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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County high schools have submitted their nominations for senior athletes for the 19th annual Topeka Shawnee County High School Sports Awards, which will be presented on June 26 along with the induction of the 2024 Hall of Fame class.
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 Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the Washburn University Memorial Union.
Recent Seaman graduate Taylin Stallbaumer has been nominated in two seasons for the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards after helping the Vikings win Class 5A volleyball and basketball titles. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake senior Makenzie McDaniel is a nominee for the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards after helping the Eagles win the Class 3A state basketball title as a senior. [File photo/TSN]
A Class 6A state swimming champion as a senior, Washburn Rural's Brogan Meier is a nominee for the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden's Finn Dunshee (middle) was a three-time state champion in the 2024 state track championships and also helped lead the Wildcats to a Class 3A runnerup finish in football. [File photo/TSN]
TopSports.news will present awards to the top female and male athletes in the fall, winter and spring seasons, as well as overall female and male athletes of the year and the most inspirational female and male. A complete list of nominees is listed below.
To be eligible, an athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Athletes were nominated by their schools' athletic directors and coaches.
In addition to the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards, Khloe Schuckman and Braden Rose will be honored as Washburn University Athletes of the Year and Bob Benoit, Jim Golden, Kelsey (Chipman) Stringer and Nick Stringer will be inducted as the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame class.
A committee of local media members will select the 2024 high school winners, including the selection of overall female and male athletes of the year.
General admission tickets for the Topeka Shawnee County sports awards banquet are $30 per person and include dinner.
Ticket information is available at topsports.news.
TOPEKA SHAWNEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS AWARDS NOMINEES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kerry Darting's Darting Basketball Academy has continued to add new programs in its 10 years of existence, and the DBA will take another big step this summer with the addition of an international element.
Twenty-four high school aged players representing 11 different countries are scheduled to arrive in Topeka on July 2nd and stay through July 22nd to train.
Kerry Darting instructs young players during a Darting Basketball Academy event. DBA is celebrating its 10th season in 2024 and will add an international flavor this summer. [File photo/TSN]
Players from Australia, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Serbia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Dubai are scheduled to take part in the DBA program.
"These kids are coming here because they want to play college basketball, so there will be a lot of college coaches coming in to watch them for the whole three weeks at nights when we're scrimmaging and working out and practicing,'' Darting said.
In addition to helping the international contingent find a college home Darting said the program will also benefit up and coming players in the Topeka area.
"I think it's huge just for the local kids and the area because we'll have the better players coming in and scrimmaging with (the international players) every night, so it will give them the chance to play against some good competition,'' Darting said.
"The college coaches will come in to watch the international kids, but at the same time, if there's kids locally that want to play collegiately and are good, the college coaches will have a good opportunity to watch them play as well.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Taylin Stallbaumer has been a winner in four different sports since she stepped on the Seaman campus four years ago, including Class 5A state team championships in volleyball and basketball as a senior.
And Stallbaumer picked up a couple more wins Saturday as she closed out her high school career in the Kansas Volleyball Association All-Star Match at Washburn's Lee Arena.
Former Seaman star Taylin Stallbaumer (middle) is congratulated by her Red teammates after a kill in the KVA All-Star Match. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Stallbaumer, who will play volleyball at Johnson County Community College this fall, helped the Red team take a 25-20, 25-20, 22-25, 25-14, 15-9 win over the Blue and was honored with the Joan Lundstrom Wells Award of Excellence at the conclusion of the match, one of the KVA's four individual awards.
"It means a lot because these girls here are really talented, really good,'' Stallbaumer said. "You've got girls going all over the country, so to be a part of that team and to be with all of them, that means a lot.''
Stallbaumer played in Saturday's all-star match less than two weeks after completing her high school soccer career in the Class 5A state quarterfinals.
"This past week I think I was at two practices,'' Stallbaumer said. "We were all a little rusty.''
The recent Seaman graduate had just three practices with her Red teammates but the team seemed to be a good fit from the outset, leading for the majority of the match en route to the 4-1 victory.
"I think it's really important when you're with a new team to get to know your teammates and I feel like we did a really good job of that,'' Stallbaumer said. "Going out to dinner, team practices, we had a lot of team bonding and I feel like we really just got to know each other.
"We care for one another and I feel like that showed on the court today.''
Taylin Stallbaumer receives a hug from her Seaman coach, Tatiana Dowling, during Saturday's pre-match introductions for the Kansas Volleyball Association All-Star Match. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Stallbaumer led the Red with 44 assists and also had 19 digs.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Twenty-three city soccer players earned All-United Kansas Conference recognition, incuding seven first-team picks.
Seaman is represented on the first team by sophomore defender Elle LaBin, sophomore forward Ryin Miller, junior midfielder Anna Becker and senior midfielder Marin Schuler while Shawnee Heights put junior defender Bayli Benson, junior forward Isabell Van Fleet, and freshman forward Morgan Robinson on the first team.
Ryin MIller, Seaman
Isabel Van Fleet , Shawnee Heights (12)
Morgan Robinson, Shawnee Heights (9)
Bayli Benson, Shawnee Heights (8)
Marin Schuler, Seaman
Anna Becker, Seaman
Elle LaBin, Seaman
Both Seaman and Shawnee Heights advanced to the Class 5A state quarterfinals.
Seaman put seniors Makena Schuler, Elinore Stallbaumer and Taylin Stallbaumer and freshman Julie Molleker on the second team while Topeka West is represented by junior Abigail Ray and freshman Brynlee Best.
Ten city players received All-UKC honorable mention.
ALL-UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE SOCCER
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Taylin Stallbaumer and Tatiana Dowling of Class 5A state champion Seaman will take part in Saturday's 4:30 p.m. 2024 Kansas Volleyball Association All-Star Match at Washburn University's Lee Arena.
Taylin Stallbaumer, Seaman
Tatiana Dowling, Seaman
Stallbaumer will play for the Red team in Saturday's match while Dowling will coach the Blue team after the duo helped lead the Vikings to their first-ever state volleyball title last fall in Salina.
All-Stars were nominated by their high school coaches, who must be KVA members.
KANSAS VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION ALL-STAR ROSTERS
Saturday, June 1, 4:30 p.m. at Lee Arena
BLUE
Jordyn Bird, Maize; Ales Bittner, Cheney; Jacqueline Corcoran, Circle; Alaina Eck, Little River; Camryn Hutchinson, Smith Center; Carly Koster, Maize South; Cora Miller, Holton; Audrey Peek, Lebo; Alex Romero, McPherson; Talya Sampson, Sedgwick; Brynn Stowell, Olathe West; Tatum Tindall, Manhattan.
Coaches – Tatiana Dowling, Seaman (head); Kylie Corneliusen, Mill Valley; Sam Soliday, Maranatha Academy.
RED
Seenane Brewer, Lawrence; Mylie Brown, Beloit; Kaitlyn Burke, Mill Valley; Hope Duncan, Smoky Valley; Mia Fox, Circle; Emery Keebaugh, Ottawa; Emily Langley, Jefferson County North; Nina Mitchell, Wichita Northwest; Riley Ourth, Olathe West; Grace Rowland, Andale; Dominique Schutte, Halstead; Taylin Stallbaumer, Seaman.
Coaches – Tom Slaugher, Heritage Christian (head); Kim Rolfs, Little River; Leanna Willer, Louisburg.
