Cair Paravel Lions
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County teams didn't necessarily get the day they were looking for in Saturday's state cross country meets, but 10 county runners earned state medals and a pair of teams narrowly missed top-three finishes.
Here's a look at Shawnee County's state highlights.
Tanner Newkirk finished third in the Class 4A state cross country meet, earning his fourth state medal. [File photo/TSN]
-- Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk came up short in his bid for a second straight Class 4A boys state title, but Newkirk posted a county best third-place finish in a five-kilometer time of 16 minutes, 24.3 seconds at Wamego Country Club.
Newkirk earned his fourth straight 4A state medal and posted his third top-three finish, previously finishing second as a sophomore and first as a junior
Newkirk led Hayden to a sixth-place team finish.
-- Washburn Rural placed fourth as a team in Saturday's 6A girls race at the 4-Mile Creek Resort, with three Junior Blues earning state medals.
Junior Madeline Carter placed seventh individually in 18:35.2, while senior Khloi Bird was 14th (10:15.5) and freshman Payton Fink 19th (19:35.4).
Carter earned an eighth-place state medal as a sophomore.
Washburn Rural's Madeline Carter (left), Khloi Bird and Payton Fink all earned medals in the 6A state meet, led by Madeline Carter (left), who placed seventh. [File photo/TSN]
Rural senior boys standout Alex Holmes placed 13th in the 6A boys race (16:13.3), leading the Junior Blues to an eighth-place team finish.
Seaman junior Bethany Druse finished sixth in the 5A state girls meet, leading the VIkings to a fourth-place team finish. [File photo /TSN]
-- Seaman junior Bethany Druse posted a sixth-place individual finish in 19:10.4 as the Vikings finished fourth as a team in the 5A girls meet at 4-Mile Creek Resort.
Druse posted a second straight top-10 state finish, taking ninth as a sophomore.
-- Cair Paravel's girls earned a pair of state medals en route to a fifth-place team finish in the 1A state meet at Victoria.
Freshman Zahra Lewis earned a ninth-place finish in 21:29.0 while sophomore Katherine Keys placed 19th in 21:48.0.
The Cair Paravel boys also advanced to state as a team, finishing seventh.
-- Shawnee Heights sophomore Jackson Esquibel and junior Kory Sutton both posted top-20 state finishes in Saturday's 5A boys meet.
Esquibel finished 13th in 16:27.4 while Sutton was 20th in 16:38.9 as Heights finished seventh as a team.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural's girls have put together a banner 2021 cross country season, and an even more impressive October.
On Saturday at the 4 Mile Creek Resort in Augusta, the Junior Blues will be aiming to end the year with a bang in the Class 6A state meet.
Rural's girls have been on a roll, including a sweep of city, Centennial League and regional team titles and four straight 1-2-3 individual finishes from junior Madeline Carter, senior Khloi Bird and freshman Payton Fink.
But Rural faces an even bigger challege on Saturday in the 12 p.m. 6A girls race, but coach Matt Swedlund believes his Junior Blues are up to the task and can challege for a top-three team finish.
"Olathe West is a very good team,'' Swedlund said. "On paper it is hard to find a way to beat them. Of course, the race isn't run on paper; we always approach races knowing everyone is beatable. Olathe North, Blue Valley Northwest and Manhattan are all good teams. We believe we will be competitive with these schools in the battle for a podium spot.
"There are several very good teams in 6A and we are one of them. Our girls have had a lot of success over the past five weeks but the competition at the state meet is obviously “next level.” We are prepared and ready to run our best race. I believe if we do that, we’ll give ourselves a great chance to be on the podium.''
Washburn Rural's Madeline Carter (left), Khloi Bird and Payton Fink have posted a 1-2-3 individual finish in four straight meets entering Saturday's state meet. [File photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Carter also ranks as a top contender individually after putting together a string of individual wins this fall and earning an eighth- place finish in the 2020 state meet.
"Madeline has really been running strong this season, which is giving her a ton of confidence going into the state meet,'' Swedlund said. "She is going to go out and put herself and her team in the best possible position to be successful.''
Washburn Rural also qualified as a team for the 10:40 a.m. 6A boys race, finishing third in last week's 6A regional meet at Milford State Park as senior Alex Holmes finished third individually and sophomore John Hayden Keller sixth to pace the Junior Bljues.
Topeka High junior Michael Christopher earned a state berth as an individual with a 21st-place finish.
NEWKIRK LOOKING TO REPEAT IN 4A
Hayden senior star Tanner Newkirk will be looking for a fouth straight state medal and a second straight title in Saturday's 11:20 a.m. 4A boys race at Wamego Country Club.
Newkirk is coming off a dominating win in last week's 4A regional meet at the Kanza Park Course, winning by 54 seconds in a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 16.67 seconds to lead Hayden to a second-place team finish and a state team berth.
Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk posted a 54-second win in last Saturday's Class 4A regional cross country meet and will be looking to win a second straight state title on Saturday. [File photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I think I'm in my best shape of the season and the work has obviously paid off,'' Newkirk said after his regional win. "(Saturday) I felt really good and I was able to come out here and do really well.''
Now Newkirk will be looking for another big day in his final state meet.
"I'm really excited, I'm ecstatic,'' he said. "I'm looking to maybe set the course record and just run a really fast last cross country race.''
Sophomore Aiden Amis added an eighth-place individual finish for the Wildcats at regionals while senior Ryan Rochford narrowly missed a top-10 finish, taking 12th.
Hayden also qualified its girls team for state with a third-place regional finish, led by freshman Elliot Wrench's runner-up individual finish.
The Wildcats also got a 10th-place finish from sophomore Elaina Wolff.
The 4A girls race is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.
Hayden is one of the most successful cross country programs in 4A history, with the Wildcat girls winning seven state team titles and the Hayden boys winning five state championships. Hayden's boys also won a 3A title.
SEAMAN GIRLS, T-BIRD DUO CHASING TOP 5A FINISHES
Coming off strong regional performances last week at the Kanza Park course, Seaman's girls team and Shawnee Heights boys standouts Kory Sutton and Jackson Esquibel lead the city contingent into Saturday's state meet at 4 Mile Creek Resort.
Rick Brading's Seaman girls have been strong all season and are coming off a perfect team score at regionals en route to a 15-77 win over Leavenworth.
Junior Bethany Druse, ninth at state as a sophomore, led the way for the Vikings with a runner-up individual finish while freshmen Joslynn Grace and Stella Appelhanz finished third and fourth followed by senior Emma Schultz in fifth and freshman Anna Becker in sixth to round ouf Seaman's top five.
Now the Vikings will be shooting for a top-three finish at state.
"We think we've got a shot at a trophy,'' Brading said. "That's where we feel like we're at. I think you've got Mill Valley and Aquinas and St. James and us and St. James are very similar. It will be exciting.''
Seaman junior Bethany Druse finished second individually as the Vikings posted a perfect team score in last Saturday's Class 5A regional meet. [File photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior Kory Sutton (right) and T-Bird sophomore Jackson Esquibel are coming off a 1-2 Class 5A regional finish entering Saturday's state meet. [File photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights' Sutton, a junior, and Esquibel, a sophomore, appear to be strong contenders for high state finishes in the boys race after going 1-2 at regionals to lead the T-Birds to a second-place team finish.
Heights also got an 11th-place finish from junior Andrew Emerson.
Seaman's boys earned the final team berth for state with a third-place finish.
Senior standout Jace Moore led the Vikings, finishing fourth individually, while Seaman used a pack finish of 13-14-15-16 to earn its team berth.
Topeka West had a pair of individual state qualifiers, with senior Anna Phelps placing 10th in the girls race while senior Louis Wilson finished eighth in the boys race.
The 5A girls race is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, with the boys race set for 11:20 a.m.
LIONS SENDING BOYS, GIRLS TEAMS TO 1A STATE
Cair Paravel Latin will be represented by both its boys and girls teams in Saturday's 1A state meet at the Sand Plum Nature Trail in Victoria.
The Lion boys qualified for state with a third-place regional finish at Centrailia, just six points out of first, while Cair Paravel's girls also finished third at regionals.
Junior Jonah Eckert and senior Blake Reynolds placed 10th and 11th for the Cair Paravel boys at regionals while senior Zach Clark finished 16th.
Freshman Zahra Lewis finished 10th to lead the Cair Paravel girls while sophomore Katherine Keys placed 14th and senior Jaley Barkley 19th.
The 1A boys race is set for a 10:40 a.m. start, with the girls to follow at noon.
FOSTER, TENEYCK EARN 3A STATE BERTHS
Rossville junior Amelia Foster and Silver Lake senior Cameron TenEyck earned individual state berths for Saturday's 3A state meet at Wamego Country Club out of the highly-competitive Sabetha regional.
TenEyck, who placed sixth at state a year ago, posted a third-place individual finist at regionals while Foster punched her ticket to the state meet with an eighth-place finish regional finish.
The 3A boys is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. Saturday, with the girls race to follow at noon.
SHAWNEE COUNTY STATE XC QUALIFIERS
Class 6A
Topeka High -- Boys: Michael Christopher, jr.
Washburn Rural -- Girls: Khloi Bird, sr.; Madeline Carter, jr.;Payton Fink, fr.; Christine Gutierrez, jr.; Rylee Ismert, fr.; Sydney Laster, so.; Brooklyn Nolte, fr. Boys: Easton Dial, jr.; Grayson Fink, jr.; Spencer Haddock, sr.; Alex Holmes, sr.; Davin Johnson, jr.; John Hayden Keller, so.; Ishaan Patel, sr.
Class 5A
Seaman -- Girls: Stella Appelhanz, fr.; Anna Becker, fr.; Bethany Druse, jr.; Joslynn Grace, fr.; Brooke Polter, so.; Emma Schultz, sr.; Leah Spurlock, so. Boys: Anson Appelhanz, sr.; Ryan Buckley, sr.; Zach Jowers, jr.; Jace Moore, sr.; Alexander Newell, fr.; Landon Stuke, jr.; Adrian Swaim, so.
Shawnee Heights -- Boys: Stephen Carter, fr.; Mason Deitcher, so.; Andrew Emerson, jr.; Jackson Esquibel, so.; Alex Lehmann, sr.; Landon Staniec, so.; Kory Sutton, jr.
Topeka West -- Girls: Anna Phelps, sr. Boys: Louis Wilson, sr.
Class 4A
Hayden -- Girls: Catherine Doyle, jr.; Hayden Haas, jr.; Ryann Newkirk, fr.; Riley Schmidtlein, sr.; Elaina Wolff, so.; Elliot Wrench, fr. Boys: Aiden Amis, so.; Nick Lloyd, jr.; Zach Moore, so.; Jake Muller, jr.; Tanner Newkirk, sr.; Nick Padilla, sr.; Ryan Rochford, sr.
Class 3A
Rossville -- Girls: Amelia Foster, jr.
Silver Lake -- Boys: Cameron TenEyck, sr.
Class 1A
Cair Paravel Latin -- Girls: Jaley Barkley, sr.; Amelia Bowling, so.; Katherine Keys, so.; Zahra Lewis, fr.; Cecilia Richards, fr. Boys: Jacob Bowling, sr.; Zach Clark, sr.; Jonah Eckert, jr.; James Keys, sr.; Bryson Leon, fr.; Blake Reynolds, sr.; Nathan Walker, sr.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's always a challenge to make the jump from high school to college athletics, and making the leap from a Class 1A school to the NCAA Division II ranks can be an even more formidable task.
But it's one that former Cair Paravel Latin standout Hannah Woolery has seemingly handled with ease, becoming a key player for Emporia State's women's soccer team from the time she stepped on campus in 2019 and helping lead the Lady Hornets to a 14-1-1 record and No. 11 national ranking this fall.
"I think any transition is going to be difficult, especially the physicality of it and just the speed of play, but I had played for Bryan (Sailer, ESU coach) before so I kind of knew what I was getting into and just the team atmosphere, you catch on pretty quick,'' Woolery said.
Emporia State soccer standout Hannah Woolery (10), a Cair Paravel Latin graduate, has helped the Hornets post a 14-1-1 record this fall while earning a No. 11 national ranking. [Photo courtesy of ESU Photography]
A midfielder, Woolery started all 17 games for the Hornets as a true freshman, scoring four goals and dishing out six assists en route to earning All-MIAA honorable mention.
After having the 2020 fall season wiped out by COVID-19, Woolery and ESU turned in a strong abbreviated spring season and picked up right where they left off this fall, with Woolery contributing eight goals and six assists this season, including a goal and two assists in Sunday's 4-3 double-overtime win over Central Missouri.
"I think last year was definitely the most mentally difficult year we've had because we still prepared like we were going to have a season and then we came in and there was no season,'' Woolery said. "It just kept getting postponed so we were practicing, we were doing all the conditioning and the fitness tests, but we didn't have the reward of actually playing a game.
"That made it very difficult but thankfully in the spring we got kind of a shortened season and that was just a small glimpse of what it was going to turn into in the fall, so I was very grateful for that.''
Former Cair Paravel Latin soccer standout Hannah Woolery has scored eight goals and contributed six assists for Emporia State's 14-1-1 soccer team this fall. [Photo courtesy of ESU Photography]
Woolery, who also played basketball and volleyball for Cair Paravel as well as club soccer for Sporting Kaw Valley, said that the uncertainty of '20-'21 served as motivation for her and her teammates.
"It just kind of made us thirsty for more and the fact that we were going to have a full season we just wanted to keep growing and keep pushing and see how far we really could go, especially since we had everybody coming back,'' she said.
"I would say that we are growing as a team and there is still room for improvement but I think as a team we're really happy with where we are right now.''
Emporia State will take on Washburn at Yager Stadium Friday (6 p.m.) before closing out the regular season Sunday at Nebraska-Kearney and Woolery said the goal for the Hornets now is to close out the season with a bang.
"We have made it the furthest in ESU history and we're still capable of a lot but I don't want to overstep anything by saying how we're going to finish,'' Woolery said.
"I just think we need to keep working hard and keep pushing and just challenge ourselves to grow and finish the season strong.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
When Monday's Class 4A-1A regional opener between Hayden and Cair Paravel Latin went to penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, Hayden standout senior goalkeeper Gabe Rankey knew he was going to end the day either feeling really good or really, really bad.
As it turned out Rankey was wearing a big smile after the Wildcats outscored the Lions 4-1 in PKs to escape with a 1-0 victory at Hayden.
"It was pretty fun that we won,'' Rankey said. "If we lost it would have been probably the worst experience of my life.''
With the victory Hayden, now 12-5-0 on the season, advanced to Thursday's regional final to host the winner of Tuesday's game between Independence and Berean Academy while Cair Paravel ended its season 4-10-1.
Hayden's Camden Schrickel (right) and Cair Paravel's Joe Havens get tangled up while trying to control the ball in Monday's Class 4A-1A soccer regional at Hayden. The Wildcats won 1-0 in penalty kicks. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden had numerous scoring opportunities throughout the contest, but Cair Paravel goalkeeper Jacob Hershberger turned in an oustanding performance to give his team a chance, keeping the Wildcats off the scoreboard through 80 minutes of regulation, plus two 10-minute overtime periods and two five-minute OT sessions to send the game to PKs.
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Rossville's football team wrapped up a perfect 2021 regular season and extended its winning streak to 21 straight games dating back to 2019 with a 51-6 romp past Mission Valley Friday night.
The 8-0 Bulldawgs opened up a 14-0 first-quarter advantage and went on to build an insurmountable 38-0 lead at the half before taking a 45-0 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Corey Catron
Bulldawg senior Corey Catron scored on 8 and 54-yard runs and also threw for a pair of touchdowns -- 5 yards to Kaden Brown and 21 yards to Kade Perine.
Rossville also got 1 and 4-yard TD runs from Trenton Barker and a 40-yard score from Tayson Horak.
Pedro Arantes kicked a 29-yard field goal and six extra points.
Rossville will begin defense of its Class 2A state title with a Friday night home game against Republic County (3-4).
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 56, WICHITA LIFE PREP 6 -- Cair Paravel Latin improved to 8-0 with a 56-6 road romp past Life Prep, putting the game away with 56 points in the first half.
Cair Paravel senior quarterback Carter Brian completed all five of his pass attempts for 186 yards and four touchdowns.
Carter Brian
Junior Jachin Bonura caught three passes for 112 yards and two TDs while senior Noah Hastert caught two passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns.
Cair Paravel will host Manhattan Christian at Highland Park Friday night.
HAYDEN 31, BISHOP WARD 28 -- Hayden wrapped up the Class 3A District 3 title with its sixth straight victory, improving to 7-1 overall with a 31-28 win over Bishop Ward.
The Wildcats played without injured senior standout Jack Chisham, but got key contributions from JC Cummings, TL Thompson and quarterback Gavin Arnold in the win.
Hayden led 19-7 at the half and went up 25-7 and 31-14 before the Cyclones mounted a late comeback.
Cummings scored three touchdowns on the night while Thompson also had a TD.
Hayden will open the 3A playoffs at home Friday against Hiawatha (4-4).
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A 14-2-0 regular-season record is impressive enough, but the way Shawnee Heights' boys soccer team has achieved that mark is even more impressive.
Fighting injuries, illness and the like, Heights coach Nic Simons has waited all season for his T-Birds to be at full strength, but Simons couldn't be prouder of how the team has handled each and every challenge heading into Tuesday's 6 p.m. Class 5A regional contest at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
"We have not had all 11 starting players out on the field at the same time, not one game,'' Simons said after last Thursday's 3-1 win over Manhattan. "But everybody on the team has played minutes and everybody on the team has picked each other up and we've gotten goals from sophomores all the way up through seniors and from kids who play relatively little minutes to kids that play the whole game.''
Nic Simons and his 14-2-0 Shawnee Heights soccer team will open Class 5A postseason Tuesday night at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior Jordan Garvin is a top player for Shawnee Heights, which will open 5A postseason Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
After dropping a 5-1 decision to 15-0-0 Washburn Rural to open the season, the only other blemish on the United Kansas Conference-champion T-Birds' record is a double-overtime loss to De Soto.
"It's just been nothing but incredible,'' Simons said of Heights' success. "What a testament to these kids, they're wonderful.''
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Cair Paravel Latin continued its perfect 2021 football season Friday night, improving to 7-0 with a 54-12 romp past Cornerstone Family.
The Lions took control with a 24-point first quarter and led 24-0 at the half before taking a 32-0 lead in the third quarter.
Cair Paravel scored its final 22 points in the fourth quarter while Cornerstone scored all 12 of its points in the final period.
Carter Brian
Cair Paravel senior quarterback Carter Brian completed 12 of 17 passes for 198 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for 33 yards and two TDs.
Sophomore Simon Everhart caught two passes for 65 yards and two TDs while senior Noah Hastert caught six passes for 34 yards and a score and sophomore Evan Will caught three passes for 51 yards and a TD.
Sophomore Ian Brian led the Lions with 11 tackles while sophomore Noah Collins was in on 10 stops.
Cair Paravel will travel to Wichita Life Prep on friday.
HAYDEN 46, PERRY-LECOMPTON 18 -- Hayden improved to 6-1 on the season, avenging a playoff loss to Perry-Lecompton in 2020 with a 46-18 Class 3A district road win over the Kaws Friday night.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In Week 4 of the 2021 high school football season Washburn Rural came painfully close to knocking off traditional Centennial League power Junction City on the Blue Jays' home field, dropping an 18-17 heartbreaker.
The Junior Blues were back on the road Friday to take on another league heavyweight and this time Washburn Rural closed the deal, handing Manhattan is first defeat of the season, 21-14.
Washburn Rural never trailed against the Indians, taking 7-0 and 14-7 leads before Manhattan answered to force a pair of ties.
The Junior Blues broke the tie on a 1-yard fourth-quarter touchdown from sophomore quarterback Branton DeWeese and the Rural defense threw a second-half shutout to close out the victory, coming up with three second-half pass interceptions.
Now 5-1 on the season and 4-1 in the league, Washburn Rural put itself in a position to gain at least a share of the league championship. Rural, Manhattan and Junction City all currently have one league loss with two regular-season games remaining.
Washburn Rural will host Highland Park on Friday before hosting Seaman in its regular-season finale.
DeWeese hit senior Robby Bolin for a 38-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring in addition to his game-winning score while senior Ma’kenttis Adams had a 100-yard rushing night, including a 5-yard score and Bolin caught six passes for 86 yards.
Robby Bolin
Ty Weber
Bolin, Connor Conklin and Landon MacEwan all picked off passes for Rural, while JC Heim and Ty Weber also came up with big plays defensively.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 21, DE SOTO 20 -- Shawnee Heights was stung by three straight losses by a total of 11 points to start the season, but the T-Birds turned the tables Friday night, getting a tough one-point road win over traditional 5A power De Soto.
The T-Birds have now won two of their past three games to improve to 2-4.
"These kids never quit believing in themselves and have been resilient all season. A special victory for the TBIRDS!'' veteran Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift posted on Twitter.
Jarin Sanders
Senior running back Jarin Sanders and senior quarterback Callan Carver both had big nights for Shawnee Heights, while Jaxon Correll went 3 for 3 on extra-point attempts, including the difference-maker.
Sanders rushed for 155 yards on 31 carries while Carver rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and completed 10 of 19 pass attempts for 140 yards, including TD passes to Sanders and senior Carter Olson. Olson had two receptions for 66 yards.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After an injury-riddled spring track season, Hayden senior Tanner Newkirk has been back in his happy place this fall, getting past his injuries and preparing himself for his Class 4A state cross country title defense.
Newkirk took a step in that direction Saturday at the Kanza Park Course, capturing his second straight city boys title with a dominating performance while helping the Wildcats to a solid second-place team finish behind Washburn Rural.
Newkirk clocked a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 22.0 seconds in the city meet, winning by nearly 20 seconds over Shawnee Heights junior standout Kory Sutton (15:41.8).
Hayden senior star Tanner Newkirk (1699) and Shawnee Heights junior Kory Sutton lead the pack early in Saturday's city cross country meet. Newkirk captured his second straight city title while Sutton finished second. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Newkirk has been dealing with a respiratory issue in recent weeks, but is just happy to be rounding back into form after missing the 2020 state track meet with an injury.
"In terms of injuries and everything I feel great, which is awesome,'' Newkirk said. "I obviously had a solid race here today and I'm happy for my teammates as well because I saw some really big (personal records) out here today.
"Today I just wanted to get the win and try to do all I can to help the team.''
Senior Alex Holmes finished fourth (16:51.1) to pace four Washburn Rural runners in the top 12 individually and five in the top 18 as the Junior Blues topped Hayden by a 47-60 margin.
Sophomore Hayden Keller placed sixth for Rural (16:47.2) while senior Spencer Haddock was seventh (16:56.7), junior Davin Johnson 12th (17:16.3) and junior Grayson Fink 18th (17:37.9) for the Junior Blues.
Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund said he is pleased with how his Junior Blues are coming together as a team.
"This is kind of what I anticipated,'' Swedlund said. "Alex Holmes was out early (offseason surgery) and our focus this entire year has been October.
"We think we can pull things together in October and make it interesting.''
Runner-up Hayden also got a top-10 finish from sophomore Aiden Amis (10th in 17:13.3) while senior Ryan Rochford was 14th (17:22.1), junior Jake Muller 15th (17:26.6) and junior Nick Lloyd 20th (17:44.1) to round out the Wildcats' top five runners.
Shawnee Heights and Seaman finished a close third and fourth in the team race, with sophomore Jackson Esquibel finishing third (16:06.4) and junior Andrew Emerson eighth (17:11.3) for the T-Birds and senior Jace Moore leading Seaman with a fifth-place finish (16:40.8).
Topeka West senior Louis Wilson placed ninth (17:12.6) to lead the Chargers while Topeka High junior Michael Christopher narrowly missed a top-10 finish, taking 11th (17:15.6).
CITY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the second straight week, Washburn Rural's girls cross country team posted a 1-2-3 individual finish and for the second straight week that was enough to enable the Junior Blues to edge Seaman for a team champioship.
After taking a close win over the Vikings in last week's Seaman Invitational, Rural and Seaman also waged a tight battle in Saturday's city championships at the Kanza Park Course, with the Junior Blues taking the city title by a 24-33 margin.
Junior Madeline Carter was the ring leader for the Junior Blues, repeating as the city individual champion in a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 14.9 seconds, while senior Khloi Bird finished second in 18:29.1 and freshman Payton Fink was third in 18:42.3.
"You can't complain about that,'' Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund said. "We were very happy.
"We knew it was going to be a battle and you couldn't just show up and expect to win today. You were going to have to run a good race.''
Washburn Rural's Madeline Carter (left), Khloi Bird and Payton Fink set the pace in Saturday's city cross country meet en route to a 1-2-3 finish. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Sydney Laster finished eighth for the Junior Blues (20:11.6) while freshman Rylee Ismert was 10th (20:26.0) to round out Washburn Rural's top five.
"That's the goal,'' Swedlund said. "We're working on making sure our 4 and 5 are not far behind.''
Carter ran with her teammates, Bird and Fink, and Seaman's Bethany Druse early on before pulling away as the race went on.
"I was definitely feeling the nerves this morning because it's been a goal of mine all season to come back and defend, so it was really good to get that and I'm feeling good about the work I put in,'' Carter said.
Druse, a junior, finished fourth individually (18:48.7) to lead runner-up Seaman, while freshman Joslynn Grace was fifth (19:39.0), senior Emma Schultz sixth (19:50.8), freshman Stella Appelhanz seventh (19:58.4), freshman Anna Becker 11th (20:42.9) and junior Leah Spurlock 12th (20:47.9) for the Vikings.
Hayden freshman Elliot Wrench led the Wildcats to a third-place team finish, taking ninth (20:19.6).
CITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Tylan Alejos
TYLAN ALEJOS, Topeka High
Alejos, a senior running back, ran for 400 yards and eight touchdowns on 27 carries in Topeka High's 70-42 Centennial League victory over Highland Park last Friday at Hummer Sports Park. Alejos scored on runs of 32, 21, 4, 6, 71, 51, 31 and 21 yards as the Trojans improved to 2-3 on the season.
Carter Brian
CARTER BRIAN, Cair Paravel Latin
A senior quarterback, Brian completed 14 of 19 passes for 236 yards and six touchdowns as Cair Paravel improved to 5-0 with a 54-8 victory over previously-unbeaten St. Mary's Academy last Friday at Highland Park. Brian completed TD passes of 17, 54, 16, 27, 10 and 8 yards to four different receivers in the win.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Individual champion Madeline Carter led a 1-2-3 Washburn Rural finish Saturday morning at Shawnee North Community Park as the Junior Blues edged host Seaman for the team championship in the Seaman Invitational.
A junior, Carter posted a winning five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 07.65 seconds, while Rural senior Khloi Bird was second in 19:28.03 and freshman Payton Fink placed third in 19:42.32 while sophomore Sydney Laster was 10th in 20:42.53 and freshman Rylee Ismert was 13th in 21:31.48 to round out the Junior Blues' top five.
"We work hard during practice and we just use that hard work and it pays off in a race, so it's really fun to see it work,'' Carter said.
Washburn Rural's Madeline Carter, Khloi Bird and Payton Fink went 1-2-3 in Saturday's Seaman Invitational to lead the Junior Blues to the team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Carter, who notched her second individual win this fall, said Saturday's meet was good preparation for the upcoming stretch of city, Centennial League, regional and state competition.
"I was really using this meet to see how I would match up in city, so it's great to see that I'm doing good and our team's doing good as well,'' she said.
Junior Bethany Druse paced Seaman with a fourth-place individual finish (20:14.94) while the Vikings also got top-10 finishes from freshman Joslyn Grace (sixth in 20:17.86), freshman Anna Becker (seventh in 20:29.30) and senior Emma Schultz (ninth in 20:31.93).
Seaman coach Rick Brading said he was pleased with the Vikings' performance on Saturday.
"We're trying to figure out a way to race the middle of the race and they did for the most part today, so I thought it was a good day,'' Brading said.
Cair Paravel Latin finished fifth as a team, led by Katherine Keys' 28th-place finish (23:19.20).
The city meet is on tap on Saturday at the Kanza Park Course, with varsity competition getting under way at 9 a.m.
SEAMAN INVITATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
Girls
Team scores
Washburn Rural 29, Seaman 37, Lawrence 65, Leavenworth 110, Cair Paravel 140.
Individual results
1. Carter, Washburn Rural, 19:07.65; 2. Bird, Washburn Rural, 19:28.03; 3. Fink, Washburn Rural, 19:42.32; 4. Druse, Seaman, 20:14.94; 5. Hardy, Lawrence, 20:16.67; 6. J. Grace, Seaman, 20:17.86; 7. Becker, Seaman, 20:29.30; 8. Kennedy, Lawrence, 20:30.78; 9. Schultz, Seaman, 20:31.93; 10. Laster, Washburn Rural, 20:42.53.
Other Washburn Rural -- 13. Ismert, 21:31.48; 15. Gutierrez, 21:37.68; 21. Nolte, 22:18.29.
Other Seaman -- 14. Sampson, 21:32.34; 17. Polter, 21:44.33; 22. Spencer 22:19.19; 23. G. Grace, 22:53.34.
Cair Paravel -- 28. Keys, 23:19.20; 31. Barkley, 23:50.00; 35. Lewis, 24:29.34; 42. Bowling, 32:56.97; 43. Richards, 34:41.68.
Topeka High -- 32. Zuniga, 23:58.94; 40. Cabral, 26:59.33; 41. Ludlum, 27:55.55.
Shawnee Heights -- 37. Liedtke, 24:33.64; 38. Marney, 24:46.51.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights junior cross country standout Kory Sutton hadn't been particularly pleased with his last couple of races, but Sutton was back on top of his game in Saturday's Seaman Invitational at Shawnee North Community Park, leading a 1-2 T-Bird finish in the boys race.
Shawnee Heights junior Kory Sutton and T-Bird sophomore Jackson Esquibel lead the pack in Saturday's Seaman Invitational boys cross country race. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sutton clocked a five-kilometer time of 16 minutes, 15.31 seconds while his sophomore teammate, Jackson Esquibel finished second 16:22.72.
"Last week I felt like I started off good and didn't quite finish how I wanted to and didn't keep it going,'' Sutton said. "I've had a rough couple of weeks and didn't perform how I wanted, but coming back here definitely helped me build back up my confidence and get back in my groove.
"I was feeling good at the end of the race and I felt like kept it up throughout the whole thing and stayed out of my head. I just ran like I knew I could.''
Sutton said that was important entering the biggest meets of the season.
"It's time for the big meets and it's getting down to the nitty gritty,'' he said.
Sutton and Esquibel have been one of the area's best 1-2 punches and showed that again in Saturday's race.
"It's really fun,'' Sutton said. "We can always work together in workouts and then when we come out here we know we can pace off each other and know where we should be.''
While Shawnee Heights stole the show individually, Washburn Rural was the star of the show as a team, winning the team championship by a 49-63 margin over Seaman and Shawnee Heights.
Senior Alex Holmes paced the Junior Blues with a fourth-place finish in 16:32.74 while the Junior Blues also got a sixth-place finish from sophomore Hayden Keller (17:01.05).
Junior Grayson Fink (17:54.53), junior Easton Dial (17:56.60) and junior Davin Johnson (18:03.93) went 13-14-15 to round out Washburn Rural's top five runners.
Senior Jace Moore finished fifth individually (16:53.42) to lead Seaman to a second-place team finish by virtue of a higher finishing No. 6 runner.
Shawnee Heights also got a ninth-place finish from junior Andrew Emerson (17:37.17) while Topeka West got a 10th-place finish from senior Louis Wilson (17:41.48).
Next up for city runners is Saturday's city meet at the Kanza Park Course. The boys varsity race will start at approximately 9:40 a.m.
SEAMAN INVITATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
Boys
Team scores
Washburn Rural 49, Seaman 63, Shawnee Heights 63, Lawrence 86, Leavenworth 123, Topeka High 140.
Individual results
1. Sutton, Shawnee Heights, 16:15.31; 2. Esquibel, Shawnee Heights, 16:22.72; 3. Ryan, Lawrence, 16:25.92; 4. Holmes, Washburn Rural, 16:32.74; 5. Moore, Seaman, 16:53.42; 6. Keller, Washburn Rural, 17:01.05; 7. Purvis, Leavenworth, 17:09.95; 8. Sullivan, Leavenworth, 17:29.23; 9. Emerson, Shawnee Heights, 17:37.17; 10. Wilson, Topeka West, 17:41.48.
Other Washburn Rural -- 13. Fink, 17:54.53; 14. Dial, 17:56.60; 15. Johnson, 18:03.93; 22. Cain, 18:23.11; 24. Olsen, 18:31.75; 29. Ishaan, 18:58.04.
Other Seaman -- 11. Appelhanz, 17:46.30; 12. Stuke, 17:52.57; 19. Swaim, 18:13.07; 20. Jowers, 18:15.04; 21. Newell, 18:15.04; 26. Buckley, 18:48.89; 35. Joseph, 19:47.03; 36. Lady, 19:47.14.
Other Shawnee Heights -- 23. Carter, 18:24.91; 32. Deitcher, 19:15.41; 38. Song, 19:57.16.
Other Topeka West -- 30. Phelps, 18:58.48; 39. Maag, 19:59.71.
Topeka High -- 17. Christopher, 18:06.64; 27. Storrer, 18:49.12; 37. Cowdin, 19:54.24; 40. Campbell, 20:32.99; 42. Solis Carlos, 20:59.20.
Cair Paravel -- 34. Eckert, 19:40.44; 41. Clark, 20:36.82; 47. Bowling, 22:16.56; 49. Keys, 27:14.80.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Not everything went exactly the way Hayden wanted it to in Thursday's non-league boys soccer game against Cair Paravel Latin at the Sunflower Soccer Complex, but there were two very big positives for Klaus Kreutzer's Wildcats.
No. 1, Hayden was able to get the game in despite a weather delay of nearly an hour, and No. 2, the Wildcats were able to come out with a 3-1 victory over the pesky Lions to improve to 5-4 on the season.
"The way we've been playing that's a good thing because I really don't know what team shows up any more,'' Kreutzer said. "We've got the components and it's just like we can't all work at the same time. So I'll take the win and move on and be happy with that.''
Hayden junior Nick Padilla (9), who scored two goals, battles to control the ball in Thursday's 3-1 soccer win over Cair Paravel. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden never trailed against the Lions, with junior Nick Padilla scoring a goal in each half and the Wildcats also getting a first-half goal from junior Jake Muller, but Hayden also missed several scoring opportunities to put the game away against short-handed Cair Paravel, which suited up just 12 players.
"We need composure when we get in front of the goal and we need to not play the ball square across the field and make the goalkeeper look good,'' Kreutzer said. "I thought we were better at creating chances, we just didn't take advantage of the chances that we had, pure and simple.''
Cair Paravel Latin freshman Sayer Taggart (18) advances the ball Thursday as Hayden senior Camden Schrickel defends. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden got on the board on Padilla's first goal off pass from junior Konnor Becker and went up 2-0 on a good individual effort from Muller.
However, Cair Paravel (2-5-1) got back in the game on a goal from senior Max Colombo off an assist from senior Ethan Everhart and the Lions were still in the hunt until Padilla converted a penalty kick later in the match.
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Friday's battle between two football unbeatens had a lot at stake.
The chatter before the game from Cair Paravel Latin fans was that Friday's match would determine how the remainder of the 2021 season would look for the Lions and things are indeed looking bright after CPLS rolled to a 54-8 victory over St. Mary's Academy at Highland Park.
Cair Paravel Latin sophomore Ian Brian pulls down the St. Mary's Academy ball-carrier in Friday's 54-8 Lions win. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
In the previous six meetings between St. Mary's Academy and Cair Paravel the Crusaders had won convincingly, but Cair Paravel made a statement with Friday's romp past a St. Mary's team that had posted a won-loss record of 46-2 since 2016.
“St. Mary’s is a tough opponent every year,Cair Paravel coach Doug Bonura said. "You can never count them out or under-estimate them in any way. They’ve had our number for a lot of years and I am proud of what our team achieved tonight.
“Our team is hungrier than ever before. We have our goals in mind and so far we are doing a good job.”
Cair Paravel Latin senior quarterback Carter Brian threw for six touchdowns in Friday's 54-8 win over previously-unbeaten St. Mary's Academy. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior quarterback Carter Brian had a terrific night for the Lions, throwing six touchdown passes to four different receivers. Brian spread the ball down the field and it wore down the Crusaders all night long.
But Brian wasn’t the only one who had a stellar night for the Lions, with Jachin Bonura, Noah Hastert and Max Colombo having individual outbursts as well.
Cair Paravel Latin junior Jachin Bonura carries the ball in Friday's 54-8 win over St. Mary's Academy. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Bonura and Colombo had a combined 230 total yards with two touchdowns while Hastert had four receptions for 68 yards and three touchdowns in the romp over St. Mary’s.
In the first half, it was all Lions.
The heavy defensive sets were too much for the Crusaders to handle early and heavy blitzes by the Lions forced the Crusaders to throw the ball uncomfortably in some situations.
Offensively, the Lions were just as hot early. Brian was a thorn in St. Mary’s side, throwing three touchdowns against the Crusaders to Je. Bonura, Ja. Bonura, and Hastert.
Half number two wasn’t much different for the rivals.
Cair Paravel, which improved to 5-0, took the ball first to begin the second half and dual-sport star Max Colombo took the ball 49 yards to the house with a ton of Crusaders behind him attempting to chase him down. That stopped any momentum St. Mary’s was trying to achieve.
St. Mary’s (4-1) was able to put up one touchdown against the bruising Cair Paravel defense in the second half, with senior quarterback Silvio Riccomini running for a 3-yard touchdown.
St. Mary’s will take on St. Joseph Christian in St. Joseph, Mo. next Friday while Cair Paravel will host Northland Christian.
CAIR PARAVEL LATING 54, ST. MARY'S 8
Cair Paravel (5-0) 14 10 24 6 -- 54
St. Mary’s (4-1) 0 2 6 0 -- 8
First Quarter
Cair Paravel -- Bonura 17 pass from Brian (failed extra point)
Cair Paravel -- Bonura 54 pass from Brian (2 point good)
Second Quarter
Cair Paravel -- Hastert 16 pass from Brian (2 point good)
Third Quarter
Cair Paravel -- Colombo 49 run (2 point good)
St. Mary’s --Riccomini 3 run (failed extra point)
Cair Paravel -- Everhart 27 pass from Brian (2 point good)
Cair Paravel -- Hastert 10 pass from Brian (2 point good)
Fourth Quarter
Cair Paravel -- Hastert 8 pass from Brian
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Passing -- Cair Paravel: Brian, 14-19 236 yards.
Rushing -- Cair Paravel: Brian, 8-(minus) 26 yards, Colombo, 7-100, Ja. Bonura, 3-16, Will, 1-2.
Receiving -- Cair Paravel: Ja. Bonura, 5-122, Hastert, 4-68, Everhart, 2-41, Colombo, 2-2, Je. Bonura, 1-13.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After three heartbreaking losses, including two by a total of four points, Shawnee Heights' football team finally tasted victory Friday night, rolling to a 54-6 win over Kansas City-Schlagle.
Jarin Sanders powered the 1-3 T-Birds to the non-league victory, carrying the ball 15 times for 178 yards and scoring five touchdowns in a career night for the senior running back.
Jarin Sanders
Shawnee Heights quarterback Callan Carver completed three of six passes for 45 yards and carried the ball 4 times for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Heighs' defense, meanwhile, turned in a dominating performance against the Stallions.
CAIR PARAVEL LATIN 50, SUNRISE CHRISTIAN 0 -- Cair Paravel Latin continued its outstanding start to the 2021 season, improving to 4-0 with a 50-0 road win over Sunrise Christian Academy in a rare Saturday contest.
The Lions put the game away with a 30-point first quarter and were in front 44-0 at the half.
Carter Brian
Senior quarterback Carter Brian completed 10 of 19 passes for 99 yards and five touchdowns, including a pair of TD passes to senior Noah Hastert, who caught four passes for 43 yards.
Brian also rushed for 84 yards on seven attempts while junior Jachin Bonura carried the ball three times for 65 yards and two scores.
Sophomore Ian Brian was in on 11 tackles to lead the Lions' defense.
JUNCTION CITY 18, WASHBURN RURAL 17 (OT) -- Washburn Rural (3-1) suffered its first defeat of the season in heartbreaking fashion, with Xavion Felton scoring a two-point conversion to give the host Blue Jays (3-1) the overtime win.
The Junior Blues took a 10-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Junction City forced the overtime with an Aiden Fields field goal with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Rural scored first in overtime, but the Blue Jays answered with a TD and Felton's conversion to pull out the victory.
EMPORIA 42, HIGHLAND PARK 32 -- Highland Park's losing streak reached 60 games Friday at Emporia, but for the second time in three weeks the Scots gave themselves a chance to win.
Highland Park rallied from an early 13-0 deficit to take an 18-13 lead over the Spartans, but Emporia rallied to take the lead for good at 35-32 with about three minutes left in the third quarter.
Tre Richardson
Hi Park junior Tre Richardson scored on a 99-yard kickoff return and rushing touchdowns of 8 and 11 yards.
Scot newcomer Tyrell Reed, a Topeka West transfer, scored on an 80-yard run.
MANHATTAN 49, TOPEKA HIGH 0 -- Manhattan improved to 4-0 on the season, riding a stifling defensive effort to a 49-0 Centennial League win Friday night at Hummer Sports Park.
The Indians built a 22-0 halftime advantage and put the Trojans away in the third quarter.
Topeka High fell to 1-3 on the season.
SILVER LAKE 54, OSKALOOSA 0 -- Silver Lake bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 54-0 romp past Oskaloosa Friday night in the Eagles' Class 2A district opener.
Silver Lake improved to 3-1 on the season, jumping in front 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and taking a 41-0 halftime advantage.
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin product Hannah Woolery scored both goals as No. 6-ranked Emporia State soccer took a 2-1 victory in the first round of the Turnpike Tussle over Washburn University, handing the Ichabods their first loss of the season on Sunday afternoon at the ESU Pitch.
Woolery got the Hornets on the board just under nine minutes into the match, scoring on a free kick from about 30 yards out that got over Ichabod keeper Raegan Wells into the left-hand side of the goal.
Cair Paravel product Hannah Woolery scored both goals in Emporia State's 2-1 MIAA win over Washburn Sunday at Emporia. [ESU photography]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rossville overcame a brief early deficit Friday night to run its winning streak to 16 straight games with a 44-20 victory over St. Marys.
The defending Class 2A state champions trailed the Bears 12-10 at the end of the first quarter and led by just a 23-20 margin at the half before pitching a 21-0 shutout in the second half to take control.
Corey Catron
Rossville senior Corey Catron scored the last four touchdowns for Rossville, now 3-0 this fall, with Catron scoring on a pair of 1-yard runs, as well as a 5-yard run and a 32-yard scamper.
Bulldawg senior quarterback Torrey Horak completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to senior Tagen Kippes and also scored on a 6-yard run.
Rossville also got a 23-yard field goal from Pedro Arantes, who also kicked five extra points.
WASHBURN RURAL 19, PITTSBURG 17 -- Washburn Rural made the long trip to Pittsburg pay off, coming from behind to post a 19-17 win over the Purple Dragons.
The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the opening quarter and the Junior Blues trailed 14-10 at the half before rallying for the victory.
With Friday's win Washburn Rural improved to 3-0 on the season.
CAIR PARAVEL 60, MARANATHA ACADEMY 6 -- Cair Paravel Latin ran its record to 3-0 with a 60-6 romp past Maranatha Christian Academy, with the Lions scoring all 60 points in the first half.
Carter Brian
Lions senior quarterback Carter Brian completed 5 of 7 passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns while freshman backup Jase Pavlik went 4 of 5 for 45 yards and two TDs.
Senior Noah Hastert caught three passes for 91 yards and two TDs while senior Max Colombo caught two passes for 47 yards, with both catches going for touchdowns.
Sophomore Jesiah Bonura was Cair Paravel's leading rusher with 56 yards and two TDs on three carries while Colombo picked up 58 yards and a TD on two attempts.
Sophomore Ian Brian had six tackles and an interception for the Lions.
RILEY COUNTY 22, SILVER LAKE 14 -- Riley County scored 12 fourth-quarter points to hand Silver Lake its first loss of the season.
Silver Lake (2-1) led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter and 14-3 at the half, but the Falcons outscored the Eagles 19-0 in the second half.
LANSING 17, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 14 -- Shawnee Heights came up just short against United Kansas Conference foe Lansing, suffering its third straight loss by seven points or less, including the last two games by a total of four points.
Jarin Sanders
Heights quarterback Callan Carver completed 21 of 35 pass attempts for 196 yards while senior Carter Olson had six receptions for 64 yards and senior Jarin Sanders had six grabs for 35 yards.
Sanders led the T-Birds' rushing attack with 52 yards on 16 carries while Carver added 45 yards on 15 attempts.
MANHATTAN 70, HIGHLAND PARK 0 -- Centennial League power Manhattan rolled to a 70-0 home win over Highland Park Friday night, extending the Scots' win streak to 59 straight games dating back to 2014.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
If Topeka West goes on to have a breakout 2021 football season, the Chargers will no doubt remember Friday night's 36-32 Centennial League road win at Emporia as the impetus.
After trailing 7-6 at the end of the first quarter, Topeka West rallied to take a 14-10 halftime lead and a 28-16 advantage through three quarters before surviving Emporia's late-game rally to even its record at 1-1.
Tyrell Reed
Malachi Berg
Juniors Malachi Berg and Tyrell Reed both had big games for the Chargers, who bounced back from a 45-6 season-opening loss to Washburn Rural.
Berg accumulated more than 350 yards of total offense, throwing for one touchdown and running for a second TD, while Reed topped the 100-yard rushing mark and ran for three TDs, including a 55-yard run that proved to be the difference in the game.
The Chargers survived a huge passing game from Emporia quarterback Cam Geitz, who threw for all four of the 0-2 Spartans' touchdowns.
ROSSVILLE 56, ROCK CREEK 14 -- The defending Class 2A state champs rolled to their second win of '21, jumping out to 31-7 halftime cushion and putting the 0-2 Mustangs away with a 25-point third quarter.
Bulldawg senior quarterback Torrey Horak ran for a 16-yard touchdown and threw for a 49-yard TD to junior Kade Perine and a 30-yard TD to senior Corey Catron.
Torrey Horak
Corey Catron
Catron also scored on a 2-yard run while senior Kaden Brown had a 44-yard pick six for the Bulldawgs and scored on a 6-yard run.
The Bulldawgs also achieved a rare feat at the high school level, with junior Pedro Arantes kicking four field goals, connecting from 27, 27, 25 and 28 yards. Arantes also kicked four extra points to finish the night with 16 points.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Seaman girls cross country coach Rick Brading didn't enter the 2021 season with a pack mentality in mind for his team, but it seems to be working that way, and paying early dividends for the Vikings.
Junior Bethany Druse, a returning Class 5A state placer, led the pack with a second-place individual finish on Saturday at the Kanza Park course and her teammates followed close behind, with Seaman putting all its top five in the first 12 places en route to winning the team championship in Topeka West's Joe Schrag Invitational by a 30-41 margin over Blue Valley.
Junior Bethany Druse finished second to help Seaman win the girls team title in Saturday's Joe Schrag Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Druse clocked a five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 45.51 seconds to finish as the runnerup to Blue Valley senior Tori Wingrove (18:33.32) while Seaman freshman Anna Becker finished fourth (20:23.48), senior Emma Schultz sixth (20:40.20), freshman Joslynn Grace seventh (20:42.11) and freshman Stella Appelhanz 12th (21:22.19).
"We're not trying to be a pack, it just happens that way,'' Brading said. "We just have some talented kids.''
