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Darting Basketball Academy's international program makes big strides in second year
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kerry Darting was very pleased with how the international element of the Darting Basketball Academy fared in its debut last summer.
And Year 2 has gone even better.
"I think last year was just really important to get started and the experience was just great,'' Darting said. "The community around here was very supportive, the experience for the kids was great. Last year we had 22 kids and 16 of them are all in the states now, going to American universities, so last year was really important just to get it off the ground and running.
"It was very successful and I think the experience is better this year just from going through everything and kind of learning what needs to get better. We made those adjustments and it's going really well this year.''
The program numbers have more than doubled this summer while also including female athletes for the first time.
The program, which is made up of high school-aged players with college basketball aspirations, includes 44 boys and eight girls representing 13 different countries, including Australia, Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Serbia, Lithuania, Croatia, Slovenia, Norway and Sweden.
The players, competing as College Stars International under the DBA umbrella, will play in three tournaments -- two in Kansas City and one in Chicago -- before returning to their home countries later this month.
Darting Basketball Academy crowns MVPs for sixth season of 3 on 3 Summer League
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Darting Basketball Academy is wrapping up its sixth 3 on 3 Summer League this week at Shawnee Heights, drawing the biggest numbers in the history of the event and culminating with the crowning of Most Valuable Players in seven divisions.
On Monday night Paxton Pearson received the MVP award in the 8-9-year-old boys division, while Beau Moser was the 10-11 boys winner and Hudson Heim was the MVP in the 12-13 boys division.
Moser and Heim were both repeat winners in the six-week event.
Tatum Ewald was the 9-11 girls MVP and Lily Bustamante received the MVP award in the girls 12-13 division.
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 8-9 boys MVP Paxton Pearson (left) and 10-11 boys MVP Beau Moser (right) pose with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving their awards Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 9-11 girls Tatum Ewald poses with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving her award Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 12-13 girls MVP Lily Bustamante poses with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving her award Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hudson Heim was the DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 12-13 boys MVP for 2025. [File photo/TSN]
The high school division will finish up on Wednesday.
Kerry Darting said that the 3 on 3 league continues to be one of DBA's most successul programs, with the program expanding to two gyms this summer.
Hayden Hall of Famer Rick Strecker passes away after cancer battle
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Rick Strecker, a member of Hayden Catholic High School's first class of inductees into the school's Hall of Fame in 2021, passed away Saturday morning at the age of 67 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Rick Strecker, who led Hayden to five state titles and served his alma mater in a variety of roles, passed away Saturday after a battle with cancer. [File photo/TSN]
A 1976 Hayden graduate, Strecker served his alma mater as a physics and chemistry teacher, state championship coach, athletic director, principal and the school's president for nearly two decades before moving on to Blue Valley West in 2016.
Strecker, the student council president and athlete of the year as a senior at Hayden, led the Wildcats to three Class 4A state championships in girls basketball and two in track during his coaching career at the school.
“My time at Hayden will probably, except for my family, be the greatest blessing of my life,’’ Strecker told The Topeka Capital-Journal in 2016 after accepting his position at Blue Valley West. "To get the chance to go back there and coach with people like Jerry Simecka and Ben Meseke and Bobby Taul and work with them, but also to be in the same school where I went to high school and where my dad and mom and my grandparents went to high school has just been wonderful.''
Strecker continued to teach and coach in multiple sports at Blue Valley West, including serving as the Jaguars' head girls basketball coach, until being forced to step away after receiving his cancer diagnosis early in 2025.
Strecker was born on March 7, 1958, in Topeka to William and Theresa (Boos) Strecker.
He was baptized at Sacred Heart Catholic Church and attended St. Matthew’s grade school.
After graduating from Hayden High Strecker earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Benedictine College in 1980 and was also team captain of the basketball team.
He then earned an master's in physics from the Missouri-Kansas City in 1982 and an M.S. in education from the University of Kansas in 1999.
On August 22, 1987 Rick married Kathleen A. Rinella, and together they were blessed with four children.
Rick and Kathy met as teachers at Hayden and taught and coached together for many years. The Streckers lived in Topeka until 2016, when they relocated to Olathe after Kathy accepted a position at Rockhurst University and Rick a position at Blue Valley West.
Rick was recently honored to receive the Greater Kansas City Girls Basketball Lifetime Service Award.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his father in law, Anthony Rinella, grandparents Aloysius and Agnes Strecker, and Clemens and Amelia Boos, and his brother in law, John Whigham.
Rick is survived by his wife of 37 years, Kathy, and their children -- Jordan Strecker, Kristin (Seth) Wiedel, Shannon (Adam) Sova, and Mary Strecker (Grace Maddox). He was a proud grandfather to Nora, Tori, Leah, Matthew Wiede and Anthony Sova.
Strecker is also survived by his siblings -- Carol (Greg) Ingenthron, William (Dee) Strecker, Mark (Kris) Strecker and Scott (Heather) Strecker -- his mother in law, Susan Rinella, and his in-laws, Mike (Jennifer) Rinella, Ann Whigham, Mary (Peter) Lebourveau, Nancy (Chad) LaSala, and Christi (Mark) Douglas. He leaves behind many beloved cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and friends.
The Vigil Prayers will begin at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, at St. Paul Catholic Church, 21650 W. 115th Terrace, Olathe, followed by visitation from 5:15-8 p.m.
Words of remembrance will begin at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9, at St. Paul Catholic Church followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Wednesday, also at St. Paul.
Inurnment will follow immediately after at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Lenexa.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:
- Hayden Catholic High School Foundation: Strecker Family Scholarship.
- St. Paul Catholic Church Capital Campaign.
- Benedictine College (Dr. A. Douglas Brothers Research Endowment).
• Catholic Community Health Hospice.
