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Created: 26 April 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural's boys golf team didn't quite get the day it was looking for in Monday's city boys tournament/Topeka West Invitational at Topeka Country Club, but there were two notable highlights for the Junior Blues.

Rural finished a disappointing fifth in the Topeka West tournament, held in conjuction with the city event, but the Junior Blues ran their streak of city team titles to 11 straight with a 32-stroke victory over runner-up Shawnee Heights while Rural junior Luke Leonetti turned in a dominating eight-stroke victory to claim his first city individual title despite fighting through a gusty wind all day.

"It was a battle out there today,'' Rural coach Jared Goehring said. "Luke gave us some spurts and we had some guys step up, but quite frankly we just weren't consistent enough today when it came to guys stringing some holes together. It would be one good hole and two bad holes and one good hole and three bad holes.

"Ultimately our goal was to come out and win the city today, which we accomplished and I'm proud of them for that, but the big goal was to win the Topeka West Invitational because we had won the previous two times. We didn't have enough in the tank and we didn't handle the conditions as well as we should have.''

Washburn Rural junior Luke Leonetti won the city golf title by eight strokes Monday at Topeka Country Club, leading the Junior Blues to their 11th straight city team championship. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Leonetti carded a 27-hole total of 114 strokes, while Seaman junior Tim Biggs placed second at 122 and Topeka West freshman Myles Alonzo was third at 124.

"It was interesting out there for sure,'' Leonetti said. "I didn't bring my best stuff ball-striking, but the short game was on today. The putter was hot. I got up and down from everywhere.''

In addition to Leonetti's win, Washburn Rural got fourth and fifth-place finishes from Cole Kucera and Joe Morse, who both finished at 125, while Giles Frederickson was seventh (126) and Turner Depperschmidt eighth (127).

Washburn Rural won its 11th straight city boys golf team title Monday at Topeka Country Club. [Submitted]

Leonetti said it was important for the Junior Blues to continue their string of success in the city tournament.

"City is a good event to win,'' Leonetti said. "Our guys usually do pretty well in this event and we know TCC pretty well. We get to practice out here pretty often. It was tough conditions, but the team was able to get it done today.

"City's always a good one to win. Coach loves it.''

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Created: 25 April 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

TopSports.News, in conjunction with Envista Credit Union and A-1 Lock and Key will become the new host of the 16th annual Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards/Hall of Fame induction ceremony, continuing a longstanding tradition for the Topeka and Shawnee County sports community on June 30, 2021 at the Capitol Plaze Hotel's Maner Conference Center Sunflower Ballroom.

Washburn Rural coaching legend Ron Bowen (center) was inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. TopSports.news will host the 2021 sports awards banquet and Hall of Fame ceremony on June 30. [Submitted]

General admission tickets are $25 per person and includes dinner.

The most recent Topeka Shawnee County banquet was held in 2019 before last year's ceremonies were canceled due to COVID-19.

TopSports.News is proud to preserve and continue this annual event, which recognizes Shawnee County's top senior student-athletes while also continuing to add to the prestigious Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame. For the first time, TSN will also honor an oustanding female and male athlete from Washburn University.

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Created: 26 April 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Topeka West seniors Trevion Alexander and Marque Wilkerson, who helped lead the Chargers to the Class 5A state championship game for only the third time in school history, have been selected to play in the 2021 Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Boys All-Star Game while West coach Rick Bloomquist has been named the recipient of the Don Jones Courage Award by the KBCA.

Topeka West senior Trevion Alexander has been picked to play in the KBCA Boys All-Star Game June 19 in Salina. [File photo/TSN]

Topeka West senior Marque Wilkerson and teammate Trevion Alexander will play in the KBCA All-Star game June 19 in Salina. [File photo/TSN]

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Created: 25 April 2021

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn Rural will be out to continue a pair of long winning streaks this week as city competition gets under way with Monday's boys golf tournament and Thursday's boys tennis tournament.

The first city high school tournament of the spring season, and the first since 2019, is on tap Monday at Topeka Country Club, with Topeka West hosting the city golf championship in conjunction with West's annual invitational tournament.

Luke Leonetti

The city meet will be a 27-hole event, starting with nine holes at 9:30 a.m. The tournament will continue at 1 p.m. with all competitors in the field playing 18 holes.

Jared Goehring's Washburn Rural team is the 10-time defending champion in the city meet, with Hayden Beck, now at Washburn, winning the '19 city title with a 27-hole score of 112.

Junior Giles Frederickson finished fourth in the '19 city meet for the Junjor Blues while junior Luke Leonetti was seventh.

Leonetti has turned in a solid season thus far, including an individual title in the Manhattan Invitational.

The Junior Blues are also the defending champion in the Topeka West tourney, which drew 23 schools in '19.

West freshman Myles Alonzo could be in the hunt for the city title after winning the individual championship in Thursday's Dodge City Invitational with a 4-over-par 75.

Washburn Rural will also be looking to continue a long string of successful performances in Thursday's 3:30 p.m. city tennis meet at the Kossover Tennis Center.

Kevin Hedberg's Junior Blues have won the city team championship 27 out of the past 28 years, including a tight 26-23 win over Hayden and Seaman in '19.

Hayden junior Michael Sandstrom is one of the city's top tennis returners, placing third in No. 2 singles in the 2019 city meet as a freshman. [File photo/TSN

Washburn will compete Thursday with a completely revamped team from '19 and several teams would appear to be capable of challenging the Junior Blues on Thursday, including Topeka West and Hayden.

Hayden junior Michael Sandstrom is one of the city's top returners, placing third in No. 2 singles as a freshman.