By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks, TopSports.news will recognize hundreds of Shawnee County's all-time greats in 25 sports/categories as part of our Best of the Best project. Readers will have the opportunity to vote through July, with the Top 25 in all categories announced in August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on: https://linkto.run/p/02GF7NJR. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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Chances are, if you're a bowler in Topeka you've probably heard of Chris Barnes and Bob Benoit.
After all, Barnes is a PBA Hall of Famer and still competing and winning while Benoit, now the head coach at Seaman, was a very successful pro as well, bowling the tour's first televised 300 game.
Chris Barnes [Twitter]
Bob Benoit [PBA Facebook]
Kelly Coffman also competed on the PBA Tour while there's a long list of local bowlers who received greatness in Topeka at the amateur and high school levels.
Former Washburn Rural bowler Blake Massey bowled a perfect game in Class 6A competition in 2018 on the way to a state title while former Seaman standout Ashton Bigger turned in an impressive four-year career and was a consistent challenger at the state level.
There are 25 candidates listed to pick from at https://linkto.run/p/02GF7NJR while readers also have the option of writing in a name.
Vote as many times as you wish, with the only requirement that eligible candidates must have grown up in Shawnee County or attended one of the county's 10 high schools.
Final selections will be based on reader vote as well as input from TSN contributors and current and past local sports media professionals.
Votes will be accepted through July 31 before TSN publishes our Best of the Best lists in August.
NEXT UP: Cross country.
