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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Topeka High freshman Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton won three events and added a second-place finish to lead the way as city athletes turned in a strong performance in Wednesday's Washburn Rural Invitational track and field meet.
Topeka High freshman Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton (right) wins the girls 100-meter dash in Wednesday's Washburn Rural Invitational while Highland Park's Jurnee Cole (left) was second and Washburn Rural's Adriana Raub third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
All seven city schools competed in Wednesday's meet, along with Emporia, while city athletes who have qualified for this weekend's Kansas Relays bypassed the meet.
City schools won 17 of 18 events in the boys division while city athletes won 12 of 18 girls events.
Rayton won the girls 100-meter dash in 13.51 seconds and won the long jump with a best effort of 16 feet, 7 inches and was the triple jump champ at 35-3.50. Rayton finished second in the 200 in 27.52.
Washburn Rural won six girls events on the day, including a sweep of the throws, with Raegan Petersen winning the discus (119-0), Kailyn Petersen the shot put (33-10) and Morgan Ray the javelin (116-8).
The Junior Blues also got a win from Kenzie Maddox in the 1,600 and from Alexis Burns in the high jump (4-10) while Rural won the 4x100 relay in 60.18.
Seaman's Harper Hafenstine won the pole vault title at 7-6 while Highland Park's Miluv Cosey won the 200 (27.04) and Seaman won the 4x400 relay in 4:45.48.
Topeka West's Jayden Lindsey was a double individual winner on the boys side, taking the 200 dash in 23.25 and the 400 in 53.38, while Washburn Rural dominated the boys division with eight wins.
Washburn Rural's Christian Hartman-Babb (right) won the boys 110 hurdles in Wednesday's Washburn Rural Invitational while Shawnee Heights Isaac Song (left) finished second in the 110s and won the 300 hurdles. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural's Quentin Hill won the boys high jump in Wednesday's Washburn Rural Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Junior Blues got individual wins from Nate Recob in the 100 (11.91), Wyatt Shorb in the 1,600 (4:57.67), Hayden Keller in the 3,200 (10:35.50), Christian Hartman-Robb in the 110 hurdles (17.11), Quentin Hill in the high jump (6-0) and Jacob Hawks in the shot put (46-9.50) while Rural also won the 4x400 relay (3:42.24) and the 4x800 relay (8:59.69).
Seaman's Logan Townsend won the boys 800 in Wednesday's Washburn Rural Invitational, leading a 1-2-3 Viking finish in the event. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman got individual victories from Logan Townsend in the 800 (2:06.25), Kaden Whitehurst in the triple jump (38-7.50) and Connor Warren in the javelin (148-8) and the Vikings won the 4x100 relay in 45.43.
Shawnee Heights got wins from Isaac Song in the 300 hurdles (42.24) and Ethan Fisher in the discus (140-6) while Song finished second in the 110 hurdles (17.44).
Highland Park's Rayson Pollard won the long jump at 19-8.50.
WASHBURN RURAL INVITATIONAL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Micah Williams continued her prolific freshman soccer season for Highland Park on Tuesday to lead the way as the Scots improved to 4-5 on the season with a 6-2 win over Meadowlark Conference foe Kansas City-Washington.
Highland Park freshman Micah Williams had four goals and an assist in the Scots' 6-2 Meadowlark Conference soccer win over Kansas City-Washington on Tuesday. [Submitted photo]
Williams scored four of Highland Park's six goals, raising her season total to 19, and was also credited with an assist in the win.
The Scots also got goals from Jazmin Bermudez-Morales and Melany Noj-Hernandez.
The Topeka High/Cair Paravel golf team posed for a team picture after winning the team title in the Topeka High Invitational Monday at Western Hills. [Submitted photo]
Cleverdon, host Trojans post wins in Topeka High Invitational
Host Topeka High/Cair Paravel Latin posted a 17-stroke victory in Monday's Topeka High Invitational golf tournament at Western Hills while sophomore Caleb Cleverdon shot a 78 to take individual honors.
Cair Paravel sophomore Caleb Cleverdon shot a 78 on Monday to take the individual win in the Topeka High Invitational at Western Hills. [Submitted photo]
Cleverdon posted a three-shot win over Shawnee Heights' Dylan Packard (81), while Heights' Evan Jones, Topeka High/CPLS's Rich Helmbold and Seaman's Hunter Gerhardt tied for third place with 82s.
Topeka High/CPLS also got an 84 from Jase Pavlik and a 93 from Luke Budden to round out its top four.
Shawnee Heights (354), Seaman (370) and Hayden (384), who all played split squads in the event, finished second, third and fourth in the six-school event.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Perseverance was the word of the day for Topeka West's Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew in the seniors' run to the doubles championship in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center.
Topeka West seniors Caden McGee (left) and Caleb Weybrew celebrate a point in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Both McGee and Weybrew had to fight their way through cramping issues from the end of their semifinal match on and were forced to sweat out tiebreakers in both the semifinals and finals before claiming their first title of the season with an 8-7 (7-5 tiebreaker) decision over Blue Valley Southwest.
McGee and Weybrew's win in the championship match came after a hard-earned 8-7 (7-4 tiebreaker) victory over Washburn Rural's Lawsen Lobatos and Dylan Willingham in the semis.
Throw in a two-hour weather delay at the start of the tournament and a short rain interruption late in the final and it was a long but very successful day for the Charger duo, which improved to 17-3 on the season.
"I would say we persevered way more today than we ever have in past tournaments,'' Weybrew said after he and McGee wrapped up a 6-0 day. "Even when we were sore we were like, 'We'll go out and give it a try.' ''
"It (leg cramps) bothered me, when I was jumping especially, but we just pushed through,'' McGee said.
Topeka West's Caden McGee (above) and doubles partner Caleb Weybrew went 6-0 Tuesday to win the doubles title in the Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Weybrew and McGee, who placed ninth in Class 5A doubles a year ago for the team-champion Chargers, are getting the opportunity to lead West this spring after playing No. 2 doubles between two-time state champs Ian and Miles Cusick through their first three high school seasons.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In many ways, Washburn Rural sophomore swim star Audrey Appuhn and her Junior Blue teammates are in the midst of the toughest stretch of the 2024 season.
Washburn Rural sophomore Audrey Appuhn reacts to a victory in Monday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Granted, the biggest meets of the year -- city, Centennial League, Class 6A state -- are still to come, but Appuhn and the Junior Blues are currently working their hardest to make sure they're ready for that stretch run.
"I would say my workouts are getting harder, which does in turn causes some time adds, but I'm hoping towards the end of the season all the lifting and harder times at practice will apply and I hope that for everyone on my team because everyone's been working really hard,'' Appuhn said Monday after leading Rural to a strong second-place team finish in the Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
"We're at the peak of our hardest training right now and when it tapers down I think everyone's really going to pull through and do amazing.''
Appuhn posted three wins on Monday -- two lopsided individual victories and a relay win -- as Washburn Rural rolled up 485 points, a single point behind team champ Free State.
Washburn Rural sophomore Audrey Appuhn wins the 200 individual medley in Monday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Appuhn won the 200-yard individual medley by nearly seven seconds in a time of 2 minutes, 12.54 seconds and came back a few events later to win the 500 free by more than 15 seconds in 5:15.37.
Appuhn also teamed with Ava Von Lintel, Ella Bombardier and Madeline O'Brien to win the 400 free relay in 4:18.48 and she swam on Rural's third-place 200 medley relay (2:04.07).
Appuhn established herself as one of the state's top swimmers as a freshman when she finished third in 6A in the 200 individual medley and fourth in the 500 free and is looking to build off that performance this spring.
"It adds a little bit more pressure but the success keeps you going,'' she said. "It's a really hard sport to do as a team because everyone practices by themself but I'm lucky to have such a great team environment because without that environment I wouldn't be able to push my personal and group goals.
"If you're not enjoying it it's not worth it at all so I always to have that mindset and make sure I'm having fun and make sure I'm being there with the team because that makes it all worth it. Club is definitely more individual but when you're in a whole group of girls your age and everyone has a common goal to be great together it makes it a lot more fun and I couldn't do it without my girls.''
Seaman finished third as a team in Monday's meet with 399 points, with the Vikings getting a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 breastroke from Avery Walz (1:08.26), Joslynn Grace (1:11.32) and Lizzie Gould (1:20.19).
Seaman's Tauren Walz finished second in the 100 butterfly and also swam on the Vikings' winning 200 free relay. in Monday's Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman's foursome of Tauren Walz, Avery Samuelson, Grace and A. Walz also won the 200 free relay in 1:49.79 and the same foursome finished second in the 200 medley relay (2:00.01).
Hayden's Kaylee Gregg won the one-meter diving title with a score of 222.75, while Bre Sanneman of Manhattan was second at 198.15.
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jackson Esquibel
JACKSON ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights
A senior distance star, Esquibel won the Class 4A-6A 800 meters in the Shocker Pre-State Challenge at Wichita State in a personal-record time of 1 minute, 58.46 seconds and finished second in the Elite division in the 3,200 in 9:22.37. Esquibel, a Kansas State signee, currently ranks No. 1 in Shawnee County in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
Kate Hinck
KATE HINCK, Washburn Rural
A junior, Hinck scored a pair of goals for Washburn Rural last Friday in a 3-0 Centennial League soccer win over Hayden in a battle between two schools that had posted third-place state finishes in 2003. Hinck led the way as the Junior Blues improved to 7-2 on the season with their fourth straight victory.
Ryin Miller
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
A sophomore multi-sport standout, Miller broke two school records for the second straight week in Friday's Leitel Legacy Invitational track and field meet at Free State. Miller won the 3,200 meters in 10 minutes, 19.29, bettering her own school record by more than seven seconds, and broke the Seaman record in the 800 meters with a time of 2:10.25.
