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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The names are probably already well known to anyone who has followed local sports over the past several years, but a long and growing list of athletes who starred at Topeka/Shawnee County schools have made a big impact at the college and/or professional level this fall and winter.
Here's a look at just some of the stars who continue to make their fans proud:
Jack Bachelor
JACK BACHELOR, Washburn Rural -- Bachelor only moved a few miles after a standout prep basketball career at Washburn Rural, but the 6-foot-2 guard has made an immediate impact for Washburn in his freshman season. Bachelor is currently averaging 11 points for the 7-4 Ichabods while shooting 53 percent from the field (44 of 83) and 53.1 percent from 3-point range (17 of 32) in 23.3 minutes per game. Bachelor, coming off a career-high 24-point game in his second career start, is the Ichabods' third-leading scorer and is tied for the team lead with 34 assists and tied for second on the team with six blocked shots.
Corey Ballentine
COREY BALLENTINE, Shawnee Heights/Washburn/Green Bay Packers -- A 5-foot-11, 196-pound cornerback, the former Shawnee Heights and Washburn star has played in 12 games with five starts this season for the 7-8 Packers, recording 38 tackles (24 solo). Ballentine recorded a career-high 10 tackles in a 27-19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The fifth-year pro has played in 52 career games for the Giants, Jets, Lions and Packers, recording 89 tackles, including 66 solo stops.
Elijah Brooks
ELIJAH BROOKS, Topeka West/North Dakota -- A 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, a former Mr. Kansas Basketball for Topeka West, has helped the Fighting Hawks open the season 8-5, averaging 5.1 points and 3.3 rebounds while playing an average of 20.9 minutes in 12 games. Brooks is shooting 66.7 percent on his field goal attempts on the year, going 24 of 36. Brooks had a season-high of 12 points against New Orleans. As a freshman Brooks averaged 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds with a career-high of 17 points against Seattle.
Brooklyn DeLeye
BROOKLYN DELEYE, Washburn Rural/Kentucky -- The former three-sport Washburn Rural star, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter, made a big splash for the Kentucky volleyball team as a true freshman, being named the SEC Freshman of the Year and earning All-SEC first-team honors after helping lead the Wildcats to their seventh straight conference championship. DeLeye played in all 29 matches with 26 starts for Kentucky, leading the 21-8 Wildcats with 391 kills while also compiling 184 digs and 23 blocks.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural junior Easton Broxterman and Topeka West sophomore Imani McGlory have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2023-2024 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Broxterman and McGlory over the past week:
Washburn Rural junior Easton Broxterman has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency boys Rising Star of the week after winning the 132-pound title in the KC Stampede. [File photo/TSN]
EASTON BROXTERMAN, Washburn Rural
A junior returning Class 6A state champion, Broxterman emerged from a field of 58 wrestlers as the 132-pound champion in the Kansas City Stampede last Saturday at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Mo.
Broxterman, who improved to 18-1 on the season, captured the championship with a 5-0 decision over Miller Sipes of Staley, Mo.
Broxterman is a two-time 6A state finalist, finishing as a runnerup as a freshman before last season's title.
Topeka West sophomore Imani McGlory has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency girls Rising Star of the week after helping lead West to three straight wins last week. [File photo/TSN]
IMANI McGLORY, Topeka West
A 5-foot-6 sophomore, McGlory helped lead Topeka West girls basketball to three wins in four nights last week, with the Chargers evening their record at 3-3.
McGlory scored 15 points with three 3-pointers in West's 54-34 United Kansas Conference win over Lansing last Tuesday and had 16 points with two 3s in Thursday's 54-35 win over Junction City and helped the Chargers close out the week with a 57-22 UKC win at Kansas City-Turner on Friday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Seaman community will celebrate the life of Viking coaching legend Bob Camien at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, at the Sunrise Optimist Club, 720 NW 50th Street in Topeka.
The longtime Seaman cross country and track and field coach passed away on Sept. 3 at the age of 76 after a long illness.
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Camien was living in Naples, Fla. with his wife, Julie, at the time of his death.
Camien came to Seaman as a shop teacher and coach in the 1979-1980 school year,
Before starting his long career at Seaman, Camien, a native New Yorker, was an elite track athlete for Emporia State University.
Camien ran distance under ESU Hall of Famer Fran Welch in college after running for another ESU Hall of Famer, Jim Fraley, in high school in New York.
Camien led Seaman to an impressive run of Centennial League championships as well as a Class 6A girls cross country title in 1984 and the Class 5A state track and field title in 2006.
Seaman's annual track and field meet, one of the biggest regular-season meets in Kansas, is named the Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Invitational in honor of Camien and former girls track coach Welch.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's boys basketball team punctuated a solid 4-1 start to the 2023-2024 season with a 69-56 home non-league win over Shawnee Mission West Wednesday night.
Hayden senior Dom Ridley scored a game-high 19 points in Wednesday's 69-56 non-league win over Shawnee Mission West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Wildcats went wire-to-wire for their third straight win after scoring the first four points of the game against a short-handed Shawnee Mission West team, which played without multiple varsity players (coach's decision).
"It was pretty solid,'' first-year Wildcat coach Trey Brown said of his team's performance. "I love their effort, being down a key guy (injured senior Jacob Padilla). I think the guys fought hard and we've got a couple of things to clean up, but other than that the effort was great, we executed for the most part and they played hard and that's all you can ask for this early on.''
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Last Year Brooklyn DeLeye was enjoying her senior year of high school as a student at Washburn Rural, where she won two state championships, the first coming her junior year in basketball and the last coming her senior year in volleyball.
“Washburn Rural was a special environment that I will cherish forever,'' said DeLeye, a two-time Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year in volleyball. "The relationships I made and the support from the community has definitely been a big impact on my career. I think the amazing coaches I had, and the teammates that I spent so much time with, truly helped develop me into the player and person I am today.
"They pushed me to be my best and always held me accountable. I have nothing but great things to say about Washburn Rural and I know so many other people would agree with me.”
This year DeLeye's a freshman at the University of Kentucky, where she was named SEC Freshman of the Year.
“Being named SEC Freshman of the Year felt so surreal,'' she said. "Growing up watching college volleyball and all these amazing players receiving awards, receiving one for myself truly felt like a dream. I also would not have even been close to getting this award if it weren’t for my amazing support system, my teammates, and my coaches.
"This team truly was patient with me all year. I had a rocky start and I received nothing but love and support all year.”
DeLeye posted amazing numbers in her first season in Lexington with 416 points scored and 391 kills with 184 digs.
“In my eyes, the start of the year did not go according to plan as far of what I was doing to help my team on the court,'' DeLeye said. "When I got to college, I thought I would just jump in and pick right up where I had left. I was so wrong. It took me months to get accustomed to the college level of volleyball and I am not the most patient person. I wanted results fast, but the reality was that it was a slow process. I had to get out of my comfort zone and really try to find myself again in volleyball.
"Our season started off rocky as well, but I think the team and myself were just trying to build trust within each other and the new system we were trying to run. Once we built that trust, I think that’s is when everything started to click. My confidence came back and I think the results really started to show as well.”
