Topeka High Trojans
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Cair Paravel Latin and Topeka High head football coach Jason Filbeck both made a little bit of history with season-opening road victories Friday night.
Cair Paravel notched its first-ever 11-man victory in a 44-0 win at West Franklin while Filbeck posted his first victory at Topeka High in his debut with the Trojans as High rolled to a 52-19 win over Wichita West at Friends University.
CPLS dominated its 11-man debut from start to finish, using a 21-point second quarter to open up a 28-0 halftime advantage and adding its final two TDs in the fourth quarter.
Ben Roeder
The Lions scored the only points they would need midway through the opening quarter when senior Ben Roeder scored on a 4-yard run and CPLS standout senior quarterback Jase Pavlik ran for the 2-point conversion to give his team an 8-0 lead.
Roeder returned a punt return 73 yards for a TD to give Cair Paravel a 14-0 lead with eight minutes left in the first half and Chase Hastert added interception returns of 46 and 50 yards to put the Lions in control at the half.
Tobias Bonura added an 85-yard interception return and Pavlik hit Roeder for a 2-point conversion early in the fourth quarter before Roeder scored his third TD on a 3-yard rush (Pavlik run) to complete the Lions' scoring with six minutes left.
Topeka High rolled to a 52-19 road win over Wichita West Friday, giving Jason Filbeck a victory in his debut as the Trojans' head coach. [File photo/TSN]
The Trojans made sure Friday was a happy night Filbeck, who accepted the Topeka High job in the offseason after 10 years at Augusta, with High scoring the first 20 points and never looking back.
Topeka High never trailed after Zane Smith and Trevante Ewing connected with a 7-yard TD pass with 7:33 left in the first quarter.
Smith threw his second touchdown pass with 4:31 left in the opening quarter and Ewing scored again to put the Trojans in front 20-0 early in the second quarter.
Later in the first half Ewing scored for the third time to give the Trojans a 26-6 lead and Smith hit Jayden Norman for a 90-yard TD to put High up 32-6 at the half.
Detrick Johnson put Topeka High up 46-6 at the 7:46 mark of the third quarter and the Trojans cruised the rest of the way.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m.)
Rossville senior Tayson Horak (12) earned All-Shawnee County Second 22 and All-Mid-East League first-team honors last fall. [File photo/TSN]
Former Silver Lake football star Logan Pegram is starting his third season as the Eagles' head coach, leading Lake to a 14-5 record over the past two years. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
ROSSVILLE at SILVER LAKE
The Bulldawgs and Eagles open the 2024 season with one of the state's most storied rivalries. Rossville is coming off a 5-4 record a year ago while Silver Lake went 8-2. Rossville is playing its first season in the Class 1A ranks while the Bulldawgs and Silver Lake are both entering their first year in the new Big East League. Rossville senior Tayson Horak earned All-Mid-East League first-team recognition on offense and was a TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Second 22 pick last season while seniors Kameron Badura and Brock Bush and junior Jack Donovan received all-county honorable mention. Silver Lake senior Braden Strausbaugh, an offensive tackle and defensive end, earned All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last fall while seniors Logan Cathcart and Trent Rollenhagen and junior Dayne Johnson received all-county honorable mention.
Seniors King Leonard (1) is a top returner for Washburn Rural, intercepting nine passes last fall for the 11-1 Junior Blues. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights junior receiver/defensive back Tyren Parker has received Division I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. [File photo/TSN]
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS at WASHBURN RURAL
City rivals Washburn Rural and Shawnee Heights combined for 19 wins last season, with the 11-1 Junior Blues advancing to the Class 6A semifinals and the 8-3 T-Birds making it to the 5A quarterfinals. Rural senior safety King Leonard was among the state leaders with nine interceptions, including one pick six, and was also in on 75 tackles (47 solo) en route to earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors last fall. Senior cornerback Wilson Miller was named the Shawnee County defensive newcomer of the year and earned All-Centennial League defensive honors and All-Shawnee County Second 22 recognition last season. Shawnee Heights only returns defensive starters Parker Busenitz, a senior safety, and junior cornerback Tyren Parker from last year's team along with junior kicker Camden Granado. Parker has D-I offers from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State.
Senior Jamon Wilson racked up 1,185 all-purpose yards and scored 63 points last fall for the 7-3 Scots. [File photo/TSN]
KC-WYANDOTTE at HIGHLAND PARK
At Hummer Sports Park
After snapping an eight-year losing streak early in 2022, Jermaine Monroe's Scots have posted back-to-back winning seasons, including a 7-3 mark last season when Highland Park won its first playoff game since 1991. Senior linebacker Ricky Crawford earned All-Meadowlark Conference first-team and Second 22 All-Shawnee County honors last season, leading Highland Park with 78 tackles, including 54 solo stops, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. Junior defensive back TremaineSavage was a first-team All-Meadowlark Conference selection last season, recording 29 tackles, registering 15 pass breakups and forcing two fumbles, while senior wide receiver/defensive back Jamon Wilson racked up 1,185 all-purpose yards last season while scoring 63 total points and receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Wyandotte is coming off a 1-8 season in 2023.
Hayden senior receiver/defensive back Jensen Schrickel is a two-time All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN at EUDORA
Hayden went 12-1 and finished second in Class 3A last fall while Eudora is coming off a 5-5 season, losing to Atchison 50-27 in the second round of the 4A playoffs. Wildcat senior wide receiver/defensive back Jensen Schrickel is a two-time TSN All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection, catching 40 passes for 683 yards, carrying the ball 18 times for 268 yards and scoring 10 total touchdowns and three 2-point conversions. Junior running back Kade Mitchell was named the co-offensive newcomer of the year in Shawnee County last season after rushing for 764 yards on 79 carries, catching 13 passes for 209 yards and scored 14 touchdowns and 92 total points. Senior quarterback Jett Wahlmeier completed 61 of 113 passing attempts for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall.
By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
High school football players who come off the field have traditionally made a trip to the water cooler, congregated near the coaches to watch the action on the field, or perhaps snuck a peak at their friends and family in the stands.
But increasingly, local players are gathering around large screen televisions on the sidelines or peering at hand-held devices on the bench.
The high school game is becoming more high-tech by the season. It’s not uncommon to see a drone buzzing just outside the field of play, filming the action and relaying those images to coaches as the game is going on.
For an old school football fan familiar with Vince Lombardi’s diagrams on a chalk board, it can all seem mind boggling. But to teenagers immersed in a high-tech world, it’s the best way to learn the game.
Highland Park football coach Jermaine Monroe said that ever-changing technology can provide big advantages for high school teams. [File photo/TSN]
“This is the way to communicate to students today,” said Highland Park coach Jermaine Monroe. “I think to be able to connect to students in the classroom and on the field, we need to stay up with the times. We have to be able to change and adapt. Technology in the game is not going anywhere, and it’s only going to get better and better.”
Monroe is one of several veteran coaches in the area who are working hard to adapt to the new technology. He said he no longer prints playbooks for his players to study. It’s all done on video.
“I’m 100% enjoying it,” Monroe said. “I was kind of stuck in the old school way of doing things, but when I learned how user-friendly these things are, it’s making things easier and I’m getting information to the boys faster, which is the most important thing.”
Shawnee Heights football coach Jason Swift said that the T-Bird coaching staff uses technology in a variety of ways to communicate with Heights' players. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights coach Jason Swift said the T-Birds typically use a camera in or on top of the press box to send video instantly to a TV on the sideline.
“That enables us to, in between series, have a unit look at the video on the monitor which allows the coaches to teach what’s going on based on the past series,” Swift said. “It’s instant feedback.
“A lot of our kids play both ways and don’t come off the field long enough to look at film. But seven or eight might.”
Like many teams, Shawnee Heights uses a drone and mounts a camera on a tripod in one end zone to provide different angles of the action. While the T-Birds utilize footage strictly from the press box during the game, Swift said the other video footage is invaluable for teaching in practice.
“I love it,” Swift said. “It’s more time management on downloading film and getting it ready to show to kids. If you’re looking at a sideline view of a play and an end zone view of the play, you have to cut it up so that they match. It’s a little bit more time consuming, but the benefit of using it as a teaching tool outweighs the time.”
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After dropping a 5-4 double-overtime road heartbreaker to Lawrence on a penalty kick Tuesday night, Topeka High's soccer team was looking for something positive to wipe the sour taste out of its match.
It only took 1 minute, 49 seconds on Thursday at Hummer Sports Park to start that process, with the Trojans getting an early goal from junior Noah Storrer to kick start a 5-1 Centennial League win over Hayden.
Topeka High junior Noah Storrer (6) put the Trojans ahead to stay with an early goal and the Trojans went on to take a 5-1 Centennial League win over Hayden Thursday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We were excited about the way we played at times against Lawrence, but having that filthy taste in our mouths for a couple of days, getting a goal early and doing it the right way and not just getting lucky with something, that set the tone for the evening,'' Topeka High coach Derek Snook said.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practices at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will post preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2024 season on Sept. 6.
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New Topeka High football coach Jason Filbeck knows that building the Trojan program to where he wants it to be is a work in progress, but with the Sept. 6 season-opener on the near horizon, Filbeck continues to gain confidence that a turnaround is definitely possible.
Jason Filbeck enters his first season as Topeka High's football coach after 10 years at Augusta. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"If you had asked me (earlier) I would have probably been optimistic because I need to be, but once we had shoulder pads on and got to butt heads a little bit, now I'm excited,'' Filbeck said. "Football season is like the best time of the year and we're finally getting closer and closer to it.''
Filbeck, who played at Baker University, began his coaching career as an assistant at the middle school level in the Blue Valley district and spent a decade as an assistant coach at Shawnee Mission East before taking his first head coaching job at Class 4A Augusta, where he posted a 45-51 record in 10 seasons.
The Orioles posted six .500 or better seasons under Filbeck, including a 7-3 season and a pair of 6-4 campaigns. Augusta went 2-7 last fall.
Filbeck takes over a Topeka High program that has posted back-to-back 1-8 seasons and hit the ground running this summer.
"We moved up from the Wichita area on June 1st and started weights on June 3rd,'' Filbeck said. "The summer was good for us. The core group of kids gets it now and now it's just getting them to spread the word to all the other kids who maybe didn't come much this summer because we've got a culture we're trying to get established. The kids have done a good job of recruiting others.''
Filbeck is also very happy with the way he's been accepted by the Trojan players.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kameron Badura
KAMERON BADURA, Rossville
A senior, Badura received TopSports.news All-Shawnee County and All-Mid-East League honorable mention recognition last fall for the 5-4 Bulldawgs. Badura is a returning starter for Rossville and is expected to play a key role as a skill player on offense and in the defensive secondary.
Alesecio Batson
ALESECIO BATSON, Topeka West
A senior, Batson is best known for his exploits in track and field, winning the Class 5A state triple jump championship at 48 feet, 4.25 inches as a sophomore in 2023. West football coach Trey Parker will try to take advantage of Batson's superb athleticism in a variety of roles this fall, including safety on defense.
Elijah Berg
ELIJAH BERG, Topeka West
Berg, a senior, will be counted on to provide talent and leadership for a Topeka West program that is looking to improve on back-to-back 1-8 seasons. Berg could see action in a variety of roles for the Chargers, including wide receiver, where he is West's top returner.
Tobias Bonura
TOBIAS BONURA, Cair Paravel Latin
As one of only four returning lettermen from last season's 9-3 Cair Paravel team, Bonura, a junior, will be counted on to be a team leader as the Lions make the jump to the 11-man ranks (Class 1A) for the first time in school history. With only 19 players on the roster, Bonura and the other Cair Paravel veterans will rarely leave the field.
Andrew Broughton
ANDREW BROUGHTON, Seaman
A 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior center, Broughton will anchor the offensive line for the Vikings after earning All-United Kansas Conference second-team honors and TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season. Broughton helped the Vikings post a 6-5 record and advance to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
Parker Busenitz
PARKER BUSENITZ, Shawnee Heights
Busenitz, a senior, is a returning starter at safety, one of only two returning defensive starters for Shawnee Heights, which is coming off an 8-3 season last fall. Busenitz received All-Shawnee County honorable mention in 2023 after recording 40 tackles with three pass interceptions and is also expected to be an impact player at wide receiver for the T-Birds.
Brock Bush
BROCK BUSH, Rossville
A senior linebacker, Bush received All-Mid-East League and All-Shawnee County honorable mention last fall for the 5-4 Bulldawgs after receiving second-team all-league recognition and all-county honorable mention as a sophomore. The three-year starter will be counted on for leadership as Rossville begins its first season in the Big East League and looks to be a Class 1A contender.
Conner Bush
CONNER BUSH, Rossville
A junior, Bush is a top defensive returner for Rossville, which is coming off a 5-4 season, and has also logged multiple offensive starts for the Bulldawgs. Bush, one of 18 returning lettermen, will be a key player as Rossville makes the transition to Class 1A and to the Big East League.
Logan Cathcart
LOGAN CATHCART, Silver Lake
A senior, Cathcart is a returning starter for the Eagles, 8-2 last season, at both wide receiver and safety and will be counted on to provide leadership as Silver Lake makes the transition to the Big East League. Cathcart is also a baseball standout for the Eagles, receiving All-Shawnee County honorable mention last spring.
Seth Catron
SETH CATRON, Rossville
The Bulldawgs, coming off a 5-4 record a year ago, will be looking for Catron, a senior, to be one of Rossville's biggest weapons on offense as the team makes the transition to the Big East League and the Class 1A ranks this season. Catron, who has made multiple starts for the Bulldawgs, is one of 18 returning lettermen.
Ricky Crawford
RICKY CRAWFORD, Highland Park
Crawford, a 6-0, 180 senior linebacker, earned All-Meadowlark Conference first-team and Second 22 All-Shawnee County honors last season after helping lead the Scots to a 7-3 record and their first playoff win since 1991. Crawford led Highland Park with 78 tackles, including 54 solo stops, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and 13 quarterback hurries.
Hayden Cummings
HAYDEN CUMMINGS, Seaman
A 5-10, 205 senior linebacker, Cummings earned second-team All-United Kansas Conference recognition and All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after helping the Vikings post a 6-5 record and advance to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Cummings was credited with 103 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles for the Vikings.
Broderick Desch
BRODERICK DESCH, Hayden
Desch, a 5-10, 205 senior fullback, earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after playing a key role on offense as the Wildcats posted a 12-1 record and advanced to the Class 3A state championship game. Desch rushed for 511 yards on 102 carries and scored 10 touchdowns in 2023.
Jack Donovan
JACK DONOVAN, Rossville
A junior wide receiver/defensive back, Donovan earned All-Mid-East first-team recognition on defense last season and earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Donovan is also a standout for the Bulldawgs in both golf and basketball, earning first-team All-Shawnee County recognition in both sports.
Caden Estrada
CADEN ESTRADA, Washburn Rural
A 6-2, 270 senior offensive tackle, Estrada has earned first-team All-Centennial League recognition the past two seasons and was a Second 22 All-Shawnee County selection last fall after helping Washburn Rural post an 11-1 record and advance to the Class 6A semifinals.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman senior Stella Appelhanz is a three-time All-Shawnee County pick for the Vikings. [File photo/TSN]
STELLA APPELHANZ, Seaman
A senior, Appelhanz is a three-time All-Shawnee County selection. Appelhanz placed seventh in the city meet, posted a third-place finish in the United Kansas Conference meet and was 13th in Class 5A regional competition. Appelhanz placed 36th in the Class 5A state meet and had a personal-best time five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 37 seconds.
A three-time All-Shawnee County pick, Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink finished second in Class 6A last fall. [File photo/TSN]
PAYTON FINK, Washburn Rural
A senior, Fink posted top-two individual finishes in all four of the championship meet as a junior. Fink was the individual champion in the Centennial League and Class 6A regional meets and was the runnerup in the city and 6A state meets. Fink earned her third straight state medal and had a personal-best time of 17:33. Fink led Rural to city, league and regional team titles and a fourth-place finish at state.
Silver Lake sophomore Ali Gerber was a Class 3A state qualifier for the Eagles as a freshman. [Submitted photo]
ALI GERBER, Silver Lake
Gerber, a sophomore, medaled in seven meets as a freshman with six top-10 finishes en route to earning All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Gerber was a state qualifer for the Eagles in cross country and was a member of Silver Lake's Class 3A state championship 4x400-meter relay team in track this past spring.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High senior Jo'Mhara Benning received second-team All-Shawnee County recognition the past two seasons. [File photo/TSN]
JO'MHARA BENNING, Topeka High
Benning, a senior, has received second-team All-Shawnee County recognition the past two seasons and was also a second-team All-Centennial League pick. Benning is also a softball standout for the Trojans, earning All-Shawnee County first-team honors.
ELLA BOLAN, Silver Lake
Bolan, a senior middle hitter/outside hitter, earned All-Shawnee County first-team honors and Kansas Volleyball Association All-Class 3A honorable mention last fall after helping Silver Lake post a third-place finish in the 3A state tournament, with the Eagles posting a 32-12 record on the year. An All-3A state tournament pick and second-team All-Mid-East League honoree, Bolan registered 317 kills with 62 blocks and 38 service aces.
TAYLOR BREES, Shawnee Heights
A senior, Brees was a second-team All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference selection last season for the T-Birds. Brees also earned first-team All-Shawnee County recognition in softball this past spring.
Silver Lake senior Alana Brewster, spiking the ball, earned second-team All-Shawnee County honors last season. [File photo/TSN]
ALANA BREWSTER, Silver Lake
Brewster, a senior, received second-team All-Shawnee County recognition last season after helping Silver Lake post a 32-12 record and a third-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ANTONIO AGUIRRE, Highland Park
A senior, Aguirre has been one of the top players in the Meadowlark Conference for Highland Park the past two seasons, earning first-team all-conference honors as a sophomore and junior. Aguirre received All-City honorable mention last fall after the Scots posted a 4-13-0 record.
Topeka High senior Jaime Alvarado earned first-team All-City and All-Centennial League recognition last fall. [File photo/TSN]
JAIME ALVARADO, Topeka High
A senior forward, Alvarado earned first-team All-City and All-City recognition last season for the Trojans, who posted a 7-10-0 record. Alvarado received All-City and All-Centennial League honorable mention as a sophomore in 2022.
Washburn Rural junior Draden Chooncharoen (23) was a second-team All-Centennial League selection last season for the 19-2 Junior Blues. [File photo/TSN]
DRADEN CHOONCHAROEN, Washburn Rural
A junior midfielder, Chooncharoen had four goals and four assists and received second-team All-Centennial League honors last fall as Washburn Rural (19-2) won its 29th straight Centennial League title (outright or shared) and finished third in Class 6A. A three-sport standout, Chooncharoen was a 4x400-meter relay state champion this past spring in track.
Hayden senior Cooper Grace (18) was a first-team All-City selection last fall for the Wildcats. [File photo/TSN]
COOPER GRACE, Hayden
A senior defender, Grace was a first-team All-Centennial League pick and earned All-City honorable mention last season for the 6-8-3 Wildcats. An All-Stater in baseball, Grace led the Wildcats to the Class 3A state title this past spring and has made an oral commitment to Nebraska.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Emerie Catlin
EMERIE CATLIN, Washburn Rural
A senior, Catlin teamed with Izzy Haggard to advance to the Class 6A state tournament last fall with a second-place regional finish. Catlin and Haggard won the city championship in No. 2 doubles and finished second in doubles in the Centennial League meet. Catlin and Haggard went 22-9 on the season, helping the Junior Blues sweep city, Centennial League and regional team titles and tie for fifth as a team at state.
Carolina Chedzoy
CAROLINA CHEDZOY, Washburn Rural
Chedzoy, a senior, capped her first season at Washburn Rural with an eighth-place singles finish in the Class 6A state tournament. Chedzoy, who went 23-11 on the season, won a regional championship after finishing second in the city and Centennial League tournaments. Chedzoy helped lead the Junior Blues to city, Centennial League and regional team championships before Rural tied for fifth in 6A.
Sidney Chinn
SIDNEY CHINN, Seaman
A senior, Chinn helped Seaman capture United Kansas Conference and Class 5A regional team championships last fall and was a state qualifier in singles. Chinn posted third-place finishes in regional and city competition and finished fifth in the UKC championships.
Madeline Deters
MADELINE DETERS, Topeka High
Deters, a junior, will be counted on to be a leader for Duane Pomeroy's Trojans this season. Deters qualified for the Class 6A state tournament in singles as a freshman in 2022 and is likely to play No. 1 singles for Topeka High in 2024.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After rarely leaving the field as a two-way starter for Topeka High as a senior in the 2021 football season, Tylan Alejos has done a lot of watching the past two years.
Tylan Alejos
The 5-foot-9, 200-pound sophomore running back is hoping to change that this fall in his second season for Washburn University.
"I would say that this is the most prepared I came into a football season and I should be seeing the field a lot this year,'' Alejos said.
Alejos earned All-Shawnee County Top 22 and All-Centennial League first-team honors as a senior at High after rushing for 1,327 yards on 202 carries with 18 total touchdowns, including a 400-yard, eight-touchdown game in a Centennial League victory over Highland Park, and recording 40 tackles (16 solo) with a pass interception.
Former Topeka High star Tylan Alejos (7) is starting his second season at Washburn University after a redshirt season at Kansas. [File photo/TSN]
Alejos opted to walk on at the University of Kansas as a freshman and redshirted the '22 season before transerring to Washburn last fall.
But even though he never got on the field at KU, he believes his time with the Jayhawks was a valuable experience.
"I'd say it was the best situation for me because I got to play against some of the best players in the country at the Power 5 level and saw every day what it takes to get to that next level,'' Alejos said.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the record, the No. 1 men's spot on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history wasn't decided by a coin flip... but it was briefly considered.
Picking the top spot, and really the entire Top 10, was that tough of a task.
Topeka High baseball legend Mike Torrez and former Shawnee Heights basketball and golf star Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, had both been selected No. 1 in previous Top 100 projects and were both worthy candidates this time around as were several other nationally and world-renowned local greats.
In the end Torrez, a World Series champion and 20-game winner over an 18-year year Major League career, got the nod by the slightest of margins over Woodland, a two-time state basketball champ for the T-Birds and a four-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Former American League All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner Ken Berry holds down the No. 3 position on the TSN list followed by two-time Olympic wrestler Melvin Douglas and Silver Lake and Kansas State basketball icon Lon Krugeer.
The second five on the Top 10 include PBA Hall of Famer Chris Barnes, Olympic long-jumper Preston Carrington (Syed Abdul-Mutfi), former NFL veterans and Super Bowl participants Troy Wilson and Tom Dinkel, and two-time state high school and NAIA national basketball champion Tom Meier.
All of the Top 10 honorees are members of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The most impressive thing about NiJaree Canady is that she still may have not hit her peak just two college seasons into an already prolific softball career.
But the former two-time state champion at Topeka High, college freshman of the year and national player of the year for Stanford and future Texas Tech Red Raider has already accomplished enough to get the nod for the No. 1 spot on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history.
Canady, who also helped lead Topeka High to three straight Class 6A state berths in basketball, headlines a top five that that also includes Olympic silver medalist Margaret Murdock, former NCAA national softball champion Lisa Carey, current Kentucky and USA Volleyball Under 21 star Brooklyn DeLeye and multi-time state champ, Arizona State All-American and pro tennis player Sheri Norris.
Former Cair Paravel Latin star Peyton Williams, an All-Big-12 honoree in basketball and volleyball for Kansas State, earned the No. 6 spot on the Top 100, followed by K-State hoops star Nadira Hazim, Washburn University record-setter Brenda Shaffer-Dahl, Iowa State volleyball star Kaylee Manns and Nebraska national volleyball champ Jazz Sweet.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seven Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Famers, two current NFL players who continue to add to their legacy, and a baseball great who made his mark more than a century ago comprise men's picks No. 11 through 20 on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history.
The late Fred Slaughter and Steve Tilford, who graduated from Topeka High, Highland Park's Michael Wilhoite, Kyle Weems and James Patrick, Washburn Rural's Aaron Crow and Topeka West's Warren Seitz are all members of the Topeka Shawnee County shrine while former Topeka High star Teven Jenkins and Shawnee Heights/Washburn University great Corey Ballentine have carved out successful NFL careers and the late Elwood "Bingo'' DeMoss made his professional baseball debut in 1905 before going on to an outstanding career in the Negro Leagues as a player and a manager.
Slaughter played on the legendary John Wooden's first national basketball championship team at UCLA, while Tilford was a world renowned cyclist.
Wilhoite put together a seven-year NFL career, including a Super Bowl appearance, while Weems helped lead Highland Park to a perfect 25-0 season basketball season before starring at Missouri State and embarking on a long and continuing professional career while Patrick helped the Scots capture the only Grand State championship in Kansas history.
Crow was an All-American at Missouri and an American League All-Star for the Kansas City Royals while Seitz was a multi-sport standout at Topeka West, quarterbacked the Missouri Tigers and had a stint in the NFL.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
We're down to the top 20 women's picks for TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history and the achievements just keep getting more and more impressive.
Selections No. 11 through 20 include a United States Olympian and a 17-time individual state high school champion as well as a pair of NCAA Division I team champions and a D-I individual champ.
The latest group of picks also includes a multi-sport star who racked up seven state crowns in two sports along with a Final Four participant, an all-time Washburn great and two early trailblazers for local women's athletics.
Here's a look at No. 11-20:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Men's picks No. 21-30 on the list of TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 Athletes features two local basketball legends, a pair of players who made it to the Major Leagues, five of the county's most recognizable names in football and one of the most accomplished multi-sport athletes in local annals.
The late Ron Paradis and Delvy Lewis led Washburn Rural to a state basketball championship before going on to standout careers at Kansas State and Kansas, respectively, while Duff "Sir Richard' Cooley and former Hayden and Washburn standout Jerad Head made it to the Major Leagues in baseball.
Kyle McNorton (Seaman) was an All-Big 8 linebacker for Kansas and played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, Trey Lewis (Washburn Rural) was an All-American for Washburn and played for the Falcons, Will Geary (Topeka High) and Wyatt Hubert (Shawnee Heights) were multiple-time All-Big 12 picks for Kansas State and Ky Thomas (Topeka High) finished his prep career as the No. 2 all-time rusher in state history before going on to a Division I career.
Mark Elliott was a multiple sport standout for Silver Lake, was a pick in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, played quarterback at Washburn and is one of the area's most successful golfers.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest women's selections for TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 encompasses a group of athletes who are probably household names for most any local household that has a sports fan.
The group of 10 include a national player of the year (Stacey Slavens), an MIAA player of the year (Jessica Mainz), an All-Big 12 honoree (Crystal Kemp), seven total college All-Americans in five different sports (Slavens, Mainz, Dani McHenry, Shannon Suddarth, Laura Klamm, Latisha Yarnell, JaNelle Wright) and three of Kansas' best ever in high school track and field (Jocelyn Bentley, Lori Green, Wright).
Here's a look at picks No. 21 through 30:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka High product NiJaree Canady, the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year as a sophomore at Stanford, announced Wdnesday afternoon that she is transferring to Texas Tech out of the transfer portal.
College softball player of the year NiJaree Canady, a former two-sport star at Topeka High, announced Wednesday that she is transferring to Texas Tech. [Stanford Athletics]
Canady, a multi-time All-State softball and basketball honoree at Topeka High, will join the Red Raiders, a member of the Big 12, with two years of college elibibility remaining.
Canady announced her commitment on X (formerly Twitter) and ESPN reported that Canady, a right-handed pitcher, has agreed to a record-breaking name, image and likeness deal.
Canady entered the transfer portal last month after leading Stanford to back-to-back Women's College World Series appearances in 2023 and 2024.
As a sophomore Canady posted a 24-7 pitching record while leading the nation with a 0.73 earned run average and 337 strikeouts.
Canady, who was named the national freshman of the year in her first season at Stanford, compiled an 0.67 earned run average over her two seasons with the Cardinal, posting 555 strikeouts in 365⅔ innings.
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest men's picks in TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 Athletes (No. 31-40) are a vastly varied group, featuring All-Americans in three different sports as well as the most successful Paralympic athletes in county history.
Shawnee Heights wrestling great Tanner Gardner went on to become Stanford's first three-time NCAA All-American while Hayden two-sport state champ John Tetuan was an All-American pitcher for Wichita State and Highland Park star Dale Cushinberry was a two-time basketball All-American for Emporia State.
Tetuan had a stint as a minor league pitcher while Topeka High product Ted Evans and former Highland Park All-Stater Jahmal McMurray both played professional basketball.
Picks No. 31-40 also include local legends Mark Turgeon and Dan Davis, who helped lead Hayden to undefeated state championships in basketball and football, as well as former Seaman hoops star Johnny Johnson, who put together a Hall of Fame career at Washburn University, and world-renowned Paralympic athletes Dan Cnossen (Shawnee Heights) and Austin Hanson (Seaman).
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The latest men's picks in TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 are not only a testament to some of the county's all-time greats in six different sports but also provide a bit of a history test for even the most seasoned of local sports fans.
TSN's latest group of 10 Top 100 honorees (picks No. 41-50) includes athletes who achieved the bulk of their athletic greatness in seven different decades covering more than 100 years.
Included are "Dink'' Mothell, who made his professional baseball debut in 1914, while Highland Park's Ed Delk excelled in the 1950s, Seaman and Washburn star Dode Lesser and Washburn Rural grad Tom Bunger made their mark in the '60s, Silver Lake and Shawnee Heights legends Tony Leiker and Marcel Carter ruled the '80s and Seaman's Justin Glasgow was a multi-sport state champ in the 1990s.
Highland Park's Jared Huske was one of the nation's best hurdlers in the opening decade of the 21st century while Hayden's Nick Stringer celebrated an undefeated state football title before going on to an All-Big 12 career at Kansas State.
For fans that prefer more contemporary achievements, Seaman and Kansas star pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn is still blazing his path, currently pitching at the AAA level for the Boston Red Sox.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
