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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ALA'JAH BROOKS, Topeka West
Brooks, a junior, picked up a Class 5A state medal in the 2021 state track meet as part of the Chargers' sixth-place 4x100 relay. An All-Shawnee County pick last season, Brooks was a regional champ in the 200-meter dash and finished third in the 100.
MADELINE CARTER, Washburn Rural
A junior, Carter earned three Class 6A medals in the 2021 state track meet, posting a sixth-place individual finish in the 800 meters while also running on the Junior Blues' fourth-place 4x400 relay and fifth-place 4x800 relay. A returning All-Shawnee County pick in track, Carter has posted top-10 state finishes in cross country the past two seasons, including a seventh-place finish last fall after sweeping city, Centennial League and regional individual titles.
BETHANY DRUSE, Seaman
Seaman junior Bethany Druse, a returning All-Shawnee County selection, picked up a pair of Class 5A state medals last spring, placing fifth in the 1,600 meters and fifth in the 800. Druse was a regional champ in the 800 and 1,600 and led Shawnee County in the 800 (2:19.20) and the 1,600 (5:19.89). Druse has placed in the top 10 in 5A cross county the past two seasons, including a sixth-place finish last fall after a ninth-place finish as a sophomore.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Wednesday was both a terrible and great day for Hayden's girls soccer team.
The Wildcats' season-opener was played in frigid, wet, windy conditions, but Hayden scored nine second-half goals on the way to a 10-0 win over Centennial League rival Topeka West at the Sunflower Soccer Complex.
Senior Kate Roeder scored the only goal of the first half to give Hayden a 1-0 advantage and the Wildcats scored early and often after the break, getting a pair of goals from Bri Barnett and Elaina Wolff while Natalie McElroy, Sloane Sims, Lauren Sandstrom, Jill Lenherr and Janessa Broxterman also found the back of the net.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Coming off a record-setting season for Topeka West, Charger 6-foot-4 senior Elijah Brooks headlines the TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County boys basketball team while Class 5A state champion Seaman put three players on the Top 10.
Brooks was tapped as the Shawnee County player of the year after leading Topeka West to a second straight Centennial League title and a second straight state tournament berth while becoming West's single-season and career leading scorer during the 2021-2022 season.
Brooks put together a string of 30-point-plus games this past season with a high of 43 points while averaging 25.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocked shots.
Seaman, which won the first boys state basketball championship in school history, is represented on the Top 10 by 6-5 senior Ty Henry, 6-1 senior Mateo Hyman and 6-1 junior Kaeden Bonner while 6-5 senior Gavin Wilhelm was named the city newcomer of the year after the 18-7 Vikings ended the season with an 11-game winning streak, capped by a 66-47 win over De Soto in the Class 5A state championship game.
Henry scored a team-high 15 points a game for the Vikings and also averaged 4.8 rebounds while Hyman averaged 14.2 points and 3.9 assists and Bonner 13.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals while hitting a city-high 64 3-pointers and shooting 45 percent from deep.
Wilhelm was a key contributor for the Vikings after bouncing back from an injury his junior season, shooting 44 percent from 3-point range while canning 42 treys and also pulling down 4.4 rebounds a game.
Seaman's Craig Cox, who notched his third state championship as a head coach, was named the Shawnee County coach of the year. Cox led the Vikings to the 2022 state title after previously coaching a pair of state championship teams at Shawnee Heights in 2000 and 2002.
Topeka West, which went 21-2 on the season, including a 20-game win streak, is also represented on the Top 10 by 6-1 junior guard Sincere Austin, who was also a key player on the Chargers' 5A state runner-up team in 2021.
Austin averaged 10.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals as a junior while connecting on 32 3-pointers.
Highland Park (18-5), which qualified for the 5A state tournament, put 6-0 senior Juan'Tario Roberts and 6-4 junior Bo Aldridge on the all-county Top 10, while 4A state qualifier Hayden is represented by 6-5 junior Joe Otting
Aldridge ranked No. 2 in the city in scoring with an 18.7 average and also averaged 8.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 blocked shots while Roberts averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 assists and hit 39 3-pointers while shooting 40 percent from 3-poiint range.
Otting helped lead Hayden to a fourth-place finish in the 4A state tournament and earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors in basketball after also being an all-county pick in football last fall.
Cair Paravel Latin 6-6 senior Noah Hastert and Washburn Rural 6-2 junior Jack Bachelor round out the TSN All-Shawnee County first team, with Hastert averaging 15.9 points, a city-high 11.3 rebounds, a city-best 5.0 assists and tying Aldridge for city-high honors with 2.3 blocked shots per game while Bachelor averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and hit 44 3-pointers while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. Hastert also earned all-county honors in football last fall.
The all-county Second 10 includes senior Carter Olson and sophomore Brennon Dodge of Shawnee Heights, Cair Paravel senior Zach Clark, Hayden senior Trent Duffey and junior Jake Muller, Highland Park junior Tre Richardson, Rossville junior Kade Perine, Seaman junior Aron Davis, Topeka West senior Zander Putthoff and Washburn Rural senior Quincey Kidd.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BOYS BASKETBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Three members of Class 6A state champion Washburn Rural earned Top 10 berths on the TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County girls basketball team while Topeka High junior Kiki Smith was named the county player of the year after leading Topeka High to the Centennial League championship and a 6A state tournament berth.
Smith, also the Centennial League player of the year, averaged 18 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4.1 steals this past season while connecting on 49 3-pointers.
Washburn Rural 6-foot-2 junior Brooklyn DeLeye and 5-11 senior Emma Krueger earned first-team All-Shawnee County spots for the second straight season after leading the Junior Blues to a 23-2 record and the Junior Blues' second state championship since 2019.
DeLeye averaged 11.8 points, 7.0 rebounds 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals for Washburn Rural while Krueger was a defensive stopper and averaged 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.6 steals and was also a key player on the Junior Blues' 2019 championship team.
Zoe Canfield, a 5-11 sophomore, also garnered a Top 10 all-county berth for the Junior Blues while Rural's Kevin Bordewick was named the county coach of the year after earning his second state basketball championship as a head coach and his ninth title overall.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
CAMPBELL BAGSHAW, Washburn Rural
A senior infielder, Bagshaw was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection and also earned first-team All-Centennial League recognition after helping lead the Junior Blues to a 20-3 record and a Class 6A state tournament berth. Bagshaw hit .419 as a junior and scored a team-best 37 runs. Bagshaw hit two homers and drove in 18 runs. Bagshaw, who helped Washburn Rural win the 6A state basketball title this past season, has signed a softball letter of intent with Kansas.
NIJAREE CANADY, Topeka High
A Stanford signee, Canady was named the Kansas Gatorade and Shawnee County player of the year last season as a junior after helping lead Topeka High to its first-ever Class 6A state sotball championship and a perfect 25-0 record. Canady struck out 16 batters in all three of Topeka High's state tournament wins, allowing just six hits and one unearned run. Canady posted a perfect 21-0 pitching record last spring with an 0.26 earned run average and 226 strikeouts while also hitting .478 with 13 home runs. Canady was named to the Class 6A first team by the Kansas Softball Coaches Association.
ADISYN CARYL, Topeka High
A junior shortstop, Caryl was named the Shawnee County and Centennial League newcomer of the year last spring after helping Topeka High post a perfect 25-0 record and win the school's first Class 6A state championship. Caryl was named to the All-Class 6A first team by the Kansas Softball Coaches Association after hitting .608 with 40 runs batted in. Caryl had 48 hits, with 16 doubles and five triples. Caryl was also a starter for the Trojan basketball team, helping High win the Centennial League title and advance to the 6A state tournament.