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Student of the Month Student of the Month

Maize’s Hunter Niemann

The quick recovery and the physical therapy received at Advanced PT allowed Niemann to finish out his senior season and compete once again.

Former football player now probationary firefighter with the Wichita Fire Department, Hunter Niemann knows what it is like to sit on the sidelines after an injury.

“I am a bit over a year through my recovery. After six months I was able to finish my track season, competing again at a high level. Since then, I’ve been able to build on what Advanced Physical Therapy gave me and have felt great.

Leg is back to full strength, doing more than what I could do even before surgery.

Even with harder workouts and a bigger workload the fire department provides, I’ve still felt at the top of my game,” said Niemann.

During his senior season, Niemann suffered a torn ACL while playing football. The injury would take several months to heal, but he was determined to resume his training.

“Advanced Physical Therapy got me to full recovery in just six months where I could resume my training to prepare myself for the Fire Department,” said Niemann. “My favorite part about Advanced Physical Therapy was the friendly atmosphere combined with top-of-the-line equipment and exercises.”

Graduating from high school, playing football was certainly still an option, but for Niemann the call to be a first responder was greater.

“Although I love football, firefighting was the better option for me. Despite me not

Hunter Niemann continuing my football career, I am able to do something I enjoy just as much.

Without the best road of recovery, living such a physical life may not have been possible,” said Niemann.

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KANSAS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY DRIVING CHANGE ATHLETE

Oang Thai

Driving Change Athlete of the Month:

Wichita East’s Oang Thai

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For four years, Wichita East senior Oang Thai has played the game of soccer and is now one of the leaders on the team.

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“My freshman year, I was super shy and never wanted to get involved with any activities. But when I joined soccer, I felt like I am at home. The girls are wonderful and uplifting.

They are like sisters to me,” said Thai. “I am able to show emotions and work hard and able to grow with them. When one fails, they do not focus on the bad but the good. They believe in one another and continue to motivate each other until a certain task is completed.”

As a student-athlete, Thai is focused on many things from student council and National Honor Society to being part of the AVID team. Thai serves as student body president.

“As student body president, I was nominated to become a representative at SuperSAC where we meet with the school board to discuss students’ needs and struggles and what we

can do to improve USD259 schools,” said Thai.

Outside of school, Thai is very active in her community.

“Annually I volunteer at Asian Wellness and just last year I volunteered at the Asian Festival. I am involved with my church as well. I pack bags like goodie bags for kids and their families that are not able to make it to church due to COVID-19. Lastly, I volunteer at the museums to setup art shows and be there to present art pieces for my AP Studio class,” said Thai. “After graduation, I plan on going to Butler Community College to start on a psychology major and then transfer to a four-year school either at University of Kansas or Washburn University.”

Thai carries a 3.76 GPA while taking AP classes and balancing her busy life. Her favorite subject in school is chemistry and in her free time she enjoys working out and spending time with friends and family.

TAYLOR ZEKA’S SHELTER ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

GO !

Prep Performance of the Month

Chase Harris, Wichita Heights High School

By Matt Browning Ana Self, a diver from Derby, was chosen for the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month for April.

Last season as a freshman, Self won the AVCTL Division I Diving championship and then took 11th at the 6A meet.

“It is very awesome, and I feel very privileged,” Self said about being chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete.

Self spent her offseason trying to improve every area of her craft, but in particular she wanted to gain strength in her legs and core.

“Stronger legs help you get higher off the board and core strength helps you enter the water perfectly straight,” Self said.

There were particular dives that Self struggled with last season so that was a focal point during her workouts and practice.

“Last season my weakness was definitely twisting dives,” Self said. “I could not figure out how to twist more than a half.

Ana Self After the season ended, I was determined to figure out how to twist. So, with the help of others I figured out what I was messing up on and I learned how to twist. Now, after lots of practice, I can do two full twists.”

There are two goals Self wants to achieve this season, both of which are lofty but ones she thinks she can accomplish.

“My first goal is to break the school record for an 11-dive meet,” Self said. “The current record is 456.05. My biggest goal is to win state. I want to at least make it on the podium.

However, I believe I have the ability to win.”

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Chase Harris of Heights was chosen for the Hog Wild Performance of the Month for his game-high 21 points in the Falcons 61-54 6A championship game victory over Blue Valley Northwest.

“I was locked in from the start,” Harris said.

“I knew this was one of the biggest games I’ll ever play in, so I told myself before the game started to stay locked in and don’t let nothing speed you up.”

Harris said Blue Valley Northwest focused more of its attention on his teammates Marcus Ziegler and T.J. Williams, which Harris then took advantage of.

“I felt like Blue Valley Northwest did not respect me,” Harris said. “It felt like they didn’t have a scouting report on me. But I just started the game locked in and knocked down shots.”

Harris grew as a player this season, increasing his scoring average from two points last season to 13 this season, while also averaging three steals per game.

“I feel like I’m a balanced player,” Harris said. “A lot of people think I’m an offensive player but I really like defense.”

Before the state tournament even began, Harris understood how difficult it was to win a championship and that made winning it even sweeter.

“It means a lot to me,” Harris said. “I’ve always wanted to win state and it’s a very difficult thing to do but if you are a determined team you can get it done.”

Derby’s Ana Self

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WICHITA AREA SPOTLIGHT

YMCA #YiBelong Spotlight

Lacey Hudson

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For Hudson, there are many other activities at the YMCA she is involved in.

“For activities during the summer I enjoy the water classes. I also work out regularly at the Central and Ridge locations. I would be considered a regular there,” said Hudson. “It really is so nice chatting with fellow members in the morning, and we encourage each other to get through that work out and enjoy the rest of our day afterward. I recently was invited to a board member meeting to celebrate my being Coach of The Year for the South YMCA, which turned out to be quite

Lacey Hudson enjoyable. Lots of opportunities there, and great people.”

Hudson said she encourages everyone to get their kids involved in a local YMCA and in sports.

“There are so many things about sports or general fitness activities that are so beneficial to children.

Sports can teach them confidence, teamwork, and leadership,” said Hudson. “In terms of sports specifically at the YMCA, I would recommend they do the PREP option first if the parent and child are both inexperienced at whatever sport they are interested in. The recreational league is certainly the starting point for team/competition play, but the kids, I think, would thrive better learning the basics in a PREP program versus competitive, although that too, can just depend on the coach.”

y d a e R e f i l r o f

AJ VANG Goddard, KS - On holding the Program Record for Offensive Linemen with 25 Consecutive Games

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“I coach 8-under girls, and my stepdaughter is on the team.

What I enjoy most about it is the satisfaction the girls get when they nail a skill we are working on, and when we seal the deal at a game.

Let’s go Box Out Divas!” Hudson said.

“... this place is so special.

To think of all the greats that have come out of here, it is kind of crazy to think that I have had more starts than anyone at Butler. Means the world to me.”

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GREATER WICHITA YMCA | ymcawichita.org | #YiBELONG

Lacey Hudson, also known as Coach Hudson, loves being part of the YMCA at the South location.

Coach Hudson said having the opportunity to coach girls’ basketball is one of the more satisfying things about being part of the YMCA family.

ButlerCC.edu

Connect with us.

DRIVE TO ZERO

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Alexandria Butler, Wichita Northwest High School Alexandria Butler is a senior at Northwest High School and she is a member of the SAFE (Seatbelts Are For Everyone) program at school. SAFE is a program designed for students to interact with their peers about the importance of wearing seatbelts and being safe drivers.

“Surprisingly, I was connected to the SAFE program through a peer of mine. We are both involved in Mayors Youth Council, and I was curious to know what this program was,” said Butler. “The constant guidance and support through leaders are so heartwarming. I know that through any inquiry, concern, or issue I have, they will always be there to step in.”

Butler also created a program called Capture A Chance which helps deal with drug issues taking place in the community.

Giving youth a role model to look toward is something Butler is passionate about, and the response has been tremendous.

“My program leaders are very excited! There have been lots and lots of background work at hand. As the head, I am over the moon about prepping this

project,” said Butler. “There is so much to look toward through our own community leaders and so many stories to share.”

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“I hated seeing my own people falter because there

was nowhere to look.

Unfortunately, most suicides resulting from drug addiction or abuse happen because the individual believes there is no one who will understand.

I want to let people know there is someone out there with the same story willing to reach out and show something worthwhile,” said Butler. “The mission is to reduce drug abuse and addiction within Wichita teens and provide proper methods to handle circumstances involving drugs.”

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www.ktsro.org/impaired-driving

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SAFE is a statewide program supported by the Kansas Department of Transportation

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HELLAS SPOTLIGHT

Hellas Field of the Month: Elite Indoor Sports Facility

By Matt Browning The Elite Indoor Sports Facility was chosen as the Hellas Construction Field of the Month for April. Hellas provided a new playing surface from base work to turf.

“Hellas is the premier turf company in the country, and I would recommend them for all of your athletic facility needs,” said general manager Matt Baty. “I look forward to expanding our relationship over many years.”

The objective for the renovation was to provide baseball and softball players in the Wichita area with the premiere training facility in the region.

“We currently have a 20,000 square foot facility on the campus mainly used for hitting, pitching, classroom sessions and strength and conditioning,” Baty said.

“Now we have over 48,000 square

HELLAS PROVIDES FULL SERVICE SPORTS CONSTRUCTION from manufacturing to design/build, construction to installation, service and maintenance — we have you covered from start to finish. feet of facilities on one campus.

Hellas helped create a playing surface that is safe and plays with true hops and speed of the game.”

Baty also said working with Hellas was an easy process, one that he was impressed with.

“Michelle (Kuhns) is the best,” Baty said. “I have had the privilege of knowing her since her South High coaching and AD days. She knows her product well, she knows what athletes and organizations need, and she is on it from beginning to well after the project is completed.”

BUILDING FOR SPORTS FROM START TO FINISH Michelle Kuhns | mkuhns@hellasconstruction.com hellasconstruction.com

TOMMY LEACH’S SHELTER ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

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Southeast High’s Marquan Culley

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By Matt Browning Marquan Culley, who runs track at Southeast, was chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month for April. Culley had the 27th best time in the 400m last season and he already knows that time is going to improve this season.

“I have times to beat but everyone wants to beat their PR,” Culley said. “But I’m dedicated to beating my 400, 200 and 100 time is going to be beat by a good amount.”

Culley was appreciative of being chosen as the recipient of the Shelter Insurance Athlete Award, just because of the quality of track athletes in the Buffaloes’ track program.

“It means a lot to be chosen,” Culley said. “I put the hard work in and it’s showing. It shows that working hard and putting in extra effort can lead to more opportunities in life.”

Getting out of the blocks is something Culley worked on

Marquan Culley during the offseason and he feels that will translate into better times.

“I’ve been preparing day and night for this upcoming season,” Culley said. “My weakness is probably block starts even though I’ve been working on it and getting better. Now I’m just turning up the speed.”

Culley wants to pursue a degree in graphic design or electrical engineering in college, with the hopes of continuing his athletic career.

WICHITA AREA ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Buhler’s Spencer Hines

By Matt Browning Spencer Hines of Buhler was voted the Wichita Large School Preseason Boys Track Athlete of the Year. Last season Hines was a part of the 4x800 team that won state and took third in the 4x100.

“I am just surprised that I am nominated for this award against all of these other phenomenal athletes,” Hines said. “It means a lot that I am considered one of the top athletes in 4A.”

Getting a fast start was something Hines focused on this past offseason.

“One area I have worked on in the off season is my sprint start out of the blocks, which I feel like I have improved tremendously from

where I was last season,” Hines said.

Winning more state titles and breaking school records are the goals Hines has focused on this season.

“A goal I have for this season is to win the 800m state title and break our 100m dash school record,” Hines said. “As a team a goal I think we all have is to become the 2022 4A state champions.”

At Buhler, Hines also runs cross country and is a swimmer.

Hines would like to continue his track career in college and wants to become a physical education teacher and coach.

Spencer Hines

WICHITA AREA ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Collegiate’s Carson Phelps C am p u s o f Ap p li e d S ciences an d T e c hn o lo g y

By Matt Browning

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state. In particular, I don’t want to lose a race to anyone from Andale this year.”

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“My finish in the polls shows the support of my teammates and Collegiate’s record in the Collegiate friends,” PhelpsVisual said. Standards “It feels great to know that my school 400 meters is 48.9 and that is something Phelps is focused on body is supporting the work that this season, among other things.

I’ve put in this offseason, and it gives me even more motivation to “Last year was my first year in the 400m, so I would like to build train.” off the knowledge that I gained Phelps said he was held back last last year to be a smarter runner,” year by his top-end speed.

Phelps said. “I really believe that “During the offseason, I focused we have the guys this year to push on becoming a faster shortinto the top spots as a team at

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Carson Phelps of Wichita Collegiate was voted the Wichita Small School Preseason Boys Track Athlete of the Year. Phelps finished 6th in the 400m at the Class 3A State Tournament last year.

distance sprinter so that my 400m pace would feel more like a float,” PheIps said. “I started lifting more like an athlete than a bodybuilder this past offseason, focusing on explosive movements and pushing through muscle fatigue to help me with the first and last 50 meters of my race.”

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WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

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Derby’s Softball Spotlight

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By Chris Cox In her 19th season leading the Derby Panthers softball team, Christy Weve has seen and just about everything a coach can in her career. But last season’s loss in extra-innings in the regional championship is one of the more heartbreaking losses she and Derby have experienced. While a loss like that could set some teams back, Weve believes it will help motivate her girls this season.

“Our goals this year are to be top of our league, host regionals, and then win regionals,” Weve says.

“After we get through all that, and get to state, we will reevaluate.”

Helping lead this year’s Derby Panthers are a pair of seniors, Audrey Steinert and Morgan Haupt, both of whom experienced that heartbreak last season.

“This year, we’ve seen our seniors step up and keep the girls focused on the game,” Weve says.

“Sometimes you get leaders that say the right things, but their body language doesn’t match. But these girls practice what they preach.”

Weve says Steinert and Haupt lead in a way that blends hard work and fun.

“They push their teammates,” Weve says.

“They push them to step up their game, to be focused and be in the game. But with that being said, they have a lot of fun.

They get along really well with everyone. Our underclassmen aren’t intimidated by them, and they’ve taken the younger girls under their wings.”

Along with Steinert and Haupt, sophomore pitcher Addy Canfield, first baseman Rylee Frager, and catcher Trinity Kuntz give Weve a solid group of returning players to build this team around.

“Another underclassmen to watch is junior Sara Portela. Portela is a talented athlete and works hard for her team, on and off the field.”

However, with an admittedly young roster, Weve knows she’ll have to rely on younger players.

“At shortstop we have Raegan Jackson who’s a freshman,” says

Derby Panthers Weve. “Our other pitchers are Addy Canfield, who’s a sophomore and Cali Kuntz, who is a freshman.

We’ve also had sophomore Avery Kelly play some second base for us.

They have all stepped up and done a nice job.”

With so many new faces, Weve says one thing that gives her optimism for the season is the chemistry this team has built.

“Their ability is to get along is huge,” she says. “Their team chemistry is some of the best I’ve seen top to bottom. From JV all the way to the seniors, this is some of the best team chemistry I’ve had in a long time.”

WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

Halstead’s Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox Halstead High School head softball coach Eileen Vlamis knows that last year ended in disappointment, but she is excited about the improvements that were made and feels those can propel the Dragons to an even better season this year.

“Last year we finished 7-14 but every year I’ve been at Halstead, either as head coach or an assistant, we’ve improved our record,” she says. “We lost in the first round of regionals, which was disappointing, but we saw a lot of growth last season that I think is going to set us up for a pretty big jump this season.”

One area Vlamis is hoping the team grew from last year is the ability to finish off games.

Halstead Dragons were unable to hold it. Hopefully we show some maturity and use our experience to finish those games this year.”

Leading the charge for the Halstead Dragons this year are the four seniors.

“The seniors are welcoming to the underclassmen,” she says. “We have several freshmen that are going to play key roles for us, and in the past, there might have been some friction. But this year our seniors don’t have a problem jumping in and being partners with them in drills.”

Vlamis acknowledges that Halstead has not always been a competitive school, but she believes that narrative is starting to change as a new foundation is built.

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“These girls have been working hard to change the narrative,” Vlamis says. “Our girls are ready to compete this year and, hopefully, shock some people.”

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“Payton Divine was first team all-league last year and led us in batting average and pretty much every offensive category last season,” Vlamis says. “Energy-wise, in the dugout keeping everything positive are Lauren Cardwell, Abby Church, and Jayden Long.

All of those girls are seniors that have been through the struggling seasons. They are just excited for

Vlamis says one of the big strengths of this year’s team is the lack of friction between the upperclassmen and the lowerclassmen.

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“I’m really hoping we are able to show some grit and finish games,” she says. “Last year, we would either start really slow and struggle to fight all the way back or we had a strong start and had a lead but

this year. Junior Emma Boese and sophomores Mya Morris and Rylee Carmichael have also all stepped up tremendously as leaders this year.”

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SAFE STREETS WICHITA PLAYER PROFILE

Bishop Carroll’s Noah Holtzman

By Matt Browning Noah Holtzman, a golfer from Bishop Carroll, was chosen as the Two Brothers Barbeque Athlete of the Month for April. Holtzman finished in a tie for 14th last season at the 5A Tournament.

While last season was a successful one for Holtzman, he has bigger goals and aspirations this season, especially for regionals and state.

“I struggled last year in the postseason, and I think I have a good opportunity this year to come back stronger,” Holtzman said. “My main goal for this year’s season is to win the City League championship and state championship individually, as well as helping my team succeed.

Another goal I have is to maintain a scoring average of 72 or lower over the course of the season.”

Holtzman left his swing alone over the offseason as he views his ballstriking to be the strength to his game. He focused on improving his

Noah Holtzman putting in preparation for the season.

“Even when I don’t have my best day around the greens, I am usually still able to shoot a pretty good score,” Holtzman said. “I feel that I can still win tournaments even when I don’t have my best stuff putting-wise, and I think that’s a major strength.

I received several (putting) lessons and was out at the course practicing as much as I could.”

ALL SEASONS ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

Andover Central’s Brittany Harshaw, Ellie Stearns & Kellyn Rogers

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It’s always nice to have good team chemistry with players who enjoy playing with one another. That is certainly the case at Andover Central where the basketball team not only has great chemistry but features three players who have been playing together since the age of five.

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Brittany Harshaw, Ellie Stearns, and Kellyn Rogers started playing together in kindergarten.

“I have been playing with Brittany and Ellie my entire life. Being on the court with them is and will always be a comfort for me. They’ve grown to be my sisters and I think it really shows on the court,” said Rogers.

All three will move on to play at the next level-an amazing thought considering how long they have been together on the court.

“I believe all three of us have worked super hard and have been very dedicated to this sport. We have put countless hours into our game, and it has really paid off as we have all reached our goal of playing at the next level,” said Stearns.

As seniors, this season was a special one for sure. Each will graduate and leave for new destinations next fall.

“This season meant a lot especially since it’s my last year of high school. I’ve

cherished all the memories I’ve made through basketball and am blessed to be a part of such a great program,” Harshaw said.

“This season we just wanted to go out the best we could. To me this season was a lot about cherishing the time I had left playing with Brittany Harshaw, Ellie Stearns, Carly Parker, and Brayden Wheatley,” said Rogers.

VIA CHRISTI BEHIND THE SCENES

St. James Parish Robotics Team

A healthier workforce means a healthier bottom line

By Hayden Swope The St. James Parish robotics team from Augusta had an exciting finish to their season. The team traveled to the Wichita State Shocker Lego Mindset Challenge on March 5th and came away with a big win.

“If you have never seen a challenge like this, it is pretty impressive and requires each team member to use skills associated with math, computer programming, communication and note taking, public speaking and answering questions using critical thinking.” said sponsor Jamie Goering.

The team has been competing since 2016 and had ten members on the team this year.

“This year, the team placed very well receiving first place for their notebook and first place overall in the beginner II division,” Goering said. “Most notable is that this success was all accomplished after just ten short meetings on Sunday afternoons where the kids learned how to design and build the robots, make their way through five courses, build a table display, create a filled 3” notebook covering everything about the team

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With the help from the students, leaders, volunteers, and coaches, the team had a successful and memorable ending to their season.

“It is so rewarding for the kids, coaches and parents to see their hard work led to success,” Goering said. “The most fun and memorable experience was the excitement of the kids and coaches as we were announced winners of first place overall in the division.”

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DERBY PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Derby’s Scott Simmons VYPE: What are your goals for yourself and your team this season?

VYPE: What is the most fun you have had in the last year?

Scott: Going to OSU with Evan Franke and Ike Bowman.

VYPE: What teammate has left the biggest impression on you and why?

Scott: Colby Hedden says the funniest

Scott: I would put it all on sports bets.

VYPE: If we gave you $500 dollars and you had to spend it in the next 24 hours, how would you spend it?

VYPE: Here is your chance to say hello, goodbye or thank you to anyone you wish.

Scott: Thank you to everyone who supports our program and me! Also thank you to the coaches I have had over the years to get me to where I am today.

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VYPE: Who on your team has the best impression of your coach and who says the funniest things during games?

Scott: I would go on vacation with Ike, and we would go to England and go watch Wimbledon.

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Scott: The teammate that left the biggest impression on me was my brother because he was almost like my mentor for tennis during my freshman year.

VYPE: You can pick any place for a summer vacation, where do you go and who do you take with you?

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Scott: Favorite athletic memory is going to state with my brother my freshman year.

things at practice and at meets.

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VYPE: What is your favorite athletic memory?

Scott Simmons

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Scott: Favorite coach is Dennis Burns because I have worked closely with him for years and it has always been a good time.

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VYPE: Who is your favorite teacher from any grade or coach and why?

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Scott: For myself I am hoping to place top four at state. For the team I would like to place as a team at state.

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SHARI WILLIAMS’ SHELTER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Northwest’s Taccari Brown

By Hayden Swope

Taccari Brown, a baseball player at Northwest High School, was chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month.

“It’s an honor to be selected for this great opportunity,” Brown said.

As just a freshman, Brown was an honorable mention all-league outfielder. He will bat third in the Grizzlies line up this season, after hitting .450 last season. He is also changing positions this season.

“Moving from left field to center was a little different,” Brown said.

“Especially seeing more balls come in at different angles but I’m starting to get the hang of it, and I’ve also been getting used to being on the mound as well.”

Brown’s offseason included not only training but learning how to lead his team.

“Something I look to improve on this season is driving the ball the opposite direction so it’s harder for the defense to know

Taccari Brown how to shift,” Brown said. “Also transitioning into a leader in the outfield since I have two first year starters beside me.”

Brown is also included in the BAASE program, and the For The Culture program at Northwest.

“My future plan for my career is to play baseball for a college and graduate with my master’s degree to pursue my dream in being an archaeologist,” Brown said.

SCCDAT PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

South Haven’s Jacee Theurer know they’re proud of you when you accomplish your goals.”

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Theurer also devotes some of her time to the SCCDAT (Sumner County Community Drug Action Team).

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Jacee Theurer South Haven High School sophomore Jacee Theurer is very involved in school activities. She is a member of the varsity track and basketball team as well as a member of the FFA.

“The reason I love being involved in sports at South Haven is that everyone is always looking out for everyone else. If you’re having a rough time at practice or at a game, they will always be there to lift you up and encourage you,” Theurer said.

“They hold you accountable and push you to always do your best. They’re always congratulating you and making sure you

“I first got involved in SCCDAT the summer before my freshman year. My favorite part of SCCDAT is not only is it a drug awareness team, but it also helps you work on your leadership skills. SCCDAT is another team I’m involved in that holds people accountable. So many people perceive this group as boring, but it’s really fun. The

people are always so sweet and fun to be around,” said Theurer.

Her plans after high school include attending Auburn University to become an interior designer.

Party favors Allowing minors to drink on your property can cost you:

A $1,000 fine 365 days in jail Legal liability If these facts don’t grab you, maybe the thought of smiling for your very own mug shot will. Be a responsible host. It Matters.

Sumner County Community Drug Action Team SCCDAT.org

Hutchinson’s Jim Preston

By Matt Browning

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“I became interested in coaching baseball after I played on the first Hutchinson Community College baseball team

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Preston lists the use of facilities and being able to watch each other’s games as some of the reasons why the Hutchinson High School baseball program has such a great relationship with Hutchinson Community College.

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Ever since high school, Preston has been interested in coaching baseball and getting young people to be passionate about the game.

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“In 2017 HHS played in the regional baseball tournament in Dodge City,” Preston said. “We beat Dodge City in the regional finals 9-5 in nine innings to reach the State 6A tournament in

in 1975 coached by the legendary Gene Torczon,” Preston said.

“I then went on to play baseball at Kansas State and graduated in 1978. I returned to the Hutchinson area and became Coach Torczon’s assistant for 2 years. Teaching the game of baseball to young men is truly a passion for me.”

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Since being hired as the head coach in 2016, Preston has two specific games that stand out to him.

Lawrence. In 2019 HHS played in the regional baseball tournament in Lawrence. Down 9-3 to Lawrence Free-State, HHS rallied for seven runs in the seventh but lost the game 11-10 in 9 innings.

Lawrence Free-State went on to place second at the 6A tournament in Lawrence.”

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Jim Preston, who is the head baseball coach at Hutchinson, was chosen for the Blue Dragon Spotlight for April. Preston is a native of Hutchinson and played on the Salthawks 1974 state championship team.

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MELANIE RENE JEWELRY ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Cooper Burrus When was the last time you jumped off a diving board? When was the last time you jumped off a diving board and performed a maneuver that would put most of us in the hospital? Cooper Burrus of Kapaun Mt. Carmel does this daily. The senior first got involved in diving during his freshman year of high school.

“I was able to just stand and do flips on the ground. My friend on the swim team said I should try diving, so I did, and I loved it. Swim teams get points for having divers compete on their team,” said Burrus. “What I loved most about my teammates and the whole diving community was that they were very supportive and always pushed me to do my best.”

This year Burrus had a moment that stood out and will be forever imbedded in his mind.

“My favorite moment as an athlete was my senior year at state when I had one dive left to place where I wanted to.

I nailed the dive, and it was the best double front flip I had ever done. It allowed me to place fourth at state,” said Burrus.

Cooper Burrus The senior plans on attending Kansas State University next year where he will pursue a degree in architectural engineering.

Burrus said his dive coach has played a big role in his life since joining the team.

“The biggest influence in this sport has been my dive coach, Melody Turley.

She has encouraged me and pushed me throughout my entire diving career.

She cares about me as well as other teammates, as a player but also as a person. Without her guidance and support I would not have been able to place as well as I did. I am very grateful for her,” said Burrus.

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SPOTLIGHT

Collegiate’s Trista Overton

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Trista Overton, a soccer player, is the Collegiate Athlete of the month for April. With the Spartans, Overton also participates in tennis, and the Spanish Club.

“Attending Collegiate for most of my life has shaped me into being a leader on the field, and in the classroom,” Overton said.

“Collegiate has provided me with the resources and opportunities to better myself as a student and my future goals.”

Throughout her time in the district, Overton has had many memories impact her life.

“I have many fond memories at Collegiate,” Overton said. “The ongoing tradition of Buddy Day at our school has always created good memories for me. Buddy Day is in which Upper-Classmen are paired with Lower-Classmen for a fun-filled day of activities

Engage.

Encourage.

Empower.

Trista Overton and school spirit.”

Overton speaks highly of Collegiate and has high hopes for future students attending the school.

“The vast level of support and knowledge provided by the faculty at Collegiate will make a future Spartan a well-rounded student,” Overton said.

After graduation, Overton plans on furthering her soccer career at Southwestern College while also pursuing health sciences.

Come for a visit and learn why Wichita Collegiate Spartans win both on the field and in the classroom.

9115 East 13th Street phone: 316.634.0433 visit: www.wcsks.com

JESSE MEISCH’S SHELTER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Wichita South’s Juan Viramontes

By Matt Browning Juan Viramontes, a baseball player from South, was chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month for April. Viramontes hit .305 with an onbase percentage of .380 last season which earned him an honorable mention all-league selection at third base for the Titans.

“It is an honor to be chosen as the athlete of the month considering there are a lot of great athletes at South High,” Viramontes said.

Improving defensively was the one area that Viramontes recognized as a weakness, and he has spent the offseason trying to become a better defender.

“I’ve been doing a lot of conditioning to prepare myself,” Viramontes said. “I have also been going to practices every single day to put in the extra work on every single detail.”

Viramontes has several goals he would like to accomplish this season.

Juan Viramontes “One goal for this season is to hit a home run and also to get more wins than last year,” Viramontes said. “On my postseason finishes, I would like to have a batting average over .350 and in fielding to have fewer errors.”

After high school, Viramontes wants to go to college and study to be an architect.

HAYSVILLE CAMPUS ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Campus’ Jenna Manganiello

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Jenna Manganiello is varsity soccer player for HaysvilleCampus High School. This season Manganiello and her teammates have set high goals for themselves and for the team.

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“My favorite memory was at practice last year. We were all taking turns shooting and then we coordinated it where we all stormed the goal and shot.

It was just so much fun,” said Manganiello.

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Jenna Manganiello

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Manganiello said former teammate Grace Harrison left a big impression on her because of her ability to lead, her play, and being a good friend.

Manganiello is taking what she learned from Harrison and using it to help her team this season. But Manganiello said the team has good chemistry and they love playing together.

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“One of the goals I have for myself is to keep working hard every day even if I don’t feel like it and the goal for the team is for us to win at least one game in regionals,” said Manganiello.

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TEAM OF THE MONTH

Southeast of Saline Boys Basketball

By Matt Browning The Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team was chosen as the Visit Wichita Team of the Month for their performance at the 3A state tournament. The Trojans defeated Thomas More Prep 5744 in the third-place game.

Southeast of Saline had three standout performers in the tournament: Eli Sawyers, Nakari Morrical-Palmer and Luke Gebhardt. Sawyers averaged 13.7 points and 5.4 rebounds, Morrical-Palmer averaged 13.7 points and nine rebounds and Gebhardt averaged 10.7 points.

“Our expectation was to give ourselves a chance in the substate championship,” head coach Bryson Flax said. “When we accomplished that, our goal and expectation was to compete in

the state title game. Obviously, we fell a game short of having an opportunity to do that, but I feel like our guys competed and were really locked in throughout the entire tournament.”

Flax was unsure how his team would respond after dropping the semifinal game to Royal Valley, but the Trojans rallied and put forth an exceptional effort against Thomas More Prep.

“There was obvious disappointment after losing to Royal Valley, but our guys came together and understood that there was still an opportunity to finish up on a high note,” Flax said.

“Our leadership was fantastic. We had a lot of guys step up throughout the season and into the playoffs. There were a lot of guys that contributed in different areas.”

BROUGHT TO YOU BY VISIT WICHITA Visit Wichita celebrates the athletes in our community and applauds their dedication. We’re proud to cheer them on, and we’re excited to bring a variety of action-packed sporting events to Wichita – the heart of the country. Here are a few you won’t want to miss: • May 27-28: KSHSAA – 5A Girl’s Soccer State Championship • July 6-16: USA Boxing – National Junior Olympics & Summer Boxing Festival • July 22-25 & 28: The Basketball Tournament (TBT) • Aug. 7-13: USA Waterski National Championships • Aug. 19-20: American Cornhole League Pro Shootout Learn more about these competitions and more at VisitWichita.com | 800.288.9424

Parents, coaches, principals, teachers and fans can nominate a deserving team by contacting Mike Cooper at 316.218.3579 or Mike.cooper@vype.com

WE TAKE OUR PLAYTIME SERIOUSLY. YOUR PASSION FOR SPORTS IS THE SAME AS OURS.

SPORTS THRIVE IN WICHITA. VYPE KANSAS

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Enjoy everything from pro sports and college events to youth competitions and amateur matches. Check out local favorites like Wichita Thunder ice hockey, Wichita Wind Surge baseball games, Wichita Force indoor football, Wichita Wings soccer, plus WSU Shockers to name a few.

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Go to VisitWichita.com for more upcoming sporting events.

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BOSTON BASHAM’S SHELTER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Maize South’s Kyle Kasitz

By Matt Browning Kyle Kasitz, a golfer at Maize South, was chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month for April. Kasitz finished in a tie for 20th last season at the 5A Tournament.

“It is truly an honor to represent the Maize district and to have been chosen among all the dedicated athletes,” Kasitz said.

Improving his putting was the main focus for Kasitz this past offseason. He would like to lower his stroke average in order to finish higher at state. Last season, Kasitz averaged an impressive 75, with a tournament low of 72. But with the amount of talent in 5A, he knows that number needs to come down.

“This upcoming season I would like to bring my average down by three strokes,” Kasitz said. “In the postseason I am looking forward to being very competitive at state,

Kyle Kasitz hoping for a top five finish and, more importantly, helping our team bring a state championship to Maize South.”

Outside of golf, Kasitz participates in Business Professionals of America and the Trap Shooting Team. He is also a member of the National Honor Society.

Next year Kasitz is going to play golf at Taylor University in Indiana.

CAMPUS’ SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT

Campus’ Terry Akers

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Terry Akers is a junior at Campus High School and is looking forward to summer break. He is a member of the high school marching band, scholars bowl and participates in other clubs on campus. Outside of school, Terry is a comrade for the Scouts BSA (formerly known as Boys Scouts) developing leader-like characteristics through outdoor activities, educational programs, and community projects.

Terry’s favorite class was World History with Mr. Ditton his freshman year. He finds an ongoing interest in studying chemistry mentioning the more he learns, the more questions he has which, in turn, makes him want to understand more. He is least interested in art class explains Akers.

“I am not very good at painting or drawing so I don’t like to learn how to paint or draw. However, I like to see other people’s works of art,” said Terry.

Mr. Ditton is the Scholars Bowl advisor and has had the pleasure of coaching Terry for the past three years.

“Terry is an extremely hardworking student that stands out with his knowledge of history and Russian composition,” Mr. Ditton commented.

Russian author Leo Tolstoy is a historical person that Terry would like to spend the day with.

“Tolstoy is my favorite author because he is the one who has been the most eye opening, and who I feel like has understood my perspective the most,” said Terry.

Terry’s friends gave him his nickname, Teriyaki, and would most likely say that he is smart but says funny things sometimes.

If given the opportunity to be principal for a day, his first rule of business would be to change the school lunch. If he was forced to work but didn’t need the money, he would work on whatever interested him in that moment.

“Maybe I would work on writing a book, or cleaning up some land, or helping

Terry Akers research and developing something,” said Terry.

Terry offered some advice to the underclassmen.

“If you are interested in going to a really good school, like an Ivy League school, read Cal Newport’s book, ‘How to become a high school superstar.’ Personally, after reading the book, I realized that going to an Ivy League school probably isn’t for me, and that if I wanted a really good chance at making it, I needed to form certain habits years ago. Newport explains how getting a 4.0 and joining all the clubs and activities is not going to help. You understand what you need to do to set yourself up.

The earlier you read it, the better. Also, I would read ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear,” said Terry.

Terry is interested in attending the University of Kansas in the Fall of 2023.

“I have changed what career I am interested in a lot. Now I am interested in a field in chemistry like pharmaceutical chemistry or a chemical engineering,” said Terry.

WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

Maize Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox With only about half the Maize softball roster having varsity experience, head coach Jenny Meirowsky knows things could be a work in progress this year, especially early on.

“I have a lot of young girls, so it’s almost like a new beginning for us,” says Meirowsky. “We have a lot of freshmen that are really talented, and we are working on building that talent and getting them in our program. I want to see growth not just in skill, but in knowledge of the game.”

With a fairly inexperienced roster, Meirowsky knew she’d need some girls to step up and help lead the new faces.

Bartlett is the only senior on the varsity squad this year and Meirowsky says she’s really trying to make the most out of her senior year.

“She’s leading by example,” says Meirowsky. “But she also creates that welcoming environment. She just has a personality that people gravitate towards. Her presence on the field and her expectations for everyone else will help bring us success.”

“It was amazing how many girls this winter that attended offseason training,” she says. “That shows me that they are willing to work hard and are invested in softball and Maize High softball. That is really motivating as a coach when I don’t have to fight anyone to put in the extra time and they just do it themselves.”

While successful teams excel in the physical aspects of sports, they also must have chemistry and Meirowsky says this group is really close.

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“I feel like our team has a good bond,” she says. “I feel like the girls get along well and they push each other and are there for each other.

I think that’s huge on any team you have. They are good teammates to each other.”

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One strength Meirowsky sees in her Eagles is their dedication to softball.

Maize Eagles

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“Senior Chloe Bartlett is our catcher and is a phenomenal athlete,” Meirowsky says.

“Offensively and defensively she will be a spark for us. She is a motivator and leader. She picks girls up when they need it. She has high expectations. She will be a big part of our success this year. Junior Kennedy Topping is our shortstop who brings experience and is

another great leader for us with a positive attitude.

Another junior, Maia Djurovic will lead the outfield. I feel so lucky my catcher, shortstop, and center fielder are all experienced and leaders for my team.”

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A N D OV E R S O F T B A L L S P O T L I G H T

Andover’s Trojan Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox After falling just shy of qualifying for the state tournament last year, Andover head softball coach Amisha Daniels says this year’s Trojan squad has set a goal of making it to state.

“After much discussion with the team, we have said we want to go to state this year,” Daniels says. “We know that our path is going to be just as tough as it was last year.”

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Daniels admits the path is not only tough because of their opponents, but also because there are a lot of new faces for Andover this year.

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“We look different this year,” she says. “Our starting lineup is going to be about 50-50 of underclassmen to upperclassmen. We have a lot of talent but a lot of new faces that didn’t go through that heart break last year. So, they’ll have to follow the leadership of the returners.”

Daniels says seniors Bailey Way and Kylie Forney have really stepped up into those leadership roles this year.

“Both of those seniors have started for us for four years,” Daniels says. “Bailey is our shortstop. She has been a great leader for us and a very strong player. Kylie starts at third base and is a very vocal leader that leads by example and is a hard worker. They were both voted as the top leaders by the team last year. So, retuning them as seniors is very big.”

With a roster that features several newcomers, Daniels knows she’ll have to rely on some underclassmen as well.

“We have a couple of freshmen that we think will make some waves,” she says. “Ella Friederich is our first baseman

Trojan Softball and is a power hitter with a great glove. She has one of the best bats I’ve seen for a freshman. We also have Brodie Christensen who’s an outfielder with a killer arm. She’ll be one of those outfielders that you can’t run on.”

Overall, Daniels knows that this blend of experience and new faces will take time to gel, but she believes that once they come together, they will be a very dangerous team.

“I think we are going to progressively become a better team through the season,” she says. “We have a ton of talent.

We just have to get the kids in the right places, and they have to figure out how to work as a team.”

JODI OCADIZ’S SHELTER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHTS

McKinlee Walker Andover High School

Bailey Way, a softball player at Andover, was chosen as the Shelter

Rece Wilson Andover Central High School

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“I’ve been training pretty close to everyday this off-season,” Wilson said.

“Whether I’m lifting, throwing, or doing mobility work, I’m always trying to do something to better improve my game. The biggest improvement I’ve made from last season was my mechanics.”

Wilson feels like the Jaguars are in

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Rece Wilson, a pitcher for Andover Central, was named the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month for April. Last season, Wilson was a first team all-league pitcher for the Jaguars, where he went 8-0 with a 2.44 ERA while striking out 55 batters in 55.1 innings.

“It means a lot,” Wilson said. “There is a lot of talent in the Wichita metro area and it’s an honor that I was able to be chosen.”

Since baseball is the only sport Wilson participates in at Andover Central, he dedicated nearly every day of his offseason to improving for the upcoming season.

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Lou Brockman, a baseball player at Andover Central, was chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month for April. Brockman hit .337 with 25 RBIs last year on his way to being chosen as a first team all-league outfielder for the Jaguars.

Bailey Way Andover High School

Insurance Athlete of the Month. As a junior, Way was all-state first team infield, All-League first team shortstop and league player of the year. She also broke six school records in 2021.

“It’s definitely an honor with so many strong athletes coming through Andover in recent years,” Way said.

“We have so much talent at Andover and athletes that work really hard.

This motivates me to keep pushing myself to be the best softball player and all-around athlete that I can be.”

Way spent the offseason training with coaches to keep her body healthy after injuries from past seasons.

“I’ve been working hard to make sure I am healthy,” Way said. “The past three seasons I’ve battled injuries but this season it is my top priority to do whatever I can to take care of my body.

I’ve spent lots of time in the gym doing everything I can to prepare myself and my body.”

With this being Way’s last season of high school softball, she has a big desire to lead the team far in the postseason.

“We are working towards making it to state this year,” Way said. “Last year we were so close, losing our championship regional in the 11th inning. We have a lot of new young talent this year that will really help us get there.”

Way plans on continuing her softball career at Arkansas Tech University and majoring in criminology and criminal defense.

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Lou Brockman Andover Central High School

position to not only get to the 5A Tournament this season but do some damage once there.

“I always try to aim high while setting goals and this season our end goal is to make the state tournament and possibly win it,” Wilson said. “We know that if we all play our role during the season, we can make a tremendous impact on the success of the team.”

Next year Wilson will be playing baseball at Hutchinson Community College and wants to go to a four-year college after that.

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McKinlee Walker, a track athlete at Andover, was chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month for April. As a freshman, Walker took second in the 100-meter hurdles last season at the 5A Tournament. She also ran a personal best of 14.98 at regionals.

“It is an honor to be chosen to represent Andover and my sport,” Walker said. “It actually makes me want to work harder to prove that I am worthy of this recognition.”

Walker spent her offseason inundating herself with improving her skill by competing and training with the best.

“I have prepared by going to some big meets last summer and running against talent from all over the country,” Walker said. “I did workouts on my own as well as working with three different coaches and trainers.”

Given this season will be just her third in track, Walker would like to branch out and try new events while also improving in the hurdles.

“I really want to continue to grow and improve in the hurdles as well as learning some new events in order to make myself more marketable to colleges,” Walker said.

Even though she is only a sophomore and does not know yet where, Walker has the desire to run track in college.

“I was very excited to receive this award, especially knowing how much talent there is here in Andover,” Brockman said.

Even though Brockman had an impressive season in 2021, he understood he had to continue to improve his approach at the plate.

“Last season I struggled with hitting the pitch that I want to hit, so I worked on having my pitch on a tee and taking it to the side of the field in which the ball is thrown,” Brockman said.

Last season was a great experience all the way around for Brockman and he hopes he and the Jaguars can replicate that in 2022.

“My goal is for our team to make it to state because once you make it to bracket play anything can happen,” Brockman said. “I would also like to win the league title again. Last year was an amazing experience as I got to face pitchers with loads of talent, I saw 88-plus miles per hour at least five times and got to face a second round MLB draft pick in the state championship. Seeing lots of high velocity last year made me a better player overall and definitely helped me prepare for this year as well.”

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LANDON HEAD’S SHELTER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Wichita East’s Peyton Martin-Peterson

By Matt Browning Peyton Martin-Peterson, a soccer player at East, was chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month. Martin-Peterson was a first team all-league forward last season for the Aces.

“It means a lot to me that Shelter chose me as one of their athletes,” Martin-Peterson said. “It shows that what I’ve been doing on and off the field is actually beneficial and it means a lot that it’s been noticed by someone like Shelter.”

Peyton played on two club teams as well as working with her private trainer, Kyle Eno, in order to improve her junior season where she scored 17 goals and dished out seven assists.

“There was no particular weakness that I really wanted to focus on, I just wanted to get better overall so that I would be ready to help East this season physically and mentally,” MartinPeterson said.

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Peyton Martin-Peterson named captain for the season—an assignment she does not take lightly.

“A goal I want to focus on this season is I want to be a good leader on this team,” Peyton said.

“I was named as captain and so I want to live up to that status, and I want to not only prove to other people but to myself that I am a good player and person.”

Next year Martin-Peterson plans to play soccer at Jacksonville University which is a Division I school.

WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

Clearwater Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox After losing several experienced players from last year’s regional runner-up team, Clearwater head softball coach Tyler Hampton says he is just looking for this year’s team to play consistently.

“Our goals we are keeping fairly simple this year,” he says. “We are trying to be as consistent as we can be day in and day out. Certainly, our goal is to also put ourselves in a position to host a regional as well.”

With some inexperience on the roster, Hampton says he will be relying on Kayleigh Herdman, Hayley Gerberding, and Tess Winter to help guide this young squad.

With just four seniors including Miranda Shoaf, Hampton knows he will have to count on some younger players to step up.

“Elizabeth Tjaden is a sophomore that started for us all of last year,” Hampton says. “She’s stepped into a more prominent role this year.

Sophomore Addison Brown is a player that is going to catch for us. Her ability to be consistent behind the plate will really help our team go. Kaylee Hampton is a freshman this year and I think she’ll step in and fill some of the void in the batting order.”

“I think this team cares about each other’s successes,” says Hampton. “I think they care about each other’s successes as much as they care about their own success. We have a lot of genuine friendships, and you can see they care about each other.”

Hampton says that having a team that cares for each other will ultimately lead to success on the field.

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“With every team you’re never sure what the culture and the dynamics of that team are going to look like,” he says. “As a coach, you’re trying to create a culture and dynamic of positive relationships and I think this team has really bought into that.”

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While the play on the field might be a work in progress with so many new faces, Hampton is confident everything will come together for Clearwater because of the relationships that are on this

team.

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“Tess, Hayley, and Kayleigh have all played a lot of softball for us,” says Hampton. “They are definitively the leaders of our team. The energy all three bring to practice every day makes our practices go. With their experience, they are able to teach drills and some of the little nuances of the game to our underclassmen.”

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DAV I S - M O O R E ’ S P L AY E R P R O F I L E

Davis-Moore Chevrolet Military Student Athlete of the Month Derby’s Shallon McGowan it comes times for lunchtime or time to eat my younger sister, Sunday, who loves to cook would usually make something absolutely amazing, My younger siblings make it to where it is so easy to take care of them because they help out so much, sometimes it’s like a group effort and they’re my assistants.”

Derby High School’s Shallon McGowan is a very active student and a military dependent. Her mother is in the U.S. Army Reserves stationed close to McConnell Air Force base.

“My mother does patient administration (68G) assistant operations NCO with the Army Reserve,” said McGowan.

McGowan is involved in the AFJROTC, National Honor Society, KAY Club and Student-2-Student. She also helps at home with her older sister Precious.

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“My older sister, Precious, has a traumatic brain injury so she is in need of constant supervision. My parents and I, along with my little siblings, are the main caretakers

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for her but when my mother was away on orders, at battle assembly, or just simply out of town because of work my father and I would take care of her. As I have two other younger siblings when my mother would be gone my main attention would be on Precious while my father focuses on my younger siblings while occasionally helping me with Precious when I’m struggling to be able to fully care for her the way she needs,” McGowan continued. “Now that my father is no longer with us my mother tries to stay with us as best as she can but when she must leave, I take care of all of my siblings.

My younger siblings are teenagers now so they don’t need much care as they know how to entertain themselves but when

As a family, the McGowan said they have moved more than five times in eighteen years, but it was both parents who encouraged her to join the AFROTC.

“Both my parents encouraged me and wanted me to join AFJROTC but my mother did it silently while my father was the one to voice his opinions and the advantages and benefits later on down the road AFJROTC could have. After about the first semester I started loving AFJROTC more than I thought I would, so it turned out great,” said McGowan.

Her plans after high school include attending Drake University where she will double major in business with law and psychology and double minor in business law and criminal law.

WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

Bishop Carroll Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox At Bishop Carroll state championships are the standard.

After going 23-0 last year and winning the 14th state championship in Bishop Carroll softball history, head coach Steve Harshberger says those championship standards aren’t going away.

“At Bishop Carroll, that’s the expectation,” he says with a chuckle.

“We’ve got eight seniors on the team, and they are all aware of the expectations and I think they embrace it. We know that it doesn’t always work out, but that’s the goal.

We try to play hard and whatever happens, happens.”

Seniors Kaydence Brewster, Kiley Brewster, and Eve Morris are three girls that Harshberger says have stepped up to lead the squad this year.

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Harshberger also says Kendall Forbes and Kaylee Back have also stepped up into more of a leadership role this year. Those five girls, along

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“They’ve all been four-year, well three-year, starters,” he says.

“They’ve all been very instrumental in what we are doing.”

with the other three seniors, Taylor Chrisman, Meredith Robinson, and Audrey Taylor, have Bishop Carroll Eagles really helped as well. shape the personality of this year’s squad.

“Kory Schoenfeld is a junior that we’ve moved to short stop. Cambell “This group is fun,” he says. “They Riodan is our second pitcher and attack life and love softball. It’s just she’s a sophomore. Those are a fun to watch the group gel.” couple of girls we expect to help us out this year.”

Harshberger says one of the biggest strengths of this squad is their love Harshberger was also quick to point for the game. out that he and the players are just a couple of parts of what makes “The whole group loves to play Bishop Carroll successful. softball,” he says. “These guys have softball as their passion. They love “The parents are a big part of our to play. That’s just kind of their M.O. success,” he says. “They’ll take their They have a passion for softball. kids anywhere in the country to play Probably for 12 out of the 16 girls, softball during the summers. Also, softball is what they do. And that’s my assistant coaches Kelsey Unruh been Bishop Carroll for a long time.” and Lauren Quintana are wonderful.

They help me out and will help While this year’s squad is senior make our team the best that it can heavy, Harshberger knows he will have to rely on some underclassmen be.”

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J O M A B OW L E R S P OT L I G H T S

Wichita Trinity’s Adrienne Pamatmat

Hutchinson’s Cassidy Goans

By Matt Browning

By Matt Browning

Adrienne Pamatmat of Wichita Trinity was chosen as the JOMA Bowler of the Month for April.

Pamatmat took 32nd at the 5-1A Tournament this season.

Cassidy Goans of Hutchinson was chosen the JOMA Athlete of the Month for April. Goans had the second highest series on the Salthawks’ team this season at 518.

“This season was full of practice and work from both the girls and the guys,” Pamatmat said.

“Through all of our practicing, we earned some wins and learned from our losses. I am pleased with my growth this season from last year, and I hope to continue to improve my performance.”

Pamatmat said the most gratifying part of this season was seeing the improvement not only in her, but the program as a whole.

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“It has been awesome seeing both the girls and the guy’s teams improving to be better than the previous years,” Pamatmat said. “Leading the girl’s team and supporting the guys has taught me valuable lessons that I’ll take with me to college. It’s so gratifying to see

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Adrienne Pamatmat my teammates perform well and be there for them.”

From an individual standpoint, Pamatmat saw an alteration to her equipment prove to be especially important.

“This year I switched balls and increased weight, so I also worked on adjusting,” Pamatmat said. “To improve, Coach Rosiere and Mr. Richardson gave me lots of great advice, and I worked on putting their words into practice.”

Next year, Pamatmat will bowl at Newman University and plans to study Pre-Med

“I really tried to improve my form in my approach toward the end of the season,” Goans said. “I really started to work on trying to center myself to help me keep my balance when I release the ball.”

Goans was hoping for a better season in terms of results, but it was a learning experience she will take to the next level.

“I didn’t have as good of a season as I was hoping for but I’m sure that I will be able to get my groove back with some summer practice,” Goans said. “It wasn’t the best bowling season but hopefully the next one will be better.”

Being able to share experiences with her teammates as well

Cassidy Goans some practice rounds were just two memories that stood out to Goans.

“I would say my favorite memory from this year would be when I got to play Mini Uno with my team at regionals while waiting for our tournament to start,” Goans said. “Other highlights would be when I bowled a 202 and a 210 in practice.”

Next year, Goans will bowl at Barton Community College and wants to pursue a degree in art and business.

WICHITA AREA ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Kapaun Mount Carmel’s Kaelyn Sueper Kaelyn Sueper of Kapaun Mount Carmel was voted the Wichita Large School Preseason Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Sueper was a second team all-state and first team all-league defender for the Crusaders last season.

“I’m glad that people saw all the effort I put in last year and could see my potential as a player,” Sueper said.

“It means a lot to know that people notice me out on the field and think highly of my performance.”

Sueper’s specific role is center back, so she understands that peak physical conditioning is crucial for success.

“I mostly worked on fitness and

tried to get into the best shape I could to prepare for the season,” Sueper said. “As a center back, I play the whole game, so it’s important that I have the stamina to work as hard as I can for all 90 minutes.”

Now a junior, Sueper wants to become more assertive as a leader to help her team as much as possible.

She also wants opponents to see how hard her team works each game.

“As a team, I hope that everyone puts all their effort into the game,” Sueper said. “No matter what, win or lose, I want to know that we didn’t give up and gave it our best.”

While soccer is very important to

Kaelyn Sueper Sueper, academics are the highest priority, as she is Cum Laude at Kapaun.

She plans to stay in state for college and attend either Kansas State or Kansas.

A M E R I C A N FA M I LY T I S S T U D E N T S P O T L I G H T

The Independent School’s Joseph Recalde-Phillips

By Matt Browning

Outside of basketball, Recalde-Phillips also

Joseph Recalde-Phillips plays football and runs track for the Panthers.

Off the court and field, he is also a member of the Blue Fan Group.

While just being a junior, Recalde-Phillips hopes to play sports in college. His area of study is undecided at this time.

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“Some highlights as a team were how we all accomplished our goal from the beginning of the year to make it to state,” Recalde-Phillips said. “Individually I grew as a person and a player and learned to become more of a leader.

A moment that stood out was seeing everyone celebrate after we won the sub-state.”

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“It was a great and very accomplished season,” Recalde-Phillips said. “I was satisfied to a certain point because the main goal was to be a state champion.”

Independent won just four games during the 2020-2021 season, so the 13-game improvement and state tournament bid was memorable for Recalde-Phillips.

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Joseph Recalde-Phillips has been chosen The Independent School’s American Family Insurance Athlete of the Month. RecaldePhillips, who averaged 14 points, five rebounds and four assists per game for the Panther’s basketball team, was named first team allleague this season.

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WICHITA AREA ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Wichita East’s Kennadie Jinkins

By Matt Browning Kennadie Jinkins of East was voted the Wichita Large School Preseason Girls Track Athlete of the Year. Jinkins won the 300-meter hurdles at the 6A tournament last year while also placing second in 100 hurdles, third in the 200 and fourth in the 100.

“It really means a lot to win this poll, especially against a group of very talented athletes,” Jinkins said. “To me, winning this poll serves as a reminder of the support that I have from my community. It also means a lot to be given recognition for the work I’ve put into track throughout high school.”

The 100-meter hurdles was the

event Jinkins really focused on improving this offseason.

“Some key areas that I focused on improving were my start out of the blocks and coming down off the hurdle quicker,” Jinkins said.

“With this, I worked on my form over the hurdle and quickened my trail leg.”

Even with such a decorated season in 2021, Jinkins has lofty goals on her radar for the 2022 campaign.

“Some individual goals I have are to win the city, regional, and state meet in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles,” Jinkins said. “Another goal is to set new personal records in the open 100and 200-meter sprints.”

Kennadie Jinkins Jinkins plans on attending Washburn University next year and would like to take a pre-med path gearing towards medical school.

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Garden Plain’s Brooke Hammond

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By Matt Browning Brooke Hammond from Garden Plain was voted the Wichita Small School Preseason Girls Track Athlete of the Year. Hammond won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter last season at the 2A state tournament.

“People have always told me they enjoy watching me run, starting at club track all the way up to my senior year of high school,” Hammond said. “Through all of my hard work and dedication to this sport I have had success in high school, so my followers have continued to grow. I am very blessed to have such a big group of supporters behind me on my adventure in this sport and I cannot thank them enough for all

they have done for me.”

Because she is a three-sport athlete, Hammond does not have much time to focus on track in the offseason. But she chooses to utilize her other sports as a way to get prepared for the track season.

“Having these sports, I believe, helps me for the sports I am not in at the moment,” Hammond said.

“In my free time, on the other hand, I do go up to the track and run sprints and long distances to help me with all my events.”

Winning races and medals are important to Hammond, but leading Garden Plain to another state title is just as important.

“As far as the team goes, my goal

Brooke Hammond for this year is to enjoy every moment I have with them and push everyone to be the best version of themselves as possible,” Hammond said.

WICHITA DRIVING SCHOOL PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Sign your name,

earn $1,000!

• Apply to Salina Tech

by March 30 • Join our Signing Day event on April 14 • Sign your Letter of Intent

Senior Peyton Graham is a pitcher and DH for Valley Center High School’s varsity baseball team. As a freshman he was named 1st Team All-League on the bump then COVID-19 took away his opportunity to play as a sophomore. Last season as a junior Graham was named 2nd Team All-League. Now entering his final season Graham has high expectations for himself and the team but staying healthy is the top priority.

“Personally, I’d like to accomplish staying healthy all season,” Graham said. “The team means a lot to me. After all, they are the ones I am with everyday going to fight for wins.”

To help save some time for summer league play, Graham enrolled in the Wichita Driving School course when he was in the eighth grade to get the course done and not conflict with baseball.

Peyton Graham “The driving course was the way to go with one day of being educated, followed by a couple days of hands-on driving with an instructor. Way more convenient then having it for weeks during the summer,” said Graham.

His next step after graduation is moving on to Johnson County Community College where he will further his academic and athletic careers.

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• Earn a $1,000 scholarship for 2022-23

Valley Center’s Peyton Graham

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785-309-3100 | salinatech.edu

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Fastest-growing college in Kansas!

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WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

Kingman’s Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox Brick by brick. That’s the motto Kingman softball head coach Ross Bruggeman has had for his softball teams ever since he took over the reins of the Kingman softball program six years ago.

“I went to a football camp when I was in high school and that was the motto used there,” Bruggeman says. “I knew as a sophomore in high school I wanted to teach and coach, so I adopted that motto.

We have bricks in the dugout that the seniors customize. Since I introduced ‘brick by brick’ the community, the parents, and the girls have run with it.”

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Leading the brick-by-brick mentality for the Kingman Eagles are the five seniors, Kayla Belt, Aly Hageman, Megan Hensley, Emma Parsons, and Alex Schreiner.

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“All five of these girls have been through the fire,” Bruggeman says. “They all either started as freshman or would have started as sophomores before COVID-19 hit. I’ve told those girls it’s like I have eight coaches this year instead of three. I trust them, I love them, and I know they would do

Kingman Eagles anything for the program because they care so much about it.”

While those five seniors set the tone for Kingman and will lead them on and off the field this year, Bruggeman is also excited about the depth and young talent of this year’s squad.

“Our top returning underclassman is probably sophomore Laney Wood,” Bruggeman says. “She was first team all-league last year as freshman. Jadyn Belt is a sophomore who played a little bit last year. She’s going to step into a bigger role this year. Junior Marley Munz might be kind of under the radar. Her dad is the head baseball coach, so she’s been around

baseball and softball her whole life. I don’t think we are just nine deep. I think we have options and will have kids that compete.”

That depth and mix of experience and youth has Bruggeman setting lofty goals for Kingman this year.

“Our main goal every year is to qualify for the state tournament,” Bruggeman says. “That’s what we keep at the forefront of the program. We work every single day with the end goal of getting to the state tournament.”

Bruggeman says this year’s squad has done a phenomenal job buying into the system and building, brick by brick, something special at Kingman.

WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

Circle’s Softball Spotlight

Circle Thunderbirds Thunderbirds are built for success on the diamond. But it’s the team’s attitude that is going to set them apart.

“I would say the strength of this team is their mentality,” Zoch says.

“When you step off the bus you have to believe you are going to win that day. I think the girls have bought into that.”

While a state title is the ultimate goal, Zoch says the confidence being shown by this team is building a foundation for Circle to build on in future years.

Overall, Zoch says he is proud to be coaching this squad.

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“This is just a really great group of girls who show up, work hard, and embrace the ideals I want them to embrace,” Zoch says. “There are two things I can’t teach-attitude and effort. If we show up every day with a good attitude and a good effort, we’re going to win. This team does that.”

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“When I took over, one of my personal goals was to build the program and breed confidence,” Zoch says. “Showing up, working

at practice, and having confidence is the way you win. As soon as you hang your head after a bad at-bat or throwing error, guess what?

The ball finds you again. You have to brush it off and move on to the next pitch.”

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By Chris Cox After finishing 13-9 last year and being named co-league champs, Circle High School head softball coach Les Zoch has even higher goals for his team this year.

“The phrase I like to use is ‘last year’s ceiling, is this year’s floor,” Zoch says. “Whatever we accomplished last year was the best we could do last year. But this year, that’s where we start.”

The attitude and mentality to keep raising the standard at Circle is something that the Thunderbird softball team has embraced, starting with the four senior captains Adie White, Kate Tandy, Izzy Patty, and Rylee Parish.

“When we were setting goals I wrote, ‘go to state’ and ‘have more wins,’ but my catcher, Adie White, wrote down ‘win a league title,’ which is something I overlooked as a goal,” Zoch says. “My captains talk to the team constantly. Last year going into regionals, I told them our goal is to go state. Then Kate Tandy, out of nowhere, says ‘how about we go win state?’ Ok! Then let’s go do it!”

With several returning starters from last year, and four outstanding pitchers, the

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KTA’S SOCCER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Circle’s Hannah Stipp

By Matt Browning Hannah Stipp of Circle was voted as the Wichita Small School Girls Soccer Preseason Player of the Year. Stipp was a first team all-league and second team all-state goalie for the Thunderbirds last season.

“I feel the support from all of the relatives and friends out of state who also voted,” Stipp said. “With me graduating early in December, this will be my last season of high school soccer and the only year I will play with my sister, so why not end it with a bang.”

This past offseason, Stipp focused her training and preparation on a particular type of tactic she saw last season.

so I’ve been training to come out and win the ball in those situations.”

Last season, Stipp recorded 97 saves, while allowing only nine goals, which included 11 shutouts.

“An individual goal of mine is to make it on the All-State team and break the career shutouts record at Circle,” Stipp said. “This season is dedicated to Kilar Gillespie; last year took an unfortunate turn with an early exit in regionals, so we are putting in the extra work to advance to state this year.”

Stipp is currently a member of the National Honor Society and an Independent Study student in both Spanish and Research and Design for Manufacturing.

“I spent my offseason training all aspects of goalkeeping, but I trained flank play/crossing with my dad the most,” Stipp said. “McPherson’s flip throws were a big threat last season,

Hannah Stipp She plans to continue her soccer career at four-year out of state college and major in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Manufacturing Engineering.

KEN GOOCH’S SHELTER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Belle Plaine’s Kendal Christy

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Kendal Christy, a track athlete at Belle Plaine, was chosen as the Shelter Insurance Athlete of the Month. Christy took sixth in the triple jump at regionals last season and hopes to continue her track career in college.

“I’m very grateful and honored for this opportunity,” Christy said. “It makes me feel proud that all my hard work and dedication is paying off.”

Being sharp both physically and mentally was the focus for Christy and her workout regimen throughout the offseason.

“I lifted weights every day and have tailored my workouts to improve my triple jump,” Christy said. “I’m working on the mental aspect of jumping.”

Last season Christy’s best jump was 31’9” so she is hoping to eclipse that this year.

“I want to continue to improve

Kendal Christy on the mental aspect during and after the season because I know it will always have room to improve,” Christy said. “My current personal record is 31’9” for triple jump, so I am hoping to break 33’ this year.”

Christy is also involved in FBLA, FCCLA and SADD at Belle Plaine.

Along with jumping in college, Christy plans on pursuing a degree in the business field.

WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

El Dorado Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox Teams in any sport inevitably go through a coaching change.

However, El Dorado’s coaching change isn’t really a true change.

Head coach Dominica Locke is out on maternity leave. So while she won’t be in the school or on the field with her Wildcats this season, she won’t be too far away, and she’ll be back for the offseason work. Coaching in Locke’s place this year is interim head coach Sara Killgore, who says Locke set her up well by taking care of the smaller details so she can focus solely on softball.

To their credit, Killgore also says the El Dorado softball team has adjusted well to the temporary coaching change.

“They’ve all taken that role pretty seriously,” says Killgore. “The biggest emphasis the seniors have pushed this year is mental toughness. Physical errors are going to happen but containing that and moving forward has been their message.”

On top of being good teammates, Killgore says this year’s team is “hilariously weird.”

The four seniors leading this squad are Breklyn Craig, Victoria George, Madeline Nichols, and Vanessa Nobert. Killgore says leadership is something that all four seniors have embraced.

“They have learned to be good teammates,” says Killgore. “It’s not super cliquish. I would say just being a teammate to one another is one way they’ve grown this year.

You can see that translate on to the field because all these girls can pick each other up and help raise their level.”

Killgore believes that success on

“I think softball players can be weird in general,” says Killgore.

“But there are a lot of big personalities and laughter and fun on this team. I think they’re hilariously weird.”

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“We are still a relatively young

the field for El Dorado will happen because this team cares for each other.

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On the field, Killgore says El Dorado is looking to be more competitive this season.

program,” says Killgore. “While we do have good senior leadership, we are still pretty young on the field. So, we are trying to compete and get wins where we can get them.”

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“Kids are resilient,” she says.

“Knowing that it was coming helped them prepare for it.

They’ve also had this whole school year to get to know me since it is my first year. The fact that softball is a spring sport let them build a relationship with me and that was helpful.”

El Dorado Wildcats

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S E R V I C E B O DY S H O P S I G N I N G S

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Dotted Line..... 2022 Signings

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Alex & Colby Schreiner-Kingman-Softball & Wrestling-Newman University

Aly Hageman-Kingman HS Butler CC-Softball

Brooke Berlin-Clearwater Tabor College-Basketball

Cayden Brown-Derby-MidAmerican Nazarene University-Football

Kevin Brown-Northwest Friends University-Basketball

Nick Foley-Clearwater HS Friends University-Wrestling

Northwest Baseball Players Justice Hannon-Coffeyville CC Kacey Parrett-Central McPherson College Brendon Green-tabor College

Reiley Bartel-Hutchinson Trinity Catholic-Newman University-Softball

Tess Winter-Clearwater HS-Fort Scott Community College-Volleyball

WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

Burden Central Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox After a solid performance last year, Burden Central head softball coach Bruce Hafenstein has lofty goals for this year’s team.

“We are just loaded this year,” he says. “If we don’t go all the way, I’m going to be disappointed.”

Hafenstein says that his Raiders know his expectations. While those high expectations come with pressure, he says his seniors, Mallory Burgeron, Morgan Cook, Emma Garrison, Casey Gillis, and Haven Wunderlich, have embraced that pressure and are pushing their teammates to reach those lofty goals.

While the seniors are the unquestioned leaders of this Burden Central team, Hafenstein says he has some underclassmen that he is excited to watch grow over the next several years.

While Hafenstein is trying to build a Burden Central tradition in softball, he also recognizes that none of his success is possible without his players.

“Whenever somebody says, ‘good job coach,’ I tell them, ‘It’s not me, it’s the girls,” he says. “I got coach of the year last year and I told them ‘It’s not me, it’s the girls.

They are the ones that do it.”

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“I have a junior named Emily Long that I believe could play D-I,” he says. “She’s probably one of

the few girls I’ve coach that I’m positive could play D-I softball.

Another junior is Maddie Brogan that just plays all sorts of positions for me. One of my nieces, Paislee Hartman, is coming out to play softball for the first time and she’s working really hard and putting in the effort to learn how to play the game.”

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This senior class is special to Hafenstein. When he started at Burden Central, those girls were in fifth grade, and he was their

“They are my girls,” he says. “We are a family. We tailgated at home football games. We have cookouts during the season where the kids get together at different parent’s houses. We just try to stay team oriented and family oriented and lean on each other.”

Raiders Softball

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“The senior leaders have pushed them really hard,” he says.

“Thankfully, we have some up and coming kids that have jumped on the bandwagon and have worked really hard. We are building traditions and I think we’re going in the right direction.”

coach. He has since moved all the way to high school with them and says that has helped build the family atmosphere he wants for Raider softball moving forward.

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WSU TECH ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

WSU Tech Hosts Signing Day for Students Signing Day is a long-standing tradition for many studentathletes who continue their education and athletic participation into college. WSU Tech hosted its own signing day giving more than $200,000 dollars in scholarships for students to use toward career technical classes for the coming fall semester.

The National CTE Signing Day event witnessed students interested in pursuing careers in aviation, healthcare, manufacturing, design, IT, business, and police science have the opportunity to sign on the dotted line and claim their $1,000 scholarship which goes toward their tuition in their selected field of study.

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High school seniors signed their letters of intent to attend WSU Tech next fall and received their $1,000 scholarship, a limitededition WSU Tech Signing Day hat and had their photos taken for the Signing Day live broadcast set to air April 14th.

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Director of Marketing, Andy McFayden, said the event was a huge success.

“This is the eighth year for WSU Tech to hold National Career and Technical Education Signing Day. It is always so exciting for our future students and their decision towards technical education. Nearly 200 seniors graduating this year from 40 area

high schools received a $1,000 scholarship to help them begin their path to a bright future,” said McFayden.“Congratulations to all of the Signing Day 2022 scholarship recipients, we are so excited to see all of these students in the fall.”

To learn more about the program and courses offered at WSU Tech, visit their website at www.

wsutech.edu or give them a call at 316-677-9400. WSU Tech also offers transferable general education courses that are guaranteed by the Kansas Board of Regents to transfer to public colleges and universities in Kansas.

Elias Florez Interview

Aaron Wagner_Maize

Myles Paugh_North HS

Braxton Summers_Goddard HS

WICHITA AREA ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Derby’s Trinity Kuntz Derby High School junior Trinity Kuntz has played the sport of softball for nearly her entire life. She started 13 years ago in T-ball and as she says, “the rest is history.”

“I love being able to perform and compete at a high level with these girls. We just started out with great chemistry, and it continues to build our friendships,” said Kuntz.

Her primary position for Derby is catcher, but she also has the skill set to play third base if needed.

“Being a catcher, you have the best view of the field and I enjoy being able to lead from behind the plate. I love having a great bond with the pitchers and just being on the field with others that want to be there as well,” said Kuntz. “My favorite high school memory was last year playing regionals at Lawrence Free State. It was a true monsoon but there wasn’t any lightning, so we had fun on the turf.”

2022 KIAAA AWARDS Trinity Kuntz Kuntz said she would like to continue her playing career into college.

“After I graduate, I would like to continue playing softball at the college level, my school and my major is undecided, maybe something in agriculture,” said Kuntz.

In her free time the catcher said she enjoys hanging out with friends and eating Chipotle and ice cream.

District Athletic Director of the Year Award Winners District 1 - Jeff Fuss CAA, Lyons HS District 2 - Scott Burger, Sabetha HS District 3 - Gary Howard CAA, Spring Hill District 4 - Kevin Armstrong, RAA Hutchinson HS Middle School - Amy Wright, Paola MS

Kansas Athletic Director of the Year

Carp Winner Gary Mussleman, KSHSAA Retired

Sportswriter of the Year Shawn Beldon, Spectrum Sports KC

Sportscaster of the Year

Kevin Armstrong RAA, Hutchinson HS

Glen Grunwald, Eagle Radio Hutchinson

NIAAA State Award of Merit

KIAAA Jack Dresslar Scholarship Winners

Penny Lane CAA, Washburn Rural Art Newcomer Promising Athletic Director Nick Barnes, Halstead HS

*Keleb Becker, Abilene Trenna Whitmore, Washburn Rural *Ella Mackiewiz, Shawnee Northwest Alexandra Schreiner, Kingdom (* represents those nominated as the section 5 scholarship candidates)

CONGRATULATIONS

SALINA CHAMBER WINNING EDGE PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Halstead’s Payton Divine

By Matt Browning

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Payton Divine, a softball player at Halstead, was chosen as the Salina Chamber Winning Profile for April.

Divine hit .554 with 19 extra base hits and 29 RBIs last season for the Dragons.

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Next year she plans to attend Hutchinson Community College and to go into the Surgical Tech program and later become a First Assist in the operating room.

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Besides playing softball for four

years, Divine played volleyball for one year as a freshman. She also was a manager for the football team for three years and the wrestling team for one year. This year she was chosen to be a part of the Principal’s Leadership Team.

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“When it comes to balancing a crazy school and practice schedule it can be quite stressful,” Divine said. “I always try to get most of my schoolwork done at school, so I don’t have much to worry about after practices. The best way to help control the chaos is writing out a schedule for the week.”

Payton Divine

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Divine’s life is hectic in trying to balance her academic responsibilities with her obligations in extra-curricular activities, but she tries to map out her life as best as possible.

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“I like to see that my hard work, like many others, is being recognized and honored in a special way,” Divine said. “I am very thankful that I was chosen.”

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WICHITA AREA SOFTBALL SPOTLIGHT

Eisenhower Softball Spotlight

By Chris Cox After finishing third in 5A last season, the Eisenhower softball team has one goal according to head coach Amber Brunswig.

“Return to state,” she says. “We set team goals and individual goals with every player. A lot of them experienced state last year and said their main goal was to get back. They had that experience last year and they want to expand upon that.”

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Eisenhower does bring a good amount of experience with them this season. Ten players are back from last year’s team that won their league and finished third at state. Leading the Tigers this year are four seniors, Alexis Mastin, Calli McConnell, Carsyn McCue, and Haleigh Weber.

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“All four of them have played since they were freshmen and are good leaders,” says Brunswig.

“They make sure no one gets too comfortable, and they push every day at practice to make themselves better. They are also vocal and know what I expect in practice since they’ve been with me for four years. They know what my expectations are and the culture we want of not getting comfortable.”

Along with those four seniors,

Eisenhower Tigers Brunswig says she’s excited to see other girls take that next step and help push Eisenhower to their goals.

“Audry Rumsey is a junior and we will rely a lot on her on the mound,” says Brunswig. “She has a great presence, and I will lean on her. Another junior I’m excited about is outfielder Lauren McNaught. We will rely on her to guide the outfield. I also have a sophomore in Karlee Ford that has a lot of power. She can be a catcher.

She played in the outfield last year and can play in the infield. So, I will utilize her as a utility player.

We are going to rely on those people to step up.”

A few other players Brunswig says could fill key roles are Mallory Pabst (Jr.), Aubrey Pate (So.) and Karli George (Fr.). Brunswig says Pabst has a chance to play a lot at shortstop while Pate and George could see time in the pitching circle.

Overall, Brunswig says this team doesn’t just like softball, but they like each other.

“They all have each other’s back and get along,” she says. “They hang out outside of school and are a group of friends. That just makes my job easier because they support each other.”

WICHITA AREA BASKETBALL SPOTLIGHT

Andover Central’s Kobe Smith

By Matt Browning Kobe Smith of Andover Central was voted the Wichita Large School Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Smith, who was first team All-VYPE, averaged 20 points and five rebounds per game for the Jaguars this season.

“They were all very good players, all well deserving of this award as well,” Smith said. “But seeing my name at the top means a lot to me due to all the family, friends, and fans that voted for me. They felt I deserved the award and saying I’m grateful for them would be an understatement.”

Smith said this year was a success for Andover Central because of the dramatic turnaround from the 2020-2021 season.

“The year was full of ups and downs, obviously, but overall for a team that only won six games last year, I say we succeeded more than anything,” Smith said. “We weren’t even supposed to be in any conversation this year and we turned that around by winning 18 games, so this year was successful more than anything.”

The crosstown rivalry and the Jaguars’ success against Andover was one of the many memories that stood out to Smith.

“Nothing beats the feeling of seeing the looks and the energy of our team, coaching staff, and students when we beat our rivals not only once, but twice,” Smith said.

Kobe Smith

Hesston’s Jake Proctor

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Jake Proctor

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when he got back it was really just smooth sailing from there on out.”

Hesston won its second consecutive 3A championship this year and the whole ride of getting back-to-back championships was rewarding for Proctor.

“The whole playoffs were the highlight of the season,” Proctor said. “Getting to go back-to-back with these guys is amazing and how our chemistry and friendships grew throughout the whole season and especially into the playoffs.”

Proctor is just a junior, but he wants to play basketball in college and pursue a degree in athletic training.

VYPE KANSAS

By Matt Browning Jake Proctor of Hesston was voted the Wichita Small School Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Proctor, who was named first team All-VYPE, averaged 14 points, three rebounds and three assists per game.

“It means a lot,” Proctor said.

“All of those guys in the poll are the best players in the area and to win just shows that all of the hard work is paying off.”

Due to injuries to other players, Proctor had to step up early in the season as the Swather’s primary scorer and he embraced that role.

“Having Cason (Richardson) out at the beginning of the season, we all had to step up and we did,” Proctor said. “So,

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WICHITA AREA BASKETBALL SPOTLIGHT

Maize’s Kyla Frenchers

By Matt Browning Kyla Frenchers of Maize was voted the Wichita Large School Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Frenchers, who was a second team All-VYPE selection, averaged 11 points, four steals, three rebounds and three assists per game this season for the Eagles.

“It honestly could’ve been any of us,” Frenchers said. “We’re all super talented and deserving of this award but I’m super thankful and appreciative of everyone who voted for me and everyone who recognized how hard I had worked this year. It feels great.”

This year didn’t go as planned for Frenchers and the Eagles, but she

thinks that’s what makes the program so solid.

“This year was one of the tougher years for us as a team,” Frenchers said. “We started off a little slow but the improvements we made over the year were tremendous.

I definitely wasn’t satisfied just because we didn’t make it to state again like we did the previous two years, but I think that’s what makes our program so good. We’re never satisfied.”

Next season Frenchers is going

Kyla Frenchers to continue her basketball career at Regis University in Denver.

She wants to study accounting in order to be a financial advisor for a professional athlete or organization.

Hutchinson Central Christian’s Kaylee Kauffman

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By Matt Browning

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Kaylee Kauffman of Hutchinson Central Christian was voted the Wichita Small School Player of the Year. Kauffman, who was second team All-VYPE, averaged 13 points per game, while shooting 35 percent from the three-point line and 90 percent from the free throw line.

“There were some really good players on this poll so I’m just really thankful for my family and friends who are such great supporters,” Kauffman said.

Kauffman said this season was so rewarding for her and the Cougars and not just from a results perspective.

“This year was a blast,” Kauffman said. “I loved my team and everything

about it. The chemistry and hardworking strategy were just so fun to be a part of. Making it to state was one of our goals and getting fourth was a great accomplishment. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to be a part of.”

Being able to play in a larger venue than Central Christian’s or any other school in its league was a memory Kauffman will always take with her.

“I think making it past the first round of state was something that I will always remember,” Kauffman said. “Playing in a bigger gym with the intensity of the crowd was just a blast. Everyone came ready to play with lots of energy. The game was intense with a great atmosphere which made it so fun.”

Kaylee Kauffman At this time, Kauffman is not sure where she will be going to college, but she would like to continue her playing career.

Work Zone Awareness Week 2022

DESIGN CONTEST WINNER

The winner of the 2022 WORK ZONE AWARENESS WEEK Design Contest is Natalie Ellenberger from Central Christian Academy.

Congratulations, Natalie!

WE TAKE OUR PLAYTIME SERIOUSLY. YOUR PASSION FOR SPORTS IS THE SAME AS OURS.

SPORTS THRIVE IN WICHITA. Enjoy everything from pro sports and college events to youth competitions and amateur matches. Check out local favorites like Wichita Thunder ice hockey, Wichita Wind Surge baseball games, Wichita Force indoor football, Wichita Wings soccer, plus WSU Shockers to name a few.

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