Between Kansas City and Wichita, which metro has more state championships? It’s close
Before the 2018 Kansas Class 6A state-title game in football, players from Derby and Blue Valley North high schools met at midfield and bragged about which region of Kansas was tougher.
Between Wichita and Kansas City, the state’s two largest metropolitan areas by population, the surrounding high schools have won more than 2,000 state titles. But which metro has more all-time? It’s actually a pretty close call.
Here is a look at which KC- and Wichita-area high schools have performed the best through the decades and how they contribute to the greater metro rivalry between northeast and south-central Kansas.
Note: “area high schools” were considered to be those located within one hour of downtown
Note II: state championships do not include 2-person or 4-person golf titles won from 1929-79. The data also does not include singles or doubles tennis championships won from 1928-85.
To see the full dataset, click here
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Wichita - 1,108 total state championships
1. Collegiate Spartans
Overall ranking: 5
State championships: 89
Location: Wichita
Type: Private
Most successful sports: Girls tennis (29), boys tennis (24), boys golf (19)
2. Kapaun Mt. Carmel Crusaders
Overall ranking: 6
State championships: 86
Location: Wichita
Type: Private
Most successful sports: Boys golf (22), girls tennis (15), football (9), wrestling (9)
3. Wichita East Blue Aces
Overall ranking: 7
State championships: 77
Location: Wichita
Type: Public
Most successful sports: Boys outdoor track and field (25), boys swimming and diving (14), wrestling (11)
4. Bishop Carroll Golden Eagles
Overall ranking: 11
State championships: 61
Location: Wichita
Type: Private
Most successful sports: Softball (13), boys cross country (10), volleyball (8)
5. Arkansas City Bulldogs
Overall ranking: T-17
State championships: 41
Location: Arkansas City
Type: Public
Most successful sports: Wrestling (21), softball (4), boys tennis (3)
T-6. Buhler Crusaders - 37 titles
T-6. Wichita Southeast Golden Buffaloes - 37 titles
8. McPherson Bullpups - 36 titles
9. Hutchinson Salthawks - 29 titles
T-10. Andale Indians - 28 titles
T-10. Garden Plain Owls - 28 titles
11. Newton Railroaders - 27 titles
13. Moundridge Wildcats - 26 titles
14. Wichita Heights Falcons - 24 titles
15. Wichita North Redskins - 23 titles
T-16. Derby Panthers - 22 titles
T-16. Hesston Swathers - 22 titles
T-18. Andover Trojans - 20 titles
T-18. Conway Springs Cardinals - 20 titles
T-18. Goddard Lions - 20 titles
21. Winfield Vikings - 18 titles
T-22. Augusta Orioles - 17 titles
T-22. Maize Eagles - 17 titles
24. (Durham) Hillsboro - 16 titles
25. Halstead - 15 titles
Others: Burrton (14), Independent (14), Douglass (13), Andover Central (12), Berean Academy (12), Wellington (12), (Mount Hope/Partridge) Haven (11), Pretty Prairie (11), Wichita Northwest (11), Trinity Academy (11), Nickerson (10), Wichita West (10), Haysville Campus (9), Hutchinson Trinity (9), Rose Hill (9), Cheney (8), Mulvane (8), Canton-Galva (6), Clearwater (6), Kingman (6), Wichita (6), Norwich (5), (Benton) Towanda Circle (4), Eisenhower (4), Goessel (4), (Leon) Bluestem (4), Maiz eSouth (3), Udall (3), Argonia (2), Belle Plaine (2), (Peabody) Burns (2), Valley Center (2), Hutchinson Central Christian (1), Sedgwick (1), Whitewater Remington (1)
To see the full dataset, click here
Kansas City - 1,145 total state championships
1. St. Thomas Aquinas Saints
Overall ranking: 1
State championships: 110
Location: Overland Park
Type: Private
Most successful sports: Boys soccer (16), girls soccer (16), girls golf (13)
2. Bishop Miege Stags
Overall ranking: 2
State championships: 106
Location: Shawnee Mission
Type: Private
Most successful sports: Volleyball (25), girls basketball (20), girls cross country (12)
3. Shawnee Mission East Lancers
Overall ranking: 3
State championships: 92
Type: Public
Most successful sports: Boys swimming and diving (16), girls swimming and diving (16), boys golf (12)
4. Lawrence Chesty Lions
Overall ranking: 4
State championships: 91
Type: Public
Most successful sports: Boys gymnastics (19), volleyball (16), football (10)
5. Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars
Overall ranking: 8
State championships: 67
Location: Shawnee
Type: Public
Most successful sports: Boys cross country (21), girls cross country (13), girls gymnastics (8)
6. Blue Valley North Mustangs - 65 titles
7. Olathe East Hawks - 55 titles
8. Wyandotte Bulldogs - 49 titles
9. Shawnee Mission South Raiders - 45 titles
10. Baldwin Bulldogs - 41 titles
T-11. Blue Valley Northwest Huskies - 28 titles
T-11. Blue Valley Tigers - 28 titles
13. Leavenworth Pioneers - 26 titles
T-14. St. James Academy Thunder - 25 titles
T-14. Blue Valley West Jaguars - 25 titles
16. Shawnee Mission North - 24 titles
T-17. Olathe North Eagles - 20 titles
T-17. Shawnee Mission West Vikings - 20 titles
19. Bishop Ward Cyclones - 19 titles
20. Olathe South Falcons - 18 titles
T-21. Kansas City Christian Panthers - 15 titles
T-21. Lawrence Free State - 15 titles
23. Sumner Academy - 14 titles
24. Maranatha Academy - 13 titles
T-25. Piper Pirates - 10 titles
T-25. Blue Valley Southwest Timberwolves - 10 titles
Others: Bonner Springs (8), Mill Valley (8), Spring Hill (8), Atchison (7), Lawrence Haskell (7), Paola (7), Maur Hill (6), Lansing (6), Leavenworth Immaculata (6), Olathe (6), Olathe Northwest (6), De Soto (5), Gardner-Edgerton (5), Shawnee Mission (5), Basehor-Linwood (3), Eudora (3), KC Schlagle (2), KC Washington (2), Louisburg (2), Heritage Christian (2), Perry-Lecompton (2), Pleasant Ridge (1), KC Rosedale (1), KC Turner (1), Olathe West (1), Oskaloosa (1), Osawatomie (1), Shawnee St. Joseph (1), Tonganoxie (1)
To see the full dataset, click here
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Between Kansas City and Wichita, which metro has more state championships? It’s close."