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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Before she ever stepped on the track for Friday's Class 5A track and field regional, it had already been a good week for Viking sophomore star Ryin Miller, who had helped Seaman's soccer team reach the state quarterfinals with a pair of wins, including a 4-1 win at Basehor-Linwood on Thursday that avenged a 1-0 loss nine days earlier.
Seaman sophomore star Ryin Miller posted three individual wins in Friday's Class 5A regional meet and also helped the Vikings qualify for state in the 4x400 relay. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"It was a good game for us,'' said Miller, who had a goal and two assists in the win. "I think it boosted our confidence. Obviously we have tough competition next game playing Blue Valley Southwest. They're pretty solid but I think Thursday was our best game overall.
"We played more as a team and it definitely showed.''
And the week got even better on Friday as Miller scorched her home track for three individual victories and qualified for a fourth state event in a relay in her tuneup for next week's state meet at Wichita State's Cessna Stadium.
Competing in four events for the first time in her career, the game plan for Miller was to try to save some energy throughout the night, but Miller still posted elite times in all three of her individual events.
Miller opened her night with a 21-second win in the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 55.24 seconds and she followed that up with a three-second-plus victory in the 800 in 2:12.99 and a 20-second win in the 3,200 in 10:57.40 before teaming with Taylie Heston, Jaida Stallbaumer and Ally Steiner to help the Vikings qualify for state in the 4x400 relay with a third-place finish in 4:04.44.
"I was actually a little sore, a little beat up in the beginning,'' Miller said. "After the mile I was like, 'Oh shoot,' because the mile hurt quite a bit so then I just decided I was going to race to qualify and not to PR (personal records).
"In the two mile I wanted to go, but I was like, 'Just get through this, state's what matters.' ''
Seaman's girls, who finished third as a team, qualified for next Friday and Saturday's state meet in a total of 10 events, with Stallbaumer qualifying in three events. Stallbaumer placed second in the 100 hurdles (16.42 seconds) and third in the 300 hurdles (49.30) before running on the 4x400 relay.
Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller leads the 3,200 in Friday's regional meet while Viking freshman Brynn Spencer qualified for state with a fourth-place finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Maggie Leismester was the runnerup in the javelin (130-9) while Rylee Hoffer was fourth in the discus (110-11), freshman Brynn Spencer was fourth in the 3,200 (11:52.14), Steiner added a fourth-place finish in the 100 dash (13.05) and the Vikings finished fourth in the 4x800 relay (10:15.97).
Other top performances Friday:
Seaman senior Aaron Merritt wins the 100-meter dash in Friday's Class 5A regional meet on the way to qualifying for state in four events. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Seaman boys hurdler/sprinter Aaron Merritt lost by a matter of inches in the 110-meter hurdles final but the Vikings' senior star was still all smiles after a regional performance that saw him qualify for state in four events.
Merritt (14.17) was edged by Piper senior Jayden Henry (14.15) in the 110s but came back to win the 100 dash (10.79) and helped the Vikings qualify in the 4x100 relay with a third-place finish (42.55) along with a fourth-place finish in the 4x400 relay (3:27.02).
Merritt teamed with Peyton Holmes, Bryce Cochran and Jacob Anderson in the 4x100 relay and with Cochran, Michael Hurla and Brody Anderson in the 4x400.
"I'm very happy with today,'' Merritt said. "I had a big PR in the hurdles and even though I didn't get him we were super close and we've been going back and forth all year. We don't know what's going to happen at state and I'm really excited to run with him again.
"I was not worried about the 100. I entered the meet first in the state and I'm determined to get a first-place medal at state.''
Holmes, a junior, also posted a win in the long jump with a career-best effort of 23 feet, 4.50 inches while Tad McGee finished third in the high jump (6-2), Hurla was third in the 300 hurdles (41.46) and Kaden Whitehurst was fourth in the triple jump (41-8.75) as the Vikings finished fourth as a team.
Shawnee Heights senior Jackson Esquibel won the 3,200 meters in Friday's Class 5A regional and also finished third in the 1,600. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Shawnee Heights senior distance star Jackson Esquibel's valliant effort to help the T-Birds get to state in the 4x800 relay came up just short, but Esquibel came back to qualify in both the 1,600 and 3,200 for the final meet of his outstanding prep career next Friday and Saturday in Wichita.
Esquibel came from behind to finish third in a loaded 1,600 field in a time of 4:27.49 and then posted a win in the 3,200 in 9:36.34.
"It was fun,'' Esquibel said about his regional performance. "I always just trust that God has a plan for me and I've felt like I've put so much pressure on myself the previous three years that my senior year I'm just having confidence and having fun.
"I'm just glad I got through today and I'm looking forward to next weekend.''
Esquibel's win gave him the opportunity to defend his 3,200 state title next Friday morning.
"I have confidence in my 3,200,'' Esquibel said. "I feel like I've gotten a lot stronger with the speed stuff and last cross country season (a 5A state title) gave me a lot more confidence going into this season.''
Shawnee Heights, which finished fifth as a team, also got wins in the throws from Alex Dawkins in the discus with a throw of 184 feet, 8 inches and from Alex Dittman in the javelin (165-1) while Rykan Carver made it to state in the shot put with a fourth-place finish in the shot put (50-4).
Payton Berry-Briggs finished second in the 200 dash (22.25) to advance to state in that event.
CLASS 5A TRACK AND FIELD REGIONAL
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The first season of the Joy Marie Galliart era in Washburn Rural softball will end in the destination that all teams shoot for -- the state tournament.
The Junior Blues, who have posted back-to-back runnerup finishes in Class 6A, punched their ticket for another trip to state with a come-from-behind 8-1 win over Maize in Thursday's regional final at Rural.
Washburn Rural softball celebrates after wrapping up its regional championship with an 8-1 win over Maize Thursday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
After rolling to a 14-4 win over Liberal in its regional semifinal, Washburn Rural fell behind Maize (19-9) 1-0 in the championship game as the Eagles pushed across a run in the top of the second.
But the Junior Blues dominated the rest of the game, riding a complete-game five-hitter from senior pitcher Makayla Ekis and a 12-game hitting attack that included three doubles from sophomore Reagan Chapman.
"This is always everybody's goal, I feel like, at the beginning of the season,'' said Galliart, who came to Rural this season after a very successful career in Oklahoma. "Everybody around here, and everybody in the state of Kansas knows the talent that this program has graduated in recent years and we believed from the very beginning that we still had a shot, that we were still going to be in the mix despite the talent that they graduated.
"So this was always our goal. We had some kids who have had to wait their turn and specifically Makayla Ekis has waited her turn to throw until she was a senior and she was outstanding today. She has progressively, as the season has gone on, gotten better and better and better and she was outstanding today and earned the opportunity to have the ball and she got the job done for us.''
Washburn Rural senior Makayla Ekis (center) pitched a complete-game five-hitter in Thursday's 8-1 win over Maize in Thursday's Class 6A regional tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural, now 18-7, has been installed as the No. 6 seed for next Thursday and Friday's 6A state event at Lawrence's Arrocha Ball Park and will face No. 3 Blue Valley West (22-6) at 1 p.m. Thursday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior standout Kate Hinck and the Washburn Rural girls soccer team took care of business in Thursday's Class 6A regional final with a huge first half on the way to a decisive 8-0 win over Wichita East at McElroy Field.
Junior Kate Hinck (9) scored four first-half goals Thursday night to lead the way as Washburn Rural rolled to an 8-0 win over Wichita East in a Class 6A regional final. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hinck scored the only goal the Junior Blues would need just 1 minute, 58 seconds into the match and had four goals by the 3:19 mark of the opening half as Washburn Rural opened up a commanding 6-0 halftime advantage.
Junior Delaney Hill (front), battling for a loose ball, scored a goal in Washburn Rural's 8-0 win over Wichita East in a Class 6A regional final. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Destiny Higgs (24) scored a goal in Washburn Rural's 8-0 regional romp past Wichita East Thursday night [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Junior Blues, who improved to 15-3-0, also got first-half goals from juniors Delaney Hill and Destiny Higgs to put the Blue Aces (10-8-0) in a big hole.
Washburn Rural added second-half goals from sophomore Peyton Merrick and freshman Erika Bovell to close out the 8-0 win.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Cair Paravel Latin School girls advanced from the regional round of the soccer playoffs with a 6-0 win over Eudora Thursday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Sophomore KellyAnn Chada (11) is congratulated by her Cair Paravel teammates after scoring one of her four goals in Thursday's 6-0 win over Eudora in a Class 4A-1A regional. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Senior Katherine Keys (left), who had three assists, congratulates sophomore KellyAnn Chada after a goal in Cair Paravel's 6-0 regional win over Eudora. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Sophomore KellyAnn Chada accounted for four of the Lions’ six goals, including one in the opening minutes of the contest.
“It was crazy,” Chada said. “I definitely couldn’t have done it without my team. They had some great assists. I got the first one and that just started the game off on the right foot and then they just kept coming.”
“She is a goal-scoring machine” Cair Paravel coach Doug Woolery said of Chada. “She is one of those players who always seem to put themselves in the right spot.”
Zahra Friess and Clare Everhart added goals for the Lions while Katherine Keys tallied three assists.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It became apparent early on that a big play or two was probably going to decide the pitcher's duel between Silver Lake junior Kendra Cook and Santa Fe Trail senior Kaelee Washington in Wednesday's Class 3A regional softball final at Hayden.
Winning pitcher Kendra Cook (25) exchanges a hug with senior teammate Kaibryn Kruger (9) as Silver Lake celebrates its 1-0 win over Santa Fe Trail in Wednesday's Class 3A regional final. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Silver Lake softball celebrates its Class 3A regional championship after Kira Lowrey scored the winning run in Wednesday's 1-0 win over Santa Fe Trail. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And after Cook and Washington matched goose eggs through six and a half innings, a triple by Silver Lake junior Kira Lowrey and a perfectly-executed bunt from senior McKinley Kruger in the bottom of the seventh were enough to give Eagles a berth in next week's 3A state tournament with a 1-0 victory over the Chargers.
"At some point you just put it in their hands, right, and they've got to take care of business,'' said Silver Lake head coach Nick Hamilton, who picked up his 100th career win as the Eagles improved to 22-2 on the season entering next Thursday's state tourney at the Envista Softball Complex at Lake Shawnee.
"It gave us a test for sure. To be honest with you, I think we've just seen the best pitcher in 3A and if we can figure out how to hit her and get better I think we'll be tough. Competition always helps you.''
Silver Lake junior Kira Lowrey rounds second base on her seventh-inning triple and scored the game-winning run in Wednesday's 1-0 win over Santa Fe Trail. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washington, a Kansas signee, kept Silver Lake in check for most of the day while recording 12 strikeouts, but Lowrey broke through with a leadoff triple down the right-field line in the seventh.
Senior Lake senior Makenzie McDaniel threatened to end things with a blast well over the left-field fence, but the ball went foul and McDaniel eventually went down on strikes, leaving it up to Kruger to be the hero.
Silver Lake senior McKinley Kruger (12) celebrates with her teammates after delivering the game-winning bunt in Wednesday's 1-0 Class 3A regional win over Santa Fe Trail. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I just told her to do her job,'' Hamilton said. "She knew what she had to do and no better person to have do it.''
Kruger took one ball and one strike on her at bat before Hamilton put on the bunt sign.
"He trusted me to swing it and then he saw an opportunity to win the game and I'm willing to do whatever it takes,'' said Kruger, who is headed to Washburn for her college career.
Kruger said she felt confident that she could get the bunt down.
"I haven't bunted very much this year but I have confidence in my bunting ability,'' Kruger said. "It's just harder against a tougher pitcher obviously, so I really just had to hone in on where the ball was being pitched and put it down.''
