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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Locked in a battle with Topeka High, the Washburn Rural boys soccer team saw its new all-time leading scorer come through when it needed him.
Topeka High held the Junior Blues scoreless for 30 minutes Monday at Hummer Sports Park until Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham received a pass from Brodye Kocher-Munoz and broke the tie with a shot inside the right post.
Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham (middle) became Rural's career scoring leader in Monday's 3-1 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
With the first-half goal, Willingham matched the Washburn Rural all-time scoring record. The 57th goal of his career moved Willingham into a tie with former Junior Blues Austin Halsey and Easton Bradstreet.
The Trojans responded 10 minutes into the second half. Senior Santiago Ovalle headed a deflected ball into the net to tie the score at 1-1.
Junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz (9) assisted on both of Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham's goals in Monday's 3-1 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Again, when his team needed a goal, Willingham was up to the task. With another assist from Kocher-Munoz, Willingham took sole ownership of the Washburn Rural scoring record at the 13:17 mark with his 58th career goal.
Washburn Rural senior Draden Chooncharoen added an insurance goal – assisted by Willingham – with three minutes remaining for the 3-1 final.
“I know he will tell you, anytime you break a record, you’ve got great teammates around, setting you up,” Washburn Rural coach Brian Hensyel said of Willingham. “The first goal, he gets a great pass at his feet. The second goal, same kind of deal.
“(Dylan) made the plays to make it happen, and it’s not surprising that when we needed a big play, he got it. But my favorite play of the night was, at 2-1, he could have taken a shot, and instead he chipped a ball to the back post and got the assist.”
Willingham allowed himself, briefly, to reflect on the individual accomplishment. But he said he was more happy that the Junior Blues claimed their 31st consecutive Centennial League title than he was about breaking the record.
“I was really excited. There’s really no other way to describe it, I’d say. It’s pretty great,” Willingham said about the scoring record. “I’m really most excited about the league title. As seniors, you know, we have such a long streak, you don’t want to be the class to break the streak.”
Willingham and his coach were both proud of the way the team responded in a tense battle.
“After they got their goal, we allowed no shots at all, which that’s the key to winning close games, honestly is on defense,” Willingham said. “I don’t think we changed anything after their goal. We knew we can pull out a result for sure. Even though they got one goal, we’re not going to get mad or throw a fit. We’re going to just keep playing the way we play.”

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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After finishing sixth in the 2024 Class 5A girls state golf tournament, Seaman put itself in position to improve on that finish with a solid opening day performance Monday at Emporia Municipal.
Elise Eckert, Seaman [File photo/TSN]
The Vikings are in fourth place in the team standings entering Tuesday's final round after posting a four-person score of 354, six strokes behind third-place St. James Academy. Kapaun Mt. Carmel leads the team race by a 321-332 margin over Andover.
Senior Elise Eckert, who is looking for her fourth straight 5A state medal, is tied for third after shooting a 77 in Round 1. Andover's Regan Dusenbery is the tournament leader at 68.
The Vikings' Makenna Stuke and Chloe Schmidtlein carded 91s Monday and are tied for 16th while Kaitlynn Frye added a 95 and Molly Quintana a 98.
The top 20 individuals after Tuesday's final round will receive state medals while the top three teams will receive trophies.
Shawnee Heights' Lauryn Valdivia shot a 111 and Topeka West's Berlyn Kolean a 113 on Monday and did not advance to Tuesday's final round.
State tournaments at all sites are scheduled to get under way at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Izzy Glotzbach, Hayden [File photo/TSN]
Class 4A at Hutchinson
Two-time defending Class 4A state champion Hayden advanced to Tuesday's final round at Carey Park in fourth place as a team after an opening-round four-person score of 361.
The Wildcats are 25 strokes behind tournament leader Wamego, but Hayden is just two strokes behind third-place McPherson and four strokes behind second-place Wellington. Wamego and Hayden finished one-two in last Tuesday's regional at Shawnee Country Club.
Senior Izzy Glotzbach led Hayden Monday with a first-round 85 and is tied for ninth individually entering Tuesday's final round.
Lauren Borjon shot an 88 in the first round and is tied for 14th while Brooke Johnson is tied for 19th after a first-round 89.
Kellyn Specht had a 99, Morgan Johnson a 104 and Avery Becker a 116 for the Wildcats.
Wamego three-time state champion Addison Douglass holds a one-stroke lead after shooting a 77 on Monday.

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The 2025 All-City girls tennis team -- Front, left to right: Julia Katzer, Washburn Rural; Annie Henderson, Washburn Rural; Madilyn Poole, Cair Paravel Latin; Madeline Deters, Topeka High; Emma Sweeney, Seaman; Camryn Lux, Seaman. Back, left to right: Alizah Alvarez-Chedzoy, Washburn Rural; Halle Owen, Washburn Rural; Ava Ritter, Topeka High; Hailey Caryl, Topeka High; Molly Gorman, Seaman; Peyton Henry, Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seven repeat selections and six state medalists, led by Seaman Class 5A singles runnerup Emma Sweeney and four-time state medalist Molly Gorman, headline the 2025 All-City girls tennis team.
Sweeney, a junior, and senior Gorman are both All-City repeat picks along with Seaman senior Peyton Henry and junior Camryn Lux, Topeka High seniors Madeline Deters and Ava Ritter and sophomore Hailey Caryl.
Sweeney swept city, United Kansas Conference and regional titles before her second-place state finish while Gorman earned her fourth state medal -- two doubles, two singles -- with a sixth-place singles finish.
Cair Paravel Latin junior Madilyn Poole earned her first state medal last weekend with a third-place 3A-1A singles finish.
High's Deters earned her second straight 6A medal with a sixth-place singles finish while Henry and Lux placed seventh in 5A doubles as Seaman finished second as a team at state after sweeping city, United Kansas Conference and regional championships.
Also earning All-City recognition were Washburn Rural city and regional doubles champions Julia Katzer and Halle Owen, both juniors, and Rural No. 2 city doubles champions Alizah Alvarez-Chedzoy, a senior, and sophomore Annie Henderson. The four Rural picks, all state qualifiers, helped the Junior Blues win a 6A regional team championship.
All-City selections are based on finishes in the city meet.
All-City capsules:

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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman
Anderson, a senior cross country standout, won his second straight boys United Kansas Conference individual title Thursday in Kansas City, Kan. while posting his fifth individual victory of the 2025 season. A Class 5A state medalist in cross country and track, Anderson posted a winning five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 38.30 seconds while leading the Vikings to a runnerup conference team finish.
JORDAN FINNESY, Washburn University
Finnesy tied a school record with two interceptions while adding nine tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Saturday's 37-17 MIAA win over Central Missouri in Yager Stadium. Finnesy helped Washburn record a school-record eight turnovers against the Mules en route to snapping a four-game losing streak and picking up the Ichabods' first conference victory of 2025.
MOLLY GORMAN, Seaman
A senior tennis standout, Gorman earned her fourth straight Class 5A state medal with a sixth-place singles finish Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. After placing in the 5A state meet in doubles as a freshman and sophomore, Gorman earned singles medals her final two high school seasons for the Vikings, helping Seaman finish second as a team to cap the 2025 season.

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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's probably safe to say that nobody in Monday and Tuesday's Class 5A state tournament field has played more rounds at Emporia Municipal Golf Course than Seaman senior Elise Eckert.
Seaman senior Elise Eckert will be shooting for her fourth straight Class 5A state medal this week in Emporia. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After all, Emporia Municipal was Eckert's home course growing up and through her first three years of high school golf before her family moved to Topeka prior to this school year after her junior year at Emporia High.
Now Eckert, who was a three-time 5A state medalist for the Spartans, is hoping to use her vast knowledge of the tournament layout to cap her high school career with a run at the state title.
"I'm so glad that state's at Emporia this year,'' Eckert said. "I know where the ins and outs are of the course for sure. But you can't get too comfortable with any course.
"I've played this course a bunch, but you know there's still new spots you haven't seen that you'll find eventually and you've just got to play that day.''
Eckert followed up her city and United Kansas Conference individual championships with a second-place regional finish last Monday at Shawnee County Club as the Vikings advanced to state as a team with a runnerup finish behind Andover (342-355).
Eckert carded a two-over-par 75 at regionals to finish second behind Regan Dusenbery's two-under 71 while Seaman also got a fourth-place finish from Makenna Stuke (90), a tie for seventh from Kaitlynn Frye (94), a 10th-place finish from Chloe Schmidtlein (96) and a 16th from Molina Quintana (110).
Eckert feels like her game is in pretty good shape entering her final high school state tournament.
"I feel like if I can keep up with what I've been doing right now I think I'll be in pretty good shape for state,'' Eckert said.
Topeka West senior Berlyn Kolean qualified for state as an individual with a 109 while Shawnee Heights junior Lauryn Valdivia qualified for state as an individual with a 112.
State tournaments at all sites are scheduled to get under way at 9 a.m. on Monday and 10 a.m. on Tuesday after the fields are cut to the top six teams and top individuals.
Junior Kailyn Petersen placed third in last Monday's Class 6A regional to lead Washburn Rural to a runnerup team finish. [File photo/TSN]
Class 6A at Hesston
Washburn Rural girls golf will compete in the Class 6A state tournament for the 20th straight season in Jared Goehring's 20 years as head coach, qualifying for the state meet at Hesston Golf Course with a runnerup finish in last Monday's regional tournament at Sim Park Golf Course.
Rural, which has captured four 6A state titles, posted a four-person score of 335 to finish second behind champion Olathe West (328).
Junior Kailyn Petersen led the Junior Blues with a third-place regional finish, shooting a 79, while Taryn Jellison placd fourth with an 83.
The Junior Blues also got a tie for fifth from Lauren Cox (85), an 11th-place finish from Briley Miles (88), a tie for 14th from Peyton Merrick (92) and a 16th-place showing from Ella Taggart (93).