By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Picking the boys and girls wrestling teams for the top of the TopSports.news Best of the Best Top 10 wasn't an easy chore.
But one thing was for sure -- the poll was going to have a distinctive blue tint to it.
Washburn Rural's 2023 girls wrestling team set a state girls tournament record with nine state placers on the way to its third state title in four seasons [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural captured its first Class 6A boys wrestling state title in 2021 while earning three individual state championships. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural's wrestling teams have garnered all five of Shawnee County's state team titles in the sport and eight Junior Blue teams are among the 12 that received mention in the Top 10, which includes boys and girls teams.
Damon Parker's 2023 girls team and Parker's '21 boys team top the Best of the Best list, with this past season's Rural girls team setting a state record with nine state placers on the way to its third championship in four seasons while the '21 boys team ran away with the Class 6A state title by a 47.5-point margin to claim the first boys state team crown in county history.
Washburn Rural's girls set a state record for margin of victory in the 2021 state tournament. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural's 2022 boys wrestling team won its second straight Class 6A state tournament title. [File photo/TSN]
Rural's '21 girls team, which set a state record for margin of victory is No. 2 on the Top 10 while Rural's '22 boys team, the Junior Blues' '20 girls team and the '18 boys team round out the top five.
Rossville's '16 boys team and the Bulldawgs' '23 girls team are ranked No. 6 and 7, while Shawnee Heights' '11 boys team, Rossville's '14 boys team are No. 8 and 9 and Washburn Rural's '22 girls team and '20 boys team share the 10th spot.
Washburn Rural's 2023 6A-5A girls title team was the winner in the Reader's Choice balloting by a mere eight votes over Rossville's '23 girls team, followed by Rural's '21 boys team, the Junior Blues' 21 girls team and Rural's '20 girls team to round out the top five.
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST GIRLS/BOYS WRESTLING TEAMS
1. Washburn Rural girls (2023) and Washburn Rural boys (2021) -- Damon Parker's Washburn Rural girls won their third state team championship in four seasons by a 153-141 margin over Garden City while setting a girls state tournament record for most state placers with nine. Parker's '21 boys team garnered the Junior Blues' first-ever Class 6A boys championship by a decisive 47.5-point margin over Olathe North (159.5-112) as Jonathan Morrison (106 pounds), Jacob Tangpricha (113) and Bishop Murray (120) all won state titles and five Junior Blues reached the state finals.
2. Washburn Rural girls (2021) -- Damon Parker's Junior Blues set a girls state record for girls state margin of victory with a 100-74 win over Wichita North in the Class 6A-5A state tournament as Dajia Anderson won her second straight individual and team titles while Rebekah Smith was also an individual champ.
3. Washburn Rural boys (2022) -- First-year Washburn Rural coach Josh Hogan led the Junior Blues to their second straight Class 6A state title by a 151-142.5 margin over Derby. Rural got individual state titles from Aidan Boline (160) and Austin Fager (182).
4. Washburn Rural girls (2020) -- Washburn Rural won the first-ever official girls state tournament championship and Dajia Anderson was the Junior Blues' first individual state champ.
5. Washburn Rural boys (2018) -- The Junior Blues came within a whisker of winning their first state team title, with Washburn Rural finishing second to Olathe North by 1.5 points (151-149.5). Bishop Murray (106), Gunnar Murray (132) and Gavin Carter (195) won state titles.
6. Rossville boys (2016) -- Rossville finished second as a team in 3A-1A, just four points out of first as Isaac Luellen (182) and Cole Davoren (220) won state titles and five Bulldawgs placed in the top three.
7. Rossville girls (2023) -- Kendra Hurla won her third straight state title (120), while Keera Lacock (115) finished second and Hailey Horton (155) third as the Bulldawgs finished second as a team in the Class 4A-1A state tournament.
8. Shawnee Heights boys (2011) -- Donnie Lockhart won a state title (189) and Tyler Willis (160) and Derek Holly (285) finished second as the T-Birds finished second as a team in Class 5A.
9. Rossville boys (2014) -- The Bulldawgs finished second in Class 3A-1A as Bryce Gfeller (106) and Tagen Lambotte (152) won individual state championships.
10. (tie) Washburn Rural girls (2022) -- Washburn Rural finished second as a team in Class 6A-5A by an 118.5-111 margin to Dodge City. Addison Broxterman was a state runnerup at 120 pounds.
10. (tie) Washburn Rural boys (2020) -- The Junior Blues finished second in Class 6A, 121/2 points behind Mill Valley. Washburn Rural boys got individual state titles from Jacob Tangpricha (106) and Bishop Murray (113).
READER'S CHOICE GIRLS/BOYS WRESTLING AWARDS
1. Washburn Rural girls (2023) -- No. 2 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
2. Rossville girls (2023) -- No. 7 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
3. Washburn Rural boys (2021) -- No. 1 boys on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
4. Washburn Rural girls (2021) -- No. 1 girls on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
5. Washburn Rural girls (2020) -- No. 4 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
6. Washburn Rural boys (2022) -- No. 8 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above)..7. Shawnee Heights boys (2011) -- No. 8 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
8. Rossville boys (2016) -- No. 6 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).9. Rossville boys (2014) -- No. 9 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
10. (tie) Rossville boys (2002) --
10. (tie) Washburn Rural boys (2018) -- No. 5 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
