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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In his 23 previous seasons as Washburn University volleyball coach, Chris Herron has never coached a home match anywhere but in Lee Arena.
Washburn University's volleyball team opened preseason practice Monday in Whiting Fieldhouse after posting a 21-8 record and earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament last fall. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But that will change this fall as the Ichabods make Whiting Fieldhouse their temporary home while a major renovation project continues in Lee Arena.
And while Herron, who has led the Ichabods to a 624-140 overall record with six MIAA titles and 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, would certainly prefer to be in Lee, he promised that the Ichabods will make the most of the situation.
Veteran Washburn University volleyball coach Chris Herron talks to his Ichabods during Monday's practice in Whiting Fieldhouse. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Ichabods held their first official practice of 2025 Monday afternoon in Whiting and will open their home schedule on Sept. 12-13 with the Washburn Invitational.
"I've gone about this simply looking at it only positive,'' Herron said. "We're not talking about anything negative. We're not talking that it's going to be smaller because for us it's going to be smaller, but it's going to be loud in here.
"The seating's going to be limited, so people better get here early because it's a first come, first serve kind of deal. Here's what we're going to do: Instead of saying, 'Oh, poor us, poor us,' we're looking forward to the season.''
The Ichabods enter the upcoming season with high hopes after posting a 21-8 record last season and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Washburn opened the NCAAs with a 3-2 win over No. 5 nationally-ranked Nebraska-Kearney before dropping a five-set decision to No. 6 Central Oklahoma.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ty Weber loved playing linebacker, where he starred for Washburn Rural.
And even though he's made a successful transition to tight end in his three seasons with the Washburn Ichabods, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound junior still has a lot of linebacker in him.
Former Washburn Rural star Ty Weber has made a successful transition from defense to offense for Washburn football, entering his third season as a starting tight end. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
After being named the TopSports.news Shawnee County defensive player of the year as a junior and senior and recording 134 tackles as a senior for Rural, Weber made the switch to offense early in his freshman season at WU, taking advantage of an opportunity to play immediately for the Ichabods.
It's a decision that has paid dividends for both Weber and Washburn.
Weber, who has nine career catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, played in nine games with seven starts as a true freshman and appeared in all 11 games with eight starts last fall.
"I feel I graduated to now being a tight end,'' Weber said. "The biggest thing that I've taken from defense now into offense is that darkside mentality that Coach (Kaleb) Koch (defensive coordinator) has for us. It's one of those things where we're going to pop and at the end of the day I'm going to win the majority of the time.
"It's the physicality, the toughness that comes with defense and that you need to play that side of the ball. I try to take that over to the offense and bring it over with as many guys as I can.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After putting together a legendary four-year high school career for Topeka High, Ky Thomas' college career took him to Minnesota, Kansas and, most recently, Kent State, with Thomas enjoying varying degrees of success at all three Division I schools.
Topeka High legendary tailback Ky Thomas is set for his final collegiate football season at Washburn. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But now the 5-foot-11, 205-pound tailback is back in the city where it all started, playing for the hometown Washburn Ichabods, and he couldn't be happier.
"I'm definitely excited to get going, especially now that we're putting on the pads,'' Thomas said following Thurday's Washburn practice in Yager Stadium. "Everybody's excited.''
A 2020 Topeka High graduate, Thomas finished his prep football career for the Trojans in 2019 as the city's all-time rushing leader and the No. 2 rusher in state history with 7,703 yards, including 3,009 yards as a senior, when he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year.
Thomas began his college career at Minnesota, where as a redshirt freshman he led the Gophers with 824 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 166 carries and capped his Minnesota career with 144 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, earning offensive most valuable player honors in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix.
Thomas then transferred to Kansas for the 2022 season, rushing for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 53 carries while catching five passes for 39 receiving yards and a TD. Thomas scored two touchdowns, on a 29-yard pass reception and a 2-yard run, in Kansas’ 55-53 triple-overtime loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.
After re-entering the transfer portal, Thomas spent the past two seasons at Kent State. Thomas had to sit out the 2023 season due to a now-abolished NCAA transfer rule before leading the Golden Flashes in rushing last fall by more than 400 yards with 549 yards and a TD on 135 carries (4.1 average).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
JC Heim probably could have benefitted in some areas from redshirting his freshman football season at Washburn University last fall.
Former Washburn Rural star JC Heim is already a veteran for the Washburn University defense after seeing extensive action last fall as a true freshman. [File photo/TSN]
But the Ichabods benefitted a lot more from having the 6-foot-3, 225-pound sophomore inside linebacker on the field.
"Last year he was just too good not to play and we had a big need where he was playing,'' said first-year Washburn head coach Zach Watkins, who was Heim's defensive coordinator last fall. "Now, with a full year of college under his belt and a full summer of development and our new coaching staff getting him in the right position, he's been exactly what we want with our culture and the standard of his position on defense for this team.''
The former Washburn Rural star admitted that he had some self doubt when he first took the field for the Ichabods.
"At first it was tough,'' Heim said. "Personally, I didn't think I was ready even though the coaches and the players around me believed in me for sure. The biggest part is you've got to believe in yourself.
"As I started getting out there, the guys around me, that's what we made me better. That's what made me get this experience. That's what made me get better each day in practice where by the end of the year I was doing a lot better than I did in the first game.''
Heim saw action in all 11 games for the 3-8 Ichabods last season with a pair of starts, finishing the year with 29 tackles (13 solo), two forced fumbles, a 58-yard fumble return and a season-high 10 stops against Central Missouri.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Four years ago Orrin Busenitz started his college football career on the bottom rung of the Washburn University football ladder after a standout career at Shawnee Heights.
Former Shawnee Heights standout Orrin Busenitz, a former walk-on, has worked his way up the depth chart for Washburn football to become a mainstay on the offensive line. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But through hard work and perseverance, the 6-foot-2, 295-pound junior right guard has progressed from walk-on status to becoming a mainstay on the Ichabods' offensive line, earning the respect of his coaches and teammates along the way.
"Since his freshman year he came in and earned himself a spot and passed guys up with his work ethic,'' Washburn first-year head coach Zach Watkins said. "He's what our 'Be The Standard' culture is all about because he sets a high standard in everything he does.
"At this level you've got guys who are 6-2 and you've got guys who are 6-7, but when you've got guys that work hard and do everything right and are a great teammate and student, you're eventually going to be on the field doing something.''
Busenitz said that despite challenges along the way he's very proud of what he's been able to accomplish at Washburn.
"The COVID year kind of messed everything up and I'm a little bit undersized, so I had to go the walk-on route,'' said Busenitz, who played in the Kansas Shrine Bowl after his senior season for the T-Birds. "This is always where I wanted to be. It was always a good, successful program and I'm just kind of a homebody.
"My philosophy, even in middle school and high school, has always been just to try and out-work everybody else and eventually good things will happen.''
After redshirting as a true freshman, Busenitz suffered a setback his second season when he broke his hand during fall camp. Busenitz fought back to earn some special team work later in the season before cracking the Ichabods' starting lineup last fall.
"That second year, with the hand and some life stuff, it all kind of got pretty tough and it was all starting to pile up a little bit, but hey, the hungry dogs, they run faster, so it just pushed me even further,'' Busenitz said.
"That third year I got my shot and was a starter and am hoping to keep that spot.''
