Sports awards

Daelen Ackley – Ackley scored 30 of his team’s 43 points as El Dorado Springs won the Class 3 state championship. And even though he won three state titles individually, folks will long talk about anchoring the 4×8000-meter relay. The team was almost last when he took the baton, and yet Ackley pushed them to sixth. That was on top of Ackley winning state championships in the 800 meters (1:58.85), the 1,600 meters (4:22.11) and the 3,200 meters (9:13.71). In order, those were the fifth-best, third-best and No. 1 times of any southwest Missouri runner on either state weekend, respectively.

El Dorado Springs High School Track and Field – Coached by Brian Goatley, the Bulldogs track and field team pulled off an impressive run to the Class 4 State championship, scoring 43 points to best the second-and third-place teams by one and two points, respectively. Daelen Ackley won the 1,600 and 3,200 meters and then won the 800 meters, which catapulted El Dorado Springs from an eight-point deficit into the lead. Collin Hunter won the pole vault, and the 4×800 relay of Lunden Messick, Brice Knoll, Connor Goatley and Achley placed sixth.

(Insert) Reese Schaaf – A junior, Schaaf earned Class 3 All-State honors in volleyball after leading the team to the District 13 finals and a 28-3 record. She tallied 440 assists, 293 digs, 320 kills and had 29 aces. In basketball, she didn’t let her foot off the pedal, earning Class 4 All-State recognition after averaging 17.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists and leading El Dorado Springs (24-6) to the state quarterfinals.