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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod soccer team, in the midst of a nine-game unbeaten streak, will be at home Friday to face No. 12-ranked Central Missouri in a 6 p.m. MIAA contest in Yager Stadium.
Freshman Leah Henke leads Washburn soccer with nine goals entering Friday's home MIAA match against Central Missouri. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn is 8-2-3 overall and 5-0-2 in the MIAA 5-0-2, while Central Missouri, 8-2-4, 5-0-3 MIAA 5-0-3, comes in on a 10-game unbeaten run, with seven wins and three ties.
"UCM is a well-coached and talented team,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said. "It's really fun playing in meaningful, big-time college soccer games this late in the season, so I'm excited that our ladies have earned the opportunity to compete in matchups like what Friday night offers.
"I'm looking forward to coaching our team, playing with the right mentality, and putting in another really good performance this Friday."
The Ichabods remain ranked No. 6 for the second straight week in the United Soccer Coaches Central Region Poll. Washburn currently sits third in the MIAA standings with 17 points, just one point back of league-leaders Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri State.
Offensively, Washburn is powered by freshman Leah Henke, who leads the team with nine goals, ranking second in the MIAA and tied for 22nd nationally.
As a team, the Ichabods have outscored opponents 23-11 and outshot them, 181-101.
The Jennies have been nationally ranked for eight consecutive weeks, climbing as high as No. 9 in the country.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville will induct its 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame class on Friday night in conjunction with its Homecoming football game against Wabaunsee.
The Rossville Athletic Hall of Fame is dedicated to the outstanding athletes and coaches who, through their athletic achievements, have brought honor to themselves, their school, and their community.
The class of 2025 includes the late Arica (Shepard) Ahlvers, Mick Keller, Monte Mitchell and the Bulldawgs' 2000 state championship softball team.
Hall of Fame capsules:
ARICA (SHEPARD) AHLVERS
A 2005 Rossville graduate, Ahlvers was a two-time Kansas Volleyball Association All-State volleyball player for Rossville. She helped lead her team to a third-place finish in Class 3A in 2004. Ahlvers holds two records at RHS and continued her volleyball career at Emporia State University. While at ESU, she was a three-time AVCA All-American, four-time All-MIAA honoree and the Hornets' record-holder for single-season and career kills, kills per set, double-figure kill matches and 20-plus kill matches. She was inducted into the ESU Hall of Fame in 2020.
MICK KELLER
Keller was the head baseball coach at Rossville from 1979-2006. He is Rossville’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 336-238. He had 14 state qualifying teams, which included Rossville’s first state baseball championship in 1991. He had three runnerup team finishes in 1985, 1986, and 1997, 49 all-league players and 55 All-State and honorable mention players. He also coached football and basketball during his teaching career at RHS from 1978-2013.
MONTE MITCHELL
A 1997 Rossville graduate, Mitchell was an all-league and All-State catcher in 1997 and 1998. He was a Kansas Baseball Coaches Association All-Star, a top 15 player in all classes and USA Today High School All-American in 1998. He continued his baseball career at Butler Community College from 1999-2000, where he was the team captain and made the All-Jayhawk Conference team in 2000. Next, he took his career to Division I Nicholls State University in 2001-2002. There, he was named to the All-Southland Conference team in 2002 with 101 career starts.
ROSSVILLE 2000 SOFTBALL TEAM
After falling one game short of a championship in 1999, Rossville won the the 2000 Class 2-1A state softball championship. The state champion team members include Erin Catron, Shayla Catron, Lena Cooper, Kayla Copeland, Ashley Dick, Laci Dick (first-team All-Mid-East League), Melissa Ebert, Jennifer Foster, Jamie Gall (first-team All-Mid-East League), Holly Gentry (All-Mid-East League honorable mention), Jozi Lutackes, Emily Napier, Jaime Robb, and Courtney Templer, who pitched all three state games as a freshman. The team was led by head coach Wendi Horak and assistant coaches Nanny Matthias and the late Jess Adams.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Like virtually all freshmen, quarterback Logan Madden began his collegiate career towards the bottom of the Washburn Ichabods' depth chart.
Washburn redshirt freshman quarterback Logan Madden earned his first college start last Saturday, helping lead the Ichabods to a 37-17 home MIAA win over Central Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
But after using a redshirt campaign to get accustomed to college football, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Arvada, Colo. native worked his way into a chance to get on the field for the Ichabods this fall and has made the most of that opportunity, earning his first start in last Saturday's 37-17 MIAA win over Central Missouri in Yager Stadium.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake earned the No. 1 spot in Class 3A in the final Kansas Volleyball Association state ranking, the Eagles' seventh straight week atop the rankings.
Silver Lake earned the top spot in Class 3A in the final 2025 Kansas Volleyball Association state rankings, the Eagles' seventh straight week at No. 1 [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake, 36-1 at the time of the rankings, is joined in the rankings by fellow Shawnee County schools Washburn Rural, Hayden and Rossville.
Hayden (26-8) maintained the No. 3 spot in 4A, while Washburn Rural (28-6) moved up a spot to No. 5 in 6A and Rossville (23-13) remained No. 7 in 2A.
Kansas Volleyball Association State Rankings
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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The renaissance of Topeka West boys soccer continued Tuesday as the Chargers defeated De Soto for the first time since joining the United Kansas Conference and claimed a 12th victory that should be important for playoff seeding.
Topeka West sophomore Camilo Garcia (17) scored the game-winning goal in Tuesday's 2-1 UKC win over De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Chargers followed up their breakthrough 13-3-1 season a year ago – their best in over a decade – by beating De Soto 2-1 Tuesday at Hummer Sports Park to improve to 12-2-2.
“I’m very proud of this team for the way they’re coming together and finishing the regular season strong,” Topeka West coach Josh Kutter said. “We played well as a team. We’re playing together with everyone on the same page, moving in the same direction.”
The two schools deadlocked in a scoreless first half but came out firing in the second. Junior Kameron Ortiz tallied the game’s first goal, which he celebrated with a roundoff backflip, six minutes into the second half.
De Soto tried to swing the momentum at 28:46 when Gabe Carillo blasted a long score to tie the game, 1-1. But Topeka West struck back just two minutes later. Charger sophomore Camilo Garcia took a pass in traffic in front of the De Soto goal and snuck a shot past the Wildcats’ goalkeeper. The Chargers held De Soto scoreless the final 26 minutes to preserve the 2-1 lead.
Kutter said he was not concerned when his team lost the lead.
“We know that we can find the goal. We know that we have offensive players that can create and score. Having that is calming,” Kutter said. “We know that right after a goal is the most dangerous time, when emotions are high. So the key is staying calm, staying collected and having confidence.
“I think our boys controlled the game pretty well. They didn’t get nervous. They knew they could get it back.”
Topeka West senior goalkeeper Gage Kindred Noragon helped the Chargers improve to 12-2-2 with Tuesday's 2-1 UKC win over De Soto. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West senior goalkeeper Gage Kindred-Noragon reflected on the team’s growth since his freshman year, when wins were scarce.
"It’s very emotional to see how far we’ve come,” Kindred-Noragon said. “Ever since freshman year, it’s just gone up from there. I think we can go to state. I see this team as family. Tons of memories have been made here and I think this team can go far.”
