News

Finalists announced for Sports Commission Awards

More than 170 student-athletes and 10 teams from southwest Missouri high schools will be honored this summer during the 10th annual Sports Commission Awards.

Sponsored by Elliott Lodging and presented by Harry Cooper Supply, the ceremony is set for Tuesday, June 21 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the awards show to begin at 7 p.m.

The Springfield Sports Commission and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame announced the awards ceremony Friday, with the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame assisting for a fifth consecutive year.

Here’s a rundown:

  • A total of 32 categories will feature the top athletes and teams from across southwest Missouri during the 2021-2022 school year, with each nominee chosen by a selection committee.
  • A video celebrating the success of each athlete in each sport will be shown during the evening, with finalists introduced on stage and a winner of that category announced shortly thereafter.
  • The printed program will include athletes’ bios detailing their accomplishments of the past school year.
  • Each individual finalist in attendance will be given a commemorative keepsake, a two-sided, personalized coin for display in a special box that features the athlete’s name.
  • Each winner in the various categories will receive a trophy honoring their achievements.

Athletes will be recognized in tennis, golf, swimming and diving, cross country, softball, soccer, volleyball, football, wrestling, basketball, track and field, bass fishing and baseball. Sports offered to girls and boys are split into their respective categories.

Football has finalists for offensive skill positions, defense and linemen. Wrestling will include lower weights and upper weights.

Additionally, the Sports Commission Awards also will feature finalists for boys and girls Teams of the Year and Athletes of the Year, along with Performance of the Year. The SCAs also will highlight Inspiration Awards.

All finalists for fall and winter sports can now be found at www.mosportshalloffame.com, and spring sports will be announced in the coming weeks.

Sponsorship tables of eight are $350, while individual tickets are $40 in advance, or $50 at the door. Numerous sponsorships also are available, as well as congratulatory ads for the event program. Call the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at 417-889-3100.

“We are always excited to celebrate the success of our high school athletes here in the Ozarks,” said Lance Kettering, Executive Director of the Springfield Sports Commission. “And they deserve recognition for all the hard work they’ve put in. It’s great that we can tell their stories once more.”

This marks the fifth year with the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s involvement. The Hall of Fame is led by CEO & Executive Director Jerald Andrews.

“I’ve always believed that high school athletics are great ways to build character, and this ceremony is a wonderful way to honor the success of student-athletes,” Andrews said. “That is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is delighted to help the Springfield Sports Commission with this important event. We hope all of southwest Missouri will throw its collective support behind these deserving student-athletes.”

Finalists for Sports Commission Awards – Fall & Winter 2022

GIRLS TENNIS

Brynley Brotherton and Esther Choe, Springfield Kickapoo High School

Allie German and Brett Boney, Springfield Central High School

Astrid Cardenas and Emma Watts, Joplin High School

McKinley Hedges and Brynley Waters, Bolivar High School

Letizia Carradori, Springfield Glendale High School

Elsie Crawford, Republic High School

Elizabeth Tynes, Springfield Catholic High School

………………………………………………………

BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING

Lucas Chadwell, Glendale High School

Trey Flouer, Glendale High School

Michael Jasinski, Glendale High School

Evan Riley, Glendale High School

Matthew Wall, Lebanon High School

Dakota Windsor, Lebanon High School

………………………….

GIRLS GOLF

Marlene Edgeman, Marshfield High School

Lyla Louderbaugh, Springfield Catholic High School

Kyleigh Pfitzner, Springfield Catholic High School

Savannah Thessing, New Covenant Academy

Reagan Zibilski, Springfield Catholic High School

……………………………………………………………

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Riley Arnold, Blue Eye High School

Klarie Brown, Kickapoo High School

Jayna Gunter, West Plains High School

Jennalee Dunn, Joplin High School

Lilah Genel, Parkview High School

Brayden Kantola, West Plains High School

Jordan Kantola, West Plains High School

Alicen Ashley, Nixa High School

………………………

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Daelen Ackley, El Dorado Springs High School

Kaden Cole, Neosho High School

Brooklyn Creehan, Kickapoo High School

Tyler Harris, Kickapoo High School

Tanner Talley, New Covenant Academy

Kyle Keltner, Kickapoo High School

…………………….

BOYS SOCCER

Vinton Ashton, Springfield Catholic High School

Sage Ballard, Logan Rogersville High School

Carlton Epps, Branson High School

Landon Keisker, Kickapoo High School

Camden Meyer, Glendale High School

Carson Morgan, Springfield Catholic High School

Andrew Shurtz, Fair Grove High School

Alex Spence, Glendale High School

…………………………..

VOLLEYBALL

Arden Below, Central High School

Jaycee Fixsen, Nigh High School

Syndey Golden, Nixa High School

Logan Jones, Carl Junction High School

Grace O’Reilly, Springfield Catholic High School

Hanna Vorhies, Ozark High School

………………………….

FOOTBALL – LINEMEN

Buddy Belcher, Webb City High School

Tristan Wilson, Lebanon High School

John Gholson, Nixa High School

Cooper Roy, Glendale High School

Garrett Lilienkamp, Carthage High School

Jaylon James, West Plains High School

………………………………

FOOTBALL – LINEBACKERS AND DEFENSIVE BACKS

Cooper Crouch, Webb City High School

Luke Gall, Carthage High School

Connor Lair, West Plains High School

Draven VanGilder, Joplin High School

Austin Wilkerson, Lamar High School

……………………………………………

FOOTBALL – OFFENSIVE SKILL POSITIONS

Kael Combs, Nixa High School

Luke Gall, Carthage High School

Dagen Kenslow, West Plains High School

Cole Martin, McDonald County High School

Always Wright, Joplin High School

………………………………………………

GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING

Maddie Atwood, Logan-Rogersville High School

Chloe Miller, Carl Junction High School

Ashlyn Moore, Kickapoo High School

Maggie Moore, New Covenant Academy

Emilie St. George, Kickapoo High School

Skyler Sundy, Carl Junction High School

………………………………

GIRLS WRESTLING

Breyna Crahan, Nixa High School

Catherine Dutton, Central High School

Ashlyn Eli, Nixa High School

Abigail Fuglsang, Camdenton High School

Quincey Glendenning, Lebanon High School

Wendy Riley-Washington, Kickapoo High School

…………………………..

BOYS WRESTLING – LOWER WEIGHTS

Zan Fugitt, Nixa High School

Kyshin Isringhausen, Branson High School

Simon Hartline, Monett High School

Peyton Moore, Nixa High School

Brady Roark, Seneca High School

Braxton Strick, Ozark High School

……………………………

BOYS WRESTLING – UPPER WEIGHTS

Tyson Moore, Bolivar High School

Gary Walker, Willard High School

Eli Zar, Neosho High School

John Gholson, Nixa High School

Samuel Murphy, McDonald County High School

……………………………….

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Riley Arnold, Blue Eye High School

Kaemyn Bekemeier, Republic High School

Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction High School

Bella Fontleroy, Kickapoo High School

Hannah Gibbons, Greenwood Laboratory School

Cassidy Hambelton, Dora High School

Ashton Judd, West Plains High School

Reese Schaaf, El Dorado Springs High School

…………………………..

BOYS BASKETBALL

Jordan Andrews, Thayer High School

Andrew Dalton, Ava High School

Garrett Davault, Norwood High School

Zach Howell, Springfield Catholic High School

Zaide Lowery, Kickapoo High School

Kyle Pock, Bolivar High School

Collin Ruffin, Nixa High School

Elijah Whitley, Parkview High School