News

Wynn Award: Teresa Baird Beshore of Springfield Catholic High School

Her mom doubled as her tennis coach, her dad helped fine-tune her basketball skills and her sister became a great teammate, too. In other words, sports wasn’t simply an avenue to a college scholarship for Teresa Baird Beshore, an early 1990s standout for Springfield Catholic High School. “Athletics brought our family closer together,” said Baird,… Read more »

Hall of Fame to induct five at Baseball Luncheon on May 25

Mark Bailey, the first Missouri State Bears baseball player to reach the big leagues, soon will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame along with former Negro Leagues pitcher John Donaldson, Westran High School’s Kelly Odneal, St. Louis sports writer Rob Rains as well as Mark Stratton, the former Glendale High School and… Read more »

Hall of Fame to unveil life-size Bill Virdon statue May 25

Little Leaguers who collected baseball cards in the early 1960s might have traded for this one: It’s of West Plains’ own Bill Virdon, then the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder, making a catch of a deep fly ball off the bat of New York Yankees great Yogi Berra. Atop the card, it reads “1960 World Series,”… Read more »

Wynn Award: Joplin’s Melissa Hoffmeister Sanders

Her home away from home was any tennis court in and around Joplin, with her grandparents, parents and sisters shaping her career. To Melissa Hoffmeister Sanders, they collectively put her in position to dominate for Joplin High School as she won 132 matches and a state title in the early 2000s. “Each of them played… Read more »

Free admission for students on spring break

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is offering free admission to all students while they are on spring break this month. The Hall of Fame is located at 3861 E. Stan Musial Drive, or about a mile east of the U.S. 60-65 interchange in southeast Springfield. Adults are $5, seniors are $3 and a family… Read more »

Inductee spotlight: All American Red Heads

Decades before a push to add women’s sports in colleges and high schools – and long before Title IX would pave the way for so many – an idea born in the southwest Missouri community of Cassville actually may have set the eventual stage. There, in 1936, businessman C.M. “Ole” Olson started a barnstorming women’s… Read more »

Join our Fan Club, receive cool merchandise

Join our Fan Club and assist us in our mission to build and add to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, a 501c-3 not-for-profit organization. The operation of the Hall of Fame is dependent upon attendance, gift shop sales, activities and events, contributions and donations. The Fan Club was established to allow all sports enthusiasts… Read more »

Hall of Fame announces Women’s Sports Luncheon for March 30

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame will soon induct the All American Red Heads Basketball Program, former Missouri Southern State University Athletic Director Sallie Beard as well as two women’s basketball coaches – Evangel University’s Leon Neal and the University of Missouri’s Joann Rutherford – along with former Lockwood High School volleyball coach Cheryl Shores.… Read more »

Attention golfers: Our 2017 calendar is packed full of events

We can’t wait for spring’s arrival, either. And, if you enjoy playing golf, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame has lined up another great season of our popular Celebrity Golf Classics at some of the state’s finest courses. All of it is made possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors – Hillyard, Inc., Missouri… Read more »

Hall of Fame mourns passing of Drury swimmer

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame joins with Drury University in mourning the sudden passing of Ariel Wen Xu, one of the college’s standout swimmers. She was 22. According to the university, Xu passed away after a practice on Thursday. The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame recognized Xu on Sunday night during the Enshrinement in… Read more »