MOST INSPIRATIONAL: OUTSTANDING FEMALE NOMINEES
Drew Baxter
DREW BAXTER | Seaman
PARENTS: Josh and Carrie Baxter
SPORT: Volleyball | GPA: 3.0
Baxter was the oncourt and offcourt leader for a Seaman volleyball team that posted a fourth-place finish in the 2021 Class 5A state volleyball tournament. "Drew is a very competitive athlete,'' Seaman coach Tatiana Dowling said. "She is one of the hardest workers when it comes to athletics and is willing to do whatever it takes to make herself better and to make her teammates better. She has the drive and dedication to lift up a program and the leadership to take her team to the top.'' Baxter was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last fall and received second-team All-Class 5A honors from the Kansas Volleyball Association. Baxter plans to play college volleyball at William Jewell.
Taryn Dial
TARYN DIAL | Shawnee Heights
PARENTS: Scott Dial and Nicole Johnson
SPORT: Volleyball/wrestling/softball | GPA: NA
Dial was a three-sport athlete for Shawnee Heights in addition to being involved in multiple school clubs and activities. Dial was president of the Shawnee Heights Student Council, president of T-Birds Together, treasurer of Heights' Spirit Club and a member of the National Honor Society, LINC Crew and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Dial was a VA volunteer as well as a volunteer for Lulac, Special Olympics and Harvesters. Dial received Academic All-State recognition and will attend MidAmerica Nazarene on a volleyball and academic scholarship.
Celeste Gonzalez
CELESTE GONZALEZ | Highland Park
PARENTS: Raul Gonzalez and Clara Caro
SPORT: Wrestling | GPA: 4.2
Gonzales was a standout in girls wrestling and soccer for Highland Park. Gonzalez posted a 17-7 record as a senior and was a two-year letter-winner for Highland Park's girls wrestling team. Gonzalez won the Centennial League indiviual championship at 191 pounds her senior season, qualified for the Class 6A-5A state meet with a runner-up regional finish and earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention. "She had a desire to demonstrate dominance on the mat but was friendly to everyone off the mat,'' Highland Park wrestling coach Shannon Keller said. Gonzalez also earned All-City honorable mention in soccer and plans to attend college at Washburn University.
Trenna Whitmore
TRENNA WHITMORE | Washburn Rural
PARENTS: Joshua and Lindsay Whitmore
SPORT: Volleyball/basketball/softball | GPA: 4.06
As a senior Whitmore was a part of Rural's Class 6A state championship team in basketball, a state runner-up team in softball and a fourth-place team in volleyball. "Trenna is a servant leader and the ultimate teammate,'' Washburn Rural volleyball and basketball coach Kevin Bordewick said of Whitmore. "She knew that playing time may not be as much as she wanted or desired, (in volleyball and basketball) but was still a leader, a spokesman and an emotional lift for our teams. She was always there to encourage her team and in practice she always played hard to get her teams better. Trenna earned the utmost respect from her teams and she is truly a player who led by example.'' Whitmore plans to continue her academic career at Emporia State University.
DayShauna Wiley
DAYSHAUNA WILEY | Topeka High
PARENT: LaShaune Wiley
SPORT: Basketball | GPA: 3.22
Wiley has been a member of Topeka High's girls basketball team for four seasons and received All-City and All-Centennial League honorable mention as a senior along with academic all-league recognition. "She is a leader on and off the floor,'' said Hannah Alexander, who coached Wiley at Topeka High. "DayShauna has always been a great role player, but her senior year we expected more from her. She went from a few minutes a game her junior year to starting and barely coming out of games her senior year. She guarded the other team's best player, she always worked hard and gave it her all. She is an iinspiration to all student-athletes.'' Wiley plans to play basketball at St. Marys.
Former Seaman star Drew Baxter sets the ball during the recent Kansas Volleyball Association All-Star Match. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Recent Highland Park graduate Celeste Gonzalez (second from left) was the 191-pound Centennial League wrestling champion and was a Class 6A-5A state qualifier with a second-place regional finish (above). [File photo/TSN]
Recent Washburn Rural graduate Trenna Whitmore makes a running catch for the Junior Blues' softball team, which finished second in Class 6A this spring. [Submitted photo]
Topeka High product DayShauna Wiley (left top) battles for a loose ball against Wichita Heights last season. [Submitted photo]
