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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Washburn Rural star JC Heim, who will play his college football at Washburn University, was named the TopSports.news Topeka Shawnee County Fall Male Athlete of the Year during Wednesday's awards banquet and Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Washburn.
Washburn Rural product JC Heim was named the Topeka Shawnee County Fall Male Athlete of the Year Wednesday night at Washburn University. [Submitted photo]
Heim was named the Shawnee County and Centennial League defensive player of the year and also received All-State recognition after helping lead Washburn Rural to the Class 6A semifinals.
"Many times when we talk about sports excellence we are usually seeing the end result of a lot of time, hard work and dedication and JC Heim's high school success story is no different,'' Rural coach Steve Buhler said. "His success story is one of persistence and drive.''
Heim was in on 173 total tackles (102 solos) with 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks and rushed for 530 yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished his career with 255 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, nine forced fumbles and five blocked kicks.
Heim, the son of John and Jennifer Heim, compiled a 3.538 grade point average in high school.
FALL SPORTS: OUTSTANDING MALE NOMINEES
Callen Barta
CALLEN BARTA | Seaman
PARENTS: Jerry Barta and Jeni Sloan
SPORT: Football | GPA: NA
A receiver/defensive back, Barta caught 77 passes for 1441 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior while recording 36 tackles and intercepting five passes, returning one for a touchdown. "Callen is a great example of hard work paying off,'' Seaman coach Jared Swafford said. "During his time in our program I had the privelege of watching him grow and mature as a young man. He is a young man that took a lot of pride in working hard on his craft and that ultimately paid off. I am very proud of Callen and all that he has achieved, although he is not done yet.'' A Kansas Shrine Bowl selection, Barta will play collegiately at Kansas State.
Carter Charvat
CARTER CHARVAT | Hayden
PARENTS: Matt and Sarah Charvat
SPORT: Football | GPA: 4.33
A three-sport athlete, Charvat helped lead Hayden's football team to the Class 3A state championship game last fall, earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 and All-3A recognition. A Kansas Shrine Bowl selection, Charvat was in on 117 tackles as a senior, including 71 solo stops and registered eight sacks and four tackles for loss while intercepting two passes. Charvat also helped the Wildcats advance to the 3A state tournament in basketball and was a standout thrower in track and field, qualifying for the 3A state meet. Charvat will play college football at Benedictine.
Christian Gonzales
CHRISTIAN GONZALES | Shawnee Heights
PARENTS: Ritchie and Angel Gonzales
SPORT: Football | GPA: 3.0
Gonzales, a three-year starter as a defensive lineman, was a first-team All-United Kansas Conference pick as a junior and senior and an All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection as a senior, compiling 70 tackles with eight tackles for loss and four sacks. Gonzales finished his high school career with 149 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and seven sacks and was selected to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl. "A leader and fierce competitor, Christian dominated the trenches for the T-Birds,'' Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift said. Gonzales has signed a letter of intent to play college football at Washburn University.
Isaiah Kincade
ISAIAH KINCADE | Topeka High
PARENTS: Chad and Moshe Kincade
SPORT: Football | GPA: 4.2
Kincade has received All-Centennial League and All-Shawnee County recognition in football and baseball in multiple seasons. A wide receiver/defensive back, received second-team all-league and Second 22 honors in football last fall, recording 59 tackles for the Trojans. Kincade helped lead Topeka High's baseball team to a second straight Class 6A state tournament berth this past spring. "Isaiah has been a tremendous leader and representative of Topeka High Athletics on and off the field,'' Topeka High athletic director and baseball coach Cody Miller said. Kincade will play college football at Washburn University.
Kyrece Robinson
KYRECE ROBINSON | Washburn Rural
PARENT: Donneisha Smith
SPORT: Football | GPA: NA
Robinson, a standout lineman, received All-Shawnee County Top 22 recognition as a senior for the Chargers. A three-year varsity player, Robinson was a second-team All-United Kansas Conference selection last fall. Robinson was in on 64 tackles last fall as a defensive end with 27 tackles for loss and four sacks. Robinson, who served as a team captain for Topeka West, plans to play college footbal at Hutchinson Community College.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Forty-seven of Shawnee County's premier high school student-athletes from the class of 2024 will be recognized Wednesday night as part of the 19th annual Topeka Shawnee County High School Sports Awards banquet.
TopSports.news, in partnership with A-1 Lock and Key, Washburn University, Capital Label, Peggy's Tax and Accounting and the Jamie Hornbaker State Farm Insurance Agency, will host the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and honor Washburn's athletes of the year at the Washburn University Memorial Union (6 p.m. start).
Recent Seaman graduate Taylin Stallbaumer has been nominated in two seasons for the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards after helping the Vikings win Class 5A volleyball and basketball titles. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake senior Makenzie McDaniel is a nominee for the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards after helping the Eagles win the Class 3A state basketball title as a senior. [File photo/TSN]
A Class 6A state swimming champion as a senior, Washburn Rural's Brogan Meier is a nominee for the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden's Finn Dunshee (middle) was a three-time state champion in the 2024 state track championships and also helped lead the Wildcats to a Class 3A runnerup finish in football. [File photo/TSN]
TopSports.news will present awards to the top female and male athletes in the fall, winter and spring seasons, as well as overall female and male athletes of the year and the most inspirational female and male. A complete list of nominees is listed below.
To be eligible, an athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Athletes were nominated by their schools' athletic directors and coaches.
In addition to the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards, Khloe Schuckman and Braden Rose will be honored as Washburn University Athletes of the Year and Bob Benoit, Jim Golden, Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer and Nick Stringer will be inducted as the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame class.
A committee of local media members selected the 2024 high school winners, including the selection of overall female and male athletes of the year.
TOPEKA SHAWNEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS AWARDS NOMINEES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TopSports.news will honor All-America track and field thrower Braden Rose and All-America soccer player Khloe Schuckman as Washburn University's outstanding male and female athletes for 2023-2024 at the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Wednesday at Washburn's Memorial Union.
Washburn graduate student Braden Rose is a six-time track and field All-American and holds the school record in the weight throw, discus and hammer throw. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn junior Khloe Schuckman helped lead the Ichabods to a 21-4-1 record and the NCAA Division II soccer national championship game last fall. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Rose posted a pair of second-place finishes in the recent NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing second in the hammer throw and discus. Rose picked up his sixth overall career All-American award in the national meet and holds the Washburn school record in the indoor weight throw, discus and hammer throw.
Schuckman, a Wichita Bishop Carroll product, has scored 25 goals with nine assists over her first three WU seasons and helped lead the Ichabods to a 21-4-1 record last fall, earning third-team All-America recognition.
TopSports.news will honor outstanding Washburn athletes for the fourth time in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
In 2023 Grant Bruner and Jaycee Ginter were named Washburn outstanding male and female athletes of the year.
Washburn Athlete of the Year capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Denver Broncos linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite was in Orlando, Fla. Tuesday spending some vacation time with his family before the start of the grueling NFL season, but he was also busy trying to finalize details for Friday's third annual Big Kev Give Back Camp, a dual basketball/football camp on the campus of Washburn University.
Michael Wilhoite (left) and Kyle Weems talk to campers during last year's Big Kev Give Back Camp. The third annual camp is on tap Friday at Washburn University. [File photo/TSN]
And Wilhoite said that no matter how busy he and his close friend Kyle are, putting on the Give Back Camp will continue to be a major priority.
"It's a must,'' Wilhoite said. "There's no ifs, ands or buts about it and a lot of people around Topeka help make it happen, but no matter what's going on there's no way it's not going to happen.''
Weems and Wilhoite, who were inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2021, will be joined by many other special guests to host the camp, in conjunction with Washburn, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wilhoite said that he and Weems always have plenty of current and former athletes, many who grew up in Topeka, willing to help out with the camp.
"I think they respect what we're doing and they want to be involved because they love Topeka as much as we do,'' Wilhoite said. "They grew up here and they want to give back in any way they can.
"Kyle and I have our names on it, but it's everybody in Topeka that helps make it possible.''
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Editor's note: Over the coming days, TopSports.news will take a look at all of the nominees for the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County High School Sports Awards. All nominees will be recognized at the June 26 awards banquet, which will be held in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame induction at Washburn University's Memorial Union.
SPRING SPORTS: MOST INSPIRATIONAL MALE NOMINEES
Rykan Carver
RYKAN CARVER | Shawnee Heights
PARENTS: Corey and Tricia Carver
SPORT: Football/Wrestling/Track and Field | GPA: 4.53
Carver was a three-sport star for Shawnee Heights in football, wrestling and track and field. Carver was an All-United Kansas Conference offensive tackle in football, the Class 5A 285-pound state champion in wrestling and a state qualifier in track in the shot put. Carver was a three-year starter on offense and a two-year starter on defense in football and was a four-year letterman in wrestling. Academically, Carver ranked No. 1 in a graduating class of 251 while compiling a grade point average of 4.53. Carver was a Kansas Governor's Scholar and a member of the National Honor Society, ranking in the top one percent of GPAs for the entire state of Kansas. Carver will study engineering at Kansas State.
Doug Peterson
DOUG PETERSON | Hayden
PARENTS: Charles and Amanda Peterson
SPORT: Football/Track | GPA: 4.019
"Doug tore his ACL during football season and as a senior missed a great season as Hayden played in the (Class) 3A state championship game,'' Peterson's nomination form stated. "Doug was the biggest cheerleader on the sideline and constantly gave advice to the player that took his place on offense and defense -- a kid with a never say die attitude. He was very positive throughout his injury and rehab.'' He was cleared to participate in track this spring. He was the recipient ot the Kansas State High School Activities Association Citizenship Award from Hayden. "Doug was a leader through example and truly loves his school.''
