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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural slowed the roll of the red-hot Shawnee Heights girls soccer team Monday, putting an end to the T-Birds’ five game win streak, winning 4-0 at the Junior Blues’ McElroy Field.
Washburn Rural senior Destiny Higgs (24) scored a pair of goals in Monday's 4-0 soccer win over Shawnee Heights. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Kate Hinck (9) had a pair of second-half goals in Monday's 4-0 soccer win over Shawnee Heights. [File photo/TSN]
Seniors Destiny Higgs and Kate Hinck netted two goals apiece to lead the Junior Blues to their eighth victory of the season while senior goalkeepers Madison Lemke and Hailey Davin combined for the shutout.
The T-Birds had overcome a slow start to the season to improve to 5-3-1 prior to Monday’s meeting with Washburn Rural. But they fell behind early and were unable to mount an offensive threat in response.
The friendly rivalry with the T-Birds, who left the Centennial League in 2019, gives the Junior Blues a chance to maintain their claim to city bragging rights.
“We’re happy that even though some of these teams are no longer in our league, we still play them,” Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. “These kids play club together and they all want to play against each other. We always have it as a goal to be the best in the city.”
“Shawnee Heights has always been a tough team to beat,” added Higgs. “We all know each other. It’s kind of nice to be able to brag about when we get with them and talk about it.”
Higgs put the Junior Blues up early, then added a second score midway through the first period, both coming against a strong wind from the south.
Once the T-Birds had to play into the wind in the second half, they could muster little offense. Meanwhile, Washburn Rural's Hinck tallied two insurance goals in the second half.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Anyone who has followed local high school golf this spring probably expected Monday's City Golf Championship at Topeka Country Club to be a down-to-the-wire battle between Washburn Rural and Hayden.
Washburn Rural golf poses for a team picture Monday after winning its 15th straight city team title by a single stroke over Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And things couldn't haven't been any closer, with the Junior Blues winning the team championship by a single stroke over the Wildcats to claim their 15th straight city title while Washburn Rural senior Tadd Armstrong and Hayden senior James Kuta took the race for the individual crown to a playoff before Armstrong won with a par putt on the extra hole.
Armstrong and Kuta both finished the 27-hole city event with scores of 118 in extremely windy conditions to force the playoff while Washburn Rural continued its dominating city run by the slimmest of margins, winning 489-490 in the city event, which was held in conjunction with the 20-school Topeka Country Club Invitational.
"This is a goal that we set out at the beginning of the year to accomplish and we had some guys step up this afternoon when some guys didn't have their best stuff,'' Washburn Rural coach Jared Goehring said. "Tadd and Higgins Hawks stepped up this afternoon for us, so I couldn't be more proud of this team win.
"We're definitely headed in the right direction going into the home stretch.''
Washburn Rural senior Tadd Armstrong won his first city individual title in a playoff Monday while Rural won its 15th straight city team title by a stroke over Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Armstrong achieved his goal of winning the city championship after finishing fourth in the as a junior.
"I wanted to come out and win this today,'' Armstrong said. "I felt pretty good. I just kept battling and persevering through the tough holes.''
Hayden senior James Kuta finished as the city runnerup Monday after placing 10th as a junior. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Tagen Rodriguez finished third in the city meet with a 120 for runnerup Hayden while Washburn Rural's Michael Wilson placed fourth (123) and Rural's Hawks and Tagan Monasmith and Seaman's Alex Flanagan tied for fifth (124).
Hayden's Nick Gorman and Seaman's Bradley Williamson tied for eighth (125) while Hayden's Austin Bean (127) rounded out the city's top 10.
Olathe Northwest won the team title in the Topeka Country Club Invitational by a stroke over Blue Valley West (302-303).
Nick VanWyngardner of Olathe Northwest claimed the individual title with a 70.
TOPEKA CITY GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly girls swimming and diving honor roll for Topeka high schools throughout the 2025 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY
Washburn Rural 2:04.97
Seaman 2:11:36
Topeka High 2:15.06
Shawnee Heights 2:15.41
Hayden 2:22,56
200-YARD FREESTYLE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 1:57.42
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 2:01.37
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 2:06.15
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:17:02
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden 2:23.60
200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:10.28
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 2:14.01
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 2:31.17
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 2:35.31
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:35.91
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural
50-YARD FREESTYLE
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 26.46
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 26.74
Kaylee Gregg, Hayden 27.67
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 28.19
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 28.55
ONE-METER DIVING
Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural 224.05
Kaylee Gregg, Hayden 212.05
Maddie Gregg, Hayden 183.05
Giselle Soto, Washburn Rural 162.25
Ella Graber, Hayden 152.35
Joslynn Grace, Seaman
100-YARD BUTTERFLY
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 1:02.09
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 1:03.09
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 1:07.53
Kaya Hamilton, Washburn Rural 1:22.04
Makenna Russell, Topeka West 1:26.77
100-YARD FREESTYLE
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 56.55
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 57.28
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 58.81
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 1:00.75
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 1:01.99
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural
500-YARD FREESTYLE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 5:14.22
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 5:30.07
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 5:58.76
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 5:59.41
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 6:36.53
200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY
Washburn Rural 1:52.45
Shawnee Heights 1:57.20
Topeka High 2:02.59
Hayden 2:03.54
Seaman 2:08.37
100-YARD BACKSTROKE
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 1:06.17
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 1:06.65
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 1:10.72
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 1:17.81
Megan Strobel, Seaman 1:17.93
100-YARD BREASTSTROKE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 1:07.80
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 1:10.52
Caroline Toland, Topeka High 1:14.50
Lizzie Gould, Seaman 1:21.61
Lillie Charvat, Hayden 1:22.75
400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY
Washburn Rural 4:04.00
Shawnee Heights 4:18.81
Seaman 4:22.61
Hayden 4:25.28
Topeka High 5:04:72
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cooper Grace
COOPER GRACE, Hayden
Grace, a senior baseball star, had a big day in Friday's 6-0, 3-2 home Centennial League twinbill sweep over Junction City. Grace went 62/3 innings on the mound in the first game, allowing just three hits and striking out 12 Blue Jay batters. In the second game Grace had two doubles and a triple as the Wildcats improved to 12-0 on the season.
Jaden LaBarge
JADEN LaBARGE, Washburn University
LaBarge, a senior first baseman, had four home runs and eight runs batted in on Saturday to tie a pair of school records as the Ichabods split a home MIAA doubleheader with Emporia State. LaBarge went 3 for 3 with three home runs and seven runs batted in as Washburn took an 8-0 five-inning decision in the first game and added a homer in the second game as the Hornets captured a 4-2 eight-inning win.
Ryin Miller
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, a junior track star, remained undefeated individually on the 2025 season with a pair of wins in Friday's Leitel Legacy Invitational at Free State. A two-time Class 5A state champ last spring, Miller won the 3,200-meter run in 10 minutes, 17.74 seconds and won the 800 meters in 2:11.65.
- 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 2025 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.44
Morgan Robinson, Shawnee Heights 12.80
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 12.94
Ally Steiner, Seaman 12.95
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 13.04
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High
200 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 25.94
Morgan Robinson, Shawnee Heights 26.58
Molly Worley, Washburn Rural 26.93
Ally Steiner, Seaman 27.30
Emme Blanco, Washburn Rural 27.39
400 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 57.65
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 60.28
Madison Blanco, Washburn Rural 61.65
Ally Steiner, Seaman 62.01
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 63.61
Ryan Miller, Seaman
800 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:11.65
Payton Fink, Washburn Rural 2:21.21
Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural 2:23.09
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 2:24.07
Sofia Harper, Hayden 2:28.40
1,600 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 4:46.03
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:16.55
Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural 5:17.92
Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural 5:20.69
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:21.56
