Fort Osage Female Athlete of the Year - Rae Stewart

Rae Stewart literally rose to the occasion in her final trip to the Class 4 Missouri State Track and Field Championships.
The Fort Osage senior didn’t quite reach her personal best jump of 5 feet, 4 inches, but she cleared the bar at 5-3 to earn a fourth-place all-state medal.
“I’m a little upset with my height, but I am very, very happy to get a medal at my last state meet,” said Stewart, one of the finest all-around athletes in the history of Fort Osage High School.
Stewart earned four letters in basketball and track and three in volleyball. She could have had her pick of any of those three and chose to play basketball at Baker University.
“Basketball is my first love,” Stewart said. “But I loved every sport I played at Fort Osage.”
Unlike many athletes who select one sport at the prep level, Stewart enjoyed the thrill of being a three-sport star.
When asked about special moments at Fort Osage, Stewart said they were countless.
“But one special moment came when our 4x200 relay team (including Christal Harris, Elaine McAlister and Tina Gaines) set the school record (1:45.01) at sectionals.”
The reason that was so special is because Stewart’s mom, who was then known as Kim Justice, was on the 1981 squad that held the previous mark of 1:46.7.
“My mom was at the meet when we broke it, and that was something I’ll always remember,” Stewart said. “When we found out how close we were to breaking the record, we really made sure we did it. It was great when it happened.”