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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Washburn Rural softball team was anxious to get some time on the field after playing just one doubleheader in the last 13 days. They found their groove at the plate at Hayden, scoring two Centennial League wins Tuesday at Hayden.
Sophomore Oliva Koch blasts a home run in Washburn Rural's 13-5 second-game softball win over Hayden. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Sophomore Oliva Koch (1) is mobbed by her teammates after hitting a home run in Washburn Rural's 13-5 second-game softball win over Hayden. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
“Our schedule has been pretty inconsistent,” Washburn Rural coach Joy Marie Galliart said. “We’ve only been able to play once a week for the four weeks of the season, so it’s hard when you only see live pitching and are in game situations only once a week. You try to simulate it as best you can in practice, but there’s really no replacing a game. We talk about that we have to control what we can control.”
The Junior Blues got solid pitching and produced some big rallies in the sweep of the Wildcats.
Washburn Rural junior Reagan Chapman slides into home plate Tuesday as Hayden senior Keira Carswell applies the tag. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Reagan Chapman threw the first four innings of the opener and bashed a home run in an 11-5 victory. The junior homered again in the second game.
Pitcher Olivia Koch went the distance in the second game and belted a homer of her own in a 13-5 victory.
“I think the day went really good,” Koch said. “Our energy was up for a lot of the game. We did have some little mistakes, but we picked each other up as a team. I think today can help get us on the right track.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After graduating just one senior off last year's varsity team and sporting a 50-player roster, veteran Topeka High boys tennis coach Duane Pomeroy expected his Trojans to field a deep and competitive team this spring.
Topeka High junior Tres Lassiter went 3-0 in No. 1 singles Tuesday as the Trojans went 3-0 as a team to win the Topeka West tennis quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And the outlook got a lot brighter with the addition of junior No. 1 singles player Tres Lassiter, who went a perfect 3-0 on Tuesday as Topeka High went 3-0 as a team to win the Topeka West quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center.
Lassiter is a home school student who is playing for High this season as a result of the Kansas State High School Activities Association rule that permits home-schoolers to play for the high school team in their attendance district.
"He called me and said, 'You might remember me from working at the (Kossover) clubhouse,' '' Pomeroy said. "He asked, 'Do you have room on your varsity for another player?' Then I was hearing from other people how good he was and I definitely had room for somebody of that caliber.''
Lassiter is now 5-1 on the season after taking an 8-4 win over Shawnee Heights' Brock Corley, an 8-3 win over Topeka West's Will Hitch and an 8-1 victory over Basehor-Linwood's Gannon Suarez on Tuesday.
"It's a new experience for him,''Pomeroy said. "He plays in the summer in USTA tournaments but he was nervous his first time out because, as he said, he's never played for a school.
"He's just a super nice kid. He's better than anybody else on the team, but he cares about all other kids, including the rookies.''
Topeka High's Christian Sink (left) and Alex Raymond went 3-0 in No. 1 doubles Tuesday as the Trojans went 3-0 as a team to win the Topeka West tennis quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Trojans also got a 3-0 day from No. 2 singles player Victor Arriaga and the No. 1 doubles team of Alex Raymond and Christian Sink.
Topeka High took a 4-0 win over Shawnee Heights and 3-1 wins over Topeka West and Basehor-Linwood while Heights went 2-1, with the T-Birds' lone loss coming against High.
West's Ayden Gore and Butch Graham went 3-0 on the day in No. 2 doubles.
TOPEKA WEST TENNIS QUADRANGULAR
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Shawnee Heights girls soccer team hopes to jump start its season with back-to-back wins during a busy stretch of the season.
Shawnee Heights senior Lailah Benz (21) scored the game's first goal in Monday's 3-2 soccer win over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds picked up their second win of the year Monday, defeating Hayden at the Bettis Family Sports Complex, 3-2.
After an 0-3-1 start to the season, they notched their first victory at Piper last Thursday. The Shawnee Heights girls are in the middle of a stretch of six games in two weeks that they hope could turn their season around.
“Our last win (at Piper) definitely turned it around for us,” said Shawnee Heights senior Lailah Benz, who scored the game’s first goal just 42 seconds into the contest. “We came in knowing that we were going to win instead of having doubt.”
Shawnee Heights sophomore Brylee Garner (14) celebrates her first-half goal with teammates in the T-Birds' 3-2 win over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds added to their 1-0 lead in the middle of the first period on a score by Brylee Garner off a corner kick.
Hayden junior Carsyn Broxterman (4) and sophomore Avery Becker (3) scored the Wildcats' goals in Monday's 3-2 soccer loss to Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But Hayden demonstrated it wasn’t going away when the Wildcats got on the board with 49 seconds remaining in the first half off a goal by Carsyn Broxterman.
Shawnee Heights picked up an insurance goal by Izzy Van Fleet at the 20:54 mark of the second period. Moments later, that goal proved to be the game winner as Hayden responded with a strike by Avery Becker at 20:20.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame announced Monday the selection of the 10 individuals who will be inducted on Saturday, August 2, in Topeka as the HOF class of 2025.
The induction ceremony will be held at the Washburn University Memorial Union, beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a lunch/reception.
The class includes award-winning coaches, Olympians, national champions, All-Americans, and world and American-record holders.
“This is an accomplished group and one the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is extremely proud to recognize on behalf of the entire state,” Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Jim Dunning, Jr. said. "The individuals represent the best of the state of Kansas and come from diverse backgrounds. Their stories provide inspiration to all Kansans.”
The honorees include:
● Larry Brown – 1972 NFL MVP running back for Washington who played at Dodge City Community College and Kansas State.
● Tim Jankovich – All-State basketball player from Manhattan who later led Kansas State to three NCAA Tournament appearances. He had a collegiate basketball head coaching record of 332-199.
● J.C. Louderback – Three-sport standout at Southwestern College. Was the Arkansas City High boys tennis coach for 36 years and longtime college football and basketball official.
● Bob Lutz – Wichita Eagle sports reporter and columnist for more than 40 years. He established the League 42 urban youth baseball organization in Wichita.
● Kendric Maple – State titlest in wrestling at Wichita Heights HS, and NCAA championship wrestler and three-time All-American at Oklahoma.
● Bobby Randall – Born in Norton, but attended high school in Gove. Played five years in MLB for the Minnesota Twins, and still ranks second in career batting average at Kansas State. Longtime Head Coach at Iowa State, University of Kansas and Manhattan Christian College.
● Laverne Smith – Set career and season rushing and touchdown records at Kansas and played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A track and football standout at Wichita Southeast and the University of Kansas, he still holds the KU 100-meter dash record.
● Deb (Pihl) Torneden – Running for Kansas State University, was the Most Outstanding Performer at the 1984 Big Eight Conference Indoor Championships. Was a four-time All-American and National Masters Champion. She holds 23 Kansas road race age group records.
● Clifford Wiley – 1980 U.S. Olympic Team sprint team member. Competing for the University of Kansas, was a world record holder, World Cup Champion, three-time U.S. national champion, NCAA Champion and 13-time All-American
● NOTE: Former Kansas State assistant football coach and Kansas head coach Mark Mangino was selected in 2024, but could not attend the induction ceremonies. He will be recognized at the 2025 event.
This year’s class brings the total number of Inductees to 349, with the first class in 1961 including such legends as Dr. James Naismith, Mike Ahearn, Glenn Cunningham, Walter Johnson and Jess Willard.
Created by the Kansas State legislature in 1961 during the state’s Centennial Celebration, the hall has operated for 64 years.
Tickets for the event are $50 and may be purchased online at kshof.org.
Inductee profiles:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin's junior doubles team of Drew Fay and Eric Buchenau captured the No. 1 doubles championship in Friday's John Markham Invitational at Goddard, remaining undefeated on the season.
Cair Paravel junior Drew Fay and junior doubles partner Eric Buchenau are 13-0 after winning the championship in Friday's Goddard tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Fay and Buchenau went 5-0 in the tournament and are now 13-0 on the season.
The Lion duo opened its season with a 3-0 record in the Paola quadrangular before going undefeated in the Marysville Invitational.
Fay finished fourth in Class 3A-1A singles last season.
Hayden baseball sweeps Nemaha Central
Hayden baseball, which won the Class 3A state championship last season, improved to 8-0 this spring with a 10-0, 12-3 non-league doubleheader sweep over Nemaha Central Friday at Hayden.
Hayden senior Jett Wahlmeier delivers a pitch in Friday's 12-3 second-game win over Nemaha Central. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden senior Cooper Grace tags out a runner at third base in Friday's 12-3 second-game win over Nemaha Central. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Wildcats ended the first game by way of a 10-run spread in the fifth inning and scored the final nine runs of the second game after the game was tied 3-3.
Hayden will travel to Emporia on Tuesday for a Centennial League twinbill.
Hayden, Rossville battle to softball split
Hayden held off Rossville to take a 3-2 first-game win before the Bulldawgs answered with a 12-0 victory in the nightcap of Friday's non-league softball twinbill at Hayden.
Sophomore Maura Valdivia delivers a pitch in Friday's 3-2 first-game softball win over Rossville Friday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rossville sophomore Leni Lewis slides safely into third base in Friday's doubleheader softball split at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener and went up 2-0 in the third on a run-scoring single from sophomore catcher Emberly Connell before adding another run in the fourth.
Rossville's offense came to life in the top of the seventh, getting a run-scoring triple from sophomore Leni Lewis and a run-scoring hit from sophomore Nora Burdiek, but Hayden freshman pitcher Blakely Walter came on to record the final out and preserve the Wildcat victory.
Sophomore Maura Valdivia picked up the pitching win in relief of junior Emmy Jeffers while Walter was credited with a save.
