Washburn Rural Junior Blues
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
State tournament teams Seaman, Washburn Rural and Hayden combined to put 10 players on the TopSports.news 2024 All-Shawnee County volleyball first team, led by Seaman two-time player of the year Maegan Mills.
Seaman senior Maegan Mills (23) has been named the TSN Shawnee County volleyball player of the year for the second straight season. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Seaman's Tatiana Dowling has been named the Shawnee County coach of the year for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman, which finished second in Class 5A this fall after winning the state title in 2023, put a county-high four players on the all-county first team, with Mills joined by fellow Viking seniors Campbell Chabot, Ava Esser and Kinley Wilhelm while Viking coach Tatiana Dowling, a Seaman grad, was named the coach of the year for the second straight season after leading her team to a county-best 41-3 record and a county-best state tournament finish.
Hayden freshman Hailey Schmidtlein has been named the Shawnee County co-newcomer of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden freshman Blakely Walter has been named the Shawnee County volleyball co-newcomer of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden, which placed third in the 4A state tournament, is represented on the first team by senior Reagan McGivern and freshmen Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter, who were named co-Shawnee County newcomers of the year. McGivern is a first-team all-county repeat pick after earning first-team honors at Seaman as a junior.
Washburn Rural is represented on the all-county first team by seniors Layla Collins and Kate Hinck and junior Karsyn Horyna after helping the Junior Blues win the Centennial League championship and advance to the 6A state tournament.
Collins is a first-team All-Shawnee County repeat pick after being a second-team pick as a sophomore.
Shawnee Heights put seniors Kaydence Torrez and Taylor Brees on the first team while Silver Lake is represented by senior Ella Bolan, Rossville by sophomore Nora Burdiek and Topeka High by senior Jo'Mhara Benning.
Torrez and Bolan are first-team repeat picks while Burdiek was named the county newcomer of the year as a freshman.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Thirteen Shawnee County players have earned Kansas Volleyball Association All-State recognition, including four first-team picks.
Seaman senior Campbell Chabot earned KVA All-State first-team honors in Class 5A after helping the Vikings finish second in Class 5A this fall. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior Maegan Mills earned first-team KVA All-State honors in Class 5A for the second straight season after helping lead the Vikings to a runnerup state finish. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Hayden senior Reagan McGivern earned a spot on the KVA Class 4A All-State first team after helping the Wildcats finish third in 4A. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Rossville sophomore Nora Burdiek was named to the KVA All-Class 2A All-State team. [Submitted photo]
Seniors Campbell Chabot and Meagan Mills, who helped lead Seaman to a runnerup finish in Class 5A, were named to the All-5A first team while Hayden senior Reagan McGivern earned first-team honors in 4A after helping the Wildcats post a third-place state finish and Rossville sophomore Nora Burdiek was a first-team pick in 2A after helping the Bulldawgs win a regional championship this fall.
Washburn Rural senior Layla Collins received second-team all-state recognition in 6A while Seaman senior Ava Esser was a second-team All-5A pick, freshmen Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter were second-team selections in 4A and Silver Lake senior Ella Bolan was a second-team honoree in 3A.
Rural senior Kate Hinck received All-6A honorable mention while Seaman seniors Maggie Moulden and Kinley Wilhelm received honorable mention in 5A and Hayden junior Ella Foster received honorable mention in 4A.
KANSAS VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION 2024 ALL-STATE
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's soccer coach Davy Phillips has announced the signing of 10 high school athletes who will be joining the Ichabods for the 2025 season, including Washburn Rural stars Destiny Higgs and Kate Hinck.
Destiny Higgs, Washburn Rural
Kate Hinck, Washburn Rural
Hinck and Higgs helped lead the Junior Blues to a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament last spring.
Hinck was named the Centennial League player of the year last season and both Hinck and Higgs both earned All-City and all-league first-team honors.
Signing capsules:
Bricelyn Betts – 5-1 • Attacking Midfielder • Raymore, Mo. • Raymore-Peculiar HS
Member of the Raymore-Peculiar Panthers soccer team … 2022 Midwest first-team all-conference for club team … daughter of Jeremy Betts and Tricia Trutzel-Betts … has two brothers, Brandt and Brucker, and one sister, Brilee … brother Brandt played soccer at Liberty University … plans to major in kinesiology and biology
Thea Martin – 5-7 • Defender • Lincoln, Neb. • Lincoln Southwest HS
As a junior, earned honorable mention from Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star … helped Lincoln Southwest Silverhawks win state championship with an 18-1 record … team won district championship and finished state runner-up sophomore year … as a freshman, Silverhawks claimed district championship and were state semifinalists … daughter of Erica and Brad Martin … has one brother, Judson … plans to major in biology
Destiny Higgs – 5-7 • Center Midfielder • Topeka, Kan. • Washburn Rural HS
As a junior, Higgs scored nine goals and had seven assists while earning first-team All-City (TopSports.News), first-team All-Centennial League and second-team All-State honors … helped the Washburn Rural Junior Blues to a 17-4-0 record and a third-place finish at Class 6A State Tournament … recorded eight goals and three assists as a sophomore, earning second-team All-Centennial League selection while team went 15-5-1 and finished third at state … named All-Centennial League honorable mention as a freshman after scoring three goals and adding five assists, contributing to second-place state finish for Junior Blues … daughter of Marcia and Shannon Shaddox and Jerry Higgs … has two brothers, Brian Johnson and Freddy Richter, and one sister, Mya Higgs … undecided major
Lydia Keller – 5-9 • Midfielder • Kansas City, Mo. • Park Hill HS
Earned second-team honors for district soccer and conference honorable mention as a junior … honorable mention for both district and conference as a sophomore … also plays basketball, being named honorable mention for conference … played club soccer for Kansas Rush … daughter of Trent and Haley Keller … has two brothers, Kaden and Collin … both parents are former Washburn athletes, with mom Haley playing softball and dad Trent playing baseball … planning to major in law or radiology
Brooke Willcott – 5-10 • Defender • Holton, Kan. • Holton HS
Club team won 2023 USYS State Championship and was runner-up at Midwest Regionals … team was ranked 1st in the state of Kansas for 2024 … also plays basketball for Holton High School Wildcats … named to Big 7 All-League first-team as a sophomore and was 4A All-State honorable mention pick by Sports in Kansas and KSHSAA Covered … daughter of Jennifer and Sean Willcott … plans to major in business
Kate Hinck – 5-4 • Forward • Topeka, Kan. • Washburn Rural HS
As a junior, scored 28 goals, the second-most in a season in school history … Centennial League Player of the Year … first-team All-City (Top Sports.News), first-team All-State, and first-team All-Centennial League … helped Junior Blues to a third-place finish at Class 6A State Tournament with a 17-4 record … scored 13 goals with seven assists as a sophomore … tallied 13 goals and five assists as a freshman … daughter of Rita Hinck and Dustin Hinck … has one sister, Alyson … plans to major in kinesiology
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
On Wednesday Washburn University men's basketball coach Brett Ballard announced the signing of three high school standouts who will join the Ichabods starting in the 2025-26 academic year.
Signing with the 10th-ranked Ichabods, currently 3-0 on the season, were Shawnee Mission Northwest 6-foot-8 guard Tyler Salmon, Wichita Heights 6-8 forward Amalachi Wilkins and Washburn Rural 5-11 guard Kaden Ballard.
Signing capsules:
Tyler Salmon, Shawnee Mission Northwest
TYLER SALMON, Shawnee Mission Northwest -- As a junior Salmon averaged 9.0 points per game while helping Northwest to an undefeated Class 6A state championship. Salmon, who also plays tennis, is the son of Travis and Angie Salmon and has a sister, Sophia. His father played basketball and his mom played volleyball at Missouri-Kansas City. Salmon plans to major in business.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
City schools Washburn Rural, Topeka High and Hayden combined to earn 10 of 12 first-team spots on the 2024 All-Centennial League boys soccer team.
Junior Dylan Willingham (19) has been named the Centennial League soccer player of the year after helping lead Washburn Rural to the league title and a third-place finish in Class 6A. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Washburn Rural, which won its 30th straight league championship (outright or shared) and finished third in the Class 6A state tournament, put five players on the all-league team, led by junior Dylan Willingham, who was named the Centennial player of the year.
Washburn Rural sophomore Brodye Kocher-Munoz has been named the Centennial League soccer co-newcomer of the year for 2024. [File photo/TSN]
Rural coach Brian Hensyel was named the league coach of the year while sophomore Brodye Kocher-Munoz was selected as the co-newcomer of the year
Willingham is joined on the first team by senior Ryder Nikkel and juniors Liam Morrison, Brandon Hamilton and Draden Chooncharoen.
Centennial League runnerup Topeka High put four players on the all-league first team -- seniors Ian Martinez, Antonio Aguirre and Jaime Alvarado and junior Billy Lutz -- while Hayden is represented by senior Cooper Grace.
Rural's Kocher-Munoz and juniors Drew Moore and Miles Cook received second-team honors along with Topeka High sophomore Carlos Acosta-Martinez.
Eight city players received honorable mention.
Manhattan's Ibrahim Alali and Junction City's Ethan Hileman round out the all-league first team while Junction City's Bruno Puche-Ferre was named the league's co-newcomer of the year.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SOCCER
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University volleyball coach Chris Herron announced the signing of five in-state incoming freshmen for the 2025 season on Thursday morning, including Washburn Rural star Layla Collins.
Layla Collins, Washburn Rural
Collins, who was named the Centennial League player of the year earlier this week, is joined in the signing class by Spring Hill's Sydney Buscher, Olathe South's Kennedy Derks, Shawnee Mission West's Brooklyn Morrisey and Attica's Chloe Traffas.
Signing capsules:
SYDNEY BUSCHER, Spring Hill -- A 5-foot-10 setter and rightside hitter for Spring Hill, Buscher was a three-year varsity player for the Broncos, helping Spring Hill win three straight league titles and earning first-team all-league honors as a senior. Buscher led the league with 462 kills and 362 assists and also had 290 digs and 48 service aces. Buscher also plays basketball for Spring Hill, earning all-league and All-State recognition. She is the daughter of Jill and Dan Buscher and has two brothers, Lucas and Zach, and a sister, Peyton. Buscher plans to major in business
"Coached by another Washburn great, Erica Book (Cowhick), Syd is our fourthplayer from Spring Hill High School,'' Herron said. "Syd is strong and a dynamic attacker, but she also sets for her high school team. Additionally, Syd is an All-State basketball player."
"I'm so excited to compete in volleyball at the collegiate level and be a part of the Ichabod family,'' Buscher said.
LAYLA COLLINS, Washburn Rural -- A 5-foot-11 outside and right-side hitter for perennial state power Washburn Rural, Collins was an All-Centennial League, All-Shawnee County and All-State second-team selection as a sophomore, helping Washburn Rural win a Class 6A state championship. Collins was an All-County first-team selection and Centennial League second-team selection as a junior before earning Centennial League Player of the Year honors as a senior. Collins helped lead the Junior Blues as a junior and senior. A two-year member of the National Honor Society, Collins also plays softball, making two state appearances. Collins is the daughter of Emily and John Collins and has one brother, Harrison. She plans to major in actuarial science.
"Watching Layla's progression from a role player when she was younger to the main offensive weapon on her outstanding high school team has been great for me,'' Herron said. "Layla is a six-rotation outside, she can score from anywhere on the court."
"I chose Washburn because the team was very welcoming and I saw it as the best place to build my future," Collins said.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Layla Collins, who led Washburn Rural to the league championship and a Class 6A state tournament berth, was voted the Centennial League 2024 volleyball player of the year as city schools garnered six of first-team spots.
Washburn Rural senior Layla Collins was voted the Centennial League volleyball player of the year by league coaches. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Collins is joined on the first team by senior teammate Kate Hinck while Topeka High senior Jo'Mhara Benning also earned first-team all-league honors.
Hayden, which placed third in the Class 4A state tournament, put a league high three players on the first team -- senior Reagan McGivern and freshmen Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter.
Hayden freshman Blakely Walter was named the newcomer of the year by Centennial League volleyball coaches. [File photo/TSN]
Walter was also voted the Centennial League newcomer of the year while Washburn Rural's Kevin Bordewick and Hayden's Corrinne McGreevy were named the league co-coaches of the year.
Rounding out the first team were Manhattan's Bailey Busch and Emporia's Jade Xu.
City schools also dominated the all-league second team, with Topeka High's Campbell Dawson, Washburn Rural's Kasyn Horyna, Stella Kelly and Dayne Shriver and Hayden's Ella Foster earning second-team spots.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL
The 2024 All-Shawnee County girls cross country team: Front row, from left -- Stella Appelhanz, Seaman; Kinley Robinson, Seaman; Ryin Miller, Seaman; Brynn Spencer, Seaman; Sofia Harper, Hayden; Elliot Wrench, Hayden. Back row, from left -- coach Matt Swedlund, Washburn Rural; Emily Graf, Washburn Rural; Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural; Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural; Payton Fink, Washburn Rural; Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A whopping nine first-team repeat selections and seven state medalists headline the 2024 All-Shawnee County girls cross country team.
Leading the way are top-five individual state finishers Ryin Miller of Seaman and Rylee Ismert and Payton Fink of Washburn Rural, with Miller, a junior, the Class 5A runnerup and seniors Ismert and Fink finishing third and fifth in 6A.
Hayden senior Elliot Wrench posted a sixth-place finish in 4A while junior Emily Graf placed 14th in 6A and Seaman senior Stella Appelhanz and sophomore Brynn Spencer finished 17th and 18th in 5A.
Miller, Ismert, Fink, Wrench, Graf, Appelhanz and Spencer are all first-team All-Shawnee County repeat picks along with Washburn Rural senior Brooklyn Nolte and Hayden sophomore Sofia Harper.
Earning first-team all-county honors for the first time are Washburn Rural junior Kenzie Maddox and Seaman sophomore Kinley Robinson.
Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund was named the girls Shawnee County coach of the year after his Junior Blues swept city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team titles and tied for the 6A team championship, finishing second to five-time champion Olathe West on a tiebreaker.
All-Shawnee County girls capsules:
The 2024 All-Shawnee County boys cross country team: Front row, from left -- Evan Carter, Shawnee Heights; Bodie King, Washburn Rural; Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural; Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural; Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural; Brody Anderson, Seaman. Back row, from left -- coach Matt Swedlund, Washburn Rural; Connor Olsen, Washburn Rural; Connor Baldwin, Hayden; Max Esquibel, Shawnee Heights; Adrian Lehman, Topeka West; Mark Wilkie, Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Three state medalists and five first-team repeat picks headline the 2024 All-Shawnee County boys cross country team.
Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman and Seaman junior Brody Anderson finished seventh and ninth individually in the Class 5A state meet while Washburn Rural freshman Henry Laubach finished 14th in 6A in his first state meet.
Lehman and Anderson are both all-county first-team repeat selections along with Shawnee Heights senior Evan Carter, Washburn Rural junior Brooks Kehoe and Rural senior Conner Olsen.
Washburn Rural, which won the city team championship, is also represented on the all-county team by senior Bodie King and freshman Clayton Fink, who helped the Junior Blues qualify for the 6A state meet as a team, while Rural coach Matt Swedlund was named the city boys coach of the year.
Topeka West's senior Mark Wilkie, Hayden junior Connor Baldwin and Shawnee Heights junior Max Esquibel were named to the all-county team for the first time.
All-Shawnee County boys capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural bounced back from a 3-0 semifinal loss to Class 6A state champion Shawnee Mission East with a 3-1 win over Shawnee Mission West in Saturday's third-place game at Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex.
Washburn Rural junior Dylan Willingham (19) had a goal and two assists in Saturday's 3-1 win over Shawnee Mission West in the Class 6A third-place game at Wichita. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Rural capped a 15-3-3 season with Saturday's win while SM West finished the year 15-4-2.
Junior Dylan Willingham had a goal and two assists for the Junior Blues while Washburn Rural also got goals from sophomore Myles Didde and sophomore Brodye Kocher-Munoz.
Shawnee Mission East won the 6A state title with a 1-0 win over Dodge City, with the Lancers handing the Red Demons their only loss in a 20-1-0 campaign. SM East finished its season 19-1-1.
East got its lone goal in the championship game on a shot from Brady Neuman with 6:41 left in the first half.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville junior football standout Conner Bush and Washburn Rural junior cross country standout Emily Graf have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2024-2025 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Bush and Graf over the past week:
Rossville junior Conner Bush (5) has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency male Rising Star of the Week after helping lead the Bulldawgs to the second round of the Class 1A playoffs with a 47-13 win over Wabaunsee. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
CONNER BUSH, Rossville
A 5-foot-11, 176-pound running back, Bush scored three touchdowns last Friday night as Rossville advanced to the second round of the Class 1A football playoffs with a 47-13 win over Wabaunsee.
Bush scored TDs on runs of 51, 9 and 25 yards as the Bulldawgs improved to 6-3 on the 2024 season while posting their sixth straight victory.
Bush has carried the ball 54 times on the season for 551 yards and nine touchdowns.
Washburn Rural junior Emily Graf has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency female Rising Star of the Week after earning her second straight Class 6A state medal last Saturday at Rim Rock Farm. [File photo/TSN]
EMILY GRAF, Washburn Rural
Graf earned her second straight Class 6A state medal in last Saturday's state cross country meet at Rim Rock Farm as Washburn Rural tied Olathe West for the team championship and finished second on a tiebreaker.
Graf posted a career-best 14th-place state finish in a five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 26.3 seconds.
Graf, who helped the Junior Blues sweep city, Centennial League and regional team titles this fall, placed 19th in the state meet as a sophomore.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawneee Mission East struck early and late in Wednesday's Class 6A soccer semifinal, taking a 3-0 win over Washburn Rural at the Shawnee Mission Soccer Complex.
The Lancers got a goal from Ben Perkins with 37 minutes, 28 seconds left in the first half to build a 1-0 halftime advantage before Lars Alsin added a pair of goals in the second half to give SM East its final margin.
With Wednesday's win Shawnee Mission East improved to 18-1-1 while Washburn Rural fell to 14-3-3.
The Lancers will play Dodge City for the 6A state title at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Stryker Soccer Complex in Wichita while Washburn Rural will face Shawnee Mission West in the 4 p.m. third-place game at Stryker.
Dodge City (20-0-0) advanced to the championship match with a 1-0 semifinal win over SM West, getting a goal from Osvaldo Chairez on a long shot with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. The Red Demons played without leading goal scorer Zahit Garibay, who suffered an injury in the second half of Monday's quarterfinal.
Washburn Rural, which is in the 6A Final Four for the fifth straight season, will be facing a SM West team that is now 15-3-2 on the season.
Class 6A semifinal
SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 3, WASHBURN RURAL 0
Washburn Rural (14-3-3) 0 0 -- 0
Shawnee Mission East (18-1-1) 1 2 -- 3
Shawnee Mission East -- Goals: Lars Alsin 2, Ben Perkins.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seven city volleyball standouts received All-State Tournament recognition from the Kansas Volleyball Association in their respective classifications.
Seaman senior Maegan Mills (right) was named to the All-State Tournament team in Class 5A after helping the Vikings finish second in the state tournament. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior Campbell Chabot (3) was named to the All-State Tournament team in Class 5A. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman senior Ava Esser earned a spot on the Class 5A All-State Tournament team for the runnerup Vikings. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Class 5A runnerup Seaman put seniors Campbell Chabot, Ava Esser and Maegan Mills on the 5A team after the Vikings capped a 41-3 season with a three-set loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in the state championship match.
Seaman posted a top-four state finish for the fourth straight season, including a state title in 2023.
Hayden senior Reagan McGivern earned a spot on the Class 4A All-State Tournament team for the third-place Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden freshman Blakely Walter (10) earned a spot on the Class 4A All-State Tournament team after helping the Wildcats post a third-place finish. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Hayden freshman Hailey Schmidtlein was named to the Class 4A All-State Tournament team for the third-place Wildcats. [Photo by Selena Favela/TSN]
Hayden, which finished third in Class 4A, is represented on the All-4A state tournament team by senior Reagan McGivern and freshmen Hailey Schmidtlein and Blakely Walter. After dropping a three-set decision to Rock Creek in the semifinals, Hayden bounced back to take a three-set win over McPherson in the third-place match.
The Wildcats, who were making their first state tournament appearance since 2019, finished the season 32-12.
Washburn Rural senior Layla Collins was named to the Class 6A All-State Tournament team. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Layla Collins was named to the all-state tournament team in 6A after the Junior Blues went 1-2 at state. The Junior Blues finished the season 31-8.
CLASS 6A
Bailey Busch, so., OH, Manhattan; Layla Collins, sr., OH, Washburn Rural; Ryann Daggett, so., MH, Wichita North; Ella Florez, jr., S, Mill Valley; Brookelyn Hatton, sr., L, Blue Valley West; Peyton Kubik, so., OH, Blue Valley West; Leilah Perry, jr., MB, Mill Valley; Riley Riggs, so., OH, Mill Valley; Cami Sher, jr., MH, Olathe West; Ella Stowell, jr., OH, Olathe West; Logan Parks, sr., S/RS, Blue Valley North; Lily Wedman, sr., S, Blue Valley West.
CLASS 5A
Campbell Chabot, sr., S/RS, Seaman; Ava Esser, sr., OH, Seaman; Alea Goolsby, sr., OH, St. Thomas Aquinas; Mya Lee, fr., OH, St. James Academy; Grace Martin, jr., OH, St. Thomas Aquinas; Reese Messer, sr., S/MB, St. James Academy; Maegan Mills, sr., OH, Seaman; Mason Palace, jr., MB, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; McCoy Phister, jr., RS/S, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; Taylor Stanley, jr., OPP, Blue Valley Southwest; Kaylee Tingey, sr., L, Blue Valley Southwest; Kate Wells, jr., MH, St. Thomas Aquinas.
CLASS 4A
Brooke Doile, jr., MH/OH, McPherson; Ayla Klingenberg, sr., MH, Rock Creek; Raimee Lipker, so., OH, Clay Center; Lauren Lopez, sr., OH, Bishop Miege; Kenzy McArtor, sr., OH, Clearwater; Reagan McGivern, sr., MB, Hayden; Delaney Morrison, sr., L, Bishop Miege; Hailey Schmidtlein, fr., MB/RS, Hayden; Olivia Stevens, so., OH, Bishop Miege; Trinniti Stevens, sr., MB, Bishop Miege; Blakely Walter, fr., S, Hayden; Brynna Zoeller, jr., S, Rock Creek.
CLASS 3A
Bailey Bernal, so., OH, Halstead; Addison Budke, sr., OH, Beloit; Katharine Engel, jr., OH, Halstead; Hallie Holthaus, sr., S, Nemaha Central; Cali Honeyman, sr., OH, Nemaha Central; Samantha Klotz, sr., OH, Royal Valley; Prayer Roebuck, sr., RS/S, Neodesha; Piper Schroeder, so., L, Halstead; Dalaina Schutte, sr., S, Halstead; Sofia Simic, so., OH, Hoisington; Zoey Sudbeck, sr., MH, Nemaha Central; Sophia Thompson, sr., MH, Beloit.
CLASS 2A
Kennedy Behnke, sr., MH, Ellinwood; Taylor Froese, so., S/RS, Inman; Suttyn Harris, jr., OH, Inman; Katie Johnson, sr., MH, Doniphan West; Macy Karlin, so., L, Maranatha; Kyndal Moore, jr., MH, Ellinwood; Kalyn Sampson, jr., S/OH, Sedgwick; Tate Sher, sr., OH, Maranatha; Ava Smith, jr., OH, Valley Heights; Mia Vermetten, jr., OH, Valley Heights; Regan Widener, jr., RS, Ellinwood; Kenna Woods, jr., OH, Inman.
CLASS 1A DIVISION I
Oen Deters, sr., L, Centralia; Arika Feldman, jr., MH/OPP/S, Little River; Hayden Kramer, so., OH, Centralia; Avery Jensen, jr., OH, St. Francis; Mia Meyer, jr., MB, St. John; Havana Olander, jr., OH/MH, Little River; Saelyn Raleigh, jr., OH/MH, Little River; Harlee Randall, sr., MH, Flinthills; Allie Reed, sr., OH, South Gray; Lillian Steinbrock, sr., OH, Clifton-Clyde; Adelynne Strecker, jr., L, Little River; Sevy Wurtz, jr., OH/S, Clifton-Clyde.
CLASS 1A DIVISION II
Gretchen Bott, so., S, Linn; Drew Bruna, so., MH, Hanover; Autumn Coleman, jr., OH, Argonia; Lindsay Coleman, fr., OH, Argonia; Siara Crouch, sr., OH, Lebo; Saige Hadley, sr., OH, Lebo; Katie Holle, jr., S, Hanover; Abi Jones, sr., S, Lebo; Anna Jueneman, sr., OH, Hanover; Ally Scheele, jr., L, Hanover; Jill Schmeeckle, jr., S, Ingalls; Olivia Stein, jr., OH, Ingalls.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural soccer coach Brian Hensyel knows that his Junior Blues face a tough road to the Class 6A state championship, with the other three schools in the semifinals a combined 51-3-3.
Washburn Rural soccer celebrates after Monday's 4-2 win over Liberal in the Class 6A state quarterfinals. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But with Rural in the midst of a strong late-season run, including a 15-2 scoring advantage over its three playoff wins, Hensyel is confident that the Junior Blues have the firepower to get the job done.
Washburn Rural, now 14-2-3 on the season, earned a fifth straight trip to the 6A Final Four with Monday's 4-2 quarterfinal win over Liberal and will now face 17-1-1 Shawnee Mission East in a 6 p.m. semifinal Wednesday at the Shawnee Mission Soccer Complex.
Washburn Rural will be facing a Shawnee Mission East team that advanced to the state semifinals with a 3-0 quarterfinal win over Mill Valley. Dodge City (19-0-0) will host Shawnee Mission West (15-2-2) in the other semifinal. Dodge City beat Wichita East 5-1 while SM West topped Blue Valley West 3-2 on penalty kicks (4-3).
"Shawnee Mission East has had an awesome season and the other teams that are left, we've seen on and off the last couple of years and we've played pretty much everybody,'' Hensyel said. "On a given night we've got the players to go toe to toe with anybody.
"We can create offensive chances and we've got great goalkeeping and defending. We gave up a couple (Monday), but we've been pretty solid across the board in that area. It's soccer, you never know what's going to happen, but we can be right there with anybody.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Conner Bush
CONNER BUSH, Rossville
A 5-foot-11, 176-pound junior running back, Bush scored three touchdowns Friday night as Rossville advanced to the second round of the Class 1A football playoffs with a 47-13 win over Wabaunsee. Bush scored TDs on runs of 51, 9 and 25 yards as the Bulldawgs improved to 6-3 on the 2024 season while posting their sixth straight victory.
Rylee Ismert
RYLEE ISMERT, Washburn Rural
Ismert, a senior cross country standout, earned her second straight Class 6A state medal in Saturday's state meet at Rim Rock Farm, posting a career-best third-place individual finish in a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 41.30 seconds as the Junior Blues tied Olathe West for the team championship, with the Owls winning their fifth straight state title on a tiebreaker. Ismert won Centennial League and regional titles this fall.
Adrian Lehman
ADRIAN LEHMAN, Topeka West
The Topeka West senior cross country standout posted a Shawnee County-best boys finish of seventh place in Saturday's Class 5A state meet at Rim Rock Farm. Lehman, a two-time state qualifier in his only two seasons of high school cross country, clocked a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 49.59 seconds after qualifying for the state meet as an individual.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Playing on its home field, Washburn Rural's boys soccer team wanted to establish itself early in Monday's Class 6A state quarterfinal against Liberal.
Junior Dylan Willingham made that happen just 5 minutes, 21 seconds into the match, giving the Junior Blues a lead that that they would not relinquish on the way to a 4-2 win over the Redskins that propelled Washburn Rural into Wednesday's state semifinals.
Washburn Rural celebrates Monday's 4-2 Class 6A quarterfinal soccer win over Liberal. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural juniors Draden Chooncharoen (23) and Dylan Willingham (19) celebrate Willingham's second goal in Monday's 4-2 Class 6A quarterfinal win over Liberal. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural, whch will be making its fifth straight Final Four appearance, will face Shawnee Mission East (17-1-1) in a 6 p.m. semifinal contest at the Shawnee Mission Soccer Complex.
Willingham put the ball into the net after an outstanding individual effort to give Rural an early boost as the Junior Blues improved to 14-2-3 on the season.
"The play was put it in the back of the net, honestly,'' Willingham said. "The ball just popped up and it was just going to be a shot and it went in luckily. I tried to rip it and it went in, thankfully.''
Junor Drew Moore gave Rural a 2-0 halftime advantage with 20:21 left in the half and Willingham struck again at the 14:48 mark of the second half to put the Junior Blues in front, 3-0.
"I'm always taught to run through the ball, so I did, and luckily I caught them off guard and had a free ticket to the goal and that was sweet,'' Willingham said. "We just want to win and move on, we want to be in the top four.
"We're at state and that's what we always want to do.''
Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said that getting off to a quick start Monday was a big advantage.
"We knew (Liberal) was going to be a tough opponent and they had some talented offensive players,'' Hensyel said. "So to get off to a good start again -- and that's kind of been the theme of the playoffs so far -- when you take control of the game it kind of settles everybody down and then the second goal did the same thing.
"I just thought throughout the night we created chances. Some are going to go in, some didn't. We had two or three others really close so I'm just proud of the whole performance.''
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
The KSHSAA state Class 6A, 5A, 3A cross country meets were contested at Rim Rock Farm on Saturday on a cloudy and wet day. Hayden and Rossville competed in the 4A and 2A state meets at Wamego Country Club.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller finished second in Saturday's Class 5A state cross country meet in Rim Rock Farm. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Class 5A Girls
Last season, Seaman junior Ryin Miller finished third place behind the Salina Central duo of Katelyn Rupe and Kaylie Shultz. This year, the same three competed for the state title and Miller was able to improve on her finish from last season, but came in second to three-time champion, Rupe. Rupe finished first in a five-kilometer time of 17 minutes, 09.77 seconds, followed by Miller in 17:26.36 and Shultz in 18:13.67.
Along with Miller, Seaman had two other state medalists in the 5A race, with senior Stella Applehanz finishing her final race in 17th place with a time of 19:40.39. Sophomore Brynn Spencer finished right behind Appelhanz in eighteenth place with a time of 19:40.68. The Vikings finished sixth as a team.
Final Team Standings:St. James Academy 77, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 93, Blue Valley Southwest 97, Wichita Bishop Carroll 112, St. Thomas Aquinas 117, Seaman 147.
Seaman:Ryin Miller (17:26.36, 2nd); Stella Applehanz (19:40.39, 17th); Brynn Spencer (19:40.68, 18th); Kinley Robinson (21:20.54, 58th); Avery Villines (22:23.06, 82nd); Hannah Wempe (22:35.89, 85th); Emma Gonzalez (25:16.09, 93rd).
Class 5A Boys
The Seaman boys were the lone local team to qualify for the 5A state meet, but two other local schools qualified individuals for the race. Topeka West had two runners -- seniors Adrian Lehman and Mark Wilkie - while Shawnee Heights had senior Evan Carter.
Two local runners finished as medalists as West’s Lehman finished in seventh place with a time of 15:49.59 and Seaman junior Brody Anderson finished in ninth place with a time of 15:56.52.
Final Team Standings: Spring Hill 35, Blue Valley Southwest 40, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 74, Wichita Bishop Carroll 133, St. James Academy 163, Seaman 223 (8th place).
Seaman:Brody Anderson (15:56.52, 9th); Corbin Murrow (17:29.22, 56th); Conner Bloom (17:33.57, 62nd); Alex Newell (17:55.57, 71st); Drake Spurlock (18:16, 81st); Caleb King (18:44.79, 90th); and Maddox Moore (19:15.15, 95th).
Shawnee Heights:Evan Carter (16:52.97, 31st).
Topeka West :Adrian Lehman (15:49.59, 7th); Mark Wilkie (17:32.28, 60th).
Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert finished third in Class 6A Saturday as the Junior Blues tied for the team title and finished second on a tiebreaker. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink posted a top-five Class 6A cross country finish for the second straight season Saturday at Rim Rock Farm. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Class 6A Girls
In the closest possible finish in a cross country race, the Olathe West Owls and the Washburn Rural Junior Blues tied with 80 points, but Olathe West won their fifth straight state championship based on the finish of each team’s sixth runner.
The Junior Blues were led by senior medalists Rylee Ismert, who finished third in a time of 18:41.30, and senior Payton Fink, who finished fifth in a time of 18:48.82, while junior Emily Graf finished in 14th with a time of 19:26.24.
Final Team Standings:Olathe West 80, Washburn Rural 80,SM East 84, Mill Valley 112, Olathe North 129.
Washburn Rural:Rylee Ismert (18:41.30, 3rd); Peyton Fink (18:48.82, 5th); Emily Graf (19:26.24, 14th); Brooklyn Nolte (20:10.83, 31st); Kenzie Maddox (20:57.15, 51st); Kate Muir (22:51.61, 91st); Reese Beardslee (23:37.64, 97th).
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural sophomore soccer standout Brodye Kocher-Munoz and Hayden freshman volleyball standout Hailey Schmidtlein have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2024-2025 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Kocher-Munoz and Schmidtlein over the past week:
Washburn Rural sophomore Brodye Kocher-Munoz (8) is the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency male Rising Star of the Week after helping the Junior Blues reach the Class 6A state soccer quarterfinals. [File photo/TSN]
BRODYE KOCHER-MUNOZ, Washburn Rural
A sophomore forward for the Washburn Rural soccer team, Kocher-Munoz contributed a pair of assists Thursday night as the Junior Blues advanced to the Class 6A state quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Free State in a regional final at McElroy Field.
Kocher-Munoz was also credited with a pair of assists in Monday's 8-0 Washburn Rural regional win over Maize.
Hayden freshman volleyball player Hailey Schmidtlein has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency female Rising Star of the Week after helping the Wildcats qualify for the Class 4A state tournament for the first time in five years. [File photo/TSN]
HAILEY SCHMIDTLEIN, Hayden
A freshman rightside hitter/middle blocker, Schmidtlein had a big day at the net last Saturday as Hayden won a Class 4A sub-state championship at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Schmidtlein helped Hayden defeat Baldwin, 25-19, 25-13, in the sub-state semifinals and earn the Wildcats' first state berth in five seasons with a 25-16, 25-14 win over Paola in the championship match. Hayden improved to 29-10 with the sub-state title.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ryin Miller's biggest and toughest cross country meet of the season is on tap Saturday at Rim Rock Farm, but the undefeated Seaman junior star just wants to run her best and will accept the outcome.
Seaman junior cross country star Ryin Miller remained undefeated in last Saturday's Class 5A regional and will take aim on her first state cross country title Saturday at Rim Rock Farm. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Miller finished third in last year's state meet and the two runners who beat her in 2023, Salina Central senior two-time state champ Katelyn Rupe and sophomore Kaylie Shultz are both in the field for Saturday's 10 a.m. 5A race.
Miller, a two-time state champ in track, beat both Central standouts earlier this fall on the same course in the Rim Rock Classic.
"Honestly, I'm just going to go out there with full confidence in myself,'' Miller said about state. "I'm just going to run the best race that I have on that day and if (a title) happens, amazing. Obviously that's what everybody wants to happen for themselves, but if it doesn't happen I'm still going to be incredibly proud of my season regardless.''
Miller said she enjoys the challenge of racing against Rupe and Shultz.
"It's great racing against them,'' Miller said. "They're obviously great competition. It's fun running against them, it's fun to finally kind of have somebody there with you. Always fun, but always hard, too, so it really could be anybody's race. It's just whoever has the best race on the day.''
Seaman qualified its entire team for state with a second-place regional finish behind defending 5A team champ St. James Academy, with Viking sophomore Brynn Spencer and senior Stella Appelhanz finishing eighth and ninth while sophomore Kinley Robinson placed 16th and freshman Avery Villines was 22nd (21:16.6) to round out Seaman's top five.
Seaman's boys also turned in a solid regional performance, earning a state team berth with a third-place team finish and will compete in Saturday's 11:30 a.m. state race.
Seaman junior Brody Anderson finished second in Saturday's Class 5A regional cross county meet as the Vikings qualified as a team with a third-place finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Brody Anderson led the Vikings with a runnerup individual finish while Seaman also got an 18th-place showing from senior Alex Newell, a 20th-place finish from sophomore Conner Bloom, a 23rd from senior Corbin Murrow and a 25th-place finish from junior Drake Spurlock.
Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman qualified for the Class 5A state cross country meet with a third-place finish in Saturday's 5A regional at Kanza Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West qualified seniors Adrian Lehman and Mark Wilkie for state as individuals, with Lehman finishing third while Wilkie placed 12th.
The 5A girls race is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start Saturday while the boys race is set for 11:45 a.m.
CLASS 6A
Senior Rylee Ismert followed up her Centennial League individual cross country title with a Class 6A regional win last week while leading Washburn Rural to the team championship in the Junior Blues' tuneup for Saturday's state meet at Rim Rock Farm.
Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert enters Saturday's Class 6A state meet on a two-race win streak with Centennial League and regional titles . [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ismert took individual honors in last Saturday's 6A regional, one of four Junior Blues in the top eight spots as Rural took the team title by a 45-55 margin over Lawrence Free State.
Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink, the Class 6A runnerup in the 2023 state meet, finished third in Saturday's Class 6A regional, helping the Junior Blues win the team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural senior Payton Fink finished third in the regional meet while junior Emily Graf was fifth, senior Brooklyn Nolte eighth and junior Kenzie Maddox 29th to round out the Junior Blues' top five.
Rural's girls have now swept city, league and regional team titles and are on the short list of state title contenders Saturday.
"That's where we want to be, that's the plan,'' Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund said at regionals. "We have a few things to figure out. We'll work on tweaking some stuff this week and want to be competing for that title (on) Saturday.''
The Junior Blue boys tied Manhattan for second place with 86 points and finished third on a tiebreaker to garner the final team berth for state.
Washburn Rural freshman Henry Laubach (1935) posted a third-place individual finish in last Saturday's Class 6A regional cross country meet, helping the Junior Blues earn a Class 6A state berth. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Henry Laubach finished third to pace Washburn Rural at regionals while junior Brooks Kehoe finished eighth, senior Bodie King 15th, freshman Clayton Fink 28th and senior Chris Quarles 32nd.
The 6A girls race is scheduled for an 11 a.m. Saturday while the boys race is the final race of the day at 12:30 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Hayden's boys earned a team berth for Saturday's Class 4A state meet at Wamego Country Club with a third-place regional finish, one point behind second-place Baldwin.
Junior Connor Baldwin led the Wildcats with a fifth-place regional finish, while freshman Nick Newkirk finished seventh, senior Jonah Stewart 13th, junior Luke Franklin 22nd and senior Derek Ahlstedt 31st to complete Hayden's scoring runners.
Hayden senior girls standout Elliot Wrench qualified for state as an individual, posting a fourth-place regional finish.
The 4A girls race is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday while the boys race is set for a 12:30 p.m. start.
CLASS 3A
Silver Lake will have a pair of runners in both the boys and girls Class 3A state events Saturday at Rim Rock Farm.
The Eagle boys will be represented by senior Aemon Coffman and sophomore Hunter Rooks in the 10:30 a.m. boys race, with Coffman finishing sixth at regionals while Rooks qualified 15th.
Silver Lake sophomore Alessandra Gerber and senior Tessa Gerber will compete in the 3A girls race at 12 p.m.
Alessandra Gerber posted a sixth-place individual finish at regionals while Tessa Gerber placed 13th to earn a state berth.
CLASS 2A
Rossville's boys posted a second-place regional team finish to punch its ticket for Saturday's Class 2A state meet at Wamego Country Club while Bulldawg sophomore Madelyn Wonnell qualified for the girls state meet as an individual.
Rossville's boys posted a regional team score of 70 points to finish nine points behind Solomon.
Junior Dalton Verschelden led the Bulldawgs with a 16th-place regional showing, while junior Torin Culbertson was 22nd and senior Logan Kufahl 27th to lead Rossville.
Wonnell qualified for state with a 14th-place regional finish.
The 2A girls race is set to start at 10 a.m., with the boys race scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
SHAWNEE COUNTY STATE QUALIFIERS
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After placing fourth in Class 5A in both 2021 and 2022, Seaman's volleyball team broke through last fall to claim the school's first state title.
Now the Vikings' focus is on winning a second straight crown Friday and Saturday at the Tony's Pizza Events in Saturday, earning the top 5A seed with a glossy 37-2 record.
Seaman volleyball celebrates its Class 5A sub-state championship last Saturday at Seaman. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
After rolling through last Saturday's home sub-state with straight-set wins over Topeka West (25-10, 25-11) and Maize South (25-15, 25-20), the Vikings will open this year's state title bid with Friday pool play.
Seaman will open its day with a 4:30 p.m. Pool I match against United Kansas Conference foe De Soto, the No. 8 seed at 17-19, followed by a 6:30 match against No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas (30-5) and an 8:30 match against No. 4 seed Blue Valley Southwest (32-5).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to Saturday's 1 p.m. semifinals, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
Maggie Moulden, one of six seniors on the Seaman roster, said she feels like the Vikings are up to the challenge of repeating.
“(We're) definitely wanting to go back and win state again,'' Moulden said. "We know we’re going to see very good competition, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Senior Kinley Wilhelm agreed.
“We just have a connection like no other and this is our fourth straight trip as seniors and I think it is a great opportunity to have one last ride together,'' she said. "I’m super-excited with how we played (in sub-state) and hoping we can transfer that to the tournament (this weekend).”
On the other side of the 5A bracket are No. 2 seed Great Bend (35-2), No. 3 Andover (31-4), No. 6 St. James Academy (28-6) and No. 7 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (30-7).
CLASS 5A VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
3:30 p.m. -- Blue Valley Southwest (4: 32-5) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (5: 30-5).
4:30 -- Seaman (1: 37-2) vs. De Soto (8: 17-19).
5:30 -- Blue Valley Southwest vs. De Soto.
6:30 -- Seaman vs. St. Thomas Aquinas.
7:30 -- St. Thomas Aquinas vs. De Soto.
8:30 -- Seaman vs. Blue Valley Southwest.
Pool II
3:30 p.m. -- Andover (3: 31-4) vs. St. James Academy (6: 28-6).
4:30 -- Great Bend (2: 35-2) vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (7: 30-7).
5:30 -- Andover vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
6:30 -- Great Bend vs. St. James Academy.
7:30 -- St. James Academy vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
8:30 -- Great Bend vs. Blue Valley Southwest.
SATURDAY
1 p.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
Eight-time champ Rural No. 4 seed in Class 6A
Washburn Rural has flown under the radar a little bit this fall, earning the No. 5 ranking in Class 6A through the regular season, but Kevin Bordewick's Junior Blues are back in their familiar spot as a state contender, earning the No. 4 state seed with a 30-6 record entering Friday and Saturdays state tournament at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.
Washburn Rural celebrates a kill from senior Layla Collins (3) in Saturday's Class 6A sub-state volleyball tournament at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Junior Blues dominated last Saturday's sub-state at Rural, taking a 25-11, 25-8 semifinal win over Liberal before earning its state berth with a 25-14, 25-19 win over Lawrence Free State in the championship match.
Rural, which has won eight state titles under Bordewick, most recently in 2022, will open this season's state bid with three Friday pool matches, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The Junior Blues will open the state tourney with an 8:30 match against No. 5 seed Wichita North (30-8), followed by a 10:30 match against No. 8 Manhattan (20-15) and closing out pool play against top seed Blue Valley West (33-4) at 1:30 p.m.
Bordewick, No. 2 on the all-time Kansas wins list, said seeds don't matter a lot at state and that his team will approach things the way it always has.
"We've been the low seed, we've been middle, we've been the top seed and everybody's got an even record,'' Bordewick said. "We're just going to play as hard as we possibly can.
"The pressure's what you make of it and we're just going to go in and just see what we can do.''
