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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Granted, it's only one game, but Hayden girls soccer got the 2025 season off to a big start Friday, topping last season's Class 4A-1A runnerup, Cair Paravel Latin, 1-0 in a non-league contest at Hayden.
Junior Carsyn Broxterman (4) scored the game-winning goal in Hayden's 1-0 season-opening win over Cair Paravel Friday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I think a win against a good team is always good,'' Hayden coach Klaus Kreutzer said. "I did see some good things. I think we saw some good passing combinations, I think the communication was good and the hustle. They worked hard and I think that was the best part.''
Hayden and Cair Paravel battled through a scoreless first half before Wildcat junior Carsyn Broxterman scored what proved to be the game-winning goal 41 seconds into the second half.
Hayden was able to make the goal stand up the rest of the way, with Wildcat junior Lauren Borjon picking up the shutout in goal.
Cair Paravel fell to 0-2 on the season, opening its season with a non-league loss to eight-time 4A-1A defending state champion Bishop Miege, which took a 1-0 double-overtime win over the Lions in the 2024 championship game.
Hayden will play a non-league road game at Lawrence Free State on Monday while compete in next week's Wichita South tournament, beginning with a Tuesday game against Dodge City.
HAYDEN 1, CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 0
Cair Paravel (0-2-0) 0 0 -- 0
Hayden (1-0-0) 0 1 -- 1
Hayden -- Goal: Carsyn Broxterman. Shutout: Lauren Borjon.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, the third-place finisher in last season’s Class 6A tournament, started the new softball season with a two-game sweep of Centennial League foe Topeka High Friday at Washburn Rural.
Junior Reagan Chapman pitched a first-game no-hitter in Washburn Rural's 7-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
“You don’t win championships on opening day, but that lays the groundwork for what happens moving forward,” Washburn Rural coach Joy Marie Galliart said. “We were definitely ready to face someone other than ourselves.
“We saw a lot of positives but saw a lot of things that we need to clean up. We need to execute some things better offensively. But when you only face your own pitching in practice and then you see somebody different, it kind of reveals some things that maybe you haven’t been able to see up to that point.”
Pitcher Reagan Chapman got the season started off on the right foot for Washburn Rural, spinning a no-hitter in the first game. The Junior Blues exploded for five runs in the fourth frame to win their season opener 7-0.
The junior Chapman, who was mostly found at shortstop last season, made a strong bid to be at the front of the pitching rotation for the Junior Blues. The only blemish in the outing came when she clipped a Trojan batter’s toe. She finished with six strikeouts.
“It’s hard to critique much when you come out and throw a no-hitter. But she has things she can work on,” Galliart said of Chapman’s outing. “But I thought she did a great job for the first game out. I thought our defense made the plays behind her which helped her. And obviously it gives you confidence when you know your defense is working behind you.”
“I feel good about it,” Chapman said of her day on the mound. “I had stellar defense out there.
“It’s great to be back. I hate winter. I was so ready to be back out here. I feel like we’re very connected. We’re really having a good time with each other.”
Topeka High pitcher Campbell Dawson held the Junior Blues in check for three innings. But a couple of Trojan errors got the Washburn Rural offense rolling in the fourth. Senior Avery Rupp plated two runs with a triple and the Junior Blues grabbed a 5-0 lead.
The Junior Blues added two insurance runs in the sixth inning when sophomore Justice McBurney launched a blast that hit the left field foul pole.
Washburn Rural sophomore Justice McBurney hit a two-run home run in Friday's 7-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Olivia Koch got the start in the second game and held the Trojans to just one run for the first six innings. Topeka High got the bats going in the seventh inning when, trailing 6-1, they plated three runs. Trojan Taimaine Isaia blasted a home run to tighten the score to 6-4, but Koch worked the final out to preserve the victory.
Sophomore Olivia Koch picked up the pitching victory in Washburn Rural's 6-4 second game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
City players garnered six of seven spots on the All-Centennial League girls basketball first team while city schools swept the three individual awards.
Washburn Rural sophomore Maddie Vickery was voted the Centennial League girls basketball player of the year by league coaches. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden freshman Hailey Schmidtlein was voted the Centennial League girls basketball newcomer of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Maddie Vickery was voted the Centennial League player of the year by league coaches while Hayden freshman Hailey Schmidtlein was named the newcomer of the year and Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson the coach of the year after leading the Wildcats to the league championship.
Vickery and Schmidtlein were named to the all-league first team along with Manhattan junior Kat Ball, Washburn Rural senior Kate Hinck, Topeka High junior Keimara Marshall, Hayden senior Millie Ramsey and Topeka High sophomore Ahyieyrhuajh Rayton.
Hayden is represented on the all-league second team by senior Brylee Meier along with Washburn Rural senior Tenly Bunck and sophomore Gracie Hayes and Topeka High freshman Hailey Caryl.
Topeka High senior Jo'Mhara Benning and Hayden senior Norma Greco received honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 5-ranked Washburn Ichabods' historic men's basketball season came to an end Thursday night in Evansville, Ind., with top-ranked Nova Southeastern rolling to a 94-68 win in the NCAA National semifinals.
Senior Andrew Orr ended his Washburn career with 13 points and eight rebounds in Thursday's 94-68 national semifinal loss to Nova Southeastern. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics/TSN]
Washburn, which won the MIAA regular-season title and the NCAA Central Regional championship, finished the season with a 30-4 record.
"Nova was really good, really from the jump, and I think they deserve a lot of credit,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard told KTPK Radio. "They came out really turned up, which they normally do, and they played well.
"There's a lot of things that didn't go our way. I thought we let their pressure speed us up a little bit and we had some turovers early, which kind of gave them some momentum. It just wasn't our night.''
The Ichabods scored the first bucket of the game on a layup by senior Andrew Orr, but a hot-shooting Sharks squad finished the opening half connecting on 19 of 33 shots for a 57 percent clip, including 7 of 13 from deep, as Nova Southeastern (35-1) took a 53-29 lead into the break.
Washburn played Nova Southeastern nearly even in the second half, with the Ichabods improving to 50 percent from the field (15 of 30), but WU could not cut into the Shark lead as the Ichabods were outscored 41-39 in the half.
"All credit to them,'' WU senior Michael Keegan told KTPK Radio. "They played really great, they shot the ball well early on, we had a couple of turnovers that they turned into quick points and before you know it we're down 12 and then we're down 15.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Through her first three seasons of high school swimming, Seaman's Joslynn Grace was surrounded by talented older teammates.
Seaman senior Joslynn Grace posted first and second-place individual finishes in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But after the Vikings lost a talented senior class, including twin sisters Tauren and Avery Walz, from last year's team that posted a third-place finish in Class 5A-1A, Grace is being counted on to lead the way in the pool and as a leader as Seaman enters the 2025 campaign.
"I was a little nervous at first, but it's really fun to get to be with more of the team I feel like,'' Grace said. "I was really close to the twins and now I'm like branching out and I get to meet a lot of people and cheer them all on, so it's been a lot of fun.''
Grace got her season off to a solid start on Thursday in the 16-school Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, posting a win and a second-place individual finish while also helping the Vikings to a pair of top-six relay finishes.
Grace, a returning multi-event 5A-1A state medalist, won the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 2 minutes, 15.84 seconds and finished second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.72.
Grace also teamed with Reagan Greig, Lizzie Gould and Megan Strobel to finish fifth in the 200 medley relay (2:13.96) and with Greig, Gould and Strobel to finish sixth in the 200 free relay (2:05.02) as the Vikings finished fourth as a team with 234 points.
Seaman senior Joslynn Grace looks up at the scoreboard after her 200 IM victory in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I thought today was pretty good,'' Grace said. "I wish my IM would have been a little bit faster, but I was pretty happy with it.''
Now Grace, who plans to swim collegiately at Nebraska-Kearney with older sister Gabby, is setting her sights on finishing her high school career with a bang.
"I definitely would like to medal in both my events again and maybe get like second-team All-State or first-team All-State,'' Grace said. "That would be really cool.''
Seaman also got a third-place finish from Strobel in the 500 freestyle (7:10.03) and a third from Sydney Thoman in one-meter diving (152.75).
Hayden tied for fifth as a team with 191 points, led by Maddie Gregg and Kaylee Gregg, who finished one-two in diving. M. Gregg won with a score of 179.90 while K. Gregg was right behind her sister at 178.00.
The Wildcats also got a fourth-place finish in the 400 free relay from Kaelyn Gerdel, Kelly Ann Chada, Lilly Charvat and Esa Herrera in 4:47.88.
Shawnee Heights senior Ashtynn Landry posted a pair of top-four finishes in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights finished seventh as a team (164), getting a third-place finish from senior Ashtynn Landry in the 200 freestyle in 2:14.46.
Landry also finished fourth in the 100 freestyle (1:01.17) while sophomore Kaitlyn Aldridge was fourth in the 200 IM (2:35.22).
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL
