kansascity
.jpg)
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jenna Gray joined Italian team Megabox Vallefoglia in May 2026.
- Gray earned the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year award.
- Jacob Bohlken is married and training in family and preventive medicine at OU Health.
As The Star honors its 2026 Scholar-Athlete Award winners, we also continue another long-standing tradition: catching up with our honorees from a decade ago.
In 2016, The Stars Female and Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year were Jenna Gray of St.
James Academy and Jacob Bohlken of Smithville.
Heres what each is doing now: Jenna Gray ST.
JAMES ACADEMY Residence: Home base is Lenexa, but she is ..
Currently: Playing pro volleyball internationally.
High school: Helped lead the juggernaut Thunder to three volleyball team state titles.
In track and field, she won two individual state titles in the javelin throw.
But volleyball was the sport in which she earned Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and Prep-Volleyball National Co-Senior Player of the Year honors.
College: She was a two-sport star in Palo Alto, California, continuing to throw the javelin (two-time All-America) while helping the Stanford Cardinal volleyball team to three straight national titles as a 6-foot-1 setter.
Alongside Kathryn Plummer, former St.
James teammate Audriana Fitzmorris and libero Morgan Hent, Gray was part of arguably the greatest class of womens volleyball players in NCAA history.
Sports now: Sports remain central to Grays life at 28 as she plays pro volleyball abroad.
After a stellar season in Brazil, she joined the Italian team Megabox Vallefoglia in May 2026.
Suffice to say that playing volleyball professionally has taken her around the world ..
and still does.
Jacob Bohlken SMITHVILLE Residence: Edmond, Oklahoma Currently: Bohlken is married to Kaitlyn Popejoy.
They met in Louisiana during medical school and she is actually from Blue Springs.
He is in residency with the University of Oklahoma health system, focusing on family and preventative medicine.
When done, he will be a doctor of osteopathic medicine/DO.
His wife is starting the second year of her pediatrics residency at OU.
His goal is to complete a primary care sports medicine fellowship next, with a goal of being a team doctor for college and pro athletes.
High school: Bohlken wrestled to a state title at Smithville, where he went 183-28 over four seasons.
He was 53-3 as a senior, winning a state championship and helping lead the Warriors to a Missouri team title.
He was also senior class president and made honor roll each year while also playing on the schools 2014-15 state-championship baseball team.
He played football, too, lettering four years in each sport wrestling, baseball and football.
College: Earned his bachelor of science in biochemistry from Mizzou, where his brother had wrestled previously, and doctoral degree from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Monroe, Louisiana.
Wrestling at MU, he became the Tigers starting heavyweight by his final season in Columbia, finishing eighth at the MAC championships.
Sports now: Said Bohlken: Residency is really challenging, and the setbacks and difficulties I faced during my athletic career prepared me to handle difficult situations in residency.
Since my goal is to continue to care for athletes and complete a sports medicine fellowship, I have transitioned to the sidelines for sports coverage.
This last year I was able to help cover high school football, USA youth boxing, hockey, AAA baseball, the OKC marathon, and the Oklahoma High School Wrestling State Tournament.
He also coached high school wrestling in Louisiana during medical school.
During my 3 years as an assistant coach I had the pleasure of coaching 7 high school state champions, several young men who went on to wrestle at the collegiate level and in 2024 we won a team state championship! Past winners PREVIOUS MALE WINNERS 1984: Danny Bellus, Washington 1985: Marlon Washington, Schlagle 1986: Brad Hinkle, Olathe South 1987: Jeff Witkop, Blue Valley North 1988: Jeff Drbohlav, Cass-Midway 1989: Tom Kreamer, SM East 1990: Shaon Fry, Oak Grove 1991: Aaron Hodges, Harmon 1992: Mike Wilson, Center 1993: Nate Minnis, Blue Springs 1994: Matt Mendlick, Olathe South 1995: Steve Fein, SM Northwest 1996: Josh Alpers, Blue Springs 1997: Brandon Wier, Olathe North 1998: Daniel Parris, Lees Summit North 1999: Corey Crandall, Fort Osage 2000: Tommy Hottovy, Park Hill South 2001: Jeff Durbin, Olathe South 2002: Justin Dyer, Olathe South 2003: Adam Perkins, Liberty 2004: Larry Hall, Center 2005: Louis Caputo, Blue Springs 2006: Aaron Trigg, Blue Valley West 2007: Scott ODonnell, Oak Park 2008: Riley Reynolds, Blue Springs South 2009: Rick Settle, Olathe East 2010: Roy Wedge, Lawrence 2011: Aaron Thornburg, SM Northwest 2012: Zach Herriott, Rockhurst 2013: Nathan Butler, Leavenworth 2014: Sam Guinn, Blue Valley Northwest 2015: Dalton Schoen, Blue Valley Northwest 2016: Jacob Bohlken, Smithville 2017: Jacob Boyd, Smithville 2018: Jacob Sykes, Rockhurst 2019: Alex Totta, Blue Valley 2020: Hayden Gregg, Staley 2021: Yaseen El-Demerdash, Blue Valley Southwest 2022: Ryan Thompson, Rockhurst 2023: Carter McIntosh, Blue Springs South 2024: Colin McAlister, Mill Valley PREVIOUS FEMALE WINNERS 1984: Suzanne Meyer, Center 1985: Angela Cox, Olathe North 1986: Gretchen Prather, Liberty 1987: Tricia Lillygren, Raytown South 1988: Lisa Arel, Lees Summit 1989: Melanie Ornes, Lees Summit 1990: Amy Fowler, Bishop Miege 1991: Amy Cook, Lansing 1992: Angie Popek, SM Northwest 1993: Lisa Petty, Lawson 1994: Lisa Davies, Oak Grove 1995: Lindsay Thornton, SM West 1996: Kelly Andra, SM Northwest 1997: Elizabeth Baker, Pembroke Hill 1998: Lauren Jackson, North Kansas City 1999: Andrea Tietjen, Excelsior Springs 2000: Katherine Hoffman, Notre Dame de Sion 2001: Shea Swoboda, Winnetonka 2002: Jill Tyner, St.
Pius X 2003: Tegan Stuart, Raymore-Peculiar 2004: Toni Picerno, Lees Summit 2005: Katie Martincich, Bishop Miege 2006: Erin Birmingham, Park Hill South 2007: Ali Pistora, Tonganoxie 2008: Allison Mayfield, St.
Thomas Aquinas 2009: Morgan Johnson, Platte County 2010: Megan Yohe, Liberty 2011: Alexandra Keane, Notre Dame de Sion 2012: Lexie Oak, St.
Pius X 2013: Cassie Wait, Gardner Edgerton 2014: Arianna Person, St.
James Academy 2015: Dorian Bailey, St.
Teresas 2016: Jenna Gray, St.
James Academy 2017: Carlie Queen, Summit Christian Academy 2018: Kate Walsworth, Barstow 2019: Alana Vawter, Staley 2020: Lexy Farrington, Blue Valley North 2021: Kendra Wait, Gardner Edgerton 2022: Beatrice Culliton, St.
Thomas Aquinas 2023: Taylor Cruse, Basehor-Linwood 2024: Zoey Hrabe, Barstow.