Hayden's Bill Arnold has been named the Centennial League Baseball Coach of the Year after the Wildcats won the undefeated league title.

[File Photo /TSN]

Hayden senior Cooper Grace has been named the Centennial League Baseball Player of the Year after helping lead the Wildcats to the undefeated league title.

[File Photo/TSN]

Shawnee Heights senior Grace Proctor has been named the UKC Softball Pitcher of the Year by conference coaches.

[Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]

Seaman junior infielder Aubrey Warren has been tapped as the UKC Softball Player of the Year by conference coaches.

[File Photo/TSN}

Shawnee Heights softball coach Tara Griffith has been named the UKC Coach of the Year by conference coaches.

[File Photo/TSN]

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

City softball players earned seven of the 11 spots on the 2025 All-Centennial League team while sweeping the individual awards.

OliviaKoch2025 4Olivia Koch, Washburn Rural

Washburn Rural sophomore Olivia Koch was named the Centennial League player of the year after helping lead the Junior Blues to a runnerup finish in the Class 6A state tournament while Topeka High freshman London Backman and Hayden freshman Blakely Walter were named the league's co-newcomers of the year and Hayden coach Cody Reynolds was selected by league coaches as the coach of the year.

LondonBackman2025softball 1 London Backman, Topeka High

BlakelyWalter2025 1Blakely Walter, Hayden

Topeka High, which advanced to the 6A state tournament, put a league-high three players on the all-league first team -- Backman, senior Jo'Mhara Benning and sophomore Campbell Dawson.

Washburn Rural is represented on the first team by Koch and junior Reagan Chapman while Hayden put senior Keira Carswell and Walter on the first team.

Manhattan put junior Kat Ball and senior Isabelle Peabody on the all-league first team while Junction City is represented by senior Cassidy Miller and Emporia by junior Alivia Barrett.

Washburn Rural put senior Layla Collins, junior Henley Rapp, sophomore Justice McBurney and freshman Addalyn Boleski on the second team while Topeka High is represented by sophomore Madilyn Poole and Hayden by junior Emily Peterson and freshman Carley McAllister.

Nine city players earned all-league honorable mention.

ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SOFTBALL

First team                                                                               

London Backman, fr., Topeka High; Kat Ball, jr., Manhattan; Alivia Barrett, jr., Emporia; Jo'Mhara Benning, sr., Topeka High; Keira Carswell, sr., Hayden; Reagan Chapman, jr., Washburn Rural; Campbell Dawson, so., Topeka High; Olivia Koch, so., Washburn Rural; Cassidy Miller, sr. Junction City; Isabelle Peabody, sr., Manhattan; Blakely Walter, fr., Hayden. 

Second team

Addalyn Boleski, fr., Washburn Rural; Layla Collins, sr., Washburn Rural; Rilynn Hotard, sr., Junction City; Carley McAllister, fr., Hayden; Justice McBurney, so., Washburn Rural; Morgan Nabus, jr., Junction City; Gracyn Neitzel, so., Manhattan; Emily Peterson, jr., Hayden; Madilyn Poole, so., Topeka High; Henley Rapp, jr., Washburn Rural; Marley Sewell, jr., Emporia.

Honorable mention

Emporia: Atlyn Hoffman, so.; Yzabel Ulteras, jr.; Molly Williams, jr. Hayden: Lydia Dennis, jr.; Katie Mead, jr.; Maura Valdivia, so. Manhattan: Josi Alesana, fr. Topeka High: Adrianna Adams,fr.; Montgomerie Freel, sr. Washburn Rural: Josie Carlgren, jr.; Madi Davison, sr.; Avery Rupp, sr.; Salah Williams, sr.

Player of the year -- Olivia Koch, Washburn Rural.

Co-newcomers of the year -- London Backman, Topeka High, and Blakely Walter, Hayden.

Coach of the year -- Cody Reynolds, Hayden.                       

 

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