By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In a field loaded with many of Shawnee County's all-time great athletes and great teams, the Lori Green-led 1976 Topeka West team got the nod for the No. 1 spot on the TopSports.news Best of the Best list for girls track and field.
Legendary Topeka West sprinter Lori Green earned four gold medals in 1976 as the Chargers captured the Class 4A state team title. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Still regarded as one of the best-ever sprinters in Kansas, Green took home four gold medals in '76 as Peg Marmet's Chargers won six of 14 events on the way to the Class 4A team crown.
Claudia Welch's 1985 Seaman Class 6A state championship team is ranked No. 2 on TSN's Best of the Best for girls track and field. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Claudia Welch's 1985 Seaman team garnered the No. 2 spot on the Best of the Best Top 10, with the Vikings rolling to the 6A team title by a 79-57 margin over Junction City while picking up four event wins.
Highland Park Hall of Famer Jocelyn Bentley earned four gold medals in 1980 as the Scots won the Class 6A team title. [Photo by Topeka Capital-Journal]
Highland Park's '80 team is ranked No. 3, with Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Famer Jocelyn Bentley earning four gold medals as the Scots won the 6A championship by a 55-45 margin over city rival Topeka High.
Shawnee Heights won the girls Class 5A state track and field title n 1993. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Welch's '86 Seaman 6A championship team garnered the No. 4 Best of the Best position while Shawnee Heights' 5A title team in '93 rounds out the top five.
Rossville's girls track and field team won three straight Class 3A state titles from 2010-2012. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Silver Lake scored 66 points en route to a 23-point victory in the 2015 Class 3A girls track and field meet. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
The second five on the Top 10 is also loaded, beginning with Jason Broaddus' 2012 Rossville three-time champs at No. 6 and Silver Lake's '15 title team at No. 7, while Shawnee Heights ('74), Topeka High ('74) and Hayden ('89) finish off the Top 10.
Silver Lake's '15 team was the winner in the Reader's Choice balloting, followed by Rossville's '12 team, Shawnee Heights' '93 squad and a tie for the fourth position between Hayden's '89 team and West's '76 team..
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST GIRLS TRACK TEAMS
1. Topeka West (1976) -- Peg Marmet's Chargers won six of 14 events on the way to the Class 4A state team championship. Local sprint legend Lori Green won four gold medals (100, 220-yard dashes, two relays) while Janet Morton swept swept the shot put and discus titles. Green ran the 100 in 10.7 seconds and the 220 in 24.7.
2. Seaman (1985) -- Claudia Welch's Vikings scored 79 points to garner a decisive 79-57 win over Junction City in the Class 6A state meet. Seaman got individual titles from Marge Eddy (3,200), Ellarie Pesmark (400) and Julie Howerton (800) as well as a win in the 4x400 relay.
3. Highland Park (1980) -- Dixie Barb's Scots claimed the Class 6A state championship by a 55-45 win over Topeka High as Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Famer Jocelyn Bentley turned in a huge performance. Bentley won the 100-meter dash, the 200 (24.40 seconds) and the 400 (54.40) and anchored Hi Park's winning 4x400 relay.
4. Seaman (1986) -- Claudia Welch's Seaman team rolled to the Class 6A team title by a 36-point margin over Junction City (76-40) as Marge Eddy won the 3,200 meters (10 minutes, 59.07 seconds), Julie Howerton won the 800 (2:16.03) and the Vikings won the 4x400 relay (3:53.00).
5. Shawnee Heights (1993) -- The T-Birds, coached by Russ Hutchins, scored 74 points to edge Liberal for the Class 5A state championship by four points (74-70) as individual state champs Karissa Owens and Akilah Carter led the way.
6. Rossville (2012) -- The Bulldawgs completed a Class 3A three-peat by a 74-48 margin ove TMP-Marian. Shannon Parr and Mandy Wilson were double individual gold medalists while Rossville also won the 4x400 relay.
7. Silver Lake (2015) -- Silver Lake garnered the Class 3A championship by a decisive 23-point over Beloit (66-43), led by individual double gold medalist Alex Ferguson and state champ Taylor White. The Eagles alo won the 4x100 relay.
8. Shawnee Heights (1974) -- Carla Marney swept the shot put (42-6.25), discus (136-6) and softball throw (204-8) events to lead the way as Travis Knight's T-Birda won the Class 3A state tiitle by four points over Buhler. The T-Birds also got an individual victory from Audrey Remington in the 440-yard dash and Remington ran on the winning medley relay team.
9. Topeka High (1974) -- Celessa Russell and Nannette Lee both won a pair of gold medals as Jan Magnuson's Topeka High team won the Class 5A-4A team championship by 16 points over Kansas City-Wyandotte.
10. Hayden (1989) -- Rick Strecker's Wildcats won the first of their two Class 4A state team titles by a 48-40 margin over Scott City, winning three events in the meet. Katie Graham was an individual state champ and the Wildcats also won the 4x800 and 4x400 relays.
READER'S CHOICE GIRLS TRACK AWARDS
1. Silver Lake (2015) -- No. 7 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
2. Rossville (2012) -- No. 6 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
3. Shawnee Heights (1993) -- No. 5 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
4. (tie) Hayden (1989) -- No. 10 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
4. (tie) Topeka West (1976) -- No. 1 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
6. Highland Park (1980) -- No. 3 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).7. (tie) Shawnee Heights (1974) -- No. 8 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
7. (tie) Topeka High (1974) -- No. 9 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).9. (tie) Seaman (1985) -- No. 2 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
9. (tie) Seaman (1986) -- No. 4 on Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
Next up: Boys track and field Best of the Best Top 10 teams and Reader's Choice awards.
