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
The late Fred Slaughter was a basketball and track star for Topeka High before playing on John Wooden's first national championship basketball team at UCLA. [Associated Press]
11. FRED SLAUGHTER, Topeka High
A 1960 Topeka High graduate, the late Slaughter was a state high school track champion and became a starting center at UCLA on John Wooden’s first national title team in 1964 (30-0 record). A three-year starter for the Bruins, Slaughter played in two Final Fours. Slaughter was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2004 and is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame. Slaughter passed away in 2016 at the age of 74.
Topeka native Elwood "Bingo'' DeMoss was a star second baseman in the Negro Leagues, commiting just one error in his career. [Submitted photo]
12. ELWOOD “BINGO” DEMOSS
DeMoss, who grew up in Topeka, was considered by many to be the best second baseman in Negro Leagues baseball history, committing only one error in his career. DeMoss, who was born on Sept. 5, 1889 in Topeka, began his professional career with the Topeka Giants in the early 1900s and later starred for the Chicago American Giants before managing for 15 seasons. DeMoss died in 1965 in Chicago at the age of 75.
Michael Wilhoite starred at Highland Park and Washburn before playing seven seasons in the NFL, including a Super Bowl appearance. [ninersnoise]
13. MICHAEL WILHOITE, Highland Park
Wilhoite was a football standout at Highland Park and Washburn before playing seven years in the NFL for San Francisco and Seattle, including a Super Bowl appearance with the 49ers. Wilhoite is currently the outside linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos, Wilhoite is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.
Former Highland Park and Missouri State star Kyle Weems is entering his 13th professional basketball season. [File photo]
14. KYLE WEEMS, Highland Park
Weems is getting set for his 13th season playing pro basketball after earning All-State honors and helping Scots to an undefeated Class 5A state championship in 2007 and being named Missouri Valley Player of the Year and earning All-America recognition for Missouri State. Weems is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.
Former Topeka High and Oklahoma State star Teven Jenkins is now playing the NFL with the Chicago Bears. [chicagobears.com]
15. TEVEN JENKINS, Topeka High
Jenkins was a star offensive lineman for Topeka High and Oklahoma State, earning All-Big 12 honors before being selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears (30th overall). Jenkins is now in his fourth season with the Bears, playing in 31 games with 24 starts after making 35 career starts for the Cowboys.
Former Shawnee Heights and Washburn standout Corey Ballentine has put together a lengthy NFL career as a defensive back. [packers.com]
16. COREY BALLENTINE, Shawnee Heights
Ballentine was a football and track star at both Heights and Washburn before being drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft. In addition to the Giants, the defensive back has also had NFL stints with the Jets and Lions and is currently with the Green Bay Packers. Ballentine, who is starting his sixth NFL season, has played 54 games with 85 tackles (65 solo) and an interception.
Former Highland Park star James Patrick helped lead the Scots to the only Grand State championship in state history and was a college star and a NBA draft pick. [Topeka Capital-Journal]
17. JAMES PATRICK, Highland Park
A basketball All-Stater at Highland Park, Patrick helped lead the Scots to a Class 4A state title and the first and only Grand State title. Patrick went on to play on a national championship team at Independence Community College, was an All-American at Southwest Texas and a fifth-round draft pick by the Denver Nuggets. Patrick is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.
Washburn Rural product Aaron Crow was an American League All-Star with the Kansas City Royals after being a No. 1 draft pick twice. [Royals Review]
18. AARON CROW, Washburn Rural
A standout at Washburn Rural and All-American and Big 12 Pitcher of the Year at Missouri was a first-round Major League Baseball draft pick twice and was selected to the American League All-Star team for the Kansas City Royals. Crow joined the Royals as a relief pitcher in 2011 and was 2-0 with an 0.00 earned run average over his first 12 appearances. Crow is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame.
The late Steve Tilford, a Topeka High graduate, was a world renowned cyclist and is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame. [Submitted photo]
19. STEVE TILFORD, Topeka High
The late Tilford was a four-time World Championship team member on the road, the first U.S. Mountain Bike National Champion and a four-time Elite USCF Cyclocross National Champion. Tilford graduated from Topeka High in 1978 and won the U.S. National Cyclocross Championships in ‘83 and ‘84 and the National Mountain Bike Championships in ‘83. He turned professional in ‘86. Tilford was inducted into the U.S. Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2000 and was inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Tilford passed away in 2017 at the age of 57.
Warren Seitz was a multi-sport standout for Topeka West before playing at Missouri and in the NFL. [File photograph]
20. WARREN SEITZ, Topeka West
A 1981 Topeka West graduate, Seitz was a standout for the Chargers in football and basketball and a state champion in track. Seitz went on to play quarterback at Missouri and professionally in the NFL and CFL. A member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, Seitz participated in the 1985 Senior Bowl and was drafted in the 10th round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
21. RON PARADIS, Washburn Rural
22. DELVY LEWIS, Washburn Rural
23. KYLE McNORTON, Seaman
24. TREY LEWIS, Washburn Rural
25. WILL GEARY, Topeka High
26. WYATT HUBERT, Shawnee Heights
27. DUFF "SIR RICHARD'' COOLEY
28. MARK ELLIOTT, Silver Lake
29. JERAD HEAD, Hayden
30. KY THOMAS, Topeka High
31. TANNER GARDNER, Shawnee Heights
32. TED EVANS, Topeka High
33. JOHN TETUAN, Hayden
34. MARK TURGEON, Hayden
35. DALE CUSHINBERRY, Highland Park
36. DAN DAVIS, Hayden
37. JAHMAL McMURRAY, Highland Park
38. JOHNNY JOHNSON, Seaman
39. DAN CNOSSEN, Shawnee Heights
40. AUSTIN HANSON, Seaman
41. “DODE” LESSER, Seaman
42. ED DELK, Highland Park
43. TONY LEIKER, Silver Lake
44. TOM BUNGER, Washburn Rural
45. MARCEL CARTER, Shawnee Heights
46. CARROLL RAY “DINK” MOTHELL
47. NICK STRINGER, Hayden
48. RYAN ZEFERJAHN, Seaman
49. JUSTIN GLASGOW, Seaman
50. JARED HUSKE, Highland Park
51. JOEL HOFFMAN, Topeka High
52. DAN O’MARA, Hayden
53. GLENN TRAMMEL, Topeka High
54. BOB BENOIT, Topeka West
55. ART GRIGGS, TOPEKA HIGH
56. DUANE "BLACKIE'' MELVIN, Seaman
57. SCOTT LEON, Shawnee Heights
58. BILL McDONALD, Topeka West
59. JIM GOLDEN, Silver Lake
60. JASON STUKE, Seaman
61. LAMAR MADY, Topeka High
62. WILL COKELEY, Washburn Rural
63. LEVI LEE, Topeka High
64. J.P. WRIGHT, Seaman
65. CHUCK NELSON, Topeka High
66. TROY SLUSSER, Topeka High
67. LUKE YARNELL, Washburn Rural
68. KEN “HOOK” JOHNSON, Topeka High
69. MILO MITCHELL, Topeka High
70. JOE DOUGLAS, Topeka High
71. CLARDY VINSON, Topeka High
72. C.B. MCGRATH, Topeka West
73. TOMMY HUNTER, Hayden
74. JOHN GRANTHAM, Topeka High
75. BENNIE SIMECKA, Rossville
76. THERON WILSON, Highland Park
77. DAVID PROCTOR, Topeka High
78. RICK DEHART, Seaman
79. SHANNON KRUGER, Silver Lake
80. TUCKER HORAK, Rossville
81. ANDREW BECKLER, Washburn Rural
82. TAGEN LAMBOTTE, Rossville
83. BISHOP MURRAY, Washburn Rural
84. MICHAEL HOFFER, Shawnee Heights
85. RAPHEAL POSEY, Highland Park
86. ZEKE METZ, Seaman
87. LAMONT AUSTIN, Highland Park
88. CHRIS CARLSON, Seaman
89. SHANE WRIGHT, Hayden
90. DUANE ZLATNIK, Rossville
91. AUSTIN HALSEY, Washburn Rural
92. JACOB MORGAN, Washburn Rural
93. LARRY MILLER, Topeka High
94. TANNER NEWKIRK, Hayden
95. TRE RICHARDSON, Highland Park
96. DESMOND PURNELL, Hayden
97. JORDAN COOPER, Shawnee Heights
98. ROB HAYS, Topeka West
99. BEN CARLSON, Seaman
100. JACK L. BYBEE, Washburn Rural
UPCOMING TOP 100 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
July 27 -- Women's No.10 through 1.
July 28 -- Men's No. 10 through 1.
