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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Hayden girls soccer coach Klaus Kreutzer wasn't pleased with his team's play in the first half of Monday's Class 4A-1A regional opener against underdog Mulvane.
"Needless to say, I wasn't very happy,'' Kreutzer said of the scoreless opening half. "We spent I thought 80, 90 percent in their half and had one good shot.''
Hayden sophomore Carsyn Broxterman (4) scored a pair of goals in the Wildcats' 4-0 regional win over Mulvane Monday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden senior Jill Lenherr (10) scored a goal Monday as the Wildcats improved to 10-6-1 with a 4-0 regional win over Mulvane. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the host Wildcats did what they could to improve their coach's mood in the second half, dominating things over the final 40 minutes to advance with a 4-0 win.
"They did a little better the second half, but still not to my satisfaction, but better than they had been,'' Kreutzer said.
The No. 7 seed in the West, Hayden failed to find the back of the net in a somewhat lackluster first 40 minutes, but it took the Wildcats only 2:23 of the second half to score the only goal they would need and Hayden cruised the rest of the way.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West golf star Myles Alonzo wasn't perfect in Monday's Class 5A regional tournament at Cypress Ridge, but darn near.
Alonzo carded a double bogey on hole No. 12 but that was his only blemish on the day as the senior carded what is believed to be a Topeka West school record with a sizzling four-under-par 66 to take medalist honors by a whopping five strokes.
Topeka West senior Myles Alonzo drops an eagle putt to finish off his 4-under-par 66 in Monday's Class 5A regional at Cypress Ridge. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West senior Myles Alonzo reacts after sinking his birdie putt on the 18th hole of Monday's Class 5A regional at Cypress Ridge. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"My putting was really good,'' Alonzo said. "I still missed some birdie putts, but oh well, I still had a great round. I can't complain about it. I hit my irons very well. I was 100 yards out and sticking it by the pin.''
Alonzo has now won four of his last six tournaments heading into next Monday's 5A state tournament at Newton's Sand Creek Station while Shawnee Heights qualified for state as a team with a third-place team finish and Seaman senior Zach Weir and junior Bradley Williamson qualified as individuals.
Alonzo hit a temporary stumbling block on his 12th hole after hitting his drive out of bounds, but followed with birdies on his next two holes and saved his best for last, driving the Par-4 No. 18 within about 12 feet and holing his putt for an eagle.
"Twelve, I was real confident in my driver and I'm like, 'OK, I'm going to play a nice fade here,' and I did not come across my body and it just went straight left and I was like, 'Oh no,' '' Alonzo said.
Alonzo's tee shot on No. 13 temporarily went out of bounds but bounced back into play and he took advantage of that break when he chipped in for a birdie.
Alonzo added a second straight birdie on the next hole and then provided his highlight of the day on No. 18 when his monster drive set up his eagle.
"I've never been on the green on a drive on that hole so mark that off the bucket list,'' he said.
Shawnee Heights poses for a team picture after earning a berth in the Class 5A state tournament with a third-place regional finish Monday at Cypress Ridge. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Emporia won the regional team title by a 306-316 margin over Basehor-Linwood while Shawnee Heights garnered the final team berth with a four-man score of 322.
T-Bird sophomore Ayden Valdivia tied for fifth with a 77 to pace Shawnee Heights while senior Zack Hohman and Jasec Holladay tied for 10th individually with 81s and junior Logan Hahn rounded out Heights' top four with an 83.
Seaman senior Zach Weir and junior Bradley Williamson qualified for the Class 5A state tournament as individuals in Monday's 5A regional at Cypress Ridge. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Alonzo led the individual state qualifiers while Seaman's Weir tied for fifth with a 77 to punch his ticket to state and his Viking teammate, Williamson, tied for 13th with an 82 to earn his state berth.
A two-time 5A state medalist, Alonzo is brimming with confidence entering the final tournament of his high school career.
"If I just keep it up and how I played today, I should be fine,'' he said.
CLASS 5A REGIONAL GOLF
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Trey Brown is stepping down as head boys basketball coach at Hayden after one season with the Wildcats.
Brown, a former Shawnee Heights All-Stater and Class 5A state champion and MidAmerica Nazarene standout point guard, met with Hayden's players Monday night to inform them of his decision.
Former Shawnee Heights star Trey Brown has resigned as Hayden's head boys basketball coach after his Wildcats advanced to the Class 3A state tournament in his only season at the school. [File photo/TSN]
The 25-year-old Brown confirmed to TopSports.news Monday that he has accepted another position, but that hiring has not yet been announced by the institution.
After helping lead Heights to the 5A state championship in 2017, Brown began his college playing career at Missouri Western before transferring to MidAmerica Nazarene, where he averaged 13.4 points as a senior and surpassed more than 1,000 career points for MidAmerica, where he earned his criminal justice degree in 2022.
Brown's first coaching job was at Cair Paravel Latin, which he led to a 9-13 record in the 2022-2023 season before he accepted the Hayden position.
The Wildcats posted an 8-16 record this past season, but posted three straight sub-state wins to earn a trip to the 3A state tournament.
Hayden dropped a 56-42 decision to top seed Beloit in the first round.
With the resignaton of Brown, Hayden will be looking for its fourth head coach in five seasons.
After Torrey Head retired, Dwayne Paul coached the Wildcats for two seasons before accepting the job at Free State, leading to Brown's hiring.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
All 12 members of the 2024 All-City boys tennis team earned state tournament berths, with eight bringing home state medals from last weekend's state events.
The 2024 All-City boys tennis team -- Front, from left: Joseph Luke, Hayden; Drew Fay, Cair Paravel Latin; Lawsen Lobatos-Dick, Washburn Rural; Keegan Knudtson, Washburn Rural; James Maag, Topeka West; Caleb Weybrew, Topeka West. Back, from left: Chase Blaser, Hayden; Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural; Brayden Kohls, Washburn Rural; Cale Deutscher, Washburn Rural; Dylan Dodge, Washburn Rural; Caden McGee, Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
All six Washburn Rural players earned All-City spots, based on performances in the city tournament, as the Junior Blues swept city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships before finishing fifth in the 6A state tournament at Wichita.
Senior Lawsen Lobatos-Dick and sophomore Dylan Willingham paced Rural with a sixth-place state doubles finish after sweeping city, league and regional titles.
Rural is also represented on the All-City team by senior Dylan Dodge and sophomores Keegan Knudtson, Cale Deutscher and Brayden Kohls.
The Topeka West senior trio of singles player James Maag and doubles players Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew earned 5A state medals for the second straight season, with McGee and Weybrew finishing eighth and Maag ninth. All three players helped the Chargers win the 5A state team title as juniors in 2023.
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Drew Fay, a two-time state qualifier, posted a city-best fourth-place singles finish in the 3A-1A state tournament at Prairie Village while Hayden's doubles team of senior Joseph Luke and junior Chase Blaser finished fifth at state, with Luke earning a state medal for the third straight season.
All-City tennis capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four of the top teams in Class 3A softball, including defending state champion Rossville, are among the eight schools that battle it out for a state tournament berth on Tuesday and Wednesday at Hayden while Washburn Rural in 6A and Seaman in 5A will also host regional events.
The top four seeds in the Hayden regional are a combined 72-13, led by top seed Silver Lake at 19-2, No. 2 Rossville at 19-3 and No. 3 Santa Fe Trail at 20-4.
Seaman is the No. 3 5A West seed at 20-6 and will host a Tuesday four-school regional while Washburn Rural, the No. 4 West seed in 6A at 16-7, will host a Thursday regional.
Here's a look at regional tournament involving Shawnee County schools:
Topeka High junior Jo'Mhara Benning and the Trojan softball team will compete in a Tuesday Class 6A regional at the Three Rivers Youth Complex in Maize. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 6A
At Two Rivers Youth Complex (Maize) -- Topeka High is the No. 6 seed in the West at 16-10 and will be on the road Tuesday for a 3 p.m. semifinal game against No. 11 Wichita Heights (9-13) at TRYC.
The Trojans were 7-9 on the season before winning nine of their last 10 regular-season games.
Tournament host Campus, the No. 3 West seed at 14-6 will play a 4:30 p.m. semifinal against No. 14 seed Wichita South (6-18).
The two semifinal winners will play for the regional championship at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, with the regional champion advancing to the state tournament May 23-24 at Arrocha Ball Park in Lawrence.
Topeka High won back-to-back 6A state titles in 2021 and 2022.
Washburn Rural's Justice McBurney is congratulated by her teammates after last week's grand slam home run against Manhattan. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
At Washburn Rural -- Washburn Rural, 16-7 on the season, is the No. 4 West seed and will open its postseason bid at 4:30 p.m. Thursday against No. 13 seed Liberal (6-18) in the second semifinal at Rural.
No. 5 seed Maize (18-8) will play Thursday's first semifinal at 3 p.m. against No. 12 Garden City (9-15).
