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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Twelve new members were added to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Sunday evening before a crowd of about 350 at the Hotel Topeka City Center in Topeka.
Former Hayden great Mark Turgeon was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Sunday night in his home town of Topeka. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Former Fort Hays State star Annette Wiles, currently the director of Hummer Sports Park, was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday night. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
The 2024 class of inductees to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame took the stage to discuss their careers, their connections to Kansas, and the people who helped them succeed.
Two-time Olympian Melvin Lister (left) visits with 1964 Olympic champion Billy Mills during Sunday's Kansas Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Billy Mills welcomed the crowd to the Maner Conference Center after watching highlights of his thrilling run for the gold medal in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
“They continue to elect a selection of high achievers to the hall of fame,” Mills said. “You’re the best of the best, and I’ve been inspired by your magnificent performances. Your stories, your passion and your dedication will inspire generation after generation of youth of the Sunflower State and beyond.”
Topeka received high marks for its performance as the host of the ceremony.
“In order to tell our story, we have to have some support and the financial support of sponsors to step forward,” said Richard Konzem, Executive Director of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. “Topeka was remarkable about that, particularly Capitol Federal and Noller Auto Group, who served as our title sponsors.”
Named the new executive director of the hall of fame just a few weeks earlier, Konzem said he was pleased with the turnout and the ceremony.
“I’m elated,” Konzem said. “I thought there was a great amount of excitement in the room, and nothing brought that to the front more than the 13 people who had been previous inductees who showed up tonight to honor this class. That, to me, was the single biggest highlight of the evening.”
Topeka connections bookended the evening.
Annette Wiles, director of Hummer Sports Park, was the first inductee, honored for her playing and coaching career that included leading Fort Hays State University to the national title in 1991.
Hayden High School took center stage at the end of the evening when Mark Turgeon was introduced. On hand to celebrate his induction were members of the Hayden basketball teams that claimed back-to-back state titles in 1982 and 1983 as well as other members of the Hayden community.
“This is extra special,” Turgeon said. “I’ve been driving around town with my four kids, telling them all the things that happened while I was growing up. Topeka was really good to me. It was a great place to grow up.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women's soccer team pushed its shutout streak to nine games with its fourth straight victory, moving into a tie for second place in the MIAA with a 3-0 win over the Pittsburg State Gorillas on Sunday at Yager Stadium.
Belle Kennedy (facing) congratulates Viviana Soto-Herrera following a Soto-Herrera goal in Sunday's 3-0 MIAA soccer win over Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods almost got off to a quick start when a Riley Wells shot from close range forced Pittsburg State goalkeeper Jocelyn Kramar to make a difficult foot save to keep Washburn off the board.
Washburn would keep the pressure up and finally get on the board when Khloe Schuckman finished off her own blocked shot for her third goal of the season to give the Ichabods a 1-0 halftime advantage.
Much like the last three games, the Ichabod offense came alive in the second half.
In the 57th minute, Schuckman found an open Viviana Soto-Herrera just inside the box and she launched a shot into the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
Washburn would extend its lead further in the 70th minute when Jadyn Allen scored a header off a well-placed corner kick from Aubrey Tanksley.
Ichabod reserves would come in for the last 12 minutes and play strong defense to put the finishing touches on Washburn's ninth straight clean sheet.
Washburn took 19 shots in the match, with 11 coming on target.
Schuckman led the Ichabod offense with three shots, all coming on goal, as the Ichabods had 13 players record at least one shot attempt in the contest.
Hailey Beck made one save in goal for Washburn.
Pittsburg State tallied three shots in the contest, with two coming from McKenna Robinson. Kramar made six saves in just under 75 minutes in net for the Gorillas.
The Ichabods will travel to Oklahoma for a two-game road trip, starting with a 7 p.m. contest against Northeastern State on Friday, Oct. 18.
Washburn's Matthew Earle and Tim Hammes captured a national doubles title in the ITA Cup in Rome, Ga. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
WU's Hammes, Earle claims ITA Cup doubles national title
For a second straight season Washburn men's tennis claimed the title of ITA Cup Doubles National Champions with Tim Hammes and Matthew Earle winning the programs second ever ITA Cup trophy in Rome, Ga.
The Ichabod senior duo had its work cut out for it early as Luis Iriate and Eduardo Cohen of Saint Leo took the first set 6-2.
In the second set Washburn took the first game and controlled the rest of the set, leading 4-3 and 5-4 before closing out the set with a 6-4 victory.
The third set was more of the same, with the Ichabods leading 3-1 early.
Saint Leo took the next two sets to tie up the set at three. Washburn took the next two games to re-gain control and would close out the 6-4 victory.
The championship is the second in a row for Hammes, who won the doubles title with Santiago Rendon in 2023.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville posted its third straight Class 1A District 2 win while evening its record at 3-3 with a 71-24 home romp past Cair Paravel Latin Friday night.
Rossville senior quarterback Tayson Horak had a hand in five touchdowns in the Bulldawgs' 71-24 district win over Cair Paravel. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville senior quarterback Tayson Horak had a hand in five touchdowns for the Bulldawgs, including kickoff and punt returns for TDs.
Horak opened the game with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to help Rossville open up a commanding 21-0 first-quarter advantage.
The Bulldawgs also got a 9-yard TD run from Conner Bush and a 1-yard TD from Andre Johnson in the opening quarter and opened up a 49-6 advantage at the half.
Rossville's four second-quarter touchdowns came on a 50-yard Bush run, a 30-yard pass from Horak to Mahki Jackson, a 42-yard Horak run and a 47-yard Horak punt return to end the first half.
Horak added a 47-yard third-quarter touchdown pass to Jack Donovan in the third quarter before Canann Mitchell scored on 10 and 24-yard TD runs in the fourth quarter to wrap up Rossville's scoring.
Vincent Daniel kicked seven extra points while Seth Catron and Remi Droegemeier converted 2-point conversions.
Cair Paravel (1-5, 0-3 district) struck for three long touchdowns in the game -- 38 and 50-yard passes and a 63-yard run.
Cair Paravel is scheduled to be at Yager Stadium next Friday to host Maranatha Christian Academy in a district game while Rossville will be at home to host Olpe.
Washburn Rural sophomore Cade Danielson tackles an Emporia ball-carrier for a safety in Friday's 53-8 Rural win over the Spartans. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Kellan Roth is congratulated by junior teammate Sammy Brumley (58) after scoring his second TD in Friday's 53-8 win over Emporia. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
WASHBURN RURAL 53, EMPORIA 8 -- Washburn Rural picked up its second straight Centennial League victory while evening its overall mark at 3-3 with a 53-8 romp past winless Emporia Friday night at Bowen-Glaze Stadium.
The Junior Blues' defense turned in a dominating performance, including a pair of safeties while junior John Hoytal hooked up with junior Kellan Roth for a pair of touchdown passes and junior TD Minikwu ran for a pair of TDs.
Washburn Rural opened up a 14-0 first-quarter lead and led 32-0 at halftime.
Emporia fell to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the Centennial League.
Washburn Rural will be back at home next Friday for a league game against Junction City.
JUNCTION CITY 50, TOPEKA HIGH 21 -- Junction City snapped a four-game losing streak and picked up its first Centennial League victory Friday night with a 50-21 home win over Topeka High.
Junction City improved to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the league while handing Topeka High its second straight loss.
The Trojans are 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the league entering Friday night's home Centennial League matchup with Manhattan.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural won its sixth straight girls team championship in Saturday's city cross country meet at Kanza Park while Seaman junior star Ryin Miller won her second straight individual title.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller remained undefeated on the season while winning her second straight city title Saturday at Kanza Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seniors Payton Fink (left) and Rylee Ismert finished second and third individually on Saturday to lead Washburn Rural to its sixth straight city girls cross country team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Miller, who set a state record at at Kanza earlier in the fall, won the individual title by a minute and 13 seconds with a five-kilometer time of 17:08.3 on the newly-reworked course while Matt Swedlund's Junior Blues went 2-3-4 and put all of their top five in the top nine places as Rural took the team title by a 24-31 margin over Seaman.
Undefeated on the season, Miller said she didn't feel completely comfortable on Saturday, but was just pleased to get the job done.
"I'm not sad, but I'm not happy either,'' Miller said. "I was hoping to PR (personal record). Obviously they added a little onto the course (approximately 80 meters) and I think that had something to do with it and it was a little hotter than we anticipated I think.
"I just didn't feel my best today, but I still ran a good time so I'll take it.''
Fink, a former city champion, finished second for Washburn Rural in 18:21.2 while senior Rylee Ismert finished third (18:43.8) and junior Emily Graf was fourth (19:15.2).
Senior Brooklyn Nolte finished eighth (19:55.9) and junior Kenzie Maddox ninth (20:28.7) to round out Rural's top five.
Swedlund said he appreciated the tough team battle the Junior Blues got from Seaman.
"That's kind of been the story the last several city meets, you've got Seaman and Washburn Rural up there battling it out,'' Swedlund said. "Our girls are fast but their girls are fast so you've got to get it done on the day.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Saturday was business as usual for Washburn Rural's boys cross country team, which rolled to its 18th straight city boys team title at Kanza Park.
Seaman junior Brody Anderson captured his first city boys individual cross country championship Saturday at Kanza Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But there was also some new in the city championships, with Seaman junior standout Brody Anderson winning his first city individual crown after finishing second in 2023 while freshman Henry Laubach made an immediate impact in his first city meet with a third-place finish to pace the perennial-champion Junior Blues.
Matt Swedlund's Washburn Rural team used its pack mentality to produce a decisive 30-79 margin over Topeka West in the team race, with Laubach leading the way as Junior Blues put three runners in the top five and all of their top five in the top 10 places.
Anderson clocked a winning five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 36.7 seconds in his second city meet, winning by a 21-second-plus margin over Topeka West senior standout Adrian Lehman (15:58.3).
"It was good,'' Anderson said. "I went out pretty fast. I knew the course changed beforehand (approximately 80 meters longer) and I went out and walked it. It was good to see something a little extra on Kanza and I still ran a great time.
"It's championship season and I've been looking forward to it all season. I came out guns a blazing I feel like and it's paid off and I keep seeing some great times.''
Freshman Henry Laubach finished a team-high third in Saturday's city meet as Washburn Rural won its 18th straight boys team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Laubach continued his outstanding rookie campaign for the Junior Blues with a third-place time of 16:17.0.
"He's so natural,'' Swedlund said. "He's just a natural talent and having the middle school right there and being ablt to watch him compete and seeing him in the summers and stuff, he's where we thought he'd be.''
Junior Brooks Kehoe finished fourth (16:38.0) for the Junior Blues while senior Bodie King was fifth (16:42.8), senior Connor Olsen eighth (16:59.0) and freshman Duke Graf 10th (17:17.2) to complete Rural's top five.
"I was happy,'' Swedlund said. "Our two through four, five, that's right where we wanted them to be so I was happy with that.''
