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Washburn Rural junior Kyler Knudtson won three matches on the day, helping the Junior Blues go 3-0 in Saturday's tennis quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural boys tennis team may not have any stars, at this point anyway, but the Junior Blues showed off their depth in Saturday's Washburn Rural quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center, posting a perfect 3-0 record while winning 24 of 27 matches on the day in Rural's first competition since 2019.
Kevin Hedberg's team opened the day with a 6-3 win over Hayden before taking 9-0 wins over Topeka High and Junction City. Hayden finished second in the quad, following up its loss to Washburn Rural with an 8-1 win over Junction City and a 9-0 decision over Topeka High.
"It's just great to be out here, but the other side of it is all of us, since we missed a season, everybody needs match play, everybody needs experience and, quite frankly, you don't need it playing your teammates,'' Hedberg said. "You get it when you play other people, so this was a good day.''
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Washburn's Jaycee Ginter looks for a pitch as Washburn takes on Fort Hays State (photo by Rex Wolf /TSN )
Freshman Jaycee Ginter threw the first-no hitter for Washburn softball in more than a decade Friday against Fort Hays State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University freshman pitcher Jaycee Ginter treated Friday's performance against Fort Hays State like it was just another day.
It wasn't.
Making only the ninth start and 12th appearance of her college career, the former Shawnee Heights softball star hurled Washburn's first no-hitter in more than a decade and was just one walk away from a perfect game as the Ichabods topped the Tigers 2-0 in the first game of a MIAA doubleheader en route to a split at Gahnstrom Field.
Ginter, who improved to 8-1 on the season, was the first Washburn pitcher to pitch a no-hitter since Kelsey Novotny accomplished that feat on Feb. 19, 2011.
"I was excited, but I really don't think that I did anything that special,'' Ginter said. "I think my team was basically there backing me up. They made a lot of defensive plays that kind of helped me.''
Ginter did say she continues to feel more comfortable at the collegiate level with each outing.
"It defnitely took some getting used to, but now that the season is up and going I feel more confident and just better about myself,'' Ginter said.
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Seaman freshman Taylin Stallbaumer won the girls 100 and 300-meter hurdles in Thursday's Mid-Winter Relays at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Manhattan dominated Thursday's Topeka West Mid-Winter Relays, with the Indians' boys and girls teams combining for wins in 20 of 36 events on the day.
But city athletes also had plenty of positives to take away from the season-opening track and field event, with Topeka West and Seaman combining for 11 wins and city athletes posting top-three finishes in 30 of 36 events overall.
Seaman athletes swept the hurdles events, with Viking freshman Taylin Stallbaumer taking wins in the 100-meter and 300 girls events while Seaman's Sean Hoffmans swept the boys 110s and 300 events.
Seaman's Sean Hoffmans swept the boys 110 and 300-meter hurdles titles in Thursday's Mid-Winter Relays at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Stallbaumer clocked a time of 17.70 seconds in her 110 win and she came back to win the 300s in 48.96 while Hoffmans had winning times of 17.43 and 44.79 seconds.
Topeka West's Javion Lee and Tyrell Reed swept the boys 100 and 200-meter dashes for the Chargers, with Lee winning the 100 in 11.32 and Reed taking the 200 in 23.97. Reed finished second in the 100 in 11.48.
West's girls won four events, with Makinsey Jones winning the high jump (5 feet), Adina Davis taking the triple jump title (33-7.50) and Victoria Reed in the 200 (26.78) while the Chargers also won the 4X100 relay in 51.27. Ala'Jah Brooks finished second to Reed in the 200 in 27.41.
Topeka West's Victoria Reed and Ala'Jah Brooks finished one-two in the girls 200-meter dash in Thursday's Mid-Winter Relays. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman's Bethany Druse added a win in the girls 800 in 2:30.57.
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Topeka West senior Trevion Alexander has been named a KBCA first-team All-Class 5A pick after helping lead the Chargers to a state runner-up finish. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's Trevion Alexander, a 6-foot-4 senior, has been named to the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association All-Class 5A first team after helping lead the Chargers to a second-place finish in the 5A state tournament and a 21-3 record overall.
Alexander's senior teammate, Marque Wilkerson (6-2), was a second-team All-5A pick while West junior Elijah Brooks (6-3) received honorable mention.
Washburn Rural senior Joe Berry (6-3)received All-6A honorable mention while Highland Park senior CJ Powell (6-7) received All-5A honorable menion.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls soccer team was very good but young in 2019 and the fact that several freshmen and sophomores saw time for the Junior Blues' 18-3-0 team that posted a runner-up finish in the Class 6A state tournament could pay big dividends this spring.
The defending Centennial League champions graduated some key seniors off the '19 team, but will build this year's team around returning seniors Izzy Entz, Brynn Fitzgibbons, Joy Ngibuini and Riley Palmer and juniors Reagan Allen, Belle Kennedy, Emma Krueger, Hunter McWilliams, McKenna Merrick and Sheriden Wichman.
Joy Ngibuini
Several newcomers are also expected to challenge for playing time, including junior Alandra Bailey and sophomores Hailey Beck, Addi Broxterman, Brooklyn DeLeye, Maya Hoge, Brianna Jones, Karsyn McMaster, Mackinly Rohn and Heidi Schieber.
"Despite missing an entire season last year, we return 10 players with varsity experience and some talented newcomers,'' Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "We are excited to begin our season and look forward to playing a very challenging schedule.
"Our goals are to win the Centennial League and make a return trip to the Class 6A final four.''
