By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

NiJaree Canady

NiJAREE CANADY, Topeka High

A junior, Canady pitched a three-hitter with 17 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over Centennial League rival Washburn Rural last Tuesday and followed that up with a two-hit, 11-strikeout performance in a 10-0 second-game win over the Junior Blues while also hitting a home run. Canady added two more pitching wins over Olathe West and Shawnee Mission North and allowed just one earned run on the week while hitting three home runs.

 Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli

TYLER CLARK-CHIAPPARELLI, Washburn University

Clark-Chiapparelli, a sophomore left-fielder, had a big day at the plate as Washburn's baseball team split a doubleheader with Rogers State Sunday to win its second straight MIAA series. Clark-Chiapparelli went 3 for 4 in the opener with a home run, two runs batted, a stolen base and three runs scored and went 3 for 3 in the second game with a three-run homer, a run-scoring double and four RBI.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Emmerson Cope

EMMERSON COPE, Washburn Rural

Cope, a junior, had a big day last Tuesday as Washburn Rural took a 1-0, 8-1 Centennial League softball sweep over defending Class 6A state champion Topeka High. Cope posted a pair of complete-game pitching victories while recording a total of 15 strikeouts. At the plate Cope hit a pair of home runs and two doubles and knocked in four runs in the second game.

Jaycee Ginter

JAYCEE GINTER, Washburn University

Ginter, a sophomore pitcher/outfielder, helped the Ichabod softball team boost its winning streak to 16 straight games with weekend MIAA sweeps over Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State as the Ichabods improved to 36-11. Ginter boosted her pitching record to 23-3 with a pair of wins, including a 5-0 shutout victory over Pittsburg State.  At the plate the former Shawnee Heights star and multi-time state champ had eight hits in the four games with five runs batted in.

Makinsey Jones

MAKINSEY JONES, Topeka West

A junior, Jones posted individual wins in the girls high jump and the triple jump in last Friday's Manhattan Invitational track and field meet. Jones won the high jump with a clearance of 5 foot, 4 inches and won the triple jump at 34-7. Jones is the Shawnee County leader in both events this spring.

Tanner Newkirk

TANNER NEWKIRK, Hayden

A senior, Newkirk broke the Hayden school record in the boys 1,600-meter run in last Wednesday's Little KU track and field meet at Lawrence, clocking a winning time of 4 minutes, 14.43 seconds. Newkirk also posted a second-place finish in the 800 meters, running a Shawnee County-best time of 1:57.99. Newkirk is the boys Shawnee County leader in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.

Kinsey Perine

KINSEY PERINE, Rossville

Perine, a sophomore, hit three home runs in last Monday's 10-1, 9-8 doubleheader softball sweep over rival Silver Lake. Perine accounted for three of the Bulldawgs' six total homers on the day and also added a double for Rossville. The Bulldawgs finished the week with a sweep over St. Marys, improving to 12-0 on the season. 

 Alex Valdivia

ALEX VALDIVIA, Shawnee Heights

A junior, Valdivia captured the individual championship in last Monday's United Kansas Conference tournament at Lake Shawnee, carding an 18-hole score of 69. Valdivia led the way as Shawnee Heights won the team championship by a 18-stroke margin over runner-up De Soto. Valdivia is a returning All-Shawnee County pick and Class 5A individual state medalist.

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Audrey Appuhn

AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural

Appuhn, a freshman girls swimming standout, was a part of three victories in last week's Topeka West Invitational, helping lead Washburn Rural to the team championship. Appuhn won the 200-yard freestyle (2:01.90) and the 500 free (5:23.61) and also swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley relay (2:01.14).

Alesecio Batson

ALESECIO BATSON, Topeka West

Batson, a sophomore track and field standout, posted a third-place finish in the boys triple jump in last Friday's Kansas Relays at Lawrence, jumping a career-best 46 feet, 10.50 inches in the meet.

Natalie Hillebert

NATALIE HILLEBERT, Hayden

Hillebert, a junior track standout, ran a 58.65-second 400-meter dash in last Friday's Kansas Relays preliminaries, breaking a Hayden school record that had stood since 1986. HIllebert, a returning Class 4A state placer, went on to finish seventh in Saturday's final of the 400. 

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

NiJaree Canady

NiJAREE CANADY, Topeka High

A junior, Canady picked up the pitching wins in both ends of Friday's 6-3, 10-1 doubleheader softball sweep over Seaman, throwing a four-hitter and striking out 13 in the opener and combining with sophomore Quincy Smith for a four-hitter in the second game. Canady pitched the first five innings in the second game, allowing four hits and a run while striking out seven.

Zoe Caryl

ZOE CARYL, Topeka High

Caryl, a senior catcher, had another big day at the plate for 8-0 Topeka High last Friday, going 4 of 5 with three home runs, a triple and seven runs batted in as the Trojans took a 6-3, 10-1 doubleheader sweep over Centennial League rival Seaman. Caryl, an Illinois signee, had a triple and a two-run homer in the opener against the Vikings and hit two-run and three-run homers in the nightcap.

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Dagen Brewer 

DAGEN BREWER, Seaman

A senior catcher/infielder, Brewer had a big day in last Friday's 14-1, 12-1 Centennial League doubleheader baseball sweep over Topeka High at Hummer Sports Park. Brewer homered in both games and went 4 of 4 at the plate with two doubles and five runs batted in for the Vikings in the nightcap as Seaman improved to 6-1 on the season.

 Taryn Burkhardt

TARYN BURKHARDT, Silver Lake

Burkhardt, a senior, went 8 for 8 at the plate in last Monday's 11-1, 14-2 non-league doubleheader softball sweep at Hayden. Burkhardt contributed a triple and a pair of doubles while scoring four runs and knocking in three runs on the day for the Eagles, who finished second in the Class 3A state tournament last spring.

Adisyn Caryl

ADISYN CARYL, Topeka High

A junior infielder, Caryl helped Topeka High remain unbeaten with a 2-1, 9-5 Centennial League softball sweep over Manhattan last Monday at Hummer Sports Park. Caryl was credited with a double and an inside-the-park home run in the second game as the defending Class 6A state champions pushed their winning streak to 31 straight games dating back to last season. 

Jaycee Ginter

JAYCEE GINTER, Washburn University

Ginter, a sophomore pitcher/outfielder, helped the Ichabod softball team boost its winning streak to 12 straight games with weekend MIAA sweeps at Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney. Ginter boosted her pitching record to 21-3 with a pair of wins, including a 1-hitter and a 4-hitter, and also recorded a save while recording 23 strikeouts in her three appearances. At the plate the former Shawnee Heights star hit two-run home runs against Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney.

Zach Sulzen-Watson

ZACH SULZEN-WATSON, Washburn Rural

A senior thrower, Sulzen-Watson continues his hot start to the 2022 track and field season with two more individual wins in last Friday's Olathe Invitational. Sulzen-Watson recorded personal-bests in both the shot put and discus en route to decisive wins in both events. Sulzen-Watson won the discus title by more than 14 feet with a throw of 172 feet, 10 inches and took the win in the shot put by more than two feet with a winning effort of 54-5.50.

Avery Walz

AVERY WALZ, Seaman

Walz, a sophomore swimming standout, won three gold medals in last Wednesday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, including a pair of individual victories. Walz won the 100-yard freestyle in 54.52 seconds and the 100 backstroke in 1:02.48 and also swam on the Vikings' winning 400 free relay (2:45.29).

 By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Ian Cusick

IAN CUSICK, Topeka West

A senior, Cusick teamed with his twin brother, Miles, to win the doubles championship in Saturday's John Markham Spring Classic tennis tournament at Goddard, with the Cusicks leading the Chargers to their third straight team championship this spring. The Cusicks, defending Class 5A state doubles champions, went 5-0 in the tournament, capped by an 8-1 win over Derby's Isaak Bowman and Hayden Carrillo in the title match.

 Miles Cusick

MILES CUSICK, Topeka West

Cusick, a senior, teamed with twin brother Ian to win the doubles championship in Saturday's John Markham Spring Classic at Goddard, leading the Chargers to their third straight team championship this spring. The Cusicks, defending Class 5A state doubles champions, went 5-0 in the tournament, capped by an 8-1 win over Derby's Isaak Bowman and Hayden Carrillo in the title match.

Jackson Esquibel

JACKSON ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights

A junior, Esquibel set Shawnee Heights school records in both the boys 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in Friday's Lansing Invitational track and field meet. A Class 5A state medalist in both track and cross country, Esquibel won the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 23.37 seconds and finished second in the 3,200 in 9:31.56. Esquibel eclipsed the previous school record of 4:24.09 in  the 1,600 and the previous record of 9:31.9, set 34 seasons ago, in the 3,200.  

by Rick Peterson
Top Sports News

 Levi Braun

LEVI BRAUN, Washburn University

Braun, a 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman, turned in the biggest week of his Washburn career, scoring 34 points in two wins while canning 11 of 15 3-pointers. Braun had 19 points and 6 3s against Missouri Southern and 15 points on 5 3s against Pittsburg State.

by Rick Peterson
Top Sports News

JALEY BARKLEY, Cair Paravel Latin

A junior, Barkley scored 20 points, with 3 3-pointers and a 7 of 9 performance at the free throw line, as Cair Paravel took a 46-40 road win at Olathe Heritage Christian to improve to 3-2 on the season.

MARANDA BELL, Shawnee Heights

A junior, Bell won the 191-pound championship at Saturday's Blue Valley Southwest Invitational, recording four straight pins. Ranked No. 2 in Division I, Bell improved to improve to 12-0 this season with 12 pins.