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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
A year ago, Cair Paravel Latin made history as the smallest school in the state with a girls soccer team reached the Class 4-1A Final Four.
Due in part to an unfortunate draw, the Lions came one game short of matching that feat Tuesday, losing to defending state champion Bishop Miege 6-1 at Bettis Sports Complex.
Cair Paravel junior Katherine Keys (left) celebrates the Lions' lone goal with teammate Zahra Friess in Tuesday's 6-1 Class 4A-1A quarterfinal soccer loss to Biship Miege. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Cair Paravel sophomore Zahra Friess (3) races towards the ball in Tuesday's 6-1 Class 4A-1A state quarterfinal loss to Bishop Miege. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Bishop Miege towers over the 4-1A classification, winning every state championship since Hayden claimed the title in 2015. For Cair Paravel, finishing with the best record in the East Regional turned out to be a curse. It gave the Lions the top seed but forced them to face Miege in the quarterfinals.
Miege entered the playoffs with a record of just 9-7. But those losses were to 5A powerhouses St. James Academy and St. Thomas Aquinas and four 6A schools. Due to the number of losses they took during the regular season, the Stags entered the playoffs as the sixth seed.
“We were really hoping that we wouldn’t have to play them until state,” said Katherine Keys, who recorded the Lions’ lone goal 10 minutes into the second half. “But that’s how the cookie crumbled, I guess. We knew that was going to be a tough opponent and they proved themselves to be so.
“We were hopeful going into the game. We knew we were a good team, and we knew we had a chance. (Coach Doug) Woolery kept telling us that we’re the strongest team he’s ever coached, so we were hopeful.”
“Credit goes to them. Their level of play is pretty advanced,” Woolery said. “It makes sense when you have the toughest schedule in the state.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With a ninth straight Class 6A state semifinal berth on the line, Washburn Rural's soccer team left nothing to chance Tuesday night, rolling to a decisive 5-1 quarterfinal victory over Wichita Northwest at McElroy Field.
Senior Mackinly Rohn (left) had a goal and an assist in Washburn Rural's 5-1 over Wichita Northwest in Tuesday's Class 6A soccer quarterfinal. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural freshman Allie Schroeder (left) battles for the ball in Tuesday's 5-1 Class 6A quarterfinal win over Wichita Northwest. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"That was as good as we've played all year,'' Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. "They played the kind of soccer that we want to play, which is using the entire roster, pressuring people and getting our forwards attacking people. Our forwards had their best game of the year.
"Everybody who played forward tonight was awesome and we did everything we wanted to do tonight.''
With Tuesday's win the 14-4-1 Junior Blues advanced to a 7 p.m. semifinal game Friday at Wichita's Stryker Complex against Mill Valley (16-2-1). Rural's Centennial League rival, Manhattan, also advanced to the Final Four, taking a 4-0 win over Garden City. The Indians (12-5-2) will play the 5 p.m. semifinal against Shawnee Mission East (17-2-0).
Friday's semifinal winners will play for the title at 2 p.m. Saturday, following the 12 p.m. third-place game.
Washburn Rural took the lead to stay on a goal from junior Hayley Legg with 31:01 left in the first half and added goals from seniors Maya Hoge and Mackinly Rohn over the final 8:23 of the half to take a commanding 3-0 advantage.
The Junior Blues tacked on goals by sophomore Kate Hinck and junior Brooklyn Tuffley in the second half to open up a 5-0 lead with 14:30 remaining before Wichita Northwest (12-7-0) got on the board with just 2:28 remaining on a goal from junior Merari Flores.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights senior Alex Valdivia and Topeka West junior Myles Alonzo are used to battling it out on the golf course, and Tuesday's Class 5A state tournament at McPherson was no exception.
Topeka West junior Myles Alonzo posted a 36-hole total of 143 to tie for 12th place in the Class 5A state golf tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Alex Valdivia tied for 12th place in the Class 5A state golf tournament with a 36-hole total of 143. [File photo/TSN]
Valdivia and Alonzo finished the state tournament with identical 36-hole scores of 143, tying for 12th place to earn state medals at the Turkey Creek Golf Course.
Valdivia carded a 70 Tuesday after an opening-round 73 while Alonzo followed his first-round 71 with a 72.
Bulldawgs finish fifth in 3A
Rossville posted a fifth-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament at Dodge City's Mariah Hills, carding a four-man two-day score of 671.
Sophomore Jonathan Hart finished fifth individually to lead the Bulldawgs, shooting a 71 on Tuesday after a first-round 79 to finish at 150.
Hart was followed by freshman Jack Donovan, who tied for 16th place with a 157 (80-77), while senior Kyser Lundin finished at 181 (88-93), freshman Paxton Willett at 183 (90-93), senior Manuel VanderPutten at 201 (102-99) and senior Aiden Baumchen at 216 (102-114)
Silver Lake junior Bryce Badsky earned his third 3A state medal, tying Donovan for 16th place at 157 (79-78).
Santa Fe Trail junior Lane Workman won the 3A state title by four strokes, posting a 36-hole total of 142 (72-70).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden sits in fifth place after Monday's opening round of the Class 4A boys golf tournament at Quail Creek Golf Course in Winfield, earning a team berth for Tuesday's final round.
The Wildcats finished the first round with a four-man score of 339 to advance to the second round.
Hayden's golf team advanced to the final round of the Class 4A state tournament with a fifth-place standing after Monday's opening round. [Submitted photo]
Sophomore Tagen Rodriguez led Hayden with a first-round 82, followed by sophomore James Kuta with an 84, senior Garrett Borjon with an 89, sophomore Nick Gorman and senior Noah Haverkamp with 90s and sophomore Colin Scott with a 98.
Bulldawgs fifth in 3A team race
Rossville earned a team berth for Tuesday's final round in the Class 3A state tournament at Dodge City's Maiah Hills, currently sitting in fifth place with a four-man score of 337.
Sophomore Jonathan Hart led the Bulldawgs with a first-round 79, followed by freshman Jack Donovan with an 80, senior Kyser Lundin with an 88, freshman Paxton Willett with a 90 and seniors Aiden Baumchen and Manuel VanderPutten with a 102.
Silver Lake junior Bryce Badsky, a two-time state medalist shot a 79 to advance to Tuesday's final round as an individual.
Washburn Rural senior Bryan Tyrell (above) and junior teammate Hayden Glynn advanced to the final round of the Class 6A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Rural's Glynn, Tyrell advance in 6A
Junior Hayden Glynn and senior Bryan Tyrell earned invididual berths for the final 18 holes of competition in the Class 6A state tournament at Newton's Sand Creek Station.
Washburn Rural fell short of advancing as a team to Tuesday's round but Glynn shot a 77 and Tyrell a 79 to earn two of the 18 individual spots.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
ROSSVILLE -- Rossville juniors Katie Spielman and Hailey Horton are first-year members of the state-bound softball team in 2023, and despite the battery tandem being brand new to the team this season, they've been key contributors to the Bulldawgs' success.
Junior pitcher Katie Spielman has been a standout for Rossville this spring after transferring from Clay Center. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Junior catcher Hailey Horton has made a smooth transition to Rossville after playing her first two seasons at Silver Lake. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
Rossville (17-4) knocked off top-seeded Silver Lake, 4-1, in last Thursday's regional championship game to earn a berth in the Class 3A state tournament at Manhattan.
The win over its deeply rooted rival meant the world to the Rossville team.
The Bulldawgs have had their fair share of contributors pitch into their second straight regional championship win. Most of Rossville's crew has played with each other on the field and have been friends off the field since they could start playing sports.
Rossville pitcher Spielman and catcher Horton took different paths to contributing to the Bulldawgs' highly-successful 2023 campaign.
Spielman is originally from Clay Center, while Horton moved from right next door at Silver Lake to start the 2022-2023 school year. Spielman and Horton are three-sport athletes who had time to acclimate to their new homes before the softball season.
"The move wasn't hard," Horton said. "But getting to know everyone at (Rossville) was probably the hardest part. I feel like I clicked pretty quickly with most people since I just moved from the town over. I already knew most of the people. So I'd say it was easy to click with everyone."
"I'd say my situation was a bit different with me living an hour and a half away," Spielman said. "It was a lot different having to move here and get to know the community and everyone. Over the summer, it was hard. But once we started school and playing sports together, it got better."
