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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Washburn Rural boys wrestling coach Josh Hogan said he doesn't look at the team scores during the course of a tournament, not even the state tournament.
Washburn Rural sophomore 138-pounder Landen Kocher-Munoz gives the heart sign to Rural's cheering section after Friday's semifinal win in the Class 6A state tournament. [Photo by Mac Moore/KSHSAA Covered]
But Hogan didn't have to study the team scores to know his Junior Blues had a good day on Friday in the Class 6A state event at Hartman Arena. The proof was all around him.
Washburn Rural put four wrestlers in the state finals, including returning state champions Easton Broxterman and Landen Kocher-Munoz, while eight Junior Blues have already clinched state medals heading into Saturday's final day of competition.
"I don't look at the team scores,'' Hogan said. "I don't look at them at all. We've got one job and that's to get pins and not get pinned, so it doesn't matter really what's going on in the team race. Our job never changes, so I try not to cloud my mind with any of that but the boys always know where we're at.''
And Hogan was thrilled with how the Junior Blues did their job on Friday.
"I think all year the boys have proved who they are and who we are as a team,'' Hogan said. "We've been tough for a lot of years, we continue to be tough and we ought to be right there in the thick of it for years to come.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Washburn Rural girls wrestling coach Damon Parker has been around long enough to know that his Junior Blues can't afford to take anything for granted until the final scores are announced.
Washburn Rural junior 105-pounder Molly Spader reacts after advancing to the Class 6A-5A state championship match with a semifinal pin. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural girls wrestling coach Damon Parker congratulates 105-pound junior star Molly Spader after Friday's semifinal win. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Parker, whose team has never finished lower than second at state with three state championships, does know that Rural has done what it needed to do over the first two days of the Class 6A-5A state tournament to give itself a chance to challenge for yet another championship.
State 105-pound finalist Molly Spader led the way as the defending state-champion Junior Blues advanced six wrestlers to the final day of the tournament, with all six already assuring themselves of state medals, as Rural built a 93-74 lead over Dodge City in the team race.
"We're very happy with the way that we wrestled the last couple of days,'' Parker said. "But we tell the girls, we don't celebrate until the trophy is in our hands. We have a lot of work left to do, but at the same time, we spent most of this season outside the top 10 (in the state rankings) and with the firepower that we lost from last year's squad, for us to have a decent lead going into Day 3 there's nothing to complain about there.
"Those kids are animals. They've been so much fun to watch.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
PARK CITY -- Shawnee Heights 285-pound wrestling standout Rykan Carver was one win away from earning a Class 5A state medal in the 2023 state tournament and immediately set his sights higher for his senior campaign.
Shawnee Heights senior 285-pounder Rykan Carver reacts at the end of his 4-3 semifinal victory Friday at Hartman Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior 285-pounder Rykan Carver hugs T-Bird assistant coach James Landry after his 4-3 semifinal victory. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I lost in the blood round last year,' Carver said. "It's my last year so there's no way I wanted to go home without medaling.''
Now, entering the final day of his competitive athletic career, Carver has not only reached his goal of becoming a state medalist but will have a shot on Saturday to claim high school wrestling's biggest prize -- a state championship.
Carver, who will study engineering at Kansas State next year, said his regional championship last Saturday gave him confidence that he could challenge for a title this weekend.
"I won the regional tournament and I wasn't necessarily expecting that,'' Carver said. "That gave me some more confidence that I could do it.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn men's basketball coach Brett Ballard never spoke four truer words.
"Better late than never,'' Ballard said.
Sophomore Brady Christiansen hit the game-winning 3-pointer in Thursday's 66-64 Washburn MIAA win over Lincoln. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Freshman Jack Bachelor (center) celebrates Thursday's 66-64 MIAA win over Lincoln with his Washburn teammates. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
After trailing for virtually the entire night, the Ichabods pulled out a 66-64 home MIAA win over Lincoln on sophomore Brady Christiansen's game-winning 3-pointer from the top of the key.
"We ran that play like the last three plays of the game and it was just kind of read what the big guy did,'' Christiansen said. "He went with Bach (Jack Bachelor) on the drive and I popped out and tried to step up and make it and as soon as I released it, I knew it was going in. I really did.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's women had plenty to play for in Thursday's home MIAA basketball contest against Lincoln in Lee Arena.
First of all, Lora Westling's Ichabods were trying to put a seven-game losing streak in the rearview mirror.
Washburn senior Aubree Dewey scored a game-high 19 points as the Ichabods snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 71-62 home MIAA win over Lincoln. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Yibari Nwidadah scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Thursday's 71-62 Washburn win over Lincoln in Lee Arena. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But WU was also trying to wipe away the bad taste left by a 13-point road loss on Jan. 13 to the Blue Tigers, who have posted just two MIAA wins on the season.
The Ichabods achieved both those objectives in a 71-62 Pink Out Night win while surpassing their win total from the entire 2022-2023 season.
"We had a lot to play for tonight, just getting our confidence back, getting a win, and avenging a loss, especially with an event like tonight,'' Westling said. "We have so many incredible women in the stands to play for and that show real courage and fight (against breast cancer).
"We told our players, 'You get to go out tonight and play. A lot of people are having a lot more to battle so enjoy yourself and I thought we did for most of the game.''
Washburn, which improved to 12-13 overall and 7-12 in the conference, got 19 points from senior point guard Aubree Dewey while sophomore YIbari Nwidadah added 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds before fouling out with 2:50 remaining.
