{"id":185440,"date":"2026-04-04T13:16:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T13:16:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/185440\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T13:16:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T13:16:38","slug":"manhattans-alayna-slifer-named-winter-all-flint-hills-female-athlete-of-the-year-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/185440\/","title":{"rendered":"Manhattan\u2019s Alayna Slifer named Winter All-Flint Hills Female Athlete of the Year | Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before the medals, before the packed brackets and full lineups, Alayna Slifer remembers when girls\u2019 wrestling in Manhattan looked a lot different.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was a kid, there was maybe one other girl in the city who also wrestled,\u201d Slifer said. \u201cAnd to come here now and see a full varsity roster for the first time, almost a full JV roster.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m beyond proud of our community for getting involved with it and recognizing our growth in the amazing sport that we have.\u201d<\/p>\n

That perspective has shaped the way Slifer views her career. Not just through wins and losses, but through what the sport has become around her.<\/p>\n

The Manhattan High senior capped that journey with a second straight Class 6A state championship at 135 pounds, going 39-1 this season and earning her 100th career win along the way. She needed just 5 minutes, 32 seconds of mat time across four matches at state to secure the title.<\/p>\n

For her accomplishments and more, she is the Winter All-Flint Hills Female Athlete of the Year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think of little me,\u201d Slifer said. \u201cI never thought I would come this far in the sport and fall in love with it as much as I have. It just means a lot to me because I know I have put in my work. There\u2019s been a lot of tears, a lot of blood, and a lot of support. I\u2019m just very grateful for everyone who has helped me get here, because I couldn\u2019t have done it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

That gratitude has been constant, even as expectations grew.<\/p>\n

Coming off a state title and 38-2 record a year ago, Slifer entered her senior season with a target on her back. Instead of shying away from it, she leaned into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mind the target very much,\u201d she said. \u201cI actually was seeking out some of those tougher matches, because I do enjoy scrambles. I enjoy working for it, and to me, that\u2019s the thrill of wrestling \u2014 being challenged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"mer-spt-alaynaslifer-2\"<\/p>\n

Manhattan High head wrestling coach Shawn Bammes hugs Alayna Slifer after she defeated Garden City\u2019s Kylie Huber in a 135-pound championship match during the 6A state wrestling tournament Feb. 28 at AdventHealth Sports Park in Overland Park. It marked Slifer\u2019s second straight individual title.<\/p>\n

Staff photo by Lewis Marien<\/a><\/p>\n

Even with that success, Slifer said she was rarely satisfied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was still constantly looking to improve, even if it\u2019s small things,\u201d she said. \u201cTrying to get one move in a match versus another\u2026 anywhere I went, I wasn\u2019t satisfied, and I think that contributed to it a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mindset became a foundation not just for her own success, but for the program around her.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has been the heart and soul of our girls\u2019 team,\u201d head coach Shawn Bammes said. \u201cThere have been years she\u2019s carried that girls\u2019 team on her back, helping encourage and get them to where they\u2019re at to be successful as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bammes has known Slifer since she was 8 years old. He\u2019s seen her wrestle in rooms where opportunities for girls were limited, and now on teams where the roster is full and expectations are high.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was around before girls had the opportunity to wrestle other girls, when they were wrestling boys,\u201d Bammes said. \u201cTo see her stick with it and see the development and the growth.<\/p>\n

\u201c…She\u2019ll always be remembered as the one who first came through for four years with the girls-only team, kind of helping lead them to where they\u2019re at now \u2014 her mark will always be left on this program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slifer is quick to credit the Manhattan community as a whole for the program\u2019s growth, but she said it doesn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a credit to our coaches, too, and the boys\u2019 team,\u201d she said. \u201cThey share the facility, they share the coaches. There are a lot of people out there who aren\u2019t the most supportive or try to treat girls differently in these sports, but ours are amazing, and they give us their undivided attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

That environment helped shape not just her skill, but her identity in the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started when I was eight years old,\u201d Slifer said. \u201cInitially, it was very rough. It\u2019s a hard sport\u2026 not many kids like to do hard things, and I was one of them. But once it got to middle school, I realized it\u2019s a privilege to wrestle, and it really became part of my identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, as her high school career comes to a close, Slifer hopes that perspective is what lasts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope I leave a legacy of being a humble and eager-to-learn person,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t want people to ever stop being curious, especially about this sport. I hope people aren\u2019t ever scared and have an open mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slifer\u2019s impact extended beyond the mat during her time at MHS. She was involved in Students Against Destructive Decisions, National Honor Society and the Keystone Club, helping organize events and volunteer in the community.<\/p>\n

\"mer-spt-alaynaslifer-3\"<\/p>\n

Manhattan High\u2019s Alayna Slifer is joined by family during a senior night recognition before a home dual against Bonner Springs on Dec. 11.<\/p>\n

Staff photo by Lewis Marien<\/a><\/p>\n

As she turns the page from wrestling, Slifer plans to attend Johnson County Community College to study dental hygiene while also giving back to the sport through youth wrestling coaching.<\/p>\n

Her advice to future wrestlers is simple.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you really start having fun with this sport is when you start doing good,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you\u2019re focused on a tournament that\u2019s three months away, you aren\u2019t taking advantage of the opportunity you have that weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while her time on the mat is finished, the standard she helped build remains.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s one of those ones \u2014 it\u2019s always fun to be in her corner,\u201d Bammes said. \u201cShe\u2019s always working hard, she always wants it. But there are times when I think she wants it more for her teammates than herself. And that just shows how special she is.\u201d<\/p>\n

From a program with only a handful of girls to one filled with competitors chasing championships, Slifer was there through it all.<\/p>\n

And in the process, she didn\u2019t just win. She helped build something that will last.<\/p>\n

Now, as she leaves the program behind, Slifer has one final piece of advice for the Manhattan community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a kid, please put them in wrestling,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s great for them. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE MERCURY\u2019S ALL-FLINT HILLS SELECTIONS<\/p>\n

How we made our selections:<\/p>\n

We chose the teams from athletes who we felt represented the top level of the sport this past season. We considered coaches\u2019 recommendations, statistics, school size and postseason success.<\/p>\n

Girls\u2019 wrestling<\/p>\n

Wrestler of the Year<\/p>\n

Alayna Slifer, senior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Sophia Hoeme, junior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Eva Lucios, senior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Evelyn Thornburg, senior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Kayla Cramer, junior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Tasia Miller, sophomore, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Kalena Borge, freshman, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Tierra Young, junior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Erica Li, senior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Kimberly Altamirano-Cruz, sophomore, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Alison Kaupp, freshman, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Eleanor Radi, junior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Chloe Ramos, junior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Allison Sprenkle, senior, Wamego<\/p>\n

Leolyn Karnowski, freshman, Wamego<\/p>\n

Nevaeh Beatty, freshman, Wamego<\/p>\n

Peyton Brazzle, junior, Wamego<\/p>\n

Rachel Barber, junior, Wamego<\/p>\n

Ali Wilcoxson, sophomore, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Claire Steeves, senior, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Dakoda Moeller, senior, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Joee Perkins, senior, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Liliauna Nold, sophomore, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Megan Ryan, sophomore, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

RaeLynne Wilson, junior, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Annabele Burton, freshman, Riley County<\/p>\n

Kinsey Loecker, freshman, Riley County<\/p>\n

Alysia Werner, sophomore, Council Grove<\/p>\n

Khloe Lif, junior, Council Grove<\/p>\n

Savanah Johnson, junior, Council Grove<\/p>\n

Savannah Stewart, sophomore, Council Grove<\/p>\n

Girls\u2019 basketball<\/p>\n

Player of the Year<\/p>\n

Lexi Hecht, senior, Wamego<\/p>\n

First Team<\/p>\n

Lexi Hecht, senior, Wamego<\/p>\n

Kat Ball, senior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Kylee Frazee, junior, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Rory Pitzter, junior, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Grace Zeller, junior, Wabaunsee<\/p>\n

Second Team<\/p>\n

Kendall Mayer, sophomore, Wamego<\/p>\n

Talen Orton, junior, Wabaunsee<\/p>\n

Delaney Larson, senior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Evie Banks, sophomore, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Brynlyn Brockman, senior, Blue Valley<\/p>\n

Third Team<\/p>\n

Audrey Holle, sophomore, Riley County<\/p>\n

Jelena Depusoir, junior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Lucy Martinie, junior, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Bailey Busch, junior, Manhattan<\/p>\n

Bryleigh Brockman, sophomore, Blue Valley<\/p>\n

Honorable Mention<\/p>\n

Addi Gutsch, freshman, Riley County<\/p>\n

Lydia Dumler, junior, Blue Valley<\/p>\n

Rylie Friess, junior, Rock Creek<\/p>\n

Rileigh Mitoska, junior, Riley County<\/p>\n

Girls\u2019 bowling<\/p>\n

Cortlynn Millington, sophomore, Manhattan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Before the medals, before the packed brackets and full lineups, Alayna Slifer remembers when girls\u2019 wrestling in Manhattan…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185441,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[7971,75,84,83,4504,9,24,63,319],"class_list":{"0":"post-185440","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manhattan","8":"tag-area_sports","9":"tag-manhattan","10":"tag-manhattan-headlines","11":"tag-manhattan-news","12":"tag-manhattan_high","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-city","15":"tag-nyc","16":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}