WCHS star senior goalkeeper Michael Yantz, seated in the middle of the front row above, will play collegiately at Fort Hays State (Photo provided)

WARSAW – Warsaw star senior goalkeeper Michael Yantz announced recently that he will attend Fort Hays State and play soccer for the Tigers in Hays, Kansas.

Playing behind and sharing duties with an All-State keeper for two years (reaching the Final Four both years), Yantz took advantage of the hole his teammate’s graduation provided after the 2011 season to become one of the cornerstones in Warsaw’s march to the school’s first IHSAA state championship match in 2012.

Yantz recorded 14 shutouts and 78 saves in 24 matches on the season, leading the Tigers to a 20-2-2 mark on the field and a Class 2-A state runner-up finish. Warsaw, coached by Scott Bauer and ranked No. 2, lost a 1-0 final to No. 6 Columbus North in the title match this past October.

The 6-3, shot blocker was a 2011 and 2012 Academic All-State selection and a first-team ISCA All-State choice in 2012.  Yantz was a member of the US Club Soccer U-16 Indiana State Cup Runner Up in 2011 and a member of the 17-U State Champs in 2012, recording 11 shutouts in the 20 games over the two years combined.

While Yantz has not let too many shots get by him on the field, he’s been equally impressive at stopping the toughest challenges in the classroom – earning a 4.0 GPA and standing 24th out of 513 students in the WCHS Class of 2013.

Yantz, a National Honor Society Member in 2011 and 12 and a WCHS Delegate at the IHSAA Student Leadership Conference Delegate, is the son of Rob and Michelle Yantz.  He intends to major in Business and play soccer  for coach Brett Parker.