After many years of service to the Baldwin school district, longtime educators Ginny Honomichl and Patty Lenning are being rewarded for their efforts by receiving national level awards.

Lenning won 2012 Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year in the Spirit Category. She and only seven other cheer coaches throughout the United States share this level of distinction.

“I was very surprised that I got the award,” Lenning said. “Kansas cheerleading is so behind compared to other states.”

For 28 years, Lenning has been involved with the Baldwin High School cheerleading program. She has always been very determined to make her squad the best and very successful.

“I was humbled, thrilled, and excited because there aren’t very many awards in cheerleading that you can get,” Lenning said.

Lenning is the very first cheer coach nominee for the Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year award from the state of Kansas.

“I’m so proud of her,” junior Brittany George said. “She’s done so much for me personally and this school.”

Honomichl won National Coach Contributor Award. This means she has gone above and beyond and has high standards of sportsmanship, morals and represents the high school well.

“I was totally shocked. I got an email about it and didn’t know much about the award. I started investigating after I found out,” Honomichl said.

Ginny Honomichl is a former Science teacher at BHS. She retired and is now a substitute teacher.

“I was extremely happy once I found out,” she said. “It’s a really big deal. I was the one chosen out of all the coaches in the U.S. The fact that they chose me means a lot.”

So many students admire what she does for our community.

“It’s not the least bit surprising,” senior Morgan Smith said. “She’s a great person, teacher, and coach. She will help anyone who asks for help and she’s more than willing to spend her time with students or athletes. She’s a pleasure to be around.”