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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Very few teams in any sport look forward to playing third-place games and Washburn Rural's girls soccer team was no exception Saturday at Hummer Sports Park.
But after absorbing a lopsided 6-0 semifinal loss on Friday to perennial Class 6A power Blue Valley West, Brian Hensyel's Junior Blues had something to prove Saturday against Centennial League rival Manhattan.
"There was just a lot of disappointment last night, and not that we lost to Blue Valley West,'' Hensyel said. "They're a phenomenal program and losing to them in the final four, everybody's done that in the last few years. It was just the way in which we lost.
"I think the thing that hurt us the most was we had so many fans here yesterday. It was a big day for Topeka girls soccer, a chance for us to prove that players in this town can play just like anybody across the state, and so many people came out to support us and we just laid an egg. It was our worst performance of the year.''
Fortunately for the Junior Blues, they got the opportunity to wipe the sour taste out of their mouths 17 hours later and took advantage in a 3-1 win over the Indians.
Mackinly Rohn (left) scores Washburn Rural's first goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over Manhattan in the Class 6A third-place game at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"What we told them before the game was we were playing our rivals, so that should be enough for energy, but let's show everybody that yesterday was kind of a fluke and today we wanted to show them who we were all season, which was a team that was very strong defensively, found ways to generate goals and was one of the top teams in the state,'' Hensyel said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Friday's Class 3A boys 200-meter dash final was so close that almost everybody in Cessna Stadium immediately turned their eyes to the scoreboard to find out who won the hotly-contested race, including Rossville senior Woodrow Rezac.
And after a few seconds, Rezac got the news that he was hoping for, being declared the state champion by .01 of a second over Perry-Lecompton's Hunter Hess with a winning time of 22.15 seconds.
"I really knew it was a close race and out of the corner of my eye, to be honest I thought he had me," said Rezac, who had finished a close second in the 100 earlier in the day. "I looked back on the scoreboard and it was a good feeling to see my name first. The hard work and dedication pay off when you see your name next to No. 1."
Rossville's Woodrow Rezac (3249) and Silver Lake's Brogan Renfro walk off the Cessna Stadium track after Friday's Class 3A 200-meter dash. Rezac won the 200 title in 22.15 while Renfro placed fourth. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Perry-Lecompton's Hess also had to glance at the scoreboard to get the final resul.
"Coming down (to the finish), I knew it was going to be tough to catch up to him," Hess said. "I thought I had him, but he's really fast and he deserved it. No harm done."
Rossville senior Woodrow Rezac battles for the Class 3A 200-meter dash title Friday at Cessna Stadium. Rezac won by .01 of a second in 22.15 seconds. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Silver Lake junior Brogan Renfro, who won four 3A state medals on the day, was also in the title hunt in the 200, finishing fourth.
"Right before the race, we looked at each other and said, 'We're bringing that state title back to (Highway) 24,' '' Rezac said. "After the race, (Renfro) said, 'Now you gave me something to beat.' ''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With junior NiJaree Canady setting the tone with a dominating three-game pitching performance, Topeka High completed a perfect 25-0 season with the school's first-ever state softball championship Friday at the Shawnee Mission District Stadium, rolling to a 7-1 victory over Olathe North.
Canady recorded 16 strikeouts against North (18-7) in her third straight complete-game performance in the pitching circle while the Trojans also got their offense cranked up en route to completing a title quest that got its impetus with a first-round state-tournament loss in 2019.
Topeka High junior NiJaree Canady helped lead the Trojans to a perfect 25-0 season and High's first-ever state softball title, capped by Friday's 7-1 win over Olathe North in the championship game. [File photo/TSN]
Canady ended her two-hitter against the Eagles with her 16th strikeout of the game and her 48th strikeout of the state tournament, setting off a wild, and long-awaited, championship celebration.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Jake Muller already had plenty of self-motivation entering Friday's Class 4A state track and field championships.
But when Muller found out early in the day that teammate Tanner Newkirk would be unable to compete due to an injury, the Hayden sophomore knew he needed to make himself, Newkirk, his school and Wildcat coach DeJuan Gardenhire proud with the best performance he could deliver.
Muller accomplished that goal with a 4A state championship in the boys 300-meter hurdles, destroying his previous personal record with a time of 39.92 seconds.
"Just seeing (Tanner) and how bad he wanted to compete, and coach, It just made me want to win for them, and do my best for them,'' Muller said.
Hayden sophomore Jake Muller (middle) accepts congratulations from a string of well-wishers after winning the Class 4A state title in the 300-meter hurdles Friday at Cessna Stadium.
Newkirk is a former multiple state placer and won the 4A state cross country championship last fall, but was unable to run Friday because of a hip injury.
"It was sad, seeing him sad because he's one of the best and I wanted to do good for him,'' Muller said.
Muller went into Friday feeling pretty confident about his title chances after a late-season surge.
"Coach has just kept pushing me each week and I've been working really hard to get my steps down and I just believe in myself,'' Muller said. "I thought I had a good chance, but I knew it was going to be tough because all of the other competitors were like the best in their conference and stuff and they're really good.
"My steps were good and I thought (the race) was pretty smooth. I jumped a little high on some (hurdles), but it was good.''
Hayden sophomore Jake Muller won the Class 4A state title in the boys 300 hurdles Friday at Cessna Stadium. [File photo/TSN]
Muller said it was over the last month when he started believing that a championship was within his reach.
"It was about midseason probably, like around the city meet,'' he said. "I got third in the city meet and then the next week at (Centennial) League I won, so that just gave me confidence to keep going.''
And winning state was everything Muller thought it could be.
"All these people, it's just amazing,'' he said.
Muller also picked up a second state medel when he teamed with freshman Fin Dunshee, junior Ryan Rochford and senior Dawson Adams to finish fifth in the meet-ending 4x400 relay in 3:31.88.
Hayden senior Jack Konrade finished third in the boys long jump (21-8.25) while freshman Natalie Hillebert placed fourth in the girls 400 (60.76) and junior Jadyn Paige Falley finished eighth in the girls shot put (33-9.75).
The Wildcats' 4x800 boys relay team of junior Nick Padilla, Rochford, senior Braden Tinoco and senior Ethan Emmons placed seventh in 8:45.69.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University senior Andrew Beckler has been named one of five NCAA Division II finalists for the 2021 Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award.
The recipient of the award will be announced during The Memorial Tournament scheduled for June 3-6.
Washburn senior golf standout Andrew Beckler has been named a finalist for the Division II Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year Award. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
A Washburn Rural product, Beckler joins Dan Bradbury (Lincoln Memorial), Keegan Bronnenberg (Indianapolis), Trevor Norby (Oklahoma Christian) and Alejandro Restrepo (West Florida) as a Division II finalist.
The award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate golfer across NCAA Divisions I, II and III, plus the NAIA and NCJAA, is one of college golf's most esteemed honors.
Beckler is Washburn's first-ever finalist for the Jack Nicklaus Award and there has never been a golfer from the MIAA or NCAA Central Region to win it.
