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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Very little has been routine for Washburn Rural's track and field team for the past season and a half.
First, like everybody else, the Junior Blues had the 2020 season wiped out by COVID-19 and then Rural began the current campaign without a home track to train or compete on while work wrapped up on a resurfacing project.
But for the past two weeks Rural has had a brand spanking new track to prepare on, and Friday night at Hummer Sports Park Keith Wetzel's Junior Blues had something else to celebrate, sweeping the team championships in the Joe Schrag City Invitational.
Rural's girls won by a 177.5-131-point margin over Topeka West while the Junior Blues won the boys division by a 164-116 margin over Hayden.
"These kids needed some good vibes and they've been resilient, not only last year in losing a season, but with not having a facility the first part of the season,'' Wetzel said. "They've handled it very, very well, extremely maturely, and just continued to get better each day.''
Washburn Rural senior Keely Wagner (right) and sophomore teammate Madeline Carter placed 1-2 in the 3,200 meters, helping the Junior Blues win the girls team title in Friday's Joe Schrag City Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Rural girls got a big early boost with a 1-2-3 finish in the 1,600 meters, led by senior Keely Wagner, who destroyed her previous personal best with a win in 5 minutes, 18:26 seconds while Rural sophomore Madeline Carter was second in 5:24.06 and junior Sydney Laster third in 5:43.95.
"I've run in windy and hot conditions the last three weeks, so it was nice to get a really good day," Wagner said. "No wind, no sun really. It was a good day. It was a pretty big (personal-record) goal for us and each lap, it was like, 'Don't slow down.' I just felt really good, better than I thought I was going to feel."
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural had the depth and Seaman the star power in Friday's city girls swimming and diving championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Despite winning just one event -- Ellie Armstrong's victory in one-meter diving -- the Junior Blues rolled to their 18th straight team championship by a 536-433 margin over Seaman while Seaman freshman twin sisters Avery and Tauren Walz both won four gold medals as the Vikings won seven events overall.
Seaman freshman Avery Walz captured four gold medals in Friday's city's girls swimming championships, including individual wins in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman freshman Tauren Walz captured four gold medals in Friday's city's girls swimming meet, including individual wins in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
How good was Topeka West in Friday's Class 5A boys tennis regional at Kossover Tennis Center? The Chargers coudn't have done any better.
Kurt Davids' team swept the top two sports in both singles and doubles to qualify all six players for next weekend's state tournament at Maize South while taking the regional team championship by a 26-13 margin over runner-up Shawnee Heights.
Sophomore Carter Cool, now 24-12 on the season, took the singles championship with a 6-2, 6-3 win over West freshman teammate James Maag (16-6), while sophomore twin brothers Ian and Miles Cusick won the doubles title with a 6-2, 6-1 win over junior Gavin Chavez and freshman Caden McGee. The Cusicks improved to 29-6 while Chavez and McGee are 12-10.
Topeka West sophomore Carter Cool won the 5A regional singles title Friday at Kossover Tennis Center, helping the Chargers win the team championship. [Submitted]
"We anticipated the top seeds in singles and doubles and the second seed in singles, but we knew the No. 2 singles would have a tough match in the semi and the No. 2 doubles was going to have a tough road the whole way,'' Topeka West coach Kurt Davids said. "To end up in the finals against each other was very nice.
"No 2 doubles and 2 singles really rose to the occasion. Not to take anything away from the rest of the fielf, but when Carter and the twins were challenged the most was in the finals by their teammates.''
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The following op-ed column was written by Karissa Niehoff, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, and Bill Faflick, executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. The column deals with two vital issues facing high school athletics.
By KARISSA NIEHOFF and BILL FAFLICK
Executive Director of the NFS/Executive Director KSHSAA
Bill Faflick
Karissa Niehoff
After months of working with state government, education and health leaders, schools in all 50 states have been given the go-ahead to resume high school sports at some level of competition. Schools in the District of Columbia were the last to receive the green light on April 1. This is great news and signals that a return to normalcy may be on the horizon by the time schools begin sports and activities this fall.
Unfortunately, there is an ever-increasing issue that could put a kink in the return-to-play plans in Kansas and across the country – a shortage of officials, as in referees and umpires, that borders on catastrophic in some sports and in some parts of the nation.
The shortage of officials in high school – and middle school – sports has been a growing concern for several years; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has moved the issue to heightened levels.
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Former Shawnee Heights javelin standout Alyssa Conway has developed into one of NCAA Division II's top hammer throwers for Emporia State track and field. [Photo courtesy of Stephen Coleman]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It’s probably safe to say that most high school athletes in Kansas have no idea what the hammer is or how to throw it.
But that’s understandable. In fact, it hasn’t been that long ago that Emporia State track and field standout Alyssa Conway, a Shawnee Heights product, was in the same position.
“I was so confused when I came here and coach asked me if I wanted to try out the hammer,’’ said Conway, primarily a javelin thrower in high school. “I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I had no idea what I was getting myself into and that was probably for the better.
From that humble beginning, Conway has become the most prolific hammer thrower in ESU history, breaking the 23-year-old school record held by another Topekan, Washburn Rural’s Laura Mayo, at the Drake Relays two weeks ago.
Shawnee Heights graduate is the new Emporia State record-holder in the women's hammer throw. [Photo courtesy of Stephen Coleman]
Last week Conway was named the MIAA Field Athlete of the Week after winning in the Alex Francis Classic at Fort Hays State, her second win in three weeks after finishing second in the prestigious Drake event.
