Column: Spring All-Forum Awards

By Jon Dykstra | June 6, 2024 |

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The 2023-2024 school year roared to a close with Maryville and our Class 1 schools sharing the same state meet and coming away with five Class 1 state championships. Meanwhile, Spoofhound tennis was making history with the first state trophy in school history — third in Class 1.

Team success flowed with the Spoofhounds winning district championships in boys tennis, boys track and field and girls soccer; and Platte Valley winning a district baseball title.

With team success, also came individual success and the All-Forum awards are designed to recognize some of those accomplishments.

Baseball Player of the Year: Justin Miller

The Platte Valley junior had been a key piece to Platte Valley’s two trips to the Class 1 Final Four his freshman and sophomore seasons. This season, the team replaced five starters from last season’s state runners up.

That meant big changes for Miller who moved up to the lead-off spot in the order and moved from left field to behind the plate. The first-year catcher batted .444 with 24 runs scored, 13 runs batted in and 15 stolen bases.

The pitching staff excelled with Miller behind the plate and an ERA under 2.00. The team advanced to the state quarterfinals for a third-straight year including a district championship win over South Holt.

Honorable Mention: Lane Larabee, Nodaway Valley; Brandon McQueen, Platte Valley; Canon Creason, Maryville.

Soccer Player of the Year: Jalea Price

Of Maryville’s 84 goals this season, the Spoofhound junior scored 39 of them and assisted on 13.

Speed was the name of the game for Price who combined her soccer skills with her athleticism to present problems for opponents all season. With Price leading the way, Maryville won the district title before falling in the state quarterfinals to eventual state champion Notre Dame de Sion.

Price formed a dynamic duo with junior Braelyn Hannigan, who finished the season with 21 goals and 24 assists.

Honorable Mention: Payton Kurz, Maryville; Braelyn Hannigan, Maryville.

Golfer of the Year: Dylan Groomer

Dylan Groomer rose to the top spot in the Spoofhound lineup this season and turned in a tremendous season, capped with a 31st-place finish in the Class 3 State Tournament.

The junior finished 11th in the Midland Empire Conference Tournament and 11th in the Class 3, District 4 Tournament.

Honorable Mention: Kaleb Groomer, Maryville.

Tennis Player of the Year: Jaxson Staples

It was a rocky season for the Spoofhounds in terms of injuries, but it ended with the best finish in school history — third-place in Class 1. One of the steading presence for the Spoofhounds was senior captain Jaxson Staples.

Staples moved up in the No. 3 spot in the team’s lineup and occasionally the No. 2 spot as Kason Teale battled a knee injury. He clinched the third-place state trophy with a tiebreaker win in the No. 2 singles match.

Teale and Staples also combined to finish fifth in the state in doubles.

Honorable Mention: George Groumoutis, Maryville; Kason Teale, Maryville.

Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Riley Blay

Blay completed his incredible running career at Nodaway Valley with 10 state championships between cross country and track and field.

This season, the Northwest Missouri State signee added two state titles to that count in the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs while he was third in the 800-meter run.

Blay finishes his career with three cross-country titles, three 3200-meter titles, three 1600-meter titles and one 800-meter title.

Honorable Mention: Wyatt Garner, Maryville; Justin Miller, Platte Valley; Lucas Frisch, Worth County.

Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Emma Spencer

Spencer won a state title last season as the anchor leg to Worth County’s 4×100-meter relay team. The junior got her first individual Class 1 State Championship this season with the 200-meter state title.

She was second in the 100-meter dash, fourth in the 4×100-meter relay alongside Brooklyn Richardson, Eva Engel and Keira Hardy, and sixth in the 4×200-meter relay with Riley Ridge, Hardy and Richardson.

Honorable Mention: Mya Wray, Platte Valley; Eva Engel, Worth County; Paige Hanson, Nodaway Valley.