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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman junior Brody Anderson is in just his second year of high school cross country after opting to play soccer as a freshman.
But while you could make a case that another year of cross country might have sped up Anderson's development in the sport, the Viking standout doesn't regret that decision in the least.
Seaman junior Brody Anderson (276) won the individual title in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational, his second straight win to open the 2024 season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I'm honestly kind of glad that I didn't (run as a freshman),'' Anderson said. "I'm glad I played soccer because it made me realize that I didn't love it as much and when track rolled around I was like, 'I've got something good and I'd like to build on it.' ''
Late start of not, Anderson has already carved out an impressive career for the Vikings, setting a five-kilometer school record and running in the Class 5A state meet last fall and opening the 2024 season with back-to-back individual titles.
After winning last week at Manhattan, Anderson followed that up with a 21-second win in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational at Kanza Park, clocking a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 17.05 seconds.
"It's been really fun and all the work and practices have been hard, difficult and you just go out and kill the workouts,'' Anderson said. "It's great to have everything pay off here in my races, and I just try to be the best I can be.''
Now Anderson just wants to build on his fast start.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After opening her junior cross country season with the fourth-fastest five-kilometer time in Kansas history last week at Manhattan, Seaman star Ryin Miller set her sights on a higher goal in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational at Kanza Park -- the state record.
Seaman junior cross country star Ryin Miller moved into the top spot on Kansas' all-time five-kilometer list in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational with a time of 16:32.62. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Miller then went out and shattered that mark by more than 13 seconds in a blazing time of 16 minutes, 32.62 seconds while winning her third straight Schrag Invitational title by 2 minutes, 28 seconds.
With Saturday's performance Miller moved past one of the most accomplished runners in Kansas history, former Girard superstar Cailie Logue of Girard, who clocked a time of 16:45.75 at Baldwin in 2016 before going on to earn multiple All-American honors and Big 12 Conference titles for Iowa State.
Miller said she upgraded her goals after eclipsing the 17-minutes mark for the first time in her career at Manhattan's Warner Park to taking a run at Logue's record on a Kanza Park course that is regarded as one of the state's faster layouts.
"It definitely became a goal today,'' Miller said. "I'm trying to enjoy it now because I know that Twilight's still tonight (in Olathe) so it could easily go down tonight but it was definitely a goal. That was on my mind for sure.''
As it turned out, Miller's record time easily held up, with Salina Central stars Katelyn Rupe and Kaylie Shultz, who finished ahead of Miler in the 2023 Class 5A state meet, finishing one-two in the Twilight event in 16:52.70 and 17:28.50.
Saturday's Schrag race was Miller's from the opening gun, with Miller jumping out to an early lead and steadily building on it the rest of the way, with junior Eva Garlich of Lee's Summit West a distant runnerup in 19:13.87.
"The goal was just to get after it,'' Miller said. "I wanted a fast mile and obviously you've just got to race the middle and then I knew the last mile was going to hurt but you've just got to push through and that was kind of the plan, to go out hard and try to keep it.''
While Miller entered Saturday thinking about Logue's mark, veteran Seaman coach Rick Brading said he and Miller didn't discuss it.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden posted its second straight rout Friday night to open the 2024 football season, rolling to a 42-14 win over St. Michael Archangel (Mo.) in the Wildcats' home opener.
Hayden junior Kade Mitchell had a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD and also topped the 100-yard rushing mark in the Wildcats' 42-14 win over St. Michael Archangel. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier threw for three touchdowns in Hayden's 42-14 win over St. Michael Archangel Friday night. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Hayden dominated the first quarter, not allowing St. Michael a first down until the first series of the second quarter.
Hayden opened its scoring in the first quarter on a six-play, 50-yard drive, with Jett Wahlmeier's 5-yard jump pass to Xander Blasing. The Wildcats added a 2-point conversion to to go up, 8-0.
The Wildcats got a second-series touchdown on a 2-yard TD run from Jackson McGivern. The Wildcats added the extra point kick to take a 15-0 lead.
Hayden took a 21-0 lead in the second quarter on a 16-yard pass from Wahlmeier to Jensen Schrickel.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
GUNNISON, Colo. -- Washburn volleyball ran its streak of consecutive sets won to 15 with sweeping victories over Western Colorado and Fort Lewis on Day 1 of the Mountaineer Volleyball Classic.
The Ichabods will wrap up the tournament on Saturday with two more matches, the first at 11 a.m. MST against Western New Mexico.
Washburn volleyball improved to 5-0 on the season with its fourth straight sweep Friday in Gunnison, Colo. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
All six sets on the day for Washburn were won by at least six points. The day began with an 11 a.m. local time match and ended with a second sweep at past 10 p.m. in the mountain time zone.
Match one: Washburn 3, Western Colorado 0
The Ichabods got off to a slow start in the first set but three straight points finished off by a block from Jalyn Stevenson and Alex Dvorak put them ahead, 13-11.
Western Colorado tied the set at 14 before Washburn won five of the next six points to take control of the set for good, winning 25-18 on a kill from Austin Broadie.
Points came early in the second set as the Ichabods led 11-6 following three straight kills. It was a defensive effort for Washburn all match. In the second set the Ichabods held the Mountaineers (0-6) to a .053 hitting percentage with nine kills to seven errors.
It was back-to-back blocks that pushed the lead to 19-11 and forced a timeout from the home squad. The Ichabods took advantage of errors from Western Colorado down the stretch, taking the second set, 25-19.
After trailing 2-1 to begin the third set Washburn won six of the next seven points led by a trio of kills from Broadie to gain control.
Both sides traded points through the middle of the set until the Ichabods pulled away for good late on a 4-0 run sparked by a kill from Bella Limback. They were able to finish off the match on an ace by Abby Leaf, taking the final set 25-16.
Washburn hit .233 as a team in the match with 43 kills while holding the Mountaineers to a .069 attacking percentage with 19 errors to just 28 kills. The Ichabods also won the assist and dig battles, 39-25 and 67-51 respectively.
Stevenson paced the squad with 12 kills while hitting .414 and added 14 digs for a double-double. Broadie finished with nine kills and a .313 hitting percentage.
Sydney Conner led Washburn finishing with 17 assists to go with seven digs and Taylor Rottinghaus finished with a match-high 18 digs.
Match two: Washburn 3, Fort Lewis 0
After falling behind 3-1 to begin the match the Ichabods (5-0) began to roll, winning eight of the next nine points including the last seven finishing with a kill from Emery Keebaugh.
After building a five-point advantage with the streak the lead grew to double digits after Sydney Conner snuck a kill in between the Skyhawk (1-5) defenders to go up 20-10. Both sides would trade points the rest of the way to give Washburn a 25-15 win to begin the match.
It was a slower start in set two as a service error saw the Ichabods down 8-6. They were able to tie the match up at nine on a kill by Austin Broadie and the teams traded the next six points.
Washburn finally created some separation in the set with five straight points, beginning with a kill from Bella Limback. Washburn hit .414 as a team in the second set and used that efficient attack to pull away late with a 25-17 win.
Set three began tightly contested once again with both teams tied at nine. Alex Dvorak sent a pass from Conner to the floorboards and that sparked a six-point burst for Washburn, which wrapped up with a kill from Brynne Topolski to make it 15-9.
Fort Lewis hit -.041 as a team in the third which stifled any chance of a comeback in the set. The Ichabods were able to empty much of the bench down the stretch and come away with a 25-15 set and match victory.
Washburn hit .304 as a team with 40 kills and just 12 errors. They held the Skyhawks to an even .000 hitting percentage with both 26 kills and errors. In assists, the Ichabods led 39-24 while holding a 50-30 edge in digs as well.
Dvorak led Washburn in hitting from the middle with eight kills with a .538 percentage along with seven total blocks. Limback and Keebaugh each had seven kills with Limback hitting .545.
Conner paced the team with 18 assists while Rottinghaus did in digs with 13.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Shawnee Heights football coach Jason Swift gave his team high marks for its performance in Friday's 53-8 United Kansas Conference win over city rival Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park.
Shawnee Heights junior Aiden Scott (14) threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns in Friday's 53-8 win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior Tyren Parker (1) hauls in a 21-yard touchdown pass in the T-Birds' 53-8 win over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But Swift was also quick to give Trey Parker's Topeka West team kudos for its play.
"I would have to give credit to Topeka West,'' said Swift, whose T-Birds improved to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the UKC. "I thought that was a well-planned game plan on both sides of the ball. I thought offensively they were able to take the ball out of our hands and they were able to make some movement and defensively they put a lot of pressure on us and made us have to respond and I thought we did.
"I just told the kids, 'Probably the difference in this game is we were able to finish drives and we were able to hold them off on their drives.' But from where we played Topeka West Week 7 last year to where they are now, they're a much improved team. That's a credit to coach Parker and that buy-in right there. I don't know if the score necessarily indicates how good of a game that was.''
Topeka West (0-2 overall, 0-2 UKC) put together several sustained drives, reaching the Heights 32-yard-line, the 40, the 26 and the 25 in the first half, but the Shawnee Heights defense came up with stops when it needed to, keeping the Chargers off the scoreboard en route to opening up a 25-0 halftime advantage.
"For us it's just a matter of learning how to execute,'' Parker said. "We feel like we can move the ball and we look good moving the ball. We did it last week as well, but then we get in that red zone and teams tend to tighten up and we just can't execute. It's just a matter of making the right plays at the necessary times.''
Shawnee Hights junior quarterback Aiden Scott topped the 300-yard passing mark for the second straight week, completing 14 of 26 pass attempts for 333 yards and three touchdowns -- 21 yards to junior Tyren Parker, 42 yards to junior AJ Gallegos and 74 yards to sophomore Christian Labrador.
