SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Concluding the season with a convincing victory, Thomas Jefferson junior Prithvi Nagarajan finished seventh in the Class 2 singles bracket at the 2023 MSHSAA Boys Tennis Championships on Friday at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
After going 2-1 on Thursday and dropping his first match on Friday, Nagarajan ended the season in the bracket’s seventh-place match.
In the season finale, Nagarajan defeated Barstow’s Liam Groden 6-1, 6-3 to take seventh.
Nagarajan went 21-3 in singles matches this season for Tom Brumfield’s Cavaliers.
On Thursday, Nagarajan went 2-1.
In the opening round, Nagarajan defeated Farmington’s Maddox Waller-Brenneke 6-1, 6-1.
In the quarterfinals, Ladue’s Max Chen defeated Nagarajan 6-1, 6-0.
Chen later won the state title match, 6-0, 6-1, over Helias Catholic’s Ethan Foucheaux.
Nagarajan beat Cape Girardeau Notre Dame’s Charlie West 6-3, 6-1 in the consolation quarterfinals to remain alive in the bracket.
In Friday’s opener, and with a spot in the fifth-place match on the line, MICDS’ Arjun Puri defeated Nagarajan 6-0, 7-6 (2) in the consolation semifinals.
That loss sent Nagarajan to the seventh-place match, where he beat Groden.
Also of note, Willard’s Caden Lingenfelser won the third-place match by default over Parkway Central’s Ayush Negi.
Thomas Jefferson junior Prithvi Nagarajan finished seventh in the Class 2 singles bracket on Friday at the state tennis tournament in Springfield. File photo.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson junior Prithvi Nagarajan went 2-1 in singles action on Thursday at the 2023 MSHSAA Boys Tennis Championships at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
In the opening round, Nagarajan defeated Farmington’s Maddox Waller-Brenneke 6-1, 6-1.
In the quarterfinals, Ladue’s Max Chen defeated Nagarajan 6-1, 6-0.
Nagarajan beat Cape Girardeau Notre Dame’s Charlie West 6-3, 6-1 in the consolation quarterfinals to remain alive in the bracket.
Nagarajan will take on MICDS’ Arjun Puri on Friday in the consolation semifinals.
Also of note, Willard’s Caden Lingenfelser went 2-0 on Thursday and will take on Chen in the semifinals on Friday.
WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Shaun Hunt delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth inning, leading second-seeded Webb City past third-seeded Belton 3-2 on Thursday night in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 7 baseball tournament.
In the first semifinal, top-seeded McDonald County got past fourth-seeded Warrensburg 1-0.
With their respective wins, the Cardinals (20-13) and Mustangs (20-8) will meet in the district title game at 6 p.m. on Monday at Neosho’s Roy B. Shaver Field.
WEBB CITY 3, BELTON 2
The game was deadlocked when Webb City came to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Sam Weller walked and went to second on Cy Darnell’s sacrifice bunt before Hunt smacked a game-ending RBI single into left field to give the Cardinals a thrilling walk-off win.
Webb City scored twice in the first inning. Weller walked and Cy Darnell singled to start the frame. Drew Vonder Haar drove in a run with a ground out to third before Christian Brock lined an RBI single into left.
The Pirates cut their deficit in half in the third, as Ethan Yinger doubled to left, went to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a ground out to first.
Belton stranded the bases loaded in the fourth, as Webb City starting pitcher Kaylor Darnell maneuvered out of trouble by recording a pair of strikeouts.
The Pirates tied it up in the sixth on Bryan Choi’s RBI single into left. A hit by pitch and sac bunt started the inning.
Webb City pulled off a key double play to end the top of the seventh after the Pirates had the go-ahead run in scoring position.
The Cardinals stranded the go-ahead run at second in the bottom of the seventh, as Belton’s Jacob Ross struck out two straight batters to send the game into extra innings.
Belton had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth, but Walker Street recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of trouble.
A senior right-hander, Sweet was the winning pitcher. He went 2 2/3 innings and did not allow an earned run while striking out five. He allowed four hits and two walks.
Kaylor Darnell went 5 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on five hits and struck out four.
Kenley Hood had two of Webb City’s six hits.
Ross went the distance for Belton. He took the loss after allowing three earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out nine in 7 1/3 innings.
Belton ends the season at 17-14.
MCDONALD COUNTY 1, WARRENSBURG 0
Both starting pitchers, McDonald County’s Cross Dowd and Warrensburg’s Sam Slobaszewski, kept the opposition at bay for most of the game.
The Mustangs pushed across the game’s lone run in the bottom of the second without a hit, as Weston Gordon and Fischer Sanny walked before a pair of Warrensburg errors allowed Gordon to cross home.
The Tigers stranded the bases loaded in the fourth, as Dowd struck out Cole Kreisel to end the threat.
The hosts had the tying run at third base with two outs in the seventh before the Mustangs closed out the win.
Warrensburg out-hit Mac County 5-2. The Tigers (11-15) committed three errors, while the Mustangs did not have a miscue in the field.
Dowd delivered a stellar performance on the mound. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing just five hits and three walks while striking out nine.
Angel Ruiz recorded the final out to earn the save.
Dowd and Jack Parnell had Mac County’s lone hits.
Slobaszewski took the loss but allowed no earned runs in six innings. He gave up just two hits and three walks while striking out two.
NOTE: McDonald County defeated Webb City 6-3 on April 4 at Barnes Field.
The rematch, which will be held at Warrensburg High School, will determine who advances to the state quarterfinals.
CASSVILLE, Mo. — Marcus Young tossed an eight-inning no-hitter as top-seeded Monett defeated third-seeded Seneca 1-0 in the championship game of the Class 4 District 11 tournament on Thursday.
The Cubs scored the game’s lone run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a bases-loaded walk.
A Missouri Southern recruit, Young walked two, struck out five and did not allow a hit in a masterful performance.
Seneca’s Grant Houchin did not allow a run in 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven. Lincoln Renfro took the loss after allowing a run in the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, Young was hit by a pitch, Aidan Clapper sacrificed, Evan Witt was intentionally walked and Joshua Wallace singled to load the bases. Miles Young drew a walk to end the game in walk-off fashion.
Seneca ends the season with a record of 18-13.
Monett (16-8) will host Nevada (19-9) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in the sectional round of the state tournament.
PLEASANT HILL, Mo. — Led by a strong pitching performance from Case Sanderson, second-seeded Nevada knocked off top-seeded Pleasant Hill 8-0 in the championship game of the Class 4 District 12 baseball tournament on Wednesday night.
It’s Nevada’s first district title since 2018.
Nevada will meet either Monett or Seneca in the sectional round of the state tournament on Tuesday. The Cubs and Indians meet for the District 11 title on Thursday night.
Sanderson delivered a masterful performance on the mound. A Nebraska recruit, Sanderson struck out 12 and gave up just three hits and one walk in the complete-game shutout.
Helping his own cause, Sanderson went 3-for-5 at the plate with four RBI.
Nevada scored once in the first inning on Sanderson’s RBI single that allowed Drake Ketterman to score.
Nevada erupted for four runs in the fourth inning. Barrett Nadurata contributed a run-scoring single, Ketterman delivered a two-run single, and Sanderson followed with an RBI single for a 5-0 lead.
The Tigers added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Kellan Ast scored on a passed ball and Sanderson smacked a two-run triple to center, scoring Jett Snyder and Ketterman.
Ketterman and Hunter Seaver each had two hits for Nevada. Cade Beshore doubled, while Kennedy D’Elia, Snyder and Nadurata had one hit apiece.
Riddick Shook walked twice and scored a run. Ast drew three walks and scored once.
BILLINGS, Mo. — Third-seeded McAuley Catholic took an early lead before top-seeded Billings rallied and pulled away for an 11-2 win on Wednesday in the Class 1 District 5 championship game.
The Warriors pushed across a pair of runs in the first inning to take the lead before the Wildcats answered with a run in the first, two in the second and a single tally in the third inning to take a 4-2 advantage. Billings pushed across five runs in the fifth inning and added two runs in the sixth to wrap the scoring.
McAuley finishes the season with an 11-13 record, while Billings advances to the sectional round of the Class 1 state tournament with a matchup against Liberal on Monday.
Zach Bos earned the win for Billings, allowing two unearned runs on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.
Rocco Bazzano-Joseph took the loss after allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits and three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.
Joe Staton had two hits and scored a run for McAuley at the plate. Bazzano-Joseph had a hit and scored a run, while Michael Parrigon doubled.
Grant Heimer had two hits, drove in four runs and scored once, while Levi Essick doubled, drove in a run and scored twice for Billings.
MCAULEY RALLIES PAST EXETER IN SEMIS
BILLINGS, Mo. — Third-seeded McAuley trailed 1-0 through four innings before scoring three times in the fifth inning and adding two more runs in the sixth inning to beat second-seeded Exeter 5-1 in the Class 2 District 5 semifinals on Wednesday.
McAuley’s three-run fifth inning was highlighted by an RBI single from Parrigon.
Kendall Jones doubled to right field to plate a pair of runs in the sixth inning to add insurance for the Warriors. Bazzano-Joseph earned the complete-game win after allowing one run on four hits, two walks and five strikeouts in seven innings.
Cason Antle took the loss after allowing four runs, one earned, on four hits, two walks and five strikeouts in five innings.
Parrigon had three hits, including a double, and drove in a run for McAuley at the plate. Jones doubled, drove in two and scored one. Case Richards doubled and scored twice.
MILLER, Mo. — For the second straight year, the Jasper Eagles are headed to the Final Four of the spring softball state tournament.
Jasper rode a pair of big innings to an 11-4 win over Miller on Wednesday in a Class 1 quarterfinal.
Jasper (22-12) will meet Concordia (26-1) in the semifinals at 11 a.m. on Monday at Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.
A year ago, Jasper reached the Class 1 title game before falling to Wellington-Napoleon.
On Wednesday, Jasper trailed 4-2 after the top of the fourth inning.
But the Eagles rallied in a big way.
Jasper scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth and six more in the fifth to blow the game open.
In the fourth, Livia Dumm hit a two-run home run to center and Shiloh Storm contributed an RBI single.
In the six-run fifth, Emersyn Bass drew a bases-loaded walk, Brie Haddock contributed a two-run single and Taylor Hinds launched a three-run homer to left.
Jasper scored its 11 runs on 12 hits.
Dumm went 4-for-5 with two RBI, while Hinds drove in five runs on two hits and Haddock scored three runs and had two RBI. Alivea Roberts had two hits and Addison Atnip scored twice.
Grace Osborne was the winning pitcher. She allowed three earned runs on 11 hits. Osborne didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight in the complete-game effort.
Four players had two hits apiece for Miller, Hailey Mart, Rachel Nunez, Addison Stockton and Ashlynn Helton.
Loghann Leivan took the loss after allowing nine earned runs on 12 hits and five walks. She struck out five.
Miller ends the season with a record of 20-6.
Monday’s other Class 1 semifinal features Valle Catholic (18-3) vs. Ellington (16-6).
Two area teams will be competing at next week’s Final Four, as Mount Vernon advanced in Class 2.
CASSVILLE, Mo. — Third-seeded Seneca knocked off second-seeded Mount Vernon 2-1 in the semifinals of the Class 4 District 11 baseball tournament on Tuesday.
The Indians (18-12) will meet top-seeded Monett (15-8) in the district title game at 4 on Thursday at Cassville High School.
In a game that featured just three combined runs, Seneca scored once in the first inning on Hagen Ginger’s RBI single, with Conner Ackerson scoring on the play.
The Mountaineers (11-12) tied it up in the third when Jarrett Zerby tripled and later scored on Jacob Leeper’s ground out.
The Indians scored the go-ahead run in the fifth, as Drew Sherwood doubled to left and came home on Lincoln Renfro’s RBI single to right.
Seneca’s Sherwood was the winning pitcher. He went six innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out seven.
Renfro earned the save by tossing a scoreless seventh.
Braden Dodson took the loss but allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out six.
MONETT 2, CASSVILLE 1
Monett beat fifth-seeded Cassville 2-1 in the other semifinal.
The Cubs pushed across single tallies in the second and third innings, while Cassville’s lone run crossed home in the fifth.
Monett’s Carson Burtrum was the winning pitcher. He gave up one run on three hits and struck out four in 4 1/3 innings. Marcus Young picked up the save.
Hunter James took the loss after surrendering one earned run on seven hits in six innings.
OZARK, Mo. — Third-seeded Ozark struck for four runs in the first inning and never trailed in a 7-1 win over sixth-seeded Joplin in the final game of the Class 6 District 6 opening round at the Sky Bacon Stadium on Tuesday.
The Tigers added two runs in the fourth frame to push the lead 6-0 before both teams traded runs in the sixth inning.
Joplin closes the season with a 9-20 record, while Ozark (16-14) advances to take on second-seeded Nixa in the district semifinals on Wednesday.
Hudson Roberts earned the win after allowing one run on two hits, four walks and six strikeouts in five innings of work.
Byler Reither took the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on nine hits and three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
The Tigers went to work with the bats early, scoring four times on four hits, including three runs coming with two outs in the frame. Cooper Buvid had an RBI single to start the scoring before Brock Sundlie tripled home a run two batters later. Roberts helped himself after adding an RBI double in the next at-bat, which was followed by a run scoring on a wild pitch to push the lead to 4-0.
Ozark added two runs in the fourth inning after a run scored on a wild pitch before Buvid picked up another RBI on a single through the left side with a runner on third and two outs to push the lead to 6-0.
Joplin got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning when Layten Copher picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and no outs to plate a run and trim the deficit to 6-1.
Ozark got the run back in the bottom of the sixth when a run scored on a throwing error.
Buvid had two hits, two RBI and scored a run, while Sundlie had two hits, an RBI and scored a run to lead the Tigers at the plate
Brady Mails, Reither and Daniel Rose had hits for Joplin in the loss.
NO. 4 KICKAPOO RALLIES PAST NO. 5 NEOSHO
OZARK, Mo. — Fourth-seeded Kickapoo scored three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally past fifth-seeded Neosho for a 4-2 win in the first round of the Class 6 District 6 tournament at the Sky Bacon Stadium on Tuesday.
Kickapoo and Neosho traded single tallies in the first inning, with Carter Fenske coming up with an RBI single for the Wildcats. Austin Rodriguez singled home a run in the top of the third inning to give Neosho a 2-1 lead before Kickapoo tied the game in the sixth with a bases-loaded walk before Nate Owen singled home a pair of go-ahead runs with two outs later in the frame.
Neosho closes the season with a 17-14 record, while Kickapoo advances to take on top-seeded Republic on Wednesday in the second round.
Brian Wamsher took a no-decision after allowing two runs on four hits, a walk and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Owen earned the win in relief after pitching 2 2/3 scoreless relief innings on one hit and three strikeouts.
Kael Smith started and took a no-decision after allowing one run on four hits, two walks and four strikeouts in four innings. Fenske took the loss in relief after allowing three runs on two hits, two walks in two innings.
Eli Zar tripled on the way to two hits and two runs scored for Neosho. Fenske had a hit and an RBI.
NO. 1 REPUBLIC BEATS NO. 8 CARTHAGE
OZARK, Mo. —Top-seeded Republic used crooked numbers in the second and fifth innings to beat eighth-seeded Carthage 10-0 in the opening round of the Class 6 District 6 tournament at the Sky Bacon Stadium on Tuesday.
Republic put four runs on the board in the second inning to build a lead and scored five times in the fourth inning to build an insurmountable cushion before closing out the win in six innings with a run in the sixth frame.
Carthage ends the season with a 3-27 record, while Republic (21-9) advances to take fourth-seeded Kickapoo in second-round action on Wednesday.
Myles Lozano earned the win after pitching five scoreless innings on two hits, two walks and eight strikeouts.
Brodie Cole took the loss after allowing four runs on four hits, two walks and a strikeout in two innings.
Bradyn Tate and Drew Musche each had hits for Carthage in the loss.
Devon Hughes had three doubles, four RBI and scored a run to lead Republic at the plate.
WARRENSBURG, Mo. — The higher seeds all prevailed in the quarterfinal round of the Class 5 District 7 baseball tournament on Tuesday at Warrensburg High School.
Top-seeded McDonald County rolled past eighth-seeded Ruskin 15-0, fourth-seeded Warrensburg topped fifth-seeded Carl Junction 4-2, second-seeded Webb City blasted seventh-seeded Grandview 13-0 and third-seeded Belton beat sixth-seeded Bolivar 6-1.
In Thursday’s semifinals, McDonald County (19-8) meets Warrensburg (11-14) at 4 p.m. and Webb City (19-13) takes on Belton (18-13) at approximately 6:15.
WEBB CITY 13, GRANDVIEW 0
Webb City junior Drew Vonder Haar tossed a five-inning perfect game, and the Cardinals’ offense put up runs in four straight innings to earn a dominant run-rule victory.
The Cardinals scored twice in the first inning, three times in the second, once in the third and seven times in the fourth. The game ended after the top of the fifth due to the run-rule.
Webb City scored twice in the first on two hits, an error and a ground out.
In the second, Sam Weller contributed a sac fly and Cy Darnell delivered a two-run single for a 5-0 lead.
One inning later, William Hayes smacked an RBI single to left.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 13-0 by scoring seven runs in the fourth.
In the big inning, Kaylor Darnell walked with the bases loaded, a run scored on Hayes’ fielder’s choice, Gage Chapman delivered a sac fly, Weller contributed a two-run triple, Cy Darnell hit an RBI double and Hunt followed with a run-scoring single.
Cy Darnell went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Weller and Hayes had two hits apiece.
Vonder Haar struck out six batters in five innings of work. He did not allow a hit or a walk. Vonder Haar needed just 46 pitches to get through five frames.
WARRENSBURG 4, CARL JUNCTION 2
Warrensburg’s two-run fourth inning proved to be the difference in this one.
Carl Junction scored a run in the second inning when Drew Massey drew a bases-loaded walk.
The Tigers scored once in both the second and third innings.
Massey’s RBI double to left in the top of the fourth made it 2-2.
But Warrensburg went ahead for good on Keaton Frey’s two-run single in the bottom of the fourth.
The Bulldogs were limited to four hits, one apiece by Arlen Wakefield, Wyatt McAfee, Deacon Endicott and Massey.
Carl Junction’s Lucas Vanlanduit took the loss. He went five innings on the mound, allowing four runs, none earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out four.
Logan Eck tossed a scoreless inning in relief.
Warrensburg’s Gauge Claunch was the winning pitcher. He gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks while striking out eight.
Carl Junction ends the season with a record of 9-18.
Note: No other information on McDonald County’s game was available at the time of publication.
SPARTA, Mo. — A seven-run third inning propelled Mount Vernon to a dominant 13-3 victory over Sparta in the quarterfinals of the Class 2 spring softball tournament on Tuesday.
With the lopsided win, the Mountaineers (35-1) advance to the state semifinals, where they’ll meet Fair Grove (19-4) at 1:15 p.m. on Monday, May 22 at Killian Sports Complex in Springfield.
It’s Mount Vernon’s first semifinal appearance since 2019, when the team finished fourth in Class 1.
Sparta’s Natalie Wilks homered in the first inning before Mount Vernon’s Ava Bellis tied it up in the second with a single to center.
Mount Vernon erupted for seven runs on eight hits in the game-changing third inning.
Allie Schubert, Harley Daniels, Cheyenne Bieber and Hali Stokes all drove in runs during the big inning.
The Mountaineers added four runs in the fourth.
Lillian Burk hit an RBI single, scoring Molly Daniels. A throwing error and a wild pitch made it 11-1 before Stokes hit an RBI single for an 11-run cushion.
The Trojans extended the game by plating two runs in the fifth on Wilks’ second homer of the game.
The Mountaineers scored the game-ending run in the bottom of the fifth, with Molly Daniels driving in Payge Evans for the walk-off.
Stokes had three hits, while Evans, Molly Daniels, Harley Daniels and Rae Downing had two hits apiece.
Mount Vernon’s Harley Daniels (27-1) was the winning pitcher. She allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four in five innings.
SEDALIA, Mo. — Carl Junction’s Jack Spencer capped off his golf season in memorable fashion.
After shooting two-over par 72 in the first round of the Class 4 state golf tournament at the Sedalia Country Club, Spencer was even better in the second round after shooting an even-par 70 to finish in sole possession of second place to earn all-state honors.
Spencer was two strokes off the lead, with Rolla’s Jonathan Jordan taking first place after shooting a 69-71—140.-
Webb City’s Braxten Cahoon finished in a tie for 22nd place after shooting a 74-78—152.
Also for the Cardinals, Levi Lassiter shot an 81-81—162 to finish in a tie for 49th place.
JOPLIN’S SATTERLEE EARNS ALL-STATE HONORS
BOLIVAR, Mo. — Joplin’s Harry Satterlee shot an even-par round of 72 on the first day and topped that with a one-under-par round of 71 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for fourth place in the Class 5 state tournament at Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.
Satterlee’s two-day total of 143 earned him all-state honors after finishing one stroke off the lead.
Chaminade’s Bubba Chapman (72-70—142), Rockhurst’s Jack Cobb (71-71—142) and Liberty North’s Caden Mickelson (69-73—142) finished in a tie for first place.
Carthage’s Britt Coy carded a 77-77—154 to finish in a three-way tie for 32nd, while Owen Derryberry shot a 77-82—159 to finish in a tie for 53rd for the Tigers.
MCAULEY TAKES THIRD AT STATE
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The McAuley Catholic boys golf team rallied with a strong second day to finish third place in the team standings at the Class 1 state golf tournament at the Country Club of Missouri on Tuesday.
Sitting in sixth place after Monday, the Warriors rallied to shoot a 357 team score on Tuesday—tied for third-lowest of the day—to finish in third with a 732 total team score. Salisbury (675) and Gallatin (699) finished first and second.
“We had a tough first day battling the rain,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “We knew we were better than we played. They could have checked out, but didn’t. They regrouped mentally and had our best team score of the year on the second day. I can’t begin to explain how proud I am of our guys to show the mental toughness and grit they displayed today.”
McAuley was led in scoring by Evan D’Amour, who matched his first-round total with a second-round 85 to finish in a two-way tie for 16th place with a 170.
College Heights’ Logan Decker shot a second-round 85 to finish in a three-way tie for 26th place with a 176.
McAuley’s Rocco Bazzano Joseph shot an 80 in the second round to finish in 32nd with a 178. Trey Martinez shot a 96 and finished in a tie for 47th with a 188, while Bradley Wagner shot a 96 and finished in a tie for 65th with a 196 to wrap the Warriors’ scoring.
MONETT’S JAXON BAILEY TAKES SECOND
NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Monett’s Jaxon Bailey followed up his first-round 73 with a second-round 74 to take second place in the Class 3 state golf tournament on Tuesday at the Meadow Lake Acres Country Club to earn all-state honors.
Bailey finished two strokes off the lead, with Bishop LeBlond’s Timothy Johnston taking first with a 73-72—145.
Monett’s Jacob Hoyt finished in a tie for 44th with an 86-86—172.
Seneca’s Elijah Olson shot an 85-88—173 to finish in a tie for 46th, while Jeremy Haase finished 68th with a 94-89—183.
Monett’s Keith Southard carded a 94-90—184 and finished in a tie for 69th.
Seneca’s Jace Wilson shot a 17-90—197 to tie for 83rd.
LAMAR’S LITTLEJOHN FINISHES 27TH
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Lamar’s Koen Littlejohn shot a 92 in the second round of the Class 2 state golf tournament on Tuesday at Rivercut Golf Course.
Littlejohn followed up his opening-round 82 with a second-round 92 to total a 174 to finish in 27th place.
Sarcoxie’s Matthew Swayne matched his first round with a second-round 90 to finish in a tie for 42nd place with a 181.
SEDALIA, Mo. — Carl Junction’s Jack Spencer holds a top-five standing after the first day of the Class 4 state golf tournament at the Sedalia Country Club.
Spencer carded an even-par opening-round score of 72 and is currently in a four-way tie for fifth-place.
Spencer is three strokes off the pace, sitting behind frontrunners Rolla’s Jonathan Jordan and Ft. Zumwalt West’s Trey Rusthoven who both shot three-under 69s to sit atop the leaderboard. Parkway West’s Saachi Kandula is in third place with a 70 and Capital City’s Blake Meredith is in fourth with a 71.
Webb City’s Braxton Cahoon is just outside the top 10 after shooting a 74 to sit in a tie for 13th place. Levi Lassiter is in a tie for 47th after shooting an 81 for the Cardinals.
The second and final round will continue on Tuesday.
JOPLIN’S SATTERLEE IN SIXTH PLACE
BOLIVAR, Mo. — Joplin’s Harry Satterlee is in a four-way tie for sixth place after the first round of the Class 5 state tournament at the Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club on Monday.
Satterlee opened with an even-par 72 and is three strokes off the pace for first place. Caden Mickelson (Liberty North) and Harrison Zipfel (SLUH) are in a tie for first place after shooting three-under-par 69s, while Jack Cobb (Rockhurst), Ethan Mustard (Lebanon) and Cole Packingham (Liberty) are tied for third at 71.
Carthage’s Britt Coy and Owen Derryberry are tied for 33rd place after each golfer shot a 77 for the Tigers.
D’AMOUR IN 16TH TO LEAD MCAULEY SQUAD
COLUMBIA, Mo. — McAuley’s Evan D’Amour sits in a tie for 16th place to lead the Warriors’ squad after the first day of the Class 1 state golf tournament at the Country Club of Missouri on Monday.
D’Amour shot a 13-over-par 85 and is currently tied with Tarkio’s River Dow.
College Heights’ Logan Decker is in a six-way tie for 30th place after shooting an opening-round 91.
McAuley’s Trey Martinez is in a tie for 37th after shooting a 92, while Rocco Bazzano-Joseph shot a 98 and is 61st. Bradley Wagner (100) is in a tie for 79th to wrap up the Warriors’ scoring.
Play wraps up with the second round on Tuesday.
LAMAR’S LITTLEJOHN IN 10TH
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Lamar’s Koen Littlejohn is in a two-way tie for 10th place after the first day of the Class 2 state golf tournament at Rivercut Golf Course.
Littlejohn shot a 10-over-par 82 on Monday and is tied with St. Michael the Archangel’s Max Ellis.
Sarcoxie’s Matthew Swayne is in a tie for 32nd after shooting a 90. Eli Ellis is tied for 50th after carding a 93.
MONETT’S BAILEY ON TOP OF THE LEADERBOARD
NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Monett’s Jaxon Bailey is in a three-way tie for first place after the first day of the Class 3 state golf tournament at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club on Monday.
Bailey shot a one-over-par 73 and is currently tied with Father Tolton’s Andrew Fallis and Bishop LeBlond’s Timothy Frazier for the top spot on the leaderboard.
Seneca’s Jace Wilson is tied for 38th place after shooting a first-round score of 85. Jeremy Haase is in a tie for 74th, which includes Monett’s David Southard, after shooting a 94 for the Indians.
For the first time since 2019, McAuley Catholic High School will have boys competing at the state track meet.
Two members of the team, senior Joe Staton and sophomore Tripp Miller, punched their respective tickets to the state championships by finishing in the top four of their events at this past Saturday’s Class 1 Sectional 3 meet in Point Lookout.
The pair will join the school’s lone female state qualifier, Kendall Ramsey, at the state meet on Friday in Jefferson City.
“I was really pleased with our effort,” McAuley coach Andy Youngworth said of the sectional showing. “The district we were competing against was very competitive. I’m disappointed for the kids that didn’t make it, but I’m really excited for the three kids who are moving on.”
The McAuley track program has made steady progress under Youngworth.
In 2019, McAuley’s boys track team was represented at the Class 1 state meet by the 4×200-meter relay team of Jacob Price, Nathan Taylor, Joseph Lupicki and Jake Staton.
There was no state track meet in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
McAuley’s track program had no state qualifiers in ’21.
In ’22, none of the team’s boys were able to advance.
This year, the Warriors broke through and ended the drought. One week after winning the program’s first district title, the Warriors had a pair of boys advance to state.
“Two years ago, only one boy and one girl qualified for sectionals,” Youngworth noted. “Last year, we had one girl in an event and five boys events at the sectional and none of the boys made it to state. So, to me, that’s something we’ve accomplished this year. It’s nice to be able to have a couple of kids going to state this year.”
At the sectional meet, Staton finished fourth in the pole vault (9-5) and Miller was fourth in the javelin (118-4).
“Joe and Tripp keep getting better every day,” Youngworth said. “They have their work cut out for them if they want to medal at state, but stranger things have happened.”
Ahead of the sectional, Staton was the district champion in the pole vault, while Miller took second at the district event.
Staton and Miller are also members of McAuley’s baseball team. The two had a late Friday night with the baseball team before getting up early on Saturday to head to the track meet.
The third-seeded McAuley baseball team meets second-seeded Exeter at 6:15 on Tuesday in a district semifinal.
With a win, the baseball team would play for a district title on Wednesday night. The state track meet begins on Friday in Jefferson City.
“Hopefully those guys will get the chance to compete for a district championship in baseball and compete at the state track meet in the same week,” Youngworth said of Staton and Miller.
As far as other events at Saturday’s sectional, McAuley’s boys just missed qualifying in three relays after finishing fifth in the 4×100, 4×400 and 4×800.
“Our 4×8 dropped 16 seconds but didn’t get out,” Youngworth said. “Our 4×1 was very close to making it to state. Our 4×4 just didn’t run as well as it did at districts. I was disappointed for our relays. They worked hard.”
Junior Michael Parrigon just missed advancing in the two events after finishing fifth in the 1600 and sixth in the 800.
“That’s just life,” Youngworth said. “Not everything is going to fall your way.”
Youngworth noted those disappointments should provide extra motivation next season.
“We’ll have a lot of our kids back next year,” he said. “This season was a great learning experience. We just have to get better. That’s the bottom line. We have to train harder.”
On the girls side, McAuley Catholic junior Kendall Ramsey was the sectional champ in two events — the 1600-meter run (5:50) and the 3200 (13:27).
“Kendall ran really well,” Youngworth said. “She went out in the 1600 and 3200 and just controlled the race early on. I know she can run faster than her times from Saturday. She didn’t have to run really hard just to get out. I’m happy for her.”
Ramsey is no stranger to state competition.
McAuley’s lone state qualifier in ’22, Ramsey finished 10th in the 3200 at last May’s state track meet. She placed eighth at this past fall’s state cross country championships.
Youngworth noted that Ramsey has the potential to earn a spot on the awards podium in both events this weekend.
“I think she can get on the podium,” he said. “She’s matured a lot as a runner. If she runs her personal best in both events she’s got a chance to medal.”
The MSHSAA Class 1 Track and Field Championships will be held on Friday and Saturday at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City.
Webb City High School boys track and field coach Dustin Miller was pleased overall, but not completely satisfied with his team’s performance at Saturday’s Class 4 District 6 meet in Hollister.
Miller’s Cardinals compiled 169 points and captured the team championship. Marshfield was second with 144 points.
Led by six event wins and four runner-up finishes, Webb City advanced 19 entries in 15 events to Saturday’s sectional meet in West Plains.
“It was a good showing to have qualifiers in 15 out of 19 events,” Miller said. “We did a lot of good things. We had some guys perform well. It was a successful day. But, where we were trending and moving towards, our performance wasn’t quite to those expectations.”
Webb City’s individual district champions were seniors Grayson Smith (pole vault) and Trey Roets (javelin) and junior Evan Stevens (1600, 3200).
“They’ve been extremely consistent all season,” Miller said of the standout trio. “They’re dedicated and focused.”
Webb City’s boys advanced to the sectional in all four relays after winning the 4×100 and 4×800, taking second in the 4×200 and finishing third in the 4×400.
“Our 4×100 ran without Billy Wolfe on the end,” Miller said, noting Wolfe suffered an injury. “To run the time it did to beat a quality Marshfield team, I’m extremely proud of them. Same with the 4×2…we ran a solid time without Billy.”
Finishing second in their events were Jordan Thornburg (100), Mason Hedger (800) and Nate Miller (discus). Taking third in their respective events were Ryan Reid (high jump), Tucker Liberatore (javelin), Jadon Brisco (pole vault) and Noah Moss (400, 110 hurdles).
Eric Lathan (shot put), Atticus Luzadder (1600) and Jace Jones (110 H) all finished fourth.
Miller noted the performances of Reid, Luzzader and Lathan were pleasant surprises.
Unfortunately, as is the case in postseason events, there were also some disappointments.
Senior Justin Allen, ranked second in the state behind his teammate Smith, failed to advance in the pole vault.
The team also had a few fifth-place finishers who just missed advancing—Dakota Grove in the 800, Joseph DeGraffenreid in the high jump and Devin Turner in the discus.
Next, the Cardinals will compete at the sectional meet on Saturday in West Plains, where state berths will be up for grabs.
Miller said the goals for Saturday are simple.
“Our stud athletes who are expected to score state points have to get through sectionals,” Miller said. “No exceptions. No excuses. We have to get our big point-scorers to the state meet. We’d like to get as many kids to state as possible. I just want to see them compete well on Saturday. Attitude and effort is what we’ve been preaching all year, so we need to get back on track with the way we were competing.
“We’ve got the talent to finish on the state podium this year,” Miller added. “That’s what we’re going to strive for. We have to take care of business, keep working hard and not get complacent. It’s the time of the year where we’re either going to man up and get it done or we’re not going to get it done. That’s where we’re at.”
WEBB CITY GIRLS ADVANCE IN 11 EVENTS
At Saturday’s district meet, Webb City’s girls won five events and advanced to the sectional in 11 events.
Jeremy Butler’s Webb City girls were second in the team standings with 140 points. Marshfield was first with 168.
Winning individual events at the district meet were senior Abi Street (1600, 3200), junior Dawsyn Decker (javelin) and freshman Brooke Hedger (800).
The team’s 4×400 took first, while the Cardinals were second in both the 4×100 and 4×800.
Taking second in their events were Street (800), Hedger (1600), Essence Robinson (400) and Lily McCaw (pole vault). Finishing third were Emily Countryman (3200), Chase Stilley (high jump) and Aubree Lassiter (discus).
“We had a good meet on the girls side, too,” Miller said. “I think our girls team has a chance to get quite a few to the state meet. The girls are really rounding into form and looking pretty solid.”
Saturday’s Class 4 Sectional 3 Meet in West Plains will feature the qualifiers from District 5 and District 6.
The top four in each event at the sectional will advance to the state meet in Jefferson City.
NIXA, Mo. — Daniela Marquez recorded a hat track as fifth-seeded Carthage defeated fourth-seeded Springfield Central 5-0 in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 4 District 5 girls soccer tournament on Saturday at Nixa High School.
Carthage will meet top-seeded Kickapoo at 5 on Tuesday in the semifinals.
Marquez scored Carthage’s first goal at the 35:45 mark of the first half. Her second and third goals finished off the win.
In addition to Marquez’s three goals, Carthage received goals from Kianna Yates and Giana De La Pena.
Yates scored on a corner kick with just over 11 minutes remaining in the first half. De La Pena’s goal made it 3-0 with just under 24 minutes to play.
In Saturday’s other action, second-seeded Ozark defeated seventh-seeded Joplin 8-0, third-seeded Nixa beat sixth-seeded Republic 7-0 and Kickapoo topped eighth-seeded Neosho 14-0.
Joplin ends the season with a record of 5-12.
Ozark and Nixa will meet in the second semifinal at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
The district title match is slated for 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 18.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Neosho Wildcats boys track and field team made history for the second meet in a row.
On May 4, at Ozark High School, the Neosho boys won their first Central Ozark Conference team title in program history.
On Saturday, trailing Nixa entering the final event of the 4×400, Neosho’s relay of freshman William Ebbinghaus, sophomore Isaiah Keezer, senior Isaiah Green and junior Izaiah Hill rallied past the field down the back stretch with a winning time of 3 minutes and 26 seconds and secured the program’s first district track title since 1979.
Neosho won with 127 points and Nixa finished second with 121. Joplin was third with 107, Kickapoo fourth at 97, Ozark fifth at 68, Republic sixth at 64, Branson seventh at 59, Carthage eighth at 58 and Parkview ninth at 38.
“Super exciting,” Neosho boys coach Randy Mustain said. “We had a similar situation last week at the conference championship, which we won for the first time in program history being in the COC. We were down one point to Webb City, and we came in and competed and the kids just had an awesome night PR’d in the 4×4 and came back tonight. …
“We’re tired. You know, some of those guys ran four or five events tonight and came back and battled hard and pulled through for us. I’m super proud of them. To be able to come back and win that event to cap it off tonight, there’s nothing more sweet.”
The excitement around the final event could be felt and heard around Carthage’s David Haffner Stadium, especially as the anchor legs cranked up their engines and hit their accelerators for that final push toward the finish line.
Neosho senior Tyrese Hill looks to the scoreboard while finishing the 200-meter dash on Saturday at David Haffner Stadium in Carthage. Hill took first in the finals with a time of 22.46 seconds. Photo by Brennan Stebbins.
The excitement continued for Neosho after the race, as they celebrated like it was 1979, culminating in Mustain being surrounded and given the customary Gatorade shower.
“We’ve got a great group of guys on the 4×4,” Mustain said. “We’re pretty young there at the start of the race. We start off with a sophomore and a freshman who are coming on strong and training well for us. Then, you roll into a senior (Green). We use the term ‘dog’ in our program, and he’s a dog. He just absolutely goes after it and battles, and he did everything he could to give Izaiah a chance. I knew he could do that. We were super excited for him.
“I told Izaiah before the race, Izaiah Hill, our anchor leg, I said, I wouldn’t want it in anybody else’s hands. I’m super proud of him, and he handled himself very well.”
Neosho senior Tyrese Hill won the 100 in 10.81 and the 200 in 22.46, while Izaiah Hill won the 400 in 49.99.
The 4×200 of Tyrese Hill, Izaiah Hill, Keezer, and Tyrone Harris finished third in 1:31 and the 4×100 of Brock Franklin, Tyrese Hill, Jared Siler, and Harris placed fourth in 43.53.
Green won the triple jump at 44 feet and 11 inches and Siler placed fourth at 42-9.75. Green and Siler finished third and fourth in the long jump at 21-8.75 and 21-7.25 respectively, while Siler placed fourth in the high jump at 6-2.75.
Collyn Kivett won the javelin with a toss of 164-1 and Carter Baslee finished third in the discus with a mark of 150-6.
Neosho qualified in all these events for next Saturday’s Class 5 Sectional 3 meet hosted by Parkview, and the top four sectional finishers advance to the state meet the last weekend in May in Jefferson City.
“Those guys, they have known that they can do something special from the beginning,” Mustain said. “We’ve continued to preach that. We started this season off with a plywood state plaque we cut out and we put ‘Victory takes payment in advance’ in front of that and on the back, we put every team we were going to face at conference and districts. We said that this is what we want, and this is what our program is striving for.
“It’s the first time in 44 years the Neosho boys track and field program has won a district title. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.
“This is Year Six for me as the head coach of this program. We’ve seen it grow every year, and that’s not a testament to me, it’s a testament to the kids coming into the weight room. Coach (Brandon) Taute does a great job with them in the weight room. Just having him in there driving those kids helps a lot.
“I have awesome assistant coaches that … at the beginning of the year, we were looking at districts and we were scheduled to get zero points in the throws. We came out today and I think we scored 22 points in the throws. I’m extremely proud of our kids there. All of our coaches do a great job, they’ve got our kids bought in, we’re a family, we love each other, they know that, and they’ll go to battle for each other all the time.”
Mustain’s assistants are Drew Harmon, Frank Hebert, Desmond Williams, and Josh Yarnell.
Carthage senior Miguel Solano leads the pack in the 800 on Saturday at the district meet hosted by the Tigers. Photo by Brennan Stebbins.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
The host Carthage Tigers finished eighth Saturday in the overall standings and qualified for sectionals in six different events.
Miguel Solano won the 800 in 1:58.88, just .07 ahead of Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell, and Daryl Martin finished third in both the 110 hurdles in 15.73 and the 300 hurdles in 40.66.
The 4×800 of Trey Nye, Solano, Caleb Fewin, and Michael Lanyon finished third in 8:19 and the 4×400 of Braxton McBride, Solano, Nye, and Joseph Childs also finished third in 3:27.
Trent Yates placed second in the triple jump at 43-1.5 and Micah Lindsey also finished second in the shot put at 54-7.5.
“I think we came out and competed,” Carthage boys coach Logan Wilson said. “At the very start of the day I told them, ‘Hey, go get another PR and we’ll see how we fall.’ That’s what we did. We got PRs across the board, and a couple of our teams were lucky to be fast enough to move on. We had a shot putter go through, we had a triple jumper go through, and our hurdler got through at 110 and 300. We told them at the beginning of the year to come out and get better every day and that’s exactly what they did.”
District 6 qualifiers and District 5 qualifiers from schools Camdenton, Capital City, Eureka, Glendale, Lafayette (Wildwood), Lebanon, Northwest (Cedar Hill), Springfield Central, Waynesville, and Willard meet at sectionals.
“It’s hard,” Wilson said. “When you’re going to a Class 5 sectional, it’s hard. You’ve got kids that are top ranked in the state in every event. It’s going to be tough, but we’re going to go there with the same mentality. We’re going to compete, and where the chips fall is where they’re going to fall. We’ve got two guys ranked at the top of sectionals right now, so we like our odds. At the end of the day, we just want a chance to compete, and we earned that today.”
Joplin sophomore Tayshaun Palmer takes the baton from junior Quinton Renfro during the 4×100 relay at Saturday’s Class 5 District 6 meet. Joplin won the event in 42.95 seconds.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
The Joplin Eagles finished third on the boys side Saturday and qualified in 11 events for sectionals at Parkview.
Senior distance standout Hobbs Campbell won the 1600 in 4:18 and finished second in the 800 in 1:58 and the 3200 in 9:48, while Orion Norris raced to fourth in the 200 in 23.03.
The 4×100 of Quinton Renfro, Tayshaun Palmer, Norris, and Davin Thomas won in 42.95 and the 4×200 of Palmer, Aiden Scourten, Norris, and Davin Thomas finished second in 1:31.
Renfro took second in the long jump with a leap of 21-10, freshman high jumper Cordell Washington finished third at 6-3.5, freshman Neil Barstow’s heave of 146-10 earned him fourth in the discus (three of the four sectional qualifiers in the discus are freshmen), Dontrell Holt placed fourth in the shot put at 49-6.5, and Drew VanGilder also placed fourth in the javelin at 152-7.
Joplin junior Kiki Thom won the 300-meter hurdles in 47.48 seconds at Saturday’s Class 5 District 6 meet in Carthage. Photo by Brennan Stebbins/Special to SoMo Sports.
GIRLS HIGHLIGHTS
On the girls side, the Joplin Eagles finished fifth with 83 points and qualified in nine events for sectionals next Saturday at Parkview.
Joplin freshman Brylee Strickland especially proved to be fleet of foot Saturday, qualifying for sectionals in three individual sprinting events and one sprint relay.
Strickland sprinted to second in the 100 in 12.53, won the 200 in 26.30, and finished third in the 400 in 1:01.
Strickland also ran the anchor leg on the second place 4×100 relay with their 49.52 time. Sophomore sprinters Phia Vogel and Abigayle Lowery, along with junior Abigail Eckert, joined Strickland on the relay.
Junior hurdler Kiki Thom won a district title in the 300 hurdles in 47.48, Vogel placed fourth in the 100 in 12.81, and Lowery also placed fourth in the 200 in 26.79.
Maria Loum finished third in the pole vault at 10-0 and Kendall Nyarango also finished third in the long jump at 17-4.75.
The host Carthage Tigers tallied 64 points to finish sixth and qualified in five events for sectionals.
Carthage senior Joey Hettinger won a district title with a high clearance of 5-2.25 in the high jump, and she was the lone athlete in her event to clear 5-0 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, freshman Chasity Straw finished second in the discus with a heave of 104-9 and Lilly Holmes and Karlie Nichols finished second and third in the shot at 35-0.25 and 34-9.5.
Lexa Youngblood placed fourth in the 400 in 1:03 and the 4×400 of Aven Willis, Evelyn Carrol, Maggie Boyd, and Youngblood also placed fourth in 4:16.
The Neosho Wildcats totaled 26.5 points to take ninth in the standings and qualified in one event for sectionals, as freshman Jazmyn Washington finished second in the 100 hurdles in 16.01.
Joplin sophomore Davin Thomas finished fourth in the 100-meter dash to earn a spot in next weekend’s sectional meet.
HOLLISTER, Mo. — The College Heights Christian School girls were among the teams competing at the Class 3 District 6 track meet on Saturday at Hollister High School.
The top four finishers in each event advanced to next Saturday’s sectional meet in West Plains.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS
The team of Jayli Johnson, Allie Stout, Lauren Ukena and Jesalin Bever won the 4×200-meter relay with a time of 1:48.
The CHC girls were third in the 4×100 relay, with Johnson, Stout, Ukena and Addison Lawrence competing.
The team of Bever, Johnson, Stout and Ukena took fourth in the 4×400.
Also for the CHC girls, Ukena took second in the 200, Johnson took fourth in the 400 and Bever finished fourth in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
SENECA HIGHLIGHTS
Seneca’s Isabella Renfro placed second in the shot put with a toss of 35-0.75, while Cambry Long took third in two events, the 200 (27.87 seconds) and the 400 (1:01).
Seneca’s girls finished fourth in the 4×200, with Savannah Johnson, Addyson Jones, Anna Adkins and Long competing.
Seneca’s 4×200 relay team of Jackson Marrs, Ethan Altic, Blake Hurn, Brodie Probert just missed qualifying after finishing fifth.
Grant Landers finished fifth in the triple jump and the Indians were sixth in the 4×100.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Lamar’s boys and Clever’s girls were the team champions.
Winning events for the Lamar boys were Tyson Williams (discus), Trace Wooldridge (shot put), Carson Sturgell (pole vault) and Ian Ngugi (100).
East Newton’s Chase Sorrell won three events, the 800, 1600 and 3200. East Newton’s Michael Crowe won the high jump.
Cassville’s Charles Elliott (300 H) and Ashton Wheeler (long jump) were district champs.
Winning individual events in the girls meet were Aurora’s Makena Hall (pole vault, 100 hurdles) and Lamar’s Elise Ferris (long jump), Addison Brown (discus) and Kiersten Potter (3200).
On Saturday, trailing Nixa entering the final event of the 4×400, Neosho’s relay of freshman William Ebbinghaus, sophomore Isaiah Keezer, senior Isaiah Green and junior Izaiah Hill rallied past the field down the back stretch with a winning time of 3 minutes and 26 seconds and secured the program’s first district track title since 1979.
