CAPE CENTRAL HONORS ALLEN, HAMAN WITH ELITE AWARDS

Cape Girardeau Central High School bestowed its highest athletics honors on seniors Courtney Haman and Chris Allen Tuesday night at the All School Recognition Banquet at the A.C. Brase Arena.

Haman was presented with the Darla Pannier Award and Allen with the Lou W. Muegge Award.

The Darla Pannier and the Lou W. Muegge awards are given to the athletes who best exemplify the qualities of citizenship, scholarship and athletic achievement.

Haman, who will participate next season in track and field at Southeast Missouri State University, is a four-year letterwinner in track and a two-year letterwinner in basketball and softball.

Haman was the district champion the past two seasons in the high jump; last weekend she established a personal best in the event with a jump of 5 feet 7 inches. She will seek a second straight state meet berth this weekend in the sectional meet.

Haman said sports have been "the core of high school. That's what everyone knows me for and that's what I love.

She recalled freshman basketball tryouts as what set her on an active athletics path.

"I was playing with my sister" Brandy, who was the Darla Pannier Award winner in 1996, "and I was just really, really nervous," she said. "Coach (Paula) Watkins was there and she just told me to do my best and calm down, and that really got me on the road."

Allen is a three-year letterwinner in football and track. A wide receiver, Allen was named to the Class 5A all-state first team this season and was twice named all-conference on defense, all-conference on offense and all-district.

Allen, who plans to play football at William Penn, said he played "for the love of the sport."

"I just played for the fun of it. I didn't expect to win any awards. I always liked football a lot because the football team is real close. We didn't have that good of a season, but I guess that brought more out of me."

Among the other awards given Tuesday, Annise Maguire and Jason Roddy were each awarded $1,000 Booster Club Scholarships. Maguire plans to attend the University of Notre Dame and Roddy will play football at Lindenwood College.

Haman was awarded the $1,000 Darla Pannier Scholarship. Susan Tansil and Jonathan Anderson were each given Scholar Athlete awards for maintaining the highest grade-point averages among athletes.