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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Dagen Brewer
DAGEN BREWER, Seaman
A senior infielder/catcher, Brewer helped Seaman's baseball team open its 2022 season with a 3-2, 3-1 non-league doubleheader sweep of Basehor-Linwood last Saturday at the Optimist Field. Brewer doubled for the Vikings' first hit of the season in the fifth inning of the first game and reached base six times on the day with three hits.
Jaycee Ginter
JAYCEE GINTER, Washburn University
Ginter, a former Shawnee Heights star, picked up both pitching victories in Saturday's Washburn softball doubleheader MIAA sweep at Central Missouri, raising her season total to a nation-best 17 wins. Ginter hurled a complete game in the Ichabods' 10-2 first-game win, giving up seven hits while striking out eight batters. Ginter came on in relief in the second game, throwing 6.2 innings and striking out 10 hitters while allowing just one run in Washburn's 5-3 12-inning win as the Ichabods improved to 24-11 overall and 6-2 in the MIAA. Ginter also had a two-run double in the opener and a run-scoring double in the second game.
Kadence Jeffries
KADENCE JEFFRIES, Topeka West
Jeffries, who has never lost an individual race in Class 5A-1A state competition, opened her senior swimming season with a pair of dominating victories in last Thursday's Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. The four-time state champion, who has signed a letter of intent with Nebraska Omaha, picked up decisive victories in the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 56.59 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.57. Jeffries was a double state champ in both 2019 and 2021, with the '20 season canceled due to COVID-19.
Belle Kennedy
BELLE KENNEDY, Washburn Rural
Kennedy, who was named the Class 6A midfielder of the year last season as a junior, scored a pair of goals last Friday at Washburn Rural's girls soccer team, third in 6A last season, opened its 2022 season with a 4-0 non-league road victory at Kapaun Mt. Carmel. Kennedy has signed a letter of intent with Washburn University.
Tanner Newkirk
TANNER NEWKIRK, Hayden
Newkirk, who has signed a letter of intent with Kansas, opened his senior track and field season with a dominating performance in the boys 3,200-meter run in last Friday's Free State Early Bird Invitational in Lawrence. Newkirk clocked a winning time of 9 minutes, 18.14 seconds in the event, winning by just over 40 seconds. Newkirk's time in his first race of the season eclipsed his best time of the 2021 campaign, whiich was the best in Shawnee County. by 20 seconds.
Jeremiah Smith
JEREMIAH SMITH, Shawnee Heights
A three-time Class 5A state track champion last spring as a sophomore, Smith made his junior debut with a big win in the boys 110-meter hurdles in last Friday's Free State Early Bird Invitational. Smith, who won state titles last season in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and the 110-meter hurdles, posted a season-opening win in the 110 hurdles in 14.45 seconds, winning by more than two seconds.Smith's time Friday night was just off his season-best of 14.34 seconds in 2021.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
One of the main purposes of season-openers in all sports is to give coaches and teams a starting point and an indication of were they need to go from there.
And while traditional state baseball powerhouse Seaman wasn't in midseason form in Saturday's 2020 debut, the host Vikings were good enough to get the year off to a promising start with a 3-2, 3-1 non-league doubleheader sweep over Basehor-Linwood
"Obviously we played two games today and the goal was to get two wins and we were able to do that,'' Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "It may not have been the way that we would have liked to have done it, but two wins is two wins and that's all that matters at the end of the day.''
Seaman junior Hunter Spencer reacts to his game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Vikings' 3-2 first-game win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman celebrates Hunter Spencer's game-winning hit in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman, which has advanced to the Class 5A state tournament 17 straight seasons with nine state titles, combined solid pitching by five diffferent hurlers with enough offense to get the job done Saturday, winning the opener on a run-scoring single from junior Hunter Spencer in the bottom of the seventh inning and jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second game and holding off the Bobcats the rest of the way.
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Friday's 18-0 Shawnee Heights baseball victory over Topeka West was a game you don’t see very often in the capital city.
Host Shawnee Heights was looking for a win after losing a tough game against Spring Hill in its first game of Friday's quadrangular at the Bettis Family Sports Complex and the T-Birds ran away from the Chargers with a 41 minute, 16-run at bat in the bottom of the second inning.
“If you put the ball in play, good things tend to happen,” Shawnee Heights coach Ryan Schmidt said. “The (plate approach) was definitely better in the West game. In the first two games of the season, we were taking too many third called strikes. We improved on that a bit in this game. We still have a long way to go.
“We are happy to come away with the win.”
Trevor Schattilly pitched a three-inning no-hitter in Friday's 18-0 Shawnee Heights win over Topeka West at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior right-hander Trevor Schattilly tossed a no-hit game for Shawnee Heights over his three innings of work, striking out six batters while not allowing any walks.
“I’m thankful for our defense and the way everyone played today,” Schattilly said. “I feel like everything was clicking for me on the mound early. The more strikes I threw, my confidence went up. Our energy and confidence helped in the win as well.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There's a long way to go in the 2022 high school girls soccer season, but Hayden certainly can't complain about its start.
The Wildcats played for the second time in three days Friday at the Sunflower Soccer Complex, with Hayden improving to 2-0 with a 2-0 shutout victory over Cair Paravel Latin.
"It makes me really optimistic for the rest of the season,'' Hayden senior Elizabeth Dunshee said. "I have high hopes and it gives me a lot of confidence to have two wins under our belt.
"I think it's just working together as a team and connecting passes. I think we have the talent. We just have to make sure we're using it and finishing on the opportunities we get in front of the goal.''
Hayden senior Kate Roeder (15) goes airborn over a Cair Paravel player to try to get to the ball in the second half of the Wildcats' 2-0 win over the Lions Friday at the Sunflower Soccer Complex. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Not surprisingly, four-time state champion Kadence Jefferies of Topeka West turned in an eye-opening individual performance in Thursday's season-opening Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
But Shawnee Heights fared the best of the three city schools in the 11-school meet as a team, finishing fifth.
“For most of our girls being new, I thought they came out today and excelled at a lot of different events,” Shawnee Heights coach Laura Wiseman said. “I was impressed with our teamwork and the amount of energy that the girls brought to the meet today. We need to carry over our spirit into (the next meet).''
Topeka West's Kadence Jeffries opened her senior season with a pair of wins in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
Jefferies, who is coming off of double-gold state championship campaigns as a freshman and junior, placed first in both of her individual events, winning comfortably in the 200-yard freestyle (1:56.59) and the 100 breaststroke (1:08.57).
