- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Topeka High standout Brittney Redmond is coming home to take over the Trojans' girls basketball program.
Redmond, a 2011 High graduate, was approved as the Trojans' new head coach by the USD 501 school board Thursday night to replace Hannah Alexander, who resigned in April to accept a job at Andover High.
Brittney Redmond, a 2011 Topeka High graduate, has been named the Trojans' new head girls basketball coach. Redmond was approved by the USD 501 School Board Thursday night. [Submitted photo]
Redmond has served as an assistant coach at four junior colleges, including her most recent stop at Clarendon College, but said she had always had an interest in returning to her alma mater at some point to coach.
"If I was going to coach high school it was definitely going to be at Topeka High,'' Redmond said. "I didn't think it would be this soon but I did want to come back and give back to the community and possibly coach.''
Redmond takes over a Trojan program that has made four straight appearances in the Class 6A state tournament, with a pair of state runner-up appearances.
Topeka High posted a 20-3 record this past season and dropped a 33-32 decision to Blue Valley in the opening round of the state tournament.
Redmond said she knows the bar is set high at Topeka High and is eager to get started in her new position.
"Just coming from the college world I'm pretty up to speed with how practices are run and preparing for games, so I would say I'm ready,'' Redmond said.
Following her Topeka High career, Redmond played two seasons at Allen County Community College and then played at the University of West Alabama.
Redmond began her coaching career at Southwestern Oregon Community College and then coached at Colby and Garden City before coaching last season at Clarendon College in Texas.
Redmond said she'll take advantage of the summer to get to know her new team and get prepared for the 2022-2023 season.
The Trojans return several key players this year's team, including Shawnee County and Centennial League player of the year Kiki Smith, who will be a senior.
"We're going to hit the ground running as soon as we're able to do so,'' Redmond said. "I feel like a lot of people believe in me and they know I'm going to keep the ball rolling at Topeka High.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin and No. 7 Hayden captured Class 4A-1A regional girls soccer championships on Thursday, setting up a state quarterfinal matchup between the Lions and the Wildcats next Tuesday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Cair Paravel Latin hoists its Class 4A-1A regional championship trophy after Tuesday's 9-0 win over Bishop Seabury. [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
![Hayden soccer poses for a team picture after winning a Class 4A-1A regional title with a 1-0 win at Louisburg on Thursday. [Photo/Hayden soccer]](/images/aa-images/Haydensoccerregional.jpg)
Hayden soccer poses for a team picture after winning a Class 4A-1A regional title with a 1-0 win at Louisburg on Thursday. [Photo/Hayden soccer]
Cair Paravel rolled to a 9-0 win over Bishop Seabury in its regional final Thursday at Bettis while Hayden earned a 1-0 road victory at Louisburg.
With the victory Cair Paravel improved 14-3-0 on the season.
Junior Sloane Sims scored the game's only goal in the first half and Hayden made it stand up the rest of the way.
Senior Abby Dodd was credited with the assist on Sims' goal as Hayden improved to 10-6-1 on the season.
Next Tuesday's quarterfinal will be played at 4:30 p.m. at Bettis.
The winner of that game will move on to the 4A-1A state tournament Mary 27-28 at Hummer Sports Park.
Other 4A-1A state quarterfinals will pit Bishop Miege (12-5-1) against Baldwin (10-5-2), Mulvane (14-3-1) against Buhler (10-7-1) and McPherson (14-3-1) against Circle (12-5-1).
ROSSVILLE SOFTBALL COMPLETES REGIONAL RUN
Rossville softball wrapped up its suspended Class 3A regional final on Thursday in Sabetha, taking a 9-3 win over Nemaha Central to earn a berth in next week's Class 3A state tournament at the Twin Oaks Complex in Manhattan.
Rossville softball poses for a team picture after earning a Class 3A state berth with a 9-3 win over Nemaha Central Thursday at Sabetha. [Submitted]
The Bulldawgs, now 20-3 on the season, will be the No. 6 seed in the state tournament and will open their state tournament bid at 7 p.m. next Thursday against No. 3 Council Grove (21-2).
Also on the same side of the bracket with Rossville and Council Grove are No. 2 Scott City (20-1) and No. 7 Prairie View (19-4).
On the other side of the 3A bracket, No. Hoisington/Central Plains (22-1) will face No. 8 Santa Fe Trail (19-4) and No. 4 Kingman/Norwich (21-2) will take on No. 5 Frontenac (20-3).
The state semifinals will be played at 11 a.m. next Friday, followed by the championship game at 1:30 p.m.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The home stretch was a home run for Washburn Rural freshman distance standout Payton Fink in Thursday's Class 6A track and field regional at Hummer Sports Park.
Fink rallied from behind in both the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters to edge teammates Rylee Ismert and Madeline Carter as the Junior Blues went 1-2 in both events on the way to a second-place team finish.
Washburn Rural freshman Payton Fink (1) runs alongside teammate Rylee Ismert (3) in the girls 1,600-meter run in Thursday's Class 6A regional. Fink and Ismert finished one-two in a close finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Fink finished with a flourish in the 1,600 to win the race in a time of 5 minutes, 35.01 seconds, while Ismert was second in 5:35.02 in a photo finish.
Later in the evening Fink used the same formula to double up in the 3,200 in 11:45.98 while Carter was a strong second in 11:47.01.
"It was a race strategy,'' Fink said with a chuckle. "I think sometimes at the finish it's kind of easier to see your competition (from behind) and drive for that.
"I feel like you just have to go and not think about how much you have left and just let your body take you.''
Fink thought she won the 1,600, one of the closest races of the regional meet, but wasn't 100 percent sure until she found out the final results.
"Barely,'' Fink said. "I didn't know for sure and she's my teammate, she's awesome. My goal was just to qualify and then do what I can at state.''
Fink, Ismert and Carter also helped Washburn Rural quality in the 4 x 800 relay for the May 27-28 state meet in Wichita, teaming with Khloi Bird to post a second-place finish in that race in 10:01.22.
Bird also qualified in the 800 meters with a fourth-place finish in 2:31.30.
"I'm excited (for state),'' Fink said. "I just want to try and get a PR (personal record) and maybe a medal.''
Washburn Rural qualified for state in six events overall, with sophomore Raegen Petersen adding a third regional championship for the Junior Blues with a win in the discus at 120 feet, 9 inches.
Petersen also finished fourth in the javelin (101-60, while Rural teammate Ashley Fitzhugh was third at 102-10.
CLASS 6A REGIONAL TRACK AND FIELD
Girls
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior Zach Sulzen-Watson was a favorite to win the boys shot put and discus events in Thursday's Class 6A track and field regional at Hummer Sports Park.
And Sulzen-Watson pulled off that difficult double, but not without some anxious moments.
Washburn Rural senior Zach Sulzen-Watson swept the boys shot put and discus titles in Thursday's Class 6A regional meet at Hummer Sports Park. [File photo/TSN]
The Rural city, Centennial League and now regional two-event champ started his day with a decisive win in the shot put, throwing a best of 52 feet, 2.25 inches to win by just under four feet.
But Sulzen-Watson stumbled a bit at the start of the discus competition, fouling on his first two throws of the preliminaries and leaving him with just one last throw to get in a legal throw and advance to the finals.
Sulzen-Watson proved to be up to the task, getting off a 134-foot throw to go into the finals in second place and then getting off a winning throw of 159 feet, 7 inches to move past Junction City's Keghan McConnell and take the victory.
"I was a little nervous,'' Sulzen-Watson said. "Especially after you scratch the first two that's pretty bad, but I just needed one inbounds.
"I felt a little bit of pressure. It's kind of tough up here (in Hummer's throwing areas) like everyone says because there's not a lot of energy up on the throws side and that definitely plays a part.''
Now Sulzen-Watson is looking forward to his final state meet on May 27-28 at Wichita after placing in the fifth in the discus a year ago.
"I've got a few things to work on but I'm definitely excited,'' he said. "It's my last chance and I've just got to get it out there.''
Z. Sulzen-Watson led Washburn Rural's throwers to a big day, with his brother, Josh Sulzen-Watson, adding a third-place finish in the discus (131-2) and a runner-up finish in the javelin (161-8) while Walker Thompson (151-11) and Reece Godby (150-8) also qualified for state in the javelin with third and fourth-place finishes.
The top four placers in all 18 events in Thursday's regional moved on to state.
Washburn Rural qualified for seven events overall en route to a second-place team finish behind Manhattan (110-76).
Rural's Cody Ingerthron finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.66) and finished third in the 300 hurdles (42.01 seconds) while Spencer Haddock qualified for state with a fourth-place finish in the 3,200 meters (10:11.96) and the Junior Blues finished fourth in the 4 x 800 relay (8:43.95).
Topeka High's boys qualiied for state in three events, with Dylan Blankenship finishing third in the 400 (51.84), V'Ante Peoples taking third in the 200 (23.16) and the Trojans finishing third in the 4 x 100 relay (43.59).
CLASS 6A REGIONAL TRACK AND FIELD BOYS Team scores
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural announced Thursday afternoon that Alex Hutchins has been selected as the Junior Blues' new head basketball coach, pending board of education approval.
Alex Hutchins
Hutchins has coached Hays High the past three seasons, compiling a varsity record off 59-9 with three conference championships and two state tournament appearances.
Hutchins has been recognized twice as the Western Athletic Conference boys basketball coach of the year.
In the application process for the Washburn Rural position, Hutchins stated: “I have experienced first hand the dramatic impact that successful high school athletic programs and strong physical education programs can have on individuals, on a school, and on a community as a whole.”
Prior to taking over at Hays, Hutchins served as head boys coach in Elizabeth, Colo. and Minneapolis.
Hutchins is a Kansas State University graduate with a bachelor's degree in Education and he earned his master's in health and human performance from Fort Hays State University.
“We believe that Alex brings the right combination of experience, demonstrated success and vision for high school athletics that will build on our past achievements,'' incoming WRHS athletic and activities director Charlie Nimz said.
Hutchins will assume his new coaching duties this summer and will teach in the Washburn Rural physical education department at the start of the 2022-23 school year.
Hutchins takes over for Kevin Muff, who coached the Junior Blues for five seasons and led Rural to the Class 6A state championship game in 2019.
