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Four city standouts earn girls All-UKC first-team basketball honors
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four city players earned spots on the All-United Kansas Conference girls basketball first team, led by senior three-time first-team pick Maddie Gragg of Seaman and Shawnee Heights junior repeat honoree KK Emmot.
Maddie Gragg, Seaman
KK Emmot, Shawnee Heights
Pearmella Carter, Shawnee Heights
Sydney VanDyke, Topeka West
Also earning All-UKC first-team recognition were Shawnee Heights junior Pearmella Carter and Topeka West junior Sydney VanDyke. Carter was a first-team pick in her first season at Heights after previously being named the Meadowlark Conference player of the year at Highland Park while VanDyke received All-UKC honorable mention as a sophomore.
Bob Wells, Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells was named the UKC coach of the year after leading the T-Birds to the conference championship and a fourth-place finish in Class 5A in his final season before retiring.
Shawnee Heights senior Imani McGlory was a second-team All-UKC pick.
Seaman junior Cara Beaton and Brynn Spencer received all-conference honorable mention along with Shawnee Heights junior Sami Baum and senior Reianna Vega and Topeka West junior Patience Allen.
ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE GIRLS BASKETBALL
Vikings' KaeVon Bonner named All-UKC player of the year
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
City players earned four of the seven spots on the All-United Kansas Conference boys basketball first team, led by Seaman UKC player of the year KaeVon Bonner.
Seaman senior KaeVon Bonner was named the UKC player of the year while earning all-conference first-team honors for the third straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Bonner, a senior, led the Vikings to a third-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament, earning All-UKC first-team honors for the third straight season.
Malakyah Duncan, Topeka West
Keimani Paul, Topeka West
Cam Ross, Shawnee Heights
Bonner is joined on the first team by Topeka West seniors Malakyah Duncan and Keimani Paul and Shawnee Heights junior Cam Ross.
Duncan moved up to the first team after earning second-team recognition in 2025 while Paul received honorable mention a year ago.
Duncan and Paul helped lead Topeka West to a fourth-place finish in 5A while Ross helped Heights advance to the 5A state tournament for the third straight season.
Christian Ulsaker, Topeka West
Second-year Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker was picked as the UKC coach of the year after his Chargers won the conference championship on a tiebreaker over Seaman.
Seaman senior Landon Wiltz, West junior Prince Lassiter and Heights freshman Quincy Dixon earned second-team honors while Viking senior Griffin Zuniga, T-Bird seniors Ja'Veon Alston, JaiMarion Cook and Aiden Scott and West senior Jay'Veon Traylor all earned honorable mention.
ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE BOYS BASKETBALL
Rossville, Silver Lake boys put three players on All-Big East first team
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
State tournament qualifiers Rossville and Silver Lake combined to put three players on the All-Big East League boys basketball first team.
Jack Donovan, Rossville
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
Jakoby McDonnell, Rossville
Rossville, a Class 2A state qualifier for the second straight season, is represented on the first team by seniors Jack Donovan and Jakoby McDonnell, while Silver Lake, third in 3A the past two seasons, put senior Dayne Johnson on the all-league first team.
The Bulldawgs put senior Cameron Miller on the all-league second team while Silver Lake junior Camden Kruger was a third-team all-league pick.
ALL-BIG EAST LEAGUE BOYS BASKETBALL
First team
Ben DeVader, sr., St. Marys; Jack Donovan, sr., Rossville; Dayne Johnson, sr., Silver Lake; Jakoby McDonnell, sr., Rossville; Braylen Siebenmorgen, jr., Hiawatha.
Second team
Houston Habiger, jr., Perry-Lecompton; Micah Lang, jr., Sabetha; Cameron Miller, sr., Rossville; Ethan Morton, sr., Hiawatha; Kalem Schmelzle, jr., Nemaha Central.
Third team
Landon Gilbert, jr., Royal Valley; Jace Hurla, jr., St. Marys; Camden Kruger, jr., Silver Lake; Jason Payne, sr., Jefferson West; Brody Schwinn, jr., Jefferson West.
Honorable mention
Davis Carson, sr., Riley County; Korben Fox, sr., Holton; Easton Graves, jr., Perry-Lecompton; Dash Hackett, jr., Jefferson West; Michael Jensen, sr., Hiawatha; Lane Kesler, sr., Hiawatha; Colby Krein, sr., Perry-Lecompton; Cole Menold, sr., Sabetha; Trystan Murata, sr., Royal Valley; Zach Sommer, sr., St. Marys.
