The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame will soon induct Springfield golfer Stephany Jackson Powell as well as Joplin golf contributor Sonnie Dooley along with Coach Francie McBride and the Winona High School Volleyball Program, Alma’s Santa Fe High School Volleyball and Track & Field Programs, the Logan-Rogersville Girls Cross Country Program and the Missouri State University Women’s Handball Program.
They will highlight the Women’s Sports Luncheon presented by the Bee Payne-Stewart Foundation, which also will feature the Hall of Fame bestowing the President’s Award on Leo Henning, General Manager of KOLR 10 TV. It’s all set for 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 9 at University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield.
President & Executive Director Jerald Andrews announced the luncheon on Tuesday and also made public the Wynn Awards, named after the late Dr. Mary Jo Wynn, the pioneer of women’s athletics at Missouri State who was a 1999 inductee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and a 2014 Missouri Sports Legend. The awards, which began in 2016, honor former high school and college standouts who made positive impacts in their respective sports, or individuals who made a significant impact on sports in Missouri.
This year’s Wynn Award recipients are: Lindsey Bourne-Green (Joplin High School/University of Oklahoma), Teri Cantwell (University of Missouri), Sandy Rippee-Hammers (Hillcrest High School/Drury University), Tina Keller Montez (Carl Junction High School/Missouri Southern State University), Kelly Richardson (Willard High School/Evangel University), The Russell Sisters – Amy Russell McNew (Branson High School/Missouri State University), Cindy Russell Rear (Branson High School/College of the Ozarks) and Virginia MacKenzie Sparks (Festus High School/Jefferson College/Southwest Baptist University).
A sponsorship table of eight is $400 and includes recognition in the printed program, at the table and an luncheon poster of individual inductees. A head table ticket is $100. An individual ticket is $50 in advance, or $60 at the door. Numerous sponsorships are available, including congratulatory ads. Call 417-889-3100.
Leo Henning – President’s Award
Henning is the Vice President & General Manager of Nexstar Broadcasting’s Springfield television lineup that includes KOLR 10, Ozarks FOX 5, KOZL and Ozarksfirst.com. He will be bestowed the President’s Award, presented to an individual who champions the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and supports athletics in the state. His counsel and support have been tremendous for both the Hall of Fame, a 501(c)-3 not-for-profit, as well as the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. KOLR 10 TV sponsors teams in the Hall of Fame’s Celebrity Golf Classics and backs its sports enthusiasts luncheons. Henning also has seen to it that the television group promotes the PCCC, which benefits nearly 50 Ozarks children’s charities annually and a year ago gifted more than $950,000. Henning is retiring in May after a 45-year career broadcasting that includes nearly eight years in Springfield.
Stephany Jackson Powell – Golf
Powell, who grew up playing golf at Hickory Hills Country Club with Payne Stewart, graduated in 1979 from Glendale High School after helping the Lady Falcons win the first two of their three consecutive state championships (1977, 1978). She then played at Stephens College before going on to memorable finishes in the Missouri Women’s Amateur and winning a Missouri Senior Championship. At Glendale, Powell placed fourth in the 1976 state meet, and then tied for fourth in 1977 and placed third in 1978. She went on to become a four-time runner-up at the Missouri Women’s Amateur and a three-time runner-up at the Missouri Girls Junior. She also qualified for a pair of U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs in the late 1980s. She won the Missouri Women’s Senior Amateur in 2012. Additionally, Powell coached the Missouri State University women’s golf team from 1993 to 2002, with the 2001 team winning the Missouri Valley Conference a year after placing second. She also has been an honorary life member of the Missouri Women’s Golf Association, in which she has served in a variety of roles, including vice president. Powell also has been inducted into the Ozarks Golf Hall of Fame.
Sonnie Dooley – Golf
A graduate of Carl Junction High School, Dooley has been on the Joplin golf scene for decades, and her dedication to growing the sport in southwest Missouri is why she is being inducted as a contributor. Over the years, she has supported junior golf not only financially but also as an instructor and official. Her goal was not only to help shepherd junior golfers to success by helping them learn how to focus and control emotions but also to become good citizens who would benefit the community and the game. Dooley, who has long been a member of Twin Hills Golf & Country Club, played for the Horton Smith Ladies Team from 1980 to 1990 and was team captain in 1988. She also won Twin Hills Ladies Club championships in 1992, 1995, 1998, 2002 as well as numerous other tournaments. She was the champion of the Nutcracker and the Women’s Tri-State tournaments and was a seven-time champion of the Mary Jane Landreth Tournament at Twin Hills.
Francie McBride – Winona High School Volleyball Coach
McBride is a 1992 graduate of Eminence High School, played volleyball at Three Rivers Community College and then Evangel University before graduating from Missouri State University. She has coached the Winona High School Volleyball Program since 1997 and is approaching 600 wins. Her teams have advanced to 22 Final Fours, won five state titles as well as 15 district championships, 15 Big Spring Conference championships and two Black River League titles. McBride has helped 11 players earn college scholarships, including two NCAA Division I recruits. She was the National Federation Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year (2002-2003), the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year five times and has coached club volleyball for 14 years. She also is an inductee of the MHSVCA Hall of Fame.
Winona High School Volleyball Program
Located in Shannon County, Winona High School’s Volleyball Wildcats have advanced to 14 Final Fours since the fall of 2000, winning five Class 1 state championships (2001, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014). The Wildcats earned state runner-up finishes in 2000, 2002, 2007 and 2009. They placed third in 2004 and 2017, while the teams of 2003, 2005 and 2015 placed fourth. The 2002 and 2003 teams competed in Class 2, while the 2006 and 2007 teams – as a small Class 1 school – won the Ozark Tournament. The program dates back to 1945 and has been led by 29 coaches since, including Francie McBride from 1997 to 2019, and has produced 27 All-State players.
Alma’s Santa Fe High School Volleyball and Girls Track & Field Programs
- Santa Fe High School Volleyball Program: It has advanced to 22 Final Fours, earning seven state titles (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2015). The Chiefs have finished as the state runner-up five times (1980, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2019) and placed third four times (1981, 1990, 2013, 2014). Meanwhile, it had fourth-place finishes in 1979, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2011 and 2012. The program began in 1975 under coach Sydney Goosen. Coaches since have been Tom Anderson, Gerry MacLean, Charlie Bock, Emily Road, Kim Bishop, Becky Heins, Stacy Thomas, Kinsey Harms and Ashton Sander. Bock was the coach from 1983 to 1989 and was 514-167-2 there.
- Santa Fe High School Girls Track & Field Program: It has been one of Class 1’s most successful programs, dominating the 1980s. The program has had nine top four finishes at the MSHSAA Track & Field Championships, with five state championships (1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990). Gerry MacLean coached the first three state championship teams, while Bill Fox coached the program to its fourth and fifth state titles. Santa Fe was a state runner-up in 1986, placed third twice (1980, 1983) and was fourth in 1981.
Logan-Rogersville High School Girls Cross Country Program
The Wildcats’ program began in 1995 and yet has had 12 Top 10 finishes at the state meet, including three consecutive state championships in 1998, 1999 and 2000. They also finished in the top four three other times – third (1997, 2003) and fourth (2001). Carrie Sell won the Class 3 state championship in 1997, while Casey Dewitt and Courtney Waltbiling were four-time All-State performers, and Elizabeth Guillebeau also earned an All-State finish. The program has won the same number (eight) of district championships and conference championships, and 12 runners earned college scholarships. Coaches have been Kevin Boyer (1995-1999, 2001-2004, 2011-present), Mark Vert (2000), Jessie Thompson, Natalie Blinzer and Brad Lotz. Boyer coached the first two state championships teams, and his teams helped him earn Midwest-section Coach of the Year from the National Federation of High Schools, making him one of eight finalists for National Coach of the Year. In 1999, he was the Missouri High School Coach of the Year and was a five-time Southwestern Missouri Coach of the Year.
Missouri State University Women’s Handball Program
The Missouri State University Women’s Handball Program has been one of the most dominate in the country since launching in 1987 under the direction of Tommy Burnett (MSHOF 2009). It has won 16 national championships. The years cover 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. It’s a remarkable feat considering the program is among almost 40 teams at the national tournament annually and competes as a non-scholarship entity. It relies on donations from national handball clubs as well as sponsorships to help cover travel costs. The program has seen 18 players earn 32 All-American honors: Paige Applegate, Cara Arsenault, Jeni Burnett Hopkins, Baily Chandler Nett, Robin Collins, Alyssa Donaldson, Maggie Grelle, Beth Heim, Beth Korsi Blackstone, Heather O’Bryan, Amber Rounesville, Mandy Rounesville, Mikaila Mitchell, Suz Koeller Entzroth, Laura Blankenship, Christina Pecaut and Taylor Rumping.
WYNN AWARDS
Lindsey Bourne-Green – Joplin High School & University of Oklahoma: Green won the first pole vault state championship in state history in 1999 and repeated as the Class 4 champion a year later (12-foot vault) as a junior for Joplin High School. The 2001 season was a big year for her. She won the Reno Vault Summit (11-9.5 inches), held the high school national girls record, competed in the Golden West Track Meet that recognized the top nine athletes in the nation in each event and was invited to the USA Track & Field Camp. She also set the KU Relays record (11-11.75) and completed her fourth year in AAU Track & Field, where she always won her age divisions and set or tied pole vault records. At the University of Oklahoma, Green was a four-time All-Big 12 Conference performer and qualified for the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional twice. She ended her career tied for fourth in the Indoor and No. 2 all-time in the Outdoor of OU’s record books. Green, named OU’s Outstanding Newcomer in 2002 and a team co-captain, lives in Joplin.
Teri Steer Cantwell – University of Missouri Track & Field Assistant Coach: Cantwell was a coach for the Mizzou track & field program from August 2005 to July 2011, at first starting as a volunteer and then rising to assistant coach for the team’s throwers as well as heptathletes and decathletes. She assisted in coaching four All-Americans, eight All-Big 12 athletes, four All-Southeastern Conference performers and, overall, six competed in the Olympic Trials. She now is in her third season as a volunteer coach for the Nixa High School track and field program. Previously, Cantwell was a standout at Crete High School in Nebraska and then at Southern Methodist University. At Crete, she earned 12 varsity letters combined in volleyball, basketball and track & field. She earned three golds in the shot put (best of all classes) and swept the Class B shot put and discus titles in her four seasons. At SMU, she set the Western Athletic Conference record in the discus and was a two-time national champion in the shot put, setting the collegiate record, plus competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics a year after earning a bronze in the shot put at the 1999 World Track & Field Championships. Cantwell, an inductee of the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame married to Christian Cantwell (MSHOF 2018), is Vice President of Human Resources for Central Bank/Central Trust.
Sandy Rippee-Hammers – Hillcrest High School/Drury University: A Springfield native, Hammers is a 1990 graduate of Hillcrest High School, where she was a four-year letter-winner in volleyball and earned All-Ozark Conference, All-District, All-Region and was an All-State nominee. Playing at Drury University for coach Barbara Cowherd (MSHOF 2016), she helped her teams to NAIA national rankings all four years she was at Drury. She earned NAIA All-American honors in 1993 and was selected as the District 16 Co-Player of the Year that season. A three-time All-District 16 pick and a four-year starter, she was inducted into the Drury Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999. Hammers is a career record-holder in games played (584), third in kill blocks (559), third in attack kills (1,492), fifth in digs (1,694), and fifth in service aces (199). Sandy has coached youth volleyball teams for the past 20 years, recently began officiating volleyball and is currently an art teacher for the Fair Grove School District.
Tina Keller Montez – Carl Junction High School/Missouri Southern State University: Montez is an inductee of both the Carl Junction High School and Missouri Southern State Athletics Halls of Fame. At Carl Junction from 1991 to 1995, she was a three-sport athlete (volleyball, basketball, track & field) and earned eight varsity letters combined in volleyball and track. Montez was a four-time state qualifier in track, earning two All-State finishes (4×400 meter relay, 100-meter hurdles). At Missouri Southern, she qualified for the 1998 NCAA Division II Outdoor in three events (100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, 4×100 meter relay). She also earned All-American status in the relay and 400-meter hurdles with third-place finishes and, a year later, placed third nationally in the D-II Outdoor 400-meter hurdles. At one point, she held the school record in the 100-meter hurdles and the indoor 55-meter hurdles, and was a member of the record-holding 4×100 meter relay team. She also held nine of the top 10 times in school history in the 100-meter hurdles, and the second-best time in the 400 meters. In the indoor 55-meter hurdles, she owns eight of the top 10 times. These days, she works for Liberty Utilities.
Kelly Richardson – Willard High School/Missouri State University/Evangel University: Richardson was a two-time Class 3 All-state volleyball player (1998, 1999) at Willard High School. After a year a Missouri State, she became the first player in Evangel history to earn NAIA All-American honors – honorable mention her junior season and third team her senior season. She also was a three-time First Team All-Heart of America Athletic Conference selection, twice received National Player of the Week honors, landed on 10 all-tournament teams and set five program records. Richardson later coached at Republic High School, Southwest Baptist University, assisted at the University of Texas-Arlington and was the head coach of Western Illinois University. At Republic (2005, 2006), the 2005 team placed third in the state. At SBU (2007-2013), she coached the team to double-digit wins six times – the longest stretch in program history and first since 1987-1989. Richardson, an inductee of the Willard and Evangel Athletics Halls of Fame, now coaches the 417 Net Results Volleyball Program.
The Russell Sisters
- Amy Russell McNew – Branson High School/Missouri State University: A 1990 graduate of Branson High School, McNew earned First Team All-Central Ozarks Conference all four years in both volleyball and basketball, plus was a two-time All-State basketball selection. She won a state title in the discus her senior year, when she also placed third in the shot put. At Missouri State from 1990 to 1993, McNew was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection (second team as a junior, first team as a senior) and finished with 1,003 kills – only the eighth Bear to do so. She also shared MSU’s Volleyball Player of the Year honor as a senior, when she was also co-captain, and earned all-region in 1993 from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Stats-wise, she led the Bears in kills as a junior (367), service aces as a senior (54) and blocks twice (163, 140). McNew, an inductee of the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame, is currently the volleyball coach of Mountain Grove High School.
- Cindy Russell Rear – Branson High School/College of the Ozarks: Rear bolstered Branson athletics in the late 1980s and early 1990s, becoming a three-time all-conference selection in volleyball and earning all-conference in basketball in 1990. Shen then played at College of the Ozarks from 1993 to 1996, earning NAIA Midwest Regional All-Regional team as well as first team all-conference, the Hustle Award, Mazzio’s All-Conference and Rockhurst All-Tournament. She once had 20 kills in a match, doing so against Ouachita Baptist her senior year. Rear was inducted into the C of O Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
Virginia MacKenzie Sparks – Festus High School/Jefferson College/Southwest Baptist University: Sparks helped Festus High School finish as a state runner-up finish in 1981, part of a tremendous career in the early 1980s. She earned unanimous first team all-conference honors in 1981 and 1982 and the KTJJ radio station’s Dream Team Award in 1982 before earning all-district a year later. She also was a First Team All-League selection at the Heart of America Volleyball Camp. At Jefferson College, she helped the team to a fourth-place finish in the NJCAA Tournament in 1985. At SBU in 1985 and 1986, she earned NAIA All-American honors in her senior season. In her two seasons, the Bearcats were 64-19 as Sparks earned All-NAIA District 16 First team honors both years. Overall, she had 394 kills in 110 games, with 50 aces, 428 digs, 41 assists and 60 blocks. She has since been inducted into the SBU Athletics Hall of Fame. Sparks later coached volleyball in Illinois and Arkansas. These days, Sparks is a guidance counselor for Skyline Elementary School in Sedalia.
