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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park senior Vellamy Diaz has been named the Meadowlark Conference soccer co-player of the year after helping lead the Scots to a 10-7-1 record in the 2022 season.
Highland Park senior Vellamy Diaz has been named the All-Meadowlark Conference soccer co-player of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Diaz is joined on the all-conference first team by Scot teammates Ismael Salinas, a senior, and sophomore Antonio Aguirre.
Highland Park senior Manny Hernandez received honorable mention.
ALL-MEADOWLARK CONFERENCE SOCCER
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park's football team, which ended a 65-game losing streak in its season-opener and went on to a breakout 6-3 season, swept the offensive, defensive and coach of the year honors in its first season in the Meadowlark Conference.
Highland Park senior Tre Richardson has been named the Meadowlark Conference offensive player of the year after helping lead the Scots to a 6-3 record in 2022. [File photo/TSN[
Highland Park senior Mackey James has been named the Meadowlark Conference defensive player of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park football coach Jermaine Monroe has been named the Meadowlark Conference coach of the year after leading the Scots to a 6-3 record in the 2022 season. [File photo/TSN]
Scot senior Tre Richardson was named the offensive player of the year while senior teammate Mackey James was named the defensive player of the year and Highland Park coach Jermaine Monroe was named the conference coach of the year.
Richardson was also named the Meadowlark returner of the year and was a first-team pick at receiver while James was named the utility player on the first-team defense and senior A'Ydren Drew-Gregory was a first-team selection at defensive back.
Highland Park sophomore linemen Adrian Burney and freshman Andres Ochoa-Perez were second-team all-conference selections on offense while lineman Burney and junior linebacker Isaac Shafer were second-team picks on defense.
Scot senior quarterback Kei'Juan Johnson received All-Meadowland honorable mention.
ALL-MEADOWLARK CONFERENCE FOOTBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: Additional pictures will be added at TopSports.news when they are received.
Quentin Adams
QUENTIN ADAMS, Highland Park
A senior point guard, Adams was a floor leader for a Highland Park team that posted a 18-5 record and advanced to the Class 5A tournament last season, averaging 6 points, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals for the Scots, who begin their first season in the Meadowlark Conference this winter. Adams earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season.
Bo Aldridge
BO ALDRIDGE, Highland Park
A 6-foot-4 senior, Aldridge helped lead the 18-5 Scots to a Class 5A state tournament berth last season, earning TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 and All-Centennial League first-team recognition last season. Aldridge, who received All-Class 5A honorable mention from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 18.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.3 blocked shots and 1.6 steals as a junior.
Xavier Alexander
XAVIER ALEXANDER, Topeka West
Alexander, a senior guard, helped Topeka West post a 21-2 record in 2021-2022 en route to a second straight Centennial League championship and a second straight 5A state tournament berth. Alexander received TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season after averaging 10.7 points, 3.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals while hitting 47 3-pointers and shooting 66 percent from 2-point range.
Sincere Austin
SINCERE AUSTIN, Topeka West
A 6-foot-1 senior, Austin helped Topeka West post a 21-2 record last season with the Chargers claiming a second straight Class 5A state tournament berth and a second straight Centennial League championship. Austin earned TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 and All-Centennial League second-team recognition as a junior after averaging 10.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals and hitting 32 3-pointers.
Jack Bachelor
JACK BACHELOR, Washburn Rural
Bachelor, a 6-2 senior, earned TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 and All-Centennial League second-team honors as a junior for the 9-13 Junior Blues, averaging 13.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals while connecting on 44 3-pointers and shooting 43 percent from outside the arc.
Malachi Berg
MALACHI BERG, Topeka West
A 6-2 senior, Berg was a workhorse inside for the 21-2 Chargers, who claimed a second straight Centennial League title and a second straight 5A state tournament berth. Berg earned All-Centennial League and TSN All-Shawnee County honorable mention, averaging 6.0 rebounds and shooting 60 percent from 2-point field goal range.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Anna Becker
ANNA BECKER, Seaman
A 5-foot-10 sophomore point guard, Becker was a TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 10 and All-Centennial League first-team pick as a freshman and was named the newcomer of the year in the Centennial League and Shawnee County. Becker, who received All-Class 5A honorable mention from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.7 assists last season for the 16-6 Vikings.
Breezy Canady
BREEZY CANADY, Shawnee Heights
Canady, a 5-5 junior guard, returns as one of the most experienced players for a Shawnee Heights team that posted a 10-11 record last season. Canady averaged 1.6 asists and 1.2 steals as a sophomore for the T-Birds.
Zoe Canfield
ZOE CANFIELD, Washburn Rural
A 5-foot-11 junior, Canfield averaged 10.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals last season for the 23-2 Class 6A state-champion Junior Blues, earning Top 10 TSN All-Shawnee County, second-team All-Centennial League and KBCA All-6A honorable mention recognition. Canfield, who has orally committed to Kansas, shot 47.5 percent from 3-point range and 84.8 percent from the free throw line.
Adisyn Caryl
ADISYN CARYL, Topeka High
Caryl, a 5-9 senior, earned TSN All-Shawnee County Second 10 honors last season and also received All-Centennial League honorable mention, helping the 20-3 Trojans win the league title and earn a 6A state tournament berth. Caryl averaged 8.4 rebounds and shot 56 percent from 2-point range as a junior for the Trojans.
Zoe Clark
ZOE CLARK, Topeka West
A junior, Clark received TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season after averaging 5.2 points and 1.5 steals and hitting 13 3-pointers for Topeka West, which will be looking to improve on last season's 2-18 record.
Brooklyn DeLeye
BROOKLYN DeLEYE, Washburn Rural
A 6-2 senior, DeLeye averaged 11.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists as a junior for the 23-2 6A state-champion Junior Blues, earning first-team All-Centennial League and TSN All-Shawnee County honors and earning All-6A honorable mention from the KBCA. DeLeye, a Kentucky commit in volleyball, helped lead the Junior Blues to the state title in that sport this fall.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University football team, which posted a 7-4 record in 2022, earned 18 All-MIAA honors Tuesday, led by senior star James Letcher Jr., who repeated as the conference's special teams player of the year while also picking up unanimous first team All-MIAA honors at wide receiver and first team honors as a return specialist.
Washburn senior James Letcher Jr. was named the MIAA special teams player of the year and made the all-conference team at two positions for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn senior Grant Bruner, who leads the nation in tackles, was named to the All-MIAA firt team at linebacker. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn junior offensive lineman Andrew Funk (72), congratulating teammate James Letcher Jr., received All-MIAA first-team honors. [File photo/TSN]
Letcher, Jr. became the first Ichabod to earn the conference special teams player of the year honor twice and only the second Ichabod to win it.
Letcher, a former Piper standout, averaged 26 yards per punt return on 11 attempts with two touchdowns, including an 89-yard return against Missouri Southern in last Saturday's season finale.
As a wide receiver, Letcher led the MIAA in receiving with 80 receptions, 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He averaged 13.5 yards per catch and a league-best 7.3 receptions per game, tallying 97.8 receiving yards per game.
Overall, Letcher had 24 more catches and 344 receiving yards than anyone else in the league.
Letcher has been a three-time All-MIAA selection at wide receiver, with two first team selections, and is a three-time selection as a return specialist. Letcher also leads the league in all-purpose yards with 1,575 averaging 143.2 yards per game – more than 42 yards ahead of the next closest player.
Washburn senior linebacker Grant Bruner earned first-team All-MIAA honors at linebacker as he leads the nation with 137 tackles, including a nation-best 80 solo tackles, while averaging 12.5 tackles per game. Bruner received honorable mention in 2019.
Junior offensive lineman Andrew Funk was a first team All-MIAA selection after helping the Ichabods to the fourth-best offense in the league at 401.5 yards per game with the No. 2 passing offense and the No. 6 rushing units.
