Topeka High Trojans
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 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
Thursday was the day of the comeback in the marquee Centennial League softball matchup between Hayden and Topeka High at Hayden, who entered the day with a combined 34-7 record and 18 straight victories between the city rivals.
The Trojans rallied from a 6-2 deficit to take an 8-6 eight-inning decision and snap the Wildcats' seven-game win streak in the opener before Hayden rallied from an 8-1 deficit to take a 10-9 win in the nightcap, snapping Topeka High's 19-game win streak.
Hayden sophomore pitcher Blakely Walter turned in a strong relief performance in Thursday's 10-9 Centennial League second-game comeback win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka High junior Campbell Dawson crosses the plate after hitting a game-tying two-run home run in Thursday's 8-6 Centennial League first-game comeback win over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
With the second-game win Hayden improved to 15-6 overall and 3-5 in the Centennial League while High fell to 21-3, 5-3, losing for the first time since its second doubleheader of the season.
"We showed a lot of toughness,'' Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said of the Wildcats' second-game comeback after the first-game heartbreaker. "I thought we actually played better the first game because unofficially we had six errors in the second game.
"(The Trojans) are a really, really good hitting team and they're hard to get out. I was just glad that when we were coming back we were keeping them halfway at bay. They didn't separate from us too far. If you look at the teams they've beaten this year, they're pretty impressive and the fact that we came back and won the second one was really big for our momentum.''
Topeka High remains in position to host a Class 6A regional and Trojan coach Shane Miles said his team will now set its sights on making a strong postseason run.
"A lot of coaches say a loss is good, but a loss is never good,'' Miles said. "But having it at this point in the season I think we can come back from it. It's not a regional championship or state game. It's just a league game.''
"Both teams battled hard. Each team was throwing haymakers at each other.''
The first-game was knotted at 2-2 after the first inning before Hayden scored a run in the third and three in the fourth to go up 6-2 before the Trojans ended the contest with six straight runs.
Topeka High scored two runs in the fifth and then tied the game on a two-run home run from junior Campbell Dawson in the seventh to force extra innings.
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
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Topeka High swept a softball doubleheader against USD 501 rival Topeka West Friday at Hummer Sports Park to extend its winning streak to 14 games.
Sophomore Adrianna Adame turned in solid relief pitching in both games of Topeka High's doubleheader sweep over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Trojans got big third-inning rallies in both games and utilized sophomore pitcher Adrianna Adame to close out both victories, winning 12-2 and 14-4 in two five-inning contests.
Topeka High has not lost since late March, with its only two losses coming against Washburn Rural, one of the top Class 6A teams in the state.
“I think we’re doing really well,” said Topeka High junior Campbell Dawson. “Our last loss was Washburn Rural, and I think we got to learn from that a lot, just seeing where we are at as a team and getting to grow from it. I think as we’ve played, we’ve gotten to play good competition, and also we’re learning our strengths and our weaknesses from playing different teams. So, I think we’re pretty confident going into postseason.”
Topeka High junior Campbell Dawson picked up the first-game pitching win and had a double and triple in Friday's doubleheader sweep over Topeka West. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Dawson pitched the first three innings of the opener, surrendering just one run and striking out six Chargers. She helped lead the Trojans to a doubleheader sweep at Eudora the night before.
“I was probably not at my best,” Dawson said. “I was a little tired from getting back late from Eudora last night, but I’ll do whatever I can to help the team.”
Dawson was relieved in the fourth inning by Adame, who allowed just one hit and one walk over the next two innings.
Topeka West senior Addaline Hall (left) tags out a Topeka High baserunner in a rundown in Friday's doubleheader loss to the Trojans. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Both of Topeka West’s runs in the first game came on triples by Charger senior Addaline Hall.
Kenslee Young started the second game for Topeka High, and like Dawson, left with a big lead after three innings. Adame pitched the fourth and fifth innings, again surrendering just one hit and one walk.
“She really hasn’t thrown a lot of innings this year,” Topeka High coach Shane Miles said of Adame. “We wanted to give her some work, and today was the time to get her some work. She threw two really good innings in the first game, and two more really good innings in the second game. She’s effective. She’s around the plate. She doesn’t strike a lot of people out, but she gets a lot of ground balls, fly balls.”
Miles said he did not restrict his starters to three innings each because of fatigue.
“Having played two days in a row is not an excuse for me,” Miles said. “You know, if these girls want to play at the state championship level, they’re going to have to play back-to-back days.”
With his Trojans hovering near the top of the Class 6A West standings at 16-2, Miles said his team is positioning itself for the postseason.
“After that (Washburn) Rural game, our girls have really locked in and we’re keeping the train rolling,” Miles said. “We’ve got two doubleheaders next week, so we control our own destiny. We can control where we’re at in the West (bracket) and see where it leads.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
With the city, United Kansas Conference, Class 5A regional and state meets coming up over the next four weeks, Seaman senior track star Brody Anderson and Viking distance coach Luke Wiens decided to limit Anderson to one event in Friday's Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Relays at Seaman.
Seaman senior Brody Anderson set a meet record in the boys 1,600 meters in Friday's Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Relays at Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Anderson made the most of that one race, setting a meet record in the boys 1,600 meters in a time of 4 minutes, 10.66 seconds.
"Coach Wiens and I were talking earlier this week and we just wanted to keep the mind in a good space,'' Anderson said. "I feel good enough to race. It's just you don't want to overdo it and make something feel bad going into championship season here next week.
"I want to run my best then and do what I can do and I don't want to jeopardize anything.''
Wamego's Peyton Parker stayed right with Anderson for the first half of Friday's race before Anderson took control over the final two laps to win in more than four seconds, with Parker second in 4:15.24.
"I could feel him on my hip behind me, which kind of pushed me,'' Anderson said. "I saw my splits afterwards and I somewhat got lazy on the backstretch and that's something I need to work on.
It's very fixable. I went into the last lap having so much left in me and I just closed pretty hard.''
Next up for Anderson, who ran a 4:06 mile in a recent showcase meet, is next Friday's Joe Schrag City Invitational at Hummer Sports Park.
Other meet highlights:
• Washburn Rural senior Brooks Kehoe and sophomore Henry Laubach, who helped lead the Junior Blues to the Class 6A state cross country championship last fall, posted a one-two finish in the boys 3,200 meters.
Kehoe won the event in 9 minutes, 23.61 seconds while Laubach was right behind in 9:24.34.
Rural's Colin Thiessen finished third in the 800 meters in 1:59.62.
Washburn Rural senior Morgan Ray won the girls javelin title in Friday's Bob Camien/Claudia Welch Relays at Seaman with a throw of 147-5. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
• Washburn Rural senior Morgan Ray, a 6A state runnerup as a junior, turned in a dominating victory in the girls javelin.
Ray won with a top throw of 147 feet, 5 inches, winning by more than 14 feet.
Ray's junior teammate, Kailyn Petersen, finished second in the discus at 122-9.
• Topeka High's girls 4 x100-meter relay team of Caeanna Copeland, Keimara Marshall, Jayanna Washington and Marchayla White finished third in a time of 50.18 seconds.
Washington also finished third in the long jump with a leap of 17-10.
• Washburn Rural junior sprinter Christian Hartman-Babb posted a third-place finish in the boys 200-meter dash, clocking a time of 21.81 seconds.
BOB CAMIEN/CLAUDIA WELCH SEAMAN RELAYS
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural swept the doubles championships in Thursday's city boys tennis tournament at Kossover Tennis Center to lead the Junor Blues to a third straight city team title.
Washburn Rural tennis swept the doubles titles on the way to its third straight city team title Thursday at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural seniors Cale Deutscher and Dylan Willingham captured the No. 1 doubles title with an 8-3 win over Topeka West's Collin McGee and Zander Rice while Junior Blues seniors Ben Tryhus and Kieffer O'Connor repeated as the No. 2 doubles champs with an 8-3 decision in the final as Rural captured the team championship by a 30-27 margin over Seaman.
Cair Paravel Latin swept the singles titles, with senior Drew Fay topping 2025 champion Tres Lassiter of Topeka High in the No. 1 final and freshman Jonah Arnold capturing the No. 2 crown in his first city meet.
Deutscher and Willingham's title came after a tiebreaker loss to Cair Paravel in the 2025 final.
Washburn Rural seniors Cale Deutscher (left) and Dylan Willingham won the city title in No. 1 doubles Thursday to lead the Junior Blues to their third straight city team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I think we just put in the work in the offseason and it just helped us to push through this year,'' Deutscher said about Thursday's win. "We played good tennis today.''
"Being a senior, you want to end it off on the right foot and we did it,'' Willingham said. "I think we've got some good momentum going forward and that's good because we're going into league and regionals and state.''
The Junior Blues also got a third-place finish in No. 1 singles from Greyson Jones and a runnerup finish in No. 2 singles from Jaxon Whitehead to outdistance Seaman, which posted four top-four finishes, including a second-place showing in No. 2 doubles.
Thursday's Rural title was a tuneup for next Monday's Centennial League tournament, followed by Class 6A regional and state meets.
"I think the team's definitely doing good,'' Deutscher said. "We put in a lot of work in practice every day and a lot of us stay after, too, after our regular time. We've all been coming together really well.''
Cair Paravel senior Drew Fay won the city title in No. 1 singles Thursday after winning the No. 1 doubles championship as a junior. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Fay captured his second straight city championship, with an interesting twist.
Fay teamed with Eric Buchenau to win the No. 1 city doubles title as a junior on the way to a runnerup Class 3A-1A state finish before switching back to singles this spring and earning the No. 1 singles crown with an 8-3 win over High standout Lassiter.
Fay said he got the day off to a somewhat slow start in the quarterfinals before picking up steam as the day went on.
"It was honestly my fault,'' said Fay, who has played 13 matches over the past three days. "I didn't warm up before this so I was slowly getting better as it went on.''
Fay admitted that going from doubles back to singles did take some time.
"Especially over the summer it took awhile to even remember how to play singles,'' Fay said. "It was like re-learning almost, so it's been kind of tough, but I feel like I've gotten back to it now.
"I think I've been progressing all season, so hopefully I hit my climax when state comes around and just keep improving.''
CITY BOYS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
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 12.46
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 12.60
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 12.72
Adriana Raub, Washburn Rural 12.75
Jaiden Wise, Silver Lake 12.83
200 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 26.11
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 26.81
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 26.82
Sofia Harper, Hayden 27.00
Julia Molleker, Seaman 27.23
400 METERS
Sofia Harper, Hayden 59.75
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 60.07
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 60.34
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 61.03
Brynn Scheid, Seaman 62.93
800 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 2:20.86
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 2:23.63
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:23.65
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 2:24.26
Clara Dillon, Washburn Rural 2:33.45
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural
1,600 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:14.21
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:17.54
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 5:26.49
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 5:28.35
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 5:39.04
3,200 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 11:06.46
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 11:36.26
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 11:36.97
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural 12:05.94
100-METER HURDLES
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 15.70
Rylee Dick, Rossville 16.77
Marchayla White, Topeka High 17.76
Ravaya Smith, Washburn Rural 18.88
Kennedy Gatewood, Seaman 19.13
300-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 50.00
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake 54.13
Avery Villines, Seaman 55.36
Amy Hill, Silver Lake 56.03
Grace Funk, Hayden 56.44
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 50.77
Silver Lake 51.06
Washburn Rural 51.79
Seaman 52.03
Topeka West 52.33
4x400-METER RELAY
Silver Lake 4:11.03
Topeka High 4:13.96
Washburn Rural 4:18.21
Shawnee Heights 4:29.41
Seaman 4:31.03
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 10:47.80
Topeka High 11:13.01
Silver Lake 11:30.83
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
Israel Edmonds, Washburn Rural 11.02
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 11.04
Josh Brown, Seaman 11.18
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 11.21
200 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 22.02
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 22.30
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 22.50
Courtney Sanders, Topeka High 22.68
JaVeon Alston, Shawnee Heights 23.13
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 23.15
400 METERS
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 50.25
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights 50.71
Xavier Fisher, Shawnee Heights 51.34
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 51.43
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 52.40
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:53.37
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 1:56.64
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 1:59.69
Everett Un, Washburn Rural 2:03.26
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights 2:03.30
1,600 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:09.65 (mile) 4:11.94 (1,600)
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:20.32
Nick Newkirk, Hayden 4:33.03
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 4:33.08
Duke Graf, Washburn Rural 4:38.83
3,200 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:11.63
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:30.10
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 9:43.11
Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural 9:54.63
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 9:57.60
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.07
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.43
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 15.54
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 16.10
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 16.41
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 37.61
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 42.09
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 42.36
Michael Ruelas, Seaman 43.46
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 43.71
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 42.98
Seaman 43.27
Washburn Rural 43.27
Topeka High 43.52
Silver Lake 44.07
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:21.82
Shawnee Heights 3:24.59
Silver Lake 3:32.89
Seaman 3:35.19
Topeka High 3:35.43
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 8:38.13
Seaman 8:50.45
Silver Lake 8:58.57
Topeka High 9:28.74
Topeka West 9:29.28
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
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 12.60
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.59
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 12.72
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
Sofia Harper, Hayden 59.75
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 59.86
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 60.34
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 61.03
Brynn Scheid, Seaman 62.93
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 5:14.21
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:17.54
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 5:22.98
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 5:25.93
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 5:28.35
3,200 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 11:06.46
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 11:18.36
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 11:33.69
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural 12:02.15
100-METER HURDLES
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 15.70
Rylee Dick, Rossville 16.77
Marchayla White, Topeka High 17.76
Ravaya Smith, Washburn Rural 18.88
Kennedy Gatewood, Seaman 19.13
300-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 50.00
Marchayla White, Topeka High 51.68
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake 53.33
Avery Villines, Seaman 55.36
Amy Hill, Silver Lake 56.03
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 50.18
Silver Lake 50.64
Washburn Rural 51.79
Seaman 52.03
Topeka West 52.33
4x400-METER RELAY
Topeka High 4:10.27
Silver Lake 4:11.03
Washburn Rural 4:15.62
Seaman 4:21.03
Shawnee Heights 4:28.06
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 10:12.53
Topeka High 10:59.98
Silver Lake 11:18.38
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 2:31.65
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 27.39
Riley Strother, Seaman 28.15
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 28.26
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 28.90
Ava Carlson, Seaman 29.31
ONE-METER DIVING
Rhiannan Good, Washburn Rural 196.00
Avery Rosenow, Hayden/CPLS 176.40
Mackenzie Caryl, Topeka High 138.75
Abigail Culbertson, Topeka High 110.35
Madilyn Typer, Seaman 105.40
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights
100-YARD BUTTERFLY
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 1:09.79
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 1:21.98
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 1:23.77
Sophie Reffett, Washburn Rural 1:27.54
Riley Strother, Seaman 1:31.54
100-YARD FREESTYLE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 57.50
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 59.15
Riley Strother, Seaman 1:02.04
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 1:03.11
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 1:03.71
500-YARD FREESTYLE
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 6:25.05
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 6:33.78
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 6:53.97
Megan Strobel, Seaman 7:11.52
Emily Groff, Hayden 7:15.29
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden soccer continued its unbeaten 2026 run Tuesday, taking a 3-0 home Centennial League win over city rival Topeka High to improve to 10-0 overall and 3-0 in the league.
Hayden freshman Emma Slyter (16), being defended by Topeka High sophomore Jaqueline Perez (17), scored the Wildcats' first goal in Tuesday's 3-0 Centennial League home win over the Trojans. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High did a solid job defensively, turning away numerous Hayden scoring opportunities, but the Trojans (4-7-0, 0-3-0) were unable to muster much offense, with senior goalkeepers Lauren Borjon and Kadence Watts combining for the Wildcats' eighth shutout of the season.
"For the most part -- and I think you have to credit the seniors -- we're in the moment and we're trying to keep it one game at a time,'' Hayden coach Klaus Kreutzer said.
"I'm just really emphasizing not looking too far ahead and we've been pretty lucky so far.''
Senior Reese Huscher (left) scored Hayden's second goal in Tuesday's 3-0 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden freshman Emma Slyter scored the only goal the Wildcats would need just 7:43 into the match and senior Reese Huscher added a second goal less than four minutes later to give the hosts a 2-0 halftime advantage.
Topeka High stayed within two goals for nearly 23 minutes of the second half before Hayden sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein found the back of the net to account for the final margin.
"I think generally they're handling (the winning streak) OK,'' Kreutzer said. "I think today we were pretty sloppy, to be quite honest with you.
"We created lots of opportunities and had poor choices in front of the goal or in the attacking third, but I think we can be very good.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural had a lot to celebrate in Monday's city boys golf championship at Topeka Country Club.
The Junior Blues extended their city title streak to 16 straight seasons while sweeping the top three individual places and capping the day with a special father-son moment.
Washburn Rural boys golf ran its city championship streak to 16 straight Monday at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural took the team championship by a 326-335 margin over Seaman while the Junior Blues put four players in the top 10, led by a one-two-three sweep from Peyton Goehring, Keaton Stoner and Wyatt Dean.
Senior teammates Goehring and Stoner both shot 77s to tie for the city individual title and force a playoff, with Goehring winning with a bogey on the first playoff hole.
Washburn Rural senior teammates Peyton Goehring (left) and Keaton Stoner exchange a hug after finishing one-two in a playoff in Monday's city tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Goehring admitted that it was tough going up against a teammate in the playoff.
"Obviously it's a team game and I really didn't want to beat him because he played tremendous, too,'' Goehring said. "I'd rather beat an opponent, but a win's a win I guess.''
Peyton Goehring is congratulated by his father and coach, Jared Goehring, after winning the city title Monday at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Making Goehring's first city title even more special was the fact that it came in Peyton's final city tournament for his father, Jared Goehring, the longtime Washburn Rural coach.
"It means a lot,'' Peyton said. "He's obviously coached me my whole life and I had a goal this year to place top 10 in the city individually, but I guess I did a little bit better than that.
"It does mean a lot though to do it for my team and obviously my dad coaching.''
Dean finished third in the city meet with an 81 while Hayden's Austin Bean, Topeka West's Blake Schultz and Seaman's Hunter Gerhardt shot 82s to tie for fourth.
Rural's Michael Wilson and Seaman's Noah LaRosh tied for seventh with 83s while Topeka High's Caleb Cleverdon and Seaman's Evan Michalski tied for ninth with 84s.
Rural also got an 85 from Higgins Hawks and an 86 from Camden Ismert while Rural's Lane Witrock competed in the Topeka Country Club Invitational, held in conjunction with the city tournament, shooting an 80.
"I'm proud of all of them today because it got pretty tough there at stages in the round and I thought they put their heads down and really battled for one another,'' Jared Goehring said.
"This was a goal we had at the beginning of the season, to defend this title, and hat's off to this senior class for getting it done today.''
Blue Valley North won the team title in the Topeka Country Club Invitational by four strokes over Blue Valley West (293-297).
Drew Krystyn of Blue Valley North claimed the individual title in a playoff over Free State's Henry Thompson after both players carded 69s.
TOPEKA CITY GOLF 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
Israel Edmonds, Washburn Rural 11.02
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 11.04
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 11.20
Josh Brown, Seaman 11.21
200 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 22.02
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 22.50
Courtney Sanders, Topeka High 22.68
JaVeon Alston, Shawnee Heights 23.13
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 23.15
400 METERS
Draden Chooncharoen, Washburn Rural 50.25
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights 50.71
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 52.40
Thomas Fisher, Silver Lake 53.26
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 53.38
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:55.43
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 1:59.69
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 2:01.36
Everett Un, Washburn Rural 2:03.26
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights 2:03.30
1,600 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:09.65 (mile) 4:11.94 (1,600)
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:20.32
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 4:33.08
Duke Graf, Washburn Rural 4:38.83
Connor Baldwin, Hayden 4:39.00
3,200 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:27.73
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:30.10
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 9:43.11
Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural 9:54.63
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 9:57.60
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.07
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.43
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 15.54
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 16.10
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 16.44
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 37.61
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 42.09
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 42.36
Michael Ruelas, Seaman 43.46
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 43.79
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 42.98
Seaman 43.27
Topeka High 43.52
Washburn Rural 43.69
Silver Lake 44.07
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:21.82
Shawnee Heights 3:24.59
Silver Lake 3:33.24
Seaman 3:35.19
Topeka High 3:35.43
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 8:38.13
Seaman 8:50.45
Silver Lake 9:09.46
Topeka High 9:28.74
Topeka West 9:29.28
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 12.61
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 12.66
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 12.72
Adriana Raub, Washburn Rural 12.75
JaidenWise, Silver Lake 12.83
200 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 26.11
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 26.81
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 26.82
Sofia Harper, Hayden 27.00
Ciara Hartz, Topeka High 27.27
Adriana Raub, Washburn Rural 27.27
400 METERS
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 60.23
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 61.03
Sofia Harper, Hayden 62.38
Clara Dillon, Washburn Rural 63.26
Brynn Scheid, Seaman 63.36
Ryan Miller, Seaman
800 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:23.65
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 2:24.26
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 2:31.07
Clara Dillon, Washburn Rural 2:33.45
Hazel Rondash, Shawnee Heights 2:36.40
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural
1,600 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:14.21
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:24.46
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 5:26.49
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 5:28.35
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 5:39.04
3,200 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 11:06.46
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 11:36.26
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 11:36.97
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural 12:09.09
100-METER HURDLES
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake 16.14
Rylee Dick, Rossville 17.15
Marchayla White, Topeka High 17.76
Ravaya Smith, Washburn Rural 18.88
Kennedy Gatewood, Seaman 19.13
300-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 50.00
Avery Villines, Seaman 55.36
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake 55.66
Grace Funk, Hayden 56.44
Kennedy Gatewood, Seaman 57.47
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 50.77
Silver Lake 51.19
Washburn Rural 51.92
Seaman 53.07
Topeka West 53.39
4x400-METER RELAY
Silver Lake 4:11.03
Topeka High 4:13.96
Washburn Rural 4:18.21
Shawnee Heights 4:29.41
Seaman 4:31.03
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 10:47.80
Topeka High 11:13.01
Silver Lake 11:38.44
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
Seaman 2:18.32
Washburn Rural 2:19.41
Shawnee Heights 2:21.17
Hayden 2:48.67
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden
200-YARD FREESTYLE
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden 2:12.42
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 2:25.97
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 2:31.65
Megan Strobel, Seaman 2:37.54
Joanna Diehl, Washburn Rural 2:47.44
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural
200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:28.23
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:35.70
Riley Strother, Seaman 2:51.05
Avery Skinner, Seaman 2:51.97
Mya Bucholtz, Hayden 3:09.89
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights
50-YARD FREESTYLE
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 27.39
Riley Strother, Seaman 28.15
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 28.26
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 28.90
Makenna Russell, Topeka West 29.77
ONE-METER DIVING
Avery Rosenow, Hayden/CPLS 176.40
Mackenzie Caryl, Topeka High 138.75
Madilyn Typer, Seaman 105.40
Abigail Culbertson, Topeka High 89.55
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights
100-YARD BUTTERFLY
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 1:09.79
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 1:21.98
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 1:23.77
Sophie Reffett, Washburn Rural 1:28.10
Riley Strother, Seaman 1:31.54
100-YARD FREESTYLE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 57.50
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 59.15
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 1:03.11
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 1:03.71
Gracie Scott, Seaman 1:07.72
500-YARD FREESTYLE
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 6:25.05
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 6:33.78
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 6:53.97
Sophie Reffett, Washburn Rural 7:57.80
Jurnee Jessepe, Seaman 8:18.59
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After graduating a big senior class, including multiple All-Staters, from a Class 6A state championship team last season, Washburn Rural girls soccer coach Brian Hensyel knew his team was going to go through some growing pains this spring.
Washburn Rural sophomore Ellie Vogel receives a hug from teammate Dayne Shriver after scoring her second goal in Monday's 4-0 win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TN]
And while that has definitely been the case, Hensyel is confident that Monday's 4-0 Centennial League win over city rival Topeka High at McElroy Field could be the start to a big second half of the season for the Junior Blues.
"Quite honestly, part of the trouble this year is the girls may feel the pressure of being the state champs and you're in a program that wins all the time and our schedule's really tough,'' Hensyel said. "We don't have as much experience maybe as we've had in the past, but we're getting better.
"The goal is in three weeks from now, wherever we finish for the playoffs seeding-wise, we still feel like we're going to make a run and we'll be there at the end. I feel pretty confident that in two or three weeks we're going to be in a good spot.''
Now 5-4-0 overall and 3-1-0 in the league, Washburn Rural entered Monday's makeup game coming off a 2-0 shutout loss to undefeated Hayden and the Junior Blues and the Trojans were locked in a scoreless tie at halftime before Rural got its offense cranked up in the second half.
Senior Allie Schroeder (14) scored Washburn Rural's first goal in Monday's 4-0 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior Allie Schroeder scored the only goal the Junior Blues would need just 3:14 into the second half off an assist from senior Dayne Shriver, the start of three Rural goals over a span of 11 minutes, 13 seconds to put the hosts in control.
Just 2:35 after Schroeder's goal, sophomore Ellie Vogel put the Junior Blues in front 2-0 off an assist from junior Maile Eldridge and Shriver found the back of the net at the 25:33 mark.
Vogel capped Rural's big second half with her second goal of the night off Shriver's second assist with 4:34 left.
"We've been working, the girls have good attitudes and they're trying hard,'' Hensyel said. "Sometimes you just get in a slump and soccer's a game where it's hard to score, so we've had trouble doing that recently.
"The second half was a lot better. We got a couple of set plays, which was nice. We've just got to keep plugging away and just try to get better on offense.''
Junior Abby Wanamaker picked up the shutout in goal for the Junior Blues.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Since being swept by fellow city softball power Washburn Rural in its second doubleheader of the season, Topeka High has been on roll, reeling off 10 straight wins to improve to 12-2.
Junior Kenslee Young picked up a pitching win and hit two home runs Thursday as Topeka High ran its winning streak to 10 games with wins over Olathe West and Olathe Northwest. [File photo/TSN]
And Shane Miles' Trojans posted their most impressive wins to date on Thursday in the Sunflower Festival in Olathe, posting wins over the two schools who have combined to win the last three Class 6A state championships.
Topeka High junior Campbell Dawson struck out six and allowed just one walk in Thursday's 6-3 win over defending Class 6A champ Olathe West. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High, which captured back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022, took a 6-3 win over defending 6A champ Olathe West, which also won in 2023, and rolled to a 13-4 win over 2024 champ Olathe Northwest.
"I think those (Rural) games helped us see where pieces would fall together and we tried some girls at different spots and just tried to find that team chemistry that was going to work for us,'' Miles said. "Going into the Sunflower Fest we knew we were going to face some quality teams -- Olathe West ranked No. 1 in the state in all classes and Olathe Northwest being traditionally a very good team.
"Our girls were confident about it and they knew if they played the way they could, they could play with anybody.''
Senior third baseman Taimane Isaia slammed three home runs on the day for the Trojans while juniors Kenslee Young and Campbell Dawson both hit two homers and picked up complete-game pitching victories.
Dawson struck out six batters and only issued one walk against Olathe West and also went 2 of 3 at the plate while Isaia was 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and two RBI.
Trojan junior center-fielder Madilyn Poole was 4 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI while Gateley was 3 for 3 and freshman catcher Harper Robbins 2 for 3 as High had 16 hits in the game.
In addition to picking up the pitching win against Northwest, Young homered twice, drove in three runs and scored two.
Isaia went 3 for 5 with two homers, two RBI and three runs while Dawson went 3 for 4 with a homer, two doubles and five RBI.
Junior catcher Becca Gateley went 3 for 4 against Northwest with a triple and three runs scored and sophomore second baseman Adrianna Adame was 2 of 4 with two runs scored.
Miles said the key now for the Trojans is to build off the momentum they've established.
"You're never satisfied and that's what I told the girls (Thursday),'' he said. "They beat Olathe West the first game, but I told them, 'Don't be satisfied with that, go get the other one, too,' and that's what they did.
"It was very, very fun to be a coach yesterday and watch the girls have fun and play the way they can.''
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 12.61
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 12.72
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 12.85
Ciara Hartz, Topeka High 13.06
Adriana Raub, Washburn Rural 13.13
200 METERS
Tanesia Johnson, Shawnee Heights 26.11
Jurnee Cole, Highland Park 26.81
Sofia Harper, Hayden 27.00
Ciara Hartz, Topeka High 27.27
Adriana Raub, Washburn Rural 27.27
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High
400 METERS
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High 61.03
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake 61.65
Sofia Harper, Hayden 62.38
Clara Dillon, Washburn Rural 63.26
Brynn Scheid, Seaman 63.36
Ryan Miller, Seaman
800 METERS
Ryin Miller, Seaman 2:23.65
Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural 2:24.26
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 2:31.07
Clara Dillon, Washburn Rural 2:33.45
Hazel Rondash, Shawnee Heights 2:36.40
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural
1,600 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 5:14.21
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 5:24.46
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 5:26.49
Alyson Hink, Washburn Rural 5:28.35
Kinley Robinson, Seaman 5:39.04
3,200 METERS
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural 11:25.73
Brynn Spencer, Seaman 11:36.26
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural 11:36.97
Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural 12:09.09
100-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 17.15
Marchayla White, Topeka High 17.76
Ravaya Smith, Washburn Rural 18.88
Kennedy Gatewood, Seaman 19.13
Alana Mitchell, Hayden 19.18
300-METER HURDLES
Rylee Dick, Rossville 50.00
Avery Villines, Seaman 55.36
Journey Manhart, Silver Lake 55.74
Grace Funk, Hayden 56.44
Kennedy Gatewood, Seaman 57.47
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 50.77
Silver Lake 51.19
Washburn Rural 52.33
Seaman 53.07
Topeka West 53.39
4x400-METER RELAY
Silver Lake 4:11.03
Topeka High 4:13.96
Washburn Rural 4:18.21
Shawnee Heights 4:29.41
Seaman 4:31.03
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 10:47.80
Topeka High 11:13.01
Silver Lake 12:15.82
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
Malachi Murph, Topeka High 11.20
Josh Brown, Seaman 11.21
Quortay Hailey, Topeka High 11.30
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 11.31
Nas Williams-Brown, Topeka West 11.39
200 METERS
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 22.02
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 22.50
Courtney Sanders, Topeka High 22.68
JaVeon Alston, Shawnee Heights 23.13
Jonel Tibbs, Topeka High 23.15
400 METERS
Jason Slay, Shawnee Heights 50.71
Jayden Lindsey, Topeka West 52.40
Thomas Fisher, Silver Lake 53.26
Joel Miller, Silver Lake 53.38
Tyler Jakle, Washburn Rural 53.53
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:55.43
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 2:01.36
Everett Un, Washburn Rural 2:03.26
Mason Haas, Shawnee Heights 2:03.30
Duke Graf, Washburn Rural 2:06.72
1,600 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:11.94
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:20.32
Cohen Thiessen, Washburn Rural 4:33.32
Connor Baldwin, Hayden 4:39.00
Nick Newkirk, Hayden 4:39.76
3,200 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:27.73
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:30.10
Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural 9:56.70
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 9:57.60
Max Esquibel, Seaman 10:20.82
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.32
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.43
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 15.54
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 16.44
Braxton Rupp, Silver Lake 16.60
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 37.61
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 42.09
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 42.36
Michael Ruelas, Seaman 43.46
Isiah Pennington, Seaman 43.79
4x100-METER RELAY
Topeka High 42.98
Seaman 43.27
Topeka High 43.52
Washburn Rural 44.02
Topeka West 44.21
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:21.82
Shawnee Heights 3:24.59
Silver Lake 3:33.24
Seaman 3:35.19
Topeka High 3:35.43
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 8:38.13
Seaman 8:50.45
Silver Lake 9:18.40
Topeka High 9:28.74
Topeka West 9:29.28
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
When Ron Slaymaker stepped down as Topeka High girls basketball coach in March after leading the Trojans to the Centennial League championship and the Class 6A state quarterfinals, assistant coach Pat Denney had every intention of following Slaymaker's lead.
Pat Denney, Topeka High
But the more he thought about it, Denney eventually decided that he wasn't quite ready to step away from a Trojan program that has made dramatic progress over the past two seasons.
And on Thursday night the USD 501 school board approved Denney to take over as Topeka High's head coach, adding another chapter to his long coaching legacy at the school.
"When Slay resigned I was gone,'' Denney told TopSports.news. "But it seemed like the farther I got away from the season, and then when I started thinking about it, I was like, 'I'm going to miss summer workouts once we start heading into May and to June and I'm going to miss the opportunity to get in there and get some work in.'
"Eventually those same old feelings just started coming back and I started missing it.''
Denney also considered the possibility of working with current Trojan boys coach Robbie Sanders, who served as an assistant under Denney, but after conversations with Topeka High principal and district athletic director Dustin Dick, he made the decision to try to continue the progress the High girls made under the legendary Slaymaker.
The Trojans posted a nine-win improvement in a 14-8 2024-2025 season and followed that up with a 17-9 campaign this past winter, capped by the league and sub-state titles.
"We were very proud,'' Denney said. "We had a lot of success, we had a lot of good players on the floor and I know Slay took a lot of pride in the job that he did here and what he instilled over two years. And obviously being a part of that was awesome and we both have a lot of pride in how that went down.
''You always ask yourself, 'Could we have done more?' But I think overall we were pretty happy with the results.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran tennis coaches Duane Pomeroy of Topeka High and Kurt Davids of Topeka West knew that the dual match between the Trojans and the Chargers in Tuesday's West quadrangular at the Kossover Tennis Center would be a close one.
Topeka High senior No. 1 singles player Tres Lassiter went 3-0 in Tuesday's Topeka West quadrangular, dropping just one game on the day. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka West's Collin McGee (left) and Zander Rice went undefeated in No. 1 doubles in Tuesday's Topeka West quadrangular at Kossover Tennis Center. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
It couldn't have been any closer, with High and West battling to a 2-2 tie in the final match of the day to earn a share of the top spot in the quad with 2-0-1 records on the day.
"Kurt and I have been coaching against each other over three decades and we take turns beating the other one in both girls and boys,'' Pomeroy said.
"That's why we played Topeka High last to have a grand finale kind of thing,'' Davids said. "They got the singles and we got the doubles. I'm happy with the results and happy with everybody's effort singles and doubles.''
Topeka High shut out Shawnee Heights 4-0 and beat Basehor-Linwood 3-1 while West beat Heights 4-0 and Basehor-Linwood 3-1 to open the day before the USD 501 rivals squared off in the finale.
High senior Tres Lassiter went a perfect 3-0 in No. 1 singles to lead the Trojans while West's Collin McGee and Zander Rice went 3-0 in No. 1 doubles and Isaac Bowers and George Davidson went undefeated in No. 2 doubles.
Lassiter, the reigning city champion in No. 1 singles, dropped just one game on the game while McGee and Rice rallied from a 3-0 deficit against Topeka High to take an 8-4 victory.
TOPEKA WEST TENNIS QUADRANGULAR
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
Peyton Holmes, Seaman 10.73
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 10.82
Evan Scheid, Silver Lake 11.13
Ben Roeder, Topeka High 11.17
Sean LeDuc, Washburn Rural 11.18
200 METERS
Bryce Cochran, Seaman 21.87
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden 21.92
Isaiah Terry, Washburn Rural 22.02
Evan Scheid, Silver Lake 22.22
Matthew Houser, Washburn Rural 22.37
Isaiah Terry, Washburn Rural
400 METERS
Isaiah Terry, Washburn Rural 48.20
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden 48.30
Bryce Cochran, Seaman 48.43
Liam Benz, Shawnee Heights 49.63
Ben Roeder, Topeka High 49.82
Brody Anderson, Seaman
800 METERS
Brody Anderson, Seaman 1:56.22
Mark Wilkie, Topeka West 1:57.23
Ben Buesing, Washburn Rural 1:58.87
Adrian Lehman, Topeka West 1:59.08
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 2:00.38
1,600 METERS
Adrian Lehman, Topeka West 4:18.07
Brody Anderson, Seaman 4:18.55
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 4:19.77
Mark Wilkie, Topeka West 4:21.37
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 4:34.44
3,200 METERS
Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural 9:16.96
Adrian Lehman, Topeka West 9:16.98
Brody Anderson, Seaman 9:34.99
Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural 9:41.18
Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural 10:03.37
110-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 14.59
Christian Hartman-Babb, Washburn Rural 15.50
Desean Lunkins, Topeka High 15.80
Isaac Song, Shawnee Heights 15.84
Braylon Badger, Washburn Rural 15.93
300-METER HURDLES
Liam Morrison, Washburn Rural 38.83
Braylon Badger, Washburn Rural 40.60
Isaac Song, Shawnee Heights 41.07
Michael Hurla, Seaman 41.29
Kellan Parcaro, Seaman 41.86
4x100-METER RELAY
Silver Lake 43.16
Seaman 43.48
Topeka High 43.48
Washburn Rural 43.49
Topeka West 44.50
4x400-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 3:17.38
Topeka West 3:24.56
Topeka High 3:24.64
Hayden 3:25.32
Seaman 3:26.21
4x800-METER RELAY
Washburn Rural 8:01.63
Shawnee Heights 8:31.70
Seaman 8:43.94
Topeka High 8:46.69
Silver Lake 8:54.17
HIGH JUMP
Jack Esser, Seaman 6-5
Blake Toyne, Seaman 6-2
Brooks Ballard, Washburn Rural 6-0
Bryson Burgos, Silver Lake 6-0
Cody Quy, Seaman 6-0
Rondell Harris, Hayden 6-0
Tad McGee, Seaman 6-0
Deondre Razzano, Silver Lake 6-0
Tyler Wedl, Shawnee Heights
POLE VAULT
Tyler Wedl, Shawnee Heights 12-6
Luke Deering, Washburn Rural 10-6
Desmond Grindol, Washburn Rural 9-6
Emery Kearney, Seaman 9-6
Caleb Schwartz, Washburn Rural 9-6
Quinton White, Seaman 9-6
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden
LONG JUMP
Jensen Schrickel, Hayden 22-7
Peyton Holmes, Seaman 22-6
Elijah Berg, Topeka West 21-8
Te'Vante Ewing, Topeka High 21-5
Rayshon Pollard, Highland Park 20-11
Ethan Surey, Washburn Rural 20-11
TRIPLE JUMP
Kaden Whitehurst, Seaman 42-8
Deondre Razzano, Silver Lake 42-5.5
Cody Quy, Seaman 41-11
Bryson Burgos, Silver Lake 41-8
Ethan Surey, Washburn Rural 40-7.50
SHOT PUT
Brogen Brown, Seaman 50-11
Amir Bass, Shawnee Heights 47-3.5
F. Anguiano, Hayden 44-10
Adrian Shuler, Shawnee Heights 44-9.5
Clayton Johnson, Seaman 44-5
DISCUS
Brogen Brown, Seaman 146-0
Myles Fisher, Silver Lake 144-5
Treyton Tetuan, Hayden 137-4
Samuel Scott, Washburn Rural 136-0
Zachary Hancock, Washburn Rural 135-11
JAVELIN
Kelton Meier, Hayden 162-5
Oliver Perez, Washburn Rural 155-2
Andre Johnson, Rossville 155-1
Jackson Haas, Hayden 153-7
Gabriel Taylor, Washburn Rural 148-10
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
Seaman 2:18.32
Washburn Rural 2:19.41
Shawnee Heights 2:21.17
Hayden 2:48.67
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden
200-YARD FREESTYLE
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden 2:12.42
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 2:25.97
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 2:31.65
Megan Strobel, Seaman 2:37.54
Joanna Diehl, Washburn Rural 2:47.44
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural
200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 2:28.23
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 2:43.29
Riley Strother, Seaman 2:51.05
Avery Skinner, Seaman 2:51.97
Mya Bucholtz, Hayden 3:09.89
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights
50-YARD FREESTYLE
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 27.98
Riley Strother, Seaman 28.15
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 28.26
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 28.90
Makenna Russell, Topeka West 29.77
ONE-METER DIVING
Avery Rosenow, Hayden/CPLS 173.75
Mackenzie Caryl, Topeka High 138.75
Madilyn Typer, Seaman 105.40
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights
100-YARD BUTTERFLY
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights 1:11.39
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 1:21.98
Avery Skinner, Topeka High 1:23.77
Sophie Reffett, Washburn Rural 1:28.10
Riley Strother, Seaman 1:31.54
100-YARD FREESTYLE
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural 57.50
Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights 1:00.70
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 1:03.71
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High 1:04.28
Makenna Russell, Topeka West 1:08.95
500-YARD FREESTYLE
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural 6:33.78
Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural 6:56.95
Sophie Reffett, Washburn Rural 7:57.80
Jurnee Jessepe, Seaman 8:18.59
Meckenah Philpott, Seaman 8:19.26
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural girls swimming entered the 2026 season with a lot of question marks.
And three meets into the year, Junior Blues coach Bob Burdick has seen steady progress.
Now the key for Rural is to continue taking strides as the city, Centennial League and state meets get closer and closer.
"We are making progress, but we have a lot more to go,'' Burdick said. "Our pool was actually broken down for five days, which took us out a whole week and set us back, but the new kids are coming on great and the older kids are pulling their weight and starting to get back down to the times they should be at, which is great.''
Washburn Rural senior Audrey Appuhn (left) and Shawnee Heights junior Clara Sobba congratulate each other after the swimmers went one-two in the 100-yard freestyle Wednesday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Led by a victory and runnerup finish from senior Audrey Appuhn, as well as a runnerup relay finish, the Junior Blues finished Wednesday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium with 284 points, finishing third behind Lawrence Free State (536 points) and Hays (337).
"Silly little mistakes tonight may have cost us second place, but that's OK,'' Burdick said. "There were just some DQs (disqualifications) for just simple little things, technical things, and we're working on them and it helps when we're consistently in the pool.
"The girls are doing great though and the team's coming together. I'm really happy with everybody and it's a lot of fun.''
Appuhn won the 100-yard freestyle in a time of 57.50 seconds and finished second in the 100 breaststroke in 1 minute, 15.99 seconds while the foursome of Sophie Heinen, Kaci Hodgson, Resego Mackenzie and Ava Von Lintel finished second in the 400 freestyle in 4:46.87.
Heinen was the runnerup in the 500 freestyle in 6:33.78 while Von Lintel finished third in 6:56.95.
Other meet highlights:
Hayden junior Kailyn Gerdel posted second and third-place finishes in Wednesday's Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Hayden junior Kailyn Gerdel finished second in the 200 freestyle in 2:12.42 and was third in the 100 breaststroke in 1:18.26.
Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo had a pair of second-place finishes in Wednesday's Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo posted a second-place finish in the 50 freestyle in 28.26 and second in the 100 backstroke in 1:11.35 while High's Mackenzie Caryl finished third in one-meter diving with a score of 137.85.
• Shawnee Heights junior Clara Sobba placed second in the 100 freestyle in 1:00.70 and third in the 50 freestyle in 28.32.
• Seaman's Riley Strother finished third in the 100 backstroke in 1:12.84.
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Monday was a night of firsts for the Shawnee Heights girls soccer team.
After a loss and a tie to open the season, the T-Birds picked up their first win of the year while scoring their first goals of 2026 in a 3-0 shutout over city rival Topeka High at Hummer Sports Park, while Heights assistant Josiah Juarez, filling in for veteran T-Bird coach Nic Simons, picked up win No. 1 as a head coach.
Shawnee Heights junior Morgan Robinson scored two goals Monday as the T-Birds picked up their first win with a 3-0 shutout over city rival Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Juarez was running the show Monday while Simons missed the game to be with his wife and newborn child, born over the weekend.
"I was just a little bit nervous -- it comes with the game -- but that's the exciting part, especially with us needing a win,'' Juarez said. "And I'm just excited we got it done tonight.''
The T-Birds didn't miss a beat under Juarez, taking a 2-0 halftime lead on a pair of goals from junior standout Morgan Robinson and adding a third goal on a shot from junior Nina Bolanos in the second half.
Robinson scored the only goal the T-Birds would need 5:50 into the game off a corner kick from Bolanos.
Shawnee Heights junior Nina Bolanos (2) had a goal and an assist in Monday's 3-0 win over city rival Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Robinson scored her second goal with 19:39 left in the opening half to give the T-Birds their two-goal halftime advantage before Bolanos wrapped up the scoring with 8:33 remaining.
Senior MacKenzie Mertel picked up the shutout in goal for the T-Birds.
Shawnee Heights girls soccer assistant Josiah Juarez picked up his first win as a head coach in Monday's 3-0 T-Bird win over Topeka High. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I thought we were (solid) for the most part,'' Juarez said. "We kept our game plan and just executed it really well and continued to do it throughout the whole game.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
JURNEE COLE, Highland Park
Cole, a senior, was one of the city's top sprinters last spring, ranking second in the 100-meter dash (12.75 seconds) and fifth in the 200 (26.68). An All-Shawnee County honorable mention pick in 2025, Cole opened her 2026 season in last Friday's Topeka High Invitational with second-place finishes in the 100 (12.72) and 200 (27.34) and a third in the 400 (66.88).
KARYS DEITER, Silver Lake
A sophomore state champion in volleyball and basketball for the Eagles, Deiter received All-Shawnee County first-team recognition last season after posting an eighth-place finish in the Class 3A state meet in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.74 seconds. Deiter ranked No. 3 in Shawnee County in the 100 dash and the 100 hurdles. Deiter also helped lead Silver Lake to the Class 3A volleyball title last fall and the state basketball championship this past season.
RYLEE DICK, Rossville
Dick, a senior, was an All-Shawnee County first-team selection last season after finishing eighth in Class 2A in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.77 seconds. Dick ranked fourth in Shawnee County in the 100 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles. Dick was also a first-team all-county pick in basketball.
ALI GERBER, Silver Lake
A junior, Gerber, earned All-Shawnee County first-team honors in track last spring and was an all-county pick in cross country last fall. Gerber teamed with Ellen Doty, Jaylie Whitehead and Ella Bolan to finish sixth in the Class 3A 4x400-meter relay last spring in track and placed 35th in state cross country last fall. Gerber was a member of Silver Lake's 3A state championship 4x400 relay team in the 2024 state meet (4:06.64).
EMILY GRAF, Washburn Rural
An All-Shawnee County selection in both cross country and track, Graf teamed with then-seniors Rylee Ismert, Brooklyn Nolte and Payton Fink finished second in the Class 6A 4x800 relay (9:29.84) in the 2025 state track meet. A three-time first-team All-Shawnee County pick in cross country, Graf garnered the individual city title last fall before finishing eighth in the Centennial League, fifth in a 6A regional meet and 30th at state.
SOFIA HARPER, Hayden
Harper, a junior, is a three-time first-team All-Shawnee County pick in cross country and received all-county honorable in track last spring. Harper posted a seventh-place individual finish in the city cross country championships last fall, placed 16th in the Centennial League meet and 12th in Class 4A regional competition and was 44th at state. Harper opened her 2026 track season in Friday's Topeka High Inivitational with wins in the 200-meter dash (27.00) and 400 (62.39).
ALYSON HINCK, Washburn Rural
The Washburn Rural freshman was the individual runnerup in the city cross country meet for the team-champion Junior Blues and placed sixth in the Centennial League, eighth in Class 6A regional competition and a team-high 25th in the state meet.
KENZIE MADDOX, Washburn Rural
Maddox, a senior, is a two-time first-team All-Shawnee County pick in cross country and was an all-county first-team honoree in track last spring. Maddox finished fourth last fall in the city cross country meet before placing 14th in the Centennial League, 16th in a Class 6A regional and 49th in the 6A state meet.
Keimara Marshall, Topeka High
KEIMARA MARSHALL, Topeka High
A senior, Marshall has established herself as one of the area's top sprinters, earning first-team All-Shawnee County honors and sweeping the 100 and 200-meter dashes in the 2025 Joe Schrag City Championships. A former Class 6A state medalist, Marshall helped lead the Trojans to 6A state quarterfinals in basketball.
Ryin Miller, Seaman
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
Miller, who has been recovering from an injury that limited her to just one cross country meet last fall, has won five Class 5A state track titles over the past two seasons, sweeping the 3,200 meters in 10 minutes, 19.53 seconds, the 1,600 meters in 4:57.33 and the 800 in 2:11.14 in the 2025 state meet and adding a fourth state medal when she anchored the Vikings' 4x400 relay to a fourth-place finish (4:03.44). Miller made her 2026 debut Thursday with a win in the 800 at Washburn Rural.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights junior Clara Sobba posted a pair of individual wins to pace city swimmers in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Shawnee Heights' Clara Sobba posted a pair of individual victories in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational swimming meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sobba won the 50-yard freestyle in 28.04 seconds and captured the 100 freestyle in 1 minute, 01.65 while also helping the T-Birds finish second in the 200 free relay (2:04.55) and third in the 200 medley relay (2:22.16).
Shawnee Heights' Kaitlyn Aldridge (left) won the 100-yard butterfly and finished second in the 100 backstroke in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo won the 100-yard backstroke in Tuesday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sobba was one of three city champions in Tuesday's meet, with Shawnee Heights junior Kaitlyn Aldridge winning the 100-yard butterfly in 1:11.46 and Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo winning the 100 backstroke in 1:09.81.
Del Castillo was the runnerup behind Sobba in the 50 free in 28.69 while Aldridge finished second to Del Castillo in the 100 backstroke in 1:10.77.
Aldridge and Sobba teamed with Gracelyn New and Jayde Kinsch for the runnerup finish in the 200 free relay and teamed with Kinsch and Lainey Herrera for the third-place finish in the 200 medley relay.
Topeka High's Mackenzie Caryl finished second in one-meter diving with a score of 138.70.
Manhattan ran away with the team title by a 677-454 margin over Junction City while Shawnee Heights placed third (213), Topeka High fourth (76) and Topeka West fifth (44).
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural baseball followed up a strong weekend in Kansas City with a home Centennial League doubleheader sweep of Topeka High Tuesday to improve its record to 5-0.
Senior Gavin Payne threw a three-hit shutout Tuesday in Washburn Rural's 14-0 first-game win over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues got a five-inning shutout from senior Gavin Payne in the opening contest, then rolled out three pitchers who one-hit the Trojans in the nightcap as Washburn Rural collected wins of 14-0 and 12-0, both of which lasted five innings.
Last Saturday Washburn Rural defeated Kansas City, Mo.-Rockhurst 8-1 and Olathe South 3-0. Junior Blues coach Jay Mastin complimented his team’s performance in those contests.
Mastin said Payne’s work against Topeka High was so good, the coach had to tweak his game plan.
“He did a great job. He did everything we asked from him today,” Mastin said of Payne. “Our plan was to throw two or three guys (in the first) game, but he was pretty efficient in his innings, so we just stuck with him.”
Payne permitted Topeka High a single in each of his first three innings. He was the beneficiary of inning-ending double plays in the fourth and fifth innings. His final line included three hits, three walks and four strikeouts.
“I was just working my pitches, working the zone,” Payne said. “I’ve got a great defense behind me, so I just throw strikes and they’ll back me up.”
Washburn Rural senior Drew Moore slides safely into base in Tuesday's double-header sweep over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
After a scoreless first inning to start the day, the Junior Blues put up four, four and six runs in their next three innings. Austin Ditch provided a bases-loaded double that plated three in the second. Drew Moore led off the third inning with a triple. Dominic Nimz collected two hits, including a fourth-inning double.
Payne admitted getting that kind of run support is a lift.
“Everything feels a lot better,” Payne said. “You’ve got more confidence going into each inning. It really helps out there.”
Washburn Rural junior Kyran Smith struck out five batters in two innings in Tuesday's double-header sweep over Topeka High. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
For the second game, Mastin ran out three pitchers, with dominating effect. Isaac Ansley started the game and recorded three strikeouts in two scoreless innings. He gave way to Kyran Smith, who struck out five in two frames. Cody Stafford slammed the door, striking out all three Trojans he faced in the fifth inning. Following a leadoff single to start the game, the Junior Blues allowed only a walk in the third inning.
“We like the momentum that we’ve got going,” Mastin said. “We couldn’t start the season better than this all the way around. Our pitchers have done a great job. Our defense has been solid, and offense has been putting the pressure on the other team by getting some big hits and being aggressive on the bases.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brody Anderson
BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman
Anderson, a returning Class 5A state medalist, opened his senior track season with a pair of dominating individual wins in Friday's Topeka High Invitational at Hummer Sports Park. Anderson posted a 24-second win in the boys 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 23.82 seconds and posted a 36-second win in the 3,200 in 9:27.73.
Brynn Anderson
BRYNN ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
A freshman multi-sport standout for the Junior Blues, the 6-foot Anderson was voted by Centennial League girls basketball coaches as the league newcomer of the year and a first-team all-league pick. Anderson averaged 14.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals while hitting 41 3-pointers.
Carsyn Broxterman
CARSYN BROXTERMAN, Hayden
Broxterman, a senior soccer standout for Hayden, scored five goals and had an assist in Friday's season-opening 8-0 road victory over Cair Paravel Latin at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. As a junior Broxterman helped lead the Wildcats to a second-place finish in the Class 4A-1A state tournament.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
DRAYDEN ACCOSTA, Topeka High
A senior, Accosta earned second-team TopSports.news All-Shawnee County recognition for the second straight season and was named to the All-Centennial League second team as a utility player.
Isaac Ansley, Washburn Rural
ISAAC ANSLEY, Washburn Rural
A senior pitcher, Ansley earned first-team TSN All-Shawnee County recognition last season and was a second-team All-Centennial League pick after helping lead Washburn Rural to a 15-12 record and a Class 6A state tournament berth.
Mason Becker, Hayden
MASON BECKER, Hayden
Becker, a junior, earned second-team TSN All-Shawnee County and Centennial League recognition last season after helping the Wildcat post a 23-1 record.
Axton Brewer, Seaman
AXTON BREWER, Seaman
A junior, Brewer was a TSN All-Shawnee County first-team pick, earned All-United Kansas Conference first-team recognition as a pitcher and designated hitter and was a Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches All-Class 5A first-team honoree at designated hitter and a second-team pitcher.
BRADY DEUTSCH, Hayden
Deutsch, a senior catcher, was a second-team All-Centennial League pick for the league-champion Wildcats, who went 23-1 last season. Deutsch receive All-Shawnee County honorable mention.
Austin Ditch, Washburn Rural
AUSTIN DITCH, Washburn Rural
A senior infielder, Ditch was a first-team TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League pick last spring after helping Washburn Rural post a 15-12 record and advance to the Class 6A state tournament.
TYLER EDMISTON, Washburn Rural
Edmiston, a junior pitcher, was a second-team All-Centennial League and All-Shawnee County selection last season for the 15-12 Junior Blues, who earned a berth in the Class 6A state tournament.
Cambren Floberg, Shawnee Heights
CAMBREN FLOBERG, Shawnee Heights
Floberg, a senior, was named the United Kansas Conference pitcher of the year last season after helping the 21-8 T-Birds advance to the Class 5A state tournament. Floberg received second-team All-Class 5A honors from the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches.
CAEL HORGAN, Rossville
A junior, Horgan was a first-team All-Big East pick last spring after helping Rossville advance to the Class 2A-1A state tournament in 2025.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
London Backman, Topeka High
LONDON BACKMAN, Topeka High
A sophomore infielder who attends Cair Paravel Latin and plays for the Trojans through a co-op agreement, Backman received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League first-team recognition and was named the co-county and co-Centennial League newcomer of the year last season after helping 19-10 Topeka High advance to the Class 6A state tournament before dropping an 8-1 quarterfinal decisiont to 6A champ Olathe West. Backman received All-Class 6A honorable mention by the Kansas Softball Coaches Association.
Adda Boleski, Washburn Rural
ADDA BOLESKI, Washburn Rural
Boleski, a sophomore infielder, was an All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League second-team pick a year ago as a freshman after helping the Junior Blues post a 22-8 record and a second-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament, with Washburn Rural dropping an 8-7 decision to Olathe West in the championship game.
Reagan Chapman, Washburn Rural
REAGAN CHAPMAN, Washburn Rural
A senior pitcher/third baseman, Chapman was named to the TSN All-Shawnee County first team for the third straight season after helping lead the Junior Blues to a 22-8 record and a runnerup finish in Class 6A last spring, with Rural dropping an 8-7 decision to Olathe West in the championship game. Chapman was a first-team All-Centennial League honoree.
JOSIE CARLGREN, Washburn Rural
Carlgren, a senior outfielder, is a top returner for Washburn Rural, which posted a 22-8 record and finished second in the Class 6A state tournament last season, dropping an 8-7 decision to Olathe West in the title game. Carlgren received All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honorable mention in 2025.
Falyn Clurman, Rossville
FALYN CLURMAN, Rossville
Clurman, a sophomore pitcher, was a second-team All-Shawnee County honoree last season as a freshman for the Bulldawgs, who posted a 17-12 record in 2025. The Bulldawgs were a Class 2A-1A regional runnerup to state champion Oskaloosa.
ADDISON COOPER, Shawnee Heights
Cooper, a senior outfielder, was a first-team All-United Kansas Conference selection and a second-team All-Shawnee County pick last spring after helping Shawnee Heights post a 20-7 record and advance to the Class 5A state tournament in 2025. The T-Birds dropped a 3-2 state quarterfinal decision to eventual state champion St. Thomas Aquinas.
Campbell Dawson, Topeka High
CAMPBELL DAWSON, Topeka High
A junior pitcher/outfielder, was a first-team All-Centennial League selection and second-team All-Shawnee County pick last spring after helping the 19-10 Trojans advance to the Class 6A state tournament before dropping an 8-1 quarterfinal decision to 6A state champ Olathe West. Dawson received All-Class 6A honorable mention by the Kansas Softball Coaches Association.
LYDIA DREHER, Seaman
Dreher, a sophomore pitcher, was a second-team All-Shawnee County selection and a second-team All-United Kansas Conference pick as a freshman last season after helping the Vikings earn a berth in the Class 5A state tournament. Dreher helped Seaman post a 20-9 record last spring, with the Vikings dropping a 3-2 17-inning decision to Maize South in the state quarterfinals.
Cianna Graves, Shawnee Heights
CIANNA GRAVES, Shawnee Heights
A senior catcher, Graves received second-team All-Shawnee County recognition in 2025 after helping Shawnee Heights post a 20-7 record and advance to the Class 5A state tournament before the T-Birds dropped a 3-2 state quarterfinal decision to eventual 5A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas. Graves is also a 2026 5A state wrestling champion.
Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake
Hanni, a senior left-fielder, earned first-team All-Shawnee County and first-team All-Big East League recognition last spring for the second straight season after helping Silver Lake post a 25-7 record and a runnerup finish in the Class 3A state tournament for the second straight season, with the Eagle falling 2-1 to Frontenac in nine innings. Hanni was named to the All-Class 3A first team by the Kansas Softball Coaches Association. Hanni also led Silver Lake to the 3A state basketball title this past season.
Oliva Koch, Washburn Rural
OLIVIA KOCH, Washburn Rural
A junior pitcher/outfielder, Koch was named to the TSN All-Shawnee County first team and was named the Centennial League player of the year last season after helping lead Washburn Rural to a 22-8 record and a runnerup finish in the Class 6A state tournament, with the Junior Blues dropping an 8-7 decision to Olathe West in the state title game. Koch was named to the All-Class 6A first team by the Kansas Softball Coaches Association.
Carly McAllister, Hayden
CARLEY McALLISTER, Hayden
McCallister, a sophomore, received second-team TSN All-Shawnee County recognition a year ago as a freshman while also receiving All-Centennial League second-team honors.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five city swimming and diving teams opened the 2026 season in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational, with a sweep of the top three places in one-meter diving pacing the local contingent.
Hayden's Avery Rosenow won the diving event with a score of 173.75, while Topeka High's Mackenzie Caryl placed second at 138.75 and Seaman's Madiylyn Typer was third at 105.40.
Shawnee Heights' Clara Sobba posted a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Another city highlight was turned in by Shawnee Heights' Clara Sobba, who posted a third-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle in a time of 1:01.71, while Topeka High's Hara Del Castillo was fifth in 1:04.50.
Seaman's Riley Strother helped the Vikings finish fifth in the 200 medley relay in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman's Riley Strother, Lizzie Gould, Jenna Zimmerman and Ava Carlson finished fifth in the 200 medley relay in 2:18.32.
Hayden's Kaelyn Gerdel posted a pair of top-five individual finishes in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden's Kaelyn Gerdel placed fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:15.92) while Seaman's Strother was fifth (2:51.05) and Topeka High's Avery Skinner sixth (2:51.97) in the 200 individual medley.
Topeka High's Hara Del Castillo swims to a fifth-place finish in the 100 backstroke in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
High's Del Castillo added a fifth-place finish in the 100 backstroke (1:11.58) while Hayden's Gerdel placed fourth in the 100 breastroke (1:19.41) and the Wildcats' Lilly Charvat was sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:23.55).
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
City schools swept All-Centennial League girls basketball individual honors, led by Topeka High junior player of the year Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural
Washburn Rural freshman Brynn Anderson was picked by league coaches as the Centennial League's top newcomer and also earned first-team recognition while Hayden's Carvel Reynoldson was tapped as the league coach of the year after leading the Wildcats to the Class 4A state championship.
Rayton, who helped Topeka High win the Centennial League championship, is joined on the all-league first team by sophomore teammate Hailey Caryl while Hayden is represented by sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein.
Manhattan's Kat Ball and Delaney Larson round out the all-league first team.
Topeka High senior Keimara Marshall, Hayden sophomore Blakely Walter and Washburn Rural seniors Ella Hirschi and Josie Carlgren were all named to the All-Centennial second team while Hayden senior Ella Foster and Washburn Rural senior Hallie Walker received honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
More times than not over the last several years, the Centennial League softball title race has come down to the early-season doubleheader between Washburn Rural and Topeka High.
And while Washburn Rural coach Joy Marie Galliart would rather play the showdown against High later in the season than in the Junior Blues' Centennial League openers, Friday's 11-1, 7-3 wins at Hummer Sports Park gave Rural an early leg up in its quest for another league crown.
Washburn Rural softball celebrates after closing out a Centennial League sweep over Topeka High Friday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I actually talked to (Washburn Rural athletic director Charlie Nimz) about trying to get this later in the year and it just wouldn't work from their end,'' Galliart said. "I'm not a fan of playing league games the first week you start playing, just because you're not sure of where you're going to be.
"But when you come out and you're able to get two wins it does give you a lot of confidence and a little bit of momentum rolling into the rest of your season.'
Washburn Rural, now 4-0 overall, jumped out in front 3-0 in the top of the first in the opener and added a run in the third, two in the fourth and and five in the top of the fifth en route to a five-inning win via the 10-run rule.
Senior Reagan Chapman pitched a five-inning four-hitter in Washburn Rural's 11-1 first-game win over Topeka High Friday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Reagan Chapman pitched a complete-game four-hitter for the Junior Blues while senior catcher Henley Rapp and sophomore Emma Duran both tripled and Duran also had a double.
Junior Campbell Dawson drove in the Trojans' lone run in the opener with a fourth-inning double.
The nightcap was tied 1-1 after the first inning and stayed that way through three innings before the Junior Blues scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth and three in the fifth to go up 6-1.
Topeka High (2-2) got back in the hunt with a pair of runs in the sixth, but Rural added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a run-scoring single from sophomore Adda Boleski and Junior Blue junior pitcher Oliva Koch ended the game with a one-two-three seventh.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior Brody Anderson is coming off an outstanding cross country season last fall, winning his second straight city and United Kansas Conference individual titles and finishing a strong second in Class 5A regional competition to qualify for his third straight state meet.
Seaman senior Brody Anderson posted individual wins in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in Friday's season-opening Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
However, the season didn't end the way the Viking star had envisioned, with Anderson putting himself in position for a state title before collapsing multiple times in the closing stages of the race and struggling to a 33rd-place finish.
But while that was a tough pill to swallow, it also made him even more determined entering his final high school track season, which he opened Friday with dominating victories in the boys 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in the Topeka High Invitational at Hummer Sports Park.
"Rim Rock, my legs gave out for the second time at state, when I was in second, close behind with like 400 (meters) left to go,'' Anderson said. "It was disappointing, obviously, but it just creates more of a drive for me to pick myself back up and that's what running's about, honestly.
"You're going to have the lows, but it's how you pick yourself up from that. For the first couple of weeks it left a sour taste in my mouth but as I kept going I felt stronger in my training and I put together a lot of consistent weeks and that just helped with my mindset.''
Anderson said he couldn't wait to get another season under way on Friday.
"I like to break the rust for sure and the first meet just backs all my training that I've done so I definitely always enjoy the first meet, cross country or track,'' he said. "But this one, being my last track season, is special.''
Anderson opened his day with a 24-second win in the 1,600 meters in a time of 4 minutes, 23.82 seconds and followed that up with a win by more than 36 seconds in the 3,200 in 9:27.73.
Both of those times were within seconds of the Seaman school records, which Anderson will be taking aim on in upcoming meets.
"I'm ready to get them and I'm fit enough to,'' Anderson said. "And when the right day comes it will happen. I'm positive. Coach (Luke) Wiens helps me a lot with that and to have the mindset to let things come natural.''
Other meet highlights:
• Highland Park junior Rayshon Pollard swept the titles in the boys 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 16.02 in the highs and 43.28 in the 300s.
Pollard also finished third in the long jump with a best of 20 feet, 5.50 inches.
Hayden junior Sofia Harper won the girls 200 and 400-meter dashes in Friday's Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Hayden junior Sofia Harper was a double champion in the girls division, winning the 200-meter dash in 27.00 seconds and the 400 in 62.39 seconds.
• Hayden junior Kelton Meier won the boys javelin championship by more than 49 feet, registering an outstanding throw of 197 feet, 2 inches.
Topeka High senior Adam Humphrey finished first in the boys discus with a throw of 131 feet, 3 inches.
• Hayden junior Alana Mitchell and Topeka High senior Jayana Washington went one-two in the girls long jump, with Mitchell winning the title by just three-quarters of an inch over Washington.
Mitchell jumped 16 feet, 3 inches while Washington had a best of 16-2.25.
Topeka West senior Jayden Lindsey won the 200 and finished second in the 400 in Friday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Topeka West senior Jayden Lindsey won the boys 200-meter dash in 22.50 seconds and finished second in the 400 in 52.40 seconds.
• Highland Park senior Jurnee Cole finished second in the girls 100-meter dash (12.72) and 200 (27.34) and third in the 400 (66.88).
• Topeka High freshman Marchayla White won the girls 100-meter hurdles (17.97) while Seaman sophomore Avery Villines won the 300 hurdles (58.40).
Hayden junior Brynn Spencer (5) posted second-place finishes in the girls 1,600 and 3,200 in Friday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Seaman junior Gage Geiger won the boys 800 meters (2:12.42) while Brynn Spencer finished second in the girls 1,600 meters (5:34.34) and the 3,200 (11:52.82).
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior co-players of the year KaeVon Bonner of Seaman and Dayne Johnson of Silver Lake headline the 2026 TopSports.news All-Shawnee County boys basketball team.
KaeVon Bonner, Seaman
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
Bonner is a three-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick after leading the Vikings to a 23-5 record and a third-place finish in the Class 5A state tournament while Johnson was an all-county repeat pick after leading the Eagles to a second straight third-place state finish in 3A and ending his high school career as Silver Lake's all-time leading scorer, eclipsing the record previously held by the legendary Lon Kruger.
Rossville senior Jack Donovan is a three-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 honoree and is joined on the first time by Rossville senior point guard Jakoby McDonnell after the Bulldawgs advanced to the Class 2A state tournament for the second straight season.
Topeka West, which won the United Kansas Conference championship in a tiebreaker over Seaman and placed fourth in Class 5A is represented on the all-county top 10 by seniors Malakyah Duncan and Keimani Paul and junior Prince Lassiter.
Also earning Top 10 honors were Hayden senior Connor Hanika, Shawnee Heights junior Cam Ross and Topeka High senior Bryson McComas.
Quincy Dixon, Shawnee Heights
Shawnee Heights freshman Quincy Dixon was named the county newcomer of the year after averaging 12.4 points and helping the T-Birds advance to the Class 5A state tournament.
Chip Kueffer, Cair Paravel Latin
Robbie Sanders, Topeka High
Cair Paravel's Chip Kueffer and Topeka High's Robbie Sanders were named the Shawnee County co-coaches of the year after leading their teams to 12-win improvements in 2025-2026.
Kueffer led CPLS to a 22-3 record, including 19 straight wins and the Flint Hills League championship while first-year coach Sanders led Topeka High to a 13-11 record in '25-'26 after the Trojans posted just one win in the previous season.
All-Shawnee County capsules:
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Silver Lake senior point guard Kailyn Hanni has been tapped as the TopSports.news 2026 All-Shawnee County girls basketball player of the year after leading the Eagles to their second Class 3A state championship in three seasons.
Silver Lake senior Kailyn Hanni has been named the TopSports.news Shawnee County girls player of the year after leading the Eagles to their second Class 3A state title in three seasons. [File photo/TSN]
A three-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick, Hanni helped lead Silver Lake to a 28-1 record and a third straight trip to the 3A state championship game, with the Eagles sandwiching titles in 2024 and this past season around a second-place finish in 2025.
Hanni is one of five repeat picks on the All-Shawnee County Top 10, including four-time honoree Maddie Gragg of Seaman, junior repeat selections KK Emmot of Shawnee Heights and Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton of Topeka High and sophomore repeat pick Hailey Schmidtlein of Hayden.
Schmidtlein helped lead Hayden to the 4A state championship while Emmot helped Shawnee Heights post a fourth-place state finish in 5A and Rayton helped Topeka High advance to the state quarterfinals in 6A.
Also earning All-Shawnee County Top 10 spots are Rossville senior Rylee Dick, Shawnee Heights junior Pearmella Carter, Topeka High sophomore Hailey Caryl, Silver Lake sophomore Karys Deiter and Washburn Rural freshman Brynn Anderson.
Anderson was also named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year, while state-champion coaches Kyle Porter of Silver Lake and Carvel Reynoldson of Hayden were named the co-county coaches of the year.
All-Shawnee County capsules:
Brynn Anderson, Washburn Rural
BRYNN ANDERSON, Washburn Rural -- Anderson was named an All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick and the Shawnee County newcomer of the year for 2025-2026 after averaging 14.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals and canning 41 3-pointers for the Junior Blues. Anderson was also a first-team all-county selection in volleyball.
Pearmella Carter, Shawnee Heights
PEARMELLA CARTER, Shawnee Heights -- After starring for two seasons at Highland Park, the 5-foot-9 junior had a big season in her first year at Shawnee Heights, helping the 22-6 T-Birds win their first United Kansas Conference championship and post a fourth-place finish in Class 5A in Heights' first trip to state since 2011. Carter, a second-team all-county pick as a sophomore, averaged 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds for Heights while shooting 56 percent from the field on two-point attempts.
Hailey Caryl, Topeka High
HAILEY CARYL, Topeka High -- A 5-foot-10 sophomore, Caryl moves up to the All-Shawnee County Top 10 this season after being a Second 10 pick as a freshman. Caryl averaged 14.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists this past season while shooting 57 percent from the field from two-point range, helping lead the Trojans to a 17-9 record, the Centennial League championship and a quarterfinal berth in the Class 6A state tournament.
Karys Deiter, Silver Lake
KARYS DEITER, Silver Lake -- Deiter, a 5-foot-6 sophomore, helped Silver Lake post a 28-1 record and win the Class 3A state championship this past season. Deiter moves up to the All-Shawnee County first team this season after being a Second 10 pick as a freshman and also earned first-team All-Big East honors. Deiter was also an all-county pick in volleyball after helping Silver Lake win the 3A state title.
Rylee Dick, Rossville
RYLEE DICK, Rossville -- Dick, a 5-foot-8 senior, helped lead the Bulldawgs to a Class 2A state tournament berth for the first time in 20 years this past season, averaging 20.6 points on the season. A unanimous All-Big East League selection, Dick finished her high school career with 1,578 points, which ranks No. 2 on Rossville's all-time list. Dick scored 31 points in Rossville's quarterfinal state loss to Ellinwood.
KK Emmot, Shawnee Heights
KK EMMOT, Shawnee Heights -- Emmot, a 5-foot-8 junior, is a two-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick after earning second-team honors as a freshman. Emmot, who helped lead the T-Birds to a 22-6 record, the United Kansas Conference title and a fourth-place Class 5A finish, earned first-team All-United Kansas Conference honors for the second straight season after averaging 16.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 3.0 assists while connecting on 67 3-pointers and shooting 82 percent from the free throw line.
Maddie Gragg, Seaman
MADDIE GRAGG, Seaman -- A 5-10 senior, Gragg is an All-Shawnee County Top 10 selection for the fourth straight season. Gragg, also a four-time All-United Kansas Conference first-team pick, averaged 12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.4 steals while hitting 32 3-pointers. Gragg helped the Vikings win the Class 5A state championship in 2024 and finish second in 2025.
Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake
KAILYN HANNI, Silver Lake -- Hanni, a 5-7 senior, was named the Shawnee County player of the year after leading Silver Lake to a 28-1 record and the Class 3A state championship this past season. Hanni also played a major role in the Eagles' 26-0 state championship run in 2024 and a runnerup state finish in 2025. Hanni is a three-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 selection as well as an All-Big East first-team pick.
Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, Topeka High
AHSIEYRHUAJH RAYTON, Topeka High --Rayton, a 5-7 junior All-Shawnee County repeat pick, averaged a city-high 23.6 points on the season for the 17-9 Trojans while also averaging 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals and shooting 52 percent from two-point range and 37 percent on 3-point attempts. Rayton helped the Trojans win the Centennial League championship and advance to the Class 6A state tournament.
Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden
HAILEY SCHMIDTLEIN, Hayden --Schmidtlein, a 6-0 sophomore, earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition for the second straight season after helping lead the Wildcats to a 22-6 record and Hayden's first Class 4A state championship since 2004. Schmidtlein averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 steals, 2.5 assists and 2.0 blocked shots.
2025 TSN ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY GIRLS BASKETBALL
By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Hayden senior Connor Hanika and Topeka High senior Bryson McComas have been named to the 2026 All-Centennial League boys basketball team, selected by league coaches.
Connor Hanika, Hayden
Bryson McComas, Topeka High
McComas moves up to the first team after being a second-team selection as a junior while Hanika was a first-team pick after receiving honorable mention in 2025.
McComas averaged 15.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists this past season with 31 made 3-pointers while Hanika averaged 14.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Earning second-team all-league honors were Topeka High senior Elisha Guest, Hayden junior Carter Compton and Washburn Rural senior John Hoytal,
Washburn Rural's Brooks Ballard and Simon Rowley, Topeka High's Jalen Aldridge, Ajalon Ross and Octavian McFadden and Hayden's Mason Becker received all-league honorable mention.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE BOYS BASKETBALL
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights
KAITLYN ALDRIDGE, Shawnee Heights
A junior, Aldridge earned All-City first-team honors for the second straight season in 2025, winning the city title in the 500-yard freestyle, placing second in the 100 butterfly and helping Shawnee Heights win the 200 free relay and finish third in the 400 free relay. Aldridge placed fourth in the United Kansas Conference in the 100 fly and fifth in the 500 free and swam on the T-Birds' fourth-place 400 free relay. Aldridge competed in the Class 5A-1A state meet.
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural
AUDREY APPUHN, Washburn Rural
Appuhn, a senior three-time All-City honoree, placed in multiple events in the Class 6A state meet for the third straight season last spring, taking third in the 100-yard breaststroke and sixth in the 200 freestyle to lead Rural to an 11th-place team finish. Appuhn won four golds in the city meet (200 free, 100 breast, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay) as Rural won its 22nd straight team title and four golds in the Centennial League meet (200 free, 100 breast, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay). Appuhn was a second-team All-State honoree in 6A in 2025.
Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High
HARA DEL CASTILLO, Topeka High
A senior, Del Castillo earned All-City honors for the third straight season in 2025 as the Trojan junior finished second in the city meet in the 100-yard backstroke and third in the 100 freestyle. Del Castillo won Centennial League titles in the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke and swam on the Trojans' fourth-place 200 medley relay. Del Castillo competed in the 6A state meet last season.
KAILYN GERDEL, Hayden
Gerdel, a junior was an All-City second-team pick last season after placing third in the city meet in the 200-yard freestyle and swimming on the Wildcats' runnerup 200 medley and 200 free relays. Gerdel finished third in the Centennial League in the 200 freestyle and swam on Hayden's second-place 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural
SOPHIE HEINEN, Washburn Rural
Heinen, a senior, finished second in the 500-yard freestyle in the city meet and also swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Heinen finished second in the Centennial League in the 500 freestyle and swam on Rural's winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Heinen swam on the Junior Blues' 11th-place 200 medley and 400 free relays at state.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cale Deutscher, Washburn Rural
CALE DEUTSCHER, Washburn Rural
Deutscher, a senior, teamed with Dylan Willingham to finish seventh in Class 6A doubles last spring. Deutscher and Willingham won Centennial League and regional doubles championhips after finishing second in No. 1 doubles in the city meet. Deutscher was an All-City repeater in 2025, winning the city No. 2 doubles title as a sophomore.
Cole Fay, Cair Paravel Latin
COLE FAY, Cair Paravel Latin
A sophomore, Fay finished off his freshman season with a 10th-place singles finish in the Class 3A-1A state tournament last season. An All-City pick, Fay qualified for the state tournament with a regional championship, helping the Lions win the regional team title, and finished fourth in the city in No. 1 singles.
Drew Fay, Cair Paravel Latin
DREW FAY, Cair Paravel Latin
Fay, a senior, teamed with foreign exchange student Eric Buchenau to finish second in doubles in the 2025 Class 3A-1A state tournament. Fay and Buchenau, who went 29-2 on the season, captured the city championship in No. 1 doubles and also won a regional title. Fay is a three-time 3A-1A state qualifier, posting a fourth-place singles finish as a sophomore. He is a two-time All-City pick.
Greyson Jones, Washburn Rural
GREYSON JONES, Washburn Rural
Jones, a earned a spot on the 2025 All-City team with the No. 2 singles championship in the city tournament and also posted a fifth-place singles finish in the Centennial League tournament. Jones helped the Junior Blues capture team championships in city, Centennial League and regional competition.
Tres Lassiter, Topeka High
TRES LASSITER, Topeka High
A senior, Lassiter captured the city title in No. 1 singles in his first season of high school tennis last spring. Lassiter also posted a runnerup singles finish in the Centennial League and Class 6A regional tournaments and posted a 2-2 singles record in his first Class 6A state tournament.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
AUSTIN BEAN, Hayden
A senior, Bean helped Hayden post a runnerup team finish in the Class 4A state tournament last season, earning second-team All-Shawnee County recognition. Bean finished 10th in the 2025 city championships with a 27-hole score of 127 and shot a 78 in the Centennial League tournament. He tied for 12th in 4A regional competition with an 81 as the Wildcats finished second as a team.
CALEB CLEVERDON, Topeka High/Cair Paravel Latin
Cleverdon, a senior, competed for Topeka High during the regular season before competing for High's co-op partner, Cair Paravel, in postseason. Cleverdon tied for sixth in the Class 2A state tournament with a 36-hole total of 155 (76-79), leading the Lions to a fourth-place team finish. A second-team All-Shawnee County pick, Cleverdon finished 10th in a 2A regional (83) for team champion CPLS.
Jack Donovan
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
A senior, Donovan was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick for the second straight season last spring after earning a state medal for the second straight year with a tie for sixth in the Class 2A state event with a 36 hole score of 155 (76-79). Donovan was a 2A regional medalist, shooting a Rossville school-record 68 to win the individual championship by 12 strokes.
Peyton Goehring
PEYTON GOEHRING, Washburn Rural
Goehring is a top senior returner for Washburn Rural, which captured its 15th straight city team championship last season and advanced to the Class 6A state tournament as a team with a third-place team finish. Goehring carded a 27-hole score of 129 in the city tournament, missing the top 10 by two strokes and shot a 78 in the Centennial League tournament and finished 23rd at regionals.
Higgins Hawks
HIGGINS HAWKS, Washburn Rural
Hawks, a senior, earned his first All-Shawnee County first-team honor for the Junior Blues last season. Hawks tied for fifth in the city tournament with a 27-hole score of 124 as Rural won its 15th straight city championship. Hawks shot an 80 at regionals to tie for 10th as the Junior Blues earned a Class 6A team berth with a third-place finish and tied for 36th at state with a 36-hole score of 156 (75-81).
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural three-time Class 6A state champion and four-time finalist Landen Kocher-Munoz headlines the TopSports.news 2026 All-Shawnee County boys wrestling team.
TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County team is based on overall records, postseason results and city coaches' All-City selections.
Landen Kocher-Munoz, Washburn Rural [Photo by Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports]
Kocher-Munoz was named the Shawnee County wrestler of the year after winning the 144-pound championship to wrap up a 39-4 season as Washburn Rural a third-place team finish.
Jadyn Baum, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN]
Kocher-Munoz is one of eight Washburn Rural wrestlers to earn spots on the All-Shawnee County team, including junior 215-pound state champ Jadyn Baum, who went 29-4 on the season.
Also earning all-county first-team honors for Rural were 106-pound freshman Hayden Broxterman (36-16), 113-pound freshman Andrew Peterson (26-11), 120-pound senior Ryder Harrison (28-7), 138-pound senior Cooper Stivers (34-7), 150-pound junior Brodye Kocher-Munoz (31-8) and sophomore 285-pounder Kaiden Marshall (19-4).
Harrison, Stivers, Brodye Kocher-Munoz, Landen Kocher-Munoz, Baum and Marshall are all first-team repeat picks.
Andrew Peterson, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN]
Ryder Harrison, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN]
Peterson, named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year, Harrison and Stivers all advanced to 6A championship matches and posted second-place finishes while Brodye Kocher-Munoz finished third and Broxterman and Marshall fifth in 6A.
Jude Krentz, Hayden [File photo/TSN]
Paxton Willett, Silver Lake [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Hayden senior Jude Krentz (40-4) was the 4A runnerup at 190 pounds and is an all-county first-team repeat pick while Silver Lake senior Paxton Willett (41-11) was the 3A-1A state runnerup at 190 pounds.
Krentz is joined on the all-county first-team by Wildcat junior 175-pounder Caleb Menke (41-5) while Silver Lake senior 120-pounder Bryce Cormier (33-10) joins Willett on the first team.
Cormier posted a third-place state finish in 3A-1A while Menke finished fourth in 4A.
Seaman put junior 150-pounder Deegan Frazier (38-12), senior 165-pounder Landen Miller (35-14) and junior 285-pounder Henry Reichart (41-14) on the All-Shawnee County first team, with Frazier and Reichart both posting third-place finishes in the 5A state tournament.
Hayden coach Jacob Torrez was named the Shawnee County coach of the year after also being picked by his city coaching counterparts as the City Coach of the Year.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY BOYS WRESTLING
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Class 5A senior state champion Cianna Graves headines the TopSports.news 2026 All-Shawnee County girls wrestling team while third-place teams Heights and Washburn Rural combined for 12 spots on the first team.
Cianna Graves, Shawnee Heights [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]
TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County team is based on overall records, postseason results and city coaches' All-City selections.
Graves, the Shawnee County wrestler of the year, is a four-time state medalist and capped her career with the state championship at 155 pounds, finishing off a 35-2 season.
Brinnley Morris, Shawnee Heights [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]
Olive Jones, Shawnee Heights [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]
Graves was one of three T-Bird state champions, with freshman Brinnley Morris (21-3) winning the 120-pound title title and sophomore Olive Jones (39-1) taking the 135-pound crown as Shawnee Heights earned the third-place team trophy for the second straight season.
Morris was tapped as the Shawnee County newcomer of the year.
Lacey Middleton, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN]
Emme Blanco, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN]
Elia Smith, Washburn Rural [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural put a county-high seven wrestlers on the TSN All-Shawnee County first team, led by the senior Class 6A state runnerup trio of 125-pounder Lacey Middleton (39-7), 145-pounder Emme Blanco (40-4) and 170-pounder Elia Smith (35-4), who led the Junior Blues to a third-place team finish for the second straight season in 6A after Rural won back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024.
In addition to the three second-place finishers, Rural also put freshman 105-pounder Aliyah Tangpricha, senior 140-pounder Madi Blanco, junior 190-pounder Lily Davis and sophomore 235-pounder Emma Mehl on the first team.
Tangpricha (30-6) and Madi Blanco (40-5) both placed third in 6A while Davis (37-12) finished sixth and Mehl (25-16) was a state qualifier.
Madi Blanco and Smith are both three-time first-team all-county honorees while Middleton and Emme Blanco are repeat picks.
Shawnee Heights also put senior 145-pounder Olivia Stevens and sophomore 110-pounder Bianca Juarez on the all-county first team.
A multi-time state medalist, Stevens (33-6) finished third at 145 pounds and Juarez (26-14) was a state qualifier.
Shawnee Heights' Chad Parks was named the county coach of the year after the T-Birds won the United Kansas Conference championship and finished second at regionals before their third-place finish at state.
Makayla Cadet, Highland Park [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/TSN]
Highland Park senior 190-pounder Makayla Cadet (23-3) is a first-team repeat all-county honoree, posting a runnerup 5A state finish this past season after winning the state championship as a junior.
Nora Mitchell, Rossville [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
Rounding out the all-county first team are Rossville sophomore 105-pounder Nora Mitchell and junior 145-pounder Madelyn Wonnell.
Mitchell (37-12) was the 3A-1A runnerup and and Wonnell (38-6), a two-time state medalist, finished third this past season after finishing fifth as a sophomore.
ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY GIRLS WRESTLING
By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- The Topeka High Lady Trojans were experiencing the state tournament for the first time since 2022 Tuesday, but they certainly didn’t look like a team new to the stage.
Junior Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton led Topeka High with 17 points in Tuesday's 61-58 state tournament loss to Derby. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]
Topeka High gave No. 2 Derby a battle to the very end in the Class 6A quarterfinal at Koch Arena, dropping a 61-58 heartbreaker to finish its season 17-8.
The Trojans lost to Derby (22-3) for the second time on the season after dropping a 65-57 decision to the Panthers in the Capital City Classic back in January.
Both teams came out of the gate Tuesday struggling to find the basket.
Derby opened the scoring with a free throw to make it 1-0, but that would be the only point scored for nearly two minutes.
Topeka High coach Ron Slaymaker called a 30-second timeout and the Trojans responded immediately.
Sophomore Hailey Caryl scored 15 points in Tuesday's 61-58 Topeka High state tournament loss to Derby. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]
Hailey Caryl scored inside, drew the foul, and completed the three-point play to give High an early 3-1 lead.
The teams traded baskets through the rest of the quarter. Derby tied the game at 10-10 with a shot at the rim before Caryl answered with another basket.
Topeka High’s leading scorer, Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton, had been held scoreless for most of the opening period, but with 43 seconds left she knocked down a shot to give the Trojans a 16-12 lead.
At the end of the first quarter, Topeka High held a narrow 16-15 advantage.
Derby opened the second quarter with three quick points to take the lead, but Rayton responded with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 19-19.
Late in the quarter, with the Trojans trailing 30-26, Topeka High went on a run.
Sasha Gotru scored inside, Rayton added a basket and Caryl knocked down two free throws. Gotru then scored again with just 0.3 seconds left before halftime, capping an 8-0 run that gave the Trojans a 34-30 lead at the break.
Derby came out of the locker room on fire, opening the third quarter with a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead at 36-34.
Senior Keimara Marshall had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in Tuesday's 61-58 Topeka High state tournament loss to Derby. [Photo by Selena Rivas Favela/Special to TSN]
High's Keimara Marshall answered with a basket in the paint to tie the game. The Trojans then responded with a 7-0 run to push their lead to 41-36.
Derby star Macayla Askew went to work, scoring five quick points to cut into the deficit.
Topeka High held on to a slim 48-46 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Derby opened the final period with five straight points to take a 51-48 lead.
The Trojans tied the game at 51-51 before Askew hit a 3-pointer to give the Panthers another advantage.
With 43.5 seconds remaining, Caryl attacked the rim and was fouled. She calmly sank both free throws to cut the deficit to 59-58.
Topeka High was forced to foul, and Derby knocked down both free throws to extend the lead to three, 61-58.
The Trojans still had one last chance. Marshall brought the ball up the floor but didn’t have a clean look and passed to Trisha Short.
Short swung the ball to Rayton, who appeared ready to launch a potential game-tying three.
However, the buzzer sounded just before she could get the shot off, ending the Trojans’ season as Derby advanced to Thursday's semifinals.
Topeka High relied heavily on its starters throughout the game. Marshall and Caryl each played all 32 minutes, while Rayton and Short played 30 minutes apiece. Despite the heavy workload, they still had energy in the final moments.
“We have asked a lot of those five all year,” Slaymaker said. “They’ve had to play major minutes in every game because we are not deep.
"I'm very, very proud of their effort. I’ve been proud of them for 11 games in a row. We damn near got this one.”
Slaymaker reflected on the team’s journey throughout the season.
“We dug a hole early. We were 0-4 to begin the season, and Caryl had a pretty bad ankle sprain,” Slaymaker said. “A lot of teams start 0-4 and end up 0-8, thinking their season is over. But we didn’t think that way.
"After our tournament in January we had a meeting -- not a chewing type meeting -- just telling them we could still do this. And then we went on that 11-game run against some pretty good competition.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Eighty-nine year-old Kansas coaching legend Ron Slaymaker has stepped down after two seasons as the girls basketball coach at Topeka High, including a Centennial League title and a trip to the Class 6A state tournament this past season.
Kansas coaching legend Ron Slaymaker has stepped down as Topeka High's girls basketball coach after leading the Trojans to back-to-back winning seasons in his two years at the school. [File photo/TSN]
Slaymaker had confirmed to TopSports.news several months ago that the 2025-2026 season would be his last, but declined to make that decision public, wanting the focus to remain on the Trojans throughout the season.
But after Topeka High's season ended Tuesday night with a 61-58 Class 6A state quarterfinal loss to Derby in Wichita, Slaymaker met with Topeka High principal Dustin Dick on Wednesday morning and with his team Wednesday afternoon to officially inform them of his retirement.
Slaymaker discussed his decision to step down Wednesday night while watching the Class 3A girls state tournament at White Auditorium, where the court is named in his honor.
"I explained to the girls, my old body is just wearing out,'' Slaymaker said. "My mind's still OK, I think, but my body just doesn't function.
"It's been two good years, and I feel good about it. Man, we could have won that game against Derby.''
Slaymaker, who led Topeka High to a 31-17 record in his two seasons at the school, is hopeful that the Trojans will also remember the past two years fondly.
"What I learned is that maybe five to 10 years from now that those girls will think of this pretty good,'' Slaymaker said. "Sometimes you look at a 17-year-old, 16-year-old and they're not grasping everything, but give them a little time and they will.''
Slaymaker was named TopSports.news' Shawnee County girls coach of the year in 2025 after guiding the Trojans to a 14-8 record and a nine-win improvement in 2024-2025.
Slaymaker's Topeka High team followed that up with a 17-9 record this past winter, overcoming an 0-4 start to win the Centennial League championship and earn the school's first trip to the state tournament since 2022.
