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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball begins the 2023-24 season and the second year of the Lora Westling era this weekend in Shawnee, Okla. at the Central Region Crossover against Southwestern Oklahoma State and tournament host Oklahoma Baptist.
The Ichabods open their season at 1 p.m. Friday against Southwestern Oklahoma State before facing and Oklahoma Baptist at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Senior Aubree Dewey (3) returns to lead Washburn women's basketball after earning All-MIAA honorable mention a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
Former Washburn standout Lora Westling opens her second season as the Ichabods' head coach on Friday in the Central Region Crossover. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn posted an 11-17 overall record and 7-15 MIAA mark a year ago and will be looking to take a big step forward this season.
"We had a lot of freshmen that played heavy minutes last year and now they're returning with some more experience and that will be great,'' WU senior Lakyn Schieferecke said. "We really just have to put together three or four really good quarters instead of one good quarter, two good quarters.
"Overall, just winning each quarter is kind of our mindset when we step on the floor.''
Washburn, which is opening its 55th season of women's basketball, returns six players from last season's roster, including three players -- seniors Aubree Dewey and Schieferecke and sophomore Gabi Giovannetti -- who started in at least 50 percent of games.
Dewey, who earned All-MIAA honorable mention last season, leads Washburn's returners after starting in all 28 contests and leading the Ichabods in scoring at 10.4 points per game and assists with 3.4 per game.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's men's basketball team will be up early on Saturday morning to open WU's 119th season of hoops with an 11 a.m. game against Sioux Falls in the Central Region Challenge at Muncipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
The Ichabods will also be in action on Sunday, hosting Minnesota State Moorhead at 12 p.m in Municipal.
Junior Andrew Orr returns to lead Washburn's men's basketball team after earning third-team All-MIAA honors last season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn men's basketball Brett Ballard and his Ichabods will be looking to return to MIAA and NCAA prominence this season after slipping to 14-15 a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
Coming off an up-and-down 14-15 season, the Ichabods were picked sixth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll and seventh in the media poll. After advancing to the NCAA Tournament four times in the previous five seasons under coach Brett Ballard, the Ichabods will be looking to return to MIAA and national contention this season, returning starters Andrew Orr, Michael Keegan and Levi Braun to build around.
"We're definitely ready to get going,'' Keegan said. "We had two scrimmages already so we're ready to go out and play other teams week-in and week-out. Practice has been going really well for the most part. We have a really competitive group and we just get after it. We're scrappy. I've got bruises, cuts, scratches from every practice every day.''
Ballard also gives the Ichabods high marks for their work over the offseason and in preseason preparations.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's 2023 football season hasn't gone anywhere close to what the injury-ravaged Ichabods envisioned at the start of the year.
But the Ichabods will get the opportunity to send their 17 seniors out with a victory when 1-9 Washburn hosts 1-9 Northeastern State in Saturday's 1 p.m. Senior Day contest at Yager Stadium.
Offensive lineman Andrew Funk (72) is one of 17 Washburn seniors who will be honored Saturday on Senior Day at Yager Stadium. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The fact that 10 of Washburn's 17 seniors are sidelined with injuries says a lot about what the Ichabods have endured this fall, but WU coach Craig Schurig said it would be important to the program for WU to end the challenging season with a positive outcome.
"This year has been tough and they've hung in there,'' Schurig said of the senior class. "I feel bad for the ones that can't play. Some of their years were cut pretty short, but they've done a lot for this program and they've had really good careers, so you'd like to play well on Senior Day and give them something that they could be like, 'Hey, that was a fun game.' ''
Ichabod senior offensive lineman Andrew Funk agreed.
"It's very important to us,'' said the 6-foot-3, 298-pounder out of St. Charles, Mo. "Obviously, it's not the season we wanted but to end on a high note, not only for the seniors but to roll into next season with all these younger guys would be great.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Centennial League soccer champion Washburn Rural, which won its 29th straight league title (outright or shared) and went on to a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament, put five players on the all-league first team, including senior player of the year Devon Rutschmann.
Washburn Rural senior Devon Rutschmann has been named the Centennial League soccer player of the year after helping lead the Junior Blues to a 19-2-0 record and the league title. [File photo/TSN]
Veteran Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel was named the Centennial League soccer coach of the year after Rural captured a 29th straight league title and finished third in Class 6A. [File photo/TSN]
Rural coach Brian Hensyel was named the Centennial League coach of the year aftr leading the Junior Blues to a 19-2-0 record and a perfect 5-0-0 record in league play.
Rutschmann was joined on the first team by Rural seniors Griffin Heinen, Cohen Nimz and Ethan Uhlrig and junior Ryder Nikkel.
Topeka High is represented on the all-league first team by senior Chris Gomez and junior Jaime Alvarado.
Rural put senior Hayden Shriver and sophomores Dylan Willingham, Brandon Hamilton and Draden Chooncharoen on the All-Centennial second team while Hayden senior Josh Wolf also earned second-team recognition.
Eight city players received all-league honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SOCCER
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's football team is in the midst of a dream 2023 season, and the Junior Blues aren't ready to wake up yet.
Steve Buhler's Junior Blues outscored Wichita East 21-0 in the second half to pull away for a 35-14 Class 6A quarterfinal win Friday night at Bowen-Glaze Stadium, improving to 11-0 on the year while advancing to a home sub-state matchup next Friday with Derby, a 23-21 winner over Manhattan.
JC Heim (25), who scored three touchdowns, and Washburn Rural celebrate Friday night's 35-14 Class 6A quarterfinal win over Wichita East. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural celebrates after being presented with the Class 6A sectional trophy after Friday night's 35-14 win over Wichita East. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"We've just got to keep playing,'' Washburn Rural coach Steve Buhler said. "These guys have been talking about this for a long time. We made a run to this game last year and felt like we could have played a little bit better against Derby last year and these guys just took it and ran. They knew this is where they wanted to be and they've worked hard to get here.''
Washburn Rural, which edged Wichita East 26-25 in the season-opener, was locked in a 14-all halftime deaclock with the Blue Aces Friday night before the Rural defense came up with defensive stands at the end of the first half and a pair of stops in the second half and pulled away down the stretch on three JC Heim touchdown runs.
"We just keep building and every time we go back to work that next Monday we have to stay disciplined and keep going,'' Heim said. "We just need to keep this train going.''
Washburn Rural junior Lafayette Thompson scored Friday's first touchdown on a 70-yard reception from Branton DeWeese. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Rural drew first blood midway through the opening quarter after forcing a Wichita East fumble, with senior Branton DeWeese connecting with junior Lafayette Thompson for a 70-yard touchdown on the Junor Blues' second play from scrimmage (Wilson Miller kick).
Wichita East, which finished its season 8-3, tied the game on a 29-yard run from senior Rayvelle Leak with 2:33 left in the first quarter (Cohen Richardson kick) but Washburn Rural regained the lead on a 6-yard TD pass from DeWeese to senior Titan Osburn with 11:30 left in the first half (Miller kick).
East pulled even for a second time when senior quarterback Daeonte' Mitchell scored from a yard out (Richardson kick) at the 3:56 mark of the second quarter and the Aces reached the Rural 1-yard-line late in the first half before senior Jaren Heim threw Mitchell for a 5-yard loss to end the threat.
