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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High product NiJaree Canady, the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year as a sophomore at Stanford, announced Wdnesday afternoon that she is transferring to Texas Tech out of the transfer portal.
College softball player of the year NiJaree Canady, a former two-sport star at Topeka High, announced Wednesday that she is transferring to Texas Tech. [Stanford Athletics]
Canady, a multi-time All-State softball and basketball honoree at Topeka High, will join the Red Raiders, a member of the Big 12, with two years of college elibibility remaining.
Canady announced her commitment on X (formerly Twitter) and ESPN reported that Canady, a right-handed pitcher, has agreed to a record-breaking name, image and likeness deal.
Canady entered the transfer portal last month after leading Stanford to back-to-back Women's College World Series appearances in 2023 and 2024.
As a sophomore Canady posted a 24-7 pitching record while leading the nation with a 0.73 earned run average and 337 strikeouts.
Canady, who was named the national freshman of the year in her first season at Stanford, compiled an 0.67 earned run average over her two seasons with the Cardinal, posting 555 strikeouts in 365⅔ innings.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Coming off an injury-riddled 2-9 season in 2023, Washburn University didn't expect to get a high ranking in the MIAA Coaches and MIAA Preseason Media polls that were released Tuesday as part of the 2024 MIAA Football Media Day at the Kauffman Foundation.
Veteran Washburn football coach Craig Schurig talks to the media during Tuesday's MIAA Media Day in Kansas City, Mo. {Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the Ichabods hope that being ranked ninth among 10 teams in both polls can serve as a source of motivation this fall.
"You could anticipate that (the low spot in the polls) because that's where we finished last year,'' veteran Washburn coach Craig Schurig said. "With the teams that are back we actually finished last, but I've been really proud of (the players) since the season ended that they didn't hang their heads, they just said, 'Let's get to work, let's flip this thing.' ''
"You let it fuel you a little, but you're already fueled,'' WU standout senior safety Jordan Finnesy said about the polls. "All the guys, we're just hungry to get going and really just prove ourselves because at this point nobody's respecting us. Coming in with that fire every single day with the goal of flipping that (record) this coming season is a lot of motivation in itself. And as far as the polls I couldn't care less what those things say.''
Washburn, 1-9 in the conference a year ago, had 16 points in the MIAA Coaches poll, trailing preseason favorite Central Missouri, who had eight first-place votes and 80 points overall.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Topeka Junior Golf Association wrapped up its two-day 2024 City Championship Tuesday at Western Hills, crowning eight champions.
Eighty players competed in the city tournament, ranging in age from 7 to 17 years old.
"It's very exciting and the game of golf is growing,'' said Washburn Rural golf coach Jared Goehring, who has been the director of the TJGA program for 20 years. "Our numbers were up this year as far as registrations go with the tournament play. Kids love being on the golf course and I think that's a tribute to the success that Topeka has with Junior Golf.
"That dates back to Gary Woodland, Andrew Beckler, Lukas McCalla, Abby Glynn, a lot of those former players that went on to play either professionally or went on to play collegiately. The game is at an all-time high and I think we're seeing that with the local golf courses here in town continuing to stay busy.''
Peyton Wright (middle) won the girls 15-17-year-old title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championship, while Izzy Glotzbach (left) finished second and Reece Randall third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Avenley Head (right) won the girls 13-14-year-old title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championship, while Chloe Schmidtlein (left) finished second. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rowan Martinek won the girls 12-and-under title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championship. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
On the girls side, Peyton Wright won the 15-17-year-old title while Avenley Head won the 13-14 division and Rowan Martinek was the 12-and-under champion.
James Kuta (middle) won the boys 15-17-year-old title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championship, while Tagan Monasmith (left) was second and Jack Donovan third. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Easton Moulin (middle) won the boys 13-14-year-old title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championship, while Brody Buessing (left) was second and Jaxson Leonardi third. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Jase Head (middle) won the boys 11-12-year-old title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championship, while Camden Swords (left) was second and Callen Baldwin third. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Nikhil Rao (middle) won the boys 9-10-year-old title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championship, while Trig Baird (second from left) was second and Beckham Schmidt (second from right) third. Cameron Anderson (left) and Dash Knowland (right) also posted top-five finishes. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Mason Walker (second from left) won the boys 8-and-under title in the Topeka Junior Golf Association City Championship, while Jaxson McFarland (middle) was second, Grayson Gudenkauf (left) and Hayes Wempe (right) tied for third and Colby Swords (second from right) finished fifth. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN
James Kuta won a three-hole playoff to take the championship in the boys 15-17 division while Easton Moulin was the 13-14 champ, Jase Head won the 11-12 division, Nikhil Rao was the 9-10 champ and Mason Walker won the 8-and-under title.
Wright, who attends Baldwin High, recorded a 36-hole score of 156 (79-77), while Head had a winning 18-hole total of 93 and Martinek won with an 18-hole score of 122.
Kuta won with a 36-hole score of 147 (67-80) while Moulin posted a 36-hole win at 157 (76-81), Head won with an 18-hole score of 75, Rao won the 9-10 division with an 18-hole total of 76 and Mason Walker shot a winning 18-hole score of 83.
"The talent's crazy,'' Goehring said. "The future looks very bright for the city of Topeka and the most important thing is the kids enjoy it. If they love the game first the sky is the limit for them. They continue to practice and I just can't wait to see what the future holds for them.''
TJGA CITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Perhaps the biggest hurdle Chris Ridley faced in writing his third book was getting longtime Washburn Rural Hall of Fame boys and girls tennis coach Kevin Hedberg to agree to the project.
Kevin Hedberg, during his induction into the Kansas Tennis Coaches Assocation Hall of Fame in 2023, is the subject of 'Coaching Legacy of Champions,' which will be released in the coming weeks. [File photo/TSN]
Hedberg, who retired in 2022 after 43 years in education and coaching, wasn't keen on the idea of talking about himself, but Ridley, who previously released books on legendary prep football coaches Merle Venable of Baldwin and Rural's Ron Bowen, was eventually able to sell his close friend on the book by hitting Hedberg in his soft spot -- his former players.
"I knew it was going to be a hurdle, because we met, about whether the book could be written,'' said Ridley, Washburn Rural's former athletic director who helped bring Hedberg to the school in 1991. "He wasn't sure that it was something that we ought to do.
"But I said, 'Well, think about the way Bowen felt, that it gave an awful lot of attention to an awful lot of kids that played.' That's what convinced Kevin was all the different kids that could be mentioned and their stories and their seasons. That's what he likes I think.''
Ridley is currently accepting orders for 'Coaching Legacy of Champions,' with the target date for release early next month.
"It should go to print here pretty quickly, we're hoping for the first of August,'' Ridley said. "It shouldn't take too long to get it printed. That's usually the fastest part of it.''
Hedberg, a former standout at Topeka High and South Florida and a member of the Topeka Tennis Association and Kansas Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame, said the book gave him an opportunity to re-live his 82 seasons (girls and boys combined) as a high school coach, beginning his career with an 11-year stint at Seaman before 32 years at Rural.
"I said no initially and then Chris came back at me with the team aspect,'' said Hedberg, who coached five state championship teams at Rural. "It was wonderful and looking back you just realize all the unique personalities that made up tennis teams. All teams have that, but in tennis you've got six people and they're in a van and you're learning all kinds of things. We had a van rule that whatever was said in the van never left the van. And most of the time they held to that.
"Those dynamics were so much fun. I got to have some really terrific players and then there were all the kids that got their start playing tennis. It's just fun to re-live it and that part was really fun.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Darting Basketball Academy wrapped up its fifth 3 on 3 Summer League this week at Shawnee Heights, drawing the biggest numbers in the history of the event and culminating with the crowning of Most Valuable Players in seven divisions.
On Monday night Owen Pearson received the MVP award in the 8-9-year-old boys division, while Beau Moser was the 10-11 boys winner and Hudson Heim took home MVP honors in the 12-13 boys division.
Morgan Ranson was the 9-11 girls MVP and Aniyah Perkins received the MVP award in the girls 12-13 division.
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 12-13-year-old girls most valuable player Aniyah Perkins (left), 9-11 girls MVP Morgan Ranson (second from left) and 8-9 boys MVP Owen Pearson (right) pose with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving their awards Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hudson Heim (left), the 12-13-year-old boys DBA 3 on 3 Summer League MVP, and 10-11 MVP Beau Moser (right) pose for a picture with Kerry Darting after receiving their awards Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The high school division finished up on Wednesday, with KK Emmot repeating as the girls most valuable player and Jai'Marion Cook receiving the boys MVP award.
Boys high school division MVP Jai'Marion Cook (left) and girls MVP KK Emmot (right) pose for a picture with Kerry Darting Wednesday night after the conclusion of the DBA 3 on 3 Summer League. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
