By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Aaron Merritt, Seaman 10.77
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 11.12
Finn Dunshee, Hayden 11.20
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 11.24
Evan Scheid, Silver Lake 11.32
200 METERS
Aaron Merritt, Seaman 22.08
Finn Dunshee, Hayden 22.31
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 22.32
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 22.40
Tyren Parker, Shawnee Heights 22.76
400 METERS
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden 49.24
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 49.95
Isaiah Terry, Washburn Rural 50.07
Shane Jueneman, Washburn Rural 51.26
Liam Benz, Shawnee Heights 51.60
800 METERS
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 1:58.46
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:59.81
Eli Ferguson, Silver Lake 2:01.86
Mark Wilkie, Topeka West 2:07.11
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 2:08.37
1,600 METERS
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:22.45
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:37.32
Adrian Lehman, Topeka West 4:40.25
Eli Ferguson, Silver Lake 4:41.25
Mark Wilkie, Topeka West 4:41.35
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Silver Lake's softball team swept defending Class 3A state champion Rossville in convincing fashion on the Bulldawgs' home turf Monday night, winning 12-1 and 14-0.
The Eagles combined dominant pitching with outbursts of offense to roll over their rival and improve to 8-0.
“I don’t know if there is any guarantee of how to predict what’s going to happen in (matchups between Rossville and Silver Lake),” said the Eagles coach Nick Hamilton. “I’ve been around this my whole life, and I know that on any given night either team could win. It’s that much of a rivalry.
“It’s good for both of us. I think that’s why there is such success on both sides. We both compete and push each other.”
In the first game of the doubleheader, pitcher Kendra Cook held the Bulldawgs down until the Silver Lake offense kicked in. The Eagles exploded for six runs in the fifth inning to blow the game open.
“Kendra has been solid in the ring for us,” Hamilton said. “She did a good job working in the offseason to improve on what she needed to improve.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Aaron Merritt, Seaman 10.77
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 11.18
Evan Scheid, Silver Lake 11.32
Finn Dunshee, Hayden 11.38
Tyren Parker, Shawnee Heights 11.40
200 METERS
Aaron Merritt, Seaman 22.08
Tyren Parker, Shawnee Heights 22.76
Trent Rollenhagen, Silver Lake 22.92
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 23.05
Bryce Cochran, Seaman 23.06
400 METERS
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 49.95
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden 50.18
Shane Jueneman, Washburn Rural 51.26
Liam Benz, Shawnee Heights 51.95
Ben Roeder, Topeka High 52.68
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:59.81
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 2:00.30
Eli Ferguson, Silver Lake 2:04.20
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 2:08.37
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 2:08.43
1,600 METERS
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:22.45
Elijah Phelps, Topeka West 4:46.08
Eli Ferguson, Silver Lake 4:47.99
Zach Moore, Hayden 4:48.71
Adrian Lehman, Topeka West 4:48.72
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Merritt, Seaman 10.77
Murph, Topeka High 11.18
Redmond, Silver Lake 11.54
Barr, Topeka West 11.59
Scheid, Silver Lake 11.64
200 METERS
Merritt, Seaman 22.08
Murph, Topeka High 23.05
Parker, Shawnee Heights 23.27
Batson, Topeka West 23.37
Cochran, Seaman 23.41
400 METERS
Roeder, Topeka High 52.68
Benz, Shawnee Heights 52.79
Terry, Washburn Rural 53.14
Batson, Topeka West 53.64
Roney, Washburn Rural 54.31
800 METERS
Anderson, Seaman 1:59.81
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 2:00.30
Ferguson, Silver Lake 2:04.20
Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 2:08.43
Quarles, Washburn Rural 2:09.89
1,600 METERS
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:22.45
Lehman, Topeka West 4:48.72
Carter, Shawnee Heights 4:50.71
Leinwetter, Washburn Rural 4:51.67
Ferguson, Silver Lake 4:55.60
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural will make the familiar trek to Wichita next week for the Class 6A girls state basketball tournament.
Kevin Bordewick's Junior Blues will be making their straight state appearance after avenging a midseason loss to Wichita South with a 47-34 win in Friday's sub-state championship game on the Titans' home floor.
Washburn Rural has advanced to the state championship game the past two seasons, finishing second a year ago after winning the title in 2022, the Junior Blues' second championship since 2019.
Rural, now 15-7, dropped a 44-38 overtime decision to South in the championship game of the Girls Capital City Classic on Jan. 27 but pulled away late Friday night for the double-digit victory over the Titans, who finished their season 14-8.
Freshman Maddie Vickery led the Junior Blues with 23 points and 12 rebounds while Zoe Canfield added 10 points and Ella Hirschi nine.
Silver Lake girls improve to 22-0
Undefeated and top-ranked Silver Lake ran its win streak to 22 games Friday night with a 63-34 Class 3A sub-state semifinal win over Minneapolis in the Riley County sub-state.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Merritt, Seaman 10.77
Murph, Topeka High 11.18
Barr, Topeka West 11.59
Hailey, Topeka High 11.85
Osburn, Washburn Rural 11.90
200 METERS
Merritt, Seaman 22.08
Murph, Topeka High 23.05
Parker, Shawnee Heights 23.27
Batson, Topeka West 23.37
Cochran, Seaman 23.41
400 METERS
Roeder, Topeka High 52.68
Benz, Shawnee Heights 52.79
Terry, Washburn Rural 53.14
Batson, Topeka West 53.64
Roney, Washburn Rural 54.31
800 METERS
Anderson, Seaman 1:59.81
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 2:00
Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 2:08.43
Quarles, Washburn Rural 2:09.89
Olsen, Washburn Rural 2:11.40
1,600 METERS
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:22.45
Lehman, Topeka West 4:48.72
Leinwetter, Washburn Rural 4:51.67
Carter, Shawnee Heights 4:52.44
Moore, Hayden 4:56.13
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural softball opened the Joy Marie Galliart era with a pair of hard-earned wins over Centennial League foe Topeka High Friday at Hummer Sports Park.
The Junior Blues broke a 4-4 tie with four runs in their last at bat to take an 8-4 first-game win and earned the sweep with an 11-7 win in the nightcap.
Washburn Rural has been to the Class 6A championship game the past two seasons, finishing as the state runnerup both years, while Topeka High won 6A titles in 2021 and 2022.
Seaman softball rolls to UKC sweep over Topeka West
Seaman's softball team opened its 2024 season in impressive fashion Friday at Seaman, taking a pair of wins over United Kansas Conference foe Topeka West.
The Vikings took an 18-3 first-game win over the Chargers and followed that up with a 17-1 second-game victory.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural
Fink, a first-team All-Shawnee County pick last spring, is one of Class 6A's premier distance runners and will also run relays for the Junior Blues. Fink was part of Washburn Rural's fifth-place 4x800-meter relay team (9:52.27) in the 2023 6A state meet. Fink finished second in the 6A cross country meet last fall.
TAYLIE HESTON, Seaman
A junior, Heston earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season after earning a 5A state medal as a member of Seaman's sixth-place 4x800 relay team. Heston opened her season in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational with a second-place finish in the 800 meters (2:37.14) while also running on Seaman's winning 4x400 and 4x800 relays.
NATALIE HILLEBERT, Hayden
A first-team All-Shawnee County selection last spring, Hillebert placed second in the 4A 400 meters. A senior, Hillebert clocked a time of 58.83 seconds at state and ranked No. 2 in the county with a season-best of 58.15. Hillebert also ranked among the county leaders in the 200 dash. Hillebert finished second in the 400 in Friday's season-opener at Free State (63.31).
RYLEE ISMERT, Washburn Rural
A junior distance runner, Ismert helped Washburn Rural post a fifth-place finish in 6A in the 4x800 relay (9:25.27) in the 6A state meet. Ismert, a first-team All-Shawnee County team last season, ranked among the county leaders in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters last spring. Ismert placed 16th in the 6A cross country meet last fall.
KAIBRYN KRUGER, Silver Lake
A senior, Kruger earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season after placing sixth at state in the 3A triple jump (34-10). Kruger was the county leader in the triple jump with a season-best of 35 feet and tied for the county lead in the long jump with a season-best of 16-10.
MAGGIE LESMEISTER, Seaman
A senior, Lesmeister is a standout javelin thrower for the Vikings, earning All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season. Lesmeister ranked third in the county last spring with a season-best of 121-6 and took first place in Thursday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational (107-11).
KEIMARA MARSHALL, Topeka High
A sophomore, Marshall established herself as one of the area's top sprinters last spring, earning first-team all-county honors. Marshall ranked No. 2 in the county in the 100 (12.74) and fourth in the 200 (26.70) in 2023 and opened the current season with second-place finishes in the 100 and 200 in the Topeka West Invitational.
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, a sophomore, was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2023, earning a pair of 5A state medals. Miller ran on Seaman's third-place 4x400 relay and the Vikings' sixth-place 4x800 relay team. Miller is one of the top cross country runners in 5A and is coming off a third-place 5A state finish last fall.
BROOKLYN NOLTE, Washburn Rural
A junior, Nolte earned All-Shawnee County first-team honors last spring after running on Washburn Rural's 4x800 relay team that finished fifth in 6A (9:52.27). Nolte ran on the Junior Blues' cross country team that finished fourth as a team in the 6A state meet last fall, placing 41st individually.
RAE NORTH, Hayden
A junior sprinter, North was a first-team All-Shawnee County first-team selection last season after earning a 4A state medal with an eighth-place individual finish in the 400-meter dash. North will also compete in relays for the Wildcats.
RAEGAN PETERSEN, Washburn Rural
Petersen, a senior, is one of Shawnee County's top throwers, earning all-county honorable mention last season. Petersen was the Shawnee County leader in the discus with a season-best of 119 feet, 2 inches. Petersen was also a standout for Washburn Rural's golf team, capping her career with a 17th-place state finish last fall.
AVA ROTTINGHAUS, Silver Lake
A senior, Rottinghaus placed sixth in the 3A girls javelin last spring (126 feet, 2 inches) and also ran on the Eagles' fourth-place 4x400 relay (4:11.98). A first-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2023, Rottinghaus ranked second in the county in the javelin, with her throw at state her personal best.
JAIDA STALLBAUMER, Seaman
Stallbaumer, a junior, was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2023 after finishing fifth in the 5A 100-meter high hurdles (16.04) and running on the Vikings' third-place 4x400 relay. Stallbaumer ranked No. 1 in Shawnee County last season in the 300 hurldes and was second in the 100 hurdles. Stallbaumer opened her 2024 season with a win in the 300 hurdles and ran on the Vikings' winning 4x400 relay.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
JORDAN ARMBRUSTER, Shawnee Heights
A senior, Armbruster earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County second-team recognition as a junior and also earned All-United Kansas Conference second-team honors last spring.
EASTON BLOSSER, Hayden
Blosser was a frontline player for the 11-6 Wildcats last season and will be counted on to provide senior leadership for Hayden this spring. Blosser has signed a letter of intent to play collegiately at Central Methodist.
COOPER CAMPIDILLI, Silver Lake
A junior catcher, Campidilli was a first-team All-Mid-East selection last season after hitting .355 with 16 runs batted in for Silver Lake, which posted a 15-7 record last season. Campidilli also received TSN All-Shawnee County second-team honors in 2023.
AVERY CROSSWHITE, Rossville
Crosswhite, a senior, hit .365 last season for the 9-13 Bulldawgs with a .422 on-base percentage. Crosswhite had 27 hits with seven doubles, three home runs, 23 runs scored and 27 runs batted in. Crosswhite was a second-team TSN All-Shawnee County pick.
DAVID DOBBS, Seaman
A junior catcher, Dodge is being counted to play a key role this spring for Seaman, which is coming off an 18-5 record and a state-record 19th straight Class 5A state tournament appearance last spring.
HOLDEN FINLEY, Seaman
Finley, a senior, was a first-team TSN All-Shawnee County pick in 2023 after helping the 18-5 Vikings reach the Class 5A state tournament for a state-record 19th straight time. Finley also earned All-5A honorable mention from the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches and was a second-team All-United Kansas Conference pick.
MATT GENRICH, Topeka High
A senior, Genrich was a second-team TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League selection last season after helping Topeka High post a 16-7 record and earn a Class 6A state tournament berth, the Trojans' first state tournament appearance in more than seven decades.
COOPER GRACE, Hayden
Grace, a junior, earned TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League first-team recognition last season and was a second-team Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches All-4A selection after helping lead the Wildcats to an 11-6 record.
BRADY HEINEN, Hayden
A junior, Heinen was named the TSN Shawnee County newcomer of the year last season after helping Hayden post an 11-6 record. Heinen received All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
JO'MHARA BENNING, Topeka High
A junior pitcher, Benning earned second-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County recognition last season after helping the Trojans post a 10-12 record. Benning also was a second-team All-Centennial League pick and earned All-Class 6A honorable mention from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association.
KARLYN BOWMAN, Shawnee Heights
Bowman, a senior infielder, earned second-team TSN All-Shawnee County honors last season and was also a second-team All-United Kansas Conference selection after helping Shawnee Heights post a 17-8 record and a third-place finish in the 5A state tournament. Bowman has signed a letter of intent with Washburn.
REAGAN CHAPMAN, Washburn Rural
A sophomore, Chapman earned first-team All-Class 6A honors as a freshman while also being named the TSN Shawnee County newcomer of the year and earning first-team all-county honors after helping lead the Junior Blues to a 21-4 record and a second straight berth in the 6A championship game.
LAYLA COLLINS, Washburn Rural
Collins, a junior, received second-team TSN All-Shawnee County honors last season after helping Washburn Rural post a second-place finish in the 6A state tournament. Collins also earned second-team All-Centennial League recognition for the Junior Blues, 21-4 on the year.
KENDRA COOK, Silver Lake
A junior pitcher, Cook earned TSN All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season after helping Silver Lake post a 19-3 record. Cook received All-3A honorable mention from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association after compiling a 0.627 earned run average with 73 strikeouts.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman junior Anna Becker and Silver Lake senior Makenzie McDaniel have been tapped as the TopSports.news 2024 All-Shawnee County co-girls basketball players of the year after helping lead their teams to state championships.
Becker helped Seaman post a 23-2 record on the way to the Class 5A state title while McDaniel helped lead Silver Lake to a perfect 26-0 record and the 3A crown.
The four Shawnee County teams that posted top-four state finishes in three different classes, including 6A state runnerup Washburn Rural and third-place Hayden in 3A, combined to earn every spot on the All-Shawnee County Top 10 while Seaman, Silver Lake and Washburn Rural combined to sweep the individual awards.
In addition to co-players of the year Becker and McDaniel, Seaman's Matt Tinsley and Silver Lake's Kyle Porter share the Shawnee County coach of the year award while Washburn Rural freshman Maddie Vickery has been named the county newcomer of the year.
Becker is joined on the All-Shawnee County Top 10 by Seaman senior teammate Taylin Stallbaumer and Viking sophomore Maddie Gragg after Seaman captured its first girls state championship since 1991 with a 54-41 win over Maize South Saturday night in Emporia.
Silver Lake also earned three Top 10 all-county spots with senior McKinley Kruger and sophomore Kailyn Hanni joining McDaniel on the team after the Eagles finished off their perfect run to the 3A title with a 66-61 win over Hesston.
Washburn Rural senior Zoe Canfield and Vickery were both named to the Top 10 along with Hayden senior Lauren Sandstrom and Wildcat junior Amelia Ramsey.
Canfield and Vickery helped lead the Junior Blues to their third straight 6A state final, where the Junior Blues dropped a 47-37 decision to Shawnee Mission South, while Ramsey and Sandstrom helped Hayden bounce back from a semifinal loss to Silver Lake to finish third with a 50-39 win over Goodland.
Becker, McDaniel and Kruger all earned Top 10 honors for the third straight season while Gragg and Ramsey are repeat picks.
Canfield and Stallbaumer also made the Top 10 for the second time, with both players also earning that honor in 2022.
All-Shawnee County capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park junior Ja'Corey Robinson and Shawnee Heights senior repeat pick Brennon Dodge headline the 2024 TopSports.news All-Shawnee County boys basketball team.
Robinson was tapped as the Shawnee County player of the year after leading the Scots to a 23-2 record and a second straight third-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament, posting double-doubles in all three of Highland Park's state tournament games.
Dodge, the lone all-county first-team repeat pick, helped lead Shawnee Heights to a 19-4 record and the T-Birds' first 5A state tournament berth since 2017.
The Scots, who dropped a three-point overtime loss in the semifinals to eventual state champion Kapaun Mt. Carmel, also put senior Tamir Anderson and junior Mikey Williams on the TSN Shawnee County Top 10.
Highland Park's Mike Williams was named the county coach of the year for the second straight season, leading the Scots to a 47-3 record over the past two years.
Dodge is joined on the all-county first team by junior teammate Jaret Sanchez while five other county schools put one player apiece on the Top 10.
That group includes seniors Simon Everhart of Cair Paravel Latin and Griffin Durst of Washburn Rural along with junior Jalen Foy of Topeka West and sophomores KaeVon Bonner of Seaman and Jack Donovan of Rossville.
Robinson and Sanchez both moved up to the Top 10 after being Second 10 picks in 2023 while Anderson, Bonner, Donovan, Everhart and Williams received honorable mention a year ago.
Hayden freshman Mason Becker was selected as this season's Shawnee County newcomer of the year after helping the 8-16 Wildcats put together a strong postseason run to reach the 3A state tournament.
All-Shawnee County capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
MYLES ALONZO, Topeka West
A senior, Alonzo shot a 36-hole score of 143 to tie for 12th in the 2023 Class 5A state tournament, earning his second state medal. Alonzo finished second in the city tournament with an 80, tied for third in the United Kansas Conference meet with a 77 and tied for third in 5A regional competition with a 79. Alonzo is a three-time All-Shawnee County first-team selection.
TADD ARMSTRONG, Washburn Rural
Armstrong, a junior, has been a second-team All-Shawnee County pick the past two seasons. Armstrong tied for sixth in last season's city tournament with an 84 and tied for ninth in Class 6A regional competition with an 81 as Washburn Rural earned a team berth for state. Armstrong carded an 81 at state.
BRYCE BADSKY, Silver Lake
Badsky, a senior, earned a Class 3A state medal for the third straight season, shooting a 36-hole score of 157 to tie for 16th place. Badsky took medalist honors in the Mid-East League Tournament with an 80 and also captured an individual regional championship with a 77. Badsky is a three-time All-Shawnee County first-team pick.
HAYDEN GLYNN, Washburn Rural
A senior, Glynn advanced to the second round of the Class 6A state tournament with a first-round 77 and finished at 162. Glynn tied for sixth in the Centennial League tournament with a 79, placed eighth in the city meet with an 85 and tied for ninth in 6A regional competition with an 81.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ANNA BECKER, Seaman
A 5-foot-11 junior, Becker scored 15 points with 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in Saturday's 54-41 Seaman win over Maize South in the Class 5A girls basketball state championship game at Emporia as the Vikings captured their first girls state title since 1991. A Drake University commit, Becker was named the United Kansas Conference player of the year for the second straight season.
MADDIE GRAGG, Seaman
Gragg, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 54-41 Class 5A state championship-game win over Maize South at Emporia as Seaman won its first girls state basketball title since 1991. Gragg received All-United Kansas Conference first-team recognition for the second straight year.
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake
A 5-foot-7 sophomore, Hanni scored 26 points in Saturday's 66-61 Silver Lake win over Hesston in the Class 3A girls state championship game in Hutchinson as the Eagles capped a perfect 26-0 season. Hanni went 14 of 15 at the free throw line in the final, including several clutch charities in the closing minutes. Hanni was the lone sophomore on the All-Mid-East League first team.
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Undefeated Class 3A state champion Silver Lake put three players on the All-Mid-East League girls basketball team, selected by league coaches.
The Eagles, who completed a perfect 26-0 season Saturday in Hutchinson, are represented on the All-Mid-East first team by seniors McKinley Kruger (5-foot-6) and Makenzie McDaniel (6-1) and sophomore Kailyn Hanni (5-7).
Rossville put Nora Burdiek (5-10 freshman), Rylee Dick (5-6 sophomore) and Kinsey Perine (5-9 senior) on the All-Mid-East second team.
Silver Lake seniors Kaylee Deiter (5-8) and Kaibryn Kruger (5-7) and Rossville senior Emma Mitchell (5-11) all received all-league honorable mention.
ALL-MID-EAST LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Rossville's Jack Donovan and Silver Lake's Dayne Johnson, who helped their teams post breakout 2023-2024 seasons, have been named to the All-Mid-East League boys basketball team.
Donovan, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, helped lead Rossville to a 15-7 season this winter while Johnson, a 6-2 sophomore, helped lead Silver Lake to a 14-8 campaign.
Donovan and Johnson are joined on the All-Mid-East first team by Rock Creek's Coley Burgess (6-0 junior) and Brady Schneider (6-3 senior) and St. Marys' Brady Hurla (6-0 junior).
Silver Lake's Elijah Jopez (6-4 senior) and Rossville's Cameron Miller (6-5 sophomore) earned spots on the all-league second team while Rossville's Kameron Badura (6-3 junior) received honorable mention.
ALL-MID-EAST LEAGUE BOYS BASKETBALL
First team
Cole Burgess, 6-0 jr., Rock Creek; Jack Donovan, 5-11 so., Rossville; Brady Hurla, 6-0 jr., St. Marys; Dayne Johnson, 6-2 so., Silver Lake; Brady Schneider, 6-3 sr., Rock Creek.
Second team
Brody Deiter, 5-11 jr., Silver Lake; Ben DeVader, 5-9 so., St. Marys; Eli Harmison, 6-1 jr., Riley County; Elijah Lopez, 6-4 sr., Silver Lake; Cameron Miller, 6-5 so., Rossville
Honorable mention
Kameron Badura, 6-3 jr., Rossville; Zach Frank, 5-10 so., Wabaunsee; Daegan Vinduska, 6-4 sr., Rock Creek.
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
HUTCHINSON -- A four-year uphill climb ended at the pinnacle for the Silver Lake seniors.
After coming up short three times in their quest for a state championship, the Eagles won the Class 3A girls title by defeating Hesston 66-61 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena Saturday night.
The group of five Silver Lake seniors were part of teams that finished third two years ago and fourth last season. The group had not played in a championship game until Saturday.
It was a brawl.
End-to-end action and physical play kept the outcome in question until the final seconds.
Silver Lake survived a five-point run in the final 30 seconds that pulled the Swathers to within one possession. But the Eagles were the ones holding the trophy when the buzzer sounded.
“The amount of work and dedication that our ladies put into the game of basketball, for these seniors to finish with a state championship is something special,” Silver Lake coach Kyle Porter said. “I’m just glad that we got the mission accomplished.”
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Silver Lake senior Makenzie McDaniel. “We’ve worked so hard to get to this. Coming short two years in a row really stings, so it was something we put in the backs of our heads to work for every day in practice. This has been our goal since Day 1, so it’s great to have been able to achieve it.”
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
HUTCHINSON -- A much-anticipated meeting between Silver Lake and Hayden finally happened Friday in a Class 3A state semifinal in Hutchinson.
A tight battle gradually shifted in favor of Silver Lake, with the Eagles winning 64-49 to advance Saturday's state title game.
Silver Lake preserved their undefeated record at 25-0 and will face Hesston on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. The Eagle seniors will be taking their fourth crack at a title. They finished third two years ago and fourth last year.
Hayden and Silver Lake traded leads back and forth throughout the first half, the biggest lead coming when Hayden pulled out to a five-point advantage late in the second period. But Silver Lake responded with a 10-3 run to close out the period with a 29-27 lead.
Amelia Ramsey was Hayden’s top weapon in the first two periods, battling to 11 first-half points. Silver Lake was led in the first half by Kaibryn Kruger with nine.
“Hayden played extremely well,” said Silver Lake coach Kyle Porter. “They have some extremely skilled bigs who can not only kill you inside but also stretch you outside. You saw that with Ramsey tonight. I thought she was phenomenal.
“First half, I thought we gave up some easy second-chance points. From then on, we did limit their second-chance opportunities. That was big.”
Silver Lake stretched its lead to 46-38 in the third period and the Eagles owned the early part of the fourth period, starting with a 12-0 run and finishing with a 64-49 win.
Silver Lake recorded 19 assists on their 23 baskets.
“The second half belonged to (us playing) team basketball,” Porter said. “With our team, you can’t just stop one player. When teams over-compensate and put two on one, we’ve got to be able to find the open man and finish. And they’ve been able to do that for four years.”
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Silver Lake steamrolled Haven in the opening round of the Class 3A girls state tournament, 75-38, setting up a semifinal meeting on Friday with Hayden.
The Silver Lake seniors were playing their eighth state tournament game, having qualified for the tournament every year of their careers.
They certainly appeared comfortable in the Hutchinson Sports Arena, with the Eagles hitting 10 of their 18 shots in the first quarter.
Senior McKinley Kruger set the tone by knocking down three 3-pointers in the period and all five starters scored in the opening period as Silver Lake jumped out to a 24-5 lead.
The second period was just like the first, with Silver Lake outscoring Haven 17-8 to build a 41-13 halftime lead.
“I think our girls were loose but also locked in and focused,” said Silver Lake coach Kyle Porter. “The first half went about as well as we could have expected. That’s a testament to our experience and our level of our focus with our senior group.”
Porter said he wasn’t surprised to see Kruger come up big early, noting Haven’s defensive strategy left them vulnerable to the outside shot. He said Kruger has been hitting better than 50 percent from beyond the arc for the past several weeks.
“Coming into the game, we weren’t quite sure what they were going to do defensively,” Porter said. “They started off playing man. We wanted to attack the scoring area and then take what the defense gave us.
“McKinley is a knock-down shooter and when she’s locked in, she’s really tough.”
“I’m glad I got those off at the start because once I get started and get hot, it’s usually going to be a good game,” Kruger said. “I’ve been practicing hard with my team, and we all know our roles and do our best to fill those.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park's boys basketball team posted an outstanding 24-1 record and a third-place Class 5A state finish in the 2022-2023 season.
But a full year later there's still not a day that goes by that Scots coach Mike Williams and his team doesn't re-live that one loss -- a 55-54 state semifinal heartbreaker to Andover -- that ended Highland Park's dreams of the '23 state championship.
"There's such a nasty taste,'' Williams said. "If it was up to me, I would have pushed fast forward and then to next week already.''
And as fate would have it, Williams and Co. get a chance to wipe that bad taste out of their mouths when No. 2 seed Highland Park (21-1) and No. 7 Andover (18-4) kick off this year's state tournament at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Emporia's White Auditorium.
Andover led for only 43 seconds of last year's semifinal and only .5 of a second after the early stages of the first quarter, but that .5 of a second was enough to put Andover in the championship game, with the Trojans ending the game with a 7-0 run to pull out the one-point victory before earning the 5A title with a 54-46 win over Kapaun Mt. Carmel the following night.
Highland Park bounced back from the semifinal loss to roll to a 79-46 rout over Hutchinson in the third-place game, but that did little to ease the pain of the Andover loss.
"There hasn't been a day go by that we haven't thought about it, that we haven't talked about it,'' Williams said. "It's a little bit different for us because we talk about what we're trying to attain.
"A lot of people don't want to talk about championships, but we talk about it every day because we want our kids to know what our expectations are and what we're working towards.''
And what the Scots are working towards this season is another shot at the title.
Highland Park's only loss this season came to 6A state qualifier Wichita Northwest in the final of the Topeka Invitational Tournament and the Scots have reeled off 15 straight wins since that defeat, earning their third straight state berth with an 80-48 win over Bonner Springs in last Friday's sub-state final at Topeka West.
Junior Ja'Corey Robinson led the Scots with 35 points and 12 rebounds against Bonner Springs.
The Highland Park-Andover winner will advance to a 2 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the first-round winner between No. 3 seed Kapaun Mt. Carmel (19-3) and No. 6 De Soto (18-4).
On the other side of the bracket top seed Maize South (22-0) will play a 6 p.m. first-round game against No. 8 Great Bend (17-5) and No. 4 Piper (19-3) will face No. 5 Shawnee Heights (19-3) at 8 o'clock, with the winners playing a 6 p.m. Friday semifinal.
The tournament championship game will be played at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Here's a team-by-team glance at the other first-round games involving Shawnee County teams: