Chris Wristen | Shawnee Dispatch

Chris Wristen is the sports editor for The Shawnee Dispatch, Bonner Springs Chieftain and Basehor Sentinel. He has been in this position since March 2008. Prior to this appointment, he helped launch The Lansing Current, a weekly newspaper in Lansing, Kan. He spent 3 1/2 years there as the sports editor and helped The Current become an award-winning publication on the state and national levels. Chris also has been a sports reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal, The Lawrence Journal-World and The University Daily Kansan. Chris is a Kansas native. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Kansas in Spring 2002 and completed his Masters Degree in Sports Administration at KU in December 2003. While at KU, Chris placed third nationally in the William Randolph Hearst Sportswriting Competition, and he has received additional recognition during his professional career. The Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association honored Chris as the 2005-2006 Wrestling Media of the Year award winner. He also is an eight-time first-place winner in the Kansas Press Association Awards of Excellence competition, including sports column writing in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. When not covering the local sports scene, Chris is an avid traveler, hiker and trail-runner.

Recent stories

Wristen: Kindness will never be forgotten: By Chris Wristen; January 9, 2012; Chances are as you’re reading this I’m running down a trail in the Rocky Mountains, kicking up dirt behind me while sucking down the thin air.
22-2 run powers MVHS boys past Tonganoxie: By Chris Wristen; January 7, 2012; Tonganoxie hit big shot after big shot during the first half Friday night at Mill Valley, and for a while it looked like the Chieftain boys basketball team would pull off the upset.
Tripp, Mill Valley girls pull away from Tonganoxie: By Chris Wristen; January 7, 2012; For two quarters Friday night the Mill Valley girls basketball team was unable to shake a scrappy Tonganoxie squad that struggled to score but did enough defensively to stay in the game.
Wristen: Championships aplenty for Shawnee schools in 2011: By Chris Wristen; December 28, 2011; Gymnasium walls grew a lot more crowded at Shawnee area schools this year.
St. James boys no match for Hogan Prep: By Chris Wristen; December 17, 2011; St. James Academy coach Mark Huppe knew his young and inexperienced boys basketball team would have its hands full with a veteran bunch from Hogan Prep (Mo.), and it took less than two minutes for Huppe’s concerns to be validated.
Second-half collapse proves costly for Mill Valley boys: By Chris Wristen; December 14, 2011; Justin Bogart was at a loss for words in the minutes following the Mill Valley boys basketball team’s 55-52 loss to Bonner Springs Tuesday night at MVHS.
Bonner Springs girls hang on against Mill Valley: By Chris Wristen; December 13, 2011; A year ago, the first meeting between the Bonner Springs and Mill Valley girls basketball teams came down to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by the Jaguars.
After years of struggling, life is good for SMNW girls: By Chris Wristen; December 13, 2011; Moments after the final seconds ticked off the clock Thursday night at Cougar Gymnasium, the Shawnee Mission Northwest girls basketball team went through a handshake line.
Stacy’s career night lifts Mill Valley boys past Gardner: By Chris Wristen; December 11, 2011; When Nathan Stacy was just a freshman, Mill Valley boys basketball coach Justin Bogart knew Stacy had the potential to be a special player for the Jaguars.
Late bucket lifts Hayden over St. James: By Chris Wristen; December 10, 2011; A year ago, Topeka Hayden needed a last-second shot to edge St. James Academy’s boys basketball team in overtime at Hayden.

Full story list

Recent photos

Shawnee Mission Northwest's Mario Galvan tries to escape the grasp of Fort Scott's Dane Cummings during the 195-pound finals at the Dick Burns Mat Classic. Cummings won the match 7-1.

Nathan Stacy scored a game-high 26 points for Mill Valley in a 77-65 victory against Tonganoxie.

Mill Valley boys basketball coach Justin Bogart points out instructions to his team during the Jaguars' 77-65 victory against Tonganoxie. Mill Valley improved to 4-2.