if we kept slipping up it was over for us. So that final game we just had to focus in and just really bowl the best we've ever bowled.''
"When we put it together as a team it all comes together, and it all clicked today,'' Strickland said. "Whoever thought that we would put this all together in our last year? Hayden had never had a team go to state and we went to state last year, then it was incredible this year to take (the title) home.''
Mulvane senior Joseph Cervantes earned the individual title with a 713 series while Andale's Konnor Bretthauer was second with a 704, but Hayden claimed three of the next five individual spots.
Christy finished third with a 698 (244-239-215) while Strickland was fifth at 685 (226-277-182) and senior Chase Blaser seventh with a 676 (258-222-196).
"Fifth place last year definitely drove our energy this year because we brought everyone back,'' Blaser said. "We were I think one of two teams in the field to return all six members from last year's state team and that experience really gave us the edge.''
Renyer finished 16th with a 636 series while sophomore Kelton Meier narrowly missed an individual medal with a 21st-place finish (604) while senior Caston Meier placed 32nd (565) to round out the Hayden lineup.
Hayden's girls finished sixth as a team with a 2,454 team score while Wildcat senior twin sisters Emily and Ashley Lee earned individual state medals.
Senior Emily Lee posted a fourth-place individual finish in Thursday's Class 4A state bowling tournament in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Regional champion Emily Lee paced Hayden with a fourth-place individual finish, recording a 551 series (188-203-160).
"I thought I could have done better,'' said Lee, a two-time state medalist. "It all came down to picking up spares. I felt like my strike number was what it normally is, it just came down to picking up spares. But my goal was to go top 10 and I did.
''I was actually really proud of our team. We had a rough night last night (with the hotel switch), so we were all pretty tired -- we got like four hours of sleep -- so I was proud of what we did.''
Ashley Lee had a 509 series to finish 11th, with a high game of 181.
CLASS 4A-1A STATE BOWLING
BY RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Seaman's girls bowling team was shooting a lot higher in Wednesday's Class 5A state tournament at Bowlero Northrock, but the Vikings still took home a team trophy, finishing third to lead the city 5A state contingent.
Seaman's girls bowling team poses for a picture with the Class 5A third-place team trophy Wednesday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Led by state medalist Claire LaDuke, the Vikings finished with a team score of 2,844, finishing behind team champion Bishop Carroll (2,987) and runnerup Maize South (2,958).
"We had great high hopes,'' Seaman coach Bob Benoit said. "They just bowled so good all year and won by so much, winning the regionals by 514 pins. We have two juniors, two sophomores and two freshman and this was so nerve-wracking. The first game we had one girl crying, the second game we had four crying.''
Benoit said the Vikings' inability to pick up spares was the difference between a possible run at a state title and Wednesday's third-place finish.
"Our spare-shooting today killed us,'' Benoit said. "If we make our spares like we have all year, we probably have a chance of being first or second. So it was just execution. I know the nerves were there and things started to fall apart. They were trying to make things happen, but tried in the wrong way.
"The girls were really disappointed and I told them, 'I hope this is enough of a punch in the gut for you to understand what I've told all of you. Spare are more important than strikes.' We gave away over 200 pins today in spares. ''
Benoit said the young Vikings will use the offseason to get ready for the 2026 season.
"We'll regroup this summer and we'll get back here next year,'' Benoit said. "It's a good learning experience and we'll figure it out and be back next year.''
Claire LaDuke (right) finished eighth individually with a 582 series, helping lead Seaman to a third-place team finish in Class 5A. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
LaDuke rolled a 582 series with a 214 high game to finish eighth individually while the Vikings also got a 22nd-place finish from Leah Crawford (532), a 29th from Kayla Duncan (514), a 37th from Paige Snyder (492), a 45th from Ava Carlson (467) and a 48th from Laci Cole (459).
Shawnee Heights finished sixth as a team with a 2,753 score while the T-Birds had a pair of state medalists.
Shawnee Heights' Addison Van Metre earned a Class 5A state medal with a 15th-place individual finish Wednesday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Shawnee Heights' Jasmine Villalobos earned a Class 5A state medal with a 16th-place individual finish. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Heights' Addison Van Metre finished 15th individually with a 559 series while teammate Jasmine Villalobos was a pin behind with a 558 series to finish 16th.
Shawnee Heights' boys came up short in their bid to win a second straight team championship, finishing fifth with a 3,340 team score.
Shawnee Heights' Kaden Evans placed ninth in the Class 5A boys state tournament with a 676 series, including a 279 game. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Kaden Evans led the T-Birds with a ninth-place individual finish, bowling a 676 series, including a final-game 279.
Donovan Davis finished 14th in Class 5A for Shawnee Heights with a 653 series Wednesday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Heights also got a 14th-place finish from Donovan Davis, who rolled a 653 series.
CLASS 5A STATE BOWLING
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Parirings have been finalized for this week's sub-state high school basketball tournaments, with 12 city teams earning home court advantage for at least the semifinals of sub-state competition, which begins Tuesday and continues through Saturday.
Both Washburn Rural (Class 6A), Highland Park (5A) and Seaman (5A) teams, Shawnee Heights' boys (5A) and Hayden's girls (4A) could all stay at home through both rounds of sub-state competition.
Topeka High's girls (6A), Topeka West's boys (5A), Shawnee Heights' girls (5A) and Hayden's boys (4A) will be at home for at least the sub-state semifinals.
Both Silver Lake and Rossville teams and the Cair Paravel Latin boys have already posted first-round sub-state wins to advance to semifinals.
Silver Lake's girls and boys will compete in the Class 3A Hiawatha sub-state while Rossville and the CPLS boys will compete in the Class 2A Valley Heights sub-state.
Here's a look at sub-state tournaments involving Shawnee County teams:
Senior Kaden Ballard and the Washburn Rural boys will open their bid for a Class 6A state tournament berth with a home semifinal game against Wichita West Tuesday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
CLASS 6A BOYS
West sub-state No. 3 -- Centennial League champion Washburn Rural (16-4) is the No. 3 West seed and will host No. 14 Wichita West (4-16) a 6 p.m. Tuesday semifinal.
The Washburn Rural-Wichita West winner will advance to a Friday night 7 p.m. sub-state final to face the semifinal winner between No. 6 seed Junction City (13-7) and No. 11 Manhattan (6-14).
Senior standout Kate Hinck and the Washburn Rural girls are the No. 3 West seed for the Class 6A sub-state tournament. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
CLASS 6A GIRLS
West sub-state No. 3 -- Washburn Rural, second in 6A the past two years after winning the title in 2022, is the No. 3 West seed and will host No. 14 Lawrence Free State (3-17) in a 7 p.m. Wednesday semifinal.
The Washburn Rural-Free State winner will advance to a 5 p.m. Saturday sub-state championship game to face the semifinal winner between No. 6 seed Manhattan (13-7) and No. 11 Maize (5-15).
CLASS 6A GIRLS
West sub-state No. 2 --Topeka High, the No. 7 West seed at 13-7, will host No. 10 Wichita South (8-12) Wednesday for a 6 p.m. sub-state semifinal.
The winner of that game will advance to a 5 p.m. Saturday final to meet the winner of the semifinal between No. 2 seed Wichita Heights (17-3) and No. 15 Dodge City (1-19).
CLASS 5A GIRLS
East sub-state No. 2 -- Shawnee Heights is the No. 7 East seed at 13-7 and will host No. 10 Basehor-Linwood (10-10) in a 7 p.m. Tuesday semifinal. The T-Birds beat the Bobcats twice during the regular season in the United Kansas Conference.
The winner of that game will advance to a 7 p.m. Friday final to face the winner of the semifinal between No. 2 seed Piper (16-4) and No. 15 Kansas City-Harmon (6-14).
East sub-state No. 3 -- Highland Park (16-4) is the No. 3 East seed and will host No. 14 seed Kansas City-Washington (6-14) in a 7 p.m. semifinal on Tuesday. Hi Park owns a pair of Meadowlark Conference wins over the Wildcats this season.
The Highland Park-Washington winner will advance to a 7 p.m. Friday sub-state final to face the semifinal winner between No. 6 Aquinas (13-7) and No. 11 Pittsburg (10-10).
Undefeated Seaman begins defense of its Class 5A state title Tuesday against city rival Topeka West. [File photo/TSN]
West sub-state No. 2 --Defending Class 5A state champion Seaman is the No. 2 West seed with a perfect 20-0 record and will host city and United Kansas Conference rival Topeka West, the No. 15 West seed at 6-14, in a 7 p.m. Tuesday semifinal.
The Seaman-West winner will advance to Friday's 7 p.m. sub-state final to face the winner of the semifinal between No. 7 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (15-5) and No. 10 Valley Center (10-10).
CLASS 5A BOYS
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Shawnee Heights girls took care of business on their home floor Tuesday, defeating Basehor-Linwood 39-32 in a Class 5A sub-state semifinal, setting up a big challenge Friday.
Shawnee Heights sophomore KK Emmot led the way with 16 points in Tuesday's 39-32 Class 5A sub-state win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds built a double-digit lead early in the second half and maintained it until late. With three minutes remaining, Basehor-Linwood collapsed the deficit to five points. Holding the T-Birds scoreless for more than four minutes, the Bobcats then pulled to within three, 31-28, with 1:35 remaining.
Shawnee Heights, led by sophomore KK Emmot, connected on enough free throws in the final minute to hold off the threat.
“We played sharp in the first quarter and continued that through the second quarter,” Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells said. “We changed some things up on defense that we thought we might try, and it worked out well for us holding them down.
“We knew (Basehor-Linwood) would make it close because we’ve played them enough to know they are never going to give up and they’re going to play hard until the very end. We knew we were going to have to deal with that. I’m really proud of the girls who stepped up and made free throws.”
Shawnee Heights, which improved to 14-7 on the season, attempted 27 free throws in the game, knocking down 16. The T-Birds were led by Emmot’s 16 points. Kaydence Torrez scored eight and Tayler Hanshaw had seven.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which won its sixth straight team championship, and Topeka High four-time diving champ Jaxon Cowdin headline the 2025 All-City boys swimming and diving team.
The 2025 All-City boys swimming and diving first team -- Front, from left: Palmer Heskett, Hayden; Castle Wallace, Washburn Rural; Evan Hoobler, Shawnee Heights; Truman Brede, Shawnee Heights; Dawson Blankenship, Topeka High; Kinser Barbosa, Seaman. Back, from left: Peyton Holmes, Seaman; Jeremiah Moylan, Seaman; Will Stewart, Topeka High; Andres Morao-Jaspe, Washburn Rural; Luke Lemke, Washburn Rural; Thomas Appuhn, Washburn Rural; Jaxon Cowdin, Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The 2025 All-City boys swimming and diving second team -- Front, from left: Patrick Luke, Hayden; Dominic Delgado, Topeka High; Alex Lanterman, Washburn Rural; Kaden Collette, Topeka West; Joseph Jensen, Washburn Rural. Back, from left: Owen Lathrop-Allen, Topeka High; Miller Reid, Hayden; William Toland, Topeka High; Josh Hochard, Seaman; Sourish Sinha, Washburn Rural; Brody Clark, Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The All-City team, based on performances in the city meet, includes a city-high four members of the Rural team that won its sixth straight city championship.
Earning first-team All-City honors for the Junior Blues are Thomas Appuhn, Luke Lemke, Andrew Morao-Jaspe and Castle Wallace.
Sophomore Morao-Jaspe won four gold medals in the city meet to pace Rural's title run.
Topeka High senior Jaxon Cowdin earned his fourth straight city one-meter diving title and his third straight Centennial League championship before finishing 11th in 6A.
The Trojans also put Dawson Blankenship and Will Stewart on the first team after finishing second as a team in the city meet.
Shawnee Heights is represented on the All-City team by repeat picks Truman Brede and Evan Hoobler while Kinser Barbosa, Peyton Holmes and Jeremiah Moylan earned first-team berths for Seaman and Hayden is represented by Palmer Heskett.
All-City capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Winning a Class 5A state wrestling championship would have made Saturday a special day for Highland Park junior 190-pounder Makayla Cadet no matter what.
Highland Park junior Makayla Cadet posted a pin in 1:36 pin to win the Class 5A 190-pound title Saturday in Park City. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
But the calendar provided the proverbial icing on the cake for the Scot star.
"The best birthday present ever,'' said Cadet, who celebrated her 17th birthday with a first-period pin (1 minute, 36 seconds) over Basehor-Linwood junior Izzy Renfro.
Highland Park junior Makayla Cadet has her hand raised as the Class 5A 190-pound state champ Saturday in Park City. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Cadet, who capped a 23-4 season, won the title with a dramatic takedown and pin, avenging a loss to Renfro (1:37 pin) in a regional final.
"Honestly, I have no idea what happened, it just happened so fast,'' Cadet said.
Cadet had already made Highland Park girls program history by reaching the semifinals and finals before capping her dream weekend with the title.
"I had no idea this was going to go this way,'' Cadet said. "I took it slow, I came up with a plan and I just gained momentum as the match went on.
"I had a plan and I just tried to execute it to the best of my ability.''
Highland Park also got a sixth-place finish from junior Connie Burns (22-7) at 115 pounds.
Vikes' Heston, Best post runnerup finishes
Seaman seniors Taylie Heston and Koti Best came within an eyelash of winning 5A state titles Saturday, with the Viking stars dropping a pair of heartbreakers in their championship matches.
Heston (32-8) fell 3-2 to Emporia junior Kensley Medrano (31-13) in the 120 final while Best (20-3) dropped an 11-10 overtime decision to Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior Courtney Nye (37-10) in the 125-pound title match.
Heston's loss to Medrano came after a four-overtime loss to the Emporia star at regionals while Best built a 10-4 lead before Nye, who led KMC to the 5A team title, rallied late as Best battled a shoulder injury that had sidelined her for a portion of the season.
Seaman coach Jordan Best said he was proud of the performances turned by his two finalists.
"I'm happy,'' Best said. "It's our first time in program history to have two state finalists. Taylie is a multi-time state placer, Koti's a three-time state placer, I can't be disappointed. I'm happy for them. Seniors, they got to make the big show, and that's what matters the most. It's not about the wins or the losses.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Since advancing to the Class 5A state championship match as a sophomore, the last two seasons have been a star-crossed journey for Seaman 125-pound wrestling star Koti Best, filled with a lot of time with medical personnel.
Seaman senior Koti Best (top) is back in the Class 5A state championship match for the second time in her career after a semifinal pin. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But after fighting through concussion issues as a junior and a dislocated shoulder this season, on Saturday Best will be back where she was two years ago, wrestling for a state title in the Park City Arena.
Wearing a brace to protect her right shoulder, Best earned her return trip to the final with a win by pin in 5 minutes, 57 seconds over Blue Valley Southwest senior Brynn Lowe.
"It feels very good,'' Best said about earning another title shot. ''I felt really good today. I've felt very encouraged since I got my brace and everything's been going good. I haen't had too many issues.
"I was stressed about this because it had been a long time since I've been in this position, but I think I handled it pretty well. It was a rough match for sure, but we got there. I knew this was my last shot.''
Now 20-2 on the season, Best's pin in the semifinals came after a 41-second pin in the first round and 17-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals.
"With her injuries and being knocked out last year (with a first-round concusion), for her to come back as a senior and make it to the finals again, it's amazing,'' said Jordan Best, Seaman's coach and Koti's father. "She kind of set her goal, 'This is what I'm going to do,' and I said, 'There's really only one person that's going to stop you,' and she went out there and did it.''
Best will face Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior Courtney Nye (36-10) in the 125-pound title match.
After finishing fourth as a junior, Seaman's Taylie Heston will wrestle for the 120-pound state title Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Reluctant wrestling star Heston advances to 120-pound final
Seaman 120-pound senior Taylie Heston has never denied the fact that she's not a big wrestling fan.
"That's true, I don't like it at all,'' Heston said.
But that hasn't kept Heston, a state runnerup in track last spring, from becoming one of the state's best.
"My parents kind of wanted me to do it because my sister wrestled and my brother wrestled, so it's in the family,'' Heston said.
And after finishing fourth as a junior, Heston (32-7) punched her ticket to her first state final in her fourth state appearance on Friday with a 4:53 pin over Piper sophomore Rylee Burke in the 120 semifinal.
Heston beat Burke 9-0 in the United Kansas Conference meet and said that win gave her confidence in the semifinal.
"It was nice to know that I had already beat her,'' Heston said. "I felt good.''
The semifinal pin was Heston's third of the day, following pins in 2:56 and 3:42 in her first two matches.
Heston will now face familiar foe Kensley Medrano, an Emporia junior, in Saturday's state final.
Heston and Medrano have faced off three times in the past, with Medrano (30-13) winning two of those matches, including a four-overtime decision in the regional meet two weeks ago.
"It will be a good match,'' Heston said.
Highland Park 190-pounder Makayla Cadet is congratulated by Scot boys coach Freddy Maisberger and girls coach Ellen Heavner after advancing to the Class 5A championship match. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Cadet makes Highland Park history with run to 190 final
In her first state tournament appearance, Highland Park junior 190-pounder Makayla Cadet has etched her name into the Highland Park girls wrestling record book.
Now 22-4 on the season, Cadet became the first Scot girls wrestler to advance to the state semifinals and then topped that performance a couple hours later when she recorded a pin over Newton freshman Clair Harder in 4:39 to reach Saturday's state championship match.
"I had a feeling I was going to do my best, but I honestly wasn't expecting this at all,'' Cadet said. "I kept telling myself in my head that I had worked all three years for this moment and I wasn't going to let anyone get in my way.''
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
In the regular-season finale, Shawnee Heights boys basketball exacted revenge for a loss at Seaman by trouncing the Vikings 70-49 Friday night at Shawnee Heights.
Shawnee Heights senior Deacon Pomeroy (1) scored a game-high 21 points in Friday's 70-49 win over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez (3) scored 19 points in Friday's 70-49 win over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights propelled itself into the postseason, winning an intense – at times chippy – game against its United Kansas Conference rival. The T-Birds finished the regular season 17-3, 13-3 in the conference.
The outcome was dramatically different from when the T-Birds lost 68-66 at Seaman Feb 11. But the intensity was the same.
“We had literally a street fight out there,” Shawnee Heights coach Ken Darting said. “So, we spent all week knocking each other into the stands, knocking people down. We decided we were going to quit being the sweetheart of the block. We fought back well.
“Games like this, we trade punches, we trade punches, and then somebody gets a couple of jabs in and it gets away a little bit. But it’s never as bad as the score indicates.”
Seaman clung to a slim lead after the first period. It looked like they gained a big advantage when Shawnee Heights senior Jaret Sanchez picked up his third foul with 4:33 left in the second period. But the T-Birds rallied without their leading scorer, outscoring the Vikings 18-5 in the period.
Shawnee Heights senior Deacon Pomeroy stepped into the void and scored 21 points, 19 after Sanchez’ third foul.
“Deacon carried us. He took over,” Darting said. “He really physically got tough, made shots, rebounded, blocked shots. That’s what you get when you’ve got kids of great character.”
“I always have that team-first mentality,” Pomeroy said. “So, if I’m needed to score, I’ll score. If I don’t need to score, I’ll pass, rebound, whatever. So, I needed to score in that moment and give our guys the momentum back.”
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Seaman girls basketball team, ranked No. 1 in the 5A classification, completed the regular season undefeated by winning at Shawnee Heights Friday, 52-35.
Senior Anna Becker (right) led a balanced Seaman attack with 13 points in Seaman's UKC 52-35 win at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Ava Esser (40) scored 12 points in Seaman's 52-35 UKC win over Shawnee Hights while Kaydence Torrez (20) scored 10 points for the T-Birds. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman coach Matt Tinsley celebrated in the locker room just long enough to write “20-0” on the dry erase board. Then he wiped the board clean and wrote “0-0.”
“It hasn’t been, all season, the focal point,” Tinsley said. “We never said we want to go undefeated, or we want to get so many wins. That’s never been the talk. The talk has been how can we get better today.
“We took some time in the locker room to talk about how special it feels to accomplish what (we) have accomplished. But then we said, ‘It’s a new season. We put ourselves in a position. Now it’s time to go.’ ”
The Vikings were clicking from start to finish in the season finale. They hit an efficient 21-41 from the field and 7-9 from the line. They got balanced scoring from their five starters. Anna Becker scored 13, followed by Ava Esser with 12, Kinley Wilhelm 9, Maddie Gragg 8 and Jaida Stallbaumer 6.
