Washburn University Ichabods
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The majority of college coaches and athletes go through their entire career without making it to a final four.
But it's always a goal, and it's something Davy Phillips has made a habit of and that his Washburn University women's soccer team will get an opportunity to experience this week in Matthews, N.C.
Washburn soccer coach Davy Phillips and his team walk through a long line of supporters during Tuesday's send-off for the final four in North Carolina. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn soccer players are all smiles during Tuesday's send-off for the final four at WU. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
After punching their ticket to the final four for the first time in program history with Sunday's 1-0 win over Grand Valley State, the 20-3-1 Ichabods will face Adelphi University (15-3-5) at 1 p.m. on Thursday in a national semifinal. With a win WU will play for the national title at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
"At the beginning of the year you kind of look at some really lofty goals and some really attainable goals and I think that final four and national championship is one of the loftier goals no doubt, but it's a possibility,'' Phillips said.
"Six years ago in the interview process I told them my goal was to win the national championship. I've been really close. At my previous school (Baker University) I was in the final four three times, so it's not expected but it's something we've worked for and it's certainly a career goal of mine, definitely.''
Facing a brutal wind in Sunday's national quarterfinal, Washburn kept the game scoreless until freshman Grace Peterson scored the game-winning goal, the first goal of her collegiate career, in the 81st minute and WU star senior goalkeeper Raegan Wells and the Ichabod defense did the rest, preserving the 1-0 win.
"The wind was pretty intense and we were against the wind the first half, so it was, 'Can we defend, defend, defend and get to halftime?' '' Phillips said. "Then at halftime we just talked, 'OK, now it's our turn to really go at them,' and I thought we were the better team in the second half.''
Sunday's win was another nail-biter in the Ichabods' four-game postseason run to the national final four, with all four games being decided by a single goal, including two overtime wins.
"There's a tremendous amount of belief in this group right now and that's really hard to deal with for the opposition, when you truly believe in something,'' Phillips said. "The girls' work rate I think reflects that. Without question, those wins, when they start accumulating, you find belief in what works and you gain confidence from that.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KaeVon Bonner
KAEVON BONNER, Seaman
A 6-foot-1 sophomore, Bonner opened his 2023-2024 basketball season with a 28-point performance in Seaman's 58-49 home United Kansas Conference victory over Lansing last Thursday. Bonner went nine of 16 from the field and hit four 3-pointers on the night as the Vikings built a game-high 18-point lead early in the fourth quarter on the strength of eight straight points by Bonner.
Jalen Foy
JALEN FOY, Topeka West
Foy, a 6-foot-2 junior, scored a game-high 23 points as Topeka West opened its basketball season on Friday with a 52-37 home United Kansas Conference win over Basehor-Linwood, a Class 5A state tournament team last season. Foy connected on 10 of 16 field goal attempts on the night, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the Chargers pulled away down the stretch for their biggest lead of the game.
Norma Greco
NORMA GRECO, Hayden
A 5-foot-6 junior, Greco led the way with a game-high 17 points in just three quarters of action as Hayden's girls, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, opened their season with a 74-12 non-league victory over Kansas City-Washington last Friday at Hayden.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ASHLAND, Ohio -- Washburn University soccer is heading to the NCAA National Tournament semifinals for the first time in program history after defeating Grand Valley State 1-0 Sunday in the Elite Eight.
Washburn soccer poses for a team picture after earning a trip to the final four in North Carolina with Sunday's 1-0 win over Grand Valley State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will face Adelphi University on Thursday in Matthews, N.C.
Washburn won a fourth straight tournament match to win its 20th match of the season (20-3-1) overall and advance to play the final weekend of the season.
All of the scoring in Sunday's match was done by Grace Peterson in the 81st minute, with the Lincoln, Neb. freshman's first goal of her collegiate career the difference in the match.
The shot by Peterson came from straight away and well outside the box off her right foot and into the top of the net. Viviana Stoto-Herrera delivered the pass leading to the score.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer heads to Ashland, Ohio for Friday's 2 p.m. (Central time) round three NCAA Tournament game against rival Emporia State.
Washburn junior Khloe Schuckman (11) leads the Ichabods with nine goals entering Friday's third round of the NCAA tournaent against Emporia State. [File photo/TSN]
Friday's game will be the fourth meeting of the season between the No. 1 seeded (Central Region) Ichabods and No. 2 Hornets.
All three previous WU-ESU games have been decided by a single goal, with the Hornets holding a 2-1 edge.
Washburn advanced to the third round with a 3-2 overtime win over Central Missouri while Emporia State with a 2-1 win No. 6 seed Bemidji State.
After hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Topeka the Ichabods are in Ashland, Ohio, the site of No. 1 seed Ashland University from the Midwest Region, where the third and fourth rounds will be played.
From the Midwest Region Ashland and No. 3 Grand Valley State are on the other side of the bracket and will play at 5 p.m. on Friday following the Washburn-Emporia State game.
The two winners will face each other on Sunday at 2 p.m.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University soccer is Elite Eight bound after a 2-1 win over Emporia State in Friday's Central Region championship to give the Ichabods their first-ever regional title.
Washburn's Khloe Schuckman scored both goals in the Ichabods' 2-1 win over Emporia State Friday in the Central Regional final. [Photo courtesy of Washbutn Athletics]
The Ichabods will take on Grand Valley State at 2 p.m. (Topeka time) on Sunday in the national quarterfinals in Ashland, Ohio.
For a second straight game WU junior Khloe Schuckman scored multiple goals and this time her two goals were all that were required for Washburn (19-3-1) to win in regulation for the first time in the NCAA Tournament.
The first goal of the contest came in the 37th minute, with Schuckman taking the ball from the middle of the field and sending it off her left foot into the back left corner of the net to take a 1-0 advantage that would hold through the first half.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's men's basketball team scored a whopping 98 points, including 25 from Ichabod standout Andrew Orr.
But Washburn's work on the defensive end might have been the biggest bright spot in Saturday afternoon's 98-50 non-conference romp past Avila at Lee Arena.
Washburn junior Andrew Orr, working inside against Avila Saturday, scored a game-high 25 points in the Ichabods' 98-50 win. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn went into Saturday's game allowing 77.2 points per game, including 76 points in Tuesday's 97-76 win over Ottawa.
But Brett Ballard's 4-2 Ichabods wrapped up their non-conference slate with by far their stingiest defensive outing of the year, allowing 16 fewer points than they had in any of their previous five games.
"This team was similar to Ottawa and we knew that coming into today, so we knew that if we wanted to have the confidence that we needed to go play Emporia State (on Saturday), we needed to hold (Avila) to a very low number and 50 is a pretty low number in an entire basketball game,'' Orr said.
"At Washburn Ballard loves defense, so as long as we can keep our defensive pressure on, that's really what matters.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball scored the second most points in program history Saturday afternoon at Lee Arena, rolling to a 117-27 win over Barclay College.
The 90 point win was also the second largest margin of victory in program history as well.
Washburn women's basketball ran its winning streak to five games with a 117-27 romp past Barclay College Saturday at Lee Arena. [Photo by Braden Babcock/Washburn Athletics]
Washburn (5-1) won its fifth straight game, the longest running win streak in Lora Westling's two seasons at the Ichabod helm.
The Bears, who played the game as an exhibition, knocked down two baskets in the first 2:38 of the game to keep it at just a 6-4 Washburn advantage, but the Ichabods finished the first quarter on a 12-0 run with Aniah Wayne knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in that stretch.
Washburn started the second quarter eight of eight from the floor en route to a 38-point period, with the home squad hitting 14 of 18 overall and seven of 11 from 3-point range while holding Barclay to seven points in the quarter.
A 17-0 run in the middle of the quarter sparked by back-to-back triples by Mackenzie Gamble and Gabi Giovannetti spurred the burst as the Ichabods went into the locker room leading 64-15.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's basketball showed plenty of offensive firepower in Tuesday's 97-76 home non-conference win over Ottawa.
Sophomore Sam Ungashick led five double-figure scorers for Washburn in Tuesday's 97-76 win over Ottawa. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But it was the Ichabods' performance on the other end of the court that left Washburn coach Brett Ballard with a sour taste in his mouth.
Washburn, which improved to 3-2 on the season, had five players in double figures and eight players with at least seven points, but the fact that the Ichabods have now allowed four of their first five opponents to score between 76 and 85 points was a concern for Ballard.
"I'm about as disappointed as I could be after a win,'' Ballard said. "I thought our defense was as bad as it could be. We just can't guard like that and win games in our league.
"No disrespect to Ottawa, but we're trying to prepare our guys for MIAA teams and that defensive effort, you're going to get beat every night with that, so we've got some things to tighten up.''
Washburn used an 8-0 run to take a 34-18 lead over the Braves with 6:33 left in the first half and went on to lead by as many as 18 points before taking a 51-35 lead to the locker room at the half.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The smiles told it all.
Washburn University's women's basketball team continued its early-season hot streak in Tuesday's home-opener at Lee Arena, going wire to wire for an 86-66 non-conference win over William Jewell that stretched the 4-1 Ichabods' win streak to four games.
Senior Aubree Dewey scored a career-high 23 points and dished out eight assists as Washburn improved to 4-1 with its fourth straight victory, an 86-66 win over William Jewell. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior point guard Aubree Dewey led Washburn with a career-high 23 points, including a three of three performance from 3-point range, and also contributed eight assists while sophomore Gabi Giovannetti had 17 points with five 3-pointers and Yibari Nwidadah registered a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Sophomore Gabi Giovannetti scored 17 points with five 3-pointers in Washburn's 86-66 win over William Jewell Tuesday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN
Sophomore Yibari Nwidadah had a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds in Washburn's 86-66 win over William Jewell Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Ten Ichabods cracked the scoring column while WU out-rebounded the Cardinals 50-31 and dished out 19 assists.
"Coach (Lora Westling) is preaching to us right now to just find joy in every single thing that we're doing, so we've found joy again in basketball,'' Dewey said. "It wasn't really lost but we're showing it now.
"We weren't showing that we were having fun and once we started showing that we're having fun it all started clicking better.''
Westling agreed.
"Winning cures everything,'' Westling said. "Credit to our players, we just have continued to talk about just getting better one day at a time, one percent better every day and we're trying to do that.
"We've got a great group and everybody's contributing.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Finn Dunshee
FINN DUNSHEE, Hayden
A 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior, Dunshee carried the ball 13 times for 129 yards and scored four touchdowns as Hayden advanced to the Class 3A state football championship game with a 42-14 playoff win over Holton Friday night at Hayden. Dunshee, who saw his most extensive action since suffering a knee injury in Week 5, scored on a 65-yard run on the Wildcats' first play from scrimmage and also added a 4-yard TD run and hooked up with Connor Hanika for 4 and 30-yard TD passes.
Yibari Nwidadah
YIBARI NWIDADAH, Washburn University
Nwidadah, a 6-2 sophomore center, was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Hansen Speark Funeral Home Classic at Quincy, Ill. after helping lead the 3-1 Washburn women's basketball team to a pair of lopsided wins and the Ichabods' third straight win overall. Nwidadah, an Olathe North product, scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 14 minutes of action in Friday's 80-64 win over McKendree and scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 20 minutes in Saturday's 97-62 win over Quincy, Ill. Nwidadah is averaging 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, with two double-doubles.
Jensen Schrickel
JENSEN SCHRICKEL, Hayden
A 5-10, 150 junior, Schrickel scored a pair of touchdowns in Friday's 42-14 Class 3A state semifinal win over Holton at Hayden. Schrickel returned a kickoff 60 yards for a TD after Holton had scored its first touchdown of the night to cut Hayden's lead to 21-7 and Schrickel scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Connor Hanika to help Hayden put the game away after Holton had cut the Wildcats' lead to 28-14. Schrickel also scored on a two-point conversion pass from Hanika.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Both Washburn University men's basketball coach Brett Ballard and 6-foot-2 guard Jack Bachelor thought the former Washburn Rural star might be wearing a redshirt during his first season of college basketball.
Former Washburn Rural star Jack Bachelor is off to a solid start for Washburn University as a true freshman, averaging 10.3 points and 3.3 assists for the 2-2 Ichabods. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But Bachelor's strong summer and preseason performance quickly changed those thoughts and Bachelor has quickly cemented his place in Ballard's rotation for the 2-2 Ichabods after scoring 12 points off bench in his college debut.
Entering Tuesday's 7:30 p.m. home non-conference game against Ottawa, Bachelor has played 21.3 minutes per game while averaging 10.3 points and 3.3 assists on 65.2 percent shooting from the field and 85.7 percent from the free throw line.
"We did (consider redshirting him), honestly,'' Ballard said. "We had talked about that being a potential option and Jack has been a pleasant surprise. I knew he'd be good, but I didn't know he'd be this good, this early.
"I thought maybe the biggest challenge would just be athletically, but he's held his own from that standpoint and is heady, high IQ and not afraid.''
Bachelor also thought it might take a while to get on the floor for the Ichabods.
"It was a consideration redshirting, just because I'm not physically the biggest, strongest guy and we have a lot of really good guards, but I decided I wasn't going to,'' he said.
Bachelor, whose father Aaron and mother Angie both played at WU, said he proved to himself in the season-opening pair of games in the Central Region Crossover in Kansas City, Mo. that he could be successful at the Division II level.
"I had an idea that I might play so I was ready to just give whatever I could to the team and when I got in I was ready to go,'' Bachelor said. "I surprised myself a little. I have confidence in myself, but it was a really good two first games and I couldn't ask for more.
"I was talking to my parents and I was like, 'I don't know what my expectations were, but that was really fun.' ''
Washburn Rural product Jack Bachelor drives to the basket in last Saturday's 82-66 win over Rockhurst. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Bachelor has cracked double figures in three of four games and is coming off a 10-point, five-assist performance in last Saturday's 82-66 win over Rockhurst.
"He loves to compete,'' Ballard said. "You can tell he enjoys being in the gym and likes the competition. I think that part of it gives you a chance to get better every day and gives me confidence as a coach to put him in the game.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabods were the drama queens on Sunday at Yager Stadium, rallying from a 2-0 halftime defict to stun Central Missouri 3-2 in double overtime and move on to the third round of the NCAA Division II Soccer Championships.
https://www.topsports.news/news/washburn-rallies-from-2-0-deficit-in-ncaa-soccer-championships-to-stun-central-missouri-3-2-in-ot
Washburn's Khloe Schuckman (11), who scored two goals, including the game-winner, and her teammates celebrate the goal by Aubrey Tanksley (9) that forced overtime Sunday against Central Missouri. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Ichabods, who improved to 18-3-1, forced overtime on a goal from sophomore Aubrey Tanksley with just two seconds remaining in regulation and got the game-winning goal with just 1 minute, 25 seconds remaining in the second 10-minute overtime period on an acrobatic shot from junior Khloe Schuckman, her second goal of the game that capped an improbable comeback.
"We just focused on ourselves and they produced an incredible effort,'' Washburn coach Davy Phillips said of the Ichabods' performace in the second half and the overtimes. "I've been telling them all year, when we do what we're supposed to with high energy, we're as good as anybody in the country and I think for certain periods of the game today we showed that quality.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University junior Khloe Schuckman scored an unassisted goal in the 97th minute Friday night at Yager Stadium, helping push the Ichabods to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 1-0 win over Ouachita Baptist.
Washburn junior Khloe Schuckman celebrates her game-winning goal in Friday's 1-0 overtime win over Ouachita Baptist in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. [Photo by Sarah Cavallaro/Washburn Student Media]
With the win Washburn (17-3-1) advanced to a Sunday showdown with MIAA rival Central Missouri in the second round of the NCAA tourney at 1 p.m. Sunday at Yager Stadium. The Ichabods and the Jennies will face off for the second time this season, with Washburn taking a 1-0 home win on Oct. 15.
After playing two 45-minute halves to a scoreless draw, the Ichabods broke the deadlock in the first of two overtime periods when Schuckman's seventh goal of the season found the lower left hand corner of the net for the eventual match-winner.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball complimented a hot-shooting second quarter with a balanced offensive attack in Friday's 80-64 romp past McKendree University in the first game of the Hansen Spear Funeral Home Classic.
Washburn's women's basketball team celebrates a Ichabod basket in Friday's 80-64 win over McKendree in Quincy, Ill. [Photo by Quincy Athletic Communications]
The Ichabods, who improved to 2-1, face the host Quincy Owls at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Washburn trailed by as many as three points in the first quarter where the Bearcats (1-2) shot 50 percent and knocked down two 3-pointers, but Yibari Nwidadah scored the last basket of the quarter to pull the Ichabods within one at 16-15.
Nwidadah started a 7-0 run for Washburn in the second quarter to go up by six and Aubree Dewey pushed the lead to nine at the 5:27 mark with a driving layup to make it a 29-20 game.
The Ichabod lead grew to 11 on an Amaya Davison layup with 2:08 left before halftime as Washburn kept scoring, hitting 11 of 17 field goals (64.7 percent) in the quarter. McKendree got a bucket just before the break to make it 39-30 at the half.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University men's basketball team got of couple of monkeys off its back in Saturday's 82-66 wire to wire victory over Rockhurst in Lee Arena.
Washburn sophomore Sam Ungashick had a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 82-66 home win over Rockhurst. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Brett Ballard's Ichabods bounced back from back-to-back losses, including a 15-point Tuesday night loss at William Jewell, andthe snapped a two-game losing streak against Rockhurst, which had won three of the previous four and five of the previous seven games in the series.
"It was good for our guys,'' Ballard said. "I think we've played some good competition but ultimately winning is the best medicine, so we can feel good about this one.
"I thought our guys executed the game plan well, were locked in, and I'm happy for them.''
Washburn improved to 39-1 all-time in home-openers, including its 33rd in a row.
With the win Washburn evened its record at 2-2 and will back be back at home at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to host Ottawa.
Washburn freshman Jack Bachelor comes up with a steal in Saturday's 82-66 win over Rockhurst. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn used a 12-1 spurt midway through the first half to build a 23-11 lead off, capped by a 3-pointer by Washburn Rural product Jack Bachelor, who scored eight points during the Ichabod run.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn extended its winning streak to three games and completed a perfect weekend at the Hansen Speark Funeral Home Classic with a 97-62 win over host Quincy on Saturday afternoon in Quincy, Ill.
Washburn sophomore Yibari Nwidadah (right) was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Hansen Speark Funeral Home Classic at Quincy, Ill. [Washburn women's basketball]
Washburn senior Aubree Dewey was named to the All-Tournament team in the Hansen Speark Funeral Home Classic at Quincy, Ill. [Washburn women's basketball]
The Ichabods return home on Tuesday for their home-opener against William Jewell.
Washburn (3-1) scored its most points since January 29, 2022 when they put up 98 against Central Oklahoma.
The scoring started early against the Owls (0-4) as the Ichabods went up 7-0 with 6:40 left in the first quarter after a 3-pointer by Madelyn Amekporfor.
The lead grew to double-digits after Amaya Davison made a driving layup with 3:04 remaining and it stayed that way with Washburn in front 20-9 after one.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 1-seeded Washburn University soccer team heads to Wichita Thursday to face rival Emporia State in an MIAA Championship semifinal (3 p.m. start) at the Stryker Sports Complex.
Washburn's soccer team will face Emporia State for the third time this season in the MIAA Tournament semifinals Thursday at Wichita. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The No. 7 nationally-ranked Ichabods will face No. 4 MIAA seed Emporia State for the third time this season, with Washburn winning 1-0 at ESU earlier in the season and the Hornets topping WU in the regular-season final, 1-0.
The Washburn-Emporia State semifinal will follow the first semi between No. 2 tourney seed Central Missouri and No. 3 Fort Hays State.
The championship match will be played at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Stryker Complex.
Washburn is currently 16-2-1 on the season and won the second MIAA regular-season championship in program history.
The Ichabods went 9-1-1 in the MIAA with the only loss coming to the Hornets.
Washburn set a new program record with its 16th win last Friday night in the opening round of the MIAA tournament, breaking the pervious high set in 2006 when WU went 15-1-6.
With a win Washburn will advance to the MIAA Championship Tournament for the first time in program history.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After putting together an outstanding four-year volleyball career for Cair Paravel Latin, Taryn Pridgett has had to wait her turn to make her mark for Washburn University.
After having her freshman season at WU wiped out by COVID-19, the 5-foot-8 junior outside hitter saw only spot duty the past two seasons, seeing action in a combined total of 26 matches and 43 sets while compiling 41 kills and six total blocks.
Washburn junior Taryn Pridgett, a Cair Paravel product, tied her career-high with 13 kills in Monday's 3-1 MIAA win over Emporia State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Cair Paravel product Taryn Pridgett (center) is congratulated by her Washburn teammates after a kill in Monday's 3-1 MIAA win over Emporia State. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Pridgett's time has finally come for Chris Herron's Ichabods this fall and she's making the most of it.
Pridgett has already set a career-high with 19 matches and 51 sets played this season and her 89 kills and 25 blocks have more than doubled her totals for the previous two seasons combined heading into Saturday's regular-season finale at Newman.
"It's really exciting to see the growth personally, just being in practice and getting reps in,'' Pridgett said after Monday's 3-1 home MIAA win over Emporia State. "It's always fun to see the work have a high result. It's fun.
"I love being out there and I love building trust with my teammates. I think that's been the most important thing is just slowly building trust through practice and in games.''
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After going through a very un-Washburn-type stretch, Chris Herron's Ichabod volleyball team has served notice with two wins over the past three days that it may be turning the corner just in time for posteason.
Washburn celebrates a point in Monday's 3-1 MIAA win over Emporia State at Lee Arena. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn snapped a four-match losing streak in Saturday's win over Pittsburg State and followed that up with a 3-1 MIAA home decision over rival Emporia State Monday night, taking a 25-15, 21-25, 25-16, 25-18 win at Lee Arena.
"We were in that funk, we were in a huge funk, a funk we've never been in since I've been here,'' Herron said. "It seems like we've got that nasty taste out of our mouth and we're going to go in (to postseason) we hope with a three-game win streak and feeling good about ourselves.''
Washburn, which improved to 16-10 overall and 10-9 in the MIAA, completed a regular-season sweep of the Turnpike Tussle with a strong offensive performance on Monday night against the Hornets (12-15, 6-13) as the the Ichabods closed out their home schedule.
The Ichabods will finish the regular season at Newman on Saturday (3 p.m. start) before competing in the MIAA Tournament next week.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University senior star David Kibet ran the race of his life in the recent MIAA cross country championships, leading from start to finish en route to the individual title while leading the Ichabods to a program-best second-place team finish at Gans Creek Country Club in Columbia, Mo.
Coming off an individual MIAA championship Washburn senior standout David Kibet will compete in Saturday's NCAA regional championships at Joplin, Mo. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Now Kibet and the Ichabods will try to follow that up with another strong performance in Saturday's NCAA Central Regional Championships at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Mo.
A native of Eldoret, Kenya, Kibet ran the second-fastest eight-kilometer time in WU program history at the MIAA meet, clocking a time of 24 minutes, 00.92 seconds, and he topped his previous time at the Gans Creek Course by 36 seconds from 2022. Kibet became Washburn's first individual champion at the MIAA meet since former Hayden star Jacob Klemz won the title in 2017.
"The last four years I've been trying and I've come up short sometimes but this time was my time,'' Kibet said.
