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
Highland Park graduate Jocelyn Bentley, a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, is regarded as one of the top sprinters in Kansas history. [Topeka Capital-Journal]
21. JOCELYN BENTLEY, Highland Park
Bentley, a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame, continues to be recognized as one of the greatest women's sprinters in state history, ranking among the all-time leaders in the 400-meter dash (53.9 seconds), 200 (24.24) and the 100 (11.88). As a senior in 1980, Bentley swept Class 6A state titles in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x400 relay as the Scots won the team title. She was the first girl in Kansas state history to run under 55.0 seconds in the 400 and also the first girl to run under 24.5 seconds in the 200. Bentley was also a three-year letter-winner in basketball at Highland Park and set school and state records in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes. She was state champion in the 440-yard dash as a sophomore and repeated as state champion in the 400 meters as a junior and senior. Bentley ran track two seasons at Arizona State before serving 27 years in the United States Navy.
Former Shawnee Heights star Jessica Mainz was a standout in both soccer and basketball for Washburn University. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
22. JESSICA MAINZ, Shawnee Heights
After leading Shawnee Heights to a Class 5A-1A state soccer title in 2004 and a second-place finish in '05, Mainz went on to earn All-America honors at Washburn University, setting 14 career records and 15 single-season records while earning All-MIAA honors four times and being named the MIAA Most Valuable Player twice. Mainz scored 47 career goals and had 118 total points and 16 game-winning goals. Mainz was also a basketball standout for WU, being named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year twice. She finished her career with 631 points, 368 assists and 170 steals. Mainz was a 2019 inductee into the Washburn Hall of Fame.
The late Lori Green was a Topeka West track legend and also a four-time Big 8 champion for Kansas. [Submitted photo]
23. LORI GREEN, Topeka West
The former Topeka West star continues to rank No. 1 on the state all-time list in the 220 yards (now 200 meters) with a time of 23.6 seconds and also ran 11.5 in the 100, which was a state best at the time. Green earned six state titles for West and went on to star for Kansas, winning two Big 8 indoor titles (60 yards and 300 yards) and two Big 8 outdoor titles(100 meters and 200 meters) in 1979. Green was inducted into the Topeka West Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. Green passed away in 2015 at the age of 54.
Crystal Kemp starred in basketball for Topeka High and Kansas, earning induction into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. [KU Athletics]
24. CRYSTAL KEMP, Topeka High
A 2002 Topeka High graduate, Kemp was a four-year standout for the Trojans and averaged 21.7 points and 11.4 rebounds as a senior, leading her team to the Class 6A state tournament for the first time in 16 years, the I-70 league championship and a 19-4 overall record. Kemp was named to the All-State first team. Kemp a three-year letter-winner in track and field, winning a 6A state discus title with a school-record throw of 145 feet, 6 inches. Kemp had a banner four-year career at Kansas, finishing her career ranked in KU's all-time top 10 in points (7th with 1,637), rebounds (8th with 826), field goals made (6th with 654), field goal percentage (10th at 50.9), free throw percentage (eighth at 73.6), blocked shots (7th with 90) and minutes played (6th with 3,620). Kemp was an All-Big 12 first-team pick as a senior, reaching double figures in all 30 games, and became just the sixth Jayhawk to accumulate more than 1,600 career points and 800 career rebounds.
Dani McHenry was a volleyball All-American for Washburn University and also a member of WU's national championship basketball team. [Submitted photo]
25. DANI McHENRY, Shawnee Heights
Led Shawnee Heights to back-to-back Class 5A state championships and played at Kansas before earning All-America honors at Washburn. McHenry helped lead WU to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2002 and she became the first AVCA All-American in school history, earning recognition in 2003 and '04. A three-time All-MIAA selection, McHenry recorded 1,491 kills which was sixth all-time at Washburn. Her 558 kills her junior year is the third highest season total in Washburn history. McHenry also was a member of WU's national championship basketball team.
Shannon Suddarth was a multi-time state champion for Hayden and a nine-time All-American swimmer for Notre Dame. [Topeka Capital-Journal]
26. SHANNON SUDDARTH, Hayden
Suddarth was a six-time state champion for Hayden, winning the 100 breaststroke three straight years. She set the state record twice in the event — the latter standing for eight years. Suddarth went on to enjoy a solid career at Notre Dame, where she was a nine-time All-American for the Fighting Irish, including honorable mention honors in four different events in 2000. She was a first-team All-American in 1998, taking eighth at the NCAA Division I national championships in the 100 breaststroke. She held Big East records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke that stood for 11 years and was the first Notre Dame swimmer to make All-American four straight years.
27. LAURA KLAMM, Highland Park
Klamm was a three-time softball All-American for Washburn University as a pitcher and shortstop and is a member of the Washburn Hall of Fame as well as the NAIA Softball Hall of Fame. Klamm posted 79 pitching wins for WU during her career from 1983-'86 and was named the Most Valuable Player in the NAIA National Tournament in '86. Ferguson earned NAIA first team All-America honors her sophomore and senior year and her junior year she was named to the second team. She had a career record of 79-27 in the circle, including 30 wins in '86, and led her team to the NAIA National Tournament in 1985 and 1986. The Lady Blues were national runner-up in 1985 and finished fifth the next year. Both of those years she was selected as the tournament MVP.
Stacey Slavens was an All-American and named NAIA pitcher of the year at Emporia State. [Emporia State Athletics]
28. STACEY SLAVENS, Shawnee Heights
Two-time NAIA softball All-American at Emporia State, earned national pitcher of the year honors in 1991. The Shawnee Heights product was a two-time NAIA softball All-American and was the NAIA Pitcher of the Year in 1991. She had a career pitching record of 45-13. She was named District 10 Softball Player of the Year in 1991 and All-District in volleyball. At the time of induction, she holds the ESU volleyball career record with 4.31 digs per game and is ranked second in single season digs per game and fourth in single season digs. She was an NAIA Scholar-Athlete in both volleyball and softball. Slavens was the 1991 ESU Female Student-Athlete of the Year and was ESU's first NCAA Kansas Woman of the Year.
29. LATISHA YARNELL, Washburn Rural
A basketball and softball star for Washburn Rural, Yarnell was an All-American softball first baseman in 1986 and the career assists leader for Washburn University women's basketball. Yarnell was inducted into Washburn's Hall of Fame in 1998. Yarnell finished her WU career as the all-time assist leader and the No. 5 career scorer with 1,558 points. Yarnell earned first team NAIA All-America honors in softball in 1986 and was an honorable mention choice for the Lady Blues basketball team in 1986-87.
30. JANELLE WRIGHT, Topeka High
A member of the Topeka High Hall of Fame, Wright was a six-time state champion for High and is the all-time state leader in the 100 hurdles after clocking a time of 13.62 in 2000. Wright captured three state high jump crowns and is tied for fourth all-time in the event at 5-10. Wright continued that success at Kansas State, earning two All-America honors and winning a Big 12 indoor pentathlon championship in '04
31. CARLY BACHELOR, Washburn Rural
32. KELSEY CHIPMAN, Washburn Rural
33. JAYME GERGEN, Washburn Rural
34. CAMRYN TURNER, Seaman
35. DEANA ALEXANDER, Shawnee Heights
36. KENDRA HURLA, Rossville
37. KRISTIE BAHNER, Topeka High
38. MADELINE HILL, Washburn Rural
39. EMILY DICUS, Topeka West
40. JAYCEE GINTER, Shawnee Heights
41. ARICA SHEPARD, Rossville
42. NIKKI OLBERDING, Seaman
43. LAUREN MILLS, Seaman
44. TATYANA LEGETTE, Seaman
45. ALEXA BORDEWICK, Washburn Rural
46. CIERRA CEAZER, Shawnee Heights
47. KIKI SMITH, Topeka High
48. TISHARRIA HUGGINS, Topeka West
49. KELLY JENNINGS, Topeka High
50. ERIKA LANE, Washburn Rural
51. FAITH ROTTINGHAUS, Shawnee Heights
52. AVERY CLIFTON, Washburn Rural
53. SYDNEY MESSICK, Seaman
54. JAYBE SHUFELBERGER, Washburn Rural
55. JENNIFER PERINE, Rossville
56. RHONDA MATZKE, Silver Lake
57. JAMIE BLAKELY, Washburn Rural
58. ABBY GLYNN, Washburn Rural
59. MEGAN LUCAS, Washburn Rural
60. BILLIE JEAN MOORE, Highland Park
61. BRENDA STOLLE, Silver Lake
62. TAYLOR ZORDEL, Washburn Rural
63. KADENCE JEFFRIES, Topeka West
64. LEEA MURPHY, Shawnee Heights
65. KAIRA HOUSER, Washburn Rural
66. DARBY HIRSCH, Washburn Rural
67. KATHY MOHLER, Silver Lake
68. RACHEL STOUS, Topeka High
69. HAYLEY REED, Seaman
70. KASEY HAMILTON, Washburn Rural
71. SUSAN PUNZO, Shawnee Heights
72. DANIELLE KNIPP, Washburn Rural
73. CHRIS TORREZ, Topeka West
74. MEG GRIFFIN, Topeka West
75. STEFINE PEASE, Shawnee Heights
76. LORI ROENBAUGH, Shawnee Heights
77. TONNA RIEGER, Topeka West
78. KELLI DUDLEY, Topeka West
79. ALEX O'NEAL, Hayden
80. ZEBBIE ROBERTSON, Hayden
81. KRISTIN STRECKER, Hayden
82. HALEY MOLDEN, Washburn Rural
83. SAMMIE SCHURIG, Washburn Rural
84. SANDY WERNER, Washburn Rural
85. KRISTEN CARLSON, Hayden
86. BREANNA LEWIS, Seaman
87. KATIE MERRIAM, Hayden
88. DAJIA ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
89. ADDISON BROXTERMAN, Washburn Rural
90. ALYSSA SCHULTEJANS, Silver Lake
91. KELSEY LEWIS, Washburn Rural
92. MARANDA BELL, Shawnee Heights
93. MARISSA PATTERSON, Shawnee Heights
94. CAITLIN MORRISEY, Topeka West
95. REBEKAH SMITH, Washburn Rural
96. CASSIE WASSENBERG, Shawnee Heights
97. SHAUNA BURRELL, Seaman
98. ABREANNA PARKER, Shawnee Heights
99. BROOKE LaRUE, Hayden
100. RYIN MILLER, Seaman
UPCOMING TOP 100 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
July 22 -- Men's No. 31 through 40.
July 23 -- Women's No. 21 through 30.
July 24 -- Men's No. 21 through 30.
July 25 -- Women's No. 11 through 20.
July 26 -- Men's No. 11 through 20.
July 27 -- Women's No.10 through 1.
July 28 -- Men's No. 10 through 1.
