By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A national golfer of the year, a pair of baseball All-Americans, two of Shawnee County's all-time wrestling greats, an individual and state team-champion swimmer and multiple athletes who competed in NCAA Championships are included in the second group of men's picks in TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 project.
TSN's second group of 10 Top 100 honorees (No. 81 through 90) includes former NCAA Division II golfer of the year Andrew Beckler, a Washburn Rural product, as well as former wrestling greats Tagen Lambotte of Rossville and Bishop Murray of Washburn Rural, who combined for seven individual state titles, baseball All-Americans Chris Carlson of Seaman and Shane Wright of Hayden and former Seaman star Zeke Metz, who helped lead the Vikings to the city's first swimming state team championship.
Picks No. 81 through 90 also include former NCAA track and field qualifier Mikey Hoffer of Shawnee Heights, former Highland Park basketball star Lamont Austin, who won high school and national junior college titles and played in the NCAA basketball championships, and multi-sport stars and Division I standouts Rapheal Posey of Highland Park and Duane Zlatnik of Rossville.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES
Former Washburn Rural and Washburn University star golfer Andrew Beckler was named the NCAA Division II Player of the Year as a senior at WU. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
81. ANDREW BECKLER, Washburn Rural
The former Washburn Rural Class 6A individual and team champion, Beckler received the Jack Nicklaus Award as the NCAA Division II Player of the Year at Washburn University and was the national runnerup. Beckler is currently playing professional golf.
Former Rossville wrestling star Tagen Lambotte was a four-time state champion for the Bulldawgs. [Topeka Capital-Journal]
82. TAGEN LAMBOTTE, Rossville
Lambotte captured four straight Class 3A-1A wrestling individual state championships for the Bulldawgs before continuing his career at Iowa.
Bishop Murray (top) won three Class 6A state wrestling championships for Washburn Rural. [File photo/TSN]
83. BISHOP MURRAY, Washburn Rural
Murray won three Class 6A state wrestling championships for Washburn Rural before going on to wrestle for perennial NCAA Division II power Nebraska-Kearney.
Former Shawnee Heights track and field star Mikey Hoffer won four Class 5A state titles as a senior before going on to advance to the NCAA meet for Nebraska. [Huskers.com]
84. MICHAEL HOFFER, Shawnee Heights
Hoffer ended an outstanding prep track and field career for Shawnee Heights with four gold medals as a senior and won three Class 5A high jump titles. Hoffer went on to compete for Nebraska, advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the high jump and the long jump.
85. RAPHEAL POSEY, Highland Park
Was a double-figure basketball scorer for NCAA Division I Texas-San Antonio after setting the city’s career passing record as a quarterback for the Scots in football and also starring for perennial state power Highland Park in basketball.
Zeke Metz helped lead Seaman to the Class 5A-1A state swimming championship as a senior before going on to swim for Evansville. [Evansville Athletics]
86. ZEKE METZ, Seaman
Metz was the Class 5A-1A swimmer of the year in 2018 as Seaman became the first city school to win a state team swimming/diving title. Metz went on to swim at Evansville.
Lamont Austin helped lead Highland Park to an undefeated Class 5A state basketball title as a senior and went on to play in the NCAA Tournament for Morehead State. [Morehead State Athletics]
87. LAMONT AUSTIN, Highland Park
The former Highland Park All-Stater helped lead the Scots to a pair of Class 5A state basketball championships, including a perfect 25-0 record in 2007. Austin helped Howard win a national junior college title and played in the 2011 NCAA Tournament for Morehead State.
88. CHRIS CARLSON, Seaman
A three-sport prep standout for Seaman, Carlson became a two-time All-American in baseball for New Mexico and spent four years in the minor leagues.
Former Hayden star Shane Wright earned All-American honors for Texas Tech and is a member of the school's hall of fame. [Texas Tech Athletics]
89. SHANE WRIGHT, Hayden
All-America pitcher set nearly every Texas Tech record for a starting pitcher before playing three years in the minor leagues. Wright was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame in 2011.
Duane Zlatnik was a football and wrestling star for Rossville before becoming a three-year football starter for Kansas. [KU Athletics]
90. DUANE ZLATNIK, Rossville
An All-Stater in football and three-time state wrestling champion at Rossville, Zlatnik went on to start 31 games for Kansas football. Zlatnik is currently an assistant football and wrestling coach at Washburn Rural.
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 13 -- Women's No. 71 through 80.
July 14 -- Men's No. 71 through 80.
July 15 -- Women's No. 61 through 70.
July 16 -- Men's No. 61 through 70.
July 17 -- Women's No. 51 through 60.
July 18 -- Men's No. 51 through 60.
July 19 -- Women's No. 41 through 50.
July 20 -- Men's No. 41 through 50.
July 21 -- Women's No. 31 through 40.
July 22 -- Men's No. 31 through 40.
July 23 -- Women's No. 21 through 30.
July 24 -- Men's No. 21 through 30.
July 25 -- Women's No. 11 through 20.
July 26 -- Men's No. 11 through 20.
July 27 -- Women's No.10 through 1.
July 28 -- Men's No. 10 through 1.
