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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: TopSports.news' list of the top Shawnee County boys cross country runners to watch in 2026, based on performances in the 2025 season, will be updated as needed after practice begins on Aug. 17 and more information is received from county coaches.
Jaxson Adams
JAXSON ADAMS, Washburn Rural
A junior, Adams earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for the first time last fall after finishing fifth in the city meet, ninth in the Centennial League, 22nd in a Class 6A regional and 42nd at state as the Junior Blues captured the state team title by a point after earlier winning city and league championships and finishing second on a tiebreaker at regionals. Adams was a 6A state track qualifier in the 3,200 meters, posting a third-place regional finish.
Conner Bloom
CONNER BLOOM, Seaman
A senior, Bloom was a first-time member of the All-Shawnee County first team last fall after finishing ninth in the city meet and 11th in the United Kansas Conference meet for the runnerup Vikings. Bloom finished 24th in a Class 5A regional at Wichita and will be counted on to be a leader for the Vikings this fall. Bloom was a 5A state qualifier in track in the 4x800 relay this past spring.
EASTON DAVIS, Topeka High
Davis, a junior, has received All-Shawnee County honorable mention the past two seasons. Davis finished 17th in the city meet last fall and went on to earn an individual berth in the Class 6A state meet with a 14th-place regional finish.
Clayton Fink
CLAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural
A junior first-team All-Shawnee County first-team repeat pick, Fink placed fourth in the city championships and the Centennial League meet for the champion Junior Blues and finished seventh in a Class 6A regional and placed 26th in the state meet as Washburn Rural captured the team championship. Fink received all-county honorable mention this past spring in track.
Duke Graf
DUKE GRAF, Washburn Rural
Graf, a junior, earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for the first time after finishing third in the city meet, 14th in the Centennial League, second in Class 6A regional competition and 28th in the Class 6A state meet as the Junior Blues won the team title by a point over Blue Valley. Graf also helped Rural win city and league titles.
Henry Laubach
HENRY LAUBACH, Washburn Rural
A junior All-Shawnee County first-team repeat pick, Laubach bounced back from an injury to post a team-best 22nd-place finish in the Class 6A state meet, helping lead Washburn Rural to the state title. Laubach placed seventh in the Centennial League and 12th in a 6A regional. Laubach received all-county honorable mention in track.
Nick Newkirk
NICK NEWKIRK, Hayden
Newkirk, a junior, posted a sixth-place finish in the city meet, was 18th in the Centennial League meet and earned a individual berth in the Class 4A state meet with a 14th-place finish at regionals. A first-team All-Shawnee County pick, Newkirk capped his season with a 34th-place finish at state.
HUNTER ROOKS, Silver Lake
Rooks, a senior, is a multi-time Class 3A state qualifier, helping the Eagles qualify as a team last fall. Rooks posted a 60th-place finish in the state meet to pace Silver Lake.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After a year out of football, former Highland Park and Washburn University standout Michael Wilhoite is back in the NFL with the Denver Broncos.
Former Highland Park and Washburn standout Michael Wilhoite, who was back in Topeka last month to co-host his annual youth camp, has rejoined the Denver Broncos coaching staff as a defensive assistant. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Multiple Denver news outlets have reported that the Broncos have added former assistant Wilhoite to their coaching staff as a defensive assistant.
Wilhoite, who previously coached outside linebackers for the Broncos, was let go in March of 2025 after an incident at the Denver airport, but all criminal chargers were eventually dropped, opening the door for Wilhoite's return.
A member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, Wilhoite put together a seven-year NFL career as a linebacker with San Francisco and Seattle, including a Super Bowl appearance, before coaching in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers and Broncos.
Wilhoite was back in Topeka last month to co-host the Mental Performance And Wellness Night and Big Kev Give Back lineup at Washburn along with close friend and fellow Hall of Famer Kyle Weems.
"Over my past year being out of work and being out of sports I spent a lot of time on myself and therapy and on mental performance and just growing and learning and gaining new tools for myself to help me stay confident in those times of lapses, those times of insecurity, those times of questioning,'' Wilhoite said during his return to Topeka. "I've been able to find different tools to help me to continue to move forward in a positive manner.
"I'm out of football for a year and that was tough. That had essentially become my identity and that had become who I was -- football coaching -- and that being taken away it kind of stripped me of that with it. It got tough, so I went and sought out help and it changed my life. It gave me perspective that I hadn't had before in my life.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University linebacker JC Heim was a tackle machine last fall as a sophomore, rolling up 142 total stops to lead the MIAA and rank second in the nation.
Former Washburn Rural star JC Heim returns for his third season at Washburn after ranking second in the nation with 142 tackles in 2025. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But like almost all great players, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Washburn Rural product would gladly sacrifice individual stats for more team success as the Ichabods try to improve on back-to-back 3-8 seasons and three straight losing campaigns overall.
"One hundred percent, 110 percent I would give up the stats I had for a few more wins and I'm just excited to see how it works out this year,'' Heim said.
Heim, a Washburn team champion, registered 71 solo stops a year ago to rank No. 3 in the nation and had seven tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery while posting a career-high 17 tackles against Colorado School of Mines.
Heim admitted that he was surprised by last year's numbers.
"It definitely caught me off guard,'' Heim said. "During the game you just get in that flow state and you don't realize the tackles and stats you have. I don't really tend to worry about that much. I just worry about my job, but it came with how we play our defense and how the guys did up front and that's how I was able to get the stats I had.
"I surprised myself, but the coaches and the players around me, they're confident in me and how I play the game and what I do.''
Washburn star JC Heim is focused on helping the Ichabods take a big step forward this fall after a huge sophomore campaign. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn suffered five losses by seven or fewer points last season, including an overtime loss, and Heim feels like the Ichabods are poised to make a big jump this fall.
"We've got a lot of depth at a lot of positions,'' said Heim, who has 171 career tackles with 84 solo stops and eight tackles for loss. "We've got a lot of returners coming back and we've built a lot of leaders up, so I'm just excited to see how we respond to adversity this year and how we finish games.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: TopSports.news' list of the top Shawnee County girls cross country runners to watch in 2026, based on performances in the 2025 season, will be updated as needed after practice begins on Aug. 17 and more information is received from county coaches.
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural
REESE BEARDSLEE, Washburn Rural
Beardslee, a junior, earned her first All-Shawnee County first-team honor last fall after placing fifth individually in the city meet for the team-champion Junior Blues. Beardslee also placed 11th in the Centennial League, 17th in Class 6A regional competition and 50th at state.
CLARA DILLON, Washburn Rural
A sophomore, Dillon was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2025 after posting an eighth-place finish in the city meet for the team-champion Junior Blues and finishing 18th in the Centennial League meet, 21st in Class 6A regional competition and 62nd in the state meet.
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake
ALI GERBER, Silver Lake
Gerber, a senior, earned All-Shawnee County first-team honors last fall after receiving honorable mention as a sophomore. Gerber posted a sixth-place finish in Class 3A regional competition and finished 35th in the state meet. Gerber was a repeat first-team all-county pick in track this past spring after placing fourth in the 3A 400-meter dash and running on the Eagles' fifth-place 4x400 relay team.
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural
ALYSON HINCK, Washburn Rural
Hinck was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick last fall as a freshman after finishing second in the city meet for the team-champion Junior Blues and placing sixth in the Centennial League, eighth in Class 6A regional competition and a team-high 25th in the state meet. Hinck was also a first-team all-county pick in track, placing fifth in the 6A 800 meters.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
If NCAA Division II follows Division I's lead in the near future, college athletes will be granted an extra season of eligibility, having five years to play five seasons.
Washburn Rural product Ty Weber is excited about the possibility of getting to play five seasons for Washburn football. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
If and when that proposal goes into effect, Washburn University senior tight end Ty Weber is likely to jump at the opportunity to play an extra season for the Ichabods.
"The thing is, you don't get to play football much in your life,'' said the 6-foot-4 235-pound Weber, a Washburn team captain. "Once you're done you're done, and this group of guys that we have now has been some of the most fun guys I've ever gotten to play with, so it's just a joy to show up every day and it's like, 'Why would I not want to get one more?' ''
Weber, a former Washburn Rural football and baseball standout, cracked Washburn's starting lineup as a true freshman in 2023, but experienced a devastating tragedy prior to the Ichabods' fifth game of the season when his father, Billy, died suddenly at 55 years old.
Weber fought through the heartbreak to play in nine games with seven starts as a freshman and appeared in all 11 games as a sophomore with eight starts.
Weber suffered another setback last season, missing the Ichabods' first five games after being stricken with amyloidosis, a rare ailment that resulted in Weber suffering full body cramping that resulted in hospitalization.
But Weber, who suffered a broken leg in baseball as a sophomore at Rural, once again showed his resiliency, returning to action for the final six games of the season as Washburn posted a second straight 3-8 season.
"Those things, when they happen, they make you appreciate it more,'' Weber said. "And this maybe being my last one it kind of gives you a different sense of feeling about it.
"I'm looking forward to a year where I don't have to see the doctors much and not see the trainers as much, but also to have more wins in the win column.''
