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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
From the very first day of practice this spring Washburn Rural soccer coach Brian Hensyel believed that this was a Junior Blue team that could make a Class 6A title run.
And on Saturday's final day of the 2025 season, the Junior Blues will have that opportunty, facing Mill Valley in the 4:30 title game at Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex.
Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel celebrates with his Junior Blues after Wednesday's 4-1 Class 6A semifinal win over Blue Valley. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural, which will be shooting for the first girls state soccer championship in school history, advanced to the championship game with a 4-1 win over Blue Valley Wednesday night at McElroy Field, with the Junior Blues pulling away with three second-half goals.
"The goal was to play a semifinal here because we felt like the girls would perform at their best and it took us awhile but in the second half you saw it on full display,'' Hensyel said.
"To get to the final, that was our goal all year. We've been to the final before. We're not satisfied, we want to win Saturday.''
Rural improved to 18-2-0 with its 11th straight victory as senior stars Kate Hinck and Zahra Friess scored two goals apiece.
"I feel like at the beginning of the season our chemistry just took off and from then to where we are right now I think we're better than any team in Kansas right now,'' Hinck said.
Friess transferred to Washburn Rural this season after helping lead Cair Paravel Latin to a runnerup finish in 4A-1A last spring and is thrilled to get an opportunity to play in her second straight state final.
"I'm super thankful and this is my first time playing with this team so it's been a bit of an adaptation, but it's a great group of girls and they are all wanting to work together and wanting to win so that's what's really helped the drive for us,'' Friess said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After coming up just short of a Class 3A state championship in a runnerup finish last season Silver Lake softball will take another shot at the title in Thursday and Friday's state tournament at the Envista Softball Complex at Lake Shawnee.
Senior pitcher Kendra Cook and Silver Lake softball are back in the Class 3A state tournament after a runnerup finish a year ago. [File photo/TSN]
The Eagles punched their ticket to this year's state tournament with a hard-earned 4-3 win over Southeast Saline in its regional final at Osage City and 23-6 Silver Lake is the No. 7 seed in a loaded 3A field.
Silver Lake will begin its title bid with Thursday's 3 p.m. first-round game against No. 2 seed Wichita Trinity (24-3).
With a win Thursday Silver Lake will advance to an 1 p.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner between No. 3 seed Burlington (25-4) and No. 6 Jefferson West (22-5).
On the other side of the bracket No. 1 Frontenac (27-1) will face No. 8 Colby (17-6) in the first round and No. 4 Riverside (21-4) will take on No. 5 Minneapolis (21-4).
The 3A title game is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, following the 3 p.m. third-place game.
Washburn Rural softball celebrates its 8-6 win over Campus in last Thursday's Class 6A regional final. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural, Topeka High earn 6A state tournament bids
Washburn Rural will be making its seventh straight trip to the Class 6A state tournament this week while Topeka High is back in the 6A field after winning back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022.
Topeka High, 19-9 on the season, is the No. 8 seed and will open its state bid at 11 a.m. Thursday at Arrocha Ball Park in Lawrence against top seed Olathe West (25-1).
The Trojans advanced to state with a 15-9 win over Maize in a regional final at Hummer Sports Park.
With a first-round win, Topeka High will move on to an 11 a.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner between No. 4 Blue Valley North (21-6) and No. 5 Derby (21-7).
Rural (20-7) is the No. 6 state seed and will face off with No. 3 Garden City (19-5) at 5 p.m. Thursday in the final first-round game.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights baseball has a new coach in Jason Brown but the T-Birds' legacy of winning and state tournament appearances remains intact.
Shawnee Heights baseball celebrates its Class 5A regional championship last Tuesday night at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Longtime T-Bird coach Ryan Schmidt, who led Heights to two Class 5A state titles, retired after appearance in last year's state tournament, but the T-Birds haven't missed a beat in Brown's first season at the helm and will take a 21-7 record into Thursday and Friday's state event at Wichita State's Eck Stadium.
Shawnee Heights, which won United Kansas Conference and regional titles, will the state tournament as the No. 4 seed at will open its state bid at 1:15 p.m. Thursday against No. 5 seed Hays (18-8).
Heights punched its latest ticket to state with a 5-2 regional win over United Kansas Conference rival De Soto last Tuesday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
With a win Thursday Shawnee Heights will advance to an 11 a.m. semifinal on Friday to face the winner of the first-round game between No. 1 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (24-4) and No. 8 Valley Center (17-11).
On the other side of the bracket No. 2 seed Great Bend (23-5) will face No. 7 Piper (17-10) and No. 3 seed Blue Valley Southwest (21-6) will face No. 6 Eisenhower (18-10).
The 5A state championship game is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Friday, following the 3:30 third-place game.
Rural back in 6A field
Washburn Rural is headed to the Class 6A state tournament for the first time since a third-place finish in 2022.
The Junior Blues earned their state bid with a 1-0 win over Campus in last Thursday's regional final at Campus.
Washburn Rural, the No. 8 seed for state, is now 15-11 on the season and will face top seed Free State (25-2) at 11 a.m. Thursday at Hoglund Stadium in Lawrence.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's boys golf team put itself in position to challenge for a Class 4A state championship after a solid opening round in the state tournament at Newton's Sand Creek Station.
Hayden senior James Kuta shot a 77 in Tuesday's first round of the Class 4A state tournament, tying for fifth individually, while the Wildcats are second as a team entering Wednesday's final round at Newton. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden is in second place in the team standings entering Wednesday's final round at 28-over-par, seven strokes behind Wamego. The Red Raiders and Wildcats went one-two in last week's regional tournament at Wamego.
"We left some strokes out there, but we are excited that we've put ourselves in position to compete for a championship tomorrow,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said in a text.
The Wildcats are seven strokes in front of third-place Bishop Miege after Day 1. The Stags placed third as a team in the Wamego regional.
Senior James Kuta led Hayden Tuesday with a 5-over-par 77 and is tied for fifth place starting the final 18 holes.
Junior Mateo Garcia and senior Nick Gorman shot 79s to tie for ninth place Tuesday while senior Tagen Rodriguez shot an 81, senior Colin Scott an 83 and junior Austin Bean an 86.
Lions fourth in 2A entering final round
Regional champion Cair Paravel Latin is in fourth place in the Class 2A state tournament after the opening round at the Turkey Creek Golf Course in McPherson, advancing to Wednesday's final round.
Cair Paravel junior Caleb Cleverdon led the Lions with a 76, tying for sixth in the opening round, while senior Jase Pavlik shot a first-round 81 and freshman Chase Hastert and junior Luke Budden carded 85s.
Also advancing to Round 2 as individuals are Rossville junior Jack Donovan, a regional champion, and Bulldawg senior Jonathan Hart.
Donovan is tied for sixth place with a 76 while Hart is tied for 11th after a 78.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden girls soccer posted a 2-0 road win at Wichita Trinity Monday night, advancing to the Class 4A-1A state semifinals.
Now 12-7-0 on the season, Hayden will play a 6 p.m. semifinal at Louisburg Wednesday.
Hayden junior Reese Huscher scored the Wildcats' first goal in Monday's 2-0 Class 4A quarterfinal win at Wichita Trinity. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Reese Huscher scored the only goal Hayden would need with 10:13 remaining in the opening half, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 halftime lead.
Hayden junior Grace Funk scored the Wildcats' second goal in Monday's 2-0 Class 4A-1A quarterfinal win at Wichita Trinity. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Grace Funk added Hayden's second goal six minutes into the second half and the Wildcats blanked Trinity (14-2-2) the rest of the way.
Louisburg (16-3-0) advanced to the semifinals with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Eudora Monday night.
Seaman drops 1-0 heartbreaker
Seaman's soccer season came to an end in a Class 5A quarterfinal Monday night, with the Vikings dropping a 1-0 decision to United Kansas Conference rival De Soto on the Wildcats' home field.
Monday's loss was the Vikings' second one-goal loss to the Wildcats' this season, with De Soto taking a 4-3 decision over Seaman in the regular season.
Seaman ended its season 13-6-0 while De Soto improved to 17-2-0.
De Soto will play a 5 p.m. semifinal at Bishop Carroll (19-0-0) on Wednesday.
