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Crawford, Menke the Dan Key Farmers Agency Rising Stars of the Week
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman girls bowling standout Leah Crawford and Hayden junior boys wrestling standout Caleb Menke 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 Crawford and Menke.
Leah Crowford, Seaman [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
LEAH CRAWFORD, Seaman
Crawford shot a 661 three-game series last Friday at Gage Bowl to capture the girls individual title in the third annual Topeka Shawnee County bowling championships.
Crawford rolled games of 224, 211 and 226 to take individual honors by 36 pins as Seaman rolled to its third straight city team championship by a 3,293-2,970 margin over Washburn Rural.
As a freshman Crawford placed 12th in the city meet.
Caleb Menke, Hayden
CALEB MENKE, Hayden
Menke, a 175-pounder, recently reached the 100-win milestone in a meet at Royal Valley, a rare accomplishment for an underclassman.
Menke followed that up with the 175-pound championship in last Saturday's Centennial League tournament at Washburn Rural.
Menke posted a 5-0 record on the day, including a 55-second pin and a 15-0 technical fall.
Topeka High girls avenge 15-point loss to Seaman with 61-36 road romp
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Topeka High girls basketball coach Ron Slaymaker told his players said before the season started that defense had to be a big identity of this team, leading to points in transition and the fastbreak.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton scored a game-high 26 points in Thursday's 61-36 Topeka High win at Seaman. [File photo/TSN]
That was the case Thursday night as the Trojans stayed hot, avenging an earlier double-digit loss to Seaman with a 61-36 romp on the Vikings' home floor.
“I’ll tell you what we were hot on and that’s defense,” Slaymaker said. “Our defense created so much of our offense. That’s what we needed to win this game because they (Seaman) are a good team.”
Slaymaker said one big adjustment Topeka High made Thursday was how to break the zone, something they did not do against Seaman the last time these two teams met. And Slaymaker said he faults himself for not having them prepared, but did for Thursday night’s slate.
Topeka High started the game up 8-2 and started the game in a 2-3 zone, giving the Lady Vikings problems finding easy baskets. Seaman junior Jaydin Frickey hit a three to make it an 8-6 game, but that’s the closest Seaman would get the rest of the evening.
After a 7-0 run, Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall finished off a layup in transition, forcing a Seaman timeout at 15-6. Topeka High led 19-6 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, it was no different as junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton used her speed in transition and the fastbreak to get easy baskets off Seaman turnovers, scoring 18 first-half points. She helped the Trojans to a 13-0 run, dating back to the first quarter at 21-6.
“A driving force in this game was Coach Slay said at practice to look up the court and that’s what we did in this game and make that extra pass, looking inside and out and that’s what Slay harps on a lot,” Topeka High sophomore Hailey Caryl said.
Seaman senior Maddie Gragg converted an and-one and knocked down a three to cut the Viking deficit to 24-12 with 6:05 left in the half, but the Trojans just kept scoring after a three from senior Trish Short.
Seaman called another timeout a minute later, down 18, 30-12, and the Lady Trojans took a 20-point lead into halftime, 38-18.
In the second half, the third quarter saw both teams combine for 11 points, but the fourth quarter was nothing but the clinic the Trojans put on in the first two quarters. Topeka High had its biggest lead of 28 in the game thanks to Caryl’s big quarter and continuing to force those turnovers.
Seaman boys survive Topeka High’s late surge, push win streak to five games
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Seaman boys basketball, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A, has won seven of its last eight games after taking down city rival Topeka High on Thursday night at Seaman, 62-55.
Senior KaeVon Bonner scored a game-high 24 points in Thursday's 62-55 Seaman win over Topeka High. [File photo/TSN]
“I thought our defense was outstanding in the first half to hold them to 19 points,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said. "They’re a team that’s capable of getting hot and getting on a run. Unfortunately, we didn’t do enough offensively to take advantage of that and build a bigger margin other than the six points … knowing they would respond, and they did. I knew it was going to be a battle and this was a good win for our guys.''
“One thing about this team this year is we have pretty good chemistry,” Viking senior Matthew McConnaughey said after finishing with 10 points.
The Trojans began the game with a 4-2 lead but then Seaman went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead and force a timeout for Topeka with 2:47 left in the first quarter, as the Vikings led 12-5.
It took a while for Topeka High to score its first field goal in the second quarter, scoring just three points on free throws as the Trojans trailed by eight, 16-8. They slowly crept their way back off a couple of 3-pointers from senior Bryson McComas and Elisha Guest, making it a 23-19 game.
But then Seaman senior Kae’Von Bonner converted a floater off the window as time expired for halftime, as the Vikings took a six-point lead, 25-19.
Bonner had a game-high 24 points, with 11 of them coming in the fourth quarter.
In the third quarter, Topeka High would re-take the lead for the first time since 4-2 thanks to a 9-2 run to begin the half, led by McComas, Guest (who had a team-high 19 points) and senior Jalen Aldridge as the Trojans went in front, 28-27.
Both teams would trade buckets but then Seaman built a little cushion off a Griffin Zuniga triple, making it 34-30, and the Vikings led 40-35 heading into the fourth.
The Vikings led by eight at one point, but the Trojans trimmed the deficit to two after Octavian McFadden drilled a three making it 47-45.
Seaman built a six point lead again off a Bonner bucket, but then McComas brought High within three (54-51).
But then Seaman got in the bonus early and made crucial free throws when needed.
Zuniga iced the game off a Trojans turnover with under 20 seconds remaining, putting home a layup as Seaman nabbed its 16th win on the year. Zuniga had 14 points for the Vikings.
