What: Quarterfinal of the Class 4 state tournament
When: Thursday, 5 p.m.
Where: Webb City High School
Records: Bolivar 16-6, Webb City 25-5.
OUTLOOK: Webb City defeated McDonald County 5-0 in the Class 4 District 6 championship game, as senior Haidyn Berry tossed a no-hitter and struck out 16. Berry is 23-5 in the circle this season with a 2.11 ERA. She’s struck out 206 batters in 172 innings.
Webb City’s leading hitters are Berry (.454 BA, 16 HR, 45 RBI), Peyton Hawkins (.451 BA, 40 runs), Emma Welch (.438 BA, 30 runs, 29 RBI), Emalee Lamar (.418 BA, 27 RBI, 7 HR), Hannah Wells (.417 BA) and Alyssa Jennings (.333 BA, 22 RBI, 9HR). Webb City has hit 44 home runs, which is tied for second all-time in a season in state history. Berry has hit 16 homers, which is tied for second all-time for an individual. Webb City has won two straight district crowns and three in four years.
Bolivar defeated Willard 1-0 in the District 5 title game, with Avery McClure’s solo home run in the sixth inning accounting for the game’s lone tally. Bolivar pitcher Katie Brooks scattered two hits and struck out 13 in the win over the Tigers. Brooks struck out 11 and drove in two runs in her team’s 6-1 win over Rolla in the district semifinals.
The Cardinals are ranked first in Class 4, while the Liberators are ranked sixth.
Webb City beat Bolivar 2-1 on Sept. 14. The two teams have several common opponents. Bolivar suffered losses to McDonald County and Ozark, while Webb City defeated both of those schools.
WHAT’S NEXT? Thursday’s winner advances to Saturday’s semifinals against either Grain Valley (25-4) or Platte County (20-1) at a location to be determined.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — As the final races ended Tuesday night at the Buck Miner Swim Center, Webb City cemented victory on their home turf at the second annual Central Ozark Conference boys swimming and diving championships.
The Cardinals finished in the top three in all but one event, ending the night with 338 points. Ozark finished second with 208 points.
The Cardinals got off to a hot start by winning the first event, the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1 minute, 52 seconds.
“This was the meet we wanted to focus on and I knew they would do well, but they have way outperformed what I imagined,” Webb City coach Shawn Klosterman said. “To come from behind and win the medley to start off the meet, it changes everything and I think that’s part of the reason everyone else swam so well. They were just so excited about that one. The whole team has earned this one and I’m glad they get a day to celebrate.”
The Cardinals also closed out the evening with consecutive first place finishes. Micah Brouwer finished with a victory in the 100 breaststroke (1:09), and the team finished first in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:45.
Webb City also had three of the top four finishers in the 1-meter diving competition, including first place winner Carson Forcum, who had a score of 390.20.
The Webb City Cardinals pose after winning the COC swim meet on Tuesday. Courtesy photo.
JOPLIN THIRD, CARTHAGE FOURTH
Joplin and Carthage also put in strong performances on the day, with the Eagles narrowly placing third overall with 186 points and the Tigers placing fourth at 181 points.
Joplin had several top-three finishes in multiple events. Joplin was highlighted by a first-place finish from Ben Wardlow in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.21 seconds and a first place finish in the 200 freestyle relay with a finishing time of 1:39. They also finished second in the 200 medley relay. Zane Newman placed second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:46.
“The boys have worked really hard this week, not a lot of breaks, so they were tired,” Joplin coach Ali Stauffer said. “This pool is also shallow so it slowed our times down a bit, but it was good to see where we are at. I am proud of them and think we are in a good spot with just a few meets to go and then state.”
The Carthage Tigers also had several top-five finishes, highlighted by third place finishes by Ezekiel Ramirez in the 100 freestyle (55.18), and Kellen Frieling in the 100 backstroke (1:03). They also took fourth place in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:53, narrowly being overcome by Ozark for third place by .05 of a second.
“I’m pretty pleased with our team this year. We are very young, we graduated eight seniors last year, but on the other hand it means we have a lot of returners next year,” said Carthage coach Braden McBride. “Anytime you can put three in the top 12 that’s good, and we had a couple of those events we were three deep in, and so that’s good for the future.”
After Webb City, Ozark, Joplin and Carthage, the Republic Tigers finished fifth with 134 points and Nixa rounded out the meet in sixth place with 114 points.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Webb City defeated rival Carthage 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18) on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference volleyball clash.
Maddy Peeples led Webb City with 18 digs, 16 kills and four aces. Kearston Galardo had 11 kills and Makenzie Storm added seven kills. Anna Hettinger had 23 assists and Avery Westhoven added 13.
Sage Crane had 18 digs, while Kyah Sanborn added 14 digs. Abby Stork contributed six digs and Kate Brownfield had five kills.
Carthage’s statistics were unavailable.
The Cardinals (24-7-1) ended the regular season with the win. Carthage (14-12-1) hosts Nixa at 5:30 on Thursday in the regular season finale.
McDonald County senior Lily Allman closed out her career with a third-place finish, while Carthage junior Hailey Bryant finished eighth overall to give the area a pair of all-state performers in the Missouri Class 3 girls state golf tournament at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.
Smith-Cotton’s Kiser Pannier won the individual championship with an 84-75—159, while Rockwood Summit’s Katherine Schreiner took second with an 82-79—161. Rockwood Summit (340-335—675) won the team title by more than 40 strokes over St. Teresa’s Academy (364-352—716).
ALLMAN’S FINAL RUN AT STATE WITH THE MUSTANGS
Carthage’s Hailey Bryant (left) and McDonald County’s Lily Allman (right) pose with state medals following the conclusion of the Class 3 state tournament on Tuesday. Photo by Peter Edwards.
After starting her career on the McDonald County boys golf team as a freshman, Allman was the leading force in getting a girls team started for the Mustangs by her sophomore season, when she qualified for the state tournament for the first time. Following a finish of 31st a year ago as a junior, Allman’s early-season aspirations for an all-state finish were easily surpassed after posting a 38-44 in the second round on the way to an 81-82—163 to finish in a three-way tie for third place with Rockwood Summit’s Danika Stilwell (85-78—163) and Ladue’s Grace Claney (80-83—163).
“All-state was my goal, and I definitely did that,” Allman said with a smile. “After the standings yesterday, I knew it was possible to win a state title. Obviously, that is not how God planned it to be, that’s how I see it, and I know He has bigger plans. That is what is most important. I did what I could, and I did my best.
“It meant a lot to be a part of this (McDonald County girls golf) team. To be able to be on the first team and to help grow the team means a lot. Hopefully, we can get more girls interested, keep playing and then maybe someday I’ll be back to coach the team. … It’s been really fun and I am just happy to be a part of it.”
Allman entered the final round in third place after carding a 42-39—81 on Monday, opening with a birdie on the par-4 first hole. She followed up with a double-bogey on the second hole and a bogey on the third for an uneven two-over start after three holes of the second round.
“I birdied the first hole, and that really gave me some confidence,” Allman said. “Then, I double-bogeyed the second, so I was not consistent. … My putting stroke was good on the first hole, and then I felt like it wasn’t as strong on the next couple of holes. I kind of got down on myself, but my coach (Darryl Harbaugh) just told me to be patient and my stroke would come.”
McDonald County’s Lily Allman follows through with hopes of finding the green during the final round of the Class 3 state golf tournament at Twin Hills golf and Country Club on Tuesday. Photo by Peter Edwards.
Allman, who played at the top of the leaderboard for a long stretch of holes, found her consistency and strung four pars together before writing down a birdie two on the par-3 eighth hole. She finished the front nine with a bogey to sit at two over par.
“I got confident after making those few pars, and then you kind of get a fire inside you when you make birdie,” Allman said. “You think, ‘this is possible,’ and I knew I could do it. … Every hole wasn’t exactly what I wanted to be, but that’s golf. … I was very proud of the way I played that front nine.”
Allman had three pars separated by a double-bogey and a bogey before a double-bogey on 15 and a triple on 16 after playing out of trees off the tee following wayward tee shots.
She bounced back strong, with pars on 17 and 18 to finish out her high school career with the Mustangs.
“I told myself these are my last two holes of high school golf,” Allman said. “I just wanted to try to relax and have fun because you don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself. At that point, my coach told me he was really proud of me no matter what happened. That made me relax to go out there and finish well.”
“I was honestly just blessed to be in that moment,” Allman said about walking down the 18th fairway. “Not very many people get to do that. I just took it for what it was worth, and I was proud of how it was going at that point.”
BRYANT FINISHES INSIDE THE TOP 10
As a junior, Bryant has had plenty of experience already at the state tournament with appearances in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. After carding an 87 on the first day to finish in a tie for 10th — a result she was not satisfied with — Bryant drew on that past experience to close with a stronger second-day performance of 37-45—82 to earn an all-state eighth-place finish.
“I was a little bit more relaxed today than yesterday,” Bryant said. “Yesterday it was ‘Oh, it’s the first day of state.’ Today, it was go-time and I needed to get where I wanted to be. I did a lot more of what I knew I could do.”
“It helped to relax me a little bit, honestly,” Bryant continued on how her experiences at the state level helped her on Tuesday. “I just kind of knew everyone was in the same boat as me. I wasn’t alone struggling like I used to think I was.”
Carthages Hailey Bryant tees off on the 18th hole during the second round of the Class 3 state tournament on Tuesday. Photo by Peter Edwards.
Bryant started her front nine with a birdie three on the first hole, giving her all the confidence she needed. She followed with a bogey and a double-bogey before a par on the fourth hole led to a fantastic finish to the turn. Bryant dropped a stroke with a birdie two on the fifth hole to get to one over, and finished her front nine with four straight pars.
“Yesterday, I double-bogeyed the first hole,” Bryant said with a laugh. “Today, after the birdie, I was a little excited. … I had some holes that were a little rocky, but after the way I finished out, I just kept saying today is the day. I was playing like I knew I could.
“My putting today was a lot better than it was yesterday. I really saved myself on some of those pars that I needed when I had to get up and down. My ball striking was just very flush. It was going where I wanted it to, following the line I wanted it to and covering back.”
Bryant continued her state tournament with a par on the 10th before going eight over par over the next five holes. She closed out her third state tournament with a par on 16, a bogey on 17 and a par on 18.
“That felt great,” Bryant said with a smile when asked about her top-10 finish. “That was one of my goals, to keep moving up. My freshman year, I started real far behind. Last year, I was right in the middle, and this year, a top 10. I am really proud of myself for accomplishing that.”
While she was still soaking in her best finish yet at the state level, Bryant was already thinking about how she was going to use this performance to prepare for another state run as a senior in 2021.
“I love this tournament,” Bryant said. “Since I was a freshman, I have wanted to come to this tournament every single year. That was my goal. I am three quarters of the way there, so it’s a big deal to me.
“I am not ready for this season to end. I am ready to keep going and just keep working at it because I want to get up to one of those top spots next year. It really is just going to push me.”
OTHER AREA CLASS 3 SCORES
Carthage’s Riley Scott carded a 52-47—99 to follow up her 92 in the opening round to finish in a tie for 34th with a score of 191.
Carthage’s Caitlin Derryberry shot a 50-51—101 in the second round and finished with a 115-101—216 to finish in 59th.
Webb City’s Sydney French had a second-round 53-52—105 to finish with a 217 two-day total, placing in a tie for 60th.
Also for the Cardinals, Sarah Oathout scored a 59-54—113 and finished with a 249 tournament to finish in 70th.
CLASS 2 STATE TOURNAMENT
CLINTON, Mo. — Playing the final round at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club, Cassville’s Chloe Moller followed up her 122 with a 61-52—113 to finish 68th with a 235.
Carl Junction’s Rylee Sprague opened her final round with a birdie on the way to shooting a 57-63—120 to finish in 69th with a 238.
Nevada’s Kate Pennington (62-61—123) scored a 241 to finish in 70th, while Riley Severance (66-56—122) totaled a 254 to place 71st.
Carl Junction’s Anna Burch (66-64—13) totaled a 264 to place in a tie for 74th with Nevada’s Paige Hertzberg (67-66—13) to round out the local scoring.
The Joplin Eagles ended the regular season on a high note.
Competing inside Kaminsky Gymnasium for the final time in 2020, Joplin earned a 3-0 victory over Neosho on Tuesday in Central Ozark Conference volleyball action.
The Eagles defeated the Wildcats 25-23, 25-16, 25-13 on the team’s Pink Night.
“That was so nice for our seniors,” Eagles coach Staci Saunders said. “Aubrey (Ritter) and Addison (Saunders) have been three-year starters. For them, and for all of our seniors, to be able to win their last home match was special. It felt like Senior Night even though it wasn’t. I was really proud of the girls because they did what they had to do to win. It was just great to end the regular season on a win.”
An outside hitter, Ritter compiled 16 service points, nine digs and eight kills, while junior outside hitter Allie Lawrence slammed a team-high 16 kills.
A senior setter who was back in the lineup after missing time with a knee injury, Addison Saunders contributed 17 assists and nine digs.
Senior libero Kaylie Anderson had a team-high 21 digs, while senior setter Baileigh Riley had 13 assists and 12 service points. Coach Saunders noted junior middle hitter Kacy Coss is out for the remainder of the season with an injury.
“Allie had the game of her life tonight,” Saunders said. “And I felt like we played well together. Everyone did their jobs and everyone contributed. I thought Kaylie Anderson did a great job and it was great to have Addi back.”
Neosho fell to 14-14-1.
“I think we’ve got to make some decisions,” Neosho coach Ann Landrum said. “We’re either going to decide that when the going gets tough we get going or we’re going to be done when it comes to district time. There’s no magic solution. You just have to do what you have to do and we’re not doing it. “
Senior Savannah Merriman led the Wildcats with eight kills, while classmate Andi Johnson had six kills. Fellow senior Kaylee Butler served four aces
The back and forth opening set was tied at 23. A Neosho attack error and an ace from Addison Saunders gave the Eagles the set.
“I love Ann Landrum and John Moore,” Coach Saunders said. “They are some of my favorite people to coach against. They had their girls ready. Neosho came out swinging and aggressive in the first set. I was proud our girls could win that first set.”
In the second set, Lawrence slammed back-to-back kills to give the hosts a 21-14 advantage. Neosho’s Merriman had a pair of kills at the net, but a late kill from Emma Floyd gave Joplin the set victory.
The Eagles pulled away from the start in the third set, as Joplin took a 14-4 lead with Ritter serving.
Late kills from Angelina Schramm and Lawrence finished off the set and the match.
Joplin senior Aubrey Ritter serves during Tuesday’s match with Neosho. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
DISTRICT TOURNEYS AWAIT
Both teams will head to their respective district tournaments next week.
Second-seeded Neosho takes on third-seeded McDonald County at 6:30 on Oct. 27 in a semifinal of the Class 4 District 10 tournament in Branson, where the Pirates are the No. 1 seed.
“We’ve got to be mentally tough,” Landrum said. “We have to be ready when it’s time to go. We’re always going to keep trying. We just have to figure it out. Branson’s got a nice team and Mac (County) is on a roll.”
Third-seeded Joplin will challenge second-seeded Carthage at 5 on Oct. 28 in a semifinal contest of the Class 5 District 12 tournament at Carthage High School.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Saunders said. “I’ve been doing this for so long…I watched (Carthage coach) Bradyn (Webb) grow up. And Sarah Wall has been like a coaching mentor. To be able to play them will be fun. Both teams know each other well. They’ll be ready for us and I feel like we’ll be ready for them. It’s going to be a great matchup.”
Addison Saunders looks to set up Emma Floyd on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
Neosho’s Lexi Laney serves against Joplin on Tuesday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.
