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/HUDRYDFX. Email votes/nominations will also be accepted at
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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.
Trisa Nickoley
Avery 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 Messick
Jaybe 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.
