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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As Hayden's football team got ready for Day 2 of fall preseason practice on Tuesday, star senior lineman Joe Otting was the picture of contentment, wearing a big smile while interacting with his teammates.
Notre Dame commit Joe Otting (65) applies pressure on the quarterback during last season's Hayden game against Seaman. [File photo/TSN]
Part of Otting's happiness comes from the simple fact that the 6-foot-4, 275-pounder is thrilled to be back on the football field for one last high school season with his Wildcats.
But Otting, who made an oral commitment to Notre Dame in early June, admitted that already having his future plans set with one of college football's most storied programs has also taken a big weight off his shoulders.
"It helps me a lot,'' Otting said. "I get to be a kid again and not worry about a bunch of texts and calls from all these different coaches and just focus on my team and be with my buddies for one more year.
"Once I made (my commitment) and it was all said and done, that's when I found my comfortability again.''
Otting is coming off an outstanding junior season in three sports for the Wildcats, earning first-team All-Shawnee County honors in football and basketball while also advancing to the Class 4A state track and field championships as a thrower.
Otting helped lead Hayden to the second round of the 3A football playoffs and an 8-2 record last fall and helped the Wildcats finish fourth in the 4A state basketball tournament.
The Hayden star would have the option of graduating at the end of the first semester and joining the Irish for spring practice, but Otting opted to soak up every last minute of his high school experience before heading off to South Bend, Ind.
"I'll be playing basketball and doing track,'' Otting said. "It's your senior year and you only get your senior year once in your life so you've just got to make the most of it.
"We have Senior Prom and things like that and I've just got to be with my buddies one more year.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hailey Beck
Hailey Beck, Washburn Rural
Beck, a senior, teamed with graduated senior Shelby Schmutzler to earn a Class 6A state doubles berth with a second-place regional finish. Beck and Schmutzler were the city champions in No. 2 doubles last fall and finished third in doubles in the Centennial League meet. Beck is also a standout goalkeeper for the Junior Blues' girls soccer team, which finished second in 6A this past spring.
Haley Carpenter
Haley Carpenter, Topeka High
A senior, Carpenter and Adisyn Caryl made it to the Class 6A state tournament for the second straight season as doubles partners, finishing fourth in 6A regional competition. Carpenter and Caryl also finished fourth in the city in No. 1 doubles and fourth in the Centennial League.
Adisyn Caryl
Adisyn Caryl, Topeka High
Caryl, a senior, and Haley Carpenter qualified for the 6A state tournament for the second straight season, finishing fourth in 6A regional competition. Caryl, a three-time state qualifier, and Carpenter finished fourth in the city in No. 1 doubles and fourth in the Centennial League in doubles. Caryl also plays basketball and softball for High, helping the Trojans win two straight 6A softball state titles.
Nina Del-Zio
Nina Del-Zio, Seaman
In her first season at Seaman, Del-Zio, a senior, earned a 5A state medal with an 11th-place singles finish, helping the Vikings finish fifth as a team. Del-Zio won a regional title in singles, placed third in the city meet in No. 1 singles and fourth in the Centennial League in singles.
Mena DiMarzio
Mena DiMarzio, Washburn Rural
A junior, DiMarzio avanced to the Class 6A state tournament last fall in her first season on Washburn Rural's varsity with a fifth-place regional finsh in singles. DiMarzio won the city championship in No. 2 singles and placed fourth in the Centennial League in singles.
Kate Fritz
Kate Fritz, Washburn Rural
Fritz, a senior, teamed with Meredith Kucera to win a Class 6A regional doubles championship last fall and placed ninth in the 6A state tournament. Fritz and Kucera finished second in the city meet in No. 1 doubles and second in the Centennial League in doubles. Fritz is a two-time regional champion and a three-time state qualifier for the Junior Blues.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A year ago Washburn Rural linebacker Ty Weber was named the TopSports.news Shawnee County defensive player of the year, recording more than 100 tackles while helping lead the Junior Blues to a breakout 8-2 season.
Ty Weber (32) and his Washburn Rural defensive teammates celebrate a turnover in last season's Class 6A playoff win over Wichita West. [File photo/TSN]
But the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Weber begins the 2022 football season with one thing he hasn't had in a while -- a clean bill of health.
Also an All-Shawnee County pick in baseball, Weber missed virtually his entire sophomore baseball season in 2021 after suffering a serious ankle injury in the Junior Blues' season-opener against Seaman while chasing a foul ball.
"I just ran into the fence, got my foot stuck and it just kind of snapped it,'' Weber said.
It took Weber all of the spring and summer of 2021 and a few games into the football season before the Junior Blue standout felt like he was at full speed.
"The first couple of games I played a half, I didn't get to play the full game,'' he said. "I don't like to be on the sideline, I'd rather be on the field, but it was more of a marathon that a sprint to get back into it.''
After registering 106 tackles (63 solo) and seven tackles for loss in football, Weber followed that up with a spectacular start to the '22 baseball season before aggravating the injury he suffered as a sophomore while trying to snag a high throw -- again against Seaman -- which necessitated more surgery.
"It was bothering me a couple of weeks before that and I knew something was kind of messed up,'' Weber said. "I landed wrong and I just knew something was wrong. They told me it was from the last time, it just never healed.''
Another long rehabilitation followed, which Weber admitted was tough to swallow.
"It was almost like deja vu,'' Weber said. "It was frustrating, being in a position where I was doing well and the team's succeeding, I didn't want to sit out. Unfortunately it was a decision we had to make so I could play football this fall.
"It was heartbreaking. but it was kind of necessary.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Lois Deeter
Lois Deeter, Seaman
Deeter returns for her senior season this fall after tying for fifth place in the Class 5A state tournament as a junior. Deeter won the city title with a 70, placed second at regionals and had a season-low round of 66, earning All-Shawnee County first-team honors. As a freshman for the Vikings in '19, Deeter tied for fifth individually in the 5A state meet and won the Centennial League championship.
Avery Grunert
Avery Grunert, Hayden
Grunert, a junior, earned All-Shawnee County second-team honors as a sophomore. Grunert helped Hayden finish third as a team in the Class 4A state tournament last fall, tying for 23rd place individually. Grunert tied for 13th place in the Centennial League tournament.
Mallory Nelson
Mallory Nelson, Washburn Rural
A senior, Nelson was an All-Shawnee County second-team selection last season after helping Washburn Rural earn a second-place team finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Nelson tied for 39th at state after tying for fourth in the city tournament and tying for seventh place in the Centennial League meet.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The 2022 NHRA season for Antron Brown and his Matco ToolsTop Fuel team has been all about taking steps in Brown's first season as an owner-driver.
And AB Motorsports took a huge step Sunday at Heartland Motorsports Park, recording its first race win as organization with a win over four-time defending Top Fuel world champ and close friend Steve Torrence in the finals of the Menards NHRA Nationals.
Three-time Top Fuel world champ Antron Brown picked up his first win as a team owner Sunday at Heartland Motorsports Park. {Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
With the win, the 53rd of his NHRA career, Brown moved inside the top 10 in the point standings.
“This has been a lifelong dream, and I never imagined we were going to struggle like we did, but we all got through it together,'' Brown said. "It’s one of those deals where it doesn’t feel real because it’s a dream when you think about it from where we came from. I worked on motorcycles, Brian (Corradi, crew chief) worked on cars and never in a million years did we think we’d ever be able to go out on our own as a team. We talked about it for years, my wife, my family and you never think it’s a possibility but here we are.
"We’ve been working our tails off and we have such incredible support. When it all comes together and you look at where you started to where we are now, the struggle is real, but this makes it all worthwhile.”
Brown, who won for the second time in Topeka, started his day with a win over points leader Brittany Force in the first round and then topped Josh Hart and Justin Ashley to reach the finals before winning the title with a pass of 3.902 secons at 309.49 miles per hour.
"All that sweat and hard work, it was all worth it,'' Brown said. "From here on out, we’re only going forward. We put that one on the map today for AB Motorsports. It’s our first, but it’s not going to be our last. We’re right where we want to be, and we’re just going to keep getting better.”
