By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The athletic accomplishments coming out of Claflin from 1994 to 1997 remain unmatched in the state history books. In that stretch, Jackie Stiles set single game, season, and career basketball scoring records that stand to this day. On the track, her 14 individual gold medals remain an all-time best in Kansas.
In 2002, Stiles' rise to the WNBA was detailed in a children's book called "Jackie Stiles: Gym Dandy." Earlier this year, actor, director and filmmaker Brent Huff took the story of her life a step farther. On March 1, his documentary "The Jackie Stiles Story" premiered in Springfield, Mo., where Stiles once set the NCAA scoring record for the Southwest Missouri State-turned Missouri State Bears. As of Aug. 30, the film is available on several streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
Stiles first heard from Huff out of the blue approximately three years ago. She was skeptical about the project at first.
"He sent me some things he'd done," Stiles said. "He'd done a 30-for-30 and I was very impressed. Then when he came and did his first interview with me, which was in Springfield, I was just getting ready to leave my job at Missouri State to take my job at Oklahoma, so it was a crazy time. We sat down and did our first interview. I knew right away my story was in good hands because he knew more about my life than I even knew."
Stiles helped Huff get in touch with former coaches and acquaintances, including Clint Kinnamon, who coached Stiles for three varsity seasons in Claflin before going on to win several state titles at St. John, and Gregg Webb, Stiles' coach her senior season.
The film features many of the stories that gave Stiles legend-status in the sports world, and it features footage of her years in Claflin, Missouri, and playing for the WNBA's Portland Fire.
"It was so fun being a part of the making of the film because I got to relive so many of those memories," she said. "It actually premiered March 1, and that was actually when I broke the record a lot of years ago. I had not seen it yet. He wanted to surprise me, so I got to see it when the public saw it in Springfield. Talk about nerve wracking to watch your life on the big screen.
"I was blown away by his work and it was fun reliving those memories. It was just an incredible moment getting to share it with so many people that made it possible. You don't accomplish something like that unless you had incredible people surrounding you, and I've been fortunate to have that my whole career."
Stiles became the first NCAA Div. I women's player to reach 1,000 points in a single season, also setting the career scoring record with 3,393 points, a record that stood for 16 years. Stiles later earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors.