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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden girls tennis stars Lauren Sandstrom and Emily Sheetz are sure to feel at least a few butterflies when they take the court Friday and Saturday in Winfield to defend their Class 4A state doubles championship.
Hayden's Lauren Sandstrom (left) and Emily Sheetz are the defending Class 4A state doubles champions and the No. 1 seed for this weekend's state meet at Winfield. [File photo/TSN]
But there's also a definite comfort level for Sandstrom, a senior, and junior Sheetz, who are playing together at state for the third straight season and shooting for their third straight state medal. The Hayden stars finished seventh in 2021 before winning the state title last fall as the Wildcats claimed the 4A team championship.
Sandstrom, who also qualified for state as a freshman in singles, said she expects the duo's state experience to pay off this weekend at the T.H. Vaughan Tennis Center.
"I think we'll go in pretty comfortable the first day, knowing that we have that No. 1 seed and we know what that looks like from last year, but going into that second day it's going to be like, 'We've got to win this. We've got to get that repeat.' '' Sandstrom said. "There are some nerves, but I think we'll get past it and I think we'll be OK.''
Sandstrom and Sheetz take a 29-3 record into the state meet and have been installed as the No. 1 seed.
Sandstrom said her biggest emotion at state may come from the fact that she knows this is her final year of tennis and this weekend is her final tournament with Sheetz.
"It's been in back of my mind all season and these past two weeks it's been kind of sad,'' Sandstrom said. "I don't want to stop playing tennis but I'm just hoping that we get to go out with a bang.''
Sheetz agreed.
"I'm a little nervous because it's Lauren's senior year and I just don't want to disappoint her,'' Sheetz said. "It's our last time playing together this weekend, so I think I'm a little nervous about that but I'm pretty confident in both of us that we'll have a good weekend and end strong.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden sophoore dual sport athlete Izzy Glotzbach and Topeka West freshman soccer player Diego Gonzalez-Talavera have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2023-2024 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Glotzbach and Gonzalez-Talavera over the past week:
Izzy Glotzbach
IZZY GLOTZBACH, Hayden
Glotzbach qualified for the Class 4A state tournament in both girls tennis and golf as Hayden qualified its entire team for state in both sports.
Glotzbach and sophomore doubles partner Avery O'Bray placed fourth in last Saturday's 4A regional tennis tournament at Kossover Tennis Center as the Wildcats won the team title by a 19-18 margin over Bishop Miege. Glotzbach is competing in the 4A state tournament, which is being played in Winfield Friday and Saturday.
Glotzbach finished ninth individually in Monday's 4A golf regional at Wamego Country Club with an 89 as Hayden finished second as a team to Wamego, qualifying for the 4A state tournament next Monday and Tuesday at Salina Municipal Golf Course.
Diego Gonzalez-Talavera
DIEGO GONZALEZ-TALAVERA, Topeka West
A forward for the Charger soccer team, Gonzalez-Talavera returned from an injury to play a big role in Monday's 3-1 non-league win over Junction City.
Gonzalez-Talavera scored two of Topeka West's three goals in the game as the Chargers improved to 6-8-0 on the season.
Monday's sixth win of the season doubled Topeka West three-win victory total from the 2022 season.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All games at 7 p.m.)
THURSDAY'S GAME
Junior Jamon Wilson has rushed for 243 yards and caught 20 passes for 415 yards for Highland Park, 4-2 on the season. [File photo/TSN]
KC-NORTHEAST (0-6) vs. HIGHLAND PARK (4-2)
At Hummer Sports Park
Highland Park will be looking to bounce back from two straight losses, including a 64-8 Meadowlark Conference decision to Atchison last Thursday. The Scots are fighting for a home berth (top eight seeds) in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. The Scots are currently tied for No. 5 spot in the East and No. 7 in terms of point differential. HIghland Park junior quarterback Craig Sipple has completed 33 of 66 passes for 684 yards and seven touchdowns while senior Amari Taylor is the Scots' leading rusher with 370 yards and four TDs on 42 carries. Junior Jamon Wilson has carried the ball 19 times for 243 yards and three scores and has 20 receptions for 415 yards and four TDs.KC-Northeast, Mo. is coming off a 41-20 loss to KC-Sumner and has been outscored 269-84. .
FRIDAY GAMES
Junior quarterback Jett Wehlmeier has passed for 748 yards for 6-0 Hayden, which hosts Holton Friday night. [File photo/TSN]
HOLTON (3-3, 2-0 Class 3A District 4) at HAYDEN (6-0, 3-0 Class 3A District 4)
Hayden can clinch the Class 3A District 4 championship with a win Friday night over Holton, which handed Hayden its only two losses a year ago en route to a runnerup finish in 3A. Hayden is coming off 49-0 district road romp past Royal Valley last Friday while Holton dropped a 21-0 non-league home decision to Rossville. Hayden junior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier has completed 42 of 80 passes for 748 yards and six touchdowns while junior Jensen Schrickel has caught 16 passes for 345 yards and four TDs. Junior Broderick Desch and sophomore Kade Mitchell have helped take up the slack for injured star running back Finn Dunshee, with Desch carrying the ball 43 times for 233 yards and eight touchdowns and Mitchell gaining 221 yards on 30 attempts with four TDs.
Topeka West's Trey Parker picked up his first win as a head coach in last Friday's 35-15 UKC win over KC-Turner. [File photo/TSN]
TOPEKA WEST (1-5, 1-5 United Kansas Conference) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (4-2, 3-2)
Both the Chargers and T-Birds are coming off big wins last Friday, with Topeka West picking up its first win of the year with a 35-15 home UKC win over KC-Turner while Shawnee Heights rallied for a 12-7 non-league home win over Wamego, the Class 4A runnerup in 2022. Shawnee Heights will be looking to strengthen its hold on a home berth for the first round of the upcoming 5A playoffs. The T-Birds are tied for the No. 5 East seed but are eighth in terms of point differential. The top eight seeds will host first-round games. Topeka West senior Josh Nitschke rushed for 271 yards and scored four touchdowns in the Chargers' win over Turner. Heights senior quarterback Ryeki Tuley has completed 106 of 168 passes for 1,293 yards and 10 touchdowns and has rushed for 242 yards and five TDs on 61 attempts. Senior Allen Baughman has carried the ball 98 times for 370 yards and four TDs while senior Jayden Moore has 39 pass receptions for 483 yards and a pair of scores.
JUNCTION CITY (3-3, 0-2 Centennial League) vs. TOPEKA HIGH (1-5, 1-2 Centennial League)
At Hummer Sports Park
Both the Blue Jays and Trojans are coming off Centennial League losses. Junction City dropped a 38-7 decision to reigning Class 6A state champion Manhattan while Topeka High lost a 48-15 game to undefeated Washburn Rural. Sophomore quarterback Zane Smith passed for 147 yards and a touchdown for Topeka High in the Trojans' loss at Rural while senior Isaiah Kincade scored both of High's touchdowns. A longtime Centennial League and Class 6A stalwart, Junction City is looking for its first league win after back-to-back league losses to Washburn Rural and Manhattan.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Eight-time Class 6A state volleyball champion Washburn Rural got off to an uncharacteristic 6-7 start to the 2023 season, but Kevin Bordewick's Junior Blues are starting to look more and more like the Rural of old.
Washburn Rural senior Jada Ingram spikes the ball during Tuesday's Senior Night quadrangular. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural celebrates a point during Tuesday's Senior NIght quadrangular sweep. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural posted three straight-set Senior NIght wins Tuesday night, with the Junior Blues stretching their winning strreak to 14 straight matches while strengthening their hold on the No. 1 West seed for the upcomining 6A sub-state competition.
Rural, now 20-7 on the season, kicked off Tuesday's home quadrangular with a 25-13, 25-13 win over Lawrence and then took a 25-9, 25-11 win over city rival Hayden before capping its night with a 25-16, 25-16 win over Manhattan.
"I don't know if we played that well this past weekend but I know that we looked really sharp tonight,'' Rural coach Kevin Bordewick said. "That's what you wanted to see, especially after a long weekend and I do feel like we are getting more comfortable with who we're next to and I think we trust each other better, but we've still got a long ways to go.''
Washburn Rural has obviously benefitted from the return of senior Zoe Canfield from ACL surgery but Bordewick said he feels like it also helped Rural to learn to play without the All-Stater..
"I think it did,'' Bordewick said. "It made other people step up. It's kind of like when Zoe went out during basketball, we had to have other people statep up. That's a lot of credit to the kids and how hard they work when they come to practice and just a belief that, 'We can get this done.' ''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls golf team encountered some challenges along the way, but in the end the Vikings claimed the biggest prize in Tuesday's Class 5A regional tournament at Lake Shawnee, winning the team championship by a four-stroke margin.
Seaman's girls golf team poses for a team picture after winning the team title in Tuesday's Class 5A regional by a four-stroke margin. [Photo courtesy of Seaman Athletics]
The Vikings put four golfers in the top nine places to win the team title by a 364-368 margin over Andover and advance to next Monday and Tuesday's 5A state tournament at Hutchinson's Carey Park.
"I was nervous,'' Seaman coach Julie McLaughlin said. "Things weren't looking very good. We were struggling out there, but as I'm seeing the scores come in there were some scores that really surprised me. I didn't realize there were going to shoot that low and we had some girls near the bottom (of the lineup) really step up, so that was big.
"I heard some key putts were made out there so overall I think we're going to be able to walk away from this pretty happy, but it was touch and go there for awhile. It was kind of a nailbiter for us at times.''
