- Details
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.
- Details
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.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Shawnee Heights' three-year Class 5A sotball title reign came to an end Thursday night with a tough 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Eisenhower at Wilkins Stadium.
But after virtually starting over with a new cast of varsity players this spring after the cancellation of the 2020 season, T-Bird coach Tara Griffith had nothing but praise for her team after it wrapped up an 18-5 campaign.
"I'm so proud of this team," Griffith said. "I don't even know if I can put it into words how proud I am. No one expected anything of us and these girls came together as a team and were just amazing."
Shawnee Heights senior pitcher Mykala Johnico pitched a five-hitter with 11 strikeouts in Heights' 3-1 Class 5A state quarterfinal loss to Eisenhower. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights missed out on an opportunity to jump in front in the top of the first after loading the bases with no outs.
But Eisenhower pitcher Allyson Montgomery struck out three straight batters to keep Heights off the scoreboard and the Tigers capitalized with two runs in the bottom of the second.
But Griffith said her T-Birds remained confident throughout the game.
"These girls always keep their energy up,'' Griffith said. "Even during the seventh inning, we're down two runs and not one person doubted we could score two right there. That's this team, they're team first the whole way."
Shawnee Heights cut Eisenhower's lead to 2-1 when junior Ariah Durkes doubled to open the third and came home on junior Abby Schulte's single.
Shawnee Heights senior Abby Schulte knocked in the T-Birds' run in a tough 3-1 Class 5A state quarterfinal loss to Eisenhower. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Heights junior Taryn Dial led off the T-Bird fourth with a double and reached third base with one out, but was stranded there.
Montgomery struck out 11 batters in the game and limited Shawnee Heights to four hits.
"I think we hit the ball hard, but we hit it right at people," Griffith said. "I felt we timed her up and handled her, maybe not the best, but had hard hits off her, but right at somebody."
Heights senior Mykala Johnico also turned in an outstanding pitching performance, limiting Eisenhower to five hits while recording 11 strikeouts, but Eisenhower scratched out just enough offense to get the win.
The Tigers scored a run in the second on a bloop single from Carsyn McCue and scored a second run on a hit batsman.
Eisenhower, which improved to 19-4, got its final run on a blooper from Grace Sykora.
"The ball just fell for them today and maybe not so much for us," Griffith said. "That's going to happen sometimes."
Montgomery was impressive in the late innings, retiring the T-Birds in order in the fifth and sixth and working around a one-out walk in the seventh.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Seaman's baseball team dug itself an early hole in Thursday's Class 5A quarterfinal and couldn't escape it, dropping a 6-2 decision to Hays at Eck Stadium.
The nine-time state-champion Vikings spotted the Indians five runs over the first two innings en route to a 5-1 deficit and struggled to solve Hays ace Dylan Dreiling.
“We weren’t very clean at the very beginning and obviously spotted them too many runs there," Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "We gave ourselves opportunities but just couldn’t come through with that clutch hit that we needed.’’
eaman senior pitcher Brady Stuewe (left) turned in a solid relief performance in Thursday's Class 5A state quarterfinal, but Hays scored five runs in the first two innings en route to a 6-2 win. [File photo/TSN]
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Shawnee Heights sophomore star Jeremiah Smith established himself as one of the state's premier track performers right out of the gate this spring and, except for being forced to nurse a midseason injury, never looked back.
Still, the T-Bird star sprinter/hurdler wasn't necessarily expecting the kind of day he had Thursday in the Class 5A state track and field championships at Cessna Stadium.
Smith started his big day with a win in the 110-meter high hurdles and then edged Hays standout Jaren Kanak in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes to go three for three in his state track debut.
"I'm a bit surprised," said Smith, who returned to action the final two weeks of the 2021 season after recovering from a slight groin injury. "It does mean a lot, especially going against the best in the state.''
Shawnee Heights sophomore Jeremiah Smith cools off after one of his six race wins (preliminaries and finals) in Thursday's Class 5A state meet at Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
