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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights junior Deacon Pomeroy has been named the 2024 United Kansas Conference baseball player of the year by conference coaches, one of five city players who earned first-team honors.
Shawnee Heights junior Deacon Pomeroy was named the All-United Kansas Conference player of the year for the 2024 season. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Pomeroy, a standout pitcher and catcher, was named to the All-UKC team as a utility player, and is joined on the first team by senior outfielder Jordan Armbruster, with the Heights duo helping lead the T-Birds to the Class 5A state tournament.
Pomeroy was also named the Class 5A player of the year by the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches.
Seaman is represented on the first team by junior catcher David Dobbs, senior infielder Kaiden Griffin and senior outfielder Zach Wilson.
Shawnee Heights and Seaman combined to put five players on the All-UKC second team, with the T-Birds represented by senior pitcher Ben Schaub, junior infielder Carson Garner and sophomore outfielder Cayden Lindsay while the Vikings put senior pitcher Axton Brewer and senior pitcher Holden Finley on the second team.
Topeka West junior outfielder Elijah Berg is one of four city players to earn All-UKC honorable mention along with Seaman junior pitcher Bryer Finley, Brewer at designated hitter and Shawnee Heights senior Jayden Holly as a utility pick.
ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE BASEBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Eighteen players from city schools Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West earned All-United Kansas Conference softball recognition, led by Class 5A state qualifier Seaman with 10 honorees.
Seaman senior Jersey Jellison earned first-team All-UKC honors, one of 10 Vikings to receive all-conference recognition. [File photo/TSN]
Senior outfielder Paige Glasgow was one of four Seaman players to earn first-team All-UKC softball honors. [File photo/TSN]
Retiring Seaman softball coach Jay Monhollon was named the UKC coach of the year after leading the Vikings to a Class 5A state tournament berth this spring. [File photo/TSN]
The Vikings led the way with four first-team selections -- junior pitcher Kaelyn O'Rourke, senior infielder Jersey Jellison, senior outfielder Paige Glasgow and junior designated player Anna McLaughlin -- while Seaman coach Jay Monhollon was selected as the UKC coach of the year.
Shawnee Heights is represented on the first team by junior infielder Taylor Brees.
Seaman also put four players on the second team -- sophomore pitcher Addison Sibley, junior catcher Raegan McConnell and senior infielders Gracie Moe and Rosalie Schneider -- while Shawnee Heights is represented by junior pitcher Grace Proctor, senior outfielder Odessa Schmidt and senior utility player Alaryce Millard and Topeka West by senior outfielder Brooklyn Alexander.
Five city players received All-UKC honorable mention, including sophomores Aubrey Warren and Kinsley Smith of Seaman, junior Callie Jones and sophomore Isabelle Kutina of Topeka West and junior Kinsley Mohan of Shawnee Heights.
ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights junior Deacon Pomeroy has been named the Class 5A player of the year, one of 10 Shawnee County players to receive All-State recognition from the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches.
Shawnee Heights junior Deacon Pomeroy has been named the Class 5A player of the year by the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Pomeroy, who helped lead Shawnee Heights to a Class 5A state tournament berth, was a first-team All-5A pick as a pitcher and also received second-team recognition as a catcher.
Pomeroy, an Oklahoma State commit, is one of four Shawnee County players to receive All-KABC first-team honors, with Topeka High senior pitcher Nate Plankinton making the All-6A first team, Seaman junior catcher David Dobbs joining Pomeroy on the All-5A first team and Hayden junior Cooper Grace earning All-3A first-team recognition after helping lead the Wildcats to the 3A state championship.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Not even a nailbiting loss in the Class 5A 4x100-meter relay could put a damper on the best weekend of Seaman senior star Aaron Merritt's track career.
Seaman senior Aaron Merritt (middle) won Class 5A titles in the 110-meter hurdles and the 100 dash Saturday in Wichita. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Seaman senior Aaron Merritt (middle) wins the 100-meter dash in Saturday's Class 5A state meet at Wichita State's Cessna Stadium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman got nipped by United Kansas Conference rival De Soto in the 4x100 (42.39 seconds to 42.50), but Merritt was still all smiles after his 28-point day.
"We ran an awesome race,'' Merritt said of the 4x100 relay. "It was a (personal record) for us even. We were in it fourth and got second, so nothing to complain about there.''
And the silver in the relay was Merritt's only non-gold on the day, with the future Kansas Jayhawk winning state championsips in the 110-meter hurdles and 100 dash.
Merritt had finished second in the 110s to Piper senior Jayden Henry in the UKC and regional meets, but turned the tables Saturday morning, winning in a time of 14.48 seconds while Henry finished third behind Merritt and Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior Dawson Grabendike.
"I knew winning today was just whoever was feeling the best today,'' Merritt said. "We're back and forth all season, had no clue who was going to win, and I was just best today so that's what happened.''
After running the prelims in the 100 earlier, Merritt ran a blistering 10.32 in the final to post his second win of the day.
"The 110s, I feel like is my primary, so I was completely focused on that and as soon as I got done I was completely focused on the 100,'' Merritt said. "The prelims of the 100 warmed me up and I felt good after winning the gold for the 100.''
Merritt's 10.32 easily eclipsed the 5A meet record of 10.50 set by Independence's Danny Williams in 1981, but Merritt's time won't be recognized as a record because Saturday's wind was above the allowable limit.
"I was hoping for like a 10.4 and to get the meet record, that would be really cool, but 10.3 blows my mind,'' Merritt said. "It's crazy.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA – Cair Paravel Latin fought off a barrage of scoring chances from powerhouse Bishop Miege for 92-plus minutes in Saturday’s Class 4-1A championship game at Stryker Sports Complex.
Cair Paravel's Zahra Friess battles for possession with Miege's Rose Lopez during the Lions' 1-0 double-overtime loss in Saturday's Class 4-1A championship game. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Cair Paravel's Veronica Ignoto boots a goal kick during Saturday's Class 4-1A championship game. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
But Miege finally broke the dam with less than eight minutes in the second overtime.
On Miege’s 16th corner kick of the game, Dory Latenser headed home a perfectly-placed kick from Isabella McGaugh for the golden goal with 7:38 left in the second OT, securing a 1-0 win and the Stags’ state-record eighth consecutive championship.
Junior goalkeeper Veronica Ignoto and the Lions’ back line worked tirelessly to keep it scoreless, but offensive opportunities were scarce for Cair Paravel (15-4-1). The Lions weren’t officially credited with a shot on goal while Miege had 10.
“Really proud of my girls. That was an amazing show of courage against a tough team, perennial state champs,” Cair Paravel coach Doug Woolery told KSHSAA Covered. “We just couldn’t get our offense generated. We were on our heels most of the game.
“I knew my girls had it in them, but we just couldn’t seem to get the break that we had last time we played them (2-1 loss). We had a couple through balls to capitalize on and even had a couple missed opportunities in that game, and today those just didn’t show themselves. At the end of the day, they finally got one in the net and we didn’t.”
