Leadership, dedication, and persistence are three words that come to mind when 2023 Roscoe Eades Award recipient Kael Ryan is mentioned. Everywhere that Kael went, success seemed to always follow.Ryan, a natural-born athlete, did not hesitate to share his talents. Focusing on his main sport, Ryan spent all four years of high school playing football. He also played two years of varsity basketball and, during his senior year, ran track. Not only did Ryan participate in these sports, but he excelled at them. Ryan had his fair share of tribulations during his athletic career at Sterling High School. Highlighting those challenges were two major injuries in torn ACLs. Most of the time a torn ACL is enough to retire someone from a sport, but Ryan bounced back stronger.“Coming back from two knee injuries and being able to get back to the level he did as an athlete is unbelievable. His ability to overcome is what sets Kael apart from the rest of the competition,” football coach Jon Schlemmer shared.In Ryan's senior year of football, he was one of the team captains, Western Big Six Player of the Year, and first-team IHSFCA 5A All State. Not only did Ryan perform on the field but he also inspired his teammates. “Kael still makes a difference even though he has left our program. Kids saw how he worked, led, and played,” stated Coach Schlemmer Ryan plans on continuing his career playing football at Augustana University in South Dakota, which he managed to achieve even without a junior year due to a torn ACL. Ryan’s work ethic is what drove him to achieve success. In his effort to regain his pre-injury stamina and ability, Ryan spent countless hours in the weight room or on the field. “It seemed like every day there was something that I could do to get better,” stated Ryan. Even though Ryan's sights may have been set on football, his impact was also felt on the basketball court. In just two years of varsity basketball, Ryan’s contributions were significant. During that time, the team won the 2022 Taylorville Tournament and the 2023 Regional Championship. The team also tied for the most wins in S.H.S. history with 24, beating Rock Island for the first time since 1975 to wrap up the regular season. He helped to lead a historic team who would go on to lose to the eventual state champions. “He is by far the strongest leader I've ever coached in my time at S.H.S. He is a true Golden Warrior,” stated basketball coach Ryan Vasquez. Besides his leadership, another admirable trait of Ryan’s is that he always devotes himself whole-heartedly. Even though track was not his main sport, his devotion and dedication allowed him to produce top results. This attitude of committing to something and sticking to it is one thing that propels Ryan ahead of most. During his senior year, the only year in which he participated in track, Ryan won three medals at conference and was awarded First Team All-Conference honors in the 4x100 and 4x400 for track. He also won three medals at state and is a part of school records that were set for the 4x100 and 4x200 teams during the 2023 season. With only one track season, Ryan ranks third on the most career state medals list in Sterling High School history. With his tremendous performance throughout his senior year, Ryan became just the third Golden Warrior awarded the Don Morris Award for the conference since Sterling’s joining of the Western Big 6 in the 2018-19 season. The award is given to student-athletes in the conference that excel in multiple sports, school and community activities. Being a standout athlete is great but being a good teammate is what sets people apart. Ryan gracefully managed to be both of those. He respected others and they reciprocated respect back. Ryan’s drive for success motivated his teammates when they needed it most and he developed a reputation as a trustworthy teammate everyone could rely on.“When you have someone like that, someone that you can trust at any moment, that’s a quality of a teammate you want and need,” said fellow teammate John Schilling Jr. ’23. Winning the Roscoe Eades award is not something that Ryan takes lightly. Ryan shared, “It means a lot since it's such a prestigious award when it comes to Sterling athletics. Additionally, it is pretty cool that my brother, Isaiah, won it so it is cool to keep it in the family."