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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's
A solid case could be made for several candidates to garner the top spot inTopSports.news' Top 10 Best of the Best Coaches list for women's basketball, including three coaches who won three or more state championships.
But after winning three state titles and reaching five state championship games in Kansas' largest class and going on to a long career as a NCAA Division I assistant, the nod for No. 1 goes to former Washburn Rural coach Bill Annan.
Bill Annan led Washburn Rural to three Class 6A girls state basketball titles before moving on to the Division I level as an assistant coach. [Oklahoma State Athletics]
Former Silver Lake coach Loren Ziegler led the Eagles to five girls state basketball titles. [Silver Lake Schools]
Former Hayden coach Rick Strecker led the Wildcats to three girls basketball ttiles and five state crowns overall. [Submitted photo]
Former Silver Lake coach Loren Ziegler garnered the No. 2 position after winning five 3A titles over a 33-year span while former Hayden coach Rick Strecker ended up No. 3 after winning three 4A championships.
Former Topeka West coach Mike Goehring, who won 6A and 5A titles and also posted a runner-up finish in 6A, earned the No. 4 position while current Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick rounds out the top five, leading the Junior Blues to two 6A championships since 2019, including the 2022 title.
Strecker earned the No. 1 spot in the Reader's Choice poll, while Goehring finished No. 2 and current Shawnee Heights coach Bob Wells No. 3 in balloting by TSN readers
Nine members of the Best of the Best Coaches list earned at least one state championship, with five winning multiple titles.
A five-person panel of current and past sports media professionals with more than 150 years of combined experience met to help determine the final Best of the Best Top 10.
Former Seaman coach Ron Vinduska, former Shawnee Heights coach Mark Henry and former Topeka High coach Ted Juneau hold down the No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 Best of the Best spots, with all three coaches earning state championships.
No. 9 on the Best of the Best list is former Hayden coach Doug Finch, who led the Wildcats to a state title and a pair of runner-up finishes, while former Topeka High coach Hannah Alexander closes out the top 10 after leading the Trojans to four straight 6A semifinal berths, with a pair of state runner-up finishes..
Here's a look at the Top 10 and Readers Choice Awards:
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Two of the most recognizable names in Kansas high school sports ended up No. 1 and No. 2 on the TopSports.news Best of the Best Coaches list for men's basketball.
Ben Meseke coached Hayden to six state basketball titles and 12 state championships overall. [MacfeeSports.com]
Ken Darting has coached five teams to state boys basketball championships, including four at Highland Park. [File photo/TSN]
The late Willie Nicklin compiled over 500 career basketball wins and led Topeka High to a pair of state titles. [Submitted photo]
Current Seaman basketball coach Craig Cox has led five teams to state championships in basketball and baseball, including the Class 5A basketball title this past season. [File photo/TSN]
Former Hayden coach Ben Meseke, who led the Wildcats to six state basketball championships and a Shawnee County-high 12 state titles overall, earned the No. 1 spot by the narrowest of margins over former Silver Lake and Highland Park state championship coach Ken Darting, who coached the Eagles and Scots to five state basketball titles and six championships overall, and is still adding to his coaching legacy as the current Shawnee Heights coach.
Both Meseke and Darting are members of multiple halls of fame, including the Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Fame, as is the late Willie Nicklin, a Topeka High coaching legend who earned the No. 3 position on the Best of the Best list.
Current Seaman coach Craig Cox, who coached two state championship basketball and baseball teams at Shawnee Heights and added a third state basketball title at Seaman this past season, holds down the No. 4 spot while former Highland Park coach Randy Springs, who won a pair of state titles and a Grand State championship with the Scots, rounds out the top five.
Cox also earned the No. 1 spot in the Reader's Choice poll, edging out Darting and Nicklin in balloting by TSN readers.
Eight members of the Best of the Best Top 10 earned at least one state championship, with six winning multiple titles.
A five-person panel of current and past sports media professionals with more than 150 years of combined experience met to help determine the final Best of the Best Top 10.
The late Bob Bodenheimer, who led Shawnee Heights to back-to-back Class 5A state championships in the 1980s, ended up No. 6 on the Best of the Best Coaches list, followed by former Hayden coaches Ted Schuler and Ken Bueltel, former Washburn Rural coach Larry Longhofer and current Topeka West coach Rick Bloomquist to round out the Top 10.
Here's a look at the Top 10 and Readers Choice Awards:
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
OTTAWA -- Former Rossville football star Corey Catron was a late addition to the East roster for Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Pittsburg State University, getting the call earlier this month.
But it only took the two-time Class 2A state champion a matter of seconds to jump at the chance.
Former Rossville star Corey Catron takes a quick water break during Sunday night's East practice for Saturday night's Kansas Shrine Bowl. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I wouldn't miss this for anything,'' Catron said during Sunday evening's East practice session at Ottawa University. "This is great.
"I get to wear the Rossville helmet one more time and I wouldn't miss that chance for anything, honestly.''
A big bonus for the 5-foot-8, 166-pound Catron, who will play a slotback posision for the East, is that he gets to play one last time with former teammate and close friend Torrey Horak and his coach at Rossville, Derick Hammes, who is an assistant coach for the East.
"That's also going to be real fun, hanging out with those two one last time this week,'' Catron said.
Catron, who rushed for 1,315 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior, is counting on this week's East training camp to help get him ready to report to Bethel College in Newton, Kansas later this summer.
"Especially with these two and three-a-days it will help getting in shape because I haven't ran as much as I should have,'' Catron said with a smile. "It will help a lot, definitely, especially with the heat this week.''
Catron feels like Bethel, a member of the KCAC, will be a good fit for him.
"Hanging out with some of the players that were down there when I showed up was kind of cool, and just being at a smaller college, not a real big D-II or anything, just felt right for me,'' Catron said.
But before launching his college career, Catron is eager to add his name to Rossville's Shrine Bowl legacy.
"Having your name up there with all the great Rossville guys, that's awesome because there's been a lot of people who have gone through Rossville that's done a great job,'' said Catron, who was named the Topeka Shawnee County Most Inspirational Male Athlete earler this summer. "I'm real excited.''
Catron is one of four Shawnee Country products who will play for the East in Saturday night's game, which will kick off at 7 p.m. at Carnie Smith Stadium.
Horak is playing quarterback for the East while Seaman grad Casen Stallbaumer is playing linebacker and Shawnee Heights grad Orrin Busenitz offensive center.
Horak will play his college football at Central Missouri while Stallbaumer is headed to Emporia State and Busenitz to Washburn.
Topeka High lineman Danny Saili was also selected to play in the game, but was a late withdrawal.
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By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Musings at the mid-month:
• Everyone knows Kid Rock is the headliner Saturday at Country Stampede.
• But have you heard about his leadoff act, Old Rubble?
• That best describes SE 77th Street (Gary Ormsby Drive), the washboard that leads to the entrance of Heartland Motorsports Park.
• Look, I don’t know which entity has jurisdiction of that pavement, city or county.
• I know both have had episodes with Heartland Park that did not end in warm and fuzzies.
• But good grief. Country Stampede and the NHRA pro drag racing are easily two of the primary events attracting people to our city and county.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The goal for Megan Lucas and Abby Glynn is to win every time they step on a golf course.
But although the former Washburn Rural state champions fell short of that Tuesday, they still left Topeka Country Club with their heads held high after posting top-five individual finishes in the Kansas Women's Amateur.
Former Washburn Rural stars Abby Glynn (left) and Megan Lucas posted top-five finishes in the Kansas Women's Amateur Tuesday at Topeka Country Club. [Submitted photo]
Lucas, a former Class 6A individual champion, a three-time medalist and two-time state team champ, finished third at 227 after shooting rounds of 77, 75 and 75 while Glynn, a three-time 6A state team champ and three-time individual medalist, tied for fifth at 229 after rounds of 75, 76 and 78.
