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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It was an ugly day for Monday's Class 5A regional tournament at Lake Shawnee Golf Course, but a pretty finish for the Shawnee Heights golf team.
Shawnee Heights' golf team poses for a picture after winning Monday's Class 5A regional tournament at Lake Shawnee. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights seniors Alex Valdivia (right) and Tyler Lincoln went one-two individually to help lead the T-Birds to Monday's Class 5A regional golf championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seniors Alex Valdivia and Tyler Lincoln went one-two individually to lead four T-Birds in the top 10 as Jane Yi's team overcame awul conditions to roll to the team championship by a whopping 26-stroke margin (314-340) over Emporia.
Monday's tournament was played in a steady to heavy rain, but Shawnee Heights was up to the challenge en route to claiming the top qualifying berth for next Monday and Tuesday's state tournament in McPherson.
"I'm definitely very proud of what they did in these conditions,'' Yi said. "It wasn't letting up and then it finally did, and it's hard to play when it's wet and then the rough was really thick.
"The kids were really trying to stay in the fairway and not get in the rough and it they did they'd bite the bullet and go, 'OK, now I'm playing for bogey.' They were doing a really good job of playing smart.''
After bogeying his first two holes of the day, Valdivia, the two-time United Kansas Conference champ, rallied to shoot a two-over-par 72 and earn medalist honors by two strokes over teammate Lincoln, the 2023 Topeka City champ.
"I usually kind of struggle a little bit in the rain so I just kind of played smart and was able to put a decent score up,'' Valdivia said.
Valdivia said it was an advantage to be playing on a Lake Shawnee course he's very familiar with.
"I play here a decent amount of time so I just kind of stuck to what I've always done here,'' he said. "I still have a couple of things to work on. I didn't hit my irons great but I was just getting it up there pretty close and getting up and down or getting a two-putt.
"I played pretty smart and I just didn't put myself in any big danger where I could get a double or anything like that.''
Shawnee Heights also got a tie for fifth from senior Aiden Jones, who shot an 83, while junior Jensen Crawford tied for ninth with an 85 to round out the T-Birds' top four finishers.
Junior Zackary Hohman added an 87 and senior Tanner Zerger a 93 for the T-Birds, who claimed the regional championship after finishing second in last week's UKC and city tournaments.
Topeka West junior Myles Alonzo made it a one-two-three individual finish by city golfers, finishing third with a 79.
Alonzo, a returning state medalist, qualified for state as an individual as did Seaman junior Zach Weir, who tied for ninth with an 85.
The state tournament will be played at McPherson's Turkey Creek Golf Course and Yi said Monday's performance was a momentum-booster for the T-Birds heading to state.
"It's definitely huge momentum,'' Yi said. "I've got four seniors on this team and the other two are juniors, and for my four seniors, this is huge. They wanted to make it as a whole team to state.
"So playing this well and scoring this low together as a team is great momentum for us for next week.''
Although players had to battle through miserable conditions, Yi said she was glad that they were able to get the regional in.
"I was watching (the weather) since yesterday and I''d rather get it in because the thing is they were all hyped up and ready to go today,'' Yi said. "And when you delay sometihing like that it kind of throws off the groove in a sense.
"Even though it was Mother's Day we came out yesterday and they worked on their game. So they were ready to go and I would have been more disappointed if we didn't get it in.''
CLASS 5A REGIONAL GOLF
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West, which captured its first-ever Class 5A state team championship Saturday at Arkansas City, headlines the 2023 All-City boys tennis team, with all six Chargers earning spots on the 14-member team.
The 2023 All-City boys tennis team -- Front, from left: Dylan Dodge, Washburn Rural; Gus Glotzbach, Hayden; Joseph Luke, Hayden; Jake Emmons, Shawnee Heights; Carter Cool, Topeka West; James Maag, Topeka West; Cayden Weybrew, Topeka West. Back, from left: Kiefer Von Lintel, Washburn Rural; Keegan Knudtson, Washburn Rural; Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural; Mason Casebeer, Washburn Rural; Ian Cusick, Topeka West; Miles Cusick, Topeka West; Caden McGee, Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
All six Topeka West players earned 5A state medals, led by senior twin brothers Ian and Miles Cusick, who won their second straight state doubles championship and earned 5A medals for the third straight season.
West senior Carter Cool finished seventh at state in singles while juniors Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew finished ninth in doubles and junior James Maag placed 11th in singles.
The All-City team includes a total of 11 state medalists, including three-time 4A state medalist Gus Glotzbach of Hayden.
Glotzbach, a senior, teamed with junior Joseph Luke to finish fifth in 4A doubles after finishing second at state as a sophomore and a junior, while Luke medaled for the second straight season.
Washburn Rural senior Mason Casebeer placed ninth in 6A singles on Saturday, his second state medal, while Junior Blue senior Kiefer Von Lintel and freshman Dylan Willingham finished 12th in doubles.
Rural, which won a regional team title, is also represented on the All-City team by junior Dylan Dodge and freshman Keegan Knudtson.
Also earning a spot on the All-City team was Shawnee Heights singles player Jake Emmons, who placed third in the city tournament in No. 1 singles to earn his All-City berth.
All-City tennis capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2023 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Smith, Shawnee Heights 10.74
Dunshee, Hayden 10.76
Peoples, Topeka High 10.96
Richardson, Highland Park 10.97
Merritt, Seaman 10.99
200 METERS
Richardson, Highland Park 21.50
Cochran, Seaman 22.34
Smith, Shawnee Heights 22.35
Peoples, Topeka High 22.53
Murph, Topeka High 22.64
Hayden sophomore Jensen Schrickel is the Shawnee County leader in the 400-meter dash. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
400 METERS
Schrickel, Hayden 50.22
Roeder, Topeka High 50.74
Roney, Washburn Rural 51.72
Benz, Shawnee Heights 51.89
Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 51.96
800 METERS
Moore, Seaman 2:00.12
Johnson, Washburn Rural 2:00.55
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 2:00.67
Anderson, Seaman 2:01.30
Brokaw, Silver Lake 2:03.65
Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge (left) and Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel are the Shawnee County leaders in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
1,600 METERS
Njoroge, Topeka West 4:17.71
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:20.46
Dial, Washburn Rural 4:33.13
Johnson, Washburn Rural 4:33.46
Jowers, Seaman 4:43.66
3,200 METERS
Njoroge, Topeka West 9:20.08
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 9:25.23
Johnson, Washburn Rural 9:51.59
Dial, Washburn Rural 9:51.97
Jowers, Seaman 10:05.32
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2023 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Ta'Mijha Nichols of Shawnee Heights is the Shawnee County leader in the girls 100-meter dash. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Nichols, Shawnee Heights 12.19
Marshall, Topeka High 12.74
Steiner, Seaman 12.94
Torres-Hill, Topeka High 13.07
Ross, Silver Lake 13.22
Topeka West senior Ala'Jah Brooks is the Shawnee County leader in the girls 200 and 400-meter dashes. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
200 METERS
Brooks, Topeka West 25.39
Nichols, Shawnee Heights 25.88
Hillebert, Hayden 26.53
Steiner, Seaman 26.76
Marshall, Topeka High 26.83
400 METERS
Brooks, Topeka West 57.26
Hillebert, Hayden 58.40
Fredrickson, Washburn Rural 60.01
Miller, Seaman 61.85
Rottinghaus, Shawnee Heights 61.91
Returning senior state champion Bethany Druse of Seaman is the Shawnee County leader in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
800 METERS
Druse, Seaman 2:16.51
Carter, Washburn Rural 2:25.99
Foster, Rossville 2:27.33
Fink, Washburn Rural 2:27.51
Ismert, Washburn Rural 2:28.92
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Audrey Appuhn
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
Appuhn, a freshman swimming standout, was a part of four victories in her first Centennial League meet last Thursday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, helping lead Washburn Rural to its third straight league team championship. Appuhn won the 200-yard individual medley in 2 minutes, 11.39 seconds and the 500 free in 5:13.53 and also swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley relay (1:55.69) and 400 free relay (3:48.77).
Ian Cusick
IAN CUSICK, Topeka West
A senior, Ian and his twin brother, Miles, capped their high school tennis career with a second straight Class 5A state doubles championship Saturday at Arkansas City. The Cusicks, who earned state medals in all three of their state tournament appearances, led the Chargers to their first-ever 5A state boys team title by a 34-28 margin over Blue Valley Southwest. Ian and Miles took a 6-3, 6-4 win over Arkansas City's Oakley and Dawson O'Donnell in the final, avenging three losses earlier in the season.
Miles Cusick
MILES CUSICK, Topeka West
A senior, Miles and his twin brother, Ian, closed out their high school tennis career with a second straight Class 5A state doubles championship Saturday at Arkansas City. The Cusicks, who earned state medals in all three of their state tournament appearances, led the Chargers to their first-ever 5A state boys team title by a 34-28 margin over Blue Valley Southwest. Miles and Ian took a 6-3, 6-4 win over Arkansas City's Oakley and Dawson O'Donnell in the final, avenging three losses earlier in the season.
