By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks TopSports.news will recognize Shawnee County's all-time best teams in 21 sports as part of our Best of the Best project. The project continues with softball and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through July 31, with the top teams in all categories announced in late July and August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4874907xFC9242c4-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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As part of TopSports.news' Best of the Best team project, TSN posts a ballot of 10 top candidates for each sport while also encouraging write-in votes.
In softball that list of 10 could have just as easily been a list of 30, with Shawnee County schools putting together a long history of dominance in that sport.
Rossville captured Shawnee County's most recent state softball title this past spring, winning the Class 3A championship. [File photo/TSN]
Topeka High celebrates its 2022 Class 6A state softball championship, the Trojans' second straight title. [File photo/TSN]
No less than seven county schools have captured state softball championships as the county has won a total of 27 titles overall from Silver Lake's crown in 1992 through Rossville's championship this past spring.
Six schools have won multiple state titles, led by Silver Lake with a whopping 13 championships.
Bob Craig's Eagles garnered the county's first title in Class 5A-1A in '92 and Mark Workman led Silver Lake to its most recent crown in '18.
Bob Craig's Silver Lake softball team won its fifth straight state title in 1996 and the Eagles have won 13 titles overall. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Silver Lake ran off five straight titles in 5A-1A and 3A-1A from '92 through '96 and won three straight 3A championships from '13 through '15, including a perfect 24-0 mark in '13 and back-to-back 3A titles under Dave Boxberger in '04 and '05.
The Eagles also won state in '99 and '09.
Hayden, Shawnee Heights and Washburn Rural have all won three state titles while Topeka High and Rossville have won two championships apiece and Seaman one title.
Shawnee Heights won its third straight Class 5A state softball championship in 2019. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Shawnee Heights won three straight 5A championships from '17 through '19, including back-to-back perfect 25-0 seasons under Steve Giddens in '17 and Tara Griffith in '18 and a 22-1 title under Griffith in '19.
Hayden captured three 4A state titles in four seasons under Lee Schmidt from '99 through '02, including back-to-back championships in '01 and '02, while Washburn Rural won a 6A title under Carolyn Altman in '95 and championships in '08 and '14 under current Washburn University coach Brenda Holaday.
Shane Miles led Topeka High to a perfect 25-0 record and the school's first title in '21 and the Trojans picked up a second straight 6A crown in '22 as current Stanford star pitcher NiJaree Canady played a key role in both championships.
Rossville has also won state twice, with the '23 title following a 2A-1A championship in '00, and Jay Monhollon's Seaman team claiming the 5A championship in '16.
Vote for your favorite team at https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4874907xFC9242c4-151 while readers also have the option of writing in a candidate.
Vote as many times as you wish. Final selections will be based on reader vote as well as input from TSN contributors and current and past local sports media professionals.
Votes in softball will be accepted through July 31 before TSN publishes our Best of the Best lists in late July and August.
NEXT UP: Boys/girls swimming and diving (ballot will be published on TopSports.news on Tuesday).
