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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.
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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.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville High School induct its inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class during halftime of Friday's 7 p.m. Homecoming game against Cair Paravel Latin.
Rossville will induct four former Bulldawg stars into first Hall of Fame class -- 1980 graduate Ben Simecka, 1996 grad Jen Perine, 2008 grad Duane Zlatnik and 2014 grad Tagen Lambotte.
Simecka was a two-time All-State lineman for the Bulldawg football team and a prep All-American as a senior in 1979.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
One of the most highly decorated alumni of a Topeka school is now taking a place among the state’s all-time athletic greats.
Mark Turgeon, a 1983 graduate of Hayden High School, recognizes the significance of being named to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, which will hold its induction ceremony this Sunday in Topeka.
Former Hayden and Kansas great and longtime college coach Mark Turgeon is a member of the 2024 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame induction class. [Maryland Athletics]
He said he is excited to meet the other 11 inductees and to support the mission of the hall of fame.
“I got to know some of the people who worked with the hall of fame when I was (head basketball coach) at Wichita State, and I know how hard they worked,” Turgeon said. “I appreciate what they do to keep it up and running at a high level. It’s really important that we have it, and it’s really exciting to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
Turgeon enters the hall of fame with a résumé that is equal parts player and coach, with entries from Kansas and other parts of the country.
He was part of a legendary Hayden basketball team that reeled off a 25-0 record en route to a Class 4A state championship. He was a floor general for highly successful teams at the University of Kansas, including the 1986 squad that advanced to the Final Four.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn men's basketball coach Brett Ballard is expecting big things out of his 2024-2025 Ichabods, an opinion apparently shared by Ballard's fellow MIAA coaches.
The Ichabods were picked on Tuesday as the team to beat in the upcoming conference season in the MIAA Coaches Poll after returning the bulk of their team from last year's 19-11 squad.
Senior Andrew Orr returns to lead the Washburn University men's basketball team after earning second-team All-MIAA recognition a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn junior guard Sam Ungashick earned All-MIAA honorable mention last season in his first season with the Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]
And although Ballard knows that polls mean nothing once the ball goes up for the start of the season, he appreciates the honor.
"I think you'd rather be at the top than the bottom, for sure,'' said Ballard, who is 137-75 in seven seasons at WU. "But I do think there's positives to it. I think it means you have good players back, I think it means you've had recent success, so I think those are positives, and on the flipside, it doesn't mean a whole lot this time of year and you have to handle that the right way.''
Ballard feels like his veteran team, which return 85 percent of its scoring and 75.5 percent of its rebounds, is up to the challenge.
"These guys have an appreciation for how hard it is to win in this league and you've got a bigger target on your back now and it just means your compete and your focus and your preparation have to be that much better,'' Ballard said. "How we handle that will determine a lot of the success that we have this year.''
"We have a sense of urgency with this group, which you want to see. It's early, but they've come in hungry and have had good energetic practices.''
The Ichabods return four players who started at least half of last season's 30 games and eight players return who saw action last year for the WU team that reached the MIAA Tournament semifinals.
Senior Andrew Orr was a second-team All-MIAA pick after averaging 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season while junior Sam Ungashick received honorable mention selection after averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds.
Other returning starters include junior Brady Christiansen (7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds) and senior Michael Keegan (7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds).
Former Washburn Rural standout Jack Bachelor started 11 games and averaged 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a freshman.
