Topeka High Trojans
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
When Highland Park football coach Jermaine Monroe was approached with the possibility of renewing the Scots' rivalry with fellow USD 501 school Topeka High this season it was one of the easiest decisions he'll ever make.
"There were four different schools that were possibilities and when it was presented to me at the time and I saw the first name was Topeka High, I said, 'It's got to be that,' '' Monroe said. "I don't even remember who the other three schools were, but it's something that we always have to play each other.
"I do believe the leagues that we're in are fit for us, but we have to always play each other.''
Topeka High coach Jason Filbeck is also excited for the renewal of the rivalry, which will open the 2026 season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Hummer Sports Park.
"I'm not from here, but I know what it means,'' Filbeck said. "Everywhere I've been there's been a crosstown rival and I think the kids are very excited to play them. Some of them are their friends from middle school because of the way Topeka is built, so the kids are pumped up.''
Highland Park returns a strong nucleus of players from last year's team that went 5-1 on the field, with G'Honi Montgomery and JoJo Kingcannon headlining a 19-member senior class
The Scots return 10 three-year starters and two four-year starters.
G'Honi Montgomery returns for his senior season at Highland Park after earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors last season. [File photo/TSN]
A 5-foot-10, 180-pound running back, Montgomery earned All-Shawnee County and All-Meadowlark Conference first-team honors last fall.
Montgomery carried the ball 69 times for 704 yards (10.2 yards per carry) as a junior, caught 10 passes for 128 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns while compiling 1,268 all-purpose yards.
Senior JoJo Kingcannon will take over as Highland Park's starting quarterback this fall after starring in a variety of roles as a junior. [File photo/TSN]
Kingcannon, a 6-foot, 190-pound quarterback/defensive back, played receiver, running back and quarterback as a junior, scoring from all three positions, and will be the Scots' starting quarterback this fall.
Kingcannon received All-Shawnee County honorable mention for the Scots in 2025, catching 10 passes for 338 yards and rushing for 408 yards on 32 attempts.
Seniors Tayseaun Rouser, Tavion Johnson and Shawnee Heights transfer Zyhir Foster will be counted on to anchor Highland Park's offensive line while Jaiden Smith, Ka'Sioun Drew and Lorenzo Sullivan-Sowell are top receivers.
Defensively, senior Rayshon Pollard is a four-year starter in the defensive backfield and is joined by veterans Drew, Montgomery and Kingcannon.
A three-time all-league honoree, Pollard was in on 22 tackles last season with three sacks and two interceptions.
Topeka High's Courtney Sanders, a senior wide receiver, was a second-team All-Centennial League selection for the second straight season and received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last fall for the Trojans.
Senior Courtney Sanders is a top returner for Topeka High, earning second-team All-Centennial League recognition the past two seasons. [File photo/TSN]
A junior running back, Ricardo Dowd was a second-team All-Centennial League selection last season as a sophomore while also receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
Trey Lutz, a senior defensive lineman, received All-Shawnee County honorable mention for the second straight season and also received All-Centennial League honorable mention last season.
Other top returners for Topeka High include seniors Isaac Roman-Chavez, Art Jones and Devin Ponte and juniors Jones Erby and Marion Collins.
Senior Asher Filbeck, the coach's son, and sophomore Kadyn Lucas have been battling it out in preseason for the starting quarterback spot after the graduation of Zane Smith.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
There's always a certain amount of excitement surrounding a season-opener.
And the fact that Topeka High football got to kick off 2026 against USD 501 rival Highland Park, renewing a long-standing rivalry after an absence of several seasons, made Thursday night even more special for the Trojans.
Senior Courtney Sanders scored three touchdowns Thursday night to power Topeka High to a 33-6 season-opening win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
And High took full advantage of its opportunity, opening up a 26-0 halftime lead on the way to a 33-6 win over the Scots at Hummer Sports Park.
"We had alumni coming out here and everybody else coming out to support us on both sides,'' said High senior standout Courtney Sanders, who scored three touchdowns on a run, a pass reception and a punt return to power the Trojans. "A 501 school, a rivalry game, I had to show out, I had to.''
Topeka High senior lineman Devin Ponte agreed that it was a special night for the Trojans.
"With all the talk leading up to it I was just excited to show that we were truly the better team tonight,'' Ponte said.
Junior Marion Collins scored Topeka High's first touchdown in Thursday's 33-6 season-opening win over Highland Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High recovered a fumble on Highland Park's first play from scrimmage and went ahead to stay at the 9:38 mark of the opening quarter on a 6-yard run from junior Marion Collins (kick failed).
High coach Jason Filbeck credited the Trojan defense for setting the tone for the night.
"Our defense does that and they did it last year, too,'' Filbeck said. "They get us good field position and give us opportunities, so credit to the defense.''
The rest of the half belonged to Sanders, who made the score 13-0 on an 18-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Asher Filbeck (Saamir Triplett kick) with 3:42 left in the opening half.
Sanders scored on a 40-yard run with two minutes left in the half (kick failed) and turned in the most exciting play of the night when he returned a 60-yard punt from Highland Park's JoJo Kingcannon 94 yards for a touchdown with 1:11 remaining (Triplett kick) to give the Trojans their 26-0 halftime advantage.
"He (JoJo Kingcannon) had a good punt right there and it just went over my head, but I went and go it,'' Sanders said. "It was too close to the end zone and I didn't want to put my team in that particular situation so I had to at least get some yards.
"I didn't know I was going to get the touchdown, but it was open and I cashed it in.''
"He's electric,'' Jason Filbeck said of Sanders. "If the kid was 200 pounds I'd have every school in the world calling me. He's unbelievably talented with the ball.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note:TopSports.news will post preview stories for all 10 Shawnee County high school football programs over the coming days, leading into the opening games of the 2026 season on Sept. 3 and 4.
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Topeka High football coach Jason Filbeck knows there's still work to be done to get the Trojans where he wants them to be.
Jason Filbeck begins his third season at Topeka High after leading the Trojans to a 3-6 mark last fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But as Filbeck starts his third season at the school, he knows High is making steady progress.
"You've got things that you just aren't where you want to be, but that's probably every coach,'' said Filbeck, whose Trojans went 3-6 a year ago after a 4-5 campaign in 2024. "I know coaches that win a state title and they're still stressing about how it's not where they want it to be, but there's a familiarity with the kids on the team, the coaches on the team.
"You're a little more established and not having to start from the beginning on the culture things and things like that. We're seeing growth in our kids.''
One of Filbeck's major concerns is trying to boost the Trojans' numbers moving forward.
"The ones that are here and were here all summer, it was great to see them make strides as individuals and get better,'' Filbeck said. "Our depth is an issue if we don't get more kids out of the hallways.
"Eleven on eleven we're going to be pretty tough. I think we've got the kids in the right places and we've got a scheme that's going to help us, but if you look at the last two years we're 4-0 and then lose five straight and 3-1 and lose five straight and that's indicative to me of a lack of numbers and when injuries happen it snowballs.''
Knowing that the Trojans' frontliners are going to need to play a lot of snaps, Filbeck and his coaching staff are doing everything they can in preseason to get them ready for what is always a tough Centennial League slate.
"We're trying to get tough and focus on toughness and discipline this year so that doesn't become a problem because we don't want to lose late games because we're lacking numbers,'' Filbeck said.
Courtney Sanders, a senior wide receiver, was a second-team All-Centennial League selection for the second straight season and received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last fall for the Trojans.
A junior running back, Ricardo Dowd was a second-team All-Centennial League selection last season as a sophomore while also receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
Trey Lutz, a senior defensive lineman, received All-Shawnee County honorable mention for the second straight season and also received All-Centennial League honorable mention last season.
Other top returners for Topeka High include seniors Isaac Roman-Chavez, Art Jones and Devin Ponte and juniors Jones Erby and Marion Collins.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Jones Project’s executive director, Damon Parker, a two-time state wrestling champion as an athlete and a five-time state champ as a coach, is always looking for new mountains to climb.
So after Parker and the Advisors Excel/The Jones Project team completed the equivalent of a climb to the top of Mount Everest over 36 hours last weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colo., they have already turned the page to the next big project: the launching of The Jones Project’s Leadership Academy, a free eight-week program open to students selected from each of the 10 Shawnee County high schools.
The Jones Project, named in honor of the late Josh Jones, a native Topekan who served as a vice-president at Advisors Excel before passing away in March of 2021, provides free mental health programming to secondary students, providing assistance to students who are struggling while emphasizing the importance of specific mental health interventions already in place at schools.
In its first four years The Jones Project has reached more than 115,000 students from 267 different stages. In 2023 TJP created an endowment for The Jones Family Scholarship, which has since provided scholarships to six Kansas high school graduates who are studying to become mental health professionals.
The 29029 climb in Steamboat, Colorado kicked off Year 5.
"It's an event where you start at the base of a mountain and you climb it to the summit and then you ride a gondola back down to the bottom and then you do that over and over and over again,'' Parker said. "This year at Steamboat we had to climb 14 times in 36 hours. If you do that then you've reached the vertical gain of Mount Everest.
"The Jones Project and Advisors Excel has had a team that's worked together on this and done it as a fundraiser every year. This is one of the two big fundraisers that keeps The Jones Project afloat. This year we've really made a push on it so that we can use this campaign to fund The Leadership Academy.''
Parker, who has coached the Rural girls to four state titles and coached the Junior Blues to the 2021 boys championship, has served as the executive director of The Jones Project since its inception after being approached by Advisors Excel co-owner Cody Foster.
"He and I had met several times and when he presented the vision he had for The Jones Project to me, I saw it as an opportunity to still work with young people but to do it on a much larger scale and to be able to help kids that were falling through the cracks. Many of them were in a truly under-served population,'' Parker said. "And it was like, 'How do you say no to the opportunity to do something like that?'
"I loved teaching, it was wonderful, and I'm still in education, I just have a bigger classroom now. Every year TJP has evolved and we've become more effective with what we've done. It took awhile to find out where those needs were and exactly what kids needed. It started off with just a mental health and suicide prevention talk, but now we do talks on bullying prevention, student leadership, culture building, you name it. We’ve talked to athletic teams in the locker room before competitions, strength and conditioning programs, and summer STUCO camps. Wherever there is a school or student organization that needs a speaker, we can help fill that gap.”
Parker said the Leadership Academy represents another major step forward.
"If we can take a couple of students from each high school in the Shawnee County area and we can give them real, actionable leadership skills, that is going to instantly impact the organization of which they are a part. Whether it's the basketball team, the debate team, or the marching band is inconsequential. We’re helping them improve their building culture because now we're taking those kids and we're teaching them how to bring up those younger kids,'' Parker said.
"And when the younger kids are learning from those older kids they realize, 'This is how you do it, this is how you treat people,’ and then they carry that forward with them throughout their remaining time in high school.”
The Leadership Academy is now taking applications and will begin meeting in mid-September.
"I'll be reaching out to basically every coaching and A.D. contact in my rolodex saying, 'Hey, we're doing this thing and it's definitely something that you want your kids to be involved in,' '' Parker said.
"We're going to start taking applications now and then the first week in September is when we're going to announce who is accepted into the program. And then we're going to get it kicked off. We will absolutely be up and rolling with students by mid-September, so they’ll want to get in their applications as soon as possible. This is the start of something HUGE here in Shawnee County.''
Students can use the website www.TopekaLeadershipAcademy.org to apply.
For more information email Coach Parker at
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: TopSports.news' list of the top Shawnee County football players to watch in 2026, based on performances in the 2025 season, will be updated as needed after practice begins on Aug. 17 and more information is received from county coaches.
RYAN AUSTIN, Washburn Rural
A 6-foot-2, 170-pound senior, Austin was named the All-Centennial League first-team place-kicker last season for the 6-4 Junior Blues. Austin also received All-Shawnee County honorable mention as a junior.
Coy Barta, Seaman [File photo/TSN]
COY BARTA, Seaman
A senior wide receiver, Barta earned second-team TopSports.News All-Shawnee County and second-team All-United Kansas Conference recognition last season for the 3-6 Vikings. Barta caught 38 passes for 642 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior.
Jadyn Baum, Washburn Rural [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
JADYN BAUM, Washburn Rural
A senior running back, Baum helped lead Washburn Rural to a 6-4 record and the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs last fall, earning TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League first-team recognition after carrying the ball 139 times for 1,262 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 9.1 yards per attempt. Baum also won a 6A state wrestling championship at 215 pounds.
Mason Becker, Hayden [File photo/TSN]
MASON BECKER, Hayden
A first-team TSN All-Shawnee County pick, Becker, a 6-foot, 160-pound senior, was a perfect 100 percent on extra-point kicks last season, was two of two on field goals, carried the ball 32 times for 438 yards, caught 13 passes for 224 yards, had nine kickoff returns for 121 yards, scored nine touchdowns and was in on 30 tackles with five pass interceptions for the 12-1 Wildcats, the Class 3A runnerup. Becker is also a basketball and baseball standout for the Wildcats.
Josh Brown, Seaman [File photo/TSN]
JOSH BROWN, Seaman
Brown, a junior wide receiver, was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection for the 3-6 Vikings last season. Brown caught 40 passes for 627 yards and eight touchdowns over the 2025 season.
STEVEN CANTRELL, Washburn Rural
A senior defensive end, Cantrell is a top returner for Washburn Rural after earning first-team All-Centennial League recognition as a junior for the 6-4 Junior Blues. Cantrell also received All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
CHARLIE CHANCE, Rossville
A senior offensive/defensive lineman, Chance was named the Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year last season for the Bulldawgs, who posted an 11-2 record and finished second in Class 1A. Chance was in on 54 tackles with 14 tackles for loss and three sacks, earning second-team all-county and All-Big East honors.
CADE DANIELSON, Washburn Rural
Danielson, a senior outside linebacker, will be counted on to be a team leader for the Junior Blues this fall after helping Washburn Rural post a 6-4 record and reach the second round of the Class 6A playoffs in 2025.
Ricardo Dowd, Topeka High [File photo/TSN]
RICARDO DOWD, Topeka High
Dowd, a junior running back, was a second-team All-Centennial League selection last season for the 3-6 Trojans as a sophomore while also receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
MYLES FISHER, Silver Lake
A senior offensive/defensive lineman, Fisher received second-team All-Shawnee County honors and All-Big East League honorable mention last season after helping Silver Lake post a 7-3 record. Fisher was in on 73 tackles for the Eagles.
Chase Hastert, Cair Paravel [Photo by Barry Benteman/Special to TSN]
CHASE HASTERT, Cair Paravel Latin
Hastert, a junior quarterback/linebacker/defensive back, is a top returner for Cair Paravel after taking over as the Lions' starting quarterback last fall. The Lions, coming off a 2-6 season, return to the Eight-Man ranks this fall after playing 11-man the past two seasons. Hastert is also a basketball and golf standout for the Lions, earning first-team All-County honors in golf.
COLE HAUBAULD, Cair Paravel Latin
Haubauld, a senior running back/linebacker, earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention as well as All-Flint Hills League recognition as an offensive guard and linebacker last season for the 2-6 Lions and is expected to play running back on offense for CPLS this fall. Cair Paravel returns to Eight-Man Division I competition this season.
CALE HORAK, Rossville
Horak, a junior, received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season as Rossville posted an 11-2 record and finished second in Class 1A. Horak caught 15 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore while also registering 21 tackles (16 solo).
CAEL HORGAN, Rossville
A senior, Horgan earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season as Rossville posted an 11-2 record and finished second in Class 1A. Horgan caught seven passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore while also registering 37 tackles (21 solo) with three interceptions.
EVAN HUNTLEY, Hayden
A 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior fullback/inside linebacker, is a top returner on both sides of the ball for a Hayden team that posted a 12-1 record and finished second in Class 3A for the third straight season last fall.
ALEX HUSTON, Seaman
A senior linebacker, Huston received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season for the 3-6 Vikings. Huston was in on 106 tackles as a junior, including 61 solo stops.
AMIR JONES, Washburn Rural
Jones, a senior linebacker, received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after helping Washburn Rural post a 6-4 record and advance to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Cale Ketter, Seaman [File photo/TSN[
CALE KETTER, Seaman
Ketter, a senior quarterback, was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection last season for the 3-6 Vikings. Ketter completed 136 of 231 pass attempts for 2,013 yards and 23 touchdowns in eight games.
JoJo Kingcannon, Highland Park [File photo/TSN]
JOJO KINGCANNON, Highland Park
A 6-foot, 190-pound senior quarterback/defensive back, Kingcannon played receiver, running back and quarterback as a junior, scoring from all three positions. Kingcannon received All-Shawnee County honorable mention for the Scots, who went 5-1 on the field, catching 10 passes for 338 yards and rushing for 408 yards on 32 attempts. Kingcannon earned second-team all-county recognition in basketball.
Kipton Kruger, Silver Lake [File photo/TSN]
KIPTON KRUGER, Silver Lake
A 5-foot-11, 165-pound sophomore quarterback, Kruger was named the Shawnee County offensive newcomer of the year last fall after completing 178 of 252 passes for 2,158 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Eagles. Kruger was a second-team All-Shawnee County pick and received All-Big East honorable mention. Kruger is also a basketball and baseball standout for the Eagles.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: TopSports.news' list of the top city boys soccer players to watch in 2026, based on performances in the 2025 season, will be updated as needed after practice begins on Aug. 17 and more information is received from county coaches.
CARLOS ACOSTA-MARTINEZ, Topeka High
Acosta-Martinez, a senior midfielder, is a top returner for the Trojans after earning first-team All-City and All-Centennial League recognition last season as Topeka High posted a 9-6-2 record.
ALAN ARTEAGA, Shawnee Heights
A senior goalkeeper, Arteaga was a first-team All-United Kansas Conference selection last fall for the 15-3-0 T-Birds while also receiving All-City honorable mention.
Judah Congdon, Cair Paravel Latin [Photo by Jan Pabitzky/Special to TSN]
JUDAH CONGDON, Cair Paravel Latin
A senior forward/midfielder, Congdon received All-City honorable mention last season after registering 14 goals and 24 assists for the 11-7-0 Lions, who advanced to the Class 4A-1A state quarterfinals.
Valentin Del Real, Topeka West [File photo/TSN]
VALENTIN DEL REAL, Topeka West
Del Real, a junior midfielder, is a two-time All-City first-team honoree while also earning All-United Kansas Conference first-team recognition for the Chargers, who went 13-3-2 on the season.
BRAYAN DIAZ, Shawnee Heights
Diaz is expected to be a key contributor for the T-Birds this fall after missing the entire 2025 campaign with an injury.
MYLES DIDDE, Washburn Rural
A senior midfielder, Didde scored the game-tying goal in last season's Class 6A state championship game before the 19-1-1 Junior Blues went on to win the state title in penalty kicks. Didde will serve as a Rural team captain this fall.
Diego Gonzalez-Talavera, Topeka West [File photo/TSN]
DIEGO GONZALES-TALAVERA, Topeka West
A senior forward, Gonzales-Talavera is a two-time All-City and All-United Kansas Conference first-team honoree for Topeka West, which is coming off of a 13-3-2 record.
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights [File photo/TSN]
MASON HAAS, Shawnee Heights
Haas, a senior midfielder, earned first-team All-City and All-United Kansas Conference recognition for the second straight season in 2025 for the T-Birds, 15-3-0 last season.
KALEB HOLMES, Seaman
A senior defender, Holmes is a key returner for the Vikings, 8-9-0 in 2025, after receiving All-City honorable mention as a junior.
Brodye Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
BRODYE KOCHER-MUNOZ, Washburn Rural
Kocher-Munoz, a senior forward, helped lead Junior Blues to a 19-1-1 record and the Class 6A state championship last fall. A team captain, Kocher-Munoz was a first-team All-City and All-Centennial League honoree as a junior.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: TopSports.news' list of the top Shawnee County boys cross country runners to watch in 2026, based on performances in the 2025 season, will be updated as needed after practice begins on Aug. 17 and more information is received from county coaches.
Jaxson Adams
JAXSON ADAMS, Washburn Rural
A junior, Adams earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for the first time last fall after finishing fifth in the city meet, ninth in the Centennial League, 22nd in a Class 6A regional and 42nd at state as the Junior Blues captured the state team title by a point after earlier winning city and league championships and finishing second on a tiebreaker at regionals. Adams was a 6A state track qualifier in the 3,200 meters, posting a third-place regional finish.
Conner Bloom
CONNER BLOOM, Seaman
A senior, Bloom was a first-time member of the All-Shawnee County first team last fall after finishing ninth in the city meet and 11th in the United Kansas Conference meet for the runnerup Vikings. Bloom finished 24th in a Class 5A regional at Wichita and will be counted on to be a leader for the Vikings this fall. Bloom was a 5A state qualifier in track in the 4x800 relay this past spring.
EASTON DAVIS, Topeka High
Davis, a junior, has received All-Shawnee County honorable mention the past two seasons. Davis finished 17th in the city meet last fall and went on to earn an individual berth in the Class 6A state meet with a 14th-place regional finish.
Clayton Fink
CLAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural
A junior first-team All-Shawnee County first-team repeat pick, Fink placed fourth in the city championships and the Centennial League meet for the champion Junior Blues and finished seventh in a Class 6A regional and placed 26th in the state meet as Washburn Rural captured the team championship. Fink received all-county honorable mention this past spring in track.
Duke Graf
DUKE GRAF, Washburn Rural
Graf, a junior, earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for the first time after finishing third in the city meet, 14th in the Centennial League, second in Class 6A regional competition and 28th in the Class 6A state meet as the Junior Blues won the team title by a point over Blue Valley. Graf also helped Rural win city and league titles.
Henry Laubach
HENRY LAUBACH, Washburn Rural
A junior All-Shawnee County first-team repeat pick, Laubach bounced back from an injury to post a team-best 22nd-place finish in the Class 6A state meet, helping lead Washburn Rural to the state title. Laubach placed seventh in the Centennial League and 12th in a 6A regional. Laubach received all-county honorable mention in track.
Nick Newkirk
NICK NEWKIRK, Hayden
Newkirk, a junior, posted a sixth-place finish in the city meet, was 18th in the Centennial League meet and earned a individual berth in the Class 4A state meet with a 14th-place finish at regionals. A first-team All-Shawnee County pick, Newkirk capped his season with a 34th-place finish at state.
HUNTER ROOKS, Silver Lake
Rooks, a senior, is a multi-time Class 3A state qualifier, helping the Eagles qualify as a team last fall. Rooks posted a 60th-place finish in the state meet to pace Silver Lake.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: TopSports.news' list of the top Shawnee County volleyball players to watch in 2026, based on performances in the 2025 season and coach recommendations, will be updated as needed after practice begins on Aug. 17 and more information is received from county coaches.
Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
BRYNN ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
Anderson, a 5-foot-11 sophomore hitter, was a first-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League selection and named the county and league newcomer of the year last season after helping lead the Junior Blues to the Centennial League championship and a ninth straight Class 6A state tournament berth. Anderson registered 397 kills on the season along with 20 block kills, 96.3 percent serving with 29 aces and 229 digs. Anderson was also a first-team all-county pick in basketball and a state qualifier in track and field.
Nora Burdiek, Rossville [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
NORA BURDIEK, Rossville
A senior hitter, Burdiek is a two-time TSN All-Shawnee County first-team selection after being named the county newcomer of the year and earning second-team honors as a freshman. Burdiek has registered 1,373 total kills in her career with 936 digs. Burdiek was a first-team All-Big East selection as a junior after helping lead the Bulldawgs to a Class 2A state berth and earning All-State Tournament and All-2A first-team recognition from the Kansas Volleyball Association. Burdiek is also a basketball and softball standout, helping Rossville advance to the state tournament in both of those sports.
Campbell Dawson, Topeka High [File photo/TSN]
CAMPBELL DAWSON, Topeka High
Dawson, a senior, earned second-team All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honors last fall in her third season as a varsity player. Dawson also earned second-team All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League recognition as a sophomore. Dawson was a first-team TSN All-Shawnee County and second-team Class 6A All-State selection this past spring in softball after helping lead the Trojans to a third-place state finish.
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
KARYS DEITER, Silver Lake
Deiter, a junior hitter, helped lead the Eagles to the Class 3A state championship with a 46-1 record, including a 37-match winning streak to end the 2025 season. A first-team TSN All-Shawnee County pick and second-team 3A All-State honoree, Deiter finished the year with 313 kills, a 34.7 kill percentage, 18 blocks and 253 digs. Deiter also earned All-Shawnee County first-team honors in basketball and track and field after helping lead Silver Lake to the 3A state championship in basketball and earning a 3A state medal in track.
Kylie Hanni, Silver Lake [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
KYLIE HANNI, Silver Lake
A senior setter, Hanni was named the TopSports.news Shawnee County Player of the Year last season after helping lead Silver Lake to the Class 3A state championship with a 46-1 record, including 37 straight wins to end the season. Hanni was named to the 3A All-State Tournament team and All-3A first team by the Kansas Volleyball Association and was also a first-team All-Big East League pick after registering 1,181 assists, with 45 kills, 22 blocks, a 91.7 serving percentage with 33 aces and 174 digs. Hanni also helped the Eagles win 3A state titles in basketball and softball.
ADY HENRY, Rossville
Henry, a senior libero, helped Rossville reach the Class 2A state tournament last season while earning second-team TSN All-Shawnee County and third-team All-Big East League recognition.
HADLEY KILGORE, Washburn Rural
Kilgore is expected to be a key contributor for the Junior Blues at middle hitter this fall in her first season at the varsity level. Kilgore joins a Washburn Rural team that won the 2025 Centennial League championship and advanced to the Class 6A state tournament for the ninth straight season.
Clara Morgan, Shawnee Heights [Submitted photo]
CLARA MORGAN, Shawnee Heights
A senior setter, Morgan was a second-team TSN All-Shawnee County selection last season while also receiving All-United Kansas Conference honorable mention. Morgan surpassed the 1,000 assist mark for her career last season.
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Judy Dyer has made a life out of overcoming obstacles. A metaphor for her life would be when she climbed over a fence to try out the hurdles assembled on the Washburn University track, even though her coach told her he didn’t want her to try the event.
Topeka High graduate and former Olympian Judy Dyer will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on July 18. [File photo/TSN]
Without a track team – or any girls sports teams – in the Topeka Public Schools in the early 1960s, Dyer’s only outlet was to compete in track with a club team known as the Topeka Cosmopolitans. She did most of her training on her own and pushed herself to compete against her four brothers.
A Black girl growing up at that time might have seen too many barriers in her path to success, but Dyer didn’t see it that way.
“I still look back at it today when I come to any obstacle that I may have in my life,” Dyer said. “I tell myself, ‘If I can make it to the Olympics and jump over eight hurdles with three steps in between and make it to the highest level, I can do anything.’ It's the mindset. You know, you have to want it in life.”
Dyer applied that desire to a stellar track career that earned her a place among the greatest athletes in state history. On July 25, Dyer will be enshrined in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Wichita.
What started out as a way to get out of the house at nine years of age turned into an outlet into which she poured her heart and soul. Dyer trained with boys sprinting in the halls of Topeka High and racing around the block under the watchful eyes of her brothers. Her club coach initially targeted her because of her coordination. With no opportunities to play team sports like basketball, softball or volleyball, Dyer gave track and field her all.
“I was a pioneer in those days because we only had a club. We didn't have a team,” Dyer said. “We didn't have all the equipment. We didn't know how to basically train, but we actually had natural talent. And that's what we thrived on was the natural talent.”
Already a nationally-ranked long-jumper and an accomplished sprinter by age 17, Dyer had to convince her club coach to allow her to compete in the hurdles. It proved a fortuitous decision. During her senior year of high school, she won the 60-yard hurdles at a meet in Kansas City and caught the eye of the coach of Texas Southern University, who offered her a full-ride scholarship.
The 1966 Topeka High graduate enjoyed a decorated college career that culminated with a trip to the 1968 Olympic Trials in California. Fortune shined upon Dyer when, despite finishing fifth in the 80-meter hurdles, she was bumped up to the Olympic team by injuries to other runners. Competing in the Mexico City games in October of 1968, Dyer made it to the semifinal round where her best time placed her in the top 15 fastest hurdlers in the world.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Jaiden Wise, who helped lead Silver Lake to the Class 3A state volleyball championship, has been selected as TopSports.news' Shawnee County fall girls senior athlete of the year for the 2025-2026 season.
Jaiden Wise, Silver Lake [Photo by Jesse Newell/Special to TSN]
Wise helped the Eagles post a 46-1 record last fall, including 37 straight wins to end the season, capped by a 25-21, 25-19 win over Holton in the 3A state championship match.
Wise was named to the 3A All-State Tournament team and All-State first team by the Kansas Volleyball Association and was also an All-Shawnee County first-team selection.
Jaiden Wise [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
As a senior Wise recorded 407 kills and 19 blocks on .378 hitting with 296 digs and 22 assists while serving 84.7 percent with 29 aces on the season.
Wise was also a state qualifier in track and field.
Other fall girls athlete of the year finalists
Lauren Borjon, Hayden
LAUREN BORJON | Hayden
SPORT: Golf
A three-sport athlete, Borjon capped her high school golf career with her fourth straight Class 4A state medal. Borjon tied for 12th with a 36-hole total of 170 (88-82) as the Wildcats finished fourth as a team. A three-time All-Shawnee County pick, Borjon finished second in the city tournament, fifth in the Centennial League and earned second-team 4A All-State recognition. Borjon helped lead the Wildcats to the 4A golf team title as a sophomore and junior and also helped Hayden win the 4A state title in basketball and post an undefeated run to the 4A-1A state crown in soccer as a senior.
Madeline Deters, Topeka High
MADELINE DETERS | Topeka High
SPORT: Tennis
Deters earned her second straight Class 6A state tennis medal last fall in her third state tournament appearance. Deters posted a career-best sixth-place state singles finish as a senior while finishing off a 32-6 record on the season. Deters finished second in No. 1 singles in the city tournament before winning Centennial League and 6A regional singles championships. Deters posted a 3-2 record at state.
Elise Eckert, Seaman
ELISE ECKERT | Seaman
SPORT: Golf
Eckert won her fourth straight Class 5A state golf medal to cap her first season at Seaman, tying for fifth in the state tournament with a 36-hole total of 161 (77-84). Eckert won the city title by eight strokes with a 68 and won the United Kansas Conference individual championship with a 73 before posting a runnerup finish in 5A regional competition. Eckert was a first-team All-State honoree in 5A.
Ella Foster, Hayden
ELLA FOSTER | Hayden
SPORT: Volleyball
Foster, a 5-foot-4 libero, helped lead 33-10 Hayden to a second-place finish in the 2025 Class 4A state volleyball tournament, earning Kansas Volleyball Association All-State Tournament honors. Foster earned first-team All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League recognition and was named to the KVA 4A All-State second team. Foster helped the Wildcats win the 4A state championship in basketball and the 4A-1A state crown in soccer as a senior and was selected to play in the KVA All-Star Match, helping the Red post a 4-1 victory.
Izzy Glotzbach, Hayden
IZZY GLOTZBACH | Hayden
SPORT: Golf
A three-time All-Shawnee County first-team selection, Glotzbach tied for fifth in the 2025 Class 4A state tournament with a 36-hole score of 164 (85-79), finished third in the city tournament and fourth in the Centennial League before tying for second in 4A regional competition. Glotzbach, who earned first-team 4A All-State recognition as a senior, helped lead the Wildcats to 4A state team titles as a sophomore and junior and also helped Hayden win a 4A team title in tennis as a junior.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: Over the coming weeks TopSports.news will take a look at all of the senior finalists for the 2025-2026 Shawnee County High School Sports Awards from the fall, winter and spring seasons, followed by the athletes of the year for all three seasons and the overall outstanding girls and boys athletes of the year.
Lauren Borjon, Hayden
LAUREN BORJON | Hayden
SPORT: Golf
A three-sport athlete, Borjon capped her high school golf career with her fourth straight Class 4A state medal. Borjon tied for 12th with a 36-hole total of 170 (88-82) as the Wildcats finished fourth as a team. A three-time All-Shawnee County pick, Borjon finished second in the city tournament, fifth in the Centennial League and earned second-team 4A All-State recognition. Borjon helped lead the Wildcats to the 4A golf team title as a sophomore and junior and also helped Hayden win the 4A state title in basketball and post an undefeated run to the 4A-1A state crown in soccer as a senior.
Madeline Deters, Topeka High
MADELINE DETERS | Topeka High
SPORT: Tennis
Deters earned her second straight Class 6A state tennis medal last fall in her third state tournament appearance. Deters posted a career-best sixth-place state singles finish as a senior while finishing off a 32-6 record on the season. Deters finished second in No. 1 singles in the city tournament before winning Centennial League and 6A regional singles championships. Deters posted a 3-2 record at state.
Elise Eckert, Seaman
ELISE ECKERT | Seaman
SPORT: Golf
Eckert won her fourth straight Class 5A state golf medal to cap her first season at Seaman, tying for fifth in the state tournament with a 36-hole total of 161 (77-84). Eckert won the city title by eight strokes with a 68 and won the United Kansas Conference individual championship with a 73 before posting a runnerup finish in 5A regional competition. Eckert was a first-team All-State honoree in 5A.
Ella Foster, Hayden
ELLA FOSTER | Hayden
SPORT: Volleyball
Foster, a 5-foot-4 libero, helped lead 33-10 Hayden to a second-place finish in the 2025 Class 4A state volleyball tournament, earning Kansas Volleyball Association All-State Tournament honors. Foster earned first-team All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League recognition and was named to the KVA 4A All-State second team. Foster helped the Wildcats win the 4A state championship in basketball and the 4A-1A state crown in soccer as a senior and was selected to play in the KVA All-Star Match, helping the Red post a 4-1 victory.
Izzy Glotzbach, Hayden
IZZY GLOTZBACH | Hayden
SPORT: Golf
A three-time All-Shawnee County first-team selection, Glotzbach tied for fifth in the 2025 Class 4A state tournament with a 36-hole score of 164 (85-79), finished third in the city tournament and fourth in the Centennial League before tying for second in 4A regional competition. Glotzbach, who earned first-team 4A All-State recognition as a senior, helped lead the Wildcats to 4A state team titles as a sophomore and junior and also helped Hayden win a 4A team title in tennis as a junior.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Twenty Shawnee County softball standouts have received All-State recognition from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association, including nine first-team selections.
Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake
Riley Mohler, Silver Lake
State champion Silver Lake is represented on the All-Class 3A first team by senior outfielder Kailyn Hanni, junior pitcher Riley Mohler and sophomore infielder Saylor Liggatt.
London Backman, Topeka High
Kenslee Young, Topeka High
Henley Rapp, Washburn Rural
Olivia Koch, Washburn Rural
Topeka High, which finished third in 6A, put sophomore infielder London Backman and junior utility/designated player Kenslee Young on the All-6A first team while Centennial League champ Washburn Rural is represented by senior catcher Henley Rapp and junior outfielder Olivia Koch on the first team.
Aubrey Warren, Seaman
Kenna Perine, Rossville
Seaman senior infielder Aubrey Warren was named to the All-5A first team while Rossville freshman outfielder Kenna Perine was a first-team pick in 2A-1A.
Second-team All-State picks included Topeka High senior Taimane Isaia and juniors Campbell Dawson and Madilyn Poole in 6A, Shawnee Heights senior Cianna Graves, Seaman junior Acey Thompson and sophomore Lydia Dreher in 5A, Silver Lake senior Taylor Swygert and junior Savanah Wende in 3A and Rossville senior Brooke Springer in 2A-1A.
Shawnee Heights senior Addison Cooper and Hayden junior Emberly Connell received all-state honorable mention.
ALL-KANSAS SOFTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION ALL-STATE
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Over the coming weeks The Jones Project and A1 Lock&Key will sponsor TopSports.news' series of stories recognizing the top senior Shawnee County athletes from the recently completed 2025-2026 school year.
TSN will name girls and boys finalists for the fall, winter and spring seasons, followed by the announcement of the girls and boys athletes of the year for all three seasons.
The project will culminate with the announcement of the overall outstanding girls and boys Shawnee County athletes for 2025-2026.
Six Shawnee County girls teams captured state championships in five sports in '25-26, including a Silver Lake sweep of the Class 3A volleyball, basketball and softball crowns, while Hayden won 4A basketball and put together an undefeated 4A-1A run in soccer and Seaman won the 5A bowling championship by a 358-pin margin.
Washburn Rural's boys won Class 6A team titles in cross country, soccer and baseball while Shawnee Heights won its second 5A state bowling championship in three seasons.
Individually, 10 Shawnee County athletes captured individual state titles, including Washburn Rural senior Cody Spangler in 6A boys bowling, Rural senior Landen Kocher-Munoz in 6A boys wrestling, Seaman senior Brody Anderson in 5A boys track and field and Shawnee Heights senior Cianna Graves in 5A girls wrestling.
TSN will also recognize Washburn University female and male athletes of the year for '25-26 after the Ichabods put together a banner season that included a string of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Next up: The top 10 girls fall finalists.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden, which posted a perfect season on the way to the Class 4A-1A girls state championship this spring, dominates the TopSports.news 2026 All-City girls soccer team.
The Wildcats, who wrapped up the state title with a 1-0 win over Rose Hill, put a city-high four players on the first team while sweeping the individual awards.
Three-time Hayden All-City first-team pick Carsyn Broxterman has been named the city player of the year for 2026. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden freshman Emma Slyter has been named the city soccer newcomer of the year after helping the undefeated Wildcats win the Class 4A-1A state title. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden senior Carsyn Broxterman, a three-time first-team selection, was named the city player of the year while freshman Emma Slyter was tapped for the newcomer of the year honor and Wildcat coach Klaus Kreutzer was selected as the coach of the year.
Joining Broxterman and Slyter on the All-City first team are seniors Reese Huscher and Kellyn Specht.
Washburn Rural senior Dayne Shriver earned first-team All-City soccer honors for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural, which posted a third-place state finish in 6A, put senior repeat pick Dayne Shriver on the first team along with senior Allie Schroeder and sophomore Ellie Vogel.
Seaman, which earned a share of the championship in the United Kansas Conference, is represented on the All-City team by seniors Ava Huston and Savannah Nelson and junior Julia Molleker.
Topeka West junior Micah Williams is a three-time All-City soccer first-team pick. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights juniors Nina Bolanos and Brylee Garner both earned first-team berths while Topeka West junior Micah Williams earned her third straight first-team honor in her first season with the Chargers and Cair Paravel Latin senior Kelly Ann Chada rounds out the top team.
ALL-CITY 2026 GIRLS SOCCER
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Undefeated Class 4A-1A state champion Hayden dominated voting for the 2026 All-Centennial League girls soccer team, including a sweep of the three individual awards.
Hayden senior Carsyn Broxterman has been named the Centennial League girls soccer player of the year after helping lead the Wildcats to an undefeated Class 4A-1A state championship. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden freshman Emma Slyter has been named the Centennial League soccer newcomer of the year after helping the Wildcats win the Class 4A-1A state title. [File photo/TSN]
Wildcat senior Carsyn Broxterman was named the Centennial League player of the year while Hayden freshman Emma Slyter was selected as the newcomer of the year and veteran coach Klaus Kreutzer was named the league coach of the year.
Joining Broxterman and Slyter on the first team are Hayden seniors Reese Huscher and Kellyn Specht.
Washburn Rural, which posted a third-place finish in 6A, put seniors Allie Schroeder and Dayne Shriver and sophomore Ellie Vogel on the All-Centennial first team while Topeka High is represented by senior Raelee Shipley.
Hayden put seniors Ella Foster and Grace Funk and sophomores Avery Becker and Hailey Schmidtlein on the all-league second team while Rural is represented by seniors Peyton Merrick and Emma Wong and junior Emery Hall and Topeka High by sophomore Emma Schell.
Five city players received honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE GIRLS SOCCER
First team
Lauren Booe, jr., Manhattan; Carsyn Broxterman, sr., Hayden; Kameron Felice, sr., Manhattan; Reagan Herrman, so., Emporia; Reese Huscher, sr., Hayden; Emersyn Johnson, jr., Emporia; Allie Schroeder, sr., Washburn Rural; Raelee Shipley, sr., Topeka High; Dayne Shriver, sr., Washburn Rural; Emma Slyter, fr., Hayden; Kellyn Specht, sr., Hayden; Ellie Vogel, so., Washburn Rural.
Second team
Avery Becker, so., Hayden; Ella Foster, sr., Hayden; Viveca Fuller, sr., Emporia; Grace Funk, sr., Hayden; Emery Hall, jr., Washburn Rural; Savanna Heitmann, so., Manhattan; Peyton Merrick, sr., Washburn Rural; Emma Schell, so., Topeka High; Hailey Schmidtlein, so., Hayden; Evelyn Thornburg, sr., Manhattan; Emma Wong, sr., Washburn Rural.
Honorable mention
Emporia: Madison Evans, jr.; Emma Swindle, sr. Hayden:Sawyer Wrench, so. Junction City: Michell Sykora, jr. Manhattan: Ava Connell, jr.; Avarye Meeker, so.; Lexie Oehme, fr. Topeka High: Natalie Barnes, sr.; Hailey Caryl, so.; Sara Valera Lopez-Pintor, jr. Washburn Rural: Brecken Murphy, sr.
Player of the year -- Carsyn Broxterman, Hayden.
Newcomer of the year -- Emma Slyter, Hayden.
Coach of the year -- Klaus Kreutzer, Hayden.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 3A state champion Silver Lake put a county-high four players on the 2026 TopSports.news All-Shawnee County softball first team, while Seaman senior Aubrey Warren and Washburn Rural junior Oliva Koch were named the co-players of the year and Rossville freshman Kenna Perine was named the newcomer of the year.
Seaman senior Aubrey Warren has been named the co-Shawnee County softball player of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Olivia Koch has been named the co-Shawnee County softball player of the year for 2026. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville freshman Kenna Perine has been selected as the 2026 Shawnee County softball newcomer of the year. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake, which finished off a 28-4 season with a 4-0 win over Southeast-Saline in the state championship game, is represented on the all-county first team by seniors Kailyn Hanni and Paige Heiman, junior Riley Mohler and sophomore Saylor Liggatt while Eagles coach Nick Hamilton received Shawnee County coach of the year recognition for the third straight season.
Warren was named the United Kansas Conference player of the year for the second straight season while Koch was a repeat pick as the Centennial League player of the year.
London Backman, Topeka High
Topeka High, which finished third in 6A, is represented on the first team by sophomore London Backman and juniors Campbell Dawson and Kenslee Young while 2A quarterfinalist Rossville put senior Brooke Springer and sophomore Nora Mitchell on the first team.
Joining Koch on the first team for Washburn Rural are senior Henley Rapp and junior Justice McBurney while Warren is joined on the first team by Seaman teammate Lydia Dreher.
Shawnee Heights put seniors Addison Cooper and Cianna Graves on the first team while Hayden is represented by junior Emberly Connell and sophomore Blakely Walter.
Backman, Hanni, Warren, Koch and Rapp are all all-county first-team repeat picks.
2026 ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY SOFTBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior player of the year Aidan Newbery headlines the TopSports.news 2026 All-Shawnee County baseball team.
Washburn Rural senior catcher Aidan Newbery has been named the Shawnee County Player of the Year after helping lead Rural to the Class 6A state championship. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/TSN]
Newbery, a catcher, helped lead the Junior Blues to the Class 6A state championship last Saturday in Wichita, Rural's first baseball state championship in 74 years.
Newbery, who was also named the Centennial League player of the year, is joined on the all-county first team by senior teammates Austin Ditch and Nate Selm and junior Tyler Edmiston while Washburn Rural coach Jay Mastin was named the coach of the year after the Junior Blues posted a 22-9 record, capped by a 4-3 win over Free State in the 6A title game.
Connor Hanika, Hayden
Kade Mitchell, Hayden
Class 4A runnerup Hayden (21-6) is represented on the first team by seniors Connor Hanika, Kade Mitchell and Aiden Roberts and junior Caleb Menke while 5A runnerup Shawnee Heights (21-10) put seniors Brody Cooper and Cayden Lindsay on the all-county team and T-Bird sophomore Gabe Escobar has been tapped as the county newcomer of the year.
Brody Cooper, Shawnee Heights
Silver Lake, the 3A runnerup at 18-12, put senior Drew Womack on the first team while Rossville (25-5), third in 2A-1A, is represented by the senior trio of Jacoby McDonnell, Canann Mitchell and Cameron Miller and Seaman put juniors Axton Brewer and Beau Jessop on the first team.
Brewer, Ditch, Menke, Miller, Canann Mitchell, Kade Mitchell and Selm are all first-team All-Shawnee County repeat picks while Cooper, Edmiston, Hanika, Roberts and Womack move up from the second team and Lindsay received honorable mention last season.
Axton Brewer, Seaman
Brewer received 5A All-State first-team honors from Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches while Womack was a first-team pick in 3A and Miller and Canann Mitchell earned first-team honors in 2A-1A.
Canann Mitchell, Rossville
Newbery was a second-team pick in 6A, Jessop a second-team selection in 5A, Hanika and Kade Mitchell second team in 4A and McDonnell second team in 2A-1A.
2026 ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BASEBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
State champions Brody Anderson of Seaman, Christian Hartman-Babb of Washburn Rural and Landen Lewis of Rossville headline the 2026 All-Shawnee County boys track and field team.
Brody Anderson posted a state championship and two runnerup finishes in the Class 5A state track meet. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Christian Hartman-Babb won the Class 6A state 100 meters title and finished second in the 200. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville sophomore Landen Lewis won the 2026 Class 2A-1A state title in the javelin. [Submitted photo]
Anderson, a senior, won the Class 5A 800 meters in a 5A meet-record time of 1 minute, 52.08 seconds after finishing second in the 3,200 (9:05.70) and the 1,600 (4:12.48) earlier in the meet.
Junior Hartman-Babb won the 6A 100-meter dash in 10.59 seconds and finished second on a photo-finish in the 200 (21.40) while sophomore Lewis captured the 2A javelin championship at 181-9.
Anderson finished his season as the Shawnee County leader in the 800, the 1,600 (4:08.2 converted from mile) and 3,200 while Hartman-Babb led the county in the 100 (10.36) and 200 and Lewis had a county-best performance of 202-9 in the javelin.
Washburn Rural senior Brooks Kehoe finished second in the Class 6A 1,600 meters in last week's state meet. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Brooks Kehoe was the 6A runnerup in the 1,600 (4:22.04) while the Silver Lake foursome of senior Thomas Fisher, junior Owen Rottinghaus, senior Joel Miller and senior Braxton Rupp finished second in the 4x100 relay (43.14) and the Eagles' Rottinghaus, Fisher, Miller and sophomore Jake Workman placed third in the 4x400 relay (3:28.56).
Shawnee Heights senior Jason Slay finished third in the 5A 400 (49.51) and teamed with senior Xavier Fisher and juniors Dallas Owens and Mason Haas to place fourth in 4x400 relay (3:25.32).
Anderson, Hartman-Babb, Kehoe, Miller and Rupp are all first-team All-Shawnee County repeat picks along with Seaman junior high-jump state placer Jack Esser and Washburn Rural seniors Draden Chooncharoen and Liam Morrison.
Chooncharoen and Morrison missed the postseason with injuries, but the two ran on back-to-back 4x400 state-champion relay teams in 2024 and 2025, including a 6A state meet record in '25, while Morrison also won the 300 hurdles in '25.
Washburn Rural senior Liam Morrison won three Class 6A state titles during his high school career. [File photo/TSN]
Also earning spots on the all-county first team were Rural sophomore Zach Hancock, Rossville junior Charles Chance, Cair Paravel senior Lucas Marichal, Hayden junior Kelton Meier, Highland Park senior Termaine Savage and Washburn Rural junior Cohen Thiessen.
Highland Park senior Termaine Savage earned a Class 5A state medal in the 400-meter dash. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Thiessen, Hancock, Marichal and Savage were state medalists while Meier was a state qualifier.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY 2026 BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County girls track and filed athletes came up short in their bids for state titles in the 2026 Kansas Track and Field Championships last weekend in Wichita, but the local contingent still had plenty to celebrate, including multiple top-three finishes and 13 total top-eight medal showings in four classes overall.
Washburn Rural senior Morgan Ray finished second in the Class 6A javelin event for the second straight season. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Hayden junior Sofia Harper was the Class 4A runnerup in the 400-meter dash. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Morgan Ray was the state runnerup in the Class 6A javelin at 145 feet, 1 inch, while Hayden junior Sofia Harper finished second in the 4A 400-meter dash while posting a top time of 58.83.
Washburn Rural junior Kailyn Petersen placed fourth in the Class 6A discus for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake junior Ali Gerber was a double medalist in the Class 3A state track meet. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake senior multi-sport star Kailyn Hanni posted a third-place finish in the 3A javelin (129-7) while Washburn Rural junior repeat 6A medalist Kailyn Petersen was fourth in the discus (133-2), Seaman freshman Baylee Ayres was fourth in the 5A high jump (5-foot-2) and Silver Lake junior Ali Gerber finished fourth in the 3A 400 (58.75) while also teaming with Eagle teammates Kinley Weber, Jaylie Whitehead and Karys Deiter to place fifth in the 4x400-meter relay (4:09.64).
Washburn Rural freshman Alyson Hinck (3) earned a pair of Class 6A state medals in her first state track meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural freshman Alyson Hinck posted a fifth-place finish in the 6A 800 (2:18.43) while Shawnee Heights freshman Tanesia Johnson earned medals with sixth-place finishes in both the 5A 100 and 200-meter dashes.
Washburn Rural's Ray and Petersen and senior state medalists Emily Graf and Kenzie Maddox are all all-county repeat picks along with Seaman juniors Kinley Robinson and Brynn Spencer, Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall and Silver Lake's Gerber and Deiter.
Also earning spots on the first team are Hayden junior Alana Mitchell, Silver Lake junior Addy Just and Washburn Rural freshman Clara Dillon, who all earned state medals, along with seniors Jurnee Cole of Highland Park, Jayana Washington of Topeka High and Journey Manhart of Silver Lake.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY 2026 GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
GIRLS
100 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 12.27
Ciera Hartz, Topeka High 12.51
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.57
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 12.59
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 12.63
200 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 25.13
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 26.04
Sofia Harper, Hayden 26.40
Ciera Hartz, Topeka High 26.48
Jaylie Whitehead, Silver Lake 26.72
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake
400 METERS
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 58.48
Sofia Harper, Hayden 58.83
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 59.07
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 60.13
Julia Molleker, Seaman 61.88
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural (3)
800 METERS
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 2:16.83
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 2:20.45
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 2:20.86
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:23.65
Itzel Woods, Topeka High 2:31.24
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural
1,600 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:13.49
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 5:14.04
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 5:15.09
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:17.54
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 5:22.98
3,200 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 11:06.46
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 11:18.10
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 11:27.63
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural 11:34.94
Lily McCoy, Washburn Rural 14:09.97
100-METER HURDLES
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 15.70
Rylee Dick, Rossville 16.44
Marchayla White, Topeka High 17.74
Megan Alderson, Washburn Rural 18.14
Kaylyn Smith, Topeka West 18.23
300-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 50.00
Marchayla White, Topeka High 51.34
Megan Alderson, Washburn Rural 51.60
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake 53.33
Avery Villines, Seaman 54.18
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 49.60
Silver Lake 49.63
Washburn Rural 50.53
Seaman 51.42
Topeka West 52.33
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 4:06.84
Silver Lake 4:07.17
Topeka High 4:10.27
Seaman 4:11.72
Topeka West 4:26.38
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 9:58.99
Topeka High 10:39.23
Seaman 11:17.22
Silver Lake 11:18.38
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
BOYS
100 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 10.36
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 10.91
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 10.96
Emmitt Hochstedler, Seaman 10.98
Israel Edmonds, Washburn Rural 11.02
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural
200 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 21.40
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 22.30
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 22.34
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 22.59
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 22.60
400 METERS
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights 48.85
Termaine Savage, Highland Park 49.89
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 50.25
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 50.68
Thomas Fisher, Silver Lake 51.28
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:52.08
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 1:56.64
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 1:56.96
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights 2:02.62
Everett Un, Washburn Rural 2:03.26
1,600 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:08.2 (mile converted to meters)
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:20.32
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 4:24.35
Nick Newkirk, Hayden 4:27.18
Duke Graf, Washburn Rural 4:32.87
3,200 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:05.70
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 9:23.61
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:24.34
Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural 9:42.46
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 9:42.94
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.07
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.31
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 15.49
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 15.54
De'sean Lunkins, Topeka High 15.85
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 37.61
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 41.72
Jackson Tuckwin, Washburn Rural 42.01
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 42.03
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 42.09
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 42.20
Washburn Rural 42.77
Highland Park 42.80
Silver Lake 42.95
Seaman 43.03
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:21.82
Shawnee Heights 3:21.91
Silver Lake 3:28.28
Highland Park 3:28.48
Topeka West 3:29.56
4x800-METER RELAY
Seaman 8:16.32
Washburn Rural 8:16.60
Shawnee Heights 8:24.81
Silver Lake 8:35.28
Topeka High 9:09.82
HIGH JUMP
Jack Esser, Seaman 6-4
Bryson Burgos, Silver Lake 6-0
Archer Greene, Seaman 5-10
Creighton Frisby, Washburn Rural 5-8
Sebastian Kingcade, Washburn Rural 5-8
Cody Quy, Seaman 5-8
POLE VAULT
Keygan Breault, Silver Lake 12-0
Sam Bruntz, Silver Lake 11-6
Luke Deering, Washburn Rural 11-6
Sawyer Hermesch, Silver Lake 10-0
Desmond Grindol, Washburn Rural 10-0
LONG JUMP
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 21-2.25
Josh Brown, Seaman 21-0.50
Owen Rottinghaus, Silver Lake 21-0
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 20-8
Lucas Marichal, Topeka High/CPLS 20-7.25
TRIPLE JUMP
Lucas Marichal, Topeka High/CPLS 42-9.25
Cody Quy, Seaman 42-8.50
Bryson Burgos, Silver Lake 42-2.50
Camden Kruger, Silver Lake 41-7.75
Abe Heffley, Seaman 40-5.25
SHOT PUT
Charles Chance, Rossville 50-5
Amir Bass, Shawnee Heights 48-4.25
Sam Scott, Washburn Rural 47-7
Adrian Shuler, Shawnee Heights 46-7
Kelton Meier, Hayden 46-2,50
DISCUS
Zachary Hancock, Washburn Rural 163-4
Myles Fisher, Silver Lake 158-3
Sam Garner, Shawnee Heights 156-4
Adam Humphrey, Topeka High 148-8
Kelton Meier, Hayden 142-10
JAVELIN
Landon Lewis, Rossville 202-9
Kelton Meier, Hayden 196-6
Jackson Haas, Hayden 175-11
Andre Johnson, Rossville 170-5
Dylan Tjachman, Washburn Rural 169-11
The 2026 All-Shawnee County boys golf team: From left -- Evan Michalski, Seaman; Chase Hastert, Topeka High/Cair Paravel Latin; Caleb Cleverdon, Topeka High/Cair Paravel Latin; Peyton Goehring, Washburn Rural; Higgins Hawks, Washburn Rural; Michael Wilson, Washburn Rural; Wyatt Dean, Washburn Rural. Not pictured: Jack Donovan, Rossville. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Eight state qualifiers, including three state medalists and four members of a Washburn Rural team that won its 16th straight city championship, comprise the 2026 All-Shawnee County boys golf team.
Caleb Cleverdon, who competed for Cair Paravel Latin in the postseason and Topeka High in the regular season, finished a county-high second in last week's Class 2A state tournament while Rossville senior Jack Donovan, a three-time all-county first-team selection and four-time state medalist, finished fifth in 2A and CPLS sophomore Chase Hastert placed 17th.
Washburn Rural, which won its 16th straight city team championship, is represented on the All-Shawnee County team by senior repeat pick Higgins Hawks, senior city champion Peyton Goehring, senior Michael Wilson and sophomore Wyatt Dean.
Rounding out the first team is Seaman senior Evan Michalski, a 5A individual qualifier with a tie for sixth place at regionals after tying for fourth in the United Kansas Conference tournament.
All-Shawnee County capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural junior Olivia Koch was a repeat selection as the Centennial League softball player of the year as city players earned eight of 11 first-team spots.
Washburn Rural junior Olivia Koch has been named the Centennial League softball player of the year for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Koch is joined on the all-league first team by senior Henley Rapp and junior Justice McBurney after the Junior Blues went undefeated in league play while Topeka High, third in Class 6A, is represented by sophomore London Backman and juniors Campbell Dawson and Kenslee Young and Hayden by junior Emberly Connell and sophomore Blakeley Walter.
Topeka High's Shane Miles was voted the Centennial League coach of the year while Mamhattan's Foveaux was named the newcomer of the year.
City players combined to put seven players on the second team while 10 players received honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SOFTBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 3 seed Topeka High softball looked to be in a golden position to advance to the Class 6A championship game after opening up an early 3-0 lead Friday at Wilkins Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University.
Topeka High junior standout Campbell Dawson delivers a pitch in Friday's Class 6A semifinal game against Gardner-Edgerton. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]
But No. 2 seed Gardner-Edgerton forged a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth and pushed across the game-winning run in the sixth to stun the Trojans, 4-3.
Gardner-Edgerton, now 26-2, advanced to face Campus in Saturday's 10 a.m. championship game while Topeka High finished third in 6A at 26-4 on the season.
Topeka High senior Taimane Isaia throws out a base-runner in Friday's Class 6A semifinal against Gardner-Edgerton. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/TSN]
Junior Madilyn Poole connects with a pitch in Friday's Topeka High Class 6A softball semifinal against Gardner-Edgerton. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/TSN]
Topeka High jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second and the score remained that way until the Trailblazers pushed across three runs to pull even in the fifth.
Gardner-Edgerton scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded walk to junior Kylie Kyle.
Trailblazer sophomore pitcher Kenley Sutton, who turned in a dominating performance in relief, then closed out the game in the top of the seventh to send Gardner-Edgerton to the title game.
Campus, which upset Washburn Rural 4-3 in a regional final, continued its late-season run with a 7-2 semifinal win over Mill Valley, improving to 18-12 on the season.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 10.36
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 10.91
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 10.96
Emmitt Hochstedler, Seaman 10.98
Israel Edmonds, Washburn Rural 11.02
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural
200 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 21.78
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 22.30
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 22.34
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 22.59
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 22.60
400 METERS
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights 48.85
Termaine Savage, Highland Park 49.89
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 50.25
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 50.94
Thomas Fisher, Silver Lake 51.28
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:53.34
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 1:56.64
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 1:58.65
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights 2:02.62
Everett Un, Washburn Rural 2:03.26
1,600 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:08.2 (mile converted to meters)
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:20.32
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 4:24.35
Nick Newkirk, Hayden 4:27.18
Duke Graf, Washburn Rural 4:32.87
3,200 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:11.63
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 9:23.61
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:24.34
Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural 9:42.46
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 9:42.94
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.07
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.31
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 15.54
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 15.53
De'sean Lunkins, Topeka High 15.85
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 37.61
Jackson Tuckwin, Washburn Rural 42.01
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 42.03
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 42.09
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 43.26
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 42.20
Washburn Rural 42.77
Highland Park 42.80
Seaman 43.03
Silver Lake 43.28
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:21.82
Shawnee Heights 3:21.91
Silver Lake 3:28.28
Highland Park 3:28.48
Topeka West 3:29.56
4x800-METER RELAY
Seaman 8:16.32
Washburn Rural 8:16.60
Shawnee Heights 8:24.81
Silver Lake 8:35.28
Topeka High 9:09.82
HIGH JUMP
Jack Esser, Seaman 6-4
Bryson Burgos, Silver Lake 6-0
Archer Greene, Seaman 5-10
Creighton Frisby, Washburn Rural 5-8
Sebastian Kingcade, Washburn Rural 5-8
Cody Quy, Seaman 5-8
POLE VAULT
Keygan Breault, Silver Lake 12-0
Sam Bruntz, Silver Lake 11-6
Luke Deering, Washburn Rural 11-6
Sawyer Hermesch, Silver Lake 10-0
Desmond Grindol, Washburn Rural 10-0
LONG JUMP
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 21-2.25
Josh Brown, Seaman 21-0.50
Owen Rottinghaus, Silver Lake 21-0
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 20-8
Lucas Marichal, Topeka High/CPLS 20-7.25
TRIPLE JUMP
Cody Quy, Seaman 42-8.50
Lucas Marichal, Topeka High/CPLS 42-3.25
Bryson Burgos, Silver Lake 42-2.50
Camden Kruger, Silver Lake 41-7.75
Abe Heffley, Seaman 40-5.25
SHOT PUT
Charles Chance, Rossville 50-5
Amir Bass, Shawnee Heights 48-4.25
Sam Scott, Washburn Rural 47-7
Adrian Shuler, Shawnee Heights 46-7
Kelton Meier, Hayden 46-2,50
DISCUS
Zachary Hancock, Washburn Rural 163-4
Myles Fisher, Silver Lake 158-3
Sam Garner, Shawnee Heights 156-4
Adam Humphrey, Topeka High 148-8
Kelton Meier, Hayden 142-10
JAVELIN
Landon Lewis, Rossville 202-9
Kelton Meier, Hayden 196-6
Jackson Haas, Hayden 175-11
Dylan Tjachman, Washburn Rural 169-11
Andre Johnson, Rossville 170-5
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 12.27
Ciera Hartz, Topeka High 12.51
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.57
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 12.59
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 12.63
200 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 25.41
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 26.04
Sofia Harper, Hayden 26.40
Ciera Hartz, Topeka High 26.48
Jaylie Whitehead, Silver Lake 26.72
400 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 59.07
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 59.19
Sofia Harper, Hayden 59.44
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 60.13
Julia Molleker, Seaman 61.88
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural (3)
800 METERS
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 2:16.83
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 2:20.45
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 2:20.86
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:23.65
Itzel Woods, Topeka High 2:31.24
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural
1,600 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:13.49
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 5:14.04
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 5:15.09
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:17.54
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 5:22.98
3,200 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 11:06.46
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 11:18.10
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 11:27.63
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural 11:34.94
Lily McCoy, Washburn Rural 14:09.97
100-METER HURDLES
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 15.70
Rylee Dick, Rossville 16.44
Marchayla White, Topeka High 17.74
Megan Alderson, Washburn Rural 18.14
Kaylyn Smith, Topeka West 18.23
300-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 50.00
Marchayla White, Topeka High 51.34
Megan Alderson, Washburn Rural 51.60
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake 53.33
Avery Villines, Seaman 54.18
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 49.60
Silver Lake 50.29
Washburn Rural 50.53
Seaman 51.42
Topeka West 52.33
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 4:06.84
Silver Lake 4:07.17
Topeka High 4:10.27
Seaman 4:11.72
Topeka West 4:26.38
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 9:58.99
Topeka High 10:39.23
Seaman 11:17.22
Silver Lake 11:18.38
9By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Sixty-seven individual qualifiers in 83 events are set to represent Shawnee County in Friday and Saturday's state track and field championships in and around Wichita State's Cessna Stadium while county teams are also qualified to compete in 19 total relays.
Big-school 3,200-meter runs as well as field event competition are scheduled to get under way at 7:45 a.m. Friday, followed by preliminaties in Class 6A, 5A, 4A.
Competition will resume on Saturday, with field events at 8 a.m. and running events at 8:30.
Shawnee County athletes to watch:
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural
• Washburn Rural junior Christian Hartman-Babb swept the 100 and 200-meter titles in last Friday's Class 6A regional and ran the leadoff leg on the Junior Blues' winning 4x400-meter relay team.
Hartman-Babb recorded 6A fastest 100 regional time (10.36 seconds) and tied for the fastest time in the 200 (21.83).
Brody Anderson, Seaman
• Seaman senior Brody Anderson finished third in the Class 5A 800 meters last season and is qualified in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 this weekend.
Anderson is likely to go head to head with Kapaun Mt. Carmel star Daniel Enriquez in all three events and is ranked No. 2 based on regional times in the 1,600 (4:15.23), fifth in the 800 (1:55.12) and eighth in the 3,200 (9:29.78).
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural
• Washburn Rural senior Brooks Kehoe helped lead the Junior Blues to the Class 6A state cross country championship last fall and won the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in last Friday's regional meet.
Kehoe is ranked No. 10 in the 1,600 (4:26.88) and No. 12 (9:52.39) in the 3,200 based on regional performances.
Morgan Ray, Washburn Rural
• Washburn Rural senior Morgan Ray placed second in the Class 6A girls javelin a season ago and is expected to challenge for the title again this weekend.
Ray captured the regional championship in her specialty with a throw of 141 feet, 6 inches and is ranked third in 6A based on regional throws.
• Shawnee Heights freshman girls sprinter Tanesia Johnson has been a star since she stepped on Heights' campus and is expected to be a factor in the 100 and 200 this weekend.
Johnson ranks No. 4 in 5A in the 100 (12.34) and 200 (25.41) based on regional times.
• Rossville's Landen Lewis and Hayden's Kelton Meier are expected to contend for state boys javelin titles this weekend.
Lewis is the No. 1 Class 2A thrower in the state at 181-8 based on regional performances while Meier ranks No. 2 in 4A at 190-7.
SHAWNEE COUNTY STATE TRACK AND FIELD QUALIFIERS
BOYS
Class 6A
Topeka High -- Adam Humphrey (discus), De'sean Lunkins (110 hurdles), Malachi Murph (100), 4x100 relay.
Washburn Rural -- Jaxson Adams (3,200), Christian Hartman-Babb (100, 200), Zachary Hancock (discus), Brooks Kehoe (1,600, 3,200), Sam Scott (shot put), Dylan Tajchman (javelin), Cohen Thiessen (800, 1,600), 4x400 relay, 4x800 relay.
Class 5A
Highland Park -- Termaine Savage (400), 4x100 relay.
The 2026 All-City girls swimming and diving team -- Front, from left: Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden; Riley Strother, Seaman; Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High; Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural; Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights. Back, from left: Avery Skinner, Topeka High; Megan Strobel, Seaman; Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights; Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural; Ava Von Lintel, Wasnburn Rural; Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior Rhiannon Good, a two-time Class 6A state diving medalist, and senior 16-time city and Centennial League individual champion Audrey Appuhn headline the 2026 All-City girls swimming and diving team.
Good returned from ACL surgery late in the season to post her second straight top-five finish in the 6A state meet while Appuhn, a multi-time state medalist capped her oustanding career by finishing eight of eight in career individual races in both the city and Centennial League meets.
Rural, which won its 23nd straight city title, put a city-high four swimmers on the All-City first team, which is determined by performances in the city meet.
Washburn Rural put Appuhn, Good and senior repeat picks Sophie Heinen and Ava Von Lintel on the first team while Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo joins Appuhn as a four-time All-City first-team pick.
Shawnee Heights is represented on the All-City first team by junior repeat picks Kaitlyn Aldridge and Clara Sobba while Seaman is represented by senior Megan Strobel and sophomore Riley Strother after the Vikings finished second as a team in the city meet.
Junior Kaelyn Gerdel, a two-time city and Centennial League champ, represents Hayden on the All-City first team while Topeka High freshman city champ Avery Skinner joins Del Castillo on the first team.
All-City first-team capsules:
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- Topeka High used a defensive gem to hold off Blue Valley and advance to the semifinal round of the Class 6A state softball tournament, winning 5-4 Tuesday at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia.
Trailing 5-2 in the top of the seventh inning, Blue Valley put two runners on with no outs.
Topeka High sophomore first baseman Remi Cushinberry completes a potentially game-saving double play in the seventh inning of the Trojans' 5-4 Class 6A state quarterfinal game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Desperate to protect the lead, Topeka High third baseman Taimane Isaia smothered a hot smash, stepped on third and then threw across the infield for a dazzling double play, leaving the Tigers with just a runner at second.
It turned out to be the play of the game because Blue Valley’s next batter blasted a home run. Instead of tying the game, the Tigers still trailed by a run, thanks to Isaia’s defensive heroics.
“Funny thing is, I called timeout there, and I said, ‘Guys, we’re gonna get a groundball double play here,’” said Topeka High coach Shane Miles. “That was a huge thing because then you go from the tying run at the plate to now they’ve got to get some more batters up.”
“We’d been throwing inside the whole game, so I was close to the line,” Isaia said. “I was ready for that ball, and I knew in my head, ‘Ball first. Make the play at third first.’ What I didn’t expect was for my throw to go so high, but I got Remi (Cushinberry) at first and she’s got my back at all times.”
Junior pitcher Campbell Dawson went the distance for the win in Tuesday's 5-4 Topeka High Class 6A quarterfinal win over Blue Valley. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High softball celebrates Tuesday's 5-4 Class 6A quarterfinal win over Blue Valley after recording the final out. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Following the Tiger homer, Topeka High pitcher Campbell Dawson settled down to induce a game-ending flyout. Dawson went the distance for the Trojans, scattering nine hits. She worked around trouble in each of the first four innings before locking in. She set the Tigers down in order in the fifth and sixth frames. Miles stayed committed to Dawson even when Blue Valley rallied in the seventh.
“Campbell didn’t have her best stuff today, but she battled and battled and battled, and our girls made plays behind her,” Miles said. “It was her game.”
The Trojans capitalized on leadoff hits in the first and third innings with bunts and productive outs. Leading 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth, Topeka High’s Madilyn Poole delivered the big hit – a bases-loaded single to score two more runs.
“We had some very clutch hitting,” Miles said. “We put pressure on defenses, and we allow that defense to make errors. And that’s what we did today. Putting pressure with bunts and then getting key hits.”
Making their second consecutive trip to state, the Trojans improved on last season’s exit in the first round. They will face Gardner Edgerton at 3 p.m. Thursday at Wichita State University.
“This is amazing,” Isaia said. “People never expected us to be here. But we’re a hard-working team. We know all these teams want these games. These games are going to be hard back-and-forth. And I know my girls. At the end of the day, we’re gonna push through mentally.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For most of Washburn junior Christian Hartman-Babb's first two track seasons, he was primarily a hurdler for the Junior Blues.
Washburn Rural junior Christian Hartman-Babb dominated the sprints in Friday's Class 6A track and field regional, taking home three gold medals. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But one race late in the 2025 season convinced Hartman-Babb that his future was in the sprints.
"Sophomore year at (Centennial) League when I hit 10.8, that let me know, 'Dang, I'm a 100 guy,' '' Hartman-Babb said.
And an outstanding performance in Friday night's Class 6A regional was further proof that Hartman-Babb made the right decision.
He opened his night by improving his school record in the 100-meter dash in 10.36 seconds and he doubled up in the 200 with a winning time of 21.83 seconds before running the leadoff leg on Washburn Rural's winning 4x400-meter relay in 3:26.04 as the Junior Blues finished second as a team to Manhattan (117-114).
While Hartman-Babb's 100-meter time is the best time in the state this spring, he feels like he's still improving in the 200.
"Definitely the speed endurance side of it,'' he said. "My top-end speed for the 100 is great, and I just need to hold that for longer on the 200 and then the 200 will come along with it.''
Another highlight for Hartman-Babb Friday was helping the Junior Blues win the 4x100.
With two-time senior state champions Draden Chooncharoen and Liam Morrison out with injuries, Hartman-Babb helped give the Junior Blues a shot at a third straight state title in the event next week in Wichita.
"It means a lot, to be able to get it done for the guys after doing everything that I did individually,'' Hartman-Babb said.
Coming off his regional performance, Hartman-Babb is now setting his sights on a state championship or two or three.
"I want to win the 100 and 200 and hopefully if I'm on that 4x4 team, get that, too,'' Hartman-Babb said.
Hartman-Babb competed at state as a sophomore, but feels like he's much more prepared this time around.
"Last year, there were all the nerves of being able to run in front of a huge crowd, and this year I feel like I'll be able to go in and channel that and be able to put on a show,'' he said.
Washburn Rural senior Brooks Kehoe (1) won the 1,600 and 3,200 meters races in Friday's Class 6A regional at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Kehoe records distance double
While Hartman-Babb dominated the sprints in Friday's regional, Washburn Rural senior Brooks Kehoe turned in an impressive double in his own right while sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
Kehoe (4:26.88) and Rural junior Cohen Thiessen (4:27.60) went one-two in the 1,600 before Kehoe came back later in the evening to win the 3,200 in 9:52.39 while Junior Blue sophomore Jaxon Adams was third in 9:56.45.
Kehoe has run much faster 3,200s than he did Friday, but came through late in what turned into a strategic race that included a pack of runners up front for most of the race.
"We went out way slower than I expected,'' said Kehoe, who helped the Junior Blues win the 6A state cross country title last fall. "I expected Testa (Junction City junior Anthony Testa) to go take it out like a rocket, but it seemed like he wanted to sit, too, so when we brought it through in an 80 (second first lap) I was just kind of like, 'OK, I'm smart, I know how to race and I've got enough speed to get out of a box if I need to.'
"I think I did really well and I didn't exert myself any more than I had to.''
In both the 1,600 and 3,200 Kehoe came from behind, using his speed to take the lead and pull away late.
"I think I've got the best kick of anyone out there I'm going to race this season,'' he said. "I'm always going to bet on myself.''
A returning two-time state medalist, Kehoe is fired up to see what he can do in the state meet.
"I'm excited going back to state in the 1,600 and 3,200 again this year,'' he said. "I'm trying to go get two state titles. Me and Swed (Rural distance coach Matt Swedlund) have been talking about for weeks and we think I can do it. I think I'm going to go win those.''
Other meet highlights:
• Washburn Rural sophomore Zachary Hancock and Topeka High senior Adam Humphrey went one-two boys discus, with Hancock winning with a throw of 160-6 and Humphrey second at 148-8.
Rural also got a win from first-year senior thrower Dylan Tajchman in the javelin, with Tajchman winning with a throw of 169-11, while Junior Blues junior Sam Scott qualified with a second-place finish in the shot put at 47-6.75.
Washburn Rural senior Morgan Ray won the girls javelin title in Friday's Class 6A regional at Rural with a throw of 141-6. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Senior Morgan Ray of Washburn Rural, the Class 6A runnerup as a junior, won the girls javelin championship by 25 feet with a throw of 141-6.
Rural junior Kailyn Petersen, a returning state medalist, finished second in the discus with a throw of 127-7.
Washburn Rural freshman Alyson Hinck (3) set a school record in the 800 meters in Friday's Class 6A regional meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Washburn Rural freshman Alyson Hinck set a school record with a second-place finish in the girls 800 meters in 2:16.83.
Free State Grace Toner, Hinck and Manhattan's Gabrielle Converse went one-two-three in a bang-bang finish, with Toner winning in 2:16.68, Hinck second and Converse third in 2:16.92.
Rural seniors Emily Graf and Kenzie Maddox finished two-three in the 3,200, with Graf second in 11:17.71 and Maddox third in 11:18.10.
Manhattan's Zara Koehn won the 3,200 in 11:14.48.
Topeka High senior Jayana Washington qualified for state with a third-place regional finish in the long jump Friday at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Topeka High senior Jayana Washington was Topeka High's girls lone automatic state qualifier (top three), finishing third in the long jump in 16 feet, 9 inches.
Free State junior Parker Jones won the event at 18-1.75.
CLASS 6A REGIONAL
At Washburn Rural
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
A balance of good pitching, flawless defense and relentless hitting is sending the Topeka High softball team back to the state tournament for the second straight season.
Topeka High softball celebrates its Class 6A regional championship Wednesday at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Topeka High softball poses for a team picture after winning a Class 6A regional championship Wednesday at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
The Trojans had no trouble handling the competition in Class 6A West Regional No. 3, blasting Wichita Heights 15-0 and Wichita Northwest 11-1 Wednesday at Hummer Sports Park.
The Trojans outhit their opponents 20-9 and did not commit an error in the field. Their pitchers combined to strike out nine batters and walked just one.
“We’re a complete team. If all three phases are working, we’re really tough to beat and a really tough out,” said Topeka High coach Shane Miles. “If we have two of the three working, we’re still pretty tough.”
In the opening game against Wichita Heights, Topeka High starting pitcher Kenslee Young struck out two batters in each frame of the four-inning contest.
Leading 10-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Trojans decided to end the first game quickly. They wrapped six hits around just one out to plate five runs, ending the game by mercy rule.
Topeka High senior Taimane Isaia hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, as the Trojans won a Class 6A regional championship Wednesday at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Highlighting the first game romp was a second-inning grand slam by senior Taimane Isaia. She finished the game with three hits and five RBI.
In the second game, junior Campbell Dawson worked around seven base hits to hold Wichita Northwest to just one run.
Isaia went deep again in Game 2, homering in the fourth inning. Young helped lead the offensive attack with two doubles and a single in the second game.
“Every team has on and off, but lately we have been on and on and on,” Isaia said. “We are here for a reason. No one ever really talks about us. And you know what? We are here to prove people wrong.”
Miles agreed that the Trojans may have been overlooked thus far this season. He believes the team could rectify that in next week’s state tournament.
“I think we will surprise some people,” Miles said. “I’ve felt that we haven’t had the respect this year that we deserve. We’ve played some of the East schools, you know, we’ve played some competition and we’re ready to go after it.
“I like being under the radar. I like being the underdog.”
In addition to praising his team’s huge run totals in the two games, Miles complimented the effort of his pitchers.
“Kenslee is tough to beat when she’s on, and Campbell’s really tough to beat when she’s on,” Miles said. “So, having that duo, I feel like we have one of the better pitching staffs in the state. And you can add Adrianna Adame in there, too. She’s thrown a lot of innings the last couple of weeks.”
The Trojans ran their record to 25-3 on the season. Their only losses came to Washburn Rural and Hayden. But as it turns out, the Trojans are the only Topeka team heading to state.
“We got there last year, and this group that we have right now, we’re still a very young team,” Miles said. “They had a lot of experience last year at the state tournament, so it’s nice just to get back there.”
SEMIFINAL
TOPEKA HIGH 15, WICHITA HEIGHTS 0
Wichita Heights (3-18) 000 0 -- 0 2 2
Topeka High (24-3) 244 5 -- 15 10 0
Neal and Wilson. Young and Chard. W -- Young. L -- Neal. 2B -- Wichita Heights: Wallace. Topeka High: Cushinberry, Poole. 3B -- Topeka High: Dawson. HR -- Topeka High: Isaia.
CHAMPIONSHIP
TOPEKA HIGH 11, WICHITA NORTHWEST 1
Wichita Northwest (16-14) 001 00 — 1 7 1
Topeka High (25-3) 440 21 — 11 10 0
Thomas, Brungardt (5) and Soetaert. Dawson and Chard. W -- Dawson. L -- Thomas. 2B -- Wichita Northwest: Thomas. Topeka High: Young 2. 3B -- Topeka High: Dawson. HR -- Topeka High: Isaia.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 12.27
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.57
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 12.59
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 12.66
Adriana Raub, Washburn Rural 12.75
200 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 25.83
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 26.04
Ciera Hartz, Topeka High 26.48
Jaylie Whitehead, Silver Lake 26.72
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 26.82
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High
400 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 59.07
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 59.19
Sofia Harper, Hayden 59.44
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 60.13
Julia Molleker, Seaman 61.88
800 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 2:20.86
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 2:21.50
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 2:23.63
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:23.65
Clara Dillon, Washburn Rural 2:33.45
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural
1,600 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:13.49
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 5:14.04
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 5:15.78
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:17.54
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 5:22.98
3,200 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 11:06.46
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 11:18.36
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 11:27.63
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural 11:34.94
Lily McCoy, Washburn Rural 14:09.97
100-METER HURDLES
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 15.70
Rylee Dick, Rossville 16.44
Marchayla White, Topeka High 17.74
Megan Alderson, Washburn Rural 18.14
Kaylyn Smith, Topeka West 18.23
300-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 50.00
Marchayla White, Topeka High 51.34
Megan Alderson, Washburn Rural 51.60
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake 53.33
Avery Villines, Seaman 54.18
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 49.60
Silver Lake 50.29
Washburn Rural 50.55
Seaman 51.63
Topeka West 52.33
4x400-METER RELAY
Silver Lake 4:09.56
Topeka High 4:10.27
Washburn Rural 4:11.18
Seaman 4:20.94
Topeka West 4:26.38
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 10:12.53
Topeka High 10:39.23
Seaman 11:17.22
Silver Lake 11:18.38
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 10.43
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 10.91
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 10.96
Emmitt Hochstedler, Seaman 10.98
Israel Edmonds, Washburn Rural 11.02
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural
200 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 21.78
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 22.30
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 22.38
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 22.60
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 22.65
400 METERS
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights 49.89
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 50.25
Termaine Savage, Highland Park 50.61
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 50.94
Thomas Fisher, Silver Lake 51.28
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:53.34
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 1:56.64
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 1:59.79
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights 2:02.62
Everett Un, Washburn Rural 2:03.26
1,600 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:08.2 (mile converted to meters)
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:20.32
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 4:24.35
Nick Newkirk, Hayden 4:27.18
Duke Graf, Washburn Rural 4:32.87
3,200 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:11.63
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 9:23.61
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:24.34
Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural 9:42.46
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 9:42.94
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.07
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.31
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 15.54
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 15.71
De'sean Lunkins, Topeka High 15.85
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 37.61
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 42.03
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 42.09
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 43.26
Colin Miller, Silver Lake 43.41
4x100-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 42.77
Topeka High 42.90
Seaman 43.27
Silver Lake 43.28
Topeka High 43.52
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:21.82
Shawnee Heights 3:23.24
Silver Lake 3:28.28
Highland Park 3:28.48
Topeka High 3:33.40
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 8:21.93
Shawnee Heights 8:33.62
Seaman 8:34.58
Silver Lake 8:57.48
Topeka High 9:09.82
HIGH JUMP
Jack Esser, Seaman 6-4
Bryson Burgos, Silver Lake 6-0
Archer Greene, Seaman 5-10
Creighton Frisby, Washburn Rural 5-8
Sebastian Kingcade, Washburn Rural 5-8
Cody Quy, Seaman 5-8
POLE VAULT
Keygan Breault, Silver Lake 12-0
Sam Bruntz, Silver Lake 11-6
Luke Deering, Washburn Rural 11-6
Sawyer Hermesch, Silver Lake 10-0
Desmond Grindol, Washburn Rural 10-0
LONG JUMP
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 21-2.25
Josh Brown, Seaman 21-0.50
Owen Rottinghaus, Silver Lake 21-0
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 20-8
Lucas Marichal, Topeka High/CPLS 20-7.25
TRIPLE JUMP
Bryson Burgos, Silver Lake 42-2.50
Camden Kruger, Silver Lake 41-7
Lucas Marichal, Topeka High/CPLS 40-11
Abe Heffley, Seaman 40-5.25
De'drian Keeling, Topeka West 40-3.75
SHOT PUT
Amir Bass, Shawnee Heights 47-11
Sam Scott, Washburn Rural 47-7
Kelton Meier, Hayden 46-2,50
Charles Chance, Rossville 46-0
Brogen Brown, Seaman 45-10.75
DISCUS
Zachary Hancock, Washburn Rural 163-4
Sam Garner, Shawnee Heights 156-4
Myles Fisher, Silver Lake 151-3
Adam Humphrey, Topeka High 146-8
Kelton Meier, Hayden 142-10
JAVELIN
Landon Lewis, Rossville 202-9
Kelton Meier, Hayden 196-6
Jackson Haas, Hayden 175-3
Dylan Tjachman, Washburn Rural 167-4
Andre Johnson, Rossville 166-5
The 2026 All-City boys tennis team -- Front, from left: Kieffer O'Connor, Washburn Rural; Greyson Jones, Washburn Rural; Jonah Arnold, Cair Paravel; Zander Rice, Topeka West; Owen Stewart, Seaman; Dayton Schneider, Seaman. Back, from left: Cale Deutscher, Washburn Rural; Dylan Willingham, Washburn Rural; Ben Tryhus, Washburn Rural; Drew Fay, Cair Paravel; Collin McGee, Topeka West; Tres Lassiter, Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Twelve state qualifiers, including 10 state medalists in three different classes, comprise the 2026 All-City boys tennis team.
Cair Paravel Latin senior singles player Drew Fay, a four-time Class 3A-1A state qualifier and three-time state medalist, posted a city-high fifth-place state finish while Lion freshman Jonah Arnold finished 12th in singles as Cair Paravel finished fourth as a team.
Four city doubles teams also earned state medals in 6A and 5A.
Washburn Rural's senior doubles teams of Kieffer O'Connor and Ben Tryhus and Cale Deutscher and Kieffer O'Connor finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in 6A while Topeka West sophomore Collin McGee and junior Zander Rice and Seaman seniors Dayton Schneider and Owen Stewart finished ninth and 10th in 5A doubles.
Rounding out the All-City team are Topeka High senior singles player Tres Lassiter and Washburn Rural junior singles player Greyson Jones.
Lassiter was a runnerup in city, Centennial League and 6A regional tournaments before posting a 2-2 record at state while Jones was the city champion in No. 2 singles and went on to qualify for state while helping the Junior Blues capture city, league and regional championships.
All-City tennis capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: TopSports.news will compile a weekly girls swimming and diving honor roll for Topeka high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY
Washburn Rural 2:11.82
Shawnee Heights 2:14.60
Seaman 2:18.07
Hayden 2:25.76
Topeka High 2:41.23
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden
200-YARD FREESTYLE
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden 2:11.68
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 2:14.96
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 2:28.77
Megan Strobel, Seaman 2:37.54
Stella Berry, Washburn Rural 2:43.23
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural
200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:19.72
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 2:34.07
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:34.20
Riley Strother, Seaman 2:51.05
Avery Skinner, Seaman 2:51.97
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights
50-YARD FREESTYLE
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 26.94
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 27.28
Riley Strother, Seaman 27.61
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 27.76
Ava Carlson, Seaman 28.56
Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural
ONE-METER DIVING
Rhiannan Good, Washburn Rural 239.85 (six dives) 446.40 (11 dives)
Avery Rosenow, Hayden/CPLS 188.55 (six dives) 359.65 (11 dives
Mackenzie Caryl, Topeka High 147.45
Abigail Culbertson, Topeka High 122.50
Madilyn Typer, Seaman 105.40
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Centennial League baseball champion Washburn Rural put four players on the all-league first team, led by senior player of the year Aidan Newbery.
Joining Newbery on the All-Centennial first team are seniors Austin Ditch and Nate Selm and junior Tyler Edmiston while Washburn Rural coach Jay Mastin was selected by league coaches as the co-coach of the year with Manhattan's Don Hess.
Washburn Rural posted a 9-1 league record to win the league title by two games and will take a 17-8 overall record into Class 6A postseason play.
Hayden, 17-5 on the season, is represented on the first team by seniors Connor Hanika, Kade Mitchell and Aiden Roberts.
Washburn Rural put seniors Isaac Ansley, Drew Moore and AJ Payne on the all-league second team while Hayden is represented by juniors Mason Becker and Caleb Menke.
Topeka High seniors Drayden Accosta and Elisha Guest and junior Cole Haubold all received honorable mention along with Hayden sophomore Max Becker, senior Brady Deutsch and junior Everett Tourtillott and Washburn Rural juniors Preston Bahr and Dominic Nimz and seniors Brody Haas and Gavin Payne.
Manhattan sophomore McLain Aslin was selected as the Centennial newcomer of the year.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE BASEBALL
By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
It took just over 95 minutes to decide a winner between Centennial League soccer rivals Topeka High and Emporia on Friday night at Hummer Sports Park, with the Spartans getting the lone goal of the match to pick up the win, 1-0.
Emporia senior Aracely Aleman netted the goal for the Spartans deep in the right side of the box and buried it on the other side of the net to capture the victory.
That marked Emporia’s 10th shutout this season. In fact, all of their wins have come via the shutout.
Topeka High celebrated Senior Night for its four seniors and Trojan coach Derek Snook said Friday's loss hurt.
“We’ve just been hit by an injury bug,'' Snook said. "I thought we did well defensively in holding them out in a good attacking team like them. Attacking wise for us, there were some missteps so it’s a tough one to end on for sure.''
The Trojans had its chances over the 95 minutes played to get on the board but could not convert. Snook explained what went wrong.
“I thought there were opportunities for more shots, whether that be from 20-25 yards out or what but we just had some missed passes or some missed reads on what we need to do,'' Snook said. "I thought we could have got some more shots out for sure.
"They attacked us defensively. I mean every time we had the ball at our feet we had two defenders around us so we tried to do some things and just some bad passes got us.''
After playing two double overtimes on Monday that ended in a tie, Snook is happy to see his team still fighting.
“There is so much more to be had,'' he said. "This team has shown me so much grit over the last three weeks. We had a stretch where we had five games in eight days about two weeks ago.
"They showed me some toughness there. We’re beat up. I suited up 12 of my original 19 or 20 varsity players. The girls have come together and played well and hard as far as competing and that’s what you want. Can we compete?”
EMPORIA 1, TOPEKA HIGH 0
Emporia (10-6-0 3-3-0) 0 0 0 1 -- 1
Topeka High (6-10-1 2-4-0) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Emporia -- Goal: Aleman.
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
It took some late-night heroics, but the Topeka High baseball team swept rival Topeka West at Hummer Sports Park to give themselves some momentum for the postseason.
Topeka High senior Drayden Accosta delivered the game-winning hit to give the Trojans a sweep over USD 501 rival Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TS]
After letting a four-run lead disappear in the top of the seventh inning of the nightcap, Topeka High's Drayden Accosta belted a game-winning single to right field to preserve the Senior Night sweep.
The Trojans won the opening game 9-4, then avoided the collapse in the second game, winning 7-6.
Topeka High led the second game 6-2 in the top of the seventh, but Topeka West rallied with four runs to force the Trojans to win it in the bottom of the inning. With a runner at second, Accosta came through.
“My mindset was, anything over the plate, I’m hunting fastball, knowing that it’s gonna come, knowing (the Charger pitcher) doesn’t want to walk me,” Accosta said. “He gave me a pitch to drive, and I did what I was supposed to do with it.
“There’s no better way to end my time, at Hummer. I mean, I’ve been playing here for four years, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
The wins gave Topeka High an 11-14 record to close the regular season. Trojan coach Cody Miller said it would have been a shame to let that one get away.
“I think sometimes you take teams a little for granted and you think things are going to happen, but you’ve got to go make things happen,'' Miller said. "And we didn’t do that. And West woke up and swung the bats, to their credit. At least Drayden ended it for us there in the last inning.
“We definitely needed it. We’ve had a tough run here the last month or so. We’ve played a lot of good teams. The Centennial League is up this year, so we faced a lot of good opponents.”
In the first game, pitcher Trojan Caiden Tyrell held the Chargers to four runs over six innings. Cole Haubold handled the seventh by striking out four Chargers, including one who reached when the third strike eluded the
Miller said he hopes the sweep gives the Trojans some momentum going into the postseason.
“I think we’re going to get the same Wichita East team that we just played yesterday, that we know we can beat,” Miller said. “We’ll be ready to go.”
GAME ONE
TOPEKA HIGH 9, TOPEKA WEST 4
Topeka West 002 110 0 -- 4 6 3
Topeka High 103 302 x -- 9 9 1
Babcock, Vogel (4) and Downing. Tyrell, Haubold (7) and Gonzalez. W --Tyrell. L -- Babcock. 2B -- Topeka High: Accosta.
GAME TWO
TOPEKA HIGH 7, TOPEKA WEST 6
Topeka West (4-21) 100 010 4 -- 6 9 3
Topeka High (11-14) 031 011 1 -- 9 9 1
Calvert, Walker (5) and Babcock. Heald, Stamper (6) and Roman-Chavez. W -- Stamper. L -- Walker. 3B -- Topeka High: Toland.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ten Topeka high school tennis players in three classes assured themselves of state medals (top12 places) with solid performances in Friday's opening day of state tournaments across the state.
None of the city's 25 state qualifiers got through Friday unbeaten but four city doubles teams punched their tickets to Saturday's place matches while Cair Paravel Latin advanced both singles players, Drew Fay and Jonah Arnold.
Saturday's matches will begin at 9 a.m. across the state.
Seniors Cale Deutscher (left) and Dylan Willingham went 2-1 on the opening day of the Class 6A state tournament to advance to Saturday's place matches. [File photo/TSN]
Class 6A at Wichita Riverside Tennis Complex
Washburn Rural's senior doubles teams of Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham and Kieffer O'Connor and Ben Tryhus both advanced to Saturday's matches and can still finish as high as fifth place.
O'Connor and Tryhus (28-7) went 3-1 on the day, with their lone loss to teammates Deutscher and Willingham while regional champions Deutscher and Willingham (29-5) went 1-1 after receiving a first-round bye.
Deutscher and Willingham, the No. 5 seed, placed seventh in the 2025 state tournament.
Topeka High's doubles team of seniors Victor Arriaga and Christian Sink went 0-2 in the tournament while Trojan senior singles player Tres Lassiter went 2-2 Friday, missing the place matches by one win.
Washburn Rural junior singles player Greyson Jones went 0-2 Friday.
Topeka West sophomore Collin McGee and junior doubles partner Zander Rice advanced to the final day of the Class 5A state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Class 5A Andover Tennis Complex
Topeka West's doubles teams of sophomore Collin McGee and junior Zander Rice and the Seaman doubles team of seniors Dayton Schneider and Owen Stewart both assured themselves of Class 5A state medals Friday at the Andover Tennis Complex.
McGee and Rice (31-11) are the No. 13 seed and went 3-1 on the day while No. 18 seed Schneider and Stewart (25-10) advanced with a 2-1 record and both teams can finish as high as fifth in 5A.
Seaman sophomore singles player Camden Dutton went 2-2 on the day, coming within one win of moving on to Saturday's place matches.
The Seaman doubles team of sophomores Aaron Sampson and Cooper Hopeck and freshman singles player Kenton Myrick both went 0-2 Friday.
Cair Paravel senior Drew Fay has assured himself of a third straight Class 3A-1A state medal. [File photo/TSN]
Class 3A-1A at Prairie Village Harmon Park Tennis Complex
Cair Paravel Latin senior singles player Drew Fay and Lion freshman singles player Jonah Arnold both advanced to the Saturday place matches in the Class 3A-1A state tournament.
Fay (28-3), who finished second in 3A-1A doubles last season, went 2-1 on the day while Arnold (14-6) went 3-1 in his first state tournament.
The Cair Paravel doubles team of senior Joey Thoennes and junior David Toenjes went 0-2.
Class 4A at Topeka Kossover Tennis Center
Hayden's senior doubles team of William Luke and Brock Reynoldson came within a win of advancing to Saturday's Class 4A place matches, going 2-2 on Friday, while the Wildcat doubles team of sophomore Patrick Luke and freshman Miles Allphin and junior singles player Brek Wahlmeier went winless in its two matches.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior star Audrey Appuhn finished off her competitive swimming career Thursday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium the same way she started it... as a champion.
Washburn Rural senior Audrey Appuhn reacts after winning Thursday's 100-yard backstroke, her eighth Centennial League individual win in eight attempts. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Appuhn, who will turn her focus to music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, posted Centennial League wins in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard backstroke, capping an eight of eight career individual performance in the league meet.
Appuhn won the 200 IM in 2 minutes, 19.72 seconds and followed that up with a win in the 100 backstroke in 1:02.28 for her eighth individual league title, reaching the same milestone she accomplished in last week's city championships.
"It feels really good,'' Appuhn said. "I'm just happy that I got to do it alongside all these amazing people and got to see everyone succeed with me. Success looks different now and the times and emotional value of the race and how you felt while you were doing it and everything and I'm just glad that I learned all those lessons every race I did and I wouldn't not do swimming.
"In another life I would do swim because it taught me so much.''
A multi-time state medalist in her three Class 6A state meets, Appuhn added some icing on the cake when she teamed with Ava Von Lintel, Stella Berry and Sophie Heinen to win the 400 freestyle relay in 4:20.55 in her final high school race as the Junior Blues finished off a runnerup team finish behind Manhattan.
"It was good to just finish out strong and get in there and go for it,'' Appuhn said. "I was like, 'This is my last one. I literally never have to do this again if I don't want, so I might as well finish on a good note.' ''
Hayden junior Kaelyn Gerdel won a pair of individual titles in Thursday's Centennial League swimming meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden junior standout Kaelyn Gerdel also captured a pair of individual Centennial League title in Thursday's meet, winning the 200 freestyle in 2:13.23 and the 100 breast in 1:17.59.
Both Appuhn and Gerdel earned first-team All-Centennial League recognition along with Rural's Heinen and Topeka High's Avery Skinner and Hara Del Castillo.
Heinen swam on Rural's winning 400 free relay and second-place 200 medley relay (2:11.82) and was second in the 50 free (27.67) and third in the 500 free (6:26.60) while Skinner finished second in the 200 free (2:14.96) and 500 free (6:08.60) and Del Castillo was the runnerup in the 100 backstroke (1:08.88).
Manhattan won six events on the day en route to a 472-409 margin over Washburn Rural, with the Indians winning their second straight team title after ending Rural's four-year title streak in 2025.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SWIMMING/DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin senior star Drew Fay plans to close the door on his competitive tennis career after this weekend's Class 3A-1A boys state tournament at Harmon Park in Prairie Village.
Cair Paravel senior Drew Fay is 26-2 and the No. 3 singles seed for this weekend's Class 3A-1A state tennis tournament. [File photo/TSN]
And Fay, a state placer in both singles and doubles in his high school career, just wants to make sure he does everything he can to make the most of his farewell event.
"It's my last tennis tournament ever,'' said Fay, who will attend college at Emporia State. "I'm not playing in college, so if I'm not having fun then I'm missing the whole point.
"So I just want to play my best and have fun while I'm doing it. Then I'll be happy.''
Fay teamed with Eric Buchenau to finish second in 3A-1A doubles last season before switching back to singles this season, winning the city title in No. 1 singles.
"I think I enjoy them (singles and doubles) both a lot,'' Fay said. "They're a lot different, but I think they're both fun. By the time the season started I felt comfortable playing singles again.''
Fay, 26-2, enters this year's state tournament as the No. 3 seed behind Wichita Collegiate sophomores Amir Khicha (19-1) and G. Farha (26-6).
And although Fay acknowledges that Khicha is the tournament favorite, he's setting his sights on reaching a second straight state final.
"I think winning it all would probably take a miracle honestly, but I think getting second would be pretty exciting, so I'd say that's my goal,'' Fay said.
Cair Paravel also qualified freshman singles player Jonah Arnold and the doubles team of senior Joey Thoennes and junior David Toenjes after the Lions captured the team title in last Friday's 3A-1A regional at Kossover Tennis Center.
Arnold finished fourth at regionals and is the No. 14 seed with an 11-5 record while Thoennes and Toenjes also finished fourth in the regional tournament and are the No. 19 seed with a 1-2 record.
The 3A-1A state tournament will start at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue on Saturday with a 9 a.m. start.
Class 6A at Wichita Riverside Tennis Complex
Washburn Rural completed a sweep of city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships last Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center while qualifying five of six players for Friday and Saturday's state tournament at Wichita's Riverside Tennis Complex.
Washburn Rural seniors Cale Deutscher (left) and Dylan Willingham won a regional doubles title last Saturday to lead the Junior Blues to the team championship. [File photo/TSN]
The Junior Blues went one-two in doubles at regionals, with seniors Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham defeating senior teammates Kieffer O'Connor and Ben Tryhus 6-3, 6-1 in the championship match.
Deutscher and Willingham, who placed seventh in 6A doubles last season, are 28-4 this spring and earned the No. 5 state seed while O'Connor and Tryhus are 25-6 and the No. 12 seed.
Junior singles player Greyson Jones posted a fourth-place regional finish, retiring with cramping issues in the third-place match.
Jones will take a 21-11 record into the state tournament and is the No. 20 seed.
Topeka High will also be well-represented in the state tournament, qualifying senior singles player Tres Lassister and the doubles team of seniors Victor Arriaga and Christian Sink.
Lassiter finished second at regional and will be the No. 15 state seed with a 28-9 record.
Arriaga and Sink finished fifth in last Saturday's regional and are 23-14 and the No. 21 seed.
The 5A state tournament will start at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue on Saturday with a 9 a.m. start.
Class 5A Andover Tennis Complex
For the second straight season Seaman qualified all six players for Friday and Saturday's Class 5A state tournament at the Andover Tennis Complex.
The Vikings are coming off back-to-back team championships in the United Kansas Conference and 5A regional tournaments.
Sophomore Camden Dutton led regional champion Seaman with a runnerup singles finish last Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [File photo/TSN]
Sophomore singles player Camden Dutton paced Seaman with a runnerup finish in last Saturday's regional tournament at Kossover while freshman Kenton Myrick finished third.
Dutton, 18-11 on the season, is the No. 13 5A singles seed for state while Myrick, 22-7, is the No. 18 seed.
The Vikings' doubles teams of seniors Dayton Schneider and Owen Stewart and sophomores Aaron Sampson and Cooper Hopeck finished third and fourth, respectively at regionals.
Schneider and Stewart are 22-6 and the No. 18 state doubles seed while Sampson and Hopeck are 23-9 and seeded No. 19.
Topeka West sophomore Collin McGee, a two-time Class 5A state qualifier, teamed with Zander Rice to finish second in doubles at regionals. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka West's doubles team of sophomore Collin McGee and junior Zander Rice followed up its runnerup finish in the UKC meet with a second-place showing at regionals.
McGee and Rice are 28-10 on the season and the No. 13 state seed.
The 5A state meet will get under way at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Class 4A at Topeka Kossover Tennis Center
Hayden posted a second-place team finish in the McPherson Class 4A regional last Friday while qualifying five of six players for the state tournament, which the Wildcats will host this weekend at the Kossover Tennis Center.
Seniors William Luke and Brock Reynoldson paced Hayden with a runnerup doubles finish at regionals while the Wildcats also qualified the doubles team of sophomore Patrick Luke and freshman Miles Allphin, who finished fifth.
Junior Brek Wahlmeier qualifed for state in singles with a third-place finish.
W. Luke and Reynoldson are now 17-18 on the season and are the No. 14 state seed while P. Luke and Allphin are 20-11 and seeded No. 21.
Wahlmeier will take a 20-15 record into state and is the No. 15 singles seed.
Hayden coach Christine Voegeli has announced that she is stepping down after this weekend's state tournament, ending a long stint as an assistant and head coach in the Hayden program.
The state tournament will get under way at 10:30 a.m. Friday and continue at 9 a.m. Saturday.
TOPEKA STATE TENNIS QUALIFIERS
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 10.43
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 10.91
Israel Edmonds, Washburn Rural 11.02
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 11.04
Courtney Sanders, Topeka High 11.10
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural
200 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 21.78
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 22.30
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 22.38
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 22.60
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 22.65
400 METERS
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights 49.89
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 50.25
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 50.94
Thomas Fisher, Silver Lake 51.28
Xavier Fisher, Shawnee Heights 51.34
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:53.37
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 1:56.64
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 1:59.79
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights 2:02.62
Everett Un, Washburn Rural 2:03.26
1,600 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:08.2 (mile converted to meters)
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:20.32
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 4:24.35
Nick Newkirk, Hayden 4:27.18
Duke Graf, Washburn Rural 4:32.87
3,200 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:11.63
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 9:23.61
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:24.34
Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural 9:42.46
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 9:42.94
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.07
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.31
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 15.54
De'sean Lunkins, Topeka High 15.85
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 15.88
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 37.61
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 42.03
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 42.09
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 43.26
Colin Miller, Silver Lake 43.41
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 42.92
Washburn Rural 43.17
Seaman 43.27
Silver Lake 43.28
Topeka High 43.52
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:21.82
Shawnee Heights 3:23.24
Silver Lake 3:28.28
Highland Park 3:28.48
Topeka High 3:33.55
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 8:21.93
Seaman 8:34.58
Silver Lake 8:57.48
Topeka High 9:09.82
Rossville 9:14.36
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
GIRLS
100 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 12.36
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.57
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 12.60
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 12.66
Adriana Raub, Washburn Rural 12.75
200 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 25.83
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 26.04
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 26.82
Ciera Hartz, Topeka High 26.48
Sofia Harper, Hayden 26.88
400 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 59.07
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 59.19
Sofia Harper, Hayden 59.44
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 60.34
Julia Molleker, Seaman 61.88
800 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 2:20.86
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 2:21.50
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 2:23.63
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:23.65
Clara Dillon, Washburn Rural 2:33.45
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural
1,600 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:13.49
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 5:14.04
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 5:15.78
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:17.54
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 5:22.98
3,200 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 11:06.46
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 11:18.36
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 11:27.63
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural 11:34.94
Lily McCoy, Washburn Rural 14:09.97
100-METER HURDLES
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 15.70
Rylee Dick, Rossville 16.77
Marchayla White, Topeka High 17.74
Megan Alderson, Washburn Rural 18.14
Kaylyn Smith, Topeka West 18.23
300-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 50.00
Marchayla White, Topeka High 51.34
Megan Alderson, Washburn Rural 51.60
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake 53.33
Avery Villines, Seaman 54.18
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 49.60
Silver Lake 50.29
Washburn Rural 51.46
Seaman 51.63
Topeka West 52.33
4x400-METER RELAY
Silver Lake 4:09.56
Topeka High 4:10.27
Washburn Rural 4:11.18
Seaman 4:20.94
Topeka West 4:27.08
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 10:12.53
Topeka High 10:39.23
Seaman 11:17.22
Silver Lake 11:18.38
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior star Audrey Appuhn reached a career milestone in Friday's Topeka girls city swimming/diving championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium as the Junior Blues stretched their city title streak to 23 straight seasons.
Appuhn was a double individual winner and four-event gold medalist to lead the way as Washburn Rural took the city crown by a 588-468 margin over Seaman.
Washburn Rural's girls swimming team celebrates in the Capitol Federal Natatorium pool Friday after Rural won its 23rd straight city team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And while the two biggest meets of the year -- Centennial League and Class 6A state -- are next up for Rural, coach Bob Burdick said the city championship will always be one that the Junior Blues circle on the schedule.
"Especially here in Topeka, we're all here in this together and the best part about this meet is not only the meet, the championship, but also that all these girls in the city all know each other, so they all get to compete with each other, cheer each other and it's just an amazing event,'' Burdick said.
Washburn Rural senior Audrey Appuhn won four gold medals in Friday's city meet as the Junior Blues captured their 23rd straight city team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Competing in her final city meet, Appuhn won the 200-yard individual medley in 2 minutes, 22.00 seconds and the 100-yard freestyle in 57.28 while teaming with Sophie Heinen, Resego Mackenzie and Kaci Hodgson to win the 200 medley relay (2:13.84) and with Heinen, Ava Von Lintel and Stella Berry to win the 400 free relay (4:20.97).
With her two individual wins Appuhn finished her four-year city career with eight individual victories in as many tries.
"It never really was a goal,'' Appuhn said. "I just realized, 'Oh, it happened.' ''
Appuhn also added seven career relay victories in eight starts to finish her city career with 15 gold medals.
Senior Rhiannon Good won the one-meter diving event with a score of 239.85 to account for Washburn Rural's fifth victory of the day while the Junior Blues posted top-three finishes in 11 of 12 events and had multiple top-three finishes in four events.
Rural began the season with several question marks, but Burdick said he's been very pleased with the Junior Blues' performance this spring.
"They've made the progress we need,'' he said. "We picked up 12 new swimmers this year that had never swam and moved them all along and they all contributed tonight, so that was great.''
Appuhn, Good, Heinen and Von Lintel all earned spots on the All-City first team while Mackenzie, Hodgson and Sophie Reffett were second-teamers.
Other highlights:
Hayden junior Kaelyn Gerdel won a pair of individual titles in Friday's city swimming meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Hayden junior Kaelyn Gerdel joined Appuhn as a double individual city champion, winning the 200-yard freestyle in 2:16.81 and the 100 backstroke in 1:19.12.
Gerdel was a first-team All-City pick while Hayden's Lilly Charvat finished second in the 100 breaststroke (1:21.11) and was a second-team All-City pick.
Shawnee Heights' Kaitlyn Aldridge (left) won the 100-yard butterfly and finished second in the 200 individual medley in Friday's city championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Shawnee Heights got victories from Clara Sobba in the 50-yard freestyle (26.94) and Kaitlyn Aldridge in the 100 butterfly (1:10.52) while Aldridge finished second in the 200 individual medley (2:34.61) and Sobba was second in the 100 free (58.49).
Aldridge and Sobba also teamed with Jade Kinsch and Lainey Herrera for a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay (2:14.60).
Aldridge and Sobba were All-City first-team honorees while Kinsch was a second-team pick.
Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo won the 100-yard backstroke in Friday's city championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Topeka High got city titles from Avery Skinner and Hara Del Castillo, with Skinner winning the 500 freestyle (6:01.47) and Del Castillo winning the 100 backstroke (1:10.55).
Skinner finished second in the 100 back (1:12.70) while Del Castillo was third in the 50 free (27.78) as both Trojans were first-team All-City selections.
• Team runnerup Seaman got a city title from the foursome of Ava Carlson, Gracie Scott, Isabelle Hahn and Riley Strother in the 200 free relay in 1:57.02 while the Vikings posted top-three finishes in five other events.
Seaman's Strother, Carlson, Scott and Megan Strobel finished second in the 400 free relay (4:26.64).
Strobel and Strother were both All-City first-team honorees while Jenna Zimmerman, Manuela Diaz, Marleigh Frazier, Jurnee Jessepe and Tenley Wessel made the second team.
• Cair Paravel Latin's Avery Rosenow finished second in diving to earn a spot on the All-City second team while Topeka West's Makenna Russell was also a second-team selection.
TOPEKA GIRLS CITY SWIMMING/DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural boys tennis completed a sweep of city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center, with senior doubles champions Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham leading the Junior Blues to the regional title by an 18-13 margin over league rival Manhattan.
City and Centennial League champion Washburn Rural added a Class 6A regional title Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Submitted photo]
Deutscher and Willingham and faced off against senior teammates Ben Tryhus and Kieffer O'Connor in the doubles final for the second straight tournament, with Deutscher and Willingham avenging a league loss with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Tryhus and O'Connor.
Washburn Rural senior Cale Deutscher teamed with Dylan Willingham to win a 6A regional doubles title Saturday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Dylan Willingham and doubles partner Cale Deutscher are headed back to the 6A state tournament after finishing seventh a year ago. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Deutscher and Willingham improved to 28-4 on the season while Tryhus and O'Connor will take a 25-6 record into Friday's 6A state meet at Wichita's Riverside Tennis Complex.
Deutscher and Willingham are returning state medalists, finishing seventh last season.
The Junior Blues also qualified junior singles player Greyson Jones for state, with Jones finishing fourth after an injury default to Tyson Habhab of Junction City in the third-place match due to cramping issues.
Jones, 21-11 on the season, took a 6-2 first-set win and the second set was tied 3-3 when he was forced to default.
"I'm super proud of all the boys,'' Washburn Rural coach Michelle Rose said. "They really battled, they showed up, they played patient and they remembered to play their games.
"It sucks Greyson got cramped up, but he battled and I'm really proud of them.''
Topeka High finished third as a team while qualifying senior singles standout Tres Lassiter and the senior doubles team of Victor Arriaga and Christian Sink for state.
Topeka High senior Tres Lassiter posted a runnerup singles finish in Saturday's Class 6A regional, earning a second straight state berth. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Lassiter posted a runnerup singles finish, dropping a 6-0, 6-0 decision to Manhattan star Jay Hoke in the final while Arriaga and Sink finished fifth in doubles, ending their day with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Wichita Heights' Austin Zimmerman and Ryan King.
Lassiter and Sink are repeat 6A state qualifiers.
CLASS 6A BOYS TENNIS REGIONAL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural rode its dominance in the distance events and superior depth to a sweep of the team titles in Friday's Joe Schrag City Championship at Hummer Sports Park.
Rural posted a total of 16 event wins on the night (eight girls, eight boys) and had top-three finishes in 25 events (13 girls,12 boys) en route to a 216-135.5 win over Silver Lake for the Junior Blue girls and a 200-131 victory over the Eagle boys in the team standings.
Washburn Rural track had eight individual wins and 12 top-three finishes en route to the boys city championship Friday at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural track and field had eight individual wins and 12 top-three finishes en route to the boys city championship Friday at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"This is definitely the beginning of postseason and we want to perform well here at the city meet,'' Rural coach Keith Wetzel said. "We like to keep the city trophies in our case and use that to propel us into league and regional and state.
"We put an emphasis on this meet. We want to be the best in the city and we make it a goal that we want to continue to have success at this meet.''
Highlights for the Rural boys included a sweep of all three relays, along with wins in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters and second and third-place finishes in the 800.
Washburn Rural senior Brooks Kehoe won two gold medals and also posted a third-place finish in Friday's city meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural senior Brooks Kehoe won the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 26.64 seconds, teamed with Jackson Svaty, Everett Un and Christian Hartman-Babb to win the 4x400 relay (3:23.02) and posted a third-place finish in the 800 (2:00.51).
Hartman-Babb, a junior, won the 100-meter dash in 10.55 seconds before teaming with Paxton Johnson, Caleb Schwartz and Carter Frost to win the 4x100 (43.17) and ending the meet with the 4x400 victory.
Sophomore Henry Laubach won the city title in the 3,200 meters for team-champion Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Henry Laubach turned in a dominating win in the 3,200 (9:32.10) while the Junior Blues also got wins from Luke Deering in the pole vault (11 feet, 6 inches), Zachary Hancock in the discus (153-0) and the team of Everett Un, Wesley Meek, Julius Wood-Nichols and Eli Replogle in the 4x800 (8:36.89).
Senior Emily Graf won the 1,600 and 800-meter runs in Friday's city track and field meet as Washburn Rural's girls won the team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
On the girls side, Rural got a pair of individual wins from senior Emily Graf and junior Kailyn Petersen, with Graf winning the 1,600 (5:13.49) and the 800 (2:25.28) and Petersen winning the shot put (34-2) and discus (123-8) titles.
Rural's girls swept the throws and the distance races, with senior Morgan Ray winning the javelin title with a throw of 142-8 and senior Kenzie Maddox winning the 3,200 in 11:26.03.
The Junior Blues also picked up a win in the 4x800 relay (10:32.31) from the foursome of Quinn Nolte, Payton Rice, Morgan Munson and Clara Dillon while Natalie Ferguson finished first in the pole vault (8-0).
"It has been a solid day,'' Wetzel said. "We have some injuries so we've asked some people to step in, to fill in, to step up and we've been fortunate that they've done that for the most part and some young kids, both boys and girls have stepped in and given us a boost.''
Other top performances:
• Silver Lake, the smallest school in the field, turned in solid runnerup team finishes in both the girls and boys divisions.
The Eagle girls picked up three event wins and 11 top-three finishes while the Lake boys won a pair of events and placed top three in 13 of 18 events.
Silver Lake's Ali Gerber crosses the finish line for the win in the girls 4x400-meter relay in Friday's city meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ali Gerber won the girls triple jump for the second straight season (34-10.25) and teamed with Kinley Weber, Jaiden Wise and Jaylie Whitehead for a win in the 4x400 relay (4:09.56), with Gerber running the anchor leg.
Addy Just notched the third win of the day for the Silver Lake girls in the long jump (16-9.25) while the boys got wins from Joel Miller in the 200 (22.65) and Bryson Burgos in the triple jump (40-7.50).
• Keimari Marshall and Marchayla White were both double individual champions for Topeka High's girls while Marshall also added a relay victory in her final city meet.
Marshall won the 100 (12.57) and 400 (59.07) and also ran on the Trojans' winning 4x100 relay (49.60) along with Kaeanna Copeland, Jayana Washington and Ciera Hartz.
White swept the girls hurdles titles, winning the 100-meter event in 17.74 seconds and the 300s in 51.34.
Seaman freshman Baylee Ayres cleared a personal-record 5-foot-5 to win the girls high jump in Friday's city meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Seaman freshman Baylee Ayres made an impressive city meet debut, winning the girls high jump with a personal-record jump of 5 feet, 5 inches, winning the event by five inches.
Seaman senior Brody Anderson won the city title in the boys 800 meters by six seconds in 1:53.65 Friday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Brody Anderson continued his outstanding senior season for the Seaman boys, winning the 800 by more than six seconds in 1:53.65.
The Vikings also got victories from Kellan Parcaro in the 300 hurdles (43.14) and Jack Esser in the high jump (6-4).
• Other individual winners included Highland Park's Jurnee Cole in the girls 200 (26.32) and Rayshon Pollard in the boys long jump (20-5.25), Shawnee Heights' Jason Slay in the boys 400 (49.89), Heights' Amir Bass in the boys shot put (47-11), Hayden's Kelton Meier in the boys javelin (186-8) and Topeka High's De'sean Lunkins in the boys 110 hurdles (15.85).
JOE SCHRAG CITY CHAMPIONSHIP
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: Top.Sports.news will compile a weekly track and field honor roll for Shawnee County high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
BOYS
100 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 10.43
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 10.91
Israel Edmonds, Washburn Rural 11.02
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 11.04
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 11.15
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural
200 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 21.78
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 22.30
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 22.38
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 22.60
Courtney Sanders, Topeka High 22.66
400 METERS
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 50.25
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights 50.71
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 50.94
Xavier Fisher, Shawnee Heights 51.34
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 51.43
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:53.37
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 1:56.64
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 1:59.62
Everett Un, Washburn Rural 2:03.26
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights 2:03.30
1,600 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:08.2 (mile converted to meters)
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:20.32
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 4:24.35
Nick Newkirk, Hayden 4:33.03
Duke Graf, Washburn Rural 4:33.71
3,200 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:11.63
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 9:23.61
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:24.34
Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural 9:44.54
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 9:57.60
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.07
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.31
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 15.54
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 16.10
De'sean Lunkins, Topeka High 16.22
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 37.61
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 42.03
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 42.09
Colin Miller, Silver Lake 43.41
Michael Ruelas, Seaman 43.46
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 42.92
Seaman 43.27
Washburn Rural 43.27
Topeka High 43.52
Silver Lake 43.77
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:21.82
Shawnee Heights 3:24.59
Silver Lake 3:30.04
Seaman 3:35.19
Topeka High 3:35.43
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 8:21.93
Seaman 8:34.58
Silver Lake 8:57.48
Topeka High 9:09.82
Topeka West 9:29.28
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
NOTE: TopSports.news will compile a weekly girls swimming and diving honor roll for Topeka high schools throughout the 2026 season. Coaches are asked to email updated times and marks or any corrections to Rick Peterson at
200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY
Shawnee Heights 2:16.07
Seaman 2:18.07
Washburn Rural 2:18.75
Hayden 2:25.76
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden
200-YARD FREESTYLE
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden 2:11.68
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 2:25.97
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 2:31.01
Megan Strobel, Seaman 2:37.54
Stella Berry, Washburn Rural 2:43.23
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural
200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:23.15
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 2:34.07
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:34.20
Riley Strother, Seaman 2:51.05
Avery Skinner, Seaman 2:51.97
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights
50-YARD FREESTYLE
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 27.28
Riley Strother, Seaman 27.61
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 27.76
Ava Carlson, Seaman 28.56
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 28.90
Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural
ONE-METER DIVING
Rhiannan Good, Washburn Rural 196.00
Avery Rosenow, Hayden/CPLS 176.40
Mackenzie Caryl, Topeka High 146.60
Abigail Culbertson, Topeka High 122.50
Madilyn Typer, Seaman 105.40
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Manhattan swept the individual and team championships in Tuesday's Centennial League golf tournament at Lake Shawnee while Washburn Rural turned in a solid performance with a runnerup team finish and three players in the top 10.
Waxhburn Rural golf finished second as a team in Tuesday's Centennial League golf tournament while putting three players in the top 10. [Photo by Washburn Rural golf]
Manhattan's Charlie Haney shot an even-par 70 to take a four-stroke individual victory as the Indians took team honors by a 301-310 team win over Washburn Rural, which shot a season-low team score.
Wyatt Dean shot a 75 to tie for third place in Tuesday's Centennial League golf tournament, helping Washburn Rural finish second as a team. [File photo/TSN]
The Junior Blues got a third-place tie from Wyatt Dean with a 75 while Keaton Stoner finished seventh with a 77 and Michael Wilson tied for eighth with a 78.
Peyton Goehring tied for 12th with an 80 and Higgins Hawks tied for 16th with an 84.
Topeka High's Caleb Cleverdon tied Dean for third individually with a 75 while Hayden's Austin Bean tied for eighth with a 78.
Emporia, led by individual runnerup Chesney Erkel (74), finished third as a team at 329, followed by Hayden and Topeka High at 335 and Junction City at 355.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE BOYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural posted a one-two doubles finish to lead the way as the Junior Blues followed up their city boys tennis championship with the Centennial League title Monday at the Kossover Tennis Center.
Ben Tryhus, returning a shot, teamed with fellow Washburn Rural senor Kieffer O'Connor to claim the doubles championship in Monday's Centennial League tournament at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Kieffer O'Connor (above) and doubles partner Ben Tryhus rallied from a 6-1 first-set loss to win the Centennial League doubles championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural seniors Kieffer O'Connor and Ben Tryhus won the league doubles title over seniors Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham in an all-Rural final while the Junior Blues also got a third-place singles finish from Greyson Jones and a sixth from Jaxon Whitehead on the way to winning the league championship by a 40-37 margin over Manhattan.
Washburn Rural will now be aiming for a city, league and regional sweep in Saturday's Class 6A regional at Kossover.
"Absolutely we have good momentum and we've got four out of our top six graduating, so it's a little bittersweet, but they're all healthy and playing well, so we're going to finish the year strong,'' Washburn Rural coach Michelle Rose said.
O'Connor and Tryhus, the city champs in No. 2 doubles, dropped a 6-1 decision in the first set against Deutscher and Willingham Monday before roaring back to take a 6-1 second-set victory and closing out the win with a 10-8 decision in the super tiebreaker.
"We were just playing better together, fighting, being resilient and we started hitting great shots and hitting winners,'' O'Connor said.
"It was kind of just like, 'Don't back down, got to stay in it and keep being aggressive and pushing back,' and it worked,'' Tryhus said.
Tryhus said it's always hard playing teammates in a big match.
"Cale and Dylan played really well and it was an honor to be able to play them in the final and not another school,'' Tryhus said. "But it's always hard playing your teammates and you've got to look past that and just play your game.''
Jones finished third in singles with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Junction City's Tyson Habhab while Whitehead, fighting through an injury, finished sixth to Manhattan's Henry He, who took a 6-4, 6-7, 10-8 win.
"We're going to keep riding this momentum going into Saturday and keep playing as good as we can,'' O'Connor said. "It's going to be fun Saturday, that's for sure.''
"Both the singles and the doubles looked good today, so I'm excited for Saturday and I think we're going to do real well as a team,'' Tryhus said.
Topeka High turned in a solid performance, finishing third as a team with 32 points.
Senior Tres Lassiter led Topeka High to a third-place team finish in Monday's Centennial League tournament, finishing second in singles. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Trojan senior Tres Lassiter finished second to Manhattan's Jay Hoke in singles (6-2, 6-0) while Topeka High got a fourth-place finish from the doubles team of Victor Arriaga and Christian Sink and a fifth from Wyatt Jones and Walter Hageman.
The Trojans will compete in Saturday's regional at Kossover.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE BOYS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
