MCGUIRE, ESSNER WIN TOP ND AWARDS

One is a hard-throwing, three-point shooting ace with all-state athletic skills as well as an all-state mind.

The other was a hard-working, volleyball-serving menace to opponents on a district championship volleyball team.

Together, Notre Dame High School's Nathan McGuire and Beth Essner make up this year's Bulldog and Lady Bulldog award winners named Sunday night at the conclusion of the high school sports banquet in the Notre Dame gymnasium.

The Bulldog and Lady Bulldog award is given to the senior male and female athletes at Notre Dame that best represented the high school over their four years at the school. It's an award based as much on a student-athlete's attitude and character away from the field of play as their abilities in athletics.

"This award is very special because all four years at Notre Dame, I've been involved in a lot of sports," said an enthusiastic Essner after the banquet. "It's just kind of neat to have something to show for it."

McGuire was equally honored by the award, mentioning his thoughts after hearing he had won the Bulldog award.

"I was excited," said the soft-spoken McGuire. "It's a pretty big honor and shows all the hard work paid off in my four years here."

McGuire, who also won two basketball awards as the Bulldogs' top point-producer and co-Most Valuable Player this season along with teammate Dirk Dirnberger, is also on his way to a fine season on the baseball diamond. Currently McGuire has a 7-0 pitching record for the 11-3 Bulldogs.

But probably McGuire's most impressive honor of the night was an award recognizing him as an Academic All-State member this year. The academic award is reserved for the top 10 percent of the student-athletes in the state.

Essner, who's currently playing soccer and was an all-district performer on a Lady Bulldogs' volleyball team that fell one win short of the Final Four this year, won the Top Server award along with her Lady Bulldog honor at the banquet. In fact, the Lady Bulldog honor came as a surprise to Essner.

"I certainly wasn't thinking I was going to get it," said Essner. "It wasn't the first thing on my mind and I didn't know if I was the first person they were going to think of to give it to or not. I was very happy when I heard my name."

Essner's honor was made even more special by her following in the footsteps of last year's Lady Bulldog winner Jill Ostendorf.

Said Essner, "I looked up to (Ostendorf) a lot because she played volleyball and I'd always been a great volleyball fan too."

Essner is hoping to continue her volleyball -- and possibly soccer -- career in college. As of now, she hopes to walk on at Rockhurst College in Kansas City.

McGuire is hoping to continue his pitching career, as well, at either St. Louis University or here at Southeast Missouri State.

Tom Howard, president of the Notre Dame boosters, was the master of ceremonies at the event honoring the student-athletes and their parents. Randy Ray, sports director for KFVS-12, was the guest speaker.