June 30, 2022 — Young men from across the State of Kansas participated in the 84th session of the American Legion Boys State of Kansas, held June 5-11 at Kansas State University in Manhattan. This was the 30th year the Kansas Boys State program was held at K-State.
The ALBSK provides a relevant, interactive, problem-solving experience in leadership and teamwork that develops self-identity, promotes mutual respect and instills civic responsibility. Boys State is a “learning by doing” political exercise that simulates elections, political parties and government at the state, county and local levels, providing opportunities to lead under pressure, showcasing character and working effectively within a team. It’s also an opportunity to gain pride and respect for government and the price paid by members of the military to preserve democracy.
Among the highlights from the week, Austin Davis, a resident of Lansing, Kan., and a senior-to-be at Lansing High School, was elected Kansas Boys State governor.
Lukas Haase, a resident of Overland Park, Kan., and a senior-to-be at Blue Valley Southwest High School, and Konnor Quinn-Colman, a resident of Leavenworth, Kan., and a senior-to-be at Leavenworth High School, will attend Boys Nation, Friday, July 22 through Saturday, July 30, at Marymount University in Arlington, Va.
George Rothwell, Overland Park, Kan., was named Advisor of the Year. Rothwell, a 1994 KBS delegate and 1995 graduate of El Dorado (Kan.) High School, serves as an information technology advisor.
Zach Brunner, Wamego, Kan., who served as the county counselor for Dole County, was named Counselor of the Year (counselors with four or more years’ experience). He was a 2015 KBS delegate and a 2016 graduate of Wamego High School. Zachary Barnes, Garnett, Kan., who served as the city counselor for the City of Werring, was named New Counselor of the Year (counselors with three or fewer years’ experience). He was a 2019 KBS delegate and a 2020 graduate of Anderson County High School in Garnett.
Paul Curtis, Lansing, a junior-to-be at Lansing High School, received the William “Bill” F. Stahl Outstanding Justice Award, given to the outstanding member of the Boys State of Kansas Supreme Court as voted on by his Supreme Court peers. The award is presented in recognition of outstanding commitment to justice under the law and dedicated service to Boys State of Kansas. Stahl, of Junction City, Kan., passed away in September 2015 and was a longtime supporter of the ALBSK.
Nick Hohman, Olathe, Kan., a senior-to-be at Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, Kan., was named the Outstanding Senator (representing Eisenhower County), and Eddie Johnson, Wichita, Kan., a senior-to-be at Andover (Kan.) High School, was named the Outstanding State Representative (representing Seitz County).
Zachary Amsterdam, Leawood, Kan., a senior-to-be at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, was named the American Legion Department of Kansas winner of the Samsung American Legion Scholarship. As the state winner, Amsterdam receives a $1,250 scholarship and his application moves on to the national level where he could receive a $5,000 award as a national runner-up or $10,000 scholarship as a national scholar.
During “American Legion Night” on June 8, the American Legion Boys State of Kansas recognized American Legion Department of Kansas past commander (2020-22) Marri Krupco, Blue Mound, Kan., by naming a Kansas Boys State city in her honor beginning with the 2023 KBS session.
The 85th session of the American Legion Boys State of Kansas is scheduled to be held the week of Sunday, June 4, through Saturday, June 10, 2023, again at Kansas State University. For information on becoming a delegate, nominating a delegate or sponsoring a delegate, visit http://bsla.info/old.
The following is a list of this year’s ALBSK delegates (listed by zip code/city of residence; all cities in Kansas unless noted). Those delegates denoted with a star (*) were elected by their Kansas Boys State city as its outstanding citizen:
(Name, High School – all cities/high schools in Kansas unless noted)
66002 — Atchison
• Camilo Humphrey, Atchison High School
66006 — Baldwin City
• Zachary Goodwin, Baldwin High School
• Jake McCart, Baldwin High School
• Keeton O’Brien, Baldwin High School
• Judah Olson, Baldwin High School
• Jonathan Spoula, Lawrence High School
66018 — DeSoto
• Aleksei Gemsky, DeSoto High School
66043 — Lansing
• Michael Bert, Lansing High School
• Paul Curtis, Lansing High School
• Austin Davis, Lansing High School
• Roman Johnson, Leavenworth High School
• Samuel Walker, Leavenworth High School
66048 — Leavenworth
• Issac Ativie, Leavenworth High School
• LeBaron Baptista III, Leavenworth High School
• Evan Billquist, Leavenworth High School
• * Caleb Denney, Leavenworth High School (City of Klassen Co-Outstanding Citizen)
• Garrett Matcheck, Leavenworth High School
• Shy’Ron McMurray, Leavenworth High School
• Konnor Quinn-Colman, Leavenworth High School
• Vinni Scillieri, Lansing High School
• * Christian Skaggs, Leavenworth High School (City of O’Leary Outstanding Citizen)
• * Shawn Sullivan, Leavenworth High School (City of Gardner Outstanding Citizen)
• Damien West, Leavenworth High School
66053 — Louisburg
• Elijah Eslinger, Louisburg High School
66061 / 66062 — Olathe
• Andrew Cramer, Olathe East High School
• Vincent Finch, Blue Valley West High School
• Nick Hohman, Blue Valley Southwest High School
• Joshual Lee, Olathe South High School
• Josh Little, Olathe East High School
• Daniel Newallis, Blue Valley West High School
• Trenton Rogers, Olathe West High School
• Bryson Sanders, Olathe North High School
• Alex Stone, Olathe West High School
• Jack Turec, Olathe Northwest High School
66067 — Ottawa
• Kyle Haner, West Franklin High School
66070 — Ozawkie
• Caleb Morse, Jefferson West High School
66071 — Paola
• * Aiden Howell, Paola High School (City of Thomson Outstanding Citizen)
66090 — Wathena
• Alexander Williams, Riverside High School
66109 — Kansas City
• Carlos Guerra, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
66203 — Shawnee
• Wil Rodriguez, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
66205 — Fairway/Roeland Park
• Wyatt Christensen, Kansas City Christian School
• Jack Kessler, Shawnee Mission East High School
66207 — Prairie Village
• John Swaney, Bishop Miege High School
66209 / 66211 — Leawood
• Zachary Amsterdam, Blue Valley North High School
• Evan Doskey, The Barstow School, Kansas City, Mo.
• Maxwell Masilionis, Blue Valley North High School
• Michael Mayo, Blue Valley North High School
• David Stutz, Blue Valley North High School
• Joe Thummel, Blue Valley North High School
66210 / 66213 / 66214 / 66221 / 66223 — Overland Park
• Caleb Deng, Blue Valley North High School
• Ethan Eurich, The Bartsow School, Kansas City, Mo.
• * Lukas Haase, Blue Valley Southwest High School (City of Raymond Outstanding Citizen)
• Prabhav Pagadala, Blue Valley North High School
• * Parker Richmond, Shawnee Mission West High School (City of Lindholm Outstanding Citizen)
• Barrett Waller, Blue Valley Northwest High School
66224 — Leawood / Overland Park
• Thomas Antolak, Blue Valley North High School
• Ethan Franz, Blue Valley North High School
• Nicholas Murphy, Blue Valley High School
• Aaron Yurman, Blue Valley North High School
66402 — Auburn
• Tanner Breault, Washburn Rural High School
66440 — Hoyt
• Garrett Hammer, Royal Valley High School
66441 — Junction City
• Casey Sexton-Snow, St. Xavier Catholic School
66442 — Fort Riley
• Isaiah Nicholson, Junction City High School
66502 — Manhattan
• Jaxon Carey, Manhattan High School
• Kaisei Nagai-Velasquez, Manhattan High School
66523 — Osage City
• Tracen Hartner, Osage City High School
• Halen Lacey, Osage City High School
66526 — Paxico
• Lanson Parry, Wabaunsee High School
66527 — Powhattan
• Joey Meyer, Hiawatha High School
66534 — Sabetha
• Taylor Edelman, Home School
• Aiden Lang, Sabetha High School
66535 — St. George
• Carter Wilkens, Rock Creek High School
66538 — Seneca
• Jonathan Knapp, Home School
66547 — Wamego
• Colin Donahue, Wamego High School
• Drew Pettay, Wamego High School
• Joey Shea, Wamego High School
66554 — Randolph
• John Haefke, Valley Heights High School
66611 / 66614 / 66617 / 66618 — Topeka
• Alexander Chapas, Seaman High School
• Luke Clifton, Seaman High School
• Jacob Guzman, Home School
• * Zach Jowers, Seaman High School (City of Klassen Co-Outstanding Citizen)
• Heath Sherber, Washburn Rural High School
• Hunter Warren, Seaman High School
66720 — Chanute
• Blaine Smoot, Chanute High School
66733 — Erie
• Gavin Reissig, Erie High School
66739 — Galena
• Jacob Danley, Galena High School
66743 — Girard
• * Gavin Doubrava, Girard High School (City of Whorley Outstanding Citizen)
66749 — Iola
• Adam Spencer, Yates Center High School
66756 — Mulberry
• Brayden Bolton, Northeast High School
66757 — Neodesha
• Kenneth Kelly, Neodesha High School
66762 — Pittsburg
• Gavin Caldwell, Frontenac High School
• Darrel McLeod, Girard High School
• Jaxson Robinson, Girard High School
• Connor Van Becelaere, St. Mary’s Colgan High School
66763 — Frontenac
• Tallon Bonine, Frontenac High School
66776 — Thayer
• Brayden Swiler, Chanute High School
66932 — Athol
• * Bryce Kelley, Thunder Ridge High School (City of Werring Outstanding Citizen)
66941 — Esbon
• Zach Gurka, Rock Hills High School
66956 — Mankato
• Davin Coil, Rock Hills High School
66967 — Smith Center
• Nathan Bryan, Smith Center High School
67004 — Argonia
• Wesley Weishaar, Argonia High School
67010 — Augusta
• Gunner Daugherty, West Elk High School
67026 — Clearwater
• Jackson Haslett, Clearwater High School
67042 — El Dorado
• Dylan Foes, Circle High School
67047 — Fall River
• Bryan Epperson, West Elk High School
67063 — Hillsboro
• Sawyer Hall, Hillsboro High School
67135 — Sedgwick
• Scott Recheck, Sedgwick High School
• Chayse Zellmer, Sedgwick High School
67152 — Wellington
• Braxton Bright, Wellington High School
• Wesley Leonard, Wellington High School
67204 / 67205 / 67206 / 67212 / 67230 — Wichita
• Andrew Arensman, Wichita Northeast Magnet High School
• David Bledsoe, Andover High School
• Luke Brock, Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School
• Joshua Dafforn, Wichita Northwest High School
• Decker Hayes, Wichita Trinity Academy
• * Josh Hulsey, Andover High School (City of Shoemaker Outstanding Citizen)
• Elias Iseman, Bishop Carroll Catholic High School
• Eddie Johnson, Andover High School
• John Mies, Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School
• Daniel Noel, Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School
• Sam Ritchie, Maize High School
67301 — Independence
• Daschel Drawdy, Neodesha High School
67349 — Howard
• Eli Denton, West Elk High School
• Nolan Denton, West Elk High School
• Dustin Montgomery, West Elk High School
67353 — Moline
• Tyler Moore, West Elk High School
• Martin Shipley, West Elk High School
67401 — Salina
• Riddick Goss, Sacred Heart High School
67481 — Sylvan Grove
• Valden Dohl, Sylvan-Lucas High School
67502 — Hutchinson
• Adam Gust, Hutchinson Trinity Catholic High School
• Calvin Shank, Buhler High School
67601 — Hays
• Jensen Brull, Thomas More Prep-Marian High School
• Jordin Myers, Hays High School
67735 — Goodland
• Harrison Bhend, Goodland High School
67761 — Wallace
• Gabe Johnson, Wallace County High School
67846 — Garden City
• Brandon Peterson, Garden City High School
• Gage Sorensen, Garden City High School
67854 — Jetmore
• Isaac Cavazos, Hodgeman County High School
67878 — Syracuse
• Dalton DeWitt, Syracuse Christian Academy
• Bryson Luebbers, Syracuse High School
• Martin Ramos, Syracuse High School
67880 — Ulysses
• * Tyson Flores, Ulysses High School (City of Shelton Outstanding Citizen)
• Jackson Keeler, Ulysses High School
• Maison Wiginton, Ulysses High School
09173 — Hohenfels, Germany
• Gunnar McLean