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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights sophomore soccer player Lailah Benz and Topeka West sophomore track and field standout Alesecio Batson 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 Benz and Batson over the past week:
Shawnee Heights sophomore Lailah Benz (2) has scored a total of seven goals over her past two games in T-Bird wins over Ottawa and Kansas City-Turner. [File photo/TSN]
LAILAH BENZ, Shawnee Heights
Benz, a sophomore midfielder, recorded a three-goal hat track for Shawnee Heights in last Tuesday's 5-0 non-league girls soccer victory over Ottawa and followed up that performance with a four-goal game in Tuesday's 11-1 United Kansas Conference win at Kansas City-Turner.
Benz has helped lead the T-Birds to a 3-1 start to the 2023 season, including three straight wins.
Benz earned first-team All-City honors as a freshman for the T-Birds and was also a first-team All-United Kansas Conference selection. Benz earned All-Class 5A honorable mention from the Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association last season.
Topeka West sophomore Alesecio Batson posted top-five finishes in three events in last Friday's ESU High School Relays. [File photo/TSN]
ALESECIO BATSON, Topeka West
A sophomore, Batson turned in a banner performance in last Friday's Emporia State University High School Relays at Welch Stadium, posting a win in the boys triple jump, a runnerup finish in the high jump and a fifth-place finish in the long jump.
Batson won the triple jump with a best of 44 feet, 11.50 inches, finished second in the high jump at 6-2 and took fifth in the long jump at 20-9.
Batson currently ranks No. 1 on the Shawnee County Track and Field Honor Roll in the high jump and the triple jump.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The 2023 season is a new beginning for Washburn Rural boys tennis and Junior Blues coach Brad Johnston.
Perennial city, Centennial League and Class 6A power Rural is in the process of reloading after graduating five of its top six players from last year's team while former Topeka West and Washburn University standout Johnston is in his first year guiding the Junior Blues, taking over for Hall of Fame coach Kevin Hedberg, who retired last spring.
Washburn Rural senior No. 1 singles player Mason Casebeer went 3-0 in Wednesday's Seaman quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
So far it's been a smooth changing of the guard for Rural, which is undefeated to start the year, including 4-0 sweeps over Topeka West, Lawrence and Seaman in Wednesday's Seaman quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center. Topeka West played a split squad in Wednesday's quad.
"I love the fact that we have such a young group,'' Johnston said. "They're very talented and it's just building around the ones that came back that didn't have as much of an opportunity to play varsity last year with that big group (of seniors) that was here.
"But I also think me being new they get to feel how the coaching's going to go. We're all starting together.''
Senior Mason Casebeer, the Junior Blues' lone top-six returner, went a perfect 3-0 in No. 1 singles Wednesday, while Lawson Lobatos was 3-0 in No. 2 singles and the teams of Keegan Knudtson and Dylan Dodge and Dylan Willingham and Duestscher went undefeated in No. 1 and No. 2 doubles.
Johnston said he's been very pleased with how the Junior Blues have bought in to what he's trying to do.
"I think they trust that I've been in their position and they understand that what happens happens, but we can talk about it and go forward with it,'' Johnston said.
Casebeer, a two-time state qualifier and former state placer in doubles, agreed that the transition to a new coach is going well.
"I think everyone's enjoying him,'' Casebeer said of Johnston. "Honestly, he's a lot like Hedberg in his reaction sometimes, and all in all I think he's doing a great job.''
Lawrence went 2-1 in Wednesday's quad, posting 4-0 win over Seaman and Topeka West, while Seaman and West played to a 2-2 tie.
Seaman's Gavin Dutton posted an 8-4 win over Topeka West in No. 1 singles and Mason Pfeifer took an 8-7 (7-0) win for the Vikings in No. 2 singles.
Topeka West's No. 1 doubles team of Josiah Bidwell and Mason Rutledge took an 8-5 win over Seaman while the Chargers' No. 2 doubles team of Cori Bidwell and Alex Engel took an 8-4 victory.
SEAMAN TENNIS QUADRANGULAR
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Rossville’s softball squad has eased into an undefeated 6-0 start to the 2022-2023 campaign without a hiccup.
It was no secret that this team could be a force this season.
Rossville junior Hailey Horton is batting over .500 for the 6-0 Bulldawg softball team this spring. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior pitcher Brinley Dyche picked up the win in Tuesday's 8-2 first-game victory over Riley County. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Rossville junior Kinsey Perine (2) is congratulated by junior Katie Spielman (18) after scoring a run in the Bulldawgs' twinbill sweep over Riley County. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
With very few seniors departing from last year’s unit that advanced to the Class 3A state tournament, this team has the capability to make a run this year.
“We’ve been playing really good, and we’re pretty deep,” Rossville coach John Nitsch said. “If any girls are down, we have other girls that are more than capable of stepping up. This year the depth is really starting to show.”
Rossville has handled opponents in their three doubleheaders thus far.
Jefferson West was first on the list with an 8-2 and 9-6 sweep. Then, the Dawgs avenged their state tournament loss to Santa Fe Trail last year with a pair of wins and added to their undefeated start with an 8-2, 5-3 sweep over Mid-East League foe Riley County on Tuesday at Rossville.
Defensively, Rossville’s two starting pitchers have helped the team to its hot start. Senior Brinley Dyche is 2-0 to start the season, while junior Katie Spielman is 1-0. The duo has combined to allow 1.8 runs and 4.5 hits per contest.
“Even if we struggle, our team always finds a way because we work well together,” Dyche said. “Our defense behind us either when I’m pitching or when Katie’s pitching has been great. Pretty much everything right now is working.”
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
If circumstances were different, Washburn Rural softball coach Liz Stover would probably be content to spend her entire coaching career with the Junior Blues.
![Washburn Rural softball coach Liz Stover talks to seniors Alyssa Mastin (5) and Chloe Carlgren (7) during Tuesday's 14-0, 15-0 doubleheader Centennial League sweep over Emporia. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]](/images/aa-images/LizStover.jpg)
Washburn Rural softball coach Liz Stover talks to seniors Alyssa Mastin (5) and Chloe Carlgren (7) during Tuesday's 14-0, 15-0 doubleheader Centennial League sweep over Emporia. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
But as it is, all of Stover's focus this spring is on cherishing every moment of what will be her final season with her Rural team.
"This has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make,'' said Stover, who has accepled a teaching position at Shawnee Mission South for the 2023-2024 school year. "I love this program and the reason I'm leaving is just for family.
"I grew up in Olathe. I went to Olathe Northwest, my family still lives in Olathe and my fiance teaches in Shawnee Mission now, so this is just to be a little bit closer to everybody.''
Stover, who is planning a June wedding, took over as Washburn Rural's coach last season and led the Junior Blues to a 23-2 record and a second-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament.
The 2022 season was Stover's first as a head coach and she said she realizes now how fortunate she was to have the opportunity to coach the tradition-rich Washburn Rural program.
"I don't know if I knew to appreciate how good I had it, so right now I really am just trying to enjoy everything as much as I can,'' Stover said.
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Veteran Washburn Rural soccer coach Brian Hensyel knows his talented Junior Blues can still play better than they have in the early portion of the 2023 season.
But the Junior Blues continue to pile up victories, improving to 5-1 Tuesday night with a weather-shortened 8-0 Centennial League decision over Junction City at McElroy Field.
Washburn Rural senior Mackinly Rohn (1) had two goals and an assist in Tuesday's 8-0 Centennial League win over Junction City. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Destiny Higgs (24) had a goal and two assists in Tuesday's 8-0 Centennial League win over Junction City. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
"What we told the girls at halftime is we've got to find what we call Washburn Rural energy and we haven't seen it this year, at practice, at games yet,'' Hensyel said. "We're off to a fine start, the record's fine, but what we've been known for the last few years is being tough and physical and that we're going to play hard every night against whoever.
"And we've gotten wins and we're OK, but these girls have another level or two that they can get to and we challenged them at halftime that it's time to do that because we have some tough games coming up. We've been good, but we're not on the road to great yet and we have to keep moving on.''
