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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

It's probably safe to say that everybody associated with the Washburn University football program is excited about the big jump the Ichabods have made this fall.

Jayden Norman

And that's especially true for former Topeka High standout wide receiver Jayden Norman, who has earned considerable playing time as a redshirt freshman for the 3-1-1 Ichabods. 

It was clear through his four high school seasons that the 6-foot, 195-pound Norman had considerable talent, but the Trojans struggled as a team throughout his prep career, posting an 8-28 overall record, including a pair of 1-8 campaigns and a 2-7 season.

Norman isn't sure if the lack of team success scared off some of the college recruiters, but it doesn't matter because he still ended up where he wanted to be.

"I do not feel like it really hurt me; I was still the same player,'' Norman said. "I feel like some of the coaches maybe didn't look at me as much because of the losing seasons, but it's all good. I'm glad I'm here right now and just doing well right now.''

When Washburn came calling, Norman said his college decision was an easy one.

"Yes it was,'' he said. "I know it sounds cliche, but Washburn really did feel like home. The coaching staff did a great job of recruiting, the facilities are great, and it's awesome here.''

A multi-time All-Centennial and All-Shawnee County honoree for the Trojans, Norman redshirted his freshman season at WU, which helped get him ready to become a contributor this season. 

"It helped a lot, just getting developed and learning from the older guys,'' he said. "It was great. I did get hurt the last half of the season -- torn meniscus -- but I'm healthy now and it feels good being back.''

Norman has caught six passes for 62 yards thus far, including four passes for 46 yards against MIAA power Northwest Missouri. 

"I've worked so hard for these opportunities and just blessed to keeping getting more of them and can't wait to take advantage of them,'' Norman said.

"Obviously winning more feels good, being part of a winning season. It's just great getting developed and I just want to take advantage of all opportunities.'' 

Washburn coach Zach Watkins said Norman is very deserving of his chance to contribute for the Ichabods.

"His athletic ability and work ethic falls in line with being a really good player now, and moving forward,'' Watkins said. "He's so young in his career, but our program is all about development and he's developed in a big way from when he first got here to now.

"Now it's his first game experience and he's made some big plays in some of our early games and he'll have an increased role this last half of this season and then springboard into future years.

 "Like anything, it takes reps to be perfect at something, but when you're a great kid with great character, great work ethic, very intelligent, good student and all that stuff, you can say it one time and is usually gets done or tries to get done. I'm looking forward to see how he developes moving forward.''

Following a bye week, Norman and the Ichabods will return to action at 12 p.m. Saturday against Pittsburg State in Yager Stadium. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

A basketball team doesn't graduate its top three scorers and most experienced players without feeling the effects of that, particularly early in the season.

But Washburn University women's coach Lora Westling, whose team is coming off a breakout 24-8 season that produced a MIAA Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth, feels like the Ichabods have the personnel in place to continue that upward trajectory.

Senior forward Madelyn Amekporfor (4) is a top returner for the Washburn women after averaging 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 31 starts last season. [File photo/TSN]

Brooke Gomez (1) returns at point guard for Washburn after leading the 24-8 Ichabods with 82 assists in the 2025-2026 season. [File photo/TSN]

The Ichabods, who begin official preseason practice on Saturday, graduated double-figure scorers Yibari Nwidadah, Payton Sterk and Gabi Giovannetti while Washburn had other players leave the program through the transfer portal.

But WU, which has 13 players on its roster, will build around returning starters Madelyn Amekporfor and Brooke Gomez and valuable reserve Britany Kogbara while adding five transfers and four freshmen.

"The standard of this university is to put a championship product on the court going forward and that's what we expect of ourselves,'' Westling said. "We recruit players that want that and aspire to that and understand what it takes to accomplish that.

"There's a lot of new faces, but the expectations stay the same.''

Amekporfor, a 5-foot-11 senior forward, averaged 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds last season, while Gomez, a 5-7 junior point guard, averaged 4.3 points while leading the Ichabods with 82 assists.

In her first season in the program, Kogbara, a 6-foot senior forward, averaged 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds off the bench and will be counted on heavily this winter.

The Ichabods' group of newcomers includes 5-11 junior forward Ellie Buscher, a first-team juco All-American, and 5-8 junior guard Olivia Wren, a second-team juco All-American. 

"I'm really excited about the pieces we have,'' Westling said. "We certainly have some players that can score, but we have a lot more balance, which I think will be fun for our fans to watch and the style of play we have.

"We're doing a good job early. We have a very unselfish group that moves the ball well. They want to be good, they want to guard, so I'm very optimistic and very excited to get going.''

Amekporfor agreed.

"I think that especially the junior college people that we brought in and the transfers, they've played so much basketball at a high level that there's not a falloff at all,'' Amekporfor said. "Usually when you graduate a bunch of seniors you have to rebuild, but I feel like we're able to pick right up where we left off.

"I just think their mentality about basketball is top tier, so we're able to get right into it at the beginning of the season.''

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

For the second straight season Washburn University's men's basketball team lost four starters from teams that won 30-plus games, captured the MIAA titles and advanced to the NCAA National Tournament.

Senior point guard Jack Bachelor returns to lead Washburn men's basketball after earning All-MIAA and all-district honors for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]

But all indications are that Brett Ballard's Ichabods, who open official preseason practice Saturday, once again have the firepower to retain their position as one of the premier programs in NCAA Division II.

Washburn graduated Brady Christiansen and Bryson Smith off of last year's 31-2 team and lost Dillon Claussen and Jeremiah Jones to Division I programs.

But the Ichabods, who have 15 players on their roster, return 10 players from last year's team while adding a pair of transfers and three freshmen.

"Last year we lost four starters as well and those guys were all really good players, so it reminds me a lot of last year,'' Ballard said. "You need some guys that have kind of been role guys to step up and take more of a lead and you need a hit on your transfers and you need some freshmen to play.

"So there's a little bit of the unknown and our program needs to step up, but I feel like those guys are ready and our expectations don't change. We still have the same standards and I feel like this team is going to be capable of competing for championships.''

Leading the returning cast for the Ichabods is 6-foot-3 senior point guard Jack Bachelor, a two-time All-MIAA and all-district first-team pick who averaged 15.5 points while connecting on 95 3-pointers, led Washburn with 151 assists and registered 58 steals.

Bachelor ranks No. 3 on Washburn's all-time list with 455 assists and is No. 5 all-time in free throw percentage (81.9).

"Jack's our biggest returner, so there's more on his plate,'' Ballard said. "He's not going to have to do it all, but he's going to have to carry the load more so on a consistent basis than he had to the last couple of years because he has some other unknown guys around him.

"Maybe it will play out where some other guys step up and as the year goes along he doesn't have to do as much, but I think early in the year especially we're going to count on Jack and the ball's going to be his hands a lot.''

Other top returners include 6-foot-6 junior Tyson Ruud and 6-4 junior Marcus Glock.

Ruud averaged 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds last season while Glock averaged 7.6 points and hit 52 3-pointers.

The Ichabods added 6-6 transfer Lucas Mercandino and 6-10 sophomore Carson Yale.

Mercandino averaged 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season for Lubbock Christian en route to All-Lone Star Conference third-team honors while Yale averaged 8.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field for Minot State

"I like our pieces,'' Ballard said. "I think the pieces fit really well and so far everybody's been good with what we're trying to do.''

Ballard has identified a couple of key areas that Washburn will have to excel at to reach their potential.

"We've got to be able to guard the ball and I think that's my primary concern,'' Ballard said. "We lose Jeremiah Jones and Bryson Smith, two incredible on-ball guys, so we've got to find guys that can keep the ball in front so we're not rotating, scrambling every possession. With our trapping and the things we do, I think we can take teams out of their system a little bit, but a lot of possessions come down to, can you guard the ball, so that's going to be a big emphasis.

"I think another thing is rebounding. Brady and Dillon were both elite rebounders, so we've got to go get 'em. When we make teams miss we've got to rebound it.''

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