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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University soccer team picked up its first victory of 2025 on Friday with a decisive 3-1 road triumph at Drury.
"I'm so proud of how our team prepared and executed this game,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "It was so fun and rewarding to see the team implement a week of really high-quality training into practice against a tough opponent like Drury."
Senior Belle Kennedy picked up two assists in Washburn's 3-1 win at Drury on Friday, the Ichabods' first win of the season. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods, now 1-1-1, were led by freshman Leah Henke, who scored two goals to give her three on the season.
Former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy, a senior, recorded the assists on both of Henke's goals, one in each half.
Sam Searcey headed home the corner from Washburn Rural product Mackinly Rohn to make it a 3-1 game with less than 15 minutes to play.
The Ichabods were applying pressure early on and broke through with a goal in the 15th minute by Henke.
Both teams had four shots in the first half, but Washburn put two of their four on goal, with one finding the back of the net.
Once again, Washburn put pressure on Drury to open the half, and in the 53rd minute, Henke snuck a shot past the keeper to find the back of the net with another assist from Kennedy.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the first time since 1984 Washburn University volleyball took to Whiting Fieldhouse Friday and the 41-year streak of not being beaten in the Fieldhouse continued with 3-0 sweeps over Truman State and Minnesota State-Moorhead on Day 1 of the Washburn Invitational.
Washburn volleyball improved to 6-0 with a pair of Friday wins in the Washburn Invitational. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The No. 12-ranked Ichabods will finish out the tournament on Saturday with a 10 a.m. meeting with Newman and a 6 p.m. contest with William Jewell.
Now 6-0 on the season, Washburn kicked the tournament off with a 25-15 first-set victory over Truman before knocking out the Bulldogs (1-5) with 25-20 and 25-21 wins in the next two sets.
After falling behind 4-2 the Ichabods made up ground quickly, forcing six ties in the first 20 points.
A 5-1 run started by a kill from Keilah Rivers pulled Washburn in front, 15-11. The Ichabods held on to the advantage with a strong offensive effort, hitting .538 as a team in the set. A 6-1 run down the stretch ended set at 25-15 on a block from Rivers and Bella Limback.
A kill by Alex Dvorak led off the second set, with Washburn pulling in front of Truman State, 6-1. The lead reached double figures on consecutive aces by Sydney Conner to give the Ichabods an 18-7 advantage. Truman State picked up its offense, hitting .150 points higher in the second set than the first, to pull within four points. Austin Broadie put the set away with a kill down the line, ending it at 25-20.
The first three points of set three belonged to the home team, with the run capped off by an ace from Autumn Gibbs. The Bulldogs rallied with a 5-1 run to go in front. Washburn fired back, winning seven of the next eight points, going ahead 11-6 on an ace by Rivers. Truman State kept the set within six points the rest of the way but the Ichabods held off the comeback bids. Broadie ended a second consecutive set, and the match, for a 25-21 set three victory.
Washburn out-hit the Bulldogs .317 to .183 in the match, with 44 kills to 30 for the visitors. Digs went in favor of the Ichabods, 47-38, as did assists, 40-28.
Brodie led all players with 11 kills while hitting .364. Limback had eight kills in 10 swings along with a team-high five blocks. Corinna McMullen paced WU with 17 assists while adding 10 digs and Taylor Rottinghaus had 14 digs.
In Washburn's second match of the day against Minnesota State-Moorhead, it required a 13-3 comeback finish in the second set, but Washburn went to 6-0 in sets for the tournament with 25-22, 25-21 and 25-22 wins over the Dragons (5-1) to hand them their first loss of the season.
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights outlasted Topeka West in a wild romp Friday at Heights that saw 16 touchdowns and 111 total points scored. The T-Birds picked up their first victory of the season, 76-35 over the Chargers.
Senior quarterback Aiden Scott threw for three touchdowns and ran for two TDs in Shawnee Heights' 76-35 UKC win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Every time Shawnee Heights appeared to gain a commanding lead, the Chargers seemed to hit for a big play that kept the fires burning on both sides. The T-Birds continued to attack, even once reserves were inserted in the lineup. Eight different T-Birds found the end zone in the game.
“The whole sideline was going crazy as some of those guys who don’t get to play got out there,” senior quarterback Aiden Scott said. “Just seeing their faces light up when everyone scores. It’s amazing – our team atmosphere. We’re all for each other.”
David Wakes scored the first two touchdowns of the night in Shawnee Heights' 76-35 UKC win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights took a 22-0 lead in the first period. But the Chargers took to the air in the second period and made things interesting. Quarterback Josiah Wilkie directed a touchdown drive to cut the T-Bird lead to 22-8. Later in the quarter, Topeka West took advantage of an interception deep in Shawnee Heights territory to convert a second touchdown drive, making the score 28-14.
Shawnee Heights junior Christian Labrador scored two touchdowns, including a 50-yard interception return, in Shawnee Heights' 76-35 UKC win over Topeka West Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights responded with 20 unanswered points in the final 3:16 of the period to go up 48-14 at the intermission. But even then, the Chargers didn’t fold. Wilkie hit on two long scoring passes to receiver Jayden Lindsay, and Nas Williams-Brown scored on a 72-yard scamper.
Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift praised the Chargers for their effort, and said there was plenty for his team to like as well.
“I saw a lot of kids get a chance to play,” Swift said. “We had some injuries coming into tonight. So, a lot of kids were, hey, this is your first night playing Friday night football. And I thought they did well. Did we make some mistakes? Yeah, we did. That’s part of being a kid. On Friday nights, the game goes a lot faster than it does on any other day. But our kids never quit. So, sure, we can improve on some stuff, but, you know, anytime you win a football game, it’s great.”
The T-Birds, who never punted, were only prevented from reaching the end zone on two possessions. Scott threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more.
For the Chargers, Wilkie completed 19 of 46 passes for 323 yards. Lindsay accounted for 155 yards receiving while Gad Munganga added 125 yards receiving.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman football never led in Friday's non-league home game against Shawnee Mission East but Jared Swafford's Vikings also never quit battling in a 41-21 loss.
SM East, which improved to 2-0, jumped out to a 14-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter, but 0-2 Seaman got as close as seven points twice and was still fighting late in the game, getting within 14 after trailing by 21 at the start of the fourth.
Sophomore running back Quentin Moravec rushed for 112 yards and a TD in Seaman's 41-21 loss to Shawnee Mission East. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I'm really proud of our kids and I'm proud of our staff,'' Swafford said. "These guys are never going to give up. It doesn't matter what it says on the scoreboard and I truly believe that.
"I know our guys are going to give us everything they've got and we're showing a lot of improvement in a short amount of time. I know we're going to continue to do that and it's on myself and the staff to continue to work on that and demand those things out of them because I know our kids are going to come ready to work on Monday.''
East senior Jack Reeves, who split time between quarterback and tailback, rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries and also passed for 100 yards and a TD to pace the Lancers.
Senior Vince Kopp, who split time at quarterback with Reeves, rushed for 64 yards and a pair of TDs on 13 attempts.
"Shawnee Mission East and what they do, they're just so disciplined and they challenge you the entire game and you've got to continue to answer the bell,'' Swafford said. "I thought our kids did that. A couple of plays here or there and it is what it is, but Shawnee Mission East is phenomenal.
"That's an outstanding challenge in Week 2 and I know we'll grow from it and we'll be better.''
Junior quarterback Cale Ketter threw for 160 yards and two TDs in Seaman's 41-21 loss to SM East Friday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman, meanwhile, got 112 rushing yards and a 33-yard touchdown run on 21 carries from sophomore running back Quentin Moravec while junior quarterback Cale Ketter passed for 160 yards and two TDs.
Junior wide receiver Josh Brown caught three passes for 72 yards, including 14 and 19-yard touchdown catches.
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
A good serve in a high school volleyball match can travel 50 miles per hour or faster. A good spike at the net can move even faster. Advanced players put spin on the ball to make it move in the air similar to a baseball pitcher. During each play, the volleyball is passed around to players darting in different directions to execute plays designed to hammer the ball at the opponent.
Cair Paravel senior Karsyn Hastert has become a multi-sport star for the Lions despite losing the sight in her left eye as a two-year-old. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
You better have your eye on the ball and your head on a swivel if you’re going to excel.
The nature of the sport makes what Cair Paravel Latin School’s Karsyn Hastert does remarkable.
Before her second birthday, the CPLS senior was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, an eye cancer that tends to plague small children. She had a surgery as a two-year old that cost her the sight in her left eye. She spent a lot of her earliest years in hospitals and doctors’ offices.
But from the minute she was old enough to play with her peers, Hastert was determined to not let the impairment slow her down.
“I don’t have a lot of memories of it. I think I was always trying to prove myself, that I wanted to just be normal when I was younger,” Hastert recalled. “I wanted to be as good as everyone else. So, I never really thought of it as a disadvantage because I was always telling myself 'I’m normal. I’m normal. I’m normal.’ ”
Cair Paravel senior volleyball star Karsyn Hastert listens to Lions coach Craig Congdon during Thursday's Topeka West quadrangular. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Hastert is not normal on the volleyball court. She is a standout for the Lions, a middle hitter who leads with intensity and positivity. Last year, she was one of just four players to receive unanimous all-conference honors from the Flint Hills League. Cair Paravel coach Craig Congdon said he is often asked by opposing coaches about Hastert’s eyes.
“They come up and say ‘Wait, does she have a visual impairment?’” Congdon recounted. “And they all say, ‘We can’t believe it.’ Usually, the other teams don’t realize it until they’re shaking hands and then suddenly they go, ‘Wait a second, that girl just killed us.’”
Congdon says there isn’t much he could do to prevent Hastert’s vision from being a problem. He says even if he could, the senior leader wouldn’t need the help.
“I don’t have to do anything to put her in positions to fight. She’s always going to do that herself,” Congdon said. “She is such a fierce competitor. I don’t know if, growing up, she felt like she had to make up for something. What she does is just incredible.”
Congdon admits he wasn’t always sure Hastert would play at such a high level.
“I’ve coached Karsyn for all of her high school career, so freshman year was the first time I interacted with her,” Congdon said. “It was then that I noticed something different about that eye, so I asked her dad, and he said she had a disease when she was a kid and lost it. I thought, ‘Oh, well, she’s surely not going to be able to judge balls in the air.’ And boy, she tracks the ball better than any of the other players I’ve had.”
“It’s all I’ve ever known,” Hastert said. “It’s not like I randomly lost it. I’ve always seen like this, so for me it’s just normal. When I don’t make a play, I never blame it on my eyes. I just think ‘I should have got there quicker.’ ”
The 5-foot-10 senior admits the visual impairment probably causes her more problems on the basketball court, where she is a post player. Volleyball has always been her best sport. She has not made decisions about college yet, but is open to the thought of playing at the next level.
Prior to this season, Hastert was hesitant to let others know about her visual impairment. But as a senior, she has decided to share her story.
“I’m more open to people knowing about it now than before, because when I was younger, I was really insecure about it,” Hastert said. “Before this year, I probably, just because of embarrassment, didn’t want people to think about it. But now I can say I wouldn’t want it any other way. I think it’s who I am and it’s part of my testimony, so I am willing to talk about it.
“I hope that, if someone has a story that’s similar, I can be an encouragement that they can be able to play. There are so many kids out there who have cancer or disabilities that don’t have to let that be a restriction. I think (my message to others) would be ‘You don’t need to worry about being normal. You can embrace who you are.’ ”
