Liam Keating

2 days ago | cjonline.com | Liam Keating

TOPEKA — Ryin Miller hits the starting line and is ready to compete. She’s been competing her entire life in athletics. While she’s a stand-out athlete in many sports, the spring is where she thrives. A few weeks ago, Miller received the baton in the final leg of the 4x400-meter relay at Washburn Rural. As the anchor leg, she was 10 meters off of first place, a sizable distance. Her long stride and power from the soles of her feet helped cut the lead in mere seconds.

1 week ago | cjonline.com | Liam Keating

TOPEKA — Brody Anderson leans over and touches his toes on the starting line. He smacks his hands to legs as to awaken the engine that is going to go full speed ahead across the next two minutes. The Seaman junior stares forward with determination in his eyes. In between his eyes, a nasal strip is noticeable. Besides his spikes, it’s Anderson’s most important piece of his equipment. “It helps my breathing and opens the nose,” he said.

1 week ago | cjonline.com | Liam Keating

TOPEKA — The spring high school sports scene is starting to take shape. The top teams are rounding into some great form, while individuals are taking their chances and making their mark in impressive ways. Vote for the Capital-Journal’s athlete of the week for April 7-12. Voting closes at noon on Thursday, so here are the nominees.

1 week ago | cjonline.com | Liam Keating

TOPEKA — When Jason Brown took over Shawnee Heights, he wanted a loose clubhouse. He wanted to see his team laugh while they get down to business. “It’s been amazing, it’s been fun this year,” junior pitcher Cayden Lindsay said. “It’s been fun when we’ve been winning, but when we’ve been down, he’s really helped us.”Brown took over as head coach in the offseason, replacing long-time leader Ryan Schmidt, who retired after 25 years at the helm.

2 weeks ago | cjonline.com | Liam Keating

TOPEKA — Washburn Rural baseball has seen their first few weeks go according to plan. It’s been all hands on deck for the Junior Blues as they play together as a team, a style that head coach Jay Mastin has emphasized. “I’ve been impressed with the whole group,” the skipper said. “They are a great group to work with. They are competitive at practice and they are very coachable.”The Junior Blues (4-3) are coming off their best win of the season when they took down Seaman on Tuesday.