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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural swimming coach Bob Burdick missed Thursday's girls Centennial League meet for a very good reason, with Burdick in California for his son's college graduation.
But his Junior Blues team would have made their coach proud, with Washburn Rural rolling to its third straight league team championship by a 520-435 margin over Manhattan at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Washburn Rural celebrates its third straight Centennial League girls swimming championship Thursday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Audrey Appuhn won four gold medals in Thursday's Centennial League swimming meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Makenna Pritchard (left), who won four gold medals, congratulates teammate Ella Bombardier at the conclusion the 50-yard freestyle after Pritchard and Bombardier finished one-three in Thursday's Centennial League swim meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"His son is graduating from USC tonight so he had to be at his son's graduation, but he's sending the love and we can feel the love and we're sending him love back,'' Pritchard said. "We're so proud of his son and we're so proud of him.''
Washburn Rural won eight events, with Pritchard, a senior, and freshman Audrey Appuhn winning four gold medals apiece. The Junior Blues added four second-place finishes and posted top-three finishes in 11 of 12 events.
"(Burdick) said, 'Go out and do what we always do,' '' Pritchard said. "We know how to swim, we know how to race. We're done it for the last four years together so he told us, 'Go out and do you.' ''
Pritchard posted individual victories in the 50-yard freestyle (25.36 seconds) and 100 free (55.94) while Appuhn won the 200 individual medley (2 minutes, 11.39 seconds) and the 500 free (5:13.53) and Mara Bara won the 100 backstroke (1:02.80).
Washburn Rural also swept the three relays, with Appuhn, Kiersten Harris, Bare and Pritchard winning the 200 medley relay (1:55.69), Harris, Molly Didde, Sophie Heinen and Genevieve Miranda winning the 200 free relay (1:50.84) and Miranda, Bare, Appuhn and Pritchard taking the 400 free relay (3:48.87).
While Pritchard was competing in her final Centennial meet, Appuhn made a big splash in her league debut, continuing an oustanding freshman campaign.
"Honestly, I've just been looking forward to this since I was eight and just to be able to come to the meet, it doesn't matter the place to me, just to be able to come here and see everyone that I love every single day, it really means the world to me,'' Appuhn said.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Cair Paravel Latin girls soccer team’s three seniors remember when seventh-graders were needed to field a full team. They recall competing for championships in leagues that received little to no media recognition.
Cair Paravel seniors Eva Rollenhagen, Audrey Smith and Sage Schwartz were honored Wednesday on Senior Night after the Lions' 3-0 win over Heritage Christian. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Katherine Keys (1) and Zahra Friess both scored goals and had assists in Cair Paravel's 3-0 weather-shortened win over Heritage Christian Wednesday. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Cair Paravel's KellyAnn Chada scored a goal in the Lions' 3-0 weather-shortened win over Heritage Christian on Wednesday. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
They also remember advancing to KSHSAA’s Class 4-1A state Final Four last spring, the smallest school in the state with a soccer team reaching the biggest stage.
With a 3-0 weather-shortened win over Heritage Christian Academy at the Sunflower Soccer Association on Wednesday, CPLS assured itself of a top-two position in the 4-1A East Region and sewed up a bye in the first round of the regional playoffs that kick off next week.
To the seniors who remember where the program came from, that’s further confirmation that they belong.
“It’s so nice to be able to play (in KSHSAA) these past couple of years,” said Sage Schwartz. “I feel like it really showcases our school’s skill because we’re so small we don’t usually get recognized.”
“The amazing part is that, even before we got to KSHSAA, we worked just as hard and really the style of our play hasn’t really changed,” Audrey Smith said. “We just had more opportunities to show people what we could do.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Entering Friday and Saturday's Class 5A state boys tennis tournament at Arkansas City, Topeka West has already swept city, United Kansas Conference and regional team championships and is considered one of the top contenders for the state title after finishing second a year ago.
Topeka West varsity tennis players Ian Cusick, Caleb Weybrew, Miles Cusick, Carter Cool, James Maag and Caden McGee are all members of the National Honor Society in addition to being city, UKC and Class 5A regional team champions. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West's top six varsity tennis players posed for a picture with head coach Kurt Davids and assistant coach Shon Daniels at the recent National Honor Soccer induction ceremony after winning the UKC team championship. [Photo courtesy of Katie Shiflett]
And that may not even be the Chargers' most impressive accomplishment.
Kurt Davids' team of seniors Ian Cusick, Miles Cusick and Carter Cool and juniors James Maag, Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew not only go into state with a combined 119-34 record on the season but all six have also earned the rare distinction of earning membership in the prestigious National Honor Society.
"I'm really impressed with my guys,'' Ian Cusick said.. "Sometimes they may act kind of dumb around me, but I'm really impressed that everybody was able to be in (NHS) at the same time.''
Miles Cusick agreed with his twin brother.
"We were talking about it at practice the other day and we're interested to see if you could find another team in the state of Kansas that has all six of their varsity in the National Honor Society, so it's definitely a cool thing that we all managed to do,'' said Miles, who teamed with Ian to win the Class 5A state doubles title in 2022.
While the Chargers' recent success on the tennis court has been well-documented, their academic success shows that the classroom is just as important to the team.
Cool, who will attend the University of Kansas next school year, is the valedictorian of the Topeka West graduating class of 2023 while the Cusicks rank in the top 10 and Maag, McGee and Weybrew are among the top students in the junior class.
"Actually, I take (academics) more serious than I do tennis,'' said Cool, a two-time city champ in No. 1 singles. "I'd say tennis comes second to my studies, but obviously I take that very serious.''
"I think I probably take my grades more serious than I do tennis to some extent,'' said Ian Cusick, who will attend KU. "They always say you're a student before an athlete and you have to make the grades if you want to play, so grades are pretty important to me.''
Miles Cusick said academic success is also important to his family.
"I think it's aways been emphasized in the Cusick household that we are student-athletes and even though we're very dedicated to tennis, we're also very dedicated to grades,'' said Miles, who will attend Kansas State.
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By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
With a 4-0 road win over Topeka High on Monday evening Washburn Rural soccer (11-4 overall) completed a 5-0 run through the Centennial League in 2023.
Washburn Rural seniors Brooklyn DeLeye (right) and Addi Broxterman (second from right) scored goals Monday night as the Junior Blues wrapped up the Centennial League title with a 4-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Kate Hinck (9), who scored a goal, advances the ball as Topeka High senior Lexi Brosa gives chase in the Junior Blues' 4-0 win. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/TSN]
Senior Mackinly Rohn (1) and the Washburn Rural soccer team wrapped up the Centennial League championship with a 4-0 win over Topeka High Monday night. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/TSN]
But for coach Brian Hensyel and the Lady Blues, each match in the final weeks of the season is a step towards goals for the postseason.
“Our goal is to win league every year so to do that is awesome. I’m proud of us for that, but we always have bigger goals and our biggest goal is to make the Final Four in (Class) 6A,” Hensyel said. “We’ve put ourselves in pretty good position with the playoff seeding but we are going to have to play better in the next couple of weeks if we want to keep playing.”
The 4-0 topping of the Trojans (7-8, 1-3) was the Lady Blues' fourth straight win after three consecutive losses. It also spoiled Senior Night for Topeka High and its nine-player deep senior class.
“It’s been fantastic working with this group and it's a huge group,” said Topeka High coach Derek Snook. “Just the tenacity and willingness to work at times has shown the younger ones hopefully what we need to do going forward.”
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin's girls soccer team won its 11th straight match with a convincing 10-0 mercy-rule victory over Maranatha Christian Academy on Monday evening at the Sunflower Soccer Complex.
Katherine Keys scored a three-goal hat track Monday as Cair Paravel Latin pushed its win streak to 11 games with a 10-0 win over Maranatha Christian Academy. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Cair Paravel's Zahra Friess (3) slides into the goal for the first of her two goals in the Lions' 10-0 win over Maranatha Christian Academy. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Sage Schwartz is congratulated by her teammates after scoring a goal in Cair Paravel's 10-0 win over Maranatha Christian Academy. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Cair Paravel's last and only loss was a 3-2 overtime loss to Class 5A Seaman back on March 28th, but the Lions have dominated every school since the one-goal loss in the third game of the 2023 campaign.
The Lions have outscored the opposition 85-8 this season and are seeded No. 1 in the 4-1A east side of the regional standings after seven weeks.
Cair Paravel coach Doug Woolery believes that the Lions are playing their best soccer as CPLS approaches the end of the regular season.
"Every coach, no matter where at the end of the season, wants their team to get better and better. I feel like the girls here have done that," Woolery said. "It seems like the combination of where everybody's playing right now is great. After the Seaman game, I said I didn't have the pieces in the right place. I feel like I have that now. It's just a matter of the girls continuing to gel with each other."
Cair Paravel (12-1-1) ran the pace of play against Maranatha on Monday. Not many of the passes from the Lions were disrupted, challenged or intercepted. Instead, Cair Paravel consistently made clean passes, opening the contest early.
