By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
We're down to the top 20 women's picks for TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history and the achievements just keep getting more and more impressive.
Selections No. 11 through 20 include a United States Olympian and a 17-time individual state high school champion as well as a pair of NCAA Division I team champions and a D-I individual champ.
The latest group of picks also includes a multi-sport star who racked up seven state crowns in two sports along with a Final Four participant, an all-time Washburn great and two early trailblazers for local women's athletics.
Here's a look at No. 11-20:
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
Topeka High graduate Judy Dyer competed in the 1968 Olympics in the hurdles after starring at Texas Southern. [File photo]
11. JUDY DYER, Topeka High
A 1966 Topeka High graduate, girls sports were not offered when Dyer was in high school, but she went on to star at Texas Southern University and participated in the 1968 Olympics in the 80-meter hurdles. Dyer was the first female inducted into the Texas Southern Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Southwest Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame and the Topeka High Hall of Fame.
Trisa Nickoley (292) was a 17-time Class 5A state track and cross country champion for Shawnee Heights before running at Missouri. [Missouri Athletics]
12. TRISA NICKOLEY, Shawnee Heights
The former Shawnee Heights superstar won 13 Class 5A gold medals in track and field for Shawnee Heights and four in 5A cross country without ever losing an individual race in the state meet. Nickoley, who went on to become a standout at Missouri, ranks No. 1 on Kansas' all-time list in the 800 meters with a time of 2 minutes, 06.67 seconds. Nickoley is a member of The Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame.
Topeka High graduate Rita Graves was an NCAA champion in the high jump during a Hall of Fame track career for Kansas State. [Kansas State Athletics]
13. RITA GRAVES, Topeka High
Graves cleared 5-foot-10 in the high jump for Topeka High and went on to become one of the most decorated track and field athletes in Kansas State history, including the NCAA Outdoor national high jump championship in 1986. Graves earned seven All-America honors and multiple Big 8 titles and was a national runner-up four times (indoor and outdoor). Graves cleared 6-2 at K-State, where she is a member of the hall of fame.
Topeka High multi-time state swimming champion Shara Stafford went on to help Florida win a national team title and earn 13 All-America honors for the Gators and Missouri. [Submitted photo]
14. SHARA STAFFORD, Topeka High
Stafford was a three-time state champion (all classes) in 2005 and '06 before going on to help Florida capture an NCAA Division I team championship. Stafford transferred to Missouri where she finished off an outstanding college career. Stafford is the only Topekan to capture an NCAA Division I swimming national title and was a 13-time All-American.
Shelley Foster was a state basketball champion at Seaman and an All-American at Washburn [Topeka Capital-Journal]
15. SHELLEY FOSTER, Seaman
An All-Stater, Foster helped lead Seaman to a 24-1 season and the Class 6A state championship as a senior in 1991 and ranks No. 2 on Washburn University's career scoring list with 2,144 points. Foster is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County and Washburn halls of fame.
Brooklyn Hunter was a four-time state singles tennis champion and three-time state volleyball champ for Hayden. [Nebraska-Kearney Athletics]
16. BROOKLYN HUNTER, Hayden
Hunter became the first Class 4A player and only the third all-time to capture four straight state singles championships, winning the 4A title from 2015-'18. Hunter, who posted a 78-2 career record for the Wildcats, went on to play for Division II Nebraska-Kearney before her college career was thwarted by injuries. Hunter also won three state volleyball titles at Hayden and was a basketball standout for the Wildcats.
Megan Cooney helped Shawnee Heights win a Class 5A state volleyball title and she played in the NCAA Final Four for Illinois. [Illinois Athletics]
17. MEGAN COONEY, Shawnee Heights
Cooney helped lead Shawnee Heights to a Class 5A state volleyball title in 2016 before becoming a standout at Illinois, including a berth in the 2018 NCAA Division I Final Four. Cooney received All-Big 10 and All-America recognition for Illinois, ranking third all-time in matches played (147) and finishing her career as the program’s all-time leader in sets played (554). Cooney ranked 10th all-time with 1,507 kills and 1,734.5 points, while also totaling 346 blocks, 546 digs, 47 assists and 44 service aces. Cooney received All-America recognition and was a three-time All-State pick for Heights.
18. RUTH FAIRBANK, Topeka High
Fairbanks never got the chance to compete in high school or college athletics, but was regarded as one of the state’s leading all-around sportswomen, winning numerous city and state titles in softball, tennis, basketball and bowling. Fairbanks was a left-handed shortstop and pitcher for the Chesney Park 1944 state championship softball team, pitching 19 innings in the final two days while she was also playing 83 games in the city tennis tournament. In 1935 she was named to the All-American women’s basketball second team. Fairbank won Topeka’s women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles tennis titles in multiple years and held all three titles for three consecutive years. She was a recreational golfer and bowler into her 80s’s. Fairbank passed away in 2017 at the age of 97.
Seaman graduate Barbara Sipes (middle) played before the start of girls athletics at the high school level, but Sipes earned a spot on the USA National Team. [Submitted photo]
19. BARBARA SIPES, Seaman
Sipes attended Seaman before the start of girls high school sports, but the 6-foot-3 Sipes was a seven-time AAU All-American and was regarded as one of the first great post players in women's basketball. Sipes won the first full basketball scholarship at Iowa Wesleyan College and was a member of U.S. national teams that traveled the world. Sipes led the American team that won the Rio World Tournament in 1957, upsetting the USSR in the last 3.5 seconds. Sipes went on to teach school for 36 years. She passed away in 2021 at the age of 86.
Jeneka Joyce was a state champion and a Parade All-American for Washburn Rural basketball and helped Notre Dame win a national title. [Notre Dame Athletics]
20. JENEKA JOYCE, Washburn Rural
Joyce helped Washburn Rural win a state championship and was a three-time All-Stater for the Junior Blues. Joyce was named Miss Kansas Basketball and was a Parade All-American before going on to play on Notre Dame's national championship team in 2000. Joyce finished her high school career at Washburn Rural with 1,549 points.
21. JOCELYN BENTLEY, Highland Park
22. JESSICA MAINZ, Shawnee Heights
23. LORI GREEN, Topeka West
24. CRYSTAL KEMP, Topeka High
25. DANI McHENRY, Shawnee Heights
26. SHANNON SUDDARTH, Hayden
27. LAURA KLAMM, Highland Park
28. STACEY SLAVENS, Shawnee Heights
29. LATISHA YARNELL, Washburn Rural
30. JANELLE WRIGHT, Topeka High
31. CARLY BACHELOR, Washburn Rural
32. KELSEY CHIPMAN, Washburn Rural
33. JAYME GERGEN, Washburn Rural
34. CAMRYN TURNER, Seaman
35. DEANA ALEXANDER, Shawnee Heights
36. KENDRA HURLA, Rossville
37. KRISTIE BAHNER, Topeka High
38. MADELINE HILL, Washburn Rural
39. EMILY DICUS, Topeka West
40. JAYCEE GINTER, Shawnee Heights
41. ARICA SHEPARD, Rossville
42. NIKKI OLBERDING, Seaman
43. LAUREN MILLS, Seaman
44. TATYANA LEGETTE, Seaman
45. ALEXA BORDEWICK, Washburn Rural
46. CIERRA CEAZER, Shawnee Heights
47. KIKI SMITH, Topeka High
48. TISHARRIA HUGGINS, Topeka West
49. KELLY JENNINGS, Topeka High
50. ERIKA LANE, Washburn Rural
51. FAITH ROTTINGHAUS, Shawnee Heights
52. AVERY CLIFTON, Washburn Rural
53. SYDNEY MESSICK, Seaman
54. JAYBE SHUFELBERGER, Washburn Rural
55. JENNIFER PERINE, Rossville
56. RHONDA MATZKE, Silver Lake
57. JAMIE BLAKELY, Washburn Rural
58. ABBY GLYNN, Washburn Rural
59. MEGAN LUCAS, Washburn Rural
60. BILLIE JEAN MOORE, Highland Park
61. BRENDA STOLLE, Silver Lake
62. TAYLOR ZORDEL, Washburn Rural
63. KADENCE JEFFRIES, Topeka West
64. LEEA MURPHY, Shawnee Heights
65. KAIRA HOUSER, Washburn Rural
66. DARBY HIRSCH, Washburn Rural
67. KATHY MOHLER, Silver Lake
68. RACHEL STOUS, Topeka High
69. HAYLEY REED, Seaman
70. KASEY HAMILTON, Washburn Rural
71. SUSAN PUNZO, Shawnee Heights
72. DANIELLE KNIPP, Washburn Rural
73. CHRIS TORREZ, Topeka West
74. MEG GRIFFIN, Topeka West
75. STEFINE PEASE, Shawnee Heights
76. LORI ROENBAUGH, Shawnee Heights
77. TONNA RIEGER, Topeka West
78. KELLI DUDLEY, Topeka West
79. ALEX O'NEAL, Hayden
80. ZEBBIE ROBERTSON, Hayden
81. KRISTIN STRECKER, Hayden
82. HALEY MOLDEN, Washburn Rural
83. SAMMIE SCHURIG, Washburn Rural
84. SANDY WERNER, Washburn Rural
85. KRISTEN CARLSON, Hayden
86. BREANNA LEWIS, Seaman
87. KATIE MERRIAM, Hayden
88. DAJIA ANDERSON, Washburn Rural
89. ADDISON BROXTERMAN, Washburn Rural
90. ALYSSA SCHULTEJANS, Silver Lake
91. KELSEY LEWIS, Washburn Rural
92. MARANDA BELL, Shawnee Heights
93. MARISSA PATTERSON, Shawnee Heights
94. CAITLIN MORRISEY, Topeka West
95. REBEKAH SMITH, Washburn Rural
96. CASSIE WASSENBERG, Shawnee Heights
97. SHAUNA BURRELL, Seaman
98. ABREANNA PARKER, Shawnee Heights
99. BROOKE LaRUE, Hayden
100. RYIN MILLER, Seaman
UPCOMING TOP 100 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
July 26 -- Men's No. 20 through 11.
July 27 -- Women's No.10 through 1.
July 28 -- Men's No. 10 through 1.
