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T-Bird softball rolls past Turner for UKC twinbill sweep
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights battered visitor Turner High School at the Lake Shawnee Softball Complex Friday night, outscoring the Bears 30-5 in a United Kansas Conference doubleheader.
Shawnee Heights junior Cianna Graves had four doubles in Friday's UKC doubleheader sweep over Turner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds cranked out 17 runs in the first three innings to quickly dispatch the visitors 17-2 in the first game.
Junior catcher Cianna Graves belted a double in each of the three frames, three of the team’s 12 hits. Senior pitcher Grace Proctor held the Bears to two runs in the shortened match.
Shawnee Heights senior Grace Proctor picked up the pitching win in the T-Birds' 17-2 first-game win over Turner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
By scoring 10 runs in the first inning of the second game, the T-Birds threatened to finish the sweep in two three-inning games. But after getting up 13-0 in the second inning, they failed to post the requisite 15-run lead to put it away.
Turner plated three runs in the top of the fifth, but it wasn’t enough to extend the game further. T-Bird sophomore Haven Ellenburg threw all five innings for the victory in the second game.
“Our pitchers did really well tonight,” said T-Bird coach Tara Griffith. “(Grace) came out and threw a great first game. Towards the end of the second game, we had a little struggle, but I think they’re young and they’re doing a really good job. Haven is just a sophomore so she’s coming along well.”
Graves picked up her fourth double of the evening in the second game as the team scratched out 11 hits.
“At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t hitting that well. So, coming out being able to do something for the team really felt good,” Graves said. “I’m really excited that we have a team like this. We’re bonding really well on and off the field. I feel like we’re communicating well and just working together.”
Goehring pleased with Washburn Rural golf's early-season progress
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WAMEGO -- Just two tournaments into the 2025 high school boys golf season, Washburn Rural coach Jared Goehring knows his Junior Blues still have a lot of work left to do.
But Goehring likes what he's seen so far, including a solid performance in Thursday's 15-school Washburn Rural Great Plains Classic at Wamego Country Club.
The Junior Blues finished ninth as a team in the top-heavy field, but were just three strokes out of a top-five finish.
Washburn Rural senior Tadd Armstrong, lining up a chip, shot a 79 for the Junior Blues in Thursday's Great Plains Classic. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Tadd Armstrong led Rural's top team with a 79, while freshman Wyatt Dean also carded a 79 while playing for the Junior Blues' Gray team.
Juniors Michael Wilson and Higgins Hawks added 81s for Rural while sophomore Camden Ismert shot an 82.
"We're off to a good start,'' Goehring said. "Spring golf in the state of Kansas for boys, it's tough, and the guys have got to be able to handle conditions like today (heavy winds) and they've got to be able to handle their emotions.
"I like our lineup. I think our lineup has a lot of potential. We've got four seniors on our team who have all played in some big tournaments before, so we're going to rely on them for their leadership and experience, but we've also got some young players as evident of a freshman (Dean) today with a 79.''
Hayden senior James Kuta shot an 81 in Thursday's Great Plains Classic. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden senior James Kuta shot an 81 and Wildcat senior Nick Gorman an 85 while junior Ayden Valdivia led Shawnee Heights with an 83.
Manhattan won the team title by a 303-309 margin over Shawnee Mission South while Blue Valley Northwest was third at 316.
Manhattan freshman Charlie Haney was the individual medalist with a 73.
Washburn Rural Great Plains Classic
Rural soccer rolls to 8-1 Centennial League win over Manhattan
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With each and every game, Brian Hensyel's Washburn Rural's girls soccer team seems to pick up more and more confidence.
Washburn Rural sophomore Maile Eldridge (11), who had two goals and an assist, celebrates a goal with senior teammate Kate Hinck, who had a goal and an assist, in Wednesday's 8-1 win over Manhattan. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
And that could spell bad news for future Junior Blue opponents.
Washburn Rural rolled to an 8-1 Centennial League win over Manhattan Wednesday night at McElroy Field, improving to 6-1-0 overall and 2-0 in the league with its fourth straight win.
The Junior Blues have now outscored their opponents 29-3, with their lone loss coming against undefeated Blue Valley North, 1-0.
"We've had a great start to the season,'' Hensyel said. "We've played a tough schedule and I think playing some of those teams last week in the tournament in Kansas City and winning some games against good teams has just given this team a lot of confidence.''
Washburn Rural senior Zahra Friess had a goal and an assist in Wednesday's 8-1 win over Manhattan. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural needed just 11 minutes, 5 seconds to take the lead against the Indians with a goal from senior Kate Hinck and the Junior Blues added goals from senior Zahra Friess and sophomore Maile Eldridge to take a commanding 3-0 advantage with 8:12 left in the opening half.
"What we talked about tonight was getting off to a fast start and really try to put them on their heels a little bit and see if we could get an early lead because we play great with a lead because people just get more and more aggressive,'' Hensyel said.
