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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Multi-sport stars Finn Dunshee of Hayden and Taylin Stallbaumer of Seaman were named the TopSports.news Topeka Shawnee County Athletes of the Year Wednesday night in ceremonies at Washburn University.
Dunshee was a multi-event state champion in track and a state runnerup in football for the Wildcats while Stallbaumer helped lead Seaman to Class 5A state titles in volleyball and basketball and the state quarterfinals in soccer as a senior.
Hayden product Finn Dunshee won three Class 3A state gold medals in the 2024 Kansas State Track and Field Championships at Wichita and plans to run collegiately at TCU. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden product Finn Dunshee (33) helped lead the Wildcat football to a runnerup finish in Class 3A as a senior. [File photo/TSN]
Dunshee swept the 3A titles this spring in the 100-meter (10.60 seconds) and 200-meter (21.99) dashes and helped the Wildcats win the 4x400 relay (3:26.01) and post a runnerup finish in the 4x100 relay (42.52).
In football Dunshee fought back from a torn MCL to help 12-1 Hayden advance to the 3A title game last fall. Despite missing five full games, Dunshee rushed for 844 yards and 14 touchdowns on 60 attempts and caught 17 passes for 229 yards and three TDs.
Dunshee earned All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors for the second straight season.
Seaman product Taylin Stallbaumer helped lead Seaman to its first Class 5A state volleyball championship last fall. [Submitted photo]
Recent Seaman graduate Taylin Stallbaumer was named the Topeka Shawnee County Female Athlete of the Year after helping the Vikings win Class 5A state titles in volleyball and basketball. [File photo/TSN]
Stallbaumer finished her high school volleyball career second on Seaman's all-time list in assists (1,394), fourth in aces (134), fifth in kills (663), sixth in digs (873), seventh in hitting percentage (.205) and ninth in blocks (91).
In basketball Stallbaumer received first-team All-United Kansas Conference and All-Shawnee County recognition, finishing her prep career as the Seaman record-holder for career 3-pointers.
She also ranks in the top five in school history in points, assists, steals, free throw percentage and 3-point percentage. Stallbaumer finished her career with 978 points, 201 assists and 199 steals.
Stallbaumer will play volleyball at Johnson County Community College.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights three-sport standout Rykan Carver was named the Topeka Shawnee County Most Inspirational Male Wednesday night at Washburn University.
Recent Shawnee Heights graduate Rykan Carver was named the Topeka Shawnee County Most Inspirational Male Wednesday night at Washburn University. [File photo/TSN]
Carver was an All-United Kansas Conference offensive tackle in football, the Class 5A 285-pound state champion in wrestling and a state qualifier in track in the shot put.
Carver was a three-year starter on offense and a two-year starter on defense in football and was a four-year letterman in wrestling.
Academically, Carver ranked No. 1 in a graduating class of 251 while compiling a grade point average of 4.53.
Carver was a Kansas Governor's Scholar and a member of the National Honor Society, ranking in the top one percent of GPAs for the entire state of Kansas. Carver will study engineering at Kansas State.
Rykan is the son of Corey and Tricia Carver.
SPRING SPORTS: MOST INSPIRATIONAL MALE NOMINEES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 5A state track champions Jackson Esquibel of Shawnee Heights and Aaron Merritt of Seaman were selected as the Topeka Shawnee County Co-Spring Male Athletes of the Year Wedneday night at Washburn University.
Shawnee Heights product Jackson Esquibel (left) was named the Co-Shawnee County Spring Male Athlete of the Year Wednesday night. [File photo/TSN]
Recent Seaman graduate Aaron Merritt (middle) won the Class 5A 100-meter and 110 hurdles championships as a senior. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
As a senior Esquibel won his second straight 5A 3,200 meters state championship after winning the 5A state cross country title last fall. Esquibel set school records in the 3,200 (9 minutes, 13.85 seconds), 1,600 (4:15.26) and 800 (1:56.43). Esquibel finished second in the 5A 1,600 meters as both a junior and senior.
"Jackson has been a leader in both sports, always being a great mentor and teammate,'' Shawnee Heights track and cross country coach John Oshel said.
Esquibel will compete collegiately in cross country and track at Kansas State. As a junior Esquibel was selected as the male Rising Star of the Year for Shawnee County.
Esquibel, the son of Scott and Amy Esquibel, carried a 3.96 grade point average at Shawnee Heights.
Merritt was a double 5A gold medalist in track and field as a senior, winning the 110-meter hurdles and the 100-meter dash. Merritt also anchored the Vikings' 4x100 relay to a second-place finish at state.
"Aaron is very dependable, talented, and has an incredible work ethic,'' Seaman track coach Scott Petersen said. "He has been fantastic to coach and deserves all the success he earned this spring. As great of an athlete as he is, with all of his accolades, he’s an even better person.''
Merritt's winning times in the 110 hurdles and 100 dash in the state meet were the fastest in all classes.
The ton of Toby and Robin Merritt, Aaron compiled a 3.6 grade point average in high school.
SPRING SPORTS: OUTSTANDING MALE NOMINEES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Softball stars Kaibryn Kruger of Silver Lake and Kinsey Perine of Rossville were selected as Topeka Shawnee County Co-Spring Female Athletes of the Year Wednesday night at Washburn University.
Recent Silver Lake graduate Kaibryn Kruger was named the Co-Spring Female Athlete of the Year at Wednesday's Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards banquet at Washburn University. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville product Kinsey Perine was named the Co-Spring Female Athlete of the Year at Wednesday's Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards banquet at Washburn University. [File photo/TSN]
Kruger helped lead Silver Lake to a second-place finish in the Class 3A state softball tournament this spring after helping the Eagles win the Class 3A state championship in basketball.
Kruger split her time between softball and track and field in the spring, running on Silver Lake's state championship team in the 4x400 relay as a senior while also qualifying for state in the triple jump.
"She not only has been a good athlete but also an influence to our future Eagles,'' Silver Lake softball coach Nick Hamilton said. "She has done an outstanding job continuing and building the rich tradition of Silver Lake, not only the winning success, but being competitive in everything that she does.''
The daughter of David and Dena Kruger, Kaibryn compiled a grade point average of 4.0 in high school.
Perine was a three-sport star for the Bulldawgs in volleyball, basketball and softball, earning All-Mid-East League, All-Shawnee County and All-State recognition in all three sports in addition to being the valedictorian of her graduating class.
"She is a role model not only to all her teammates but kids all over the town of Rossville,'' Bulldawg softball coach John Nitsch said. Perine helped lead Rossville softball to a fourth-place state finish in 2022 and to the Class 3A state title in 2023. "She is truly an exceptional young lady and athlete and will be greatly missed in all areas at Rossville High School.''
Perine hit .462 as a senior with a .524 on base percentage and a .703 slugging percentage. Perine will play softball at Emporia State.
The daughter of Jason and Shanna Perine, Kinsey carried a 4.4 grade point average.
SPRING SPORTS: OUTSTANDING FEMALE NOMINEES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Washburn Rural swimming star Brogan Meier was named the TopSports.news Topeka Shawnee County Winter Male Athlete of the Year during Wednesday's awards banquet and Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Washburn University.
Former Washburn Rural star Brogan Meier was named the Topeka Shawnee County Winter Male Athlete of the Year Wednesday night at Washburn University. [File photo/TSN]
Meier capped an oustanding high school swimming career with the Class 6A 50-yard freestyle while helping lead Washburn Rural to a third-place team finish.
Meier was a four-time All-City and All-Centennial League honoree, helping the Junior Blues win four city team titles and three league championships.
"Brogan was a fantastic captain for our swim team, demonstrating great leadership and always being an encouraging teammate to all fellow swimmers,'' Rural coach Janson Garman said. "Brogan brought incredible talent, backed by a great work ethic, to our swim team and it really paid off for him in the end.''
Meier, the son of Kirk and Nicole Meier, compiled a grade point average of 4.11 at Washburn Rural.
He plans to attend Missouri State.
WINTER SPORTS: OUTSTANDING MALE NOMINEES
Caleb Annan-Noonoo
CALEB ANNAN-NOONOO | Topeka West
PARENTS: K.O. Noonoo and Anna Annan-Noonoo
SPORT: Basketball | GPA: NA
Annan-Noonoo was a three-year varsity player for the Chargers in basketball while also starring in the classroom, ranking as Topeka West's valedictorian for the class of 2024 and earning numerous academic scholarship offers. Annan-Noonoo turned in a solid senior season for the Chargers, shooting 55.9 percent from the field while ranking seventh in the city with a 5.5 rebounding average and leading the city with 1.4 blocked shots per game. He also averaged 1.6 steals on the season.
Rykan Carver
RYKAN CARVER | Shawnee Heights
PARENTS: Corey and Tricia Carver
SPORT: Wrestling | GPA: 4.53
A standout in football, wrestling and track and field for the T-Birds, Carver ended his high school wrestling career with the Class 5A 285-pound state title. Carver was a four-time letterman in wrestling, winning a pair of United Kansas Conference titles and qualifying for the 5A state tournament three times. "Rykan is a team leader and captain in all three of his sports and also thrives in the classroom, taking honors courses throughout high school and graduating with a 4.53 GPA,'' Shawnee Heights wrestling coach Chad Parks said. "This GPA and workload earned Rykan the distinction of being in the top one percent of GPAs for the entire state of Kansas.'' Carver will attend Kansas State to study engineering.
Cooper Colboch
COOPER COLBOCH | Hayden
PARENTS: Craig and Torri Colboch
SPORT: Basketball | GPA: 4.166
Colboch helped lead the Wildcats to a Class 3A state tournament berth as a senior, averaging 8.2 points per games while hitting 39 3-pointers and shooting 81.3 percent from the free throw line. "Cooper had a great senior season,'' former Hayden coach Trey Brown said. "He was the voice of our team all year long and hit countless big shots for us. He is a great kid on and off the court and was a big reason we had success this season. Colboch also played football for Hayden before being sidelined midway through his senior season with an injury.
Simon Everhart
SIMON EVERHART | Cair Paravel Latin
PARENTS: Dave and Rachel Everhart
SPORT: Basketball | GPA: 4.17
Everhart was a Top 10 All-Shawnee County selection as a senior, averaging 16.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game while scoring 35 percent of the Lions' points. "Simon is consistent in his approach and very reliable to his teammates,'' Cair Parave coach Chip Kueffer said. "A leader by his actions, not just words. The team depended on him heavily to show up and there was never a moment during the year when Simon let a teammate down. Simon demonstrates humility and perseverance. Despite being one of the top players in Topeka, Simon was never 'too big time.' He consistently swept the court before practices started and led as a team captain with a servant's heart.''
