Beardslee Invitational: Rural's Sulzen-Watson shatters personal record in discus, posts pair of wins
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
It came down to his final attempt of the day, but Washburn Rural senior thrower Josh Sulzen-Watson got the discus throw he's been waiting for in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational at Rural.
Washburn Rural senior Josh Sulzen-Watson (left) beams after hearing his winning distance of 179-2 in Thursday's discus event in the Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Josh Sulzen-Watson releases his personal-best discus throw of 179-2 in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sulzen-Watson, fourth in the Class 6A discus as a junior, unleashed a throw of 179 feet, 2 inches to win the discus title by more than 30 feet while improving his personal record by nearly 20 feet.
"I've been working all year for this,'' Sulzen-Watson said. "Every practice I'm getting closer and closer and I was like, 'This is the time to do it.' I just had to go for it.''
As soon as he released his final throw he knew it was a big one.
"I knew immediately,'' he said.
Sulzen-Watson also gained some family bragging rights with Thursday's clutch throw, surpassing the high school personal-best of older brother Zach, the 6A discus runnerup in 2022 who now throws for Emporia State.
"I've always looked forward to passing him,'' Josh said. "It's always been a back and forth competition and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I've got to pass him this year.' ''
Now, with his 179 throw on the books, he wants to set his sights higher.
"Definitely, I think maybe even a 190 throw now,'' Sulzen-Watson said. "If I get a good wind it might really fly for me.''
Sulzen-Watson, fifth at state in the javelin in 2023, also added a personal-best winning throw of 187 feet, 10 inches in that event Thursday while junior Jacob Hawks made it a sweep of the throws for Washburn Rural with a win in the shot put at 47-5.25.
Other meet highlights:
Washburn Rural junior Payton Fink led a one-two-three Rural finish in Thursday's girls 1,600-meter run in the Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Washburn Rural junior distance star Payton Fink led a one-two-three finish in the girls 1,600-meter run with a win in 5 minutes, 16.93 seconds.
Rural junior Rylee Ismert was the runnerup in 5:20.83 while sophomore Emily Graf was third in 5:23.12.
Fink also posted a second-place finish in the 800 in 2:25.13.
Washburn Rural senior Raegan Petersen won the girls discus with a throw of 112-1 in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Washburn Rural sisters Raegan Petersen and Kailyn Petersen went one-two in the girls discus while Kailyn Petersen added a win in the shot put.
Senior Raegan Petersen won the discus with a winning throw of 112 feet, 1 inch while freshman Kailyn was second at 107-11.
Kailyn Petersen won the shot put in the first meet of her high school career with a throw of 34-5.75.
• Seaman senior Maggie Lesmeister posted her second straight win of the season in the girls javelin, recording a top throw of 122 feet, 8 inches.
Seaman sophomore Brody Anderson won the boys 800 meters in Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational in 1:59.81. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Seaman sophomore Brody Anderson followed up his 800 meters win in the season-opening Topeka West Invitational with a second straight win on Thursday, with Anderson clocking a personal-best time of 1:59.81.
The Vikings also got a win from senior Aaron Merritt in the boys 110-meter high hurdles in a time of 15.15 seconds while Seaman junior Kaden Whitehurst won the triple jump at 41 feet, 9.50 inches.
• Washburn Rural senior Titan Osburn won the boys long jump with a best jump of 21-2.50 while Rural junior Isaiah Terry won the 400 dash in 53.14.
Terry also teamed with sophomore Liam Morrison, sophomore Draden Chooncharoen and senior Devin Roney to win the 4x400-meter relay by more than four seconds in 3:30.01.
JERRY BEARDSLEE INVITATIONAL
At Washburn Rural
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Throughout his high school football and wrestling career at Plainville and two full seasons as a safety for the Washburn University football team, Jordan Finnesy had never faced a serious injury, with nothing more than the usual bumps and bruises.
Washburn junior safety Jordan Finnesy is back in action for the Ichabods in spring practice after fighting through a serious knee injury. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
That all changed on the third play of the Ichabods' second game of the 2023 season against Missouri Southern last Sept. 7 when Finnesy suffered a serious knee injury that he's just now coming back from.
"I tore my (medial collateral ligament) and also tore my meniscus,'' said Finnesy, a former standout quarterback/defensive back and two-time state wrestling champion at Plainville. "I also had a fracture on the MCL, so then I ended up having to get that re-attached to the bone.''
Complicating things for Finnesy, one of a long list of Ichabods who suffered season-ending injuries last fall, was the fact that the true extent of his injury wasn't determined until weeks later.
"They initially missed the fracture part of it and technically I would have been able to come back,'' said the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Finnesy. "It was the week of Missouri Western (Week 6) and I was actually out practicing and thought I was going to be able to play that week and I got a call from the doctor and had to shut it down and go get surgery that same week.
"I had surgery in the middle of October and was able to start re-habbing right away after that and was fully cleared right before spring break, so it was about five months.''
For someone who had never faced serious injury challenges, Finnesy, who recorded 58 tackes in 2022, admitted that fighting through his injury was a big hurdle, not only physically but mentally.
"It's tough on you, especially that early in the season, because you're just coming off a good game against Pitt State (seven tackles, five solos) and you're looking forward to a long, good season coming up and then that happens,'' Finnesy said.
"Mentally it kind of wears on you, but it's just trusting what God's plan is for you. Your teammates and coaches are there for you and you just have to trust in the process and get through that.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball player Hailey Neira knows what it's like to win a national championship.
Former national champion Hailey Neira is hoping to help Washburn softball make a strong late-season run. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
And the senior outfielder can't think of anything better than to be able to share that feeling with her Ichabod teammates.
"My freshman year I was at West Texas A&M and I started there as a freshman and we ended up winning the whole thing, the national champions,'' Neira said. "So I know what that feeling is and I would love for everyone to experience that because it really is a crazy feeling.
"It feels unreal and to be able to experience that with this team, we would have so much fun.''
After helping the Buffaloes win the 2021 NCAA Division II national championship, the San Antonio native made the decision to enter the transfer portal, ending up with Brenda Holaday's Ichabods for the 2022 season.
"I finished my freshman year on a high and went to WT the fall semester and then entered the transfer portal and had to tranfer at the semester,'' Neira said. "That was kind of scary because who's looking for a player at semester because the season's starting in a couple of weeks. It was stressful but I found Holaday and I flew out here on a visit.
"I was meeting with other coaches but the experience I had here wasn't like what I had at any of the other schools I had went and visited. I'm definitely happy here.''
Senior Hailey Neira is hitting .403 for the No. 24-ranked Ichabods, who are 26-10 on the season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn senior outfielder Hailey Neira raised her batting average 37 points last weekend with a 7 of 12 performance in MIAA twinbills against Central Missouri and Lincoln. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Now in her third season with the Ichabods, Neira is off to the best start of her Washburn career, hitting .403 in 33 starts while compiling a .468 slugging percentage and an .483 on-base percentage.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After taking an 8-0 first-game loss to Washburn Rural on Wednesday at Rural, the pressure was on Topeka High's baseball team and senior ace Nate Plankinton to get the Trojans back on track in the nightcap.
Plankinton welcomed the challenge and responded with a three-hit shutout as Topeka High improved to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the Centennial League with a 2-0 win.
Nate Plankinton threw a complete-game three-hitter with 10 strikeouts in Topeka High's 2-0 second-game win at Washburn Rural Wednesday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I love being a team captain and leading these guys and getting them amped up after a loss like that, telling them to shake it off and it's a completely new game,'' Plankinton said. "You've got to have a short memory in baseball. That's what it's all about.
"Now we just want to build off of this and keep working. I love this team so much. I love the team chemistry that we have and I have to give all credit to my coach, Cody Miller. He's a big part of why we can succeed like this and bounce back just like that.''
Plankinton normally pitches the first game for the Trojans but on Wednesday the plan was for him to be available as a closer in both ends of the doubleheader.
"The plan of attack today was first game to start Hank (Stamper) and if we got a lead by the fourth I was going to go in and close it out,'' Plankinton said. "That's what we did last year against them and it worked. I close out both games last year against Washburn Rural and we got the sweep.''
But after Washburn Rural (2-3, 1-1) took control in the opener with two runs in the second and three in the third on the way to a one-hit shutout, Miller had confidence that Plankinton was the man to right the High ship.
"We absolutely believe that,'' Miller said. "That's why he's pitching that second game. He's a fail safe basically and being able to put the game in his hands we know that we don't have to do that much offensively. We did play very well defensively that game, but Nate's big time.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It probably doesn't come as a big surprise to anyone who has followed local sports over the past several years, but a long and growing list of athletes who starred at Topeka/Shawnee County schools have continued to make a big impact at the college level over the winter and spring seasons.
Here's a look at just some of the stars who continue to make their high school alma maters and fans proud:
Campbell Bagshaw
CAMPBELL BAGSHAW, Washburn Rural/Kansas -- After seeing spot for Kansas softball in 2023 as a freshman, Bagshaw has fueled a breakout season for the No. 18-ranked Jayhawks (22-8-1) while putting together a big sophomore season. An infielder, Bagshaw leads the Jayhawks with a .317 batting average while compiling a .500 slugging percentage and a .380 on-base percentage. The former Washburn Rural multi-sport standout has five doubles, two triples and two home runs on the season while also compiling a .995 fielding percentage.
Olivia Bruno
OLIVIA BRUNO, Washburn Rural/Kansas -- A junior, Bruno has teamed with former Washburn Rural teammates Bagshaw and Kasey Hamilton to help No. 18-ranked Kansas get off to a 22-8-1 start on the season. Bruno, who earned All-Big 12 second-team honors as a freshman, has made 23 starts this season for the Jayhawks with a home run and nine runs batted in while compiling a .338 on-base percentage. Bruno is 1-1 in the pitching circle in 2024 with a 1.95 earned run average and 12 strikeouts in 14.1 innings.
NiJaree Canady
NiJAREE CANADY, Topeka High/Stanford -- After being named the NCAA Division I National Freshman of the Year in 2023, the former Topeka High star has continued to establish herself as arguably the most dominant pitcher in college softball as a sophomore this spring. Canady is currenty 10-2 on the season for the No. 9-ranked Cardinal (25-5) while compiling an 0.59 earned run average with 152 strikeouts in 95.1 innings pitched. In 18 appearances Canady has thrown eight complete games while also earning three saves and holding opponents to a .126 batting average. As a freshman Canady helped lead Stanford to the College World Series with a 17-3 record and led the nation with an 0.57 ERA and 11.3 strikeouts for every seven innings pitched.
