- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A large group of young campers waited patiently in line during Tuesday's Washburn University basketball camp to get an autograph from Kansas Jayhawk highly-touted freshman Gradey Dick.
It wasn't that long ago that the Wichita native was one of those kids.
"When I was a little kid I was the same way,'' said Dick, the former Wichita Collegiate and Sunrise Christian Academy star. "I'd go to these camps in Wichita and go around and see KU players come to Collegiate, guys like Wayne Selden and some of those guys, and I was excited just to see what KU guy was going to come the next day.
"I was literally in the exact same spot so for me to be in this spot is kind of funny.''
Being in the limelight is becoming somewhat common for the McDonald's All-American and five-star recruit these days, but Dick, a 6-foot-7 small forward, still recalls the first time he was asked for his autograph.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
State champions Bethany Druse, Briar Gillum and Victoria Reed headline the TopSports.news All-Shawnee County girls track and field team, which includes 17 state medalists.
Gillum, a Rossville senior, won the Class 3A discus championship after finishing second in the shot put while Seaman junior Druse was the 5A 800 meters champion and Highland Park sophomore Reed won the 5A 400-meter dash.
Shawnee Heights junior Ta'Mijha Nichols posted a second-place finish in the 5A 100 while T-Bird junior Taylor Rottinghaus was second to Reed in the 5A 400.
Heights' 4 x 100 relay team of Nichols, Rottinghaus and seniors Hailey Anderson and Haley Haltom finished second in 5A while Hayden sophomore Natalie Hillebert placed third in the 4A 400. Hillebert also picked up a state medal in the 4 x 400 relay as part of the Wildcats' eighth-place team.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Triple gold medalist Tanner Newkirk is one of three state champions on the TopSports.news 2022 All-Shawnee County boys track and field team.
Newkirk, a Shawnee Heights sophomore, turned in a dominating performance in his final Class 4A state meet at Wichita State's Cessna Stadium, going three for three in his individual events with wins in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs and setting 4A state meet records in the 1,600 and 3,200.
And while Newkirk was undoubtedly the biggest star of Shawnee County's state boys contingent, he wasn't the only star, with Highland Park junior Tre Richardson and Hayden freshman Jensen Schrickel also making it to the top of the podium and 15 members of the All-Shawnee County team earning state medals.
Richardson won the 5A 200-meter dash, finished second in the triple jump and fith in the long jump while Schrickel won the 4A long jump and was a three-time state medalist.
Hayden junior Jake Muller was the runner-up in the 4A 300-meter hurdles, finished seventh in the 110 high hurdles and was part of the Wildcats' third-place 4 x 400 relay team along with Schrickel.
Silver Lake senior Carson Johnson was the 3A runner-up in the 300 hurdles while Washburn Rural senior thrower Zach Sulzen-Watson finished second in the 6A discus and added a third-place finish in the shot put.
Topeka West senior Zsamar Sipple finished third in the 5A long jump and fourth in the triple jump while Charger junior Lenny Njoroge took fourth in the 3,200.
Silver Lake senior Brogan Renfro captured four 3A state medals for the second straight season, placing fourth in the 200-meter dash, sixth in the 100, seventh in the triple jump and sixth as part of the Eagles' 4 x 400 relay. Johnson was also part of the Eagles' 4 x 400 relay and the Eagles' seventh-place 4 x 100 relay.
Highland Park junior Tyrell Reed finished seventh in the 5A 100 while Scot senior Keijuan Johnson placed seventh in the 300 hurdles.
Shawnee Heights junior Jordan Garvin finished fourth in the 5A 300 hurdles while senior Ja'Laven January took fourth in the 200 and sophomore Jackson Esquibel was sixth in the 3,200. T-Bird star junior sprinter and hurdler Jeremiah Smith missed the state meet with an injury after winning three events in the 2021 state meet.
Washburn Rural senior Alex Holmes joined teammate Sulzen-Watson on the all-county team for the Junior Blues while sophomore hurdler Aaron Merritt represents Seaman on the all-county team.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Washburn Rural state golf champ and Washburn University Division II player of the year Andrew Beckler earned a berth in the United States Open in Monday qualifying.
Beckler, who finished his Washburn career in 2021 and turned pro last summer, tied for third with a 3-under-par 36-hole total of 141 in qualifying at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md. to earn one of four qualifying berths out of 72 players for the 2022 Open, which will be contested June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
Beckler shot a first-round 69 before finishing with a 72.
Beckler was named the Division II Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year in 2021 in his final season for Washburn.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University volleyball star Faith Rottinghaus has been named the female winner of the MIAA's prestigious Ken B. Jones Award.
Rottinghaus was announced as the Ken B. Jones winner Monday night at the MIAA Award Celebration. The award recognizes the MIAA's top female and male student-athlete.
Nebraska-Kearney wrestler Matt Malcom was named the men's winner.
Rottinghaus, a Shawnee Heights graduate, completed her Ichabod volleyball career last fall, helping lead Washburn to the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship Match, with WU finishing as the national runner-up with an overall record of 31-6 an 17-3 the MIAA.
Rottinghaus led NCAA Division II with 833 total digs and ranked third in the nation with 6.56 digs per set. She also led the Ichabods with 33 service aces and posted a service reception percentage of .980.
Rottinghaus concluded her career as Washburn's all-time dig leader with 2,676 career digs.