By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Local coaching legends CJ Hamilton of Silver Lake and Steve Bushnell of Seaman are part of a five-member class of individuals who have been selected for induction into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame in 2025.
Silver Lake coaching legend CJ Hamilton will be inducted into the KSHSAA Hall of Fame in 2025. [KSHSAA Covered]
Former Seaman baseball coach and athletic director Steve Bushnell is part of a five-member class that will be inducted into the KSHSAA Hall of Fame in 2025. [File photo/TSN]
Hamilton is Kansas’ all-time winningest football coach with a 447-98 record. At the conclusion of the 2021 season Hamilton retired after teaching and coaching at Silver Lake for 47 years.
A Silver Lake native, Hamilton began his coaching career in 1973. After a brief departure to coach at Washburn for the 1977-78 seasons, Hamilton firmly entrenched himself as coach in 1979.
In his 47 seasons as head coach of the Eagles, Silver Lake made the playoffs 40 times. The Eagles won 39 Mid-East League titles and advanced to the state championship 18 times, including seven straight from 2002-08 and 11 times in a 12-year stretch from 2002-13.
Silver Lake won the Class 3A state title in 2013 to cap that remarkable stretch -- the eighth state championship for the Eagles under Hamilton. The 18 state championship game appearances are a state record.
In addition to football, Hamilton was the head coach for the Silver Lake baseball team that won state championships in 1975, 1977 and 1982.
Bushnell guided one of Kansas’ most dominant baseball programs at Seaman, leading the Vikings to 18 state tournament appearances, nine Class 5A state championships and four runner-up finishes in 21 seasons.
In his 21years at the helm for the Vikings, Bushnell culminated a 401-103 record (.796) which included a record of 42-9 in the state tournament. Seaman won at least 20 games for 10 consecutive years during the Bushnell era.
Bushnell served as athletic director at Seaman HS for three years before retiring this past spring.
Awards will be presented during 2025 in conjunction with a KSHSAA-sponsored state function/championship, or locally at the inductee's request. The time and location of each induction ceremony will be announced at a later date at www.kshsaa.org.
The Hall of Fame is housed in the Kansas State High School Activities Association offices, 601 SW Commerce Place in Topeka and is open Monday–Friday during business hours (directions at www.kshsaa.org). The Hall of Fame is also available via the KSHSAA “Gallery of Champions” at http://www.kshsaachamps.org/.
The honorees were chosen from nominations reviewed by a selection committee. To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, an individual must have made an unusually outstanding contribution in interschool activities, either as a student with exceptional talent, or as an adult working with youth (such as an activity coach, director or sponsor, an administrator, an official or a contributor). Hall of Fame inductees may no longer be active in the field for which they are nominated (exception: contributor with over 30 years of outstanding service).
Each year schools and communities throughout Kansas submit nominations of individuals who have made tremendous contributions in the field of interschool activities. Hall of Fame information is available on the KSHSAA website at www.kshsaa.org. Nomination forms are available by contacting the KSHSAA. Any nominations to be considered for induction in 2026 must be submitted prior to November 1, 2025.
The Class of 2025 Hall of Fame inductees include:
Beverly Heier-Birney
The three-sport athlete from Grinnell, Beverly Heier-Birney is still the co-holder of the 1A 100m dash record with a time of 12.3 seconds. Track and Field is where Heier made her mark in Kansas history. At the 1983 KSHSAA State Track and Field Championship, Beverly took gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m races. Ultimately the outstanding performance contributed to Grinnell winning the 1983 1A team championship, which they would also win two other times during her career (1980, 1982). Her performance in 1983 was the sequel to her championships for the 100m and 200m races in 1982. She also won the 100m race in 1980. Heier was part of Grinnell’s 1A KSHSAA State Cross Country Championships in 1980 and 1981. When it was all totaled after her outstanding high school career, Heier won 21 state medals across three sports, including 11 of which were gold.
Steve Bushnell
For nearly two decades, Steve Bushnell guided one of Kansas’ most dominant baseball programs at Seaman High School. Bushnell, led the Vikings to 18 state tournament appearances, nine Class 5A state championships and four runner-up finishes in 21 seasons. In his 21years at the helm for the Vikings, Bushnell culminated a 401-103 record (.796) which included a record of 42-9 in the state tournament. Seaman won at least 20 games for 10 consecutive years during the Bushnell era. In 2018 he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association High School Division III National Coach of the Year. In addition to baseball, Bushnell was a middle school wrestling coach for 27 years and was named the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association State Middle School Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2012. For 29 years, Bushnell was an educator in the classroom before moving to the athletic director role at Seaman HS in 2020 where he served for three years before retiring. 
CJ Hamilton
CJ Hamilton is Kansas’ all-time winningest football coach with an amazing 447-98 record. At the conclusion of the 2021 season Hamilton retired after teaching and coaching at Silver Lake for 47 years. A graduate of Silver Lake Hamilton, began his coaching career with his alma mater in 1973. After a brief departure to coach at Washburn for the 1977-78 seasons, Hamilton firmly entrenched himself as coach in 1979. In his 47 seasons as head coach of the Eagles, Silver Lake made the playoffs 40 times. The Eagles won 39 Mid-East League titles and advanced to the state championship 18 times, including seven straight from 2002-08 and 11 times in a 12-year stretch from 2002-13. Silver Lake won the Class 3A state title in 2013 to cap that remarkable stretch -- the eighth state championship for the Eagles under Hamilton. The 18 state championship game appearances are a state record. In addition to football, Hamilton was the head coach for the Silver Lake baseball team that won state championships in 1975, 1977 and 1982.
Dave Hawley
Dave Hawley spent 42 years at the helm of Wichita-Collegiate’s boys and girls tennis programs where they won 59 state championships between the two programs (33 girls; 26 boys). In addition, Hawley produced 82 singles and doubles state champions in the boys and girls divisions. Hawley was named the Kansas Boys Tennis Coach of the Year by the Kansas Coaches Association in 1997 and 2016, and received the same honor for girls tennis in 2005. In 2017 he was named the 4A boys coach of the year and was the 4A girls Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2016. Nationally, he was named the USTA High School Coach of the Year and was part of the National High School Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame inaugural class in 2017. Hawley was named a “Distinguished Teacher” by the Kansas Association of Independent and Religious Schools in 2004. The tennis courts at Wichita Collegiate School were dubbed “Dave Hawley Tennis Complex” in 2005.
Klaus Kollmai
For 46 years Klaus Kollmai committed himself to students as a teacher, coach, administrator and official. Many recognize Klaus as “Mr. Soccer” for his instrumental part in getting high school soccer started in Kansas. For 13 years he coached soccer at the high school and collegiate level before becoming a soccer official for 26 years. When soccer was adopted as a KSHSAA sanctioned sport, Klaus was the lead rules interpreter for 10 years conducting numerous clinics and meetings across the state. From 1997-2001 Kollmai served as the Section 5 rep on the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee. Klaus was selected to work in the state championship match 19 times as the center referee. Kollmai was named the Kansas Boys Soccer Official of the Year in 1992, 1997 and 2014. He started the first varsity soccer tournament at Wichita South HS “The Titan Classic” which currently is in its 39th year running.
