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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
SALINA -- A year ago Seaman's volleyball team knocked off St. Thomas Aquinas to end the Saints' Class 5A volleyball championship reign.
Seaman volleyball celebrates a point during Saturday's Class 5A state tournament at Salina. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior Maegan Mills (23) spikes the ball during Saturday's Class 5A championship match against St. Thomas Aquinas. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
On Saturday at the Tony's Pizza Events Center, the Saints evened the score, taking a 25-22, 20-25, 25-9 win over the Vikings in the title match.
"I think we fought hard in games one and two and in game three we kind of let one thing lead to another and unfortunately couldn't find the fight to fight back all the way there at the end,'' Seaman coach Tatiana Dowling said. "But it doesn't overlook all the good moments that they've had all year and the fact that they got to the state championship match.
"I think in this one Aquinas just came out with a better game plan than us and we didn't quite have an answer for it.''
After dropping a straight-set regular-season decision to Aquinas back on Oct. 10, Seaman beat the Saints 25-19, 25-23 in 5A pool play on Friday before Aquinas took Saturday's rubber match in the season series.
Seaman finished its season with a 41-3 record while Aquinas finished the year 34-6.
Seaman claimed the Pool I title with a perfect 3-0 record on Friday but Pool II runnerup Kapaun Mt. Carmel took a 26-24 opening-set win over the Vikings in the semifinals. Seaman answered with a 25-19 win over the Crusaders in the second set before holding off Kapaun 25-23 in the third set to advance to the championship match.
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
The KSHSAA state Class 6A, 5A, 3A cross country meets were contested at Rim Rock Farm on Saturday on a cloudy and wet day. Hayden and Rossville competed in the 4A and 2A state meets at Wamego Country Club.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller finished second in Saturday's Class 5A state cross country meet in Rim Rock Farm. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Class 5A Girls
Last season, Seaman junior Ryin Miller finished third place behind the Salina Central duo of Katelyn Rupe and Kaylie Shultz. This year, the same three competed for the state title and Miller was able to improve on her finish from last season, but came in second to three-time champion, Rupe. Rupe finished first in a five-kilometer time of 17 minutes, 09.77 seconds, followed by Miller in 17:26.36 and Shultz in 18:13.67.
Along with Miller, Seaman had two other state medalists in the 5A race, with senior Stella Applehanz finishing her final race in 17th place with a time of 19:40.39. Sophomore Brynn Spencer finished right behind Appelhanz in eighteenth place with a time of 19:40.68. The Vikings finished sixth as a team.
Final Team Standings: St. James Academy 77, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 93, Blue Valley Southwest 97, Wichita Bishop Carroll 112, St. Thomas Aquinas 117, Seaman 147.
Seaman: Ryin Miller (17:26.36, 2nd); Stella Applehanz (19:40.39, 17th); Brynn Spencer (19:40.68, 18th); Kinley Robinson (21:20.54, 58th); Avery Villines (22:23.06, 82nd); Hannah Wempe (22:35.89, 85th); Emma Gonzalez (25:16.09, 93rd).
Class 5A Boys
The Seaman boys were the lone local team to qualify for the 5A state meet, but two other local schools qualified individuals for the race. Topeka West had two runners -- seniors Adrian Lehman and Mark Wilkie - while Shawnee Heights had senior Evan Carter.
Two local runners finished as medalists as West’s Lehman finished in seventh place with a time of 15:49.59 and Seaman junior Brody Anderson finished in ninth place with a time of 15:56.52.
Final Team Standings: Spring Hill 35, Blue Valley Southwest 40, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 74, Wichita Bishop Carroll 133, St. James Academy 163, Seaman 223 (8th place).
Seaman: Brody Anderson (15:56.52, 9th); Corbin Murrow (17:29.22, 56th); Conner Bloom (17:33.57, 62nd); Alex Newell (17:55.57, 71st); Drake Spurlock (18:16, 81st); Caleb King (18:44.79, 90th); and Maddox Moore (19:15.15, 95th).
Shawnee Heights: Evan Carter (16:52.97, 31st).
Topeka West : Adrian Lehman (15:49.59, 7th); Mark Wilkie (17:32.28, 60th).
Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert finished third in Class 6A Saturday as the Junior Blues tied for the team title and finished second on a tiebreaker. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink posted a top-five Class 6A cross country finish for the second straight season Saturday at Rim Rock Farm. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Class 6A Girls
In the closest possible finish in a cross country race, the Olathe West Owls and the Washburn Rural Junior Blues tied with 80 points, but Olathe West won their fifth straight state championship based on the finish of each team’s sixth runner.
The Junior Blues were led by senior medalists Rylee Ismert, who finished third in a time of 18:41.30, and senior Payton Fink, who finished fifth in a time of 18:48.82, while junior Emily Graf finished in 14th with a time of 19:26.24.
Final Team Standings: Olathe West 80, Washburn Rural 80, SM East 84, Mill Valley 112, Olathe North 129.
Washburn Rural: Rylee Ismert (18:41.30, 3rd); Peyton Fink (18:48.82, 5th); Emily Graf (19:26.24, 14th); Brooklyn Nolte (20:10.83, 31st); Kenzie Maddox (20:57.15, 51st); Kate Muir (22:51.61, 91st); Reese Beardslee (23:37.64, 97th).
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
HUTCHINSON -- The Hayden volleyball team shook off a disappointing loss in Saturday's Class 4A state semifinals, bouncing back with a win over McPherson to finish third in state at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Hayden senior Bella Reid (12) celebrates a point with her teammates during Saturday's Class 4A state volleyball tournament. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Hayden senior Reagan McGivern spikes the ball during Saturday's Class 4A state tournament at Hutchinson. [Photo by Selena Favela/TSN]
Hayden was back in the state field for the first time since it won the 4A title in 2019.
The Wildcats were knocked out of the running for the title by Rock Creek. Hayden evened the semifinal match at one set apiece but couldn’t keep pace in the third set, falling 25-20.
Hayden dropped the first set of the consolation round against McPherson 21-25. But the Wildcats regrouped to win the next two sets 25-15, 25-16.
Hayden's volleyball team poses for a team picture after taking third place in the Class 4A state tournament. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Hayden seniors Bella Reid (left) and Reagan McGivern accept the Class 4A third-place trophy Saturday in Hutchinson. [Photo by Todd Fertig/Special to TSN]
“I’m so proud of the girls,” said Wildcat coach Corrinne McGreevy. “It’s mentally so hard to play that consolation game because you put your heart and soul in the semifinal game and then you feel so defeated. But it’s a game of heart and mental toughness. We said ‘Hey, let’s go home in third place, because third is way better than fourth.’ ”
"There’s always that disappointment of losing in a semifinal, but overall I’m so proud of these girls,” said senior Reagan McGivern. “We’re young. We’re inexperienced. So, I’m glad with the way they showed up and were able to bounce back. That consolation game is hard to play mentally, so I’m glad we took care of it. There’s only two teams that can end their season with a win, so I’m glad it was us.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball played its final preseason tune-up Friday night, falling to the University of Kansas 81-54 in Allen Fieldhouse.
The Ichabods begin the regular season in St. Cloud, Minn. at the Central Region Crossover against Southwest Minnesota State on Nov. 8 at 4 p.m.
Washburn newcomer Payton Sterk scored 11 points in Washburn's 81-54 exhibition loss at Kansas Friday night. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
It was Washburn that got on the board first, with YIbari Nwidadah getting a bucket to go in the paint on the opening possession of the game.
The Jayhawks scored the next eight points, but the Ichabods battled back, going ahead 11-10 after a steal and score from Aniah Wayne in the backcourt with 2:01 left in the quarter.
The Washburn defense forced six turnovers in the first quarter but in the final two minutes Kansas was able to break down the defense, ending the frame on an 8-0 run.
The Ichabods kept it close to open the second quarter, cutting the lead down to six with 7:26 left after Payton Sterk drilled a three. Shortly after, free throws by Gabi Giovannetti made it a four-point game with 5:56 in the half.
After the Jayhawks started the game 0-14 from beyond the arc they got their first to go with 1:01 left in the quarter, which pushed the lead to double figures. Kansas went into the break leading 39-27.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 20-ranked Washburn Ichabod women's soccer team used two second-half goals from senior Khloe Schuckman to earn a 2-0 win over Northwest Missouri State on Friday night at Yager Stadium.
Senior Khloe Schuckman scored both goals in Friday's 2-0 MIAA win over Northwest Missouri at Yager Stadium. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday with a 1 p.m. kickoff against No. 15 Missouri Western.
The first half of Friday's match was a defensive struggle, with the score staying at 0-0 entering halftime.
The best chance for either side came in the 42nd minute, when a shot from Washburn's Hunter McWilliams was deflected and fell to Ana Muruzabal, whose close-range shot was saved.
The Ichabods (11-3-2 overall, 8-1-1 MIAA) took seven shots in the half, while holding the Bearcats (7-4-6, 5-3-3) to three attempts.
The second half started much quicker than the first, with Schuckman finding her first score of the evening off a short pass from Mackinly Rohn.
The eventual game-winning goal was Schuckman's 16th career game-winner, tying the Washburn school record.
