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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden junior Kaylee Gregg credits former Topeka High diving star Brianna Devlin for helping get her into the event two years ago as a freshman
.
And now that Devlin, second in Class 6A last season, has moved on to the University of the Ozarks, Gregg wants to follow in her friend's footsteps and continue to carve out her own niche in the sport.
"She's one of my best friends that I was doing gymnastics with and she did diving so I was like, 'Well, I guess I'll go try it,' '' Gregg said. "She's been a really big inspiration for me in diving. She's helped me a lot.''
Gregg has apparently learned her lessons well, turning in a solid sophomore season and continuing to make strides this spring.
Gregg, a junior, finished second in the 2023 city meet to earn second-team All-City status and placed third in Centennial League diving before capping her season with a 10th-place finish in the Class 5A-1A state meet.
This season Gregg is ranked No. 1 on the Kansas State High School Activities Association Class 5A-1A Top 25 Performance List for 11 dives with a score of 411.50 and is No. 3 for six dives with a score of 223.50.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.42
Kielyn McDonnell, Rossville 12.78
Alana Mitchell, Hayden 12.87
Ally Steiner, Seaman 12.92
Mi'Luv Cosey, Highland Park 13.10
200 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 26.32
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High 26.88
Miluv Cosey, Highland Park 27.04
Shayla Rezac, Rossville 27.12
Ally Steiner, Seaman 27.17
400 METERS
Natalie Hillebert, Hayden 59.59
Ella Bolan, Silver Lake 61.69
Shayla Rezac, Rossville 62.46
Ava Rottinghaus, Silver Lake 63.15
Rae North, Hayden 64.21
800 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:10.25
Payton Fink, Washburn Rural 2:25.13
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 2:28.40
Taylie Heston, Seaman 2:28.82
Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural 2:29.09
1,600 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 4:53.37
Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural 5:12.51
Payton Fink, Washburn Rural 5:14.08
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:21.07
Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural 5:34.57
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Aaron Merritt, Seaman 10.48
Finn Dunshee, Hayden 10.73
Evan Scheid, Silver Lake 11.10
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 11.12
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 11.24
200 METERS
Aaron Merritt, Seaman 22.08
Finn Dunshee, Hayden 22.25
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 22.32
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 22.40
Tyren Parker, Shawnee Heights 22.76
400 METERS
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden 49.17
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 49.95
Isaiah Terry, Washburn Rural 50.07
Evan Scheid, Silver Lake 51.16
Shane Jueneman, Washburn Rural 51.26
800 METERS
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 1:58.46
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:59.81
Eli Ferguson, Silver Lake 2:00.77
Logan Townsend, Seaman 2:06.27
Mark Wilkie, Topeka West 2:07.11
1,600 METERS
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:22.45
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:31.11
Eli Ferguson, Silver Lake 4:33.55
Adrian Lehman, Topeka West 4:34.21
Elijah Phelps, Topeka West 4:36.97
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's been a challenging but very successful last few days for Washburn Rural's boys tennis team.
The eventful stretch began with last Thursday's city meet being postponed by inclement weather and continued in Monday's Centennial League meet, which Brad Johnston's Junior Blues won despite playing without top singles players Dylan Dodge and Keegan Knudtson, who were out of state on a school-related trip.
City schools also had to deal with weather uncertainty again on Wednesday, with teams initially reporting to Plan B indoor venue Genesis before the weather conditions vastly improved and the city championships were able to go on as planned at Kossover Tennis Center.
And once city competitors got back to Kossover and were treated to near-perfect conditions, Washburn Rural did the rest, sweeping all four individual titles on the way to a perfect team score and a 36-26 win over 2023 city champ Topeka West.
"The boys obviously kept their heads and stayed level-headed and finished the job,'' Johnston said. "I feel like we're at the top of our game right now and I feel like they're going to keep performing at a high level.
"Obviously you just never know, but I'm proud of where they're at and proud of where they're working towards.''
Dodge, a senior, and sophomore Knudtson swept the No. 1 and No. 2 singles championships while senior Lawsen Lobatos and sophomore Dylan Willingham prevailed in No. 1 doubles and sophomores Brayden Kohls and Cale Duetscher completed the sweep with the title in No. 2 doubles.
The match of the day was the No. 1 doubles final, with Lobatos and Willingham avenging an earlier tiebreaker loss to Topeka West returning Class 5A medalists Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew, with the Rural duo taking a hard-earned 8-6 victory.
"You never want to lose to your city rivals, so losing in their invitational of course it gives us motivation to practice and try harder and go and play other, better guys afterwards to just prepare for it and then to come back and win is pretty nice,'' Lobatos said. "Winning and sweeping city as a team is great motivation and great momentum going into regionals.''
"It doesn't get any better,'' Willingham said. "Winning now is perfect because we have all the momentum going to regionals. I lost to them last year and I lost to them this year. I was tired of losing and I was so glad we got the win today.''
Dodge, who won a city title in No. 2 doubles as a junior, made it two city titles in a row with Wednesday's 8-4 win over Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Drew Fay.
"That was one of the things on the top of my list of goals,'' Dodge said. "To win city is a big achievement I feel like, especially in Topeka, because tennis has a very rich tradition here.
"This is a big confidence boost for regionals and hopefully I can carry this into regionals and state.''
Knudtson added the No. 2 singles crown with an 8-6 win over Topeka West's Mark Cianciarulo while Kohls and Duetscher took an 8-5 win over Seaman's Noah Andrews and Austin Bramlett in the No. 2 doubles final.
Hayden and Cair Paravel will begin two days of 3A-1A regional competition on Thursday in Marysville while the remaining six city teams will compete on Friday.
Rural and Topeka High will compete in a 6A meet in Junction City while Highland Park, Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West will compete in a 5A meet at Emporia.
The top six regional finishers in singles and doubles will qualify for state tournaments on May 10-11.
The 6A state tournament will be played in Wichita, 5A in Andover and 3A-1A in Prairie Village.
CITY BOYS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Jaycee Ginter has earned first-team honors for the fourth straight year, leading five members of the the Washburn Ichabod softball team to receive All-MIAA recognition.
Ginter earned first-team All-MIAA honors as a pitcher/utility player after leading the Ichabods with a .401 regular-season batting average while collecting a team-high 55 hits, five home runs, 26 walks and 38 runs batted in.
Ginter, a former three-time Class 5A state champion at Shawnee Heights is fifth in the MIAA in batting average, second in on-base percentage, 10th in RBI and eighth in walks.
As a pitcher this season, she enters the MIAA Tournament with a 16-7 overall record with a 2.22 earned run average in 20 starts, striking out 152 batters and holding opponents to a .221 batting average. She is 10th in the MIAA in earned run average, ninth in opposing batting average, second in strikeouts and sixth in wins.
Ginter was also a first-team All-MIAA choice at pitcher/utility as a junior, sophomore and freshman, becoming the first Ichabod in program history to earn first-team All-MIAA honors all four years.
Senior Marrit Mead was a second-team All-MIAA selection at third base and was a Gold Glove Award winner. Sadie Walker was a second-team selection at pitcher while Alexis Tanguma received honorable mention at second base and Madi Moore was the recipient of the Gold Glove Award at catcher.
The Ichabods will be in action on Thursday at the MIAA Tournament, facing Northwest Missouri at 1:30 p.m. in Edmond, Okla.
Mead enters the MIAA Tournament with a .301 batting average, stealing a team-high 24 bases. Mead is second on the team with 46 hits and leads the team with 41 runs scored and tied for the lead with 11 doubles.
Mead has been a four-time All-MIAA selection, earning second-team honors as a junior and first-team All-MIAA honors as a sophomore and freshman. Mead has been the MIAA's Gold Glove selection at third base the last three seasons.
Walker was a second-team All-MIAA pick in the circle, leading the Ichabods with a 1.45 earned run average while going 20-7 in the circle with 16 complete games and six shutouts. Walker added three saves and struck out 148 batters.
Walker's 20 wins leads the MIAA as does her 159 innings pitched. She is also ranked third in strikeouts and fifth in saves.
Tanguma has hit .376 with 41 hits, seven doubles and 21 RBI. During MIAA play she batted .400 with 32 hits driving in 16 in 25 games. Her five sac flies is tied for second in the MIAA.
Moore was one of two freshmen named to the MIAA's Gold Glove team. In 218 chances, Moore had no errors and threw out seven of 17 would-be base stealers.
Emporia State senior Alexis Dial, a former Shawnee Heights standout, earned a berth on the All-MIAA first team as an outfielder.
Dial is batting .432 on the season with a .781 slugging percentage, 20 doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 38 runs and 60 RBI with 15 stolen bases.
She leads the MIAA and ranks ninth nationally in doubles while ranking third in the MIAA and 21st in the nation in RBI.
She is second in the conference in slugging percentage, and total bases, third in batting average, fourth in hits and triples, fifth in on- base percentage and eighth in home runs.
2024 MIAA Softball Postseason Awards