Shawnee Heights High School
Encyclopedia
Shawnee Heights High School is a fully accredited public high school
located in Tecumseh, Kansas
, east of Topeka, Kansas
. Shawnee Heights High School is the only high school located within the city limits of Tecumseh. The school colors are red, white, and turquoise and the school mascot is the Thunderbird
. The average annual enrollment is approximately 1,100 students.
Shawnee Heights is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association
and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 5A division and are known as the "Thunderbirds". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. The school is a member of the Centennial League
.
and are classified as a 5A school, the second-largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association
. Throughout its history, Shawnee Heights has won sixteen state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.
Shawnee Heights High School offers the following sports:
This project enclosed the walkway once separating the 9-10 building (now the North Wing) and the 11-12 building (now the South Wing).
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Tecumseh, Kansas
Tecumseh, Kansas
Tecumseh is an unincorporated community situated along the Kansas River in eastern Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States of America. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Although official populations are not compiled for...
, east of Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. Shawnee Heights High School is the only high school located within the city limits of Tecumseh. The school colors are red, white, and turquoise and the school mascot is the Thunderbird
Thunderbird (mythology)
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a "supernatural" bird of power and strength...
. The average annual enrollment is approximately 1,100 students.
Shawnee Heights is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association
Kansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 5A division and are known as the "Thunderbirds". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. The school is a member of the Centennial League
Centennial League
The Centennial League is a league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. The league comprises ten public high schools in the region near Topeka, Kansas...
.
Extracurricular activities
The Thunderbirds compete in the Centennial LeagueCentennial League
The Centennial League is a league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. The league comprises ten public high schools in the region near Topeka, Kansas...
and are classified as a 5A school, the second-largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association
Kansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
. Throughout its history, Shawnee Heights has won sixteen state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.
Football
The head coach of the football team is Jason Swift. He has been head of the football team since 2002, and as of 2011 has carried his team to eight playoff series in nine years. The team has won three of its district championships under his lead, in 2006, 2008, and in 2010. In 2009, the team won its first playoff game since 1973, then went on the next year to win another playoff victory in 2010, the first time ever that the school has recorded playoff wins in consecutive years.Baseball
Shawnee Heights has experienced a large amount of success throughout its history. The program has made numerous trips to the Kansas State Baseball Tournament, winning the state championship four times, occurring in 1994, 1999, 2001, 2011.Basketball
The Shawnee Heights basketball program was one of the top programs in the state in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. During that span, the team won four state championships, occurring in 1988, 1989, 2000, and 2002. The Thunderbirds also won several Centennial League titles. The team has had only one winning season from 2002–2008, however. The girls' programs has also won state championships in 1977 and 1986.Track & Field
Other strong athletic programs offered at Shawnee Heights are boys' and girl's track & field. The boys' program has won state championships in 1989 and 2007. The girls' program won state championships in 1974, 1993, and 2009.State Championships
| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive... |
2 | 1999, 2000 |
| Winter | Basketball, Boys Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
4 | 1988, 1989, 2000, 2002 |
| Basketball, Girls Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
2 | 1977, 1986 | |
| Bowling, Girls Bowling Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule... |
1 | 2010 | |
| Spring | Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
4 | 1994, 1999, 2001, 2011 |
| Track and Field, Boys | 2 | 1989, 2007 | |
| Track and Field, Girls | 3 | 1974, 1993, 2009 | |
| Soccer, Girls | 1 | 2004 | |
| Total | 18 | ||
Shawnee Heights High School offers the following sports:
Fall
- Football
- Volleyball
- Boys' Cross-Country
- Girls' Cross-Country
- Girls' Golf
- Boys' Soccer
- Girls' Tennis
- Cheerleading
Winter
- Boys' Basketball
- Girls' Basketball
- Wrestling
- Boys' Bowling
- Girls' Bowling
- Dance Team
- Winter Cheerleading
Spring
- Baseball
- Boys' Golf
- Boys' Tennis
- Girls' Soccer
- Softball
- Boys' Track and Field
- Girls' Track and Field
Construction Project
In the summer of 2006 the school received a remodeling and a new construction project after the passage of a bond issue in 2005. This project was completed in the summer of 2007.This project enclosed the walkway once separating the 9-10 building (now the North Wing) and the 11-12 building (now the South Wing).
Notable alumni
- Troy WilsonTroy Wilson (American football)Troy Ethan Wilson is a former defensive lineman who played in the National Football League. Wilson had a seven year career playing defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, and the Chicago Bears.Troy Wilson attended Pittsburg State University from 1989 to...
, NFL professional football player, member of the 1994 San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
Super Bowl championship team - Gary WoodlandGary Woodland-Early life:Woodland was born in Topeka, Kansas, and attended Shawnee Heights High School in the suburb of Tecumseh. After high school, he attended Washburn University on a basketball scholarship, but left after his freshman year to take up a golf scholarship at University of Kansas...
, PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
professional golfer, two-time winner of the Kansas Amateur - Mitch McVickerMitch McVickerMitch McVicker is a GMA Dove Award-winning Contemporary Christian Music singer-songwriter.-Biography:McVicker attended Friends University in Wichita Kansas, in the early-1990s where he met and befriended the late CCM recording artist, Rich Mullins...
, Christian musician