Blue Valley West’s Misemer wins Kenneth Smith Award as KC area’s top female golfer
Blue Valley West’s Julia Misemer, who this fall became just the second person, boy or girl, to win four straight Kansas Class 6A golf championships, is this year’s winner of the annual Kenneth Smith Award as the top girls high school golfer in the KC Metro.
The award is sponsored by the Kenneth L. and Eva S. Smith Foundation and is presented each year to the area’s top male and female golfers.
Nominees, submitted by golf coaches and athletics directors, are judged in four areas: performance in high school golf tournaments, academic achievement, leadership on the golf team and in other aspects of school, and community service through school, church or other activities.
Misemer won every regular-season possible during her senior season at BV West: the Eastern Kansas League title; the 6A Regional Tournament; and the state tournament. She’ll leave BV West having won 31 of 32 high school tournaments.
In the classroom, she’s achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. She has been on the Blue Valley West honor roll every semester during her high school career, and is a member in the National English Honors Society.
She was the leader and captain of the BV West golf team even as a freshman.
Along with working a part-time job throughout high school, Misemer has been an active volunteer with the U. S. Kids Golf Organization, First Tee of Greater Kansas City and her church. She has also been a member of the school’s Environmental Club.
She’s devoted significant time to developing her golf skills, too, getting up around 5 a.m. most mornings to attend a workout program and spending countless hours hitting golf balls, pitching, chipping and putting, etc.
Misemer was recently quoted as saying: “It (golf) is an important aspect in my life, but not the most important one. There are bigger things in life, but I feel this game has made me a better person.”
Misemer plans to continue her education and golfing career next fall at the University of Arizona, perhaps majoring in pre-med.
In recognition of her achievements, the Kenneth L. and Eva S. Smith Foundation is contributing $5,000 to First Tee of Greater Kansas City to support their cutting-edge child development programs.
The boys’ Kenneth Smith Award will be presented next spring at the conclusion of the boys’ high school golf season.
