- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls basketball team can't complain about its 5-0 start to the 2021-2022 season.
Now the key for the Junior Blues according to coach Kevin Bordewick is to keep building on that impressive beginning after wrapping up the pre-Christmas version of their schedule with a 51-34 Centennial League win at Seaman Friday night.
"I told them in (the locker room) and they all agree that our ceiling hasn't been touched yet,'' Bordewick said. "We have a really high ceiling and we'll get there, but it's going to be one day at a time and keep plugging away.
"We've just got to have our focus on the next day in practice and we've got to keep getting better.''
Washburn Rural's Jada Ingram takes the ball inside against Seaman's Ava Esser Friday night. Ingram scored a game-high 12 points as the Junior Blues improved to 5-0. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Rural led by just a point (13-12) at the end of the opening quarter, but boosted its lead to 25-18 at the half and pulled away with a 26-16 scoring edge over the second half.
Washburn Rural turned the ball over 16 times on the night, but Bordewick thought Friday's performance was another step in the right direction.
"I don't have a problem with our effort again,'' Bordewick said. "I think we play hard, but we just have to be more efficient and take care of the ball better. I thought our free throws were better (seven of 10), but we didn't get to the free throw line a whole lot.
"It was just our turnovers that were the bad taste in our mouth after this game.''
Washburn Rural sophomore Zoe Canfield (15) passes the ball inside to teammate Jada Ingram in the Junior Blues' 51-34 Centennial League win over Seaman Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomores Jada Ingram and Zoe Canfield led a Rural balanced scoring attack with 12 and 10 points, respectively, while senior Emma Krueger added nine points and junior Brooklyn DeLeye seven.
DeLeye and Ingram also pulled down nine and seven rebounds, respectively, while Rural shot 52.5 percent from the field.
Seaman, which fell to 3-2 overall and in the Centennial League, did not have a player crack double figures, with junior Jaycee Schumann leading the Vikings with nine points and sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer adding eight points.
Freshmen Anna Becker and Ava Esser scored six points each for the Vikings.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
You don't become an All-American by sitting on the bench and star Washburn University point guard Tyler Geiman very rarely left the floor a year ago, averaging 36 minutes a game while helping leading the Ichabods to a 20-7 record, the MIAA Tournament championship and the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament.
After averaging 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals a year ago, Geiman and the Ichabods entered the 2021-2022 season with the highest of hopes, but things took a drastic turn early in the Ichabods' season-opener when the 6-foot-1 senior went down with a sprained left ankle.
But after missing the rest of the opener and WU's next seven games, Geiman is finally back in the game and determined to make up for lost time.
All-American point guard Tyler Geiman missed an extended period of time with an ankle injury but is back in action for the Ichabods, who will host Rogers State in an MIAA contest on Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
"I just came down on a guy's foot and turned it,'' Geiman said. "There's different grades of sprain and it was like a Grade 3 so I completely tore the ligament in my ankle that's normally involved with sprains.
"My freshman year I missed some games with an ankle injury, but this is probably my worst (injury) for sure.''
Geiman admitted that it was hard being on the sidelines, but said he just tried to make the best of a bad situation.
"It was definitely tough at times but I just tried to bring whatever I could to help others out,'' he said. "Also, you see the game differently from the sidelines, so I can learn some things that we can work on as a team.''
Geiman was finally able to return for Washburn's overtime loss at Central Oklahoma on Dec. 9 and is coming off a 13-point, 8-assist, 6-rebound performance in last Saturday's 72-61 win over Newman.
And every day he's back, Geiman feels a little more like his old self for the 5-5, 2-2 Ichabods, who will host Rogers State in a 6 p.m. MIAA contest on Saturday at Lee Arena.
"I would say I'm probably back to like 85 percent and working my way to get back,'' said the former Blue Valley star. "My biggest thing now is just kind of the mental aspect and getting confidence back in it and not worrying about it and just going out and playing.''
Geiman has struggled a little bit offensively in his first two games back, but is confident that will turn around.
"Shooting will come,'' Geiman said. "My teammates and coaches tell me to keep shooting so I know that will come.''
Unfortunately Geiman had plenty of company on the bench for Washburn during his rehab, with 6-9 junior post Jonny Clausing out with a foot injury and sophomore guard Tyler Nelson also missing the entire season thus far.
But Geiman said the expectations remain high for the Ichabods, picked second in the preseason MIAA polls, once they get back to full strength.
"This could be a good thing in the long run because some other guys got some experience,'' Geiman said. "It could be good.''
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
If you've watched Shawnee Heights' girls basketball team this season, you might have thought No. 13 was a new player for the T-Birds.
And in a way that's true because it's been a long time since anyone had seen 5-foot-9 junior Emari Doby on the court.
Emari Doby drives to the basket in Shawnee Heights' 64-55 overtime win over Topeka West Tuesday night. Doby scored a game and career-high 20 points in the win. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Doby earned varsity playing time as a freshman for Shawnee Heights, but missed her entire sophomore campaign as well as her summer season after suffering a serious knee injury in the fall of 2020.
"I tore my ACL (left leg) last October, right before we started practice and I had surgery,'' Doby said. "I was taking a showcase event to try to get more scouts and my last game I did a move and I just fell. I don't even know how to describe it.''
Doby suffered another setback several months later when it was discovered that her injury was more serious than first thought.
"They say six months (for rehab), but at my six-month mark I found that I had tore something more because I wasn't to the point where I should be,'' Doby said. "I found out I tore my LCL (lateral collateral ligament) also.''
That pushed her recovery timetable back even more and kept her out of action in the summer, but Doby is finally back on the court and playing a key role for the 2-1 T-Birds, who ended their pre-holiday slate with a 64-55 overtime win over Topeka West on Tuesday.
"At the start of the summer they suggested I didn't play because why play and get hurt again in the summer when you can just wait?'' Doby said. "So I waited until August to scrimmage and now I'm back and good.''
Like most players who have had to come back from major injuries, Doby has had to fight through the fear of getting re-injured, but feels like she's making progress in that regard.
"I feel like I didn't miss out on 10 months to go out there with fear, so I know I'm scared, but I can push that to the side,'' Doby said. "I trust my knee and it's been over a year, I'm good.''
And a little bit of apprehension is worth a ton of enjoyment being back on the court.
"It is so much fun,'' Doby said. "The girls take so much care of me. I can trip and they're like, 'Emari, Emari, are you OK?' And the coaches care so much. I'm so grateful to have them and my family cares, so I'm just in really good hands.''
Doby scored 10 points in Heights' 38-33 season-opening loss ot Spring Hill and followed that up with eight points in the T-Birds' 49-45 road win over Ottawa before turning in a breakout performance in Tuesday's comeback win over Topeka West, scoring a career-high 20 points.
Shawnee Heights junior Emari Doby has helped the T-Birds get off to a 2-1 start this season after missing the entire 2020-2021 season with an ACL injury. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"Every day I'm doing more and more and every game I'm doing more,'' Doby said. "I'm still very critical of myself, but I think I'm getting back to my old me or better.
"I'm thankful. I made it back and I'm good.''
A look at Friday's Shawnee County games:
- Details
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Hayden track and cross country star Tanner Newkirk considered other colleges, but it's fair to say that Kansas was the frontrunner throughout the recruiting process.
Newkirk made his choice official Wednesday afternoon at Hayden, signing a letter of intent with the Jayhawks.
There were several factors that made KU the ideal choice for Newkirk, a four-time Class 4A state cross country medalist and former state champion as well as a two-time state medalist in track.
For one thing, the Newkirk family lives in Lawrence and for another, Tanner's father, Kevin, ran at Kansas after winning multiple state championships at Emporia.
But the deciding factor according to Newkirk was that the Jayhawks showed the most interest in from the get go.
"I wouldn't say it was all KU, but I feel like KU just gave me the most attention and it felt like they wanted me to go there,'' Newkirk said. "I just felt like it was just the best place for me to be. It was just a natural.''
Hayden track and cross country star Tanner Newkirk signs his official national letter of intent with Kansas Wednesday at Hayden while his parents look on. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Wildcat senior was the 4A state cross country champ as a junior and posted top-three state finishes his final three seasons after a 12th-place showing as a freshman.
Newkirk finished third at state this fall after sweeping city, Centennial League and 4A regional individual titles.
Newkirk, a four-time All-City/All-County pick, earned a pair of state medals in track as a freshman before having his sophomore season wiped out by COVID-19. Newkirk also missed the state meet his junior season due to injury.
Newkirk said he was happy to get his college choice out of the way.
"It's a lot of stress and this is just going to relieve a lot of stress that built up,'' Newkirk said. "It feels really, really good to get it over with and know where I'm going to be next fall.
"When track comes the only thing on my mind will be track and that feels really good to have that and not have to worry about college.''
Hayden senior distance ace Tanner Newkirk speaks to family and friends during Wednesday's signing ceremony at Hayden. Newkirk signed with Kansas. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Because of circumstances out of his control, Newkirk's track career hasn't gone quite as well as cross country, something he's determined to change next spring.
"I'm totally healthy and it's my second week back in training and it's going really well and I'm just building the mileage,'' Newkirk said. "I'm hopefully going to get a really good base in the winter and then have a really good track season.
"I'm so excited for the track season. I've achieved all I wanted to achieve in cross country. Now it's time to do that same thing in track.''
- Details
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural and Hayden were at a defensive stalemate most of Tuesday night's Centennial League boys basketball game, but the Junior Blues were able to breakthrough with an 11-4 run in the fourth quarter to secure a 34-27 victory over one of their biggest rivals at Hayden.
“We showed a level of competitiveness we haven’t shown all year, which was nice,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Muff said. "I don’t know if it was because it was a rivalry game or what it was but I thought our guys played tough.''
![Rural senior Quincey Kidd scored a game-high 15 points in the Junior Blues' 34-27 Centennial League win at Hayden Tuesday. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]](/images/aa-images/QuinceyKidd2.jpg)
Rural senior Quincey Kidd scored a game-high 15 points in the Junior Blues' 34-27 Centennial League win at Hayden Tuesday. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The game was an intense battle from the opening tip.
Rural 6-foot-8 center Brock Howard man to man with 6-5 Hayden center Joe Otting was a marquee big man matchup. Howard and Otting were playing aggressive and physical basketball all four quarters which made it tough for anyone to score from mid-range or inside the paint.
“Our guys’ tough and physical play tonight was the only way we could beat a team like Hayden,'' Muff said. "Coach (Dwayne) Paul has them playing as good as any team in our league right now, as far as playing together. My hats off to him and that team. They gave us a fight.''
In the first quarter, Hayden got two 3-point shots from Jacob Padilla and Jake Muller, which gave the Wildcats momentum early. Rural had a difficult time making shots in the first quarter against Hayden’s defense and the Wildcats would take a 12-6 lead to the second quarter.
