Funkhouser, Juergens Receive NFHS Honors

By Wyatt Hardy

Sullivan High School athletic all-stars Alexis Funkhouser and Erica Juergens both received the 2023 NFHS Award of Excellence from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Softball player Alexis Funkhouser signed with Missouri State University-West Plains to advance her career. She excelled in both the outfield and at bat. In the 2022-23 softball season, Funkhouser recorded 125 outs, 119 putouts and a fielding percentage of .984. When hitting, she put up 24 runs, 105 plate appearances, 35 total bases, 20 RBIs and 2 home runs. She was also exceptional in track. Funkhouser performed well in javelin, shot put and discus.

Erica Juergens possessed incredible leadership qualities in volleyball, inspiring her teammates to push their limits. Her strong work ethic and willingness to help her teammates at any moment made her a great asset for the Lady Eagles. Juergens claims that, “The factors that led me to having successful seasons was always striving to maintain a positive attitude through positive and negative situations. I always put my teammates first and always tried to learn as much as possible from my coaches and other players so that I could grow my knowledge. I am very honored and humbled to receive the NFHS/MSHSAA award of excellence for exemplary display of sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity. I was not aware of such an award and when it was given to me I was surprised and grateful. I would like to thank the people who awarded me with such an honor.” She was crowned as the 2023 Meramec Community Fair Queen last week and will continue to spread her good morals to the world.