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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Receiving awards is nothing new for Annette Wiles, who was a national champion and player of year, carved out a successfull coaching career at three different universities and is a member of multiple Halls of Fame.
Annette Wiles
But despite that impressive resume, Wiles was still caught off guard earlier in the summer after learning that she had been selected as a member of the 2024 induction class for the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
"This one was the most humbling experience that brought me to nothing but tears,'' said Wiles, who will be inducted on Sunday, Oct. 13, in the Sunflower Ballroom of the Hotel Topeka City Center. "There was nothing but joy and I was just blown away with such emotion and happiness for my family and my community.''
Now the director of Hummer Sports Park, Wiles was a star at Sylvan Grove High School (1987 graduate) before leading Fort Hays State to the 1991 NAIA National Championship with a 34-2 record. Wiles was a two-time All-America selection for the Tigers and named the Most Valuable Player of the 1991 NAIA National Tournament.
Annette Wiles, a member of the 2024 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame induction class, led Fort Hays State to the 1991 NAIA national championship. [Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
Wiles averaged 20.4 points per game during her career and set multiple school records, earning induction into the Fort Hays State and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Halls of Fame.
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame 2024 inductee Annette Wiles, put together a successful coaching career at Bethany, Fort Hays State and Minnesota-Duluth. [Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]
Wiles went on to enjoyed a long career as a head coach, posting a career mark of 409-227 while coaching seven years at Bethany College, eight years at Fort Hays State and seven years at Minnesota-Duluth. She led three teams at Fort Hays State and Minnesota-Duluth to NCAA Tournament appearances and led Bethany College to four NAIA national tournament appearances.
After getting the word of her Kansas Sports Hall of Fame selection, Wiles immediately got on the phone to thank many of the people who helped her attain that prestigious honor.
"The first people I immediately thought of were my mom and dad,'' Wiles said. "As they're both still alive and well, I made phone calls to them to thank them for giving me birth and giving me the opportunity of life. Then I called my siblings, my brother and sister, and then I started calling my coaches. I called my high school coach, coach Mike Weatherman at Sylvan Grove, and then of course I called John Klein, my coach at Fort Hays State University.
"Then I just started reaching out to former teammates at Fort Hays and knowing that these are the accolades and awards that you stand on the shoulders of hundreds to accomplish.''
After retiring from coaching Wiles had a stint as Topeka High's athletic director before taking over as the director at Hummer, which she said has been a perfect fit.
"This feels like everything came together to be the district athletic director and the director of Hummer Sports Park,'' she said. "To be a director of such a beautiful 24-acre facility for Topeka Public Schools is just a tremendous and great honor. It's one I cherish daily and it's one that I am just grateful for. I love serving the students and the coaches and for me, this is where all of those graduate school classes and getting a degree in athletic administration and all of those years of being a head coach and being a former player and also being an assistant athletic director at the college level all fit together to make sense of this beautiful place and beauiul space.
"I have the most amazing staff and just incredible people that work with me and around me here within Hummer and Topeka Public Schools.''
And working at Hummer gives Wiles the opportunity to continue to be involved in sports on a day-to-day basis.
"I said, 'The best part of working at Hummer is every day's a game day,' '' Wiles said. "I used to just absolutely love game days and the best part is I never have to go home as a losing coach.''
Wiles will be joined in the class of 2024 by 11 other individuals, including former Hayden basketball star Mark Turgeon, who went on to play at Kansas before embarking on a long coaching career.
This year’s class brings the total number of inductees to 340, with the first class in 1961 including such legends as Dr. James Naismith, Mike Ahearn, Glenn Cunningham, Walter Johnson and Jess Willard.
A 5 p.m. reception on Sunday will be followed by the 6 p.m. induction ceremony in the Sunflower Ballroom of the Hotel Topeka City Center, 1717 Southwest Topeka Blvd.
Tickets for the reception and induction ceremony are $100 and available at www.kshof.org.
Class of 2024 capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Conner Bush
CONNER BUSH, Rossville
A 5-foot-11, 176-pound junior, Bush scored three touchdowns and a 2-point conversion in Rossville's 43-0 Class 1A District 2 victory over Mission Valley Friday night. Bush scored on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tayson Horak, a 74-yard run and a 30-yard interception return as Rossville improved to 2-3 overall and 2-0 in the district.
Layla Collins
LAYLA COLLINS, Washburn Rural
Collins, a 6-foot senior, was a force at the net throughout Saturday's Centennial League volleyball tournament at Topeka High, helping lead the Junior Blues to a perfect 5-0 record and a fourth straight league championship. Collins helped Rural win the Class 6A state title as a sophomore and was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick as a junior as Rural qualified for state.
Bryer Finley
BRYER FINLEY, Seaman
A 6-foot-5, 190-pound senior, Finley caught 12 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns in last Friday's 43-22 United Kansas Conference victory over Lansing. Finley caught touchdown passes of 14, 12 and 78 yards from Max Huston as the Vikings improved to 4-1 overall and remained unbeaten in the UKC.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Shawnee Heights multi-sport star Gary Woodland will be inducted into the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame on Monday night at the Marriott in Overland Park.
Shawnee Heights product Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, will be inducted into the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame Monday night in Overland Park. [PGA Tour]
The Kansas Golf Foundation will be inducting Woodland and fellow professionals Woody Austin and Matt Gogel as part of its 2024 Hall of Fame class.
In addition to starring in high school golf, the 2002 Shawnee Heights graduate helped lead the T-Birds to a pair of Class 5A state basketball championships.
Woodland went on to play basketball at a freshman at Washburn University before transferring to the University of Kansas and concentrating on golf.
After finishing his career with the Jayhawks Woodland turned professional and was won four PGA Tour events, including the U.S. Open in 2019.
Woodland, a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, will be joined in the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame by fellow PGA Tour winners Austin and Gogel.
The Kansas Golf Hall of Fame was founded in 1991 to honor men and women who have made outstanding contributions to golf in Kansas.
Past inductees include Kansas golf greats like Tom Watson, Wally Beets, Frank Kirk, Ross Randall, Marge Page and Jim Colbert.
Categories of Hall of Fame members are amateur player, professional player, club professional, golf course superintendent, coach and contributor to the game.
Austin, Gogel and Woodland will be honored under the Professional Player category.
Monday's induction ceremony will follow a 6 p.m. dinner.
Hall of Fame capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod football team fell behind early and could not recover in a 51-34 MIAA loss to Northwest Missouri on Hall of Fame Saturday in Yager Stadium.
Former Highland Park star Tre Richardson compiled 201 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns in Washburn's 51-34 MIAA loss to Northwest Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods will be on the road next week at Fort Hays State with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
The Bearcats (4-2 overall, 4-1 MIAA) jumped out to a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter after Northwest Missouri used two first-quarter touchdowns and two second-quarter field goals to start the game.
The Ichabods (1-4, 1-3) scored two touchdowns in the final 1:50 of the opening half to cut the lead to a one score game at 20-14 going into the break.
The first score came on a 13-yard touchdown strike from Sam Van Dyne, who saw his first action of the season, to Maury Sullivan with 1:50 to go in the second quarter.
Former Washburn Rural star JC Heim returns a fumble to the Northwest 2-yard-line in Saturday's 51-34 Washburn loss to the Bearcats. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Keller Hurla scores on a 5-yard run in Washburn's 51-34 MIAA loss to Northwest Missouri on Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
On Northwest's ensuing drive, L.J. Minner Jr. sacked the Bearcats' Chris Ruhnke and forced a fumble and freshman JC Heim, a Washburn Rural product, recovered it and rushed 58 yards before being tackled at the Northwest 2-yard-line. Two plays later Keller Hura scored from five yards out with 34 seconds to play cut the Bearcat lead to 20-14 going into the break.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's volleyball team went a perfect 5-0 on the day in Saturday's Centennial League tournament at Topeka High, with the Junior Blues capturing their fourth straight league championship.
Washburn Rural's volleyball team poses for a picture after winning its fourth straight Centennial League championship Saturday at Topeka High. [Washburn Rural volleyball]
The Junior Blues, ranked No. 5 in Class 6A by the Kansas Volleyball Association, won 10 of their 11 sets on the day, with only Manhattan winning a set from the champions.
Washburn Rural celebrates its deciding point in Saturday's three-set victory over Manhattan at Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Manhattan, Rural's third of five opponents in the round-robin event, defeated the Junior Blues 25-18 in the first set, but Washburn Rural bounced back to take 25-13 and 25-23 wins to close out the match.
Washburn Rural returns a shot in Saturday's Centennial League volleyball tournament at Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Layla Collins spikes the ball during Saturday's Centennial League tournament at Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural, now 18-2, opened its tournament bid with a 25-19, 25-18 win over Hayden, top-ranked in 4A, followed by a 25-15, 25-17 win over Junction City, the win over Manhattan, a 25-18, 25-14 victory over Topeka High and clinching the league crown with a 25-12, 25-21 triumph over Emporia in its final match of the day.
Emporia (18-8) went 4-1 on the day to finish second, while Manhattan was third with a 3-2 record. Hayden went 2-3 in the tournament while host Topeka High posted a 1-4 record and Junction City was winless in its five matches.
Hayden junior Ella Foster sets the ball during Saturday's Centennial League tournament at Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hayden freshman Hailey Schmidtlein spikes the ball in Saturday's Centennial League tournament. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Hayden, now 23-5, posted a 25-16, 25-18 win over Topeka High and a 25-16, 25-9 win over Junction City while the Wildcats took Emporia to three sets.
Topeka High notched its lone win with a 25-16, 25-19 win over Junction City.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL
