HIGH-SCHOOL

City swimming title on the line Thursday

Rick Peterson
rpeterson@cjonline.com
Kris Fritsch is a top returner for Washburn Rural, which will compete in the city boys swimming meet Thursday at Capitol Federal Natatorium. Fritsch was a first-team All-City pick last season. [Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal]

Seaman and Washburn Rural shape up as the teams to beat in Thursday's city boys swimming and diving championships at Capitol Federal Natatorium after finishing one-two in a close battle a year ago.

Seaman claimed its fourth straight city title last season as the team race went down to the final event before the Vikings edged Washburn Rural by a 593-572 margin.

This year's city meet will start with diving competition at 1:30 p.m., followed by swimming events at 4.

Seaman junior Noah Florence captured a pair of individual city titles a year ago (100-yard butterfly, 100 breast) while Florence and teammate Devin Appelhanz both swam on the Vikings' winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays and Zach Bloom swam on the winning 200 free relay.

Washburn Rural returns a strong nucleus from last year's runner-up team, including sophomore Dagen Clouse, who won the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle in his first city meet.

Topeka High finished third last season with 299 points, while Hayden was fourth, seven points behind the Trojans.

Seaman's Appelhanz and Florence were first-team All-City picks a year ago while Rural's Kris Fritsch, Kyler Lamb, Keats Larson, Yeager Larson and Nathan Trachta all earned All-City honors.

Bloom earned second-team All-City honors last season as did Eli Holloman, Bradley Palmer and Ethan Payne of third-place Topeka High.

WRESTLING

Seaman will host a quadrangular on Tuesday, a makeup event for the Seaman Duals, which were postponed on Jan. 11 because of inclement weather.

Joining the host Vikings for the quad will be Topeka High, Basehor-Linwood and Junction City.

The quad will get under way at 4:30 p.m., with the second round scheduled for approximately 6 and the third and final round set for about 8.

Seaman will hold senior recognition ceremonies prior to the final round of matches.

• The Vikings are coming off a runner-up finish at the 23-school Blue Valley Northwest Invitational, with Seaman finishing second to Maize (421-260.5). Mill Valley, top-ranked in Class 6A, was third with 242 points. Maize is third-ranked in 5A.

Seaman did not have an individual champion, but had six wrestlers earn medals.

Dylan Williams (160) and Zach Boucher (113) both posted second-place finishes at Northwest. Landon Willard (160) was third, Kyle Adams (126) and Ezra Shove (220) were fourth and Cameron Smith (132) was fifth.

Williams, now 28-2 on the season, notched the 100th victory of his career with a first-round win.

• Washburn Rural finished off an undefeated dual schedule last week at Olathe Northwest, the first time in school history a Junior Blues team accomplished that feat.

The Junior Blues have taken wins over the top-ranked team in 4A, the No. 1 team in 6A, the No. 2 team in 5A, the No. 7 team in 5A and the No. 7 team in 6A.

• Rural's girls team captured three individual titles in a tournament at Riley County, with Jaiden Taggart (109), Halley Robinett (155) and Dajia Anderson (235) all earning gold medals.

• Shawnee Heights' boys finished second to Bryan, Neb., in the 23rd annual Gerald Sadowski Invitational at Holton by a 220-205 margin.

Caden Walker won the 145-pound championship for the T-Birds while Tyler Lincoln (106), Decker Stickelman (120), Ty Lewis (126) and Preston Hartman (152) all posted second-place finishes.

Topeka West's Robbie Malcom won the championship in the 285-pound division.

BASKETBALL

Three city basketball teams will be in action Tuesday, with all three on the road.

Topeka High's boys, who finished fifth in last week's Topeka Invitational Tournament, will travel to Junction City for a 7:30 p.m. Centennial League contest, while Shawnee Heights' boys, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Tournament of Champions at Dodge City, will travel to DeSoto for a 7 p.m. United Kansas Conference game.

Hayden's girls will open tournament play in the Wellsville Top Gun Tournament, taking on Baldwin in a 5 p.m. first-round game.