As we set out to celebrate our 60th anniversary year, we are excited to continue with old traditions and introduce new ones! Our school has set a precedent of celebrating Spartans as often as possible. It starts small during their time here, with State-Bound Drumlines, Student of the Semester, and more. However, we also like to celebrate them after their time is done. As is tradition every 5 years during our Homecoming celebrations, we induct a new class of honorees into our Athletics Hall of Fame. This year we are pleased to announce the creation of an additional honor, our Fine Arts Hall of Fame.
We pride ourselves on being a school that can offer incredible experiences and opportunities in many different areas, and we are excited for the chance to recognize the commitment of a group of our alumni and esteemed former faculty to the growth and development of the Fine Arts Department over the history of our school.
Thus far we have honored many former faculty and Spartan alumni with an induction into our Athletic Hall of Fame and Circle of Gold. We look forward to adding the honorees below later this month at our 2023 Homecoming Celebrations!
We were overwhelmed with how many nominations were submitted for both of the Halls of Fame. Read more about each inductee, including snippets from some of their nominations. They are an impressive group, and we are so proud to call them Spartans forever.
Proba Te Dignum, evermore!
FINE ARTS HALL OF FAME
GARY BUETTGENBACH, former Fine Arts Teacher, 1988-2020
Mr. B, as he was referred to by decades of Spartans, inspired multiple generations of students to pursue both careers and hobbies in the Fine Arts world. He almost single-handedly created a thriving visual arts program in our Upper School. The epic productions in his Video Mag class are still referenced back to by faculty and alumni alike, engaging students both in AND outside of his classroom.
Today Mr. B is enjoying retirement. He likes to play pickleball, make art, and babysit his granddog Jalapeño. His son just got engaged to a very cool young lady, and he and his wife are looking forward to their marriage in February.
MAGGIE CHANG, Author and Illustrator, Class of 2002
Maggie's self-described "happy place" at WCS was in Mr. B's classroom. Her love of art and writing was encouraged in our hallways, and now we all get to enjoy the fruits of the seeds planted here in her children's book series, recently published by Simon and Schuster.
Margaret currently lives in Southern California with her husband, daughter (2.5 yo), son (4 months old!), and their bernedoodle. She has gone by various names since graduating from WCS, including Maggie P. Chang, which can be found on the byline of her acclaimed children's book series GERALDINE PU. For several years, she was Ms. Chang, a NYC high school art teacher, and now she also proudly goes by Mommy (a.k.a. Ruby and Bo's mom). When she's not raising her little ones, working on her next children's book, or doing author-illustrator visits at schools, she runs an education nonprofit called Rising Earth, an organization that connects urban teens with nature and environmental activism through visual arts and storytelling.
MATT COMBS, Professional Fiddler, Class of 1993
Matt has spent his life educating and entertaining us and is one of this generation's most talented fiddle players. Matt has been nominated for a Grammy twice for his legendary work. Matt has performed or recorded with too many artists to name them all, but included among them are legends such as Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town, and more.
Matt lives in Nashville with his wife Rachel and their three daughters.
WHITNEY COOPER, Broadway Dancer, Class of 2008
Whitney Cooper danced through our hallways, on our stages, and on our field and court during her time at Collegiate. We are grateful to have gotten to witness her love for the performing arts from an early age and continue to cheer her on from afar!
Whitney Cooper is still dancing to her dreams in New York City and beyond! She has spent over a decade touring the country with Broadway shows, performing musicals at numerous regional theaters, dancing on TV/Film and videos, as well as working in New York on lots of new pieces of art. Where you can continuously catch her onstage is at Radio City Music Hall every Christmas season for the Christmas Spectacular. She feels so fortunate to be doing what she loves for a living, and thanks Collegiate for their impact and support.
JIM DIEGO, Vocalist, Class of 2002
Jim showed a talent and passion for arts and entertainment from a young age. During his time at Wichita Collegiate, he sang in the choir and a capella, played multiple instruments, and acted in plays and school productions.
He took that same passion with him when he moved to New York City after college. During the sixteen years he lived in New York City, he produced multiple a capella songs, albums, and music videos. He also placed a high priority on his membership in the Broadway Barkada, an organization made up of nearly 100 active members whose aim is to nurture and support Filipino artists who believe in the importance of cultural awareness.
His musical talent is perhaps most well-known for the way he combined his love of running and singing. Jim ran half-marathons and marathons AND performed the National Anthem in all 50 states. This unique combination of running and singing talents made him a local legend in New York. He was often invited to sing at race days, including most recently at the 2022 NYC Marathon.
Jim passed away on December 16, 2022. We are grateful his memory will live on at Wichita Collegiate School in many ways, including as an inaugural inductee in the Fine Arts Hall of Fame.
MARC HAVENER, Video Producer, Class of 1992
Marc worked diligently as a student of Mr. B’s to support the growth of the visual art classes. As a high school student Marc won the Kan Film Festival. One of the judges for the festival was an actor, and after seeing Marc's film, he said, “I’ll be working for this kid someday.” He showed an early talent for it, and his commitment to the industry has no doubt gone on to inspire others, just as he did when he was in our buildings.
Marc received a bachelors in Film Studies at the University of Kansas, followed by a decade working in the AD department on Hollywood films (including Thirteen Days, Wedding Crashers, Pirates of the Caribbean). He’s directed short films that have screened in 75+ film festivals around the globe. His training films have elevated the form, winning all the top industry awards. He’s shot in almost 20 countries, including Haiti, Kenya and Belgium, and produced videos with Mel Gibson, Ben Stiller and Susan Sarandon. His commercial work has been recognized with two National ADDYS and multiple regional and local ADDYS, including Best In Show. He is currently raising his family in Lawrence, KS where he operates his production company, Resonate Pictures.
JAMES OCKERMAN, former Fine Arts Teacher, 1974-2006
No one has done more for Collegiate Performing Arts program than James Ockerman. “Mr. O” created an incredible music and music theater program that was legendary during his tenure. He received countless Jester awards, coached his students to high levels, and built a reputation nationwide for his work. Mr. O was an integral part of helping to cultivate the WCS culture of it being cool to "do it all."
When we reached out to Mr. Ockerman for an update, he shared, “On June 1st, 2006, Susan, the wind beneath my wings, and I drove away from Wichita Collegiate School into the unknown!!! We took with us many memories of classrooms, students, Europe and New York City trips, concerts, choirs, friends, family, parties, Broadway shows, and many more moments of amazing inspiration and gratification!! We spent time in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Ruidoso, New Mexico; Taichung, Taiwan; Kansas City, Kansas; Ojai, California; and finally returned to Wichita Kansas... All the while making memories with new students at new schools. We made friends and had experiences that filled our lives up with even more excitement! After returning to Wichita, Kansas, Susan taught again at Collegiate, and I began to coach vocal students in the community. We are still enjoying the final chapters of our lives!!!”
SHERRI PILGREEN, former Music teacher, 1998-2011
Mrs. Pilgreen is known for not only being a tremendous musician, but for her vision for excellence as fine arts department chair. She was a ferocious advocate for fine arts with administration through the years and known for standing up for and celebrating her faculty members. Her connection to, and support for, students was unmatched and unwavering.
Mrs. Pilgreen shared, “We are currently living in Kansas City where our children and one granddaughter reside. My husband Terry and I are still working at our usual jobs, music and law. I have been working part-time at two schools as an accompanist in a high school and a middle school. (I still love middle school the best).”
BRANDON SOMERHALDER, Video Producer, Class of 2010
Brandon was a significant contributor to the Fine Arts during his time at Collegiate as a member of Madrigals, Concert and Jazz Band (Saxophone), and made frequent appearances in our beloved V-Mag videos. He performed in musicals every year of high school and went on to take these passions and visions for the Fine Arts and develop them into his life's work.
Brandon shares, “I'm still working as a cinematographer and producer on documentaries. Recent projects as Director of Photography include the Netflix series Live to 100 documenting Blue Zones across the globe, the upcoming HBO documentary The Lionheart profiling the legacy of late IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon as told through his widow and young sons, and a feature doc on comedian Andy Kaufman Thank You Very Much which just premiered at the Venice Film Festival. This fall, I'm shooting between ongoing documentaries in the San Juan Islands, Miami, Ghana, and London, but Los Angeles is still home.”
BLAKE WEBSTER, Video Producer, Class of 1998
Blake Webster was one of the trailblazers in our video production programs. He was a part of the Video Mag classes during a time of great technological advancements in the field and was able to utilize many of those here on our campus. He helped to set the bar high for all future Video Mag students. His rousing endorsement of our program inspired many future generations of Spartans to pursue their interests in the digital film and photography world.
Blake says, “After living in Los Angeles for about 17 years, we decided to move our 3 kids back to Kansas to be closer to family. While I travel a lot to LA or NYC for work still, we’re loving raising our family in the Midwest. I’m still directing and producing television. I just got nominated for another primetime Emmy for Carpool Karaoke and am working on a few other projects as well. A lot of my work and credits can be seen on my website www.rblakewebster.com.”
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
TRACE CLARK, Football and Basketball, Class of 2012
An outstanding multisport athlete who garnered accolades in all of them, Trace especially shined on the football field and the basketball court. He contributed to three different teams' state titles during his time as a Spartan, ultimately being recognized as one of the best football players (across all divisions!) in the state. He went on to accept a football scholarship at Oklahoma State University.
Trace says, “I’ve been living out in Los Angeles for the past two years as an engineering consultant in the biomedical field. I’ve also been acting a little bit, modeling a little bit, gaming a little bit, and chilling a lotta bit. I am back in Wichita at the moment recovering from a torn ACL incurred playing in the Professional Trampoline Basketball League in Las Vegas this summer, SLAMBALL. So I’m hanging out and playing with my two little nephews until I head back out to the beach.”
LAKELIN CONRAD, Cross Country, Track, and Tennis, Class of 2018
Lakelin Conrad was a phenomenal three sport letterman while attending Wichita Collegiate School, experiencing great success in all three sports. His coaches helped him establish some fairly tough goals, and he rose to the occasion on all of them. He placed first in numerous athletic contests and won State Championships in cross country (3 State titles), track (2 State titles in the 3200m and 1 in the 1600m), and tennis. Lakelin was the kind of athlete who worked hard and was self motivated. He was humble and let the results speak for themselves.
Lakelin is currently pursuing a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Portland. With his final year of NCAA eligibility, he is running track and cross country for the University of Portland. He is an avid Yoga Nidra Practitioner, chess.com enthusiast, and aspiring YouTuber when he isn’t studying or running.
Sara Koch Crawford, Basketball, Class of 1980
Sara was a four-year basketball player at WCS from 1976-1980. A four-year starter, her career really took off her junior year when she helped engineer a turnaround from a 4-16 team to a 17-4 team. Her senior season the Spartans were 16-2 and SPC Champions. Sara ended her career as the all-time leading single season scorer, second in career total points, first in single season rebounds, first in career rebounds, first in single season blocks (averaging 3.1 a game), and first in career blocks. Over time, other players have passed her on some of the lists, but she remains on all top 10 lists and still leads in career blocks. She was unanimous first team ALL SPC both her junior and senior season. (At the time we were not in KSHSAA, so her exposure to All-State teams was not what it might have been later.) She was selected to play in the then ALL CITY game. She was awarded a full basketball scholarship at the University of Tulsa, the first woman basketball player at Collegiate to achieve this distinction. Quite simply, Sara put Collegiate Womens' basketball on the map.
BILL MESSAMORE, Former Football Coach, 1996-2022
Coach Messamore was a coach and teacher at Collegiate for 27 years. Over those 27 years he served as either the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, or head coach. A look at his numbers reveals so much about why he is so deserving of this honor. Bill was the head coach for 7 years. His head coaching record was 62 wins and only 15 losses – an impressive 82% winning percentage. He led the 2009 team to the Class 3A State Championship, ending the season with a 14-0 record. As an offensive or defensive coordinator, Bill’s record was 162 wins and 50 losses. He was the defensive coordinator on the 2000 Class 3A State Championship team and the offensive coordinator on the 2015 Class 3A State Runner-Up team. When you put it all together, the overall record of Collegiate Football with Bill either being the head coach or coordinator was 224 wins and 65 losses, with 2 State Championships and 1 Runner-Up. He played a huge role in getting Spartan football to where it is today, known as one of the top programs in the state of Kansas.
Coach Messamore shared, “Debbie and I live here in Wichita and are now fully retired. We spend most of our time either golfing, traveling to golf, or hanging out with our children and grandchildren. I have a few oil painting projects in the works and enjoy organizing family photo albums. All my grandchildren are Spartans. We are truly blessed.”
HANNAH OSLAND, Tennis, Class of 2016
Hannah attended WCS all of her life, but it was her high school career in tennis that makes her stand out. She is one of twelve players in Kansas high school history (three from Collegiate) to win four State Tennis titles and one of FIVE (three of whom are also from Collegiate) to win four State Doubles titles. In Regional and State competition throughout her four years, her record was 31-1, losing only in the regional finals of her freshman year.
Hannah has been living on O’ahu, Hawai’i for a little over three years now, while her parents and brother are in Seattle. She is in graduate school for marine and environmental science studying a native bobtail squid species. She stays busy with hikes, being in the water, and with lots of work to do as a result of the recent Mau’i fires.
RANDY LOVE, Football, Class of 1967
Randy Love carried the football team in the very early years when we played 8-man football. Following his Wichita Collegiate career, he became a star running back at University of the South (Sewanee) and went on to be the star of the Oxford University rugby team from 1971 to 1974. He led Oxford to three victories in the Varsity rugby matches against Cambridge before Queen Elizabeth II.
RAYMOND TAYLOR, Football and Basketball, Class of 2011
A winner of multiple State Championships, Raymond was an integral part of those teams. He was a standout athlete who earned multiple post season honors at the league and state level.
Raymond gave a fun update as he said, "A big deal for me is, i was just on “the price is right!” Aired June 7th. And I’m a professional Slamball player. The sport started back up and airs on espn. The most fun of any sport I’ve played. I'm also currently a realtor in Phoenix, Arizona."
BROOKE WITHROW, Tennis, Class of 2014
Brooke attended WCS from her 2nd grade year through graduation, except for her freshman year, when she attended a tennis academy in Florida. During her three seasons playing for the Spartans, she amassed an impressive 89-1 record, losing only in the 4th match of her sophomore season, right after defeating the defending 6A champion. She won three State Tennis titles and went on to play at the University of Oklahoma.