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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/EGVCXSSV. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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There's a long list of athletes who deserve consideration as the top men's cross country runner in Shawnee Country history.
The tough part will be picking just one.
Topeka West grad Robbie Hays, Seaman's Grant Cain and Washburn Rural's Jacob Morgan were all two-time state individual champions, with both Hays and Morgan going on to compete in the NCAA Championships.
Rob Hays
Jacob Morgan
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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/HUDRYDFX. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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Former Shawnee Heights superstar Trisa Nickoley was a four-time Class 5A state cross country champion and never lost an individual state high school race in either cross country or track.
But while Nickoley is a great place to start TSN's Battle of the Best race to name the all-time best women's cross country runner in Shawnee County history, the former T-Bird and Missouri Tiger star is certainly not the only contender.
Trisa Nickoley
Avery Clifton
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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/L5BF2JDD. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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Topeka has long been regarded as a bowling town, producing a long list of women's and men's stars.
And although women's bowling in Topeka might lack the pro starpower of men's bowlers like Chris Barnes and Bob Benoit, there's no shortage of candidates for the distinction of being named the TSN all-time best in Shawnee County history.
Terri Sandgren, Jeannine Wettengel, Natalie Bennett, Maggie (Fritton) Crawford, Paulette Mazur, Jody Ditch and Chelsie Bahr are among a large group of bowlers who have carved out impressive amateur careers while there's also a long list of state champions and contenders since local schools launched high school bowling in 2006.
Kelsey Muther
Kelsey Muther and Rachel Barber were two of the Capital City's early high school stars while city standouts Kristi Renyer, Jessica Thompson, Carly Schmidtlein, Ashton Anderson, Whitney Prockish and Lauren Buchanan all captured state championships and Carla Bortz was a two-time state runner-up.
Whitney Prockish
Makenzie Millard
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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/02GF7NJR. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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Chances are, if you're a bowler in Topeka you've probably heard of Chris Barnes and Bob Benoit.
After all, Barnes is a PBA Hall of Famer and still competing and winning while Benoit, now the head coach at Seaman, was a very successful pro as well, bowling the tour's first televised 300 game.
Chris Barnes [Twitter]
Bob Benoit [PBA Facebook]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Despite the jaw-dropping stats that he put up at Topeka High, former Trojans superstar running back Ky Thomas knew that making the jump to Division I football at Minnesota would be an adjustment.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which hit shortly after Thomas arrived on Minnesota's campus, complicated that transition, as did a labrum injury.
Ky Thomas
But as the 6-foot, 205-pound tailback prepares for his second college season, Thomas feels like that process is finally complete and that he's ready to show what he can contribute to the Gophers.
"It probably took me until now, the whole year,'' Thomas said this week during a trip home to Topeka. "Now I'm comfortable, now I know the system and now I know how everything goes and I know what to expect.''
