By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The names are well known to anyone who has followed area sports over the past several years, but a long and growing list of athletes who starred at Shawnee County high schools have made a big impact at the college and/or professional level this fall and winter.
Here's a look at just some of the stars who continue to make their fans proud:
Sophomore guard Jack Bachelor has helped Washburn University achieve a 12-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking this season. [File photo/TSN]
JACK BACHELOR, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard has played a major role as the Ichabods are off to a 12-0 start this season while achieving a No. 2 national ranking in NCAA Division II. Bachelor, who has started all 12 games for the Ichabods, is currently averaging 12.7 points with 20 3-pointers while hitting 28 of 33 free throws (84.8 percent). Bachelor is also averaging 4.0 rebounds with a team-high 60 assists and 21 steals.
Former Shawnee Heights and Washburn standout Corey Ballentine has put together a six-year NFL career as a defensive back. [packers.com]
COREY BALLENTINE, Shawnee Heights/Washburn/Green Bay Packers -- A 5-foot-11, 196-pound cornerback, the former Shawnee Heights and Washburn Univerity star has played in 11 games with one start this season for the 11-4 Packers. The sixth-year pro has played in 65 career games with 11 starts for the Giants, Jets, Lions and Packers, recording 100 tackles, including 76 solo stops with two forced fumbles and an interception.
Former Topeka West star Elijah Brooks had a career-high 29 points for Houston Christian earlier this season. [Houston Christian Athletics]
ELIJAH BROOKS, Topeka West/Houston Christian -- A 6-foot-4 junior guard, the former Mr. Kansas Basketball for Topeka West has appeared in all 13 games with 11 starts for the 4-9 Huskies, averaging 9.9 points and 4.1 rebounds with 25 assists. Brooks, who began his college career at North Dakota, scored a career-high 29 points earlier this season and also had a 21-point game.
Former Washburn Rural star Brooklyn DeLeye was a first-team AVCA All-American, the SEC Player of the Year and a finalist for the AVCA National Player of the Year this fall for Kentucky. [Kentucky Athletics]
BROOKLYN DELEYE, Washburn Rural/Kentucky -- The former three-sport Washburn Rural star, a 6-foot-2 sophomore outside hitter, had a huge 2024 season for Kentucky volleyball, being named the SEC Player of the Year, a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America selection and one of four finalists for the AVCA National Player of the Year award. DeLeye helped lead the 23-8 Wildcats to their eighth straight conference championship and the fourth round (regional final) of the NCAA Tournament. DeLeye started all 31 matches, leading the Wildcats with 531 kills while also compiling 179 digs and 36 blocks.
Former Topeka High star Teven Jenkins is in his fourth NFL season with the Chicago Bears. [ChicagoBears.com]
TEVEN JENKINS, Topeka High/Chicago Bears -- After starring at Topeka High and earning All-Big 12 honors at Oklahoma State as an offensive lineman, Jenkins, 6-foot-6, 321 pounds, was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears. Now in his fourth NFL season, Jenkins is the starting left guard for the Bears. Jenkins started all 13 games he played in last season and has appeared in 44 games with 37 starts in his career.
Washburn junior midfielder Belle Kennedy earned All-MIAA first-team soccer honors for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
BELLE KENNEDY, Washburn Rural/Washburn -- A 5-foot-3 junior midfielder, Kennedy helped Washburn University soccer advance to the MIAA regular-season title and earn an NCAA tournament berth for a second straight season, with the Ichabods posting a 14-4-3 record. Kennedy earned first-team All-MIAA recognition for a second straight season while also making the MIAA All-Tournament team and earning a season-team spot on the D2CCA All-Central Region team. The former Washburn Rural star started all 21 games for the Ichabods, playing 1,123 minutes and scoring three goals and adding one assist.
Former Silver Lake state champion Makenzie McDaniel has earned a starting spot for Emporia State as a freshman. [Photo courtesy of Emporia State Athletics]
MAKENZIE McDANIEL, Silver Lake/Emporia State -- After helping lead Silver Lake to a perfect 26-0 season and the Class 3A state title last season, McDaniel has played in all 11 games with six starts for 6-5 Emporia State. A 6-foot-1 frontliner, McDaniel is averaging 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds and registered her first collegiate double-double in her most recent game with 22 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes in a win over Lincoln.
Former Hayden star Desmond Purnell has helped Kansas State post an 8-4 record this fall while earning a berth in Thursday's Rate Bowl. [Kansas State Athletics]
DESMOND PURNELL, Hayden/Kansas State -- A 6-foot, 236-pound junior linebacker, the former Hayden football star has played a major role for 8-4 Kansas State, which will face Rutgers in Thursday's Rate Bowl. Purnell has registered 44 tackles (30 solo) and has also recorded 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Washburn sophomore Tre Richardson has received All-America honorable mention recognition from the Don Hansen Football Gazette. [File photo/TSN]
TRE RICHARDSON, Highland Park/Washburn -- Richardson, a sophomore wide receiver/kick returner, has been named an honorable mention All-American as an all-purpose back by the Don Hansen Football Gazette. Earlier the former Highland Park star was named to the D2CCA Central Region second team after earning unanimous first-team All-MIAA honors at wide receiver and honorable mention All-MIAA as a return specialist. Richardson ranked ninth in the nation and second in the MIAA in all-purpose yards, averaging 146.5 yards per game and he was also 16th in total receiving yards with 983 and 18th in receiving yards per game with 87.4 in the national rankings. His 18.8 yards per reception was second in the MIAA and 23rd in the national rankings. He finished third in the MIAA in receiving touchdowns with 11. As a kick returner, he was third in the MIAA in average yards per return at 24.1 on 16 attempts. Richardson also led WU in scoring with 66 points. In his first indoor meet for the Ichabod track and field team Richardson set a school record and was an NCAA provisional qualifier.
Former Shawnee Heights star Taylor Rottinghaus has earned second-team All-MIAA volleyball honors for two straight seasons. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
TAYLOR ROTTINGHAUS, Shawnee Heights/Washburn -- Rottinghaus, a 5-foot-6 sophomore defensive specialist/libero, earned All-MIAA second-team volleyball honors for a second straight season after helping Washburn post s 21-8 record and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Rottinghaus finished her season with 569 digs, 84 assists and 29 service aces.
Washburn Rural product Taylor Russell (3), now a sophomore at Missouri Western, earned first-team All-MIAA recognition this fall. [File photo/TSN]
TAYLOR RUSSELL, Washburn Rural/Missouri Western -- A former Washburn Rural state champ, Russell helped lead Missouri Western to a 23-8 record and the Griffons to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017 as a sophomore, earning AVCA All-American honorable mention as well as earning All-MIAA first team and MIAA All-Tournament honors. The right-side hitter recorded 333 kills, averaging 3.00 kills per set, with 100 blocks.
Seaman product Camryn Turner was a third-team AVCA All-American selection following an outstanding four-year career for Kansas. [Kansas Athletics]
CAMRYN TURNER, Seaman/Kansas -- A 5-foot-8 senior setter, Turner received third-team All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association after helping lead the Kansas volleyball team to a 25-5 record and a fourth straight berth in the NCAA Tournament. Turner was a first-team All-Big 12 and AVCA All-Region first-team selection for the second straight season. The Seaman product was No. 3 in the NCAA for the majority of the season in assists/set, ending with an 11.29 average. She was an AVCA National Player of the Year semifinalist for the first time in her career. Turner was the first of three setters to be drafted in this year's PVF draft. She went to the Grand Rapids Rise in the third round as the No. 22 pick overall.
Former Seaman star Ryan Zeferjahn made his major league debut for the Los Angeles Angels this past season, posting a 2.12 ERA in 12 appearances. [Los Angeles Angels]
RYAN ZEFERJAHN, Seaman/Kansas/Los Angeles Angels -- A 2016 Seaman graduate, Zeferjahn was a multi-sport for the Vikings, earning All-State honors in baseball and being named the Co-City Player of the Year in basketball as a senior. Zeferjahn went on to pitch three seasons for KU, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in his final season for the Jayhawks after posting a 5-2 record with a 3.97 earned run average and 107 strikeouts in 88.1 innings pitched. Zeferjahn was a third-round pick of the Boston Red Sox and rose to the AAA level before being traded to the Angels on July 30. The Angels called up Zeferjahn on Aug. 22 from AAA Salt Lake and he made his Major League debut on Aug. 25. Zeferjahn appeared in 12 games for the Angels as a relief pitcher, recording a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings with 18 strikeouts. He compiled an 0.76 WHIP (walks, hits per innings pitched).
