KC area high school spring sports preview, from A to Z

A is for Addie Merrick, a Lee’s Summit North soccer player who is the reigning Missouri Class 4 defender of the year. The Broncos have set lofty goals for the 2016 season, and Merrick, who has committed to Kansas, could help them achieve those.

B is for the blistering speeds of Leavenworth sophomore Aarika Lister, who is the Kansas Class 5A defending champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

C is for champions, as in the three-time defending Kansas Class 5A-1A girls swimming champions from Blue Valley Southwest. The program returns eight top scorers from last year’s state-meet team.

D is for dynasty, which the St. Thomas Aquinas girls soccer program has built in Kansas Class 5A. The Saints have won six straight state championships. But they’re replacing six all-state players and lost twice in this week’s Mo-Kan Challenge.

E is for Esrey, as in Pembroke Hill two-sport athlete William Esrey, who splits his time between the golf and lacrosse teams. He is the top returning golfer for the two-time defending Missouri Class 3 champions.

F is for flamethrower Riley Pint, a St. Thomas Aquinas senior pitcher. Pint’s fastball has been clocked north of 100 miles per hour, and although he has committed to LSU, he’s projected to be a top-10 pick in this summer’s MLB Draft.

G is for the glove work of Staley center fielder Jack Duffy. The Falcons used a stellar defense to reach the Missouri Class 5 state championship game last year, and Duffy headlines the group of returners. He has signed with Missouri State.

H is for hurdles specialist Savion Cauveren, a Blue Springs South senior. At last weekend’s Ron Ives Invitational, Cauveren posted the best 110- and 300-meter hurdles times across the state.

I is for Isaiah Simmons, an Olathe North senior best known for his football talents who doubles as a track athlete. The Clemson football signee won the Kansas Class 6A long jump title last season with a leap of 22 feet, 10 inches, and he already bested that mark last weekend (23 feet, 4 inches).

J is for Jenna Gray, a Stanford volleyball commit who has found a second career with the javelin throw. Gray, a senior at St. James Academy, is the defending Kansas Class 5A state champion in the event.

K is for Kurzban, as in Blue Valley West junior Max Kurzban, the fourth-ranked tennis recruit in Kansas. Kurzban won the Kansas Class 5A singles title last spring.

L is for Lawrence Free State swimmer Sydney Sirimongkhon-Dyck. The defending 50-yard freestyle champion in Class 6A will try to lead Free State to a second straight team title this spring.

M is for Makayla Kelby, a Lee’s Summit West sophomore who dazzled in her debut at the Missouri Class 5 state track meet last spring, winning the discus championship. In the opening month, Kelby already owns the top throw (134 feet, 4 inches) in the state this season.

N is for newcomer Belesti Akalu, a Shawnee Mission North senior who won the Kansas Class 6A cross country state meet in the fall in his first season in the sport. Akalu will double down on his rookie success on the track. He already has the best 1,600-meter run time in the state.

O is for Olathe South pitcher Lexie Storrer, who lost only once last season while leading the Falcons to the Kansas Class 6A championship last season.

P is for pole vaulters, as in Lee’s Summit West senior Nicole Kallenberger and Park Hill senior Christopher Nilsen. Both athletes set Missouri state-meet records last spring.

Q is for Queen, as in Carlie Queen, a Summit Christian Academy junior who already owns two state titles in the Missouri Class 2 high jump. Queen has set a goal to break the all-class state-meet record of 5 feet, 9 inches this season.

R is for the Rockhurst tennis program, which has accounted for more state championships (18) than any sport in the school’s history. The Hawklets will try for their fourth straight title this spring.

S is for St. Teresa’s Academy, which is seeking its second consecutive Missouri Class 4 girls soccer championship and its fourth straight appearance in the Final Four. Four Division I commits — Grace Kitts (Missouri), Alyssa Seitzer (Saint Louis), Maddy Russell (Kansas State) and Abby Small (UMKC) will lead the Stars this year.

T is for Texas Tech signee Justin Hall, who helped Blue Springs win the Missouri Class 5 boys track championship last spring. A freakish athlete, Hall opened the season with a long jump of 23 feet, 7  1/2 inches, the best mark to date in Missouri.

U is for under par, as in the usual score for Shawnee Mission East senior golfer Andy Spencer, who was a total of 2 shots under par in his 10 tournaments last year. The Kansas Class 6A defending state champion will open his season Monday.

V is for the versatile Quincy Hall, a Raytown South senior who stood on the podium in four events over a three-hour span at the Missouri Class 4 state track meet last spring. His top event is the 400-meter dash.

W is for Wentz, as in Shawnee Mission East senior Joey Wentz, a preseason All-American first baseman who has committed to play baseball at Virginia. Wentz is a force in the batter’s box and on the mound.

X is for X-factor Hunter Gudde, a Lawrence Free State senior who can help the Firebirds on the mound or at the plate. As a pitcher, he hasn’t lost a start in more than a year.

Y is for Young, as in Olathe Northwest infielder Mady Young, a triples machine. Young set the single-season state record with 11 triples in 2015.

Z is for Zan Johnson, a senior distance runner who helped Olathe North win the cross country state championship in the fall. Johnson owns the best 3,200-meter time in the state (9 minutes, 53.80 seconds) after the opening month.

This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 9:41 PM with the headline "KC area high school spring sports preview, from A to Z."