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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks TopSports.news will recognize Shawnee County's all-time best teams in 21 sports as part of our Best of the Best project. The project continues with girls tennis and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through August 2, with the top teams in all categories announced in late July and August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4877986x8cA04ebD-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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The Kansas State High School Activities Association didn't begin holding state tournaments in girls tennis until 1985, and Shawnee County made an immediate impact, with Corey Wilson's Topeka West team earning the Class 6A team title in the first year of state events.
Hayden captured its first girls state tennis team championship in 2022, sweeping the singles, doubles and team titles. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
That West championship was the beginning of a long record of success for local teams, who have won six team titles, including Hayden's dominant run in the 2022 4A state meet, while also posting numerous runnerup team finishes.
Topeka West leads the way with three state crowns, with Wilson's Chargers adding 6A titles in 1987 and '94.
West won the '85 championship by a 59-52 margin over Wichita Southeast as Stacy Cook and Diana Gaither winning the state doubles crown in an all-West final over teammates Amy Bybee and Andrea Hazlett.
The Chargers also topped the 6A standings in '87, with state doubles champs Tonna Rieger and Morgan Dietz leading the way as West topped Shawnee Mission East by a 39-34 margin, and Meg Griffin won the 6A singles title in '94 as West took a 29-24 decision over runnerup Garden City.
Washburn Rural earned its first of two 6A team titles in '90, with Bob Gladfelter's Junior Blues taking state on a tiebreaker over Manhattan as Danielle Knipp finished third in singles and
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
The name Elijah Brooks is familiar to basketball fans around Topeka, and after departing from Topeka West to play Division 1 basketball at North Dakota, the Charger product is continuing to build a solid on-the-court resume after having a strong freshman season.
Elijah Brooks
The high school record for Brooks speaks for itself.
He was named Mr. Basketball in Kansas for the 2021-22 season, finished as the all-time leading scorer in Topeka West history with 1,450 points and holds the single-game scoring record with 43 points.
It didn't take long for Brooks to earn a spot in the starting five for the Fighting Hawks. Brooks turned heads and impressed the North Dakota basketball staff enough to play in 27 games in the 2022-2023 campaign.
Brooks credits the teaching from Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist for setting him up for Division I success.
According to Brooks, how practices, weights and conditioning developmental plans at North Dakota are set is similar to how Bloomquist runs his practices at Topeka West.
"I'm sure he pulled bits and pieces out of college practices because it's similar to what we do in North Dakota," Brooks said. "He's a great coach and knows what he's talking about. He trusted me with everything. The weight room aspect of his coaching got me prepared for the next level.
"I was stronger than most of the incoming freshmen and was one of the top five strongest dudes on the team. He pushed me in the weight room, was big on my development throughout high school, and got me ready for college."
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Topeka Junior Golf Association wrapped up its 2023 City Tournament Tuesday at Cypress Ridge, crowning nine champions.
Raegan Petersen (middle) won girls 15-17-year-old championship in Tuesday's TJGA City Tournament at Western Hills, while Reese Randall (left) finished second and Avery Grunert third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Cam Zimlich (middle) won the 15-17 boys division of the TJGA City Tournament Tuesday at Western Hills, while Lane Workman (right) finished second and Bryan Tyrell third. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
On the girls side, Washburn Rural senior Raegan Petersen won the 15-17-year-old title while Peyton Wright won the 13-14 division, Avenley Head was the champ in the 11-12 division and Kolby Simoneau was the 9-10 champ.
Nikhil Rao (third from right) finished with a 18-hole score of 66 to win the TJGA 8-and-under boys division Tuesday at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Arjun Rao (middle) won the TJGA City Tournament in the 9-10 boys division Tuesday at Western Hills, with Parker Borjon second and Keaton Cox third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Easton Moulin (middle) won the 11-12 boys division in the TJGA City Tournament Tuesday at Western Hills while Landon Lentz (right) finished second and Jase Head third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Brody Buessing (middle) won the 13-14 boys division of the TJGA City Tournament Tuesday at Western Hills, while Evan Jones (left) finished second and Camden Ismert third. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Cam Zimlich was the champion in the boys 15-17 division while Brody Buessing was the 13-14 champ, Easton Moulin won the 11-12 division, Arjun Rao was the 9-10 champ and Nikhil Rao won the 8 and under title.
Kolby Simoneau and Rowan Martinek finished one-two in the 9-10 girls division of the TJGA City Tournament Tuesday at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Avenley Head (center) was crowned the 11-12 girls champion in Tuesday's TJGA City Tournament at Western Hills, while Madison Fechter (right) finished second and Jessie Vogt third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Peyton Wright (right) and Kaitlynn Frye went one-two in the 13-14 girls division of Tuesday's TJGA City Tournament at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Petersen recorded a 36-hole score of 151, while Wright had a winning 18-hole total of 89, Head shot an 18-hole score of 96 and Kolby Simoneau carded an 18-hole 108 to win the 8-and-under championship.
Zimlich shot a 70 on Tuesday to win the 36-hole 15-17 boys division at 146 while Buessing posted a 36-hole win at 167, Moulin won with an 18-hole score of 73, A. Rao won the 9-10 division with an 18-hole total of 88 and N. Rao shot an outstanding 18-hole score of 66 to win the 8-and-under division by a 26-stroke margin, including a nine-hole score of 29 on Tuesday.
Eighty players competed in the City Tournament.
TJGA CITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks TopSports.news will recognize Shawnee County's all-time best teams in 21 sports as part of our Best of the Best project. The project continues with boys/girls swimming and diving and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through August 1, with the top teams in all categories announced in late July and August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4874918xD989430e-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Topeka has produced some of the top boys and girls high school swimmers in Kansas history, multi-time state champions and record-setters like Ian Simpson, Glenn Trammel, Mark Homlish, Tyler Schmidt and Shara Stafford of Topeka High, John-Martin Schmidt, Shannon Suddarth and Kristen Carlson of Hayden, Kadence Jeffries, Emily Dicus and Kelli Dudley of Topeka West, Eddie Riddle of Seaman and Grant Rogers, Sammie Schurig and Haley Molden of Washburn Rural.
Seaman's boys became the first Topeka team to win a state team title in 2018, winning the Class 5A-1A state championship by 150 points. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
But when it comes to teams, Rod Garman's 2018 Seaman boys team stands alone as the only city team to claim a team championship.
The Vikings dominated the '18 Class 5A-1A state meet en route to a runaway 347-197 win over Bishop Miege as Zeke Metz won three gold medals and was named the 5A-1A swimmer of the meet.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Seaman product Camryn Turner is set to play her junior year for the University of Kansas volleyball team with a growing leadership role this year after earning All-Big 12 second-team honors as a sophomore last season.
Camryn Turner
Turner has embraced the spotlight during the first two years with the Jayhawks, with her hard work with the Lady Vikings in high school significantly translating to the Division 1 level.
It was always a dream for Turner to wear the crimson and blue while representing its volleyball program. That spark of playing Division 1 volleyball and realizing that she is in rare company helps her have an extra pep in her step when she gets out of bed each morning.
“Sometimes you get caught up in what you’re doing, but I always take a step back and realize that this is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Turner said. “I’ve always wanted to play here, and now I am. Sometimes I forget that this is just amazing, and I’m living out a dream that I’ve always had growing up.
“That spark is still there for me. It’s honestly unreal to think about sometimes.”
In high school, Turner was regarded as one of the best players in Kansas. She left Seaman as the all-time leader in assists (1,433) and kills (1,316). In addition, she earned 1,065 digs in that time.
Before arriving on KU’s campus, the millions of different thoughts that ran through her head stressed her out. Every freshman student-athlete has a tight stomach and a head swirling with unknowns.
Turner went through the aches and pains mentally but realized that her hard work put her there for a reason, and her new teammates who had been through the same situation would pick her up when she needed support.
“Everybody that comes in to play at the college level is so anxious, but the older girls at KU made it easier for me because they made it such a welcoming environment,” Turner said. “The unknown of what my life would be like was different for me. But my older teammates assured me that it was going to be an easier environment to thrive in than I was thinking it was going to be.”
