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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jesiah Bonura
JESIAH BONURA, Cair Paravel Latin
A senior football standout, Bonura compiled 435 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns in last Friday's 74-28 win over Maranatha Academy as Cair Paravel wrapped up a 6-2 regular season in just the Lions' second season as a full KSHSAA member in football. Bonura had four kickoff returns for 195 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 193 yards and two TDs on five carries and caught four passes for 47 yards and a TD.
Jackson Esquibel
JACKSON ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights
Esquibel, a senior cross country star, capped a sweep of city, United Kansas Conference and Class 5A regional individual titles Saturday at Shawnee North Community Center. A two-time 5A state medalist in cross country and a state champion in track, Esquibel posted a 53-second victory in the regional meet, clocking a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 46.02 seconds.
Payton Fink
PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural
Fink, a junior cross country standout, followed up her Centennial League individual title with a 10-second win Saturday at Wichita, helping the Junior Blues post a sweep of city, Centennial League and regional team championships. Fink, who placed fifth in the Class 6A state meet as a sophomore, clocked a winning five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 01.20 seconds in the regional meet.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Nine-time state volleyball champion Silver Lake is back in the Class 3A state tournament field after a three-year absence.
Silver Lake's volleyball team poses for a team picture after winning the Class 3A sub-state tournament Saturday at St. Marys. [Silver Lake volleyball]
Sarah Johnson's Eagles, the No. 2 seed in Saturday's St. Marys sub-state, punched their ticket to Friday and Saturday's state tourney at the Hutchinson Sports Arena with a hard-earned 25-16, 21-25, 26-24 win over No. 1 seed Rossville in the sub-state final.
The Eagles, 28-11 on the season, opened their sub-state bid with a 20-25, 25-4, 25-13 quarterfinal win over Sabetha and knocked off Royal Valley in the semifinals, 25-23, 28-26.
Silver Lake and Rossville hooked up for the fifth time this season in the championship match, with four of those matches going to three sets.
Silver Lake, which won its most recent state title in 2018, is the No. 6 seed for the 3A tournament and will open the state tournament with an 8:30 a.m. Pool II match Friday against No. 3 seed Cheney (35-4).
The Eagles will also face No. 2 seed Neodesha (36-3) at 11:30 a.m. and No. 7 Riverton (25-10) at 12:30 p.m. in pool play.
On the other side of the 3A bracket are No. 1 Beloit (37-2), No. 4 Heritage Christian (34-4), No. 5 Smoky Valley (29-11) and No. 8 Goodland (23-15).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to 9 a.m. semifinals on Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
MATCH RESULTS
Quarterfinals -- Rossville def. Atchison County, 25-14, 25-6; St. Marys def. Jefferson West, 25-21, 25-17; Silver Lake def. Sabatha, 20-25, 25-4, 25-13; Royal Valley def. Hiawatha, 25-18, 25-18.
Semifinals -- Rossville def. St. Marys, 25-13, 25-21; Silver Lake def. Royal Valley, 25-23, 28-26.
Championship -- Silver Lake def. Rossville, 25-16, 21-25, 26-24.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the Class 5A state tournament and returning a strong nucleus from its 2022 team, there was a certain amount of pressure on Seaman's volleyball team this season.
Seaman's volleyball team poses for a picture after winning Saturday's Class 5A sub-state tournament at Seaman. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
"At the start of the season there were a lot of expectations and I think we might have got down on ourselves for a little bit, but I think we've built our confidence back up,'' Seaman senior Brooklyn Gormley said.
And in the end, Tatiana Dowling's 33-6 Vikings were able to handle everything thrown at them, advancing to to their fourth straight state tournament with a 25-16, 25-15 win over Newton in the final of Saturday's 5A sub-state tournament at Seaman.
"We never discount any team when we're coming into this type of situation,'' Dowling said. "I felt like we came out flat (in the semifinals) against Eisenhower and it showed a little bit and then we picked it up throughout the game and definitely did a better job against Newton.
"I don't think that they have felt the burden of expectations. They come out and work hard every single day ... I think that they just meet every challenge and it's been really good.''
Seaman volleyball celebrates a point during Saturday's Class 5A sub-state tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman junior Campbell Chabot (3) sets the ball during the Vikings' sub-state final against Newton. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman was the No. 4 sub-state seed in the West and senior Brooklyn Gormley said the Vikings felt some nerves early in the day but that the butterflies quickly dissapated as the day went on.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's been an uncharcteristic 2023 season for the proud Washburn Rural volleyball program, with the Junior Blues dropping 10 matches, their most since 2016 season, after losing a total of three matches over the previous two seasons combined.
Washburn Rural's volleyball team celebrates after receiving the Class 6A sub-state championship trophy Saturday at Rural. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural's volleyball team poses for a team picture Saturday after earning its 25th trip to the Class 6A state tournament in 29 seasons under coach Kevin Bordewick. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But Kevin Bordewiick's Junior Blues team is back in familiar territory, headed to the Class 6A state tournament, after a dominant performance in Saturday's sub-state tourney at Rural.
Washburn Rural topped Derby 25-9, 25-15 in the sub-state final and has now earned 25 state berths in 29 seasons under Bordewick with eight state championships, including the 2022 crown.
"I think we've worked all season for this,'' Rural senior standout Jada Ingram said. "From the start of the season to now you can definitely see how much we've improved and I think we have a really special group. A lot of people doubt us, but I think we're going to make a great run at state.''
The Junior Blues, now 28-10, will open their '23 state bid at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina and are the No. 5 seed in the eight-team field.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural junior Payton Fink won the individual title in Saturday's Class 6A cross country regional at Wichita while leading the Junior Blues to the girls team championship.
Washburn Rural junior Payton Fink won the individual championship in Saturday's Class 6A regional cross country meet at Wichita, leading the Junior Blues to the team title. [File photo/TSN]
Fink posted a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 01.20 seconds to win by nearly 10 seconds over Junction City senior Lorna Rae Pierce (18:11.00) while the Junior Blues put four runners in the top nine places individually to take the team title by a 43-62 margin over the Blue Jays.
Rural also got a fifth-place finish from sophomore Emily Graf (19:53.60), a sixth-place finish from junior Rylee Ismert (20:02.40) and a ninth from junior Brooklyn Nolte (20:21.00).
Sophomore Kenzie Maddox was the Junior Blues' No. 5 runner in 23rd place (21:25.10) while freshman Kate Muir (21:43.60) was 26th and sophomore Lacey Middleton (24:35.30) 43rd.
Freshman Juliahnna Savago led Topeka High with a 21st-place finish (21:15.20).
