Does redshirt freshman Henry Thengvall have anything he’s worried about for this upcoming season of men’s basketball? No, he doesn’t.
A Wichita native, Thengvall attended Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School. Now, 3.8 miles away, Thengvall uses the competitive drive he learned from high school to dominate the court as a forward at Wichita State.
“Kapaun was great academically,” he said. “It’s obviously really good, pretty hard, rigorous. We were always really competitive in athletics also, so that was great.”
Now, his two younger brothers attend Kapaun and participate in track, basketball and football. In addition to basketball, Thengvall played football and was a three-time state medalist in track while in high school. Thengvall, who also has a sister, hopes to set a good example for his younger siblings.
Having such a serious commitment can be difficult for a college student, but Thengvall is, in no way, new to hard work. While in high school, he was a member of Kapaun’s National Honor Society and Cum Laude program. Now, he’s majoring in finance, with future plans uncertain.
As a freshman last year, Thengvall qualified for the fall 2023 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, meaning he earned a 3.0+ semester GPA. Earlier this year, he was named to the Spring Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
“He’s a hard worker,” teammate Dalen Ridgnal said.
Basketball has taught him a lot of life skills, skills that he can apply to other areas of his life: “Teamwork, accountability, being on time, getting things done.”
With good time management, Thengvall is able to focus on the positives of his experiences. “(Basketball) opens up a lot of new and fun opportunities to travel and make good connections with other people.”
Thengvall can be summed up in a few works by Ridgnal: “He’s a nice guy.”
