Her final season turned out to be the best season for McDonald County’s Desera ‘Des’ Reece.
The senior made the state finals and brought home fourth place in the pole vault.
She now heads into the next venture of her life as a college track and field athlete. Late in the season, Reece signed to compete at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan.
She will compete in the pole vault and the 400-meter run.
“I looked at SBU (Southwest Baptist) but I decided after I went (to Baker) for a visit I wanted to go there,” Reece said. “I liked it and they have a 100 percent graduation rate. Education is what I am going for. They have a 12-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio. They only have about a 1,000 kids at the school. They wanted me, so it I wanted to go there.”
Reece, 18, will be an education major in hopes of being a history teacher and a coach some day.
“I want to push people to do their best and I have always wanted to coach,” Reece said.
Reece is the daughter of Phil Reece of Bella Vista, Ark. and Pamela Jones of Southwest City.
