The Steelville R-3 School District honored its high school and middle school winter athletes on March 10 at Steelville Middle School. Awards were presented to students participating in basketball, wrestling, cheerleading and poms.

Steelville’s middle school and high school wrestling coach Garrett Hagerty presented the awards to athletes from both of his teams. For the SMS team, Aspen Vandergrift and Collin Edson won the awards for most wins. Tinley Sanders won the award for highest winning percentage and Lucian Enix earned the coaches award. 

For SHS’s wrestling team, freshman Stormee Yates picked up awards for most girls’ wins and highest winning percentage. Senior Aiden Retkowski won the most matches award on the boys’ team and Jaydon Sharp earned the coaches award. 

SMS’s girls’ basketball teams were coached by Brandi Moore and Jessica Eichholz. Moore coached Steelville’s A team, who finished with an 8-5 record on the season. Audrey Kreamalmyer was named the top offensive player, Brooklyn Kelley won defensive player of the year. Lucy Harmon won top rebounder, Miley Wright was most improved and McKenzie Hewkin won the coaches award.

For SMS’s girls basketball B team, Mary Edgar won offensive and defensive player of the year, Mia Dodson won best rebounder, Kaylynn Mattingly was most improved and Elaina Turnbough won the coaches award. 

SHS’s head girls’ basketball coach Phillip Gambill presented his team’s awards following their 11-16 record in his first year at the helm. All-Conference and All-District juniors Emeri Perkins and Jazmyn Hurd received awards for best offensive and best defensive players, respectively. Freshman Adalei Perkins was named the team’s most improved player, junior Sylvia Davis won best rebounder and seniors Peyton Brooks, Aaleigha Decker and Marley Eilert received the coaches award. 

SMS basketball coaches Bryan Ruediger and Tanner Diaz presented the awards for the seventh and eighth grade boys’ basketball teams. For the seventh-grade team, Huntley Hammonds won best offensive player, Jase Gambill won best defensive player, Sawyer Evans was named the best rebounder, Crosby Bratcher was most improved and Tristan Damo won the coaches award. 

SMS’s eighth-grade boys’ basketball team finished with a 7-6 record. Andrew Jenson was named top offensive player, Peyton Martin earned best defensive player, Jaxon Brooks was named most improved, Landon Major won best rebounder and Bentley McGinnis earned the coaches award. 

SHS’s head basketball coach Josh Pritchett presented the varsity boys’ basketball awards following his team’s 11-14 season. Jackson Woods was named the team’s top offensive player, Malakai Bruno and Landon Rutledge were both named as the top defensive player, Hunter Starbeck won the awards for the team’s top rebounder and for most improved and Blaze Alexander received the coaches award. 

Coaches Kaylee Mitchell and Brittany West presented the cheerleading awards to the SMS and SHS cheerleaders.

SMS cheerleaders, Miley Wright and Mia Dodson won the best all-around stunter award, Wynter Yates and Kaylie Hasse won best jumps, Sydney Parker and Jemma Edson won most improved and Gracie Davis and Maylei Adams took home the coaches award.

SHS cheerleader Aribella Parker won best all-around stunter, Vivian West won best jumps, Khloe Kreitner took most improved and Raylee Kirkand won the coaches award. Kreitner and Nataleigh Thomas were also Academic All-State qualifiers.  

SHS POMS coach Makenzie Beel presented the awards for her POMS team. Kady Todd won the captain’s award and the coaches award. Hannah Green also won the captain’s award, Kailey Bennett won best teammate and Lexi Cassidy took home the most improved award.