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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks, TopSports.news will recognize hundreds of Shawnee County's all-time greats in 25 sports/categories as part of our Best of the Best project. Readers will have the opportunity to vote through July, with the Top 25 in all categories announced in August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on: https://linkto.run/p/3RGD7LY9. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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Shawnee County has long been a hotbed for outstanding fast-pitch softball players and teams, dating back to legendary women's basketball coaches Billie Jean Moore and Patty Dick, who starred for the nationally-renowed Ohse Meats team, through former college stars like Stacey Slavens, Laura and Dianna Klamm, Latisha Yarnell, Brenda Stolle, Sherri Spangler, Susan Punzo, Kathy Mohler, Taylor Zordel, Chris Torrez and former Washburn Rural star Lisa Carey, who led Oklahoma to an NCAA national championship.
![Lisa Carey [Submitted]](/images/aa-images/Lisa_Carey.jpeg)
Lisa Carey [Submitted]
Lauren Mills [GoShockers.com]
Latisha Yarnell [Washburn Athletics]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks, TopSports.news will recognize hundreds of Shawnee County's all-time greats in 25 sports/categories as part of our Best of the Best project. Readers will have the opportunity to vote through July, with the Top 25 in all categories announced in August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on: https://linkto.run/p/CVR1E070. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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Shara Stafford was a multi-time state swimming champ for Topeka High before going on to become a 13-time All-American for Florida and Missouri and a part of a NCAA national championship team for the Gators while Shannon Suddarth was a six-time state champion for Hayden and went on to become a nine-time All-American at Notre Dame.
Stafford and Suddarth are part of a long line of local stars to make their mark as club and high school swimmers before going on to star at the collegiate level, including Topeka West state record-setter and Virginia product Emily Dicus, former Hayden and Nebraska standout Kristin Strecker and Washburn Rural and Kansas standouts Haley Molden and Sammie Schurig.
Shara Stafford [FloridaGators.com]
Shannon Suddarth [Submitted]
Emily Dicus [TheSwimPictures.com]
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By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Kevin Haskin
Musings at the mid-month:
-- Too bad no one at Kansas kept Lance Leipold from making a rookie mistake.
-- Topeka Regional is the official airport for KU athletics.
-- Poor weather kept the KU football party from attending Big 12 Media Days.
-- If Forbes is good enough for the Kansas Air National Guard, it’s better for KU than the concrete strip in Lawrence. Especially in a storm.
-- This, after Leipold got hired too late to attend, and orchestrate, spring practices.
-- Unfortunate timing has not prevented some media outlets from ballyhooing Leipold’s arrival.
-- Not going there just yet but considering Les Miles’ interactions with female employees at LSU, the $50,000-plus in hush money KU paid to a player not to reveal trouble with teammates, and a winless 2020 season, Leipold has to be an improvement.
-- And, we no longer have to squirm listening to Miles answer questions.
-- A current official in the KU athletic department should have offered a comment to Jesse Newell, who wrote the recent investigative piece for the Kansas City Star.
-- What’s to make anyone believe KU doesn’t still condone the behavior that contributed to Caperton Humphrey’s departure and the payout Jesse reported in his story?
-- A strict “representations and warranties” clause was included in the contract Leipold signed following the fallout with Miles.
-- But that doesn’t absolve KU of the deal it provided Humphrey to keep his torment quiet ... even though, yes, Jeff Long somehow got hired as KU’s athletic director.
-- If Texas is so soft that a “Horns Down’’ taunt aimed at a Longhorn results in a penalty, then NO, I will not declare the Longhorns are back.
-- I wouldn’t have anyway, and that’s no knock on Steve Sarkisian, UT’s latest hire.
-- Salvy deserved better from ESPN during his 28-homer barrage in the Home Run Derby.
-- Impressive feat for a catcher.
-- Felt kinda natural, though, to get blanked on Salvy coverage.
-- That’s been the case for me all season since my TV provider doesn’t have precious access to carry the Royals.
-- Yeah, I could get savvy and work around the problem with all my technical know-how.
-- But with the Royals sitting last in the AL in runs scored at the break, and last in their division, what’s the point?
-- Anyone go to the trouble of finding a replica All-Star jersey to purchase?
-- Would you actually find a place for it in your closet, let alone put it on?
-- One of the coolest things about the original and best All-Star game in sports is baseball players compete just fine in their team uniforms.
-- Yet MLB officials chose a uniform look that failed.
-- Baseball can’t get out of its own way sometimes, but golly, the All-Star gala sure is a blast for the players.
-- So said Joe Buck every half-inning.
-- Try letting the game sell itself.
-- Oh yeah, antiquated blackout rules prevent that.
-- When a generational talent like Shohei Ohtani leads a list of rising young stars, it’s OK to let the game breathe and take it all in without unnecessary fanfare.
-- Think Denny Matthews on radio.
-- Old school. Just like nine inning games for both ends of a twinbill and the bases empty to start an extra inning.
-- I will admit that moving back the rubber intrigues me.
-- Players bolting Bruce Weber’s program pose a dilemma when (if?) K-State changes coaches.
-- Will the next coach retain a decent share of players, or will the Cats’ roster continue to need reconstructing as often as downtown Topeka?
-- Several players chose other places under Frank Martin, too, though many attributed the turnover to Frank’s temperament.
-- Reminds me of a conversation I had with Frank once about the value of a deep rotation and committing to finding roles for those he recruited.
-- Not trying to draw parallels. Just remembering how fun it could be discussing anything with Frank.
-- Growing convinced that KU could sell out a month’s worth of basketball intrasquad games.
-- As good as the schedule is for the loaded Jayhawks, showdowns for playing time might be even better.
-- I love turning on the TV in the morning and watching major championship golf.
-- Once I drink enough coffee to remember golf is on.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks, TopSports.news will recognize hundreds of Shawnee County's all-time greats in 25 sports/categories as part of our Best of the Best project. Readers will have the opportunity to vote through July, with the Top 25 in all categories announced in August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on: https://linkto.run/p/JGII7WCU. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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Limiting the men's soccer candidates to just 25 for TSN's Shawnee County Best of the Best ballot was an extremely tough task.
After all, every player on a team is equally imperative to a soccer team's success, from the players up front that do most of the scoring, to the defenders and goalkeepers whose job it is to keep the opponent from scoring.
And although we eventually did come up with a list of 25, there's probably another 25 players, if not 50 or more, that could have easily found their way onto the ballot.
Fortunately, readers have the opportunity to write in candidates to make sure their favorites get their just due.
Nati Clarke [Sporting Kansas City Academy]
Austin Halsey [Baker University Athletics]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks, TopSports.news will recognize hundreds of Shawnee County's all-time greats in 25 sports/categories as part of our Best of the Best project. Readers will have the opportunity to vote through July, with the Top 25 in all categories announced in August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on: https://linkto.run/p/9MB02JDD. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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Women's soccer at the high school and college level have not been around nearly as long as other sports, with the first Kansas State High School Activities Association state tournament not held until 1993 and several state colleges not starting soccer until later.
But there's still no shortage of candidates to pick from in the TopSports.news Best of the Best women's soccer poll.
Former Shawnee Heights star Leea Murphy was part of an NCAA national championship team at North Carolina while another former T-Bird, Jessica Mainz, earned All-America honors for Washburn University.
Jessica Mainz [Washburn Athletics]
Darby Hirsch [Fort Hays State Athletics]
