Catching up with The Star’s 2006 Scholar-Athlete winners
Aaron Trigg
BLUE VALLEY WEST HIGH SCHOOL
Residence: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Currently: Athletic director and head boys basketball coach at Rancho Solano Preparatory School. Previously spent two years at University of Central Florida, working with the men’s basketball team and earning his MBA in sports management.
Family: Single
High school: Trigg lettered three years in basketball, three years in football and four years in track. On top of his athletic success, Trigg was also 10th in his graduating class of 321 at Blue Valley West, with a 4.40 grade point average. Outside of the classroom, Trigg was involved with Student Government, Harvester’s Food Drive, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the National Honor Society.
College: Played four years (two years as captain) on the basketball team at Division-III Gordon College in Massachusetts, where he is the fourth-leading scorer in school history (1,592 points). Earned degrees in business administration and finance. Trigg was also the Commonwealth Coast Conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Player of the Year during his senior season in 2010.
Sports now: Plays pick-up basketball, mostly during practice against his Rancho Solano team: “The older I get, the better these kids are getting, or I’m just getting worse.”
Scholar-Athlete memory: “The whole experience was a lot of fun. I remember the photo shoot in particular. I had never done anything like that before. Throwing the first pitch out at a Royals game, that’s always a highlight. I think a lot less people were at Royals games at that time, but that was a great memory. Just the whole experience, I felt pretty special and appreciated. It’s something that I still really look back on fondly.”
PREVIOUS BOYS 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
Erin Birmingham Haniger
PARK HILL SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
Residence: Kansas City
Currently: Occupational therapist at Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City. She works primarily in pediatrics.
Family: Husband, Jason, and 20-month old daughter, Evluhia; expecting second child this month.
High school: Birmingham was first in her class of 389 students with a 4.0 grade point average. She lettered four times each in volleyball and track, and three times in basketball. In addition to winning The Star’s All-Metro Volleyball Player of the Year award, she was involved with 16 extracurricular activities and was a finalist in the state for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.
College: Played volleyball at Georgia Tech for two years, then transferred to New Mexico State for her final two seasons of volleyball. Graduated from New Mexico State with a degree in kinesiology, then went on to graduate school at Rockhurst University, where she used her fifth and final year of eligibility to play on the basketball team.
Sports now: Previously played in Heart of America women’s volleyball league and takes yoga classes to stay in shape.
Scholar-Athlete memory: “I remember being nominated along with a lot of other female athletes who I really respected, so actually winning it, I was just so honored and amazed. We got to do a lot of really neat stuff — go to the banquet, and throw out the first pitch, get in the newspaper, having people come and talk to you and make you feel like you’re way more important than you are. It’s still just an awesome memory in my life.”
PREVIOUS GIRLS 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 Andre, 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 Academy
This story was originally published June 11, 2016 at 5:09 PM with the headline "Catching up with The Star’s 2006 Scholar-Athlete winners."