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By ANDREW GILL
TopSports.news
Seaman junior Justin Kruse captured the No. 1 singles title on Wednesday in the Vikings' home boys tennis invitational to lead his team to a second-place team finish.
Kruse dropped just two games in his first three matches of the round-robin tournament before capping the tournament off with an 8-4 victory over Junction City’s Hayden Diestelkamp.
“I feel like my first three matches were pretty clean,'' Kruse said. "In my last match, I hit a wall. I just wasn’t hitting my shots right.''
Kruse was looking forward to playing Shawnee Heights’ usual No. 1 singles player, John Lysaught, but didn't get the chance Wednesday as Lysaught did not compete at the tournament.
“I got one (Class) 5A win over Shawnee Heights, which is a good regional win, but they didn’t bring their true number one player,'' Kruse said. "I’m looking forward to that matchup before regionals.''
Despite being without Lysaught, Shawnee Heights managed to squeak out a 1-point team win over Seaman, 22-21.
The T-Birds got first-place finishes from both No. 2 singles player Paul Quidu and their No. 1 doubles team of Christian Johnson and Garrison Johnson.
Seaman got a title in No. 2 doubles from the team of juniors Landon DiLeonardo and Theo Wagnon.
Highland Park finished third as a team, led by senior Eliseo Barreno, who finished second in No. 2 singles. The Scots also posted a third-place finish in No. 2 doubles.
SEAMAN INVITATIONAL TENNIS
Team scores
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Wednesday's Junior Blues Invitational at Hummer Sports Park was the third track and field meet of the season for most of Arrik White's Washburn Rural teammates, while White was making a belated season debut.
But the Rural senior, an All-City pick in cross country, was just happy to be back on the track, and even happier to be winning.
Coming off a stress fracture in his left leg that sidelined him for about two months, White won the boys 1,600 meters by nearly 20 seconds in a time of 4 minutes, 48.3 seconds and also ran a leg on the Junior Blues' winning 4 x 400 relay (3:48.5).
"Leading up to (the 1,600) I was super nervous because my first (track) race in two years, I was like, 'It's going to be intense,' '' White said. "But then in the middle of it I kind of got into a groove and felt like I was where I wanted to be for the amount of training I've had.''
Coming off a stress fracture, Washburn Rural senior Arrik White made his season debut Wednesday with a win in the 1,600-meter run in the Junior Blues Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
White still isn't quite 100 percent physically, but the Rural senior has also felt a sense of urgency to return to action.
"I saw last week at Olathe a few of the guys I'd be racing with at regionals, they were doing pretty well, so I know I have to get to that spot pretty quick,'' White said. "I have faith in myself, but it will definitely be mentally challenging.''
White thought Wednesday was a good start in the right direction.
"I'll take it,'' said White, who has signed to run collegiately at Allen Community College. "It's always going to be in the back of my mind where I could have been if I hadn't gotten hurt, but after seven, eight weeks off, for me to be at a 4:48, I'll definitely take it.''
Washburn Rural used Wednesday's meet as a varsity competition while several other schools in the field used the meet as a combined varsity/junior varsity meet.
Other highlights:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news plans to compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2021 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Reed, Topeka West 12.2
Hillebert, Hayden 12.6
Brooks, Topeka West 12.6
200 METERS
Reed, Topeka West 26.78
Hillebert, Hayden 26.82
Rottinghaus, Shawnee Heights 26.82
Brooks, Topeka West 27.41
400 METERS
Rottinghaus, Shawnee Heights 59.55
Reed, Topeka West 62.61
Bray, Washburn Rural 63.97
800 METERS
Druse, Seaman 2:21.0
Wagner, Washburn Rural 2:31.07
Rezac, Washburn Rural 2:31.58
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Washburn Rural senior Marquel Russell is the Shawnee County leader in the boys 300-meter hurdles and ranks second in the 110 hurdles. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news plans to compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2021 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Smith, Shawnee Heights 10.36
January, Shawnee Heights 10.92
Rezac, Rossville 10.98
200 METERS
Smith, Shawnee Heights 21.85
Renfro, Silver Lake 22.91
January, Shawnee Heights 23.04
400 METERS
Arnold, Shawnee Heights 51.97
Mitchell, Washburn Rural 54.3
Kaniper, Silver Lake 54.80
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High star junior pitcher NiJaree Canady feels like there's still "room for improvement'' for herself and the Trojans' softball team. .
Given the Trojans' impressive performance Tuesday in a 5-0, 10-0 doubleader road sweep over fellow Class 6A power Washburn Rural, that's a scary thought.
"There's always room for improvement," Canady said after turning in a pair of complete-game pitching performances against . "I felt good out there and coming here and getting a win is always good.
"We knew coming here it would be good games and we had some good practices yesterday. It gives us a lot of confidence."
Topeka High junior NiJaree Canady gave up just five hits while striking out 28 in Tuesday's 5-0, 10-0 doubleheader sweep at Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Canady gave up two straight hits to Rural junior Campbell Bagshaw and senior Olivia Bruno open the first game, but was in command the rest of the day, twirling a three-hitter with 17 strikeouts in the first game and following that up with a two-hit, 11-strikeout performance in the second game as Topeka High improved to 10-0 on the season.
And as good as Canady was on the mound, the Trojans were just as good at the plate, piling up 24 hits and a whopping six home runs on the day.
"We got production from everybody today," Topeka High coach Shane Miles said. "Everybody got bunts down, we got situational stuff, we got big hits."
Trojan star senior catcher Zoe Caryl connected on home runs in both games while junior Elycia Joyce hit her first two home runs of the season, including a huge three-run shot in a four-run third inning that broke open the first game.
"I was feeling good and I had a 3-1 count so I thought (Bruno) throw me right down the middle and she did," Joyce said. "I was looking for it and I took it.
"Seeing these people like Zoe leading us with six home runs this season, I want to do that. I want to get as many home runs as I can."
Joyce added a two-run homer in the second game as Topeka High also got round-trippers from Caryl, Canady and senior Tatum Wilson in a six-run sixth that enabled the Trojans to end the game after six innings because of the 10-run spread.
Washburn Rural junior Campbell Bagshaw opens the Junior Blues' first at-bat Tuesday against Topeka High with a long single. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN}
Washburn Rural, playing just its second doubleheader of the season, never got untracked against Topeka High, with the 2-2 Junior Blues managing just four singles and Baylee Dial's first-game double in the twinbill.
FIRST GAME
TOPEKA HIGH 5, WASHBURN RURAL 0
Topeka High 004 010 0 -- 5 8 0
Washburn Rural 000 000 0 -- 0 3 0
Canady and Zoe Caryl. Bruno and Louderback. WP -- Canady. LP -- Bruno. 2B -- Topeka High: Zoe Caryl, Canady, Washburn Rural: Dial. HR -- Topeka High: Joyce, Zoe Caryl.
SECOND GAME
TOPEKA HIGH 10, WASHBURN RURAL 0
Topeka High (10-0, 8-0) 000 406 x -- 10 16 4
Washburn Rural (2-2, 2-2) 000 000 x -- 0 2 2
Canady and Zoe Caryl. Cope, Bruno (6) and Louderback. WP -- Canady. LP -- Cope. 2B -- Topeka High: Adysen Caryl. 3B — Topeka High: Wilson. HR -- Topeka High: Z. Caryl, Canady, Joyce, Wilson.
