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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
We're down to the top 20 women's picks for TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history and the achievements just keep getting more and more impressive.
Selections No. 11 through 20 include a United States Olympian and a 17-time individual state high school champion as well as a pair of NCAA Division I team champions and a D-I individual champ.
The latest group of picks also includes a multi-sport star who racked up seven state crowns in two sports along with a Final Four participant, an all-time Washburn great and two early trailblazers for local women's athletics.
Here's a look at No. 11-20:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Men's picks No. 21-30 on the list of TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 Athletes features two local basketball legends, a pair of players who made it to the Major Leagues, five of the county's most recognizable names in football and one of the most accomplished multi-sport athletes in local annals.
The late Ron Paradis and Delvy Lewis led Washburn Rural to a state basketball championship before going on to standout careers at Kansas State and Kansas, respectively, while Duff "Sir Richard' Cooley and former Hayden and Washburn standout Jerad Head made it to the Major Leagues in baseball.
Kyle McNorton (Seaman) was an All-Big 8 linebacker for Kansas and played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, Trey Lewis (Washburn Rural) was an All-American for Washburn and played for the Falcons, Will Geary (Topeka High) and Wyatt Hubert (Shawnee Heights) were multiple-time All-Big 12 picks for Kansas State and Ky Thomas (Topeka High) finished his prep career as the No. 2 all-time rusher in state history before going on to a Division I career.
Mark Elliott was a multiple sport standout for Silver Lake, was a pick in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, played quarterback at Washburn and is one of the area's most successful golfers.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Coming off an injury-riddled 2-9 season in 2023, Washburn University didn't expect to get a high ranking in the MIAA Coaches and MIAA Preseason Media polls that were released Tuesday as part of the 2024 MIAA Football Media Day at the Kauffman Foundation.
Veteran Washburn football coach Craig Schurig talks to the media during Tuesday's MIAA Media Day in Kansas City, Mo. {Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the Ichabods hope that being ranked ninth among 10 teams in both polls can serve as a source of motivation this fall.
"You could anticipate that (the low spot in the polls) because that's where we finished last year,'' veteran Washburn coach Craig Schurig said. "With the teams that are back we actually finished last, but I've been really proud of (the players) since the season ended that they didn't hang their heads, they just said, 'Let's get to work, let's flip this thing.' ''
"You let it fuel you a little, but you're already fueled,'' WU standout senior safety Jordan Finnesy said about the polls. "All the guys, we're just hungry to get going and really just prove ourselves because at this point nobody's respecting us. Coming in with that fire every single day with the goal of flipping that (record) this coming season is a lot of motivation in itself. And as far as the polls I couldn't care less what those things say.''
Washburn, 1-9 in the conference a year ago, had 16 points in the MIAA Coaches poll, trailing preseason favorite Central Missouri, who had eight first-place votes and 80 points overall.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest women's selections for TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 encompasses a group of athletes who are probably household names for most any local household that has a sports fan.
The group of 10 include a national player of the year (Stacey Slavens), an MIAA player of the year (Jessica Mainz), an All-Big 12 honoree (Crystal Kemp), seven total college All-Americans in five different sports (Slavens, Mainz, Dani McHenry, Shannon Suddarth, Laura Klamm, Latisha Yarnell, JaNelle Wright) and three of Kansas' best ever in high school track and field (Jocelyn Bentley, Lori Green, Wright).
Here's a look at picks No. 21 through 30:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest men's picks in TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 Athletes (No. 31-40) are a vastly varied group, featuring All-Americans in three different sports as well as the most successful Paralympic athletes in county history.
Shawnee Heights wrestling great Tanner Gardner went on to become Stanford's first three-time NCAA All-American while Hayden two-sport state champ John Tetuan was an All-American pitcher for Wichita State and Highland Park star Dale Cushinberry was a two-time basketball All-American for Emporia State.
Tetuan had a stint as a minor league pitcher while Topeka High product Ted Evans and former Highland Park All-Stater Jahmal McMurray both played professional basketball.
Picks No. 31-40 also include local legends Mark Turgeon and Dan Davis, who helped lead Hayden to undefeated state championships in basketball and football, as well as former Seaman hoops star Johnny Johnson, who put together a Hall of Fame career at Washburn University, and world-renowned Paralympic athletes Dan Cnossen (Shawnee Heights) and Austin Hanson (Seaman).
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
