- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's boys tennis team came up just short of a title sweep in Thursday's city tournament, dropping its final match in a tiebreaker.
Topeka West senior twin brothers Ian Cusick (left) and Miles Cusick were all smiles Thursday en route to their third straight city No. 1 doubles championship. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
City tennis standouts Carter Cool of Topeka West (left) and Mason Casebeer of Washburn Rural congratulate each other after Cool won his second No. 1 city singles title with an 8-5 decision. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West's tennis team captured its third straight city team title (outright or shared) Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. The Chargers won the 2023 title by a 30-26 margin over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But after winning the 2021 city title by a single point over Washburn Rural and sharing the championship with the Junior Blues in 2022, the Chargers left no doubt on Thursday, sweeping the No. 1 and 2 city singles titles and taking the No. 1 doubles crown en route to a 30-26 victory over Rural at Kossover Tennis Center.
"We played better,'' West coach Kurt Davids said about the Chargers' performance. "We've talked a lot about first-round matches and early matches and then finishing strong.
"We're still moving up in the right direction. We've got another chance at league on Tuesday and we'll keep working.''
Senior Carter Cool captured the second city No. 1 singles title of his career with a hard-earned 8-5 win over Washburn Rural senior Mason Casebeer while senior twin brothers Ian and Miles Cusick won their third city title in No. 1 doubles in as many tries with an 8-0 win over Washburn Rural senior Kiefer Von Lintel and freshman Dylan Willingham.
Cool had another tough match with Casebeer in Thursday's final after taking a tiebreaker win over his friendly city rival in the recent Topeka West Invitational.
"I'd say that this finals match has been my closest and my hardest all year,'' Cool said. "I knew that coming into today and it played out like I thought it would be, too.''
Cool had been forced to rally from a big deficit to beat Casebeer in the West meet, but played Casebeer on pretty much even terms Thursday before closing out the win.
"I didn't want to get down,'' Cool said. "My coach talked to me before the match and we were like, 'We don't want to have a comeback again, we'd like to just stay ahead.' But even though I got a little down it was a lot closer than the first match was.''
- Details
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Wednesday night wasn't a memorable night for the Highland Park softball team, with the Scots taking an 18-0 loss in Game 1 and dropping the second contest, 20-1, in a doubleheader against former Centennial League foe Emporia.
But the move from the Centennial League to the Meadowlark Conference has been an overwhelmingly good transition for the Scots.
Highland Park has earned a few blowout wins in its new conference, giving a young and inexperienced Scot team confidence on the field.
A team that has a limited amount of softball playing experience presents its challenges. But with Highland Park earning some wins in the 2023 campaign, the team hopes that the victories will help build on the players' skills.
"It's been a rocky road this year," Highland Park coach Bill Nicholson said. "I think the more we play, the more it will help the experience for them. We have seen some great things, and I think they get more confidence with every at-bat. That's just what it's going to take. We need to keep working hard, and great things will happen."
- Details
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls swimming team won six events and posted top-three finishes in eight of 12 events in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational on the way to winning the team championship in the 15-school meet by a 458.5-299 margin over Bishop Miege at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Washburn Rural's Makenna Pritchard captured a pair of individual wins and was also part of two winning relays in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural's Audrey Appuhn posted two individual wins and added a relay victory in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman was third with 222 points while Shawnee Heights tied for fourth with 199 points, Hayden was seventh with 131 points, Topeka High ninth with 112.5 points and Topeka West 13th with 17 points..
Washburn Rural's Audrey Appuhn picked up individual victories in the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 15.01 seconds) and the 500 freestyle (5:22.08) while Makenna Pritchard added individual wins in the 50 freestyle (25.21) and the 100 freestyle (55.60).
Appuhn and Pritchard teamed with Genevieve Miranda and Sophie Heinen to win the 400 free relay (3:56.10) while Pritchard teamed with Kiersten Harris, Ella Bombardier and Mara Bare to win the 200 free relay (1:47.96).
Seaman's Avery Walz won the 200-yard freestyle and the 100 breaststroke in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman got wins from Avery Walz in the 200 freestyle (1:59.99) and the 100 breaststroke (1:08.98) while Tauren Walz picked up a win in the 100 butterfly (1:02.58).
Topeka High's Brianna Devlin won the one-meter diving title with a score of 269.65 points.
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel sophomore girls soccer standout Zahra Friess and Seaman junior boys track and field standout Aaron Merritt 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 2022-2023 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Friess and Merritt over the past week:
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Zahra Friess (3) scored four goals and had four assists in the Lions' 10-0 win over Kansas City Christian. [File photo/TSN]
ZAHRA FRIESS, Cair Paravel Latin
Friess scored four goals and was also credited with four assists in the Lions' 10-0 win over Kaw Valley Conference foe Kansas City Christian last week.
Cair Paravel added a 10-0 league win over Kansas City-Bishop Ward, improving to 9-1-1 with its eighth straight victory.
As a freshman Friess was a TopSports.news All-City pick and earned All-Class 4A-1A first-team honors from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association.
Seaman junior track and field standout Aaron Merritt captured a pair of gold medals in last Friday's Free State Barrier Breaker Invitational at Lawrence. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
AARON MERRITT, Seaman
Merritt won a pair of gold medals in last Friday's Free State Barrier Breaker Invitational track and field meet at Lawrence.
Merritt won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.13 seconds and won the 100 dash in 11.26 seconds.
Merritt ranks No. 1 in Shawnee County in the 110 hurdles and was a TSN All-Shawnee County selection as a sophomore.
- Details
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
SILVER LAKE – The Class 3A No. 1-ranked Eagles saw their undefeated softball season come to a close Tuesday after losing 3-0 and 6-2 decisions to undefeated Class 4A No. 1-ranked Wamego.
Silver Lake's Kaibryn Kruger puts down a bunt in Tuesday's 3-0, 6-2 losses to Wamego. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Silver Lake's Taylor Zordel slides into second for a double Tuesday against Wamego. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Silver Lake’s 12-game win streak and undefeated season were going to be tested with a scorching hot Wamego team rolling into town.
However, the Red Raiders earned bragging rights in the heavyweight battle after a tight Game 1 victory over the Eagles and a more decisive win in the second contest.
The matchup felt like a state tournament matchup as both teams fought to keep their undefeated seasons alive.
“I think several of the girls continued to compete and made plays,” Silver Lake coach Nick Hamilton said. “When we got the opportunities to make the plays, they did it. I think probably tomorrow, Thursday or Friday, I’ll be impressed with what they want to come back and do.”
The first game featured two of the top pitchers in all classes. Silver Lake junior Avery Wende led 3A in strikeouts a season ago, and on the other side was the defending 4A pitcher of the year from Wamego, Peyton Hardenburger.
Wende pitched well in the circle. The junior went seven complete innings giving up three runs, five hits, a walk and struck out seven Red Raiders. One run came from a solo home run by Creighton signee Ashten Pierson in the third inning, and the other two runs were given up at the top of the seventh.
For Wamego, Hardenburger shut out Silver Lake by fanning 16 batters while giving up three hits and a walk. Hardenburger has not allowed a single run to any team in the 2023 campaign.
“They did very well, in my opinion,” Hamilton said. “Wamego is a pretty good hitting team. It comes down to one play here and one play there. I’ve talked to girls all year long about mastering your skill, your trade and what you do for this team. They’re getting close, and this hopefully will leave them hungry to go fix it.”
