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