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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Stanford softball commit NiJaree Canady stole the show for Topeka High on the diamond in Thursday night’s doubleheader sweep over city and Centennial League rival Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park.
Canady pitched both ends of the doubleheader and recorded a combined 28 strikeouts (12 in Game 1 and 16 in Game 2), while allowing just two hits and two runs in 12 innings as Topeka High took an 11-1 win in the first game and a 6-1 decision in the nightcap.
“The defense behind me helped me out on a few plays that I needed help on,” Canady said. “Adisyn (Caryl) also had some nice backhanded stops that were nice for us as well and I thought that got the team going.
“I’m only good with the team that I have helping me along the way.”
Canady also hit a two-run home run and had a double at the plate for the Trojans.
“We know if (Canady) is healthy and throwing well, we will always have a chance,” Topeka High coach Shane Miles said. "She will always keep us in the game and will give us a chance no matter what. She’s a special athlete."
Topeka High softball coach Shane Miles talks to his Trojans after Thursday's doubleheader sweep of Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
The defending Class 6A state champions boosted their winning streak to 29 games with Thursday's sweep..
“We ended the season 25-0 last year and we just want to keep that momentum from last year to this year going,” Canady said. “We’re 29-0 now and we just want to keep that rhythm and good chemistry going.”
Hayden's Newkirk, Topeka West's Jeffries named Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency Athletes of the Week
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk and Topeka West senior Kadence Jeffries have been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency Athletes of the Week for last week.
Newkirk opened his track and field season with a 40-second win in the boys 3,200-meter run in the Free State Early Bird Invitational while Jefffries made her 2022 girls swimming debut with a pair of dominating individual wins in the Topeka West Invitational.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Newkirk and Jeffries last week:
Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk posted a win in the boys 3,200 meters in 9:18.14 in last Friday's Free State Early Bird Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
TANNER NEWKIRK, Hayden
Newkirk, who has signed a cross country and track and field letter of intent with Kansas, opened his senior track 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, which was the best in Shawnee County, by 20 seconds.
Topeka West four-time state champion swimmer Kadence Jeffries opened her senior season with a pair of dominating wins in last week's Topeka West Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
KADENCE JEFFRIES, Topeka West
Jeffries, who has never lost an individual race in Class 5A-1A state girls swimming competition, opened her senior 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.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior Robby Bolin has been added to the East roster for the 2022 Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game, which will be played July 23 at Pittsburg State University.
The Kansas Shrine Bowl Board of Directors announced updated rosters on Wednesday, with Bolin among the additions.
Washburn Rural standout receiver/defensive back Robby Bolin (11) has been added to the East roster for the 2022 Kansas Shrine Bowl. [File photo/TSN]
“Every year we have some changes after our original selections are made,” said B.J. Harris, executive director of the Kansas Shrine Bowl. “Fortunately for us, Kansas is blessed
with a wealth of talented players and these guys are certainly ready to play in our game; this is going to be a great game.”
Bolin, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver/defensive back, earned All-Centennial League first-team honors at receiver and was a second-team all-league pick at defensive back after helping lead the Junior Blues to an 8-2 record last fall.
Bolin caught 33 passes for 517 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 15.7 yards per catch.
In addition to Bolin, the East Squad has added Kaden Fields from Osawatomie (3A), Truman Juelsgaard from Lawrence (6A), Andrew Long from Blue Valley (6A), Eduardo Lopez from Wellsville (2A), Brooks Lowe from Blue Valley West (6A), Kenrick Osei-Bonsu from Olathe North (6A), and Isiah Tyson from Parsons (3A).
The 2022 West Squad has added Trey Harmison from Riley County.
All Shrine Bowl events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children, now known as Shriners Children’s.
Shriners Children’s offers care for a range of orthopedic issues, as well as care for burn injuries, craniofacial conditions, spine care and spinal cord injuries, colorectal and gastrointestinal care, and sports medicine.
Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Emmerson Cope pitched a five-inning perfect game and hit a walkoff home run in the first game to highlight the day as Washburn Rural's softball team opened its season Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep of Hayden at Rural.
Washburn Rural junior Emmerson Cope (33) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a 3-run walkoff first-game home run Tuesday against Hayden. The Junior Blues swept the Wildcats, 10-0, 8-1. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Emmerson Cope delivers a pitch Tuesday against Hayden in the Junior Blues' season-openers. Cope pitched a five-inning perfect game in Rural's 10-0 first-game win. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Junior Blues, who advanced to the Class 6A state tournament last season, took a 10-0 first-game win over the Wildcats and earned the sweep with an 8-1 decision in the second game.
Both games went five innings, with Rural winning the first game by way of the 10-run spread rule on Cope's three-run walkoff home run in the bottom of the fifth and the second game was called due to lightning.
Washburn Rural opened the first game with a run in the first and three runs in the third and the Junior Blues put the game away with three runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
In addition to Cope's home run, the Junior Blues got doubles from Cope and seniors Campbell Bagshaw and Baylee Dial in the first game, with Cope knocking in four runs and senior McKenna Schuler and Dial two RBI apiece.
Cope was in command in the pitching circle from the outset, striking out 11 Wildcat batters.
Rural jumped in front 5-0 through two innings in the nightcap and added three runs in the fourth after Hayden had scored a run in the top half of the inning.
Junior Kaci Bath homered and had three RBI for the Junior Blues while Bagshaw, who went four of six on the day, tripled and Dial had a pair of doubles and Cope, Bath and freshman Naudia Wech also doubled in the second game. Bagshaw scored three runs in the game.
Junior Piper Titsworth picked up the pitching win for Washburn Rural, giving up just two hits.
Junior Maylee Burris doubled for Hayden and scored on an RBI by sophomore Kylie Carswell.
First game
WASHBURN RURAL 10, HAYDEN 0
Hayden 000 00 -- 0 0 1
Washburn Rural 103 33 -- 10 11 0
W -- Cope (1-0). L -- Droge (0-1). 2B -- Washburn Rural: Bagshaw, Dial. HR -- Washburn Rural: Cope.
Second game
WASHBURN RURAL 8, HAYDEN 1
Hayden 000 10 -- 1 2 3
Washburn Rural 230 30 -- 8 9 0
W -- Titsworth (1-0). L -- Droge (0-1). 2B -- Hayden: Burris. Washburn Rural: Cope, Bath, Dial. 3B -- Washburn Rural: Bagshaw. HR -- Washburn Rural: Bath.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Obviously, Washburn Rural baseball coach Jay Mastin will be looking for improvement as the season goes along, but Mastin didn't have much to complain about after Tuesday's season-opener, with the Junior Blues rolling to a doubleheader sweep over Centennial League rival Hayden.
The visiting Junior Blues took a 14-5 win over the Wildcats in the first game and took a 15-1 decision in the second game.
"I thought we did a pretty good job tonight,'' Mastin said. "We hit a lot of balls hard, we were aggressive running the bases and got some good innings out of some guys today.
"It's the first time we've been on a baseball field and seen live pitching in a week and a half, two weeks, so it was good.''
Washburn Rural senior Ty Weber (45), sophomore Kyle Walker (6) and the Junior Blues celebrate a run during Tuesday's season-opening doubleheader sweep over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn Rural took control of the opener in the first two innings, scoring two runs in the first and four in the second to stake senior starting pitcher Carson Rosen to an early 6-1 lead. Hayden scored a run in the bottom of the first.
The Junior Blues added three runs in the top of the fourth and a run in the sixth to open up a 10-1 advantage before Hayden pushed across four runs in the bottom of the sixth after Rosen left the game.
Rural scored four more runs in the top of the seventh and the Junior Blues shut down Hayden in the seventh, ending the game with a double play.
Senior Ty Weber, who missed virtually his entire junior season with an injury, doubled twice in the first game while sophomore Kyle Walker was also credited with a double.
Rosen picked up the pitching victory.
Washburn Rural got off to another quick start in the nightcap, with Weber, the third batter of the game, crushing a three-run home run. The Junior Blues would score four in the first and added two runs in the second and a run in the third to open up a 7-0 lead through three innings.
The Junior Blues, who qualified for the Class 6A state tournament last spring, pushed across eight more runs in the top of the fourth to take a 15-0 lead before Hayden scored its lone run in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run from junior Braydn Rose.
The game was stopped at that point due to an approaching storm.
Junior Zach Sharshel picked up the pitching win for Washburn Rural in its 15-1 second-game victory Tuesday at Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Zach Sharshel was the starting and winning pitcher for Washburn Rural, 2-0.
The Junior Blues have several veterans in their lineup, but Mastin was also pleased with the play of several newcomers against Hayden.
"We've got a handful of guys that are playing varsity baseball for the first time and a lot of those guys had success today, either at the plate or on the mound,'' Mastin said.
Hayden fell to 1-2 on the season.
The Wildcats opened their season on Monday against Nemaha Central, taking a 13-7 win in the first game. The second game was suspended due to darkness entering the bottom of the seventh, with the Thunder holding a 12-10 advantage. The game will be completed at a later date.
