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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Seaman girls cross country coach Rick Brading has seen enough meets to know that Thursday's United Kanas Conference meet was going to be a nail-biter between his Vikings and De Soto.
And Thursday's league meet at Shawnee Heights was every bit as tight as Brading through it would be, with Seaman taking the league team championship by 31-35 margin over the Wildcats.
Seaman's girls cross country team edged De Soto 31-35 for the United Kansas Conference title, giving Seaman a sweep of the league titles in the four girls sports contested in the fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Ryin Miller finished second individually in Thursday's UKC meet, helping Seaman win the team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We thought it could even be a tie,'' Brading said. "We thought it was going to be that tight, so it was pretty exciting.''
Seaman freshman Ryin Miller, who clocked a five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 16.8 seconds and senior Bethany Druse (20:02.5) finished two-three individually to lead the Vikings while sophomore Stella Appelhanz placed seventh (20:37.5), senior Leah Spurlock ninth (20:59.8) and junior Savannah Sampson 15th (21:19.1) to round out Seaman's top five.
"We thought things would shake out different in the (number) four-five area but Bethany kind of trumped that by beating all three of (De Soto's) frontrunners,'' Brading said. "It didn't happen the way I thought it would shake out but man, I'm telling you, we're excited.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Russsell Norton's stint as Topeka West football coach has come to at least a temporary end after just six games into his first season.
West principal John Buckendorff released a statement to football parents earlier this week, stating in part that "Head Football Coach Russell Norton is currently dealing with a personal situation requiring him to step away from his duties. We have requested that everyone respect his privacy at this time.''
Russell Norton has stepped away from his duties as Topeka West's football coach to deal with a personal situation according to a statement released by the school. [File photo/TSN]
The statement went on to state that defensive coordinator Tre Parker will step in as the Chargers' interim coach.
An attempt to reach Norton by text was unsuccessful.
Topeka West will be at Hummer Sports Park on Friday night to host Shawnee Heights in a 7 p.m. United Kansas Conference contest.
Norton coached Topeka West to a 1-5 record this fall, with the Chargers coming off their lone victory, a 26-21 UKC road win at Kansas City-Turner last Friday night.
Norton was named Topeka West's head coach in early June after Charger coach Ryan Kelly stepped down as coach to accept a position on Washburn University's football staff..
Norton previously coached several seasons at the college level before moving over to the high school level, including his most recent stint at Oskaloosa High (1-8) in 2021.
Prior taking the Oskaloosa job Norton coached Southern Valley High School in Oxford, Neb.
Topeka West posted a 3-6 record last fall and is in its first season as a member of the United Kansas Conference this season.
TSN PHOTO GALLERY
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (3-3, 3-2 UKC) at TOPEKA WEST (1-5, 1-5 UKC)
At Hummer Sports Park
Shawnee Heights junior Allen Baughman (5) is 13 yards away from the 1,000-yard rushing mark entering Friday's game vs. Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
Topeka West picked up its first win of the season last Friday at Kansas City-Turner, with the Chargers taking a 26-21 United Kansas Conference decision over the Bears. Shawnee Heights is coming off a 35-6 loss to undefeated Class 4A power Wamego. T-Bird junior Allen Baughman carried the ball 18 times for 84 yards against Wamego and enters Friday night with 987 yards and 10 touchdowns on 140 attempts.
Hayden sophomore quarterback Jett Wahlmeier passed for 189 yards and four touchdowns in Friday night's 38-0 Class 3A district win over Royal Valley. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (6-0, 3-0 district) at HOLTON (5-1, 2-0 district)
Hayden remained unbeaten with a 38-0 home district romp past Royal Valley last Friday while Holton posted a 48-17 non-district win over Rossville. Hayden sophomore quarterback Jett Wahlmeier completed 10 of 12 passes for 189 yards against Royal Valley, including four touchdowns to sophomore Jensen Schrickel, who had five catches for 147 yards. Wildcat junior Finn Dunshee carried the ball six times for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Seaman senior Bryson Vawter rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings' 56-13 UKC win over Leavenworth last Friday. [File photo/TSN]
BASEHOR-LINWOOD (5-1, 4-1 UKC) at SEAMAN (4-1, 4-1 UKC)
Friday's game is an important one not only in the United Kansas Conference standings but also as far as seedings for the Class 5A East playoffs. Seaman is coming off a 56-13 UKC win over Leavenworth while Basehor-Linwood took a 32-26 league win over Lansing. Viking sophomore quarterback Max Huston completed 18 of 26 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 68 yards and three TDs on nine attempts. Senior Bryson Vawter carried the ball 21 times for 149 yards and two TDs while senior Jaxson Thomas had 14 carries for 140 yards.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden girls tennis coach Christy Sheetz doesn't feel like her sophomore state champ, Ainzley Zulueta, ever displays any real nervousness when she's on the court, a trait that has served her well over the first two seasons of her high school career.
Hayden sophomore Ainzley Zulueta will be shooting for her second straight Class 4A state singles title Friday and Saturday in Prairie Village. [FIle photo/TSN]
"That girl is as cool as a cucumber,'' Sheetz said. "There's something about the way that she is that the more pressure she has the better she does. That's pretty rare. I think she almost thrives in it.''
Zulueta said the truth is that she does get nervous, especially in a big match, but said she is usually able to do a pretty good job of hiding, and controlling, her emotions.
That will certainly be the objective Friday and Saturday when the Hayden star shoots for her second straight Class 4A singles championship at Prairie Village's Harmon Park Tennis Complex.
"I just don't think I show it,'' said Zulueta, who will take a 24-2 record into this year's state meet. "I try to control my emotions whenever I'm out there, but I'm definitely nervous, especially for state this year.''
Zulueta breezed through state as a freshman, but said there's likely to be more pressure this weekend due to last year's success.
"I don't think it was as extreme as it is now because last year no one really knew who I was,'' Zulueta said. "I could kind of play a little bit more freely but this year people are kind of expecting like a repeat so it's more pressure on me to perform even better than I did last year.''
The Hayden star feels like she's up to the task.
"I just try to get over it,'' said Zulueta, whose only two losses this fall came against defending Class 6A state champ Jill Harkin of Manhattan. "I experiennce this whenever I play USTA matches and all that so it's not a new feeling on anything, but it's still a feeling that I have to overcome and it's still tough but I've got to get through it because I realize at the end of the day this is important and I need to just give it my all.''
Zulueta said the easiest way to get rid of the butterflies is to get out on court and pound a few balls.
"The nervousness does disappear after hitting a few balls wiith my opponent or after like two games in,'' she said. "That's when I start to loosen up a little bit more. I think I just need to ease into it.''
Zulueta will have plenty of company in the state tournament, with Hayden sweeping singles, doubles and team championships in last Saturday's regional tournament while qualifying its entire team for state.
Christy Sheetz's Hayden team qualified all six members for the Class 4A state meet, including regional doubles champions Lauren Sandstrom (left) and Emily Sheetz (middle). [File photo/TSN]
The doubles team of junior Lauren Sandstrom and sophomore Emily Sheetz, who placed seventh in 4A last season, are 30-4 on the season while winning city and regional titles.
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By JOSH ROUSE
Special to TopSports.news
Topeka twins Nick and Kyle Herrman won the first of two Kansas BASS Nation high school fishing tournaments this past weekend on central Kansas’ Wilson Reservoir.
From left, Topeka twins Kyle and Nick Herrman hold up their winning five-fish bag of 14.67 pounds during the Kansas BASS Nation Youth Series tournament weigh-in Saturday, Oct. 8, at Wilson Reservoir. [Submitted]
Topeka’s Kyle and Nick Herrman, center, hold up their winning hardware Saturday, Oct. 8, following the Kansas BASS Nation Youth Series tournament on Wilson Reservoir. Buhler’s Drew Stivers and Logan Snyder, right, finished second, followed by Hanover’s Maxwell Sawin and Brandt Beikmann, left. [Submitted]
The twins used ChatterBaits and Zara Spooks to target the feeding frenzy that takes place in shallower waters during the fall and secured the season-opening win after falling just shy of a win several times last season.
“We wanted to focus on areas where we knew there would be bait and fish in,” Kyle Herrman said. “We had some baits on deck that we felt we could catch fish on. Our main area worked out, producing four keepers in the morning and later, as well. Our other areas also produced fish. So our game plan going into the tournament went well.”
The local siblings weighed their five-bass limit of 14.67 pounds to edge out Buhler’s Drew Stivers and Logan Snyder, who finished second with 13.75 pounds. Maxwell Sawin and Brandt Beikmann finished third for the Hanover KnotHeads fishing club with 10.77 pounds.
“Heading into the tournament, we felt like we had a solid game plan,” Nick Herrman said. “We spent a lot of time the weekend before the tournament trying to figure Wilson out. This paid off tremendously because one of the things we found in practice was the topwater bite, which is how we caught almost all of our keepers.
“It felt really good to get a win right off the bat. With getting second place three times last year, we were really excited we were able to break through and get a win.
Rounding out the top five were solo angler Blake Streck, representing the Panther Bass Fishing Club, with 10.42 pounds of fish, followed by Parker Welch and Maxwell Coughlin, for Kansas City’s Kickback Club, weighing 8.05 pounds.
The Herrmans’ fellow Capital City Fishing Club members, Laiken Emanuel and Hunter Hanson, finished 27th on Saturday after weighing just one fish for 1.28 pounds.
In the second high school tournament of the weekend, Louisburg’s Lucas Sheafer followed up his ninth-place performance Saturday (7.04 pounds) with a 16.34-pound bag Sunday to secure a victory over Kickback Club’s Cale Harlan and Derek Landis (14.55).
Levi Sorenson and Ethan Tripe, representing the Basehor-Linwood Bobcat Bass club, took third with 9.78 pounds, followed by Hanover’s Garrett Martin and Levi Griffith with 9.30 pounds for fourth place and Welch and Coughlin with 8.72 for fifth.
JUNIORS DIVISION
In the Juniors Division, Anderson Mesplay and Kelby Conrady had a strong weekend, finishing first and second on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The Mid-Kansas Kastmasters club weighed three fish for 8.42 pounds Saturday to pick up the victory over the Bobcat Bass team of Jackson Burns and Levi Comba (2.04 pounds), then weighed 4.95 pounds Sunday to fall just shy of another Bobcat Bass team in Dempsey Hoppes and Brock Blaser.
Hoppes and Blaser weighed a 5.52-pound bag for the victory Sunday. The Topeka Junior Hawgs team of Garreson Currie and Greyson Harper finished third Sunday with 1.77 pounds. Hanover’s Aysha and Myles Wolfgang (1.65 pounds) and Topeka’s Heston Hoffman and Jake Bartley (1.62) rounded out the top five.
Topeka’s Trey Herrman and Reid Currie also competed Sunday but did not weigh a fish.
NEXT UP
The next KBN Youth Series tournaments will take place Oct. 28 and 29 at Milford Reservoir in Junction City. For more information about competing in the youth tournaments, contact KBN youth director Travis Burch by phone at 913-562-4660 or by email at
