News

Winners announced in Sports Commission Awards

Nearly 200 student-athletes and 10 teams from southwest Missouri high schools were honored Tuesday night during the 12th annual Sports Commission Awards sponsored by Elliott Lodging.

A crowd of more than 800 turned out to the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds for the celebration of the past high school sports season.

Fair Grove High School, on the strength of its volleyball and girls basketball teams winning state championships, won the inaugural Champions Cup for the most successful high school athletic department in the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, Logan-Rogersville four-sport athlete Stewart McDonald and Fair Grove’s Brooke Daniels were named the Athletes of the Year, while Fair Grove Volleyball and Marionville football – both state championship teams – were honored as the Teams of the Year.

The Springfield Sports Commission and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame worked together on the ceremony, with the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame assisting for a seventh consecutive year. Finalists and winners can now be found at www.mosportshalloffame.com.

Additionally, the late Josie Orellana of Ozark High School, Lebanon football player JJ Hutson, Marshfield’s Reiss Kaderly and Miller’s Mavrie Pritchett were recognized with Inspiration Awards.

A total of 34 categories featured the top athletes and teams from across southwest Missouri during the 2023-2024 school year, with each nominee chosen by a selection committee.

Athletes were 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 were split into their respective categories.

Football had finalists for offensive skill positions, linebackers & defensive backs, and linemen. Wrestling included lower weights and upper weights. A category for emerging sports included bass fishing, bowling, esports and boys volleyball. Additionally, the SCAs recognized the Spirit Awards featuring the top marching band, cheerleading team and dance squad.

Fair Grove High School Girls Volleyball

Coached by Tonya Peck, Fair Grove’s volleyball team captured its first state championship in program history last fall, beating tradition-rich Hermann in five sets. The scores were 25-22, 25-18, 17-25, 25-21 and 15-5. Shea Skouby, Hannah Maxwell, and Ashton Bell had 16, 15 and 11 kills each. Brooke Daniels contributed 30 assists, and Maxwell had 21. Faith Klindsworth had 33 digs, while Daniels, Maxwell, Bell and Allison Findley combined for 78. Fair Grove finished 35-1-2.

Marionville High School Football

Coached by Paden Grubbs, the Marionville Comets won the Class 1 state football championship, beating North Platte 29-0. It marked the Comets’ first title since 2003, as the team featured 10 seniors. Pomeroy led the Comets with 13 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown, and Guerin had 87 yards rushing on 10 carries, including a TD. Eaton had 19 carries for 62 yards and two TDs as the Comets completed a 14-0 season.

Brooke Daniels, Fair Grove High School

A junior, Daniels was All-State in three sports and All-Region in softball. In volleyball, she was a setter who had 612 assists, 479 digs, 227 kills, 55 blocks, 46 aces and a 97.3 percent serve percentage. In softball, she batted .388. In basketball, the point guard led Fair Grove to the state title, averaging 8 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds. In track, she earned three All-State honors at the Class 1 state meet. She was fifth in the javelin (120-07), seventh in the 300-meter hurdles (45.86 seconds) and helped the 4×100-meter relay team place fifth (50.76).

Stewart McDonald, Logan-Rogersville High School

McDonald is a rare four-sport athlete. In soccer, he was a First Team All-State midfielder for Logan-Rogersville’s Class 3 state runner-up team, with 45 goals and 13 assists. He also was a Second Team All-State kicker in football, making six field goals, including three beyond 40 yards, converted 19 of 21 PATs, and had 29 touchbacks. He averaged 40.4 yards per punt. In basketball, he captained a team that placed third in Class 4. He also placed fourth at the state golf meet.

Winners Overall:

GIRLS TENNIS

Lila Griesemer, Springfield Catholic High School

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BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING

Ethan Vance, Camdenton High School

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GIRLS GOLF

Page Bowman, Glendale High School

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GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Gracie Troester, Republic High School

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BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Aaron Ashley, Nixa High School

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BOYS SOCCER

Welle Welle, Carthage High School

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GIRLS SOFTBALL

Carleigh Kinnaird, Neosho High School-in

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VOLLEYBALL

Bella Faria, Kickapoo High School

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FOOTBALL-LINEMEN

Jackson Cantwell, Nixa High School

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FOOTBALL-LINEBACKERS & DEFENSIVE BACKS

Spencer Ward, Nixa High School

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FOOTBALL-OFFENSIVE SKILL POSITIONS

Quin Renfro, Joplin High School

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GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING

Paige Sheridan, West Plains High School

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GIRLS WRESTLING – LOWER WEIGHTS

Jessa Joiner, Lebanon High School

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GIRLS WRESTLING-UPPER WEIGHTS

Brenya Crahan, Nixa High School

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BOYS WRESTLING-LOWER WEIGHTS

Andrew Manley, Seneca High School

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BOYS WRESTLING-UPPER WEIGHTS

Samuel Murphy, McDonald County High School

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GIRLS BASKETBALL

Allyssa Joyner, West Plains High School

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BOYS BASKETBALL

Tyrique Brooks, Central High School

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BOYS TENNIS

Joshua Kim, Central High School

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BOYS GOLF

Jaxon Bailey, Monett High School

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GIRLS FIELD EVENTS

Maliya Clark, Clever High School

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GIRLS TRACK

Jozey Sharp-MacPherson, Mountain Grove High School

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BOYS FIELD EVENTS

Jackson Cantwell, Nixa High School

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BOYS TRACK

Chase Sorrell, East Newton High School

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GIRLS SOCCER

Bailey Snyder, Nixa High School

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BASEBALL

Drew Wedgeworth, Glendale High School

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EMERGING SPORTS

Bass Fishing – Corbin Bailey & Kaden Messina, Camdenton High School

Boys Volleyball — Max Mulyk, Nixa High School

E-Sports – Preston Beckett, Ozark High School

Bowling – Aiden Matney, Willard High School

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GIRLS PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Emree Cameron, Nevada High School

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BOYS PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Jackson Cantwell, Nixa High School

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GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR

Fair Grove High School Girls Volleyball

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BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR

Marionville High School Football

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GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Brooke Daniels, Fair Grove High School

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BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Stewart McDonald, Logan-Rogersville High School

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SPIRIT AWARDS

CHEERLEADING – Ozark High School

DANCE TEAM – Glendale Crimson Girls

MARCHING BAND – Nixa High School

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THE COMMISSION CUP

Fair Grove High School