News

Winners announced in Sports Commission Awards

Nixa High School’s John Gholson, Blue Eye’s Riley Arnold, the Springfield Catholic girls golf team and the Glendale boys swimming team walked away with the Athlete and Team of the Year Awards in Elliott Lodging’s Sports Commission Awards presented by Harry Cooper Supply.

Held Tuesday night in front of a crowd of nearly 900 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, the Springfield Sports Commission and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame recognized 222 student-athletes and 14 teams considered the best in southwest Missouri from the 2021-2022 school year.

Gholson was selected as the Boys Athlete of the Year after earning All-State in football, placing third in wrestling and providing a big bat on Nixa’s baseball team.

Arnold repeated as Girls Athlete of the Year for earning All-State in volleyball, basketball and track & field, as well as a fourth consecutive state cross country championship.

The Springfield Catholic won its third consecutive state championship, this time taking Class 3 by storm last fall. Springfield Catholic finished 37 strokes under par to win the team title by 90 strokes. Reagan Zibilski won her second consecutive state title with a two-day 139, while Lyla Louderbaugh (149) placed third and Kyleigh Pfitzner (154) placed fourth.

Glendale boys swimming captured its third consecutive Class 1 state championship with a thrilling 240-220 win against second-place Parkway West. Glendale earned three individual and one relay state title, including a pair of state titles from Lucas Chadwell in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races.

All finalists can be found at mosportshalloffame.com.

Meanwhile, the SCAs honored five for Inspiration Awards:

The Inspiration Awards were:

  • Dadeville cross country runner Libby Lakey, who qualified for the Class 1 state cross country meet last fall after experiencing long-haul Covid that had wiped out her sophomore season
  • Greenwood Laboratory School volleyball standout Belle Fletcher, who lost the use of her left arm and left hand to a mystery illness, missed most of the volleyball season but managed to return to club volleyball in January.
  • The late Ben Holder and the Miller High School girls basketball team. The team raised $12,000 and donated it to Camp Barnabas in honor of Holder, who had cerebral palsy and passed away at age 17 in January.
  • Lawrence Green and Skyline High School Athletics. The Urbana community rallied around Green, a team bus driver who battled cancer in 2021. Athletes, parents and administrators raised funds for him and his family to see a Cardinals-Cubs series at Wrigley Field, and he inspired the volleyball team’s run to the Final Four.

A complete list of winners from Tuesday’s ceremony is below:

Finalists for Sports Commission Awards

GIRLS TENNIS

Brynley Brotherton and Esther Choe, Kickapoo High School

BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING

Lucas Chadwell, Glendale High School

GIRLS GOLF

Reagan Zibilski, Springfield Catholic High School

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Brayden Kantola, West Plains High School

Jordan Kantola, West Plains High School

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Tanner Talley, New Covenant Academy

SOFTBALL

Madeline McCall, McDonald County High School

BOYS SOCCER

Alex Spence, Glendale High School

VOLLEYBALL

Syndey Golden, Nixa High School

FOOTBALL – LINEMEN

Tristan Wilson, Lebanon High School

FOOTBALL – LINEBACKERS AND DEFENSIVE BACKS

Austin Wilkerson, Lamar High School

FOOTBALL – OFFENSIVE SKILL POSITIONS

Luke Gall, Carthage High School

GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING

Ashlyn Moore, Kickapoo High School

Maggie Moore, New Covenant Academy

GIRLS WRESTLING

Quincey Glendenning, Lebanon High School

BOYS WRESTLING – LOWER WEIGHTS

Zan Fugitt, Nixa High School

BOYS WRESTLING – UPPER WEIGHTS

Eli Zar, Neosho High School

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Bella Fontleroy, Kickapoo High School

BOYS BASKETBALL

Garrett Davault, Norwood High School

BOYS TENNIS

Caden Lingenfelser, Willard High School

BOYS GOLF

Aiden Asby, Bolivar High School

GIRLS FIELD EVENTS

Taylor Mayo, Kickapoo High School

GIRLS TRACK

Alanza Montez, Carl Junction High School

BOYS FIELD EVENTS

Donovyn Fowler, Joplin High School

BOYS TRACK

Daelen Ackley, El Dorado Springs High School

GIRLS SOCCER

Reilly Heman, Glendale High School

BASEBALL

Ben Smith, Springfield Catholic

BASS FISHING

Caden Kowal & Reece Waters, Camdenton High School

GIRLS PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Ashton Judd, West Plains High School

BOYS PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Greenwood High School Boys Basketball

GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR

Springfield Catholic High School Girls Golf

BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR

Glendale High School Boys Swimming

GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Riley Arnold, Blue Eye High School

BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

John Gholson, Nixa High School