By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks TopSports.news will recognize Shawnee County's all-time best teams in 21 sports as part of our Best of the Best project. The project continues with girls cross country and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through July 24, with the top teams in all categories announced in late July and August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4868068x97de4f3f-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Hayden is not a lock to land the No. 1 spot in the TopSports.news Best of the Best girls country team rankings.
But the numbers are certainly in the Wildcats' favor, with Hayden accounting for seven of the 11 state championships captured by Shawnee County gils teams over the years.
Hayden's girls won the Class 4A cross country title in 1986, the first of seven state team championships for the Wildcats. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Hayden won its third straight Class 4A girls cross country championship in 1994. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Ben Meseke coached Hayden to its first Class 4A state title in 1986 before Kathy Strecker led the Wildcats to their other six state crowns after serving as Meseke's assistant in '86.
Strecker led Hayden to a three-peat from 1992 through 1994 and coached the Wildcats to back-to-back championships in '89 and '90 and the school's most recent title in '12.
Hayden won the 1990 championship by a whopping 41-108 margin over Wamego, with fourth-place Christine Silovsky leading three Wildcats in the top eight places.
Bridget Deghand won the individual title to lead Hayden to the '92 championship while the Wildcats took the '94 title on a tiebreaker over Labette County by virtue of having a higher finish by their sixth runner.
Hall of Fame coach Ken Darting, who has coached five state championship basketball teams at Silver Lake and Highland Park, led Silver Lake to Shawnee County's first girls cross country state title in 1978. [Submitted photo by KSHSAA.org]
Legendary basketball coach Ken Darting coached Silver Lake to the county's first girls cross country state championship in 1978 in Class 3A while Seaman won the 6A title in 1984 under Bob Camien and the 5A crown in 2005 under Rick Brading.
Seaman's girls won the 5A state title in 2005 as three Vikings finished in the top eight individually. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Seaman won the '05 championship by 33 points (57-90) over Blue Valley West as three Vikings posted top-eight individual finishes.
Hannah Law finished fourth to lead the Vikings while Mallory Brading placed seventh and Sydney Messick eighth.
Scott Shufelberger's Washburn Rural team won the 6A state championship in 1996 by a slim 59-64 margin over Olathe South as Cate Holston finished third and Michelle Simecka sixth to lead the Junior Blues.
Vote for your favorite team at https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4868068x97de4f3f-151 while readers also have the option of writing in a candidate.
Vote as many times as you wish. Final selections will be based on reader vote as well as input from TSN contributors and current and past local sports media professionals.
Votes in girls cross country will be accepted through July 24 before TSN publishes our Best of the Best lists in late July and August.
NEXT UP: Boys cross county (ballot will be published on TopSports.news on Tuesday).
