Panther players honored with awards

Clayton Stafford received the Bernie Saggau Award, and Braelyn Baker received the Kim Bishop Award during the athletics portion of the Creston Community High School awards ceremony May 12.

(See separate articles in the News Advertiser today and Thursday for coverage of the CCHS Outstanding Female Athlete and Outstanding Male Athlete award winners.)

The Saggau award is named for the retired executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, who devoted much of his life to building high standards of character and leadership in Iowa high school athletics. The award is presented annually to the graduate who best exemplifies a patriotic spirit, with strong religious and moral convictions, living and professing the qualities of honesty, integrity and sportsmanship, believing that both games and life should be conducted by the rules.

Stafford, who participated in cross country, basketball and soccer, received the award that states: “Presented annually to the graduating student who best exemplifies a patriotic spirit, with strong religious and moral convictions, living and professing the qualities of honesty, integrity, and sportsmanship; believing that both games and life should be conducted by the rules.”

Baker, a member of the school’s cross country, basketball, track and softball teams, received the award in honor of the late Kim Bishop. A standout student at Creston High School, Bishop was also an all-around athlete and gymnast. The award is presented annually to a CCHS female athlete who displays outstanding citizenship and sportsmanship. Baker’s career was sidelined by a second knee surgery that held her out of her senior seasons in track and softball, and much of the basketball season.

Baker was joined by Ethan Freeman and Cole Strider in receiving the 4x4 Award, presented to CCHS participants in four sports for four years.

The Athletic Citizenship awards went to Kaden Bolton, Paige Davis and Molly Sickels. Athletic Sportsmanship awards were presented to Jackson Kinsella and Karly Calvin.

In addition, Rylie Driskell was Creston’s nominee for the E. Wayne Cooley Scholarship Award. It was established in tribute to the man most responsible for making the “Iowa Girl” number one in the nation. The profile of the recipient should reflect discipline, perseverance, character, superior athletic skill, leadership, academic achievement and citizenship traits that personified the life of Dr. E. Wayne Cooley, longtime executive director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

Molly Sickels is the school’s nominee for the Robert Smiley Scholarship offered by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Smiley Family in honor of the longtime IGHSAU associate executive secretary. The scholarship is for senior girls enrolled full-time with a minimum 2.5 GPA (4.0 scale) and must have lettered in one varsity sport sponsored by IGHSAU each year of high school.