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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, the third-place finisher in last season’s Class 6A tournament, started the new softball season with a two-game sweep of Centennial League foe Topeka High Friday at Washburn Rural.
Junior Reagan Chapman pitched a first-game no-hitter in Washburn Rural's 7-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
“You don’t win championships on opening day, but that lays the groundwork for what happens moving forward,” Washburn Rural coach Joy Marie Galliart said. “We were definitely ready to face someone other than ourselves.
“We saw a lot of positives but saw a lot of things that we need to clean up. We need to execute some things better offensively. But when you only face your own pitching in practice and then you see somebody different, it kind of reveals some things that maybe you haven’t been able to see up to that point.”
Pitcher Reagan Chapman got the season started off on the right foot for Washburn Rural, spinning a no-hitter in the first game. The Junior Blues exploded for five runs in the fourth frame to win their season opener 7-0.
The junior Chapman, who was mostly found at shortstop last season, made a strong bid to be at the front of the pitching rotation for the Junior Blues. The only blemish in the outing came when she clipped a Trojan batter’s toe. She finished with six strikeouts.
“It’s hard to critique much when you come out and throw a no-hitter. But she has things she can work on,” Galliart said of Chapman’s outing. “But I thought she did a great job for the first game out. I thought our defense made the plays behind her which helped her. And obviously it gives you confidence when you know your defense is working behind you.”
“I feel good about it,” Chapman said of her day on the mound. “I had stellar defense out there.
“It’s great to be back. I hate winter. I was so ready to be back out here. I feel like we’re very connected. We’re really having a good time with each other.”
Topeka High pitcher Campbell Dawson held the Junior Blues in check for three innings. But a couple of Trojan errors got the Washburn Rural offense rolling in the fourth. Senior Avery Rupp plated two runs with a triple and the Junior Blues grabbed a 5-0 lead.
The Junior Blues added two insurance runs in the sixth inning when sophomore Justice McBurney launched a blast that hit the left field foul pole.
Washburn Rural sophomore Justice McBurney hit a two-run home run in Friday's 7-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Olivia Koch got the start in the second game and held the Trojans to just one run for the first six innings. Topeka High got the bats going in the seventh inning when, trailing 6-1, they plated three runs. Trojan Taimaine Isaia blasted a home run to tighten the score to 6-4, but Koch worked the final out to preserve the victory.
Sophomore Olivia Koch picked up the pitching victory in Washburn Rural's 6-4 second game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural baseball has had its problems against Topeka High the past two seasons, with the Trojans taking three of the past four games on the way to back-to-back Class 6A state tournament berths.
Washburn Rural junior left-hander Isaac Ansley twirled a complete-game pitching victory in Rural's 18-1 first-game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Brody Haas picked up a complete-game pitching victory in Tuesday's 24-1 second-game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
But Jay Mastin's Junior Blues turned the tables on the Trojans in a big way Tuesday at Hummer Sports Park, opening Centennial League play with an 18-1, 24-1 twinbill sweep in games that went four and five-inning contests.
"We split with them last year and got swept two years ago by them,'' Mastin said. "We talked about that the last practice that T-High has had our number the last couple of years and don't take anything for granted and come out here and play the game the right way.''
Washburn Rural got complete-game pitching performances from junior Isaac Ansley in the first game and junior Brody Haas in the nightcap while the Junior Blues, now -2 overall, scored at least a run in all nine at bats, with multiple runs in eight of the nine innings, with a high of 10 runs.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural juniors Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham captured the doubles championship to lead the Junior Blues in Tuesday's season-opening Washburn Rural Too Big Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center.
Washburn Rural junior doubles champions Dylan Willingham (left) and Cale Deutscher celebrate a point during Tuesday's Too Big Invitational at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN}
Washburn Rural junior doubles player Cale Deutscher slams down a return in Tuesday's Too Big Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Willingham, a two-time Class 6A state medalist, made his doubles debut with Deutcher, a returning state qualifier, and the the duo went undefeated on the day, capped by a 6-3, 6-4 win over Olathe East in the doubles final.
Rural also got third and fourth-place singles finishes from juniors Keegan Knudtson and Ben Tryhus as the Junior Blue boys made their debut under new head coach Michelle Rose.
Knudtson defeated teammate Ben Tryhus 8-3 third-place singles match.
WASHBURN RURAL TOO BIG INVITATIONAL
Singles
Championship -- Hoke, Manhattan, def. Holloway, NEK, 2-6, 6-1, 10-6.
Third -- Knudtson, Washburn Rural, def. Tryhus, Washburn Rural, 8-3.
Fifth -- Lang, Gardner-Edgerton, def. Hoffman, Olathe East, 8-4.
Doubles
Championship -- Deutscher/Willingham, Washburn Rural, def. Janeway/Hyer, Olathe East, 6-3, 6-4.
Third -- Spiegel/Arthaud-Day, Manhattan, def. Morgan/Byerly, Manhattan, 4-6, 6-4, 10-5.
Fifth -- Garcia/Gennarelli, Olathe East, def. Williamson/Whitehead, Washburn Rural, 8-3.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Carsyn Broxterman
CARSYN BROXTERMAN, Hayden
A junior soccer standout, Broxterman scored the game's only goal 41 seconds into the second half Friday at Hayden, lifting the Wildcats to a 1-0 victory over Cair Paravel Latin, the Class 4A-1A state runnerup last season.
Reagan Chapman
REAGAN CHAPMAN, Washburn Rural
Primarily a shortstop earlier in her high school softball career, Chapman opened her junior season with a no-hit pitching performance in Friday's 7-0 win over Centennial League rival Topeka High. Chapman struck out six batters while her bid for a perfect game was spoiled by a single hit batter.
Kate Hinck
KATE HINCK, Washburn Rural
Hinck, a senior soccer star, scored three goals and had three assists on the week as Washburn Rural opened its 2025 season with a pair of shutout wins. Hinck scored a goal and had two assists in Tuesday's 5-0 win over Olathe South and scored two goals and had an assist in Friday's 3-0 win over Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
City schools combined to win 10 events in Friday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational at Hummer Sport Park, with Seaman's girls leading the way with five wins en route to a runnerup team finish behind Manhattan.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller won three gold events in Friday's Topeka West Invitational at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman junior Ryin Miller, the reigning Gatorade Kansas Track and Field Athlete of the Year, was a double individual winner in the girls 1,600-meter run (4 minutes, 59.08) and the 800 (2:17.80) while also running on the Vikings' winning 4x400 relay (4:15.33).
Seaman also got wins in the girls 4x100 relay (51.94) and from senior Grace Jowers in the pole vault (10 feet, 6 inches) while sophomore Brynn Spencer posted runnerup individual finishes in the 1,600 (5:39.41) and the 3,200 (12:25.66).
Topeka High junior Keimara Marshall won the 400-meter dash in Friday's Topeka West Invitational at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High junior Keimara Marshall won the girls 400-meter dash (62.21) and finished second in the 100 (12.45) helped the Trojans finish second in the 4x100 relay (52.51), while sophomore Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton was second in the long jump (18-0.25) and the triple jump (38-2.25) and also ran on the 4x100 relay.
Seaman junior Brody Anderson (middle) and Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman (right) finished one-two in the boys 1,600 in Friday's Topeka West Invitational and Lehman won the 3,200. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
On the boys side, Seaman junior Brody Anderson led a one-two-three city finish in the 1,600 meters, winning in 4:29.71 while Topeka West senior Adrian Lehman was second (4:31.81) and Charger senior Mark Wilkie third (4:32.21).
Lehman and Wilkie came back later in the meet to go one-two in the 3,200, with Lehman finishing first in 10:09.76 and Wilkie taking second in 10:12.39.
Topeka High senior Ben Roeder won the boys 400-meter dash in Friday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High senior Ben Roeder won the 400 dash in 51.91 while Seaman sophomore Quinton White won the pole vault with a clearance of 9 feet.
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL
