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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Not surprisingly, four-time state champion Kadence Jefferies of Topeka West turned in an eye-opening individual performance in Thursday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
But Shawnee Heights fared the best of the three city schools in the 11-school meet as a team, finishing fifth.
“For most of our girls being new, I thought they came out today and excelled at a lot of different events,” Shawnee Heights coach Laura Wiseman said. “I was impressed with our teamwork and the amount of energy that the girls brought to the meet today. We need to carry over our spirit into (the next meet).''
Topeka West's Kadence Jeffries opened her senior season with a pair of wins in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
Jefferies, who is coming off of double-gold state championship campaigns as a freshman and junior, placed first in both of her individual events, winning comfortably in the 200-yard freestyle (1:56.59) and the 100 breaststroke (1:08.57).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
JACKSON ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights
A sophomore, Esquibel finished seventh in the Class 5A 3,200 meters last spring as a freshman, earning All-Shawnee County honors. Esquibel turned in a season best of 9 minutes, 41.18 seconds in the 3,200 and had a best of 4:32.48 in the 1,600. Esquibel also finished 13th last fall in the 5A state cross country meet.
ALEX HOLMES, Washburn Rural
A senior, Holmes bounced back from hip surgery to turn in a strong cross country season for the Junior Blues last fall and he will be counted on to be a leader in the distance events for Washburn Rural this spring. Holmes was an All-Shawnee County selection in cross country, finishing 13th in the Class 6A state meet.
CARSON JOHNSON, Silver Lake
Johnson, a senior, took home three Class 3A medals last season, finishing third in the 300-meter hurdles, seventh in the 110 hurdles and running on Silver Lake's eighth-place 4x100 relay as the Eagles finished fourth as a team. Johnson recorded a season-best off 40.72 seconds in the 300 hurdles and had a best o 16.18 in the 110s.
Topeka West senior Javion Lee had a Shawnee County-best long jump of 23 feet, 9 inches last season. [File photo/TSN]
JAVION LEE, Topeka West
A senior, Lee was the Centennial League champion in 100-meter dash and ended his 2021 season as the Shawnee County leader in the long jump with a best of 23 feet, 9 inches.
Hayden junior Jake Muller was the Class 4A state champion in the 300-meter hurdles last spring. [File photo/TSN]
JAKE MULLER, Hayden
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ALA'JAH BROOKS, Topeka West
Brooks, a junior, picked up a Class 5A state medal in the 2021 state track meet as part of the Chargers' sixth-place 4x100 relay. An All-Shawnee County pick last season, Brooks was a regional champ in the 200-meter dash and finished third in the 100.
Washburn Rural junior Madeline Carter (left) was a triple medalist in last spring's Class 6A state track meet. [File photo/TSN]
MADELINE CARTER, Washburn Rural
A junior, Carter earned three Class 6A medals in the 2021 state track meet, posting a sixth-place individual finish in the 800 meters while also running on the Junior Blues' fourth-place 4x400 relay and fifth-place 4x800 relay. A returning All-Shawnee County pick in track, Carter has posted top-10 state finishes in cross country the past two seasons, including a seventh-place finish last fall after sweeping city, Centennial League and regional individual titles.
Seaman junior Bethany Druse (right) was a Class 5A state medalist in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs last season. [File photo/TSN]
BETHANY DRUSE, Seaman
Seaman junior Bethany Druse, a returning All-Shawnee County selection, picked up a pair of Class 5A state medals last spring, placing fifth in the 1,600 meters and fifth in the 800. Druse was a regional champ in the 800 and 1,600 and led Shawnee County in the 800 (2:19.20) and the 1,600 (5:19.89). Druse has placed in the top 10 in 5A cross county the past two seasons, including a sixth-place finish last fall after a ninth-place finish as a sophomore.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Wednesday was both a terrible and great day for Hayden's girls soccer team.
The Wildcats' season-opener was played in frigid, wet, windy conditions, but Hayden scored nine second-half goals on the way to a 10-0 win over Centennial League rival Topeka West at the Sunflower Soccer Complex.
Hayden's girls soccer team tries to stay warm as coach Klaus Kreutzer talks to the Wildcats during halftime of Wednesday's season-opener against Topeka West. Hayden took a 10-0 win at the Sunflower Soccer Complex. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Kate Roeder scored the only goal of the first half to give Hayden a 1-0 advantage and the Wildcats scored early and often after the break, getting a pair of goals from Bri Barnett and Elaina Wolff while Natalie McElroy, Sloane Sims, Lauren Sandstrom, Jill Lenherr and Janessa Broxterman also found the back of the net.
Hayden sophomore Lauren Sandstrom advances the ball in Wednesday's season-opener against Topeka West. Sandstrom scored a goal in the Wildcats' 10-0 win. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off a record-setting season for Topeka West, Charger 6-foot-4 senior Elijah Brooks headlines the TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County boys basketball team while Class 5A state champion Seaman put three players on the Top 10.
Topeka West senior Elijah Brooks was named the TSN All-Shawnee County player of the year after averaging 25.3 points and leading the Chargers to a 21-2 record, including a 20-game winning streak. [File photo/TSN]
Brooks was tapped as the Shawnee County player of the year after leading Topeka West to a second straight Centennial League title and a second straight state tournament berth while becoming West's single-season and career leading scorer during the 2021-2022 season.
Brooks put together a string of 30-point-plus games this past season with a high of 43 points while averaging 25.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocked shots.
Senior Ty Henry earned a spot on the TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 after helping lead Seaman to the first state boys state title in school history. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman junior Kaeden Bonner (13) averaged 13.4 points and hit 64 3-pointers to help lead the Vikings to the Class 5A state championship. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman senior Mateo Hyman earned a berth on the all-county Top 10 after averaging 14.2 points for the Class 5A state champion Vikings. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman, which won the first boys state basketball championship in school history, is represented on the Top 10 by 6-5 senior Ty Henry, 6-1 senior Mateo Hyman and 6-1 junior Kaeden Bonner while 6-5 senior Gavin Wilhelm was named the city newcomer of the year after the 18-7 Vikings ended the season with an 11-game winning streak, capped by a 66-47 win over De Soto in the Class 5A state championship game.
Henry scored a team-high 15 points a game for the Vikings and also averaged 4.8 rebounds while Hyman averaged 14.2 points and 3.9 assists and Bonner 13.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals while hitting a city-high 64 3-pointers and shooting 45 percent from deep.
Wilhelm was a key contributor for the Vikings after bouncing back from an injury his junior season, shooting 44 percent from 3-point range while canning 42 treys and also pulling down 4.4 rebounds a game.
Seaman senior Gavin Wilhelm has been named the TSN All-Shawnee County newcomer of the year after helping the Vikings win the Class 5A state title. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman coach Craig Cox is the TSN Shawnee County coach of the year after leading the Vikings to the Class 5A state title, his third title as a head coach. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman's Craig Cox, who notched his third state championship as a head coach, was named the Shawnee County coach of the year. Cox led the Vikings to the 2022 state title after previously coaching a pair of state championship teams at Shawnee Heights in 2000 and 2002.
Topeka West, which went 21-2 on the season, including a 20-game win streak, is also represented on the Top 10 by 6-1 junior guard Sincere Austin, who was also a key player on the Chargers' 5A state runner-up team in 2021.
Topeka West junior Sincere Austin has earned a spot on the TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 after helping lead the Chargers to a second straight Class 5A state tournament berth. [File photo/TSN]
Austin averaged 10.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals as a junior while connecting on 32 3-pointers.
Highland Park senior Juan'Tario Roberts (23) has been named to the All-Shawnee County Top 10 after helping the Scots advance to the Class 5A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park junior Bo Aldridge has been named to the All-Shawnee County Top 10 after helping lead the Scots to the Class 5A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park (18-5), which qualified for the 5A state tournament, put 6-0 senior Juan'Tario Roberts and 6-4 junior Bo Aldridge on the all-county Top 10, while 4A state qualifier Hayden is represented by 6-5 junior Joe Otting
Aldridge ranked No. 2 in the city in scoring with an 18.7 average and also averaged 8.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 blocked shots while Roberts averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 assists and hit 39 3-pointers while shooting 40 percent from 3-poiint range.
Hayden junior Joe Otting was named to the TSN All-Shawnee County first team after helping lead the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Otting helped lead Hayden to a fourth-place finish in the 4A state tournament and earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors in basketball after also being an all-county pick in football last fall.
Senior Noah Hastert (4), who averaged a double-double, represents Cair Paravel Latin on the TSN All-Shawnee County first team. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Jack Bachelor (right) was named to the TSN All-Shawnee County first team after averaging 13.8 points and hitting 44 3-pointers. [File photo/TSN]
Cair Paravel Latin 6-6 senior Noah Hastert and Washburn Rural 6-2 junior Jack Bachelor round out the TSN All-Shawnee County first team, with Hastert averaging 15.9 points, a city-high 11.3 rebounds, a city-best 5.0 assists and tying Aldridge for city-high honors with 2.3 blocked shots per game while Bachelor averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and hit 44 3-pointers while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. Hastert also earned all-county honors in football last fall.
The all-county Second 10 includes senior Carter Olson and sophomore Brennon Dodge of Shawnee Heights, Cair Paravel senior Zach Clark, Hayden senior Trent Duffey and junior Jake Muller, Highland Park junior Tre Richardson, Rossville junior Kade Perine, Seaman junior Aron Davis, Topeka West senior Zander Putthoff and Washburn Rural senior Quincey Kidd.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL
