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TopSports.news' 2025 Shawnee County softball players to watch
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High senior Jo'Mhara Benning was a first-team All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League pick last season. [File photo/TSN]
JO'MHARA BENNING, Topeka High
A senior pitcher, Benning earned first-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County recognition last season after helping the Trojans post a 17-11 record. Benning also was a first-team All-Centennial League pick and earned All-Class 6A second-team recognition from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association.
TAYLOR BREES, Shawnee Heights
Brees, a senior infielder, was a first-team TSN All-Shawnee County pick last season while also earning All-United Kansas Conference first-team honors and being named to the Kansas Softball Coaches Association second team. Brees has signed a letter of intent with Washburn University.
Washburn Rural junior Reagan Chapman is a two-time All-Shawnee County first-team pick. [File photo/TSN]
REAGAN CHAPMAN, Washburn Rural
A junior, Chapman earned second-team All-Class 6A honors from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association last season while also being named to the TSN All-Shawnee County first team for the second straight season after helping lead the Junior Blues to a 20-8 record and a third-place finish in 6A.
LAYLA COLLINS, Washburn Rural
Collins, a senior, received second-team TSN All-Shawnee County honors last season after helping Washburn Rural post a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Collins also earned second-team All-Centennial League recognition for the Junior Blues, 20-8 on the year.
Silver Lake senior Kendra Cook is a two-time All-Shawnee County first-team pick and earned All-Class 3A first-team honors last spring. [File photo/TSN]
KENDRA COOK, Silver Lake
A senior pitcher, Cook earned TSN All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for the second straight season in 2024 after helping 24-3 Silver Lake post a runnerup state finish in Class 3A. A Washburn University signee, Cook, who compiled a 1.244 earned run average with 92 strikeouts, also received All-3A first-team honors from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association.
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake
Hanni, a left-fielder, earned first-team All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season as a sophomore after helping Silver Lake post a 24-3 record and a runnerup finish in the Class 3A state tournament. Hanni, who hit .518 with 15 stolen bases, was also named to the Kansas Softball Coaches Association All-3A second team.
Washburn Rural sophomore Olivia Koch was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year last spring. [File photo/TSN]
OLIVIA KOCH, Washburn Rural
A sophomore, Koch was named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year last season and was named to the All-Centennial League first team and the Kansas Softball Coaches Association All-Class 6A second team after helping Rural post a 20-8 record and a third-place finish in the 6A state tournament.
Silver Lake senior Kira Lowrey was an All-Shawnee County first-team pick last spring. [File photo/TSN]
KIRA LOWREY, Silver Lake
A senior third baseman/pitcher, Lowrey earned first-team All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season as a sophomore after helping Silver Lake post a 24-3 record and a runnerup finish in the Class 3A state tournament. Lowrey, who hit .467 with 35 RBI, also received Kansas Softball Coaches Association All-3A honorable mention.
Rural soccer opens 2025 season with 5-0 shutout over Olathe South
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls soccer team has advanced to the Class 6A Final Four the past 10 seasons and Brian Hensyel's Junior Blues have extremely high hopes again this spring.
Washburn Rural senior Kate Hinck had a goal and two assists in Rural's 5-0 season-opening win over Olathe South. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural flashed their potential in Tuesday's season opener, rolling to a 5-0 shutout non-league victory over Olathe South at McElroy Field.
"We got to start the year with a really good opponent and any time you can play somebody from the Kansas City area and have a nice win, it's good,'' Hensyel said.
Multiple Junior Blues got a late start to practice due to Washburn Rural's appearance in the 6A state basketball tournament and Rural was out of school on spring break last week, but Hensyel was very pleased with his team's '25 debut.
"Any time in any spring sport it's just kind of crazy the first three weeks, whether it's the weather, whether it's spring break, whether it's kids still playing basketball you just have to deal with all of that and when you come back from spring break you just hope what we've practiced will work,'' Hensyel said. "We've got a lot to work on, but we had a pretty nice first game.''
Washburn Rural senior Zahra Friess had a goal and an assist in Rural's 5-0 season-opening win over Olathe South. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues, who have placed third in 6A the past two seasons, got the only goal they would need at the 31:14 mark of the opening half on a goal from senior newcomer Zahra Friess and Rural also got first-half goals from seniors Delaney Hill and senior Kate Hinck to build a commanding 3-0 halftime advantage.
Topeka High girls soccer opens season with 5-0 win over district rival Chargers
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High girls soccer team relied upon a mix of returners and new contributors to open the season with a 5-0 win over Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park Tuesday.
Topeka High freshman Emma Schell (left) celebrates an early goal with teammate Paty Acosta-Salas in the Trojans' 5-0 win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Freshman Emma Schell scored right out of the gate in her debut with the Trojans, punching a breakaway past the Charger goalkeeper at 38:43 of the first half. She scored again off a rebound just seven minutes later.
Topeka High junior Dana Chavarria Delacruz (22) celebrates a first-half goal in the Trojans' 5-0 win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Trojans got a goal from Dana Chavarria Delacruz later in the period to go to the intermission leading 3-0.
“We graduated a lot of players from last year, but I knew we had some ability to attack coming back,” Topeka High coach Derek Snook said. “The biggest thing was whether we were going to meld together the way we needed to and communicate the best we could.”
Having gained a commanding lead, Snook went deep into the bench, but the Trojans continued to pour it on, getting two goals from Natalie Barnes in the second half.
Junior captain Raelee Shipley (10) advances the ball in Topeka High's 5-0 win over Topeka West Tuesday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior captain Raelee Shiplee knew that the Trojans needed to get a game under their belts in order to know what to work on.
“We just had to come out with intensity and communication,” Shiplee said. “After the first game, I think we learned how each other plays. So, I think it will help us more along the road during other games to know how each other plays.”
