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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Set to open MIAA play on Friday, Washburn University baseball combined strong pitching and timely hitting to rally for a 4-3 non-conference win over Truman State Monday at Falley Field.
Jett Buck (16), who had three hits in Washburn's 4-3 non-conference win over Truman State Monday, is congratulated by his teammates after hitting his first home run as an Ichabod. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn, which improved to 4-6, posted its second straight win over the Bulldogs to take the series 2-1 and Ichabod coach Harley Douglas is hopeful the back-to-back victories will give WU momentum heading into a three-game conference-opening series against Pittsburg State Friday through Sunday.
"I think it will,'' Douglas said. "Last week we didn't play great baseball at all and the first game we come out here and didn't play great baseball. But yesterday we kind of got going and today's game was a good dogfight. We made some mistakes but got around it and I thought overall it's a good step in the right direction to get things rolling where we need to.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior Class 6A state champions Brogan Meier and Jack Miranda headline the 2024 All-City boys swimming and diving team.
The 2024 All-City boys swimming and diving first team -- Front, from left: Evan Hoobler, Shawnee Heights; Andres Morao-Jaspe, Washburn Rural; Alex Lanterman, Washburn Rural; Jack Miranda, Washburn Rural; Jack Pekarek, Seaman; Jaxon Cowdin, Topeka High. Back, from left: Truman Brede, Shawnee Heights; Luke Lemke, Washburn Rural; Elijah Leenerts, Washburn Rural; Will Powell, Washburn Rural; Brogan Meier, Washburn Rural; Daniel Allen, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The 2024 All-City boys swimming and diving second team -- Front, from left: Robert Haag, Topeka West; Palmer Heskett, Hayden; Will Stewart, Topeka High; Dawson Blankenship, Topeka High; Kinser Barbosa, Seaman; Ryan Carson, Hayden. Back, from left: Sourish Sinha, Washburn Rural; Jeremiah Moylan, Seaman; Isaac Hochard, Seaman; Lincoln Carter, Topeka High; Maximo Cuevas, Seaman; Pablo Domenech. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Meier won the state title in the 50-yard freestyle and Miranda was the state champion in the 500 free while both stars, first-team All-State picks, also posted runnerup individual finishes and swam on the Junior Blues' second-place 400 free relay as Washburn Rural shared the third-place 6A team trophy with Manhattan.
The All-City team, which is based on performances in the city meet, includes eight members of the Rural team that won its fifth straight city championship and also claimed the Centennial League title.
Also earning first-team All-City honors for the Junior Blues are Daniel Allen, Alex Lanterman, Elijah Leenerts, Luke Lemke, Andrew Morao-Jaspe and Will Powell.
Powell, a second-team All-State pick, was a triple 6A state medalist while Allen was also a multiple event medalist.
Topeka High junior Jaxon Cowdin earned his third straight city one-meter diving title and his second straight Centennial League championship before finishing 12th in 6A.
Shawnee Heights is represented on the All-City team by Truman Brede and Evan Hoobler while senior Jack Pekarek earned a first-team berth for Seaman.
All-City capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Conner Ahrens
CONNER AHRENS, Washburn Rural
Ahrens, a junior, captured the boys individual title in last Thursday's Centennial League bowling championships at Gage Bowl with a 667 three-game series. Ahrens rolled games of 225, 203 and 239 to lead Washburn Rural to the league team title by a 3,537-3,143 margin over Emporia.
Jack Donovan
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
A 5-foot-11 sophomore guard, Donovan became Rossville's single-season record-holder for made 3-pointers in Friday's 68-34 Mid-East League win over Riley County. Donovan had 14 points with four 3s in Friday's win after scoring 21 points with seven treys in Tuesday's 72-38 league win over Wabaunsee. Donovan now has 55 3-pointers on the season, eclipsing the previous record of 52 set by Matt Buhler in 2009.
Brogan Meier
BROGAN MEIER, Washburn Rural
Meier, a senior, won a Class 6A state title in the 50-yard freestyle in 21.41 seconds, finished second in the 100 butterfly (51.46) and helped Washburn Rural to a second-place finish in the 400 free relay (3:13.16) and a third-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:28.22) Saturday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium as the Junior Blues tied Manhattan for the third-place team trophy. Meier received first-team All-State recognition.
Jack Miranda
JACK MIRANDA, Washburn Rural
A senior, Miranda won the Class 6A state championship in the 500-yard freestyle, finished second in the 200 freestyle (1:44.04) and swam on the Junior Blues' runnerup 400 free relay team (3:13.16) as Washburn Rural tied Manhattan for the third-place team trophy. Miranda received first-team All-State recognition.
Alex Prescott
ALEX PRESCOTT, Seaman
Prescott bowled a 722 three-game series to win the individual championship in last week's United Kansas Conference bowling tournament at Crown Lanes in Leavenworth. Prescott rolled games of 254, 243 and 225 to lead the way as Seaman won the UKC team championship by a 3,580-3,358 margin over Piper.
Lauren Sandstrom
LAUREN SANDSTROM, Hayden
Sandstrom, a 6-foot senior, scored 30 points in Friday's 69-36 Centennial League Senior Night win over Topeka High as the No. 2-ranked Wildcats improved to 15-3 overall and 6-3 in the Centennial League. Sandstrom, a Rockhurst signee, hit 12 of 19 shots from the field, including two 3-pointers, and went 4 of 5 at the free throw line.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Top-ranked Washburn Rural edged No. 2 Manhattan for the team championship in the Class 6A boys wrestling regional at Wichita North Saturday, with the Junior Blues claiming five individual titles while qualifying 10 wrestlers for this weeks state tournament at Hartman Arena in Park City.
Returning Class 6A state champion Easton Broxterman will take a 34-1 record into this week's state tournament in Park City. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Landen Kocher-Munoz will be shooting for his second straight Class 6A state title this week at Hartman Arena in Park City. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural, which took a 243-234 win over Manhattan in the regional team race, got regional titles from 132-pound junior Easton Broxterman (45-1), sophomore 138-pounder Landen Kocher-Munoz (33-4), freshman 144-pounder Brodye Kocher-Munoz (36-12), junior 150-pounder Kristjan Marshall (35-4) and senior 157-pounder Brody Bryne (33-3).
Broxterman, a returning state champion, earned a medical forfeit over Vicent Rosas of Maize in the championship match while returning state champ L. Kocher-Munoz took a 10-8 decision over Daniel Gomez of Maize, B. Kocher-Munoz took a 2-1 decision over Manhattan's Logan Lagerman, Marshall took a 4-2 overtime decision over Grayson Hagen of Free State and Byrne pinned Free State's Gabe Swoyer in 59 seconds.
Sophomore 126-pounder Cooper Stivers (9-2) and senior 165-pounder Chase Calhoon (25-13) also advanced to regional championship matches, finishing second.
The Junior Blues got fourth-place finishes from sophomore 106-pounder Ryder Harrison (43-12), junior 120-pounder Walker Doyal (26-21) and 175-pound freshman Jadyn Baum (29-18)
Topeka High finished 12th as a team with 50 points and qualified junior 150-pounder Rehabiah Williamson (38-9), who finished sixth, senior 120-pounder Elijah Elliot (17-13), who finished seventh, sophomore 157-pounder Brandon Blancas (18-12), who placed eighth, and junior 215-pounder Detrick Johnson (23-12), who took eighth.
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By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Musings at the mid-month:
• What makes us different is the stories we share.
• Not a house, a car, a boat, a section of land or a vacation getaway with beach access. OK, that last one might defeat the purpose of this narrative.
• It’s still the stories we share and the people we count on as family and friends, peers and mentors.
• Sadly, though, too many can share stories of random, senseless gun violence.
• That list includes an estimated million or so who attended the Chiefs Super Bowl rally, including busloads of kids.
• The same kids who barely know how to open a milk carton before learning active shooter drills.
• It was kids, or juveniles as police called them, charged in the shooting that marred the Super Bowl parade through Kansas City.
• In the time it takes to squeeze a trigger, the shooting and our mortality dominated discussions far more than Patrick Mahomes’ talent and immortality.
• That will change. The Chiefs will take the field again. We’ll fill the same seats we customarily watch the game from.
• And, we’ll engage with a hardened resolve to unite and support the city, the region and its football dynasty.
• But damn, that shooting sucks. All of them do. And, with them all, regardless of the assailants or their motives (if any), comes a wave of reflection, sadness, grief, anger and blame.
• Action is necessary. To take it, start with this foundational element: murder is a crime and should not be condoned.
• Sadly, this is our America. It’s part of our routine conversation, and unfortunately, part of too many stories we share.
