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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After winning a state championship last season as a junior, the bar is obviously set high for Topeka West standout jumper Zsamar Sipple.
Friday's performance in the triple jump in the Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Invitational at Seaman was proof that Sipple is starting to round into championship-caliber form once again with the biggest four meets of the year coming up.
Sipple won the Class 6A long jump and placed in the triple jump at state before transferring to Topeka West for his senior season.
Sipple had some ups and downs early, but enjoyed a big day Friday, sailing 46 feet, 3 inches to win the triple jump title.
Sipple's winning jump was a personal record, but he hopes that's just temporary.
"For the moment it's my best, but I'm looking to get more,'' Sipple said. "Once I locked in I was able to get that 46 and I need to lock in some more. I need to work harder, too, to get farther so colleges can see because I'm trying to get out there and get a college scholarship.
"Definitely with this 46-3 I feel if I put a little more technique in it I would have got a 47.''
Sipple also posted a fourth-place finish in a tough long jump field, posting a best jump of 22-9.
Sipple said it was a obviously a change switching schools and coaches, but he feels like he's ready to mount a late-season charge.
"It's just transitioning to different techniques and different things, what I'm not used to,'' Sipple said. "So I'm just trying to get used to these different techniques and put them into my jumps so I can get farther.''
The final two boys events, the 3,200 meters and the 4 x 400 relay were canceled due to impending storms. The girls 4 x 400 was also canceled.
Other boys meet highlights:
• Silver Lake senior Brogan Renfro was the champion in the boys 200-meter dash, running a time of 22.98 to best a field loaded with 6A competitors.
• Washburn Rural senior Zach Sulzen-Watson posted a pair of second-place finishes in the shot put and discus on Friday.
Sulzen-Watson was the runner-up in the shot put to Santa Fe Trail's Brett Schwartz with a throw of 52-3. Schwartz won the event at 52-9.25.
Sulzen-Watson posted a throw of 170-9 in the discus while Schwartz won the event at 185-9.
• Topeka West's Lenny Njoroge finished third in the 1,600 meters in 4:32.04 while Seaman's Lain Anderson finished third in the pole vault, clearing 11-6 and Seaman finished third in the 4 x 100 relay in 44.64 seconds.
Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Invitational
At Seaman
BOYS
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Thursday night’s doubleheader sweep was due to a complete team effort from Topeka High baseball in both games.
Topeka High’s starting pitching posted an impressive performance, allowing the offense plenty of time to inflict some damage against Hayden.
Dillon Mitchell toed the slab in High's Game 1’s 6-4 victory over the Wildcats and Nathan Plankinton started in the 12-0 decision in the nightcap at Hummer Sports Park.
Mitchell’s six innings of work gave him enough time to strike out 11 batters, allowing two hits and one run. Mitchell has been on a hot streak on the bump, recording 26 strikeouts over his last two games.
“My off-speed is working well and my fastball has a little more zip on it this year than previous years,” Mitchell said. “My main goal is that I’m pitching to weak contact. The more weak contact I can get with my pitches, the deeper I can go into games.”
Plankinton pitched a complete-game shutout while striking out four batters and giving up just a single hit.
“I got the job done with my fastball,” Plankinton said. “It wasn’t my best day, but I did enough to help my team get the win. I felt like the day was pretty good, but I definitely could have done better.”
Topeka High coach Cody Miller was pleased his pitcher's work.
“Our two guys that pitched today are capable of having days like they did today,” Miller said. “They can both throw off-speed pitches whenever they want to for strikes. When you can do that, it really keeps hitters off-balance. They both had their good stuff today.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Obviously, both Topeka West and Washburn Rural would have loved to have the 2022 city boys tennis championship all to itself.
But West coach Kurt Davids and Rural coach Kevin Hedberg had a strong inkling that Thursday's tournament at Kossover Tennis Center would turn out exactly like it did, with the Chargers and Junior Blues finishing the day as co-city champions.
West and Rural went one-two in all four divisions, winning two titles apiece, as both teams finished with 28 points. Shawnee Heights finished third as a team with 18 points.
"Kevin and I had talked about this and it went exacly as both of us had expected,'' said Davids, whose Chargers won their second straight city title. "We both had wishes for other things to happen, but we knew what was probably going to happen.''
Hedberg, who was coaching in his final city meet, agreed.
"(Kurt) and I were talking last night and we figured out we had three options,'' said Hedberg, who will retire at the end of the season. "One of us was going to win by one or we were going to tie.''
Washburn Rural claimed both singles titles, with senior Mason Thieu taking an 8-2 win over Topeka West's sophomore James Maag in the No. 1 final and senior Mason Casebeer taking an 8-1 win over West sophomore Caden McGee in the No. 2 championship match.
Topeka West turned the tables in doubles competition, with juniors Ian and Miles Cusick claiming the No. 1 championship with an 8-1 win over Washburn Rural's Kyler Knudtson and Nick Luetje and junior Carter Cool and senior Gavin Chavez taking the No. 2 title with an 8-3 win over Rural seniors Kiyoon Park and Zach Willingham.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four Shawnee County teams earned spots in the latest Kansas High School Soccer Coaches Association girls state rankings.
Washburn Rural, currently 9-2-0, is ranked No. 2 in Class 6A while Shawnee Heights, 9-1-0, is No. 8 in 5A.
Both Hayden and Cair Paravel Latin are ranked in 4A-1A, with Hayden (7-2-1) No. 3 and Cair Paravel (9-3-0) No. 5.
KHSSCA COACHES POLL
WEEK 5
Records as of April 27
CLASS 6A
1. Blue Valley West 7-1-0
2. Washburn Rural 9-2-0
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KENDRA COOK, Silver Lake
Cook a freshman pitcher, threw a seven-inning no-hitter in a 7-0 second-game Mid-East League victory at St. Marys last Thursday.
Cook allowed one walk and struck out five against the Bears.helping the Eagles complete a doubleheader sweep.
MASON McCONNAUGHEY, Seaman
A senior pitcher, McConnaughey threw a complete-game no-hitter in Seaman's 3-0 Centennial League road victory over Junction City last Tuesday.
McConnaughey recorded 15 strikeouts against the Blue Jays and did not allow a walk. Mason backed up the Junction City no-no with a 3 inning run rule no hitter in his next outing vs. Emporia.