By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural softball opened the Joy Marie Galliart era with a pair of hard-earned wins over Centennial League foe Topeka High Friday at Hummer Sports Park.
Joy Marie Galliart (center) notched her first two wins as Washburn Rural's softball coach Friday against Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues broke a 4-4 tie with four runs in their last at bat to take an 8-4 first-game win and earned the sweep with an 11-7 win in the nightcap.
Washburn Rural sophomore shortstop Reagan Chapman throws out a Topeka High base-runner in Friday's softball twinbill. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior pitcher Makayla Ekis (right) confers with sophomore catcher Henley Rapp during Friday's doubleheader against Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural has been to the Class 6A championship game the past two seasons, finishing as the state runnerup both years, while Topeka High won 6A titles in 2021 and 2022.
Seaman softball rolls to UKC sweep over Topeka West
Seaman's softball team opened its 2024 season in impressive fashion Friday at Seaman, taking a pair of wins over United Kansas Conference foe Topeka West.
The Vikings took an 18-3 first-game win over the Chargers and followed that up with a 17-1 second-game victory.
Defending state-champion Bulldawgs open with sweep
Rossville's softball team, the defending Class 3A state champion, opened its quest for a second straight title with an 11-4, 12-2 doubleheader sweep over Nemaha Central on Thursday.
Seniors Kinsey Perine and Katie Spielman powered the Bulldawgs' offense with home runs.
Spielman also picked up the pitching win in the first game while senior Nagos Hale was the winner in the nightcap.
Seaman soccer picks up first win with 5-0 shutout
After opening its season with a 1-1 double overtime tie against Manhattan, Seaman's soccer team got its offense cranked up Thursday, taking a 5-0 home shutout over Spring Hill.
Ava Golightly had two goals and an assist for the 1-0-1 Vikings, who also got goals from Stella Appelhanz, Maya Martin and Julia Molleker.
Savannah Nelson and Ryin Miller were also credited with assists for Seaman.
Maegan Mills and Makena Schuler combined for the shutout in goal.
Seaman led 1-0 at halftime before pulling away with four second-half goals.
Silver Lake baseball tops Tonganoxie for Eagles' first win
Silver Lake picked up its first baseball victory of the season on Friday, with the Eagles taking a 10-4 win over Tonganoxie.
Junior Logan Cathcart pitched 4.2 innings for the Eagles to pick up the win, allowing five hits and three earned runs while striking out five.
Junior Dysen Schooler pitched the final 2.1 innings, giving up one hit and zero runs while fanning three hitters.
Dayne Johnson doubled and had four runs batted in for the Eagles while Cathcart, Brody Renfro, Tanner Martin and Brady Hogle all scored two runs.
T-Birds' Esquibel, Hayden shine at Free State in season-opener
Shawnee Heights state champion Jackson Esquibel opened his senior track season with a sweep of the boys 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in Friday's Free State Early Bird Invitational.
Esquibel, who won the Class 5A 3,200 as a junior and was the 5A state cross country champ last fall, won Friday's 1,600 in 4 minutes, 36.23 seconds and won the 3,200 in 9:44.51.
Hayden junior Jensen Schrickel and sophomore teammate Rondell Harris went one-two in the boys long jump, with Schrickel winning at 19 feet, 11.50 inches and Harris second at 19-9.
The Wildcats also won the 4x100-meter relay in 43.41 seconds and the 4x400 relay in 3:36.24.
Shawnee Heights junior Tyler Wedl won the pole vault at 12 feet, 0 inches while junior Liam Benz was the runnerup in the boys 400 in 52.79, sophomore Tyren Parker finished second in the high jump at 5-10 and senior Alex Dittman was the runnerup in the javelin at 157-9.
Hayden junior Alexis Rutherford won the girls shot put at 35 feet, 3 inches while freshman Emberly Connell finished second in the girls 100 in 13.47, senior Natalie Hillebert was the runnerup in the 400 at 63.31 and junior Bella Reid second in the 100 hurdles in 18.53.
Rural second in Emporia swim/dive meet
Washburn Rural's girls swimming and diving team piled up 520 points to finish second as a team to Free State (573) in Thursday's Emporia Invitational.
The Junior Blues got a win from Audrey Appuhn in the 500-yard freestyle in 5 minutes, 27.99 seconds while Rural got second-place finishes from Jella Belgardt in the 50 free (28.04) and the 100 butterfly (1:07.10) and thirds from Appuhn in the 200 individual medley (2:21.88), Rhiannon Good in one-meter diving (183.05), Ella Bombardier in the 100 free (1:06.52).
Washburn Rural finished second in all three relays, clocking a time of 2:07.69 in the 200 medley relay, a 1:59.55 in the 200 free and a 4:15.83 in the 400 free.
Topeka High got a second-place finish from Hara Del Castillo in the 100 backstroke (1:06.45) and thirds from Del Castillo in the 100 butterfly (1:07.53) and from Caroline Toland in the 100 breaststroke (1:18.85).
Vikings swimmers second in Topeka West season-opener
Seaman's girls swimming team finished second to Lansing (447-332) in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational, with the Vikings winning five events.
The Vikings got a pair of individual victories from Joslynn Grace in the 200-yard individual medley (2:15.94) and the 100 breaststroke (1:11.27) while Avery Walz won the 100 freestyle (55.77).
Seaman's foursome of A. Walz, Grace, Tauren Walz and Avery Samuelson won the 200-yard medley relay (1:58.69) and also took the win in the 200 free relay (1:49.24).
Hayden's Kaylee Gregg (202.30) and Maddie Gregg (113.90) went one-two in the one-meter diving event while Shawnee Heights' Kaitlyn Aldridge finished second in the 500 free (6:00.60).
