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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Natalie Barnes, Topeka High

NATALIE BARNES, Topeka High

A senior forward, Barnes returns for Topeka High, a Class 6A quarterfinalist last season, after earning first-team All-City and All-Centennial League recognition in 2025.

Nina Bolanos, Shawnee Heights

NINA BOLANOS, Shawnee Heights

Bolanos, a junior midfielder, was a first-team All-United Kansas Conference honoree for Shawnee Heights last spring while also earning All-City honorable mention. Bolanos is a top returner for a young T-Bird team. 

Carsyn Broxterman, Hayden

CARSYN BROXTERMAN, Hayden

Broxterman, a senior forward, is a returning two-time first-team All-City and All-Centennial League honoree for the Wildcats, who finished second in Class 4A-1A last spring, dropping a double-overtime decision to Bishop Miege in the state title game. Broxterman also received first-team All-4A-1A All-State recognition last spring from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Kelly Ann Chada, Cair Paravel

KELLY ANN CHADA, Cair Paravel Latin 

Chada, a senior striker, received All-City honorable mention last season after helping lead Cair Paravel to a runnerup finish in the 2024 Class 4A-1A state tournament, earning All-City first-team recognition as well as first-team All-4A-1A All-State honors from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Hemi Duehring, Cair Paravel Latin

HEMI DUEHRING, Cair Paravel Latin

A senior defender, Duehring is a top returner for a Cair Paravel Latin team that has established itself as a consistent Class 4A-1A state contender. Duehring received All-City honorable mention last season after helping the Lions post a runnerup finish in the 2024 Class 4A-1A state tournament.

Brylee Garner, Shawnee Heights

BRYLEE GARNER, Shawnee Heights

Garner, a junior, will be counted on to lead the defensive effort for a young Shawnee Heights team in 2026 after earning All-United Kansas Conference honorable mention last season.

Ava Golightley, Seaman   

AVA GOLIGHTLEY, Seaman

A senior forward, Golightley was a first-team All-City and All-United Kansas Conference selection last spring after helping the Vikings reach the Class 5A quarterfinals. Golightley scored four goals in an 11-0 regional victory over Highland Park last season. 

Emery Hall, Washburn Rural

EMERY HALL, Washburn Rural

A junior, Hall was named the Centennial League newcomer of the year last season after helping Washburn Rural win its first-ever Class 6A state championship last season, with the Junior Blues taking a 1-0 win over Mill Valley in penalty kicks in the title game.

Reese Huscher, Hayden

REESE HUSCHER, Hayden

Huscher, a senior midfielder, is a two-time All-Centennial League first-team selection and received second-team All-Class 4A-1A honors from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association last spring after helping the Wildcats finish second in Class 4A-1A to Bishop Miege. Huscher received All-City honorable mention in 2025.

Maya Martin, Seaman

MAYA MARTIN, Seaman

A senior midfielder, Martin earned second-team All-United Kansas Conference recognition last season after helping the Vikings reach the Class 5A state quarterfinals while posting a 13-6-0 record.

Peyton Merrick, Washburn Rural 

PEYTON MERRICK, Washburn Rural

Merrick, a senior sweeper, earned second-team All-Centennial League recognition last season after helping the Junior Blues capture their first-ever Class 6A girls state championship. Merrick helped Washburn Rural post a 19-2 record, capped by a 1-0 win over Mill Valley in penalty kicks in the state title game. 

Julia Molleker, Seaman 

JULIA MOLLEKER, Seaman

A junior, Molleker will be counted on to be a leader for the Vikings this season after Seaman advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals and posted a 13-6-0 record in 2025. Molleker earned second-team All-United Kansas Conference recognition as a freshman in 2024.

Morgan Robinson, Shawnee Heights 

MORGAN ROBINSON, Shawnee Heights

Robinson was a breakout star as a freshman forward in 2024, earning first-team All-City and All-United Kansas Conference honors and earning second-team All-Class 5A recognition from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association. Robinson sat out the 2025 high school season to concentrate on club soccer before returning to the T-Birds this spring.

Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden 

HAILEY SCHMIDTLEIN, Hayden

A sophomore three-sport star, Schmidtlein earned All-Centennial League honorable mention last spring after helping Hayden finish as the state runnerup in Class 4A-1A, with the Wildcats dropping a double-overtime decision to Bishop Miege in the state title game. Schmidtlein helped lead Hayden to a 4A state championship in basketball this past season as well as a runnerup 4A finish in volleyball.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

EMPORIA – Washburn University men's basketball christened the new year in style as the No. 2-ranked Ichabods led for 39:33 of the 40-minute contest and by as many as 33 points, cruising to a 105-77 MIAA road win over Emporia State on Saturday in White Auditorium.

Sophomore Jack Bachelor led six double-figure scorers for Washburn with 19 points as the No. 2-ranked Ichabods rolled to a 105-77 road win over Emporia State. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn improved to 13-0 overall and 4-0 in MIAA play and will return to Lee Arena for the first time since Nov. 30 next Wednesday as the Ichabods will host Missouri Western at 7:30 p.m.
 
Washburn jumped out to a 13-3 lead 3:49 into the game behind Jack Bachelor's 11 points, including three-straight 3-pointers.

The Hornets (4-8, 1-3) trimmed the lead back to five at 17-12, but the Ichabods used another 13 to 3 run, doubling up Emporia State with 9:13 to play in the half.

ESU cut the lead to 11 but that margin was the closest the Hornets would get the rest of the game as the Ichabods finished the frame 9 of 11 from the field over the final 7:01 of the half, taking a 56-39 lead into the break.
 
Washburn shot 61 percent in the opening half, paced by 17 points from Washburn Rural product Bachelor and 10 points and eight assists from Jacob Hanna as the Ichabods reached at least 50 points in a half since scoring 52 against William Jewell on Nov. 23, 2024 in Lee Arena.
 
A 12-1 run over a three-minute stretch followed by a 16-7 Ichabod run stretched the Ichabod lead to a game-high 33 with 9:28 to play as Washburn snapped a four-game slide to the Hornets.
 
Bachelor finished with a game-high 19 points and added eight assists, leading six Ichabods in double figures.

Birthday boy Andrew Orr had 16 points as did Hanna, who also had eight assists and six rebounds.

Dillon Claussen had a career-high 15 points on 7 of 7 shooting while Brayden Shorter hit three 3-pointers en route to 11 points with six boards and Brady Christiansen had 11 points as well.
 
Malik Edwards scored 13 points to lead the Hornets.
 
After shooting 61 percent in the first half, the Ichabods improved to 67 percent in the second half, hitting 20 of 30 shots overall to close the game at a season-high 63 percent on 43 of 68 shooting.
 
Washburn outrebounded the Hornets 34 to 25 in the game and tallied 26 assists on 43 baskets in the game. Washburn also outscored the Hornets 58 to 22 in the paint and forced 22 turnovers, leading to 27 points for the Ichabods.
 
The 105 points scored by the Ichabods was the second time Washburn reached the century mark in the 222 previous meetings in the series, topping the old record of 103 set against ESU on Jan. 7, 2004 in Topeka.

The Ichabods just missed setting the largest margin of victory in the series as the Hornets hit a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left avoiding the record mark of 31 in a 73-42 Ichabod win on Jan. 16, 2010.
 

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Created: 04 December 2024

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural junior swimming standout Daniel Allen had a valid reason for sitting out the 2024-2025 high school season.

After a season away from high school swimming, Washburn Rural junior Daniel Allen was a part of three wins in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But Allen is happy to be back with his Rural teammates this winter, and the Junior Blues are certainly happy to have him.

"I decided to focus on the club career last year to try to get to sectionals and futures, which I made this last summer and just see how far I could get my sophomore year,'' Allen said. "And then this year I'm just doing it (high school) for the guys. This is a lot more fun than club swim and there's a lot more camaraderie on the team since we're all about the same age, and I think that's a good aspect of it.

"We're able to have more fun at the meets. It's not as high intensity (as club), it's more relaxed and there's not as much expectation from you until you get closer to state and league, so I think it's just a good experience overall. I would say all club swimmers should try high school just to feel the different atmosphere.'' 

Allen made his season debut in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium with a pair of individual victories while also helping Rural post a relay victory and a runnerup finish.

Allen won the 200-yard freestyle by more than nine seconds in 1:50.28 and he took a five-second win in the 100 butterfly in 52.82.

Allen also teamed with Castle Wallace, Hunter Kennedy and Joseph Jensen to win the 200 freestyle relay in 136.77 and teamed with Quenten Jessop, Braeden Montgomery and Thomas Appuhn to finish second in the 400 free relay in 3:34.33. 

Washburn Rural's Thomas Appuhn was a double individual winner in Wednesday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn Rural's Castle Wallace (top) and Seaman's Kinser Barbosa finished one-three in the 100-yard breaststroke in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Appuhn and Wallace also had three wins on the day, with Appuhn winning the 200 individual medley (2:07.93) and the 100 backstroke (57.15) and teaming with Wallace, Andres Morao-Jaspe and Quenten Jessop to win the 200 medley relay (1:38.95) while Wallace won the 100 breaststroke (1:07.86) and swam on Rural's winning 200 medley and 200 free relays.

Washburn Rural coach Bob Burdick was thrilled with the Junior Blues' opening day performance as Rural won a meet-best seven events and posted five runnerup finishes and a third on the way to a second-place team finish behind Olathe Northwest (514-501).

"We had a lot of surprises with a lot of younger guys who had really great times and we've got to keep building to the future and not just looking at the present,'' Burdick said. "We had nine young guys who had never swam in a meet and suprised us beyond expectations and our top swimmers did great, even dropped time from where they ended last year, so that is fantastic.

"We had a good solid meet and now we can just keep working and building the team.'' 

Seaman finished fifth with 157 points, led by a third-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:09.03) by Kinser Barbosa. 

Topeka High's Will Stewart posted third-place finishes in the 50 freestyle (23.52) and the 100 free (53.35).    

TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL

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