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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Lailah Benz
LAILAH BENZ, Shawnee Heights
Benz, a sophomore midfielder, recorded a three-goal hat track for Shawnee Heights in last Tuesday's 5-0 non-league girls soccer victory over Ottawa at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. Benz helped lead the T-Birds to a 2-1 start to the 2023 season with their second straight win.
Bethany Druse
BETHANY DRUSE, Seaman
A senior, Druse, the defending Class 5A 800 meters champion, posted individual wins in the 1,600 and 800 in last Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational track and field meet at Washburn Rural and also anchored the Vikings' 4x400 relay team to a come-from-behind victory. Druse won the 1,600 by more than nine seconds in 5 minutes, 37.00 , won the 800 by more than 10 seconds in 2:25.28 and helped Seaman win the 4x400 relay in 4:20.01.
Alexis Fredrickson
ALEXIS FREDRICKSON, Washburn Rural
Fredrickson, a senior, opened her senior track and field season with two wins and two runnerup finishes in last Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational at Washburn Rural. Fredrickson won the 100-meter dash in 14.00 seconds and the 200 in 28.26 while also finishing second in the 400 (62.0) and the pole vault (8 feet, 6 inches). Fredrickson was a three-time Class 6A-5A state medalist and two-time state team champion for Rural's wrestling team.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2023 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Nichols, Shawnee Heights 12.37
Marshall, Topeka High 13.17
Ross, Silver Lake 13.49
Steiner, Seaman 13.62
Randa, Hayden 13.81
200 METERS
Nichols, Shawnee Heights 25.88
Brooks, Topeka West 26.00
Rezac, Rossiville 27.63
Marshall, Topeka High 27.65
Wise, Silver Lake 27.76
400 METERS
Brooks, Topeka High 59.74
Hillebert, Hayden 60.74
Fredrickson, Washburn Rural 62.00
Rezac, Rossville 63.08
Foster, Rossville 63.89
Returning senior state champion Bethany Druse of Seaman is the Shawnee County leader in the girls 800 and 1,600. [File photo/TSN]
800 METERS
Druse, Seaman 2:25.28
Foster, Rossville 2:33.78
Farmer, Silver Lake 2:34.46
Heston, Seaman 2:39.07
Liedtke, Shawnee Heights 2:44.95
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2023 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Dunshee, Hayden 10.94
Rollenhagen, Silver Lake 11.08
Heiman, Silver Lake 11.23
Murph, Topeka High 11.28
Peoples, Topeka High 11.35
200 METERS
Cochran, Seaman 22.70
Rollenhagen, Silver Lake 22.79
Murph, Topeka High 23.06
Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 23.08
Mack, Topeka High 23.55
400 METERS
Schrickel, Hayden 51.09
Terry, Washburn Rural 52.95
Benz, Shawnee Heights 53.02
Roeder, Topeka High 53.25
Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 53.41
Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel (3) is the Shawnee County leader in the 800 and 1,600 meters. [File photo/TSN]
800 METERS
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 2:05.09
Anderson, Seaman 2:05.59
Johnson, Washburn Rual 2:07.92
Stuke, Seaman 2:10.22
Dial, Washburn Rural 2:10.62
1,600 METERS
Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:29.61
Njoroge, Topeka West 4:29.84
Dial, Washburn Rural 4:39.16
Wilkie, Topeka West 4:55.15
King, Washburn Rural 5:00.00
Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge is the Shawnee County leader in the boys 3,200-meter run. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
3,200 METERS
Njoroge, Topeka West 9:34.11
Jowers, Seaman 10:23.75
Fink, Washburn Rual 10:34.34
Wilkie, Topeka West 11:01.38
Carter, Shawnee Heights 11:16.39
- Details
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
With Washburn University's football team graduating 21 seniors from last year's 7-4 team, including All-Americans JJ Letcher and Grant Bruner, there's going to be plenty of opportunities for many of the Ichabods' younger players to step into major roles this fall.
Washburn football coach Craig Schurig talks to his Ichabods after Saturday's Spring Game at Yager Stadium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And veteran WU coach Craig Schurig felt that like spring practice, which concluded with Saturday's Spring Game at Yager Stadium, showed that a lot of those young players are ready for that.
"I really felt good about the work our young guys got in,'' Schurig said. "We had a lot of guys over the last two years, because of the extra senior class that you had, that haven't really been able to play and we got them involved in what we call our 1s-2s scrimmages and they stepped up.
"So I like our depth, I like the way those guys performed. They've been patient and it seems like it's going to pay off for them. I really liked the way some of the young guys really showed out and the older guys were good leaders and they got the reps they needed.''
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Despite suffering a 15-3, run-rule loss to Manhattan in the first game of the twinbill, Topeka High’s softball team had a memorable rally fall just short in a 14-12 extra-inning loss in Game 2 on Friday night at Hummer Sports Park.
Shane Miles is confident his Topeka High sotball team can bounce back fom its recent four-game losing steak, including a pair of losses to Manhattan on Friday. [File photo/TSN]
As usual, the Kansas weather played a factor in Friday night’s Centennial League matchup. With 55 mph winds in effect and an unbeaten rival rolling into the Capital City, it wasn’t going to be an easy matchup for a young, mostly inexperienced Topeka High team.
The two-time defending Class 6A state champions have a lot of new faces in the lineup this season, and the coach that led them to those state championships knows that it’s going to take some repetitions to get fully acclimated to this season.
"We got a target on our back, being the defending 6A state champion the last two years,” Topeka High coach Shane Miles said. “Everybody is going to give us their best shot. We have a lot of new faces, too. We are just trying to find that mix that works for us. We just have to go back to work on Monday and forget about this. We will be a tough team to put out come later this season.”
