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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Allen Baughman
ALLEN BAUGHMAN, Shawnee Heights
Baughman, a junior running back, turned in a career-best performance in Shawnee Heights' 46-23 United Kansas Conference football win over Lansing last Friday. Baughman, a 5-foot-8, 180-pounder, carried the ball 22 times for 222 yards and five touchdowns for the T-Birds, who evened their record at 1-1 overall and in the UKC.
Easton Bradstreet
EASTON BRADSTREET, Washburn Rural
A senior, Bradstreet scored four goals in a game for the second time in four games, leading the Junior Blues to a 5-0 non-league soccer victory over De Soto last Thursday at McElroy Field. Bradstreet has now scored at least one goal in every game this season and has 11 goals on the year.
Grant Bruner
GRANT BRUNER, Washburn University
Bruner, a 6-foot, 220-pound senior linebacker, had a career-high 23 tackles (11 solo) with two interceptions for 10 return yards in Washburn University's 40-32 road win at Central Missouri last Thursday, including 17 total tackles in the second half. The 23 tackles by Bruner were the most by an Ichabod since Casey Curran had 22 against Missouri Western in 2009.
Ryin Miller
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
A freshman, Miller claimed her first individual championship in last Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational cross country meet while helping lead the Vikings to the team title by 27-45 margin over Lee's Summit West, Mo. Miller clocked a winning five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 01.22 seconds, knocking 90 seconds off her time from the previous week. .
Tre Richardson
TRE RICHARDSON, Highland Park
Richardson, a senior, scored eight touchdowns Friday night as Highland Park ran its record to 2-0 with a 48-29 Meadowlark Conference road victory at Kansas City-Schlagle. Richardson has now had a hand in 14 touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season for the Scots.
Ty Weber
TY WEBER, Washburn Rural
A senior linebacker, Weber was in on 24 tackles last Friday night as Washburn Rural improved to 2-0 with a come-from-behind 28-21 non-league road victory at De Soto. Weber was the TopSports.news Shawnee County defensive player of the year in 2021.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Washburn Rural star Belle Kennedy scored a pair of goals Sunday at Yager Stadium as Washburn University soccer improved to 5-0-1 on the season with a 2-1 MIAA victory over Nebraska-Kearney.
Kennedy, the Class 6A midfielder of the year in 2021 and 2022, scored the first two goals of the game to put the Ichabods up 2-0 before the Lopers (0-5-1) got on the scoreboard late.
Washburn freshman Belle Kennedy scored a pair of goals in the Ichabods' 2-1 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday at Yager Stadium. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn remains unbeaten through six games for the first time since 2006.
After a slow start offensively for both teams, the Ichabods increased their offensive tempo in the final 20 minutes of the first half, recording seven total shots in the first 45 minutes.
In the 27th minute, Riley Wells maneuvered down the right sideline before delivering a ball to Kennedy in the middle of the field, which was deposited in the top right corner of the net for the first goal.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Washburn University volleyball coach Chris Herron would be happy any time the Ichabods are able to show the grit to rally from a 2-0 deficit and pull out a victory.
The fact that No. 2-ranked WU was able to make that happen Saturday at Lee Arena against Nebraska-Kearney, one of the MIAA's most storied programs, made the occasion extra special.
Washburn celebrates a point in Saturday's thrilling come-from-behind five-set win over Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Washburn Athletics]
No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney jumped out in front 2-0 with 26-24 and 25-22 wins, but the Ichabods anwered with 25-17, 25-18 and 16-14 wins to improve to 10-0 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA while handing the Lopers (10-1, 1-1) their first loss of the season.
"It's a huge win,'' Herron said. "Look, Kearney's Kearney, man. Every year they're Kearney so what are you going to say. They're awesome. (Rick Squiers) is a great coach, he's got a great program and we're fortunate to be able to play with them.''
With Saturday's win the Ichabods have now won three matches in a row against the Lopers, marking just the second time that has happened in program history and the first since 1983-85.
The Lopers jumped out to a 5-2 advantage to start the match before the Ichabods went in front 10-6 on an 8-1 run that included seven kills, four by Jalyn Stevenson.
Nebraska-Kearney slowly chipped away at Washburn's lead and tied the game at 12 and then pulled within one point on three occasions before the Ichabods created a little breathing room and got back-to-back kills to reach set point at 24-21.
The Ichabods were unable to close out the win, however, as the Lopers poste five unanswered points to take the two-point first-set win. The Ichabod offense knocked down 19 kills while the Lopers recorded 13 kills.
Nebraska-Kearney won the opening point of the second set and quickly built a 13-5 advantage, benefitting from eight Washburn errors during that stretch.
The Ichabods put together 5-0 and 5-1 runs to pull within three at 19-16.
With Washburn trailing 23-18, the Lopers committed three errors in the midst of a 4-0 Ichabod spurt to make it a one point affair, 23-22. UNK was able to get the last two points with back-to-back kills from Emersen Cyza to take a 2-0 lead.
Washburn came out firing on all cylinders in the third set and took the first five points with four kills and a UNK attacking error.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Obviously, the goal for Topeka West senior cross country star Lenny Njoroge is always going to be to win.
But Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational at Kanza Park was one day when Njoroge could be proud of a second-place finish.
Lincoln Prep junior Isaac Rivera (left) and Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge finished one-two in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational at Kanza Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
For one thing, it took an outstanding performance, by Lincoln College Prep junior Isaac Rivera, to beat him, and even in defeat, Njoroge ran the best five-kilometer time of his career.
Rivera clocked a 5K time of 15 minutes, 09.82, while Njoroge, running only his second race after missing the 2021 season with a broken leg, finished second in 15:24.61, 39 seconds in front of the third-place finisher.
"He ran a heck of a race, he's impresssive,'' Njoroge said of Rivera.
Njoroge admitted that the Missouri runner caught him somewhat by surprise.
"At the start of the race I was just like, 'OK, it's a home meet, it's probably going to just be me (out front),' and then the gun goes off and we get to 400 meters and I see somebody right next to me and I'm like, 'Where did he come from?' '' Njoroge said.
Njoroge and Rivera ran together for a good chunk of the race before Rivera pulled away late, but Njoroge wasn't disappointed with his performance.
"I felt awesome,'' said Njoroge, who doubles up in soccer for Topeka West. "As Donnie (Palmer, West coach) said I'm in the best shape of my life right now. And I'm having the best time of my life, too. It's incredible.
"I'll take this and move on.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's probably about time for Ryin Miller to re-evaluate her goals for the 2022 cross country season.
The Seaman freshman has started off her high school career with a pair of outstanding performances, including her first individual championship in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational at Kanza Park while helping lead the Vikings to the team title by 27-45 margin over Lee's Summit West, Mo.
Seaman freshman Ryin Miller finishes off her win in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational, helping lead the Vikings to the team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Miller burst on the high school cross country scene with a third-place individual performance in the season-opening Manhattan Invitational on Sept. 3, blowing away her pre-race goal.
"I was shooting for like 15th place, so third definitely boosted my confidence,'' Miller said.
And Miller, who ran a five-kilometer time of 20 minutes, 32.6 seconds at Manhattan, took another big step forward on Saturday, knocking another 90 seconds off her personal-best with a winning time of 19 minutes, 01.22 seconds.
"My goal was to shoot for like 21 (minutes), so I'm definitely surprised,'' Miller said about her start to the season.
Miller ran second to Lee's Summit West senior Ella Cronhardt in the early stages of Saturday's race before taking the lead abut a mile and a half in en route to a 29-second victory.
"I was just going to stay where I could see her and within about like five feet,'' Miller said.
