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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Washburn University outfielder Payton McHarg isn't likely to strike fear in Ichabod opponents ... until he swings the bat.
Washburn junior outfielder Payton McHarg (5) celebrates after hitting his nation-leading 17th home run in Saturday's 15-7 win over Rogers State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Payton McHarg leads the nation in home runs and tops Washburn in hits, runs, homers and RBI. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The native of Saskatchewan, Canada, McHarg has turned in an outstanding first season for Washburn, leading the nation with 17 home runs while batting .383 and leading the 18-14 Ichabods in runs, hits and runs batted in while compiling a .908 slugging percentage and and a .487 on-base percentage.
McHarg landed at Washburn after two seasons at Kansas City Kansas Community College and Ichabod coach Harley Douglas said he knew McHarg could be a special player after he first saw him in the fall prior to the 2023 season.
"The fall before the season when KCK came in here, he was facing Casey Steward and Rane Pfeifer and some of those arms and he hit one off the scoreboard against us and we were like, 'Man, this kid's really good,' '' Douglas said. "We loved him and made an offer to him.
"He wasn't ready to pull the trigger and we thought, 'Oh great, somebody's going to come along, some D-Is and like that,' but he hurt his wrist and he really didn't get to play the second half of the season.''
McHarg's injury worked out well for both McHarg and Washburn.
"He liked what he had here and he ended up jumping on it and taking it and it's been a blessing for us,'' Douglas said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's usually a difficult task for freshmen to crack the varsity roster in any sport, and even harder to make an immediate impact.
But Shawnee Heights' freshmen girls soccer players apparently didn't get the memo.
Freshman Morgan Robinson scored her seventh and eighth goals of the season in Monday's 3-2 Shawnee Heights soccer win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights freshman Soleil McNaughton (15) scored the T-Birds' final goal in a 3-2 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
T-Bird freshmen Morgan Robinson and Soleil McNaughton combined for all three of Heights' first-half goals and freshman Nina Bolanos dished out a pair of assists in Monday's 3-2 non-league road win over Topeka High at Hummer Sports Park.
"We're a really young group and I thought we played really well the first half,'' Heights coach Kellen Griffin said. "The second half we got caught out a little bit but they stuck through it the whole game and we won a close game.
"We didn't win any close games last year so that's a step in the right direction already.''
Robinson scored a pair of goals against the Trojans to give her eight goals in three games for the 2-1 T-Birds while McNaughton scored Heights' third goal and Bolanos registered her two assists Monday after scoring three goals in an earlier 9-0 win over Ottawa.
Thus far all 12 Shawnee Heights goals on the year have come from freshmen.
"We don't have a lot of upperclassmen but the upperclassmen we have are really great leaders and then we've got a lot of underclassmen -- freshmen and sophomores -- that are just hungry to get playing time and hungry to get wins and they come to practice every day and they're ready to work,'' Griffin said.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly girls swimming and diving honor roll for Topeka high schools throughout the 2024 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY
Seaman 1:58.69
Washburn Rural 2:07.69
Shawnee Heights 2:13.20
Hayden 2:19.71
Topeka High 2:18.14
Avery Walz, Seaman
200-YARD FREESTYLE
Avery Walz, Seaman 2:03.60
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 2:11.03
Madeline O'Brien, Washburn Rural 2:20.24
Bailee Heincker, Seaman 2:22.64
Ella Bombardier, Washburn Rural 2:30.35
200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Avery Walz, Seaman 2:11.82
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 2:15.94
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:18.98
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 2:29.65
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:35.63
Tauren Walz, Seaman
50-YARD FREESTYLE
Tauren Walz, Seaman 26.11
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 26.93
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 27.26
Jella Belgardt, Washburn Rural 28.04
Molly Didde, Washburn Rural 28.65
ONE-METER DIVING
Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural 207.70
Kaylee Gregg, Hayden 202.30
Natalee Grauberger, Washburn Rural 177.05
Giselle Soto, Washburn Rural 130.55
Mackenzie Caryl, Topeka High 128.75
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brody Anderson
BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman
A sophomore track and field standout for the Vikings, Anderson picked up his second win in the 800-meter run in as many meets in last Thursday's Jerry Beardslee Invitational at Washburn Rural. Anderson clocked a personal-record time of 1 minute, 59.81 seconds in the win, recording his first sub-two minute time in the event. Anderson received All-Shawnee County honorable mention as a freshman in track and was a first-team all-county pick in cross country this past fall.
Jett Buck
JETT BUCK, Washburn University
A junior shortstop, Buck went 3 for 3 with a double and a home run on Saturday as Washburn University's baseball clinched a series win over Rogers State with a 15-7 victory at Falley Field. A Liberty, Mo. native, Buck scored a run and had four runs batted in as the Ichabods improved to 18-14 overall and 12-8 in the MIAA.
Jaycee Ginter
JAYCEE GINTER, Washburn University
A senior right-hander, Ginter threw back-to-back shutouts last weekend against Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western. The former Shawnee Heights star hurled a complete-game three-hitter in Friday's 6-0 win over Northwest while recording 12 strikeouts and hitting a three-run home run. Ginter followed that up with another three-hit, 12-strikeout performance in Saturday's 2-0 Ichabod win over Missouri Western, improving to 14-5 on the season.
- 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
100 METERS
Sanders, Rossville 13.14
Marshall, Topeka High 13.21
McDonnell, Rossville 13.34
Steiner, Seaman 13.44
Connell, Hayden 13.47
200 METERS
Rezac, Rossville 27.34
Marshall, Topeka High 27.37
Steiner, Seaman 27.79
Cosey, Highland Park 28.14
Rayton, Topeka High 28.23
400 METERS
Bolan, Silver Lake 62.74
Hillebert, Hayden 63.31
Rezac, Rossville 64.04
Connell, Hayden 65.38
Robinson, Seaman 66.22
800 METERS
Fink, Washburn Rural 2:25.13
Graf, Washburn Rural 2:28.40
Ismert, Washburn Rural 2:34.48
Heston, Seaman 2:36.94
Nolte, Washburn Rural 2:38.17
Payton Fink, Washburn Rural
1,600 METERS
Fink, Washburn Rural 5:16.93
Ismert, Washburn Rural 5:20.83
Graf, Washburn Rural 5:23.12
Nolte, Washburn Rural 5:43.08
Spencer, Seaman 5:48.82
