Shawnee Mission East’s Andy Spencer is first two-time winner of Kenneth Smith Award

Shawnee Mission East senior golfer Andy Spencer took home a nearly two-foot-tall trophy last year. And his first thought was that he wanted another.

On Wednesday, Spencer got that second trophy, and became the first-ever local male golfer to win the Kenneth Smith Award twice. The award is given annually to both a female and male high school golfer from the Kansas City area, and is sponsored by the Kenneth L. and Eva S. Smith Foundation. On-course performance, academics and community service are all taken into consideration.

Although Spencer laughed about the prospect of finding space for two trophies of equal girth, he was happy to have the problem.

“When I was walking out of the press conference last year, it was kind of one of my goals for that upcoming year,” he said. “Just to be the first person to win it two years in a row is quite an honor and I was lucky to have been able to do it.”

Spencer finished second at this year’s Kansas 6A state tournament, and helped lead SM East to a team state championship. He won the Sunflower League for the third year in a row, and was first in three other tournaments.

In August, Spencer will move to Lawrence where he’ll play golf at the University of Kansas.

“Playing against some of the best college players in the country will be such an honor and challenge but I’m looking forward to it,” Spencer said of his next chapter. “I think KU is going to be a great place for me.”

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Shawnee Mission East’s Andy Spencer is first two-time winner of Kenneth Smith Award."