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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Kansas State High School Activities Association is currently in the midst of its 50 for 50 project, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which opened the door for female athletes across the United States. As part of that project TopSports.news contributor Rick Peterson wrote the following story on former Shawnee Heights and Washburn University multi-sport star Dani (McHenry) Schmidt.
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Former Shawnee Heights multi-sport star and Washburn University Hall of Famer Dani (McHenry) Schmidt was never shy about trying any sport and will be forever grateful that she had that opportunity.
Title IX, which is marking its 50th anniversary during the 2021-22 school year, opened doors for female athletes across the United States and Schmidt took full advantage, participating in soccer, softball, volleyball and basketball growing up.
By the time Schmidt entered Shawnee Heights High School in the late 1990s Title IX had been in effect for some 26 years and she said she had plenty of options to further her skills.
“I would honestly say that where I fell into it, I never felt like we were second to boys sports or that there wasn’t an opportunity,’’ Schmidt said. “If I wanted to do something I felt like I was afforded the opportunity.
“Obviously there was a lot of hard work and all of that before me to get to that point by the women who started Title IX and got things up and running, and because of all their hard work I never felt like I was at a disadvantage by being a female or that I couldn’t go do something if it was really something I wanted to go do.’’
After winning two state volleyball titles at Shawnee Heights, Dani (McHenry) Schmidt went on to earn All-America volleyball honors and play on a national cham[ionship basketball team at Washburn University. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Schmidt’s father, Ron McHenry, is the longtime women’s basketball coach at Washburn University, coaching the Ichabods to the 2004-05 NCAA Division II National Championship, and Dani said her father was very good about encouraging her and her siblings’ athletic endeavors without pressuring them.
Dani’s younger sister, Sami, is the head volleyball coach at Shawnee Heights while her younger brother, Ronnie, is Washburn’s head men’s golf coach.
“My dad obviously wanted to provide us opportunities, but I never had to have a conversation with him where I was like, ‘You’re making me do something that I don’t want to do,’ ‘’ Schmidt said. “And I think he would have been OK with that if it ever got to that point.
“He was very realistic, and he had coached kids for a long time so he kind of knew what you had potential in and would kind of nudge you in that direction, but he was never over the top in terms of me not wanting to do something and being forced to do it. I never specialized and it was never like, ‘You’re going to have to pick one,’ or any of that. I was able to do it all.’’
Schmidt eventually narrowed her focus to volleyball and basketball, leading Shawnee Heights to back-to-back Class 5A state volleyball championships in 1999 and 2000 while also starring for the T-Birds' basketball team.
After a stint with Kansas’ volleyball team, Schmidt transferred to Washburn, where she continued to be a multi-sport athlete.
Dani (McHenry) Schmidt [Washburn Athletics]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After opening the 2021 season with a perfect 5-0 record, including two victories over ranked opponents, Washburn volleyball moved up four places in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll to No. 4 in the nation.
Last week the Ichabods swept Cameron, Minot State and then No. 19-ranked Harding and also picked up a pair of four-set wins over Colorado-Colorado Springs and No. 15-ranked Northern State.
Chris Herron's Washburn University volleyball team has climbed to the No. 4 spot in the national rankings. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Concordia-St. Paul moved up one place to claim the No. 1 spot in the AVCA rankings while Angelo State moved down to second.
There are now four undefeated MIAA teams represented in the top 10 of the AVCA rankings as Nebraska-Kearney checks in at No. 3, Northwest Missouri No. 8 and Central Missouri No. 10.
Washburn will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. this week to play four matches in the Mountain Lion Invitational, starting Friday at 9 a.m. against Lubbock Christian.
AVCA NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS
| Rank | School (First-Place Votes) | Total Points Adjusted |
2021 Record | Previous Week Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concordia - St. Paul (20) | 1114 | 4-0 | 2 |
| 2 | Angelo State (21) | 1086 | 4-0 | 1 |
| 3 | Nebraska-Kearney (2) | 979 | 4-0 | 4 |
| 4 | Washburn | 911 | 5-0 | 8 |
| 5 | Lewis | 895 | 4-0 | 6 |
| 6 | Cal State San Bernardino (1) | 860 | 3-1 | 3 |
| 7 | Tampa | 718 | 3-1 | 5 |
| 8 | NW Missouri State | 698 | 4-0 | 16 |
| 9 | Western Washington | 648 | 3-0 | 14 |
| 10 | Central Missouri | 619 | 4-0 | 17 |
| 11 | Minnesota Duluth | 610 | 3-1 | 7 |
| 12 | Oklahoma Baptist | 594 | 3-1 | 9 |
| 13 | St. Cloud State | 555 | 4-0 | 19 |
| 14 | Winona State | 496 | 4-0 | NR |
| 15 | Colorado School of Mines | 464 | 3-1 | 12 |
| 16 | Southwest Minnesota State | 441 | 4-0 | NR |
| 17 | Wayne State (Neb.) | 347 | 3-0 | 24 |
| 18 | Hillsdale | 324 | 2-2 | 13 |
| 19 | Northern State | 287 | 2-2 | 15 |
| 20 | MSU Denver | 277 | 2-2 | 11 |
| 21 | West Florida | 231 | 4-0 | NR |
| 22 | Colorado Mesa | 208 | 2-2 | 10 |
| 23 | Texas-Tyler | 192 | 4-0 | 20 |
| 24 | Simon Fraser (3) | 162 | 4-0 | NR |
| 25 | Rockhurst | 146 | 3-1 | 25 |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Harding 128; Ferris State 107; Texas A&M-Kingsville 98; Regis 97; Alaska-Anchorage 93; Gannon 84; Chaminade 79; Michigan Tech 62; Missouri-St Louis 50; West Texas A&M 49; Cal Poly Pomona 44; Southern Indiana 43; Wheeling 43; Lynn 39; Nova Southeastern 32; Cal State L.A. 31; Wingate 28; Hawai'i-Hilo 27; Palm Beach Atlantic 25; Northern Michigan 20; Barry 17; Grand Valley State 17; Central Oklahoma 7; Colo State-Pueblo 6; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (FL) 5.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It wasn't like Hayden junior multi-sport standout Jake Muller was at a loss for something to do.
Muller was already a standout for the Wildcat soccer and basketball teams, earning All-City honorable mention in both sports as a sophomore, and he captured a Class 4A state championship in track and field last spring.
Jake Muller
Nevertheless, over the summer Muller decided to add a fourth sport, joining Hayden's cross country team this fall.
Wildcat cross country coach DeJuan Gardenhire is also Muller's coach in track, but Muller said Gardenhire wasn't in his ear about taking up a new sport.
"Not really, I ust like running for him,'' said Muller, the 4A 300-meter hurdles champ in track. "He's a great coach and it's exciting to run for him and be part of a team. I love running and playing for Hayden.''
It's obviously a challenge to do double duty with soccer and cross country in the same season, but Muller makes it work.
"Cross country we've been going at 5:45 in the morning, so I go there before school and after schoolI go to soccer,'' he said. "If cross country's after school I just go to soccer and then I'll go to the (cross country) meets on Saturday.''
Muller is constantly on the run in both soccer and cross country, but he said while participating in both sports helps keep him in great shape, there's a different type of running involved.
"It's different because soccer's more like sprinting and cross country's about pace, so it's different conditioning,'' Muller said. "I like cross country. It's definitely tough though.''
A team captain in soccer, Muller is off to an impressive start in both sports this fall, recording two goals and an assist in Hayden's 3-1 season-opening Centennial League soccer win over Topeka High last Wednesday and then placing fifth individually for the Wildcat cross country team in Saturday's Missouri Western Griffon Invitational at St. Joseph, Mo., helping Hayden win the team championship.
"He just works so hard,'' Hayden soccer coach Klaus Kreutzer said of Muller. "The kid works harder than anybody I know and he's so able.''
For his part, Muller said he just loves being able to help his school any way he can.
"I just like being involved with Hayden and I just love sports,'' Muller said. "Either watching or playing, I love being involved.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Just a junior, Washburn Rural volleyball star Brooklyn DeLeye still had plenty of time to make her college choice.
But once DeLeye visited NCAA Division I national volleyball champion Kentucky, she knew there was no reason to wait.
Washburn Rural junior star Brooklyn DeLeye is pleased to have her future set, committing to national champion Kentucky earlier in the summer. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
A two-time Class 6A All-Stater, the 6-foot-2 DeLeye received recruiting interest from many of the nation's top programs and narrowed her choices down to powerhouses Kentucky and Nebraska before announcing her decision on July 22.
"A lot of people commit when they're juniors in volleyball and it's just kind of a thing that volleyball players do, and when I went to Kentucky I just didn't see any place else that I wanted to play at,'' DeLeye said. "It just felt right to me and why wait?''
DeLeye, also a two-time All-City and All-Centennial League pick in basketball and a member of Rural's soccer team that finished third in 6A last spring, said that even though she knew it was time to end the recruiting process she enjoyed the ride.
"I definitely loved it,'' DeLeye said. "Just the interest that coaches showed in me, I felt really special and just honored to be in that position, so I definitely thank all of them who came to every game and recruited me and took the time to talk to me.''
Washburn Rural junior Brooklyn DeLeye, a standout in volleyball, basketball and soccer, has helped the Junior Blues get off to a perfect 5-0 volleyball record this fall. [Photo by Doug Walker/TSN]
But having said that, DeLeye admitted she also felt a sense of a relief to get her future plans decided.
Now all of DeLeye's focus is on doing her best to help Washburn Rural win championships over her final two years with the Junior Blues.
"Definitely a wait has been lifted off because it was a stressful time for me,'' said DeLeye, who has helped Rural get off to a perfect 5-0 record this volleyball season.
"When I got to talk to the coaches directly it was very stressful, so now that I committed all that is over with and now I can just focus on all my sports and volleyball specifically.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Genna Berg
GENNA BERG, Washburn University
A 5-foot-9 senior outside hitter from Blue Springs, Mo, Berg was named the Most Valuable Player in the Washburn Invitational volleyball tournament after helping lead the Ichabods to a perfect 4-0 tournament record. Berg recorded 19 kills and eight digs as No. 8-ranked Washburn ended its tournament run with a 3-1 win over No. 16 Northern State Saturday at Lee Arena.
Carter Brian
CARTER BRIAN, Cair Paravel Latin
Brian, a senior quarterback, completed 15 of 16 pass attempts for 298 yards and five touchdowns as the Lions opened their 2021 football season with a 60-14 victory over Kansas City East Christian Academy last Friday night at Highland Park.
Madeline Carter
MADELINE CARTER, Washburn Rural
A returning Class 6A state medalist, Carter opened her junior cross country season with a dominating individual win in last Saturday's Manhattan Invitational at Warner Park. The reigning city champion, Carter clocked a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 52.6 seconds to win by just under 34 seconds and lead the Junior Blues to a tie with Manhattan for the team championship.
Brooklyn DeLeye
BROOKLYN DeLEYE, Washburn Rural
A junior two-time All-Stater, DeLeye turned in a dominating performance as Washburn Rural's volleyball team improved to 5-0 on the season with a sweep of last Thursday's home-opening triangular against 25-time state champion Bishop Miege and Gardner-Edgerton. DeLeye, who has orally committed to NCAA national champion Kentucky, was a force at the net throughout the triangular while also recording five straight service aces during a nine-point run against Miege.
Torrey Horak
TORREY HORAK, Rossville
A returning All-State senior quarterback, Horak rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries and completed eight of 15 pass attempts for 77 yards and a TD as the defending 2A state-champion Bulldawgs opened their season with a 38-0 romp past traditional small-school power Centralia.
Tanner Newkirk
TANNER NEWKIRK, Hayden
The defending 4A individual state cross country champion, Newkirk made his 2021 debut with individual and team championships in last Saturday's Missouri Western Griffon Invitational at St. Joseph, Mo. A senior three-time state medalist, Newkirk won by more than a minute in a time of 16:25.18 while leading Hayden to the team title by a 30-48 margin over West Platte, Mo.
