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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert has put together a very solid cross country career, including a Class 6A state medal as a junior and top-five finishes in city, league and regional competition.
Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert reacts at the finish line after winning the girls Centennial League cross country championship Saturday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But wins had been hard to come by for the Junior Blue standout, something she took care of Saturday with a decisive individual championship by more than 18 seconds in the Centennial League meet on Rural's home course.
Ismert clocked a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 02.9 seconds to lead the way as Washburn Rural placed three runners in the top five and all of its top five in the top 12 spots as the Junior Blues rolled to the league team title by a 28-54 margin over Manhattan.
Washburn Rural seniors Rylee Ismert (788) and Payton Fink run side by side in Saturday's Centennial League meet en route to a one-two finish for the team-champion Junior Blues. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ismert said her pre-race goal was to stick as long as possible with senior teammate Payton Fink, the 2023 league champ.
"That was the plan because I knew that we would both push each other if we stayed together,'' Ismert said.
Ismert eventually took the lead about the two-mile mark and pulled away for the win while Fink finished second in 18:21.4.
"I guess I just kind of felt it,'' Ismert said. "I felt better than I thought I was going to, so I put a little surge into it and wanted to see what happened.''
Junior Emily Graf was fifth (18:52.6) for the Junior Blues while senior Brooklyn Nolte finished 10th (19:38.8) and junior Kenzie Maddox 12th (20:21.0) to round out the Junior Blues' top five.
"We've been training really hard this season and our coaches have been giving us really good workouts and it's paying off a lot for us,'' Ismert said.
Hayden got a seventh-place finish from senior Elliot Wrench (19:24.1).
Junction City senior Ethan Fontaine won the boys individual title in 15:49.4 to lead the way as the Blue Jays put five runners in the top 11 en route to winning the team championship by a 28-43 margin over Manhattan.
Washburn Rural freshman Henry Laubach finishes off a second-place performance in his first Centennial League meet Saturday at Rural, leading the Junior Blues to a third-place team finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural finished third with 61 points as Henry Laubach continued his outstanding freshman season with a second-place finish behind Fontaine in 15:49.4.
The Junior Blues also got a top-10 finish from junior Brooks Kehoe (16:25.6), who placed ninth.
Hayden finished fifth in the boys standings with 127 points whle Topeka High was sixth with 158 points.
Washburn Rural and Topeka High will be vying for state berths in a Class 6A state regional meet next Saturday at Kanza Park, with the girls race at 10:35 a.m. and the boys at 11:45.
Hayden will compete in a 4A regional next Saturday at Blue Valley Southwest, with the girls running at 10 a.m. and the boys at 11:10.
State competition will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2, with 6A competing at Rim Rock Farm north of Lawrence and 4A competing at Wamego Country Club.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE CROSS COUNTRY
Zulueta caps dominating postseason run with third Class 4A state title as Hayden rolls to team crown
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden senior tennis star Ainzley Zulueta capped one of the most dominant postseason runs in Kansas history on Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center, capturing her third Class 4A singles championship while leading the Wildcats to their second team title in three seasons.
Hayden senior Ainzley Zulueta won her third Class 4A state singles title Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center, helping the Wildcats win the 4A team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
In fact, although a rare player may equal it, no netter will ever surpass what Zulueta accomplished this fall, going through both regionals and the state tournament without dropping a single game while posting eight straight 6-0, 6-0 victories.
Zulueta finished off her undefeated season and amazing postseason run with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Buhler freshman Sofia Spies in Saturday's state championship match.
Zulueta admitted that a perfect run wasn't necessarily a goal when postseason began, but the deeper she went, particularly in the state tournament, the more realistic it became.
"That wasn't my main goal going into it, but once I started at regionals without dropping a game that was kind of my goal going into state,'' Zulueta said.
Spies came within a point of ending Zulueta's streak when she jumped out to a 40-0 lead in the first game of the final, but Zulueta battled back to win that game and was in control the remainder of the match.
"Once I got past that first game I was really set on just staying in the point and not thinking about what would happen afterwards, just so I could stop her from getting a game, I guess,'' Zulueta said. "That was my goal.''
After winning state titles as a freshman and sophomore, Zulueta had to sit out her junior high school season after attending a tennis academy in Texas.
But she said that just made her more determined to add title No. 3.
"I was way more determined to win it this year,'' Zulueta said. "I wasn't expecting to go 0 and 0 throughout the whole entire tournament, but that makes it a lot more memorable.''
Senior Ainzley Zulueta is congratulated by fellow Hayden students after winning her third Class 4A state singles title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden senior Ainzley Zulueta receives a hug from her father after winning her third Class 4A state singles title on Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Zulueta, who will play collegiately at Ferris State (Mich.), said that winning multiple state titles became a goal before she ever got to Hayden after watching former Wildcat four-time champ Brooklyn Hunter.
"I would always look up to Brooklyn Hunter and I used to watch her when she was here, so my parents kind of instilled that goal in me. They were like, 'You could definitely do it,' so that kind of made it my goal going into high school,'' she said.
"That definitely kind of made me a lot more motivated throughout high school.''
All six members of the Hayden team earned state medals on Saturday, which made the weekend that much more memorable.
Hayden senior Emily Sheetz (right) and freshman Sophia Wichman posted a runnerup Class 4A state doubles finish Saturday, helping lead the Wildcats to the Class 4A state team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Emily Sheetz, a two-time state doubles champion and four-time state medalist, teamed with freshman Sophia Wichman to finish second in doubles while junior Grace Funk finished ninth in singles and juniors Izzy Glotzbach and Avery O'Bray posted an 11th- place doubles finish.
No. 2 seed Sheetz and Wichman dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision in the doubles final to Independence's top seeds Callie Schlorholtz, a senior, and junior Brooklyn Mattix.
Funk defeated Bishop Miege sophomore Ella Daniel 9-7 in the ninth-place singles match while Glotzbach and O'Bray took an 8-2 win over Miege's Mary Jeanne Thompson, a junior, and senior Shea Coughlan in the 11th-place match.
It all added up to the team championship by a 40-28 margin over McPherson, with Independence third with 26 points.
"It is a great weekend, and that was our whole goal,'' Hayden coach Christy Sheetz said of the team championship. "I knew going into it with Zulueta being back and Emily being strong at the doubles position that we had a great chance, especially because we were just very deep this year and the goal was always the team championship.''
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
A team effort in all three phases of the game gave Washburn University football its second MIAA victory of the season, a 42-21 win over Missouri Southern at Yager Stadium Saturday.
Washburn senior defensive lineman Chase McCoy celebrates after picking off a pass and returning it 20 yards for a touchdown in Saturday's 42-21 MIAA win over Missouri Southern. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Six different Ichabods scored, including a defensive lineman who said he blacked out and didn’t know how he wound up in the end zone.
Washburn sophomore Tre Richardson (6) scored the first touchdown of the game in Saturday's 42-21 MIAA win over Missouri Southern. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn started fast, with several big plays by Highland Park graduate Tre Richardson providing the spark. With the defense locked in, they jumped on the visiting Lions 21-0 in the first period.
“We started out hot and then kept the pressure on,” Washburn coach Craig Schurig said. “Defense did a really good job getting the ball back. Our run game was on point. That opens up a lot of things.
“I’m really proud of our guys for playing fast and not hesitant at all. We still had some mistakes and Southern kind of clawed back in it a little bit. But I’m proud of the way we responded.”
Richardson put the Ichabods up early when he hauled in a swing pass from Keller Hurla and took it 29 yards for a touchdown.
A fumble by Missouri Southern put the Ichabods right back in business. A reverse to Richardson produced a 41-yard run to set up a second Washburn touchdown – a 4-yard run by Lucas Oitker.
Washburn sophomore quarterback Sam Van Dyne (middle) ran for a touchdown and threw for a TD in Saturday's 42-21 MIAA win over Missouri Southern. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn quarterback Sam Van Dyne was next to find the end zone. His 7-yard run put the Ichabods up 21-0 at the close of the first period.
The Lions got on the board with a short run early in the second period when an interception set them up on the Ichabod 5-yard line.
Washburn responded with a 20-yard scoring run from Tylan Crochett and went to intermission with a 28-7 lead.
The Lions opened the second half with a score to close to 28-14. But Washburn’s Maury Sullivan took a Van Dyne pass to the end zone for a 9-yard TD on the ensuing drive.
The Ichabods pinned Missouri Southern deep with the kickoff, setting up the play of the game.
Sniffing out a middle screen, 290-pound defensive lineman Chase McCoy tipped, then reeled in, a pass and rumbled 20 yards for touchdown, the first of his career at any level.
“I got the ball and just kind of blacked out,” McCoy said. “I gave a stiff arm, got a little shifty out there and ended up in the end zone. Don’t know how that happened. The goal was just to not fall down.”
“Defensive touchdown, that just sends shock waves through everybody,” Schurig said. “(McCoy) looked good running the ball. We may have to put him at fullback. He wasn’t going to go down.”
McCoy’s touchdown highlighted a solid defensive effort by the Ichabods.
Defensively, the Ichabods were led by Jordan Finney's seven tackles and a breakup, while five other Ichabods had at least five stops. Washburn had two sacks for 15 yards and six tackles for a loss for 21 yards, adding five pass breakups.
“As a defense, this week we locked in and knew what we had to do to win this game,” said Washburn Rural graduate J.C. Heim, who recorded five tackles, including three for loss. “I think people see when we get on a roll, we can get hot. We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing in practice and take it to the next level.”
With four games remaining in the season, Washburn will look to build on the victory next Saturday at Central Missouri.
“We wanted to play well at home. We got off to a great start and the crowd got into it,” Schurig said. “I’m really proud of the guys. The practices have been good. Their effort, enthusiasm … we compete in practice and they go at it hard. It’s great to see them get reward for that.
“As a coach, you like seeing your guys happy at the end of the game. That’s part of the joy of coaching.”
WASHBURN 42, MISSOURI SOUTHERN 21
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
With a 28-14 home victory over Basehor-Linwood Friday night, the Seaman Vikings put themselves on the doorstep of a league championship, something they haven’t accomplished in 18 years.
Senior quarterback Max Huston (7) had a hand in all four touchdowns as Seaman clinched a share of the UKC title with a 28-14 win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Bryer Finley scored on a 76-yard TD pass in Seaman's 28-14 win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman won a defensive struggle by winning the turnover battle and letting senior Max Huston grind out three touchdowns.
Technically, the Vikings locked up a share of the United Kansas Conference title Friday night. The Vikings improved to 6-0 in the conference and handed the visiting Bobcats their first loss of the season.
With a game to play, the worst that could happen is a three-way tie for the league crown, depending upon the outcome of the Vikings’ final regular season game. The Vikings finish with a home game against De Soto, the other team in the running for the title at 5-1.
“We’ve got a share (of the title), and right now we’re just proud of our kids to be able to get this one done because (Basehor-Linwood coach Rod) Stallbaumer and their group has one of the best coached teams you’re going to face,” said Seaman coach Jared Swafford. “They are one of the most aggressive and fundamentally well-coached teams. We knew what we were getting ourselves into. We just needed more points than them in the end.”
The Vikings struck first in a fashion that is becoming customary. Huston fired deep to senior Bryer Finley, who hauled in the throw and raced 76 yards for the game’s first touchdown.
Basehor-Linwood’s Austin Adair answered with two scores, first on a 26-yard reception, then on a 52-yard run on a reverse.
Seaman responded with a drive that culminated in a Huston 2-yard run up the middle with 4:33 left in the half.
Seaman held on defense and got the ball back with less than a minute remaining. A 61-yard catch-and-run by Finley put the Vikings at the doorstep with just seconds remaining. Huston rushed for a 2-yard score identical to his previous touchdown, sending the Vikings to the intermission leading 21-14.
Both defenses dug in in the second half. Early in the third period, Seaman drove to the Bobcat 1-yard line, only to see Huston turned back on three straight carries and denied a fourth-down pass play.
The Vikings finally broke the stalemate in the fourth period. The Vikings’ Josh Brown intercepted a pass to give his team the ball with 6:43 remaining. On a 3rd-and-19 play, Huston was hemmed in near the sideline but started breaking tackles one by one. He spun and darted through traffic and ultimately wound up 47 yards down the field.
“I was sitting in the pocket. It started to collapse. I was just moving around, didn’t see anyone open, so I just had to take off,” Huston said. “I made some stuff happen and made a big play.”
Milking the clock for the next several plays, Huston wound up in the end zone with 1:57 remaining in the game.
“Max is a warrior and a heck of a football player,” Swafford said. “He handles the big moments well. He’s shown that his entire time here, even back when he was a sophomore thrown into the fire really quick.”
Huston stressed the job is not done yet.
“We’ve still got a game. We don’t want to tie it,” Huston said. “This feels great. We just want it all. So, we’re going to go practice hard and get what we want. Win next week and then it’s ours.”
“We will talk about league when it’s all said and done, but right now we’ll just focus on us continually getting better,” Swafford added.
SEAMAN 28, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 14
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Traditionally, Hayden football has been a run first offense.
But the Wildcats showed off their passing game Friday night on the way to wrapping up the Class 3A District 4 championship with a 50-16 romp past Perry-Lecompton on Senior Night at Hayden.
Senior Jett Wahlmeier threw for 240 yards and three TDs and also ran for a TD in Hayden's 50-16 win over Perry-Lecompton Friday night. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]
"I'm not going to let teams put eight guys in the box on us,'' Hayden coach Bill Arnold said. "I mean we've got way too many weapons that can catch the ball and we've got a quarterback that makes good decisions back there so we're going to take what they give us and that was pretty open.''
Hayden senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier completed 15 of 18 pass attempts for 240 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats improved to 6-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in the district.
"We all get excited when we call a pass play in the huddle and they all rally around me to get them the ball,'' Wahlmeier said.
"We just want to get better as a team and we've got to round out some rough edges. Obviously, this (a district title) is our goal every year and this is the first step to getting a state championship.''
Junior Kade Mitchell caught four passes for 122 yards, including a 61-yard TD, in Hayden's 50-16 district win over Perry-Lecompton. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Senior Jensen Schrickel rushed for 59 yards on six carries and caught four passes for 54 yards, including a 24-yard TD, in Hayden's 50-16 win over Perry-Lecompton. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Wahlmeier hit junior Kade Mitchell for a 61-yard touchdown, senior Jensen Schrickel for a 24-yard TD and senior Treyton Tetuan for a 21-yard score while also connecting with Schrickel for a 2-point conversion and scoring on a 21-yard run to key the Hayden rout.
Hayden capped its game-opening drive with an 8-yard Broderick Desch run (Schrickel 2-point conversion from Wahlmeier) and made it a 15-0 game early in the second quarter on a 3-yard run by junior Jude Krentz before making it a three-score game on Wahlmeier's long TD to Mitchell with 8:03 left in the first half.
Perry-Lecompton (2-5, 1-2) got on the scoreboard late in the half on a disputed 3-yard TD run by junior quarterback Garrett Metcalfe.
Metcalfe fumbled on the play and after a long discussion the officials ruled that Metcalfe had crossed the goal line before the ball came loose.
Metcalfe hit senior Eli Dean for a 2-point conversion to cut the Kaws' deficit to 22-8 but Hayden answered with Wahlmeier's 24-yard TD strike to Schrickel (Becker kick) with 45.9 seconds left in the half to take a commanding 29-8 halftime lead.
Wahlmeier's TD run boosted Hayden's lead to 36-8 with 3:47 left in the third quarter (Becker kick).
Then, after Perry-Lecompton got its second touchdown on a 7-yard run from senior Bronzen Rush on the first play of the fourth quarter, Hayden pulled away to the final margin with Wahlmeier's TD pass to Tetuan and a 44-yard interception return from junior Xander Blasing.
"Offensively we still haven't hit our stride I don't think,'' Arnold said. "There's still room to get to the ceiling. Defensively, I thought we played hard and we played pretty good. They (the Kaws) put you in some bad situations because they spread you out so wide.''
Becker went six of six on extra-point kicks and is now 38 of 38 on the season.
Schrickel led Hayden's rushing attack with six carries for 59 yards while Mitchell caught four passes for 122 yards.
Hayden will close out its regular season next Friday night with a district game at Jefferson West.
HAYDEN 50, PERRY-LECOMPTON 16
