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By VINCE LOVERGINE

TopSports.news

At the 2:02 mark of the second quarter Thursday night, Silver Lake senior Dayne Johnson drove to the bucket down the left baseline and drew a foul, needing just one more point to pass the legendary Lon Kruger for the Silver Lake all-time scoring record that’s been held for 56 years at 1,636.

 

Senior Dayne Johnson (2) poses for a picture with his teammates after becoming Silver Lake's career scoring leader Thursday night. [Photo by Vince Lovergine/TSN]

After making the first of two free throws, Johnson surpassed Kruger at 1,637 on the way to a 24-point night as Silver Lake routed Maranatha Academy 65-25 in a Class 3A sub-state quarterfinal.

The game was paused and there was a rousing ovation for Johnson as he waved to the crowd and the student section several times with a big smile on his face.

 

Not to mention, before he passed Lon Kruger, he passed his own coach, Shannon Kruger, who was No. 2 on the list at 1,511 before the season began.

“It’s awesome,'' Johnson said. "I had my eyes on it a little bit, but I couldn’t have been here without my teammates and coaches. It’s awesome how good this school is to officially be the leader.”

 

Johnson said he knew it was a realistic goal about 10 games in, and if he did get close, he wanted to break the record on his home court. He chuckled and said he was mad that he didn’t break the record on and-one, but he said a free throw is just as good.

“He can score at every level,” Kruger said. “When we knew the next bucket was the record-setter and then he got fouled and us coaches joked like, ‘Well, this is what makes him really good too.’ He gets to the free throw line, not only does he get there, he makes most of them. He’s so hard to guard.”

 

Kruger said athletes like Johnson don’t come around too often, and he’s grateful to be a part of his journey.

 

“He’s a special kid,” Kruger said. “You have to do a lot of the other things right to get the opportunity to play enough to score that many. He does everything right.

 

"He’s the hardest worker. We’re doing a defensive or rebounding drill, he’s going full speed every time even though he’s a senior and he knows he’s the dude, you wouldn’t be able to tell that in practice. He fits in the best way you can.”

Kruger had a minor speech after the game congratulating Johnson as the crowd overheard and he called Johnson the GOAT.

 

“The record stood for 56 years and there've been a lot of good players that have come through during that time and no one else has the record so how is he not the GOAT?” Kruger said with a smile.

 

“He (Shannon) was a great player and Hall of Famer at Washburn, so it means a lot coming from a guy like him,” Johnson said.

 

Johnson scored 10 of the first 18 points in the first quarter as the Eagles punched their ticket to the semifinals with the 40-point win.

 

After the game Silver Lake played an audio message of Lon Kruger congratulating Johnson on his accomplishment and he got the game ball and all of his teammates signed it after.

 

"It was awesome,'' Johnson said. "He was an awesome player and probably better than I was, NBA coach, college coach. It’s cool that he still gives back to the community and still cares about Silver Lake where he came from.''

 

From the get-go Thursday, the Eagles couldn’t miss from anywhere.

 

Junior Camden Kruger, who scored eight points, started the scoring with a triple and the rout was on. The Eagles started on a 9-0 run and pushed it to 12-3 after a Joel Miller trey. Miller ended with nine points.

 

Johnson converted an and-one making it 18-3 and Silver Lake led 23-3 after one.

 

The Eagles held Maranatha to just five points in the half and Silver Lake led 41-5 going into halftime.

 

It was more of the same in the third quarter, as Miller and Johnson hit a three apiece, bringing the advantage to 47-9 and the Eagles led 59-19 at the end of the third quarter.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University sophomore speedster Makenzie Sais never even considered pursuing a career in track and field, with the Ichabod center-fielder more than happy to let her speed do its talking on the softball field.

Washburn sophomore Makenzie Sais has 43 stolen bases in 45 attempts for the 17-3 Ichabods, setting a single-season school record in just 20 games. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN] 

And right now that talent is speaking volumes.

"I never ran track,'' Sais said with a chuckle. "I was always just a softball kid, never track.''

After turning in an outstanding freshman season for the Ichabods, Sais is off to a record-breaking start in 2026, already setting Washburn's single-season school record for stolen bases while taking aim --- quiet aim -- on multiple other records. 

"I feel like in the past I definitely used to (pay attention to the stats), but then I feel like it just kind of started affecting the way I was competing, so I kind of just stopped caring about that and tried to just go out and play,'' said Saiz, a Frederick, Colo. native.

Sais became the Ichabod single-season leader in stolen bases against Montana State-Billings with her 34th steal and she enters this weekend's Midwest College Classic in Shawnee with a nation-best 43 stolen bases.

"I feel good about it, it's exciting,'' Sais said about her school record. "But I definitely didn't know about it at the time. I didn't know until after the fact, and it was cool to know and cool to get that, but I'm still just wanting to work for my team.''

Sais is a whopping 22 steals ahead of the No. 2-ranked player on the Division II chart and her total is 27 more than the NCAA Division I leader and 28 ahead of the NCAA Division III leader.

Sais, who has only been caught stealing twice in her 45 attempts, not only broke an Ichabod single-season record that had stood since 1999 when Torrie Beauchamp went 33 of 37 in stolen base attempts, but her 43 steals are more than the combined total of 217 Division II teams entering the weekend.

Sais also ranks fourth in the nation in hits with 28 and is second in runs scored with 25 while helping Washburn get off to a 17-3 start.

"I definitely want to keep working hard and get better every day,'' Sais said. "I feel really good with where the team's at right now. I feel like we're sitting really well, but we just need to keep striving for even more.'' 

That quest will continue this weekend in the Midwest College Classic at the Mid-America Sports Complex, opening with a 4:30 p.m. Thursday game against against Augustana, S.D.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The Washburn Ichabod softball team used a big third inning and a steady performance in the pitching circle to top Augustana 4-1 on Thursday afternoon in Shawnee, improving to 18-3 on the season.

Dalaney Anderson hit a three-run home run to power Washburn softball to a 4-1 win over Augustana Thursday in the Midwest College Classic. [File photo/TSN]

Washburn will continue playing in the Midwest College Classic on Friday with two more games, followed by two more on Saturday.

Augustana struck first in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a Washburn error to plate an unearned run and grab a 1-0 lead.

But the Ichabods answered in the second. After Madi Moore was hit by a pitch and replaced by pinch runner Ashlyn Gaughan, the junior came around to score when Kate Ediger advanced to second on a wild pitch, knotting the score at 1-1.

Washburn then broke the game open in the third. Makenzie Sais singled and Taylor Brees worked a walk to set the table for Dalaney Anderson.

Anderson delivered the decisive swing of the afternoon, launching a three-run home run to center to score Sais and Brees and give the Ichabods a 4-1 advantage.

Anderson finished 1 for 4 with three RBI as her team-leading blast proved to be the difference.

Aspen Burgardt added a strong day at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a walk, while Ediger and Moore each collected a hit.

Sais reached base twice with a single and a walk and scored once, and Brees drew two walks and crossed the plate on the go-ahead homer.

In the circle, Sadie Walker improved to 9-1 while going the distance, scattering four hits over seven innings and allowing just one unearned run.

She walked three and struck out three, inducing 10 ground-ball outs and stranding runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings to secure her ninth win of the season.

For the game, Washburn tallied four runs, six hits and two errors, while Augustana finished with one run, four hits and one error.