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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 girls track and field and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through August 4, 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/poll4879452x35D7492D-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Eight different Shawnee County high schools have won state team titles in girls track and field, including six with multiple championships.
And while this summer's TopSports.news Best of the Best project is all about teams it's also an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the outstanding track and field performers in county history, names like Jocelyn Bentley, Lori Green, Marge Eddy, Julie Howerton, Karissa Owens, Akilah Carter, Mandy and Mindy Wilson, Shannon Parr, Alex Ferguson, Nannette Lee and Carla Marney.
Shawnee Heights won the first of the school's three girls track and field team championships in 1974. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Topeka High's girls track and field team won its first of two straight state team championships in 1974. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Marney swept the shot put, discus and softball throw to help Shawnee Heights win the Class 3A state title in 1974 while Lee earned three gold medals (two relays and an individual win) the same season as Topeka High won the 5A-4A championship and Lee won another title in '75 as the Trojans won their second straight team crown.
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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 tennis and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through August 3, 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/poll4878079xb26e4657-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Shawnee County has produced 11 boys state championship tennis teams, beginning with Washburn Rural's Class 5A championship team in 1988 and continuing through Topeka West's 5A title earlier this spring.
But while readers have plenty of worthy candidates to choose from, picking the team that will be at the top of the list promises to be a tricky task.
Kevin Hedberg's 2005 Washburn Rural boys tennis team swept the Class 6A singles, doubles and team championships, the Junior Blues' third straight team title. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Tommy and Blake Hunter went one-two in singles as Hayden captured the Class 4A team championship in 2014. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
The list of possibles includes any of Kevin Hedberg's three Washburrn Rural teams that put together a 6A three-peat from 2003-2005, capped by a sweep of the singles, doubles and team championships in '05 as Drew Hanson was crowned the singles champ and Sumeet Patel and Trevor Hedberg won the doubles title.
- 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 tennis and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through August 2, 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/poll4877986x8cA04ebD-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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The Kansas State High School Activities Association didn't begin holding state tournaments in girls tennis until 1985, and Shawnee County made an immediate impact, with Corey Wilson's Topeka West team earning the Class 6A team title in the first year of state events.
Hayden captured its first girls state tennis team championship in 2022, sweeping the singles, doubles and team titles. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
That West championship was the beginning of a long record of success for local teams, who have won six team titles, including Hayden's dominant run in the 2022 4A state meet, while also posting numerous runnerup team finishes.
Topeka West leads the way with three state crowns, with Wilson's Chargers adding 6A titles in 1987 and '94.
West won the '85 championship by a 59-52 margin over Wichita Southeast as Stacy Cook and Diana Gaither winning the state doubles crown in an all-West final over teammates Amy Bybee and Andrea Hazlett.
The Chargers also topped the 6A standings in '87, with state doubles champs Tonna Rieger and Morgan Dietz leading the way as West topped Shawnee Mission East by a 39-34 margin, and Meg Griffin won the 6A singles title in '94 as West took a 29-24 decision over runnerup Garden City.
Washburn Rural earned its first of two 6A team titles in '90, with Bob Gladfelter's Junior Blues taking state on a tiebreaker over Manhattan as Danielle Knipp finished third in singles and
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
The name Elijah Brooks is familiar to basketball fans around Topeka, and after departing from Topeka West to play Division 1 basketball at North Dakota, the Charger product is continuing to build a solid on-the-court resume after having a strong freshman season.
Elijah Brooks
The high school record for Brooks speaks for itself.
He was named Mr. Basketball in Kansas for the 2021-22 season, finished as the all-time leading scorer in Topeka West history with 1,450 points and holds the single-game scoring record with 43 points.
It didn't take long for Brooks to earn a spot in the starting five for the Fighting Hawks. Brooks turned heads and impressed the North Dakota basketball staff enough to play in 27 games in the 2022-2023 campaign.
Brooks credits the teaching from Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist for setting him up for Division I success.
According to Brooks, how practices, weights and conditioning developmental plans at North Dakota are set is similar to how Bloomquist runs his practices at Topeka West.
"I'm sure he pulled bits and pieces out of college practices because it's similar to what we do in North Dakota," Brooks said. "He's a great coach and knows what he's talking about. He trusted me with everything. The weight room aspect of his coaching got me prepared for the next level.
"I was stronger than most of the incoming freshmen and was one of the top five strongest dudes on the team. He pushed me in the weight room, was big on my development throughout high school, and got me ready for college."
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Topeka Junior Golf Association wrapped up its 2023 City Tournament Tuesday at Cypress Ridge, crowning nine champions.
Raegan Petersen (middle) won girls 15-17-year-old championship in Tuesday's TJGA City Tournament at Western Hills, while Reese Randall (left) finished second and Avery Grunert third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Cam Zimlich (middle) won the 15-17 boys division of the TJGA City Tournament Tuesday at Western Hills, while Lane Workman (right) finished second and Bryan Tyrell third. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
On the girls side, Washburn Rural senior Raegan Petersen won the 15-17-year-old title while Peyton Wright won the 13-14 division, Avenley Head was the champ in the 11-12 division and Kolby Simoneau was the 9-10 champ.
Nikhil Rao (third from right) finished with a 18-hole score of 66 to win the TJGA 8-and-under boys division Tuesday at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Arjun Rao (middle) won the TJGA City Tournament in the 9-10 boys division Tuesday at Western Hills, with Parker Borjon second and Keaton Cox third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Easton Moulin (middle) won the 11-12 boys division in the TJGA City Tournament Tuesday at Western Hills while Landon Lentz (right) finished second and Jase Head third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Brody Buessing (middle) won the 13-14 boys division of the TJGA City Tournament Tuesday at Western Hills, while Evan Jones (left) finished second and Camden Ismert third. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Cam Zimlich was the champion in the boys 15-17 division while Brody Buessing was the 13-14 champ, Easton Moulin won the 11-12 division, Arjun Rao was the 9-10 champ and Nikhil Rao won the 8 and under title.
Kolby Simoneau and Rowan Martinek finished one-two in the 9-10 girls division of the TJGA City Tournament Tuesday at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Avenley Head (center) was crowned the 11-12 girls champion in Tuesday's TJGA City Tournament at Western Hills, while Madison Fechter (right) finished second and Jessie Vogt third. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Peyton Wright (right) and Kaitlynn Frye went one-two in the 13-14 girls division of Tuesday's TJGA City Tournament at Western Hills. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Petersen recorded a 36-hole score of 151, while Wright had a winning 18-hole total of 89, Head shot an 18-hole score of 96 and Kolby Simoneau carded an 18-hole 108 to win the 8-and-under championship.
Zimlich shot a 70 on Tuesday to win the 36-hole 15-17 boys division at 146 while Buessing posted a 36-hole win at 167, Moulin won with an 18-hole score of 73, A. Rao won the 9-10 division with an 18-hole total of 88 and N. Rao shot an outstanding 18-hole score of 66 to win the 8-and-under division by a 26-stroke margin, including a nine-hole score of 29 on Tuesday.
Eighty players competed in the City Tournament.
TJGA CITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
