Kansas
Winter Juniors Qualifier Rebecca Pickert Chooses To Stay In-State With Kansas (2025)
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Rebecca Pickert has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Kansas, beginning with the 2025-2026 season next fall. Pickert’s decision keeps her close to home with her current high school, Saint James Academy, located less than half an hour from her future school. Pickert will be a 5th generation Jayhawk, but is the first of her family to swim for the school.
“I chose KU for the wonderful coaches and positive team environment. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!”
Pickert, who trains year-round with Ad Astra Aquatics, is a distance freestyle specialist. Her top event is the 1650, which she owns a Winter Junior Nationals qualifying time in. Pickert recorded her fastest 1650 time at the Tiger Invite this winter, where she dropped over five seconds for a 16:58.37.
Last summer, the 1500m was also Pickert’s highest placing event at the NCSA Championships. She stopped the clock at 17:59.03, good for 19th overall. She also secured a top-20 finish in the 800m (9:28.15), and took 21st in the 200m fly in a best time of 2:20.37.
In 2023, Pickert represented her high school at the Kansas High School State Championships (1-5A). She captured the state title in the 100 fly and 500 free, hitting times of 56.19 and 5:04.58, respectively. That time still stands as her personal best in the 100 fly, while her 500 has been recently lowered to 5:01.80 this spring.
Top SCY Times
- 500 free – 5:01.80
- 1000 free – 10:12.30
- 1650 free – 16:58.37
- 100 back – 56.71
- 100 fly – 56.19
- 200 fly – 2:03.10
The Jayhawks earned 7th out of 8 teams at the 2024 Big 12 Championships this spring. The conference will look very different by the time Pickert arrives, as Texas will have departed for the SEC while Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah will have joined.
Pickert’s current best time would have made her the team’s fastest 1650 swimmer this past season by nearly ten seconds. Gracyn O’Mara led the way this year with a season best of 17:07.57.
With her commitment, Pickert joins Sammy Cummins, Ivy Solt, Aubrey Tuthill, Maddie Wagner, and Hannah Green in Kansas’ class of 2029. Tuthill is also a distance specialist with a personal best of 16:51.79 in the 1650.
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Kansas
Omaha Bound: Social media reacts to Oklahoma Sooners series clincher
The Oklahoma Sooners are heading back to Omaha for the College World Series for the first time since 2022 after OU swept Kansas in the super regionals. Oklahoma outscored the Jayhawks 21-3 in the two games that took three days to play due to a rain delay on Sunday.
The Sooners head to Omaha as one of the hottest teams in college baseball after knocking off Georgia Tech in the regionals and sweeping Kansas to punch their ticket to Omaha.
Oklahoma hit seven home runs in the two games against Kansas, and on Sunday and Monday, the Sooners pitching staff limited the Jayhawks lineup to just four runs.
The Sooners are one of five SEC teams heading to Omaha, joining Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, and Georgia. The Sooners will open College World Series play against Alabama on Saturday. But before we get to that, here’s how social media reacted to the Sooners series clinching win.
On Fire
Hot heading to Omaha
Rocked Em
Dangerous Team
Where they belong
Here we go!
What a performance
The moment
The Celly
Heading to Omaha
Truly Special
The Field
Go win it all
They have what it takes
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Kansas
K-State football lands top-ranked recruit in Kansas
Collin Klein and the K-State coaching staff made a major statement on the recruiting trail over the weekend. Cooper Ohnmacht, a four-star recruit and the top-ranked player in Kansas in the 2027 recruiting class, committed to K-State on Sunday. The Wildcats defeated Penn State, Wisconsin and several other power four programs in securing the services of Ohnmacht.
The Great Bend, Kan., native is ranked as the No. 304 player nationally and the 10th-best athlete in the country in the 2027 class, according to the Rivals industry consensus rankings, which incorporates the evaluations of the three major recruiting services nationally.
Ohnmacht is a big-time athlete who has excelled at both safety and wide receiver while also earning major accolades in track and field. The 6-0, 185-pounder, recorded 52 receptions for 755 yards as a junior to lead his team, which also featured national recruit in tight end Ian Premer, who has signed with Notre Dame. Ohnmacht, who is projected to play safety at K-State, had 57 tackles along with five interceptions during the 2025 season.
Ohnmacht is also a two-time state champion in the triple jump in Class 5A. His triple jump of 48-3 as a sophomore was the best all-class jump during the 2025 track season by seven inches, according to Catch it Kansas. He placed 14th in the triple jump at the Nike Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., in 2025.
The commitment of Ohnmacht marks the third time the Wildcats have landed the state’s No. 1 recruit since 2023. Avery Johnson’s decision to sign with K-State in 2023 ended an 18-year drought of the top player in Kansas going elsewhere. Offensive tackle Gus Hawkins, a top-200 player nationally from Mill Valley in the 2024 class, made it back-to-back years the No. 1 player in the state elected to continue their career in Manhattan. The Wildcats landed another national recruit in 2025 when Linkon Cure, a top-50 recruit in the country, chose K-State over Oregon and others. However, the Goodland, Kan., native was the second-ranked player in the state behind Andrew Babalola, who signed with Michigan.
K-State also earned the commitment of Correll Buckhalter Jr. on Sunday. The Texas native is the son of former Nebraska running back and NFL veteran Correll Buckhalter. He is ranked as the No. 742 player nationally and a top 100 prospect in Texas for the 2027 class.
Klein and his staff have now secured 17 commitments in the 2027 class, which is ranked 40th nationally and fourth-best in the Big 12, per the Rivals industry consensus rankings.
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Kansas
One dead, one critical after late-night shooting along Kansas City’s Westport Road
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – One man is dead and another is in critical condition after a shooting overnight on Westport Rd., police say.
The Kansas City Police Department said it responded to the area of Mercier and Westport Rd. just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, after reports of a shooting.
Officers indicated that they entered a nearby business and found two men unresponsive. They began rendering medical aid until EMS arrived.
First responders reported that one man was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. The other was pronounced dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives noted that they began to gather evidence and collect witness statements. As of Sunday morning, police do not know what led to the shooting and no one is in custody.
Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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