2019 4A Sports in Kansas Girls Player of the Year
Payton Verhulst, Bishop Miege, Soph.
Verhulst, a 6-1 sophomore for Bishop Miege, is one of the nation’s top recruits and has been offered by the majority of top-30 programs nationally. She was one of four Stags receiving Division I attention and/or have committed to a Division I program. Her sister, Ashton, a junior, has committed to Kansas State. Point guard Johnni Gonzalez has signed with UC-Santa Barbara.
Sophomore Faith Hawthorne, the 4A Most Outstanding Player at the state tournament, has received high Division I interest. Verhulst, a five-star recruit and the No. 10 overall player in the 2021 class, was selected as one of 35 athletes nationally to try out for the U16 Women’s National Team in Colorado Springs. She was the Eastern Kansas League MVP and all-state all-classes first team.
Verhulst delivered 16 points and seven rebounds a contest for the Stags, who won their state games 74-41, 74-44 and 60-41 and went 24-0 under legendary coach Terry English. In her career, that has two full years remaining, Verhulst has averaged 13 points and six rebounds a contest. The Stags sought out top competition, including two league wins versus rival Aquinas, a road trip to St. Louis on a Saturday, and an early season tournament in Arkansas. Verhulst was also first team all-state volleyball and a 2018 American Volleyball Coach Association Top Phenom.
Her mother, Robin Baker Verhulst, who prepped at Buhler High School under Jim Baker (Payton's grandpa, Robin's dad), went on to play at Duke. She started 70 games for the Blue Devils and graduated from there in 1992.
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Congrats to Bishop Miege High School sophomore Payton Verhulst on being named the 2019 4A Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas from NL Eclipse Basketball Club
The Bishop Miege girls basketball team would like to congratulate Payton Verhulst on the Sports in Kansas 4A Player of the Year. Also congrats to all of our players that will be honored throughout the postseason! 2019 4A State Champions!
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Sports in Kansas 4A Player of the Year Finalists
Ryan Cobbins, Piper
Nena Taylor, Parsons
Payton Verhulst, Bishop Miege
Ali Vigil, KC Piper
Johnni Gonzalez, Bishop Miege
Hannah Wiley, Abilene
Sydney Burton, Abilene
Allyson Potter, Circle
Gina Ballesteros, Ulysses
