Steven Hill became a well-known name in southwest Missouri basketball in the early 2000s, as the 7-foot center emerged as a fearsome shot-blocker before going on to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Now Hill’s efforts are being recognized by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in its upcoming Basketball Tipoff Luncheon presented by Mercy. Hill… Read more »
To hear the old-timers tell it now, it sounds almost too good to be true. And former standout guard Bill Thomas says as much. He’s speaking of the then-Southwest Missouri State Bears, who won the 1952 and 1953 NAIA national championships in men’s basketball. In the ’52 national semifinals, the Bears forged a tie at… Read more »
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday. It will re-open for tours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. The annual holiday sale of polos, pullovers, T-shirts, shell pouches, pint glasses and more also is under way… Read more »
Before they would ever be nicknamed “The Jolly Green Giants” and long before they would ever tower over high school boys basketball in Missouri, the Parkview High School Vikings had to learn expectations. Players such Gail Fredrick will never forget the scene: New coach Bill Harding, who put aside running a Dairy Queen in the… Read more »
The recruiting letter still remains a favorite memory all these years later — the motivational words written by then-Missouri State Lady Bears assistant coach Cheryl Burnett, the envelope postmarked in the summer of her high school freshman year. Certainly, it changed Karen Rapier’s life – and arguably the direction of Lady Bears basketball program –… Read more »
Talk about getting some air time. The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame was mentioned on ESPN during the Mizzou Tigers’ Sunday broadcast, in which the Hall’s newest Missouri Sports Legend, Jon Sundvold, was the TV analyst. ESPN wrote a nice story and be sure to check out the video.
COLUMBIA – The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday honored former Mizzou basketball standout Jon Sundvold as a Missouri Sports Legend and inducted 15 individuals in the Enshrinement ceremonies held in Columbia and sponsored by Great Southern Bank and presented by Miller’s Mpix. Associate sponsors were The Insurance Group and MFA Oil. Jerald Andrews,… Read more »
Parkview High School’s famed Jolly Green Giants, Missouri State’s 1952 and 1953 NAIA national championship teams and two notable basketball figures – coach Gary Stanfield and former Lady Bear Karen Rapier — will soon be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. All will be honored during the annual Basketball Tipoff Luncheon sponsored by… Read more »
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to salute our service members and is offering free admission to U.S. military veterans on Veterans Day. The Hall is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3861 E. Stan Musial Drive in southeast Springfield, about a mile east of the 60-65 interchange.
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is saddened to learn of the passing of former board member Fritz Kreisler, who was a longtime member of the Kansas City Star sports department. Freisler passed away on Sunday in Independence. He was 84. The following appeared in the Star today: Kreisler covered high school sports, the Big… Read more »
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame offers condolences and shares with the Kissell Family in mourning the passing of Virginia “Ginny” C. Kissell. She passed away on Oct. 29 in Springfield. She was 94. Kissell was the widow of George Kissell, who worked for the St. Louis Cardinals as either a player, scout or coach since… Read more »
Thumb through the 1997 Mizzou football media guide and there, on Page 187, you’ll run across a black-and-white photo of then-athletic director Joe Castiglione. It’s vintage Castiglione. He’s walking through a renovation project of Memorial Stadium – which was actually one project idea of many that ultimately came to fruition. “We have a vision of… Read more »
Back in 2011, after a Mizzou standout running back tore two knee ligaments, a meniscus and patellar tendon on the same play, Tiger fans had a rare glimpse into the world of the head team physician. In essence, Dr. Pat Smith showed his human side. Sure, it had always been there when he celebrated victories… Read more »
One day, you’re a neighborhood jogger. The next, you’re an Olympian. OK, so success didn’t quite happen that quickly for Missouri native Larry Young, but it’s not off by much. Living in Los Angeles in 1965 after serving in the Navy, Young began competing in weeknight, all-comer track meets. Three years later, he was in… Read more »
Jack Miles counts himself among the fortunate ones in life. While most others have no choice but to hang up their cleats after playing their final game in high school or college, he spent his adult life working in sports. That’s not to say Miles simply held down the fort, so to speak, in his… Read more »
Sometimes, the best plans don’t work out. Which is for the best. Just ask Richard Poe. In 1972, the former University of Missouri golfer detoured away from a law degree and life as an attorney by throwing everybody a curveball. Instead, he took on the role of the head golf professional at the brand-new Country… Read more »
