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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TopSports.news, in conjunction with Envista Credit Union and A-1 Lock and Key, will honor Washburn University stars Andrew Beckler, Tyler Geiman and Virgi Scardanzan as WU Athletes of the Year on June 30 in conjunction with the 16th annual Topeka Shawnee County sports awards banquet.
Beckler was named the MIAA player of the year this spring and finished his college golf career with a second-place individual finish in the NCAA Division II Championships while Geiman earned third-team NCAA Division II All-America men's basketball honors after leading the Ichabods to the MIAA Tournament title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament and Scardanzan, the No. 1-ranked D-II women's pole-vaulter in the nation, will compete in the NCAA Division II Championships this week in Allendale, Michigan after finishing second in the nation in the national indoor meet.
Washburn golf star Andrew Beckler, a Washburn Rural grad, will be honored on June 30 as the co-WU men's athlete of the year in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County sports awards banquet. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Tyler Geiman, a third-team All-American for the Washburn men's basketball team, will be honored as WU's co-men's athlete of the year on June 30 in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County sports awards banquet. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn star pole-vaulter Virgi Scardanzan will be honored as the WU women's athlete of the year on June 30 in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County sports awards banquet. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Beckler, Geiman and Scardanzan will be recognized along with the county's top high school senior student-athletes and the induction of the 2021 Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame class of Kyle McNorton, Kyle Weems and Michael Wilhoite at the Capitol Plaza Hotel's Maner Conference Center Sunflower Ballroom.
Beckler, Geiman and Scardanzan will the first Washburn Athlete of the Year honorees to be recognized as part of the Topeka Shawnee County awards.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's pre-meet goal was to post a top-five team finish in Saturday's Class 5A-1A state swimming championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Mission accomplished.
Freshman twin sisters Avery and Tauren Walz and junior Gabby Grace turned in strong individual performances to put Seaman in position to reach their goal and then teamed up with junior Bailey Meggison to place fifth in the meet-ending 400-yard freestyle relay and finish fifth in the team standings by six points.
Seaman freshman Avery Walz placed second in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 200 individual medley in Saturday's Class 5A-1A state swimming meet, helping lead the Vikings to a fifth-place team finish. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"We saw before the 400 free that we were in sixth, and we just said, 'We got this. We're going to do so good on this relay,' " Grace said.
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Topeka West junior Kadence Jeffries reacts after winning the Class 5A-1A state title in the 200-yard freestyle Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West junior Kadence Jeffries has probably competed in 100s of races in her outstanding swimming career, and won most of them.
And Jeffries entered her two individual events in Saturday's Class 5A-1A state championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium as an overwhelming favorite after winning both of those events as a freshman in 2019.
But the nerves were still there.
"I'm sitting behind the pool area just shaking nervous, because I haven't met some of these swimmers so they're brand new to me,'' Jeffries said. "It's just nerves to see how they're going to do and (how) I would do with them.
:You don't know if (the seed time) is their fully best time or just a season best, so they could easily come out with a great time and beat you on a given day."
That may be true, but it didn't happen on Saturday, with Jeffries dominating both the 200-yard freestyle and 500 free to give her four state championships in as many tries.
Topeka West junior Kadence Jeffries swims to a dominating state title in the 500 freestyle Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake and Rossville will be well-represented in Friday's Class 3A state track meet in Wichita after combining to earn state berths in 27 events in the 3A regional at Osage City.
Silver Lake's girls placed second as a team in the Osage City regional and qualified for state in nine events while the Eagles finished third in the boys team standings and qualified in 10 events.
Rossville qualified for state in three boys events and five girls events, including three individual titles.
Silver Lake junior Brogan Renfro qualified for the Class 3A state track meet in three individual events. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake junior Brogan Renfro was the boys champion in the triple jump (41 feet) while junior Carson Johnson won the 300-meter hurdles (41.65 seconds).
Renfro also qualified for state with a second-place finish in the 200 (23.03) and a third-place finish in the 100 (11.59) while Johnson qualified in the 110 hurdles with a third-place showing (17.05).
Silver Lake's boys qualified second in all three relays, clocking a time of 8:31.91 in the 4x800, 44.36 in the 4x100 and 3:37.99 in the 4x400.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural finished third in both the boys and girls divisions in Friday's Class 6A track and field regional at Wichita Northwest, posting seven victories and qualifying in a total of 17 events (nine girls, eight boys) for Thursday's state meet in Wichita.
Washburn Rural star boys senior hurdler Marquel Russell swept the 110 and 300-meter hurdles in Friday's Class 6A regional at Wichita Northwest. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Marquel Russell led the Junior Blues with a sweep of the regional titles in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles while the Rural boys also got a win from Christian Ahlf in the pole vault.
