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Created: 09 June 2023

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Eighteen Shawnee County high school softball standouts have received first-team All-State honors from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association, including seven first-team selections.

Washburn Rural senior Emmerson Cope has been named to the KSCA All-6A team for the third straight season. [File photo/TSN]

Topeka High senior shortstop Adisyn Caryl has received All-6A first team recognition by the KSCA for the third straight season. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural's Reagan Chapman has received first-team All-6A softball honors as a freshman. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn Rural senior pitcher Emmerson Cope and Topeka High senior infielder Adisyn Caryl were named to the All-6A first team for the third straight season while Rural freshman infielder Reagan Chapman was also a first-team All-6A pick.

Seaman senior pitcher/infielder Aspen Burgardt is an All-Class 5A first-team selection as an infielder. [File photo/TSN]

Senior pitcher Brinley Dyche earned first-team All-3A recognition for the second straight season after helping the Bulldawgs win the 3A state title. [File photo/TSN]

 

Rossville junior Kinsey Perine is a first-team All-3A repeat pick after helping lead the Bulldawgs to the 3A state title. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]

Silver Lake sophomore Taylor Zordel earned a spot on the All-3A first team as an infielder. [File photo/TSN]

Seaman senior infielder Aspen Burgardt earned first-team recognition in 5A while Rossille senior pitcher Brinley Dyche, Rossville junior infielder Kinsey Perine and Silver Lake sophomore infielder Taylor Zordel received first-team honors in 3A.

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Created: 13 June 2023

 Editor's note: Over the next week, TopSports.news will take a look at all of the nominees for the 2023 Topeka Shawnee County High School Sports Awards. All nominees will be recognized at the June 28 awards banquet, which will be held in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame induction at Washburn University's Memorial Union.

FALL SPORTS: OUTSTANDING MALE NOMINEES

Jayden Berry

JAYDEN BERRY | Shawnee Heights

PARENTS: Keith and Annette Berry

SPORT: Football | GPA: 3.7

A defensive back, Berry led Shawnee Heights with four interceptions and eight pass breakups last fall while recording 50 tackles (31 solos). "Jayden was an outstanding football and baseball player,'' Heights football coach Jason Swift said. "As a senior Jayden dominated on the defense by covering the best receiver, even though he was undersized. Jayden practiced hard, always led by example and set the tone for the team. The two-year starter was fantastic on defense.'' Berry was also a three-year letterman in baseball. Berry plans to attend Washburn University.

 Jacob Carver

JACOB CARVER | Rossville

PARENTS: Marc and Jill Carver

SPORT: Football | GPA: 4.0

An offensive lineman, Carver was a four-year starter and senior captain for the Bulldawgs, helping Rossville win Class 2A state championships in 2020 and 2021. Carver was a two-time All-Shawnee County and All-Mid-East League first-team pick while also earning All-2A recognition from various organizations. Carver was a selection for the Kansas Shrine Bowl. "Jacob exhibits a standard of excellence as a student and leader as well,'' Rossville football coach Derick Hammes said. "Rossville faculty, staff and students regard him as a person who leads by example. He is looked up to by everyone in school.'' Carver placed second in the Class 3A-1A state wrestling tournament as a junior and fourth as a senior and will play college football at Emporia State.

Troy Heiman

TROY HEIMAN | Silver Lake

PARENTS: Jim and Amy Heiman

SPORT: Football | GPA: 4.0

Heiman had a big senior season for Logan Pegram's Silver Lake program last fall, catching 38 passes for 468 yards and seven touchdowns. "As a new coach inheriting our program, Troy exemplified excellence every day,'' Pegram said. "Silver Lake is a better place because of Troy Heiman.'' Heiman was a first-team All-Mid-East League selection and received All-Shawnee County Second 22 honors as a senior. Heiman was also a basketball standout for the Eagles, earning All-Mid-East first-team honors and Second 10 all-county recognition, and was a state qualifier in track and field. Heiman has signed a letter of intent to play college football at Washburn.

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Created: 12 June 2023

Editor's note: Over the next week, TopSports.news will take a look at all of the nominees for the 2023 Topeka Shawnee County High School Sports Awards. All nominees will be recognized at the June 28 awards banquet, which will be held in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame induction at Washburn University's Memorial Union.

FALL SPORTS: OUTSTANDING FEMALE NOMINEES

Jenessa Broxterman 

JENESSA BROXTERMAN | Hayden

PARENTS: Justin and Stacy Broxterman

SPORT: Volleyball | GPA: 4.263

Broxterman turned in a solid season as the lone senior on Hayden's volleyball team. "Jenessa really stepped up this year as a leader on our team and as a result was a positive role model for all of her teammates,'' said Jim Davis, Broxterman's coach at Hayden. Broxterman finished her season with 143 kills and 110 digs while serving 89 percent. "Her strong swing and her ability to place the ball made her hard to defend at the net, resulting in her being one of our top hitters,'' Davis said. "We are sure she will do great things in years to come and she will definitely be missed.'' Broxterman was also a standout for Hayden's soccer team that finished third in Class 4A-1A. Broxterman has signed a letter of intent with Kansas State's rowing progam. 

Lois Deeter

LOIS DEETER | Seaman

PARENTS: John and Tausha Deeter

SPORT: Golf | GPA: 3.8

Deeter earned All-City, all-league and all-state honors in each of her three high school golf seasons, placing in the top 10 in the Class 5A state tournament each year. "Lois Deeter has been a team leader since her freshman year on the golf team and she has set most every school record during her career at Seaman High School,'' Viking coach Julie McLaughlin said. As a senior Deeter won the United Kansas Conference individual title, leading Seaman to the team championship. "Lois is focused and commited to the game she loves,'' McLaughlin said. "She enjoys long hours improving and practicing her skills. Furthermore, she really values being part of a team.'' Deeter has signed a letter of intent to play collegiately at Arkansas Tech. 

Brooklyn DeLeye

BROOKLYN DELEYE | Washburn Rural

PARENTS: John and Janel DeLeye

SPORT: Volleyball | GPA: 4.167

DeLeye was a two-time Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and two-time Class 6A player of the year in volleyball while being named to the all-state first team four straight years. DeLeye led Washburn Rural to the 6A state championship last fall and finished her high school career as Rural's career leader in kills (2,090), most hit attempts (4,086), most hits completed (3,496) and ace serves (277). "Brooklyn is one of the most dominant game changers that has ever graced the volleyball courts in Kansas,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "People came to our matches to watch her, and little kids idolize her. With all of that she is very humble. A better role model for our younger kids cannot be found. A truly once in a coachin lifetime player for us.'' DeLeye also helped the Junior Blues win a 6A state basketball title and was a standout in soccer. DeLeye will play volleyball at Kentucky.,  

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Created: 07 June 2023

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Friday, May 26, was an extremely tough day for Olathe Northwest softball and track and field standout Kendall Yarnell, one she'll never forget.

But now Yarnell, who recently completed her junior year of high school, has turned her attention towards trying to help make sure something good comes out of that heartbreaking day, not only for herself but for other multi-sport athletes across the state.

Olathe Northwest star Kendall Yarnell finished second in the Class 6A discus as a freshman and sophomore, but was not able to compete in this year's event after KSHSAA officials ruled that Yarnell was not properly scratched out of an earlier event. [Submitted photo]

Kendall Yarnell, who recently completed her junior year, is a softball and track and field star for Olathe Northwest. [Submitted photo]

After dropping a marathon 3-1 12-inning decision to Washburn Rural in a Class 6A state softball semifinal, Yarnell made the extremely tough decision for forego the third-place game and make the 2 hour, 30-minute trip to Wichita with her parents so the 6A leader and two-time state runnerup in the discus could compete in that event at the state track and field championships.

Yarnell, also a state qualiifier in the 6A shot put, made it to Wichita State well before the start of the discus competition, but was informed by Kansas State High School Activities Association officials that she would not be allowed to compete in the discus because she had not properly been scratched out of the shot put earlier in the day. That ruling eliminated Yarnell from state competition for the remainder of the meet. 

"After we lost in 12 innings, and after I got intentionally walked six times, I was kind of like, 'That actually could possibly happen again in the third-place game,' and I didn't want that to happen,'' Yarnell said in a phone interview. "The whole team and Shawn (Lopez, Northwest's head coach) kind of knew I was very upset after the loss but it was also that I was going to make the decision to go down to Wichita and it was hard to leave my team.

"Then when I went down to Wichita and they scratched me it was really hard because I had just gone through so much emotion about leaving my team. By the time they had scratched me I had already known that we had gotten fourth at state for softball, that we had already lost the third-place game. So it was a feeling of, 'If we would have known about this I could have been able to help.' It was a lot of weird feelings, a lot of frustration, a lot of feeling like I let down a team.''

Given nearly two weeks to reflect on the events of that day, Yarnell now just wants to be a proponent for the KSHSAA to change its state tournament schedule and create less overlap to be more condusive for athletes who qualify for state in multiple events to be able to compete.

"It was hard, but after like two weeks now it's one of those things where we knew a conflict was going to happen at some point and whatever happened down in Wichita is what happened,'' Yarnell said. "It is what happened and now we're just looking to change dates and hopefully never have any more conflicts.''

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