Born: Wheatcroft was born in Liberal. He moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and then Emporia before Winfield.

Family: Wife, Stacy, and two dogs, Wrigley and Riley.

Occupation: Loan officer at Mutual Savings. Wheatcroft also served four years as Tonganoxie Chamber of Commerce treasurer.

Dream job as a child: Professional basketball player. Wheatcroft’s father was a longtime basketball coach, including stints as an assistant at Emporia State University and head coach at Southwestern College in Winfield.

Digging deeper: Wheatcroft was named after hall-of-famer Ryne Sandberg.

His mother saw Sandberg playing baseball for the Chicago Cubs on television at the hospital in July 1982 when Wheatcroft was born. His parents liked the name.

“That’s literally where it came from,” Wheatcroft said.

“My parents weren’t big baseball fans or Cubs fans.”

But Wheatcroft’s mother soon became one.

She sent Sandberg a letter explaining that he was her son’s namesake. She also sent Sandberg a birthday card every year. He sent back a signed baseball card and also got the family tickets to a game one year in St. Louis.

Wheatcroft continues to be a big Cubs fan.

He also took a quick 2003 college road trip from Emporia to be in Chicago for Game 7 of the National League Championship Series between the Cubs and Florida Marlins.

His group couldn’t get into the game, but they did watch at a nearby restaurant.

A 2001 Winfield High School graduate, Wheatcroft played tennis at Johnson Couny Community College and Emporia State University before graduating in 2006 from ESU with a bachelor’s degree in business.

His first job out of college was at Mutual Savings. He’s been there ever since.

“I enjoy what I do,” Wheatcroft said. “I love living in Tonganoxie. I love the small-town life.”