#KCACProud: Profiling Kansas athletes competing in the KCAC

Kansas Pregame is joining forces with the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference to profile Kansas student-athletes competing in the KCAC. Check out three #KCACProud profiles below and look for more athlete profiles in the coming weeks.

Brittany White-Dold, University of Saint Mary Cross Country

Brittany White-Dold has been a part of two conference championships and one runner-up at the University of Saint Mary. On Nov. 9th at the KCAC Cross Country Championships in Wichita, White-Dold helped lead the Spires to a second-place finish.

White-Dold finished third individually at the KCAC Championship in 2018. Last fall, White-Dold was third on her team and finished 15th in the conference. The Spires were edged by Friends University for first place.  

Before she was making an impact at St. Mary, White-Dold was a standout on the Olpe cross country and track teams. In high school, White-Dold was a four-time state qualifier in cross country and track. 

Kansas Pregame caught up with White-Dold, a biology major, to find out what is special about competing in the KCAC:

Question: What do you enjoy most about St. Mary from both an athletic standpoint and academic standpoint?

Answer: I enjoy Saint Mary academically because of the amazing staff. They are extremely supportive of their students and are willing to work with athletes' busy schedules. Athletically, Saint Mary was the best fit for myself coming from a small high school. Coach [Alstin] Benton was building a dynamic program that focuses on individualizing training for each athlete. This was great for myself coming from a less structured program then other incoming athletes.

Q: What did you most enjoy about the NAIA and KCAC level of play?

A: NAIA is a great program for passionate athletes to develop their skills while also furthering their education. The KCAC reminds me of my high school league. Athletes of any skill level are welcomed and encouraged to compete at their best. The KCAC is another example of where average athletes can grow into standout performers.

Q: Are you still planning to graduate with a degree in biology? What do you plan to do after college?

A: I will graduate in May with a Bachelors of Science in Biology.  I am currently pre accepted into KU Medical School, which is scheduled to start in July.

Q: How has the transition from high school to college been for you?

A: When I joined Saint Mary's Cross Country program, I was welcomed by the whole team. It was intimidating at first to be competing at this level, especially when I never thought I would run post high school. I came in determined and pretty cocky. Due to injury, I was quickly humbled by the process that would eventually take me to new heights in my career. During injury and frustration, my upper classmen were great supporters and resources on staying strong and dedicated to the demanding process that was running. Over the next years through great role models on the team, I stepped up into a leadership position and I try my best everyday to do as they had taught me by encouraging and challenging my teammates.

Dylan Foos, Ottawa Football

Dylan Foos did a little bit of everything in Ottawa’s 39-3 win over Saint Mary on Nov. 2.

Foos caught two touchdowns and threw another for the Braves in their second win of the season. Foos scored both of Ottawa’s touchdowns during a Nov. 9 loss to Friends. Less than five minutes into the game, Foos caught a 68-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Connor Kaegi. The duo later connected from four yards out later in the first half.

Foos finished his junior season as an honorable mention All-KCAC receiver and kick returner. His 653 receiving yards and 52 catches led the team, while his eight receiving touchdowns were second. Foos also returned 15 punts for 59 yards with a long of 11 yards.

In 2018, as a sophomore, Foos earned second-team All-KCAC honors as a punt returner. Foos played four games as a freshman and has now played in every game since.

Ottawa finished the decade with winning seasons in seven of 10 years, but suffered a rare losing season under veteran coach Kent Kessigner last fall. The Braves, who were coming off an 8-2 season in 2018, fell to 2-8 in 2019, but were competitive in every game. 

Six of Ottawa's eight losses were determined by one possession or less, including an Oct. 26 overtime shootout against Bethel in which Ottawa came up short, 46-45. The Braves even played fourth-ranked Kansas Wesleyan relatively close, losing 38-21. The 17-point game was the second-closest KCAC game Kansas Wesleyan played this season. 

Foos’ success at Ottawa comes as no surprise to those who watched him play at Dighton. Foos dominated the 8-Man ranks in all three phases of the game.

On offense, Foos finished his high school career with over 3,000 receiving yards and 51 receiving touchdowns. Defensively, Foos has tallied 310 career tackles to go along with 15 interceptions. And as a returner, Foos had 1,523 return yards.

His senior year, Foos led Dighton to the 8-Man Division II State Championship game. For his accomplishments, Foos played in the 2017 Shrine Bowl game.

Kansas Pregame caught up with Foos, a business major, to find out what is special about competing in the KCAC:

Question: What do you enjoy most about Ottawa from both an athletic standpoint and academic standpoint?

Answer: What I most enjoy about Ottawa University from the athletic standpoint would probably have to be the family aspect our coaches try to instill in us. I really feel a part of a family here and have made relationships here that will last for the rest of my life. I like how the classes are smaller. It really makes me get to know my professors and they really care about how we perform in our classes.

Q: What did you most enjoy about the NAIA and KCAC level of play?

A: I like seeing how great talent and players can compete and play on all levels including NAIA.

Q: What are you majoring in and what do you plan to do after college?

A: I’m majoring in business but I haven’t narrowed down what I would like to specialize in.

Q: You had a lot of success at Dighton High School and you've made an impact at Ottawa since your freshman year. What do you enjoy most about football in Kansas?

A: I enjoy the fact that I came from a small school and didn’t get overlooked by this level. I’m grateful to play at the next level and it’s small schools like this that really make a difference in my life.

Colby Johnson, Ottawa Football

Colby Johnson excelled in his first year as a starter last year. Now a junior, Johnson has established himself as one of the top defensive players in the KCAC.

Johnson led the conference in tackles with 109 in 10 games, 55 of which were solo tackles. For the first time in his career, Johnson was named KCAC Defensive Player of the Week after an impressive performance in Ottawa’s win over Saint Mary on Nov. 2.

Against Saint Mary, Johnson recorded 12 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. With Johnson leading the way, Ottawa kept Saint Mary out of the endzone, winning 39-3.

The following Saturday in a loss against Friends, Johnson was second on the team with 15 total tackles. Ottawa finished the season with a 2-8 record, a rare losing season under veteran coach Kent Kessinger. In addition to his conference-leading 109 tackles, Johnson also had 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Johnson earned first-team All-KCAC honors last season after recording 90 tackles - half of them being solo - and 2.5 sacks. Johnson earned preseason All-KCAC honors before the season and was a second-team selection at the end of 2019.

Johnson was a standout on the El Dorado football team in high school. His senior year, Johnson started all nine games, recording 59 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. 

Kansas Pregame caught up with Johnson, a sports studies major, to find out what is special about competing in the KCAC:

Question: What do you enjoy most about Ottawa from both an athletic standpoint and academic standpoint?

Answer: What I enjoy about Ottawa from the athletic standpoint is the culture of winning and family. The coaching staff and facilities we have help us go out and compete at the highest level. From the academic standpoint it is truly about helping students get the degree they need. Smaller class sizes and the ability for teachers to be able to have close relationships with me and other students makes academics much easier. The professors truly want to help and are always willing, too.

Q: What did you most enjoy about the NAIA and KCAC level of play?

A: What I enjoy about the NAIA and KCAC level of play is the competitiveness and the overall connection between players and teams. NAIA and KCAC have amazing talent, the guys that play on Saturdays are great athletes and always competitive. Some people look at NAIA and don't think that there is as much talent as bigger divisions, but there is a ton a great players and teams. And at the end of the day we are all living our dream of playing college football, so that connection is something that I really enjoy. I am able to talk to other guys about the journey of getting to where we are today.

Q: What are you getting your degree in and what do you plan to do after college?

A: I am currently a sports studies major and looking to get my bachelors degree in the same field. I want to do something related to football in the sports administration field hopefully.

Q: You earned All-KCAC honors last year in your first full season as a starter. This season you finished with over 100 tackles and were recently named KCAC Defensive Player of the Week. Where have you improved the most from freshman year to your junior year this year?

A: I have improved more in the mental side of football. Coming in as a freshman I never had to really watch film. The ability to watch film and learn tendencies of other teams, while also working on my craft as a linebacker is something that has become a major part of my game. Watching film and looking to improve yourself everyday is important. I have also improved a lot in the strength and conditioning aspect. I have to give a big shoutout to our head strength coach Dillion Adams, he truly has helped me get faster and stronger to compete at the highest level possible.

The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a prominent intercollegiate athletics conference comprised of 13 outstanding private, faith-based institutions of higher education across Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. The KCAC sponsors conference intercollegiate athletics in football, volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's wrestling, competitive cheer and competitve dance, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field, baseball, softball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's lacrosse, and men's and women's swimming.