When Aubrie Kierscht received a phone call from Salina Central coach Chris Fear that she had been named Miss Kansas Basketball, she was at the gym and continues to develop her basketball skills.
That hard work and determination continues to earn Kercht as she was officially presented as the Miss Kansas Basketball Tournament Saturday night at Mabe Arena. She then went on to score 16 points as a member of the blue team in a 95-89 loss to gold in the KBCA All-Star Game.
“Getting that call when you’re at the gym is just a clue there,” Kierscht said. “I think it’s definitely a blessing.”
Kierscht left Central as the Mustang’s top scorer, with 1,685 points, while also holding one-season records for points with 518, and making 3 throws with a score of 1,133. One-game scores for points with a score of 40 and 3 makings with a score of 12 as well.
Playing one last time in Salina
When the season ended at the Class 5A State Championships in Emporia, Kierscht couldn’t believe she would play a game at Salina again.
This was not the case as she was one of four girls from Class 5A schools to represent at the KBCA All-Star Game on Saturday.
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“Getting done again, it’s definitely something again just (to remember),” Kierscht said. “It’s definitely a journey I will remember. It’s just the next step (and) part of the journey.”
“I think it’s a great experience for all of us. We have to be trained by so many great coaches. I think it’s definitely an unforgettable opportunity.”
Kercht’s got to interact with some of the state’s top players, playing alongside Sterling’s Cali Breyer on the Blue Team and against Goddard’s Maisie James, who has faced Central four times in the past two seasons.
“It just shows the talent we have here in Kansas,” Kircht said. “I think it’s a blessing to have these guys named. We were having fun all day.
“Honestly, when we were shooting and stuff, we were going back and forth with shots and stuff. (Bryer) is a great player. It was really fun to play alongside her. She definitely has a great career ahead of her.”
Kierscht had a lot of family, friends, and teammates and she appreciated that all of them came to support her in the last game of her high school career.
“It’s a blessing,” Kircht said. “I’ve had the support of this entire community. Just to end it all here and see them all there and support me, it’s just such a blessing. I’m grateful that God put them in my life.”
Kierscht was trained by Pat Stiles in the game
Pat Styles was one of Kierscht’s All-Star coaches.
Kierscht was delighted to be coached by Stiles, who has led Central Plains to eight consecutive state championships.
“It was amazing,” Kircht said. “I definitely got excited when I was too. He’s a legend. Training him on his hand was an amazing experience.”
Next chapter of Kircht
Kircht will only have two weeks at home before she reports to Presbyterian College on July 5th.
Kierscht said that the experience of playing the KBCA All-Star Game with great players and having them trained by some of the best coaches in Kansas will help her achieve success later in her life.
Dylan Sherwood has been a sports reporter for the Salina Journal since August 2019. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @DSherwoodSJ