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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which earned a third-place trophy in the Class 6A state meet, put six runners on the 2022 All-Shawnee County girls cross country team, which also includes a pair of top-five individual state finishers and five state medalists overall.
Rural, which won Topeka city and Centennial League team championships is represented on the all-county team by senior Madeline Carter, sophomore Payton Fink, sophomore Rylee Ismert, junior Sydney Laster, sophomore Brooklyn Nolte and senior Vilde Tronstad.
Regional team champion Seaman put sophomore Stella Appelhanz, senior Bethany Druse, freshman Ryin Miller and senior Leah Spurlock on the all-county team as the Vikings combined with the Junior Blues to earn 10 of 11 first-team berths.
Rural's Fink posted a fifth-place indiviual finish in 6A while Miller placed fifth in 5A and Druse, Appelhanz and Carter also earned state medals.
Silver Lake sophomore Tessa Gerber earned the final spot on the All-Shawnee County first team, turning in a strong performance in the 3A state meet and missing a state medal by just one place in a peronal-record time.
Rural coach Matt Swedlund and Seaman coach Rick Brading were named the girls Shawnee County co-coaches of the year for 2022.
All-Shawnee County girls capsules:
STELLA APPELHANZ, Seaman -- Appelhanz is a two-time All-Shawnee County selection as a sophomore. Appelhanz turned in a very consistent second half of the 2022 season, placing in the top 10 in the Seaman Invitational as well as the city, United Kansas Conference and Class 5A regional meets. Appelhanz placed 20th in the 5A state meet, earning All-State honors. Appelhanz's personal-best time five-kilometer time is 19:51.
MADELINE CARTER, Washburn Rural -- After battling a nagging injury early in the season, Carter, a senior, bounced back and was a big factor in Rural's late-season success. Carter didn't race until the fourth week of the season at the Rim Rock Invitational, contributing to Rural's second-place finish. Carter, who plans to run at Kansas, placed fourth in the Topeka city meet, second in the Centennial League and regional meets and capper her season with an All-State performance, finishing 11th and helping Rural finish third as a team.
BETHANY DRUSE, Seaman -- A senior, Druse was Seaman's No. 2 runner in all meets this fall and was a strong team leader for a young Viking team. Bethany was fifth in the city meet, third in the the United Kansas Conference, third in Class 5A regional competition and 14th in the 5A state meet. Bethany is a three-time 5A All-State runner and has also been All-City/County four straight years. The reigning 800 meters champ in track, Druse's personal best time is 18:48. Bethany will run at Kansas next year.
PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural -- Following her outstanding freshman debut, Fink continued to make a name for herself in her sophomore season. Never finishing worse than seventh place, Fink was the individual champion in the Topeka city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional meets. Fink earned All State honors with her fifth-place finish at the state meet, leading the Junior Blues to a third-place podium team finish in 6A.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod football team wrapped up its home slate on Saturday at Yager Stadium, falling 37-23 to the No. 4-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas in WU's Senior Day contest.
Washburn outscored Pittsburg State 10-7 in the second half but couldn't overcome the 30-13 hole it dug itself in the first half.
"I'm proud of the way our kids responded at halftime,'' Washburn coach Craig Schurig said. "The defense did a great job and kept giving us chances and we finally got some points and got it to a one score game but then we just couldn't turn the table on it.
"That's why they're undefeated in conference. They're undefeated for a reason and they made the plays when they needed to. We obviously needed to play cleaner and play better.''
The Ichabods (6-4 overall, 6-4 MIAA) opened the scoring on their first drive of the game when Jared Taylor, making his first Washburn start, connected on a slant pass to James Letcher Jr., who scampered 84 yards to give WU a 6-0 advantage after the extra point went off the upright.
Pitt State scored the next nine points, getting an 8-yard TD run by Caleb Lewis with 10:30 to go in the first quarter and a safety with 5:50 left in the period after the Ichabods held the Gorillas on a fourth down from the Washburn 3.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Mid-East League volleyball powers Rossville and Silver Lake combined to earn four of six spots on the all-league first team.
Rossville, which won the 2022 league title, is represented on the first team by senior Brinley Dyche and junior Kinsey Perine while Mid-East runner-up Silver Lake put senior Lexis Berndt and senior Taylor Ross on the first team.
Berndt, Dyche, Perine and Ross were all unanimous first-team selections by the league coaches.
Rock Creek's Ayla Klingenberg was also a unanimous first-team pick while St. Marys' Brenna Smith rounded out the first team.
Silver Lake senior Leah Cook and Rossville junior Kinley Porter were named to the second team while Silver Lake junior Sarah Wehrli received honorable mention.
ALL-MID-EAST LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A pair of tight one-goal losses resulted in a fourth-place finish for Washburn Rural in the Class 6A state soccer tournament at the Stryker Complex in Wichita.
After a 1-0 loss to eventual state champion Mill Valley in Friday night's second semifinal, Rural and Dodge City were tied 1-1 in the closing minutes of Saturday's third-place game before Dodge City took a 2-1 win on a goal from Irwin Macias with just 1:06 remaining off an assist from Francisco Hernandez.
Dodge City, which finished off a 20-1-0 season, drew first blood at the 32:22 mark of the opening half on a goal from Mario Olivares.
The score remained 1-0 through the first half and well into the second half before Washburn Rural (16-5-0) evened the match on a goal from junior Benett Hallauer with 9:18 remaining.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No matter what Hayden's football team did Friday night at Wellsville, it probably wasn't going to be real pretty.
After all, the Wildcats and Eagles were playing their second-round Class 3A playoff game in cold, windy, rainy, slippery conditions on a natural grass field.
And although 9-1 Hayden had several first-half misplays that gave the Eagles short fields, the Wildcats did what they had to in order to extend their 2022 season, rallying for a 22-19 win while handing Wellsville its first loss of the year.
"We talked about it before the game ever got started that there's going to be ups and downs in this thing and don't get too high, don't get too low,'' Hayden coach Bill Arnold said in a phone interview. "You tip your hat off to our kids, they kept fighting and did whatever it took to get a win. It's all about survive and advance right now.''
Wellsville opened up a 13-0 advantage late in the opening quarter on Nash Money's second touchdown, but junior Finn Dunshee gave the Wildcats the spark they needed with a kickoff return of approximately 80 yards to get Hayden on the board.