News

Sports Commission Awards finalists: Spring Sports, Athletes & Teams of Year, Inspiration Awards

Finalists for spring sports, as well as those up for Teams of the Year and Athletes of the Year, have now been announced for Elliott Lodging’s Sports Commission Awards presented by Harry Cooper Supply.

The awards honor the top high school athletes and teams from across southwest Missouri, with the ceremony set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield. For tickets, call 417-889-3100.

The awards are organized by the Springfield Sports Commission, with the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame assisting.

There are 32 categories, and the awards also will highlight five for Inspiration Awards – Ben Holder & the Miller High School girls basketball team, the late Lawrence Green and Skyline High School Athletics, Greenwood Laboratory School’s Belle Fletcher, Dadeville High School’s Libby Lakey and Willard High School’s Jacob Skaggs.

Fall and winter sports finalists were announced April 29. Those are listed below in addition to all categories. Each finalist will receive a commemorative coin with his or her name engraved, along with a bio in the printed program and recognition on stage with their fellow finalists in their sports.  A video about each finalist’s season will play, and then a winner of that sport will be announced.

Finalists for Sports Commission Awards

GIRLS TENNIS

Brynley Brotherton and Esther Choe, Kickapoo High School

Allie German and Brett Boney, 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

Marlee 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

Alicen Ashley, Nixa High School

Klarie Brown, Kickapoo High School

Jennalee Dunn, Joplin High School

Lilah Genel, Parkview High School

Jayna Gunter, West Plains High School

Brayden Kantola, West Plains High School

Jordan Kantola, West Plains 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

Kyle Keltner, Kickapoo High School

Tanner Talley, New Covenant Academy

SOFTBALL

Madison Bentley, Diamond High School

Abby Ford, Ozark High School

Phoebe Gardner, Nixa High School

Kaylyn Gilbert, Webb City High School

Meghan Hager, Logan-Rogersville High School

Jenna Lane, Logan-Rogersville High School

Madeline McCall, McDonald County High School

Maddy Meierer, Nixa High School

Kate Pierce, Kickapoo High School

BOYS SOCCER

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

Ashton Vinton, Springfield Catholic 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

John Gholson, Nixa High School

Jaylon James, West Plains High School

Garrett Lilienkamp, Carthage High School

Cooper Roy, Glendale High School

Tristan Wilson, Lebanon 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

Brenya 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

Simon Hartline, Monett High School

Kyshin Isringhausen, Branson High School

Peyton Moore, Nixa High School

Brady Roark, Seneca High School

Braxton Strick, Ozark High School

BOYS WRESTLING – UPPER WEIGHTS

John Gholson, Nixa High School

Tyson Moore, Bolivar High School

Samuel Murphy, McDonald County High School

Gary Walker, Willard High School

Eli Zar, Neosho 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

………………………………………………………..

SPRING SPORTS

BOYS TENNIS

Raghav Bansal, Central High School

Nate Bartram and Garrett Beckham, Branson High School

Alex Crawford, Willard High School

Ian Ding and Tyler Brouhard, Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School

Joshua Kim, Central High School

Caden Lingenfelser, Willard High School

Kyle Pock and Lathan Martin, Bolivar High School

Evan Rea, Nevada High School

BOYS GOLF

Aiden Asby, Bolivar High School

Jaxon Bailey, Monett High School

Max Bowman, Glendale High School

Ty Cooper, Reeds Spring High School

Gaige Lewis, Kickapoo High School

Owen Swearingen, Nevada High School

GIRLS FIELD EVENTS

Cali Essick, Branson High School

Phajjia Gordon, Lamar High School

Kally Mack, Lebanon High School

Taylor Mayo, Kickapoo High School

Grace O’Reilly, Springfield Catholic

Dailynn VanDeren, Bolivar High School

Oliva Vediz, Carl Junction High School

GIRLS TRACK

Jennalee Dunn, Joplin High School

Jaylein Flood, Clever High School

Jordan Kantola, West Plains High School

Addison Lawrence, College Heights Christian School

Ali Montez, Carl Junction High School

Sydney Ward, Carl Junction High School

BOYS FIELD EVENTS

Donovyn Fowler, Joplin High School

Dagen Kenslow, West Plains High School

Josh Leazer, West Plains High School

Peyton McBride, Marshfield High School

Alex Richardson, Buffalo High School

Grayson Smith, Webb City High School

Donovahn Watkins, Joplin High School

BOYS TRACK

Daelen Ackley, El Dorado Springs High School

Hobbs Campbell, Joplin High School

Angel Dickerson, Camdenton High School

Heston Miller, West Plains High School

Thomas Shuster, Willard High School

Tanner Talley, New Covenant Academy

GIRLS SOCCER

Laney Burks, Ozark High School

Halle Eise, Glendale High School

Reilly Heman, Glendale High School

Sabrina Jones, Kickapoo High School

Annabelle Sonnemaker, Greenwood High School

BASEBALL

Owen Bushnell, Willard High School

Garin Geitz, Fair Grove High School

Brody McNiel, Hartville High School

Trey Mulholland, Aurora High School

Jaret Nelson, Nixa High School

Ben Smith, Springfield Catholic High School

Zack Stewart, Lebanon High School

Noah Wilkinson, Kickapoo High School

BASS FISHING

Collin Ames & Ryder Hall, Bolivar High School

Wyatt Marler & Brock Rogers, Bradleyville High School

Caden Kowal & Reece Waters, Camdenton High School

Tristan Beck & Colson Burst, Carthage High School

Ryan Doel & Aiden Gray, Central High School

Wesley Chaffin & Thomas Howe, Lebanon High School

GIRLS PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Kaemyn Bekemeier, Republic High School

Glendale High School Girls Soccer

Sydney Golden, Nixa High School

Ashton Judd, West Plains High School

Reese Schaaf, El Dorado Springs High School

Caitlyn Shurie, Diamond High School

BOYS PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Daelyn Ackley, El Dorado Springs High School

Kadyn Barnes, Fair Grove High School

Garrett Davault, Norwood High School

Greenwood Laboratory School Boys Basketball

Kaden DeGraffenreid, Bolivar High School

Ben Smith, Springfield Catholic High School

Tanner Talley, New Covenant Academy

GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR

Diamond High School Softball

El Dorado Springs High School Girls Basketball

Lebanon High School Girls Wrestling

Miller High School Volleyball

Springfield Catholic High School Girls Golf

West Plains Girls Basketball

West Plains Girls Cross Country

BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR

Glendale High School Boys Swimming

Hermitage High School Boys Cross Country

Kickapoo High School Boys Cross Country

Norwood High School Boys Basketball

Stockton High School Boys Cross Country

Webb City High School Football

GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Avery Arnold, Blue Eye High School

Riley Arnold, Blue Eye High School

Justine Barb, Skyline High School

Claudia Hadlock, Miller High School

Grace O’Reilly, Springfield Catholic High School

Jocee Pettyjohn, Lebanon High School

Reese Schaaf, El Dorado Springs High School

BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Kael Combs, Nixa High School

Garrett Davault, Norwood High School

John Gholson, Nixa High School

Dagen Kenslow, West Plains High School

Kyle Pock, Bolivar High School

Kody Stacye, Fair Grove High School

Tristan Wilson, Lebanon High School

………………………………………

INSPIRATION AWARDS

Belle Fletcher, Greenwood Laboratory School

Libby Lakey, Dadeville High School

Jacob Skaggs, Willard High School

Miller High School Girls Basketball

Skyline High School Athletics