Nearly 200 student-athletes and 10 teams from southwest Missouri high schools will be honored this summer during the 11h annual Sports Commission Awards. Sponsored by Elliott Lodging, the ceremony is set for Tuesday, June 20 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 finalists for fall and winter sports on Wednesday, with the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame assisting for a sixth consecutive year. Additionally, the SCAs continue seeking associate sponsors for an event that annually draws a crowd of nearly 1,000.
Here’s a rundown:
- A total of 34 categories will feature the top athletes and teams from across southwest Missouri during the 2022-2023 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, 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.
New this year will be an Emerging Sports category featuring bass fishing, bowling, boys volleyball, Esports and target shooting. A Spirit category of cheerleading, dance and marching band also will be recognized. In both categories, one winner will be chosen.
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 $50 in advance, or $60 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 excited to once again celebrate the outstanding achievements of our area athletes,” said Lance Kettering, Executive Director of the Springfield Sports Commission. “The event has become a staple in the area as we celebrate our 11th year of honoring the great accomplishments of our athletes in southwest Missouri. It would not be possible without the generous support of our title sponsor, Elliott Lodging, who is also celebrating 11 years of title sponsorship!”
Missouri Sports Hall of Fame CEO & Executive Director Byron Shive expressed excitement about the ceremony, too.
“I know I’m not alone in thinking back fondly about my own experience playing high school sports. There are so many life lessons that can be learned playing high school sports and so many lifelong friendships are formed by playing on these teams,” Shive said. “Working with the Springfield Sports Commission to host the Sports Commission Awards is a great way for the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame to showcase the many great student-athletes that are playing here in the Ozarks. It has become one of our staff’s favorite events of the year, and it is a fun and enjoyable evening for everyone who attends.”
SCAs-FALL SPORTS
GIRLS TENNIS
Brett Boney, Central High School
Brynley Brotherton, Kickapoo High School
McKylie Cox, Willow Springs High School
Olivia Edwards, Glendale High School
Isabella Mosley, Mount Vernon High School
Alison Schubert, Mount Vernon High School
Liliana Strang, Glendale High School
Emma Watts, Joplin High School
Sophia Vestal, Bolivar High School
BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING
Kai Brownlee, Nixa High School
Graham Eisenmann, Ozark High School
Bryce Ruder, Kickapoo High School
Brett Smith, Kickapoo High School
Dakota Windsor, Lebanon High School
Ethan Vance, Camdenton High School
GIRLS GOLF
Page Bowman, Glendale High School
Emree Dawn Cameron, Nevada High School
Marlene Edgeman, Marshfield High School
Lyla Louderbaugh, Springfield Catholic High School
Catherine Rhoads, Glendale High School
Josey Roberts, Ozark High School
Savannah Thessing, New Covenant Academy
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Klarie Brown, Kickapoo High School
Kopelyn Delong, Ozark High School
Kiersten Potter, Lamar High School
Abigail Street, Webb City High School
Gracie Troester, Republic High School
Ellie Webb, Camdenton High School
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Hobbs Campbell, Joplin High School
Tyler Harris, Kickapoo High School
Ian Horton, Joplin High School
Kyle Keltner, Kickapoo High School
Grant Musick, Kickapoo High School
Evan Stevens, Webb City High School
Sean Walker, Buffalo High School
BOYS SOCCER
Corbin Clay, Kickapoo High School
Miles Elliot, Kickapoo High School
Alex Flores, Webb City High School
Adrian Ortega, Ozark High School
Gage Vehr, Springfield Catholic High School
Cole Vincel, Glendale High School
SOFTBALL
Taylor Akers, Kickapoo High School
Emmalee Essary, Republic High School
Jordan Foley, Ozark High School
Zoe Lockhart, Camdenton High School
Neveah Dodson, McDonald County High School
VOLLEYBALL
Abby Chadwell, Strafford High School
Emma Conrad, Nixa High School
Bella Faria, Kickapoo High School
Logan Jones, Carl Junction High School
Grace O’Reilly, Springfield Catholic High School
FOOTBALL-OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Danen Conrad, Lebanon High School
Garrett Davidson, Nixa High School
Dontrell Holt, Joplin High School
Micah Lindsey, Carthage High School
Andrew Link, Kickapoo High School
Drew Musche, Carthage High School
FOOTBALL-LINEBACKERS & DEFENSIVE BACKS
Luke Gall, Carthage High School
Davion King, Carthage High School
Adam Lewis, Reeds Spring High School
Draven VanGilder, Joplin High School
Spencer Ward, Nixa High School
Austin Wilkerson, Lamar High School
FOOTBALL-OFFENSIVE SKILL POSITIONS
Joel Beshore, Lamar High School
Luke Gall, Carthage High School
Isaiah Green, Neosho High School
Ramone Green, Jr., Nixa High School
Cole Feuerbacher, Glendale High School
Cade Muscia, Lebanon High School
Bear Shore, Camdenton High School
GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING
Chloe Miller, Carl Junction High School
Missy Mitzell, Lebanon High School
Addy Moore, Kickapoo High School
Madison Riley, Carthage High School
Paige Sheridan, West Plains High School
Skyler Sundy, Carl Junction High School
GIRLS WRESTLING – LOWER WEIGHTS
Halea Bartel, Lebanon High School
Abigail Fuglsang, Camdenton High School
Addison Harkins, Nixa High School
Jessa Joiner, Lebanon High School
Annie Moore, Cassville High School
GIRLS WRESTLING – UPPER WEIGHTS
Mariyah Brumley, Lebanon High School
Brenya Crahan, Nixa High School
Catherine Dutton, Willard High School
Elizabeth Henderson, El Dorado Springs High School
Isabella Renfro, Seneca High School
BOYS WRESTLING – LOWER WEIGHTS
Zan Fugitt, Nixa High School
Caleb Caldwell, Willard High School
Canon Roark, Lebanon High School
Brady Roark, Seneca High School
Braxton Strick, Ozark High School
BOYS WRESTLING – UPPER WEIGHTS
Trey Brewer, Bolivar High School
Cade Grimm, Branson High School
Jayce Hitt, McDonald County High School
Samuel Murphy, McDonald County High School
Gary Walker, Willard High School
Eli Zar, Neosho High School
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Kaemyn Bekemeier, Republic High School
Destiny Buerge, Carl Junction High School
Norah Clark, Nixa High School
Grace Frazier, Diamond High School
Kameron Green, Fair Grove High School
Breona Hurd, Waynesville High School
Macie Mays, El Dorado Springs High School
Reagan McCowan, Lebanon High School
Sara Mendel, Ava High School
BOYS BASKETBALL
Ahlante Askew, Republic High School
Aidan Burns, Thayer High School
Wil Carlton, Marionville High School
Kael Combs, Nixa High School
Gage Johnson, Weaubleau High School
Jacob Lafferty, Sparta High School
Kyle Pock, Bolivar High School
Brayden Shorter, Kickapoo High School
Curry Sutherland, Logan-Rogersville High School
