Campbell Dawson, Topeka High Senior, 2025 volleyball player to watch.

[TSN File Photo]

Laruen Borjon, Hayden Senior, is on TSN's Girl's Golf watch list.

[TSN File Photo]

Juan Garcia, Shawnee Heights Senior, boys soccer player to watch.

[TSN File Photo.]

Valentin Del Real, Topeka West Sophomore, is on TSN's player to watch list.

[TSN File Photo]

Zach Watkins, Washburn University's new football head coach.

[File Photo/TSN]

Seaman senior, Brody Anderson, boys cross-country player to watch.

[Photo/TSN File.]

Julia Katzer (junior) girls tennis player to watch from Washburn Rural.

[File Photo/TSN]

Rossville junior, Nora Burdiek, is on TSN's volleyball player to watch list.

[File Photo/TSN]

Lauren Cox, Washburn Rural senior, is on TSN's girls golf player to watch list.

[File Photo/TSN]

Silver Lake junior, Ali Gerber, is on the girls cross-country player to watch list.

[File Photo/TSN]

Grace Funk, Hayden senior, TSN girls tennis player to watch.

[TSN File Photo]

A1 Lock Key Logo

Key Performers of the Week

Rising Stars Intro 002AA

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/HUDRYDFXEmail votes/nominations will also be accepted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

                                                                               -------------------------------------------------------

Former Shawnee Heights superstar Trisa Nickoley was a four-time Class 5A state cross country champion and never lost an individual state high school race in either cross country or track.

But while Nickoley is a great place to start TSN's Battle of the Best race to name the all-time best women's cross country runner in Shawnee County history, the former T-Bird and Missouri Tiger star is certainly not the only contender.

 TrisaNickoleyHOFTrisa Nickoley

AveryCliftonAvery Clifton

Avery Clifton was a two-time 6A state champ for Washburn Rural while Seaman products Sydney Messick and Shawna Burrell and Hayden's Bridget Deghand all captured individual state championships.

Sydney MessickSydney Messick

Jaybe ShufelbergerJaybe Shufelberger

Hayden's Kristin Strecker, Shawnee Heights' Ashley Davin and Washburn Rural's Cate Holston were all four-time state medalists while the list of three-time state medalists includes former Highland Park star Shavonna Maxwell, Seaman's Marge Eddy and Rural's Jaybe Shufelberger.

There are 25 candidates in all listed to pick from at https://linkto.run/p/HUDRYDFX 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: Football.

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