Potential scholarships in jeopardy for Kansas high school athletes because of COVID-19
Jason Henschel had just arrived in Colorado for a national wrestling tournament, fresh off winning his third Kansas high school state championship.
Looking to make a splash and carry the momentum he made during the high school season at Goddard, this was one of his biggest opportunities at turning Division I coaches’ heads and maybe landing a backdoor scholarship offer.
“As we were about to weigh in, it got canceled,” Henschel said. “These college coaches don’t have anything to see now.”
Like that, another opportunity gone, and he went back to Wichita having made no more progress at reaching his goal of becoming a D-I wrestler. And he isn’t the only one who has been affected.
The spread of the coronavirus has made sports a secondary item of importance behind the health of the nation, but for some Kansas high school athletes, COVID-19 is having an economic impact in the form of recruiting and potential scholarships.
Another of Kansas’ great wrestlers, Maize’s Devin Gomez, completed his second straight undefeated season this winter and won his second state championship. He is one of the country’s best wrestlers still on the market, but he might end up having to take another route to Division I, he said.
“For the longest time, there was only one way to the top, and that was the route I was taking,” Gomez said. “I grew up a little bit and realized there are multiple ways to the top.”
Gomez was scheduled to take an official visit to Oklahoma State after the high school season. OSU is the most historic program in the country, and with Maize teammate Kyle Haas verbally pledged, the fit made sense.
When the coronavirus started to spread, that visit — and most visits for any athlete in any sport — was canceled.
OSU has been a best friend to Wichita-area wrestlers in recent years with former Goddard wrestler Tyler Caldwell serving as the recruiting director. Outside of the Cowboys, few Division I wrestling programs take a deep look at Kansas.
Gomez said he was planning to go to Virginia Beach for another national tournament. The night before it was canceled, he received a call from North Dakota State. He was talking with Arkansas-Little Rock as well.
And of course junior college is an attractive option and is becoming even prettier as a last chance to get to Division I. Henschel chose that route and is heading to Pratt Community College to follow Wichita-area juco national champions Michael Spangler (Kapaun Mt. Carmel) and Jake Beason (Arkansas City).
“I had D-II coaches calling me, but I want to go Division I,” Henschel said. “If I have to go through juco for a year or two before getting where I want to be, that’s what I’m going to do.”
But the coronavirus isn’t only affecting wrestlers’ recruiting. The signing period reopened Wednesday, and dozens of Wichita-area athletes signed with their respective colleges.
Andover Central basketball player Jerome Washington was one of them as he signed with McPherson college. Washington was a state champion with the Jaguars and hit a game-winning 3-pointer at undefeated Bishop Carroll to get back to state this season. He was one of the most consistent players in the state this year.
McPherson College has been on Washington for months. They were the first on his radar, and that was how the Bulldogs earned his signature, but Washington said he planned to take other visits before they were canceled.
“Coaches told me to do a virtual tour, but it’s weird, it’s just not the same,” Washington said. “I was planning to use those visits to see the differences between them and McPherson. Right now, I’m just hoping for the best when I get there.
“I think if the virus wasn’t around, I think it definitely would be different. I know a lot of coaches wanted me to come out and do some workouts, and I didn’t get that opportunity. But I’m happy with my decision to go to McPherson.”
Then there are those who COVID-19 is not affecting nearly as much.
Since March 11, the football players at Wichita Northwest have earned more than a dozen Division I offers, four to Division II universities and six others to junior colleges in Kansas.
Rising senior defensive lineman Zac Daher has pulled in nine of those D-I offers to the likes of Missouri State, Toledo and Ohio. Rising senior defensive backs Todric McGee and Wetu Kalomo have been heating up on the recruiting trail, too.
But for many student-athletes, the spring and likely the summer of 2020 will be ones of missed opportunities or at least a change of plans.
Washington, the Andover Central basketball player, has had the weight of recruiting come off his shoulders after signing Wednesday, but he is finding unique ways to stay in shape. He works on a farm and runs to and from before and after shifts.
Gomez, the former Maize wrestler, could have graduated after the fall semester but stayed in school to wrestle with the Eagles one last time. When all Kansas schools were closed and classes moved online, he dropped them, knowing he had already secured his diploma.
His homework now means watching wrestling tape and working out.
Gomez said he gave himself a day to grieve about what he felt was an unfair situation with national showcases and recruiting visits all canceled. But he offered a piece of advice to any other athletes going through something similar.
“For my whole life, I’ve had this plan,” Gomez said. “... I was about to wrestle at nationals, and I believe I was at the top of my game and was about to show out.
“Regardless of who you are, this sucks. But my attitude has been, ‘Being mad about it isn’t going to do anything for me.’ Control what you can control. Do what you can. Stay in shape. Stay ready because this is eventually going to pass. Options will be there. It might not be my No. 1 choice, but there is always going to be a place for me to go.”