THIS CATEGORY IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR FAN VOTE. THE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY THE O-ZONE STAFF.
Ari Acuff, Kickapoo
Acuff was a three-sport standout for Kickapoo as she starred in golf, basketball and soccer. In the fall, Acuff was district and sectional runner-up before finishing sixth at the Class 2 state golf tournament. She missed some of the basketball season with an injury, but that didn’t stop her from earning honorable mention All-Ozark Conference honors. Acuff finished off her career by earning All-Region Goalkeeper of the Year thanks to recording 15 shutouts for the Lady Chiefs.
Birdie Hendrickson, Rogersville
Hendrickson was just a freshman, but she made her presence felt on the volleyball court immediately. She posted 340 kills (4.4 per set) in her first season at Rogersville. She added 222 digs and 40 aces. She garnered First-Team All-State honors to go with a selection the MaxPreps’ Freshman All-American team. In the spring, she was a standout on the track, where she was all-state in the Class 4 high jump and the anchor of Rogersville’s fifth-place finishing 1,600-meter relay team. She also qualified in the 400-meter dash.
Hayley Frank, Strafford
Frank led the undefeated Strafford girls basketball team by scoring 24 points per game to go with 13 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3 steals and 2.2 blocks per contest. She was named the MBCA Class 3 Player of the Year for her efforts. She also hit .434 with 33 runs scored and 29 RBI for Strafford’s state champion softball team. In the fall, she was the No. 1 golfer for the Class 1 District 3 champions, and one of two state qualifiers for the Lady Indians.
Kelsey Winfrey, Lebanon
The future Missouri Tiger finished her Lebanon basketball career with 2,039 points. In 2016-17 she led the Lady Yellowjackets in points (21.6), rebounds (7.4), assists (3.6), steals (4.9), blocks (1.1) and 3-point percentage (42 percent). Winfrey was a state qualifier for the Class 4 cross country meet in the fall. On the track in the spring, Winfrey finished with southwest Missouri’s seventh-best triple jump mark and 13th-best 800-meter run time. She was a rare four-sport athlete as she also competed in volleyball in the fall.
