Valley Center’s Taylor McDonald – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Wichita Driving School
By Matt Browning The Valley Center girls basketball team lost plenty of scoring from last year’s team, so Taylor McDonald understands she needs to step into that role. “I think I need to be more aggressive around the basket, and potentially call my own number a little bit more,” McDonald said. “We’re losing some scoring, […]
Bishop Carroll’s Lilly Martin – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Two Brothers BBQ
By Matt Browning Lilly Martin from Bishop Carroll likes to play fast and be aggressive, but she also knows there is a difference between playing fast and playing reckless. So she tried to find that proper balance during the summer. “In the offseason I worked a lot with the coaches at Kansas United on playing […]
Maize South’s Skylar Seals – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Landon Head Shelter Insurance
By Matt Browning Maize South’s Skylar Seals stands just 5-6, so she knows she has to utilize her strength against opponents. “My personal goal for the year is to be physically stronger,” Seals said. “I am not a big girl so when it comes to 50/50 balls I feel more often I lose them due to […]
Eisenhower’s Pierce Blue – Athlete of the Month – Presented by Oliver’s Sports
By Matt Browning The Eisenhower connection proved to be beneficial for Pierce Blue over the offseason as a former Tiger player trained Blue. “I trained a lot with an ex-Eisenhower, pro player overseas named Trevon Evans,” Blue said. “He helped me with a lot of footwork and helped shaped all parts of my game.” Blue averaged […]
Kapaun Mount Carmel’s McCoy Phister – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Braden Carter Farmers Insurance
By Cooper Chadwick Seen as one of the best defenders to come through Kapaun Mt. Carmel in the last ten years, junior McCoy Phister seems to just have a knack for the game of basketball. Last year as a sophomore Phister was a vocal leader and a calming voice for her team, this season she […]
Andover Central’s Ethan Balke – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Mike Garman Farm Bureau Financial Services
By Ken Hansard Andover Central point guard Ethan Balke is one of nine seniors on the roster for the Jaguars. Those seniors have had an impressive run for Central and will leave a legacy behind that will resonate with the community’s youth for years to come. Balke, when asked what he is most looking forward […]
Rose Hill’s Samson Whitted – Wrestling Spotlight – Presented by Advanced Physical Therapy
By Ken Hansard The Rose Hill Rockets collected a lot of hardware at the 2024 KSHSAA Class 4A State Championships, winning the overall team title and placing high in several weight classes. The team title was largely due to an individual state championship in the 106-pound weight class Samson Whitted, who was a junior […]
Wichita East’s Eliot Hill – Basketball Spotlight – Presented by Emprise Bank
By Ken Hansard The Wichita East High Blue Aces qualified for the state tournament last season, beating Junction City and South High to win their sub-state, only to suffer the agony of an early exit, bowing to Shawnee Mission Northwest in the first round. From that team, the Aces return only one of the […]
Wichita South’s Caylee Sallee – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by The Tire Store Inc.
By Ken Hansard Wichita South High sophomore guard Caylee Sallee doesn’t allow her status as an underclassman to stand in the way of her goals, “My role on the team is to lift my teammates when we are down with my determination, my hustle, and the energy I bring.” These are things one usually […]
Wichita North’s Isabel Ceballos – Basketball Spotlight – Sponsored by Advanced Physical Therapy
By Ken Hansard Wichita North High senior Isabel Ceballos grew up with a passion for life, a passion for singing, and a passion for the game of basketball, “I always loved being active when I was young, and when I saw my brothers playing basketball, I knew I wanted to learn the sport. After […]