By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
State tournament qualifiers Silver Lake, Washburn Rural and Seaman combined to earn 11 of 16 spots on the 2024 TopSports.news All-Shawnee County softball first team.
Silver Lake junior Taylor Zordel (right) has been named the 2024 Shawnee County softball player of the year after helping lead the Eagles to a second-place finish in Class 3A. [File photo/TSN]
Class 3A runnerup Silver Lake led the way with five first-teamers, including Shawnee County player of the year Taylor Zordel, while Washburn Rural, third in 6A, and 5A state qualifier Seaman both had three first-team selections.
Freshman Olivia Koch has been named the Shawnee County newcomer of the year after helping Washburn Rural post a third-place finish in Class 6A softball. [File photo/TSN]
Rural freshman Olivia Koch was named the county newcomer of the year while first-year Junior Blues coach Joy Marie Galliart and Silver Lake coach Nick Hamilton share the county coach of the year award.
Silver Lake's Nick Hamilton has been named the Shawnee County co-coach of the year after his Eagles finished second in Class 3A. [File photo/TSN]
Joy Marie Galliart has been named the Shawnee County co-coach of the year after leading Washburn Rural to a third-place Class 6A softball finish in her first year at the school. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake posted a 24-3 record, with two of its three losses coming against state champions and the third coming against a 6A state qualifier, while Washburn Rural posted a 20-8 record on the season, with its lone loss at state coming against 6A champ Olathe Northwest.
SilverLake senior Kaibryn Kruger is one of five Eagles on the All-Shawnee County softball first team. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake junior Kendra Cook is a first-team repeater on the All-Shawnee County softball team. [File photo/TSN]
Silver Lake junior Kira Lowrey earned a first-team spot on the All-Shawnee County softball team after helping the Eagles finish second in Class 3A. [File photo/TSN]
Zordel, a junior who was part of Silver Lake state championship teams in golf and basketball in 2023-2024, is joined on the All-Shawnee County first team by Eagle senior Kaibryn Kruger, juniors Kendra Cook and Kira Lowrey and sophomore Kailyn Hanni.
Makayla Ekis earned a spot on the All-Shawnee County softball team after helping lead Washburn Rural to a third-place finish in Class 6A. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Avery Rupp is one of three Washburn Rural players to earn a first-team berth on the All-Shawnee County softball team. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Reagan Chapman is a first-team repeater on the All-Shawnee County softball team. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural is represented on the all-county first team by senior Makayla Ekis, junior Avery Rupp and sophomore Reagan Chapman while Seaman put seniors Jersey Jellison and Rosalie Schneider and junior Kaelyn O'Rourke on the first team after the Vikings posted a 22-7 record, including a 3-2 nine-inning loss in the opening round of the 5A state tournament.
Senior Jersey Jellison earned first-team All-Shawnee County honors after helping lead Seaman to a Class 5A state tournament berth. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman senior Rosalie Schneider is one of three Vikings named to the All-Shawnee County softball first team. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman junior Kaelyn O'Rourke is a first-team repeat pick on the All-Shawnee County softball team. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville also put three players on the first team -- seniors Kinsey Perine and Hailey Horton and sophomore Brooke Springer.
Rossville senior Kinsey Perine is a first-team repeat pick on the All-Shawnee County softball team. [File photo/TSN]
Rossville senior Hailey Horton is a first-team All-Shawnee County selection. [File photo/TSN]
Rounding out the first-team are Topeka High junior Jo'Mhara Benning and Shawnee Heights junior Taylor Brees.
Junior Jo'Mhara Benning represents Topeka High on the 2024 All-Shawnee County softball team. [File photo/TSN]
Benning was a first-team All-Centennial League pick this spring while Brees was a first-team All-United Kansas Conference selection.
Chapman, Cook, O'Rourke, Perine and Zordel are all first-team all-county repeat picks.
2024 ALL-SHAWNEE COUNTY SOFTBALL
First team
Name, school Class
Jo'Mhara Benning, Topeka High Jr.
Reagan Chapman, Washburn Rural So.
Taylor Brees, Shawnee Heights Jr.
Kendra Cook, Silver Lake Jr.
Makayla Ekis, Washburn Rural Sr.
Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake So.
Hailey Horton, Rossville Sr.
Jersey Jellison, Seaman Sr.
Kaibryn Kruger, Silver Lake Sr.
Kira Lowrey, Silver Lake Jr.
Kaelyn O'Rourke, Seaman Jr.
Kinsey Perine, Rossville Sr.
Avery Rupp, Washburn Rural Jr.
Rosalie Schneider, Seaman Sr.
Brooke Springer, Rossville So.
Taylor Zordel, Silver Lake Jr.
Second team
Name, school Class
McCall Beall, Topeka High Jr.
Layla Collins, Washburn Rural Jr.
Ava Delgado, Hayden Sr.
Paige Glasgow, Seaman Sr.
Nagos Hale, Rossville Sr.
Olivia Koch, Washburn Rural Fr.
McKinley Kruger, Silver Lake Sr.
Raegan McConnell, Seaman Jr.
Anna McLaughlin, Seaman Jr.
Makenzie McDaniel, Silver Lake Sr.
Emma Mitchell, Rossville Sr.
Gracie Moe, Seaman Sr.
Grace Proctor, Shawnee Heights Jr.
Henley Rapp, Washburn Rural So.
Alaryce Millard-Adams, Shawnee Heights Sr.
Odessa Schmidt, Shawnee Heights Sr.
Honorable mention
Hayden: Keira Carswell. Highland Park: Kaylie Barnes, Jon'nae Buffett, Azaria Jones. Rossville: Katie Spielman. Seaman: Addison Sibley, Kinsley Smith, Aubrey Warren. Shawnee Heights: Karlyn Bowman, Kinsley Mohan. Silver Lake: Raely Sterling, Taylor Swygert, Avery Wende. Topeka High: Campbell Dawson, Montgomerie Freel, Becca Gateley, Taimane Isaia. Topeka West: Brooklyn Alexander, Callie Jones, Isabelle Kutina. Washburn Rural: Josie Carlgren, Ava Fowler, Gabby Martinez.
Player of the year -- Taylor Zordel, Silver Lake.
Newcomer of the year -- Olivia Koch, Washburn Rural.
Co-coaches of the year -- Joy Marie Galliart, Washburn Rural, and Nick Hamilton, Silver Lake.
