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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rick Bloomquist is as passionate about coaching basketball, and coaching at Topeka West, as he ever has been in a successful high school career that has spanned more than four decades and produced 576 victories.
Veteran Topeka West basketball coach Rick Bloomquist is stepping away from coaching to watch his sons play high school basketball. [File photo/TSN]
But Bloomquist knows that it's time for him, at least for the foreseeable future, to apply that passion towards supporting his sons' fledgling careers in the sport he so dearly loves.
Cohen Bloomquist recently completed his freshman season at Emporia High while his younger brother, Kaelon, will be a freshman for the Spartans next season and Rick Bloomquist wants to be on hand for every minute.
To that end, the 69-year-old Bloomquist confirmed to TopSports.news that he is stepping away from coaching at Topeka West, although he plans to continue teaching at the school. Bloomquist informed his West players of his decision on Thursday morning.
"One hundred percent of this whole deal is being a dad, I need to be a dad,'' Bloomquist told TSN. "I took this job 12 years ago, so you're talking about Cohen being 4 and Kaelon being 3 and they've sacrificed that (basketball) season, not of me being a father but being a dad and being around as much. They had no problem with it, nobody had a problem with it, but now it's their turn.
"I didn't know how long I was going to be at Topeka West. I didn't have any idea, but every year it got better and every year I got happier and every year everything meshed together. Their mother, Kendra, supported it very well and the boys actually have been proud that their dad was the coach at Topeka West and they wore that badge every day it seemed like, so this whole decision is 100 percent based on being a dad and watching them through their high school years. I owe that to them, I owe that to me, to both of us, because I've missed out on that part of their sports activities.
"I haven't missed out on their football or their track or their baseball or anything else they wanted to do, but basketball's a long season and now that they're both getting up there and getting a chance to play at the high school level I don't want to miss out on that.''
Before taking over a moribund Topeka West program in the 2012-2013 season Bloomquist previously coached for 21 years at Emporia, where he led the Spartans to six state tournament appearances and a runner-up state finish in 1995, and coached nine seasons at Kingman.
But it was at Topeka West where Bloomquist rejuvenated his career after being out of the game for two seasons.
Bloomquist notched his 500th career win in West's win over Olathe Northwest in January, 2020, and he has led the Chargers to five straight winning seasons, including a berth in the Class 5A state championship game in 2021.
Rick Bloomquist has posted 576 victories as a high school coach, taking Emporia and Topeka West to the state finals. [File photo/TSN]
And even though he knows in his heart that he's making the right decision, Bloomquist said that it is still really hard to step away from coaching.
"It pulls on me bad, it pulls on me hard,'' Bloomquist said. "I really love coaching in (USD) 501. My personality fits 501's philosophy of coaching. There's a good fit here and I realize that. There's some places my personality wouldn't fit, but 90 percent of my time here the parents, the administrators have been just great.
"There's just so many happy memories and positive things whether it be coaching or teaching, the whole gamut. The Topeka West atmosphere, I love it here.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's baseball team didn't get the win it was looking for in Tuesday's season-opener, with Gardner-Edgerton taking a 3-2 nailbiter over the Junior Blues at Rural.
But Rural coach Jay Mastin, whose team entered the 2024 campaign with numerous holes to fill, particularly in its pitching staff, saw a lot of positives that he hopes the Junior Blues can build on moving forward.
Senior Braden Hauschel pitched five solid innings for Washburn Rural in Tuesday's 3-2 season-opening loss to Gardner-Edgerton. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior catcher Connor Wells tags out Gardner-Edgerton's Gracen Crowder at home in Tuesday's 3-0 Trailblazer win over the Junior Blues. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural played error-free baseball and got solid pitching performances from seniors Braden Hauschel and Braden Ailslieger but managed only three hits against three Trailblazer pitchers and was unable to fully take advantage of the scoring opportunities it was afforded through five hit batters and four walks.
"From last year's pitching staff we return one player who threw one inning so we're pretty much brand new on the mound and had to fill a few spots on the field and in the batting order, too,'' Mastin said. "I was really impressed with Braden Hauschel on the mound today. He was injured all last year and to see him out there and give us five innings and keep us in the game I was really proud of his effort today and then Ailslieger came in and pitched a couple of good innings of relief to give us a shot there at the end.
"At the plate we got some runners on base but we couldn't do much with them and couldn't move them over and the four double play balls that we hit into was a big factor.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brody Anderson, Seaman
BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman
A sophomore distance standout, Anderson received All-Shawnee County honorable mention in track last spring and was a first-team all-county pick in cross country in the fall. Anderson set the fastest five-kilometer time in Seaman cross country history at the city meet, clocking a time of 15 minutes, 50 seconds, and Anderson finished third at regionals to lead the Vikings to a state team berth. Anderson opened his track season with a win in the 800 meters in the Topeka West Invitational (2:01.23).
Alesecio Batson, Topeka West
ALESECIO BATSON, Topeka West
A junior, Batson is the returning Class 5A state champion in the triple jump, winning the title with a leap of 48 feet, 4.25 inches. An All-Shawnee County first-team pick, Batson was the county leader in the event with a season-best jump of 48-11. Batson is easing back into competition this spring after suffering a leg injury over the summer but finished third in the 400-meter dash (53.64) in the season-opening Topeka West Invitational.
TRISTAN BERG, Seaman
Berg is a standout senior long-jumper for the Vikings and earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season. Berg finished his 2023 eason tied for fourth in Shawnee County with a top jump of 21 feet, 5 inches.
BRYCE COCHRAN, Seaman
A junior, Cochran earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season after a solid season for the Vikings in the sprints and jumps. Cochran ranked third in the county last season in the 200-meter dash (22.34) and fifth in the triple jump (41-10). Cochran opened the 2024 season in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational, finishing fourth in the 200 (23.41) and running on Seaman's second-place 4x100 and 4x400 relays, with the 4x100 setting a school record.
ALEX DITTMAN, Shawnee Heights
A senior, Dittman was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection in 2023 after finishing fifth in the 5A javelin (165 feet, 9 inches). Dittman had a season-best of 175-1, which ranked No. 2 in the county. Dittman opened his season at Friday's Free State Early Bird Invitational with a runnerup finish in the javelin at 157-9.
Finn Dunshee, Hayden
FINN DUNSHEE, Hayden
A returning All-Shawnee County first-teamer, Dunshee, a senior, won the 4A 100-meter dash (10.84) last spring and also ran on the Wildcats' winning 4x100 (42.65) and 4x400 relays while helping Hayden set the 4A meet record in the 4x400 relay (3:20.99). Dunshee was also an all-county Top 22 selection in football after helping the Wildcats advance to the 3A state championship game.
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights
JACKSON ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights
A senior Kansas State signee, Esquibel won the 5A 3,200-meter run in 9 minutes, 18.67 seconds in the 2023 state track meet and added a runnerup finish in the 1,600 (4:15.26). A multi-time All-Shawnee County pick, Esquibel added the 5A cross country championship this past fall. Esquibel opened his senior track campaign with a sweep of the 1,600 meters (4:36.23) and 3,200 (9:44.51) in Friday's Free State Early Bird Invitational.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Payton Fink, Washburn Rural
PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural
Fink, a first-team All-Shawnee County pick last spring, is one of Class 6A's premier distance runners and will also run relays for the Junior Blues. Fink was part of Washburn Rural's fifth-place 4x800-meter relay team (9:52.27) in the 2023 6A state meet. Fink finished second in the 6A cross country meet last fall.
Taylie Heston, Seaman
TAYLIE HESTON, Seaman
A junior, Heston earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season after earning a 5A state medal as a member of Seaman's sixth-place 4x800 relay team. Heston opened her season in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational with a second-place finish in the 800 meters (2:37.14) while also running on Seaman's winning 4x400 and 4x800 relays.
Natalie Hillebert (left), Hayden
NATALIE HILLEBERT, Hayden
A first-team All-Shawnee County selection last spring, Hillebert placed second in the 4A 400 meters. A senior, Hillebert clocked a time of 58.83 seconds at state and ranked No. 2 in the county with a season-best of 58.15. Hillebert also ranked among the county leaders in the 200 dash. Hillebert finished second in the 400 in Friday's season-opener at Free State (63.31).
Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural
RYLEE ISMERT, Washburn Rural
A junior distance runner, Ismert helped Washburn Rural post a fifth-place finish in 6A in the 4x800 relay (9:25.27) in the 6A state meet. Ismert, a first-team All-Shawnee County team last season, ranked among the county leaders in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters last spring. Ismert placed 16th in the 6A cross country meet last fall.
KAIBRYN KRUGER, Silver Lake
A senior, Kruger earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season after placing sixth at state in the 3A triple jump (34-10). Kruger was the county leader in the triple jump with a season-best of 35 feet and tied for the county lead in the long jump with a season-best of 16-10.
MAGGIE LESMEISTER, Seaman
A senior, Lesmeister is a standout javelin thrower for the Vikings, earning All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season. Lesmeister ranked third in the county last spring with a season-best of 121-6 and took first place in Thursday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational (107-11).
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High
KEIMARA MARSHALL, Topeka High
A sophomore, Marshall established herself as one of the area's top sprinters last spring, earning first-team all-county honors. Marshall ranked No. 2 in the county in the 100 (12.74) and fourth in the 200 (26.70) in 2023 and opened the current season with second-place finishes in the 100 and 200 in the Topeka West Invitational.
Ryin MIller, Seaman
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, a sophomore, was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2023, earning a pair of 5A state medals. Miller ran on Seaman's third-place 4x400 relay and the Vikings' sixth-place 4x800 relay team. Miller is one of the top cross country runners in 5A and is coming off a third-place 5A state finish last fall.
BROOKLYN NOLTE, Washburn Rural
A junior, Nolte earned All-Shawnee County first-team honors last spring after running on Washburn Rural's 4x800 relay team that finished fifth in 6A (9:52.27). Nolte ran on the Junior Blues' cross country team that finished fourth as a team in the 6A state meet last fall, placing 41st individually.
RAE NORTH, Hayden
A junior sprinter, North was a first-team All-Shawnee County first-team selection last season after earning a 4A state medal with an eighth-place individual finish in the 400-meter dash. North will also compete in relays for the Wildcats.
RAEGAN PETERSEN, Washburn Rural
Petersen, a senior, is one of Shawnee County's top throwers, earning all-county honorable mention last season. Petersen was the Shawnee County leader in the discus with a season-best of 119 feet, 2 inches. Petersen was also a standout for Washburn Rural's golf team, capping her career with a 17th-place state finish last fall.
AVA ROTTINGHAUS, Silver Lake
A senior, Rottinghaus placed sixth in the 3A girls javelin last spring (126 feet, 2 inches) and also ran on the Eagles' fourth-place 4x400 relay (4:11.98). A first-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2023, Rottinghaus ranked second in the county in the javelin, with her throw at state her personal best.
Jaida Stallbaumer, Seaman
JAIDA STALLBAUMER, Seaman
Stallbaumer, a junior, was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick in 2023 after finishing fifth in the 5A 100-meter high hurdles (16.04) and running on the Vikings' third-place 4x400 relay. Stallbaumer ranked No. 1 in Shawnee County last season in the 300 hurldes and was second in the 100 hurdles. Stallbaumer opened her 2024 season with a win in the 300 hurdles and ran on the Vikings' winning 4x400 relay.
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NOTE: Final statistics for city boys basketball teams for the 2023-2024 season were compiled by Seaman girls coach Matt Tinsley after receiving reports from city coaches.
SCORING
Name, school Gms. Pts. Avg
Robinson, Highland Park 25 545 21.8
Highland Park junior Ja'Corey Robinson (23) led the city in scoring and rebounding, averaging a double-double on the season. [File photo/TSN]
J. Sanchez, Shawnee Heights 19 366 19.3
Everhart, Cair Paravel 21 349 16.6
Dodge, Shawnee Heights 21 348 16.6
Williams, Highland Park 25 409 16.6
Bonner, Seaman 18 283 15.7
Foy, Topeka West 22 296 13.5
Anderson, Highland Park 23 291 12.7
Pavlik, Cair Paravel 21 265 12.6
Hales, Topeka High 20 244 12.2
Ballard, Washburn Rural 22 264 12.0
Durst, Washburn Rural 22 256 11.6
Finley, Seaman 21 234 11.1
Pomeroy, Shawnee Heights 21 233 11.1
Lyons, Topeka High 16 176 11.0
REBOUNDING
Name, school Gms. Total Avg.
Robinson, Highland Park 25 289 11.6
J. Sanchez, Shawnee Heights 19 171 9.0
