Welcome to Top Sports News
Hayden girls roll to Class 4A sub-state final with 53-17 romp past Chanute
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
The Class 4A No. 2-ranked Hayden girls looked as good as advertised Wednesday night as they rolled to a 53-17 home sub-state semifinal win over the Blue Comets of Chanute.
Senior Millie Ramsey led Hayden with 17 points in Wednesday's 53-17 sub-state win over Chanute. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden senior Norma Greco scored 14 points with four 3-pointers in Wednesday's 53-17 sub-state win over Chanute. [File photo/TSN]
The Wildcats would open things up quickly with a 9-0 run to get the game started and then Chanute would counter and trail the cats 10-6 at the end of the first quarter.
But that would be all it wrote for the Comets as Hayden would wake up on offense and start to show why they are the top seed on the East side of the bracket as the Wildcats would out-score the Comets 36-9 the rest of the way including a 25-0 run that stretched midway through the first quarter all the way to the fourth quarter.
A big part of that help was 17 points from senior Amelia Ramsey, who was a perfect 8-8 from the field before she missed her last shot to finish 8-9 to lead all scorers.
Senior Norma Greco would be hot from deep for the Wildcats as she would go 5-6 from the field and 4-5 from 3-point range.
"Our plan was to really penetrate the gaps and try to swing it and get open looks or get the ball inside and let Millie go to work, and it definitely helps when there is multiple of us scoring and it’s not just from one place it makes us hard to beat,'' Greco said.
Seaman girls lead city Class 5A bowling contingent with third-place team finish
BY RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Seaman's girls bowling team was shooting a lot higher in Wednesday's Class 5A state tournament at Bowlero Northrock, but the Vikings still took home a team trophy, finishing third to lead the city 5A state contingent.
Seaman's girls bowling team poses for a picture with the Class 5A third-place team trophy Wednesday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Led by state medalist Claire LaDuke, the Vikings finished with a team score of 2,844, finishing behind team champion Bishop Carroll (2,987) and runnerup Maize South (2,958).
"We had great high hopes,'' Seaman coach Bob Benoit said. "They just bowled so good all year and won by so much, winning the regionals by 514 pins. We have two juniors, two sophomores and two freshman and this was so nerve-wracking. The first game we had one girl crying, the second game we had four crying.''
Benoit said the Vikings' inability to pick up spares was the difference between a possible run at a state title and Wednesday's third-place finish.
"Our spare-shooting today killed us,'' Benoit said. "If we make our spares like we have all year, we probably have a chance of being first or second. So it was just execution. I know the nerves were there and things started to fall apart. They were trying to make things happen, but tried in the wrong way.
"The girls were really disappointed and I told them, 'I hope this is enough of a punch in the gut for you to understand what I've told all of you. Spare are more important than strikes.' We gave away over 200 pins today in spares. ''
Benoit said the young Vikings will use the offseason to get ready for the 2026 season.
"We'll regroup this summer and we'll get back here next year,'' Benoit said. "It's a good learning experience and we'll figure it out and be back next year.''
Claire LaDuke (right) finished eighth individually with a 582 series, helping lead Seaman to a third-place team finish in Class 5A. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
LaDuke rolled a 582 series with a 214 high game to finish eighth individually while the Vikings also got a 22nd-place finish from Leah Crawford (532), a 29th from Kayla Duncan (514), a 37th from Paige Snyder (492), a 45th from Ava Carlson (467) and a 48th from Laci Cole (459).
Shawnee Heights finished sixth as a team with a 2,753 score while the T-Birds had a pair of state medalists.
Shawnee Heights' Addison Van Metre earned a Class 5A state medal with a 15th-place individual finish Wednesday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Shawnee Heights' Jasmine Villalobos earned a Class 5A state medal with a 16th-place individual finish. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Heights' Addison Van Metre finished 15th individually with a 559 series while teammate Jasmine Villalobos was a pin behind with a 558 series to finish 16th.
Shawnee Heights' boys came up short in their bid to win a second straight team championship, finishing fifth with a 3,340 team score.
Shawnee Heights' Kaden Evans placed ninth in the Class 5A boys state tournament with a 676 series, including a 279 game. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Kaden Evans led the T-Birds with a ninth-place individual finish, bowling a 676 series, including a final-game 279.
Donovan Davis finished 14th in Class 5A for Shawnee Heights with a 653 series Wednesday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Heights also got a 14th-place finish from Donovan Davis, who rolled a 653 series.
CLASS 5A STATE BOWLING
Topeka West boys earn spot in Class 5A sub-state final with 69-63 OT win over Bishop Carroll
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka West boys had to go to overtime to defeat 12th-seeded Bishop Carroll Wednesday night at home, but they advanced with a 69-63 win. And they got a surprise when it was over.
Several minutes after the conclusion of the sub-state semifinal contest, another cheer went up from the Topeka West crowd when it was announced the Chargers would host another playoff game. Due to Valley Center’s upset of Seaman, fifth-seeded Topeka West will host 13th-seeded Valley Center Saturday with a trip to state on the line.
Senior Jalen Foy scored 19 points in Wednesday's 69-63 Topeka West overtime win over Bishop Carroll. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
First-year Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker and the Chargers will play for a Class 5A sub-state title on Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
“I got to go in there and say, “Well boys, I gotta tell you seniors, this isn’t your last home game,’ and their faces all lit up,” Topeka West coach Christian Ulsaker said.
The Chargers had to fight back from a fourth-quarter deficit to send the game to overtime.
“Basketball is a game of runs and that’s how it goes,” Ulsaker said. “Our guys did not pack it in. Down six in the fourth quarter with four minutes left, some teams couldn’t deal with that pressure. I’m very lucky to have some seniors and juniors that understand what it takes to win basketball games. That’s the great thing about playing in the (United Kansas Conference). We’re used to these kinds of nights.”
Senior Jalen Foy scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth period and overtime. Also making a huge second half impact off the bench was Jay’veon Traylor. The junior hit all four of his shot attempts and provided 11 second-half points.
“I felt like the fourth quarter, when we got there, it was a little rough, and then we started to pick it up,” Foy said. “We all just contributed in our own way. None of us thought it was one man bigger than the other. It was all just playing as a team.”
Ulsaker praised Foy for his leadership and character.
“He is very tough minded and has thick skin,” Ulsaker said. “We’ve had a lot of talks about what we need from him, not only on the basketball court but off of it, being a leader for some of these guys.”
