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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's girls tennis team tied for second and finished third in a tiebreaker in the 2021 Class 4A state tournament.
Hayden's girls tennis team takes part in its tradition of taking a bite out of the championship trophy after winning Saturday's Class 4A regional tournament. [Submitted photo]
Hayden's girls tennis team poses with its regional championship trophy after Saturday's Class 4A regional at Kossover Tennis Center. [Submitted photo]
The Wildcats put themselves in position to challenge for 4A supremacy again this season with a strong performance in Saturday's regional tournament at Kossover Tennis Center,
The Wildcats swept the singles, doubles and team titles while qualifying all six players for the 4A state tournament next Friday and Saturday at the Harmon Park Tennis Complex in Prairie Village.
"When you get your whole team in, first of all you're really proud of your program because you know that you have worked really hard and you've done some things right with them and the girls have supported each other and this has been a goal of theirs to take six to state,'' Hayden coach Christy Sheetz said. "This is an exciting day for all of them.''
Hayden sophomore Ainzley Zulueta, the defending state singles champion, tuned up for her title defense with a dominating regional performance, took a 6-1, 6-1 decision over Chapman junior Elyssa Frieze in the championship match to improve to 24-2 on the season. Frieze, also 24-2, placed third at state last season.
Hayden's doubles team of junior Lauren Sandstrom and Emily Sheetz, now 30-4, won the regional doubles championship with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Bishop Miege juior Livi Shull and senior Grace Tucker.
Sandstrom and Sheetz, who were coming off a three-set loss in the finals of the Centennial League tournament, got down 3-0 in Saturday's final but dominated the remainder of the match.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 12-ranked Washburn volleyball held No. 23 Central Missouri to a season-low .087 attacking percentage on Saturday afternoon as the Ichabods swept the Jennies for the first time since 2014.
The 3-0 victory over Central Missouri is just the fifth time in program history that Washburn has shut out the Jennies in 77 matchups since 1978.
No. 12-ranked Washburn volleyball swept Central Missouri on Saturday, improving to 16-3 on the season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn won by the set scores of 25-20, 25-21 and 25-18 to capture its eighth sweep of the year.
The Ichabods have now won four in a row and hold a record of 16-3 (8-3 MIAA).
Central Missouri (12-7, 7-3 MIAA) got out to a quick 4-2 first-set lead after three errors by Washburn, but the Ichabods responded with nine points in a row to go up, 11-4.
The Jennies pulled within one at 16-15 after a 6-0 burst before a Halle Meister kill sparked a run of five consecutive kills for Washburn to extend its lead to 21-15.
The final point of the 25-20 set was won on a big solo block from Jalyn Stevenson. The Ichabods had 19 kills in the opening set while limiting the Jennies to seven with five attacking errors for a .045 hitting percentage.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Lenny Njoroge has posted some big wins in his high school cross country career and there definitely could still be more to come.
But Saturday's city boys championship at Washburn Rural was special not only for the Topeka West senior, but for his school as well.
Topeka West senior Lenny Njoroge won his first city cross country title and the Chargers' first since 1993 in Saturday's city meet at Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Njoroge, who posted his fourth straight individual win, clocked a winning five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 30 seconds en route to becoming the first Topeka West boys runner to win a city championship since former Charger great Winston Tidwell in 1993.
"City titles are nice, I'm telling you,'' Njoroge said. "They're fun and you're representing your school and especially because we haven't won one in a lot of years, it feels special.''
Njoroge won by 18 seconds over Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel (15:48.1), with T-Bird senior Kory Sutton third in 15:54.1.
For the second straight week, Esquibel pushed Njoroge early in the race, which the West star said was a benefit.
"It helps a lot so I don't have to run by myself the first mile,'' Njoroge said. "I like him pushing me.''
Washburn Rural runners nailed down the next three spots and placed all of their top five in the top 14 individually as the Junior Blues topped Shawnee Heights for the team championship by a 38-53 margin.
Washburn Rural boys cross country poses with the championship trophy after winning the city team title Saturday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The top 20 medalists in Saturday's city boys cross country championships at Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Davin Johnson finished a team-high fourth (16:01.6) for the Junior Blues while senior Easton Dial was fifth (16:30.8) and senior Grayson Fink sixth (16:36.4).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After finishing third in last year's city meet as as a freshman, Washburn Rural's Payton Fink had her sights set on a title Saturday at Rural and delivered a wire-to-wire win, leading the Junior Blues to a successful defense of their team championship.
Fink jumped out in front early en route to a decisive 30-second victory in a five-kilometer personal-record time of 18 minutes, 10.9 seconds to lead five Junior Blues in the top seven as Rural took the team title by a 21-35 margin over Seaman.
Washburn Rural sophomore Payton Fink won her first city individual cross country title Saturday, leading the Junior Blues to the team crown. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural's girls cross country team poses with its team trophy after winning the city championship by a 21-35 margin over Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I've been working for this for awhile and it just feels great to finally be here,'' Fink said. "Honestly, I just wanted to come out and see what I could do. I didn't really expect to PR today but obviously a PR is always great.''
Seaman got a runner-up individual finish from freshman Ryin Miller (18:40.7) and a fifth from senior Bethany Druse (19:31.2), but Rural rode its depth to the championship, with sophomore Rylee Ismert finishing third (18:54.3), senior Madeline Carter fourth (18:55.4), freshman Vilde Tronstad sixth (19:44.9) and junior Sydney Laster seventh (19:54.9) to round out the Junior Blues' top five.
"Our team is incredible,'' Fink said. "We have so many girls that are just up there strong, work hard every practice and we all do our workouts together. Everyone is in great shape for a good end of the season.''
"That's the kind of day we hoped for and they all just came out and did it,'' Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund said.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Hayden kept its undefeated season and Class 3A district championship hopes alive with a 38-0 shutout win over Royal Valley Friday night at Hayden, controlling every aspect of the game.
On offense, the Wildcats punished Royal Valley through the air and on the ground. Defensively, its core group forced turnovers and managed to keep Royal Valley out of its territory more times than not. On special teams, Hayden didn’t allow any big plays to give the Panthers momentum.
Hayden sophomore standouts Jett Wahlmeier (7) and Jensen Schrickel (9) hooked up for four touchdown passes in Friday's 38-0 Wildcat win over Royal Valley. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Speci
Hayden junior Finn Dunshee breaks away for a long touchown run in the Wildcats' 38-0 district win over Royal Valley. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
“I thought we came out and executed well,” Hayden coach Bill Arnold said. “We were cleaner than we were last week. We tried to address some of the things we needed to fix this week in practice. I thought the kids brought the corrections from practice and brought it out to the field tonight.”
The Wildcats had a lot to play for on their Senior Night. With a win over Royal Valley, Hayden now faces Holton for the district championship next Friday at Holton.
“With the district championship on the line, we didn’t need much inspiration this week,” Arnold said. “We don’t have to do much to wake up for a Holton and Hayden district championship game.”
Before Hayden’s district championship date with Holton, the Wildcats had business to take care of against Royal Valley.
Hayden has historically picked apart Royal Valley in its gridiron contests. In the nine meetings between the two schools, Hayden has won all nine. The Wildcats have outscored Royal Valley, 380-52.
It was evident early on that the Wildcats were going to have their way again with Royal Valley on both sides of the ball.
