Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall Of Fame To Honor 2026 Inductees
The Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame will honor four inductees on Wednesday, October 14, at the Cyrus Hotel in downtown Topeka. Powered by the Topeka Area Sports Commission and sponsored by the Bill Kennedy Driving School, the event will recognize the honorees’ achievements and their place in the community’s sports history. The 2026 induction class includes Sam Winter, Jessica Mainz, Mit Winter, and C.B. McGrath.
The formal induction ceremony will begin at 5:00 pm in the ballroom at the Cyrus Hotel and conclude at 6:30pm. The evening will connect the newest class with those already enshrined and celebrate the athletic legacy of Topeka and Shawnee County.
The 2026 induction class includes:
• Sam Winter, Basketball: A Washburn Rural High School standout, Winter earned All-State recognition and First Team All-City and All-Centennial League honors before continuing his career at Harvard University. He led the Ivy League in rebounding in 2003 and went on to play professional basketball in Switzerland.
• Jessica Mainz, Soccer and Basketball: A Shawnee Heights High School multi-sport standout, Mainz went on to earn All-America honors and two MIAA Most Valuable Player awards in soccer at Washburn University, scoring 47 career goals. She also earned two MIAA Defensive Player of the Year awards in basketball and became the first woman in conference history to receive MVP honors in two different sports.
• Mit Winter, Basketball: A Washburn Rural High School standout who earned All-State and First Team All-Centennial League recognition, Winter became a four-year basketball letterwinner at William & Mary. His collegiate highlights included a 36-point performance against JamesMadison, with a perfect 17-for-17 at the free-throw line, and the university’s President’s Award for Leadership, Sportsmanship, and Citizenship.
• C.B. McGrath, Basketball: A Topeka West High School standout, McGrath earned 13 varsity letters across four sports and was named Kansas Basketball Player of the Year in 1994. He played point guard at the University of Kansas under Roy Williams before joining Williams’ coaching staff. At North Carolina, he served as an assistant coach on the 2005, 2009, and 2017 NCAA national championship teams and later became head coach at UNC Wilmington.
The Hall of Fame honors past area athletes who have made a lasting mark on the Topeka community through their sport. The annual recognition preserves their stories and provides an opportunity to celebrate the people whose accomplishments have helped shape the community’s sports tradition.
Event details
• Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
• Location: Cyrus Hotel, Downtown Topeka
• Induction ceremony: 5:00 pm in the hotel’s ballroom
• Attendance and admission: The induction ceremony is free to attend, but seating is limited
For event information or media inquiries, contact Mike Bell at mike@visittopeka.com or (785) 221-1495.
