Editor’s Note: This story is part of a three-part series examining local students moving on to college athletics.

Fall sports athletes will head to colleges across the region next year to continue their sports at the college level.

The athletes said they were excited for the new challenges and ready to prove themselves at the next level. 

They will balance busy schedules as student athletes, but said they’d rely on lessons learned managing multiple sports and academics in Eudora.

Errol Siemon, Football, Baker

After being a leader for the Cardinals in multiple sports over the last few years, senior Errol Siemon will head to Baker next fall to join the football team as a linebacker.

Siemon has long had a deep love for sports and dreamed of playing college football. He signed with Baker in February. 

“I don’t know what part of it was so intriguing,” Siemon said in the fall. “There’s just that natural love for the sport more than anything else.”

He battled through injuries during his time as a Cardinal and played both sides of the ball as a linebacker and running back.

You can read more about Siemon’s story in this article.  

Christian Jarrett, Football, MidAmerica Nazarene

Senior Christian Jarrett will play football at MidAmerica Nazarene next year, following a strong season for the Cardinals that earned him a Shrine Bowl nod. 

Jarrett was one of the best cornerbacks in the state. He said he was honored to continue a strong legacy of great Eudora players to make the Shrine Bowl.

He saw the invitation as a launching pad for his goal of playing college football and committed to MidAmerica Nazarene in February. 

You can read more about Jarrett in this story.

Miranda Kuntz, Volleyball and Track and Field, Baker 

Senior Miranda Kuntz originally committed to Baker to throw discus and javelin, but when she saw they had an open spot for a setter on the volleyball team, she couldn’t pass up the chance to continue both sports she loves. 

She took a visit to the campus and fell in love with their program. Kuntz has long valued playing multiple sports and competed on the volleyball, basketball, and track and field teams in Eudora. 

“I’m looking forward to all the new people that I meet,” she said. “And I know there are already some more [Eudora] people down there, so it’s kind of comforting knowing that I already know some people. But yeah, I’m just kind of looking forward to the college experience and meeting new people.”

She said she’s excited for the new challenge of balancing multiple sports in college. She said she is the first to compete in volleyball and track and field at Baker.

“They’ve had people do other sports, but it’s definitely a little bit of a challenge,” she said. “But it’s nicer that they’re kind of different seasons, so it’s not overlapping as much.”

Addy Hemphill, Volleyball, Johnson County Community College

Senior Addy Hemphill has played volleyball since she was 11 and knew she wanted to play in college soon after. That dream will come true next fall when she joins the Johnson County Community College volleyball team.

Hemphill said she wanted to stay close to home and JCCC offered her that, alongside a quality team. 

“I just loved the culture and everything that was there, and the girls that I got to meet,” she said. “And so ultimately, that’s like, what helped me make my decision.”

She also liked the academic offerings of the school. Hemphill plans to study biology and said she was looking forward to taking classes that interest her.

She said balancing schoolwork with being an athlete can be a challenge, but being a multi-sport athlete in Eudora has prepared her to manage her time well. 

“Getting to travel to new places and play in college, that’s what I’m most excited for,” she said.

Hanna Keltner, Cross Country, Kansas State

Senior Hanna Keltner will depart from Eudora with one of the most decorated careers in school history, but will face a new challenge competing at the top college level next year.

Keltner committed to run at Kansas State. She is a reigning cross country and track state champion and has a handful of other top accolades as well. 

She fell in love with running in elementary and middle school and learned from Cardinals’ runners who came before her. 

You can read more about Keltner’s running journey in this story. 

Kyleigh Heikes, Equestrian, UC Davis

Kyleigh Heikes will ride for the Division I equestrian team at UC Davis next year — the first Eudora student to sign for the sport. 

Her horse, Fritz, and longtime trainer, Katelyn Connolly, helped get her there. 

“If I hadn’t bought that horse, I hadn’t gone to that trainer, there’s no way I would have made it onto a team like this,” she said in January.

Though she’ll leave Fritz in Kansas, Heikes said she’s ready for the jump to the next level.

Read more about Heikes commitment in this story. 

Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]