(l-r) Kaylee Stalder, Nathan Behne, Jack Hansen

Last night was Senior Awards Night at Greene County High School. Among the many honors received by senior class members were the Bernie Saggau Award, and Female and Male Ram of the Year honors. Nathan Behne received the Saggau Award with Kaylee Stalder and Jack Hansen the Rams of the Year.

The Saggau Award is eligible to be presented by each school district in Iowa. It’s named after the former Executive Secretary of the Iowa High School Athletic Association and is presented to a senior student who is not necessarily the best athlete, but is someone who exemplifies the qualities of leadership, patriotism, religious and moral convictions, and like Mr. Saggau, is someone who believes that life, like sports, should be played by the rules. Behne was on the Rams’ golf, soccer, and track & field teams this spring, played basketball in the Winter, and was an All-State kicker on the football field. He recently committed to kick for the NCAA II Upper Iowa Peacocks football team.

Stalder was a Heart of Iowa Activities Conference first team All-Conference volleyball hitter in the fall. She is on the Rams’ track & field squad and runs on the distance medley relay that runs at the State Coed Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines later this week. Her plans include attending Grand View University in Des Moines and playing volleyball.

Hansen, like Behne was a five sport athlete as a senior. He was a record setting receiver for the Rams in football, as well as playing defensive back. He was a bowler in the Rams’ inaugural season in that sport, and he golfed, plays soccer, and was on the track & field squad as a long jumper. He’s planning on studying PGA Management at the U. of Nebraska in Lincoln.

The Rams of the year honors go to one senior girl and one senior boy each year. Athletic ability, leadership on and off the field, and other considerations go into the award. Nominations come from head coaches and an anonymous committee makes the final determination.