Shocker stars, past and present, win big at Greater Wichita Sports Banquet
For a night built to celebrate the future of Wichita sports, some of the biggest cheers belonged to the Wichita State names that helped shape the city’s past.
Longtime WSU volleyball coach Chris Lamb and former Shocker baseball standout-turned-broadcaster Shane Dennis headlined the Wichita State flavor in the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, while Brent Kemnitz — one of the most important figures in the history of Shocker baseball — was recognized with an Excellence in Sports Award for a 48-year career that helped define not just the baseball program, but the athletic department.
Together, their recognition gave the 28th annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet a distinctly Shocker feel, as the Wichita Sports Commission announced this year’s award winners, Hall of Fame inductees and Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.
The WSU ties did not stop there, as Shocker standouts Kinzey Woody (softball) and Kenyon Giles (men’s basketball) swept the top college athlete awards.
Lamb’s induction into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame recognized one of the most successful coaching careers in WSU history.
During his 27 seasons leading the Shocker volleyball program, Lamb has compiled a 545-261 record, guided WSU to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and won 11 conference championships between the Missouri Valley Conference and the American Conference.
More than the numbers, Lamb helped turn volleyball into one of Wichita State’s signature programs. A highlight came in 2012 when WSU reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Lamb also led the Shockers to a perfect 20-0 conference season in 2017 and, most recently, an American championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2024.
Dennis’ Hall of Fame honor recognized a different kind of Wichita sports career, one that began on the mound and has continued behind a microphone.
Dennis played for WSU from 1991-94, helping the Shockers advance to three College World Series and a College World Series final. He still ranks in the top 10 in program history in ERA, starts, strikeouts and innings pitched, a reflection of his place in one of the most accomplished stretches of Shocker baseball.
But Dennis’ connection to Wichita sports did not end when his playing career did.
He became one of the city’s most familiar sports voices, working as a commentator for WSU basketball games, doing play-by-play for the Wichita Wranglers, calling Wichita State baseball games and hosting “The Shane Dennis Show” on ESPN Wichita radio.
Kemnitz’s honor added another layer to the Shocker baseball theme of the night.
He retired this year after 48 years at Wichita State, including 38 seasons as the Shockers’ pitching coach and 10 years on the athletic department’s development staff. During his coaching career, Kemnitz helped WSU make seven College World Series appearances, win the 1989 national championship and produce nine first-round MLB draft picks.
After moving into administration, Kemnitz remained a key figure in the program by fundraising for Phase V at Eck Stadium, helping bring the program’s performance facility to life.
While Lamb, Dennis and Kemnitz represented WSU’s past, Woody and Giles gave the Shockers two more reasons to celebrate the present.
Woody was named College Female Athlete of the Year after a breakout freshman season for WSU softball. She was named the American Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, then added Freshman All-American honors from D1 Softball and Softball America.
Giles was named College Male Athlete of the Year after authoring one of the best shooting seasons in program history and leading the Shockers to the third round of the NIT.
The senior guard was named first-team all-conference in the American, landed on the league’s all-newcomer team and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. He also set WSU single-season records for 3-pointers made, 3-pointers made per game and 3-point attempts per game.
The rest of the banquet showcased the depth of Wichita-area sports, from high school champions to junior college standouts to professional stars.
Sterling swept the high school athlete awards. Chelsie Brown was named the Lynette Woodard High School Female Athlete of the Year after finishing 36-0 in tennis and winning back-to-back Class 3-1A singles state championships. Brown, who was born hard of hearing, went 69-0 over her junior and senior seasons and represented Team USA in the Deaflympics in Tokyo, where she won a bronze medal.
Sterling’s Zane Farney was named the Barry Sanders High School Male Athlete of the Year after winning state championships in football, basketball and two track and field events. Farney rushed for 2,326 yards and 42 touchdowns while leading Sterling to a Class 1A football state championship, then added state titles in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel football coach Weston Schartz was named Boys High School Coach of the Year after leading the Crusaders to their first football state championship since 1987. Kapaun finished 12-1 in 2025, giving Schartz the first state title of his illustrious coaching career.
Little River volleyball coach Kim Rolfs was named Girls High School Coach of the Year after leading her program to a fourth straight Class 1A Division I state championship. Little River finished 44-2 this past season.
At the junior college level, Hutchinson thrower Xylavene Beale was named Junior College Female Athlete of the Year after becoming a five-time NJCAA All-American between the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. Beale won NJCAA titles in the indoor shot put and outdoor shot put and discus, while breaking 16 school records.
Butler Community College basketball player Tristan Hankins was named Junior College Male Athlete of the Year after helping the Grizzlies reach their first NJCAA Elite Eight since 1996. Hankins was named KJCCC Freshman of the Year, first-team All-KJCCC and a first-team NJCAA All-American.
Friends football coach Terry Harrison won the Gene Stephenson Coach of the Year Award after leading the Falcons to a program-record 12-1 season and a trip to the NAIA FCS quarterfinals. Friends led the country, regardless of level, with 54.2 points per game and broke the NAIA single-season rushing record with 5,979 yards.
Wichita Thunder forward Kyle Crnkovic was named Wichita Professional Athlete of the Year after being selected to the ECHL All-Star Game. Crnkovic led the Thunder in goals, assists and points and ranked third in the ECHL in scoring and second in goals before being called up to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.
Mike Gehrer received the Bob Hanson Impact Award and was also inducted into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame. Gehrer won nine state championships — three in football and six in baseball — and finished with a 176-50 record as a head football coach and a 210-65 record as a head baseball coach.
Gehrer also co-founded the National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, which is now known as the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.
Other Excellence in Sports Award winners included Friends men’s golf coach Dustin Galyon and longtime Butler women’s basketball coach Mike Helmer.
Galyon, a four-time KCAC Coach of the Year, led Friends golf to the conference individual championship in all five seasons as head coach and guided the Falcons to a school-best second-place finish at the NAIA national championship. He recently resigned as head coach from the program to pursue another opportunity.
Helmer coached Butler for 18 seasons, finishing 382-155 with 15 straight winning seasons, five KJCCC championships, two Region 6 titles and three NJCAA national tournament appearances. This past season, he led the Grizzlies to a 32-2 record and another NJCAA national tournament bid. He retired as a coach following the season and is transitioning to a full-time athletic director at Butler.
The Wichita Sports Hall of Fame class also included Doug Hoover, a four-time state champion wrestler at Kapaun who later coached teams to seven state championships, and Carolyn LeFevre, a longtime Wichita West athletic trainer who has spent decades caring for Kansas student-athletes.
The banquet also continued its tradition of honoring the top catcher in college baseball, recognizing Georgia’s Daniel Jackson as the winner of the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.
Jackson also won the Dick Howser Trophy and Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award and he was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. He was named a first-team All-American by the NCBWA, Rawlings, Baseball America and Perfect Game, while also earning SEC Player of the Year and Perfect Game Player of the Year honors.
Jackson won the SEC Triple Crown by leading the conference with a .379 batting average, 87 RBIs and 32 home runs. He also led the league in OPS, runs, hits and total bases, and became the first catcher and sixth player in NCAA history to join the 25-25 club with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases.
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