The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame paid tribute to the late Dr. Mary Jo Wynn and welcomed its newest inductees Wednesday during the sixth annual Women’s Sports Luncheon presented by the Bee Payne-Stewart Foundation.
President and Executive Director Jerald Andrews presided over the ceremony, which drew a crowd of more than 900 to the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield.
The Hall of Fame inducted: Becky Lipasek, who coached at El Dorado Springs, Reeds Spring and Branson high schools; retired St. Francis Borgia High School volleyball coach Mike Tyree; the 1994 Republic High School Girls Basketball State Championship Team; the Missouri State University Volleyball Program; the Fast Break Club which supported MSU women’s athletics from the early 1980s until 1998; and the Sedalia Smith-Cotton High School Girls Golf Program. Republic’s honor was also part of the Silver Anniversary of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, which also is recognizing outstanding accomplishments from 1994 during its luncheons this year.
All of this came on a day when the Hall of Fame remembered Dr. Wynn, the pioneer of women’s athletics at Missouri State University who was a 1999 inductee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and a 2014 MSHOF Legend. Wynn passed away on Jan. 22 at age 89, having left quite a legacy in which she led MSU women’s athletics from the physical education department of the 1950s into the modern era, with 10 NCAA Division I women’s varsity sports now offered by the athletic department.
It was Wynn who encouraged the Hall of Fame to host a Women’s Sports Luncheon in 2014, and the event has only grown. In fact, the event now includes the Wynn Awards, named in her honor. The awards recognize high school and college standouts who made positive impacts in their respective sports, or individuals who made a significant impact on sports in Missouri.
The Wynn Award recipients for 2019 are: golfer Mindy Bullard Coyle (Warrensburg High School/University of Missouri); Jo Ann Harrison, the pioneer of women’s athletics at Southwest Baptist University; cross country and track & field standout Tammy Townsend Holder (Neosho High School), Anne-Mary McGrath, the Superintendent of Recreation for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board; former Seymour High School and Lebanon High School volleyball coach Cindy Metts; basketball and golf standout Taira Roth of St. Joseph Central High School and Missouri Western State University; and Lisa Tinkler, the women’s golf coach at Drury University.
Becky Lipasek – Volleyball Coach of El Dorado Springs, Reeds Spring & Branson High Schools: A graduate of Mountain Grove High School and Missouri Valley College, Lipasek has coached high school volleyball for 29 seasons, 27 in Missouri. In the Show-Me State, she was 577-236-44 combined at El Dorado Springs, Reeds Spring and Branson high schools – reaching six Final Fours with her first two schools. Her 1999 and 2005 El Dorado Springs teams won Class 2 state championships, while her 1998 and 2000 teams placed second. Her 2006 and 2007 Reeds Spring teams placed third in Class 3. Lipasek then coached three seasons in Branson and has spent the past two seasons coaching outside of Joplin at Riverton (Kan.) High School, where her teams were 64-15. Additionally, Lipasek is co-director of THR33 Volleyball. She coached club volleyball for eight seasons in the Springfield area, with five teams qualifying for nationals. As a player, she helped Mountain Grove to two state tournament trips, placing fourth her junior and senior years. She also was an all-conference setter at Missouri Valley.
Mike Tyree – St. Francis Borgia High School Volleyball Coach: Tyree is one of the winningest high school volleyball coaches in the state, having coached 22 seasons at St. Francis Borgia High School in Washington and compiling a record of 646-133-20. His teams reached 15 Final Fours, advancing to the state finals 14 times and winning nine state championships. Along the way, Tyree’s teams were the runner-up five times, placed third once and won 20 district championships. He coached 20 seasons for Borgia before retiring in 2006 and then returned in 2010, coaching two additional years. Tyree is a 1970 graduate of Union High School and 1976 graduate of Southeast Missouri State. He spent his entire teaching and coaching career at Borgia, first as an assistant coach.
Republic High School Girls Basketball 1994 State Championship Team: The Republic Lady Tigers captured the Class 3 state basketball championship in 1994 and were honored as part of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary celebration. The team finished 31-1, the best record of any of the state champions in basketball that season after Republic beat Chillicothe 66-43 in the championship game. Coached by Dave McQuerter, Republic featured Krista Dake, Brandy Dipper, Stacey Evans, Ashley Fry, Nikki Harrington, Amber Kile, Melissa McGill, Glenna Mooneyham, Tori Mooneyham, Julie Sanders, Vicky Smith, Cindy Wise and assistant coach Mike Thorne. Wise earned First Team All-State, and Smith was Second Team All-State.
Missouri State University Volleyball Program: The 2018 fall season marked Missouri State’s 47th. The program has more than 1,250 victories – ranking fifth on the NCAA all-time list – and likely has hundreds more wins, considering records were not kept in its first 14 seasons when led by Dr. Mary Jo Wynn (MSHOF Legend 2014). The Bears have had only two other coaches in Linda Dollar (MSHOF 2011) and Melissa Stokes (MSHOF 2017). The program has won 15 conference tournament titles, nine regular-season championships, have enjoyed 39 20-win seasons and have had 24 postseason berths. Thirteen teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament (1982, 1990, 1993, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017). Additionally, eight players have played professionally, eight have earned All-America honors a total of 17 times, and 38 have been First Team All-Conference.
Fast Break Club: Dr. Mary Jo Wynn’s vision to market and promote women’s athletics at Missouri State University became the Fast Break Club, which formed in 1986 and continued through 1998 upon her retirement. The group was comprised of executives at the top of their respective fields who dedicated time, experience and knowledge to bringing together profound ideas on unique ways to promote women’s athletics at Missouri State. Step-by-step implementation led to tremendous successes. The Fast Break Club’s ideas created a unique game-day environment for Lady Bears Basketball, culminating in record-breaking crowds – the team led the nation in attendance in 1992-1993 – and the model became sought after by universities all across the country. Special events were orchestrated to create more excitement. “The Classic Evening” banquet was the pre-season introduction to the Lady Bears, and Guest Master of Ceremonies included Pat Summit, Roy Williams and Robin Roberts.
Sedalia Smith-Cotton High School Girls Golf Program: Smith-Cotton High School has fielded one of the best girls golf programs in the state. Between 1984 and 1995, the program placed in the top three of the state meet 11 times. Those years were highlighted by six state championships (1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) – third-most in state history. The program began in 1974 and has had only five coaches in Scott Everett, Ron Henke, Duane Brandsgaard, B.J. Curry and Chris Guffey. Brandsgaard led the first two state title times, while Curry guided the other four. The 1990-1991 team was the first in state history to record a score under 700 (697) and was the first team to have all five members finish in the top 15. The four consecutive state titles included Libby Howard Ecker, a 1994 graduate and two-time individual state champion. Overall, Smith-Cotton had 14 state teams and won the same number of conference & district titles (10).
WYNN AWARDS
Mindy Bullard Coyle – Warrensburg High School & University of Missouri: Coyle was a pole vaulter and a four-time All-State golfer at Warrensburg High School, as she was a state champion her senior year and placed second, third and eighth in her other seasons there. At Mizzou, she led the Tigers to their first ever NCAA Championships appearance in 2005, two years after Coyle was the runner-up in the Big 12 Conference Championships. She has since given back to the sport. This spring marks her 12th season as an assistant on the coaching staff of the Mizzou women’s golf program and has helped guide the team to five NCAA Regionals. She still plays competitively. In 2009 and 2010, Coyle finished fifth and fourth, respectively, at the Missouri State Women’s Amateur. She also won the Missouri Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships in 2012 and 2013.
Jo Ann Harrison – Southwest Baptist University Coach of Softball, Volleyball & Basketball: Jo Ann Harrison made a tremendous, positive impact on the Southwest Baptist University athletic department from the late 1960s and on into the 1980s. She is the pioneer of three women’s sports programs at SBU – softball, volleyball and basketball. In fact, Harrison is the winningest softball and volleyball coach in those programs’ histories. She coached the softball team for 18 seasons, compiling a 255-161 record, with the 1980 and 1981 teams winning MAIAW Division III state championships and reaching the AIAW national tournaments. In volleyball, she began coaching in 1965 and earned a 314-235-4 (.571) record, which includes 13 consecutive winning seasons beginning in 1968 and a school-record 38-8-1 record in 1974.
Tammy Townsend Holder – Neosho High School & College of the Ozarks: Tammy Townsend Holder was a three-time All-State performer in cross country and a seven-time All-State athlete in track while at Neosho High School. She won two Class 4 state cross country championships in 1983 and 1984, leading the team to state championships both years when it was guided by coach Harry Lineberry. She finished in 19:33 and 19:28 in those two years. In track, Holder competed in the mile, 2-mile and 2-mile relay, placing second several times at the state track and field championships. Holder initially signed with Oklahoma State University but completed her degree at College of the Ozarks, where she is currently Associate Professor of Agronomy and is in charge of the college beef farm and agronomy work stations.
Anne-Mary McGrath – Springfield-Greene County Park Board: McGrath has played a significant role in growing sports opportunities for all ages and abilities for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board since joining the organization in 2008 and now holds the title of Superintendent of Recreation. McGrath helps coordinate operations for the Springfield Lasers World TeamTennis professional tennis franchise, in addition to numerous other efforts, including the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot that draws almost 8,000 runners. Previously, she was the Director of Athletic Development for Drury University from 2004 to 2007, operated Branson-based MAM Public Relations Inc., served as a managing partner for a semi-pro football team, the Springfield Rifles, and was the Director of Advertising and Game Day Operations for World League of American Football and NFL in New York City.
Cindy Metts – Lebanon High School Volleyball Coach: Metts was 403-117-15 during a volleyball coaching career that spanned from 1985 to 2002. She spent four seasons at Seymour (1985-1988), compiling a 46-38 record and winning a Summit Conference championship in 1987, when the team also finished second in a Class 2 district. At Lebanon, Metts’ teams were 357-79-15 from 1989 to 2002, including five 30-win seasons (including a school-best 37 wins in 1995) and reached Final Fours in 1996 and 2001. They also won eight conference championships (1989, 1990,1993, 1995, 1996, 1997 1998, 2001), and won nine consecutive district titles from 1993 to 2001. During her tenure, six players earned All-State honors and 12 went on to play in college. Metts is a graduate of Joplin Parkwood High School and Drury University, having earned all-conference and all-district in high school and three letters in her four seasons at Drury (1980-1983).
Taira Roth – St. Joseph Central High School & Missouri Western State University: Roth excelled in basketball and golf at St. Joseph Central High School and Missouri Western State University. In high school, she was a three-year varsity letter-winner in basketball, earning All-City honors as a senior. In golf, she placed seventh and sixth in the 1998 and 1999 state meets, respectively, helping the 1999 team to a third-place finish. At Missouri Western, Roth was part of the 2002 MIAA basketball championship team and named the university’s Female Athlete of the Year in both 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. She also was part of the inaugural Missouri Western women’s golf team. Roth, who later was a graduate assistant at the University of Central Missouri and full-time assistant at Lake Superior State University and Truman State University, is Regional Operations Manager for Hillyard, Inc., and lives in Nixa.
Lisa Tinkler – Drury University Women’s Golf Coach: Tinkler is in her 12th year leading the Drury University women’s golf program, and third consecutive, after starting the program in 2003. After a second-place finish in the Heartland Conference in their inaugural season, the Panthers won the league the next year and finished eighth in NCAA Division II. Her teams have won three conference championships, advanced to seven NCAA D-II regional tournaments and her 2007 team finished fourth at the national tournament. Tinkler has been a two-time GLVC Coach of the Year and, in 2007, was the NCAA Division II East Region Coach of the Year. She was the head coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams at Loyola University in New Orleans from 2012 to 2014, guiding the women’s program to a national tournament bid in 2014 in only their second year of existence. Tinkler is a graduate of Blue Valley High School in Stanley, Kan., where she was part of the school’s first girls golf team – which won a Class 3 state title that season and marked the athletic department’s first state title. She also is a 2002 graduate of Evangel University.