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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ethan Burns
ETHAN BURNS, Seaman
A junior, Burns bowled a 728 three-game series last Wednesday at West Ridge Lanes to win the Centennial League boys individual title by two pins over Washburn Rural's Josh Hammons and help the Vikings finish second as a team, just four pins behind Rural. Burns finished 13th in the 2021 Class 5A-1A state tournament with a 631 series as the Vikings placed third as a team.
Kaitlyn Doyal
KAITLYN DOYAL, Washburn Rural
Doyal, a senior, won the Centennial League girls individual bowling championship last Wednesday at West Ridge Lanes by a 32-pin margin with a three-game series of 668, leading the Junior Blues to a second-place team finish. Doyal finished seventh in the Class 6A state tournament as a junior, bowling a 631 series as Washburn Rural finished third as a team.
Trent Duffey
TRENT DUFFEY, Hayden
Duffey, a 6-foot-2 senior, scored 60 points in three games on the week as the Wildcats won two off the three. Duffey scored 19 points in Hayden's 58-35 non-league win over Tonganoxie last Monday, had nine points in Tuesday's 51-48 overtime Centennial League loss to No. 2-ranked (Class 5A) Topeka West and scored a career-high 32 points in Friday's 66-57 league win over Topeka High on Senior Night at Hayden.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior Rylee Murray received the outstanding wrestler award in the 2021 Centennial League girls wrestling tournament, probably the biggest highlight of her first season in the sport.
But even then Murray was in nearly constant pain from a condition that doctors still haven't been able to pinpoint more than a year later.
"I was very injured at that point and until I ended (the season) at sub-state, and then this year they still haven't figured it out,'' Murray said.
'"It's something with my muscles and ribs. I'm still taking all my medicine for pain and stuff and they're just trying to maintain it right now. I'm just going doctor to doctor trying to figure it out.''
Murray, who also plays softball for the Vikings, was left with a very important decision to make -- walk away or put up with the pain.
Murray chose to stay and fight.
"If I was younger I probably wouldn't because I don't think I would be able to make it two more years, but since it's my senior year I had to,'' she said. "My doctors told me, 'Not a good idea.' My parents told me, 'Not a good idea,' but they know me and they knew if I wanted to do it I was going to do it.''
Seaman senior 126-pounder Rylee Murray is congratulated by Viking coach Jordan Best after winning her Class 6A-5A regional wrestling title. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman senior 126-pounder Rylee Murray (right) is coming off a Class 6A-5A regional championship and will take a 19-5 record into the state tournament Wednesday and Thursday in Park City. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Murray's persevance has paid off, with the Vikings' 126-pounder making it back to the Centennial League finals, finishing second, before winning a championship in the Class 6A-5A regional tournament to earn a spot in Wednesday and Thursday's state tournament at Hartman Arena in Park City.
Murray, 19-5 on the season, said she her condition has improved ... slightly ... this season.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As Highland Park's athletic director, Boshner Whitaker is never at a loss for something to do.
But Whitaker spends any spare time he can find to devote to something else he has a great passion for -- officiating.
"I did that a little bit when I was in high school, just to help out at the rec centers, and then I realized it was a nice money-maker in college and I could pick and choose when I wanted to work and where,'' Whitaker said.
In addition to his duties as athletic director for Highland Park, Boshner Whitaker also works as a high school official whenever possible. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Highland Park athletic director Boshner Whitaker officiates in multiple sports when he can while also trying to spread the word about the need for officials. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Whitaker eventually caught the officiating bug and has officiating experience in basketball, football, baseball and softball.
Obviously, Whitaker's major priority is overseeing the Scots' athletic programs and he cut back his officiating schedules accordingly.
"My No. 1 commitment is to Highland Park, so I did have to give up my fulltime status as an official,'' Whitaker said.
But whenever he can, you'll find Whitaker working a game somewhere.
"I stay away from the varsity games in the Centennial League, but I do work varsity games in other leagues outside of Topeka and away from people who might know me on a personal level,'' Whitaker said.
With Kansas and many other states facing a shortage of officials, Whitaker believes it's his responsibility to do what he can.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County will send a total of 44 wrestlers to Friday and Saturday's boys state tournaments after wrapping up a strong performance in regional competition on Saturday.
Defending state team champ Washburn Rural claimed a Class 6A regional team championship and qualified 11 wrestlers for the state meet at Hartman Arena in Park City while Shawnee Heights finished second in 5A regional competition and will take 12 competitors to the state meet.
Seaman will be well-represented in 5A with seven qualifiers while Topeka High in 6A and Highland Park in 5A both qualiified one wrestler apiece.
Silver Lake finished second in its 3A-1A regional tournament while Rossville finished fourth as the Eagles and Bulldawgs combined for 12 state qualifiers for the 3A-1A state tournament at Hays.
Here's a school by school look at the state qualifiers:
Class 6A
WASHBURN RURAL -- The defending state champs emerged from an extremely tight team race at Wichita Southeast with the team title by a 205-203 margin over Dodge City, with Derby third with 196 points and Manhattan fourth with 193.
Washburn Rural senior Aidan Boline won a Class 6A regional title on Saturday, improving to 30-6 on the season. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Austin Fager, a state finalist a year ago, won an 182-pound regional title Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior regional champions Aidan Boline (160 pounds) and Austin Fager (182) led the Junior Blues, with Boline improving to 30-6 and Fager, a state finalist a year ago, improving to 39-2.
The Junior Blues got second-place finishes from freshman 106-pounder Easton Broxterman (36-5) and senior 126-pounder Jacob Tangpricha (31-6) and thirds from sophomore 113-pounder Jonathan Morrison (35-6), senior 120-pounder Henri McGivern (18-7) and senior 145-pounder Nick Vincent (5-1).
Tangpricha is a two-time state champion while Morrison was a state champ last season as a freshman.
Also qualifying for state were sophomore 132-pounder Brody Byrne (fourth), freshman 195-pounder Ford Brandt (fifth), freshman 152-pounder Kristjan Marshall (seventh) and sophomore 170-pounder Chase Calhoon (eighth).
TOPEKA HIGH -- After not getting the opportunity to wrestle as a junior, Trojan 285-pounder Jahmari Pleasant will wrestle at state this weekend after punching his ticket to the state meet with a fifth-place regional finish in the Wichita Southeast West regional.
Pleasant will take a 22-10 record into state competition.
Class 5A
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Shawnee Heights junior Luke Perkins' bid for a Class 5A-1A state swimming championship came up just short Saturday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Perkins placed second by a mere second in the 100-yard butterfly event, clocking a time of 52.95 seconds to finish as the runner-up to Bishop Seabury's Ian Blake, who claimed the state crown in 51.95.
Shawnee Heights junior Luke Perkins was a state runner-up and earned four Class 5A-1A state medals in Saturday's state meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [File photo/TSN]
Perkins' second-place finish in the 100 fly came after he had placed third in the event in 2021 as a sophomore.
Perkins earned four state medals Saturday after being a double medalist as a freshman and a sophomore.
The T-Bird star added a sixth-place finish in the 200 individual medley in 2:00.64 and also helped Shawnee Heights post a pair of top-six state relay finishes.
Perkins teamed with freshman Truman Brede, junior Guillaume Humblet and junior Tanner Zerger to finish fifth in the 200 medley relay in 1:42.08 and with Humblet, freshman Evan Hoobler and Zerger to record a sixth-place finish in the 200 free relay in 1:33.50.
