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State girls golf: Seaman's Eckert looking to use familiarity with 5A course to her advantage
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's probably safe to say that nobody in Monday and Tuesday's Class 5A state tournament field has played more rounds at Emporia Municipal Golf Course than Seaman senior Elise Eckert.
Seaman senior Elise Eckert will be shooting for her fourth straight Class 5A state medal this week in Emporia. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After all, Emporia Municipal was Eckert's home course growing up and through her first three years of high school golf before her family moved to Topeka prior to this school year after her junior year at Emporia High.
Now Eckert, who was a three-time 5A state medalist for the Spartans, is hoping to use her vast knowledge of the tournament layout to cap her high school career with a run at the state title.
"I'm so glad that state's at Emporia this year,'' Eckert said. "I know where the ins and outs are of the course for sure. But you can't get too comfortable with any course.
"I've played this course a bunch, but you know there's still new spots you haven't seen that you'll find eventually and you've just got to play that day.''
Eckert followed up her city and United Kansas Conference individual championships with a second-place regional finish last Monday at Shawnee County Club as the Vikings advanced to state as a team with a runnerup finish behind Andover (342-355).
Eckert carded a two-over-par 75 at regionals to finish second behind Regan Dusenbery's two-under 71 while Seaman also got a fourth-place finish from Makenna Stuke (90), a tie for seventh from Kaitlynn Frye (94), a 10th-place finish from Chloe Schmidtlein (96) and a 16th from Molina Quintana (110).
Eckert feels like her game is in pretty good shape entering her final high school state tournament.
"I feel like if I can keep up with what I've been doing right now I think I'll be in pretty good shape for state,'' Eckert said.
Topeka West senior Berlyn Kolean qualified for state as an individual with a 109 while Shawnee Heights junior Lauryn Valdivia qualified for state as an individual with a 112.
State tournaments at all sites are scheduled to get under way at 9 a.m. on Monday and 10 a.m. on Tuesday after the fields are cut to the top six teams and top individuals.
Junior Kailyn Petersen placed third in last Monday's Class 6A regional to lead Washburn Rural to a runnerup team finish. [File photo/TSN]
Class 6A at Hesston
Washburn Rural girls golf will compete in the Class 6A state tournament for the 20th straight season in Jared Goehring's 20 years as head coach, qualifying for the state meet at Hesston Golf Course with a runnerup finish in last Monday's regional tournament at Sim Park Golf Course.
Rural, which has captured four 6A state titles, posted a four-person score of 335 to finish second behind champion Olathe West (328).
Junior Kailyn Petersen led the Junior Blues with a third-place regional finish, shooting a 79, while Taryn Jellison placd fourth with an 83.
The Junior Blues also got a tie for fifth from Lauren Cox (85), an 11th-place finish from Briley Miles (88), a tie for 14th from Peyton Merrick (92) and a 16th-place showing from Ella Taggart (93).
Ichabods force school-record eight turnovers in 37-17 MIAA romp past Central Missouri
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University football turned Hall of Fame Saturday into its best performance of the year, using six interceptions and forcing two more fumbles as the Ichabods scored 30 points off of Central Missouri turnovers and added a balanced offensive attack to take down the Mules 37-17 in Yager Stadium, notching their first MIAA win of the season.
Linebacker L.J. Minner Jr. had a pick six as Washburn forced eight Central Missouri turnovers in Saturday's 37-17 MIAA win. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods, after winning the opening coin toss, took advantage of a Central Missouri fumble on the second play from scrimmage that was forced and recovered by Jordan Finnesy, setting the Ichabods up at the UCM 45 less than a minute into the game.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Logan Madden threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a TD in Washburn's 37-17 MIAA win over Central Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Making his first career start, quarterback Logan Madden capped an 8-play, 45-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter to give Washburn a 6–0 lead.
After the teams traded punts, Central Missouri cut the lead in half at 6-3 after a 36-yard field goal by Will Peacock cut the margin to 6-3 with 1:24 to play in the opening frame.
The Mules briefly went ahead 10–6 in the second quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Donovyn Omolo to Rossville product Bo Reeves capping a 12-play, 81-yard drive with 8:24 to go in the first half.
But the Ichabods quickly regained control.
Ky Thomas had rushing and receiving touchdowns in Saturday's 37-17 Washburn win over Central Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods punted after the UCM score, but Josh Grant intercepted a pass at the visitors' 15-yard line and three plays later Madden found former Topeka High star Ky Thomas on a 9-yard touchdown strike, giving Washburn a 13-10 halftime edge.
State tennis: Sweeney, Vikings post Class 5A runnerup finishes to pace city contingent
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The ultimate goal is always to finish first, but Seaman girls tennis still had plenty to celebrate in Saturday's Class 5A state tournament at Kossover Tennis Center.
Andover ruled the day, sweeping the singles, doubles and team championships, but Seaman junior Emma Sweeney posted a runnerup singles finish to lead the way as the tournament-host Vikings finished second as a team, just six points behind the champion Trojans (39-33).
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney earned her third straight Class 5A singles medal Saturday with a career-best runnerup finish as the Vikings finished second as a team. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"A great weekend,'' Seaman coach Jamie Robinson said. "Of course that's why we wanted to host is we wanted to give an advantage to a team that we thought was going to be one of the best teams in the state, and we were. We proved it.''
And it was a day of breakthroughs for the Vikings, with Sweeney advancing to the title match after finishing fourth as a sophomore, while senior Molly Gorman finished sixth in singles after a 10th-place finish as a junior and the Viking doubles team of senior Peyton Henry and junior Camryn Lux finished seventh to cap their first season as a doubles team.
Sweeney, who captured her third straight 5A state medal, finished her season 30-2, with both losses coming against Andover senior Mia Jaramillo, who took a 6-4, 6-3 decision in Saturday's championship match.
Jaramillo, who beat Sweeney in the third-place match in 2024, jumped out to 3-0 and 5-2 leads in the first set before Sweeney rallied to within 5-4 and Jaramillo went up 5-1 in the second set before Sweeney cut her deficit to 5-3.
"We did the same thing in Olathe, so I was kind of expecting it, but I feel like I pushed through,'' Jaramillo said. "She's a great player, so she did good.
"I felt I had a lot of pressure, but we have a great team, so we all pushed through.''
While obviously upset with her near miss, Sweeney knows that someday soon she'll be proud of her accomplishment.
"I'll be pleased after a little bit,'' Sweeney said. "The goal after last year, and I was surprised I made it (to the semifinals), I made it my new goal to try and win, but it's okay and I'll come back next year even harder.
"This gives me more experience and it gives me the experience of playing in front of a big crowd in a big situation, so I think I'm just going to take what I learned today and it will help me grow and make me work even harder in the offseason.''
"Runnerup is so impressive,'' Robinson said of Sweeney's performance. "She's lost to one person this year and that was Mia, so credit to her. She came to play.
''Emma had a couple of runs, but it just wasn't quite enough, so hey, let's learn from it and grow from it.''
Seaman senior Molly Gorman captured her fourth Class 5A state medal Saturday, finishing sixth in singles at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Gorman, who dropped an 8-1 decision to Eisenhower sophomore Quinn Scheideman in the fifth-place match, capped her prep career with her fourth state medal in as many tries -- two singles, two doubles.
Henry and Lux finished off state with a win, taking an 8-6 win over Bishop Carroll senior Macy Wetta and freshman Leah Jackson in the seventh-place match.
Wildcats earn third-place 4A team trophy
Hayden singles players Lana Hull and Grace Funk and the doubles team of Sophia Wichman and Avery O'Bray all earned Class 4A state medals on Saturday at Harmon Park in Prairie Village, leading the Wildcats to a third-place team finish.
