Greater Wichita Sports Banquet to have a Cowley flavor

Cowley College volleyball player Laura Bonomi is a finalist for the Junior College Female Athlete of the Year, and Tiger wrestler Evan Rodriguez is a finalist for the Junior College Male Athlete of the Year.

Cowley head volleyball coach Steven Gream will also be honored at the event as he will receive the Gene Stephenson Coach of the Year award.

Two-time NBA champion and University of Kansas legend Mario Chalmers will be the guest speaker at the event, which will also award the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year.

Bonomi was a part of the nation's top offense with the NJCAA Division 2's best 15.06 kills per set and a .338 hitting percentage. Her 560 total kills ranked 5th nationally, her 660 total points ranked her 4th nationally, and her 5.3 points per set ranked her 9th nationally. She finished her Cowley career as one of the most decorated players in Cowley history with a resume that includes being a two-time NJCAA National Champion, the 2024 NJCAA and AVCA National Player of the Year.

The Lady Tigers finished 81-0 in her two seasons at Cowley, the best two-year record in NJCAA history. The 81-win streak is an NJCAA record, and the team's back-to-back undefeated seasons are a first in NJCAA history.

As a freshman at Cowley, Rodriguez was crowned the district champion in the 141-pound weight class and named a First Team all-conference, First Team all-region, and First Team All-American.

Rodriguez was ranked No. 1 in the 141-pound weight class for consecutive weeks and was the champion at the Friends University Open. He helped the Tiger wrestling team place 18th at the national championships in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and was named an All-American by placing fifth at nationals.

Gream, who was also the AVCA Two-Year College Women's Coach of the Year, NJCAA DII Coach of the Year, AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year, Plains A District Coach of the Year and KJCCC Coach of the Year, led Cowley to a 40-0 record, the program's 26th thirty plus win record in history and the fourth 40-win season in a row and seventh overall.

The Lady Tigers continued their winning streak from 2023 to finish the 2024 season with an NJCAA record of 81 consecutive wins and held the No. 1 ranking throughout the season from the preseason ranking until the final national poll.

Awards to be handed out at the event include, the Lynette Woodard High School Female Athlete of the Year, Barry Sanders High School Male Athlete of the Year, Junior College Male and Female Athletes of the Year, College Male and Female Athletes of the Year, High School Boys and Girls Coach of the Year, Gene Stephenson Coach of the Year, Professional Athlete of the Year, Robert E. "Bob" Hanson Impact Award, and the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year.

Individual tickets, school/university tables, and corporate tables are available. Those wishing to pay for tickets via check or ACH, please email marshall@wichitasports.com.