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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade has announced Seaman's Ryin Miller as the 2023-24 Gatorade Kansas Girls Track & Field Player of the Year.
Seaman star Ryin Miller has been named the Gatorade Kansas girls track and field athlete of the year for the 2023-2024 school year. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Miller is the first Gatorade Kansas Girls Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Seaman.
The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Miller as Kansas’ best high school girls track & field athlete.
Miller, who recently completed her sophomore season, won Class 5A titles in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs and finished second in the 3,200 in the state meet at Wichita's Cessna Stadium, leading the Vikings to a fourth-place finish as a team.
Miller ranked among the nation’s top five sophomores nationally in the 1,500 and 3,200 this spring and her personal-best times in the 1500 (4 minutes, 26.58), the 3,200 (10:13.97) and the 800 (2:10.25) all rank in the top three in state history.
“Ryin Miller became the Heartland’s fastest-rising talent over the last 12 months, having made the successful transition from the soccer pitch to the track oval,” said Rich Gonzalez, editor for PrepCalTrack.com. “This spring, she rocketed up the state’s all-time distance lists with head-turning momentum. Also a standout with the school’s basketball and cross-country programs, she built up stamina across the spectrum of sports, which helped make her an exceptional newcomer on the national scene.”
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremony turned into a family affair for the Stringers and Chipmans Wednesday night at the Washburn University Memorial Union.
Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer, a former volleyball star at Washburn Rural and Kansas State, speaks during Wednesday's Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Former Hayden state champion and Kansas State All-Big 12 offensive lineman Nick Stringer was inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame Wednesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Nick Stringer and Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer became just the second husband and wife to be inducted into the hall of fame, joining James Patrick and Nadira Hazim Patrick, inductees in 2012.
Introducing Kelsey was her brother, Bobby Chipman, while her father Bob Chipman, former Washburn men’s basketball coach and 2018 inductee, looked on. Introducing Nick Stringer was his father, former Hayden High School football coach Tom Stringer.
On top of entering the hall of fame together, the Stringers can look forward to celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary when they wake up tomorrow.
“I’m so proud to be from Topeka and part of Shawnee County,” Kelsey said. “The Chipman family and the Stringer family are people who have been in this community for a long time and are associated with athletics. So, to have the opportunity to go into the hall of fame together and to celebrate our community and our families was a special moment for us.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman multi-sport standout Taylin Stallbaumer, who helped lead the Vikings to their first Class 5A state volleyball championship, was named the TopSports.news Topeka Shawnee County Fall Female Athlete of the Year during Wednesday's awards banquet at Washburn University.
Recent Seaman graduate Taylin Stallbaumer was named the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards Fall Female Athlete of the Year Wednesday night. [File photo/TSN]
"Taylin was a three-sport athlete at Seaman, excelling in all of them,'' Seaman coach Tatiana Dowling said. "She is highly competitive and athletic. She makes people around her better, leads by example and is a great teammate.''
Stallbaumer ranks second on Seaman's all-time list in assists (1,394), fourth in aces (134), fifth in kills (663), sixth in digs (873), seventh in hitting percentage (.205) and ninth in blocks (91).
Stallbaumer also helped the Vikings win the 5A state basketball title and helped Seaman reach the state quarterfinals in soccer.
Stallbaumer will play volleyball at Johnson County Community College.
The daughter of Todd and Tonya Stallbaumer, Taylin compiled a 3.5 cumulative grade point average.
Other candidates:
FALL SPORTS: OUTSTANDING FEMALE NOMINEES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Recent Topeka High graduate McCall Beall was selected as the Topeka Shawnee County Most Inspirational Female Athlete of the Year Wedneday night at Washburn University.
Beall was a team captain for the Topeka High softball team while earning first-team All-Class 6A and All-Centennial League and second-team All-Shawnee County recognition as a senior.
Recent Topeka High graduate McCall Beall played on two Class 6A state championship softball teams for the Trojans and was also a multi-time state qualifier in tennis. [Submitted photo]
Topeka High product McCall Beall was named the Topeka Shawnee County Female Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year Wednesday night at Washburn University. [File photo/TSN]
A part of back-to-back state championship softball teams as a freshman and sophomore, Beall was also a tennis standout for the Trojans, qualifying for the Class 6A state tournament in as a junior and senior.
"As much as she has excelled on the field, she also helped to lead the Topeka High student body as the student body president,'' Beall's nomination form stated.
Beall also participated in band and the Topeka High Drumline, Scholars Bowl and numerous academic-based clubs.
The daughter of Thomas Beall and Andrea Palmer, Beall compiled a 4.3 grade point average in high school.
SPRING SPORTS: MOST INSPIRATIONAL FEMALE NOMINEES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As Barrett Lietz's high school athletic career wound down his senior year, the Rossville three-sport standout had some tough decisions to make.
Recent Rossville three-sport standout Barrett Lietz (middle) will close out his competitive sports career in Saturday night's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Emporia. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Lietz's options came down to playing football or wrestling in college or opting to concentrate on his academics.
The third option eventually won out, with Lietz headed to Kansas State to study mechanical engineering.
"I'm just going to focus on school and study,'' said Lietz, a two-time All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick in football, a Class 3A-1A state runnerup in wrestling and a state qualifier in track and field while posting a 4.10 grade point average.
"It was a pretty tough decision because I'm done sports all my life, but I felt like it was time to be done.''
