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FALL SPORTS: OUTSTANDING FEMALE NOMINEES
Aubrey Bahner
AUBREY BAHNER | Silver Lake
PARENTS: Darwin and Antoinette Bahner
SPORT: Cross Country | GPA: 4.0
Bahner was a cross and track standout for Silver Lake, earning four varsity letters in both sports for the Eagles. In cross country Bahner was a three-time Class 3A state qualifier and a two-time state medalist, earning medals in all but one meet over those two seasons. She was also a state qualifier in multiple events in track. "Aubrey methodically works hard to get better every day,'' Silver Lake cross country coach Kevin Brokaw said. "She makes every team she is part of better. She is truly a quality individual.'' Bahner will attend Tabor College, where she plans to compete in both cross country and track.
Sara Eggenberger
SARA EGGENBERGER | Shawnee Heights
PARENTS: Melinda Clemens
SPORT: Golf | GPA: 4.45
Eggenberger earned second-team All-City recognition as a senior. "Sara brings a positive level of energy and spirit to practice and meets,'' Shawnee Heights golf coach Jane Yi said. "Sara is focused and determined, often practicing many hours a week on her own time. She has a sense of friendliness and fair play, often treating people courteously especially when they are not doing so well. Sara's healthy perspective and cheerful demeanor have made her a wonderful “cheerleader'' on the team. Sara also puts the same positive and hard work attitude into her studies.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University track and field stars Romain Henry and Virgi Scardanzan will compete on the international stage this weekend, vying to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Scardanzan will compete in the Absolute Italian Championships in the pole vault while Henry will compete in the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles in the French National Championships.
Washburn University star pole-vaulter Virgi Scardanzan will compete for a berth in the Olympics this weekend in Italy. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Hayden star Desmond Purnell started getting a jump start on his Division I football career when he reported to Kansas State on June 1.
"It's been great,'' Purnell said. "Everybody out there's just like family.''
This week, however, Purnell is taking a break from his K-State prep, with KSU coach Chris Klieman's blessing, to represent Hayden for a final time in Saturday's 7 p.m. Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson.
"I thought it would be great to come out here and help out the kids (at Shrine Hospitals) and everything,'' Purnell said during Tuesday night's East practice session at Ottawa University. "My coaches were fine with it and said I should come.''
Desmond Purnell
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After crossing the finish line with a state championship in the Class 3A 200-meter dash at Wichita State' Cessna Stadium in late May, Rossville's Woodrow Rezac thought his career in competitive athletics was over.
Not so fast.
Rezac, who also helped lead the Bulldawgs to the 2A state football championship last fall, was just starting to adjust to life after sports when his phone rang with the opportunity to play for the East team in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl in Hutchinson (7 p.m. kickoff).
"I did think I was done,'' Rezac said during Tuesday night's practice at Ottawa University. "I was kicking back and just kind of hanging out and what not and I didn't realize I was going to have to run again.''
After helping Rossville win the Class 2A state football championship last fall, Woodrow Rezac (17) will wrap up his football career in Saturday night's Kansas Shrine Bowl in Hutchinson. [File photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Once the 2021 high school football season gets under way this fall, linemen will go back to doing their jobs in relative obscurity.
But Monday's Battle of the Bigs at Shawnee Heights was all about the guys up front, with more than 80 linemen from eight city and area schools taking part in the event.
Participating athetes from Shawnee Heights, Topeka West, Washburn Rural, Royal Valley, Santa Fe Trail, Blue Valley, Basehor-Linwood and Lansing took part in the 40-yard scoop and score, tractor tire flip, pro agility drill, 10-yard sled pull, 185-pound bench press for reps, medicine ball toss, 10-yard sled drive, pursuit drill and obstacle course, with players competing as teams and individuals.
Shawnee Heights lineman Garrett Peery goes through a drill during Monday's Battle of the Bigs at Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"The reality is all summer the seven on sevens are going on so all the skill kids get to play -- the quarterbacks, the D-backs, the receivers -- but the linemen don't get to do anything fun,'' Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift said. "So what we wanted to do is we wanted to put on an event where linemen only could participate.
"It's a non-contact event and it's a great way to build unity and team bonding with your line. Line coaches usually show up to be a part of it. The linemen as teammates, they're together pushing each other, so it's just a good day for them to compete against each other whether as an individual or a team, pick up a T-shirt and eat a lot of hot dogs and chips.''
Shawnee Heights' Matthew Etzel finishes off the obstacle course in Monday's Battle of the Bigs at Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Dawson Block, a Shawnee Heights lineman, runs an agility drill in Monday's Battle of the Bigs at Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
A lot of Shawnee Heights' skill position players were still on hand Monday, albeit in a different role.
"Today is all about the linemen,'' Swift said. "All of our skill guys, they're the volunteers today.''
| 2021 LINEMAN CHALLENGE - Final Standings | ||||||||||
| Monday, June 21, 2021 | ||||||||||
| 1st Place | 2nd Place | |||||||||
| School: | Blue Valley | School: | Shawnee Heights | |||||||
| Players | Grade | Pts | Players | Grade | Pts | |||||
| 1 | Levi Bittel | Sr | 213 | 1 | Matthew Etzel | Sr | 203 | |||
| 2 | Nick Herzog | Sr | 213 | 2 | Garett Peery | Sr | 200 | |||
| 3 | Andrew Long | Sr | 205 | 3 | Alex Dawkins | So | 191 | |||
| 4 | Gianni Scavuzzo | Sr | 198 | 4 | Dawson Block | Sr | 189 | |||
| 5 | Jack Cecil | Sr | 185 | 5 | Caleb Seelbach | So | 183 | |||
| Total | 1014 | Total | 966 | |||||||
| 3rd Place | 4th Place | |||||||||
| School: | Basehor-Linwood | School: | Washburn Rural | |||||||
| Players | Grade | Pts | Players | Grade | Pts | |||||
| 1 | Peyton McGee | Sr | 198 | 1 | Packson Bettis | So | 196 | |||
| 2 | Pete Best | Sr | 186 | 2 | Lukas Hanks | Jr | 185 | |||
| 3 | Jordan Johnson | Sr | 186 | 3 | Shane Sexton | Jr | 173 | |||
| 4 | Dalton Harris | Sr | 184 | 4 | Zach Franco | Jr | 151 | |||
| 5 | Logan Gall | Jr | 181 | 5 | Andrew Holman | So | 150 | |||
| Total | 935 | Total | 855 | |||||||
| Player | Grade | School | Bench | Sled Push | Pro-Ag | Throw | Obst | Sled Pull | 40 yd | Pursuit | Tire Flip | Total | |
| Levi Bittel | Sr | BVHS | 25 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 29 | 24 | 23 | 30 | 213 | |
| Nick Herzog | Sr | BVHS | 23 | 21 | 25 | 17 | 23 | 28 | 23 | 23 | 30 | 213 | |
| Andrew Long | Sr | BVHS | 16 | 21 | 24 | 16 | 24 | 29 | 24 | 22 | 29 | 205 | |
| Matthew Etzel | Sr | SHHS | 15 | 19 | 23 | 15 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 30 | 203 | |
| Garett Peery | Sr | SHHS | 20 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 30 | 200 | |
| Peyton McGee | Sr | BLHS | 5 | 20 | 27 | 15 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 30 | 198 | |
| Gianni Scavuzzo | Sr | BVHS | 20 | 21 | 24 | 13 | 16 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 28 | 198 | |
| Packson Bettis | So | WRHS | 8 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 17 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 28 | 196 | |
| Alex Dawkins | So | SHHS | 11 | 17 | 23 | 17 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 29 | 191 | |
| Dawson Block | Sr | SHHS | 14 | 19 | 24 | 13 | 17 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 30 | 189 |
