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By VINCE LOVERGINE

TopSports.news

Perennial state girls power Washburn Rural will have to make do without junior star and Kansas State commit Maddie Vickery for at least the early portion of the 2025-2026 season.

Kevin Bordewick begins his 17th season as Washburn Rural's girls basketball head coach and his 33rd in the program. [File photo/TSN]

But Kevin Bordewick, who is starting his 17th season as the Junior Blues' coach in basketball, said his team has to view Vickery's absence as a chance to get other Rural players accustomed to competing at the Class 6A level.

“It’s going to give us a great opportunity to have others to step up and do other things more,'' Bordewick said. "I’m really excited about the kids we have coming back and some freshmen who are going to step up and play major minutes and we’re going to have a good mix.''

“We work a lot on ball movement and working together instead of relying on (Vickery) to score and rebound for us. I feel like we’ve been more aggressive on shooting, driving and other aspects, too,” senior Ella Hirschi said.

 

Hallie Walker, Hirschi and Josie Carlgren will be the seniors of this season's Washburn Rural group.

Bordewick said junior Brooklyn Rutherford will be a key contributor and got some big minutes last season. Kailyn Peterson is a post player Bordewick said the Junior Blues will use and he said four freshmen will get minutes.

“We’re all really hard workers,'' Carlgren said. "We want to get better every single day at practice, we all push each other to get better. If there is something that someone needs to work on, we’ll keep them on track, and that goes for everybody.''

 

Bordewick has led Washburn Rural to 10 6A state titles in volleyball and basketball and said there’s no secret ingredient to success, but said it does come down to some variables. 

“You can’t win if you don’t have good athletes,” he said. “They have to work hard, they have to believe in themselves and I think what we try to get out of them is really up to them.

 

"I told the freshmen, 'We’re going to be on you even as freshmen because if you’re on this varsity group, you’re a varsity ballplayer, you’re not a freshman so we’re going to treat you as a varsity ballplayer and we have standards that we don’t lower no matter what.''

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University soccer team advanced to the NCAA Final Four with a 3-2 Saturday victory over Missouri-St. Louis in St. Louis.

Washburn soccer celebrates after Saturday's 3-2 Elite Eight road win over Missouri-St. Louis. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

Washburn soccer displays its NCAA Final Four sign after Saturday's 3-2 win over Missouri-St. Louis. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

With the win the 14-3-6 Ichabods avenged a 3-0 loss to the Tritons in Washburn's second game of the season.

"That was a great college soccer game,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "UMSL is a good team that is tough to score on, and to get three today was such a big-time effort from the ladies."

"I thought we were really good for large spells of the game. We had to really earn it today and battle through some challenges that this game provided, but I'm so proud of our team and their character to battle back and find the game winner."

Washburn heads to the Final Four for the second time in program history, and for the second time in three years, traveling to Colorado Springs, Colo. to face Franklin Pierce in a 4 p.m. (Central time) semifinal on Thursday.

Washburn soccer poses for a team picture after earning a trip to the Final Four in Colorado Springs with Saturday's 3-2 win over Missouri-St. Louis. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]Following re-seeding for the Final Four, Washburn is the No. 1 seed and Franklin Pierce No. 4.

The opening 20 minutes were back and forth, with both teams having chances to score first.

The Ichabods would start to gain some momentum shortly with two shots in the 26th and 27th minute, both saved by the UMSL goalie, but after a corner was taken in the 39th minute by Bricelyn Betts that was fumbled by the UMSL goalie, Shaye Taylor would find the back of the net to put Washburn up, 1-0.

Just one minute, 19 seconds later, Aubrey Tanksley  would put the Ichabods up 2-0 heading into the halftime break. It was Tanksley's second goal of the season, coming in back-to-back matches.

The Tritons would not go down without a fight and would get one back in the 51st minute to cut the Ichabod lead to 2-1. UMSL would find an equalizer seven minutes later in the 58th minute from a cross that was headed in.

The Ichabods would respond right back four minutes later in the 62nd minute. After Leah Henke's initial shot was saved, Henke put away the rebound to put Washburn back on top 3-2.

It was the freshman's 12th goal of the year, moving her into the No. 4 spot all-time for goals in a single season, passing fellow Bishop Carroll product Khloe Schuckman, who had 11 in 2023.

The Ichabods outshot the Tritons 14-12 and had seven corners to just two taken by UMSL.

Washburn freshman goalkeeper Lili Everley registered six saves during the match.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 2-ranked Washburn University's two closest games of the season have something in common, a clutch performance down the stretch from senior guard Bryson Smith.

Senior Bryson Smith scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half Saturday as Washburn Improved to 10-0 with a hard-earned 73-66 win over Fort Hays State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Smith scored 18 of his team-high 22 points in the second half while hitting 9 of 10 free throws in the final 20 minutes as Washburn stayed perfect on the season with a 73-66 win over Fort Hays State in Lee Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Ichabods, 10-0 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA, trailed 34-33 at halftime and the game was tied at 58 with five minutes left before the Northeastern State transfer scored 11 points over the final 2:38, including a 7 of 8 showing at the free throw line in the final 46 seconds as the Ichabods held off the Tigers (5-3, 0-2).

"I feel like I'm one of the guys on the team that can be a closer for this team and help us get the win down the stretch and make good plays,'' Smith said.

Saturday's performance was reminiscent of Smith's early-season performance against Rockhurst when Smith scored 19 of his 22 points after after halftime and scored the go-ahead basket as WU rallied from a five-point deficit with 2:29 to play to take an 85-81 win.

"He's a good player and we knew that coming in,'' Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "He's one of those guys that in these big games, he's not afraid of the moment.

"The thing with Bryson is he gets downhill and he's athletic enough to go finish. Sometimes you just need a guy to go create his own and that's kind of what he did tonight.''

Ballard first took notice of Smith and what he could do last season when Smith scored 10 points with 11 assists and three steals as Northeastern State handed Washburn an 88-84 defeat, one of only two regular-season losses for the Ichabods.

And when Smith entered the transfer portal, the Ichabods knew they wanted him on their side.

"We couldn't guard him, so we said, 'If you can't beat him, join him,' '' Ballard said with a laugh.

"I thought I controlled that game in the second half, so I feel that's why I'm here now,'' Smith said. "Coach saw that and wanted me to be here.''

Sophomore Dillon Claussen scored 21 points, including 13 in the first half of Saturday's 73-66 Washburn win over Fort Hays State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Smith's big second half came after WU sophomore star Dillon Claussen scored 13 of his 21 points in the first half to carry the Ichabods.

Claussen went 7 of 10 from the field on the day and went 7 of 8 at the free throw line, grabbed six rebounds and registered four steals.

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