By VINCE FRYE, Chairman
Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee
The selection committee for the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame has selected local sports greats Chris Barnes, Kevin Bordewick and Crystal Kemp along with longtime local sportswriter Rick Peterson as the Class of 2023 for induction into the local shrine on June 28.
Chris Barnes was a state basketball champion at Topeka High before embarking on a Hall of Fame career in the Professional Bowlers Association. [Wikipedia photo]
Kevin Bordewick has coached Washburn Rural to eight Class 6A state volleyball championships and two state girls basketball titles as a head coach. [File photo/TSN]
Rick Peterson is in his fifth decade as a sportswriter, covering high school sports throughout his career. [The Topeka Capital-Journal]
Crystal Kemp was an All-State basketball player and state discus champion at Topeka High and an All-Big 12 basketball pick at Kansas. [Submitted photo]
TopSports.news, in partnership with University of Kansas Health Systems St Francis Campus, A-1 Lock and Key and Washburn University, will host the induction and Topeka Shawnee County Sports Awards ceremonies at the Washburn University Memorial Union.
A 1988 Topeka High graduate, Barnes was a member of the Trojans' 1986 Class 6A state championship boys basketball team and went on to become an All-American bowler at Wichita State before embarking on a Hall of Fame career in the Professional Bowlers Association, which continues today.
Bordewick has carved out a legendary coaching career at Washburn Rural, leading the Junior Blues to 10 Class 6A state championships in volleyball (eight) and girls basketball (two). Bordewick surpassed the 1,000 win mark in volleyball last fall on the way to the 2022 state title.
A 2002 Topeka High graduate, Kemp was an All-State pick in basketball and a state champion in track and field for the Trojans before going on to an outstanding four-year career at the University of Kansas, where she earned first-team All-Big 12 recognition as a senior.
Peterson is in his 44th year as a sportswriter, covering primarily high school sports throughout his career. Peterson spent 31 years as a sportswriter for the Topeka Capital-Journal before retiring in 2020 and is currently a contributing writer for TopSports.news.
Shawnee County's top senior high school student-athletes will be also be honored on June 28th.
Shawnee County high schools Cair Paravel Latin, Hayden, Highland Park, Rossville, Seaman, Shawnee Heights, Silver Lake, Topeka High, Topeka West and Washburn Rural have been asked to nominate one female and male candidate with a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average as outstanding student-athlete nominees for the fall, winter and spring seasons. County high schools have also been asked to nominate a female and male candidate for most inspirational athlete.
A committee of local media members will select the 2023 winners, including the selection of overall female and male athletes of the year.
Hayden's Tanner Newkirk and Topeka High's NiJaree Canady were named the overall athletes of the year in 2022.
The nominees for this year's high school awards will be announced in early June after the conclusion of the spring high school season.
Hall of Fame Class of 2023 capsules:
CHRIS BARNES
A 1988 Topeka High graduate, Barnes was a member of the Trojans' 1986 Class 6A state championship team for the late Willie Nicklin, a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame. Barnes lettered in football, basketball, track and golf at Topeka High before going on to an All-American bowling career at Wichita State and a Hall of Fame pro career in the Professional Bowlers Association.
The 53-year-old Barnes currently competes on both the PBA Tour and PBA50 Tour and has also competed internationally as a member of Team USA.
Barnes has won 19 PBA Tour titles and won four PBA50 titles over $2.4 million (U.S.) in total prize money during his long career. He has earned at least $100,000 in 14 PBA seasons, including 12 consecutive seasons (1999 through 2010–11). He won the PBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1998 and earned PBA Player of the Year honors in the 2007–08 season. Barnes was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame as parf of the 2018 class.
To date, Barnes has rolled 55 perfect 300 games in PBA competition.
KEVIN BORDEWICK
Bordewick coached Washburn Rural to its eighth Class 6A state volleyball championship last fall and a runner-up finish in the 6A state basketball tournament in March after the Junior Blues won state titles in 2019 and 2022.
Bordewick has a total of 1,311 career head coaching victories in volleyball and basketball, posting a 1,029-261 record in volleyball and 282-152 in basketball.
A Macksville native and Kansas State graduate, Bordewick ranks No. 3 on Kansas' all-time volleyball win list behind former Bishop Miege coach Gwen Pike and former Lansing and current Pleasant Ridge coach Julie Slater.
Bordewick has been part of 13 state championships at Washburn Rural overall, serving as an assistant coach to current Oral Roberts assistant Bill Annan for three 6A girls baskeball titles.
CRYSTAL KEMP
A 2002 Topeka High graduate, Kemp was a four-year letterwinner for the Trojans and averaged 21.7 points and 11.4 rebounds as a senior, leading her team to the Class 6A state tournament for the first time in 16 years, the I-70 league championship and a 19-4 overall record. Kemp was named to the Topeka Capital-Journal All-State first team. Kemp was also a three-year letter-winner in track and field and won a 6A state title in the discus title with a school-record throw of 145 feet, 6 inches.
Kemp put together a banner four-year career at Kansas, averaging in double figures all four seasons. Kemp finished her career ranked in the all-time KU top-10 in points (7th with 1,637), rebounds (8th with 826), field goals made (6th with 654), field goals attempted (7th with1,285), field goal percentage (10th at 50.9), free throws made (tie for 8th with 323), free throws attempted (10th with 439), free throw percentage (eighth at 73.6), blocked shots (7th with 90) and minutes played (6th with 3,620).
Kemp was an All-Big 12 first-team pick as a senior, reaching double figures in all 30 games, and became just the sixth Jayhawk to accumulate more than 1,600 career points and 800 career rebounds.
RICK PETERSON
Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas and a graduate of Wyandotte High School and Southwestern College (Winfield), Peterson is in his fifth decade as a sports writer, beginning his career in 1980.
Peterson worked in Baldwin and Ottawa before moving to The Topeka Capital-Journal in 1989, where he continued to work until December, 2020.
He was the first sportswriter to become a two-time winner of the Kansas State High School Activities Association's Oscar Stauffer award and a five-time winner of the National Sports Media Association Kansas Sportswriter of the Year award. Peterson, who has received more than 20 awards overall, has also received sportswriter of the year awards from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association, the United State Tennis Association Missouri Valley Region and other organizations as well as writing awards from the Kansas Press Association.
