- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With a ninth straight Class 6A state semifinal berth on the line, Washburn Rural's soccer team left nothing to chance Tuesday night, rolling to a decisive 5-1 quarterfinal victory over Wichita Northwest at McElroy Field.
"That was as good as we've played all year,'' Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "They played the kind of soccer that we want to play, which is using the entire roster, pressuring people and getting our forwards attacking people. Our forwards had their best game of the year.
"Everybody who played forward tonight was awesome and we did everything we wanted to do tonight.''
With Tuesday's win the 14-4-1 Junior Blues advanced to a 7 p.m. semifinal game Friday at Wichita's Stryker Complex against Mill Valley (16-2-1). Rural's Centennial League rival, Manhattan, also advanced to the Final Four, taking a 4-0 win over Garden City. The Indians (12-5-2) will play the 5 p.m. semifinal against Shawnee Mission East (17-2-0).
Friday's semifinal winners will play for the title at 2 p.m. Saturday, following the 12 p.m. third-place game.
Washburn Rural took the lead to stay on a goal from junior Hayley Legg with 31:01 left in the first half and added goals from seniors Maya Hoge and Mackinly Rohn over the final 8:23 of the half to take a commanding 3-0 advantage.
The Junior Blues tacked on goals by sophomore Kate Hinck and junior Brooklyn Tuffley in the second half to open up a 5-0 lead with 14:30 remaining before Wichita Northwest (12-7-0) got on the board with just 2:28 remaining on a goal from junior Merari Flores.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights senior Alex Valdivia and Topeka West junior Myles Alonzo are used to battling it out on the golf course, and Tuesday's Class 5A state tournament at McPherson was no exception.
Valdivia and Alonzo finished the state tournament with identical 36-hole scores of 143, tying for 12th place to earn state medals at the Turkey Creek Golf Course.
Valdivia carded a 70 Tuesday after an opening-round 73 while Alonzo followed his first-round 71 with a 72.
Bulldawgs finish fifth in 3A
Rossville posted a fifth-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament at Dodge City's Mariah Hills, carding a four-man two-day score of 671.
Sophomore Jonathan Hart finished fifth individually to lead the Bulldawgs, shooting a 71 on Tuesday after a first-round 79 to finish at 150.
Hart was followed by freshman Jack Donovan, who tied for 16th place with a 157 (80-77), while senior Kyser Lundin finished at 181 (88-93), freshman Paxton Willett at 183 (90-93), senior Manuel VanderPutten at 201 (102-99) and senior Aiden Baumchen at 216 (102-114)
Silver Lake junior Bryce Badsky earned his third 3A state medal, tying Donovan for 16th place at 157 (79-78).
Santa Fe Trail junior Lane Workman won the 3A state title by four strokes, posting a 36-hole total of 142 (72-70).
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden sits in fifth place after Monday's opening round of the Class 4A boys golf tournament at Quail Creek Golf Course in Winfield, earning a team berth for Tuesday's final round.
The Wildcats finished the first round with a four-man score of 339 to advance to the second round.
Sophomore Tagen Rodriguez led Hayden with a first-round 82, followed by sophomore James Kuta with an 84, senior Garrett Borjon with an 89, sophomore Nick Gorman and senior Noah Haverkamp with 90s and sophomore Colin Scott with a 98.
Bulldawgs fifth in 3A team race
Rossville earned a team berth for Tuesday's final round in the Class 3A state tournament at Dodge City's Maiah Hills, currently sitting in fifth place with a four-man score of 337.
Sophomore Jonathan Hart led the Bulldawgs with a first-round 79, followed by freshman Jack Donovan with an 80, senior Kyser Lundin with an 88, freshman Paxton Willett with a 90 and seniors Aiden Baumchen and Manuel VanderPutten with a 102.
Silver Lake junior Bryce Badsky, a two-time state medalist shot a 79 to advance to Tuesday's final round as an individual.
Rural's Glynn, Tyrell advance in 6A
Junior Hayden Glynn and senior Bryan Tyrell earned invididual berths for the final 18 holes of competition in the Class 6A state tournament at Newton's Sand Creek Station.
Washburn Rural fell short of advancing as a team to Tuesday's round but Glynn shot a 77 and Tyrell a 79 to earn two of the 18 individual spots.
- Details
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
ROSSVILLE -- Rossville juniors Katie Spielman and Hailey Horton are first-year members of the state-bound softball team in 2023, and despite the battery tandem being brand new to the team this season, they've been key contributors to the Bulldawgs' success.
Rossville (17-4) knocked off top-seeded Silver Lake, 4-1, in last Thursday's regional championship game to earn a berth in the Class 3A state tournament at Manhattan.
The win over its deeply rooted rival meant the world to the Rossville team.
The Bulldawgs have had their fair share of contributors pitch into their second straight regional championship win. Most of Rossville's crew has played with each other on the field and have been friends off the field since they could start playing sports.
Rossville pitcher Spielman and catcher Horton took different paths to contributing to the Bulldawgs' highly-successful 2023 campaign.
Spielman is originally from Clay Center, while Horton moved from right next door at Silver Lake to start the 2022-2023 school year. Spielman and Horton are three-sport athletes who had time to acclimate to their new homes before the softball season.
"The move wasn't hard," Horton said. "But getting to know everyone at (Rossville) was probably the hardest part. I feel like I clicked pretty quickly with most people since I just moved from the town over. I already knew most of the people. So I'd say it was easy to click with everyone."
"I'd say my situation was a bit different with me living an hour and a half away," Spielman said. "It was a lot different having to move here and get to know the community and everyone. Over the summer, it was hard. But once we started school and playing sports together, it got better."
- Details
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior All-American Brooklyn DeLeye has been selected to play in the Kansas Volleyball Association's 2023 All-Star Match on June 3 at Lee Arena.
DeLeye, who will play collegiately at Kentucky, will play for the Red after helping lead Rural to four straight Class 6A state tournaments, including the state championship last fall.
Veteran Silver Lake coach Sarah Johnson will serve as an assistant coach for the Blue team.
Match time will be 4:30 p.m.
The players selected for the KVA All-Star Match are first nominated by their high school coaches (who must be KVA members), and then recommended by a committee to fill the squads.
Based on achievements, positions, classifications, collegiate plans and availability, the squads are determined and divided into the two teams.
KVA ALL-STAR MATCH
BLUE
Kori Arnold, Hillsboro; Brailee Bogle, Wichita Northwest; Lindsay Cure, Goodland; McKenzie Fairchild, Andale; Campbell Hague, Cheney; Bella Hedke, Marysville; Addyson Holthaus, Nemaha Central; Emery May, Andale; Josie McLean, Hutchinson; Sydney Swingle, Attica; Skylar Weaver, Lansing; Keala Wilson, Ell-Saline; Shelbi Wilson, Labette County.
Coaches -- Sandy Arnold, Hillsboro; Sarah Johnson, Silver Lake; Kayla Weidert, Andover Central.
RED
Payton Benoit, Wichita Northwest; Brooklyn Deleye, Washburn Rural; Massey Holle, Hanover; Kyra Johnson, Doniphan West; Maliyah Johnson, Hutchinson; Liana McGonigle, Sedgwick; Allie Paulsen, Andover Central; Heather Schemper, Phillipsburg; Maddie Schrandt, Andale; Ryleigh Stuhlsatz, Garden Plain; Megan Wright, Clay Center;
Coaches -- Kaylie Bergkamp, Andale; Amy Hoffsommer, Olathe West; Gina Peek, Lebo.