USD 475
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. - Geary County Schools USD 475 said that the Junction City High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America team, which consists of Mateo Fuentes, Kai Walsh, Brittney Dibben, Aubrey Goddard and Keileigh Johnston, was recently named the 2026 Kansas State Varsity LifeSmarts Champion at the Kansas State Finals on the campus of Wichita State University.
By earning state championship accolades, the Blue Jays, who had already secured a wild card spot for nationals in January prior to competing late last week, will be one of only two teams from the entire state of Kansas who will compete at the 2026 National LifeSmarts Championship in Orlando, Fla. In all, Fuentes, Walsh, Dibben, Goddard and Johnston are not only the firstteam in school history to win a LifeSmarts State Championship or competition, but also the first team in school history to qualify for nationals as a non-wild card team.
In 2024, JCHS saw former graduates Armani Coleman, Macie Muto, Rilynn Hotard and Gracie Erichsen advance to nationals as a wild card.The Blue Jays, who had to qualify for state to even compete last week, placed first overall by beating out five other state qualifying teams in a head-to-head in person team competition, including runner-up Sunrise Christian Academy of Wichita who will now join JCHS at nationals after the Blue Jays were able to pass along their wild card spot to the Buffaloes.
The group will travel to Orlando the week of April 15-18 to compete against 48 other teams, nationally, for the right to be crowned the 2026 LifeSmarts National Champion.
LifeSmarts, a consumer education and life skills competition, challenges teens about personal finance, health & safety, the environment, technology & workforce preparation, as well as consumer rights and responsibilities, is a program of the National Consumers League.