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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Fresh off a win over No. 3-ranked Fort Hays State, Washburn University women's basketball remains at Lee Arena Saturday to host Central Missouri in a 1 p.m. MIAA contest.
Yibari Nwidadah, Washburn University
Saturday's game will feature the Student Athlete Advisory Committee Teddy Bear Toss. Bears can be brought to the game or purchased at the entrance.
Washburn is 6-2 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA after last Saturday's 67-64 win over Fort Hays State, which snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Tigers. Central Missouri moved to 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA after defeating Nebraska Kearney 72-69 at home last Saturday.
Senior Yibari Nwidadah is averaging 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds to lead Washburn while also shooting 55.3 percent from the floor. Nwidadah leads the MIAA and ranks 32nd nationally in field goal percentage.
With 252 career offensive rebounds Nwidadah is fourth in program history and in overall rebounding she is 10th with 680 career boards. Her career field goal percentage of .578 is the second best in program history. In scoring Nwidadah ranks 15th among all Ichabods with 1,104 career points.
Senior Payton Sterk averages 13.3 points for the Ichabods while registering 1.8 steals per game and hitting 16 3-pointers.
Senior Gabi Giovannetti is averaging 13.0 points and is shooting a team-high 47.4 percent from deep with a team-high 18 3-pointers. Giovannetti leads the MIAA and is 14th nationally in 3-point percentage and is third in the conference in triples per game.
Giovannetti is eighth in program history with 130 career 3-pointers made.
Nwidadah registered her first double-double of the season in the win over Fort Hays State with 24 points and 10 rebounds while Giovannetti had 22 points with three 3-pointers.
Taylor Weishaar leads Central Missouri with a 15.3 scoring average and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Reese Schaaf is averaging 13.9 points for the Jennies and is shooting a team-high 44.0 percent from deep with 11 triples.
Washburn takes a break from MIAA play host Truman State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 2-ranked Washburn University men will play their final MIAA game of the 2025 calendar year on Saturday when the Ichabods host Central Missouri at 3 p.m. in Lee Arena.
Sophomore Dillon Claussen is averaging 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds for No. 2-ranked Washburn men's basketball. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn moved to 10-0 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA with a 73-66 win over Fort Hays State last Saturday while Central Missouri enters the game 9-2 overall and 2-0 in league play after a 99-69 win over Nebraska-Kearney. The Mules defeated Fort Hays State 64-50 in their MIAA opener.
Washburn leads the all-time series 61-53 and Saturday's meeting will be the 115th between the two schools. The Ichabods have won the last three in the series and nine of the last 10.
The Ichabods lead the NCAA Division II ranks in scoring margin at plus 33.7 points per game and are fourth in field goal percentage at 52.7 percent. Washburn is third in rebound margin at plus 14.3 and second in scoring defense (59.6 points per game). Washburn has not been out-rebounded in a game.
WU junior Jack Bachelor is sixth in the nation in total assists with 52 and 14th in the nation in 3-pointers made with 27 and sophomore Dillon Claussen is third in the nation in field goal percentage at 72.3 percent and junior Jeremiah Jones is third in the nation in total steals with 30 and is ranked 10th in steals per game at 3.0 per contest.
The Ichabods' 10-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest in the nation with Daemen. The longest streak belongs to Nova Southeastern, which has won its last 29 games.
Washburn has won 21 home games in a row, the second-longest streak in the nation and the sixth-longest streak in Washburn program history. Nova Southeastern has won its last 91 games in a row at home.
Junior Bryson Smith finished with a Washburn-high 22 points against Fort Hays State while going 9-of-10 at the free throw line. He added five rebounds, one assist and four steals, scoring 18 of his 22 points in the second half.
Claussen scored 21 points against Fort Hays State on 7 of 10 shooting and knocking down 7 of 8 free throws while grabbing six rebounds.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural junior boys swimming standout Daniel Allen and Seaman freshman girls basketball player Baylee Ayres have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2025-2026 school year.
Here's a brief look at the recent accomplishments of Allen and Ayres over the past week.
Daniel Allen, Washburn Rural
DANIEL ALLEN, Washburn Rural
After a season away from high school swimming, Allen has returned to post seven wins and a second-place finish in eight races for Washburn Rural to open the 2025-2026 season.
Allen opened the season in last week's Topeka West Invitational with individual wins in the 200-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly while also swimming on the Junior Blues' winning 200 free relay and runnerup 400 free relay.
Allen followed that up with four wins in Wednesday's Hayden Invitational, winning the 200 individual medley and 100 freestyle and swimming on Rural's winning 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Baylee Ayres, Seaman
BAYLEE AYRES, Seaman
After making her high school debut with four points in a season-opening loss to Piper, Ayres followed that up with a game-high 14 points on Tuesday as Seaman picked up its first victory of the season in a 65-18 United Kansas Conference romp past Lansing.
Ayres, who did not enter the game until the second quarter, connected on 5 of 7 field goal attempts and hit 4 of 6 free throws against the Lions.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University soccer team's 2025 season came to an end Thursday evening with a 2-1 NCAA Division II semifinal defeat to Franklin Pierce in Colorado Springs.
Washburn soccer dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to Franklin Pierce in Thursday's NCAA Division II semifinal in Colorado Springs. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"Thought we played really well, thought we had a really good mentality, really proud of how our team played," Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "The program is in such a healthy place because the girls invest so much on a daily basis."
"These girls are so special,'' Washburn senior Shaye Taylor said. "This team was built on love, so much love in everything we did. I couldn't be more grateful -- these girls made it the best experience I've ever had."
Washburn came out of the gates strong, as in the opening minute, freshman Leah Henke had a header go over the bar.
Washburn had six shots in the half, while the Ravens took four.
The second half would start the same, as Washburn had four shots in the opening 10 minutes with two on target
In the 66th minute WU freshman Kate Hinck, a Washburn Rural product, would open the scoring after a ball over the top from Sam Searcey.
Franklin Pierce would then score two goals 62 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead late in the match and held off the Ichabods the rest of the way.
Hinck scored her seventh goal of the season while Searcey picked up her sixth assist.
Freshman goalkeeper made five saves in the match for Washburn.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden, which advanced to the Class 3A state championship game for the third straight season, and 1A finalist Rossville combined for nine of Top 22 spots on TopSports.news' 2025 All-Shawnee County football team while the Wildcats and Bulldawgs swept offensive and defensive player of the year honors.
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
Jude Krentz, Hayden
Hayden senior all-purpose standout Kade Mitchell and Rossville senior quarterback Canann Mitchell were named the co-offensive players of the year for 2025 while Hayden senior Jude Krentz was named the defensive player of the year.
Kade Mitchell carried the ball 106 times for 1,003 yards, caught 23 passes for 471 yards and scored 22 total touchdowns while Canann Mitchell rushed for 1,162 yards and 21 touchdowns on 167 carries and completed 123 of 184 passes for 1,771 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Krentz led the Hayden defense with 120 tackles (61 solo) while recording six tackles for loss and picking off two passes.
Hayden's Bill Arnold and Rossville's Derick Hammes were named the co-coaches of the year while Rossville junior lineman Charlie Chance was tapped as the defensive newcomer of the year and Silver Lake freshman quarterback Kipton Kruger was named the offensive newcomer of the year.
Chance was in on 54 tackles with 14 tackles for loss and three sacks while Kruger completed 178 of 252 passes for 2,158 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Kade Mitchell and Krentz are Top 22 repeat selections, along with Seaman senior Cameron Brian, Rossville senior Conner Bush, Silver Lake senior Dayne Johnson and Shawnee Heights senior Aiden Scott.
Hayden, which posted a 12-1 record this fall, is also represented on the Top 22 by seniors Xander Blasing, Connor Hanika and Julian McGivern and junior Mason Becker while Rossville senior Andre Johnson joins Bush and Canann Mitchell on the Top 22 after the Bulldawgs posted an 11-2 record, with both losses coming against state champions.
Washburn Rural, which posted a 6-4 record, is represented on the Top 22 by seniors Jayden Cooper, Brody Haas and John Hoytal and junior Jadyn Baum.
Senior Noah Kobuszewski joins Brian on the first team for Seaman while senior Jayden Waterer joins Dayne Johnson on the Top 22 for Silver Lake and senior AJ Gallegos joins Scott on the first team for Shawnee Heights.
Meadowlark Conference champion Highland Park put senior Tremaine Savage and junior G'Honi Montgomery on the Top 22 while Topeka High is represented by multi-time All-Centennial League selection Malachi Murph
All 10 Shawnee County high schools have representatives on either the Top 22, Second 22 or honorable mention list. Five county teams posted six or more wins this fall and four teams posted at least one win in the playoffs.
TopSports.news selected the 2025 All-Shawnee County team after receiving input from county head coaches.
All-Shawnee County Top 22 capsules:
