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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Saturday was an opportunity for the local tennis community to celebrate its proud heritage with the induction of its 10-member Topeka Tennis Association 2024 Hall of Fame Class at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Mary Brownback and Kent Lammers, former college players and longtime supporters of Topeka tennis, were inducted into the Hall of Fame along with eight former city high school stars, who all won state championships during their prep careers -- Cory Buck, Drew Hanson, Trevor Hedberg, Shane Johnston, Branden Joost, Sean McManus, Sumeet Patel and Alex (O'Neal) Trobough.
Topeka Tennis Association 2024 Hall of Fame inductees (from left) -- Sumeet Patel, Alexandra (O'Neal) Trobough, Branden Joost, Drew Hanson, Trevor Hedberg, Shane Johnston and Sean McManus. Not pictured: Cory Buck. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Mary Brownback, 2024 Topeka Tennis Hall of Fame inductee
Kent Lammers, 2024 Topeka Tennis Hall of Fame inductee
"We all grew up playing together and I was a couple of years younger, but we were all on the court at the same time, running the same drills and it was nice because we had this little bit of camaraderie growing up in juniors and high school tennis and the coaches all knew each other, too,'' said Trobough, a three-time state champ at Hayden.
"The tennis community has always wanted to support one another.''
Retired longtime Washburn Rural coach Kevin Hedberg, a charter member of the local hall of fame, said Saturday was a special night for him as his son Trevor along with former Rural stars Hanson and Patel, who were a part of the Junior Blues' run of three straight Class 6A state team titles, were inducted into the shrine.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really thrilled and I knew all of these kids so well that I'm thrilled for all of them,'' Kevin Hedberg said. "They all worked at it and there's a lesson for the kids today that you can't do this halfway. You've got to be all in and these guys were and they were rewarded for it. It's a thrill.
"It's wonderful to see them all now as men and women, with children.''
Trevor Hedberg, a state doubles and team champ at Rural, said that it was a honor to join his father and his teammates in the hall of fame.
"My dad has quite a legacy with tennis in Topeka and there was a time in my life where tennis was a really big part of it, from 14 to 21,'' said Trevor Hedberg, a college professor at the University of Arizona. "And even though I've kind of moved on beyond that now, this certainly does mean something now and I think it's not really about me, it's more about the collective group and just being surrounded by all of these great players that were all playing at the same time.
"I played doubles with a lot of the players and played against them in singles, sometimes in the same tournament. I think back then it was really easy to get caught up in the competitive aspect of it and worrying about how you're stacking up against all these other people and lose track of the bigger picture of how much you're accomplishing along the way and also losing track of the team-oriented accomplishments. It's certainly cool to come back.''
Hall of Fame capsules:
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For a second straight game Washburn University erased an early deficit with a three-run eighth inning, winning Game 2 over Fort Hays State 7-4 on Saturday to clinch the series win over the Tigers at Falley Field.
Washburn's Griffin Huiatt picked up the win in relief in Saturday's 7-4 MIAA decision over Fort Hays State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will go for the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the series finale.
Fort Hays State (21-19 overall, 9-17 MIAA) led off the game with a pair of first-inning singles, but a double play took one off the basepaths. A walk again put two runners on and a single up the middle scored one.
The Tigers then knocked a double into the right-field corner, scoring a run, but Washburn tagged out the second runner at the plate to end the inning.
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the third.
Connor Scott and Grant Jones earned walks with no outs.
Payton McHarg got Washburn (22-16, 16-10) on the board with a double into the corner in right field, scoring both runners to tie the game at two.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 23-ranked Washburn University softball wrapped up the home slate with a doubleheader sweep over Missouri Southern Saturday at Gahnstrom Field, winning 8-3 and 3-0.
Washburn seniors Sheyenne Creek, Hailey Neira, Marrit Mead, Jaycee Ginter and Autymn Schreiner were honored between games of Saturday's doubleheader sweep over Missouri Southern. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn will now have a two week break from game action as they will not return to the field until April 27 when the Ichabods close out the regular season at Emporia State.
The MIAA Championships Tournament will start on Wednesday, May 1 in Edmond, Oklahoma hosted by Central Oklahoma.
The Lions took a 3-0 first-game lead through four and a half innings, but the Ichabods rallied with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning while running through four Missouri Southern pitchers and sending a total of nine batters to the plate en route to the 6-3 lead.
Mariah Walker walked on four straight pitches to start the inning and then, after the first pitching change for the Lions, Autymn Shreiner drew a four-pitch walk.
After back-to-back wild pitches, with the second scoring Gracie Gallagher with the Ichabods' first run of the day, Madi Moore walked, sending another Lion pitcher to the circle.
Hailey Neira put down a punt that loaded the bases and then Erin Boles singled to moving the runners up 60 feet.
On the very next pitch, Marrit Mead singled in a run, forcing the third Lion pitcher of the inning to enter the game.
Alexis Tanguma then followed with a single to score Neira and then Jaycee Ginter singled in two runs, finishing the scoring in the inning.
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
TopSports.news
In Friday’s Leitel Legacy Invitational meet hosted by Lawrence Free State, Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller broke two school records, just as she had the previous week in the Lansing Invitational.
Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller leads the girls 3,200 Friday at Free State en route to breaking her own school record. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/TSN]
In the girls 3,200-meter race, Miller broke her own school record by seven seconds in running a winning time of 10 minutes, 19.29 seconds. That time remains the fastest in the state this season and is the 24th fastest time in the United States.
In the 800 meter race, Miller’s time of 2:10.25 broke the school record set by Bethany Druse just two years ago at 2:15.19. Miller's time is also the fastest time in the state this season and the 17th fastest in the nation.
Ryin Miller runs away from the field in the girls 800 field at Free State Friday, breaking the Seaman school record. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/TSN]
Ryin Miller (left) poses for a picture with former Seaman teammate Bethany Druse after breaking Druse's school record in the 800 meters. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/TSN]
Other girls winners were senior Natalie Hillebert of Hayden in the long jump (16 feet, 0.5 inches) and senior Aubrey Simpson of Washburn Rural in the javelin (130-1), which is ranked 55th in the United States this season. Sophomore Morgan Ray of Washburn Rural finished second in the javelin (126-9).
Seaman senior Aaron Merritt (middle) wins the boys 100-meter dash Friday at Free State. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/TopSports.news]
Boys winners included senior Aaron Merritt of Seaman in the 100 meters (10.80), junior Jensen Schrickel of Hayden in the 400 meters (49.24), junior Peyton Holmes of Seaman in the long jump (21-10.5) and senior Jamond Lane of Washburn Rural in the discus (151-2).
LEITEL LEGACY INVITATIONAL
At Free State
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West junior track and field returning state champ Alesecio Batson and Seaman sophomore multi-sport star Ryin Miller have been selected by the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency as the Rising Stars of the Week.
The Dan Key Agency will recognize top Shawnee County underclassmen throughout the bulk of the 2023-2024 school year.
Here’s a brief look at the accomplishments of Batson and Miller over the past week:
Topeka West junior Alesecio Batson won the triple jump in last week's Lansing Invitational, continuing his comeback from an injury. [File photo/TSN]
ALESECIO BATSON, Topeka West
A returning Class 5A state champion, Batson is steadily returning to form after battling back from a serious leg injury over the summer.
Batson won the boys triple jump in last Friday's Lansing Invitational, recording a season-best jump of 44 feet, 5 inches.
Batson won the state triple jump title in the 2023 state meet with a leap of 48 feet, 4.25 inches. An All-Shawnee County first-team pick, Batson was the county leader in the event last season with a season-best jump of 48-11.
Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller broke a pair of 38-year-old school records in last week's Lansing Invitational, winning three gold medals on the day. [File photo/TSN]
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
A four-sport athlete for the Vikings, Miller broke two 38-year-old school records in last Friday's Lansing Invitational track and field meet and also starred on the soccer pitch.
In the girls 1,600 meters, Miller's time of 4 minutes, 53.37 seconds broke the school record, previously held by Marge Eddy, by 11 seconds. In the 3,200, Miller ran a 10:26.54, which broke Eddy's school record by 33 seconds. Miller ran a 59-second split on the Vikings' winning 4x400-meter relay (4:15.21).
Miller also recorded two goals and an assist in a 6-0 Seaman soccer win over Topeka West last week.
