Washburn University Ichabods
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A stellar pitching performance from senior Jaycee Ginter and a one-out walk-off single from junior Alexis Tanguma moved Washburn University softball into the MIAA Tournament semifinals with a 1-0, eight-inning win over Northwest Missouri at Pinkston Stadium in Edmond, Okla. on Thursday.
The Ichabods will face the top-seeded Rogers State Hillcats at 12 p.m. on Friday in the single elimination format.
Washburn senior star Jaycee Ginter recorded an eight-inning shutout in Thursday's 1-0 win over Northwest Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Alexis Tanguma delivered a walk-off single to give Washburn a 1-0 MIAA Tournament win over Northwest Missouri on Thursday in Edmond, Okla. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
In the bottom of the eighth, WU senior Marrit Mead reached on a single on a hot shot down the third-base line and then moved to third after Ginter's sac bunt was mishandled by the first baseman sending Mead to third with one out.
Tanguma then took a full-count pitch to left field for the game-winning run.
In the circle, Ginter improved to 17-7, striking out six with no walks while scattering five hits in the win. She threw 121 pitching in the game, outdueling the Bearcats' Jadyn Streigle who took the loss.
Tanguma finished with two hits in the game with Mead, Jaden LaBarge and Hailey Neira collecting the Ichabods' other hits.
Washburn improves to 37-14 on the season while the Bearcats end the year at 28-25.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
College track and field is hard enough for an incoming freshman, and embarking on her Washburn University career while nursing a lingering injury made things extra challenging for former Shawnee Heights star sprinter Ta'Mijha Nichols.
Former Shawnee Heights sprint star Ta'Mijha Nichols is scheduled to compete in her first MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Maryville, Mo. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But after a somewhat slow start, Nichols has made big strides entering her first MIAA Outdoor Championships this weekend in Maryville, Mo.
"I did come out of high school with a hamstring injury and coming into college with an injury definitely made me a little injury prone, so I had some setbacks and I had to find some ways to become confident,'' Nichols said.
"But I think my sprint coach (Marshall O’Brien) helped build that confidence, and as I keep going and am gradually getting better, I think he sees me getting more confident every day and that's what's helping me push a bit more in college.''
NIchols took a big step in the recent Kansas Relays, posting a second-place finish in the women's 100-meter dash with a personal-best and an NCAA provisional mark of 11.78 seconds.
"As a freshman coming out and the first meet not doing so well and then seeing what I did at KU, it's exciting,'' Nichols said. "And I have my teammates backing me up and they're getting excited for me and that brings in great energy.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's baseball team had nine players earn All-MIAA recognition by the conference on Thursday afternoon, led by first-team picks Payton McHarg and Cash Jay.
Payton McHarg, Washburn University
Cash Jay, Washburn University
McHarg, a junior, is a first-team selection as an outfielder in his first season with the Ichabods. With 20 home runs on the year McHarg is tied for the most in the nation while also batting a team-high .373 with 69 hits and 63 runs batted in.
McHarg is coming off a week which saw him earn MIAA Hitter of the Week honors after hitting .579 with a .704 on-base percentage and 12 runs scored. McHarg played and started in all 48 regular-season games, one of just two Ichabods to do so.
Jay joins McHarg on the first team after his first season at Washburn. He gets the nod as a utility player after hitting .365 on the year. He slugged 13 home runs and a team-high 21 doubles with 56 RBI.
Jay has started 45 of the 48 games he has appeared in, picking up hits in all but seven of them to tie for the team lead with 69. He also made 85 assists on the year in the field.
Cale Savage earns All-MIAA honors for the first time in his career as a member of the second team at first base. Along with McHarg, Savage also played and started in all 48 games this season, hitting .321 and leading the team with 41 walks for a .443 OB%. He hit 12 home runs and drove in 45 total runs while holding a .992 fielding percentage for the year.
Jett Buck joins the second team at shortstop after his junior campaign and first at Washburn. Buck hit .324 on the season and was second on the team with 14 homers for 52 RBI. He played in 45 games, making 44 starts, and was second on the team, stealing eight bases on 12 attempts.
Hayden Priest is a third-team selection in his first season as the Ichabod catcher after transferring for his junior year. Priest was third on the team with a .360 batting average on the season with 62 hits and 55 RBI along with eight home runs. He was successful on the bases, stealing six of seven bases while throwing out nine would be base-stealers from behind the plate.
Washburn had four players earn honorable mention honors with Cooper Carlgren representing the starting pitching staff in his first season with the Ichabods. The Topeka native made 13 appearances, all starts, and threw a team-high 62.1 innings along with 59 strikeouts. He went 4-3 on the year with a 6.64 earned run average.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Christian Ulsaker is well-versed on Topeka area high school basketball, beginning his coaching career with stints at Washburn Rural, Hayden and Shawnee Heights before landing his first head coaching opportunity at Wabaunsee.
Christian Ulsaker
As a result, the former Washburn University player knew from that first-hand knowledge that if and when the Topeka West boys basketball job opened up, he would be interested.
When veteran coach Rick Bloomquist announced in March that he was ending his successful 12-year stint with the Chargers to follow his sons' high school careers, Ulsaker knew it was time to take a run at the West vacancy.
And on Thursday night the former McPherson All-Stater was approved by the USD 501 School Board as Topeka West's new head coach after a five-year tenure at Wabaunsee.
"I know the heritage at Topeka West,'' Ulsaker told TopSports.news Thursday night. "I was fortunate to play them at state when I was in high school when Alex North and Tyrell Brown were on that team and it was a heck of a team, so they've always intrigued me as a (USD) 501 program and I had always told my friends, 'If there's a 501 program I'd want to coach at, I think it would be Topeka West.'
"I truly enjoy the administration there and I haven't heard anything but good things said about Topeka West from people that have either worked there or been a part of the program.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Jaycee Ginter has earned first-team honors for the fourth straight year, leading five members of the the Washburn Ichabod softball team to receive All-MIAA recognition.
Washburn senior Jaycee Ginter has received first-team All-MIAA honors for the fourth straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Ginter earned first-team All-MIAA honors as a pitcher/utility player after leading the Ichabods with a .401 regular-season batting average while collecting a team-high 55 hits, five home runs, 26 walks and 38 runs batted in.
Ginter, a former three-time Class 5A state champion at Shawnee Heights is fifth in the MIAA in batting average, second in on-base percentage, 10th in RBI and eighth in walks.
As a pitcher this season, she enters the MIAA Tournament with a 16-7 overall record with a 2.22 earned run average in 20 starts, striking out 152 batters and holding opponents to a .221 batting average. She is 10th in the MIAA in earned run average, ninth in opposing batting average, second in strikeouts and sixth in wins.
Ginter was also a first-team All-MIAA choice at pitcher/utility as a junior, sophomore and freshman, becoming the first Ichabod in program history to earn first-team All-MIAA honors all four years.
Senior Marrit Mead was a second-team All-MIAA selection at third base and was a Gold Glove Award winner. Sadie Walker was a second-team selection at pitcher while Alexis Tanguma received honorable mention at second base and Madi Moore was the recipient of the Gold Glove Award at catcher.
The Ichabods will be in action on Thursday at the MIAA Tournament, facing Northwest Missouri at 1:30 p.m. in Edmond, Okla.
Mead enters the MIAA Tournament with a .301 batting average, stealing a team-high 24 bases. Mead is second on the team with 46 hits and leads the team with 41 runs scored and tied for the lead with 11 doubles.
Mead has been a four-time All-MIAA selection, earning second-team honors as a junior and first-team All-MIAA honors as a sophomore and freshman. Mead has been the MIAA's Gold Glove selection at third base the last three seasons.
Walker was a second-team All-MIAA pick in the circle, leading the Ichabods with a 1.45 earned run average while going 20-7 in the circle with 16 complete games and six shutouts. Walker added three saves and struck out 148 batters.
Walker's 20 wins leads the MIAA as does her 159 innings pitched. She is also ranked third in strikeouts and fifth in saves.
Tanguma has hit .376 with 41 hits, seven doubles and 21 RBI. During MIAA play she batted .400 with 32 hits driving in 16 in 25 games. Her five sac flies is tied for second in the MIAA.
Moore was one of two freshmen named to the MIAA's Gold Glove team. In 218 chances, Moore had no errors and threw out seven of 17 would-be base stealers.
Emporia State senior Alexis Dial has earned first-team All-MIAA softball honors as an outfielder. [Photo courtesy of Emporia State Athletics]
Emporia State senior Alexis Dial, a former Shawnee Heights standout, earned a berth on the All-MIAA first team as an outfielder.
Dial is batting .432 on the season with a .781 slugging percentage, 20 doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 38 runs and 60 RBI with 15 stolen bases.
She leads the MIAA and ranks ninth nationally in doubles while ranking third in the MIAA and 21st in the nation in RBI.
She is second in the conference in slugging percentage, and total bases, third in batting average, fourth in hits and triples, fifth in on- base percentage and eighth in home runs.
2024 MIAA Softball Postseason Awards
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Myles Alonzo
MYLES ALONZO, Topeka West
A senior, Alonzo captured his first city boys golf individual championship last Monday at Topeka Country Club, winning by four strokes with a 27-hole total of 117. After finishing second in a playoff in the 2023 city tournament, Alonzo's city title was his second straight individual win after shooting a 71 to win the Salina South Invitational.
Audrey Appuhn
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
Appuhn, a sophomore, had a part in four wins (two individual, two relays) to lead Washburn Rural's girls swimming to the team championship in last Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium by more than 200 points. Appuhn won the 200-yard individual medley in 2 minutes, 12.29 seconds and the 500 freestyle in 5:18.81 and swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley relay (2:04.40) and the 400 free relay (4:08.67).
Bryce Badsky
BRYCE BADSKY, Silver Lake
A senior, Badsky carded a 73 in last Monday's Silver Lake Invitational at Lake Shawnee to capture the individual championship by a 10-stroke margin. Badsky, a three-time state medalist, led the host Eagles to the team title by a seven-stroke margin over a split squad from Santa Fe Trail. Badsky is a three-time All-Shawnee County first-team pick.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's baseball team scored six runs in the fourth inning to complete the regular season with a 18-1 series-sweeping road win over Northeastern State on Sunday afternoon.
Washburn pitcher Chase Torkelson limited Northeastern State to one run in six innings of work on Sunday, improving to 5-0 on the season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods improved to a season-high 10 games over .500 at 29-19 overall (21-12 MIAA) and will enter the MIAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Ichabods will face No. 4 Central Oklahoma on the road beginning Friday.
The scoring in the game started in the second inning after Washburn loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an error.
Payton McHarg was able to work a walk, bringing in the first run of the game.
Chase Torkelson got the start for WU and held the RiverHawks scoreless for the first three innings of the game while allowing just one hit and one walk.
In the third a pair of one-out singles from Hayden Priest and Connor Scott put two on base. Blake Scott reached on a throwing error, which also allowed Priest to score. Jett Buck shot a single into left field to add another run and Buck and Blake Scott executed a double steal bringing Scott safely home to make it 4-0 after two and a half innings.
The next time at bat Cal Watkins led off with a walk and McHarg was hit by a pitch and Cale Savage sat down a sac bunt to move both runners over.
Cash Jay and Priest followed with back-to-back singles, each scoring a run. Connor Scott made it three hits in a row, smacking a single to left, scoring Jay.
Blake Scott worked a walk to load the bases and Buck made use of that, scoring Priest with an RBI groundout.
Grant Jones took care of the other two left on base with a two-run single to left, capping off the six-run fourth inning.
Torkelson continued to keep the RiverHawks offense down, throwing a scoreless fourth inning while allowing just one walk.
McHarg led off the fifth with a single, moved to second on a walk from Jay and to third on a passed ball before scoring on a balk.
Priest singled to score Jay, and after Connor Scott was hit by a pitch, Teagan Tamiya delivered a two-out pinch-hit single to right field scoring two, making it 14-0 in the fifth.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 13-ranked Washburn University women's tennis team wrapped up its regular season with a 7-0 sweep over Fort Hays State on Saturday.
Washburn women's tennis honored Lara Schmid, Maja Jung and Cadence Lynn during Senior Day activities on Saturday during the Ichabods' 7-0 sweep over Fort Hays State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will play in the first round of the MIAA Tournament next Friday, May 3, in Edmond, Okla.
Doubles play for Washburn (18-4 overall, 6-2 MIAA) started with a sweep from Isabella Martenson and Issabella Pensavalle to gain the advantage.
No. 4 Maja Jung and Lara Schmid took the first point of the match over the Tigers (6-15, 0-8) with a 6-1 victory at No. 1.
Renske Ubachs and Maddie Shelley completed the sweep of doubles, winning 6-1 at No. 2.
No. 5 Jung won her opening set from No. 1 6-1 to kick off singles play and cruised to a 6-0 second-set victory.
Ubachs won a pair of 6-1 sets from No. 2 to set up match point.
Martensson worked a 6-2 first-set win and followed with a 6-1 win in the second to clinch the match.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Payton McHarg went 4 for 4 with three runs batted in as Washburn University baseball scored double-digit runs for a third straight game on Saturday afternoon at Broken Arrow, Okla., winning 14-6 over Northeastern State to clinch the series.
Junior Payton McHarg went 4 for 4 with three RBI in Washburn's 14-6 Saturday win over Northeastern State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
On Friday McHarg hit a pair of homers and had six RBI.
The Ichabods will go for a sweep on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The WU offense got going right from the jump with three hits from the first four batters Washburn (28-19 overall, 20-12 MIAA) sent to the plate.
Hayden Priest singled to score Cale Savage and Washburn Rural product Cooper Carlgren delivered a scoreless bottom of the first on the bump for the Ichabods.
In the second Washburn loaded the bases with one out after a walk and a pair of hit batters.
Savage singled to bring two around to score and Cash Jay followed with a run-scoring fielders choice to make the score 4-0.
The RiverHawks (20-29, 11-21) got on the board in the bottom of the inning with a walk and a one-out home run. A hit batter, walk and single scored another run.
Washburn loaded the bases on a single, walk and hit batter and scored two runs in the third on another hit batter and walk.
Neither side scored for the next two and a half innings until Northeastern State led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run, cutting the deficit to two.
After Trevor McCollum was able to reach on an error in the fifth he was moved around and the Ichabods got the run back with a sacrifice fly from Savage.
Carlgren finished his outing with a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth to hold the lead.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball heads to Tahlequah, Okla. for its final regular-season series of the year against Northeastern State, beginning on Friday at 2 p.m.
Washburn junior Payton McHarg is hitting .351 and leads the Ichabods in home runs and runs batted in. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Last time out the Ichabods won 14-3 over Southern Nazarene on the road Wednesday afternoon and are currently 26-19 overall and 18-12 in the MIAA.
The RiverHawks enter the series with a 20-27 record and an 11-19 record in the MIAA after falling 17-5 to Oklahoma Baptist on Tuesday.
Washburn enters the MIAA Tournament next weekend which is played on the campus sites of the top four seeds. Washburn currently sits in fifth place in the MIAA standings. The Ichabods can go no lower than the fifth seed and could climb as high as third.
To finish in third the Ichabods would need to sweep the RiverHawks, with Central Oklahoma losing all three games in its weekend series and Pittsburg State winning no more than one. If Washburn is tied with the Gorillas the Ichabods would have the tiebreaker to move up to fourth or fifth in the standings. The Bronchos have the tiebreaker over the Ichabods.
Through 45 games Washburn is scoring 9.13 runs per game while allowing 7.49.
At the plate the Ichabods are hitting .324 with a .418 on-base percentage and are slugging .573 as a team. They have 85 home runs and have drawn 224 walks.
Washburn's pitching staff has an earned run average of 7.26 this season in 385.2 inning pitched. The Ichabods have struck out 337 batters while allowing 427 hits and issuing 246 walks.
The Ichabods are second in the nation in home runs with an average of 1.89 per game and 85 total blasts.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Jaycee Ginter will go down in history as one of the best players in Washburn University softball history.
Senior Jaycee Ginter has put together a record-setting career for Washburn University's softball team, currently No. 24-ranked in the nation. [File photo/TSN]
Entering the final stretch of her outstanding four-year Ichabod career, Ginter already holds WU career pitching records for wins (84), strikeouts (779) and appearances (142) and is the program leader for single-season wins (30), strikeouts (290) and appearances (45).
Ginter, who helped lead Shawnee Heights to three straight Class 5A state titles, also ranks among the top 15 all-time in numerouss offensive categories, with a career batting average of .337, 28 home runs and 166 runs batted in entering Saturday's MIAA twinbill at Emporia State.
"Jaycee is a unicorn -- one of one,'' Washburn coach Brenda Holaday said. "She is arguably the best to ever play at Washburn given what she has done at the plate and on the mound -- a rare combination of excellence.''
But all those accolades aside, Ginter may never get the credit she truly deserves for being able to overcome the multiple obstacles she's faced along the way.
Ginter, whose senior season at Heights in 2020 was wiped out by COVID-19, battled a forearm issue as a freshman at Washburn and overcame a concussion at the start of her sophomore campaign and her continuing forearm problem to earn first-team All-America recognition with a 30-7 pitching record (1.76 earned run average, 290 strikeouts) and a .385 batting average (10 homers, 57 RBI).
Ginter faced her biggest injury challenge, a torn labrum in her shoulder, midway through the 2023 season, but still posted a 24-10 record (1.72 ERA, 243 strikeouts) and hit .303 (7 homers, 41 RBI).
"She is a warrior and never even thinks about not playing when she is hurt or injured -- doesn't cross her mind,'' Holaday said. "She is the ultimate competitor and performs pretty stress free and without fear. Success and failure does not change her.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 24-ranked Washburn Ichabods softball team wraps up the regular season after two weeks off from game competition as WU travels down the turnpike on Saturday to face Emporia State in an MIAA twinbill (11 a.m. start).
Senior Marrit Mead, a former Santa Fe Trail star, holds multiple Washburn softball career records. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn enters the weekend 36-12 overall and 17-7 in the MIAA after sweeping Missouri Southern and being swept by Pittsburg State the weekend of April 12-13.
The Hornets are 29-19 and 12-12 after defeating Rockhurst in a single game on April 23 in Kansas City.
Washburn has already secured its 19th season with at least 30 wins and its fourth under head coach Brenda Holaday, who won her 600th career game as a head coach earlier this month. Holaday had 351 career high school coaching wins and has 251 wins at Washburn entering the weekend.
Hitting the 30-win mark for the third straight season is the longest streak since the Ichabods won at least 30 games in six straight seasons from 2002-07.
The Ichabods are ranked seventh in the nation with 94 doubles and are also ranked seventh in the nation in doubles per game (1.96), eighth in earned run average (1.63) and third in shutouts (17).
The Ichabods need five more doubles to tie the Washburn single-season record of 99 set in 2022.
Individually, sophomore pitcher Sadie Walker is eighth in the nation in wins (20) and seventh in games started (26) as well as 15th in shutouts and 21st in earned run average at 1.26.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's Payton McHarg slugged a grand slam in the second inning to give the Ichabods a 4-0 lead and WU didn't look back, taking a relocated Game 1 over Northeastern State, 13-7, in Broken Arrow, Okla.
Junior Payton McHarg had two home runs, including a grand slam, with six RBI in Friday's 13-7 Washburn win over Northeastern State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will play Game 2 in the same spot at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
In the top of the first inning Washburn (27-19 overall, 19-12 in the MIAA) threatened, but left two on base.
WU starting pitcher Caden Bressler sat Northeastern State down in order in the bottom of the opening inning and in the second the bases were loaded for the Ichabods after Blake Scott singled, Jett Buck was was hit by a pitch and Grant Jones worked a walk.
That set the stage for McHarg, who broke the game open with his second grand slam of the season.
Washburn got another run across in the top of the third after back-to-back singles from Connor and Blake Scott.
Buck was hit again to load the bases and Jones hit an RBI groundout to make it 5-0.
The RIverHawks got on the board in the third with a single and three straight walks, followed by a hit batter to score two runs. An RBI groundout brought around another run for a three-run inning.
The Ichabods made it three straight innings in the fourth, scoring with Connor Scott picking up an RBI pop out, scoring McHarg, who led off with a walk.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's tennis finished out its regular season with a 7-0 Senior Day sweep over Nebraska-Kearney on Friday morning at Genesis Tennis Center, with the Ichabods capturing the MIAA/GAC North Division regular-season title.
Washburn will be the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament next week.
Washburn's men's tennis team wrapped up a regular-season conference title with Friday's 7-0 sweep over Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The North Division championship is the first in the regular season for the Ichabods since the 2020-21 season, the first full season since the league split into divisions.
Doubles play began on the top court with No. 22 Tim Hammes and Matthew Earle securing a 6-4 win over No. 11-ranked Aaron Osmond and Tom van den Dungen to give Washburn (17-4 overal, 5-0 MIAA/GAC) an edge over the Lopers (13-10, 3-2).
Santiago Rendon and Pavlos Parsons followed closely behind with a 6-3 win at No. 3 to take the first point of the match.
No. 39 Sebastian Pjontek and Daniel Bird led 4-2 at No. 2 when the point was decided.
No. 69 Parson began singles play with a two-set win at No. 3 by scores of 6-3 and 6-2. After cruising to a 6-1 first set win on the first court No. 10 Hammes won 6-4 in the second to set up match point.
Tommy Cecchetti clinched the match with a swift 6-2 win in the first set and a 6-4 victory in the second set at No. 5.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TopSports.news will honor All-America track and field thrower Braden Rose and All-America soccer player Khloe Schuckman as Washburn University's outstanding male and female athletes for 2023-2024 at the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on June 26 at Washburn's Memorial Union.
Washburn graduate student Braden Rose is a four-time track and field All-American and holds the school record in the weight throw, discus and hammer throw. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn junior Khloe Schuckman helped lead the Ichabods to a 21-4-1 record and the NCAA Division II soccer national championship game last fall. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Rose, a Hutchinson native (Buhler High School), is already a four-time NCAA Division II All-American in track and field, with his final NCAA meet still to come, and holds the Washburn school record in the indoor weight throw, discus and hammer throw.
Schuckman, a Wichita Bishop Carroll product, has scored 25 goals with nine assists over her first three WU seasons and helped lead the Ichabods to a 21-4-1 record last fall, earning third-team All-America recognition.
TopSports.news will honor outstanding Washburn athletes for the fourth time in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
In 2023 Grant Bruner and Jaycee Ginter were named Washburn outstanding male and female athletes of the year.
Washburn Athlete of the Year capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball took the lead four batters into the game Wednesday afternoon and added to its advantage the rest of the way, knocking off Southern Nazarene at Bethany, Okla.,14-3, in the Ichabods' final non-conference game of the season.
Cash Jay had three hits with a home run in Washburn's 14-3 win at Southern Nazarene on Wednesday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods, 26-19 on the year, return to conference play this weekend for three games at Northeastern State, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Washburn's offense led off with Payton McHarg slashing a single to right before Cale Savage traded places with him on a fielders choice. Savage was moved to second and scored on a single into left field by Hayden Priest to open up the scoring for the Ichabods.
Cal Watkins slashed a one-out single in the second and scored on a double from McHarg to left center. Savage followed with a run-scoring single to the outfield to make it 3-0 Washburn.
Charlie Kiefer got his third start of the season and delivered a pair of scoreless innings to begin the game.
The Storm (12-35) got on the board in the third with a hit batter followed by a home run to right, cutting the lead to one.
Washburn got the runs back the next half inning, scoring four runs that all came with two outs.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Audrey Appuhn
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
Appuhn won the 200-yard individual medley in the Topeka Invitational swimming meet by nearly seven seconds in a time of 2 minutes, 12.54 seconds and won the 500 free by more than 15 seconds in 5:15.37. Appuhn also teamed with Ava Von Lintel, Ella Bombardier and Madeline O'Brien to win the 400 free relay in 4:18.48 and swam on Rural's third-place 200 medley relay (2:04.07) as the Junior Blues finished second as a team, just a point behind Free State.
Aaron Merritt
AARON MERRITT, Seaman
Merritt, a senior track and field standout, captured the individual championship in the boys 100-meter dash in the prestigious Kansas Relays in Lawrence. Merritt won the 100 in the 101st Relays in 10.52 seconds, while Robert Collins of Staley, Mo. finished second in 10.56. Merritt also posted a third-place finish in the 110 high hurdles in 14.35 seconds.
Ryin Miller
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, a sophomore, was a double champion in the 101st Kansas Relays at Rock Chalk Park, winning the girls 3,200 in 10 minutes, 13.97 seconds and taking the 1,600 in 4:53.74. Salina Central's Katelyn Rupe, the Class 5A cross country champion, finished second to Miller in the 3,200 in 10:17.40 while Gwyn Meyers of Bishop Kelley (Tulsa, Okla.) was the runnerup in the 1,600 in 4:56.62.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TopSports.News, in partnership with the University of Kansas Health System St Francis Campus, A-1 Lock and Key, Washburn University, Capital Label, Peggy's Tax and Accounting and the Jamie Hornbaker State Farm Insurance Agency, will host the 19th annual Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards/Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 26, 2024 at Washburn's Memorial Union.
For the fourth straight year TopSports.news will serve as host for the Sports Awards/Hall of Fame banquet, a longstanding tradition for the Topeka and Shawnee County sports community.
The ceremony will highlight Shawnee County high school senior student-athletes’ achievements throughout the 2023-2024 school year along with the induction of the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame class.
Schools have been asked to submit nominees with a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average for both female and male candidates for the fall, winter and spring seasons as well as nominees for most inspirational athlete. Overall outstanding male and female athletes for 2023-2024 will also be named.
Also recognized will be an outstanding female and male athlete from Washburn University.
The four-member 2024 Hall of Fame class and the '24 Washburn University Athletes of the Year will be announced on TopSports.news in the coming days.
The high school nominees for the 10 Shawnee County high schools will be announced in June after the conclusion of the spring sports season.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn put up back-to-back five-runs innings and Seaman product Gavin Wilhelm notched his first career pitching win as the Ichabods took an 11-9 Senior Day decision over No. 21-ranked Central Oklahoma Sunday at Falley Field.
Washburn baseball honored its 12 seniors prior to Sunday's 11-9 MIAA win over No. 21 Central Oklahoma. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Before Sunday's first pitch was thrown, Washburn (24-19 overall, 18-12 MIAA) recognized its 12 seniors -- Teagan Tamiya, Trey Adams, Cal Watkins, Cole Warner, Jake Schroeder, Shane Morrow, Cale Savage, Otto Jones, Seger Holman, Ike Book, Jayden Payne and Charlie Kiefer.
The first two innings of the game were scoreless for both teams before the Bronchos (34-11, 20-10) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a wild pitch.
In the home half of the third Savage led off the inning with a home run to left field to tie the game.
Walks to Payton McHarg and Jett Buck and a single from Hayden Priest loaded the bases before Connor Scott singled in two runs and Grant Jones singled in another run. With two outs Watkins singled to score Scott to complete the five-run inning
One inning later Buck hit a three-run homer and WU scored a run on a bases-loaded walk and Savage plated a run with a sacrifice fly to make it back-to-back five-run innings for Washburn.
The next half inning the Central Oklahoma led off with a hit batter and two walks to load the bases. An RBI grounder scored one run and the next batter walked to re-load the bases. Two straight singles scored three runs to make it a 10-5 game and with two outs the Bronchos hit a three-run homer to right field to pull within two 10-8 with the seven-run fifth.
Gavin Wilhelm
Wilhelm came on to pitch with two outs in the top of the fifth and turned in a sterling relief effort, pitching the final 4.1 innings while allowing just one unearned run and striking out seven.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball scored eight runs in the middle three innings on Tuesday evening and held on late to knock off Emporia State 9-7 in a nonconference game to wrap up the regular-season home slate at Falley Field.
The Ichabods will play their second game in as many days Wednesday, going on the road to take on Southern Nazarene on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Washburn's Jett Buck had two hits and drove in three runs in the Ichabods' 9-7 win over Emporia State on Tuesday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Griffin Hurst threw two hitless innings against the Hornets to begin Tuesday's game, striking out four of the first seven batters he faced.
In the top of the fourth Emporia State (19-28) opened the scoring with a leadoff home run to right field by Kadyn Williams but Washburn's Cash Jay led off the bottom of the inning with a double and the bases were loaded after a walk to Hayden Priest and Connor Scott was hit by a pitch.
Jett Buck punched a double into the right-field corner, scoring two.
Two batters later Blake Scott blasted a double off the wall in right-center to score two more and complete a four-run inning for the Ichabods (25-19).
The Hornets got a leadoff single in the fifth, moving to second on a wild pitch. A single through the right side of the infield scored the run to make it 4-2. Washburn got out of the inning throwing out runners at both second base and home in a double steal attempt.
Jay, Priest and Connor Scott led off the sixth with three straight singles to load the bases before Cal Watkins hit a sacrifice fly to score Jay. Buck followed with his second straight RBI, hitting a single through the left side of the infield to bring Priest around.
