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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As Barrett Lietz's high school athletic career wound down his senior year, the Rossville three-sport standout had some tough decisions to make.
Recent Rossville three-sport standout Barrett Lietz (middle) will close out his competitive sports career in Saturday night's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Emporia. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Lietz's options came down to playing football or wrestling in college or opting to concentrate on his academics.
The third option eventually won out, with Lietz headed to Kansas State to study mechanical engineering.
"I'm just going to focus on school and study,'' said Lietz, a two-time All-Shawnee County Top 22 pick in football, a Class 3A-1A state runnerup in wrestling and a state qualifier in track and field while posting a 4.10 grade point average.
"It was a pretty tough decision because I'm done sports all my life, but I felt like it was time to be done.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Longtime Hayden football coach Bill Arnold is a proud graduate of Benedictine College, playing quarterback for the Ravens in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Hayden product Carter Charvat will play for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl before heading to Benedictine College. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But when it came time for standout Wildcat lineman Carter Charvat to pick a college, Charvat said Arnold didn't try to influence his decision.
He didn't have to.
"He did tell me it was a great school, but I already have some family connections there -- my brother (Mason) goes there right now -- and they had the major I wanted (mechicanical engineering) and I could play football, too, so it just all worked out,'' Charvat said.
A three-sport athlete, Charvat helped lead Hayden to the Class 3A state championship game last fall, earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 and All-Class 3A recognition. Charvat was in on 117 tackles as a senior, including 71 solo stops and registered eight sacks and four tackles for loss while intercepting two passes.
Charvat also helped the Wildcats advance to the 3A state tournament in basketball and was a standout thrower in track and field, qualifying for the 3A state meet.
Charvat said that after he took everything into consideration, Benedictine was a relatively easy choice.
"It just made sense,'' Charvat said. "The whole community and family is what I was looking for, going from a close-knit community in high school to a close-knit community in college.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Recent Hayden graduate Finn Dunshee raised a lot of eyebrows with his dominating performance in last month's Class 3A state track meet, capturing three gold medals for the second straight season.
And that performance also helped change Dunshee's mind about his future plans.
Former Hayden two-sport star Finn Dunshee will play for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl before concentrating on track in college. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Dunshee, who helped Hayden finish second as a team in Class 3A in both football and track as a senior, had planned to walk away from sports and concentrate on academics at the University of Dallas.
But after sweeping the 3A titles in the 100-meter (10.60 seconds) and 200-meter (21.99) dashes and helping the Wildcats win the 4x400 relay (3:26.01) and post a runnerup finish in the 4x100 relay (42.52), Dunshee started having second thoughts.
"After that state meet I knew I had more in me,'' said Dunshee, who will play his final football game in Saturday night's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Emporia State's Welch Stadium. "I wasn't done peaking. I had been improving for the last consecutive five or six weeks before that state race.
"And at state I really didn't have anyone to push me, so I was like, 'I've got more time in me, I can do more.' ''
So while Dunshee is still headed to the state of Texas for college, he's changed his destination to Fort Worth and Texas Christian University.
Hayden product Finn Dunshee won three Class 3A state gold medals in the 2024 Kansas State Track and Field Championships at Wichita and plans to run collegiately at TCU. [File photo/TSN]
"The plan is, if all things go according to plan, I hope to walk on for TCU track,'' Dunshee said. "That would be the ideal. I've been talking with them. I go down for orientation next week and hopefully meet with them.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Since graduating early from Seaman, Callen Barta has devoted most all of his time in Manhattan getting ready for his college football career at Kansas State.
"It's been very big for me, especially going through spring ball with all of them, really building a relationship with them and even with all the coaches and knowing the new defense,'' Barta said. "It's just been a blast, I'm having a lot of fun.''
Seaman product and Kansas State freshman Callen Barta takes a break during Sunday's Kansas Shrine Bowl practice at Ottawa University. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Barta is taking a break from his Wildcat prep this week to play for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Emporia State's Welch Stadium, jumping at the chance to get an opportunity to play in the state's premier all-star game.
"My dad (Jerry) played in it and he told me what an amazing time he had, and I knew it was for a great cause, so it's a privilege to be out here with all my guys,'' Barta said.
Barta said that KSU coach Chris Kleiman and his staff encourages the Wildcat signees to play in the Shrine Bowl.
"We actually have a lot of K-State guys here -- me, Gus (Hawkins), Kaedin (Massey) and Holden Bass are all here,'' Barta said. "(Coach) actually recommends it because he knows it's for a great cause, too.''
A wide receiver/defensive back, Barta caught 77 passes for 1,441 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior for Seaman while recording 36 tackles and intercepting five passes, returning one for a touchdown.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
A lot of times when an athlete grows up in one particular city, they can't wait to spread their wings and go out to see what the rest of the sports world has to offer.
But after studying their options, recent Washburn Rural graduate JC Heim and Shawnee Heights product Christian Gonzales decided that home-town Washburn University had everything they were looking for in a college.
Former Shawnee Heights star lineman Christian Gonzales (75) will play for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Former Washburn Rural star JC Heim (right) will play for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Welch Stadium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
So a few weeks after competing for the East in Saturday's Kansas Shrine Bowl at Emporia State's Welch Stadium, Heim and Gonzales will make the short trip to Washburn to begin their first season in an Ichabod uniform.
"Honestly, it's like in my backyard and I feel like if they're giving me the opportunity to go play for them that gives me a chance to represent my city and try to put them back on the map,'' Gonzales said.
Heim said Washburn was also a relatively easy choice for him and twin brother Jaren.
"The biggest thing for me was the community support I had while I was at Washburn Rural and I think that's just going to carry on at Washburn University,'' Heim said. "And just the coaching staff all the way around, how they recruited me, how they talked to me, how they treated me as a person, and not only me but my brother (Jaren), and how they told us we'd fit in.''
Gonzales said that the Heims also influenced his decision to go to WU.
"Once I saw the Heims were going to sign there, I had played youth ball with them from like third grade up, so I knew that once they signed, that it would be the right choice,'' Gonzales said.
