Future of the Ozarks: Kickapoo senior with 'competitive spirit' excels in class, sports

It was at Springfield's Cherokee Middle School that Luke Courtney realized he had an aptitude for math.

"It just came really easy to me," Courtney recalled. "I figured out that I didn't have to work as hard as everybody else."

The 2022 graduate of Kickapoo High School said he was tempted, after that realization, to "slack off a little bit." But, that was not the way he was raised.

"I wanted to be the best — just the competitive spirit," he said. "So I wanted to take the hardest classes that I could."

That path helped Courtney garner recognition this year at the local and state level. And it paid off with serious college scholarships.

At Kickapoo, in addition to advanced chemistry, he took all the upper-level math courses offered at the high school including Advanced Placement Calculus AB and BC — which is the equivalent of Calculus I and II in college.

Courtney graduated from Kickapoo in May with a 5.0 weighted GPA, making him one of the valedictorians at the city's largest high school.

He was also the district's only senior named to this year's Missouri Scholar 100 list.

"Luke is probably a model student," said Angie Odom, a calculus teacher at Kickapoo. "He's one of those students you don't get everyday. He is not only gifted intellectually but he works hard."

Courtney said his competitiveness is due, in part, to playing sports from an early age.

"I was raised that way. I grew up playing a sport every season of the year," he said. "And coming from sports, I wanted to win and do the best I could."

He started playing soccer at the Ozarks Regional YMCA at age 3 or 4. In elementary, he started playing club soccer. "I've been playing ever since."

More: Photos: Kickapoo High School 2022 commencement ceremony

Courtney was part of the varsity soccer team at Kickapoo for four years, including two as team captain. But, he suffered a painful injury his freshman year.

In his third soccer match for Kickapoo, Courtney tore his anterior cruciate ligament, ACL, and spent the rest of the year trying to recover and get back into shape.

"It took me five months to get back into working out, training, and then six months to be fully released," he said.

To heal, Courtney had to slow down a little and that was difficult, mentally.

He grew up playing other sports including basketball, football and baseball but after the injury, he mainly focused on soccer.

"It was the one I enjoyed the most," he said. "I felt like I was probably the best at it."

Unaccustomed to slowing down, Courtney said he redirected energy to academics and school activities while recuperating.

"I tried to stay connected," he said. "I started to focus more on school and other things that I could do at school to work harder in my elective classes."

He took four years of Spanish and was in broadcast journalism for two years. He also doubled-up on math classes nearly every year.

Courtney was part of National Honor Society, Spanish Club and Student Council. "There was always something to do, something to be involved in," he said.

Odom said Courtney, who was fairly quiet in class, tutored peers in calculus.

"Everybody really likes Luke, and there is no reason not to," Odom said. "He doesn't speak ill of anybody. He is always positive."

Courtney was involved in the Boy Scouts of America and achieved the rank of an Eagle Scout. He has also played club soccer for years.

Eric Wilbur, a chemistry teacher at Kickapoo, said Courtney was studious, well-rounded and "a joy to teach."

"He's a very likable guy, very personable," Wilbur said.

Wilbur said Courtney's study skills, fortitude, and "ability to stay grounded" will serve him well in college. "He adjusts well to any situation."

This fall, Courtney will enroll at the University of Missouri-Columbia to pursue a degree in chemical engineering.

In addition to smaller scholarships, Courtney received the prestigious Mizzou Scholars Award, which is $10,000, plus $6,000 from the MU College of Engineering.

"I visited campus plenty of times and it was the place I wanted to be," Courtney said.

His parents are Chad and Angie Courtney. His father is an attorney who recently ran for school board and his mom is a pediatric nurse at Mercy Springfield.

Courtney's older sister Maggie is studying journalism at Mizzou. His younger brother Eli is a junior at Central High School.

Asked if he had any advice for other Springfield high school students, Courtney said to get involved.

"Even if you just have a couple close friends, take your friends and join something together," he said. "By joining clubs or sports, you become a part of the team and a part of the school."

Missouri Scholars 100

Luke Courtney was the only member of Springfield Public Schools' Class of 2022 on the Missouri Scholars 100 list.

The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals selects the graduating seniors annually based on "exceptional scholarship, citizenship and reliability." Only 10 students from southwest Missouri made this year's list:

• Katherine Arquitt, Greenwood Laboratory School

• Dallin Attwooll, Nixa High

• Luke Courtney, Kickapoo High

• Rhett Garner, Branson High

• Lee Goetzinger, Carthage High

• Jackson Haralson, Republic High

• Eshan Jain, Nixa High

• Jacob Martin, Galena High

• Jenna McKenzie, Logan-Rogersville High

• Cale Tennis, Miller High

Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Email news tips to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Future of the Ozarks: Kickapoo senior excels in class, sports