STEELVILLE – Cross country and volleyball athletes from Steelville’s middle and high schools were honored on Nov. 11 during Fall Activities Awards Night.

Steelville head coach Matt Hammonds and assistant coach Teresa Hickey recognized the cross country runners for their efforts throughout the season. Varsity letters were awarded to Kendall Brinkley, Lydia Collinson, Adalei Perkins, Emeri Perkins, Lydia Smelser, Elisabeth Warden, Stormee Yates, Jacoby Eaton, Max Harmon, Wesley Keymann, Lucas Garms, Aiden Retkowski, Landon Rutledge and Owen Rutledge. 

St. James High School’s (SHS) boy’s team earned second place in the Gasconade Valley Conference and both Rutledge brothers earned All-Conference awards. Landon Rutledge earned All-District and All-State honors for his efforts.

Steelville’s girl’s team won first place in the Conference and Adalei Perkins, Brinkley, Warden and Smelser earned All-Conference awards. Perkins earned All-District and took 52nd out of 173 runners in the State Championships with a 21:40 finishing time.  

Warden and Garms earned the coach’s awards, which were presented to the runners who dedicated themselves to the team and pushed and encouraged their teammates with a great attitude.

The Most Improved Awards for bettering their times from the beginning of the season to the end went to Smelser and Keymann. 

Landon Rutledge, Owen Rutledge and Kendall Brinkley won the King and Queen of the Road awards for the athletes that dedicated their summers to enhancing their abilities through running, documenting their mileage, camps and pushing their physical limits to prepare for the season. 

Adalei Perkins won Most Valuable Runner as the leading points scorer for the Lady Cardinals. Perkins finished a strong freshman season as the first place finisher in the Gasconade Valley Conference Race. She was the only Lady Cardinal to qualify for the State Championship meet and her finishing tine was the fourth fastest freshman in Cardinal History.  

Landon Rutledge also won Most Valuable Runner on the boy’s team, with the third fastest time from a Steelville runner in the State Championships and was only the second runner from Steelville ever to run a 16:50 time or better in that race.  

St. James Middle School (SMS) coach Cortni Pryor honored her runners. Those earning letters were Brantley Booker, Zoey Brown, Julianna Collinson, Sawyer Evans, Huntley Hammonds, Mckenzie Hewkin, Michael Kempf, Peyton Martin, Bentley McGinnis, Braxtin Perkins, Lincoln Sackman, Maddi Settles and Elaina Turnbough.

Turnbough and Martin earned Most Valuable Runners. Booker and Turnbough earned King and Queen of the Road. Hammonds and Collinson earned Most Improved and Perkins and Sackman won the Coach’s Award.    

SHS volleyball honors were presented by head coach Jill Simily and assistant coach Paige Cottrell. 

Earning varsity letters were Peyton Brooks, Maggie Bunch, Jazmyn Hurd, Sylvia Davis, Marley Eilert, Aaleigha Decker, Emeri Perkins, Elivia Pryor, Kylee Livesay, Kaylin Gillam, Gracie Mae Boone, Emma Garrison and Hannah Turnbough.

Earning JV letters were Adalei Perkins, Claire Settles, Brooklyn Thomas, Vivian West, Abigail Schlueter, Kaylee Pierall, Alem Helms, Rilee Lorraine, Ila Pfeiffer, Cami Mason and Isabella Feeler.  

The varsity team finished with a 15-8-4 record and advanced to the finals of the Class 2 District 8 Tournament. Livesay and Emeri Perkins earned first team All-District and Gilliam, Hurd, Decker and Eilert earned second team All-District. Decker and Perkins were also All-Conference Selections. 

The coaching staff also gave out special awards to the varsity team. Perkins won the kills award for the player with the most kills. She totaled 236 kills and added 37 aces, 106 total points, 218 digs and eight blocks. 

Hurd won the Best Defensive Player Award, received 388 serves and led the team with 285 digs. She added 159 attacks from the back row along with 21 kills, 40 aces, 26 assists and 155 points.

Livesay won awards for Best Server and Most Assists. Livesay tallied 99 aces, 299 total points and 332 assists while handling the ball a whopping 1,176 times. 

Eilert won the award for most blocks, with 12 solo blocks and 17 block assists, giving her 29 total blocks. She also tallied 98 kills and 28 digs. 

Peyton Brooks won the Most Improved Award. 

“She would push herself to get better each day. She had a great work ethic and would do anything I’d ask,” Simily said. 

Brooks finished the season with 37 blocks, 26 digs, four blocks and five assists. 

Elivia Pryor won the Coach’s Award, tallying 233 assists, 84 digs and 24 service aces.