- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After coming up a single point short to Manhattan in the 2023 Centennial League boys tennis tournament, Brad Johnston's Washburn Rural team got the job done Monday at Junction City, taking the league crown by a two-point margin over the Indians.
Washburn Rural's boys tennis team poses for a team picture after winning Monday's Centennial League team championship at Junction City. [Washburn Rural tennis]
Washburn Rural senior Lawsen Lobatos (left) and sophomore Dylan Willingham won the doubles championship to lead Rural to team championship in Monday's Centennial League tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Led by league doubles champions Lawsen Lobatos, a senior, and sophomore Dylan Willingham, the Junior Blues topped Manhattan 42-40 to win the title.
Washburn Rural also got second and third-place finishes in singles from Kaleb Nelson and Ben Tryhus and a fourth-place doubles showing from Brayden Kohls and Cale Duetscher.
Monday's league title opened a busy week for Washburn Rural.
The city championships, postponed from last Thursday, is on tap at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Kossover Tennis Center, followed by Class 6A regional competition on Friday at Junction City.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE TENNIS
- Details
By VINCE FRYE, Chairman
Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee
The selection committee for the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame has selected local sports greats Bob Benoit, Jim Golden, Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer and Nick Stringer as the Class of 2024 for induction into the local shrine on June 26.
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 June 26 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 June 26. [Submitted photo]
Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer, a former volleyball star at Washburn Rural and Kansas State, is a member of the 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 June 26. [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 June 26, 2024 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 June 26th.
Shawnee County high schools Cair Paravel Latin, Hayden, Highland Park, Rossville, Seaman, Shawnee Heights, Silver Lake, Topeka High, Topeka West and Washburn Rural have been 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 have also been asked to nominate a female and male candidate for most inspirational athlete.
A committee of local media members will select the 2024 winners, including the selection of overall female and male athletes of the year.
Washburn Rural's Brooklyn DeLeye and Highland Park's Tre Richardson were named the overall athletes of the year in 2023.
The nominees for this year's high school awards will be announced in early June after the conclusion of the spring high school season.
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:
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High
100 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.77
Kielyn McDonnell, Rossville 13.03
Alana Mitchell, Hayden 13.13
Elly Sanders, Rossville 13.14
Ally Steiner, Seaman 13.15
200 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 26.32
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High 26.88
Miluv Cosey, Highland Park 27.04
Shayla Rezac, Rossville 27.12
Ally Steiner, Seaman 27.20
Natalie Hillebert, Hayden
400 METERS
Natalie Hillebert, Hayden 60.61
Ella Bolan, Silver Lake 62.04
Shayla Rezac, Rossville 62.46
Ava Rottinghaus, Silver Lake 63.15
Rae North, Hayden 64.21
800 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:10.25
Payton Fink, Washburn Rural 2:25.13
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 2:28.40
Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural 2:29.09
Sofia Harper, Hayden 2:29.40
Ryin MIller, Seaman
1,600 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 4:53.37
Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural 5:12.51
Payton Fink, Washburn Rural 5:14.08
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:21.07
Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural 5:34.57
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Aaron Merritt, Seaman 10.52
Finn Dunshee, Hayden 11.11
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 11.12
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 11.24
Evan Scheid, Silver Lake 11.29
Aaron Merritt, Seaman
200 METERS
Aaron Merritt, Seaman 22.08
Finn Dunshee, Hayden 22.31
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 22.32
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 22.40
Tyren Parker, Shawnee Heights 22.76
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden
400 METERS
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden 49.17
Payton Berry-Briggs, Shawnee Heights 49.95
Isaiah Terry, Washburn Rural 50.07
Shane Jueneman, Washburn Rural 51.26
Liam Benz, Shawnee Heights 51.60
800 METERS
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 1:58.46
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:59.81
Eli Ferguson, Silver Lake 2:01.04
Logan Townsend, Seaman 2:06.27
Mark Wilkie, Topeka West 2:07.11
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights
1,600 METERS
Jackson Esquibel, Shawnee Heights 4:22.45
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:37.32
Eli Ferguson, Silver Lake 4:38.88
Adrian Lehman, Topeka West 4:40.25
Mark Wilkie, Topeka West 4:41.35
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's baseball team scored six runs in the fourth inning to complete the regular season with a 18-1 series-sweeping road win over Northeastern State on Sunday afternoon.
Washburn pitcher Chase Torkelson limited Northeastern State to one run in six innings of work on Sunday, improving to 5-0 on the season. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods improved to a season-high 10 games over .500 at 29-19 overall (21-12 MIAA) and will enter the MIAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Ichabods will face No. 4 Central Oklahoma on the road beginning Friday.
The scoring in the game started in the second inning after Washburn loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an error.
Payton McHarg was able to work a walk, bringing in the first run of the game.
Chase Torkelson got the start for WU and held the RiverHawks scoreless for the first three innings of the game while allowing just one hit and one walk.
In the third a pair of one-out singles from Hayden Priest and Connor Scott put two on base. Blake Scott reached on a throwing error, which also allowed Priest to score. Jett Buck shot a single into left field to add another run and Buck and Blake Scott executed a double steal bringing Scott safely home to make it 4-0 after two and a half innings.
The next time at bat Cal Watkins led off with a walk and McHarg was hit by a pitch and Cale Savage sat down a sac bunt to move both runners over.
Cash Jay and Priest followed with back-to-back singles, each scoring a run. Connor Scott made it three hits in a row, smacking a single to left, scoring Jay.
Blake Scott worked a walk to load the bases and Buck made use of that, scoring Priest with an RBI groundout.
Grant Jones took care of the other two left on base with a two-run single to left, capping off the six-run fourth inning.
Torkelson continued to keep the RiverHawks offense down, throwing a scoreless fourth inning while allowing just one walk.
McHarg led off the fifth with a single, moved to second on a walk from Jay and to third on a passed ball before scoring on a balk.
Priest singled to score Jay, and after Connor Scott was hit by a pitch, Teagan Tamiya delivered a two-out pinch-hit single to right field scoring two, making it 14-0 in the fifth.
