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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County athletes have starred in a variety of sports at the high school, collegiate, national amateur and professional levels over the years, with county high schools producing Super Bowl and World Series champs, national individual and team champions, Olympians, local and national Hall of Famers and even U.S. Open champs.
Topeka sports legend Mike Torrez was a world champion with the New York Yankees and won 185 games as a Major League pitcher in an 18-year career. [File photo]
Former Shawnee Heights star Gary Woodland won the 2019 U.S. Open and continues to compete on the PGA Tour. [PGA Tour]
Topeka High grad Chris Barnes is a PBA Hall of Famer, who also helped the Trojans win a state basketball title. [PBA Tour]
Topeka West state champion Sheri Norris was an All-American tennis player at Arizona State before playing on the pro tennis tour. [File photo]
And while some of the county greats are probably household names among local sports fans, there are others who have carved out impressive careers that you may not be as familiar with, including some you've probably never head of.
This summer TopSports.news will try to change that.
Beginning in July and continuing throughout the summer, TopSports.news will post its selections for the Top 100 greatest athletes in Shawnee County.
Former Topeka High star NiJaree Canady has received national pitcher of the year and player of the year as a sophomore pitcher for Stanford. [Stanford Athletics]
Former Washburn Rural multi-sport star Brooklyn DeLeye is currently a star for Kentucky's volleyball team. [Kentucky Volleyball]
Past Top 100 and Top 125 lists, which I had the pleasure of helping select, combined men's and women's athletes, but, quite frankly, that is unfair in 2024, with female athletes very deserving of their own Top 100 list as athletes like NiJaree Canady and Brooklyn DeLeye continue to make their own mark on sports' biggest stages.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For one day anyway, Kossover Tennis Center was the home of the Huskers.
University of Nebraska players Nikolay Sysoev and Colson Wells finished one-two in the men's open singles division while the Huskers' Maria Taranova captured the women's open singles championship.
Nebraska tennis standout Nikolay Sysoev won the men's single championship in the Jayhawk Open Sunday at Kossover Tennis Center, topping Husker teammate Colson Wells, 6-4, 6-2. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Maria Taranova, a sophomore to be at Nebraska, captured the Jayhawk Open women's singles title with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Wichita State's Theodora Chantava. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sysoev, who recently finished his sophomore season for Nebraska, took a 6-4, 6-2 win over teammate Wells, a redshirt freshman, in the men's open final while Taranova, who just finished her freshman season for the Huskers, took a 6-4, 6-3 win over Wichita State's Theodora Chantava in the women's final.
Sysoev added a second title later on Sunday, teaming with Nebraska teammate Henry Bilicic to take a 6-4, 6-2 win over Graham Faris and Matthew Earle in the men's open doubles final.
"Huskers! Go Big Red,'' Sysoev said.
"It's definitely a special one,'' Sysoev, a native of Moscow, Russia who now calls Sarasota, Fla. home, said about the all-NU men's final. "We play each other at practice all the time so we know each other's game pretty well. Today I just got lucky and played a little better.''
Wells, a native of Okemos, Mich., jumped out in front 2-0 in the opening set but Sysoev won the next four games and survived a late rally from Wells.
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Editor's note: Over the coming days, TopSports.news will take a look at all of the nominees for the 2024 Topeka Shawnee County High School Sports Awards. All nominees will be recognized at the June 26 awards banquet, which will be held in conjunction with the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame induction at Washburn University's Memorial Union.
FALL SPORTS: OUTSTANDING FEMALE NOMINEES
Addison Brooks
ADDISON BROOKS | Topeka West
PARENTS: Andy and Barbie Brooks
SPORT: Volleyball | GPA: NA
A four-year varsity player for the Chargers, Brooks earned first-team All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference honors as a senior after earning second-team recognition as a junior and honorable mention as a sophomore. Brooks registered 238 kills as a senior with 139 digs and 39 service aces. "Addison showed leadership in the classroom and on the court,'' Topeka West coach Alyx Nash said. "She was a player that wants success for herself but would rather see success for the team and her teammates. When set the ball she could almost always find the open spot for the kill, but gave credit to the passer and setter.'' She will play collegiately at Saint Mary.
Madeline Fieger
MADELINE FIEGER | Silver Lake
PARENTS: Darin and Annette Fieger
SPORT: Golf | GPA: 4.0
Fieger was a four-time qualifier for the Class 3A-1A state golf tournament during her high school career and was a member of Silver Lake's state championship team as a senior. Fieger also helped Silver Lake, coached by Kelby Brown, capture three regional team championships. Fieger was a two-time member of the 3A-1A All-State team and helped the Eagles win the state team championship by 22 strokes last fall. Fieger tied for 34th place in the 2023 state tournament with a 36-hole total of 195.
Amirah Gibbs
AMIRAH GIBBS | Topeka High
PARENTS: Michael and Kandis Gibbs
SPORT: Volleyball | GPA: 3.9
Gibbs was the senior leader for a young Topeka High volleyball team coached by Bridget Bargmann in the 2023 season. An outstanding student who compiled a 3.9 cumulative grade point average, Gibbs was honored for her play on the volleyball court with honorable mention on the All-Centennial League team. Gibbs also received honorable mention on TopSports.news' All-Shawnee County team after helping the Trojans post a 10-24 record on the season.
Avery Grunert
AVERY GRUNERT | Hayden
PARENTS: Kyle and Heather Grunert
SPORT: Golf/volleyball | GPA: 3.687
Grunert was a four-sport athlete for Hayden in golf, volleyball, basketball and track and field and went to state in three of those sports. "Avery had an outstanding career, capped off by leading Hayden to the (Class) 4A state championship as a senior,'' Hayden golf coach Jayson Duncan said. "Avery always seemed to play her best golf when it mattered, becoming a two-time state medalist with her exceptional play at the state tournament.'' Grunert helped Hayden's basketball team qualify for state as a junior and senior, including a third-place finish this past season, and also competed at state during her high school track and field career. Grunert has signed a golf letter of intent with Newman.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's Anna Becker, Silver Lake's Taylor Zordel and Highland Park's Ja'Corey Robinson, who recently completed their junior years of high school, were selected Thursday night at The Foundry as the Dan Key Farmers Insurance Agency girls and boys 2024 Rising Stars of the year.
![Rising Stars of the Year Taylor Zordel, Ja'Corey Robinson and Anna Becker pose with Dan Key of the Farmers Insurance Agency after being honored Wednesday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]](/images/BeckerZordelRobinson-1.jpg)
Rising Stars of the Year Taylor Zordel, Ja'Corey Robinson and Anna Becker pose with Dan Key of the Farmers Insurance Agency after being honored Wednesday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Becker and Zordel shared the girls honor and boys winner Robinson were picked from five girls and boys finalists chosen from weekly Rising Stars who were selected through the 2023-2024 school year.
Silver Lake's Taylor Zordel and Seaman's Anna Becker were named the co-girls Rising Stars of the Year Wednesday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Becker was a basketball and soccer standout for Seaman, helping lead the Vikings to the Class 5A state basketball championship and the 5A state quarterfinals in soccer while Zordel helped lead Silver Lake to the 3A-1A golf title and was a member of the Eagles' 3A state championship basketball team and state runnerup softball team.
Ja'Corey Robinson of Highland Park was named the 2024 boys Rising Star of the Year Wednesday night. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Robinson helped lead Highland Park to a second straight third-place finish in the 5A state basketball tournament and also helped the Scots' football team advance to the second round of the 5A football playoffs.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural, which finished third in the Class 6A state tournament, and Cair Paravel Latin, the 4A-1A state runnerup, combined to put eight players on the 17-member 2024 All-City girls soccer first team.
The All-City team was based on recommendations and votes from city coaches.
Mackenzie Flood, Washburn Rural
Hayley Legg, Washburn Rural
Destiny Higgs, Washburn Rural
Kate Hinck, Washburn Rural
Addyson Kaberline, Washburn Rural
Washburn Rural is represented on the All-City first team by seniors Mackenzie Flood and Hayley Legg and juniors Destiny Higgs, Kate Hinck and Addyson Kaberline after the Junior Blues posted a 17-4-0 record on the season, capped by a 3-0 win over Maize in the third-place game after a 1-0 double overtime loss to Blue Valley Northwest in the semifinals.
