Kansas Swimmer Jack Punswick Named NFHS Spirit of Sport Award Winner
Kansas high school swimmer Jack Punswick was named the national recipient of the 2025 National High School Spirit of Sport Award on Friday.
The award is given by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). It recognizes, “individuals who exemplify the ideals of the spirit of sport that represent the core mission of education-based athletics.”
Punswick is a swimmer at Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kansas. He continued swimming in his senior season despite a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma in September. Punswick won the KSHSAA Class 6A title in the 100 breaststroke in 2024. He was coming off lifetime-best times at last July’s USA Swimming Futures Championships before persistent symptoms originally believed to be pneumonia led to his diagnosis.
Despite the treatments, which were completed in December, Punswick returned to the Kansas state meet, finishing second in breaststroke. His health journey has inspired him to pursue a career in physical therapy as a way to give back to others experiencing health challenges.
Punswick recently spoke about his experience battling cancer on the Big Friendly Swim Podcast. He will be recognized by NFHS at its annual NFHS Summer Meeting, June 28 in Chicago.
The Spirit of Sport Award has been chosen annually by the NFHS since 2008. It recognizes student-athletes in each of the nation’s eight sections – Punswick was the honoree for Section 5 in addition to being the national winner – that have overcome tremendous adversity through the power of sport. Honorees include not just individual athletes, but teams, schools, coaches and officials.
The full list of eight honorees is available here, along with a list of past winners.
