Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

BOYS SWIMMING: Carthage wins Zizzer Invitational for 2nd straight year

WEST PLAINS, Mo. — The Carthage High School boys swimming team repeated as Zizzer Invitational champions on Saturday. 

The Tigers compiled 406 points at the outdoor event, with host West Plains second (306) and Poplar Bluff third (276).

Rounding out the team standings were Monett (261), Camdenton (219), Hillcrest (167), Greenwood (166) and Parkview (23).

Braden McBride’s Tigers won four events.

Carthage’s 200-yard medley relay team of Kellen Frieling, Braxton McBride, Will Wright and Maveric Allphin took first with a meet record time of 2:01.06. 

The Tigers were second in the 400 freestyle relay, as McBride, Wright, Frieling and Aydan Nye recorded a time of 4:02.

Wright won two individual events, the 200 IM with a time of 2:26 and the 400 freestyle in 4:47.

Frieling took first in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.

Frieling and Nye finished second and fourth, respectively, in the 200 freestyle. Nye was also the runner-up to his teammate in the 400 free.

Braxton McBride finished second in the 100 freestyle and also took fourth in the 50 freestyle, with Allphin sixth in the same event. 

Also for the Tigers, Allphin and Dylan Evans finished fourth and fifth in the 100 breaststroke, Daryl Martin placed fifth in the 100 freestyle, Ben Rogers took sixth in the 400 free and Ryan Steinbach finished seventh in the 200 IM.

The team of Martin, Rogers, Nye and Allphin finished fifth in the 200 freestyle relay. 

Also of note, Monett’s Jayden Apostol won the 100-yard breaststroke with a meet and pool record time of 1:15.58. Apostol was the runner-up in the 200 IM. 

The Tigers will host the Carthage Relays on Tuesday at the Fair Acres Family YMCA. 

VOLLEYBALL: Carl Junction opens season with tourney win

NEVADA, Mo. — Carl Junction opened the season on a high note, sweeping its way to a Nevada Tournament win over the weekend.

The Bulldogs earned five wins, all in straight sets. Carl Junction defeated Neosho (25-17, 25-18), Clinton (25-16, 25-16), Clever (25-22, 25-14), Nevada (25-10, 25-12) and Harrisonville (25-18, 25-21).

“It was a solid start,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. “We were the best team there and played like the best team. We had some trouble with Clever at our jamboree and we did a nice job of adjusting to what they do well and taking care of business. It’s nice to have some success early and now we need to build on that and continue to get better everytime we step on the court.”

Kylie Scott led the way with 33 kills, four blocks, five aces and 16 digs, while Karissa Chase finished with 31 kills, five blocks and two aces. Aubreigh Fowler finished with 28 kills, two aces and two blocks, with Miya Carnes closing with 10 kills, 94 assists, eight aces, three blocks and 20 digs.

Also for the Bulldogs, DeShaye Buerge had eight blocks and seven kills, while Abigail Wilson had 11 aces and 25 digs. Jocelyn Wengert added four aces and 14 digs, withAcadia Badgley closing with 17 kills and five blocks. Sara Buchele had 15 digs and two aces, while Anna Lewis had 10 digs and an ace and Jadyn Howard had 10 digs, eight assists and four aces.