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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High junior Kiki Smith has been named an All-Class 6A first-team selection by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association after leading the Trojans to a 20-3 record and a 6A state tournament berth.
Smith, 5-foot-7, was earlier named the Shawnee County and Centennial League player of the year.
Topeka High junior Kiki Smith has been named a first-team All-Class 6A pick by the KBCA after helping lead the Trojans to a 20-3 record and a 6A state tournament berth. [File photo/TSN]
Smith was one of seven county players to receive all-state recognition, including three players from 6A state champion Washburn Rural.
Washburn Rural senior Emma Krueger received second-team All-6A honors while junior Brooklyn DeLeye and sophomore Zoe Canfield both received All-6A honorable mention.
Topeka High senior Tae Thomas also received All-6A honorable mention while Seaman freshman Anna Becker received All-5A honorable mention.
Silver Lake sophomore Makenzie McDaniel earned second-team All-3A honors after helping lead the Eagles to a third-place finish in the 3A state tournament.
KBCA GIRLS ALL-STATE BASKETBALL Teams
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's Elijah Brooks a 6-foot-4 senior, and Seaman 6-5 senior Ty Henry have been named to the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association All-Class 5A first team.
Brooks, the Shawnee County and Centennial League player of the year, helped lead the Chargers to a 5A state tournament berth and a 21-2 record overall, while Henry helped lead the Vikings to an 18-7 record and Seaman's first-ever boys state basketball championship.
Topeka West senior Elijah Brooks has been named to the KBCA All-5A first team after leading the Chargers to a 21-2 record and a 5A state tournament berth. [File photoTSN]
Seaman senior Ty Henry has received All-Class 5A first-team honors from the KBCA after helping lead the Vikings to the 5A state championship. [File photo/TSN]
Brooks and Henry were two of nine Shawnee County boys players to receive all-state recognition from the KBCA, including six players in 5A.
Highland Park senior Juan'Tario Roberts earned second-team All-5A recognition after helping the Scots advance to the 5A state tournament while Highland Park junior Bo Aldridge, Seaman junior Kaeden Bonner and Viking senior Mateo Hyman received honorable mention.
Hayden junior Joe Otting earned second-team All-4A honors after helping lead the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish in the 4A state tournament while Wildcat senior Trent Duffey received honorable mention.
Cair Paravel Latin senior Noah Hastert received second-team recognition in 1A Division I.
KBCA BOYS ALL-STATE BASKETBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's still very early in the 2022 high school track and field season, but Washburn Rural senior thrower Zach Sulzen-Watson looked to be in midseason form in Friday's season-opening Jerry Beardslee Invitational ... maybe even a little better.
Sulzen-Watson was a double individual winner Friday at Rural, establishing a new personal-record in the shot put while also eclipsing the mark he recorded in a fifth-place Class 6A state finish in the discus last spring.
Washburn Rural senior Zach Sulzen-Watson won Friday's shot put event in the Jerry Beardslee Invitational with a personal-best throw of 52 feet, 5 inches. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Zach Sulzen-Watson flashes the thumbs up sign after a big throw in Friday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sulzen-Watson easily set a PR record in the shot put with a winning effort of 52 feet, 5 inches and then won the discus event with a throw of 161-1, bettering the 153-3 he threw at state a year ago.
The discus is regarded as Sulzen-Watson's best and favorite event, and he has established himself as one of the state's best in that event.
"I just feel like (the disc) comes a little bit more natural,'' Sulzen-Watson said. "I just like spinning around, you know.''
But Sulzen-Watson also made a statement in the shot on Friday, admitting that his two and a half-foot improvement was a surprise, even to him.
"Absolutely,'' he said.
Now Sulzen-Watson just wants to build off his big season-opening performance over the rest of the season.
"In the shot I just want to be more explosive at the end; I'm kind of falling back,'' he said. "It's kind of the same thing in the disc. I'm not really finishing through the disc as much as I should be.''
And Sulzen-Watson wants to set his goals high, particularly in the discus.
"I'll go big -- 200 (feet),'' Sulzen-Watson said of his hopes for the season.
Other boys highlights Friday:
• If the weather had been a little bit better on Thursday, Highland Park junior Tre Richardson, a four-sport standout, wouldn't have even competed in the Jerry Beardslee Invitational.
But when the event was pushed back to Friday, that opened the door for a big day for Richardson.
Richardson won the 200-meter dash in 21.6 seconds after winning the long jump (22 feet, 2 inches) and the triple jump (43-6) earlier in the day.
Highland Park junior Tre Richardson (center) and teammate Tyrell Reed (left) battle at the end of the 100-meter dash in Friday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational. Reed and Richardson went 1-2, with both runners timed in 10.5 seconds. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Richardson also finished second to Scots teammate Tyrell Reed in the 100, with both runners timed in 10.5.
"It felt good to be back out here,'' Richardson said. "I'm glad it got moved to today because yesterday I would have had to go to baseball instead.''
Richardson, who has already received All-Shawnee County recognition in football and basketball, said he is rounding into track and field shape.
"I'm getting there ... almost,'' Richardson said. "I'm not where I want to be by the end of the season. By the end of the season I'm going to try to get in the 20s (in the 200).''
• Washburn Rural seniors Alex Holmes and Spencer Haddock went 1-2 in the 1,600 meters, with Holmes winning in 4:37.8 and Haddock second in 4:45.8.
JERRY BEARDSLEE INVITATIONAL
At Washburn Rural BOYS Individual results
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It didn't take long for sophomore Victoria Reed to make a splash for her new school, with the star sophomore sprinter sweeping the sprints in her Highland Park debut in Friday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational at Washburn Rural.
Highland Park sophomore Victoria Reed posted wins in the 100, 200 and 400 in Friday's season-opening Jerry Beardslee Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Reed a state placer as a freshman for Topeka West, transferred to Highland Park last fall and has made an immediate impact, winning the 100-meter dash in 12.6 seconds, the 200 in 26.5 and the 400 in 60.4 in her season-opener.
"I wasn't happy with my time in the 200, but was happy in the one and four for the first time,'' Reed said. "For the first time out I actually feel really good.
"I think that my times can do down from here. It's hard to run in the cold so once it gets warmer that will help.''
Highland Park doesn't have a ton of girls out for track, but Reed said that's not a problem for her.
"I like running with the boys,'' said Reed, whose brother, Tyrell, and Tre Richardson, are both state-class sprinters for the Scots. "It makes me better.''
Other girls highlights Friday:
• Seaman junior Bethany Druse, a double Class 5A state distance medalist last spring, opened her season with a dominating victory in the 800-meter run.
Seaman junior Bethany Druse won the girls 800 meters in Friday night's Jerry Beardslee Invitational in a time of 2:21.5. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Druse clocked a time of 2 minutes, 21.5 seconds, winning by an 11-second margin.
Druse, who has posted top-10 finishes in 5A cross country the past two seasons, also helped the Vikings win the 4 x 400-meter relay in 4:23.4.
• Washburn Rural freshman Payton Fink led a Junior Blues sweep of the top three placers in the 1,600 meters in a winning time of 5:38.4.
Freshman Payton Fink led a 1-2-3 finish for Washburn Rural Friday in the girls 1,600-meter run. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rylee Ismert finished second in 5:40.8 while Khloi Bird finished third in 5:51.9.
• Junior Madeline Carter, coming off a top-10 finish in Class 6A cross country, opened her 2022 season with a 34-second win in the 3,200 meters.
Carter, a multi-event state placer last spring, posted a winning time of 11:51.4.
• Seaman freshman Ally Steiner won the triple jump with a best jump of 29 feet, 4 inches and earned a second win in the 300 hurdles in 54.6 seconds.
JERRY BEARDSLEE INVITATIONAL
At Washburn Rural
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
City swimmers and divers dominated Thursday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, capturing wins in 10 of 12 events.
Topeka West senior Kadence Jeffries and Seaman senior Gabby Grace both won a pair of individual titles while other city winners included Washburn Rural's Makenna Pritchard, Topeka High's Brianna Delvin, Seaman's Tauren Walz and Seaman's Avery Walz.
Seaman senior Gabby Grace was a double individual winner in Thursday's Topeka High Invitational and also helped the Vikings to a pair of relay victories. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka West senior Kadence Jeffries won the 200 individual medley and the 100 freestyle in Thursday's Topeka High Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
Jeffries took wins in the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 11.26 seconds) and the 100 freestyle (54.71) while G. Grace tied for first place in the 50 free (25.36) and earned a victory in the 100 backstroke (1:01.59).
Pritchard won the 200 freestyle (2:07.85), Devin was the one-meter diving champion (234.85), T. Walz won the 100 butterfly (1:02.25) and A. Walz the 100 breaststroke (1:07.61).
Seaman also won the 200 medley relay in 1:54.22 and the 400 free relay in 3:46.75.
Washburn Rural used its depth to win the team title by a 468-303.5 margin over Olathe South while Seaman was third with 257.5 points.
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
