Wichita State standouts headline 2023 class of inductees into Kansas Sports Hall of Fame

Sara Walkup was sure the caller had the wrong phone number.

A man saying he was with the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame was on the other end of the line, but Walkup was skeptical.

“I mean it’s been 15 years since the end of my playing career,” said Walkup, previously known as Sara Lungren when she was a star outside hitter on the Wichita State volleyball team from 2003-07. “I didn’t know why they were calling. I was kind of flabbergasted.”

After a little convincing, Walkup soon accepted that she was among 12 members of the 2023 class being inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be held Sunday, Oct. 1 at Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane.

For good reason: Walkup was an honorable mention All-American following the 2007 season and was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a Shocker. She has since become a highly-successful high school volleyball coach at Cheney, where she has turned the Cardinals into an annual state tournament team.

Walkup said she is most excited to share the experience with her husband and two young daughters.

“My family has sacrificed a lot with my coaching and they’re always the first ones there to cheer me on and support me,” Walkup said. “It’s going to be pretty cool for my girls to be there. They’re probably old enough now where they’re going to remember this. I couldn’t be more honored to go in with some of the other names that are in there. It’s kind of surreal.”

Another inductee with Wichita State ties was long-time baseball assistant coach Brent Kemnitz, who was also astonished when he learned the news.

Kemnitz spent the majority of his 38 years as WSU’s pitching coach under legendary coach Gene Stephenson, as the two helped the Shockers win the 1989 national championship and make seven total College World Series appearances. Since retiring, he has shifted to a fundraising role in WSU’s athletic department.

“I legitimately teared up when I found out,” Kemnitz said. “When you’re 21 years old coming to Wichita State as a (graduate assistant), you’re not thinking anything like this is possible. And then you start looking at the list of everybody that’s in there and it’s just off the charts. I’m flattered, excited, honored, humbled, you can use all of the adjectives. I was on cloud nine when I found out and I’ve stayed on cloud nine ever since the news.”

The third Wichita State inductee was Lynbert “Cheese” Johnson, who was a three-time all-conference men’s basketball player and a 1979 honorable mention All-American. He ranks fifth on WSU’s all-time scoring list and third in rebounding during his career, which spanned from 1975-79. He has since made his mark in the Wichita community with his junior mentoring program and youth basketball camps.

“It was a great honor to get the phone call from the Hall of Fame,” Johnson said. “I’ve had people from all over the country calling me to say congratulations. And then I’ve had a lot of people in the Wichita community reaching out, saying the same thing. It’s a great accomplishment and I’m humbled.”

Other inductees with Wichita ties include former Wichita South basketball star Ricky Ross, who played collegiately at Kansas and Tulsa, Wichita Wings great Kim Roentved and Wichita North graduate Jill Larson Bradney, who was a three-sport athlete at Kansas and softball All-American.

The rest of the 2023 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame class is rounded out by Negro League Baseball triple-crown hitter Oscar “Heavy” Johnson from Atchison, Pittsburg State track and field coach Russ Jewett from Olathe, Pittsburg State distance runner Christie Allen Logue from Altamont, professional golfer Harold “Jug” McSpadden from Monticello, 14-year MLB veteran Ray Mueller from Pittsburg and K-State graduate and 13-year MLB veteran Ted Power from Abilene.