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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Due to success in other sports, it took awhile for Washburn Rural's girls soccer team to get its entire team together, which was absolutely fine with Junior Blue coach Brian Hensyel.
Washburn Rural senior Mackinly Rohn puts Rural's second goal in the net after rebounding her penalty kick attempt in Tuesday's 3-0 season-opening win over De Soto. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Senior Mackinly Rohn is congratulated by her Washburn Rural teammates after scoring a goal in Rural's 3-0 win over De Soto. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
And getting a late start to preseason preparations wasn't a problem in Tuesday's season-opener, with Rural posting a 3-0 non-league win over De Soto at McElroy Field.
Washburn Rural senior Addi Broxterman and sophomores Delaney Hill and Ashley Schwarz joined Rural soccer's team on the run after helping the Junior Blues win the Class 6A-5A state wrestling championship while senior Brooklyn DeLeye and sophomore Kate Hinck got a late start after helping Rural finish second in the 6A state basketball tournament.
Senior goalkeeper Hailey Beck also missed preseason due to an injury but all six players turned in quality minutes in Tuesday's win, with Broxterman scoring Rural's first goal of the season while Hill and DeLeye were credited with assists and Beck combined for a shutout in goal.
"The spring sports season is always unique because unlike the fall it overlaps with the successes of the other seasons,'' Hensyel said. "And spring break was last week and some people are here and some aren't, so the first three weeks you're always trying to accomplish as much as you can but you know you're probably not going to be completely ready to play.
"Even though we have a lot to work on getting them all yesterday for the first time, for each of them to come out tonight and beat a good De Soto team was really a positive. It's always kind of a mess at the beginning but we're a work in progress.''
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior Brooklyn DeLeye has been named the Centennial League girls basketball player of the year after helping lead the Junior Blues to the league championship and a runnerup finish in the Class 6A state tournament.
Washburn Rural senior Brooklyn DeLeye has been named the Centennial League basketball player of the year after also earning that honor in volleyball. [File photo/TSN]
DeLeye averaged 16 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals, shot 59.7 percent from 2-point range and 38.5 percent on 3-point attempts as a senior.
DeLeye, 6-foot-2, is one of three city players earning spots on the all-league first team, with Topeka High senior Kiki Smith (5-8) and Hayden junior Lauren Sandstrom (6-0) also earning all-league recognition.
Topeka High senior Kiki Smith is a repeat pick on the All-Centennial League basketball team after leading the Trojans to a 16-6 record. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden junior Lauren Sandstrom earned a spot on the All-Centennial League first team after helping the Wildcats reach the Class 4A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Smith averaged a city-high 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.1 steals while connecting on 50 3-pointers.
Sandstrom, who helped lead Hayden to a 4A state tournament berth, averaged 13 points and six rebounds this past season.
Washburn Rural's Kevin Bordewick has been named the Centennial League coach of the year after leading Rural to the league title and a second-place finish in Class 6A. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural's Kevin Bordewick was named the Centennial League coach of the year after leading the Junior Blues to an 18-6 record and the team's third top-two state finish since 2019, including titles in '19 and '22.
Topeka High freshman Keimara Marshall (5-3) was voted the league newcomer of the year by Centennial coaches after playing a key role in the Trojans' 16-6 season.
Washburn Rural seniors Chloe Carlgren (6-0) and MaRyah Lutz (5-5) were named to the all-league second team along with Topeka High junior Ladaysha Baird (5-3) and Hayden sophomore Brylee Meier (6-0).
Seven city players earned all-league honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High all-state catcher Alesia Alvarez (front, second from left) celebrates the Trojans' 2022 Class 6A state softball title, High's second straight. [File photo/TSN]
ALESIA ALVAREZ, Topeka High
A senior catcher, Alvarez received first-team All-Class 6A honors from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association last season after helping Topeka High win a second straight Class 6A state title. Alvarez was also named to the All-Centennial League and TopSports.news All-Shawnee County first team last season.
ASPEN BURGARDT, Seaman
Burgardt, a senior, helped Seaman advance to the Class 5A state tournament last season while earning second-team All-Centennial League recognition. Burgardt also earned a second-team spot on the 2022 All-Shawnee County team and received All-Class 5A honorable mention as an infielder from the Kansas Softball Coaches Associaiton.
Topeka High senior shortstop Adisyn Caryl helped lead the Trojans to the Class 6A state championship for the second straight season in 2022. [File photo/TSN]
ADISYN CARYL, Topeka High
A senior shortstop, Caryl earned All-Class 6A first-team recognition from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association for the second straight season last spring after helping lead the Trojans to a second straight Class 6A state championship. Caryl was also named to the All-Centennial League and All-Shawnee County first team last spring.
Washburn Rural junior Emmerson Cope was named the Centennial League softball player of the year in 2022 after helping lead the Junior Blues to the undefeated league title. [File photo/TSN]
EMMERSON COPE, Washburn Rural
A senior pitcher/first baseman, Cope was named the TSN Shawnee County co-player of the year and the Centennial League player of the year after leading Washburn Rural to an undefeated Centennial League championship and a runnerup finish in the Class 6A state tournament last spring. A first-team Kansas Softball Coaches Association All-Class 6A pick in 2021 and 2022, Cope has signed a letter of intent with Nebraska.
Hayden senior pitcher Alyssa Droge is a top returner for the Wildcat softball team, earning second-team All-Shawnee County honors in 2022. [File photo/TSN]
ALYSSA DROGE, Hayden
Droge, a senior pitcher and outfielder, was a first-team All-Centennial League pick last season and also earned second-team All-Shawnee County recognition. Droge is expected to be at full strength this season after recovering from a serious knee injury.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
CAMDEN HORAK, Rossville
A junior, Horak was a second-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County selection in 2022 as an infielder and pitcher and also received All-Mid-East League honorable mention. Horak helped the 19-2 Bulldawgs win the Mid-East League championship last season.
MAX HUSTON, Seaman
Huston, a sophomore, earned second-team All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League recognition as an infielder last season. Huston helped the 20-3 Vikings earn a share of the Centennial League championship and advance to the Class 5A state tournament.
ELIJAH KINCADE, Topeka High
Kingcade, a senior, earned second-team All-Shawnee County honors last season as a designated hitter and also was a second-team All-Centennial League selection last season for the Trojans.
Shawnee Heights junior Jacob Malcom (5) earned second-team All-Shawnee County and All-UKC honors in 2022. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
JACOB MALCOM, Shawnee Heights
A junior outfielder, Malcom was a second-team All-Shawnee County and second-team All-United Kansas Conference selection last season after helping the T-Birds post a 13-10 record, earn the UKC championship and advance to the Class 5A state tournament.
NIC PEREZ, Shawnee Heights
Perez, a senior pitcher, was a TSN second-team All-Shawnee County pick last season and also earned second-team All-United Kansas Conference honors after helping 13-10 Shawnee Heights win the UKC title and earn a Class 5A state tournament berth.
DEACON POMEROY, Shawnee Heights
Pomeroy, a sophomore infielder, turned in a big freshman season for Shawnee Heights in 2022, earning first-team All-Shawnee County and first-team All-United Kansas Conference recognition. Pomeroy helped the 13-10 T-Birds win the UKC championship and earn a berth in the Class 5A state tournament.
COLIN REDEKER, Washburn Rural
A junior outfielder, Redeker earned All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League recognition last season after helping Washburn Rural post a 19-6 record, earn a share of the Centennial League championship and post a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament.
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Topeka High girls soccer coach Derek Snook pretty know what he has in his nine-member senior class and two-time All-City pick Avery Zimmerman, a junior.
But the Trojans still entered Monday's 2023 season-opener with some question marks and took a big step towards answering those questions in a 9-0 non-league romp past rival Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park.
Junior Avery Zimmerman (2) had four goals and an assist in Monday's 9-0 Topeka High season-opening win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High freshman Raelee Shipley (10), controlling the ball off her body, scored two goals and had an assist in her high school debut Monday, a 9-0 win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Zimmerman powered the Trojans with four goals and an assist and the Trojans also got a goal and two assists from senior Cierra Carranza and a goal and an assist from senior Haley Carpenter and a shutout in goal from senior Keira Trupp.
But Topeka High also got a pair of goals and an assist from freshman Raelee Shipley and a goal from sophomore Alexa Aguirre.
It all added up to an impressive opener for Snook's Trojans.
"Obviously it's really good to get a win and come back out in our first competition of the year and seeing where we are,'' Snook said. "Playing against each other (in practice) we were a little bit unsure. We kind of know, because we have so many seniors, what they can do, but how are we going to step up and replace the seniors we lost from last year.
"I thought we did a really good job, especially the younger ones, coming through. It was good to get everybody in the game and to see kind of what we have to work with.''
