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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville freshman Nora Burdiek and sophomore Jack Donovan 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 Burdiek and Donovan over the past week:
Rossville freshman basketball standout Nora Burdiek (22) has been named the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency girls Rising Star of the Week. [File photo/TSN]
NORA BURDIEK, Rossville
A 5-foot-10 freshman, Burdiek has made an immediate impact for Rossville, which is ranked No. 4 in Class 3A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
Burdiek is coming off a pair of double-figure performances for the Bulldawgs to open 2024 as Rossville improved to 7-1 on the season.
Burdiek scored 10 points in last Friday's 40-33 Mid-East League victory over Riley County and scored 17 points in Thursday's 66-41 non-league win over previously-undefeated Valley Heights.
Rossville sophomore Jack Donovan is the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency boys Rising Star of the Week after helping the Bulldawgs post a pair of wins to open 2024. [File photo/TSN]
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
Donovan, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, has helped lead Rossville to a pair of victories to open the 2024 portion of its boys basketball season.
Donovan has scored a total of 33 point in his past two games as the Bulldawgs evened their record at 4-4 on the season.
Donovan scored 13 points in last Friday's 60-57 come-from-behind Mid-East League victory over Riley County and scored 20 points with four 3-pointers in Rossville's 75-43 non-league win over Valley Heights Thursday night.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Judy Dyer's doctor would have preferred that his patient, still recovering from a recent accident, hadn't made the trip to Topeka for Thursday's induction of the inaugural class into the Topeka High Sports Hall of Honor.
Former track and field star July Dyer, a 1968 Olympian, speaks during Thursday's induction of the inaugural class into Topeka High's Hall of Honor. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
That wasn't an option for the 1968 United States track and field Olympian.
"My doctor didn't want me to come, but I wouldn't miss this,'' Dyer said. "This is awesome and I just want to say thank you to everybody. I am so happy because I finally got into the Topeka High School Hall of Fame.''
The Topeka High student cafeteria was packed for Thursday's Topeka High Sports Hall of Honor induction ceremony. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Dyer, also a member of the Texas Southern Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame, Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame and Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, was part of a star-studded group of inductees that drew a packed house for Thursday's induction ceremonies in the Topeka High student cafeteria.
The inductees will also be recognized during halftime of Friday's home boys basketball game between the Trojans and Hayden. A permanent Hall of Honor display will be placed in the West Hall, adjacent to the THS main gym.
Former Topeka High and Kansas State track and field star JaNelle (Wright) Casson was inducted Thursday as a charter member in Topeka High's Sports Hall of Honor. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Also inducted Thursday were former star athletes Fred Slaughter, Preston Carrington (Syed Mutfi), JaNelle (Wright) Casson, Ruth Fairbank, Mike Torrez, Steve Tilford and Chris Barnes, women's sports pioneer Janet (Steck) Nuzman, legendary coaches Dean Smith, Willie Nicklin and Larry Reid and the 1973 state championship boys basketball team, the 1981 state championship girls basketball team and the Topeka Ramblers.
"Walking in the doors of this building with my own family was not only humbling, but exciting,'' Casson said. "I am so humbled to be part of this prestigious group.''
Topeka High Hall of Honor capsules:
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
The Highland Park Scots, ranked No. 3 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, dominated from start to finish Thursday night on the way to an 111-43 Meadowlark Conference victory over Kansas City-Sumner at Highland Park.
Highland Park junior Ja'Corey Robinson slams down a dunk in Thursday's 111-43 Meadowlark Conference rout over KC-Sumner. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Highland Park junior Mikey Williams scored 20 points Thursday night as the Scots rolled to an 111-43 Meadowlark Conference win. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Scots finally played their first game of 2024 and their first game since Dec. 15th on Thursday.
“Break was amazing, that’s the time where there is no school, no anything just basketball, and that’s exactly what we did,'' Highland Park coach Michael Williams said. "I use the pockets in the season to teach and try to grow my team.
"The tricky thing about our schedule so far is that we have had a lot of practice and no games. There’s an idea going around of the competition we are playing and I think when that comes up people discredit what we're doing behind the scenes. Your games are one aspect and phase of it but not the only phase, so we utilize practice to the most to keep improving.”
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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
The Highland Park girls basketball team, ranked No. 7 in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, started off slow Thursday night with an 18-11 lead over Kansas City-Sumner Academy at the end of the first quarter but woke up to take a 35-17 halftime lead on the way to a dominating 64-23 Meadowlark Conference victory at Hi Park.
Junior Amelia Ramsey scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Highland Park's 64-23 win over Sumner on Thursdday. [File photo/TSN]
The Lady Scots improved to 4-0 in their first action since Dec. 15th and fourth game of the season.
“We haven't played since Dec. 15th and having games cancelled and moved to weather, it was sloppy to start out but we calmed down and picked up are defensive intensity and played smart basketball,” Highland Park coach Rob Brown said.
The Lady Scots were led in scoring by 5-foot-10 freshman Pearmella Carter with 22 points and seven rebounds.
“It was a good game and we were rusty but we loosened up in the second half and took off,” Carter said.
The Lady Scots also got another monster night from 6-0 junior Amelia Ramsey, who finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds and earned her fourth straight double-double.
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
TopSports.news
The Seaman Vikings faced the Basehor-Linwood Bobcats in a United Kansas Conference boys basketbal contest Thursday night in the Vikings' first home game following the winter break.
Sophomore KaeVon Bonner led Seaman with 15 points in Thursday's 56-51 UKC loss to Basehor-Linwood. [File photo/TSN]
In a game where Basehor-Linwood took a sizable lead into halftime, the Vikings chipped away at the lead in the third quarter and were able to take the lead in the final stanza on two different occasions. But the Bobcats fought back in the last three minutes to take the contest, 56-51.
“Our shot selection wasn’t very good, but we were able to get to the free throw line, get some points there and felt okay to be down 11 points at halftime,” Seaman coach Craig Cox said.
The third quarter saw the Vikes slowly get closer to the Bobcats, outscoring them 19-10 in the quarter.
“To their (the Vikes) credit, they really came out and did what we talked about which was to chip away at the lead and get yourself back in the game,'' Cox said. "We did that and continued that momentum into the fourth quarter.”
