Liberty’s Morgan Fleming wins DiRenna Award; Jeriah Horne, Blake Spellman share boys honor

The first winner forgot to keep her trophy.

The other two winners shared one.

Liberty senior Morgan Fleming won the girls DiRenna Award on Thursday, an honor presented annually by the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association to recognize the top girls player in the area.

Barstow senior Jeriah Horne and Lee's Summit senior Blake Spellman shared the boys DiRenna Award.

Fleming was the first winner announced Thursday at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park — and then she forgot to take the sizable trophy with her as she left the stage. Three of her older siblings are past nominees for the DiRenna Award, but she’s the first to win it. She averaged 18.7 points and six rebounds per game for the Blue Jays, who reached the Missouri Class 5 Final Four for the second straight season.

“The award means so much to me, especially with the caliber of talent in Kansas City,” Fleming said. “Setting a goal and achieving it, it’s a great feeling."

Horne and Spellman became the third duo to split the boys award. They have been AAU teammates for the past five years.

Spellman served as the floor general for an uptempo Lee’s Summit team that made the Missouri Class 5 Final Four. He averaged 19.5 points and 3.9 assists per game.

“Being up there with a friend like Jeriah, it was really an honor,” Spellman said.

Horne led Barstow back to the Missouri Class 3 state-championship game for the third straight season. The Knights won the title his junior year — when he was not nominated for the DiRenna Award — and finished runner-up last month.

“Last year I wasn’t a finalist. Personally, I thought I could’ve been,” Horne said. “I wanted to make a goal to at least make it as a finalist this year. I just worked toward that goal, kept working, kept staying in the gym, trusting in my teammates and my coaches. Look where I am now.”

Liberty North senior Michael Hughes, Blue Springs South senior KJ Robinson and Shawnee Mission North senior Michael Weathers were also finalists for the boys award, which began in 1954.

Truman junior Kierra Collier, Blue Valley North senior Micaela Delagarza, Belton junior Courtnie Lewis and Lawrence Free State junior Madison Piper were finalists for the girls prize, initiated in 1997.

Also during the ceremony Thursday, Lee’s Summit North girls coach Tricia Lillygren and Leavenworth boys coach Larry Hogan were inducted into the GKCBCA Hall of Fame.

Mill Valley boys coach Mike Bennett and St. Joseph Benton girls coach Brett Goodwin received the Eddie Ryan Award for coaches of the year. Both won state championships this season.

The association honored five female and six male members of its all-academic team — Holly Hull (Blue Valley Northwest), Taylor Koper (Raymore-Peculiar), Meghan Maher (Raymore-Peculiar), Madison Newell (Blue Valley) and Kourtney West (Lee's Summit West) made up the girls all-academic team. Nicholas Foley (Blue Springs South), Nathan Janssen (Raymore-Peculiar), Jacob Jennings (De Soto), Michael Keane (Pembroke Hill), Campbell Lakatos (Smithville) and Karter Odermann (St. Thomas Aquinas) were on the boys team.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 9:18 PM.