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 boys and girls bowling and readers will have the opportunity to vote for bowling teams through July 23, 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/poll4867535x4F9E480F-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
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Compared to a lot of other sports in Kansas, high school bowling is a relative newcomer, with the Kansas State High School Activities Association approving the sport for state competition in 2005.
Shawnee Heights' girls won the county's first state bowling team title in 2010. [Submitted photo to TSN]
But it didn't take long for Shawnee County teams to make their mark, with local bowlers earning their first state medals in 2006 and Nick Harris' Shawnee Heights' girls posting the county's first team championship in 2010.
To date local teams have won a total of nine state titles -- five boys, four girls -- with four county schools earning championhips.
Seaman's girls won the Class 5A-1A state team title in 2022, part of a championship sweep by the Vikings. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Seaman's boys won the third state boys team title in school history in 2022. [File photot/TSN]
Washburn Rural's boys won their first Class 6A state bowling title in 2023, rolling to a 135-pin victory. [File photo/TSN]
Highlights include a Class 5A-1A girls and boys sweep by Bob Benoit's Seaman Vikings in 2022 and a dominating performance by Jo Ricard's Washburn Rural boys en route to a 135-pin victory in the Class 6A boys tournament this past season.
Seaman's girls won the 5A-1A title in 2022 by 29 pins over Bishop Carroll as Makenzie Millard shot a 697 series to lead the Vikings with a second-place individual finish.
The Seaman boys ensured a title sweep in '22, winning by 11 pins as Ethan Burns led a balanced Viking attack with a 10th-place finish.
Washburn Rural's boys turned in one of the top performances in state tournament history this past season, including a huge showing in the Baker format games.
Josh Hammons shot a 725 series to finish fourth individually in 6A while Logan Glinka added a seventh-place finish and Walker Thompson an 11th-place showing for the Junior Blues.
Heights' 2010 girls championship in 5A-1A came by a 108-pin margin over Bishop Carroll as Jessica Thompson shot a 715 three-game series to claim the individual title while four T-Birds earned state medals.
Seaman won the 5A-1A girls team championship in 2011 as Geoff Poston's Vikings won by eight pins over Buhler as Alexis Hackler, Shelby Shaw and Courtney Bigger all earned individual medals. Hackler led the way with a fourth-place finish.
Poston also coached Seaman's boys to a 201-pin runaway in 2017 before he left Seaman to launch the Ottawa University bowling progam.
Like Poston, Mike Thompson coached Topeka West to girls and boys 5A-1A state championships, with the Charger girls winning in 2015 and the West boys taking the title in 2018.
Renee Howland keyed West's girls title with a runnerup finish while Jordan Freed finished fourth for the Charger boys in '18.
In addition to Seaman's title sweep in '22, Benoit coached the Viking boys to a 5A-1A state title in 2019.
Vote for your favorite team at https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4867535x4F9E480F-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 bowling will be accepted through July 22 before TSN publishes our Best of the Best lists in late July and August.
NEXT UP: Girls cross county (ballot will be published on TopSports.news on Monday).
