OLATHE, Kan. — Olathe West High School has only been open three years, but its boys soccer team finds itself in the spotlight.
Jony Munoz is the first player from the school to win Kansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year.
“It’s an incredible honor. Going into high school, I just wanted to play and have fun. Then this came, and I just couldn’t be grateful enough,” Munoz said.
It’s a cherry on top of what was an unpredictable final semester.
Unlike spring athletes, who had their seasons canceled due to stay-at-home orders, Munoz and his teammates were able to finish theirs, capping it off as state champions.
But the COVID-19 crisis presented new challenges, as Munoz had to stay self-motivated when it came to working out.
“It was just a new challenge because we’re not going to have it the same way everyone else has had it,” Munoz said. “Just finding ways to keep getting better and keep working on our own, it’s difficult. Training on your own is not the same as training with your team.”
Munoz will attend Liberty University in Virginia on a full-ride scholarship in the fall.
Olathe West Soccer Coach Matt Trumpp said winning Gatorade Player of the Year is the perfect send-off.
“There’s so many high school soccer players, thousands, and he truly is — I’m sure they get it right. Gatorade’s a big deal — he is the one who deserves this award. So cherry on top is the way to put it,” Trumpp said.
Wes Porter from Rockhurst, Kendra Wait from Gardner and Payton Verhulst from Bishop Miege also won state Gatorade Player of the Year awards in cross country, volleyball and basketball, respectively.