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The 2023 All-Shawnee County girls cross country team: Front row, from left -- Sofia Harper, Hayden; Elliot Wrench, Hayden; Savannah Sampson, Seaman; Stella Appelhanz, Seaman; Payton Rice, Topeka West; Juliahnna Savago, Topeka High. Back row, from left -- coach Matt Swedlund, Washburn Rural; Emily Graf, Washburn Rural; Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural; Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural; Payton Fink, Washburn Rural; Brynn Spencer, Seaman; Ryin Miller, Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which swept city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional championships, put four runners on the 2023 All-Shawnee County girls cross country team, which includes top-three state finishers Payton Fink of Rural and Seaman's Ryin Miller and four state medalists overall.
Fink, a junior, was the 6A individual runnerup after winning Centennial League and regional titles and is joined on the all-county team by Rural state medalists Rylee Ismert and Emily Graf and first-team repeat pick Brooklyn Nolte.
Rural coach Matt Swedlund was named the girls Shawnee County coach of the year for 2023.
Miller, a sophomore, finished third in the 5A state meet after sweeping city, United Kansas Conference and 5A regional titles and is joined on the all-county first team by fellow Seaman all-county repeat pick Stella Appelhanz, senior Savannah Sampson and freshman standout Brynn Spencer.
Also earning All-Shawnee County first-team recognition are Hayden state qualifiers Elliot Wrench and Sofia Harper, Topeka West two-time state qualifier Payton Rice and Topeka High freshman standout Juliahnna Savago.
All-Shawnee County girls capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After going through a very un-Washburn-type stretch, Chris Herron's Ichabod volleyball team has served notice with two wins over the past three days that it may be turning the corner just in time for posteason.
Washburn celebrates a point in Monday's 3-1 MIAA win over Emporia State at Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn snapped a four-match losing streak in Saturday's win over Pittsburg State and followed that up with a 3-1 MIAA home decision over rival Emporia State Monday night, taking a 25-15, 21-25, 25-16, 25-18 win at Lee Arena.
"We were in that funk, we were in a huge funk, a funk we've never been in since I've been here,'' Herron said. "It seems like we've got that nasty taste out of our mouth and we're going to go in (to postseason) we hope with a three-game win streak and feeling good about ourselves.''
Washburn, which improved to 16-10 overall and 10-9 in the MIAA, completed a regular-season sweep of the Turnpike Tussle with a strong offensive performance on Monday night against the Hornets (12-15, 6-13) as the the Ichabods closed out their home schedule.
The Ichabods will finish the regular season at Newman on Saturday (3 p.m. start) before competing in the MIAA Tournament next week.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman, which won its first Class 5A state championship, put four players on the TopSports.news 2023 All-Shawnee County volleyball team, led by player of the year Maegan Mills.
Seaman junior Maegan Mills has been named the Shawnee County volleyball player of the year after heping lead the Vikings to a 38-6 record and the Class 5A state title. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman coach Tatiana Dowling was named the TSN Shawnee County coach of the year after leading the Vikings to the Class 5A state volleyball title. [File photo/TSN]
Mills, a junior, is joined on the all-county first team by Viking seniors Brooklyn Gormley and Taylin Stallbaumer and junior Reagan McGivern while Seaman's Tatiana Dowling, a Seaman grad, was named the coach of the year after leading the Vikings to a 38-6 record, including five straight-set wins in the state tournament.
Mills and Gormley are first-team repeaters while Stallbaumer and McGivern move up to the first team after being second-teamers in 2022.
Silver Lake, which placed third in the 3A state tournament, is represented on the first team by seniors Mckinley Kruger and Sarah Wehrli and junior Ella Bolan, with Kruger and Wehrli earning all-county honorable mention a year ago.
Washburn Rural seniors Jada Ingram and Zoe Canfield and junior Layla Collins are first-team selections after helping the Junior Blues win the Centennial League championship and advance to the 6A state tournament.
Ingram and Canfield are both first-team All-Shawnee County repeat picks while Collins moves up from the second team.
Rossville, which posted a 31-8 record, is represented on the first team by seniors Kinsey Perine, a three-time All-Shawnee County first-teamer, and Kinley Porter, who moves up from the second team.
Cair Paravel Latin is represented by senior Mayah Pridgett while Topeka West senior Addison Brooks, Shawnee Heights junior Kaydence Torrez and Hayden sophomore Ella Foster also earned all-county first-team recognition.
Pridgett has been a second-team all-county pick the last two seasons while Brooks received honorable mention the past two seasons and Foster and Torrez received honorable mention a year ago.
Rossville freshman Nora Burdiek was selected as the county newcomer of the year after compiling 312 kills and 181 digs in her first season of high school volleyball.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Allen Baughman
ALLEN BAUGHMAN, Shawnee Heights
A 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior running back, Baughman carried the ball 12 times for 177 yards and three touchdowns in the first half last Thursday night as Shawnee Heights rolled to a 56-20 win over Highland Park in the regional round of the Class 5A football playoffs. Baughman scored on runs of 4, 70 and 20 yards as Shawnee Heights improved to 8-2 on the season.
JC Heim
JC HEIM, Washburn Rural
Heim a 6-2, 225-pound running back/linebacker, starred on both offense and defense Friday night as Washburn Rural improved to 10-0 with a 27-20 win over Junction City in the regional round of the Class 6A playoffs. Unofficially, Heim rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries and caught three passes for 21 yards and a touchdown. Heim scored on a 2-yard run and a 23-yard pass from Branton DeWeese.
Griffin Heinen
GRIFFIN HEINEN, Washburn Rural
A senior midfielder, Heinen had an assist and the game-winning goal on Saturday as Washburn Rural's soccer team capped a 19-2 season with a 2-1 win over Dodge City in the third-place game of the Class 6A state tournament. Heinen was credited with the assist on Hayden Shriver's goal 1:26 into the game and scored the game-winning goal with just 56 seconds remaining off an assist from Devon Rutschmann.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's soccer team certainly didn't plan on or want to be playing in Saturdays Class 6A third-place game.
But once the Junior Blues were forced into that situation they made the most of it, taking a dramatic last-minute 2-1 win over Dodge City at Hummer Sports Park.
Washburn Rural senior Griffin Heinen (right) celebrates his game-winning goal in Saturday's Class 6A third-place game with teammates Pierce Cannon (11) and and Hayden Shriver (15). [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural's soccer team hoists its Class 6A third-place trophy after Saturday's 2-1 win over Dodge City. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Junior Blues, who finished off a 19-2 season, began and ended things with a flourish, scoring just 1:26 into the contest and then breaking a 1-1 tie on a goal from senior Griffin Heinen off a corner kick from fellow upperclassman Devon Rutschmann with 56 seconds remaining.
"Third feels a lot better than fourth, I'll say that,'' Heinen said. "The three years I've been on varsity, sophomore year we took second and that was heartbreaking. Last year we took fourth and lost to these guys in the consolation game. I'll take third over fourth any day.
"I think this group of guys just loves the environment, loves Washburn, and we have 11 seniors on this team and they're not ready to leave it, especially the younger guys behind, so I think we were just excited for one more game with everybody.''
