By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks TopSports.news will recognize Shawnee County's all-time best teams in 21 sports as part of our Best of the Best project. The project continues with girls track and field and readers will have the opportunity to vote for teams in that sport through August 4, with the top teams in all categories announced in late July and August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4879452x35D7492D-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Eight different Shawnee County high schools have won state team titles in girls track and field, including six with multiple championships.
And while this summer's TopSports.news Best of the Best project is all about teams it's also an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the outstanding track and field performers in county history, names like Jocelyn Bentley, Lori Green, Marge Eddy, Julie Howerton, Karissa Owens, Akilah Carter, Mandy and Mindy Wilson, Shannon Parr, Alex Ferguson, Nannette Lee and Carla Marney.
Shawnee Heights won the first of the school's three girls track and field team championships in 1974. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Topeka High's girls track and field team won its first of two straight state team championships in 1974. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Marney swept the shot put, discus and softball throw to help Shawnee Heights win the Class 3A state title in 1974 while Lee earned three gold medals (two relays and an individual win) the same season as Topeka High won the 5A-4A championship and Lee won another title in '75 as the Trojans won their second straight team crown.
Green won four gold medals in '76 to lead Peg Marmet's Topeka West team to the 4A team title while Bentley won four golds in '80 as the Scots captured the 6A championship and Highland Park won a second straight title in '81.
Seaman's girls track and field team won the first of two straight Class 6A track and field championships in 1985. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Eddy and Howerton were gold medalists both seasons as Claudia Welch's Seaman team won 6A championships in '85 and '86.
Rick Strecker's Hayden teams won 4A team titles in '89 and '95 while state champs Owens and Carter powered Shawnee Heights to the 5A crown in '93 and the T-Birds added the school's third title in 2009.
Rossville won its third straight Class 3A girls track and field championship in 2012. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Rossville has also won three championships in 3A, posting a three-peat in '10 through '12 as the Wilsons and Parr all won multiple titles and Silver Lake added a 3A title in '15 as Ferguson won multiple golds.
Slver Lake won the Class 3A girls track and field team title in 2015. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Vote for your favorite team at https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4879452x35D7492D-151 while readers also have the option of writing in a candidate.
Vote as many times as you wish. Final selections will be based on reader vote as well as input from TSN contributors and current and past local sports media professionals.
Votes in girls track and field will be accepted through August 4 before TSN publishes our Best of the Best lists in late July and August.
NEXT UP: Boys track and field (ballot will be published on TopSports.news on Saturday).
