Little River High School’s Arika Feldman and Sterling High School’s Boston Ekart were named to the KSHSAA Covered Girls and Boys All-State Basketball Teams Tuesday.
The all-state stories were written by KSHSAA Covered’s Brent Maycock.
Feldman and Ekart led their teams to state championships in 2025-26.
Feldman, a 6-foot-2 senior guard/forward, scored 532 points her senior year (19 ppg), grabbed 180 rebounds (6.4 rpg), handed out 56 assists (2 apg) and had 83 steals (3 spg).
During her career, Feldman scored 1,401 points (14.6 ppg), grabbed 514 rebounds (5.4 rpg), had 224 steals (2.3 spg) and added 148 blocks (1.5 bpg).
Feldman led Little River to Class 1A Division I state championship this year as Redskins capped 27-2 season with 59-24 win over Wabaunsee in championship game.
Feldman ranks has committed to Fort Hays State.. She also helped Little River to four straight Class 1A Division I state volleyball titles and was a two-time 1A Division I player of the year by the Kansas Volleyball Association.
“She continued to play with a lot of confidence and determination,” Little River coach Cy Rolfs said in the KSHSAA All-State article. “I think she had a burning fire to get to the pinnacle and win the state title. She’s put in a lot of hard work with that goal in mind. She was a great vocal leader the whole way through and did a great job of leading the crew.”
Eckart, 6-foot-6 senior forward, scored 633 points (22.6 ppg), 207 rebounds (7.4 rpg), 71 steals (2.5 spg), 40 blocks (1.4 bpg)
During his career, Eckart posted 1,644 points (16 ppg), 592 rebounds (5.7 rpg) and 149 steals (1.4 spg).
He led Sterling to back-to-back Class 2A state championships with the Black Bears going 28-0 this season, beating Berean Academy 59-49 in state championship game.
Ekart scored 25 points in the championship game this year after scoring 15 points in Sterling’s 56-42 win over Moundridge in 2025 2A title game.
Ekart, a three-time first-team All-Heart of America selection and two-time first-team All-Class 2A pick, has committed to Northwestern College (Iowa).
“Boston is the kind of player every coach wishes the could coach,” Sterling coach Derek Schneider told KSHSAA Covered. “Despite his limitless abilities on the floor, Boston comes to practice every single day and grinds with full effort in every drill we do.
:He is also completely coachable, listening to everything our coaching staff tells him and answering simple, ‘Yes sir.’ Then he goes out and does exactly what he’s supposed to do. I would put his combination of size, skill and effort against any other player in Kansas.”
2026 KSHSAA Covered Girls Top 5
Jakayla Davis, St. Mary’s Colgan
Arika Feldman, Little River
Mary Grant, Bishop Miege
Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake
Eve Long, Olathe South
Coach of the year — Carl Hines, Sacred Heart
2026 KSHSAA Covered Boys Top 5
Cooper Carr, Baldwin
Boston Ekart, Sterling
Kelan Gruver, Bonner Springs
Sebastian Hines-Turner, Wichita Collegiate
Reece Riedel, Mill Valley
Coach of the year — Adam Olerich, Olathe North
