- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod women's soccer team return to Yager Stadium this weekend to welcome Missouri Southern Lions and Pittsburg State Gorillas for MIAA conference play.
Junior Belle Kennedy (12) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in last Friday's 3-0 MIAA Washburn win over previously-unbeaten Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn sophomore goalkeeper Hailey Beck ranks among the national leaders with six shutouts this fall. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods, ranked No. 22 in the latest USC National poll, will face the Lions at 6 p.m. on Friday before battling Pittsburg State for the first time in the Gorillas' history on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Washburn is 5-2-2 so far in the 2024 season and has shut out its last seven opponents with five straight victories. The Ichabods are currently tied for third place in the MIAA with a 2-0-1 record.
Washburn played only one game last week, a 3-0 road win over previously-unbeaten Nebraska-Kearney, which entered the match 4-0-4.
The Ichabods scored the only goal they would need on a shot from former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy early in the second half against the Lopers and Khloe Schuckman and Jadyn Allen also added goals in the victory.
Schuckman's goal was her second of the season and the 27th of her career.
Sophomore goalkeeper Hailey Beck, a Washburn Rural product, is tied for fourth nationally with six shutouts posted in goal. Beck is also 24th in goals against average with a 0.455 mark.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural seniors Emerie Catlin and Izzy Haggard followed up their city and Centennial League doubles championships with a Class 6A regional title Thursday at Wichita's Riverside Tennis Complex, leading the Junior Blues to the team crown.
Washburn Rural's girls tennis team receives its Class 6A regional championship trophy Thursday in Wichita. [Washburn Athletics]
Washburn Rural seniors Emerie Catlin (left) and Izzy Haggard completed a sweep of city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional doubles titles on Thursday in Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Catlin and Haggard, who will take a 21-4 record into next weekend's 6A state tournament, capped their regional title run with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Wichita Southeast seniors Mallory Martinez and Lauren Ounaphom in the championship match.
Washburn Rural senior Carolina Chedzoy qualified for her second straight Class 6A state tournament with a runnerup regional finish Thursday at Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural's Julia Katzer earned a berth in the Class 6A state tennis tournament with a fifth-place regional singles finish Thursday in Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Michelle Rose's Junior Blues also qualified both of its singles players for state, with senior Carolina Chedzoy posting a second-place finish and Julia Katzer finishing fifth.
Chedzoy dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision to Junction City sophomore Hannah Micheel in the singles final while Katzer posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over Wichita North's Lena Nguyen in the fifth-place match.
Topeka High junior Madeline Deters earned the second Class 6A state berth of her career with a third-place regional singles finish Thursday at Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High's Hailey Caryl (left) and Ava Ritter qualified for the Class 6A state tournament with a fifth-place regional finish Thursday at Wichita. [Submitted photo]
Topeka High qualified three players for state, with junior Madeline Deters finishing third at regionals in singles and the doubles team of junior Ava Ritter and freshman Hailey Caryl taking fifth in doubles.
Deters posted a 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 win over Manhattan junior Keylee Schartz in the third-place singles match while Ritter and Caryl took a 6-4, 6-2 win over Manhattan's Kennedy McCarty and Lia Nickerson in the fifth-place doubles match.
Manhattan won the team title by a 17-13 win over Junction City while Manhattan was third with 10 points and Topeka High fourth with eight points as Centennial League schools swept the top four spots.
The 6A state tournament will be contested at Prairie Village's Harmon Park Tennis Complex on Oct. 18-19.
The remaining Shawnee County teams will compete for state berths in regional competition Friday and Saturday.
Shawnee Heights and Topeka West will compete in a 5A regional on Friday at Harmon Park while Seaman and Highland Park will compete in a 5A regional on Saturday at Bonner Springs.
Hayden compete in a 4A regional on Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center while Cair Paravel Latin and Rossville will participate in a 3A-1A regional Friday and Saturday at Marysville.
CLASS 6A REGIONAL
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West freshman soccer standout Valentin Del Real and Washburn Rural junior volleyball player Stella Kelly 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 Del Real and Kelly over the past week:
Topeka West freshman Valentin Del Real (3) is the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency male Rising Star of the Week after helping the Charger soccer team get off to a 7-2 start this fall. [File photo/TSN]
VALENTIN DEL REAL, Topeka West
Del Real has made an immediate impact for the Topeka West boys soccer team as a freshman midfielder.
Del Real helped the Chargers get off to a 7-2 start to the 2024 season, including a 2-1 non-league win over city and USD 501 rival Topeka High last Thursday.
The Topeka West standout contributed a goal and an assist in the Chargers' victory over the Trojans at Hummer Sports Park.
Washburn Rural junior setter Stella Kelly has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency female Rising Star of the Week after helping Rural win its fourth straight Centennial League title. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
STELLA KELLY, Washburn Rural
Kelly, a 5-foot-10 junior setter, helped lead Washburn Rural's volleyball team to a perfect 5-0 record and its fourth straight Centennial League championship last Saturday at Topeka High.
Kelly contributed 140 assists on the day as the Junior Blues won 10 of 11 sets in the league tournament.
The Rural standout helped Washburn Rural improve to 18-2 on the 2024 season.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women's basketball team took a step forward in Year 2 of the Lora Westling era, posting a two-win jump while also improving its MIAA record and advancing to the conference postseason tournament.
Now the goal is to continue that uphill trend over the 2024-2025 campaign while eyeing a more dramatic jump.
Washburn junior Yibari Nwidadah earned All-MIAA honorable mention last season after averaging 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds. {File photo/TSN]
Junior Gabi Giovannetti has averaged 7.1 points with 65 made 3-pointers over two seasons at Washburn. [File photo/TSN]
"That's the thing, we want to take another step forward as a program,'' said Westling, whose Ichabods were 13-16 a year ago. "We feel really excited about the direction we're going.
"I think a direct indicator of that is just the level of student-athlete that we're able to recruit. That's taking a step forward, so obviously we're really excited about the future. But for this year particularly, I think we're kind of for the first time able to be in control of what we're going to do. We have enough talent.''
Washburn will have to replace graduated star point guard Aubree Dewey, an All-MIAA honoree, but Westling is confident that the Ichabods are up to that challenge.
"I don't think you replace a player like Aubree but what we've done is we've been really fortunate to add more pieces so we can kind of play a different style,'' Westling said. "And I think because (Dewey) was a focal point we didn't have a ton of depth the last few years and I feel like now we have enough experience in some different positions and we're really excited about our new players and how our freshmen and sophomores have developed that now we can use that depth and kind of get into a style that's a little more sustainable for our program.''
Washburn does not have a senior on its 15-player roster but the Ichabods return eight players who saw action a year ago and have added seven newcomers -- five freshmen and a pair of transfers.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Seaman senior Bryer Finley had three touchdown receptions in last Friday's 43-22 UKC win over Lansing. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
SEAMAN (4-1, 4-0 UKC) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (1-4, 1-3 UKC)
Seaman is coming off a 43-22 United Kansas Conference victory over Lansing last Friday while Shawnee Heights dropped a 69-57 UKC scorefest to De Soto. Seaman senior quarterback Max Huston has completed 62 of 104 passes for 1,155 yards and 15 touchdowns while senior receiver Bryer Finley has 33 receptions for 680 yards and 11 TDs. Viking junior Kaden McKinney has carried the ball 64 times for 357 yards and scored eight TDs. Shawnee Heights junior quarterback Aiden Scott has completed 110 of 188 passes for 1,752 yards and 16 TDs. Junior AJ Gallegos has 35 catches for 520 yards and six touchdowns while junior Tyren Parker has 28 catches for 513 yards and five TDs. T-Bird junior David Wakes has 452 rushing yards on 91 attempts with three TDs.
Junior TJ Minikwu rushed for 149 yards and scored three touchdowns in Washburn Rural's 49-21 Centennial League win over Topeka High last Friday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
EMPORIA (0-5, 0-2 Centennial) at WASHBURN RURAL (2-3, 1-0 Centennial)
Washburn Rural snapped a three-game non-league losing streak with a 49-21 win over Topeka High last Friday in the Junior Blues' Centennial League opener. Junior TD Minikwu carried the ball 24 times for 149 yards and three touchdowns against Topeka High while sophomore Jadyn Baum added 70 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. Emporia is still looking for its first win of the season after taking a 59-0 league loss to Manhattan last week. The Spartans have been outscored 249-67 on the season.
KC-TURNER (0-5, 0-4 UKC) vs. TOPEKA WEST (0-5, 0-5 UKC)
At Hummer Sports Park
Either the Chargers or the visiting Bears will pick up a much-needed victory in Friday's United Kansas Conference matchup. Topeka West is coming off a 59-6 UKC loss to undefeated Basehor-Linwood last week while Turner remained winless with a 34-6 loss to KIPP Legacy. Topeka West's lone win the past two seasons has come against Turner. The Chargers scored their lone touchdown against Basehor-Linwood last week on a 79-yard pass play from Jacob Brewster to Alesecio Batson.
Hayden senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has passed for 684 yards and eight TDs for the 4-1 Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (4-1, 1-0 Class 3A District 4) at HOLTON (3-2, 2-0 Class 3A District 4)
Hayden will be on the road to face Holton in a battle between teams who are unbeaten in Class 3A District 4. Hayden is coming off a 49-0 district win over Hiawatha while Holton took a 48-9 win over Jefferson West. Hayden junior Kade Mitchell has carried the ball 41 times for 432 yards and scored 14 total touchdowns while senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has completed 47 of 66 passes for 684 yards and eight touchdowns. Senior Jensen Schrickel has 13 catches for 220 yards and has scored five TDs. Holton senior Kyler Jackson has 406 yards and five touchdowns on 76 carries while senior Bodie Dillon has carried the ball 32 times for 253 yards and five TDs and junior Korban Wilson has 255 yards and five TDs on 47 attempts.
