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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Jackson Esquibel claimed two of Shawhee Heights' four wins on the night as the T-Birds captured the United Kansas Conference boys track and field team championship by a 111-105 margin over Basehor-Linwood Friday night at De Soto.
Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel won UKC titles in the 800 and 1,600 to lead the T-Birds to the team title while Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge won the 3,200 and was second in the 1,600. [File photo/TSN]
Esquibel won the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 20.46 seconds and followed that up with a win in the 800 in 2:00.67, while Shawnee Heights also got a win from junior Alex Dittman in the javelin (160-8) and from sophomore Tyler Wedl in the pole vault (11-6).
T-Bird senior sprint star Jeremiah Smith returned from a leg injury to make his season debut, finishing second in the 100-meter dash in a photo finish in 10.74 seconds and taking second in the 200 in 22.35.
Shawnee Heights also picked up a runnerup finish from senior Jordan Garvin in the 300 hurdles (40.26).
Seaman notched a win in the boys 4x800 relay in 8:21.89 while junior Aaron Merritt was second in the 110-meter hurdles (15.24) and senior Sean Miller finished second in the shot put at 49 feet, 7 inches.
Topeka West senior Lenny Njjoroge won the 3,200 in 9:33.69 after finishing second in the 1,600 in 4:21.51 while Charger sophomore Alesecio Batson won the triple jump in 45 feet, 9.50 inches and senior Zachary Hulse finished secon in the javelin at 154-4.
On the girls side, host De Soto claimed the team title by a 159-128.50 margin over Seaman.
Seaman freshman Ryin Miller won the UKC title in the girls 1,600, helping the Vikings finish second as a team. [File photo/TSN]
Freshman Ryin Miller won the 1,600-meter title in 5:24.05 while defending state champ Bethany Druse won the 800 in 2:19.49.
Seaman also won the 4x800 relay in 10:14.02 and took second in the 4x400 relay in 4:09.14.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West senior doubles stars Ian and Miles Cusick had only lost four times all season, but three of those losses had come against Arkansas City junior Oakley O'Donnell and sophomore Dawson O'Donnell.
Topeka West's Class 5A state championship tennis team -- From left: Shon Daniels (assistant coach), Carter Cool, Caden McGee, Miles Cusick, Ian Cusick, James Maag, Caleb Weybrew, Kurt Davids (head coach). [Submitted photo]
Topeka West senior twin brothers Miles and Ian Cusick exchange a hug Saturday after winning their second straight Class 5A state doubles title and leading the Chargers to the state team championship. [Submitted photo by Scott Ritter]
But when it mattered the most, the Cusick twins were up to the challenge, capturing their second straight Class 5A state championship with a 6-3, 6-4 win on the O'Donnell's home courts while leading the Chargers to their first-ever boys state team title by a decisive 34-28 margin over Blue Valley Southwest.
The Cusicks, who went 4-0 at state to finish off a 38-4 season, advanced to the championship match with a 7-6 (7-5 tiebreaker), 6-2 semifinal win over Newton seniors Otis Musser and Justin Franz Saturday morning.
It was a huge weekend for Kurt Davids' Topeka West team overall, with all six Chargers taking home state medals as West completed a sweep of city, United Kansas Conference, 5A regional and state championhips.
Topeka West, which finished second as a team in the 2022 state meet, got seventh and 11th-place singles finishes from senior Carter Cool and junior James Maag while juniors Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew added a ninth-place doubles finish.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Retired Washburn Rural coaching legend Kevin Hedberg was back in familiar territory at Kossover Tennis Center on Friday for his induction into the Kansas Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Retired Washburn Rural coaching legend Kevin Hedberg receives his Kansas Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame plaque from longtime Topeka High coach Duane Pomeroy, a former high school teammate. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural coaching legend Kevin Hedberg speaks to those in attendance at Kossover Tennis Center Friday after being inducted into the Kansas Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame. [Photo by
Hedberg, who retired at the conclustion of the 2021-2022 school year after a 43-year teaching and coaching career, was inducted prior to the start of the Class 6A state tournament.
After coaching at Seaman for 11 years, Hedberg moved to Washburn Rural for 32 seasons, where he led the Junior Blues to a Class 6A girls state title in 1993 and boys state championships in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Hedberg coached singles and doubles champions in both boys and girls tennis while coaching 24 teams (boys and girls combined) to top-three state team finishes.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West senior twin brothers Ian and Miles Cusick advanced to the Class 5A tennis doubles semifinals for the second straight season Friday in Arkansas City, continuing their bid for a state title repeat.
Topeka West seniors Ian Cusick (left) and Miles Cusick advanced to the Class 5A state doubles semifinals Friday at Arkansas City. [File photo/TSN]
The Cusicks posted 6-0, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-3 victories in their two matches on Friday and will face Newton seniors Otis Musser and Justin Franz in Saturday morning's semifinals.
Topeka West, which finished second as a team in the 2022 state meet, advanced its entire team to Saturday's final day of the state tournament.
West senior Carter Cool and junior James Maag went 3-1 in singles and juniors Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew went 3-1 in doubles and all of the Chargers can still finish as high as fifth place on Saturday.
State competition will continue at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Washburn Rural senior Mason Casebeer went 3-1 on Friday to clinch a state singles medal in the Class 6A state tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 6A
Washburn Rural senior standout Mason Casebeer and the doubles team of senior Kiefer Von Lintel and freshman Dylan Willingham clinched Class 6A state medals Friday at Kossover Tennis Center.
Casebeer, a regional champion, dropped his first match of the day but bounced back with 9-0 and 9-2 wins to advance to Saturday's competition.
Von Lintel and Willingham went 3-1 Friday and advanced with a 9-7 win in their final Friday match.
Both Casebeer, a former state doubles medalist, and Von Lintel and Willingham can still finish as high as fifth place in 6A.
Rural junior singles player Lawson Lobatos and the doubles team of junior Dylan Dodge and freshman Keegan Knudtson were eliminated from competition on Friday.
Saturday's competition will begin at 9 a.m.
Hayden senior Gus Glotzbach and junior Joseph Luke have clinched state doubles medals in the Class 4A state tournament at Pratt. [File photo/TSN]
CLASS 4A
Hayden's doubles team of senior Gus Glotzbach and junior Joseph Luke advanced to Saturday's competition in the Class 4A state tournament at Pratt.
Regional champions Glotzbach and Luke won their first match of the day before dropping a 6-4, 7-6 quarterfinal decision to Parsons.
Glotzbach has clinched a 4A state medal for the third straight season while Luke has earned a state medal for the second straight season.
Hayden singles players Chris Hayes, a senior, and sophomore Evan George were eliminated from state on Friday.
State competition will resume at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
CLASS 3A-1A
Cair Paravel Latin freshman Drew Fay, making the Lions' first-ever appearance in state tennis, went 2-2 in singles on Friday in Wichita but was eliminated from competition with a tough 9-7 loss in his final match.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park senior Tre Richardson, a returning Class 5A state champion, captured four gold medals in Thursday's Meadowlark Conference track and field meet at Kansas City-Washington, leading the Scots to a third-place team finish.
Highland Park senior Tre Richardson won four events in Thursday's Meadowlark Conference track and field meet, taking wins in the long jump, triple jump, 100 and 200. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Highland Park senior Keijuan Johnson swept Meadowlark Conference titles in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles events Thursday in Kansas City, Kan.. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Richardson won the league title in the long jump at 20 feet, 4 inches, the triple jump at 43-2, the 100-meter dash at 10.97 seconds and the 200 dash in 21.50.
Richardson is the defending 5A state champ in the 200 and is a returning state placer in the long jump and triple jump.
Highland Park also got a pair of individual wins from senior Keijuan Johnson, who won the 110 high hurdles in 15.47 seconds and the 300 intermediates in 43.95.
Scot senior Gabe Davis finished second in the discus (99-9) and third in the discus (38-1) as Highland Park finished third as a team with 96.5 points.
Sophomore De'Asia Sanders picked up a league title in the girls javelin for the Scots with a throw of 85 feet, 3.50 inches while sophomore Ke'Ahjahnae Rice finished second in the 400 dash (62.96).
Highland Park's girls finished fifth as a team with 39 points.
Highland Park will compete in a 5A regional meet next Thursday at the Olathe District Athletic Complex, vying for berths in the state meet May 26-27 at Wichita State.
City athletes win 11 Centennial League titles
Manhattan swept the boys and girls Centennial League team championships in decisive fashion but city athletes also shined, combining for wins in 11 events.
Washburn Rural junior Josh Sulzen-Watson and Topeka High sophomore Aubreona Torres-Hill led the city contingent with two individual wins apiece.
Sulzen-Watson won the boys discus with a throw of 155 feet, 2 inches and won the javelin with a best throw of 181-1.
Topeka High sophomore Aubreona Torres-Hill won Centennial League titles in the 100 and 300 hurdles Thursday night. [File photo/TSN]
Torres-Hill swept the girls hurdles races, winning the 100-meter hurdles in 16.62 seconds and the 300s in 49.15.
Hayden's boys, who tied Washburn Rural for second place in the team standings, got individual wins from senior Jake Muller in the 300 hurdles (39.98) and sophomore Jensen Schrickel in the long jump (21 feet, 3.25 inches) while Muller and Schrickel also ran on the Wildcats' winning 4x400 relay in 3:23.74.
In addition to Sulzen-Watson's two wins, Rural's boys also got a win from junior Jamond Lane in the shot put (48-2.50) and the Junior Blues won the 4x800 relay in 8:19.66.
Washburn Rural sophomore Rylee Ismert (left) won the Centennial League 1,600 meters title Thursday while Payton Fink won the 3,200. [File photo/TSN]
On the girls side, Washburn Rural sophomore Rylee Ismert won the 1,600-meter run (5:28.56) and sophomore Payton Fink won the 3,200 (11:49.88).
Manhattan won the boys team title by a 116-77 margin over Hayden and Washburn Rural while the Indian girls won the league championship by a 166-77.50 margin over Emporia, with Washburn Rural third (76.50).
Topeka High and Washburn Rural will compete in a 6A regional at Wichita Heights next Thursday while Hayden will compete in a 4A regional at Shawnee Mission North next Friday.
