By Ken Hansard
Paige Stanfield, senior post player for the Shawnee Mission East Lancers, has a sports resume that is as long as it is impressive. She is the rebounding record leader – both for the Sunflower League and for her high school. She recorded 303 rebounds in a single season – an astounding 14.7 per game average. She averaged a double-double last season, contributing over 10 points per game. She was named Second-Team All-Sunflower League and Honorable Mention All-State. And that’s just in basketball.
As for what she is looking for from her final year of high school basketball, Paige says, “I’m looking forward to spending time with my friends for one last year, soaking in the time I have left with them. For the last couple of years, I have seen myself as a team leader. I always make sure to be there for my teammates and answer questions they have.”
Stanfield obviously has the credentials to make her teammates eager to listen, and what she envisions for herself and her teammates is the ability to open some eyes in their part of the state, “I see our team competing with a lot of good teams, and I’m expecting a lot of upsets, as people think they can look past us.”
To prepare for that, Paige spent a lot of time taking stock of her game and preparing for the grind of the long basketball season, “The biggest challenge for me has always been the mental side of things. Each season is long. I have a busy travel ball schedule, and the school seasons run back-to-back. It can take a toll on your body and affect you mentally, so I have worked on staying consistent. To that end, I’ve been working in the weight room to get stronger.”
Back to those other accolades. Paige is a school record holder (146-8) and state champion in the javelin. Last season, she won every meet except for the KU Relays, where she placed second. It was her first season ever to throw the javelin.
In softball, Paige has garnered numerous all-league and all-state honors and is rated the number two softball player in the state, amassing a .500 batting average and 10 home runs as a junior. She has signed to play at the University of Alabama.
In the end, when one considers Stanfield’s aggressive mindset, it is little wonder that she has experienced so much success, “I’m a very competitive person, and I hate losing more than I like winning.”
Paige boasts an incredible 4.2 GPA in the classroom. After graduation, she plans to attend the University of Alabama to play softball and major in kinesiology with an emphasis on exercise science. She would eventually like to go to PA school to become a physician’s assistant.
