Where are The Kansas City Star’s 2016 Scholar-Athlete winners now? Let’s find out
.jpg "Jacob Bohlken, left, and Jenna Gray, pictured in recent photographs, were The Kansas City Star’s Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year for 2016.")
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jenna Gray joined Italian team Megabox Vallefoglia in May 2026.
- Gray earned the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year award.
- Jacob Bohlken is married and training in family and preventive medicine at OU Health.
As The Star honors its 2026 Scholar-Athlete Award winners, we also continue another long-standing tradition: catching up with our honorees from a decade ago.
In 2016, The Star’s Female and Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year were Jenna Gray of St. James Academy and Jacob Bohlken of Smithville.
Here’s what each is doing now:
Jenna Gray
ST. JAMES ACADEMY
Residence: Home base is Lenexa, but she is ...
Currently: Playing pro volleyball internationally.
High school: Helped lead the juggernaut Thunder to three volleyball team state titles. In track and field, she won two individual state titles in the javelin throw. But volleyball was the sport in which she earned Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and Prep-Volleyball National Co-Senior Player of the Year honors.
College: She was a two-sport star in Palo Alto, California, continuing to throw the javelin (two-time All-America) while helping the Stanford Cardinal volleyball team to three straight national titles as a 6-foot-1 setter. Alongside Kathryn Plummer, former St. James teammate Audriana Fitzmorris and libero Morgan Hent, Gray was part of arguably the greatest class of women’s volleyball players in NCAA history.
Sports now: Sports remain central to Gray’s life at 28 as she plays pro volleyball abroad. After a stellar season in Brazil, she joined the Italian team Megabox Vallefoglia in May 2026. Suffice to say that playing volleyball professionally has taken her around the world ... and still does.
Jacob Bohlken
SMITHVILLE
Residence: Edmond, Oklahoma
Currently: Bohlken is married to Kaitlyn Popejoy. They met in Louisiana during medical school and she is actually from Blue Springs. He is in residency with the University of Oklahoma health system, focusing on family and preventative medicine. When done, he will be a doctor of osteopathic medicine/DO. His wife is starting the second year of her pediatrics residency at OU. His goal is to complete a “primary care sports medicine fellowship” next, with a goal of being a team doctor for college and pro athletes.
High school: Bohlken wrestled to a state title at Smithville, where he went 183-28 over four seasons. He was 53-3 as a senior, winning a state championship and helping lead the Warriors to a Missouri team title. He was also senior class president and made honor roll each year while also playing on the school’s 2014-15 state-championship baseball team. He played football, too, lettering four years in each sport— wrestling, baseball and football.
College: Earned his bachelor of science in biochemistry from Mizzou, where his brother had wrestled previously, and doctoral degree from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Monroe, Louisiana. Wrestling at MU, he became the Tigers’ starting heavyweight by his final season in Columbia, finishing eighth at the MAC championships.
Sports now: Said Bohlken: “Residency is really challenging, and the setbacks and difficulties I faced during my athletic career prepared me to handle difficult situations in residency. Since my goal is to continue to care for athletes and complete a sports medicine fellowship, I have transitioned to the sidelines for sports coverage. This last year I was able to help cover high school football, USA youth boxing, hockey, AAA baseball, the OKC marathon, and the Oklahoma High School Wrestling State Tournament. He also coached high school wrestling in Louisiana during medical school. “During my 3 years as an assistant coach I had the pleasure of coaching 7 high school state champions, several young men who went on to wrestle at the collegiate level and in 2024 we won a team state championship!”
Past winners
PREVIOUS MALE WINNERS
1984: Danny Bellus, Washington
1985: Marlon Washington, Schlagle
1986: Brad Hinkle, Olathe South
1987: Jeff Witkop, Blue Valley North
1988: Jeff Drbohlav, Cass-Midway
1989: Tom Kreamer, SM East
1990: Shaon Fry, Oak Grove
1991: Aaron Hodges, Harmon
1992: Mike Wilson, Center
1993: Nate Minnis, Blue Springs
1994: Matt Mendlick, Olathe South
1995: Steve Fein, SM Northwest
1996: Josh Alpers, Blue Springs
1997: Brandon Wier, Olathe North
1998: Daniel Parris, Lee’s Summit North
1999: Corey Crandall, Fort Osage
2000: Tommy Hottovy, Park Hill South
2001: Jeff Durbin, Olathe South
2002: Justin Dyer, Olathe South
2003: Adam Perkins, Liberty
2004: Larry Hall, Center
2005: Louis Caputo, Blue Springs
2006: Aaron Trigg, Blue Valley West
2007: Scott O’Donnell, Oak Park
2008: Riley Reynolds, Blue Springs South
2009: Rick Settle, Olathe East
2010: Roy Wedge, Lawrence
2011: Aaron Thornburg, SM Northwest
2012: Zach Herriott, Rockhurst
2013: Nathan Butler, Leavenworth
2014: Sam Guinn, Blue Valley Northwest
2015: Dalton Schoen, Blue Valley Northwest
2016: Jacob Bohlken, Smithville
2017: Jacob Boyd, Smithville
2018: Jacob Sykes, Rockhurst
2019: Alex Totta, Blue Valley
2020: Hayden Gregg, Staley
2021: Yaseen El-Demerdash, Blue Valley Southwest
2022: Ryan Thompson, Rockhurst
2023: Carter McIntosh, Blue Springs South
2024: Colin McAlister, Mill Valley
2025: Jaalan Watson, Olathe North
PREVIOUS FEMALE WINNERS
1984: Suzanne Meyer, Center
1985: Angela Cox, Olathe North
1986: Gretchen Prather, Liberty
1987: Tricia Lillygren, Raytown South
1988: Lisa Arel, Lee’s Summit
1989: Melanie Ornes, Lee’s Summit
1990: Amy Fowler, Bishop Miege
1991: Amy Cook, Lansing
1992: Angie Popek, SM Northwest
1993: Lisa Petty, Lawson
1994: Lisa Davies, Oak Grove
1995: Lindsay Thornton, SM West
1996: Kelly Andra, SM Northwest
1997: Elizabeth Baker, Pembroke Hill
1998: Lauren Jackson, North Kansas City
1999: Andrea Tietjen, Excelsior Springs
2000: Katherine Hoffman, Notre Dame de Sion
2001: Shea Swoboda, Winnetonka
2002: Jill Tyner, St. Pius X
2003: Tegan Stuart, Raymore-Peculiar
2004: Toni Picerno, Lee’s Summit
2005: Katie Martincich, Bishop Miege
2006: Erin Birmingham, Park Hill South
2007: Ali Pistora, Tonganoxie
2008: Allison Mayfield, St. Thomas Aquinas
2009: Morgan Johnson, Platte County
2010: Megan Yohe, Liberty
2011: Alexandra Keane, Notre Dame de Sion
2012: Lexie Oak, St. Pius X
2013: Cassie Wait, Gardner Edgerton
2014: Arianna Person, St. James Academy
2015: Dorian Bailey, St. Teresa’s
2016: Jenna Gray, St. James Academy
2017: Carlie Queen, Summit Christian Academy
2018: Kate Walsworth, Barstow
2019: Alana Vawter, Staley
2020: Lexy Farrington, Blue Valley North
2021: Kendra Wait, Gardner Edgerton
2022: Beatrice Culliton, St. Thomas Aquinas
2023: Taylor Cruse, Basehor-Linwood
2024: Zoey Hrabe, Barstow