By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights' 2004 girls soccer team, which dropped just one game on the way to the Class 5A-1A state championship, was picked for the No. 1 spot on the TopSports.news Best of the Best Top 10.
Shawnee Heights, the 2004 Class 5A-1A state champ, is No. 1 on the TSN Best of the Best girls soccer Top 10. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Marc Serrano's Shawnee Heights team went 18-1-1 on the season, beating city rival Topeka West in the 5A-1A state final to earn Heights' lone state soccer championship.
T-Bird legend Jessica Mainz, who also led Heights to a runnerup state finish in '05, finished her T-Bird career with 97 goals and 44 assists before becoming an All-American and two-time MIAA Player of the Year for Washburn University.
Topeka West earned its lone state soccer title in 2001, posting an 18-2-0 record to win the Class 5A-1A championship. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Tim Collins' Topeka West Chargers, who garnered Shawnee County's first-ever girls state soccer championship in 2001, were tapped for the No. 2 spot on the Best of the Best list.
West capped an 18-2-0 season wih a 2-1 overtime win over Bishop Miege in the '01 5A-1A state final. Amber Hearrell, who went on to earn All-MIAA recognition at Emporia State, was a top player for the Chargers, who were inducted into the Topeka West Athletic Hall of Fame as a team.
Hayden's 2013 girls soccer team won its second straight Class 4A-1A state title. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Hayden, which has won a city-best three girls state soccer titles under Klaus Kreutzer, is represented by its 2013 4A-1A championship team at No.3 while Washburn Rural's '22 and '18 6A runnerup teams round out the top five.
The 2013 Wildcats posted a 14-4-0 record and beat Winfield in the Class 4A-1A championship game to win their second straight state title.
Top players for Hayden included seniors Hailey Myers and Sarah Pimentel, junior Addie Barry and sophomores Margaret Dunshee, Kirah Lohse and Jacki Martinek.
Washburn Rural's 2022 girls soccer team, celebrating a regional title, went on to post a runnerup finish in Class 6A, earning the No. 4 spot on the Best of the Best list. [File photo/TSN]
Rural's '22 team went 17-2-2 to finish second to Blue Valley West in the 6A state championship game.
Two-time 6A midfielder of the year Belle Kennedy was a top player for Brian Hensyel's Junior Blues along with All-City picks Reagan Allen, McKenna Merrick and Hunter McWilliams.
The Junior Blues also were the 6A runnerup in '18, posting a record of 18-2-1.
Rural dropped a tight 1-0 decision to 6A power Blue Valley West.
Rural goalkeeper Kelly Lemke set a state record for career shutouts while other top players included Carly Bachelor, Macy Decker, Megan Lucas and Britt Woolington.
Hayden's '12 and '15 title teams are No. 6 and No. 7 on the Top 10 while Washburn Rural's '15 team is No. 8, Shawnee Heights' '07 team No. 9 and Topeka West's '04 and Rural's '19 team share the 10th spot.
Shawnee Heights' '04 team also earned the No. 1 spot in Reader's Choice balloting, followed by the Hayden '15 team and Cair Paravel Latin's '22 squad.
Cair Paravel earned its first trip to the 4A-1A state semis in '22, placing fourth at state.
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST GIRLS SOCCER TEAMS
1. Shawnee Heights (2004) -- Shawnee Heights lost just one match in an 18-1-1 season, beating city rival Topeka West in an all-city Class 5A-1A state final. Heights legend Jessica Mainz led Marc Serrano's T-Birds to the school's lone state soccer title. Mainz, who also led Heights to a runnerup state finish in '05, finished her T-Bird career with 97 goals and 44 assists before becoming an All-American and two-time MIAA Player of the Year for Washburn University.
2. Topeka West (2001) -- Tim Collins' Chargers garnered Shawnee County's first-ever girls state soccer championship. West capped an 18-2-0 season wih a 2-1 overtime win over Bishop Miege in the Class 5A-1A state final. Amber Hearrell, who went on to earn All-MIAA recognition at Emporia State, was a top player for the Chargers, who were inducted into the West athletic hall of fame as a team.
3. Hayden (2013) -- Klaus Kreutzer's Wildcats posted a 14-4-0 record and beat Winfield in the Class 4A-1A championship game to win their second straight state title. Top players for Hayden included seniors Hailey Myers and Sarah Pimentel, junior Addie Barry and sophomores Margaret Dunshee, Kirah Lohse and Jacki Martinek.
4. Washburn Rural (2022) -- Rural went 17-2-2 to finish second to perennial state champion Blue Valley West in the Class 6A state championship game. Two-time 6A midfielder of the year Belle Kennedy was a top player for Brian Hensyel's Junior Blues along with Reagan Allen, McKenna Merrick and Hunter McWilliams.
5. Washburn Rural (2018) -- The Junior Blues posted an 18-2-1 record and reached the Class 6A state final, dropping a tight 1-0 decision to 6A power Blue Valley West. Rural goalkeeper Kelly Lemke set a state record for career shutouts while other top players included Carly Bachelor, Macy Decker, Megan Lucas and Britt Woolington.
6. Hayden (2012) -- Klaus Kreutzer's Hayden team compiled a 14-7-0 record on the way to the Wildcats' first of three Class 4A-1A state championships over a four-year span. The Wildcats beat Wichita Trinity in the state final. Top players for Hayden included Katie Wolfe, Addie Barry, Jacki Martinek, Hailey Myers, Kirah Lohse and Margaret Dunshee.
7. Hayden (2015) -- Hayden garnered its third Class 4A-1A state title in four seasons, finishing off a 16-5-0 season with a win over McPherson in the state final. Top players for Klaus Kreutzer's Wildcats included Margaret Dunshee, Kirah Lohse and Jacki Martinek.
8. Washburn Rural (2015) -- Washburn Rural posted a 19-1-1 record on the season en route to a runnerup finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Brian Hensyel's Junior Blues were led by standouts Mykaela Hagen, Kaira Houser, Darby Hirsch and Kate Schroeder.
9. Shawnee Heights (2007) -- Marc Serrano's Shawnee Heights team advanced to the Class 5A-1A state championship game before falling to state power St. Thomas Aquinas. The T-Birds posted a 17-3-1 record on the season.
10. (tie) Topeka West (2004) -- Chris McGinnis' Chargers went 17-3-1 on the season to finish second in Class 5A-1A, losing to city rival Shawnee Heights in the state final.
10. (tie) Washburn Rural (2019) -- Washburn Rural posted an 18-3-0 record to finish second in Class 6A, losing to Blue Valley West in the championship game. Top players for the Junior Blues included Carly Bachelor and Brynn Fitzgibbons.
READER'S CHOICE GIRLS SOCCER AWARDS
1. Shawnee Heights (2004) -- No. 1 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
2. Hayden (2015) -- No. 7 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
3. Cair Paravel Latin (2022) -- Earned first Class 4A-1A Final Four berth in school history, finishing fourth with a pair of one-goal losses.
4. Washburn Rural (2022) -- No. 4 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
5. Hayden (2013) -- No. 3 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
6. (tie) Hayden (2012) -- No. 6 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
6. (tie) Washburn Rural (2015) -- No. 8 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
8. Topeka West (2001) -- No. 2 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
9. Washburn Rural (2018) -- .No. 5 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
10. (tie) Hayden (2001) -- Turned in solid season on the heels of a runner-up Class 5A-1A state finish in 2000.
10. (tie) Seaman (2023) -- The Vikings posted a 14-2-2 record, losing to eventual Class 5A-1A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas in a regional final.
10. (tie) Washburn Rural (2019) -- Tie No. 10 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
10. (tie) Washburn Rural (2023) -- Finished third in the Class 6A state tournament.
Next up: Boys soccer Best of the Best Top 10 teams and Reader's Choice awards.
