For the eighth consecutive year, Louisburg Sports Zone will be handing out an Athlete of the Year honor to a male and female athlete at Louisburg High School. I wanted the opportunity to recognize those who exemplify what it means to be an “athlete.”

Although I am giving out the award, I wanted the process to be subjective, so I asked the head coaches at LHS to help me out. I asked each coach to send me nominations of who they thought exemplified the Athlete of the Year honor. Then I sent the nominations back to the coaches and they voted for their top 3 male and female athletes. The recipient will be announced in the coming days.

(Editor’s Note: Normally, the coaches send me their votes and I tabulate the winner. However, due to a conflict of interest, I handed those duties to LHS AD Ty Pfannenstiel this year and he graciously gathered all the votes from the coaches and I was not a part of the process.)

Below are the three finalists for the Female Athlete of the Year award in alphabetical order by last name.

Ally Brown – Senior – Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer

Ally was a 3-time letterwinner this past season in volleyball, basketball and soccer. In volleyball, Brown earned honorable mention all-league honors for her work as a defensive specialist as she helped the Wildcats to the sub-state championship game. She finished with 228 digs, which was second on the team and was also second in aces with 47. She led Louisburg in serve attempts and points scored while she was serving.

On the basketball court, Brown was a starter for the Wildcat basketball team and averaged four points a game. She also led the team in assists (35) and steals (24).

Brown joined the Wildcat soccer team for the first time in the spring and made the most of her opportunity. She started in goal and finished with 12 shutouts on the season as she helped the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish at the Class 4-1A state tournament and finished with a 16-5 record. Brown was also named second team All-Frontier League goalie as she had more than 80 saves on the year and had an 87 percent save percentage.

Sabra Brueggen – Senior – Basketball, Swim

Sabra was a letterwinner for the Louisburg basketball and swim team this year. On the basketball court, Brueggen was a starter for the Lady Cats as she was third on the team with 85 rebounds on the year and averaged five points a contest.

Brueggen really made her mark in the pool as she earned two medals at the Class 5-1A state swim meet this spring. She medaled sixth in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100 backstroke. Throughout the season, Brueggen earned state qualifying times in all of the individual events and she also qualified in three relays.

She swam in two of those relays at the state meet as she helped the 200 freestyle relay to victory in the consolation finals and finished ninth overall. Brueggen also swam the 400 free relay as they took 13^th. Overall, Brueggen earned at least one state medal in each of her four years with the program.

Addy Stohs – Senior – Basketball, Softball

Addy was a letterwinner for the Louisburg basketball and softball teams. It was in softball where Stohs made her biggest mark. The Louisburg senior was named to the All-Frontier League first team after strong season as the team’s first baseman.

Stohs had a big year at the plate for Louisburg as she had a .435 average, which included 27 hits, four doubles and a home run, to go along with 13 RBIs. Stohs also had a .950 fielding percentage and only had 3 errors on the year.

On the basketball court, Stohs was a forward for the Wildcats as she had 23 rebounds on the year to go along with 10 blocked shots.

TOPEKA — As Sabra Brueggen stepped onto the state swim podium for the final time, a flood of memories came rushing back.

Memories of when it all started, the friends she made and all her successes along the way. Brueggen has been one of the top swimmers in Class 5-1A the last four years and she proved it once again on May 24 during the Kansas State Swim and Dive Championships in Topeka.

The Louisburg senior ended her high school career with two state medals and a lifetime full of memories.

“Ending my high school career was a very sentimental moment for me,” Brueggen said. “It was the last time I would be racing some of the girls I have been swimming against since age six. Being able to share the podium with them one last time made it even more meaningful, making me very proud of how I performed at my final state meet.”

Brueggen had strong swims throughout 2-day meet that began on May 23 at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. In the prelims, she qualified for the finals in fifth in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100 backstroke.

In the finals, Brueggen found her way to the medal stand as she finished sixth in the 200 individual medley in 2 minutes and 14.42 seconds.

The 100 backstroke proved to be much of the same for Brueggen there as she also medaled sixth in a time of 58.81 seconds. It completed a string of four straight years of earning a state medal.

“I was very happy with how I swam in my personal events last weekend,” Brueggen said. “I was right up next to my previous best times and I was able to stay consistent with my performances during both prelims and finals. I had high hopes, and although I didn’t completely reach my goal times, I am still very grateful with how the meet ended.”

Brueggen also swam in a pair of relays, including the 200 freestyle relay that won the consolation finals. The team of Ella Bockelman, Janie Harth, Cadence Weichert and Brueggen won in a season-best time of 1:48.21 and finished ninth overall — missing a medal by one spot.

Bockelman, Makayla Ellis, Harth and Brueggen also swam in the 400 freestyle relay consolation finals and placed 13th in 4:07.31.

“The success that came through our relays this past weekend was very exciting,” Brueggen said. “Although we did not make ‘A’ final in the 200 free relay during the first day of the meet, our performance during the second day was truly an unforgettable experience. We all swam our best times at the same time, and would’ve medaled had we been top 8 the first day.”

On the first day of competition, the Wildcats also competed in the 200 medley relay as Bockelman, Ellis, Harth and Weichert missed out on the finals as they took 24th in 2:10.80.

Last weekend marked the end of the high school careers for Brueggen, Harth and Weichert. This won’t be the end for Brueggen in the pool, however, as she will continue to swim at the University of Northern Iowa next season.

“Ending this chapter of life has been very difficult but I know that there are bigger things to come,” Brueggen said. “I look forward to being able to just focus on one sport, for the first time in my life, at the collegiate level. I am super excited to see what I can bring to the swim team at the University of Northern Iowa and I can’t wait to become a part of the amazing culture they have created.

“My love for the water started at a very young age, and I know that little me would be super proud of how far I’ve come and how far I will go in the future.”

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week nine of the spring sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.

SABRA BRUEGGEN, SENIOR, SWIMMING

Louisburg senior Sabra Brueggen ended her high school swim career on a positive note Saturday at the Class 5-1A Kansas State Swim and Dive Championships in Topeka. Brueggen captured a pair of state medals and helped a relay win their consolation finals race.

Brueggen earned a sixth place medal in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2 minutes and 14.42 seconds. The Louisburg senior also medaled sixth in the 100 backstroke with a season-best time of 58.81 seconds. Brueggen, along with Ella Bockelman, Janie Harth and Cadence Weichert, won the consolation finals of the 200 freestyle relay in a season-best time of 1:48.21.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners

Week 1: Luke Schultz

Week 2: Faith Sewell

Week 3: Meade Rutherford

Week 4: Brynley Bauer

Week 5: Rowan Yows

Week 6: Kendall Crossley

Week 7: Bristol Barbour

Week 8: Aidan Meyer

OSAWATOMIE — It has already been a good season for the Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill girls swim team — one that included several top finishes and state qualification times.

It got even better on May 14 as the Miami County team hosted the InterLeague Championship at the OZone is Osawatomie. 

Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill won the league title going away with 477 points. Independence was second with 384 in the 9-team meet.

“It was extremely satisfying for the girls to be able to bring the league championships back to OzPaLouSpri,” coach Mary Argeropoulos said. “We’ve been building this program for many, many years and the depth, strength, and talent that has built this team is amazing. The athletes worked hard and really took the team mindset to heart to accomplish this goal.”

The team recorded 39 personal best times and won four events on the day — including three on the Louisburg side. 

Louisburg senior Sabra Brueggen led the way with three league championships of her own, including two individual events and another on a relay. 

Brueggen won the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 2 minutes and 23.93 seconds. Later on in the meet, she went on to win the 100 backstroke in 1:03.40.

Louisburg’s Cadence Weichert, Makayla Ellis, Brueggen and Spring Hill’s Alicia Hager won the league title in the 200 medley relay in a time of 2:05.01.

Wildcat sophomore Ella Bockelman finished as the league runner-up in the 200 freestyle in a new personal best time of 2:30.42. Bockelman also took third in the 100 backstroke in another personal best of 1:13.

Weichert finished third in both the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke, while Louisburg senior Janie Harth took third in the 50 freestyle and fourth in the 100 freestyle.

Ellis finished fourth in the 200 individual medley and fifth in the 100 butterfly. Sophomore Talen McMurray was fourth in the 100 breaststroke.

In the relays, Harth, Weichert, Brueggen and Spring Hill’s Camden Strickland finished as league runner-up in the 200 freestyle in 1:54. Harth, Hagar, Bockelman and Strickland took second in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:33.

Now the team prepares for the state meet that begins on May 23 and lasts through the 24th at the Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka.

Brueggen, who has medaled at state the last three seasons, will try for a fourth straight. The Wildcats will also compete in all three relay events.

“We are looking forward to state competition with a base of work ethic and teamwork,” Argeropoulos said. “The girls have pushed each other to prepare for this weekend and we can’t wait to see what they can accomplish in the water.”

OSAWATOMIE — It had been more than a month since the Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill girls swim team had a chance to compete in its home pool.

It was like it never left. 

The Miami County team put together another strong performance in its regular season finale on May 7 as it took first place with 563 points in the 4-team meet. Independence was second at 509.

It posted 40 personal best times on the day and won five events.

“The home meet was a big success,” coach Mary Argeropoulos said. “We swim well at home typically and these ladies defended their home pool really well.  It was fun and rewarding for them to see the display of hard work, talent, and depth of the team achieve their first place team finish.”

It was also Senior Night, and for the Louisburg side, it was an emotional one. Sabra Brueggen, Janie Harth and Cadence Weichert were all honored for their contributions to the program. 

All three swimmers have been important parts to the Louisburg program and they have participated in the state meet. Brueggen has medaled at state the last three seasons.

“Our 3 Louisburg seniors have really been the backbone of the team for the last four years,” Argeropolous said. “They came in with enthusiasm and a love of the sport that translated into an infectious draw to the program. It has been a journey to watch them grow and develop both in and out of the pool.  

“Cadence, Janie and Sabra will all be greatly missed and could never be replaced, but they have left a swimming legacy in our community that will inspire others to pick up where they have left off.”

Brueggen continued her strong season as she qualified for state in two more individual events — the 50 and 500 freestyle. She has now qualified in every event and will later choose two to compete at state.

She won the 500 freestyle in 5 minutes and 36 seconds and took second in the 50 freestyle in 25.99 seconds.

As for Harth, she won the 100 freestyle in 1:03.85 and also took fourth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 28.05. Weichert won the 200 individual medley in 2:50 and was third in the 100 free in 1:06.

Louisburg sophomore Ella Bockelman finished second in both the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke, while sophomore Talen McMurray was runner-up in the 200 and 100 freestyle. 

Another sophomore, Makayla Ellis, was third in the 500 freestyle and seventh in the 50 free.

The Miami County team also captured all three relay titles. In the 200 medley, Brueggen, Harth, Weichert and Bockelman won in 2:08.72.

Brueggen, Ellis, along with Spring Hill’s Alivia Hagar and Camden Strickland, took first in the 200 free relay in 1:54. Strickland, Ellis, Hagar and Harth won the 400 free relay in 4:27.

The team is back in action on May 14 as it hosts the Independent League meet at the Ozone in Osawatomie. Events begin at 4 p.m.

OVERLAND PARK — The Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill girls swim team faced one of its toughest tests of the season on May 3 as it traveled to the Timberwolf Invitational at Blue Valley Southwest High School.

The 14-team meet provided a lot of obstacles, but the Miami County team had its best showing at the meet in program history as it took third with 128 points. Southwest won with 263 and Lansing was second at 244.

“Blue Valley Southwest is one of the biggest, most competitive meets we attend currently and the ladies stepped up to the mark,” coach Mary Argeropoulos said. “Attitudes and outlooks were positive and those turned into quality swims and a solid team performance.”

It was a strong showing from the Louisburg side as the Wildcats qualified for state in four more events, including a pair of relays. 

Sabra Brueggen Janie Harth, Ella Bockelman and Makayla Ellis qualified in both the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays. In the 200, the Wildcats took fourth in a state qualifying time of 1 minutes and 51.43 seconds

In the 400 relay, the Louisburg quartet did much of the same as they finished fourth in 4:10.94 and the Wildcats have now qualified all three relays for the state competition. 

“The Louisburg relays have been capable all season to throw down those state times, it was just a matter of all 4 athletes putting in the efficient swim at the same time,” Argeropoulos said. “There was a little shake up in personnel and everyone performed admirably. 

“There is a friendly, fierce competition going for many slots in all three relays so it will be exciting to see what the make-up of each race holds. I’m sure the athletes, and I know the coaches, were relieved to put those qualifying times onto paper and now we are ready to charge to state with all three relays.”

Brueggen also added two more individual state times to her resume. The Louisburg senior finished second in the 100 breaststroke in a state time of 1:14 and also took fifth in the 100 butterfly in a qualifying time of 1:04.

Harth also had a pair of top 10 finishes for Louisburg as she was seventh in the 50 freestyle and ninth in the 100 freestyle. Weichert took ninth in the 100 butterfly. 

Louisburg is back in action on May 7 as the Miami County team will host its final regular season meet of the year at the Ozone in Osawatomie. Events begin at 4 p.m. 

It is also Senior Night as Brueggen, Harth and Weichert will all be honored with their families during the meet.

OVERLAND PARK — The Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill girls swim team faced off against a bigger school in Blue Valley Northwest on April 15 and it more than held its own. 

In a triangular with Wyandotte, the Miami County team finished second in the meet at Blue Valley Northwest High School and recorded 38 new personal best times in the process against a pair of Class 6A programs.

“Overall, we had our best outing at Blue Valley Northwest in team history,” coach Mary Argeropoulos said. “There were a few learning moments with relay exchanges that we will focus on coming up, but the athletes are getting stronger and more confident.”

That includes swimmers on the Louisburg side and it started with Sabra Brueggen. The Wildcat senior qualified for state in two more events.

Brueggen won the 100 backstroke in a state qualifying time of 1:02.73. She also finished second in the 200 individual medley in a state time of 2:18.91, as she was edged by Northwest’s Maggie Dahl in 2:18.66.

“Louisburg is continuing to perform well as a team and we are pushing each athlete to make those improvements that will benefit their individual swims as well as their prospective relay legs,” Argeropoulos said. “Sabra continues to push herself towards faster times as she knocks down those qualification times with ease.”

Sophomore Ella Bockelman took home top honors in the 500 freestyle as she won in 7:18. Senior Janie Harth was runner-up in the 50 freestyle in 28.42 and was sixth in the 100 backstroke.

Senior Cadence Weichert took fourth in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 100 butterfly, while sophomore Talen McMurray was sixth in the 100 breaststroke.

Brueggen, Weichert, Harth and Spring Hill’s Camden Strickland also teamed up to take second in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:53.34.

The Miami County team is back in the water on April 22 when it travels to the Turner Invitational at Turner High School. Events begin at 4 p.m.

OSAWATOMIE — The Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill girls swim team put on a strong showing in its home opener on April 2 in Osawatomie.

The Miami County team cruised to a first place finish with 402 points in the 5-team meet. Piper finished second with 256 points and Fort Scott was third with 249.

It didn’t stop there when it came to success, especially on the Louisburg side. The Wildcats earned a handful of state qualification and consideration times in what was their second meet of the season.

Louisburg senior Sabra Brueggen recorded state qualification times in three events and earned three first place finishes on the day.

Brueggen won the 100-yard freestyle in a state qualifying time of 56.85 seconds. She took second in the 200 freestyle in 2:04.41, which was also good for another state time. She earned a state mark in the 50 freestyle based on her split in a relay.

That success continued in the 400 freestyle relay as Brueggen, Janie Harth, Cadence Weichert and Ella Bockelman won in a state consideration time of 4:19.60.

Makayla Ellis joined Brueggen, Harth and Weichert to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:55.62.

In other individual races, Harth earned a state consideration time in the 50 freestyle. Harth took second in 27.94 seconds, just behind Fort Scott’s Avery Stewart, who won in 27.86. Harth also went on to take third in the 500 freestyle in 7:19.

Ellis took home top honors in the 200 individual medley in a time of 2:49.14, while Weichert was second in 2:54. Weichert also took second in the 100 freestyle in 1:07 and Ellis was fourth in the 100 butterfly in 1:21.

Bockelman finished runner-up in the 100 backstroke in 1:14 and seventh in the 50 freestyle. Talen McMurray took fifth in the 100 breaststroke and sixth in the 50 freestyle.

The Miami County team is back in action on April 15 when they travel to Blue Valley Northwest. Events begin at 4 p.m.

LANSING — The season for the Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill girls swim team so far has gone — well — swimmingly, especially on the Louisburg side.

On Saturday at the Lansing Relays, Louisburg kicked off its season in impressive fashion as the Wildcats qualified their first relay for state and the team took fifth overall with 87 points, the team’s highest ever finish at the Lansing meet.

“We were proud of all the swimmers Saturday,” coach Mary Argeropoulos said. “There were a ton of best times and all our new swimmers were a smashing success in the pool. They had fun and didn’t freeze to death in the cold water, as the pool heater was broken, so all in all it was a success.”

In what was a crowded field in the 200-yard medley relay, four Wildcats got off to a great start. Sabra Brueggen, Cadence Weichert, Janie Harth and Ella Bockelman took sixth, but earned a state qualifying time of 2 minutes and 8.17 seconds.

The Wildcats didn’t stop there. In the 200 freestyle relay, the same four swimmers finished second in 1:53.88 and earned a state consideration time in the process.

“Louisburg has now laid down the baseline for the medley and 200 free relays this season and now we get to work improving each leg of each relay looking for a better seed at state,” Argeropoulos said. “It’s always nice to qualify but that’s just where the work starts.”

The Miami County team continued its success as it won the 200 backstroke relay. Louisburg’s Talen McMurray, Makayla Ellis, Brueggen and Spring Hill’s Alivia Hagar won in 2:12.64.

Weichert, Hagar, Harth and Brueggen finished third in the 4×100 individual medley relay in 4:49. Bockelman, Ellis, Weichert and Paola’s Meg Johnson also took third in the 200 butterfly relay in 2:11.

The swim team is back in action Tuesday for its home opener. Events begin at 4 p.m. at the OZone in Osawatomie.

For the Louisburg girls swim team, the 2024 season was a memorable one. 

Sabra Brueggen swam at state in two individual events and medaled in one. The Wildcats qualified for state in all three relays and made the consolation finals in two.

Janie Harth also qualified for state in an event and the Wildcats had their best season in the young history of their program.

As good as that year was, Louisburg is hoping for bigger and better things in 2025. The Wildcats had five state qualifiers a season ago and all five are back and are led by three seniors in Sabra Brueggen, Janie Harth and Cadence Weichert.

As for the Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill team itself, it has seen a big jump in numbers. The team has 27 members out this season, including 13 new athletes.

“These ladies have been working hard in practice already this season and preliminary time trials show we are picking up right where we left off at state last season,” coach Mary Argeropoulos said. 

Brueggen is a returning state medalist for the Wildcats after she took fourth in the 200-yard individual medley and also qualified for state in the 100 backstroke. She has medaled at state the past three seasons and is looking to bring home more hardware for her final campaign.

“Sabra has performed so well for herself in high school competition,” Argeropoulos said. “This season we are looking for new best times, pushing the limits of her athleticism, and having the most enjoyment possible for this final high school swim moment.  She should once again, have her choice of individual events at state and she’ll lead her relays to state success as well.”

Harth and Weichert also return as they both bring back a lot of experience. The two Wildcat seniors competed in all three relays at state, while Harth earned a spot in the 50 freestyle.

“These two seniors have put the work in both out of season and in season,” Argeropoulos said. “They continue to improve each year, and we expect this year to bring more individual best times, hopefully with a return individually to state, and big contributions as the backbone to their relays. Janie swam the 50 free last year at state but was super close in several other events and Cadence has always been knocking on the door of individual events for state as well.”

Sophomores Ella Bockelman and Talen McMurray played big roles on the team last season as freshmen as both swam on state relays. They will be joined by foreign exchange student, Makayla Ellis, who also brings some swim experience. 

“We anticipate returning all three relays to state prelims and are looking to improve our finals standings,” Argeropoulos said. “We will focus meet to meet on the task at hand and will be hunting down those qualification times. 

“Sabra, Janie and Cadence lead the charge, but the position of that final spot will be interesting this season. Ella filled those shoes last season, but Talen was always hot on her heels. Australian foreign exchange student Makayla Ellis adds tons of swimming experience to our team this year and has potential for individual as well as relay contributions.”

Louisburg will open its season Saturday when it travels to Lansing. Its first home meet is Tuesday, April 2 at the Ozone in Osawatomie.