# Olathe East High School

Olathe East High School is a public high school located in Olathe, Kansas, United States, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is one of five high schools in the Olathe USD 233 school district. Olathe East is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A division and are known as the "Hawks". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. The school colors are orange and navy blue, and the school's mascot is the Hawk.

## History

The school opened in the fall of 1992 in order to help educate the rapidly increasing population of Olathe.
Olathe East was recognized as a National School of Excellence in 1998 by the U.S. Department of Education.
On March 4, 2022, there was a school shooting on campus by a student. A school resource officer and an administrator were injured, as was the shooter. No other faculty members or students were harmed in the shooting. The suspect was put in custody by the police.

## Academics

In 1997, Olathe East High School was selected as a Blue Ribbon School. The Blue Ribbon Award recognizes public and private schools which perform at high levels or have made significant academic improvements.
Olathe East has continuously had the highest composite standardized test scores in the district. In the 2006–2007 school year, East had a composite ACT score of 23.8, beating the national average of 21.2. On the SAT, the average score was a 604 on the Critical Reading section and a 614 on the Math section. These scores were also much higher than the national average of 503 on the Critical Reading and 518 on the Mathematics section.

## Extracurricular activities

The Hawks compete in the Sunflower League and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Olathe East has won 55 state championships in various sports, more than any other olathe school combined. Many graduates have gone on to participate in collegiate athletics.

### Athletics
#### Soccer

One of the most popular athletic programs offered at Olathe East is soccer. Throughout the school's history, the boys' team has won five state championships, occurring in 1996, 2005, 2014, 2018, 2023, and 2024 and the girls' team has won four state championships, occurring in 2001, 2004, 2008, and 2012.

#### Boys' Swimming & Diving

The Olathe East boys' swimming & diving team won the state championship in 2009 after placing second to Shawnee Mission East High School in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, there was a one-point difference between Shawnee Mission East and Olathe East.

#### Softball

The Hawks have consistently been one of the best softball teams in Kansas, winning state championships in 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, and 2013. In 2007, the Hawks set a new KSHSAA record for most consecutive state championships won in softball.

#### Track and Field

The Olathe East track and field team has won 10 state championships since 2007 and 11 overall, including five for boys in 1998, 2007, 2010, 2014, and 2015 and five consecutive state championships for girls from 2008 to 2012.

### State championships

State Championships :
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Gymnastics, Girls | 9 | 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 |
| Fall | Soccer, Boys | 6 | 1996, 2005, 2014, 2018, 2023, 2024 |
| Fall | Volleyball, Girls | 2 | 2013, 2014 |
| Fall | Cross Country, Girls | 5 | 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 |
| Fall | Cross Country, Boys | 1 | 2016 |
| Winter | Swimming and Diving, Boys | 1 | 2009 |
| Winter | Basketball, Boys | 1 | 1998 |
| Winter | Bowling, Boys | 2 | 2011, 2020 |
| Winter | Bowling, Girls | 1 | 2023 |
| Spring | Golf, Boys | 2 | 2000, 2002 |
| Spring | Swimming and Diving, Girls | 2 | 2002, 2003 |
| Spring | Baseball | 2 | 1997, 2002 |
| Spring | Soccer, Girls | 4 | 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Spring | Softball | 8 | 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013 |
| Spring | Track & Field, Boys | 5 | 1998, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2015 |
| Spring | Track & Field, Girls | 6 | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 |
| Total | Total | 57 |

## Notable alumni

* Stevie Case, professional video game player
* Justin Cooley, Broadway Actor
* Dawson Gurley, YouTube personality
* Haley Hanson, NWSL player for the Orlando Pride
* Tyler Kalinoski, professional basketball player
* Danielle McCray, WNBA player for the Connecticut Sun, former player for the Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball team
* Dan Ryckert, former video game journalist
* Scott Vermillion, professional soccer player, 1994 Kansas High School Male Athlete of the Year