(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The Warrensburg Schools Foundation honored 141 Warrensburg High School students June 15 during the 29^th annual Academic Excellence Awards Banquet.
The students were recognized for reaching the top 15 percent of their graduating class, according to a news release. Twenty-three seniors were recognized for reaching this level all four years of high school.   All students received a medallion designed especially for this event.
Joe Moore, associate professor of communication at the University of Central Missouri, presided over the banquet. WHS class of 2018 student Abbey Tauchen began the evening by singing the national anthem. Incoming WHS Principal Bret Pummill congratulated the students for their achievement.
During the banquet, the students heard a speech from WHS alumna and Missouri Assistant Attorney General Emily Wales centered on Old Drum, the name of a dog that was the center of a lawsuit in Johnson County, Missouri, which inspired the phrase “Man’s best friend.” She noted the attributes of Old Drum that we should strive for: be tenacious, but polite; make powerful friends; be a loyal friend and in being so, be a powerful friend; and when you do a job, do it well. Wales challenged the students to not take the easiest path, which may mean being open to a journey that they had not planned, but may eventually lead to success.
Ally Financial, through a test drive program at Lotspeich Automotive, provided the event sponsorship for the evening. Murdock Banner Financial Group provided the student medallions. The table sponsors were Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Harmon, Gillum & Gillum, CPA, Joe Good State Farm Insurance, JE Dunn Construction, Quarry City Savings & Loan, and Lifetime Animal Center, Dr. Chuck and Denise Barry.
Student sponsors were Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Orr, Dr. John Sheets and Dr. Joy Stevenson, Finnane-Robison Dental, Hwy 13 North Antiques and Collectibles, Mrs. Ruth Rusk, the Rev. and Mrs. Alex Wales, Western Missouri Properties, LLC, and Equity Bank. Other supporters were the West Central Electric Cooperative Inc. The facility was provided by the University of Central Missouri.
For more information regarding the Academic Excellence Awards Banquet or other Warrensburg Schools Foundation activities, contact Meridith Sauer at 660-747-7823.
The following students were recognized:
Class of 2020
Marissa Acosta
Abigail Allnutt
Elizabeth Azevedo
Brooke Barker
Montana Carter
Joshua Cymer
Zoe Duncan
Evan Florida
Josephine Griffin
Reagan Henry
Ethan Hillsman
Yia Si Huang
Jane Kiger
Brittany King
Kevin Likcani
Alexander Marks
Emilee Marnholtz
Rylee McLaughlin
Sadie Misner
Brianna Munsterman
Shelby Murphy
Rebekah Murray
Dawson Nakoneczny
Tobin Nguyen
Riley Othic
Maggie Rankin
Timothy Richner
Ryan Russell
Adrienne Sauer
Ryleigh Sherman
Alyssa Squires
Morgan Starbuck
Jillian Voskovitch
Zoey Westphal
Mason Wittmaier
Mohammed Yousef
Class of 2019
Katelyn Adkisson
Robert Azevedo
Thomas Azevedo
Ella Babcock
Sydney Beard
Ashtyn Bevans
Grace Bushmeyer
Kalissa Castanedo
Nolan Chapman
Sungwon Cho
Caly Comfort
Maci Cunconan
Caroline Deal
Mark Doss
Ryan Duffendack
Kayla Dugan
Natalie Fatka
Brock Hepler
Ryan Holland
Grace Kennedy
Heejoo Kim
Leah Landwehr
Luke Landwehr
Jimmy Le
Maggie Likcani
Peyton Long
Sarah Marks
Makaylan Misner
Gabrielle Moore
Colton Palmer
Kaylee Russell
Gabrielle Shull
Madison Smith
Rachel Stark-Wroblewski
Alexandria Tallant
Tristan Tallman
Nina Thessen
Paige VanBlarcum
Serena Walker
Jenna Weyrauch
Class of 2018
Caroline Chaky
Catherine Chaky
Ethan Crook
Shelby Davis
Patrick Finnane
Abigail Gilbert
Audrey Gillum
Rebecca Heath
Acacia Jurkowski
Jonathan Larimore
Tiffany Liu
Cassandra Marks
Megan McBride
Kennedi McGee
Hayden McLaughlin
Shania Montufar
Ethan Orr
Haley Owens
Max Ridenhour
Carly Russell
Jackson Samson
Delaney Sauer
Hanna Sawyer
Alaina Schudel
Emerald Schearer-McKinley
Valencia Shuler
Allyson Shull
Molly Shumard
Sarah Slobaszewski
Caroline Smith
Lauren Snare
Ashley Staab
Abbey Tauchen
Colleen Wright
Class of 2017
Nisa Adams*
Spencer Brown*
Taylor Brown*
Michelle Bruce
Malina Colburn
Mikhayla Dempsey*
Natalee Fitzgerald*
Katherine Gostomski*
Cecil Granger
Madison Green*
Rhianna Grisdale*
Jackson Hale
Natasha Hammond*
Amreen Hasan*
Carolyn Kreher*
Hannah Kueck*
Lindsey Landwehr*
Kathleen Long*
Alyssa Markham*
Jordan Milne*
Tuck Mori
Carly Othic
Shelby Palmer*
Emily Perkins*
Hally Piontek*
Bernadette Schrag*
Jenna Shore*
Elizabeth Smith
Sarah Swainston*
Maxlyn Wilbanks*
Tabitha Wong