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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Topeka West's wrestling team earned USD 501 bragging rights Wednesday night, sweeping district rivals Topeka High and Highland Park in a triangular at High.
All three 501 schools were hampered by illness, with the Scots, Trojans and Chargers combining for 25 open spots -- 10 for Highland Park and eight apiece for eight for West and High).
Topeka West opened the triangular with a 48-24 victory in the first match over Topeka High, with 106-pounder Dillon Jay, 113-pounder Preston Gengler and 160-pounder Fox Cook all earning victories.
The Chargers followed their first-match victory with a 42-30 win over Highland Park. Topeka West collected 36 out of its 42 points as a result of Hi Park open spots weight classes. Cook was the West winner, recording a pin in 1 minute, 03 seconds.
The Scots earned three pins against Topeka West -- 170-pounder Tanner Lassiter, 182-pounder Adrian Burney and 285-pounder Morgan Dean.
In the battle for second place, Topeka High topped Highland Park on the Trojans' Senior Night, 36-21.
High’s 106-pounder Victor Mesa, 120-pounder Kasius Jamison, 170-pounder Jaxson Johnson and 220-pounder Andrew Perez posted wins to help boost the Trojans.
“They (seniors) mean a tremendous amount to us,'' Topeka High coach Tony Canacari said. "Andrew Perez does a great job leading us in the room. Jahmari (Pleasant) does the same thing. Azaryah, Lance, and everyone else is an awesome group. I hate losing them.
"I wish they had last season to wrestle as well, but things have been better for us this year.''
Highland Park 285-pounder Morgan Dean and Topeka High's Jahmari Pleasant do battle in Wednesday night's Topeka High wrestling triangular. Dean (left) posted a 3-0 win. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
In the 285-pound matchup, Highland Park’s Morgan Dean and High’s Pleasant went to three periods, with Dean taking a 3-0 win to go 2-0 on the night.
Despite the lack of numbers, Highland Park coach Freddy Maisberger was pleased just to be able to compete on Wednesday night.
“We have a lot of things to work on,'' Maisberger said. "I’m glad we had it (the match) even though we had a lot of people who were out, as far as sickness. We probably could’ve been closer, as far as some of the matches, but I’m just glad that we are wrestling.''
Canacari echoed Maisberger’s statements.
“I thought the kids went out there and wrestled hard,'' he said. "We got hit by COVID today pretty bad with the testing. We were open in a lot of weight classes. The kids that were here tonight competed hard.''
TOPEKA HIGH TRIANGULAR RESULTS
Topeka West 48, Topeka High 24; Topeka West def. Highland Park, 43-30; Topeka High def. Highland Park, 36-21.
GIRLS EXHIBITION MATCHES
With a large number of open spots, the girls competed in exhibition matches on Wednesday night.
Topeka West’s 120-pounder Aa’Zauviyah Majors and 155-pounder Dadriona Anderson were able to win by pin in both of their matches. Majors would win in 1:40 and Anderson won her match in 1:05.
Topeka High’s 109-pounder Neviah Martin won by decision while High’s 138-pounder Marilena Zuniga won in a16-second pin.
“I thought the girls we did have did a great job,'' Topeka High girls coach Roger Laubengayer-Mena said. "A lot of those matches were actually re-matches because we are 501, so we see them a lot. Someone like Marilena to go against (Highland Park) Ruby (Hernandez), who has been wrestling a long time was neat. Someone like Neviah (Martin) who is a first-year wrestler getting a pin felt good as well.''
The three 501 schools will all meet again on Saturday's Topeka High Invitational (9 a.m. start).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Amaya Buchanan, Josh Hammons and their Washburn Rural teammates will be looking for higher scores as the 2022 high school bowling season moves forward.
But both Junior Blues junior standouts were certainly happy with the way things started in Wednesday's Topeka High quadrangular at Gage Bowl.
Buchanan won the girls individual title with a 638 three-game series as the Junior Blues won the team championship by a 2,158-2,145 margin over Junction City while Hammons was the boys champ with a 675 series while Rural won the team championship by a 2,598-2,449 margin over host Topeka High.
Amaya Buchanan
Josh Hammons
Buchanan and Hammons agreed that it was great to get the season off and running.
"I honestly felt really good,'' Buchanan said. "Everyone had a great attitude and it was really fun. We were all there supporting each other and it was the best time I've had in a long time.''
Hammons agreed that Wednesday was a big day for the Junior Blues.
"I think there was definitely some pressure on the field, but we had our buddies around and we were cheering each other on and keeping each other's heads high and we just went out and executed today,'' Hammons said.
Both Rural standouts said they thought their series Wednesday were a good starting point for the year.
"I'm feeling pretty good,'' Hammons said. "I set a good average for the start of the season. I think our team's coming out really hot and I think this shows that we're a big name to beat.''
Buchanan agreed.
"It was a good starting point,'' she said. "I feel like I could have done a little bit better, but for the first one I've had in a long time because I had not bowled in a hot minute, it was really good.''
Rural's Matt Hartter finished fourth in the boys standings with a 635 series while Logan Glinka placed fifth with a 625 series.
Buchanan's Rural teammate, Kaitlyn Doyal, placed second individually with a 558 series in the girls standings.
Washburn Rural bowling coach Jo Ricard (center) talks with her team after the Junior Blues swept the team and individual titles in Wednesday's Topeka High bowling quadrangular. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Overall, Washburn Rural coach Jo Ricard said she thought Wednesday was a good jumping off point for the Junior Blues.
"You just want to get a good start with things,'' Ricard said. "We saw some things and we'll see some things the next two days when we're in Lawrence before we go back and get some practice next week.
"We always say we don't want our best game in the beginning, we want the best in the end. This is our starting point and let's build and go from there.''
Shawnee Heights' Aiden VanMetre rolled a 637 series to place third in the boys standings while Topeka High's Gabbi McCarthy took third with a 544 series and Shawnee Heights' Karli Gilliland was fifth with a 522 in the girls division.
TOPEKA HIGH QUADRANGULAR
BOYS
Team scores
Washburn Rural 2,598, Topeka High 2,449, Shawnee Heights 2,440, Junction City 2,352.
Individual results
1. Josh Hammons, Washburn Rural, 675; 2. Lindsay, Junction City, 671; 3. Aiden VanMetre, Shawnee Heights, 637; 4. Matt Hartter, Washburn Rural, 635; 5. Logan Glinka, Washburn Rural, 625.
GIRLS
Team scores
Washburn Rural 2,158, Junction City 2,145, Shawnee Heights 1,937, Topeka High 1,885.
Individual results
1. Amaya Buchanan, Washburn Rural, 638; 2. Kaitlyn Doyal, Washburn Rural, 558; 3. Gabbi McCarthy, Topeka High, 544; 4. Swango, Junction City, 543; 5. Karli Gilliland, Shawnee Heights, 522.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University women's basketball team is set to return to the court for the first time in nearly two weeks on Thursday when the Ichabods travel to the Show Me State to face Missouri Southern in a 5:30 p.m. MIAA contest.
Washburn is on a four-game winning streak and captured a 66-59 victory at Central Missouri on Dec. 31 to improve to 5-7 overall with a 3-3 record in the MIAA. Missouri Southern rolled past Northeastern State, 78-62, on Tuesday evening to improve to 8-5, 5-3.
These two teams split the series last season as Washburn took a 56-49 victory in Lee Arena and dropped a 59-51 decision in Joplin, Mo.
Thursday's game will be the 84th all-time meeting between Washburn and Missouri Southern, with the Ichabods leading the series, 53-30.
Hunter Bentley leads Washburn with a 12.3 scoring average and has moved into the No. 9 spot on the Ichabods' career scoring list. [File photo]
Hunter Bentley leads Washburn with a 12.3-point scoring average and has scored nine or more points in eight straight games.
Former Wabaunsee standout Abby Oliver is Washburn's second-leading scorer with a 7.7 scoring average to go with 4.6 rebounds per game. She had nine points and seven boards at Central Missouri.
Hanover product Macy Doebele averages 7.4 points and 4.0 rebounds for WU and Shae Sanchez averages 6.7 points while Nuria Barrientos notched her second double-double of the season against Central Missouri with 11 points and 10 rebounds. She averages 6.1 points and leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game. Barrientos is fifth in the MIAA with 17 blocks.
Bentley moved up to No. 9 on Washburn's all-time scorers list last week with 1,349 points in her career and will pass Joy Benton at No. 8 with eight more points.
Bentley is also tied for the third-most minutes played while wearing a Washburn uniform. She has put in 3,697 minutes of work on the hardwood and will pass Reagan Phelan in second in 105 more minutes of playing time.
True freshman Lacy Stokes has made an instant impact for Missouri Southern, averaging 17.1 points, 6.2 assists, 3.2 steals and 5.8 rebounds.
Madi Stokes averages 11.7 points and has a conference-best 60.2 field goal percentage while leading the Lions with 6.3 rebounds per game.
Washburn closes out its road trip on Saturday at Pittsburg State (1:30 p.m. start).
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's men's basketball team hits the road to Joplin, Mo. to face Missouri Southern in a 7:30 p.m. Thursday MIAA contest.
The Ichabods, 8-6 overall and 5-3 in the MIAA, will be looking for their third win in a row against a Lions team that is 8-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference.
Washburn defeated Missouri Western 76-64 last time out on Jan. 8, winning for the fourth time in the Ichabods' last five games. The Lions are coming off a 72-71 win over Northeastern State on Jan. 11 in Tahlequah, Okla. after trailing by as many as nine points in the second half.
The Lions have only played two games since Dec. 18 (81-66 win over Lincoln and Tuesday's game with Northeastern State) after having their games with Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri re-scheduled due to COVID protocols.
The Ichabods lead the series with Missouri Southern 49-36, but the Lions have won five of the last six meetings.
Junior Jalen Lewis leads Washburn with a 15.0 scoring average entering Thursday night's game at Missouri Southern. [File photo]
Junior Jalen Lewis leads Washburn with a 15.0 scoring average while hitting 34 of 84 3-point attempts.
Freshman Michael Keegan averages 10.9 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game.
Senior Tyler Geiman is averaging 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists in seven games this season while Tyler Nelson averages 10.5 points.
Geiman is ninth on Washburn's career scoring chart with 1,465 points and and needs 20 points to move past Dan Buie for the No. 8 spot.
Geiman's 213 career 3-pointers is third all-time at Washburn and his 579 career 3-point attempts is second behind Shannon Kruger's 584.
RJ Smith leads Missouri Southern with a 20.5 scoring average while Stan Scott averages 15 points, Winston Dessesow 13.2 and Christian Bundy 11.9 points. Smith leads the Lions with 9.5 rebounds per game.
Washburn will be back in action Saturday at Pittsburg State before returning to Lee Arena to face No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri next Monday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five Shawnee County basketball teams earned spots in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association state rankings, led by the 8-0 Highland Park's boys, who are ranked No. 2 in Class 5A.
Topeka West, 6-1 on the season, is ranked No. 5 in 5A heading into Friday's Centennial League clash with the Scots at West.
Senior Juan'Tario Roberts (23) and the Highland Park boys are ranked No. 2 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High (8-0) climbed to No. 4 in the 6A girls rankings while Washburn Rural (6-1) is ranked No. 7.
Silver Lake (7-0) is ranked No. 5 in the 3A girls rankings.
KANSAS BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION STATE RANKINGS
