Kansas’ Merik Dismang Selected as 2024 National High School Spirit of Sport Award Recipient

At Olathe East High School outside Kansas City, Merik Dismang is a popular student-athlete excelling in multiple sports, just like millions of students across the country. But given the challenges Merik has had to overcome as a student with special needs, his success was not always something his family thought he could accomplish.

It’s a glowing example of the power of participation in school sports and the relationships it builds.

Dismang, a four-sport Special Olympics Unified Sports® athlete from Olathe (Kansas) East High School, who is also battling cancer, is the 2024 national recipient of the NFHS “National High School Spirit of Sport Award.”

The “National High School Spirit of Sport Award” was created by the NFHS to recognize those individuals who exemplify the ideals of the spirit of sport that represent the core mission of education- based athletics.

Dismang thrives on participating in multiple Unified Sports, including basketball, soccer, bocce and bowling at Olathe East. He has been a consistent performer on the three-time Unified bowling Regional Championship team, which includes a third-place overall finish at the state meet in 2021.

As an athlete and as a student at the Center Based Resource Program, the impact he has had on his teammates, opponents and teachers is immeasurable. His unbreakable spirit and upbeat attitude mask the health challenges he faces.

In August 2023, Dismang was diagnosed with Large B-Cell Lymphoma. Following the diagnosis came a treatment plan that was exhausting. Early morning trips to Children’s Mercy Hospital in nearby Kansas City for treatments started with blood checks and anti-nausea medication to help him over the next 24-48 hours. Then chemotherapy consisted of several bags of medicines that kept him at Children’s Mercy for nearly seven hours.

In addition, Merik had a constant threat of a blood transfusion because the chemotherapy killed too many healthy blood cells. He has even endured a type 1 diabetes diagnosis that was triggered by the cancer.

“Merik doesn’t let on to what he is going through or how he is feeling,” Olathe East Athletic Director Mike Wolgast said. “The only way you would know what is happening is he has lost his hair. He wants to participate; he wants to be with his teammates and coaches.”

Through the 2023-24 school year, Dismang continued his treatments, and another hospital stay. However, he was finally declared cancer free in April.

Merik’s mother, Maureen, adds that his participation in Unified Sports has been his motivation to continue to fight cancer.

“Merik getting to compete allows him to get his powers back,” Maureen Dismang said. “Without sports in his life, he would never be the kid he is today. He smiles all the time.”

Merik’s Unified partners marvel at his impact on his teams and the attitude he brings to competition.

“Merik is my superhero. I look up to him just as much as I look up to anyone,” teammate Gabby Fraser said. “He is an awesome human and I think everyone needs a Merik in their life.”

About the Award

In addition to the selection of Merik Dismang as the national award recipient, the NFHS National High School Spirit of Sport Award Selection Committee chose seven other individuals for section awards. Following are the 2024 National High School Spirit of Sport section winners:

Section 1 – Scott Meyer, student-athlete, Woodbury (Connecticut) Nonnewaug High School

A brain tumor diagnosis at age six began a life of treatments and five surgeries for Meyer. However, even with a weakened left side of his body and periodic seizures, he has persevered to excel at track and field and been a model student-athlete.

Section 2 – Hunter McKinzie, student-athlete, Mount Orab (Ohio) Western Brown High School

Diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma in March of 2022, McKinzie made an incredible recovery to rejoin his football teammates six months later for his junior season. However, he was dealt another setback when he broke his leg in the second game of his senior season.

Section 3 – Jamarie Ballard and Chad Long, student-athlete and mentor, Chattanooga (Tennessee) Tyner Academy

Ballard was forced to deal with the murder of his mother as an 11-year-old. But, with the help of his grandparents and Long, the mentor he met at a summer camp, Ballard has become a model student-athlete at Tyner, leading the football team to a state championship in 2022.

Section 4 – Dave Yates, coach, Palatine (Illinois) William Fremd High School

Yates has built the girls basketball program at Fremd into a perennial power, winning more than 400 games since 2006. When a 2023 brain cancer diagnosis left him fighting for his life, Yates remained committed to his team and didn’t miss a practice, leading Fremd to the third-place state tournament finish this season.

Section 5 – Merik Dismang, student-athlete, Olathe (Kansas) East High School

Section 6 – Terry Bussey, student-athlete, Timpson (Texas) High School

Bussey lost his mother to a stroke as a freshman in high school. Without his single parent and two sisters, who moved in with other families, Bussey lived with Timpson principal Jerrod Campbell and became a standout football player leading Timpson to a 2023 state title.

Section 7 – Joe Lomu, student-athlete, Eagle Mountain (Utah) Cedar Valley High School

A standout running back after his first three seasons at Cedar Valley, Lomu finished his junior season as the school’s all-time rushing yards leader and was primed for his senior season. However, a cancer diagnosis in January 2023 led to the removal of most of Lomu’s left leg, ending his football career. Lomu beat cancer and will head to college with the plan to eventually coach football.

Section 8 – Kyzaia Jones, student-athlete, Pavillion (Wyoming) Wind River High School

Jones, a standout football and basketball player at Wind River, witnessed a car accident involving two female classmates. In an attempt to assist the girls, Jones grabbed their car door handle not realizing it was touching a downed power line. The electrical current threw Jones back and he sustained third- and fourth-degree burns over 50-percent of his body.

Nominations for this award were generated through NFHS member state associations and reviewed by the NFHS National High School Spirit of Sport Award Selection Committee composed of state association staff members. The national winner and section recipients will be recognized June 28 at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

The National High School Spirit of Sport Award was started in 2008. The previous national award recipients follow:

2008 – Tammy Dufford, cheerleading coach, Evergreen (Colorado) High School, and Megan Bomgaars, cheerleader, Evergreen (Colorado) High School

2009 – Dakota Dana, student-athlete, Afton (Wyoming) Star Valley High School

2010 – Tori Clark, student-athlete, Roselle (Illinois) Lake Park High School

2011 – New Kensington (Pennsylvania) Valley High School Softball Team and Umpire Bill Dithrich

2012 – Jacob Goldberg, student-athlete, Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Pine Crest High School

2013 – Magoffin County High School, Salyersville, Kentucky, and Logan County High School, Russellville, Kentucky

2014 – Zach Pickett, student-athlete, Shingle Springs (California) Ponderosa High School

2015 – Grace Cummings, student-athlete, Madison (Connecticut) High School

2016 – Ashley Carson, student-athlete, Ord (Nebraska) High School

2017 – Danny Lilya, student-athlete, Moose Lake (Minnesota) High School

2018 – Marissa Walker, student-athlete, Waterford (Connecticut) High School

2019 – Amanda Merrell, student-athlete, Huntingtown (Maryland) High School

2020 – Noah Lambrecht, student-athlete, McCool-Junction (Nebraska) High School

2021 – Hayden Holton, student-athlete, Elmore County (Alabama) High School

2022 – The Wyatt Family, Medina (Tennessee) South Gibson High School

2023 – Gabe Marsh, student-athlete, Guntersville (Alabama) High School