By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Audrey Appuhn
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
The Washburn Rural sophomore swimming star earned multiple Class 6A state medals for the second straight season in Saturday's state meet at the Shawnee Mission District Aquatic Center. Appuhn, who posted multiple wins in the city and Centennial League meets, finished fifth in the 200 individual medley (2 minutes, 12.72 seconds) and sixth in the 500 freestyle (5:17.70) to lead Rural to a 13th-place team finish with 73 points.
Kate Hinck
KATE HINCK, Washburn Rural
Hinck, a junior soccer star, scored a total of seven goals last week as Washburn Rural posted two Class 6A regional wins to advance to the state quarterfinals. Hinck scored three goals in the Junior Blues' 10-0 win over Campus last Tuesday and followed that up with four goals, all in the first half, as Washburn Rural rolled to an 8-0 win over Wichita East last Thursday in a regional final at McElroy Field.
Ryin Miller
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, the Vikings' nationally-ranked sophomore track and field star, qualified for the Class 5A state meet in four events in Friday's regional track and field meet, with three victories. Miller won the 800 meters in 2 minutes, 12.99 seconds, the 1,600 meters in 4:55.24 and the 3,200 in 10:57.40 and also helped Seaman qualify for state in the 4x400 relay with a third-place finish in 4:04.44.
Nate Plankinton
NATE PLANKINTON, Topeka High
A senior, Plankinton picked up the pitching wins in both games in last Tuesday's Class 6A baseball regional, with the Trojans rallying for a 9-6 semifinal win over Wichita East and taking a 2-1 win over Derby in the championship game. Plankinton came on in relief in the semifinal and also contributed a pair of doubles as High rallied from a 6-0 deficit. Plankinton started the final and made judicial use of his 105-pitch count to work through six and two-thirds innings as High earned its second straight state berth.
Josh Sulzen-Watson
JOSH SULZEN-WATSON, Washburn Rural
A senior, Sulzen-Watson swept the javelin and discus championships in Friday's Class 6A regional track and field meet at Wichita to qualify for this week's state meet in both events. A returning 6A state medalist, Sulzen-Watson won the discus event with a throw of 161 feet, 10 inches and the javelin with a throw of 192-7 as Washburn Rural finished second as a team.
Avery Walz
AVERY WALZ, Seaman
The Seaman senior swimming star finished second in both the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 9.40 seconds) and the 100 freestyle (53.17) in Saturday's Class 5A-1A state meet at the Shawnee Mission District Aquatics Center and she also teamed with junior Joslynn Grace and seniors Tauren Walz and Avery Samuelson to post a runnerup finish in the 200 medley relay (1:56.90) and a fifth-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:44.47) as Seaman finished third as a team.
