Here are the 50 most influential people in the Wichita sports community right now
Creating a list of the 50 most influential people in the Wichita sports scene was a fun but daunting task.
We didn’t want to simply assemble a ranking of the 50 best athletes, coaches and organizers in Wichita history — Wichitans are already pretty familiar with the city’s most famous athletes. Rather, we sought to shine a light on some of the people who are making a difference in the community right now, many without much thanks or fanfare. And we aimed to do so at all levels, from youth sports all the way up to the professional ranks.
We made a real effort to ensure that a broad cross-section of our local sports culture is represented.
You’ll notice that few athletes are included. That’s intentional. This list isn’t about historical stars like Lynette Woodard, Barry Sanders or Jim Ryun, or historically important local figures such as Linwood Sexton, Cleo Littleton and Dave Stallworth. Neither is it populated by favorite sons Fred VanVleet or Ron Baker. All of these athletes have a special place in Wichita’s history, but that’s a different list for a later time.
Cutting down the list was extremely difficult, and many deserving candidates were left off. An important final note: names are sorted alphabetically and not ranked by importance.
Be sure to leave a comment about who you think deserved to be included.
At the organizational level
1. Eric Blasdel
Role: Westurban general manager since 2001
The case: There’s a reason why Westurban has been the most popular option for youth baseball players in Wichita for decades. Blasdel has been in charge of the league and complex that features 11 fields near 13th and Ridge, as more than 100 youth teams compete in the league every summer.
2. Angela Buckner
Role: Lynette Woodard Center director
The case: Buckner was a standout basketball player for Wichita State from 2000-04 and has remained in her hometown as the director of the Lynette Woodard Center. She is now influential in the community, giving youth opportunities to participate in sports at the most famous rec center in Wichita.
3. Joanna and Bryan Chadwick
Role: Long-time media member; long-time youth sports coach
The case: Joanna Chadwick made an impact working at the Wichita Eagle as the high school sports reporter for 20 years, creating the Varsity Kansas brand and even organizing a free community event for young athletes in an array of different sports. Since joining Derby as a journalism teacher, she has remained influential with her work at VYPE, a high school sports magazine run by Mike Cooper. Her husband, Bryan, has been a long-time coach in the area, specifically in basketball and track and field. As a couple, they have influenced the community in a positive way for many years.
4. Tymber Lee
Role: Wichita Sports Forum co-owner
The case: The Sports Forum has become Wichita’s most versatile sports facility that offers top-notch options for a variety of sports. That’s a credit to Lee, who helped cultivate the identity for the facility that features six basketball courts, four sand volleyball courts, eight batting cages and one regulation-size turf infield that serves thousands of athletes in the Wichita area.
5. Bob Lutz
Role: Media personality and League 42 founder
The case: Lutz is the voice of Wichita sports, thanks to a career at the Wichita Eagle that spanned more than four decades and a radio show he runs with his son, Jeff Lutz, The Drive on KFH Radio. Lutz is a Wichita sports encyclopedia and his columns are considered a big reason why Intrust Bank Arena materialized in Wichita. But Lutz’s most impressive work has arguably come from his second career as the founder of League 42, a youth baseball league created in 2014 that offers an affordable opportunity for youth, especially minority youth, to play baseball. The league has grown in popularity each year and now serves hundreds of youth baseball players in Wichita.
6. Scott Martin
Role: Southwest Boys Club and Genesis Sports Complex director of operations
The case: It would be hard to find many who have helped youth sports more over the years than Martin, an influential figure in the baseball scene but also because he owns Play It Again Sports. Martin has run the Southwest Boys Club for the past decade and recently took over operations for the newly-built Genesis Sports Complex in Goddard.
7. Greg Raleigh
Role: MAYB owner since 1993
The case: There might not be a better success story on the list than Raleigh, who created Mid America Youth Basketball in 1993 and has watched it grow into one of the largest programs for youth basketball in the country. While the organization is based in Hesston, where Raleigh is a successful high school basketball coach, MAYB has been a fixture for basketball players of all ages in Wichita for years.
8. Josh Schepis
Role: Director of umpires
The case: If you’re watching a baseball game in Wichita, there’s a good chance that Schepis was the one who assigned the umpires. He is influential in the baseball world and remains an active official, refereeing basketball games at the college level and also working as an umpire in the Big 12 and Big 10. On top of that, Schepis has been the Newman cross country coach for the past two decades.
9. Catherine Seals
Role: YMCA Farha Sports Centers program director
The case: Seals has steadily climbed the ranks within the YMCA and was recently promoted to senior program director at the Farha Sports Centers. That means if your child is playing youth sports through the YMCA, Seals is in charge of it. Considering the thousands of athletes who compete at the YMCA Farha Sports Centers, there’s few on this list who make as big of an impact in Wichita as Seals.
10. Tim Simoneau
Role: Wichita Hoops general manager
The case: Wichita Hoops is the city’s premiere basketball-only facility with 12 basketball courts. By partnering with MAYB and the Wichita Sports Forum to form a new youth basketball league, Wichita Hoops figures to be an even bigger player in the youth basketball scene. Also helping matters is the facility playing host to Team Buddy Buckets, a new summer boys team sponsored by Buddy Hield, and Next Level Eclipse, the girls equivalent run by Evan McCorry and Jeff Henry. Of course, former Shocker Jason Perez originally helped build the facility and still helps with training in the area.
11. Mark Standiford
Role: Wichita Sluggers Academy owner since 1995
The case: No one has played a bigger role in the development of baseball players in the Wichita area over the past three decades than Standiford, who built the 50,000-square-foot facility on Ridge Road. Standiford helped make Sluggers the premiere youth team to play for in Wichita and although he has since moved on to be the Tabor baseball coach since 2008, his work lives on in the Wichita baseball community. Sluggers is still one of the top youth clubs in Wichita, now also for softball players, as the day-to-day operations are handled by Tonto Baxley.
At the youth sports level
12. Chaz Baldon
Role: Boys & Girls Club of South Central Kansas youth development specialist since 2017
The case: Not only has Baldon been helping youth across the city with the Boys & Girls Club, but he is also a prominent girls club basketball coach. Also helping out in the girls basketball scene is Larry Thomas.
13. Roy Birch
Role: Birch Performance owner since 2018
The case: One of Wichita’s top trainers opened up his own 6,000-square-foot facility in northeast Wichita in 2018. Birch has been a certified trainer in Wichita for 26 years, coach track and field for the last eight years and has worked with all generations of athletes, including five All-Americans.
14. Theo Cribbs
Role: Long-time youth football coach
The case: Ask around about who the legend in Wichita youth football is and Cribbs is the most popular answer. He created the Bulldogs team and was an influential coach for decades in the Wichita Junior Football League, along with Uylesses “Pop” Deshazer.
15. John Dreifort
Role: Long-time youth baseball coach
The case: He has been coaching youth baseball for four decades and last summer took his 18U team with 316 Elite to the NBC World Series. You might also know him as the father of former WSU standout pitcher Darren Dreifort, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dreifort is also a professor at WSU, where he teaches a history of baseball class.
16. Charles Knox
Role: Long-time youth wrestling coach
The case: He has coached youth wrestling in Wichita for more than three decades with his club Team of Hard Knox. He is known for going above and beyond the normal coaching duties, becoming mentors for his athletes and helping them achieve their goals.
17. Sammy Lane
Role: Long-time youth girls soccer coach
The case: No coach has been more instrumental in girls soccer in Wichita than Lane, who has been a successful club coach in the city for two decades. He currently runs the FC Wichita women’s program on top of being a highly-successful coach for the Hutchinson women’s team. Also worth mentioning in the girls soccer scene would be Butler coach Adam Hunter, while Newman men’s coach Cliff Brown is also a long-time coach in the area.
18. Raquel Rios-Reed
Role: First Gear Running Company co-owner
The case: Not only is Rios-Reed one of the most accomplished runners in Wichita, but she’s also extremely involved in the running community in Wichita as the co-owner at First Gear. Rios-Reed competed in the 2020 US Olympic Trials and still owns the state’s fastest marathon time from her 2014 win at the Prairie Fire Marathon.
19. Chuck Schrader
Role: Long-time club softball coach
The case: Schrader created the Wichita Renegades in 2004 and has helped turn it into one of the top club teams in Wichita. With seven different teams in the organization, the Renegades offer top-notch softball opportunities to hundreds of players in the Wichita area every summer. Schrader is also a successful high school coach currently at Andale-Garden Plain.
20. John Wright
Role: Long-time youth track and field coach
The case: The founder of the WichitaAthleticsTC, Wright has been helping Wichita’s best track athletes since 1990 as a certified USATF Level One coach. He’s also been active in the community with other programs, but there’s no doubt his biggest impact to the sports community has been his work with track and field athletes.
21. Youth basketball coaches
Role: Youth basketball coaches
The case: There were too many worthy candidates to name just one in Wichita. Steve Young has developed a top AAU team with the Kansas Players. Vincent Williams is considered by many as one of the top youth coaches and trainers in Wichita, while Adrian Maloney Jr. and Craig Nicholson are both up-and-coming trainers. Roger Haynes-Robertson (Oz Elite), Tyler Keim (Wichita Padres) and Van Williams (River City Hoops) are all prominent club basketball coaches in Wichita, as well.
At the high school level
22. Joe Auer
Role: Heights boys basketball coach since 1995
The case: The dean of the City League, Auer is the all-time winningest coach in the league’s illustrious history with five state championships to his name. He was also a successful baseball coach for 19 years at Heights and has coached players who have made stops in the NFL, NBA and MLB. While Auer sits on top of the league in wins, any discussion about City League basketball is incomplete without mentioning his former peers, Carl Taylor and Ron Allen.
23. Luke Barnwell
Role: Sunrise Academy boys basketball coach since 2016
The case: Barnwell, a Bishop Carroll grad, took over a well-oiled machine at Sunrise and maintained the program as one of the top prep teams in the country. Not only in Sunrise a factory for Division I players, but Barnwell is active in the community during the summer hosting camps and helping bring back famous Sunrise graduates like Buddy Hield, playing in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings, for youth basketball camps.
24. Bobby Bribiesca
Role: Northwest soccer coach since 1978
The case: No one has had a bigger influence for soccer at the high school level in Wichita than the coach known simply as “Bobby B.” Bribiesca has been the only coach in Northwest history, for both the boys and the girls, and helped coach the Grizzlies to state championships in 1995 and 2011. But that pales in comparison to how many lives he touched around the soccer community, along with his friend and long-time coaching rival Alan Shepherd, with his infectious attitude and friendly demeanor.
25. Bill Faflick
Role: KSHSAA executive director since 2018
The case: Faflick started his career as a cross country coach at Southeast before slowly rising to power from City League athletic director to Wichita school district assistant superintendent to KSHSAA executive director in 2018. Now the man in charge, Faflick has the ability to shape Kansas high school sports during his tenure.
26. John Kornelson
Role: Kapaun Mount Carmel track and field coach
The case: A legend in the Wichita track and field world simply known as “JK.” He won five state titles in six years at Kapaun in the 70s before enjoying a standout 23-year career at Wichita State as the cross country and track and field coach. He was instrumental in bringing the Junior Olympics to Wichita, created the KT Woodman Classic and still has a cross country meet (the JK Gold Classic) named after him at WSU. Kornelson has returned to Kapaun to coach in the high school ranks, where Steve Crosley (Heights) and Cory Swords (Bishop Carroll) have also made tremendous impacts in the running community.
27. Simon Norman
Role: Independent tennis coach since 2002; Genesis tennis pro
The case: Norman has had tremendous success as the tennis coach at Independent, where he has coached eight team state championships and 20 individual state champions on the boys and girls side. But Norman has had an even bigger impact as a tennis pro at Genesis, where he has trained thousands of Wichita youth players over the years. Of course, no discussion about Wichita high school tennis is complete without Dave Hawley, who has won 54 state titles at Collegiate.
28. Weston Schartz
Role: City League football coach since 1987
The case: No one has spent more time coaching at Wichita public schools than Schartz, who had 29 combined years of experience at West (1987-01, 2012-19) and Northwest (2002-11) before he recently took the Kapaun Mount Carmel job. With 195 career wins, Schartz is the City League’s second all-time winningest coach and has been a staple to the Wichita football scene for three decades.
At the college level
29. Darron Boatright
Role: Wichita State athletic director since 2016
The case: Most importantly, Boatright will be remembered for being one of the most influential figures in pushing Wichita State to join the American Athletic Conference. He has been an important figure for Shocker athletics since he joined the department a decade ago and has been crucial for the several upgrades made on WSU’s campus with its athletic facilities in recent years. Brad Pittman is a crucial behind-the-scenes figure in Boatright’s department, as he is the facilities manager who helps coordinate and organize all major events that happen on WSU’s campus.
30. Grier Jones
Role: Wichita State men’s golf coach from 1995-2019
The case: The face of golf in Wichita for the last five decades, Jones transitioned from one of the best golfers in Kansas history to becoming a highly-successful coach at WSU. He was a two-time state champion at Kapaun Mount Carmel and enjoyed a successful 14-year career on the PGA Tour. He helped design Terradyne Country Club in Andover before rejuvenating WSU’s men’s golf program in 1995. In Jones’ 24 years, WSU won 15 conference titles, made 13 NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2003 for the first time since 1979. Although Jones retired last winter, he remains a volunteer assistant at WSU.
31. Brent Kemnitz
Role: Wichita State baseball pitching coach from 1979-2016; assistant AD at WSU since 2016
The case: Shocker fans will recognize him for the 38 years he spent as the pitching coach for the WSU baseball team, but Kemnitz has actually gained influence since leaving the coaching ranks. Since transitioning to the athletic department as the assistant AD for outreach and staff development in 2016, Kemnitz is now a key player for the entire department. Kemnitz spearheaded the fundraising efforts to complete the additions at Eck Stadium and he also serves as an emcee for WSU events, a mentor and a motivational speaker.
32. Mike Kennedy
Role: Wichita State play-by-play announcer since 1976
The case: It’s not rare for Shocker men’s basketball fans to mute the game on the television and turn on the radio so they can enjoy the play-by-play of Kennedy, who has been the voice of the Shockers for more than four decades now. Whether it’s volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter or baseball in the spring, Kennedy’s knowledge of the game and history of the program never falters.
33. Chris Lamb
Role: Wichita State volleyball coach since 2000; founder of Shockwave Volleyball Academy
The case: Changed the landscape of the volleyball scene not only at WSU, but also in Wichita by creating a top club with Shockwave and hosting numerous camps. WSU won at least 20 games in 15 of the last 17 seasons, most prominently in the 2017 season when the Shockers won the AAC title with a perfect 20-0 record, earned the No. 16 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and hosted in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Lamb was also instrumental in improving the club scene in Wichita by creating Shockwave, which has empowered club coaches like Scott Larkin and Roslyn Brittain.
34. Gregg Marshall
Role: Wichita State men’s basketball coach since 2007
The case: It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Marshall is the most influential figure on this list. He’s the all-time winningest Shocker basketball coach and the architect of the 2013 Final Four run and the historic 35-1 season. Marshall made WSU basketball nationally relevant again with seven straight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2012-18 and was the main reason why WSU pushed so hard to join the American Athletic Conference. While Keitha Adams doesn’t have the longevity of Marshall, the WSU women’s basketball coach is also beginning to make headway in the Wichita community in third year building the program.
35. Mark Potter
Role: Newman men’s basketball coach from 1998-2017; motivational speaker
The case: Potter is Newman men’s basketball, as he was hired to revive the program in 1998 and was a big reason why the Jets were able to elevate to NCAA Division II in 2008. He was a successful coach and influential in Wichita basketball circles, much like his long-time counterpart at Friends in Dale Faber. Since retiring, Potter has remained relevant as a motivational speaker and mentor in the community, specifically addressing depression.
36. Steve Rainbolt
Role: Wichita State track and field coach since 2000
The case: WSU has had a history of success with its track and field program, but Rainbolt has elevated the Shockers to another level in the last two decades. The Shockers have won 33 conference championships during Rainbolt’s time, not to mention 251 individual conference champions, 160 school records, 115 national qualifiers and 72 All-Americans. John Wise, Rainbolt’s assistant since 2006, is also worth mentioning, as the two helped form Shocker Track Club, now run by Darren Muci, which gives track opportunities to the Wichita community.
37. Kerry Rosenboom
Role: Wichita State strength and conditioning coach since 1987
The case: More than three decades of WSU athletes have come through and work with Rosenboom, who is one of the most accomplished coaches in his profession. He earned his reputation through his work with the historically great Shocker baseball teams under Gene Stephenson, but continues to train the men’s basketball team under Gregg Marshall. Rosenboom also works with athletes from all over Wichita in the summer.
38. Nick Taylor
Role: Wichita State tennis assistant coach since 2009
The case: For starters, Taylor is one of the most decorated wheelchair tennis players in the world. He is a three-time Paralympic doubles gold medalist and carried the world’s No. 1 ranking for more than 12 years. But Taylor uses his platform in the tennis community to push for improvements and exposure for wheelchair tennis players not only locally, but nationally. He hosts several free camps for players around the area and is a mentor not only to wheelchair players, but also players on the WSU men’s team.
39. Gordon Vadakin
Role: Wichita State bowling coach from 1978-2019
The case: The face of bowling in Wichita, Vadakin coached 18 national championship teams, nine individual national champions and 15 professional bowlers who went on to win 59 professional titles in more than four decades at WSU. He became the first gold level college bowling coach in 1985 and is considered by many to be one of the most influential bowling coaches in the entire sport.
40. Eric Wedge
Role: Wichita State baseball coach since 2020
The case: In his first season as coach, Wedge was already on his way to changing the culture in a program he’s looking to restore to national relevance. The Shockers won 12 straight games and moved up in the RPI to 16th nationally before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the spring sports season. You can’t mention WSU baseball without long-time coach Gene Stephenson, who built the Shockers into a national power and is still a mentor to Wedge today.
At the professional level
41. DJ Fisher
Role: Sports agent
The case: Most notably a sports agent with Defining Sports since 2005, but that’s not why Fisher is on this list. He helped create the “Just A Kid From Wichita” brand and is responsible for hosting a free youth basketball camp every summer in Wichita.
42. Bob Hanson
Role: President of the Greater Wichita Sports Commission since 1997
The case: As president of the Greater Wichita Sports Commission, Hanson has been influential in bringing notable events to Wichita like the Johnny Bench Award. He also helped create the Prairie Fire Marathon series, serving as the race director of the most popular running event in Wichita.
43. Brian Hargrove
Role: Executive director of sports development for Visit Wichita since 2018
The case: Since Hargrove accepted the position in 2018, Visit Wichita has stepped up its game in bringing several major sporting events to the Wichita area. If there’s a major sporting event happening in Wichita, there’s a good chance that Hargrove helped bring it to the city.
44. Davontae Harris
Role: Denver Broncos cornerback; community activist
The case: There are no athletes on here solely for their athletic talents, so Harris is much more than just the latest Wichita native to reach the NFL as a cornerback for the Denver Broncos. The South graduate has used his platform to speak out on injustices and was recently named to mayor Brandon Whipple’s new council on diversity. Harris is still involved in the Wichita community and is an inspiration to many for his success story.
45. Nico Hernandez and Dave Rickels
Role: Professional boxer and professional MMA fighter
The case: Both fighters helped take their respective sport into the mainstream in Wichita. Hernandez became a Wichita hero for his bronze medal performance in the 2016 Olympics, while Hernandez Boxing Academy also gives opportunities to youth interested in boxing all over the city. Rickels, known for his flashy entrances and rugged fighting style, is a Bellator veteran and helped grow the sport in Wichita by creating Evolution Fighting Championship.
46. Kevin Jenks
Role: NBC World Series general manager since 2014
The case: The NBC World Series is a staple to the Wichita sports community every summer and no one works harder than Jenks to make sure it runs smoothly. The tournament has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years, but Jenks has risen to the challenge. He is the latest in the line of influential tournament directors, beginning with Hap Dumont and continuing with Larry Davis.
47. Jordan Poland and Paul Savage
Role: Kansas Sports Hall of Fame president; Wichita Sports Hall of Fame founder
The case: If there’s a Hall of Fame in Wichita, there’s a good chance that Savage is a part of it. A Wichita sports memorabilia collector and historian, Savage single-handedly created the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame. He also runs the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame, among others. Poland recently took over as president of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame at the Wichita Boathouse and is active in all of the sports scene in the community.
48. Lou Schwechheimer
Role: Wichita Wind Surge owner
The case: Instrumental in helping bring affiliated baseball back to Wichita, as Schwechheimer was the owner of the franchise formerly known as the Baby Cakes that helped move it from New Orleans to Wichita. That move also sparked Wichita’s latest commodity, Riverfront Stadium, which was set to host the Wind Surge, a Triple-A franchise, for their inaugural season this summer. While their debut is on hold, there’s no doubt Schwechheimer and president Jay Miller remain influential for Wichita baseball.
49. Blake Shumaker
Role: FC Wichita owner
The case: No one has done more to revive the soccer scene in Wichita in recent years than Shumaker. Most notably, he helped create FC Wichita back in 2013 to give the community a successful semi-pro outdoor team to root for. But perhaps his biggest impact came with what followed by creating FC Wichita Academy, a youth soccer club that has exploded onto the scene and given thousands of kids in the Wichita area a new option. To top it off, Shumaker was also instrumental in helping revive the Wichita Wings, an indoor soccer team, this past winter.
50. Roy Turner
Role: Wichita Open tournament director since 1999
The case: Many associate Turner with the hey day of the Wichita Wings, the city’s indoor soccer team, back in the 80s and 90s. While that is part of Turner’s allure, he is on this list because of his second career as the tournament director of the Wichita Open for the last two decades. Turner’s vision has helped turn the tournament into a marquee event for Wichita every summer and one of the most popular stops on its professional tour.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 8:10 AM.
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