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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
University of North Texas junior and Silver Lake graduate Lexi Cobb has thrived at the highest level of softball and credits her small-town Kansas roots for her successful collegiate career at the Division I level.
Before Cobb started her collegiate career she was a well-known, successful volleyball and softball player in Eagle Country.
Lexi Cobb
Cobb was a three-time first-team All-State and All-Mid-East League honoree in softball and helped lead Silver Lake to a softball state championship and a runnerup finish.
Between volleyball and softball, Cobb and her class helped build a legacy with three combined state championships before she moved to Denton, Texas, to pursue a softball career.
In Cobb's first three years at North Texas, Cobb has played 140 games while starting 117.
She has a career batting average of .317, with 116 hits, 26 doubles, nine home runs and 43 runs batted in.
"My time at North Texas has been really great," Cobb said. "I've loved every minute of my time at North Texas. I've grown so much as a player and as a person. It's just been an amazing time for me."
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Except for a year in Hawaii, Nick Jones has never strayed too far from his home state of Kansas.
New Washburn University men's basketball assistant Nick Jones works with participants in the Washburn Basketball Camp Tuesday at Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And thanks to a timely opening on Brett Ballard's men's basketball staff at Washburn University, that won't change.
The 32-year-old Jones, who grew up in the Wichita area and graduated from Goddard High School and Kansas State, comes to Washburn after eight years on the staff at Wichita State.
Jones stoked his love for coaching in five years as a student manager at K-State -- three years with Frank Martin and two with Bruce Weber -- and then spent a year as a graduate assistant at the University of Hawaii before landing back in Kansas at Wichita State.
"They (Hawaii) brought in a new staff, so I came back to Wichita and knew the staff a little bit,'' Jones said. "I worked camp, worked my way up, and then got an offer to finish my master's degree as GA and then was hired fulltime.''
Jones was on the staffs of Gregg Marshall and Isaac Brown with the Shockers but was looking for a new coaching opportunity after Paul Mills took over at WSU.
"Coach Mills just came in and I was there, just for a couple of weeks with him, and then he brought in his own staff,'' Jones said.
As it worked out, Ballard was looking for an assistant about the same time after Jonathan Raney's departure.
"After we got let go at Wichita I made a lot of calls, emails,'' Jones said. "I had kind of a mutual connection with coach Ballard. I didn't know him real well, but worked with a guy at Wichita State that had worked with (Ballard) in the past. Coach called me out of the blue and asked if I was interested and I came up to campus that next week and just fell in love with it. That would have probably been the end of May and I started last week.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Playing two sports at the NCAA Division II level leaves Gavin Wilhelm with very few off days.
But the hectic schedule of being a member of Washburn's golf team and punting and place-kicking for the Ichabod football team suits the former Seaman multi-sport standout just fine.
Washburn University golfer Gavin Wilhelm reacts to his championship-winning putt in Sunday's TGA City Match Play tournament at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Gavin Wilhelm saw action for Washburn's football team as a true freshman, averaging 47.7 yards on seven punts and kicking off 13 times. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Wilhelm, coming off his first Topeka Golf Association City Match Play championship Sunday at Western Hills, is playing a lot of golf this summer while also working on his kicking skills and will turn his focus more towards football when WU opens fall practice in early August.
Wilhelm credits Ichabod golf coach Ronnie McHenry and WU football coach Craig Schurig with making the hectic schedule work for him and both teams.
"It's very time consuming but the coaches at Washburn do a really good job with me, allowing me to compete in both sports,'' Wilhelm said. "Whether I have to go to football and then golf or golf and then football they do a really good job of finding time and allowing me to compete in both sports.''
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Former Topeka High standout and University of Kansas running back Tylan Alejos recently returned home, signing with backyard school Washburn University's football program for the next four years, allowing the redshirt freshman to perform at a high level in his hometown.
Former Topeka High football star Tylan Alejos (7) has set high goals for himself at Washburn after transferring from Kansas. [File photo/TSN]
Immediately after graduating from Topeka High, Alejos felt the best opportunity to grow was to walk on and make a name for himself at KU.
According to the former Trojan, it was a great decision.
“At the time, it was my best decision,” Alejos said. “KU gave me the best possibility to put my name out there. I got exposed and showed that I could play at any level. I knew I could play at the next level, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could.”
It took a lot of confidence for Alejos to take a route with no guarantees of walking on at the Division I level. But that edge and belief have been with him since his high school days at Topeka High.
“I’ve always been good at sports, and I know that I’ve had that confidence since little league,” Alejos said. “I felt like I got shook when I first got to KU because there were so many talented backs. Eventually, as the year (went by), I started to get my confidence back; I got more reps and things like that. I started to get more comfortable in the offense.
“I felt like I had a very good spring at KU. I got the most reps I ever had there. I thought it was the perfect time to try and look for another program for some playing time.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which went undefeated in Centennial League competition, put a ;league high five players on the all-league girls soccer first team, led by senior co-player of the year Mackinly Rohn.
Washburn Rural senior Mackinly Rohn (left) has been named the co-player of the year in the Centennial League. [File photo/TSN]
Rohn, who helped lead Washburn Rural (15-5-1) to a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament, is joined on the first team seniors Hailey Beck and Addi Broxterman and sophomores Destiny Higgs and Kate Hinck.
Washburn Rural senior Hailey Beck was a first-team All-Centennial League pick at goalkeeper. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Addi Broxterman (middle) has been named to the All-Centennial League soccer first team. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Kate Hinck (9) has been named to the All-Centennial League first team afte helping the Junior Blues finish third in Class 6A. [File photo/TSN]
Sophomore Destiny Higgs (left) is one of five Washburn Rural players named to the All-Centennial League soccer first team. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Blue freshman Emma Wong was named the Centennial League newcomer of the year while Rural's Brian Hensyel was selected as the league coach of the year.
Hayden senior Noelia Cruz (right) has been named to the All-Centennial League girls soccer first team after helping the Wildcats finish third in Class 4A-1A. [Submitted photo]
Hayden junior Jill Lenherr (left) earned a first-team berth on the All-Centennial League soccer first team for the 2023 season. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High junior Avery Zimmerman (2) earned first-team All-Centennial League girls soccer honors. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden, which finished third in the Class 4A-1A state tournament, put senior Noelia Cruz and junior Jill Lenherr on the first team after the Wildcats went 12-6-2 on the season while Topeka High junior Avery Zimmerman represents the Trojans on the all-league first team.
Manhattan, which finished fourth in 6A, put three players on the first team, led by junior co-player of the year Reese Snowden. Also representing the Indians on the all-league team are junior Emery Ruliffson and sophomore Jada Dibbini.
Junction City senior Sophia Holloway and Emporia junior Emeil Bennett round out the first team.
2023 ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE GIRLS SOCCER
