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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
TopSports.news will honor All-America track and field thrower Braden Rose and All-America soccer player Khloe Schuckman as Washburn University's outstanding male and female athletes for 2023-2024 at the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Wednesday at Washburn's Memorial Union.
Washburn graduate student Braden Rose is a six-time track and field All-American and holds the school record in the weight throw, discus and hammer throw. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn junior Khloe Schuckman helped lead the Ichabods to a 21-4-1 record and the NCAA Division II soccer national championship game last fall. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Rose posted a pair of second-place finishes in the recent NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing second in the hammer throw and discus. Rose picked up his sixth overall career All-American award in the national meet and holds the Washburn school record in the indoor weight throw, discus and hammer throw.
Schuckman, a Wichita Bishop Carroll product, has scored 25 goals with nine assists over her first three WU seasons and helped lead the Ichabods to a 21-4-1 record last fall, earning third-team All-America recognition.
TopSports.news will honor outstanding Washburn athletes for the fourth time in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
In 2023 Grant Bruner and Jaycee Ginter were named Washburn outstanding male and female athletes of the year.
Washburn Athlete of the Year capsules:
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By VINCE FRYE, Chairman
Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee
Local sports greats Bob Benoit, Jim Golden, Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer and Nick Stringer will be inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday at Washburn University.
Former PBA bowling star Bob Benoit, now the head coach at Seaman, will be inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday at Washburn University. [PBA Facebook]
Silver Lake baseball legend and former Major Leaguer Jim Golden will be inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday. [Submitted photo]
Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer, a former volleyball star at Washburn Rural and Kansas State, is a member of Wednesday's 2024 Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame induction class. [Kansas State Athletics]
Former Hayden state champion and Kansas State All-Big 12 offensive lineman Nick Stringer will be inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday. [Kansas State Athletics]
TopSports.news, in partnership with A-1 Lock and Key, Washburn University, Capital Label, Peggy's Tax and Accounting and the Jamie Hornbaker State Farm Insurance Agency, will host the 19th annual Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards/Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Wednesday at Washburn's Memorial Union.
Benoit was a star on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour in the 1980s and 1990s with four PBA titles and he was the first bowler to ever roll a perfect 300 game in a televised title match. Benoit is currently the boys and girls bowling coach at Seaman High School and he has coached the Vikings to three state team championships.
Golden carved out a legendary high school career at Silver Lake, leading the Eagles to back-to-back state baseball titles while establishing strikeout records that still stand today. Golden went on to pitch in the Major Leagues for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Colt .45s.
Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer and Nick Stringer will become the second husband-wife duo inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, joining James Patrick and Nadira (Hazim) Patrick.
Kelsey starred at Washburn Rural and Nick at Hayden, where they both were part of state championship teams, before both went on to play at Kansas State, with Kelsey earning All-Big 12 recognition in volleyball and Nick earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in football as an offensive lineman.
Shawnee County's top senior high school student-athletes will be also be honored on Wednesday.
Shawnee County high schools Cair Paravel Latin, Hayden, Highland Park, Rossville, Seaman, Shawnee Heights, Silver Lake, Topeka High, Topeka West and Washburn Rural were asked to nominate one female and male candidate with a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average as outstanding student-athlete nominees for the fall, winter and spring seasons. County high schools were also asked to nominate a female and male candidate for most inspirational athlete.
A committee of local media members selected the 2024 winners, including the selection of overall female and male athletes of the year.
In addition, TSN will recognize Braden Rose and Khloe Schuckman as Washburn University's 2023-2024 male and female Athletes of the Year.
Hall of Fame Class of 2024 capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Denver Broncos linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite was in Orlando, Fla. Tuesday spending some vacation time with his family before the start of the grueling NFL season, but he was also busy trying to finalize details for Friday's third annual Big Kev Give Back Camp, a dual basketball/football camp on the campus of Washburn University.
Michael Wilhoite (left) and Kyle Weems talk to campers during last year's Big Kev Give Back Camp. The third annual camp is on tap Friday at Washburn University. [File photo/TSN]
And Wilhoite said that no matter how busy he and his close friend Kyle are, putting on the Give Back Camp will continue to be a major priority.
"It's a must,'' Wilhoite said. "There's no ifs, ands or buts about it and a lot of people around Topeka help make it happen, but no matter what's going on there's no way it's not going to happen.''
Weems and Wilhoite, who were inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2021, will be joined by many other special guests to host the camp, in conjunction with Washburn, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wilhoite said that he and Weems always have plenty of current and former athletes, many who grew up in Topeka, willing to help out with the camp.
"I think they respect what we're doing and they want to be involved because they love Topeka as much as we do,'' Wilhoite said. "They grew up here and they want to give back in any way they can.
"Kyle and I have our names on it, but it's everybody in Topeka that helps make it possible.''
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Editor's note: Over the coming days, TopSports.news will take a look at all of the nominees for the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County High School Sports Awards. All nominees will be recognized at the June 26 awards banquet, which will be held in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame induction at Washburn University's Memorial Union.
SPRING SPORTS: MOST INSPIRATIONAL MALE NOMINEES
Rykan Carver
RYKAN CARVER | Shawnee Heights
PARENTS: Corey and Tricia Carver
SPORT: Football/Wrestling/Track and Field | GPA: 4.53
Carver was a three-sport star for Shawnee Heights in football, wrestling and track and field. Carver was an All-United Kansas Conference offensive tackle in football, the Class 5A 285-pound state champion in wrestling and a state qualifier in track in the shot put. Carver was a three-year starter on offense and a two-year starter on defense in football and was a four-year letterman in wrestling. Academically, Carver ranked No. 1 in a graduating class of 251 while compiling a grade point average of 4.53. Carver was a Kansas Governor's Scholar and a member of the National Honor Society, ranking in the top one percent of GPAs for the entire state of Kansas. Carver will study engineering at Kansas State.
Doug Peterson
DOUG PETERSON | Hayden
PARENTS: Charles and Amanda Peterson
SPORT: Football/Track | GPA: 4.019
"Doug tore his ACL during football season and as a senior missed a great season as Hayden played in the (Class) 3A state championship game,'' Peterson's nomination form stated. "Doug was the biggest cheerleader on the sideline and constantly gave advice to the player that took his place on offense and defense -- a kid with a never say die attitude. He was very positive throughout his injury and rehab.'' He was cleared to participate in track this spring. He was the recipient ot the Kansas State High School Activities Association Citizenship Award from Hayden. "Doug was a leader through example and truly loves his school.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Seaman star Gavin Wilhelm, who has competed in three sports for Washburn University, has stepped away -- at least for the forseeable future -- from competitive golf.
Washburn University athlete Gavin Wilhelm chips onto the green in Sunday's TGA City Match Play final at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Gavin Wilhelm captured his second straight TGA City Match Play title Sunday at Shawnee Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Wilhelm returned to the sport long enough to capture a second straight Topeka Golf Association City Match Play championship Sunday at Shawnee County Club.
Wilhelm, who is a kicker/punter for WU in football and a pitcher in baseball, finished off a dominating week in the Match Play event with a 3 and 1 decision over Jerry Kruger in Sunday afternoon's final after taking a 3 and 2 semifinal win over Blake Buessing Sunday morning.
"I probably wouldn't have played if I wouldn't have been defending champion,'' Wilhelm said. "I've really just been focusing on baseball and working on my arm to throw harder and working on my off speed more. Three weeks ago I hit 95 (miles per hour) on the mound.
"I showed up on the first day for the qualifying round not knowing that I got the guaranteed one seed and I ended up shooting 5-under (66) so it's been fun. Everybody wants to come for you and just try and beat you out specifically and it's always good competition. I was excited just to be out here. I didn't get a chance to play much golf during baseball season and just to come back and do what I did last year was pretty good.''
