BASEHOR — When the stadium lights flick on at Basehor-Linwood High School, Izzy Renfro raises her arms and the band follows. When the gym lights glare down months later, she lowers her stance, grips the mat and waits for the whistle. Different uniforms. Different stages. Same heartbeat.
Renfro, a senior at Basehor-Linwood, lives comfortably between two worlds — one guided by tempo and harmony, the other by strength and grit. That rare balance, paired with her commitment to faith, service and leadership, recently earned her recognition as the Capitol Federal® True Blue® Student of the Week.
“Music is awesome and I just love it,” Renfro said. “It brings up my mood if I am not having a good day. I can go to my Christian playlist and it really uplifts me.”
Music has been part of Renfro’s story since sixth grade, when she picked up the alto saxophone. This year, she stepped into the role of head drum major after serving as assistant the year before. The title, she says, barely captures the responsibility.
“You never stop being a leader,” Renfro said. “Even when we get back indoors, you are constantly in that leadership role.”
Her days often begin before sunrise — arriving early to set up chairs, send messages, organize equipment and make sure everyone else is ready to succeed. Basehor-Linwood band director Ryan Kazmaier sees that commitment every day.
“Izzy is the perfect servant leader,” Kazmaier said. “You are the first one there, the last one to leave, you do all the small jobs that no one else wants to do without any sort of recognition. She always puts others first.”
That same selflessness shows up on the wrestling mat.
Renfro didn’t grow up wrestling. She spent nearly a decade on the basketball court before switching sports as a freshman — a decision that, at first, didn’t come easily.
“I went 0-4 in my first tournament,” she said. “I was awful.”
By the end of that season, she had qualified for state. By her junior year, she was wrestling for a Class 5A state championship.
Basehor-Linwood's Izzy Renfro was the Class 5A state runner-up at 190 pounds last season.
Renfro finished second at state last season, falling in the finals to Highland Park’s Makayla Cadet by fall. She helped lead the Bobcats to a state runner-up team finish and now owns 115 career wins, 101 of them by pin. She was also the state runner-up in powerlifting.
Still, the match she remembers most happened after a week she spent far from any wrestling room.
Two weeks after qualifying for state, Renfro boarded a plane to Nicaragua on a mission trip with her church — a trip that placed her priorities into focus just days before the biggest match of her career.
“Honestly, I always go back to that match,” Renfro said. “But the week before, I was able to help change other peoples lives. It was so much more important than that finals match.”
In Nicaragua, Renfro helped build homes, deliver food, pray with families and work with children in local schools through Project Hope.
“I met a man there who was in his 90s and he had never had a home,” she said. “To help build a home for them and give them something was just awesome.”
The experience changed her — even as she trained daily to stay ready for state.
“They don’t have a lot, but those kids were the most joyful people I have ever met,” Renfro said. “I think they impacted me more than I impacted them.”
Back home, Renfro wrestled through the postseason, falling just short of her championship goal. The loss hurt, but it didn’t define her. It did, however, leave her wanting more and is excited for what the future has in store.
“That loss has fueled me so much,” she said. “Win or lose, whatever happens is God’s plan, but I am ready to go win the thing and our team is ready to go win it too.”
Last February, Izzy Renfro went on a mission trip with her church to Nicaragua the week before state wrestling. It was there where she helped build homes, worked with children and helped pass out food.
Faith remains the foundation of everything she does. Renfro helps lead the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at Basehor-Linwood, organizing meetings, running social media and working to make FCA accessible to all students.
“You don’t have to be an athlete or a Christian to come,” Renfro said. “We just want students to come and hear the Gospel.”
Her influence stretches beyond sports and music, too. A 4.0 student, certified nursing assistant and two-year wrestling captain, Renfro embraces leadership wherever she is — including from the stands, where she cheers on her twin brother Isaac, a Bobcats football lineman.
"Having a twin brother is literally the best thing ever," she said. "He is my No. 1 supporter and I am his No. 1 supporter. We may not look like twins, because he is crazy taller than me, but he is awesome. I love being able to watch him, then go out on the field and do my thing, and then go back to watch him. In my opinion, he is our best O-lineman and I love getting to watch him play well. It was so much fun being able to watch him play for a state championship last month. You can ask all my friends, I was going crazy the entire game, every game."
Basehor-Linwood girls wrestling coach Jay Johnston believes Renfro’s impact goes well beyond wins and medals.
"Izzy is one of the hardest workers I have ever been around," Johnston said. "She lives in the weight room, excels in the classroom, and is a natural leader. Izzy also has the highest character and genuinely loves people with the biggest of hearts. Izzy is kind and gracious to everyone. She is a coach's dream - highly coachable and always listens, puts in extra effort everyday, and lives a champion lifestyle.
"Wrestling in our program is not about wins and losses, it is about becoming the best person you can be and she is a wonderful example of that."
Soon, Renfro will return to Nicaragua again — this time in January — before making another run at a state title. Whether she’s conducting a band, locking up a pin or handing bread to a stranger, her purpose remains unchanged.
Different rhythms. Same mission.