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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 boys and girls bowling and readers will have the opportunity to vote for bowling teams through July 23, 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/poll4867535x4F9E480F-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Compared to a lot of other sports in Kansas, high school bowling is a relative newcomer, with the Kansas State High School Activities Association approving the sport for state competition in 2005.
Shawnee Heights' girls won the county's first state bowling team title in 2010. [Submitted photo to TSN]
But it didn't take long for Shawnee County teams to make their mark, with local bowlers earning their first state medals in 2006 and Nick Harris' Shawnee Heights' girls posting the county's first team championship in 2010.
To date local teams have won a total of nine state titles -- five boys, four girls -- with four county schools earning championhips.
Seaman's girls won the Class 5A-1A state team title in 2022, part of a championship sweep by the Vikings. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Seaman's boys won the third state boys team title in school history in 2022. [File photot/TSN]
Washburn Rural's boys won their first Class 6A state bowling title in 2023, rolling to a 135-pin victory. [File photo/TSN]
Highlights include a Class 5A-1A girls and boys sweep by Bob Benoit's Seaman Vikings in 2022 and a dominating performance by Jo Ricard's Washburn Rural boys en route to a 135-pin victory in the Class 6A boys tournament this past season.
- Details
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 boys basketball and readers will have the opportunity to vote through July 22, 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/poll4866544xC1E64A21-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Seven Shawnee County schools have produced a total of 27 state championship teams in boys basketball, and every one of those teams could make a case for a spot on the TopSports.news Best of the Best list.
But a good place to start is with four championship teams that have taken on legendary status among longtime high school basketball fans over the past six-plus decades.
Ben Meseke's Hayden team posted a perfect season in 1982-83, the first of eight state titles for the Wildcats. [Submitted photo]
Highland Park posted a perfect 25-0 record in 2006-2007 en route to one of the Scots' six state championships. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Ben Meseke's 1982-83 Hayden team and Ken Darting's 2006-2007 Highland Park team are the only two boys teams in Shawnee County history to post perfect seasons while Randy Springs' 1975-76 team accomplished an achievement that no other boys team in the state can lay claim to -- the 1976 Kansas Grand State title in the only year that event was held -- and Washburn Rural's 1960 title team was led by two of the biggest names in Topeka history.
- Details
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 basketball and readers will have the opportunity to vote through July 21, 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/poll4865891x55AA4428-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Picking the top teams in the TSN Shawnee County Best of the Best project will be a challenge in every sport.
But its hard to imagine a much tougher task than in girls basketball, where it's a top-heavy group of contenders.
Silver Lake's girls basketball posted a perfect 25-0 record in 1983, recording the first of three perfect seasons and six Class 3A state titles. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.com]
Washburn Rural's girls went 23-2 in 1996, winning the first of five Class 6A state championships. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.com]
Five county teams from three different schools posted undefeated records on the way to state championships while a sixth team, the 2019-2020 Topeka High Trojans, were a perfect 23-0 when the season was halted after the first round of the state tournament due to Covid 19.
Four other county teams posted one-loss campaigns.
County teams have won 22 state titles overall, led by perennial Class 3A contender Silver Lake with six championships, including perfect seasons in 1983, 1984 and 2016.
Loren Ziegler coached the Eagles to five state titles, including all three undefeated campaigns, while Tyler Stewart also led Silver Lake to a 3A crown.
Mark Henry coached Shawnee Heights to a 23-0 record and the 5A championship in 1986 while Mike Goehring's Topeka West team rolled to a perfect 25-0 record and the 6A title in 1994.
Washburn Rural is next in line behind Silver Lake with five Class 6A state titles.Bill Annan coached Rural to three titles while Kevin Bordewick, an assistant under Annan, coached the Junior Blues to championships in 2019 and 2022, the county's most recent girls titles.
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Two summers ago TopSports.news took on the task of honoring hundreds of Shawnee County's all-time great athletes in more than 20 sports as part of our inaugural Best of the Best project.
Last summer TSN turned the page and honored the high school coaches who helped hundreds if not thousands of county athletes achieve athletic greatness.
The 1982-83 Hayden team was the first Topeka boys basketball team to post a perfect season en route to its second straight Class 4A state title. [Submitted photo]
Washburn Rural's volleyball team dogpiles on the court after winning the 2022 Class 6A state title, the eighth in school history. [Photo by Jeff Jacobsen/Action Images Photography]
This summer the Best of the Best project is all about Shawnee County's elite teams, including 279 state champions in 21 sports. .
As was the case in the past, TSN will rely heavily on our readers for their input in rating the best teams in the history of the county.
- Details
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 gets under way Thursday with baseball and readers will have the opportunity to vote through July 20, 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/poll4865047x3bA54833-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Shawnee County high schools have won more state team championships in baseball than in any other sport ... by far.
County teams have captured 38 titles on the diamond, 11 more than in any other sport, with Silver Lake (15) and Seaman (9) combining for 24 of those championships.
Silver Lake won its first of 15 state baseball tiles in 1953. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Current Seaman athletic director Steve Bushnell (standing), with former star Ben Carlson, led the Vikings to nine Class 5A state championships as Seaman's baseball coach. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake won its first two titles in 1953 and '54, with future Major League pitcher Jim Golden playing a huge role.
Legendary Kansas State basketball player and college coach Lon Kruger helped lead Silver Lake to an undefeated championship in 1970, with the late Rene Poort coaching that Eagle team before going on to a long and distinguished career as a basketball and football official.
Former Silver Lake Hall of Fame coach C.J. Hamilton retired as the winningest football coach in Kansas history, but also led the Eagles to three state baseball championships and served as an assistant coach under Alan Cunningham, who coached Silver Lake to seven state titles and also played on the Eagles' championship team in 1977.
Steve Bushnell coached Seaman to nine Class 5A state championships before moving into the athletic director's position at the school.
