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Created: 09 February 2026

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

A five-run sixth inning propelled Washburn University softball to a 7–5 comeback victory over Truman State on Sunday in the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in Bentonville, Ark., lifting Washburn to an 8-2 record on the season.

Sophomore Dalaney Anderson hit a three-run home run to power Washburn softball to a 7-5 comeback win over Truman State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

Trailing 5-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Washburn's offense erupted with a game-changing rally.

Erin Boles opened the surge with an RBI single, plating Ashley Gaughan to make it a 5-3 game.

Two batters later, Dalaney Anderson delivered the game's biggest swing, a three-run home run to left field that put the Ichabods ahead 6–5.

The inning continued with a double from Seaman product Aspen Burgardt, followed by an RBI single from Madi Moore to extend the lead to 7–5.

Anderson finished the day with three RBI, all coming on her go-ahead blast.

Boles, Shawnee Heights grad Taylor Brees, Moore, and Maddie McGee all contributed an RBI as Washburn totaled 10 hits.

In the circle, Jenna Sprague was outstanding in relief for the Ichabods.

Entering in the fourth inning, Sprague tossed 32/3 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while keeping Truman off the board to earn her first win of the season.

Truman built an early lead, thanks to a grand slam from Cassie Smith, but after Washburn starter Kierra Goos exited, Sprague steadied Washburn and shut the Bulldogs down the rest of the way.

Washburn's scoring began in the second inning when McGee drove in Danielle Schlader. Brees later added an RBI double in the fourth as part of a two-hit performance.

Washburn returns to action Friday through Sunday in Tahlequah, Okla. at the Cherokee Classic.

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Created: 07 February 2026

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Shawnee Heights' girls regained the United Kansas Conference wrestling championship Saturday at Piper, with the Class 5A No. 3-ranked T-Birds topping No. 1 Basehor-Linwood by a 179.5-163 margin.

Shawnee Heights senior Olivia Stevens (left) reached the 100-win milestone in Saturday's UKC wrestling tournament while T-Bird senior Cianna Graves registered her 100th career pin. [Photo courtesy of Shawnee Heights wrestling]

The T-Birds garnered five individual conference titles while posting 10 top-three finishes.

Shawnee Heights got gold-medal performances from freshman 120-pounder Brinnley Morris, junior 125-pounder Audrey Hinkly, sophomore 130-pounder Olive Jones, senior 145-pounder Olivia Stevens and senior 155-pounder Cianna Graves.

Stevens, 27-4 on the season, and Graves, 28-2, both reached career milestones on Saturday, with Graves reaching 100 pins for her career while Stevens notched her 100th career victory.

Shawnee Heights also got runnerup UKC finishes from sophomore Bianca Juarez (110), senior Shelby Watson (170) and junior Brooklyn Binkley (190) while sophomore Halle Hall (115) and freshman Raelyn Kelly (130) placed third.

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Created: 07 February 2026

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural's girls and boys wrestling teams were unable to keep pace with Manhattan in Saturday's Centennial League tournament at Rural, with the Indians sweeping the team championships.

But both Junior Blues teams had plenty to celebrate, and Rural girls coach Damon Parker and girls coach Josh Hogan plan to use the league meet as a primer to get ready for upcoming Class 6A regional competition.

Washburn Rural's girls, ranked No. 5 in Class 6A by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association rolled to wins in its first three duals of the day -- 66-16 over Emporia, 45-33 over Junction City and 84-0 over Topeka High -- before the No. 3  Indians built a huge early lead and held off the Junior Blues down the stretch for a 45-32 win.

"Manhattan's loaded for bear,'' Parker said. "(Shawn) Bammes and those guys have done a great job over there. We knew going into that one that there were going to be a couple of key swing matches and we'd have to pull an upset. We had a couple of opportunities and they didn't go our way.''

Washburn Rural freshman Aliyah Tangpricha (right) won the 105-pound Centennial League girls wrestling title and was named the league girls newcomer of the year. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN] 

Washburn Rural senior Emme Blanco won the Centennial League girls 145-pound title with four straight pins Saturday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

 Washburn Rural senior Elia Smith won the 170-pound Centennial League championship and reached the 100-win milestone Saturday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn Rural junior Lily Davis won the 190-pound title in Saturday's Centennial League tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Washburn Rural got league individual titles from 105-pound freshman Aliyah Tangpricha, 145-pound senior  Emme Blanco, 170-pound senior Elia Smith and junior 190-pounder Lily Davis, who all went 4-0 on the day.

E. Blanco posted four straight pins while Smith recorded three pins and a 16-1 technical fall and Davis recorded three straight pins after receiving a first-round forfeit.

Smith, 125-pound senior runnerup Lacey Middleton and 140-pound senior runnerup Madi Blanco were all recognized Saturday for reaching the 100-win milestone for their careers while Tangpricha was voted the Centennial League girls newcomer of the year. 

Now the Junior Blues will turn their sights on Saturday's 6A regional tournament at Wichita South.

"We got film and we're ready to game plan,'' Parker said. "We don't learn a lot if we come out and thump everybody. The best opportunity to learn is when somebody takes it to you and (Manhattan) took to us today. Tip of the top hat to them.'' 

The No. 3-ranked Rural boys went 4-0  to open the tournament -- 44-36 over Emporia, 40-38 over Junction City, 52-27 over Topeka High and 46-33 over Hayden -- before the No. 2-ranked Indians took a 58-18 win over the short-handed Junior Blues, who were missing four starters.

Despite the loss to the Indians, Hogan was proud of the way his Junior Blues wrestled Saturday.

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Created: 07 February 2026

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

The No. 1 Washburn Ichabods had their 22-game winning streak come to an end Saturday, falling 74-72 to Central Missouri on the road in Warrensburg.

 

Junior Jack Bachelor led Washburn with 18 points in Saturday's 74-72 Ichabod loss at Central Missouri. [File photo/TSN]

 

Washburn returns to action on Thursday, hosting Arkansas-Fort Smith in Lee Arena at 7:30 p.m.

 

Washburn (22-1 overall, 12-1 MIAA) erased a double-digit second-half deficit and had an opportunity in the final seconds, but Central Missouri (18-7, 9-4) held on for the two-point win after dropping a double-overtime decision to the Ichabods at WU earlier in the season.

 

The Ichabods led for much of the first half and built their largest advantage at 16-4 after an early 9-0 run.

 

Junior Jack Bachelor helped pace the early surge with a pair of threes while sophomore Dillon Claussen and senior Bryson Smith attacked the rim to put Washburn in front.

 

Central Missouri answered with its perimeter shooting, knocking down nine first-half 3-pointers to flip the momentum.

 

A late triple in the closing seconds sent the Mules into the break with a 36-34 lead.

 

UCM pushed the margin to 12 pointsearly in the second half, stretching the lead to 47-35 behind continued outside shooting and second-chance opportunities.

 

Washburn chipped away midway through the half as Bachelor sparked a rally with a three and a transition layup, and sophomore Marcus Glock tied the game at 67 with a 3-pointer with 3:32 remaining.

 

Lazerek Houston responded with a three and later a fastbreak layup to give Central Missouri a 72-67 cushion inside the final two minutes.

 

Glock scored four straight at the free throw line to pull Washburn within 72-69, and after two Mule free throws, senior Sam Ungashick drilled a three with 15 seconds left to make it 74-72.

 

After a Central Missouri miss at the line on the next possession Washburn could not convert in the closing seconds.

 

Bachelor led Washburn with 18 points, while Claussen had 13 and Smith and Ungashick each had 10.

 

The Ichabods shot 43 percent from the field and went 18 of 22 at the free throw line.

 

Central Missouri shot 51 percent overall and hit 16 3-pointers.

 

Houston paced the Mules with 31 points, including five 3-pointers, as UCM used a 13-4 edge in second-chance points to offset Washburn's 30-16 advantage in the paint.