By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Reagan Chapman
REAGAN CHAPMAN, Washburn Rural
A freshman, Chapman, Washburn Rural softball's leadoff hitter, opened the bottom of the first of Friday's Centennial League doubleheader against Topeka High with a solo home run. Chapman added a pair of doubles in the opener while knocking in a pair of runs and scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh in Rural's 4-3 win. In the nightcap, Chapman tripled and broke the game open with a three-run home run in the Junior Blues' 8-3 victory.
Jaycee Ginter
JAYCEE GINTER, Washburn University
Ginter, a junior, picked up three pitching wins as No. 21-ranked Washburn University softball swept MIAA foes Lincoln and Central Missouri Friday and Saturday. Ginter pitched five innings of no-hit ball with 10 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over Lincoln on Friday and picked up both wins on Saturday as the Ichabods took a pair of 2-1 wins over UCM. Ginter pitched a three-hitter with six strikeouts while allowing only an unearned run in the first game against the Jennies and pitched three innings of shutout ball with five strikeouts in the second game, improving to 19-2 on the season.
Lenny Njoroge
LENNY NJOROGE, Topeka West
A returning Class 5A state medalist, Njoroge opened his senior track season with a pair of victories in last Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. Njoroge won the 1,600 meters by nearly 14 seconds in 4 minutes, 29.84 seconds and came back later in the evening to win the 3,200 by nearly 14 seconds in 9:45.51. Njoroge is also a three-time Class 5A state cross country medalist, including a fourth-place finish last fall.
Carter Ulrich
CARTER ULRICH, Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights junior Carter Ulrich went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and five runs batted in as the T-Birds rallied for a 7-6 non-league win over Bishop Miege last Wednesday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. Shawnee Heights, which advanced to the Class 5A state tournament last season, rallied from 4-0 and 6-1 deficits to take the win over the Stags.
Avery Walz
AVERY WALZ, Seaman
Avery Walz won the 100-yard freestyle (54.68 seconds) and 200-yard freestyle (2:00.13) events in last Thursday's Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium and swam on Seaman's winning 400 free relay (4:01.36) and runnerup 200 medley relay (2:03.47) as the Vikings finished a city-best third in the team standings.
Avery Zimmerman
AVERY ZIMMERMAN, Topeka High
Zimmerman, a junior, scored six goals on the week as Topeka High's girls soccer team opened its 2023 season with a pair of non-league wins. Zimmerman, a two-time All-City first-team pick, had four goals in the Trojans' season-opening 9-0 win over Topeka West and had two goals in High's 4-2 win over Lawrence.
