WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita Sports Commission announced the finalists for the 27th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet Awards, including a Hesston High School athlete, athletes from Hutchinson Community College and McPherson College, and athletes from around the south-central part of Kansas.
Hesston High School’s Kendal Brueggen was named a finalist for the Lynette Woodard High School Female Athlete of the Year. Brueggen is one of the best girls basketball players in the state of Kansas and will play at the NCAA DI level at Missouri State. The Lady Swathers finished 25-1 in the 2024-25 season, finishing 3rd place in 3A, but it was a monumental year for Brueggen. She broke the school’s all-time scoring record and was named by Sports in Kansas as the 3A Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Earning a finalist appearance is also McPherson College’s Hadley Waldren, as she is a finalist for the College Female Athlete of the Year. Waldren, a native of Hutchinson, was a star for the Bulldog Volleyball team who finished 30-7 on the season, sharing the KCAC regular season title with Oklahoma Wesleyan. Waldren herself finished with a career high 286 kills and a .451 attack percentage. Her efforts named her to the AVCA NAIA West Region First Team.
Two Hutchinson Blue Dragons were also named finalists: Hailey Jackson for the Junior College Female Athlete of the Year and Waymond Jordan Jr. for the Junior College Male Athlete of the Year. Jackson is a star women’s basketball player for the Blue Dragons, who averaged 18.3 PPG and 8.6 RPG. The Tulsa, Okla. native became the 19th Blue Dragon Women’s Basketball All-American in school history and the fifth First-Team All-American in school history due to her efforts.
Waymond Jordan Jr. was the star running back for the football team, helping the Blue Dragons win the national championship in 2024. Jordan was named the NJCAA DI Football Offensive Player of the Year and the JUCOWeekly National Player of the Year after averaging 134.5 rushing yards per game and scoring 20 touchdowns. The Pensacola, Fla. native will take his talents to Los Angeles to play NCAA DI Power Five football with the USC Trojans starting next fall.
The 2025 Greater Wichita Sports Banquet will be held Thursday, June 26 at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita. The awards recognize the greater Wichita area’s best high school, college, and professional athletes and coaches in the state of Kansas.
This year’s featured speakers will be former NBA player and Kansas Men’s Basketball star Mario Chalmers as well as former NL MVP and three-time World Series Champion Buster Posey. While at the banquet, Posey will announce the 2025 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.
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Listed below are all of the award finalists.:
Lynette Woodard High School Female Athlete of the Year:
– Kendal Brueggen, Hesston High School
– Kinslea Jones, Maize High School
– Sophie Stockam, Maize South High School
Barry Sanders High School Male Athlete of the Year:
– DaSaahn Brame, Derby High School
– Joshua Burdick, Cheney High School
– Jack Guthridge, Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Junior College Female Athlete of the Year:
– Laura Bonomi, Cowley College
– Hailey Jackson, Hutchinson Community College
– Ashley Singhateh, Butler Community College
Junior College Male Athlete of the Year:
– Seven Cloud, Butler Community College
– Waymond Jordan Jr., Hutchinson Community College
– Evan Rodriguez, Cowley College
College Female Athlete of the Year:
– Sara Duque Jimenez, Wichita State University
– Hadley Waldren, McPherson College
– Riley Wertz, Friends University
College Male Athlete of the Year:
– Xavier Bell, Wichita State University
– Jace Fisher, Newman University
– KJ Spiller, Friends University
Professional Athlete of the Year:
– Peter Bates, Wichita Thunder
– Zebby Matthews, Wichita Wind Surge
Additional awards being presented at the sports banquet will include:
High School Girls Coach of the Year:
– Greg Rauch, Bishop Carroll High School
High School Boys Coach of the Year:
– Derek Tuttle, Andover Central High School
Gene Stephenson Coach of the Year:
– Steven Gream, Cowley College
Robert E. “Bob” Hanson Impact Award:
– Clark Ensz
