Missouri native and 15-year NBA veteran Joe Kleine will soon be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame along with quite a lineup: a 500-win high school basketball coach, the state’s all-time leading prep scorer, a college athletic director, a wrestling coach and four teams, eras or programs from high schools.
Collectively, they represent the Class of 2026 for the Hall of Fame’s Winter Sports Luncheon presented by Great Southern Bank. It’s set for 11 AM on Thursday, Dec. 17 at the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield.
“This is quite the class – filled with so many success stories. And we cannot wait to celebrate them,” said Rob Marsh, Executive Director and CEO of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. “We hope their communities and families and friends will join us for this special day.”
The Class of 2026 features:
- Joe Kleine – Slater High School standout who played 15 seasons in the NBA
- Hartville High School Boys Basketball Program
- Fred Johnson – All-time leading scorer in Missouri high school history
- Southwest Baptist University Women’s Basketball Era 1996-2001
- Craig Englebrecht – Eugene High School basketball coach
- Hillcrest High School 1984 State Championship Basketball Team
- Mike Jackson – Ozark High School wrestling coach
- Raymore-Peculiar High School Wrestling Era 1984-2010
- David Stair – Evangel University athletic director
Additionally, the Hall announced the Filbert Fives, a group of former All-State basketball players from a Missouri high school, or who earned all-conference honors at a Missouri college or made positive contributions in the sport. The awards are named in honor of Gary Filbert, a former Norm Stewart assistant coach at Mizzou who later founded the Show-Me State Games. The women’s team features: Heather O’Hara Anderson (Pierce City High School/Crowder College), Doreen Dake Baker (Wheaton High School), Michelle Mikkelsen Bekemeier (Marshfield High School/Southwest Baptist), Karissa Moore McNiel (Forsyth High School/North Ark/College of the Ozarks), and Nancy Somers-Ward (Waynesville High School). The men’s team is: Kevin Cheffey (Nixa High School/Drury University), Ira Foster (Central High School/State Fair Community College/Missouri Southern), Josh Hume (Seymour High School/Missouri State-West Plains/Missouri State/College of the Ozarks), Sean McCurry (Fair Grove High School/John Brown University), and John Wakeman (Republic High School/Missouri State).
An individual ticket is $75. The Hall of Fame also offers tables of 8 for $600 – which includes recognition at the table and in the printed program. A head table ticket is $100 and includes the same perks. Numerous sponsorships also are available, including associate sponsorships, congratulatory ads and video sponsors. Call 417-889-3100.
Joe Kleine – Slater High School/University of Arkansas/NBA
Kleine was a Missouri high school standout who later played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association. At Slater, a rural community northwest of Columbia, he was a three-time All-State selection, earning the honors in 1978, 1979 and 1980. He helped the 1980 team to a state runner-up finish in Class 2. Kleine still ranks No. 2 all-time in Missouri high school history in career rebounds (1,667). Six years later, he was the sixth overall selection of the 1986 NBA Draft, joining the Sacramento Kings for his first three seasons. He also played for the Boston Celtics (1989-1993), Phoenix Suns (1994-1997), and played for three teams in 1997 (Suns, Lakers, Nets), and then was part of the Chicago Bulls’ 1998 NBA championship team. He finished his career with a season in Phoenix and one in Portland. All this came after Kleine played one season at Notre Dame before transferring to the University of Arkansas, where he averaged 18.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game over his three seasons. He was the 1983 Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year. His junior season scoring average of 18.2 points a game was better than that of Houston senior Hakeen Olajuwon. As a senior, Kleine averaged 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. He is sixth on Arkansas’ all-time scoring list (1,753 points), and he played for the 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning basketball team. These days, he makes his home in Little Rock, Ark., running Corky’s BBQ restaurants.
Hartville High School Boys Basketball Program
One of the state’s most successful boys basketball programs can be found in Hartville, a community of about 600 residents in Wright County. The Eagles have advanced to nine Final Fours, winning state championships in 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2024 with coach Brett Reed. Hartville was a state runner-up in 1987, placed third in 1997 and 1998, and placed fourth in 1992 and 2023. All but the 2021 team (Class 3) earned hardware in Class 2. The 2016 team (29-4) beat Iberia 64-37 in the finals. The 2020 team (31-2) beat Skyline 69-40 to win it all. The 2021 team (31-0) beat Monroe City 43-35, and the 2024 team (29-2) beat Weaubleau 60-42 in the finals. Hartville enjoyed a 45-game win streak during the 2019 to 2021 run – the seventh-best mark in state history. Along the way, they won 27 Summit Conference championships and 23 district titles, including nine consecutive from 2013 to 2021. The Eagles also reached the state quarterfinals in 1996, 2000, 2014, 2017 and 2018. The 1996, 2019 and 2020 teams also won Blue & Gold Tournament championships. Hartville’s coaches since 1963 have been Don Heard, Richard Piper, Manley Jackson, Andrews, Melvin Bailey, Randy Short (1974 to 1977), Denny Hunt (1978 to 1987), Darren Taylor (1988 to 1997), Steve Hunter (1998 to 1999), Mike Wilson (2000 to 2002, 2004 to 2006), Matt Pitts (2003), Adam Cook (2006 to 2009), Jeff Cope (2010 to 2011) and Brett Reed since 2012. Overall, Hartville is at least 1,082-465 through March 2026, although some records in the 1960s and early 1970s could not be verified.
Fred Johnson – Wellsville-Middleton High School
Basketball has long been considered the premier sport in Missouri, considering small-town schools may not offer football but certainly will field a hoops team. In northeast Missouri, one of the players who made it a box-office draw was Johnson, who still stands as the all-time leading scorer in MSHSAA history. His 3,555 total points came from 1983 to 1986, as he passed the previous two record-holders, Wellsville’s Bill Roundtree, who scored 3,243 points in 118 games ending in 1980, and Crystal City’s Bill Bradley (MSHOF 1988), who tallied 3,068 points ending in 1961 before he went on to an NBA career. A three-time All-State selection, Johnson helped Wellsville-Middleton to the Final Four his senior year, when they reached the Class 1 state championship game and nearly knocked off powerhouse Scott County Central in an 84-76 overtime final. Johnson then played for coach Gene Bess (MSHOF Legend 2016) at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, where he earned recognition as a junior college All-American in 1987. His 21 free throws are a single-game record there. Johnson finished his collegiate career at Missouri State, playing for coach Charlie Spoonhour (MSHOF Legend 2019) in the 1989 and 1990 seasons as the Bears reached the NCAA Tournament both years. Johnson, who still lives in Springfield and works for Hiland Dairy Foods, was honored in 2024 by his high school, which named its basketball court in his and Roundtree’s honor.
Southwest Baptist University Women’s Basketball Era 1996-2001
Coached by Jim Middleton, the Southwest Baptist Lady Bearcats put the school on the map as a women’s basketball postseason regular in NCAA Division II. The Lady Bearcats advanced to five D-II Tournaments from 1996 to 2001, with the 2000 team reaching the Sweet 16. That was no small feat. In NCAA D-II at the time, in order to earn a tournament bid, teams had to end the season ranked in the top six of their respective regions. In essence, they had to either win their postseason conference tournament or have built a resume that couldn’t be ignored. The best run for SBU during the era was in March 2000. That’s when SBU beat West Texas A&M 68-56 in the opening round, avenging two opening-round losses, and then surged past Texas A&M-Kingsville 80-76 to reach the regional final, or Sweet 16. The era started in 1996, as SBU played in a regional, falling only 64-62 to West Texas A&M in the opening round. The 1998 team earned a bid before falling 92-82 to Abilene Christian. The 1999 team had a rematch against West Texas A&M in the opening round and came within four points of advancing. The 2001 team beat Midwestern State to open the South Central Region before seeing Kingsville pull away in the regional semifinals (and then win the region tournament a day later). And the crowd showed up, as SBU broke into the NCAA Division II Top 10 in home attendance in 1997. They were eighth nationally in 2001, averaging 1,569 fans a game. Carrie Long was a three-time All-American, and Allison Davis was a 2000 D2 Bulletin All-Freshman.
Craig Englebrecht – Eugene High School Basketball Coach
In the mid-Missouri community of Eugene, a town of less than 600 just off Highway 54 south of Jefferson City, basketball means a ton. One of the folks responsible for that passion is Englebrecht, who coached there for 33 of his 36 seasons – and certainly had a passion. After all, he is a 1979 Eugene graduate. He was 573-315 in his coaching career, having began his coaching at Russellville High School, where he coached the girls from 1984 to 1987. When he returned to Eugene, he coached junior varsity boys and then took over as head coach in 1990. His 1992 team reached the Class 2 state championship game, falling only 85-82 in overtime to Portageville. Along the way, his teams won the same number (8) of conference and district championships. They also earned three state quarterfinal appearances. He retired in 2020 but has since returned to the sidelines the past three seasons as the assistant coach of the boys team, which won back-to-back state championships in 2025 and 2026. HE also has coached the middle school boys team the past two years.
Hillcrest High School 1984 Boys Basketball State Championship Team
Coached by Gary Stanfield (MSHOF 2015) and Nate Quinn (MSHOF 2016), the 1984 Hillcrest High School boys basketball team won the Class 4 state championship – the highest classification in the state at the time. The Hornets beat Vashon 51-50 in the finals in the first ever state championship to be broadcast on statewide TV. The roster included Tony King, Kent Meador, Jeff Dishman, Mike Goggin, John Wallace, Ron Richardson, David Hazen, Scott Dasal, David Coday, Tom Fielding, Mark Wofford, David Boland and Austin Cameron. Assistant coach was Nate Quinn, and team managers were Norvale Raymond and Steve Walentoski. In the finals, King went for a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds and later earned First Team All-State honors. The Hornets were 5-3 heading into the Blue & Gold Tournament, which became a launching pad as Hillcrest four games – including a 59-47 victory against previously unbeaten Ozark in front of a crowd of 5,200 at Hammons Student Center. In the postseason, Hillcrest beat Central 60-50 in the district championship – a notable victory considering Central had won two regular-season matchups, including one in four overtimes. Hillcrest edged Glendale 44-43 in the sectional, and beat Independence Van Horn in the state quarterfinals before scoring a 57-48 state semifinal win against St. Louis Beaumont.
Mike Jackson – Ozark High School Wrestling Coach
Jackson could be considered one of the forefathers of high school wrestling in the Ozarks, as he started the Ozark High School wrestling program in the fall of 1986 and then launched the youth wrestling program two years later. A 1976 graduate of Seneca High School, he had attended Crowder College before completing his degree at Missouri State. Jackson went on to coach for 26 seasons at Ozark, where his team was 210-59 in duals and earned three top four finishes in the state tournament. Those finishes included a state runner-up to Holt in Class 3 in 2007, and fourth-place finishes in 2010 and 2012. Overall, his teams won 10 conference championships and eight district titles. The Tigers also had 157 state qualifiers, 49 state medalists and three individual state champions. Jackson’s decision to launch the youth program was significant, as it helped become a feeder program into the junior high school and high school wrestling rooms.
Raymore-Peculiar High School Wrestling Era 1984-2010
Just south of Kansas City, Raymore-Peculiar High School has been one of the more formidable opponents in wrestling, especially from 1984 to 2010. In that time, the Panthers finished in the top 10 team standings of the state championships some 21 times. And they were led by Paul Barbarick, who coached from 1982 to 2008, before Brett Barbarick took over from 2009 to 2025. The state trophies featured the Class 3 state championship in 1990. Ray-Pec was a state runner-up in 2004 and 2005, placed third in 1993, and fourth in 1995, 2002 and 2006. Along the way, they won 16 conference championships and had eight conference runner-up finishes. Additionally, they won 13 district championships. Overall, the Panthers earned 69 state medals during the era, including 11 state champions. State champions were: Jim Thomas (98 pounds, 1984), Matt Quest (275 in 1989), Doug Yeager (135 in 1993, 145 in 1995), Shawn McDonald (130 in 1994 & 1996), Brett Barbarick (171 in 1998), V.J. Winkert (103 pounds, 2001), Matt Breit (130 pounds, 2002), Leremie Shaffer (152 pounds in 2004), Cody Newman (171 in 2004), Mark Ellis (215 pounds, 2005) and Kendall Burke (160 pounds in 2005 & 2006).
Dr. David Stair – Evangel University Athletic Director
Stair was the longest-tenured athletic director in Evangel University history, from 1982 to 2014. He initially coached women’s basketball, women’s tennis and served as the department chair of the physical education department from 1999 to 2007. As AD, Stair Helped transform Evangel intercollegiate athletics, overseeing the growth of a department reviving men’s and women’s track & field while adding men’s golf, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, and softball. The 2003 men’s basketball team won the NAIA Division II national championship, and the football and women’s basketball programs each reached the NAIA semifinals twice, while the track program saw two individual national champions. Stair also secured Evangel in the Heart of America Athletics Conference. He was named the NAIA Central Region Athletic Director of the Year in 2004, the NAIA Region V Athletic Director of the Year in 2001, the NAIA-ADA Male Athletics Administrator of the Year in 1995, and NAIA District 16 Athletic Director of the Year in 1988. Between 2006 and 2010, Evangel won the Heart of America Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award four times. A native of Berwick, Pa., Stair is a member of four Halls of Fame – NACD, NAIA, Springfield Area Sports and the Berwick Bulldogs – and accompanied Evangel on 11 mission trips out of the country.
FILBERT FIVE WOMEN’S TEAM
Heather O’Hara Anderson – Pierce City High School/Crowder College
One of the toughest opponents in southwest Missouri girls basketball in the mid- to late-1990s was Pierce City High School, and one of the reasons was Anderson. She was a three-time All-State selection in Class 2 in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The team reached the state quarterfinals in 1996 and 1997, and then advanced to the Final Four her senior year. That team bounced back from a semifinal setback to beat John Burroughs 29-27 in the third-place game. Anderson continued her career at Crowder College in Neosho, where she rallied after a season-ending knee injury her freshman season to play two more years. She has since gone into public education, teaching at Joplin’s Cecil Floyd Elementary the past 23 years. And she is still around the game, with twin teenage sons playing in Joplin.
Doreen Dake Baker – Wheaton High School
Not long after passage of the 1972 federal Title IX legislation – which required public schools to offer sports to girls – Wheaton High School formed a girls basketball team and took off. Before the decade ended, the Lady Bulldogs were hanging serious banners. The 1978 team reached the Final Four and finished as a state runner-up, and the 1979 team returned to the Final Four and placed fourth. One of the key players was Baker, who earned Class 1 All-State honors both seasons. Although, Baker did not pursue basketball at a collegiate level, her connection to Wheaton High School continued well beyond her playing days. Through her work with the Wheaton School District, she remained an active part of the school community, building lasting relationships with students and supporting future generations of athletes. “Wheaton basketball has always held a special place in my heart,” Baker said. “I spent many years attending games, cheering from the stands and supporting my three daughters as they played throughout their school years until graduation. Watching them grow, compete, earn state recognitions and create memories on the court brought me tremendous joy.” She and her husband, Kendall, are parents to Amanda Wolf (Brandon), Tabita Holmes (Steve) and Johanna Hall (Justin) and seven grandchildren.
Michelle Mikkelsen Bekemeier – Marshfield High School/Southwest Baptist University
In the 1990s, Bekemeier helped enhanced the Marshfield Lady Jays Girls Basketball Program, which years later was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. She scored 1,514 career points and was a three-time All-State selection in 1992, 1993 and 1994. She helped the 1992 team place third, and the 1993 and 1994 teams reached the state quarterfinals. Counting her freshman season, she was part of four consecutive district championship teams, which were part of a streak of 16 consecutive district titles for the Lady Jays. Bekemeier also played volleyball there. At Southwest Baptist, she helped the 1996 team reach the NCAA Division II Tournament and rank No. 2 in assists (484), No. 3 in games started (111) and No. 10 with 285 assists. A senior account executive at CooperVision, Bekemeier and her husband, Lance, are parents to Lady Bears standout Kaemyn and Cason, a Drury University golfer.
Karissa Moore McNiel – Forsyth High School/North Arkansas College/College of the Ozarks
McNiel was one of the state’s top scoring threats in the mid-1980s as she starred for Forsyth High School. She scored 1,942 career points, which was among the top 20 for years and is now just outside of the Top 27, according to MSHSAA records. That figure also is the best in Forsyth history. McNiel earned All-State honors in 1984 and 1985. She went on to play at North Arkansas College, earning All-American honors from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association in 1987. She then finished her degree at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, and then went on to be a school teacher. She and her family make their home in Lynchburg.
Nancy Somers-Ward – Waynesville High School
Ward was a two-time All-State selection, in the 1988 and 1989 seasons, at Waynesville High School. Playing in Class 4, the highest level at the time in MSHSAA, Ward helped the team win a district championship her senior season. She also was on the volleyball team there. After high school, Ward played two seasons at College of the Ozarks and then played her final two seasons at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. She recently retired from the Stafford School District and this winter will cheer on her daughter, Marshfield High School basketball standout Peyton Ward, who has committed to the University of New Mexico.
FILBERT FIVE MEN’S TEAM
Kevin Cheffey – Nixa High School/Drury University
Ask folks in the 1980s about Nixa High School boys basketball teams, and they will talk about two of its Final Four teams and also remember a player in jersey No. 44. They would be referring to Cheffey, and for good reason. He was four-year letterman in four sports. In basketball, he was a prolific scorer, averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds as a senior. Overall, he was a three-time All-State selection in Class 2 as a 6-foot-6 player in 1984, 1985 and 1986, and was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American award. The 1984 team reached the state semifinals, while the Eagles returned to the Final Four two years later in 1986, finishing as the state runner-up. Cheffey signed with Missouri State and was part of the Bears’ 1987 NCAA Tournament team. He then went on to play four seasons at Drury University, where the Panthers were 75-24 in his final three seasons. In fact, it started well, as he hit the winning 3-pointer to beat No. 4 Grand Canyon.
Ira Foster – Central High School/State Fair Community College/Missouri Southern State University
Foster emerged as a serious scoring threat in the late 1970s at Springfield’s Central High School, and then had a memorable senior year. He earned All-State honors in Class 4, having averaged 22.1 points a game – and that was without the 3-point line, which didn’t come into play in high school basketball until 1987. A 6-foot-3 senior, Foster had a personal-best 38-point performance against Bentonville, Ark., and averaged nearly 30 points a game in his final eight games. He helped the Jim Ball-coached Bulldogs win the Buffalo Tournament, the Blue & Gold Tournament, as well as the District Tournament to reach the state sectionals. Foster played in the Lions Club All-Star Game and went on to play two seasons at State Fair Community College in Sedalia before transferring to Missouri Southern in Joplin. These days, he works for SRC in Springfield.
Josh Hume – Seymour High School/College of the Ozarks
Hume was a three-time All-State selection in Class 2 in 1966, 1997 and 1998 for Seymour and finished his career with 2,786 career points. At the time, it was the sixth-highest total in state high school history. It now ranks 15th all-time. His scoring included a 51-point game. He also is in the top 10 in several other categories. Hume later played college basketball at Missouri State-West Plains, Missouri State and then at College of the Ozarks. At West Plains, he helped the team win the Region 16 championship. At C of O, he earned NAIA All-American honors in 2003 and averaged 19.9 points a game, finishing among the top five scorers all-time. He then played one year for the Harlem Globetrotters. He has since given back to the game. For several years, he was a high school basketball coach, including a decade at Bradleyville High School, winning multiple conference and district championships – and was Coach of the Year. He also started the Missouri Tribe travel program in 2020, as well as 417 Elite 50 in 2024 – it’s a college exposure event – and this year built the Hardwood Collective, which covers southern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, west Tennessee and western Illinois. More than 100 area players have earned scholarships through those three efforts.
Sean McCurry – Fair Grove High School/John Brown University
In the mid-1980s, one of southwest Missouri’s top scorers could be found at Fair Grove High School. That’s where McCurry made a name for himself, averaging 23 points game as a 5-foot-10 senior in the 1985 season. He earned All-State honors in Class 3, along with all-conference and all-district. He went on to play at John Brown University in Arkansas, where he was a starter and co-captain. McCurry also became a standout tennis player, and played for John Brown’s tennis teams seasons as well, earning all-conference in doubles his senior year. Since college, McCurry has owned and operated an investment advisory firm, mostly in the Springfield area, until recently moving to suburban Kansas City. He and his wife, Sherry, are parents to Tyler, Quinn and Paige.
John Wakeman – Republic High School/Missouri State University
Wakeman was a three-sport athlete at Republic High School who earned All-State in each. In basketball, he helped the Tigers finish 22-5 his senior year in 1989, when they won a district championship and were three points away from winning the sectional. Along the way, he earned First Team All-State honors in Class 3 in playing in coach Denny Hunt’s up-tempo offense. That school year, he also was All-State as a defensive back in football on a team that reached the district championship game. In the spring, Wakeman qualified for the state meet as in the triple jump and as a member of the 4×400-meter relay team. He then placed fourth in the triple jump and later ran the decathlon at Missouri State University.
