Washburn Rural Junior Blues
NOTE: Statistics for city girls basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the second of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats. Topeka West statistics were not available.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Rayton, Topeka High 13 307 23.6
Schmidtlein, Hayden 13 230 17.7
Emmot, Shawnee Heights 16 275 17.2
Caryl, Topeka High 10 152 15.2
Anderson, Washburn Rural 13 190 14.6
McGlory, Shawnee Heights 15 194 12.9
Gragg, Seaman 13 163 12.5
Marshall, Topeka High 14 158 11.3
Carter, Shawnee Heights 15 163 10.9
Kincade, Highland Park 13 137 10.5
Beaton, Seaman 11 114 10.4
Jones, Highland Park 13 134 10.3
Carlgren, Washburn Rural 14 143 10.2
Hirschi, Washburn Rural 14 130 9.3
Backman, CPLS 13 115 8.8
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Caryl, Topeka High 10 116 11.6
Walker, Washburn Rural 14 124 8.9
Gragg, Seaman 13 105 8.1
Schmidtlein, Hayden 13 92 7.1
Carter, Shawnee Heights 12 84 7.0
Jones, Highland Park 13 88 6.8
Dreher, Seaman 13 83 6.4
Vega, Shawnee Heights 13 74 5.7
Gotru, Topeka High 13 72 5.5
Anderson, Washburn Rural 13 71 5.5
Marshall, Topeka High 14 76 5.4
Watts, Hayden 13 70 5.4
Carlgren, Washburn Rural 14 74 5.3
Barnett, Highland Park 12 60 5.0
Walter, Hayden 13 60 4.6
Baum, Shawnee Heights 13 60 4.6
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Caryl, Topeka High 10 69 6.9
Jones, Highland Park 13 42 3.2
Beaton, Seaman 11 35 3.2
Gragg, Seaman 13 41 3.2
Marshall, Topeka High 14 42 4.0
Emmot, Shawnee Heights 13 35 2.7
Baum, Shawnee Heights 13 34 2.6
Foster, Hayden 13 30 2.3
Cosey, Highland Park 13 30 2.3
Anderson, Washburn Rural 13 29 2.2
Schmidtlein, Hayden 13 28 2.2
Vega, Shawnee Heights 13 28 2.2
Rayton, Topeka High 13 28 2.2
Rutherford, Washburn Rural 13 28 2.2
Watts, Hayden 13 26 2.0
Kincade, Highland Park 13 26 2.0
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University football coach Zach Watkins announced a diverse 34-member high school recruiting class on Wednesday, including five city products.
Washburn football coach Zach Watkins announced a 2026 recruiting class on Wednesday that includes 34 high school players and 17 transfers who are already on campus. [File photo/TSN]
"Our staff did a tremendous job of identifying what we needed on the roster and going out and identifying the kids that fit those needs,'' said Watkins, who will be starting his second season as WU's head coach in 2026. "We've been recruiting these guys since February of '25, so to see a full year of recruiting come to fruition and the kids all signed is very satisfying.''
Watkins also confirmed that Washburn, which is coming off a 3-8 campaign, has picked up 17 transfers who are currently enrolled at WU for the spring semester.
"We got hired last year and had a month to recruit,'' Watkins said. "This year we had a year to recruit. We signed 34 high school kids and 17 transfers who are here on campus right now and they started in January. They're the most talented group of transfers we've ever brought in here at Washburn.
"Those transfers provide immediate help and immediate depth and then like I said from Day 1 when we got hired as a staff, we're going to be a high school-based recruiting program. We're going to recuit Topeka, we're going to recruit Kansas, the Midwest and branch out from there and the 34 kids we signed really filled the needs we have and the depth we needed to create, we got that done in this class.''
Washburn Rural's Jordy Heim (6-foot-1, 220 pounds) and John Hoytal (6-3, 200) signed on Wednesday along with Hayden's Kade Mitchell (5-9, 175), Shawnee Heights' Aiden Scott (6-5, 200) and Topeka West's Logan Hunninghake (6-2, 250).
John Hoytal, Washburn Rural
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
Hoytal, Mitchell and Scott earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors this past fall while Heim was a Second 22 all-county honoree and Hunninghake earned all-county honorable mention.
Hoytal played quarterback for Washburn Rural but is projected as a tight end in college while Mitchell is a running back, Scott a quarterback, Heim a linebacker and Hunninghake an offensive lineman.
"The kids we got from Topeka we're really excited about,'' Watkins said.
The Washburn recruiting class includes 11 players that played at Kansas high schools along with 12 Missouri prep products, seven from Texas, three from Florida and one from Nebraska.
There's also diversity among position groups, with eight players projected as defensive backs, six defensive linemen and five offensive linemen, four wide receivers, three linebackers and running backs, two tight ends, two punter/kickers and one quarterback.
Washburn recruiting capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Fresh off last week's championship in the Glaciers Edge Tournament, Washburn Rural girls basketball ran its winning streak to four games Wednesday night, riding a big night from freshman Brynn Anderson to a 55-42 non-league home win over Blue Valley.
Freshman Brynn Anderson scored 25 points with five 3-pointers in Wednesday's 55-42 Washburn Rural win over Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Anderson, named the Most Valuable Player in last week's tournament, scored a game-high 25 points with five 3-pointers and a six of six performance at the free throw line to lead the way as the 10th-ranked (Class 6A) Junior Blues ran their record to 11-4 on the season.
"She's been that way pretty much all year and you see almost every day in practice her development and getting better,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "We've got some kids that know we've got to get her the ball a little bit and we've got other kids that will step up.
"Brynn on the offensive end has been real consistent for us and it's kind of fun to see her light it up from outside a little bit, too.''
Washburn Rural senior Josie Carlgren had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds in Wednesday's 55-42 win over Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural also got a double-double from senior Josie Carlgren, who scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while hitting a pair of 3-pointers and going four of four at the free throw line.
Rural only trailed once in the game at 8-7 and there were just two ties (at 5-5 and 13-all), but 8-8 Blue Valley was within single-digits for most of the night before the Junior Blues opened up their biggest lead of the night at 55-41 with 18.3 seconds remaining.
Blue Valley had three players crack double figures, led by senior Lucy Kennedy with 14 points and four 3-pointers. Sophomore Devin Splittorff added 11 points and sophomore Taylor Forgy 10 for the Tigers.
"They're really not a bad team,'' Bordewick said of the Tigers. "They're a better team than maybe what their record indicates and I think a better team tonight than what we saw last week at Emporia even, because they were in that.
"They shot well, I thought they played hard and they gave us obviously quite a run. But I was proud of these guys. I thought we competed and we worked hard on the defensive end to get it going on offense and I thought we did a pretty good job.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Playing without injured senior starters John Hoytal and Simon Rowley, Washburn Rural boys basketball came within 4.2 seconds of pulling off an upset victory over No. 6-ranked Blue Valley Wednesday night, with the Tigers escaping with a 55-54 road win over the Junior Blues on Brendan Walsh's game-winning 3-pointer.
Sophomore Brooks Ballard scored a game-high 22 points with five 3-pointers in Washburn Rural's 55-54 loss to Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
"I'm proud of our guys,'' Washburn Rural coach Alex Hutchins said. "I'm proud of the way we fought and proud of the way we played. It just comes down to a couple of possessions here and there at the end, just a little bit of execution.
"I thought we played really, really smart and really sound to the scout until about the last two minutes of the game.''
The short-handed Junior Blues led for much of the night in a game that was close throughout as sophomore Brooks Ballard powered 9-6 Rural with a game-high 22 points and five 3-pointers, but Walsh, a junior, scored the Tigers' final seven points as Blue Valley improved to 11-5.
"When the other team's got the best player in the gym, you try to make other people make plays and we let their best player score their last seven points,'' Hutchins said. "We've got to be smarter than that. We've got to make someone else do it.''
Blue Valley led 13-11 at the end of the opening quarter, but Ballard scored the final five points of the first half to give the Junior Blues a 27-21 at the break.
Rural went up by eight points (29-21) on a bucket by junior Cooper Schmidt to open the second half, but Blue Valley battled back to tie the game at 38-38 entering the fourth quarter.
There were two ties and three lead changes the rest of the way, including four straight points by Ballard to give Rural a 54-52 advantage with 11.6 seconds left before Walsh struck the final blow for the Tigers.
Washburn Rural junior Cooper Scmidt scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Wednesday's 55-54 loss to Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Ballard was the lone Junior Blue in double figures while 6-foot-10 Schmidt scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Daniel Allen
DANIEL ALLEN, Washburn Rural
Allen, a junior boys swimmer, captured four gold medals in Thursday's Topeka City Swimming Championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium as Washburn Rural extended its city championship streak to seven straight with a dominating 609-371 margin over Seaman. Allen won individual titles in the 100-yard butterfly (52.22 seconds) and 100 backstroke (52.82) and swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley relay (1:41.75) and 400 free relay (3:24.55) teams.
BRYNN ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
A freshman basketball standout, Anderson was named the Most Valuable Player in the Glaciers Edge Tournament at Emporia after scoring a game-high 20 points in the championship game as Washburn Rural captured the tournament title with a 48-42 win over Wichita Southeast. Anderson hit 5 of 10 shots from the field, including a 3-pointer, and went 9 of 10 at the free throw line for the 10-4 Junior Blues.
Madi Blanco
MADI BLANCO, Washburn Rural
Blanco, a girls wrestling star, went 3-0 on the day with three pins to capture the 140-pound championship in Saturday's 20-school Washburn Women's Invitational. Blanco, a two-time Class 6A state medalist, needed just 37 seconds in the championship match to win the title after beginning the day with 1:31 and 2:14 pins. Blanco was ranked No. 3 in 6A and No. 5 in the All-Class rankings by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
NOTE: Statistics for city boys basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the second of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Bonner, Seaman 14 345 24.6
Kingcannon, Highland Park 14 274 19.6
Ross, Shawnee Heights 13 249 19.2
Compton, Hayden 15 239 15.9
Hanika, Hayden 15 230 15.3
Paul, Topeka West 14 202 14.4
Rowley, Washburn Rural 10 144 14.4
Duncan, Topeka West 14 196 14.0
McComas, Topeka High 14 196 14.0
Durbin, Cair Paravel 13 181 13.9
Lassiter, Topeka West 14 191 13.6
Marichal, Cair Paravel 13 177 13.6
Aldridge, Topeka High 14 172 12.3
Hastert, Cair Paravel 13 158 12.2
Ballard, Washburn Rural 12 145 12.1
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
McComas, Topeka High 14 111 7.9
Durbin, Cair Paravel 13 100 7.7
Fay, Cair Paravel 13 90 6.9
Hanika, Hayden 15 101 6.7
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 12 74 6.2
Hastert, Cair Paravel 13 78 6.0
Lassiter, Topeka West 14 83 5.9
Zuniga, Seaman 14 76 5.4
Schmidt, Washburn Rural 12 63 5.3
Scott, Shawnee Heights 13 66 5.1
Kidd, Hayden 15 76 5.1
Paul, Topeka West 14 64 4.6
Dixon, Shawnee Heights 12 45 4.5
Tourtillott, Hayden 15 60 4.0
Bonner, Seaman 14 56 4.0
Chase Hastert, Cair Paravel [Photo by Barry Benteman/Special to TSN]
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Hastert, Cair Paravel 13 75 5.8
Bonner, Seaman 14 73 5.2
Fay, Cair Paravel 13 59 4.5
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 12 47 3.9
Guest, Topeka High 14 52 3.7
Duncan, Topeka West 14 49 3.5
Traylor, Topeka West 14 49 3.5
Paul, Topeka West 14 48 3.4
Mitchell, Hayden 15 47 3.1
Marichal, Cair Paravel 13 38 2.9
McComas, Topeka High 14 40 2.9
Cook, Shawnee Heights 13 34 2.6
Scott, Shawnee Heights 13 33 2.5
Nimz, Washburn Rural 12 30 2.5
Luarks, Topeka High 14 34 2.4
Hanika, Hayden 15 36 2.4
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
EMPORIA --The Washburn Rural Junior Blues faced the Wichita Southeast Buffaloes in the championship game of the Glaciers Edge Tournament on Saturday at Emporia High School, with the Junior Blues winning the title with a hard fought 48-42 victory.
Washburn Rural poses for a picture Saturday after winning the championship in the Glaciers Edge Tournament at Emporia. [Washburn Rural girls basketball]
Washburn Rural jumped out to an 8-2 lead behind seniors Josie Carlgren and Ella Hirschi, who scored five and three points, respectively. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the first quarter with the Buffs trimming two points off the lead and trailing 15-11.
Carlgren led the Junior Blues with seven points, followed by Hirschi’s six points. Senior Ka’Mya Gant led Wichita Southeast with 7 points in the opening eight minutes.
Washburn Rural extended their lead to seven points, 18-11, on the first play of the second quarter on a 3-pointer from freshman Brynn Anderson. Wichita Southeast was able to cut the lead back down to five points at 22-17 halfway through the quarter.
Both teams were only able to score two points apiece for the remainder of the half, giving the Junior Blues a 24-19 lead heading to the locker room.
The Lady Buffaloes had a great start to the third quarter, scoring the first five points, to tie the contest at 24. Rural's Anderson answered the Southeast run with a traditional three-point play that impacted both teams.
Her excellent scoop shot gave the Blues the lead at 27-24 and drew the fourth foul on Buffaloes senior post player, Deena Holmes, who had to sit out the majority of the remaining six minutes of the third quarter.
The Junior Blues extended the lead to 35-28 with a little over one minute left in the third quarter. However, Southeast senior Vivianna Wall hit a corner 3-pointer, cutting the lead to four, 35-31. Rural responded with a buzzer beater by Carlgren, giving Washburn Rural a 37-31 lead going into the final quarter.
Foul trouble became an issue late in the third quarter and into the fourth quarter for the Junior Blues and coach Kevin Bordewick discussed the play of his team while battling the fouls.
“We battled foul trouble that we hadn’t seen before, but we had girls come in off the bench (freshmen Kamryn Smith and Aly Hinck) and do a fantastic job,” Bordewick said.
Wichita Southeast came out and scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to take their first lead of the game, 38-37, with five minutes remaining.
The Junior Blues regained the lead, 40-38, with four minutes left on a huge 3-pointer by Hirschi. On its next possession, Rural junior Brooklyn Rutherford was fouled on a 3-pointer and she made two of three from the line, extending the lead to 42-38.
With 1:45 left in the game and clinging to a 42-40 lead, Rutherford made a reverse layup on a beautiful backdoor pass from Anderson, giving the Junior Blues a 44-40 lead.
“It was something out of our offense and it’s great to be able to have teammates where I can give the ball up and they will do something great with it,” Anderson said.
After the teams traded empty possessions, another big play for the Junior Blues occurred on a missed 3-point attempt from Hirschi with 24 seconds remaining in the game. Carlgren was able to force a tie-up, giving the ball back to Rural.
“That’s what Jo does so well. She is a hustle maniac, goes after everything and is our anchor on defense,” Bordewick said.
Southeast had to foul and Anderson made two free throws, giving Rural a 46-40 lead. After a Lady Buffaloes basket, Anderson scored the final two points of the contest from the line, giving the Blues the championship victory by a six-point margin.
Washburn Rural was led by Anderson’s 20 points, with Anderson named the most valuable player for the tournament. Carlgren had 11 points and senior Hirschi tallied 9, all on 3-pointers. Fellow senior Hallie Walker had a team-leading nine rebounds.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior wrestling star Madi Blanco admitted that she was fighting some butterflies before Saturday's 140-pound championship match in the sixth annual Washburn Women's Invitational.
Washburn Rural senior Madi Blanco reacts after winning the 140-pound title in Saturday's Washburn Women's Invitational with a 37-second pin in the finals. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But it certainly didn't show as Blanco, No. 3-ranked in Class 6A and No. 5 in the All-Class rankings by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, needed just 37 seconds to clench her tournament championship with a win by pin over Gardner-Edgerton sophomore Camila Vasquez, No. 5-ranked in 6A and No. 8 in the All-Class rankings.
"Me and my coach had a conversation about energy and to be grateful for where I am, how much I've gone through to get here and that really helped me and put me in the right mindset to get into that final round,'' Blanco said. "I felt really good.''
Blanco, who placed fourth in 6A at 135 pounds and is a two-time state placer, posted three straight pins on Saturday, with her win in the finals following pins in 1:31 and 2:14.
And Blanco said she continues to gain confidence as the Junior Blues get ready for the biggest three tournaments of the season -- Centennial League, regionals and state.
"The steps I took to get here are what really helped me grow,'' Blanco said. "My coaches, my teammates, they're encouragers and I think that really helps. It's just a process.
"I thank the Lord that I have my parents (Evie and Anthony), that raised me so well. They taught character, mental strength, all of it, so I think that my confidence came from them and my coaches.''
Parker said Blanco has earned all the success she's had for the Junior Blues.
"She is as intentional about everything she does as any kid that I've ever coached, and the fact that she wrestles with gratitude,'' Parker said. "She's just happy for the opportunity to be here and do this and I think that goes a long way in this sport.''
Blanco helped lead perennial state contender Washburn Rural to a runnerup finish to Gardner-Edgerton (273-194) in Saturday's 20-school tournament, with Shawnee Mission South (159.5) third and Clay Center (156.5) fourth.
Washburn Rural was ranked No. 4 in 6A in last week's KWCA rankings, with Gardner-Edgerton No. 2 behind top-ranked Garden City.
Freshman 105-pounder Aliyah Tangpricha (top) posted a runnerup finish for Washburn Rural in Saturday's Washburn Women's Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural 125-pound senior Lacey Middleton (right) finished second Saturday as the host Junior Blues posted a runnerup team finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
In addition to Blanco's title, the Junior Blues got runnerup finishes from 105-pound freshman Aliyah Tangpricha (17-3), 125-pound senior Lacey Middleton (29-4) and 170-pound senior Elia Smith (23-3) while 145-pound senior Emme Blanco (29-3), 190-pound junior Lily Davis (26-7) and 235-pound sophomore Emma Mehl (18-9) all posted third-place finishes.
Seaman finished in the upper half of the field with a ninth-place finish (74 points), with four Vikings finishing in the top six, led by junior fourth-place 170-pound placer Isabel McClintock (19-12).
Washburn Rural will be back at home next Saturday to host the Centennial League girls and boys tournament (9 a.m start).
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's boys exploited a height advantage on defense and efficiency on offense to defeat the Highland Park boys 60-35 Friday at Washburn Rural.
Junior Cooper Schmidt made an impact on both ends of the floor in Friday's 60-35 Washburn Rural win over Highland Park. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural bounced back from a disappointing loss to Seaman on Tuesday to improve to 9-5. Against Highland Park they hit 26-50 shots from the field, needing just one 3-pointer to rack up 60 points. The Junior Blues jumped out to an 18-7 advantage after one quarter and stretched that lead to 36-16 by halftime before cruising to the victory.
“It was ok. I don’t know that I think we were real sharp,” Washburn Rural coach Alex Hutchins said. “We need to shoot the ball better, but I think we’re more focused on the process than the shots going in necessarily. I think we were better defending them off the dribble than we were when we played them back in December (a 57-44 win for the Junior Blues). But I still think there are some execution things that we’re going to have to clean up to compete against some of the better teams on our schedule the rest of the way.”
Junior Cooper Schmidt, Washburn Rural’s 6-foot-10 post player, scored just six points, but he dominated at both ends of the floor. He knocked away Highland Park shot attempts and cleared the boards while providing a threat in the low post on offense against the much smaller Scots. He was recognized by the team after the game for his impact.
“Coop’s a big kid. That’s a luxury that not every team has, and it’s a luxury that we haven’t had very often,” Hutchins said. “It’s a responsibility of Coop to impact the game without fouling so that he can be that interior presence. And it’s our responsibility as coaches to figure out schematically how to leverage that as best we can. It’s been a growing process for both him and us. As the year’s gone on, I think he’s continued to get better and better at becoming a force protecting the paint for us.”
“I love playing that role,” said Schmidt. “That’s how I’ve been since I was a kid. I’ve always played defense more than offense. So, I don’t mind that at all.”
Washburn Rural scored 15 points in Friday's 60-35 Washburn Rural win over Highland Park. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
ophomore Brooks Ballard scored 13 points with a 3-pointer in Friday's 60-35 Washburn Rural win over Highland Park. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Offensively, the Junior Blues saw three players crack double figures, and three others tally six points apiece. Leading the way was John Hoytal with 15 points on 7-9 shooting, Brooks Ballard with 13 points on 6-7 shooting, and Myles Bradley with 11 on 4-7 from the field.
“I think we’re definitely going up,” Schmidt said. “We had a couple of rough games a week or two ago. But I think we’re doing better.
“We need to be more disciplined. Honestly, I think it’s more of an effort thing. We have the skill. I think if we just keep working hard we’re going to be good.”
The Scots fell to 3-12 on the season. They were paced by sophomore Davion Anderson, who dropped in four 3-pointers and finished with 19 points.
WASHBURN RURAL BOYS 60, HIGHLAND PARK 35
Highland Park 7 9 9 110 -- 35
Washburn Rural 18 18 13 11 -- 60
Highland Park (3-12) – Anderson 6-17 3-5 19, Montgomery 1-3 0-0 2, Drew 0-1 0-0 0, Mitchell 0-2 0-0 0, Kingcannon 2-10 0-0 4, Smith 0-3 0-0 0, L. McMillon 0-1 0-0 0, Nance 0-5 0-0 0, Powell 4-6 0-0 8, Z. McMillon 0-0 2-2 2, Pollard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-48 5-7 35.
Washburn Rural (9-5) – Ballard 6-7 0-1 13, Jo. Hoytal 7-9 1-2 15, O’Connor 2-5 2-4 6, Chooncharoen 3-5 0-1 6, Schmidt 3-9 0-0 6, Bradley 4-7 3-4 11, Wright 0-1 0-2 0, Nimz 0-1 0-0 0, Jones 0-2 0-0 0, Ja. Hoytal 1-2 1-2 3, Graf 0-1 0-0 0, Vogel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-50 7-16 60.
3-point goals – Highland Park 4 (Anderson 4), Washburn Rural 1 (Ballard 1). Total fouls – Highland Park 16, Washburn Rural 10. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural swimming ran its string of Topeka City Boys Championships to seven Thursday, running away with the city meet at Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Washburn Rural boys swimming celebrates in the Capitol Federal Natatorium pool Thursday after winning its seventh straight city team title. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
The Junior Blues were so dominant they claimed all but two of the 11 All-City first-team slots. They racked up 609 points, topping Seaman with 371.
The performance prompted second-year coach Bob Burdick to say that the rebuild from a Class 6A State third-place finish in 2024 is ahead of schedule.
“We lost a lot of seniors (from 2024), and they were really fast seniors. So, we had a rebuild year last year,” Burdick said. “That rebuild went way faster than expected because we got a lot of great swimmers. We’re going to lose 12 seniors this year, but we’re still looking just as solid next year because of all the new freshmen and sophomores coming in as well as the team that will return.
“They’ve got a great attitude and they’ve meshed totally as a team. We don’t have anybody with ego problems or anything like that. So that’s carrying the whole team.”
Daniel Allen won two individual events and swam on two winning relays as Washburn Rural dominated Thursday's city championships. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Braeden Montgomery was a double individual champion Thursday and swam on a winning relay as Washburn Rural won its seventh straight city team title. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Daniel Allen and Braeden Montgomery led the Junior Blues by taking first in two individual events while Thomas Appuhn, Castle Wallace and Davin Potts each collected one win.
Seaman's Kinser Barbosa won the 50 and 100-yard freestyle in Thursday's city swimming meet. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Kinser Barbosa highlighted the Seaman performance by taking first in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races.
“I was able to push past my limits and break those benchmarks in my individuals and was able to maintain it in both relays too. So, I feel great,” Barbosa said. “This is a special meet where you get to compete with your friends, but also where everyone has that great mindset to push past your limits. Each race is a great race because they all have the same mindset.”
Will Stewart was named to the All-City first team for placing second in two events and for also helping lead Topeka High relay teams to two third-place finishes.
Allen returned to the Junior Blues for his junior year after devoting last season solely to club competition. Burdick knew what he was getting in Allen because, as a freshman, he placed seventh at the state meet in the 500-yard freestyle and also contributed to a relay team that placed third at state.
“Adding Daniel is the anchor for the relays, so we know we’re going to be strong there, but we also have a lot of good swimmers supporting him,” Burdick said. “His attitude is really great for the team. That helps motivate a lot of people and gives us a great role model in the pool.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' bowling team celebrated its Senior Day with a sweep of all four championships in Wednesday's five-school competition at Gage Bowl.
Senior Chevy Stallbaumer captured the boys individual title in Wednesday's five-school Shawnee Heights meet at Gage Bowl with a 688 series as the T-Birds also won the team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Chevy Stallbaumer, who rolled a perfect 300 game last week, followed that up with a 688 three-game series on Wednesday to take boys individual honors by 40 pins as the T-Birds took the team title by 145 pins (2,545-2,400) over United Kansas Conference foe Basehor-Linwood.
Shawnee Heights sophomore Emma Wederski reacts to a strike during her final-game 257 Wednesday at Gage Bowl. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TopSports.news]
It was also a big day for Shawnee Heights sophomore Emma Wederski, who took top honors in the girls division with a 587 series as the T-Birds took the team championship by 113 pins (2,245-2,132) over Basehor-Linwood.
Stallbaumer's 688 series topped the 676 series he recorded in last Thursday's meet in Lawrence when he rolled his 300, with the T-Bird standout on target from the outset on Wednesday, bowling a 222 in his opening game before following that up with a 209 and finishing with his best game of the day, a 257.
"I felt great today,'' Stallbaumer said. "Everything kind of clicked. I missed a spare my first frame, but I kind of just shrugged it off my shoulder. There's nothing you can do. When you miss a spare you miss a spare and you get back up and you keep on pushing.''
Stallbaumer said his perfect game has just served as motivation for the remainder of the 2026 season.
"It definitely motivated me a lot,'' Stallbaumer said of his 300 game. "That's just going to keep me motivated throughout the whole season.''
Stallbaumer wasn't on the top six when Heights won the Class 5A state title in 2024 but played a major role last season as the T-Birds advanced to state and he feels like the team can contend to be among the state's elite again this season.
"I feel like we can definitely progress as a team and just see how this season plays out,'' he said. "I feel like we can (contend). There's no doubt in my mind we can.''
Heights' Kaden Evans finished third individually in Wednesday's meet with a 621 series (203-214-204) while Evan Jones also topped the 600 mark with a 611, including a high game of 231.
Wederski began her day with games of 168 and 162 before catching fire in the third game with eight straight strikes out of the gate on the way to a 257.
Wederski said her team and a big crowd at Gage kept her going.
"My team was hyping me up, along with the crowd and that really helped, and I was pretty proud of myself,'' Wederski said. "No one gets to see what we do in practices. We hype each other up during practices and having a crowd adds to the joy of it.
"Today was packed. I think this was the most packed we've seen it this season so far.''
And now Wederski just wants to build off Wednesday's success as the season goes along.
"This is my first season on varsity, so it's a whatever happens happens kind of thing and I'm just taking one meet, one day at a time,'' she said.
Shawnee Heights put three bowlers in the girls top five, with Addison VanMetre finishing third with a 577, just one pin out of second and 10 pins behind Wederski, while Reese Bell placed fourth with a 547.
Bell had a high game of 228 while VanMetre had three games between 184 and 204.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS INVITATIONAL
At Gage Bowl
Girls
Team scores
Shawnee Heights 2,245, Basehor-Linwood 2,132, Lawrence Free State 1,903, Leavenworth 1,752, Lawrence 1,751.
Individual results
1. Emma Wederski, Shawnee Heights, 587;2. Elly Findley, Basehor-Linwood, 587; 3. Addison VanMetre, Shawnee Heights, 577; 4. Reese Bell, Shawnee Heights, 547;5. Kayleigh Ussery, Basehor-Linwood, 525.
Other Shawnee Heights -- Lauryn Valdivia 510, Tatum Simpson 484, Bailey Liby 434.
Boys
Team scores
Shawnee Heights 2,545, Basehor-Linwood 2,400, Lawrence 2,386, Lawrence Free State 2,304, Leavenworth 2,196.
Individual results
1. Chevy Stallbaumer, Shawnee Heights, 688; 2. Graesyn Hoss, 648; 3. Kaden Evans, Shawnee Heights, 621; 4. Liyam Southammavong, Lawrence, 617; 5. Thomas Futtrell, Lawrence Free State, 616.
Other Shawnee Heights --Evan Jones 611, Henry Schattilly 586, Trey Donath 531, Nathan Burnett 520.
Rural girls roll to quadrangular win
Led by individual runnerup Megan Glinka, Washburn Rural's girls took the team championship in Tuesday's Rural quadrangular at West Ridge Lanes.
Glinka, a junior, led the Junior Blues with a 637 series as Rural won the team title by a 2,194-2,068 margin over Centennial League rival Emporia, while Manhattan was third at 2,046 and Junction City fourth at 1,963.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior KaeVon Bonner, one of the state's most prolific scorers, had an off night offensively -- by his lofty standards -- in Tuesday's non-league game at Washburn Rural.
Washburn senior John Hoytal (left) scored a game-high 20 points while Seaman senior Landon Wiltz (5) scored 14 points with four treys in Tuesday's 53-46 Viking win. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
But Bonner, who still led the Vikings with 15 points, got plenty of help from his friends as No. 5-ranked (Class 5A) Seaman used a big third quarter to build a nine-point advantage and held off the Junior Blues for a 53-46 win.
Bonner had a tough shooting night from the field, but hit a pair of 3s, including the game-clincher, and went 7 of 8 from the free throw line.
Viking senior Landon Wiltz hit four first-half 3-pointers and finished with 14 points while senior Griffin Zuniga also scored 14 points with a pair of 3s and senior Cameron Brian chipped in with eight points and a pair of treys.
Brian hit a big 3-pointer with 3:40 remaining after the Junior Blues had clawed within two points and Zuniga nailed a 3 to put Seaman up by a 48-42 margin with about two minutes left before Bonner connected with about 30 seconds remaining to give the 10-2 Vikings a 51-45 cushion
"There were a couple of those shots that some people behind me were like, 'No, no, yeah,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "But Cameron hit a big 3 for us and Griffin hit a big 3 and then Bonner goes to the corner in pretty much the same spot as the other two and those three shots allowed us to escape with the win.''
Tuesday's win was Seaman's second straight victory over a Class 6A school after the then-No. 2 Vikings dropped a disappointing 53-51 decision to Hutchinson in the first round of the McPherson Invitational last Thursday.
"We got a little bit too caught up in the rankings and the headlines and everybody patting you on the back telling you how good you are,'' Cox said. "I knew with the competition (Hutchinson) played that they'd been tested and we weren't going to scare them.
"We gave them too many layups and then they hit a big 3 late. We had a couple of opportunities, but we weren't ready to play and we paid the price for it, which is to (Hutch's) credit because they did what they had to do.''
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Before the Capital City Classic tips off later this week, Topeka High hosted the Atchison Phoenix in the Dungeon Monday night and rolled to a 71-33 win.
Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored 33 points in Monday's 71-33 win over Atchison. [File photo/TSN]
Atchison kept themselves in the hunt in the first quarter, trailing by just five at 19-14.
Junior Ahsieryrhuajh Rayton, who scored a game-high 33 points, scored the first five points for the Trojans followed by a couple of 3-pointers from senior Keimara Marshall while sophomore Hailey Caryl added one, too. Caryl finished with 16 and Marshall ended with 10.
“I wasn’t very happy after that first quarter,” Trojan coach Ron Slaymaker said. “I said in the timeout I called, I didn’t think that they would get that many points in the whole game and they had that in the first quarter… but after that we played pretty good.”
Atchison only had six players and Slaymaker told his team sometimes those games are hard to play, but credits the Phoenix for having the season they’re having despite the low number of players.
Alondra Herrera scored five straight for Atchison putting them up 9-8, forcing Slaymaker into a timeout, but then Topeka High turned it up a notch. Herrera led Atichson with 12 points.
In the second quarter, the Trojans began the quarter on a 14-0 run, leading 33-14 and finished on a 26-5 run, taking a commanding 45-19 lead at the break.
The Trojans were all over the glass, creating second-chance opportunities and creating turnovers on the defensive side leading to points. That’s something Slaymaker stressed before the season began on how important that would be for their success.
Rayton was scoring at will all game, helping the Trojans to a 11-0 run to begin the second half and after a Caryl two-point bucket that would start the running clock with five minutes left in the third quarter and lead 67-26 heading into the fourth.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights senior Chevy Stallbaumer became the second city boys bowler to roll a perfect 300 game this season in Thursday's De Soto quadrangular at Royal Crest Lanes in Lawrence.
Stallbaumer bowled the 300 in his second game after opening with a 203 and he finished off his 676 three-game series with a 173.
Shawnee Heights' Evan Jones finished third individually with a 686 series while Stallbaumer placed fourth and Seaman's Garrette Shaw was fifth with a 647.
Jones bowled games of 203, 246 and 237.
De Soto won the boys team title with a 2,679 total while Heights was second at 2,588, Seaman third at 2,513 and Bonner Springs fourth at 1,981.
Seaman swept the top four places in the girls individual standings, led by sophomore individual champion Leah Crawford with a 655 three-game series, en route to the team title by a 2,531-2,137 margin over Shawnee Heights.
Seaman's Kayla Duncan was second with a 640 series while Paige Snyder was third at 632 and Claire LaDuke fourth with a 591.
Crawford rolled games of 241, 181 and 233 while Duncan had a high game of 255, Snyder a 235 and LaDuke a 229.
Shawnee Heights' Reese Bell was fifth individually with a 573, including a high game of 247.
Hayden star junior bowler Kelton Meier registered a personal-record 791 series in Wednesday's bowling quadrangular at Gage Center, including a 280 game. [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
Meier dominates bowling quad with 791 series
Hayden junior Kelton Meier, who bowled a 300 game in his season-opener, continued his blistering start to the 2026 bowling season with a personal-best 791 three game series in Wednesday's Shawnee Heights bowling quadrangular at Gage Center.
Kansas City-Turner's boys finished first as a team with a 2,590 total, followed by Shawnee Heights at 2,454, Hayden at 2,436 and Topeka West at 1,992.
Shawnee Heights' Trey Donath finished third individually with a 645 series while Hayden's Reece Renyer placed fifth with a 617.
Addison Van Metre, Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights won the girls team title by 430 pins with a 2,140 team score, led by junior individual champion Addison VanMetre with a 593 series.
Hayden's girls were second at 1,710, Turner third at 1,683 and Topeka West fourth at 1,323.
Shawnee Heights' Emma Wederski finished second individually with a 525 series and the T-Birds got a third-place finish from Reese Bell with a 524 as Heights swept the top three places. Heights' Bailey Liby finished fifth with a 483 series.
Paige Snyder, Seaman
Snyder, Seaman girls post quadrangular wins
Seaman's girls posted a 268-pin win in Wednesday's bowling quadrangular at West Ridge while Viking junior Paige Snyder took top individual honors with a 656 three-game series.
Seaman won the team championship by a 2,417-2,149 margin over Emporia while Washburn Rural was third with a 1,793 total and De Soto fourth at 1,690.
Snyder won the girls individual title by 28 pins over De Soto's Avery Lovegren while Seaman's Leah Crawford was third with a 623.
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Topeka High will host the 2026 Capital City Classic girls basketball tournament Thursday through Saturday, with Highland Park, Seaman and Shawnee Heights joining the Trojans in the event.
Shawnee Heights junior KK Emmot returns for the T-Birds, who captured the Capital City Classic championship in 2025 at Topeka West. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman (6-4 on the season) will open the tournament at 3 p.m. Thursday against Garden City (7-5).
Highland Park (4-7) and No. 2-ranked (Class 6A) Wichita Heights (12-0) are on the same side of the bracket with Seaman and Garden City and will play a first-round game at 4:30 p.m.
The Seaman-Garden City and Highland Park-Wichita Heights winners will play a 6 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
On the other side of the bracket, Topeka High (4-6) will take on No. 3-ranked (6A) Derby (11-2) in a 6 p.m. first-round game while No. 6 (5A) Shawnee Heights (10-3) will face Lawrence (6-5) at 7:30.
The Topeka High-Derby winner will face the Shawnee Heights-Lawrence winner in a 7:30 Friday night semifinal.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday, starting with the seventh-place game at 10 a.m., followed by the fifth-place game at 11:30, the third-place contest at 1 p.m. and the championship tilt at 2:30 p.m. in separate gyms.
CAPITAL CITY CLASSIC
At Topeka High
Thursday
3 p.m. -- Seaman vs. Garden City.
4:30 -- Highland Park vs. Wichita Heights.
6 -- Topeka High vs. Derby.
7:30 -- Shawnee Heights vs. Lawrence.
Friday
3 p.m. -- Seaman-Garden City loser vs. Highland Park-Wichita Heights loser.
4:30 -- Topeka High-Derby loser vs. Shawnee Heights-Lawence loser.
6 -- Seaman-Garden City winner vs. Highland Park-Wichita Heights winner.
7:30 -- Topeka High-Derby winner vs. Shawnee Heights-Lawrence winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Seventh place.
11:30 -- Fifth place.
1 p.m. -- Third place.
2:30 -- Championship.
Carvel Reynoldson's Hayden girls basketball team will compete in this week's Lady Cat Classic at El Dorado. [File photo/TSN}
Hayden to compete in El Dorado
Hayden, 10-3 on the season, is the No. 2 seed for the 33rd annual Lady Cat Classic in El Dorado Thursday through Saturday.
Hayden, No. 9-ranked in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, will open its tournament bid at 6 p.m. Thursday against Gardner-Edgerton (3-7).
With a win the Wildcats will advance to a 6 o'clock semifinal on Friday to face the first-round winner between Mill Valley (9-4) and host El Dorado (5-6).
On the other side of the bracket No. 4 (5A) Maize South (11-2) will play a first-round game against Augusta (3-9) while No. 8 (5A) Kapaun Mt. Carmel (8-4) will face Goddard (5-5). Those two winners will play a 7:45 semifinal on Friday.
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural girls basketball didn’t have it easy against Lawrence Tuesday night at Rural, but the Junior Blues picked up their seventh victory of the season, 45-40.
Freshman Brynn Anderson led Washburn Rural with 20 points in Tuesday's 45-40 home win over Lawrence. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
In the first half, it was a struggle for both teams to find a rhythm of any kind.
“I think we were a little unsure of what we were supposed to be doing on offense, but I do think our defense was pretty decent,” Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. “That’s not the same Lawrence team that we’ve seen for several games. They were really aggressive, I thought they were solid. They had a great gameplan against us.
"We just weren't in sync with each other. We got out of it and hit some shots that we normally make but some didn’t fall early on.”
Both teams had trouble breaking the zone defense and they were sloppy with their possessions, turning it over several times and could not get many shots to fall, resulting in a low scoring first half.
Rural also had a problem with 6-foot-1 Lawrence junior Cami Nauholz in the paint, clogging the paint, blocking shots and making her presence felt on the other end to keep the Lions in the hunt, finishing with a team-high 19 points.
The first quarter ended with Rural up 6-5 as the Junior Blues hit a couple of shots to get things going. They led 10-5, their biggest lead of the game until Lawrence got it to within one.
Freshman Kamryn Smith drilled one from distance for Rural, making it 13-9 but then the Lions would tie it up at 13 late in the half thanks to Nauholz. After Rural freshman Brynn Anderson hit a three, Lawrence got one on the next possession, but the Junior Blues went into the break up three, 19-16.
After trading 3-point buckets to begin the third quarter, Rural senior Ella Hirschi, who finished with 12 points, drove to the paint and nailed a floater, putting Rural up 24-19, tying their biggest lead of the game.
Lawrence then went on a 9-0 run, capped by a Macyn Ramsey triple, and the Lions went up 28-24 and led 28-26 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, a couple of threes from senior Josie Carlgen and Hirschi, it was 32-32 all. Anderson, who finished with a game-high 20 points knocked down a deep three pushing the lead to five again, 38-33.
“Not really thrilled the way she got in foul trouble the way she did, but she’s still a freshman and still learning and nobody will take it to heart more than her,'' Bordewick said. "She’s a kid who is willing to learn and works hard to get there, but Kamryn Smith and Allie Hinck (who are also freshman) came in and gave us some great minutes.''
“We can’t score without getting stops on defense, so I feel like our team did a good job of getting stops and I was able to put some shots in and Josie hit some big shots and the other girls are working hard. Hallie (Walker) had 11 rebounds. It was a team effort and our defense kept us in the game,” Anderson said.
Ella Hirschi scored 12 points, including two game-clenching free throws, in Tuesday's 45-40 Washburn Rural win over Lawrence. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Lions brought it to within one again, 40-39 but Anderson converted an and-one opportunity with 30 seconds left and then Hirschi hit two free throws to put the icing on the cake.
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
The Rossville girls and Cair Paravel Latin boys basketball teams got tournament week off to a rousing start with a pair of big wins on Monday.
Rossville opened its girls title bid in the Jefferson County North Invitational with a 60-22 first-round win over the tournament hosts while Cair Paravel's boys rolled to a 64-30 first-round win over West Franklin in the Flint Hills League tournament at Emporia's White Auditorium.
Senior Rylee Dick scored 27 points Monday against JCN to move into the No. 3 spot on Rossville's all-time scoring list. [File photo/TSN]
Lady Bulldawg senior Rylee Dick scored 27 points in Rossville's win over JCN, moving into the No. 3 spot on Rossville's career scoring list with 1,281 points.
Rossville junior Nora Burdiek added 23 points as the Bulldawgs advanced to a 6 p.m. semifinal on Wednesday.
Cair Paravel's boys, playing West Franklin for the second straight game, took control early with a 19-7 first quarter before opening up a 39-16 halftime advantage.
Blaine Durbin led Cair Paravel with 17 points while Lucas Marichal added 14 points and Caleb Cleverson 13 with three 3-pointers.
Now 9-2 on the season, CPLS will play a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Lyndon.
Other area tournament pairings:
TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
BOYS
At Highland Park
Thursday
3:30 p.m. -- Topeka High vs. Shawnee Mission East.
5 -- Lansing vs. Shawnee Mission North.
6:30 -- Topeka West vs. St. Thomas Aquinas.
8 -- Highland Park vs. Wichita Northwest.
Friday
3:30 p.m. -- Topeka High-SM East loser vs. Lansing-SM North loser.
5 -- Topeka West-St. Thomas Aquinas loser vs. High-Wichita Northwest loser.
6:30 -- Topeka High-East winner vs. Lansing-SM North winner.
8 -- Topeka West-St. Thomas Aquinas winner vs. Highland Park-Wichita Northwest winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Fifth place (main gym); Seventh place (South gym).
11:30 -- Third place.
1 p.m. -- Championship.
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Christian Ulsaker's Topeka West Chargers are the No. 1 city seed for this week's Topeka Invitational Tournament at Highland Park. [File photo/TSN]Lansing (3-6) and Shawnee Mission North (6-3) are on the same side of the bracket with Topeka High and SM North and will play a first-round game at 5 p.m.
The Topeka High- SM East winner will face the Lansing-SM North winner in a 6:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
Topeka West, 8-2 entering a Tuesday United Kansas Conference home game against Basehor-Linwood, will open its tournament bid at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against St. Thomas Aquinas (3-8).
Host Highland Park (3-7) will close out the first round at 8 p.m. Thursday against Wichita Northwest (5-6), with the Highland Park-Northwest winner advancing to an 8 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the Topeka West-Aquinas winner.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday, starting with the seventh and fifth-place games at 10 a.m. in separate gyms, followed by the third-place game at 11:30 and the championship contest at 1 p.m.
TOPEKA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
At Highland Park
Thursday
3:30 p.m. -- Topeka High vs. Shawnee Mission East.
5 -- Lansing vs. Shawnee Mission North.
6:30 -- Topeka West vs. St. Thomas Aquinas.
8 -- Highland Park vs. Wichita Northwest.
Friday
3:30 p.m. -- Topeka High-SM East loser vs. Lansing-SM North loser.
5 -- Topeka West-St. Thomas Aquinas loser vs. High-Wichita Northwest loser.
6:30 -- Topeka High-East winner vs. Lansing-SM North winner.
8 -- Topeka West-St. Thomas Aquinas winner vs. Highland Park-Wichita Northwest winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Fifth place (main gym); Seventh place (South gym).
11:30 -- Third place.
1 p.m. -- Championship.
Hayden boys to compete at Baldwin
Hayden, 4-8 on the season, will compete in the four-school Baldwin Invitational round-robin event this week, opening its tournament bid at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday against Wellsville (5-5).
The Wildcats will play Bishop Seabury (7-2) at 5:30 Friday and will wrap things up 2:30 p.m. Saturday against host Baldwin (9-2).
BALDWIN INVITATIONAL
Tuesday
5:30 p.m. -- Hayden vs. Wellsville.
7 -- Baldwin vs. Bishop Seabury.
Friday
5:30 p.m. -- Hayden vs. Bishop Seabury.
7 -- Baldwin vs. Wellsville.
Saturday
1 p.m. -- Wellsville vs. Bishop Seabury.
2:30 p.m. -- Hayden vs. Baldwin.
Rural boys headed to Pittsburg
Washburn Rural (7-3) will compete this week in the Bill Hanson Memorial Tournament at Pittsburg, opening with a 4 p.m. first-round game on Thursday against Branson, Mo. in Pittsburg's secondary gym.
Also on Rural's side of the tournament bracket are Olathe North and Willard, Mo., who will play at 7 p.m. Thursday.
On the other side of the bracket Webster Groves, Mo. will face Joplin, Mo. and host Pittsburg will take on Wichita West.
The Rural-Branson winner will play the Olathe North-Willard winner in a 4:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday.
The place games will be played on Saturday, capped by the championship game at 2:30 p.m.
BILL HANSON MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
At Pittsburg
Thursday
4 p.m. -- Washburn Rural vs. Branson, Mo. (Mallatt gym).
5:30 -- Webster Groves, Mo. vs. Joplin, Mo. (main gym).
7 -- Olathe North vs. Willard, Mo. (Mallatt gym).
8:30 -- Pittsburg. vs. Wichita West (main gym).
Friday
3 -- Consolation semifinal (Mallatt gym).
4:30 p.m. -- Washburn Rural-Branson winner vs. Olathe North-Willard winner (main gym);
6 -- Consolation semifinal (Mallatt gym).
7:30 -- Pittsburg-Wichita West winner vs. Webster Grove-Joplin winner (main gym).
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Seventh place (Mallatt gym).
11:30 -- Third place (main gym)
1 p.m. -- Fifth place (Mallatt gym).
2:30 p.m. -- Championship game (main gym).
T-Bird boys to compete in Viking Classic
Shawnee Heights, now 7-4, will open competition in the Shawnee Mission West Viking Classic with a 7:30 p.m. Thursday quarterfinal against Blue Valley North (4-4).
Shawnee Heights is coming off a 70-62 non-league road win at Gardner-Edgerton on Saturday.
The T-Birds trailed 35-33 at the half against the Trailblazers but took control with a 20-10 third quarter.
The Shawnee Heights-BV North winner will advance to a 7:30 semifinal on Friday to take on the first-round winner between Glendale, Mo. and Shawnee Mission West.
On the other side of the bracket Andover Central will play Louisburg in the first round and Raymore-Peculiar, Mo. will play Aurora, Mo.
The place games will be played on Saturday, with the title game set for 3 p.m.
SHAWNEE MISSION WEST VIKING CLASSIC
Thursday
3 p.m. -- Andover Central vs. Louisburg, 3 p.m.
4:30 -- Raymore-Peculiar, Mo. vs. Aurora, Mo.
6 -- Glendale, Mo. vs. SM West.
7:30 -- Blue Valley North. vs. Shawnee Heights.
Friday
3 p.m. -- Andover Central-Louisburg loser vs. Raymore-Peculiar, Mo.-Aurora, Mo. loser.
4:30 -- Glendale, Mo.-SM West loser vs Blue Valley North-Shawnee Heights loser.
6 -- Andover Central-Louisburg winner vs. Raymore-Peculiar, Mo.-Aurora, Mo. winner.
7:30 -- Glendale, Mo.-SM West winner vs. Blue Valley North-Shawnee Heights winner.
Saturday
10 a.m. -- Seventh place.
11:30 -- Fifth place.
1 p.m. -- Third place.
2:30 -- Championship game.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Led by junior individual runnerups Brodye Kocher-Munoz and Jadyn Baum, Washburn Rural boys wrestling captured the team championship Saturday in the 34-school Newton Tournament of Champions by two points over the host Railers, 167.5-165.5.
Washburn Rural boys wrestling won the team championship in the 34-school Newton Tournament of Champions on Saturday. [Photo by Washburn Rural Athletics]
B. Kocher-Munoz, now 20-7 on the season, placed second at 150 pounds, dropping a 7-2 decision to Andale's Tristen Cox in the championship match while Baum, 18-4, finished second at 215 pounds, falling 4-0 to undefeated Cooper Reves in the final.
Rural's Josh Hogan was named the coach of the year.
Washburn Rural had six wrestlers place in the top five, with senior 138-pounder Cooper Stivers (26-6) finishing third, , senior 120-pounder Ryder Harrison (16-5) and senior Landen Kocher-Munoz (23-4) both posting fourth-place finishes and sophomore 285-pounder Kaiden Marshall (6-7) finishing fifth.
Seaman placed 21st as a team with 59.5 points, led by seventh-place 157-pounder Brennen Bowers and eighth-place finishers Deegan Frazier at 150 pounds and Henry Reichart at 285 pounds.
Host Trojans win Topeka Invitational championship
Topeka High won the team title in Saturday's 12-school home tournament, out-distancing Summit Christian Academy by a 171-147 margin as five Trojans earned individual titles.
High got titles from freshman 106-pounder Royal Newman (10-1), junior 113-pounder Jose Gomez (11-3), senior 120-pounder Luis Morones (12-2), senior 157-pounder Jordan Stiner (14-3) and senior 165-pounder Rehabiah Williamson (16-3).
The Trojans got a second-place finish from junior 132-pounder Asher Filbeck (13-6) while senior 144-pounder Michael Weatherly and senior 150-pounder Brandon Blancas (15-4) posted third-place finishes.
Highland Park got a third-place finish from senior 132-pounder Samuel Portlock (10-3) while Topeka West got a third-place finish from senior 215-pounder Cortez McCutcheon (20-2).
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior Claire LaDuke captured the girls individual championship while the Vikings rallied in the Baker format games to claim the team title in Thursday's Free State Invitational bowling tournament at Lawrence's Royal Crest Lanes.
Claire LaDuke (right) won the individual title in the Free State Invitational with a 677 series, helping lead Seaman to the team championship. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
LaDuke won the individual title with a 677 three-game series, rolling games of 214, 210 and 253 while Seaman took control in the Baker games to win the team championship by a 3,171-3,039 margin over Mill Valley after trailing the Jaguars 2,359-2,315 after the three American Ten Pin games.
Seaman posted a four-game total of 856 in Baker (225, 211, 254, 166), which was 126 pins higher than any other team in the 19-school field.
Backing LaDuke for the Vikings were Kayla Duncan with a 554, Paige Snyder with a 546, Leah Crawford with a 525, Laci Cole with a 512 and Ava Carlson with a 464.
Washburn Rural junior Megan Glinka finished fifth in the Free State Invitational with a 628 series. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior Addison VanMetre finished eighth in the Free State Invitational with a 609 series. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural finished fourth as a team at 2,991, led by junior Megan Glinka, who placed fifth with a 628 series while Shawnee Heights finished seventh, led by junior Addison VanMetre, who placed ninth with a 609 series.
Results from Friday's boys tournament were not immediately available and will be posted on TopSports.news as soon as they become available.
FREE STATE INVITATIONAL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After Topeka High boys basketball posted just one victory last season, first-year coach Robbie Sanders' Trojans continued their resurgence on Friday, improving to 6-5 with a 72-69 overtime Centennial League road victory at Junction City.
Robbie Sanders' Topeka High team improved to 6-5 with a 72-69 OT win at Junction City Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
The Trojans' win was their second in as many nights, with High topping St. Marys Academy 62-32 on Thursday.
Topeka High posted its first Centennial League win to improve to 1-2 while Junction City fell to 5-5 overall and 0-3 in the league.
Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored 25 points in Friday's Centennial League road win at Junction City. [File photo/TSN]
Trojan girls roll to 63-29 Centennial win
Topeka High posted its first Centennial League victory of the season Friday night at Junction City, romping to a 63-29 win over the Blue Jays.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton paced the Trojans, now 4-6 overall and 1-2 in the league, with 25 points while senior Keimara Marshall added 15 points and sophomore Hailey Caryl had a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Junction City fell to 1-8 overall and 0-3 in the Centennial League.
Washburn Rural girls top Spartans, 45-34
Washburn Rural's girls improved to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in the Centennial League with a 45-34 road victory at Emporia Friday night.
Emporia dropped to 5-7 overall and 0-2 in the league.
Spartans snap Rural boys' six-game win streak
Emporia boys basketball snapped Washburn Rural's six-game winning streak on Friday, taking a 52-46 home Centennial League win.
Emporia, now 11-1 overall and 2-0 in the Centennial League, led 13-12 at the end of the first quarter and 30-23 at the half before Washburn Rural (7-3, 2-1) cut its deficit to three points (37-34) at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Spartans were able to close out the win with a 15-12 advantage over the final eight minutes.
Sophomore Brooks Ballard and senior John Hoytal led Washburn Rural with 13 points apiece while Hoytal registered a double-double with 11 rebounds.
West girls pick up first UKC victory
Topeka West's girls basketball snapped an eight-game losing streak while picking up its first United Kansas Conference win of the season Friday night in a 66-21 road rout at Kansas City-Turner.
The Chargers are now 2-8 overall and 1-7 in the UKC while Turner fell to 2-8 and 0-6.
Chargers get back on track with 20-point road win
The No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West boys bounced back from a five-point home loss to No. 3 Seaman on Tuesday with a 60-40 United Kansas Conference road win at Kansas City-Turner Friday night.
Topeka West improved to 8-2 overall and 7-1 in the UKC while Turner fell to 3-7 overall and 0-6 in the league.
Lions protect Flint Hills lead with 27-point road win
Cair Paravel Latin's boys improved to 8-2 overall and remained undefeated in the Flint Hills League at 6-0 with an 86-59 road win at West Franklin Friday night.
The Lions opened up a 20-15 lead at the end of the first quarter and used a 27-17 second quarter to boost its advantage to 47-32 at the half.
Cair Paravel put the game out of reach with a 23-9 third quarter and cruised the rest of the way.
Senior Lucas Marichal and sophomore Chase Hastert led the Lions with 19 points apiece while Blaine Durbin added 18 points, Drew Fay 11 and Caleb Cleverdon 10.
West Franklin, now 1-8 overall and 1-5 in the league, got 22 points from Landon Ohlde and 21 from Zeek Dowd.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 1-ranked Washburn University men's basketball wrapped up a four-game road trip with a dominating wire-to-wire 107–74 MIAA victory over Newman on Saturday in Wichita.
Washburn junior Jack Bachelor scored 23 points in Saturday's 107-74 MIAA road win at Newman. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods, who improved to 18-0 and 8-0 in the MIAA, set the tone immediately Saturday, jumping out to an 11-2 lead with junior Jack Bachelor scoring seven points in the early going and pacing the Ichabods in the 33-point win.
Offensively, Washburn shot 58.9 percent from the field (43 of 73) while hitting 50 percent of its shots from 3-point range (12 of 24) and knocking down 75 percent of its free throw attempts (9 of 12).
The Ichabods also dominated the paint with 58 points, added 19 fast-break points and 19 second-chance points.
Bachelor scored a game-high 23 points on 9 of 12 shooting, including a 5 of 7 performance from beyond the 3-point arc.
The former Washburn Rural star, who added four assists and three steals, connected on his first five 3-pointers in the game.
Sophomore Marcus Glock followed with a Washburn career-high 21 points, scoring 16 in the opening half, hitting four 3-pointers and going a perfect 3 for 3 at the line.
Sophomore Tyson Ruud slams home a dunk in Washburn's 107-74 MIAA win at Newman on Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
Making his first start as an Ichabod, sophomore Tyson Ruud scored a career-high 17 points with eight rebounds and junior Jeremiah Jones chipped in 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting.
Freshman Amalachi Wilkins provided a spark off the bench with 11 points and five rebounds. Sophomore Dillon Claussen scored seven points and had a career-high seven assists, while adding four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Newman shot 47.5 percent overall and 40.9 percent from three while turning the ball over 19 times, leading to 29 Ichabod points.
Washburn also won the battle on the glass, outrebounding the Jets (5-12, 1-7) by a 36-24 margin.
Washburn returns to Lee Arena on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. MIAA tilt with Northwest Missouri.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Andrew Beckler has been named an assistant coach for Washburn University golf for the remainder of the 2026 season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TREY DONATH, Shawnee Heights -- A junior two-time first-team All-City pick, Donath helped Shawnee Heights win its first-ever boys Class 5A team bowling championship in 2024 and helped the T-Birds return to state last season. Donath rolled a 614 series at the 2025 state meet to finish 28th as Heights finished fifth as a team. Donath shot a 542 series in regional competition as Heights advanced to state with a third-place team finish. Donath shot a 603 series in the city tournament as Shawnee Heights finished second as a team.
ANDREW FAUROT, Washburn Rural --Faurot, a junior, was a second-team All-City selection in 2025 after helping Washburn Rural post a fifth-place team finish in Class 6A and capture city and regional team championships. Faurot shot a 587 in the state tournament after finishing third in 6A regional competition with a 679 series.
Dylan Hunt, Seaman [File photo/TSN]
DYLAN HUNT, Seaman -- A junior, Hunt was a second-team All-City pick last season. Hunt finished fifth in the United Kansas Conference tournament with a 663 three-game series and he posted a sixth-place finish in the city championships with a 649 series before rolling a 618 series in Class 5A regional competition.
Kelton Meier, Hayden [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
KELTON MEIER, Hayden -- Meier, a junior, helped Hayden capture its first-ever state bowling championship, rolling a 604 three-game series to finish 21st as the Wildcats won the title by 95 pins. Meier shot a 633 series in 4A-1A regional competition to finish sixth as Hayden won the regional title by 213 pins. Meier captured the Centennial League individual title with a 675 series as the Wildcats finished second as a team. A first-team All-City pick, Meier finished ninth in the city meet with a 632 series. Meier averaged 213 with a high series of 706 last season and opened the 2026 season on Tuesday in Hayden's quadrangular with a 785 series, capped by a perfect 300 game in his third game.
Henry Schattilly, Shawnee Heights [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
HENRY SCHATTILLY, Shawnee Heights -- After helping Shawnee Heights win its first-ever boys Class 5A team bowling championship in 2024, Schattilly, a senior, helped the T-Birds return to state this past season. Schattilly shot a 579 series at state as Heights finished fifth in the team race. Schattilly rolled a 672 series at regionals to place sixth and lead the T-Birds to a third-place team finish. Schattilly posted an 11th-place finish in the United Kansas Conference tournament with a 625 series as the T-Birds finished second as a team. Schattilly placed third individually in the city tournament with a 658 series for runnerup Shawnee Heights. A first-team All-City selection, Schattilly averaged 212 last season with a high series of 693 and a perfect 300 game.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
CAMRYNN AHRENS, Washburn Rural -- A senior, Ahrens earned second-team All-City recognition for the second straight season in 2025 after helping the Junior Blues post a third-place team finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Ahrens shot a 536 three-game series at state after finishing third in 6A regional competition with a 616 series as the Junior Blues won the regional team crown by 341 pins. Ahrens finished fourth in the Centennial League meet for the team-champion Junior Blues with a 534 series.
Leah Crowford, Seaman [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
LEAH CRAWFORD, Seaman -- Crawford, a sophomore, placed 22nd individually in her first Class 5A state tournament with a 532 series last season, helping Seaman finish third in the team standings. Crawford, who averaged 182 on the season, won a 5A regional individual championship with a 630 series as Seaman captured the team crown by 514 pins, finished eighth in the United Kansas Conference with a 568 series as the Vikings won the team title by 334 pins and shot a 522 series in the city tournament to finish 12th individually for the team-champion Vikings.
Megan Glinka, Washburn Rural [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
MEGAN GLINKA, Washburn Rural -- A junior, Glinka earned first-team All-City honors for the second straight season after placing 26th at state with a 554 series to help Washburn Rural finish third as a team in the 2025 Class 6A state tournament. Glinka recorded a 561 series to place 12th in regional competition for team-champion Rural. Glinka garnered the Centennial League individual championship with a 597 series as the Junior Blues won the team title and shot a 525 in the city tournament to place 11th as Rural finished second as a team. Glinka averaged 191 on the season with a high game of 276 and a high series of 713.
Claire LaDuke, Seaman [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
CLAIRE LADUKE, Seaman -- LaDuke, a senior, placed eighth in the 2025 Class 5A state tournament with a 582 three-game series, helping lead the Vikings to the third-place team trophy. LaDuke was third at regionals with a 581 series as Seaman won the championship by 514 pins. LaDuke finished ninth in the United Kansas Conference with a 558 series as the Vikings won the team title by 334 pins and rolled a 569 series in the city tournament to place fourth as Seaman won the city team title. LaDuke earned first-team All-State honors in Class 5A from the Kansas Bowling Coaches Association, averaging 201 on the season with a high series of 673 and a high game of 257.
Kenzie Lawson, Washburn Rural [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
KENZIE LAWSON, Washburn Rural -- Lawson, a senior, earned first-team All-City honors for the first time in 2025 after helping the Junior Blues post a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Lawson posted a 10th-place individual finish in the state meet with a 621 three-game series. Lawson rolled a 597 series to place sixth at regionals for team-champion Rural and finished eighth with a 503 series in the Centennial League for team-champion Rural. Lawson shot a 545 series in the city tournament to place ninth as Rural finished second as a team. Lawson averaged 180 on the season.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Six Shawnee County senior football standouts, who all earned spots on TopSports.news' 2025 All-Shawnee County football team, have been invited to play for the East in the 2026 Kansas Shrine Bowl, which will be played on June 27 at Emporia State's Welch Stadium.
Invited to play in the Shrine Bowl are Seaman's Cameron Brian, Washburn Rural's Brody Haas, Rossville's Andre Johnson, Silver Lake's Dayne Johnson, Hayden's Kade Mitchell and Highland Park's Tremaine Savage.
Rossville coach Derick Hammes was named earlier to serve as an assistant coach for the East.
Here's a look at the six local Shrine Bowl picks:
Cameron Brian, Seaman
CAMERON BRIAN, Seaman
A 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior linebacker, Brian was one of six All-Shawnee County Top 22 repeat picks and received All-United Kansas Conference first-team honors for the second straight season. Brian was in on 111 total tackles this past fall with eight tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
BRODY HAAS, Washburn Rural
A 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior linebacker, Haas registered 114 total tackles with 80 solo stops for the 6-4 Junior Blues. Haas recorded 14 tackles for loss with a sack and had two pass interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, while forcing two fumbles and recovering two fumbles and recording eight quarterback pressures.
Andre Johnson, Rossville
ANDRE JOHNSON, Rossville
A 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior fullback/linebacker, Johnson moved up to the All-Shawnee County Top 22 this past season after being a Second 22 pick as a junior. Johnson was in on 133 tackles for the 11-Bulldawgs (74 solo), with two tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. Offensively, Johnson carried the ball 58 times for 365 yards. Johnson was a second-team All-Big East League pick on defense.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
DAYNE JOHNSON, Silver Lake
Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound senior wide receiver/defensive back, was an All-Shawnee County Top 22 repeat selection in 2025 after catching 75 passes for 1,053 yards and eight touchdowns and registering 59 tackles with two pass interceptions. Johnson earned first-team All-Big East League recognition on offense and second-team honors on defense this past fall.
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
KADE MITCHELL, Hayden
Mitchell, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior running back/defensive back, was an All-Shawnee County Top 22 repeat pick this past season and was named the Shawnee County co-offensive player of the year. Mitchell carried the ball 106 times for 1,003 yards, caught 23 passes for 471 yards and scored 22 total touchdowns this season for the 12-1 Wildcats while being in on 34 tackles and compiling 372 kickoff and punt return yards as Hayden advanced to its third straight Class 3A title game..
Tremaine Savage, Highland Park
TREMAINE SAVAGE, Highland Park
Savage, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior wide receiver/defensive back, was named the Meadowlark Conference co-defensive player of the year in 2025 after helping lead Highland Park to a 5-1 on-field record and a conference championship. Savage averaged 6.6 tackles per game and registered 15 pass breakups. Offensively, Savage caught six passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, earning second-team all-conference honors at receiver.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brooks Ballard
BROOKS BALLARD, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2 sophomore boys basketball standout, Ballard connected on 7 of 10 field goal attempts, including six 3-pointers, and went four of four at the free throw line for a career-high 24-point night in Friday's 79-62 home Centennial League victory over Hayden, helping the Junior Blues improve to 7-2 on the season overall and 2-0 in the league.
KaeVon Bonner
KAEVON BONNER, Seaman
Bonner, a 6-foot-4 senior, had a monster week as Seaman boys basketball improved to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the United Kansas Conference with a pair of road victories. Bonner reached the 1,000-point milestone for his career with a 27-point performance in Wednesday's 60-57 non-league victory at St. James Academy and scored a career-high 42 points in Friday's 65-46 United Kansas Conference win at Lansing.
Cianna Graves
CIANNA GRAVES, Shawnee Heights
After being named Shawnee Heights' Queen of Courts the previous night, the senior 155-pound standout wrestler claimed an individual championship in Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational, helping lead the T-Birds to the team championship by a 262-164 margin over Wichita South. Graves, now 18-0 on the season, went 4-0 in the tournament with four pins, in 1 minute, 20 seconds, 1:31, 1:01 and 3:44.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden star wrestlers Jude Krentz and Caleb Menke will face a lot of tough opponents over the 2025-2026 season, but very few any tougher than they see every day in practice when the two Wildcats square off against each other.
Hayden senior Jude Krentz (top) captured the 190-pound title in Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational while improving to 15-0 on the season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden senior Caleb Menke (top) captured the 175-pound title in Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational while improving to 16-0 on the season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And both Krentz, a senior 190-pounder, and Menke, a junior 175-pounder, feel like that regular competition in practice has helped them post a combined 31-0 record this season after both Hayden wrestlers claimed championships in Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational.
"It's awesome because we both push each other all the time, all the time,'' said Krentz, who posted a fourth-place finish in Class 4A as a junior.
Menke, a returning state qualifier, agrees.
"Jude, honestly, is probably one of the best training partners that I could ever ask for,'' Menke said. "We push each other every day in practice, sometimes even getting to the point where we get after each other a little bit and get into a couple of scuffles, but at the end of the day it makes us better and we love each other for it.''
Both Krentz and Menke, who helped Hayden's football team advance to the 3A state football championship game for the third straight season, said it takes them awhile to transition from the gridiron into football mode.
But now both Wildcat standouts said they feel like they're ready to make a run at state titles later this winter.
"Normally it probably takes me probably about three weeks because in football you're trying to maintain all your weight and you're trying to stay in shape to where you can go really hard for a short period of time where wrestling you've got to go hard for a long period of time,'' Menke said. "So typically it takes me about three weeks to a month to get ready, but normally after Christmas break I'm good and ready to rock and roll.''
"I'd say it's about one to two, maybe even a three-week progress of just constantly drilling hard, and it's more of a constant movement in wrestling where you always get a few seconds between plays in football,'' said Krentz, named the Shawnee County defensive player of the year in football. "Wrestling is contant, it's in-fighting and you're always pushing the pace.''
And after suffering both of his losses at state in a 42-2 season a year ago, Krentz feels like a state crown is in reach this season.
"It was in reach last year,'' Krentz said. "There were some mental mistakes, little mistakes that can easily be fixed. It's just a matter of pushing through and keep pushing every day instead of getting complacent.''
Both Hayden wrestlers were in top form in Saturday's Shawnee Heights meet, with Menke going 5-0 with four pins en route to improving to 16-0 on the season while Krentz, after receiving a first-round bye, posted two straight wins by fall and a 17-1 technical fall to improve to 15-0.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
This past weekend is one that Shawnee Heights senior girls wrestling star Cianna Graves will never forget.
It started Friday night when Graves was selected as Heights' Queen of Courts, not exactly a common occurence for someone in her sport.
Shawnee Heights star senior wrestler Cianna Graves was named Queen of Courts Friday night. [Submitted photo]
And then on Saturday Graves went back to what she knows best, going 4-0 with four pins to win the 155-pound championship in the Shawnee Heights Invitatational while helping lead the T-Birds to the team title.
Graves, also a softball standout for the T-Birds, was nominated by the Shawnee Heights wrestling team as the program's Queen of Courts candidate and then was tapped as one of five finalists in an all-school vote before being named the queen between the Heights' girls and boys basketball games against Leavenworth.
"I was (surprised),'' Graves said. "There were a lot of good girls up this year, so it was an honor and a blessing to be able to be the queen.
"I wasn't even thinking about (winning). I was just happy that I was nominated and excited to do all the Winter Royalty things.''
Used to being in the limelight in both wrestling and softball, Graves said she wasn't rattled by Friday's festitivies.
"I really wasn't nervous, I was just there to have fun,'' Graves said.
But Graves admitted that putting on an evening dress was something new.
"It definitely was, but I think that's why I enjoyed it so much, getting to dress up and be in something a little bit more fun than maybe a singlet,'' she said.
Still dressed in her evening gown after being named Queen of Courts earlier in the night, Ciarra Graves helped set up the wrestling mats for Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational. [Submitted photo]
As soon as the boys basketball game was over Graves had to quickly go back into wrestling mode, joining her teammates to help set up the mats for Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational while still in her formal attire.
Shawnee Heights senior Cianna Graves went 4-0 with four pins to win the 155-pound title in the Shawnee Heights Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And when Saturday rolled around, Graves, third in Class 5A as a junior, put on another performance fit for a queen, going 4-0 with four pins to claim the 155-pound title and improve to 18-0 on the season.
"I love it so much,'' said Graves, a three-time state placer. "The people, the adrenalin that you get, it's all amazing.''
And now Graves will turn her attention on trying to cap what has already been a memorable senior season with a state title.
"It's the goal,'' she said. "I'm hoping that my hard work that I put in over the summer and continue to put in through this season really pays off in the end.''
Graves was one of seven individual champions in Saturday's Shawnee Heights Invitational as the T-Birds captured the team title by a 262-164 margin over Wichita South.
In addition to Graves, Shawnee Heights got individual titles from freshman 110-pound sophomore Bianca Juarez (15-6 on the season), 115-pound freshman Brinnley Morris (12-2), 125-pound junior Audrey Hinkly (15-6), 135-pound sophomore Olive Jones (21-1), 145-pound senior Olivia Stevens (16-3) and 190-pound junior Brooklyn Binkley (12-6).
Morris went 5-0 with five pins between 16 seconds and 1 minute, 51 seconds while Jones went 3-0 with 27, 49 and 46-second pins.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural sophomore boys basketball standout Brooks Ballard and Topeka High girls basketball standout Hailey Caryl have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2025-2026 school year.
Here's a brief look at the recent accomplishments of Ballard and Caryl over the past week.
Brooks Ballard, Washburn Rural
BROOKS BALLARD, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2 sophomore, Ballard scored 21 points in last Saturday's 68-53 non-league road victory at Olathe West as the Junior Blues opened the 2026 portion of their schedule.
Ballard hit 7 of 11 field goal attempts overall, 6 of 10 3-pointers and connected on his lone free throw in the Rural win.
Ballard added 7 points on Tuesday as the defending Centennial League champions opened league play with a 50-45 road win at Junction City, improving to 6-2 on the season.
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
HAILEY CARYL, Topeka High
After missing the first four games of the 2025-2026 season with an injury, Caryl, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, has returned to help lead Topeka High to three straight victories.
Caryl scored a career-high 26 points in last Friday's 86-31 road win over USD 501 rival Highland Park, hitting 10 of 16 shots from the floor and 6 of 7 free throw attempts.
Caryl added 8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists on Tuesday as the Trojans posted a 65-41 non-league road win at Lawrence.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GAMES
HAYDEN (7-2, 1-0 Centennial) at WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 1-0 Centennial)
Both defending champion Hayden and perennial Class 6A contender Washburn Rural won their Centennial League openers on Tuesday. The Wildcats took a 53-37 home win over Emporia as sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein scored 14 points and sophomore Blakely Walter 10. The Junior Blues went on the road to beat Junction City, 68-32. Hayden is ranked No. 7 in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association and Rural is No. 10 in 6A. Washburn Rural will be playing its third game of the week, dropping a 50-35 non-league decision to Olathe North on Monday.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
MANHATTAN (5-2, 0-0 Centennial) at TOPEKA HIGH (3-4, 0-0 Centennial)
Topeka High picked up its third straight win on Tuesday, taking a 65-41 non-league road win at Lawrence as junior Ahysieyrhuajh Rayton scored 29 points, senior Keimara Marshall 15 and senior Trish Short 13. High sophomore Hailey Caryl contributed 8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists against the Lions. Manhattan is coming off its second loss of the season, dropping a 58-45 non-league decision to Hays.
ATCHISON (3-6, 3-0 Meadowlark) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-4, 1-1 Meadowlark)
Highland Park picked up a Meadowlark Conference forfeit win over Kansas City-Schlagle on Tuesday while Atchison edged KC-Wyandotte in a conference contest, 42-41. Highland Park played Wyandotte earlier in the season, with the Bulldogs taking a 68-52 victory over the Scots.
Pearmella Carter, Shawnee Heights
LEAVENWORTH (4-2, 1-2 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (5-3, 4-1 UKC)
Shawnee Heights stretched its winning streak to four games on Tuesday, with the T-Birds taking a 64-46 home United Kansas Conference win over De Soto. Junior Pearmella Carter led Heights with 19 points while juniors Sami Baum and Imani McGlory scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively. Leavenworth is coming off a 49-35 home UKC win over Topeka West.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
HAYDEN (3-6, 0-1) at WASHBURN RURAL (6-2, 1-0)
Washburn Rural opened defense of its Centennial League championship Tuesday with a 50-45 road win over Junction City, imporoving to 6-2 on the season. Senior Kieffer O'Connor led the Junior Blues with 16 points while senior Simon Rowley added 11. Hayden will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 59-56 home Centennial League loss to Emporia. Senior Connor Hanika scored a game-high 22 points for the Wildcats while junior Carter Compton added 12 points.
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
MANHATTAN (6-1, 0-0) at TOPEKA HIGH (4-3, 0-0)
Topeka High climbed above the .500 level with a 66-65 nailbiter on the road Tuesday night at Lawrence. Friday's game will be the Centennial League opener for both Topeka High and Manhattan. The Indians are coming off a 62-59 overtime win over Hays, stretching its winning streak to six games.
ATCHISON (8-0, 3-0) at HIGHLAND PARK (2-4, 2-0)
Atchison and Highland Park will square off in a game that could go a long ways to deciding the Meadowlark Conference championship. The Scots improved to 2-0 in league play with a 60-32 home win over Kansas City-Schlagle Tuesday night as junior JoJo Kingcannon scored 21 points, going 8 of 11 from the floor with three 3-pointers. Atchison is coming off an 87-32 Meadowlark win over KC-Wyandotte.
LEAVENWORTH (2-4, 1-3) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-4, 2-3)
Shawnee Heights will be looking to bounce back from a tough 51-50 United Kansas Conference home loss to De Soto Tuesday night. Junior Cam Ross led the T-Birds with 12 points. Leavenworth is coming off a 74-47 UKC home loss to Topeka West on Tuesday.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
HOLTON (1-7, 1-5) at SILVER LAKE (6-2, 4-0)
Silver Lake posted a 73-61 Big East League victory at St. Marys on Tuesday while Holton picked up its first win of the season, a 57-53 league decision over Riley County. Holton is coached by former Topeka West assistant coach Marco Hunter. Silver Lake is ranked No. 6 in Class 3A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
When Hayden’s usually high-scoring Hailey Schmidtlein was slowed in the second half Friday at Washburn Rural, the Wildcats got a burst of production from the rest of the team to gain a 38-35 Centennial League victory over the Junior Blues.
Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein (center) led Hayden with a game-high 17 points in Friday's 38-35 Centennial League win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Schmidtlein scored 14 of Hayden’s 17 points in the first half, and it looked like the Wildcats might ride the sophomore to the win. But Washburn Rural held Schmidtlein to just three points on five shot attempts in the second half. Points had to come from the rest of the Wildcats if they were to get the win.
Hayden senior Ella Foster capped the group effort with a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining to extend Hayden’s 1-point lead. The Junior Blues got a couple of chances at the buzzer but couldn’t overcome the deficit.
“(Coach Carvel) Reynoldson always tells me to shoot the ball,'' Foster said. "I pass up a lot of shots I probably should shoot. But I saw the shot clock was at one and I knew it had to go up and it was just amazing to see it go in.”
Hayden got 18 second-half points from Foster and company, just the lift the Wildcats needed with Schmidtlein focusing on rebounding, defending, and distributing the ball.
“(Schmidtlein) can really put up big numbers and she was on her way to doing that,” Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. “I don’t know if (Washburn Rural) changed too much of what they were doing to her. But she just trusted her teammates a little bit more. She made some tough shots in the first half, and she got other people involved in the second half for easier shots, and it worked out for us.”
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Washburn Rural boys blasted out of the gate Friday versus Hayden, compiling an early lead that led to a 79-62 win, the Junior Blues’ second in Centennial League play.
Sophomore Brooks Ballard drilled a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter to help give Washburn Rural a 22-9 advantage in the opening period.
Sophomore Brooks Ballard scored a game-high 24 points with six 3-pointers in Washburn Rural's 79-62 Centennial League win over Hayden Friday night at Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
“I thought we did a really good job early,” said Washburn Rural coach Alex Hutchins. “Hayden has had some games where they’ve struggled early. So, we thought it was really important to get off to a good start and try to take control of the game. So, I was pleased with that.”
Washburn Rural senior Draden Chooncharoen scored 10 points in Friday's 79-62 Centennial League win over Hayden. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior John Hoytal scored 16 points in Friday's 79-62 Washburn Rural win over Hayden. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Ballard went on to tally 24 points to lead the home team. John Hoytal, Simon Rowley and Draden Chooncharoen each broke double figures, and eight Junior Blues got in the scoring column on a very efficient offensive night. Washburn Rural hit 28 of 49 shots from the field.
“This feels like a good team win,” said Chooncharoen. “Our coach says we can really play 12 guys. That’s how deep we are. So, it just feels good getting a good win for our team with everyone contributing.”
The Junior Blues picked up their sixth victory in a row to improve to 7-2
“We just want to keep our momentum going,” Chooncharoen said. “Every day at practice, just keep working hard. Just keep going game by game. I feel like our senior class is really keeping everyone composed. We got a lot of young guys contributing and our team chemistry is pretty good. We all get along pretty well. We have fun at practice, but also get stuff done. So, it’s a lot of fun.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
EMPORIA (4-4, 0-0) at HAYDEN (6-2, 0-0)
The Spartans and Wildcats will open Centennial League play on Tuesday, with Hayden opening defense of the league title it captured last season. The Wildcats dropped a 38-36 non-league decision at Shawnee Heights last Friday, Hayden's second straight loss after six straight wins to start the season. Sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein led Hayden with 16 points against the T-Birds while senior Lauren Borjon added 11 points. Emporia is coming off a 32-25 win over Circle.
KK Emmot, Shawnee Heights
DE SOTO (2-3, 1-1) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (4-3, 3-1)
Shawnee Heights climbed above .500 with a 38-36 non-league win over Hayden last Friday at home. T-Bird junior KK Emmot scored 9 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining. Shawnee Heights has now won three straight games after starting the season 1-3. De Soto dropped a 45-34 United Kansas Conference decision to Seaman to close out its pre-holiday slate.
WABAUNSEE (5-1, 2-1) at CAIR PARAVEL (3-3, 0-2)
Cair Paravel Latin ended its 2025 slate with a tight 40-37 Flint Hills League decision to Chase County while Wabaunsee is also coming off a loss, dropping a 68-37 league game to Osage City. London Backman leads CPLS with a 9.8 scoring average while Karsyn Hastert pulls down 5.7 rebounds per game.
Addaline Hall, Topeka West
TOPEKA WEST (1-5, 0-4) at LEAVENWORTH (3-2, 1-2)
Topeka West will be looking for its first United Kansas Conference victory Tuesday night at Leavenworth. Senior Addaline Hall leads the Chargers with a 10.8 scoring average while junior Sydney VanDyke averages 8.8 points and leads the city of Topeka in rebounding with 14.0 per game and in blocked shots with a 3.8 average.
Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural
WASHBURN RURAL (4-2, 0-0) at JUNCTION CITY (1-4, 0-0)
Washburn Rural will be playing its second game of 2026 in as many nights, opening Centennial League play against the Blue Jays after dropping a 50-35 non-league decision to Olathe North Monday night. Junior Blue freshman Brynn Anderson scored 14 first-half points with three 3-pointers against Olathe North, but sat out the second half after an injury late in the first half. Senior Hallie Walker had 9 points and 5 rebounds for Rural.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Connor Hanika, Hayden
EMPORIA (8-0, 0-0) at HAYDEN (3-5, 0-0)
Hayden is coming off a 79-60 non-league loss at Shawnee Heights on Friday while Emporia remained undefeated with a 73-38 non-league romp past Circle. Both the Wildcats and Spartans will be opening Centennial League play Tuesday. Senior Connor Hanika led Hayden with 20 points against Shawnee Heights while junior Mason Becker added 17 points.
Cam Ross, Shawnee Heights
DE SOTO (2-3, 0-2) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-3, 2-2)
Shawnee Heights evened its record at 3-3 with a 79-60 home win over Hayden last Friday while De Soto closed out 2025 with a 56-40 loss to Seaman on Dec. 19. Junior Cam Ross led Shawnee Heights with 28 points and four 3-pointers against Hayden while senior Ja'Veon Alston added 19 points with a pair of 3-pointers.
WABAUNSEE (5-1, 3-0) at CAIR PARAVEL (4-2, 2-0)
Cair Paravel Latin is off to a solid start, including a 60-39 Flint Hills League win over Chase County on Dec. 19, and faces a tough test Tuesday against a Wabaunsee team that is also unbeaten in league play after a 63-56 win over Osage City to close out 2025. Sophomore Chase Hastert leads Cair Paravel with a 16.3 scoring average and also pulls down 7.5 rebounds a game.
Keimani Paul, Topeka West
TOPEKA WEST (5-1, 4-0) at LEAVENWORTH (2-3, 1-2)
Topeka West will be looking to bounce back Tuesday after the No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Chargers dropped a 53-49 non-league game at 6A Free State Monday night. Senior Keimani Paul led West with 19 points and four 3-pointers against the Firebirds while senior Malakyah Duncan added 12 points. Leavenworth dropped a 66-36 United Kansas Conference decision to Basehor-Linwood last Friday.
WASHBURN RURAL (5-2, 0-0) at JUNCTION CITY (4-2, 0-0)
Washburn Rural stretched its winning streak to four games with a 68-53 non-league win at Olathe West on Saturday while Junction City has won three straight games after a 56-53 win over Shawnee Mission North last time out. Sophomore Brooks Ballard scored 21 points with six 3-pointers in the Junior Blues' win over Olathe West. Tuesday's game is the Centennial League opener for both Rural and Junction City.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brooks Ballard
BROOKS BALLARD, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2 sophomore, Ballard connected on 6 of 10 3-point attempts and hit 7 of 11 shots overall and his only free throw attempt on the way to a career-high 21-point performance in Saturday's 68-53 non-league road victory at Olathe West, helping the Junior Blues improve to 5-2 on the season.
Hailey Caryl
HAILEY CARYL, Topeka High
Playing only her second game of the season after missing four games with an injury, the 5-foot-10 sophomore scored a career-high 26 points Friday night, including a 6 of 7 performance at the free throw line, as Topeka High posted its second straight victory, an 87-31 road decision over USD 501 rival Highland Park.
KK Emmot
KK EMMOT, Shawnee Heights
Emmot, a 5-foot-8 junior, scored 9 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining, as Shawnee Heights took a 38-36 home non-league victory over city rival Hayden Friday night. Emott scored 7 of the T-Birds' final 8 points as Heights improved to 4-3.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural girls basketball coach Kevin Bordewick knew that his No. 6-ranked Junior Blues were going to face a tough task to knock off No. 9 Olathe North Monday night.
Freshman Brynn Anderson scored 14 first-half points with three 3-pointers in Washburn Rural's 50-35 loss to Olathe North Monday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
And that task became a lot tougher after 6-foot freshman Brynn Anderson, who scored 14 first-half points with three 3-pointers, missed the second half for precautionary reasons after Anderson hit her head on the court after drawing a charging foul.
Olathe North, now 6-1 on the season, took advantage of Anderson's absence while also forcing 23 turnovers en route to a 50-35 road win.
"(Brynn) was shooting it well, she was in a great rhythm,'' Bordewick said. "(Losing her) took the wind out of our sails a little bit, but we're not going to make excuses. We've got other people that can play, other people on that floor.
"And it's not that you have to do what Brynn does, but we have to do what we can do as a team to do a little better than what we did.''
Anderson hit all three of her 3-pointers in the first quarter to help Rural (4-2) go up 14-7 and opened the second stanza with an old-fasioned 3-point play to give the Junior Blues a 17-7 advantage at the 6:48 mark of the second quarter.
But Olathe North used a 13-0 run to take a 20-17 advantage before Anderson scored her final points of the night with 22 seconds remaining to cut Rural's halftime deficit to a point at 20-19.
The Eagles took control with an 18-6 third quarter to build a 38-25 advantage and the Junior Blues got no closer than nine the rest of the way.
Senior Hallie Walker scored 9 points and grabbed five rebounds in Washburn Rural's 50-35 loss to Olathe North Monday night. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSNl
Anderson was the lone Washburn Rural player to crack double figures while senior Hallie Walker added 9 points and senior Ella Hirschi 7 with a pair of 3-pointers.
Senior Asia Lee led Olathe North with a game-high 19 points while sophomore Lailah Boyd recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 1-ranked Washburn University men's basketball will ring in 2026 at 3 p.m. on Saturday, hosting Emporia State in the long-standing Turnpike Tussle.
Junior Jack Bachelor is averaging 16.2 points with 36 3-pointers and 64 assists for 13-0 and No. 1-ranked Washburn. [File photo/TSN]
Saturday's game will be the 223th meeting between Emporia State and Washburn, with the Ichabods leading 114-108.
The ESU series is the most-played series for Washburn, with the two teams starting the series in 1905-06, Washburn's first recorded year of basketball.
"We've talked to our guys about how important this game is for our program and our fans,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "I like it because it's got our guys excited that we're at home against a rival after when you've had a long week of practice.''
Washburn is 13-0 overall and 3-0 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, one of six remaining undefeated teams in Division II, while Emporia State is 4-8 overall and 0-3 in the MIAA after falling 78-71 at Central Missouri on Thursday.
The Ichabods took an eight-day holiday break after beating then-No. 4 Lubbock Christian on Dec. 16 and No. 4 West Texas A&M 74-48 on Dec. 17 in the River City Classic in San Antonio.
"Coming off San Antonio you're kind of wanting to keep playing because you're really rolling, but it was a good time for a break, just mentally and physically,'' Ballard said. "Everybody got to go home.''
Washburn returned to practice on Monday and Ballard has been pleased with the Ichabods' work this week as they prepare for the Hornets while also trying to continue building on their hot start to the season.
"We're really harping on battling complacency,'' Ballard said. "It's human nature when things are going well to get complacent, so we're trying to challenge them as much as we can mentally to battle that with competitive practices.''
Washburn leads the nation in scoring margin in the NCAA Division II ranks at plus 29.3 points per game and is seventh in field goal percentage at 51.3 percent, which leads the conference.
Washburn is fifth in rebound margin at plus 12.5 and ranks sixth in scoring defense (60.2 points per game). The Ichabods have not been out-rebounded in a game and have only been tied once (vs. Lubbock Christian).
Ichabod sophomore Dillon Claussen, who is averaging 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds, ranks sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 68.1, which also leads the MIAA.
Junior Jeremiah Jones leads the nation in total steals with 43 and he is ranked fourth in steals per game at 3.31.
Junior Jack Bachelor, a former Washburn Rural star, now has 1,017 career points in his 77 career games played. He is tied with former teammate Michael Keegan on Washburn's all-time scoring chart at No. 24 overall.
Bachelor, who is averaging 16.2 points with 36 3-pointers, is 19th in the nation in total assists with 64 and second in assist to turnover ration at 3.76 to 1.
The Ichabods' 13-game winning streak is second in the nation behind Daemen, which has won its last 15 contests.
Washburn's 22-game homecourt winning streak is third in the nation behind Nova Southeastern's 93 wins and Miles' 23 victories. The Ichabods' homecourt winning streak is tied for the fourth longest in program history.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
FRIDAY'S GIRLS GAMES
Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton leads the city in scoring with a 22-point average [File photo/TSN]
Senior Koralee Jones averages team-highs of 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds for Highland Park. [File photo/TSN]
TOPEKA HIGH (1-4) at HIGHLAND PARK (1-3)
Topeka High closed out its 2025 schedule with a 65-35 home win over Highland Park and will play its second straight game against the Scots to open 2026. Junior Sasha Gotru scored a game-high 22 points on 11 of 15 shooting from the field in the Trojans' earlier win over the Scots while recording a double-double with 12 rebounds. Senior Keimara Marshall added 19 points, including a 5 of 5 performance at the free throw line, while sophomore Hailey Caryl scored 13 points against the Scots. Topeka High junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, who did not play in the Trojans' first game against the Scots, leads the city with a 22-point average. Highland Park ended its pre-holiday slate with a 68-52 Meadowlark Conference against Kansas City-Wyandotte. Senior Koralee Jones leads Highland Park with a 10.8 scoring average and 7.5 rebounds per game. Game time: 5:30 p.m.
Junior KK Emmot leads Shawnee Heights, 3-3 on the season, with an 18-point scoring average. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein averages 18.6 points. 6.0 rebounds, 4.6 steals and 2.6 assists for the 6-1 Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (6-1) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-3)
Hayden suffered its first loss of the season in its final game before the holiday break, with Hesston taking a 55-47 decision over the Wildcats, while Shawnee Heights closed out 2025 with a 67-30 United Kansas Conference romp past Topeka West. Junior KK Emmot scored a game-high 17 points for Shawnee Heights against West, while juniors Sami Baum and Pearmella Carter added 11 points apiece and seniors Reianna Vega and Imani McGlory scored nine and eight points, respectively. Emmot ranks third in the city with an 18-point scoring average. Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein is No. 2 in the city with an 18.6 scoring average and also leads the city with 4.6 steals per game while also averaging 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game. Game time: 5 p.m.
FRIDAY'S BOYS GAMES
Senior Bryson McComas leads Topeka High with averages of 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. [File photo/TSN]
TOPEKA HIGH (2-3) at HIGHLAND PARK (1-3)
Highland Park gave Nate Wallace his first victory as a head coach in the Scots' final game of 2025, a 78-35 Meadowlark Conference romp past Kansas City-Wyandotte, while Topeka High ended '25 with a 63-50 loss to Olathe East. Junior JoJo Kingcannon leads Highland Park with a 19-point average, ranking third in the city in scoring, while Kingcannon and junior G'Honi Montgomery grab 5.0 rebounds a game and are averaging .3.7 and 3.0 steals. Senior Bryson McComas leads Topeka High with a 13.2 scoring average with 7.6 rebounds a game. Senior Jalen Aldridge averages 13 points for the Trojans. Both Topeka High first-year coach Robbie Sanders and Wallace are Topeka High graduates. Game time: 7 p.m.
Junior Carter Compton (12) averages a team-high 17.3 points for Hayden. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Cam Ross leads Shawnee Heights with a 16-point scoring average. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (3-4) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (2-3)
Hayden snapped a three-game losing streak with a 64-57 win over Silver Lake in its final game of 2025 while Shawnee Heights ended its pre-holiday slate with a 63-58 United Kansas Conference loss to Topeka West. Junior Carter Compton leads Hayden with a 17.3 scoring average while senior Connor Hanika averages 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds. Junior Cam Ross leads Shawnee Heights with a 16-point scoring average while freshman Quincy Dixon averages 12.2 points and a team-high 4.8 rebounds. Game time: 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY'S BOYS GAME
Senior Simon Rowley is averaging a team-high 16.2 points for 4-2 Washburn Rural. [File photo/TSN]
WASHBURN RURAL (4-2) at OLATHE WEST (3-3)
Washburn Rural ended its pre-Christmas slate with its third straight victory, a 60-25 road romp over Kansas City-Barstow, Mo., while Olathe West is coming off a 65-43 loss to Mill Valley. Senior Simon Rowley leads Washburn Rural with a 16.2 scoring average while senior John Hoytal averages 9.5 points and sophomore Brooks Ballard 9.2 points. Game time: 1 p.m.
NOTE: Statistics for city girls basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the first of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Rayton, Topeka High 4 88 22.0
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 130 18.6
Emmot, Shawnee Heights 6 108 18.0
Caryl, Topeka High 1 15 15.0
Gragg, Seaman 5 68 13.6
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 68 13.6
Marshall, Topeka High 5 63 12.6
McGlory, Shawnee Heights 6 70 11.7
Carter, Shawnee Heights 6 65 10.8
Hall, Topeka West 6 65 10.8
Jones, Highland Park 4 43 10.8
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 59 9.8
Hirschi, Washburn Rural 5 48 9.6
Beaton, Seaman 5 47 9.4
Carlgren, Washburn Rural 5 47 9.4
Sydney Van Dyke, Topeka West
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
VanDyke, Topeka West 6 84 14.0
Gragg, Seaman 5 47 9.4
Walker, Washburn Rural 5 45 9.0
Caryl, Topeka High 1 8 8.0
Jones, Highland Park 4 30 7.5
Gotru, Topeka High 5 36 7.2
Carter, Shawnee Heights 6 43 7.2
Hall, Topeka West 6 41 6.8
Dreher, Seaman 5 31 6.2
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 31 6.2
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 42 6.0
Vega, Shawnee Heights 6 35 5.8
Marshall, Topeka High 5 29 5.8
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 34 5.7
Ayres, Seaman 5 25 5.0
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Caryl, Topeka High 1 8 8.0
Marshall, Topeka High 5 18 3.6
Beaton, Seaman 5 17 3.4
Gragg, Seaman 5 15 3.0
Rutherford, Washburn Rural 4 12 3.0
Baum, Shawnee Heights 6 16 2.7
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 18 2.6
Puvogel, Seaman 5 12 2.4
Walker, Washburn Rural 5 12 2.4
Emmot, Shawnee Heights 6 14 2.3
Vega, Shawnee Heights 6 14 2.3
Foster, Hayden 7 14 2.0
Gonzales, Topeka West 5 9 1.8
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 10 1.7
McGlory, Shawnee Heights 6 10 1.7
Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden
STEALS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Schmidtlein, Hayden 7 32 4.6
Gragg, Seaman 5 19 3.8
Marshall, Topeka High 5 17 3.4
Donaldson, Cair Paravel 6 20 3.3
Gonzales, Topeka West 5 16 3.2
Backman, Cair Paravel 6 19 3.2
Caryl, Topeka High 1 3 3.0
Jones, Highland Park 4 12 3.0
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 17 2.8
Beaton, Seaman 5 14 2.8
Rayton, Topeka High 4 11 2.8
Allen, Topeka West 6 17 2.7
Anderson, Washburn Rural 5 13 2.6
Walter, Hayden 7 18 2.6
VanDyke, Topeka West 6 14 2.3
NOTE: Statistics for city boys basketball teams were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley. The following stats are the first of three statistical reports which will be released during the 2025-2026 season, capped by the season-ending stats.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
Malakyah Duncan, Topeka West
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Bonner, Seaman 5 130 26.0
Duncan, Topeka West 5 98 19.6
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 57 19.0
Compton, Hayden 7 121 17.3
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 98 16.3
Rowley, Washburn Rural 6 97 16.2
Ross, Shawnee Heights 5 80 16.0
Hanika, Hayden 7 104 14.9
Paul, Topeka West 5 74 14.8
MCComas, Topeka High 5 66 13.2
Lassiter, Topeka West 5 65 13.0
Aldridge, Topeka High 5 65 13.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 62 12.4
Dixon, Shawnee Heights 5 61 12.2
Durbin, Cair Paravel 6 73 12.2
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 46 7.7
McComas, Topeka High 5 38 7.6
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 45 7.5
Schmidt, Washburn Rural 6 36 6.0
Durbin, Cair Paravel 6 33 5.5
Lassiter, Topeka West 4 22 5.5
Paul, Topeka West 4 22 5.5
Tourtillott, Hayden 7 35 5.0
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 15 5.0
Montgomery, Highland Park 3 15 5.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 25 5.0
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 6 30 5.0
Cleverdon, Cair Paravel 6 29 4.8
Dixon, Shawnee Heights 5 24 4.8
Anderson, Highland Park 3 14 4.7
ASSISTS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Anderson, Highland Park 3 19 6.3
Bonner, Seaman 5 31 6.2
Paul, Topeka West 4 20 5.0
Hastert, Cair Paravel 6 28 4.7
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 23 3.8
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 11 3.7
Hoytal, Washburn Rural 6 20 3.3
Scott, Shawnee Heights 5 16 3.2
Duncan, Topeka West 4 12 3.0
Guest, Topeka High 5 14 2.8
Becker, Hayden 7 18 2.6
Marichal, Cair Paravel 6 15 2.5
McComas, Topeka High 5 12 2.4
Alston, Shawnee Heights 5 12 2.4
Nimz, Washburn Rural 6 14 2.3
STEALS
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Kingcannon, Highland Park 3 11 3.7
Montgomery, Highland Park 3 9 3.0
Bonner, Seaman 5 15 3.0
Wiltz, Seaman 5 14 2.8
McComas, Topeka High 5 14 2.8
Alston, Shawnee Heights 5 14 2.8
Hanika, Hayden 7 17 2.4
Anderson, Highland Park 3 7 2.3
Duncan, Topeka West 4 9 2.3
Munganga, Topeka West 4 9 2.3
Fay, Cair Paravel 6 12 2.0
Drew, Highland Park 3 6 2.0
Zuniga, Seaman 5 10 2.0
Mitchell, Hayden 7 13 1.9
Becker, Hayden 7 13 1.9
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A soccer run to the NCAA Division II Final Four and first-team All-Americans Austin Broadie and Belle Kennedy headline the TopSports.news Top 10 list of Washburn University women's sports stories for 2025.
Davy Phillips' Ichabods won the Central Region championship to advance to the soccer Final Four before dropping a 2-1 decision to Franklin Pierce in the national semifinals while Washburn senior volleyball star Broadie and WU senior soccer star Kennedy both earned first-team All-American honors for the first time in their careers.
The Ichabod volleyball team earned a share of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular-season championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while Ichabod softball coach Brenda Holaday and Phillips became the winninest coaches in Washburn history in their respective sports.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Washburn women's stories of 2025:
Washburn soccer advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four to cap the 2025 season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
1. SEMIFINAL SOCCER RUN --Washburn soccer posted a final national ranking of No. 4 from the United Soccer Coaches after posting a 14-4-6 record on the year and winning a Central Region championship to advance to the Final Four for the second time in three seasons. The Ichabods' run at the title ended with a 2-1 loss to Franklin Pierce in the national semifinals.
Washburn fifth-year senior Austin Broadie (23) was named the MIAA Player of the Year and a first-team AVCA All-American in 2025. [File photo/TSN]
2. ENDING THINGS WITH A BANG -- Ichabod fifth-year senior Austin Broadie ended her Washburn volleyball career as a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American after being named the MIAA player of the Year for the 2025 season. A Wichita Trinity product, Broadie led the Ichabods with 348 kills while hitting .302 on the season. Broadie also recorded 72 blocks and 72 digs for 25-7 WU.
Washburn senior Belle Kennedy (12) earned first-team All-America honors this fall for the Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]
3. ENDING THINGS WITH A BANG PART II -- Former Washburn Rural soccer star Belle Kennedy, a senior midfielder, was named a United Soccer Coaches first-team All-American after helping lead Washburn to its second NCAA Division II Final Four in three seasons. Kennedy was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year while being named to the all-conference first team for the third time. Kennedy finished her Ichabod career with 12 goals and four assists.
Washburn volleyball earned a share of the MIAA regular-season title before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
4. ADDING ANOTHER CHAPTER TO PROUD TRADITION -- Washburn volleyball, a consistent MIAA and national power under longtime coach Chris Herron, posted a 27-5 record in 2025 while garnering a share of the MIAA regular-season championship with a 13-3 record and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament while ending the season with a No. 8 national ranking. In addition to first-team All-American Broadie, Ichabod junior Bella Limback was a first-team all-conference pick and earned All-America honorable mention.
Brenda Holaday became Washburn University softball's all-time career wins leader in 2025. [File photo/TSN]
5. LEADING THE PACK -- Already the career win leader at Washburn Rural, Ichabod softball coach Brenda Holaday became Washburn's all-time victory leader early in WU's 31-21 2025 season. Holaday, who took over the No. 1 spot at Washburn from her former Washburn Rural star Lisa Carey (256 wins), enters the 2026 campaign with a 283-172 record and eight straight winning seasons.
Davy Phillips became Washburn soccer's career wins leader with a 2-0 NCAA Central Region win over Missouri Western. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
6. LEADING THE PACK PART II -- Washburn soccer coach Davy Phillips became WU's career wins leader when he picked up victory No. 91 in the Ichabods' 2-0 victory over Missouri Western in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Phillips, who led the 14-4-6 Ichabods to their second Final Four appearance in three seasons, will enter the 2026 season with 93 career wins.
Washburn women's basketball posted a five-win improvement last season and is off to a 9-3 start this winter. [File photo/TSN]
7. CONTINUING THEIR CLIMB -- Lora Westling's Washburn women's basketball team continued to make progress in Westling's third season at her alma mater, finishing the season with an 18-13 record to make a five-win improvement. Current seniors Yibari Nwidadah and Payton Sterk were second-team All-MIAA picks last season. The Ichabods have continued their climb in the early stages of the 2025-2026 campaign, taking a 9-3 record into the holiday break after posting a 6-6 record at this stage a year ago.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's basketball has followed up a 30-4 season and a trip to the NCAA Division II semifinals in 2024-2025 with a 13-0 start and a No. 1 national ranking to open its new season, putting the Ichabods squarely on top of the TopSports.news Top 10 list of Washburn University men's sports stories for 2025.
Brett Ballard's Ichabods rolled to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular-season championship with a 17-2 record before capturing the Central Region championship with three double-digit victories and winning its quarterfinal contest before losing to eventual national champion Nova Southeastern in the semifinals.
Despite losing four of five starters off last year's team, junior Jack Bachelor and sophomore Dillon Claussen have led the way as Washburn has reeled off 13 straight victories, 10 by double-digits, to close out 2025.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Washburn men's stories of 2025:
Washburn men's basketball celebrates its NCAA Division II Central Region championship in March in Lee Arena. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn junior Jack Bachelor is the Ichabods' lone returning starter from last season's team that posted a 30-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four. [File photo/TSN]
1. A MAGICAL YEAR --Washburn men's basketball started off 2025 with a run to the NCAA Division II national semifinals and a season-ending mark of 30-4. And even though the Ichabods graduated seniors Andrew Orr, Jacob Hanna and Michael Keegan off that team and then-sophomore Brayden Shorter transferred to Division I Murray State, WU has continued to pile up wins to close out '25. Junior guard Jack Bachelor, the team's lone returning starter after earning first-team All-MIAA honors a year ago, is averaging 16.2 points with 36 3-pointers and 64 assists, while sophomore Dillon Claussen, a valuable reserve as a freshman, is averaging team-highs of 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in his first season as a starter.
2. LEAPING TO GREATNESS --Justin Forde, who began his college career at Division I Miami, Fla., ended his junior season and first year at Washburn with first-team NCAA Division II All-America honors. Forde, a Norwalk, Conn. native, finished second in the triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Colo. with a school-record jump of 16.19 meters (53 feet, 1.50 inches). Forde also won the MIAA Outdoor and Kansas Relays triple jump championships.
3. LEAPING TO GREATNESS PART II --A five-time All-American, Hays native Justin Dale finished fifth in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 11.50 inches in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Colo. after also earning All-America honors in the indoor championships with a fifth-place finish in that meet while sweeping the MIAA indoor and outdoor titles. Dale owns the school record in the outdoor high jump at 7-01.50 and ranks second indoors at 7-01. Dale's Washburn teammate, Alessandro Di Gregorio, finished 10th in the NCAA outdoor meet at 2.07 meters (6-9.50), earning second-team All-America recognition.
4. LEAPING TO GREATNESS PART III -- Matteo Madrassi, who competed at Washburn as a graduate student in 2025, earned second-team NCAA Division II All-America recognition after posting a ninth-place finish in the pole vault at 5.12 meters (16 feet, 9.50 inches) in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Colo. Madrassi holds the Washburn outdoor pole vault record at 17-1 and has the top four vaults in Ichabod history.
Washburn shortstop Jett Buck earned All-America honors on three different teams as a senior in 2025. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
5. DIAMOND KING -- Washburn star shortstop Jett Buck closed out his college baseball career by earning spots on three different All-America teams after leading the 28-25 Ichabods with a .365 batting average, 21 home runs and 68 runs batted in. A native of Kansas City, Mo., Buck earned second-team All-America honors from NCBWA and third-team recognition from ABCA/Rawlings and D2CCA while also earning All-MIAA and All-Central Region first-team status.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County girls high school sports teams may likely remember 2025 as the year of near-misses, with seven county teams finishing second in five different sports while eight individuals/relays posted runnerup finishes.
But the county still had notable accomplishments to celebrate, with local schools capturing a pair of state team championships while local athletes captured four individual state titles.
Class 6A soccer champion Washburn Rural and 3A volleyball champ Silver Lake share the No. 1 spot on the TopSports.news Top 10 list for 2025 while Seaman track star Ryin Miller, who dominated the 5A state track meet with three wins and Highland Park wrestler Makayla Cadet, who captured her school's first girls state crown, hold down the next two spots.
Seaman posted runnerup team finishes in basketball and tennis while Silver Lake finished second in basketball and softball, Hayden was second in soccer and volleyball and Washburn Rural posted a runnerup finish in softball.
Individually, Washburn Rural's Molly Spader, Seaman's Koti Best and Taylie Heston and Shawnee Heights' Isabel Reyes all recorded second-place finishes in state wrestling while Rural's Morgan Ray and Topeka High's Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton were individual runnerups in state track, Seaman's Emma Sweeney was a singles runnerup in state tennis and Washburn Washburn Rural's 4x800-meter relay team also posted a second-place state finish in track.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Shawnee County girls prep stories of 2025:
Washburn Rural girls soccer celebrates its first Class 6A state championship after its 1-0 win over Mill Valley in PKs. [Photo by KSHSAA Covered]
1. TITLE BREAKTHROUGH -- Washburn Rural added the only missing piece from its impressive soccer resume with its first Class 6A state championship. Making their 11th straight Final Four appearance, including four runnerup state finishes, the 19-2-0 Junior Blues broke through with a 1-0 win over Mill Valley, taking the win with a 4-1 edge in penalty kicks. Rural was represented on the All-City first team by 2025 grads Destiny Higgs, Kate Hinck, Addyson Kaberline, Zahra Friess and Madison Lemke and then-junior Dayne Shriver while Junior Blues coach Brian Hensyel was named the city coach of the year.
Silver Lake volleyball capped a 46-1 season with the 2025 Class 3A state championship. [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
1. EAGLES FLY TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP -- Silver Lake, which went 46-1 and ended its season on a 37-match winning streak, finished off its championship run with a 25-21, 25-19 win over Holton. The Eagles were represented on the All-Shawnee County team by senior Jaiden Wise, juniors Kylie Hanni and Jaylie Whitehead and sophomore Karys Deiter, with Hanni named the county player of the year and Eagles coach Sarah Johnson tapped as the coach of the year.
Seaman's Ryan Miller capped her junior track season with a sweep of the Class 5A 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in the 2025 state meet. [File photo/TSN]
3. MILLER SHINES -- Seaman superstar runner Ryin Miller capped off her junior track and field season in the 2025 strate track and field championships by sweeping Class 5A state titles in all three of her individual events, taking wins in the 3,200 (10:19.53), 1,600 (4:57.33) and 800-meter (2:11.14) runs at Wichita State. Miller's three wins in 2025 gave her five career titles and came on the heels of a banner 2024 cross country season, which included the fastest five-kilometer run in Kansas history (16:32.62) and a runnerup finish in the 5A state meet (17:26.36).
Highland Park then-junior Makayla Cadet became her school's first girls state wrestling champion in 2025. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
4. A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY -- Highland Park junior Makayla Cadet celebrated her 17th birthday in one of the best ways you could imagine, with a 2025 Class 5A state wrestling championship. Cadet, who went 23-4 on the season, became the first girls wrestler in Highland Park history to win a state championship when she pinned Basehor-Linwood junior Izzy Renfro at the 1:36 mark of the first period in Park City. Cadet's win over Renfro avenged a regional loss to the Bobcat standout.
5. OH SO CLOSE -- After winning state titles a year earlier, Seaman in Class 5A and Silver Lake in 3A both posted runnerup finishes in 2025 in girls basketball. The Vikings ran off 24 straight wins in the 2024-2025 campaign before dropping a 68-61 decision to perennial state champ St. Thomas Aquinas in the title game while Silver Lake, which had to reload after graduating a talented senior class from its 26-0 championship team in 2024, posted a 23-3 record last season, dropping a tight 48-45 decision to Halstead in the 3A final.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County high schools captured three boys state team titles in 2025 while county athletes combined to earn six individual/relay championships.
Washburn Rural soccer is No. 1 on TopSports.news' list of the Top 10 boys high school sports stories of 2025 after winning its fourth Class 6A state title and first since 2012 while Rural cross country and Hayden bowling also won team championships.
Individually, Washburn Rural's Easton Broxterman is No. 2 on the Top 10 after capping his outstanding high school wrestling career with his third straight Class 6A state championship in 2025 in his fourth straight trip to the state finals.
Other highlights included current Junior Blue seniors Draden Chooncharoen and Liam Morrison celebrating state titles in soccer and track while Broxterman's Junior Blue wrestling teammates, current senior Landen Kocher-Munoz and 2025 grad Kristjan Marshall, both claimed their second individual state titles.
Rural 2025 grad Isaiah Terry and Morrison both captured 6A individual titles and teamed with Chooncharoen and '25 grad Matthew Houser to set a state meet record in the 4x400-meter relay, Rural's second straight state crown in that event.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Shawnee County boys prep stories of 2025:
Washburn Rural soccer celebrates its first Class 6A state championship since 2012 after its 3-2 win over Shawnee Mission East in PKs. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
1. RURAL RULES -- Led by an outstanding senior class, perennial state soccer power Washburn Rural capped a 19-1-1 2025 season with its first Class 6A state championship since 2012, taking a 3-2 win over Shawnee Mission East with a 4-2 edge in penalty kicks. Senior Dylan Willingham ended his high school career with Washburn Rural's single-season and career scoring records.
Washburn Rural wrestling star Easton Broxterman capped his high school career in 2025 with his third straight Class 6A state title and fourth trip to the state finals. [File photo/TSN]
2. MAT MASTER -- Washburn Rural superstar wrestler Easton Broxterman put the capper on one of the top high school careers in Shawnee County history with his third straight Class 6A state championship in his fourth straight trip to the state finals, helping lead the Junior Blues to a third-place team finish in the 6A state tournament in Overland Park. Broxterman, who is wrestling collegiately at Army, finished off a 41-2 senior season with the 145-pound state title.
Washburn Rural cross country celebrates its 2025 Class 6A state championship after winning by a single point over Blue Valley. [Photo courtesy of Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports]
3. STRENGTH IN THE PACK -- Washburn Rural cross country didn't have an individual medalist (top 20) in the 2025 Class 6A state meet at Rim Rock Farm, but the Junior Blues put four runners in the top 28 places to lead the way as Rural captured the team championship by a single point (100-101) over Blue Valley. Rural got a team-high 22nd-place finish from sophomore Henry Laubach while senior Brooks Kehoe was 25th, sophomore Clayton Fink 26th, sophomore Duke Graf 28th, sophomore Jaxson Adams 42nd, senior Wyatt Shorb 52nd and sophomore Brady Meek 84th.
Hayden won its first ever state bowling championship in the 2025 season, winning the Class 4A-1A state crown by a 3,666-3,571 margin over Mulvane. [File photo/TSN]
4. STRIKING GOLD -- Hayden garnered the first state bowling championship in school history, winning the Class 4A-1A state event by a 3,666-3,571 margin over Mulvane as four Wildcats earned individual state medals. Trevor Christy rolled a 698 series to finish third individually while John Strickland finished fifth with a 685, Chase Blaser was seventh with a 676 and Reese Renyer placed 16th with a 636.
Washburn Rural 2025 grad Kristjan Marshall won back-to-back Class 6A state wrestling titles in '24 and '25.'[File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Landen Kocher-Munoz won his second career Class 6A state wrestling title in '25 with his third trip to the state finals. [File photo/TSN]
5. REPEAT FEAT -- Washburn Rural wrestling stars Kristjan Marshall and Landen Kocher-Munoz captured the second Class 6A state titles of their careers in the 2025 state tournament as the Junior Blues finished third as a team. Marshall, a 2025 graduate, won his second straight championship, winning the 157-pound crown to finish off a 37-5 season while then-junior Kocher-Munoz won his second career championship in his third straight state final, winning at 138 pounds to finish 34-3 on the season.
Washburn Rural's Matthew Houser, Liam Morrison, Draden Chooncharoen and Isaiah Terry set the Class 6A state meet record in the 4x400 relay in the 2025 state meet. [File photo/TSN]
6. REPEAT FEAT PART II -- Washburn Rural won the Class 6A state title in the 4x400-meter relay for the second straight season in the final event of the state meet at Wichita State's Cessna Stadium as 2025 grads Matthew Houser and Isaiah Terry and then-juniors Liam Morrison and Draden Chooncharoen set a 6A state meet record in a winning time of 3 minutes, 16.23 seconds. Morrison, Chooncharoen and Terry ran on Rural's state-champion relay in both '24 and '25 while Houser won his first state title.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The names are probably well known to anyone who has followed local sports over the past several years, but a long and growing list of athletes who starred at Shawnee County high schools made a big impact at the college and/or professional level in 2025.
Here's a look at just some of the stars who continued to make their fans proud over the past year:
Junior Jack Bachelor has helped lead Washburn to a 13-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking this season. [File photo/TSN]
JACK BACHELOR, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- A year after helping lead 30-4 Washburn to the NCAA Division II Final Four and earning All-MIAA first-team honors, the 6-foot-2 junior guard has played a major role as the Ichabods are off to a 13-0 start this season while achieving the No. 1 national ranking in D-II. Bachelor, named the MIAA Player of the Week last week, is averaging 16.2 points with 36 3-pointers while hitting 34 of 38 free throws (89.5 percent). Bachelor has a team-high 64 assists with 24 steals.
COREY BALLENTINE, Shawnee Heights/Washburn/Dallas Cowboys -- A 6-foot, 191-pound defensive back, Ballentine is in his seventh season in the NFL and currently on the active roster for the Dallas Cowboys. Ballentine previously played for the New York Giants, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots. Ballentine has played in 71 games with 11 starts, registering 102 tackles with one interception.
ANNA BECKER, Seaman/Drake -- Becker, a 5-foot-10 freshman guard, has started all 11 games for Division I Drake after helping lead Seaman to a Class 5A state championship as a junior and a runnerup state finish as a senior. Becker is averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Becker was a four-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 selection, a two-time county player of the year and a three-time United Kansas Conference player of the year.
Former Topeka West star Elijah Brooks leads Houston Christian with a 12.3 scoring average. [Houston Christian Athletics]
ELIJAH BROOKS, Topeka West/Houston Christian -- A 6-foot-3 senior guard, the former Mr. Kansas Basketball for Topeka West has started all eight games he's appeared in for the 5-7 Huskies, averaging a team-high12.3 points along with 4.5 rebounds and 25 assists. Brooks, who began his college career at North Dakota, averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds last season for Houston Christian with a career-high 29-point game.
NIJAREE CANADY, Topeka High/Texas Tech
A senior pitcher/first baseman, the former Topeka High two-time Class 6A state champion was named the 2025 NCAA Division I Pitcher of the Year as a junior in her first season at Texas Tech while also earning first-team All-American honors. Canady, the Big 12 Player of the Year, finished her season with a 34-7 pitching record, a 1.11 earned run average and 319 strikeouts while also leading Tech with 11 home runs and slugging .639. Canady was the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year for the Trojans.
BROOKLYN DELEYE, Washburn Rural/Kentucky -- The former three-sport Washburn Rural star, DeLeye, a 6-foot-2 junior outside hitter, was named a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America selection for the second straight season. DeLeye helped lead the 30-3 Wildcats to a runnerup finish in the NCAA Tournament, starting all 33 matches with 545 kills while also compiling 279 digs and 42 blocks.
Washburn sophomore linebacker JC Heim ranked second in the nation with 142 tackles this fall, earning second-team All-MIAA honors. [File photo/TSN]
JC HEIM, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- A sophomore linebacker, Heim earned second-team All-MIAA recognition after leading the Ichabods and the MIAA and ranking second in the nation with 142 total tackles, splitting 71 solo and 71 assisted tackles. Heim added seven tackles for loss, an interception, a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles. He was also third in solo tackles in the national rankings.
TEVEN JENKINS, Topeka High/Cleveland Browns -- After starring at Topeka High and earning All-Big 12 honors at Oklahoma State as an offensive lineman, Jenkins, 6-foot-6, 321 pounds, was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears. After playing four seasons with the Bears, Jenkins is in his first season with the Cleveland Browns. An offensive guard, Jenkins has played in 15 games with three starts this season and has played in 60 games in his career with 41 starts.
Washburn senior Belle Kennedy (12) earned first-team All-America honors this fall for the Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]
BELLE KENNEDY, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- A 5-foot-3 senior midfielder, the former Washburn Rural star was named a first-team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches after helping lead Washburn University soccer to its second NCAA Final Four in three seasons. A three-time All-MIAA first-team pick, Kennedy was named the conference defensive player of the year this fall. Kennedy scored 12 goals and had four assists in her career for the Ichabods.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jack Bachelor
JACK BACHELOR, Washburn University
A junior guard, Bachelor was named the MIAA Player of the Week after averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds as No. 1-ranked Ichabod men's basketball went 2-0 with victories over two top-five teams. The former Washburn Rural star went 8 of 13 from 3-point range and 9 of 10 from the free thow line as WU improved to 13-0, scoring 20 points against Lubbock Christian and 19 against West Texas A&M. Bachelor's first basket of the game against West Texas A&M pushed him over the career 1,000-point mark and he now has 1,017 career points.
Madi Blanco
MADI BLANCO, Washburn Rural
Blanco, a senior, won the 140-pound championship in Saturday's 35-school Ladycat Classic wrestling tournament, improving to 13-1 on the season as Washburn Rural captured the team title by a 184.5-147 margin over host Basehor-Linwood. Blanco battled back from a 7-2 deficit in the championship match to record a second-period pin.
Kailyn Hanni
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake
Hanni, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career, was named the Most Valuable Player in the Flurry In Flush girls basketball tournament at Rock Creek after Silver Lake clinched the tournament championship with a 72-44 win over Eudora on Saturday. Hanni helped the Eagles go 4-0 on the week, including a 69-53 regular-season win over Rossville, a 56-38 win over Hesston, a 62-41 win over Hays and Saturday's win over Eudora.
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
DESOTO -- The Washburn Rural girls battled the Liberty, Mo. Blue Jays in the championship game of the DeSoto Hardwood Classic on Saturday afternoon.
In a game of ebbs and flows, Liberty won the closely contested title game, 47-46.
Washburn Rural came out of locker room for the start of the game on absolute fire. Senior Ella Hirschi scored the first eight points with two 3-pointers, causing Liberty to take a timeout with 5:25 left in the opening quarter. Freshman Brynn Anderson joined the scoring column with a basket to extend the lead to 10-0 before the Blue Jays scored their first basket with 4:12 remaining in the quarter. The teams exchanged points over the last four minutes and the Junior Blues led 14-5 after the first eight minutes.
The second quarter represented a flip of the script, with Liberty taking control throughout the second quarter while Washburn Rural committed seven turnovers. The Blue Jays outscored the Junior Blues 11-4 over the first four minutes, cutting the Rural lead to 18-16. Liberty took its first lead of the game with a little over a minute remaining before halftime at 20-19 on a basket by senior Enslie Dryer. The Blue Jays finished the half on a 13-3 run to take a 26-21 advantage to the locker room.
The third quarter saw Liberty extended its lead to seven points on three different occasions while Washburn Rural could get no closer than five points in the entire quarter. Liberty junior Elecea Norman scored 10 points in the quarter, including the final six, giving Liberty a 41-32 lead heading into the final stanza.
Over the first 3 minutes, 17 seconds of the fourth quarter, Washburn Rural was able to cut the lead to 45-41, coming from senior Josie Carlgren’s six points, a Anderson bucket and a free throw by senior Hallie Walker.
After holding Liberty scoreless for almost three minutes, Anderson scored five straight points, with the last bucket being a step-back three pointer, giving Rural the lead, 46-45. The teams traded scoreless possessions over the next minute and Liberty’s Enslie Dryer hit a layup with 20 seconds remaining to give Liberty the 47-46 lead. The Junior Blues had multiple chances over the final 20 seconds, but couldn’t get a shot to fall.
Washburn Rural was led by Brynn Anderson’s 22 points and six rebounds. Hirschi was the only other Rural player in double figures with 12 points. Walker pulled down 10 rebounds.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural junior boys swimming standout Daniel Allen and Seaman freshman girls basketball player Baylee Ayres have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2025-2026 school year.
Here's a brief look at the recent accomplishments of Allen and Ayres over the past week.
Daniel Allen, Washburn Rural
DANIEL ALLEN, Washburn Rural
After a season away from high school swimming, Allen has returned to post seven wins and a second-place finish in eight races for Washburn Rural to open the 2025-2026 season.
Allen opened the season in last week's Topeka West Invitational with individual wins in the 200-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly while also swimming on the Junior Blues' winning 200 free relay and runnerup 400 free relay.
Allen followed that up with four wins in Wednesday's Hayden Invitational, winning the 200 individual medley and 100 freestyle and swimming on Rural's winning 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Baylee Ayres, Seaman
BAYLEE AYRES, Seaman
After making her high school debut with four points in a season-opening loss to Piper, Ayres followed that up with a game-high 14 points on Tuesday as Seaman picked up its first victory of the season in a 65-18 United Kansas Conference romp past Lansing.
Ayres, who did not enter the game until the second quarter, connected on 5 of 7 field goal attempts and hit 4 of 6 free throws against the Lions.
