Welcome to Top Sports News

Seaman, Shawnee Heights put six players on All-UKC softball first team

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Seaman put four players on the 2023 All-United Kansas Conference softball first team while Shawnee Heights had two first-team picks. 

Seaman, in its first season in the UKC, tied league champion Basehor-Linwood for the most first-team selections, with the Vikings represented by sophomore pitcher Kaelyn O'Rourke, junior infielder Aspen Burgardt, junior outfielder Paige Glasgow and junior designated player Jersey Jellison.

Shawnee Heights sophomore pitcher Grace Proctor earned first-team All-United Kansas Conference softball honors for the second straight season. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]

Shawnee Heights, which finished third in the Class 5A state tournament (17-8), put sophomore pitcher Grace Proctor and junior outfieler Ally Millard on the first team.

Seaman junior infielder Rosalie Schneider was named to the All-UKC second team along with Shawnee Heights junior infielder Karlyn Bowman and T-Bird sophomore infielder Taylor Brees and Topeka West junior outfielder Siani Sanchez.

Basehor-Linwood senior Taylor Cruse was named the conference player of the year for the second straight season while Bobcat coach Susan Mayberry was a repeat pick as the UKC coach of the year.

ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE SOFTBALL

Read more ...

T-Birds' Esquibel earns first state title with win in Class 5A boys 3,200 meters

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

WICHITA -- Obviously, Shawnee Heights junior distance star Jackson Esquibel went into Friday night's Class 5A boys 3,200 meters run thinking about what a state championship would mean to him.

Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel flashes the No. 1 sign as he crosses the finish line for the Class 5A 3,200 meters state championship Friday night at Cessna Stadium. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]

Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel and Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge run with the leaders on the way to a one-two finish in the Class 5A boys 3,200 meters Friday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But Esquibel was also thinking about setting a good example for the entire Shawnee Heights track and field team.

"I've had a lot of teammates who have called me a leader on the team and I really wanted to give a good performance to start off state,'' Esquibel said.

Esquibel did that and then some, winning his first state title in a personal-record time of 9 minutes, 18.67 seconds as Esquibel and friendly city rival Lenny Njoroge of Topeka West posted a one-two finish.

"My goal was to break my PR, which was 9:25,'' Esquibel said. "I've had some struggles PRing in the two-mile this year so I really focused on this race being a race that I could get out quick, not get boxed in and give myself my best chance and I got it done. Thank goodness!''

Read more ...

Scots' Richardson says goodbye to track with two 5A titles, four top-four finishes

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

WICHITA -- It's not really a secret that Highland Park senior star Tre Richardson has never been a big fan of track and field.

In fact, he considers track his No. 4 sport behind football, basketball and baseball.

Highland Park senior Tre Richardson (center) won the Class 5A boys 100-meter dash Saturday at Cessna Stadium, the first of his two state titles on the day. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Highland Park senior Tre Richardson won the Class 5A long jump, finished second in the triple jump and scored 33 total points in the state meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

But like the sport or not, Richardson will be remembered as one of Highland Park's all-time greats track greats after capping his final appearance with a pair of state titles, a second-place finish and an injury-affected fourth in the Class 5A state meet at Cessna Stadium.

Richardson was a multiple-time state medalist for the third straight season and a state champ for the second straight year.

Richardson scored 33 points on the weekend, outscoring 22 other 5A schools that cracked the scoring column by himself as HIghland Park finished ninth as a team.  

"I took my senior season out good,'' Richardson said

After finishing second to Topeka West's Alesecio Batson in Friday's triple jump with a best of 46 feet, 5.75 inches, Richardson won the 100-meter dash in 10.73 seconds and the long jump at 23-4.50 before limping to a fourth-place finish in the 200 in 22.49 on Saturday.

"I hurt myself doing long jump earlier on my last jump, pulled my groin,'' Richardson said. "That's why I didn't use blocks to get down. I just did enough to get in the top places.''

Richardson still threatened to win the event until coming up short at the end

"Without the injury I feel like I would have had three golds, one silver,'' said Richardson, who won the 200 in 2022. 

Read more ...