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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Night is always special for the athletes being honored.
And Seaman's volleyball team made it an extra special occasion for its six upperclassmen on Thursday at Seaman, with the Vikings taking wins over a pair of Kansas' most storied programs.
Seaman volleyball celebrates a kill from Maegan Mills (23) during the Vikings' Senior Night win over St. James Academy Thursday at Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The defending Class 5A state champs opened their night with a hard-earned three-set 23-25, 25-19, 25-23 win over nine-time 4A and 5A state champion St. James before taking a 25-14, 25-19 win over eight-time 6A state champion Washburn Rural.
Seaman, now 30-2 on the season, could have picked easier opponents for its Senior Night festivities but Viking coach Tatiana Dowling said her team welcomed the challenge.
"I feel really passionate that our girls are the right group and they can take it to whoever they want to as long as they play together and play as a team,'' Dowling said. "I'm really proud of them. I told them, 'Play with a lot of confidence tonight,' and I felt like they did and they believe in each other and in themselves.
"I've got to credit that to our captains and our seniors. They really run this team. They do a great job of making sure that everybody's always on the same page, that we're moving in the right direction and we're focused, so I'm really proud of them for that.''
Seaman will close out their regular season in Saturday's Emporia tournament before beginning defense of their 5A title in postseason and Dowling said matches like Thursday will help the Vikings to continue building momentum.
"I think it's really good to play tough teams at the end of the season because it prepares you for your ultimate goal, which is a state championship,'' Dowling said. "St. James and Washburn Rural are consistently tough teams that do that for you.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
By this point in the 2024 high school tennis season, Seaman singles players Emma Sweeney and Molly Gorman have faced off against each other more than they can probably count.
Seaman sophomore Emma Sweeney is 27-3 and the No. 5 singles seed for Friday and Saturday's Class 5A state tennis tournament at Andover. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman sophomore Molly Gorman is 25-4 on the season and the No. 11 singles seed for the Class 5A state meet Friday and Saturday in Andover. [File photo/TSN]
Sweeney and Gorman play each other most every day in practice and also faced each other in the championship matches of the United Kansas Conference and Class 5A regional tournaments.
Gorman, a junior, and sophomore Sweeney admit that constantly going up against a teammate and close friend can get old, but the Viking standouts would welcome another meeting in this Friday and Saturday's Class 5A state tournament at the Andover District Tennis Complex.
Sweeney, who placed 11th in 5A as a freshman, is the No. 5 state seed with a 27-3 record while Gorman, a two-time state doubles medalist, is the No. 11 seed at 25-4, with two of her losses coming against Sweeney.
"It's hard, especially because me and Molly are such good friends off the court that it's just so hard and upsetting always having to play and go against her,'' Sweeney said.
Gorman agreed.
"At practice yes (it gets old) and I don't like playing her when it comes to meets, but we've got to do it,'' Gorman said.
But both players agree that playing each other also makes them both better.
"She hits the ball super aggressive and she's good on moving me around,'' Sweeney said of Gorman. "It's either way at practice at the end of the day. Me and Molly just are always trying to push each other and make each other better each day.''
Said Gorman: "Even though it gets tiring, it benefits me and it should benefit her I think.''
The good news for both Sweeney and Gorman is that if they face each other this weekend it's likely to be a very good weekend for both of them, with the two players on opposite sides of the bracket and will only play if both players advance to the state final or end up facing off in a place match.
Seaman is coming off United Kansas Conference and regional team championships -- posting perfect team scores in both events -- and will be looking to take home a team trophy (top three) this weekend after qualifying its entire team for state.
Seaman senior Sidney Chinn and junior Peyton Henry won the regional doubles title last Saturday in Bonner Spring while topping sophomore teammates Kaylyn Hiebsch and Camryn Lux in the championship match.
Chinn and Henry are 23-5 on the season and the No. 10 seed for state while Hiebsch and Lux are 22-8 and seeded No. 13.
The 5A state tournament will start at 10 a.m. Friday.
Class 6A at Prairie Village Harmon Park Tennis Complex
Washburn Rural and Topeka High combined for seven state qualifiers for this weekend's Class 6A state meet at Harmon Park.
Washburn Rural seniors Emerie Catlin (left) and Izzy Haggard followed up their city doubles title with Centennial League and regional championships and are the No. 5 seed for the Class 6A state tournament. [File photo
Regional team champion Rural qualified the senior doubles team of Emerie Catlin and Izzy Haggard and senior singles player Carolina Chedzoy and sophomore Julia Katzer for state out of last Thursday's regional tournament at Wichita while Topeka High qualified junior singles player Madeline Deters and the doubles team of junior Ava Ritter and freshman Hailey Caryl.
Catlin and Haggard won the regional doubles title after earlier winning city and Centennial League titles while Chedzoy and Katzer finished second and fifth in singles.
Catlin and Haggard are 21-4 on the year and are the No. 5 state seed while Chedzoy, a returning state medalist, is 17-10 and the No. 9 singles seed while Katzer is 17-10 and the No. 20 seed.
Topeka High's Deters placed third at regionals and is the No. 10 state seed with a 24-6 record while Caryl and Ritter took fifth at reegionals and are the No. 18 doubles seed with a 22-8 record.
The first round of state competition will begin at 10 a.m. Friday.
Class 3A-1A at Wichita Riverside Tennis Complex
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Madilyn Poole finished second in singles in the Class 3A-1A regional tournament last Saturday at Marysville, becoming the school's first girls state tennis qualifier.
Poole is 19-6 on the season and has been installed as the No. 8 seed for Friday and Saturday's state meet at Wichita's Riverside Tennis Complex.
CITY STATE TENNIS QUALIFIERS
Class 6A
At Harmon Park, Prairie Village
Topeka High -- Singles: Madeline Deters, sr., 24-6. Doubles: Hailey Caryl, fr., and Ava Ritter, jr., 22-8.
Washburn Rural -- Singles: Carolina Chedzoy, sr., 17-10; Julia Katzer, so., 17-10. Doubles: Emerie Catlin, sr., and Izzy Haggard, sr., 21-4.
Class 5A
At Andover District Tennis Complex
Seaman -- Singles: Emma Sweeney, so., 27-3; Molly Gorman, jr., 25-4. Doubles: Peyton Henry, jr., and Sidney Chinn, sr., 23-5; Kaylyn Hiebsch, so., and Camryn Lux, so., 22-8.
Class 4A
At Kossover Tennis Center, Topeka
Hayden -- Singles: Ainzley Zulueta, sr., 20-0; Grace Funk, jr., 8-3. Doubles: Emily Sheetz, sr., and Sophia Wichman, fr., 12-2; Izzy Glotzbach, jr., and Avery O'Bray, jr., 11-7.
Class 3A-1A
At Riverside Tennis Complex, Wichita
Cair Paravel Latin -- Singles: Madilyn Poole, so., 19-6.
Related Stories and Videos
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden girls tennis stars Ainzley Zulueta and Emily Sheetz will be in familiar territory when they take the court Friday and Saturday at Topeka's Kossover Tennis Center to make their bids for their third Class 4A state championships.
Zulueta is a two-time state singles champ and back in the 4A field this weekend after not competing as a junior after attending a tennis academy in Texas while Sheetz won back-to-back doubles championships in 2022 and 2023 with '24 Hayden graduate Lauren Sandstrom and will try for a third crown with freshman Sophia Wichman.
Hayden senior Ainzley Zulueta will be shooting for her third Class 4A state tennis championship Friday and Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden freshman Sophia Wichman (left) and senior Emily Sheetz are the No. 2 doubles seed for the Class 4A state tournament, with Sheetz trying to become a three-time state champ. [File photo/TSN]
Zulueta has been installed as the No. 1 seed for this weekend's state meet and is a perfect 20-0 on the season after winning city, Centennial League and regional titles. Zulueta went 4-0 at regionals with four straight 6-0, 6-0 victories.
Zulueta, who played over the summer in California, said she is enjoying her final go-around in the high school ranks.
"I'm having fun, I'm enjoying it,'' Zulueta said. "I've enjoyed what we've done so far (including a state team title in '22) and I'm glad we're hosting it for my final year. I think it will be exciting.''
Zulueta, who plans to play collegiately at Ferris State (Mich.), said she is confident entering her final high school tournament.
"I don't really know the No. 2 seed (29-3 Buhler freshman Sophia Spies) but I think if I can just play my game I think I'll be fine, as long as I get over my nerves and don't think too much about the people watching me,'' she said.
Zulueta knows that playing in her home town is likely to mean bigger crowds, especially from the Hayden community, but she said she is happy to be playing on courts that she knows like the back of her hands.
"I love playing on the Kossover courts, so I think I like that,'' Zulueta said. "I think it helped that regionals was here. With some people watching I think that kind of helped me get over nerves and the expectation I think some people might have when watching me.
"I know they're will be a lot more people this time around, but I'm excited and I think I'll be ready.''
Sheetz played with Sandstrom her first three high school seasons before compiling a 12-2 record in her partial season with Wichman.
Sheetz and Wichman are coming off a regional championship and have been installed as the No. 2 seed for state.
"For state we're going in open-minded and we're ready,'' Sheetz said. "I feel like we know how to play the game, so whatever happens happens and I'm just trying to go out with a bang my senior year.
"There is no pressure. I know we know how to play and we'll finish strong.''
Hayden qualified its entire team for state while capturing last Saturday regional team title at Kossover.
The Wildcats also qualified junior Grace Funk in singles and the junior doubles team of Izzy Glotzbach and Avery O'Bray.
Funk (8-3) is a year ago and placed second in the regional tournament while Sexton (12-18) qualified for state with a sixth-place regional finish.
Funk is the No. 10 singles seed for state and Sexton the No. 24 seed.
Glotzbach and O'Bray (15-15) finished fourth at regionals and are the No. 15 seed in the state doubles field.
The first round of state competition will get under way at 10 a.m. Friday.
CITY STATE TENNIS QUALIFIERS
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel sophomore girls tennis standout Madilyn Poole and Topeka West sophomore running back Damon Webb have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2024-2025 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Poole and Webb over the past week:
Cair Paravel sophomore Madilyn Poole is the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency female Rising Star of the Week after becoming her school's first girls tennis state qualifier. [File photo/TSN]
MADILYN POOLE, Cair Paravel Latin
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Madilyn Poole finished as the singles runnerup in last Saturday's Class 3A-1A regional tennis tournament at Marysville, becoming the Lions' first-ever girls state tennis qualifier.
Poole, 19-6 on the 2024 season, dropped a 6-4, 6-1 decision to Kansas City Christian senior Lauren Seitz (24-4) in the regional championship match.
Poole, who scored all six of fifth-place Cair Paravel's team points at regionals, will compete in the 3A-1A state tournament at Wichita Friday.
Topeka West sophomore running back Damon Webb has been selected as the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency male Rising Star of the Week after a 192-yard, three-touchdown rushing performance against KC-Turner. [File photo/TSN]
DAMON WEBB, Topeka West
Webb, a sophomore running back, rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns on 17 attempts as the Chargers' football team picked up its first win of the 2024 season last Friday.
Webb scored touchdowns on 4, 8 and 17 yards in Topeka West's 32-20 United Kansas Conference victory over Kansas City-Turner at Hummer Sports Park.
Webb also plays basketball for the Chargers, seeing varsity action last season as a freshman.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Having beat Topeka High 13 days earlier, Topeka West's soccer team knew the Trojans would be fired up for Wednesday's rematch at Hummer Sports Park, which was also High's Senior night.
But it took the Chargers just 36 seconds to take the wind out of the Trojans' sails, with sophomore Diego Gonzalez-Talavera gathering in a long pass from senior Jafet Rodriguez and putting the ball in the net to give West a lead it wouldn't relinquish in a 2-0 victory.
Sophomore Diego Gonzalez-Talavera scored the game-winning goal in Wednesday's 2-0 Topeka West win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"It felt good and obviously it boosted our morale for the rest of the game to keep on pushing because we know they're a tough team,'' Gonzalez-Talavera said of his early goal. "Jafet has got a good leg on him so obviously when he has it back there I try to make a run and see if he can find me and it worked and we scored off of it.''
Topeka West added its second goal just over four minutes later on a shot from sophomore D'Ante Smith Dilone' off an assist from freshman Valentin Del Real and the Chargers and junior goalkeeper Gage Kindred-Noragon made the two early scores stand up the rest of the way as West improved to 11-2-0 with its eighth straight victory.
"Momentum can do some amazing things and the guys can play,'' Topeka West coach Josh Kutter said. "They went after it, they were excited to start the game and they did exactly what they had to do.''
Wednesday's win also gave Topeka West a season sweep and its fourth straight win over its USD 501 rival.
