SJSC Awards Show: Central’s Wetlaufer, Benton’s Arambula win Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Benton’s Boone wins Coach of the Year

(ST. JOSEPH, MO) - The St. Joseph Sports Commission held its annual St. Joseph Sports inc. High School Scholar-athlete, Coach of the Year and Community Engagement Award of Excellence Awards Show on MoWest's campus on Monday night.

The Coach of the Year was awarded to Benton boys basketball coach Jared Boone for taking the Cardinals back to state for the second straight year as the team got a third place finish. The Scholar Athlete Award which was based on athletics as well as grade point average this past year went to Central senior Kanon Wetlaufer and Benton senior Eliana Arambula.

Wetlaufer quarterbacked the Central football team back to the playoffs with a 5-5 record and Eliana Arambula helped lead Benton basketball back to the state final four for the fifth time in the last six season.

"It feels amazing. It's something that as soon as I found out about this award, it was something that I really strive for," said Arambula. "It means a lot because I know that I do push myself academically and athletically and all four years all the time, so it really it really means everything to me."

"It's a great honor, but I want to shout out everyone that's gotten me to this point," said Wetlaufer. "There's a lot of people that have helped me, my family members and it's just a testament to show what they put into me and it came out."

"Very humbling, it's very exciting. I'm not in this position without my players and coaches, the support of my school, my community, my administration, and my athletic director. It's a lot that goes into it," said Boone.