At SoMo Sports, we understand the importance of student-athletes competing in prep sports in terms of development, both mentally and physically, for young adults who are preparing for life after high school.
Not only does competing in prep sports help build character, but it also provides student-athletes with tools such as communication, leadership and self-drive that will benefit them as they continue on life’s journey.
With that in mind, SoMo Sports wanted to honor the top spring athletes in the area who put in countless hours of hard work during practice, workouts, games/meets as well as on their own time by naming them as a SoMo Sports Athlete of the Year.
The standout athletes are chosen by SoMo Sports reporters Jason Peake and Lucas Davis, who tirelessly cover prep sports for Joplin and its surrounding communities during the school year. Along with nominations by area coaches, SoMo Sports used individual accomplishments during the regular season and postseason as well as team success as factors for choosing each Athlete of the Year.
SOMO SPORTS SPRING ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
BASEBALL
Case Sanderson, senior, Nevada
Nevada’s Case Sanderson is headed to Nebraska to play baseball at the collegiate level. His senior season with the Tigers showed exactly how that came to be.
A left-handed pitcher and first baseman, Sanderson dazzled as a two-way player.
Offensively, Sanderson—who struck out just nine times in 84 at-bats—hit .476 with a 1.459 OPS (.613 OBP, .845 SLUG) at the plate.
He finished with 14 doubles, four triples and three home runs, scoring 36 runs and driving in 29 runs and stealing 11 bases.
On the mound, Sanderson dominated with a 9-3 record. In 64.2 innings, he allowed just five earned runs, closing with a microscopic ERA of 0.54 and WHIP under one—0.79.
Sanderson struck out 118 and walked just 14 on the way to earning Big 8 Conference Player of the year, unanimous first-team all-conference, all-district and all-state honors.
SOFTBALL
Harley Daniels, senior, Mount Vernon
With senior Harley Daniels playing a key role in the circle and at the plate, Mount Vernon captured its second state spring softball title in program history.
Daniels went 29-1 in the circle with a 1.62 ERA and a school-record 229 strikeouts.
Daniels hit .545 at the plate with 44 RBI and 20 doubles.
In the state title game, a 6-0 win over West County, Daniels tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and a walk while striking out nine. She also contributed an RBI double.
Daniels was named the Big 8 Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year. She also earned all-district, all-region and all-state recognition.
Ending the season with 29 straight wins, the Mountaineers finished the ’23 season with a record of 37-1.
HM: Maddy Colin, junior, College Heights
BOYS GOLF
Jack Spencer, sophomore, Carl Junction; Harry Satterlee, junior, Joplin; Jaxon Bailey, sophomore, Monett
Jack Spencer turned some heads in the area as a sophomore for Carl Junction.
During the regular season, he won the Horton Smith Invitational at Schifferdecker Golf Course and finished second in the St. Mary’s Colgan Invitational at Crestwood Country Club in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Spencer added four more third-place finishes before capping the regular season with a tie for first at the Central Ozark Conference Tournament at Briarbrook Golf Course.
After shooting a 75 at Whispering Oaks Golf Course to earn all-district honors, Spencer capped his season with a runner-up finish in the Class 4 state tournament after carding a 72-70—142 across the two-day span to finish two strokes off the pace.
Joplin’s Harry Satterlee had a strong third season for his junior campaign with the Eagles.
Satterlee finished with three tournament wins, including a four-under 68 at the Twin Hills Invitational, a one-under 70 to win the Abbiatti Golf Invitational at the Carthage Golf Course and a two-under 70 to win the Briarbrook Invitational.
Satterlee shot an even-par 71 at Freemont Hills to take second and added a third-place score of 74 in the COC Tournament.
Satterlee took eighth overall (73) in districts at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield before finishing in a tie for fourth place in the Class 5 state tournament, finishing just one stroke off of first place with a 72-71—143.
Sophomore Jaxon Bailey dominated for the Monett Cubs in the 2023 season.
He picked up six wins in the 10 tournaments his team played in, including in the state tournament and averaged
Bailey picked up victories at the Reeds Spring Invitational as well as the Bolivar Invitationa, where he shot a four-under-par 68. He also added wins at the Missouri State Relays and tied for first at the Ozark Invitational. Bailey shot a 69 to win the Marshfield Invitational and followed that up with a Big 8 Conference win at the Neosho Golf Course.
In the postseason, Bailey’s dominance didn’t let up. He shot a 72 in districts to tie for first place at the Cassville Golf Course before taking second place in the two-day Class 3 state tournament at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club in New Bloomfield after carding a 73-74—147 to finish two strokes off the pace.
GIRLS SOCCER
Hannah Franks, senior, Carl Junction
It was a senior year to remember for Hannah Franks and her Bulldogs.
Carl Junction finished the season with a 19-6 record and Franks was instrumental in that success.
At the forward position, she tallied 30 goals and 13 assists and totaled 74 points.
Her accomplishments on the field earned her first team all-Central Ozark Conference, first team all-district and first-team all region honors as well as second-team all-state recognition.
HM: Jocelyn Brown, senior, Carl Junction; Daniela Marquez, senior, Carthage
BOYS TRACK & FIELD
Grayson Smith, senior, Webb City
Webb City senior pole vaulter Grayson Smith captured a second straight state championship in his signature event at the MSHSAA Class 4 State Track and Field Championships.
Smith cleared 15-5.75 to secure the gold medal. He cleared the same height as a junior en route to winning his first state title.
Smith suffered a serious leg injury during the football season, but he rehabbed in time to have a stellar senior season this past spring.
In addition to winning a state title, Smith won sectional, district and conference championships in the pole vault. He cleared 15-11.75 at the sectional, 15-7 at the district event and 15 feet even at the COC Meet.
Smith will compete collegiately at Pittsburg State.
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
Crystal Smith, sophomore, Jasper
In an impressive showing, Jasper’s Crystal Smith earned all-state honors in four events at the MSHSAA Class 2 state track and field championships in May.
Smith was the state champion in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.27 seconds.
Smith placed fourth in the high jump by clearing 5 feet, 2.5 inches.
Smith finished seventh in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.98 seconds and she was also eighth in the 300 hurdles in 49.16 seconds.
Remarkably, Smith was the sectional, district and conference champion in all four of her events—high jump, 200-meter dash, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
Smith is now a two-time state champ in the 100 hurdles, as she was the Class 1 winner in ’22.
HM: Dawsyn Decker, Webb City.
BOYS TENNIS
Prithvi Nagarajan, junior, Thomas Jefferson
Concluding a stellar season on a positive note, Thomas Jefferson junior Prithvi Nagarajan finished seventh in the Class 2 singles bracket at the 2023 MSHSAA Boys Tennis Championships in Springfield.
In the season finale, Nagarajan defeated Barstow’s Liam Groden 6-1, 6-3 to take seventh place.
Nagarajan lost to the eventual state champion, Ladue’s Max Chen, in the state quarterfinals.
Nagarajan was the individual district champion in singles for Class 2 District 7.
For the season, Nagarajan went 21-3 in singles matches for Tom Brumfield’s Cavaliers.
With Nagarajan leading the way, Thomas Jefferson went 12-1 in dual matches.
After an undefeated regular season, the Cavaliers lost to Barstow in the district title match. Barstow later finished third at the state tournament.
