Miege’s Payton Verhulst helps Louisville women’s basketball to March Madness Elite 8
The shortest drive of the year was the best one for David and Robin Verhulst.
It’s been a surreal year for the parents of Payton Verhulst, the former Bishop Miege star who spent all of her youth winning championships, being named MVP and becoming a McDonald’s All-American. But none of that success could prepare the family for this season with the Louisville women’s basketball team, which reached a new peak on Saturday in Wichita.
From their view in section 113 inside Intrust Bank Arena, David and Robin Verhulst watched their daughter, a freshman for the Cardinals, play a role in helping No. 1 seed Louisville punch a ticket to its fourth straight Elite Eight with a 76-64 win over Tennessee in an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game on Saturday. The Cardinals will play Michigan at 8 p.m. Monday for the Wichita Regional title and a spot in the Final Four.
“It’s hard because it makes your heart rate go up,” Robin Verhulst said. “You want it so much for her, so it was fun to see her be successful and live out her dream.”
Close to 100 people from the Kansas City suburban area made the short drive to Wichita on Saturday, as friends, family and coaches from her time in De Soto and Miege watched Verhulst score seven points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting — the most points she’s had in a game since Jan. 31.
After winning the most important game of her life, Verhulst wasted no time hopping the barrier and joining what had become a family reunion in the stands.
“I texted my mom before the game because I just wanted to know who was coming and I couldn’t believe how many people showed up,” Payton Verhulst said. “I hadn’t seen a lot of my family since Christmas or even before.
“People just kept coming and coming. They wanted to take a group picture and then it was, ‘Wait, not everyone is here yet.’ To see so many people wearing shirts with my name on it, it’s just an unreal feeling.”
In a program that seems to annually produce Division I players, Verhulst has a chance to be carve out a special place in Miege history with a promising career with one of the premier programs in women’s college basketball.
Not only did Verhulst win four straight Kansas high school state championships at Miege, she also was named the USA Today National Female Athlete of the Year as a senior and also helped lead the Team USA U-19 World Cup team to a gold medal in Hungary last summer.
Now she’s earned the trust of Louisville coach Jeff Walz to be in his postseason rotation as a true freshman, no small feat for a No. 1 seed with national championship aspirations. Verhulst is averaging 3.4 points in 11.2 minutes per game this season, which earned her recognition on the ACC All-Freshman team.
“I’m really proud of Payton because she’s continued to grow and continued to develop,” Walz told The Eagle. “Everybody thinks this is easy. ‘Oh, you’re an All-American, you should come in and play 25 minutes a game.’ At some places, maybe. But when you’re playing for a one seed, there’s other good players on the team.
“I’m proud of her because she’s been in the gym working and getting better. Her upside is off the charts. As we continue throughout the tournament, we’re going to need her. The sky is the limit for her future.”
Verhulst had performed under pressure before in her career for Miege and Team USA, but she said playing college basketball in front of rowdy fans on a nightly basis has been the difference.
Winning in front of more than 8,500 rowdy fans back in her home state was even better.
“It’s nothing you can ever imagine until you get here,” Payton Verhulst said. “It’s so much greater than I could have ever think. I’m just so grateful to be a part of this.”
When the NCAA Tournament brackets were announced and Louisville was placed in the Wichita region, the Verhulst family thought something like this might be possible.
But for it to become reality during March Madness on Saturday night was a special moment for a family who has seen their fair share of winning.
“This really is a dream come true,” David Verhulst said. “Everything worked out perfectly. All the cards stacked just right and it was wonderful to see them play as well as they did.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2022 at 7:58 PM.
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