LHS Hall of Fame Class of 2025

Liberty High School and Blue Jay Nation are excited to announce the Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The Hall of Fame induction will be celebrated during half time activities during homecoming on Friday, September 26, 2025.  

John Denison, LHS Class of 1979
After graduating from LHS and attending William Jewell College, Denison joined Time Warner Cable. As an employee of Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) in 1997, Denison founded Metro Sports, a 24-hour regional sports network. Covering Kansas City high school, college, and professional sports, Metro Sports was the first US regional sports network that wasn’t in a top media market dominated by professional sports media rights. After serving as Metro Sports' general manager from its inception in 1997 until 2010, Denison left Time Warner Cable to form his own company, Niles Media Group. His involvement in this and many other ventures includes deep community involvement including the eventual development of the Liberty and Liberty North sports complexes. 

John Sprugel, LHS Class of 1983
Working with fellow LHS graduate John Denison, Sprugel was instrumental in the growth of Metro Sports. After working as Metro Sports' assistant general manager from its inception  until 2010, Sprugel left Time Warner Cable to join John Denison in forming their own company, Niles Media Group. In 2019, they sold the company to LTN Global where Sprugel continues to work. In addition to many joint accolades, his involvement in our schools earned him the the Missouri PTA Distinguished Service Award for his leadership and involvement in public education school systems in Missouri.

Steve Rhoades, LHS Class of 1988
Steve was an outstanding student and accomplished tuba player in high school.  After graduation, he earned his bachelor's degree from Kansas State University in Landscape Architecture and became an Alumni Honorary in 2003.  He received the Citation Award from the  Missouri Parks and Recreation Association and was part of a team that developed City Park, Bennett Park, and Ruth Moore Park. Steve was appointed to be a member of the Clay County Fine Arts Council where he raised funds to complete art projects throughout the county. He volunteers with the Clay County African American Legacy Project, where he led the committee in the design to recognize over 760 African Americans in Fairview Cemetery.

Christopher Elbow, LHS Class of 1992
Christopher Elbow is synonymous with Kansas City and artisan chocolate. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1996 with a Bachelor's Degree in Restaurant and Business Management. He has worked in a variety of prestigious jobs, including the head pastry chef at one of Emeril Lagasse’s Las Vegas restaurants. He founded Christopher Elbow Chocolates in 2003, establishing his renowned artisanal chocolate company in Kansas City, known for its visually stunning and delicious handcrafted chocolates. This company has become an icon in the Kansas City foodie community.

Kami Groom, LHS Class of 2008
After graduation. Kami went on to attend Washington University in St. Louis in 2012 and earned a Master of Arts in Humanities from the University of Chicago in 2018. She then earned a law degree from the University of Michigan in 2021. She has worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland and as a Bates Fellow with the Covenants Watch in Taipei, Taiwan. She currently serves as an Attorney Advisor for the Federal Railroad Administration. She was valedictorian and an outstanding multi-sport athlete at LHS.  She remains active in the ultimate frisbee circuit as part of the USA Ultimate National Team.  She joins the Hall of Fame with her sister, Shea Groom, who was inducted in 2021. 

We also celebrate the life of Kenneth Robinson, a long time teacher and coach at Liberty High School from 1971-1985, where he taught psychology/sociology, was an assistant football coach, and head track and field coach. He was known as a powerful, charismatic, confidence-building mentor for LHS students. While he holds a special place in the history of LHS, his community involvement goes deeper.  In partnership with his wife Cecelia Robinson, Ken was an inspirational leader in the Liberty community for many years. Ken helped lead efforts to purchase the Garrison School building. Ken also helped lead efforts to build the Freedom Fountain on the Liberty square. He received numerous community awards including: The Martin Luther King Jr. Award, The Civic Leadership Award, and The Liberty Juneteenth Award for preserving African American Culture in the Liberty and Northland Community. Ken was ordained a deacon at First Baptist Church, where he also served as treasurer for 25 years. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Cecilia Robinson and daughter Kristen Robinson.  

The Hall of Fame induction will be celebrated during half time activities during homecoming on Friday, September 26 starting with a reception from 4-6 PM at Johnnie's Jazz Bar and Grille. Tickets can be purchased at https://lhsbluejaynationptsa.ticketspice.com/2025-lhs-hall-of-fame-reception.

This year’s reception is being sponsored by The Lawson Family. Katie (Martin) Lawson, a 1995 graduate of Liberty High School, and her husband Greg are proud to honor their family of Blue Jays. Ann and Steve Martin, parents of Scott (Kristen) (1992), Jeremy (1994), and Katie (1995), are remembered with love and their Blue Jay spirit lives on. The family legacy continues through their grandchildren: Matthew Lawson (Elianna) (2020), Cameron Lawson (2022), Brooks Lawson (2026), Sam Martin (2021), Ben Martin (2024), Zac Martin (2028), and Barrett, Jeremy’s son. Katie and Jeremy are both members of the LHS Hall of Fame!