A pair of Cowley athletes were honored at the Greater Wichita Sports Banquet

The event presented awards to high school, junior college, college, and professional athletes. Cowley College soccer player Sthefany Silva was a finalist for the Junior College Female Athlete of the Year, and Tiger cross country/track and field athlete Esteban Boisseau was a finalist for the Junior College Male Athlete of the Year.

Silva came to Cowley from Brazil, where she became a First Team all-conference defender for the Lady Tiger soccer team during the 2023 season before suffering a season-ending injury in the 2024 season-opener. She returned mentally and physically stronger in the 2025 season, serving as a co-captain for the team.

She appeared in all 22 games this season, helping Cowley earn their first KJCCC D1 Women's Soccer regular season title since 2021. Eleven of Cowley's games ended in shutouts this year, with teams averaging 0.67 goals per contest.

Silva was named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Jayhawk Conference for her efforts. She used her strong leg not only to help the Tiger defense but also to score a pair of goals off free kicks. She helped the Lady Tiger soccer team capture conference and regional titles and advance to the national semifinals for the second time in her career, as Cowley finished the 2025 season with a 15-2-4 record. The Tigers went 28-7-8 in her two seasons playing for the team.

Silva also excels in the classroom and will play soccer next season for NCAA Division II Pittsburg State University.

Having reached tremendous heights as a member of the Cowley College cross country and track and field team, Boisseau came to Cowley from France. At Cowley, he is a returning All-American and multiple-time national qualifier on the track. He helped the Tigers capture the Region VI title in cross country as a freshman.

As a sophomore, he won the individual national championship during the cross country season, earning First Team All-American honors, and helped Cowley place eighth as a team. He finished undefeated against NJCAA Division II runners and ran the third fastest 8,000-meter time in school history. He was named USTFCCCA NJCAA D2 National Runner of the Week twice.

This spring, he ran his first 3,000-meter steeplechase event of the outdoor track season; the standout sophomore was just shy of Daniel Maina's 20-year-old school record. Having already won an individual national championship during the cross country season, Boisseau added to his incredible career by winning the national title in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:17.97).

Boisseau became the 40^th individual national champion in program history and the second Tiger to win the steeplechase, and first since Daniel Maina won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.

Boisseau added to his incredible sophomore campaign by recently being named the NJCAA DII Men's Cross Country National Scholar Athlete of the Year. The talented runner has signed with Washburn University.

In partnership with the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame, the banquet celebrated the induction of five new members: Shane Dennis, WSU baseball and broadcaster; Mike Gehrer, high school football and baseball; Doug Hoover, wrestling; Chris Lamb, WSU volleyball coach; and Carolyn LeFevre, Wichita West High School athletic trainer.

Awards handed out at the event:

*Lynette Woodard High School Female Athlete of the Year – Chelsie Brown, Sterling High School

*Barry Sanders High School Male Athlete of the Year – Zane Farney, Sterling High School

*Junior College Male Athlete of the Year – Tristan Hankins, Butler Community College

*Junior College Female Athlete of the Year – Xylavene Beale, Hutchinson Community College

*College Male Athlete of the Year – Kenyon Giles, Wichita State University

*College Female Athlete of the Year – Kinzey Woody, Wichita State University

*High School Boys Coach of the Year – Weston Schartz, Kapaun Mount Carmel

*High School Girls Coach of the Year – Kim Rolfs, Little River

*Gene Stephenson Coach of the Year – Terry Harrison, Friends University

*Professional Athlete of the Year – Kyle Crnkovic, Wichita Thunder

*Robert E. "Bob" Hanson Impact Award – Mike Gehrer, Wichita Collegiate

*Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year – Daniel Jackson, University of Georgia

*Excellence in Sports Awards – Dustin Galyon, Friends University; Mike Helmer, Butler Community College; Brent Kemnitz, Wichita State University.