CLASS 6A GIRLS
 
At Koch Arena, Wichita
 

 
BLUE VALLEY NORTH
 
Coach: Ann Fritz
 
Record: 18-4 (No. 3 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Olathe East, 100-34; beat Gardner Edgerton, 73-34
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Washburn Rural (6: 16-6), 8 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Jaliya Davis, sr., F; Aubrey Shaw, sr., F; Ashley Alverson, sr., PG; Delia Gregory, sr., G; Gabi Hinson, jr., G; Jada Farrington, sr., G; Tatum Schroering, jr., F; Macy Schroering, so., G.
 
Worth noting: After capturing the Class 6A state title in 2023 with a thrilling 35-34 win over Washburn Rural, Mustangs took third at state last year, falling to eventual state champion Shawnee Mission South 65-49 in the semifinals. … State title in 2023 was fourth for Mustangs under Fritz, who has 670 career wins and last summer was the head coach in the McDonald’s High School All-American game. … North’s other titles came in 1998, 2000 and 2005 and program also has a runner-up finish in 1999 and three other final-four appearances. … Fritz also won a state championship as a player at Shawnee Mission East in 1983 with the Lancers setting the state-tournament record with a 40-point win in the finals. … North was undefeated Eastern Kansas League champion this season, taking wins over 5A qualifiers St. Thomas Aquinas and St. James Academy and 4A qualifier Bishop Miege. … All four losses came to out-of-state teams St. Joseph Benton (Mo.), St. Louis Incarnate Word (Mo.), Staley (Mo.) and Park Hill South (Mo.). … After setting single-season scoring record last year as a junior, Davis – a top-5 selection -- and broke North’s career scoring and rebounding records this season. … She’s averaging 23 points and 7 rebounds per game and has signed with Kansas as a five-star recruit. … Shaw averages 17 points and 8 rebouds per game. … Alverson and Hinson each average 9 points per game. …  Farrington is a Division I soccer signee.
 

 
DERBY
 
Coach: Bryan Chadwick
 
Record: 19-3 (No. 1 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Wichita North, 82-10; beat Garden City, 74-33
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Wichita East (8: 16-6), 2 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Macayla Askew, jr., F; Aysia Fox, so., G; Kallie Rickords, sr., PG; Sarai Graham, fr., G; Karlie Demel, jr., F; Maliyah Lansang, sr.; Alex Dinsmore, fr.; Siaunna Carter, fr.; Kelby Clingan, so.; Maya Harris, so.
 
Worth noting: Chadwick has led Derby to back-to-back state appearances in his first two seasons as head coach of the Panthers and Derby is making its 10th straight trip. … Panthers finished fourth at state last year, falling to Washburn Rural 69-62 in overtime in the semifinals and then to Blue Valley North in the third-place game. … Derby was third at state in 2023. … Lone state championship came in 2018. … Derby claimed Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I League title outright despite suffering one of three losses to Hutchinson. … Other losses came to 5A unbeaten and defending champion Seaman in the Glacier’s Edge Invitational title game and to 5A qualifier and one-loss Andover in the season opener. … Askew leads team with 13.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as lone returning starter off last year’s team. … Fox averages 10.2 points per game and shoots 59% from the field. … Graham averages 8 points per game. … Demel adds 6.5 points per game and Rickords adds 6 points per game. … Demel shoots 36% from 3-point range. … Rickords and Lansang are lone seniors on state roster.
 

 
OLATHE NORTH
 
Coach: Alonzo Williams
 
Record: 17-5 (No. 5 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Blue Valley, 61-34; beat Olathe Northwest, 57-40
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Olathe South (4: 18-4), 4 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Asia Lee, jr., G; Daliyah Williams, fr.; Lailah Boyd, fr.; Allie Workman, sr.; Lalilah Simmons, sr.; Rhema Stemmons, sr.
 
Worth noting: North returns to state after a two-year absence and took fourth in its last appearance in 2022. … Eagles qualified four straight years from 2019-22 and now have 13 state appearances overall. … Top state finish was a runner-up showing in 1997. … North started season 2-4 before winning 15 of last 16. … Four of five losses have been by five points or less, including an overtime loss to fellow 6A qualifier Olathe West. … Another loss came to 5A qualifier St. James Academy in season opener and another to Staley (Mo.). … North beat fellow 6A qualifiers Olathe South and Washburn Rural with the win over South the Falcons’ lone Sunflower League loss as the Eagles finished tied for runner-up in the league. … Lee became the program’s all-time leading scorer as a junior and is well over 1,000 points in her career. … Shea’s averaging 23 points per game this season as well as 4 rebounds per game. … Williams averages 10 points and 4.8 assists per game. … Workman averages 6.7 points and 4.5 rebounds a game and Boyd adds 5.4 points and 6 rebounds a game. … Alonzo Williams is one win away from 100 in his career.
 

 
OLATHE SOUTH
 
Coach: Nicole Hoffman
 
Record: 18-4 (No. 4 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Shawnee Mission North, 58-30; beat Blue Valley Northwest, 51-48 OT
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Olathe North (5: 17-5), 4 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Macy Price, jr., G; Eve Long, so., F; Keira Ho, sr., G; Brooke Bryan, sr., G/F; Brooke Maupin, so., G; Olivia Robben, sr., C; Morgan Steinmueller, fr., G; Alexis Allen, so., F; .
 
Worth noting: Falcons return to state for second straight season after ending three-year hiatus following a stretch where program qualified 15 straight years from 2004-18. … That run included a state championship in 2011. … Falcons outlasted Blue Valley Northwest in sub-state finals to earn this year’s state berth. … South was Sunflower League champion, beating 6A qualifier Olathe West, defending 6A champion Shawnee Mission South and perennial state qualifier Shawnee Mission Northwest in final three games to secure the title. … Three of four losses came to out-of-state teams – Springfield Glendale (Mo.), Farmington (Ark.) and St. Charles Lutheran (Mo.). … Only loss to Kansas team this season has come to fellow 6A qualifier Olathe North. … Falcons won the McPherson Invitational, winning each tourney game by 20 or more points. … Long has emerged as one of top players in the state as a sophomore, averaging 22.7 points, 11 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game this season. … She’s already scored over 500 points in her career, reaching it at the midway point of this season. … Robben, who is 6-foot-5, returned after being out 18 months due to a severe leg injury and averages 7.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. … Price and Ho each average just over 7 points pe game with Price also averaging 3 assists per game. … Bryan adds 6.5 points per game and Maupin 4.9 points per game. 
 

 
OLATHE WEST
 
Coach: Jami Hodge
 
Record: 16-6 (No. 7 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Lawrence, 63-53; beat Shawnee Mission South, 45-24
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Wichita Heights (2: 19-3), 6 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Emma Sales, sr., G; Lexi Cooley, jr., G; Molly Collins, jr., G; Sydney Hull, jr., G; Averee Henshaw, jr., F; Jessica Borders, jr., G; Hannah Lester, jr., G.
 
Worth noting: In first season as head coach of Owls, Hodge led team to first state tournament berth since 2021. … Owls took third that season, the first-ever state appearance for the program. … Owls tied for second in the Sunflower League with Olathe North, which they beat in overtime. … Only league losses came to champion Olathe South and defending 6A champion Shawnee Mission South. … Owls started season 1-3 with two losses at Hays Invitational. … West lost to fellow 6A qualifier Blue Valley North at the KaMo Classic. … Sales is Owls’ all-time leading scorer with 1,200 points and she set the single-game scoring record this season with a 34-point game. … She’s averaging 18.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. … Cooley averages 8.6 point and 2.6 steals per game. … Borders returned from ACL tear a year ago and teamed with Lester to each score 6 points per game off the bench. … Collins adds 7 points and 4 rebounds per game and Henshaw averages 5 rebounds per game.
 

 
WASHBURN RURAL
 
Coach: Kevin Bordewick
 
Record: 16-6 (No. 7 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Free State, 72-26; beat Manhattan, 46-31
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Blue Valley North (3: 18-4), 8 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Maddie Vickery, so., G/F; Kate Hinck, sr., G; Tenly Bunck, sr., G; Madison Lemke, sr., F; Ella Hirschi, jr., G; Hallie Walker, jr., F; Josie Carlgren, jr., G/F; Brooklyn Rutherford, so., G; Gracie Hayes, so., G.
 
Worth noting: Rural is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Class 6A state tournament, falling 47-37 to Shawnee Mission South in last year’s title game after dropping a 35-34 heartbreaker to Blue Valley North in the 2023 championship game. … Junior Blues won the 2022 state championship, the fifth for the program with the others coming in 1996, 1999, 2009 and 2019. … That came after a two-year absence after Rural had qualified 11 times in the previous 13 seasons. … State appearance is 26th overall for Rural. … Junior Blues haven’t had a losing season in last 31 years. … First win of this season was the 300th for Bordewick. … Vickery is averaging 21.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. … Hinck adds 12.1 points and leads team with 7.5 rebounds a game. … Bunck averages 5.2 points while Hayes comes off the bench for 5.9 per game. … Half of losses came to state qualifiers Hayden (twice) and Olathe North. … Rural beat Manhattan three times, including in the sub-state finals. … Rural finished runner-up in Centennial League to Hayden.
 

 
WICHITA EAST
 
Coach: Willie Davis
 
Record: 16-6 (No. 8 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Wichita Northwest, 59-20; beat Liberal, 68-57 OT
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Derby (1: 19-3), 2 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Tyleeah Lucas, fr., G; Quinacy Galbert, jr., G; Heylie Davis, sr., G: Aniyah Davis, jr., F; Anahree Smith, jr., F; Sylvia Selmon, jr., G; Jalasia Landrum, fr., G.
 
Worth noting: In his first year as program’s head coach, Davis has led East back to state tournament for the first time since 2006, ending a 20-year drought for the Blue Aces. … State trip is seventh overall for the program with a best finish of third, coming in 1979 and 1982. … East started the season 2-3 before winning 14 of next 17. … Blue Aces were swept by 6A qualifier Wichita Heights and Kapaun Mt. Carmel and also lost to 5A qualifier St. Thomas Aquinas and Bishop Carroll. … Biggest win before sub-state was overtime win over Carroll. … East is 2-0 in OT games this year after outlasting Liberal in sub-state finals. … Balance is offensive key with six players averaging between 8-11 points. … Heylei Davis leads way with 10.3 points per game while Aniyah Davis (9.7 ppg), Lucas (9.4 ppg) and Galbert (9.1 ppg) all over 9 points per game. … Selmon and Smith are both right at 8 points per game.
 
 

WICHITA HEIGHTS
 
Coach: Kip Pulliam
 
Record: 19-3 (No. 2 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Dodge City, 53-10; beat Topeka High, 55-50
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Olathe West (7: 16-6), 6 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Kennadi Jackson, sr., G; Samiyah Ellis, sr., G; Heaven Gilbert, sr., C; Zari Walker, sr., F; Kamyra Barber, sr., F; Terri Brown, jr.; Aniyah Harris, so.; Halle Clemons, jr.
 
Worth noting: Heights making second straight state appearance after enduring a five-year drought. … Prior to that five-year absence, Falcons were a powerhouse program, capturing six state titles between 2002-12. … Pulliam led Heights to four of its state titles during that dominant run, back-to-back in 2006 and 2007 and again in 2011 and 2012 before stepping away and then returning last season. … Falcons have seven state titles overall. … Falcons were Greater Wichita Athletic League champions for second straight year, losing only to Bishop Carroll and Wichita Southeast in league play this year after going undefeated in the league last year. … Only other loss came to fellow 6A qualifier Derby in the semifinals of the Glacier’s Edge Invitational and they swept fellow 6A qualifier Wichita East in two meetings. … Ellis leads balanced offense with 14.5 points per game and also adds 5.2 reounds, 2.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game. … Barber averages 13.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.3 steals per game. … Jackson adds 11.9 points 4.3 assists and 3.1 steals a contest. … Walker scored 7.4 points per game. … Ellis is a Division I signee with Texas-Rio Grande Valley while Jckson has signed with Washburn. … Sophomore starter Destiny Maze, an all-league pick last year, was lost for the season with an injury three weeks ago.