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Russell makes most of Topeka homecoming with 18-kill match in Griffons' win over No. 7 WU
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Missouri Western junior volleyball star Taylor Russell is excited for every match she plays.
But the 6-foot-1 outside hitter admits that she gets even more fired up when she has the opportunity to play in her home town of Topeka.
Former Washburn Rural standout Taylor Russell (3) is congratulated by her Missouri Western teammates after one of her 18 kills in Saturday night's 3-1 win over Washburn. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Russell, a returning All-MIAA first-team pick and AVCA All-America honorable mention honoree, got that opportunity Saturday night and delivered a team-high 18 kills on .444 hitting as the No. 24-ranked Griffons (9-4 overall, 1-1 MIAA) handed No. 1 Washburn (12-1, 1-1) its first loss of the season in a 25-23, 19-25, 25-20, 25-19 Western win.
"Coming back to the hometown, it's like every time we come back here it's a big rivalry between us and Washburn and I think because we have so many Topeka girls on our team it just feels really good to get that win and kind of prove ourselves,'' Russell said.
Russell, who helped lead Washburn Rural to the Class 6A state championship in 2022, said it's fun to get a chance to play in front of a lot of people she grew up around, including her high school coach, Kevin Bordewick.
"We have a lot of fans here,'' said Russell, who has 807 kills in her career. "I don't know if half of them are rooting for us our Washburn, because they are from Topeka, but it's always great to play in this environment.
"I love the loud environment and just seeing all my friends and family here.''
Shawnee Heights product Emily Loy (10) registered 13 kills in Missouri Western's MIAA win over Washburn Saturday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Former Shawnee Heights standout Emily Loy, a 6-foot junior rightside hitter who received All-MIAA honorable mention last fall, also came up big for the Griffons Saturday, delivering 13 kills, while former Seaman 5A state champ Brooklyn Gormley, a 6-1 redshirt freshman, also plays for Missouri Western.
Seaman, Washburn Rural finish one-two in 11-school Topeka West Invitational tennis
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls tennis team, third in Class 5A a year ago, continues to build momentum for another late-season run, following up last week's city championship with the team title in Tuesday's 11-school Topeka West Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center.
Led by singles champions Emma Sweeney and Molly Gorman, Seaman won Tuesday's championship by a 51-47 margin over Washburn Rural, with the Vikings and Junior Blues repeating their one-two finish from the city meet.
Seaman junior Emma Sweeney won the No. 1 singles championship in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Molly Gorman won the No. 2 singles championship in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational for team champion Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sweeney, a junior, won the No. 1 singles title with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Olathe West's Lindsay Ruder, avenging a loss to Ruder in the 2024 West tournament, while Gorman, a senior, captured the No. 2 singles championship with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Manhattan's Sally Kastner.
Seaman also got a runnerup doubles finish from Peyton Henry and Camryn Lux in No. 1 doubles and a third-place finish from Kaylyn Hiebsch and Cadence Speer in No. 2 doubles.
"Another good day for the Vikings,'' Seaman coach Jamie Robinson said. "The girls are trusting their shots and especially in singles Molly really played well. I feel like she's struggled a little bit and she had to take eight months off (with an injury) and now she's really getting back to form. That last match was the most comfortable I've ever seen her.
"And Emma really had a big match and she wanted this one, so that was fun to see. That tested her, that challenged her. This was good competition and we're battle tested and that's going to help in the UKC and it's going to help in regionals.''
Washburn Rural, which has put together another strong season despite graduating several key players off its 2024 team, swept the doubles titles in Tuesday's tournament.
Washburn Rural coach Michelle Rose talks to Rural No. 1 doubles players Halle Owen and Julia Katzer during Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural juniors Julia Katzer and Halle Owen won the No. 1 doubles championship with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Seaman's Henry and Lux. Katzer and Owen also faced Henry and Lux in the city championship match, with Rural taking an 8-3 win.
Washburn Rural junior Julia Katzer returns a shot during the No. 1 doubles final in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Halle Owen returns a shot during the No. 1 doubles final in Tuesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Alizah Chedzoy and Annie Henderson followed up their city title in No. 2 doubles with the championship in Tuesday's tournament, with Rural taking a 6-1, 6-3 decision in the finals.
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL TENNIS
Hall of Famer, nine-time state champ Steve Bushnell returning to Viking dugout
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Hall of Famer is back.
Steve Bushnell, who led one of Kansas' most dominant baseball programs for more than two decades at Seaman, will be back on the field in the spring for his second stint after his hiring was approved by the USD 345 school board last week.
Hall of Fame coach Steve Bushnell has been named Seaman's head baseball coach and will begin his second stint next spring. [File photo/TSN]
Bushnell last coached Seaman in 2019, leading the Vikings to their second straight Class 5A state championship and their ninth state title in his tenure before the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Bushnell moved into the Seaman athletic director's position for four years through 2023-2024 before retiring in the spring of 2024.
"When I left teaching and coaching and decided to go into administration, that was the most difficult decision that I had made to that time as far as my career and that side of it,'' Bushnell told TopSports.news. "It was definitely hard to step away and to go into the A.D.'s position.
"I learned a lot and had a great time as our athletic director for four years, but I always felt like baseball was part of me and it was always there.''
Trent Oliva stepped down as Seaman's head coach after the 2025 season and Bushnell, a member of six hall of fames, eventually made the decision to pursue the opening.
"I think you're always trying to analyze and see how things fit and I was pretty thorough in that regard,'' Bushnell said. "When it all went down late mid-summer and July, the opportunity to come back was not anything that I ever thought that I would be presented and it was somewhat of a surprise.
"But it definitely was intriguing and I threw my name in and went through the process.''
In his first Seaman stint Bushnell led the Vikings to 18 state tournament appearances, the nine state championships and four runner-up finishes in his 21 seasons.
Bushnell culminated a 401-103 record (.796) which included a record of 42-9 in the state tournament. Seaman won at least 20 games for 10 consecutive years during the Bushnell era.
In 2018 he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association High School Division III National Coach of the Year.
Steve Bushnell was inducted into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame this past spring, one of the six hall of fames he's a member of. [Photo courtesy of KSHSAA Covered]
Bushnell was inducted into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame this past spring and is also a member of the Ban Johnson Baseball, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Emporia State, Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches and the Seaman baseball shrines.
Bushnell said the Vikings will continue to strive to be a state contender moving forward.
