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By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
After a rough start to the season, the Shawnee Heights girls soccer team is on an upward trajectory with four wins in a row, the latest a 2-1 United Kansas Conference win Tuesday night at Seaman.
Senior Izzy Van Fleet (12) scored the game's first goal in Tuesday's 2-1 Shawnee Heights UKC soccer win at Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Riding the wave of a three-game win streak, the T-Birds struck early, scoring just 34 seconds into the contest. Senior Izzy Van Fleet received a pass through traffic from sophomore Nina O’Neill-Bolanos in front of the Seaman goal and punched it home before the crowd could settle in.
But the Vikings struck back just as quickly. Junior Savannah Nelson scored off a pass from junior Ava Golightley at the 37:37 mark, wiping out the T-Birds’ early advantage.
Sophomore Nina O'Neill-Bolanos (2) scored the game-winning goal and also had an assist in Tuesday night's 2-1 Shawnee Heights soccer win over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
With 3:48 remaining in the first half, O’Neill-Bolanos launched a long strike off a free kick that sailed just over the outstretched arm of the Viking goalkeeper, putting the T-Birds up 2-1.
“We’ve seen that song and dance all season,” Shawnee Heights coach Nic Simons said. “We score early and then give up a couple of goals and start to have that self-doubt. But tonight, we were able to put that out of our heads and we took the lead, and we didn’t look back.”
The score would hold throughout the second half, thanks in large part to the work of goalkeeper Mackenzie Mertel.
“We didn’t get our heads down and we were able to battle against a very good Seaman team with some super dangerous players,” Simons said. “My hat’s off to them. This was just a great soccer match.”
Shawnee Heights celebrates a goal in Tuesday night's 2-1 UKC soccer win over Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The win lifted the T-Birds to 4-3-1 after an 0-3-1 start to the season.
“It feels amazing. I’m very proud of our team,” said Van Fleet. “We’ve worked really hard to be where we are right now in the middle of the season. We might have had a rocky start, but we did come back. And I think we’re going to do some amazing things for the rest of the season and postseason.”
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden senior Jensen Schrickel is one of 12 Kansas high school senior football players who have been selected by the Coach Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter of the National Football Foundation as 2024-25 scholar-athletes of the year as a result of their performance on the field, in the classroom and through school/community involvement.
Hayden senior Jensen Schrickel is one of 12 senior Kansas football standouts who will be honored by the Coach Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter of the National Football Foundation as a 2024-2025 scholar-athlete. [File photo/TSN]
Schrickel, also a six-time state track and field champion, starred for the Wildcats on offense, defense and special teams as Hayden advanced to the Class 3A state championship game the past two seasons.
Schrickel, who has been chosen to play in the 2025 Kansas Shrine Bowl, has made the Superior Honor Roll at Hayden four straight years while earning membership in the National Honor Society and participating as a volunteer in multiple Hayden and community activities.
The honorees had to be nominated by their head coach. This year, there was a tie, thus an additional student-athlete was honored.
The 12 student-athletes will be recognized at the annual chapter awards dinner, which will be held at the Shamrock Plaza at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on the campus of Kansas State University on May 7. The reception begins at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m.
Student-athlete honoree capsules:
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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 2025 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY
Washburn Rural 2:05.77
Seaman 2:12:37
Shawnee Heights 2:15.41
Topeka High 2:19.71
Hayden 2:23.26
200-YARD FREESTYLE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 1:58.06
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 2:03.55
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 2:14.46
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:17:02
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden 2:24.96
200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:10.28
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 2:14.01
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 2:31.17
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:33.37
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 2:35.31
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural
50-YARD FREESTYLE
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 26.46
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 26.74
Kaylee Gregg, Hayden 27.67
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 28.55
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 28.65
Kaylee Gregg, Hayden
ONE-METER DIVING
Kaylee Gregg, Hayden 212.05
Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural 198.55
Maddie Gregg, Hayden 183.05
Sydney Thoman, Seaman 146.55
Ella Graber, Hayden 141.70
Joslynn Grace, Seaman
100-YARD BUTTERFLY
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 1:02.09
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 1:03.09
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 1:07.53
Kaya Hamilton, Washburn Rural 1:22.04
Makenna Russell, Topeka West 1:29.44
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights
100-YARD FREESTYLE
Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights 57.28
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 1:01.14
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 1:01.99
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 1:03.15
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 1:05.17
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural
500-YARD FREESTYLE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 5:14.22
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 5:30.07
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 5:58.76
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 5:59.41
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 6:36.53
200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY
Shawnee Heights 1:57.20
Hayden 2:03.54
Washburn Rural 2:05.18
Seaman 2:08.37
Topeka High 2:10.91
100-YARD BACKSTROKE
Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural 1:06.17
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 1:08.89
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 1:10.72
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 1:17.81
Megan Strobel, Seaman 1:17.93
100-YARD BREASTSTROKE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 1:07.80
Joslynn Grace, Seaman 1:10.52
Caroline Toland, Topeka High 1:16.01
Lizzie Gould, Seaman 1:21.61
Lillie Charvat, Hayden 1:24.83
400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY
Washburn Rural 4:04.00
Seaman 4:22.61
Shawnee Heights 4:22.35
Hayden 4:25.28
Topeka High 5:04:72
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Joslynn Grace
JOSLYNN GRACE, Seaman
Grace, a senior swimmer, picked up three victories in last Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium as the Vikings finished second as a team. Grace won the 100-yard butterfly in 1 minute, 02.29 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.52 and teamed with Megan Strobel, Lizzie Gould and Ava Carlson to win the 200 medley relay in 2:12.37.
Kate Hinck
KATE HINCK, Washburn Rural
A senior, Hinck scored a pair of goals in last Tuesday's 3-1 Centennial League soccer road win over Topeka High at Hummer Sports Park as the Junior Blues improved to 7-1-0 on the season. A three-sport standout for Rural, Hinck was picked last week to participate in this summer's Kansas Volleyball Association All-Star Match.
Jaden LaBarge
JADEN LaBARGE, Washburn University
LaBarge, a senior first baseman, went 2 for 2 with a grand slam home run, six runs batted in and two runs scored on Friday as Washburn softball rallied from a 6-0 deficit to knock off No. 5-ranked Central Missouri 10-7 in the second game of an MIAA twinbill. LaBarge went 2 for 3 with a double in a 3-2 first-game loss and is hitting .299 on the season with a team-high eight home runs, a team-high .575 slugging percentage and 31 RBI.
- Details
By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
LAWRENCE -- After Friday’s exciting races to kick off the Kansas Relays, the performances on Saturday did not disappoint.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller, anchoring the Vikings' 4x400 relay, won the 1,600-meter run Saturday in the Kansas Relays, her second win in as many days. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Seaman junior Ryin Miller picked up where she left off on Friday. In what might have been the race of the day, Miller won the 1600-meter run in a personal-best time of 4:46.03, which is the 16th fastest in the United States this year.
Her strategy was different from Friday’s race.
“I had planned to lead and get out in front from the start, but I could tell that we were going hot, so I decided to let the girls lead,'' Miller said.
As the final lap began, Ryin and the eventual second-place finisher -- senior Elyse Wilmes of Father Tolton Catholic School in Columbia, Mo. - took the lead from senior Kinley Wolfe of Cherry Creek High School of Colorado.
With about 300 meters remaining, Miller made her move and took a brief lead over Wilmes. However, Wilmes immediately responded and took a 10-15 meter lead going into the final 200 meters. As both runners arrived at the top of the stretch, Miller began her amazing charge and overtook Wilmes right before the finish to win by 0.3 seconds.
“I had watched the lead runner (Wilmes) in the 800 on Friday and knew she had a good kick, so I thought if I went early, it would take a little from her kick, but she brought it,'' Miller said. I just hung on, telling myself that I could do it, and in the last 100, I gave it all I had and luckily it was enough.”
Other Saturday highlights:
• The girls 4x800 team from Washburn Rural -- seniors Emily Graf, Payton Fink, Brooklyn Nolte and junior Kenzie Maddox -- finished in 5th place with a time of 9:44.07.
• Washburn Rural senior Isaiah Terry finished in 3rd place in the final of the 400 meters in a time of 48.41.
Washburn Rural senior Isaiah Terry finished third in the Kansas Relays 400 dash and helped the Junior Blues take fourth in the 4x400 relay. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
• The boys 4x400 relay team from Washburn Rural -- juniors Draden Chooncharoen and Liam Morrison along with seniors Ben Buesing and Terry finished 4th with a time of 3:22.21.
