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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Joy Marie Galliart, who will take the reins of the highly-successful Washburn Rural softball program in the 2023-2024 school year, was born and raised in Oklahoma, where she has also spent her entire high school softball coaching career.
Joy Marie Galliart speaks to her future Washburn Rural softball team and Rural parents Monday at the school. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Galliart's ties to Kansas also run deep.
Galliart played softball at Washburn University and graduated from WU with a bachelor’s degree in biology and while one of her daughters currently attends Washburn her other daughter is right down the road at Kanas State.
"They are two of the big reasons why this job was appealing to me, so that I could come up here and be closer to them,'' said Galliart, who met her new team and Rural parents Monday night at Rural. "When they gave me their approval I was super excited about the possibility and I knew it was something that I wanted to pursue pretty heavily.''
Galliart comes to Washburn Rural from Bixby High School in Bixby, Okla. after previously coaching at her alma mater, Bishop Kelley High in Tulsa, Okla.
"I've been at Bixby the last 14 years, so I've been there for a long time and now here I am, ready to start another chapter in my teaching and coaching book, so to speak.''
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Dwayne Paul wasn't looking to leave the Hayden High boys basketball program, but when a job at a high-profile Class 6A school in a premier 6A league opened up, Paul said it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Dwayne Paul has stepped down as Hayden's boys basketball coach after two seasons to take take over at Lawrence Free State. [File photo/TSN]
Paul confirmed Monday that he is stepping down at Hayden after two seasons to take the head coaching position at Lawrence Free State, where he will replace former Kansas star Sherron Collins, who resigned after one season.
"It was one of those things where the job actually fell in my lap, I didn't go out pursuing it,'' Paul told TopSports.news. "I had someone reach out to me that was a friend of a friend, saying (Free State) was open and available and thought I would be good for it. That, then in turn, piqued my interest to go and look at it.
"I did some praying and soul-searching, and I talked to my wife about it, and kind of went from there. It wasn't like I was scrolling through all the openings in the state because I could have been at Hayden my entire career and been just fine and had success.''
Paul met with his Hayden players and Wildcat parents Monday afternoon to inform them of his decision and said he expects the school to continue to have success in the Centennial League and 4A.
"I know that we lost some top-heavy talent, but we had talent retuning again for next season so I truly feel in my heart that with some of the pieces the Centennial was losing and some of the pieces that we were bringing back that we would be right back in the thick of things when it was all said and done and we'd give ourselves an opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs,'' Paul said.
"But when you have an opportunity like Free State, a job like that with that kind of history and tradition and expectations to win, it's very similar to Hayden if I'm being honest with you. It's just at a 6A level with a lot of resources, so it was hard to pass up that opportunity.''
Hayden posted a fourth-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament in Paul's first season at the school in 2022 and the Wildcats played in a sub-state final this past season, losing to Atchison, 46-43. Paul posted a 21-26 record at Hayden.
Paul took the Hayden job after a successful run at Class 1A Division I Lebo, where he led the Wolves to a pair of state tournament appearances.
Before going to Lebo, Paul served as an assistant to Shaun Vandiver at NCAA Division II Emporia State from 2013-18 after previously serving as a full-time assistant at Henderson State. He also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Wyoming.
Paul takes over a Free State program that posted an 11-10 record last season under Collins.
Jeff Skar has stepped down as Topeka West's girls basketball coach after three seasons. The Chargers posted a 6-15 record in 2022-2023. [File photo/TSN]
SKAR STEPS DOWN AT TOPEKA WEST
Jeff Skar recently resigned his position as head girls basketball coach at Topeka West after three seasons.
Skar was a former Charger assistant before taking over the head coaching position prior to the 2020-2021 season.
The Chargers are coming off their most successful season under Skar in 2022-2023, with Topeka West posting a 6-15 record in its first season in the United Kansas Conference.
Topeka West ended its season with a Class 5A sub-state semiinal loss to Andover, which went on to post a fourth-place finish in the 5A state tournament.
West's six wins last season maked the Chargers' highest win total in more than 15 seasons.
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
It's been a tough senior year for Shawnee Heights track star Jeremiah Smith, who has yet to compete this spring.
Shawnee Heights senior track star Jeremiah Smith (right) jokes with teammates during last Friday's Joe Schrag City Championship at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the fastest 100-meter dash runner in Kansas high school history is getting closer and closer to what he is confident will be a triumphant return.
"It is pretty hard,'' Smith said. "It's been depressing all year but, you know, it's part of the journey so you just deal with it.''
The Nebraska signee won Class 5A titles in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and the 110 high hurdles as a sophomore in 2021 and recorded a Kansas all-time best of 10.27 seconds early in the 2022 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in last year's Joe Schrag City Championship.
Smith suffered another leg injury prior to the start of the 2023 season, which has delayed his return.
"I hurt it in the offseason actually and I've just been trying to nurse it back this whole time,'' Smith said.
While Smith is obviously eager to return to action, he also wants to be smart and not take any chances.
"Last year I ran on an injury and I just made it worse, so this year I'm not going to do that,'' Smith said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2023 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Hayden's Finn Dunshee (right) and Topeka High's V'Ante Peoples rank one-two in Shawnee County in the boys 100-meter dash. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Dunshee, Hayden 10.76
Peoples, Topeka High 10.96
Merritt, Seaman 10.99
Rollenhagen, Silver Lake 11.08
Heim, Washburn Rural 11.10
200 METERS
Cochran, Seaman 22.34
Peoples, Topeka High 22.53
Murph, Topeka High 22.64
Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 22.71
Rollenhagen, Silver Lake 22.79
Hayden sophomore Jensen Schrickel is the Shawnee County leader in the 400-meter dash. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
400 METERS
Schrickel, Hayden 50.52
Roeder, Topeka High 51.40
Roney, Washburn Rural 51.72
Benz, Shawnee Heights 51.89
Terry, Washburn Rural 52.02
800 METERS
Moore, Seaman 2:00.12
Johnson, Washburn Rural 2:00.55
Anderson, Seaman 2:01.30
Brokaw, Silver Lake 2:03.65
Stuke, Seaman 2:04.81
Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge (left) and Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel are the Shawnee County leaders in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
1,600 METERS
Njoroge, Topeka West 4:17.71
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:23.09
Dial, Washburn Rural 4:33.13
Johnson, Washburn Rural 4:33.46
Jowers, Seaman 4:43.66
3,200 METERS
Njoroge, Topeka West 9:20.08
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 9:25.23
Johnson, Washburn Rural 9:51.59
Dial, Washburn Rural 9:51.97
Jowers, Seaman 10:05.32
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2023 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Ta'Mijha Nichols of Shawnee Heights is the Shawnee County leader in the girls 100-meter dash. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Nichols, Shawnee Heights 12.19
Marshall, Topeka High 12.74
Steiner, Seaman 13.05
Torres-Hill, Topeka High 13.07
Ross, Silver Lake 13.22
Topeka West senior Ala'Jah Brooks is the Shawnee County leader in the girls 100 and 200-meter dashes and the long jump. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
200 METERS
Brooks, Topeka West 25.65
Nichols, Shawnee Heights 25.88
Hillebert, Hayden 26.53
Marshall, Topeka High 26.83
Fredrickson, Washburn Rural 26.91
400 METERS
Brooks, Topeka West 57.26
Hillebert, Hayden 58.49
Fredrickson, Washburn Rural 60.01
Miller, Seaman 61.85
Rottinghaus, Shawnee Heights 61.91
Returning senior state champion Bethany Druse of Seaman is the Shawnee County leader in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
800 METERS
Druse, Seaman 2:16.51
Foster, Rossville 2:27.33
Fink, Washburn Rural 2:27.51
Carter, Washburn Rural 2:28.30
Ismert, Washburn Rural 2:28.92
