Seniors receiving the annual Academic Excellence recognition for all four years of high school, standing with school officials, are: Back row, from left, WHS Principal Bret Pummill, Alyssa Markham, Maxlyn Wilbanks, Superintendent Scott Patrick, Hally Piontek, Lindsey Landwehr, Natasha Hammond, Spencer Brown, Mikhayla Dempsey and Sarah Swainston. Front row, from left, Shelby Palmer, Bernadette Schrag, Jordan Milne, Amreen Hasan, Katherine Gostomski, Nisa Adams, Hannah Kueck, Emily Perkins and Madison Green.

(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