By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Local greats who made their mark in six sports at the high school, college and amateur level earned spots No. 51-60 on TopSports.news' Shawnee County All-Time Top 100 list.
Shawnee Heights product Faith Rottinghaus, No. 51 on the Top 100 list, helped the T-Birds win Class 5A state titles in volleyball and softball before going on to earn first-team All-America honors for Washburn University, which posted a second-place national finish her senior season.
Rottinghaus is joined on the Top 100 by Washburn Hall of Famers Rhonda Matzke (Silver Lake) and Billie Jean Moore (Highland Park), with the late Moore going down in history as a legendary women's basketball coach.
In addition to hoops star Matzke, the latest group of 10 honorees include prolific Rossville scorer Jennifer Perine and Washburn Rural state champion Jamie Blakely, who both went on to standout careers at Emporia State.
Three of the county's most decorated cross country and track performers -- Washburn Rural's Avery Clifton and Jaybe Shufelberger and Seaman's Sydney Messick -- all earned spots in TSN's fifth installment of Top 100 picks as did former Rural multi-time state golf champions Abby Glynn and Megan Lucas, who both went on to Division I college careers.
TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 WOMEN’S ATHLETES
Faith Rottinghaus was a state champion in volleyball and softball for Shawnee Heights before putting together an All-American volleyball career for Washburn University. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
51. FAITH ROTTINGHAUS, Shawnee Heights
A four-year letterman for Shawnee Heights in volleyball, basketball and softball, Rottinghaus helped the T-Birds win Class 5A volleyball and softball state championships before going on to an All-American volleyball career at Washburn University, including multiple appearances in the NCAA tournament, capped by a second-place national finish as a senior, and first-team All-American honors. Rottinghaus was a four-time All-MIAA selection, including three first-team honors. Rottinghaus earned the NCAA Elite 90 Award, becoming the first Washburn student-athlete and MIAA volleyball player to receive the prestigious honor. A libero/defensive specialist, she led the nation with 833 total digs as a senior and is Washburn's all-time digs leader.
Avery Clifton was a track and cross country star for Washburn Rural before running at Kansas State. [Topeka Capital-Journal]
52. AVERY CLIFTON, Washburn Rural
Clifton won 6A state track and field championships for Washburn Rural in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters as a junior and senior and was also a two-time state cross country champ and Kansas Gatorade Runner of the Year honoree. Clifton went on to run cross country and track and field at Kansas State.
Seaman product Sydney Messick was a state champion for the Vikings before earning All-Big 12 honors at Kansas State. [File photo]
53. SYDNEY MESSICK, Seaman
The former Seaman cross country and track and field star, who went on to earn All-Big 12 honors at Kansas State, was the Class 5A individual state cross champion in 2006 after finishing eighth in the state meet in '05 and helping lead the Vikings to the 5A state team championship.
Jaybe Shufelberger was a multi-event Class 6A state track champion for Washburn Rural before earning All-Big 12 cross country recognition at Kansas State. [Kansas State Athletics]
54. JAYBE SHUFELBERGER, Washburn Rural
Shufelberger was a two-time Class 6A champion and a three-time state medalist in track as a senior for Washburn Rural, winning the 3,200 and 1,600-meter runs. Shufelberger was the Gatorade Kansas Girls Cross County Runner of the Year in 2018 after finishing second at state, her only loss of the season. Shufelberger went on to earn All-Big 12 cross country honors for Kansas State after earning three 6A cross country medals at Rural.
55. JENNIFER PERINE, Rossville
Was one of the most prolific scorers in state girls high school basketball history at Rossville from 1993-1996, scoring 2,162 points in her career. Perine finished her prep career No. 1 on Rossville's single-season scoring list (542 points) and she ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 for single-season scoring averages, including a 28-point average in 1995-1996. Perine also led Rossville with 616 career assists before going on to play at Emporia State, where she received All-America honorable mention for ESU in 1999 and was a second-team All-American in 2000.
56. RHONDA MATZKE, Silver Lake
The former Silver Lake star started her college career at Division I Oklahoma before transferring to Washburn University, where she scored 956 points and hit seven 3-pointers in a game. After her junior year she was named MIAA Newcomer of the Year and she earned first-team All-MIAA honors as a junior and senior. She ended her career with a WU school-record .820 free throw percentage and she was second with 81 total 3-pointers. Matzke is a member of the Washburn Hall of Fame.
57. JAMIE BLAKELY, Washburn Rural
Blakely helped lead Washburn Rural to a Class 6A state basketball championship and went on to turn in an outstanding career at Emporia State, finishing her career as the school's all-time assist leader and ranking No. 3 in steals.
Abby Glynn helped lead Washburn Rural to three Class 6A state golf team titles before going on to a standout career for Kansas. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
58. ABBY GLYNN, Washburn Rural
Glynn helped Washburn Rural win three Class 6A state golf championships and post a second-place team finish during an outstanding high school career. Glynn, who set a school record with a round of 69, was a three-time state medalist for the Junior Blues, taking second, sixth and seventh as Rural won team titles all three years. Glynn, the Missouri Amateur champ in 2020, put together a solid Division I college career for Kansas.
Former Class 6A state champion Megan Lucas helped lead Washburn Rural to back-to-back state team titles before playing college golf at UMKC and Wichita State. [Photo by Sarah Carson/Special to TSN]
59. MEGAN LUCAS, Washburn Rural
A three-time state medalist, Lucas was the Class 6A individual state golf champion in 2016 and posted a top-10 finish in '17 as Washburn Rural won back-to-back team titles. Lucas tied for 13th in '15 as Rural finished second as a team. She began her college career at UMKC before finishing up as a standout at Wichita State.
60. BILLIE JEAN MOORE, Highland Park
The late Moore is best remembered for being a legendary women's college basketball coach, but was also a star third baseman for the nationally renowned Ohse Meats fast-pitch softball team. Moore is a member of numerous halls of fame, including the Topeka Shawnee County and Washburn shrines.
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 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.
