Monday, December 31, 2018

Second half run lifts MSSU men to 77-62 win over John Brown

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

A 23-5 second-half run for the 14th-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team helped seal a 77-62 victory today over John Brown University on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (11-1) got 18 points each from Cam Martin and Kinzer Lambert. Lambert added a career-high eight assists, while Martin had a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards. Reggie Tharp had 12 points and five assists, while Elyjah Clark nearly missed out on the double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

John Brown (10-3) had two score in double-figures, led by 14 points from Jake Caudle.



The Lions opened up a 6-2 lead early on after a layup from Tharp, but JBU went on a 5-0 run to lead 7-6 with 15:15 left. A 7-0 run from the Lions pushed the Southern lead to 13-7 with 12:40 after a three from Tharp and the Lions led 20-12 after a layup from Dexter Frisbie with 10:17 to go in the half.

A three from Clark with nine minutes to go, made the score 23-16 and after JBU got within seven again (28-21), Southern answered and a layup from Lambert capped a 9-3 run and made the score 37-24 with 1:34 to go in the half. JBU would get a late bucket to make the halftime score 37-26, Lions.

A three-pointer from Braelon Walker with 15:18 left in the second half gave the Lions a 48-35 lead and a three-point play from Lambert with 13:42 to go had the Lions up 51-39. A three from Parker Jennings with just over ten on the clock gave the Lions a 58-42 lead and a three from Walker a minute later made the lead 17 (61-44).



A three from Lambert with 8:38 to go pushed the run to 16-5 and made the score 64-44, while a layup from Martin off an assist from Jennings made the score 67-44. JBU got to within 15 (77-62) but that would be the final score.

Southern shot 44 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line. The Lions forced 16 turnovers and scored 20 points off of the miscues.

The Lions will be back in action on January 3 when Southern travels to Lindenwood to get back into MIAA play. Tip off from St. Charles is slated for 7:30 pm.

Saturday, December 29, 2018

MSSU men return to action Monday against John Brown University

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The 14th-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will close out 2018 with a non-conference match up with John Brown University Monday night. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 5:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: (20/14) Missouri Southern (10-1, 2-0 MIAA) vs. John Brown (10-3, 4-1 SAC)
Date: December 31, 2018
Tip-Off: 5:30 PM
Location: Joplin, Mo


Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center (3,240)
Series Record: First-ever meeting
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (86-46 overall/at MSSU - 5th year). Jason Beschta (116-87/overall, 54-51 at JBU - 7th year)

Media Coverage


MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - Fox Sports Joplin - 101.3, AM 1560 KXMS 88.7 FM
Internet Audio: http://www.mssulions.com
Live Video: NA
Live Stats:https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball

The Series

Missouri Southern holds an 11-3 advantage in the overall series between the two schools. The Lions won the first seven games in the match up that dates back to the first season Southern played basketball. The Lions have averaged an 12.8 point margin of victory in their wins and JBU has a 3.3 point margin in its three wins.

NCAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, rank fourth in scoring margin, fifth in scoring and field goal percentage, while ranking eighth in defensive rebounds per game and three point defense. The team ranks tenth in three pointers per game and assists per game, 13th in assist to turnover ratio, 15th in both total three pointers and total assists, 21st in three point attempts and total rebounds per game, 22nd in rebound margin, 39th in total rebounds, 47th in free throw attempts and 49th in three point percentage. 



NCAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin ranks second in field goal percentage, while ranking eighth in scoring and free throws made, tenth in total points, 12th in free throw attempts, and 16th in double-doubles. Reggie Tharp is sixth in assist to turnover ratio, 40th in total assists and 44th in assists per game. Kinzer Lambert is 42nd in three pointers per game, while Elyjah Clark is 28th in three point attempts and 39th in minutes per game.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in assists per game, field goal percentage, scoring, three point defense and total rebounds per game. Southern ranks second in three point attempts, offensive rebounds per game, scoring margin, three pointers per game, total three pointers made and total rebounds, while ranking third in assist to turnover ratio, field goal defense, fewest fouls per game and rebound margin.

MIAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin leads the MIAA in field goal percentage, free throw attempts and free throws made, while ranking second in scoring, total points and double-doubles. Elyjah Clark leads the MIAA in three point attempts and minutes per game, while Reggie Tharp leads the league in steals per game. Tharp is second in total steals, while ranking third in assist to turnover ratio, and total assists. Kinzer Lambert ranks third in three pointers per game.

Streak Stopper
Coming into the season Elyjah Clark had made a three pointer in 47-straight games, dating back to his freshman season. Clark, however, missed out on a three in the first game of the year, but has made a three in each game since, taking his current streak to ten.

Cam You Score A Lot?
Cam Martin tied a MSSU single-game record with 49 points at Minnesota State. The mark tied Carl Tyler from 1984. Coincidently, in his second game as a Lion, former guard CJ Carr scored 47 points against the same Minnesota State team two years ago.

National Ranking
The Lions number 20th in the NABC Poll and are ranked 14th in the Media Poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 58 times, including 23 consecutive weeks. The team has been No. 1 once (in the 2011 season).

Three-Point Streak

The Lions failed to make a three-pointer at Arkansas Tech in their match-up in 2012-13. It was the first time in 403 games that Southern had failed to hit a three pointer, dating back to Jan. 20, 1999 against Missouri S&T. The Lions have had a three in 184-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.

Dunk You Very Much

The Lions had nine dunks in the game against Baptist Bible on 11/29.

Records Abound

The Lions broke or tied four school records in the 137-50 win over Baptist Bible. Southern tied the school record for points in a game (137) and field goal attempts (95), while breaking the records for rebounds (77) and assists (37).

Three's Company

The Lions shattered the previous MSSU school record for three pointers in a game against Randall last year as Southern made 20 three pointers against the Saints. The previous record of 15 was set in 2003 against St. Gregory's.

Home Sweet Home
Missouri Southern can count on some of the best fan support in Division II. This season, the Lions rank 12th nationally in home attendance, averaging 1,480 fans per game. That number is fourth in the MIAA.

Holy Points Batman
The Lions scored 137 points against Baptist Bible to tie a school record. It was the most points since the scored 110 last year against Randall were the most the team has scored since they scored 113 against Southwest Baptist in 2014.

Corndogs Jackie

Southern is averaging 95 points per game this season and the Lions have topped the century mark four times, including three of the last five games. .

Records Watch
Junior Elyjah Clark had the Missouri Southern single-season record for three pointers as a freshman with 89 and broke that record last year with 110. Clark has 230 career threes, passing Skyler Bowlin for second all-time against Central Oklahoma. He is well over three-quarters to the career record of 265 set by Austin Wright.

Reachin' A Grand

Elyjah Clark went over 1,000 points in his career with 18 points against Minnesota-Crookston in the Puerto Rico Tournament. He currently has 1,086 in his career and is the 21st person in MSSU history to crack the 1,000 point plateau. Clark moved into 18th on the scoring list, passing CJ Carr against Upper Iowa.

Elyjah For Three
Clark has the top-two single-season three-point totals in MSSU history and his 230 threes made in his two-plus year career rank second. His career three-point percentage of .417 is second-best all-time, while he also tied the single-game record for three's made with nine. He has the season and career record for three pointers per game, while also holding the MSSU season and career record for consecutive games with a three (47).

Lions On The Radio

The majority of the Lions games this season can be heard on the Missouri Southern Radio Network in Joplin. Southern is partnering with Fox Sports Joplin, the Lions can be heard on 101.3 FM, 101.7 FM, 88.7 FM and AM 1560.

Lions on TV

All Missouri Southern conference home games will be brought to you live this season courtesy of KGCS TV in Joplin. Fans can catch the action over the air live on Digital Channel 22 as well as on local cable systems.

Up Next
The Lions will get back into MIAA play as Southern travels to Lindenwood on January 3 for a 7:30 pm match up against the Lions.

Four MSSU women reach double figures in 77-57 win over Tabor College


(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Chelsey Henry led four Lions in double-figures as the Missouri Southern women's basketball team took out visiting Tabor College, 77-57 in the Lions' final non-conference action of 2018.

Southern (9-3) was led in scoring from Chelsey Henry with 14 points, while Jordan Schoenberger had a double-double with ten points and ten boards. Layne Skiles had ten points on a perfect day from the field (4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from the three-point line. Chasidee Owens scored ten points and Destiny Cozart added nine.

Tabor (10-3) got 7 points each from Sammy Jo Peterson, Ashtyn Wiebe and Tristen Leiszler.



Tabor opened up a 10-5 lead midway through the first quarter, but the Lions fought back and a three from Cozart with 3:13 left, gave the Lions a 13-12 lead. A layup from Henry, after a steal from Cozart pushed the lead to 15-12, and Southern finished the quarter on a 12-2 run to lead 17-12 after one.

Southern started the second quarter on an 8-3 run and including the end of the first, the run over the previous nine minutes reached 20-5, forcing a Tabor timeout at 6:44 with the Lions leading 25-15. Tabor got within six (27-21) with 4:58 left to go, but a layup from Schoenberger started a 14-5 run to end the half with the Lions up 41-26.

A layup from Henry with 8:15 left in the third gave the Lions a 45-28 lead, while a jumper from Cozart pushed the score to 49-32 with 3:50 to go in the third. A jumper from Zoe Campbell on the left baseline pushed the Southern lead to 21 (53-32) with two minutes to go in the quarter and a late bucket from Tabor made the score after three 57-41, Lions.



A bucket from Owens with 6:28 left in the game pushed the lead back to 20 (67-47), while a fast-break layup and ensuing layup from Brooke Stauffer kept the lead at 20 (77-57) with just under a minute to go and proved to be the final score.

The Lions shot 51 percent from the field and out rebounded the Blue Jays 40-28. Southern had a 36-24 advantage in the paint and scored 24 points off of 17 Tabor turnovers.

Southern will be back in action on January 3 as the Lions go back into MIAA play with a road contest at Lindenwood. Tip off is slated for 5:30 pm.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Annual Springfield Pink and White Lady Classic set for next week

(From Springfield Public Schools)

Springfield Public Schools’ five high schools will be among 27 other teams competing in the 8th annual Pink and White Lady Classic basketball tournament Dec. 26-29.

This 2018 bracket was released Dec. 11 and features 13 state-ranked teams and six standout players, who are ranked among the 100 best in the nation by national recruiting services.

 Strafford High School is the No. 1 seed in the Pink division and Northside High School from Fort Smith, Ark., is seeded No. 1 in the White division.

The annual event is organized in partnership with Springfield Public Schools and Greenwood Laboratory School.



Games will be played on the campus of Drury University at both Weiser Gym and the O’Reilly Family Event Center. 

Tickets are $8 for a single day and $6 for students. Admission is free for children age 5 and under. Contact the O’Reilly Family Event Center box office at 417-873-6389 for more information.


Friday, December 21, 2018

Cardinals sign lefthanded reliever Andrew Miller

(From the St. Louis Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have agreed to terms with free-agent left-handed relief pitcher Andrew Miller on a two-year (2019-2020) deal with a vesting option for 2021. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"One of our stated goals this off-season was to improve our bullpen", said Cardinals' President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. "Andrew Miller is one of the premier relievers in the Major League, and his addition certainly strengthens our bullpen."



A veteran of 13 seasons in the majors, Miller, 33, has stood among the games' top relievers over the past three seasons, enjoying All-Star campaigns in both 2016 and 2017. The 6-7, 205-pound Gainesville, Fla. native was a key member of the Cleveland Indians bullpen in 2016 when they advanced to the World Series, and he was voted the MVP of the American League Championship Series that year, striking out 14 batters in 7.2 innings.

Miller, whose major league career began in 2006 with Detroit, has compiled a 49-48 mark with a 3.98 ERA in 483 games pitched, striking out 853 batters in his 725.1 innings pitched. Miller has taken part in postseason play each of the past five seasons (2014-18) and has made 22 career appearances in the postseason, going 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 33.0 innings of work.

Miller ranks among the Major League's top-10 in reliever ERA (2.00-4th), opponent average (.170-7th), strikeouts (263-T9th), strikeout/walk ratio (5.72-7th), Holds (63-7th) and WHIP (0.88-4th) over the past three seasons. He was 2-4 with a 4.24 ERA in 37 games pitched during an injury-shortened season for Cleveland in 2018, but did come back to pitch down the stretch and into the postseason.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

MSSU's Cam Martin named MIAA Co-Men's Basketball Player of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Sophomore forward Cam Martin has been named the MIAA Co-Men's Basketball Player of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Martin shares the honor with Pittsburg States Grant Lozoya.



Martin, a native of Yukon, Okla., helped the Lions to a 105-90 win over Upper Iowa on December 19. He finished the game with 37 points and 10 rebounds, going 10-for-14 from the field and 17-for-18 from the free throw line. Martin also added an assist, two blocks and helped spark the Lions to a 43-13 run in the second half.

Martin and the No. 15 ranked Lions will be off for Christmas and will be back in action on December 31 with a 5:30 PM game against John Brown.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

MSSU softball clinic set for January 27

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern Head softball coach Hallie Blackney has announced the date for the program's Pitching and Catching Clinic coming up next month.

The clinic will be held on January 27, 2019 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm inside Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium on the campus of Missouri Southern for ages 13-18
with both sessions coming at cost of $50



All interested can head to www.mssusoftballcamps.comto register and learn more about what to bring and the fundamental points that both sessions will hit on throughout the day. Players can also fill out the attached registration form and send it to assistant softball coach Jakki Schneider at Schneider-Jaclyn@mssu.edu.

Deadline to register is January 22nd.

MSSU men roll to 104-90 win over Upper Iowa

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The 15th-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team utilized a strong second-half and cruised to a 104-90 win over visiting Upper Iowa today on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (10-1) got a double-double from Cam Martin as he scored 37 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, going 10-of-14 from the field and 17-of-18 from the free-throw line. The 17 free throws were just three from the single-game MSSU record.



Parker Jennings scored 18 points on 5-of-8 from long-range, while Reggie Tharp added 14 points and six assists. Enis Memic had 12 points, while Kinzer Lambert scored 11. Elyjah Clark just missed out in a triple-double with seven points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Upper Iowa (5-6) had three score in double-figures, led by 22 points from Kyle Haber, 20 from Chris Olson and 19 from Jareese Williams.

The Lions started on fire from the field, especially from long-range. Southern led 13-0 with 16:26 left in the first half, going 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-5 from long-range and forcing two UIU timeouts in the process. The Lions led 21-5 with 14:22 left, but went cold from the field and the Peacocks rattled off a 9-2 run to get within seven (23-16) with 9:10 left in the half.

A three-point play from Martin with 7:20 on the clock, stopped the run and started a 7-0 run for the Lions that saw Southern lead 30-16 with 5:57 left in the half. UIU, however, closed the half on a 20-6 run and both teams went into the locker room, tied at 36.



Upper Iowa scored the first four points of the second half to lead 40-36 with 19:22 left. Southern, from that point, went on a tear and led 59-44 after a three from Jennings had the Lions on a 23-4 run.

Back-to-back threes from Jennings and Lambert gave the Lions a 20-point lead (73-53) with 11:15 left in the half. A pair of free throws from Jennings with just under three to go put the Lions over 100 (101-84) for the fourth time this year as Southern eased to the win.

The Lions shot 48 percent from the floor, 54 percent in the second half. Southern hit 81 percent of its free throws and had a 40-35 rebound advantage. The Lions had a 23-9 advantage in second-chance points and 15-4 advantage in fast-break points.

Southern will be off for the Christmas holiday and will return on December 31 when the Lions host John Brown at 5:30 pm in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.


Chelsey Henry passes 1,000 points in career as MSSU women down Illinois-Springfield 78-74

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Chelsey Henry went over 1,000 points in her career and helped lead the Missouri Southern women's basketball team over visiting Illinois-Springfield 78-74 today on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (8-3) was led by Henry's 22 points in the game as she went 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Krista Clark scored 20 on 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from the three-point line. Jordan Schoenberger had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

UIS (3-6) had four score in double-figures, led by 19 points from Lauren Ladowski.



The Lions opened up a 10-6 lead after a three from Clark with 7:28 to go in the first quarter, but nine-straight points from the Prairie Stars put UIS up 15-10 with 3:53 left in the quarter. The UIS lead was four (21-17) with 1:41 to go, but a three from Henry with just under a minute made the score 21-20 and the score would be 23-20, UIS after one.

A three from UIS gave the Prairie Stars a 30-24 lead with 7:16 left in the second quarter, and UIS led 34-28 midway through the quarter, but the Lions closed the half on a 10-4 run and went into the locker room tied at 38.

After UIS scored a three to start the third, the Lions went on a 10-0 run and led 48-41 with 6:20 left in the third. Southern held a slim lead in the quarter, leading by as many as five (56-51) with 2:41 left, but after the game was tied at 58, a pair of freebies from Owens gave Southern a 60-58 lead after three.

UIS took a 70-65 lead midway through the fourth and led 72-67 with 4:42 left in the quarter. The lead was one (74-73) after a layup from Schoenberger with 2:11 to go and a free throw from Henry tied the score at 74 with 1:34 left.



A three-point play from Henry after a missed free throw gave the Lions a three point lead (77-74) and put Henry over the 1,000 point plateau with 1:24 to go. A free throw from Clark with two seconds left sealed the win.

The Lions shot 46 percent from the field in the game and held a 15-8 advantage on the offensive boards that led to a 15-10 lead in second-chance points.

Southern will be off for the Christmas holiday, but will be back in action on November 29 with a matchup with Tabor College at 1:30 pm inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.


Tuesday, December 18, 2018

15th-ranked MSSU men to play Upper Iowa University

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The 15th-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will play host to Upper Iowa University on Wednesday as Southern finishes off the last of two games in a six-game home stand. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for noon.



Game Information

Teams: (22/15) Missouri Southern (9-1, 2-0) vs. Upper Iowa (5-5, 2-0 NSIC)
Date: December 18, 2018
Tip-Off: 12 PM
Location: Joplin, Mo
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center (3,240)
Series Record: First-ever meeting
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (85-46 overall/at MSSU - 5th year). Brooks McKowen (93-65/overall at UIU - 6th year)

Media Coverage


MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - Fox Sports Joplin - 101.3, AM 1560 KXMS 88.7 FM
Internet Audio: http://www.mssulions.com
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions
Live Stats:https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball

The Series


This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools.



NCAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, rank fourth in scoring margin, three point defense and field goal percentage. Southern ranks sixth in scoring, while ranking seventh in defensive rebounds per game. The Lions rank 13th in three pointers per game, assists and assist to turnover ratio, while ranking 20th in total assists, 22nd in total rebounds per game, 23rd in total three pointers made, 28th in three point attempts and 40th in total rebounds.

NCAA Individual Stat Leaders


Cam Martin ranks third in field goal percentage, while ranking 15th in total field goals made and 16th in scoring. Martin ranks 23rd in total points and double-doubles, 29th in free throws made and 40th in free throws attempted. Reggie Tharp is fourth in assist to turnover ratio, while ranking 40th in total steals and total assists, and 44th in assists per game. Kinzer Lambert ranks 37th in three pointers per game, while Elyjah Clark ranks 33rd in three pointers attempted and 49th in total three pointers made.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders


The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in assists per game, defensive rebounds per game, field goal percentage, scoring, three point defense and total rebounds per game. Southern ranks second in three point attempts, scoring margin, three pointers per game, total assists and total rebounds. The Lions rank third in assist to turnover ratio, offensive rebounds per game, fewest fouls per game, and total three pointers made.

MIAA Individual Stat Leaders


Cam Martin leads the MIAA in field goal percentage, free throw attempts, and total field goals made. Elyjah Clark leads the league in three point attempts and minutes, while Reggie Tharp leads the league in steals per game and assist to turnover ratio. Martin ranks second in free throws made, double-doubles, total points and scoring, while Lambert is third in three pointers per game, and Martin is third in rebounds per game.

Preseason No. 1


The Lions were picked number one in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll this season.

Strength of Schedule


Southern currently is ranked 5th in the Massey Division II College Basketball Ratings. The Lions have the third-best strength of schedule in Division II as far as future opponents remaining, meaning the Lions have the third-toughest schedule remaining in D2.



Streak Stopper


Coming into the season Elyjah Clark had made a three pointer in 47-straight games, dating back to his freshman season. Clark, however, missed out on a three in the first game of the year, but has made a three in each game since, taking his current streak to nine.

Cam You Score A Lot?


Cam Martin tied a MSSU single-game record with 49 points at Minnesota State. The mark tied Carl Tyler from 1984. Coincidentally, in his second game as a Lion, former guard CJ Carr scored 47 points against the same Minnesota State team two years ago.

National Ranking

The Lions number 22 in the NABC Poll and are ranked 15th in the Media Poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 57 times, including 23 consecutive weeks. The team has been No. 1 once (in the 2011 season).

Coach of the Year


Jeff Boschee was named the 2018 MIAA Coach of the Year. Boschee has coached the Lions to a 20-win season for the second time in his four-year career. Last year, the Lions were picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll and the Lions finished the season second overall with two wins over regular-season MIAA Champ Northwest Missouri.

Three-Point Streak

The Lions failed to make a three-pointer at Arkansas Tech in their match-up in 2012-13. It was the first time in 403 games that Southern had failed to hit a three pointer, dating back to Jan. 20, 1999 against Missouri S&T. The Lions have had a three in 184-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.

Dunk You Very Much

The Lions had nine dunks in the game against Baptist Bible on 11/29.

Records Abound

The Lions broke or tied four school records in the 137-50 win over Baptist Bible. Southern tied the school record for points in a game (137) and field goal attempts (95), while breaking the records for rebounds (77) and assists (37).

Three's Company


The Lions shattered the previous MSSU school record for three pointers in a game against Randall last year as Southern made 20 three pointers against the Saints. The previous record of 15 was set in 2003 against St. Gregory's.

Home Sweet Home


Missouri Southern can count on some of the best fan support in Division II. This season, the Lions rank 11th nationally in home attendance, averaging 1,542 fans per game. That number is fourth in the MIAA.

Holy Points Batman


The Lions scored 137 points against Baptist Bible to tie a school record. It was the most points since the scored 110 last year against Randall were the most the team has scored since they scored 113 against Southwest Baptist in 2014.

Super Tuesday

The Lions are 2-0 on Tuesday's this year and a perfect 8-0 in Jeff Boschee's tenure.

Corndogs Jackie

Southern is averaging 94 points per game this season and the Lions have topped the century mark three times, including two of the last three games.

Overtime's A Charm

For the third-straight time, the Lions and Minnesota State needed overtime to settle the score. The Lions won 100-98 this year and have won two of the three overtime games in the last three years between the two teams.

Records Watch


Sophomore Elyjah Clark had the Missouri Southern single-season record for three pointers as a freshman with 89 and broke that record last year with 110. Clark has 229 career threes, passing Skyler Bowlin for second all-time against Central Oklahoma. He is well over three-quarters to the career record of 265 set by Austin Wright.

Reachin' A Grand


Elyjah Clark went over 1,000 points in his career with 18 points against Minnesota-Crookston in the Puerto Rico Tournament. He currently has 1,079 in his career and is the 21st person in MSSU history to crack the 1,000 point plateau. Clark moved into 19th on the scoring list and is one point behind CJ Carr for 18th.

Elyjah For Three

Clark has the top-two single-season three-point totals in MSSU history and his 229 threes made in his two-plus year career rank second. His career three-point percentage of .422 is second-best all-time, while he also tied the single-game record for three's made with nine. He has the season and career record for three pointers per game, while also holding the MSSU season and career record for consecutive games with a three (47).

Lions On The Radio


The majority of the Lions games this season can be heard on the Missouri Southern Radio Network in Joplin. Southern is partnering with Fox Sports Joplin, the Lions can be heard on 101.3 FM, 101.7 FM, 88.7 FM and AM 1560.

Lions on TV


All Missouri Southern conference home games will be brought to you live this season courtesy of KGCS TV in Joplin. Fans can catch the action over the air live on Digital Channel 22 as well as on local cable systems.

Up Next


The Lions will break for Christmas and will be back in action on New Year's Eve against John Brown. Tip off is 5:30 pm.

MSSU women to entertain Illinois-Springfield

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team hosts the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) tomorrow at 2:00 pm in the second of three non-conference contests before the end of the year.

Game Information

Date: Wednesday December 19, 2018
Tip-Off: 2:00 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Deadlock at, 1-1

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, AM 1560; 88.7 FM KXMS
Audio: http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/WMBH
Webcast: http://themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/
Live Stats: https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary



Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents
Illinois-Springfield

Picked 11th in the GLVC preseason poll
NCAA Rankings (301 schools):
27th in steals per game (11.5)
35th in free-throw percentage (.715)
50th offensive rebounds per game (15)
Return 11 total players (three starters) not including the two second-team All-GLVC players that graduated last year
Bring in a 5'11 junior forward named Myka Roth who averaged 10.0 and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 54.1 percent (230-for-425) from the field in her two seasons at Vincennes University
The Prairie Stars haven't posted a winning season since doing it back-to-back during the 1997-98 (24-7) and 1998-99 (20-4) seasons prior to joining the AMC and GLVC


Quick Notes
Stop the Polls

The Lions enter this year chosen to finish to 10th in the conference after going 11-17 and 8-11 in MIAA play during the 2017-18 campaign. Defending NCAA Champions Central Missouri was chosen to win the MIAA with 13 first-place votes while Fort Hays received the remaining vote in second as Emporia State (3), Washburn (4), and Central Oklahoma (5) rounded out the top-5. FHSU and UCM remain in sixth and 15th positions while UCO and ESU each moved up a spot to 22nd and 23rd respectively to round out the MIAA.

Leader of the Pride

Guard Chelsey Henry returns as the only senior from last year's squad and will be looked upon to make sure that all nine newcomers understand what it means to compete in what is the MIAA. She closed out last year's schedule fifth in the MIAA in scoring (17.5 ppg), fourth in free-throw percentage (86.6%), and seventh in field-goal percentage (43.0%) to earn All-MIAA honorable mention while being just 20 points shy of breaking the 1,000 career-point barrier in the green and gold after registering double-digit scoring in six of seven games. 



It's not how high, but how you position yourself to possess the basketball
The Lions have quietly outrebounded every single opponent through nine games. Their willingness to find and go after a loose ball on a miss shot launching them into the NCAA Division II top-20 in three categories. They rank second in rebound margin (13.2), 13th for rebounds per game (46.2), and 18th defensive rebounds per game (31). A front court presence of 5'10 Chasidee Owens (80), 6'2 Jordan Schoenberger (62), and 6'3 Zoe Campbell (62) have thought for 204 of the team's 462 rebounds with five double-digit stretches between the trio.

Up Next

The Lions break until the 29th of December where they play Tabor College (Kan.) at 1:30 pm to conclude non-conference play and a six-game home stand heading into 2019.

Monday, December 17, 2018

Cozart, Clark combine for 32 points as MSSU women down Culver-Stockton 73-51

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team utilized a big third quarter and the Lions defeated Culver-Stockton 73-51 tonight on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (7-3) got 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from Destiny Cozart. Cozart added five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Krista Clark scored 15 points and Chelsey Henry added 11 points.

Culver Stockton (6-6) got 12 points from Lacey Clark in the game.

Southern jumped out to a quick 5-0 start and led 8-2 after a three from Clark with 5:37 left in the first. A three from Cozart with 1:30 left made the score 13-2 and a three from Cozart as time was expiring gave the Lions a 16-5 lead after one.



The Lions led 23-13 midway through the second quarter after a jumper from Zoe Campbell. The Wildcats, however, closed the half on an 8-2 run and Southern led 25-21 at the break.

CSC cut the Lions' lead to just two (29-27) with 8:32 left in the third quarter. Southern, however, went to work and quickly pushed the lead to nine (36-27) after a layup from Jordan Schoenberger with 7:17 to go in the quarter. Southern closed the quarter on a 14-3 run and led 54-38 after three.

A three pointer from Cozart with nine minutes to go in the quarter pushed the Southern lead to 17 (57-40), while a bucket from Cozart with 2:40 left made the lead 68-47. A three from Kai Jones gave the Lions their largest lead of the game (22) with 38 seconds left and proved to be the final points.

Southern outscored CSC 29-17 in the third and 19-13 in the fourth.

The Lions will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon with a 2 pm game against Illinois-Springfield.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Springfield Public Schools athletic director receives national award

(From Springfield Public Schools)

Springfield Public Schools is proud to announce that Joshua Scott, director of athletics, will receive an awards citation from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) on Dec. 17, 2018, during their 49th annual National Athletic Directors Conference.

The NFHS is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. NFHS citations are presented annually to outstanding athletic directors in recognition of contributions to interscholastic athletics at local, state and national levels.

Scott was named director of athletics for the Springfield Public Schools in Missouri on July 1, 2018. Prior to accepting the SPS position, he served 10 years as the district athletic director of Waynesville School District, in St. Robert, Missouri.



Currently, he serves as the Ozark Conference secretary-treasurer and previously was its Expansion Team chair and By-law Revision Committee chair. During his 10 years in Waynesville, Scott led the reorganization of the district’s programs for grades 7-12, hosted a regional symposium and directed 18 varsity sports at the high school level and seven middle schools.

Scott began his service at the state level quickly after becoming an athletic director, serving on the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Investigative Committee from 2009 to 2011, and he has continued to remain active with the MSHSAA as a former member of the Athletic Directors Advisory Committee, Liaison Committee and ad-hoc Committee for Transfers. Currently, Scott sits on the MSHSAA Technology Committee.



Scott was president-elect for the Missouri Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) in 2015, and he is currently serving a term as president. He has served as MIAAA webmaster since 2013, developed the MIAAA statewide mentoring program and presented at numerous MIAAA conferences. In 2017, Scott was awarded Missouri Athletic Director of the Year.

He now serves on the NIAAA Board of Directors as its secretary and previously served on the NIAAA Credentials Committee for six years, including a year as vice-chair. For Section V, he has served on the Scholarship Selection Committee from 2012 to 2015, and was the Section V Secretary from 2013 to 2016.

MSSU women to entertain Culver-Stockton

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team takes on the Culver-Stockton College Wildcats of the Heart of American Conference at 5:30 pm in the fourth game of a six-game stretch inside the Leggett and Platt tomorrow evening.

Game Information

Date: Monday December 17, 2018
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: MSSU: leads 6-1

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, AM 1560; 88.7 FM KXMS
Audio: http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/WMBH
Webcast: http://themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/
Live Stats: https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary



Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents
Culver-Stockton College

Picked ninth in the Heart preseason poll
Heart of America Rankings (13 schools):
3rd in defensive rebounds per game (29.0)
T-4th in 3-point field goal percentage (.318)
5th in 3-point field goals made (85)
Return ten total players, including Heart of America Athletic conference second-team senior forward Lacey Clark and honorable mention junior guards Carly Harper and Courteney Sailor with all averaging over nine points per game
Coach Janette Burgin won twenty games in back-to-back seasons (2014-16) and is looking for her first winning season since that time
It's one win against the Lions happened 31 years ago in Joplin



Quick Notes
Stop the Polls

The Lions enter this year chosen to finish to 10th in the conference after going 11-17 and 8-11 in MIAA play during the 2017-18 campaign. Defending NCAA Champions Central Missouri was chosen to win the MIAA with 13 first-place votes while Fort Hays received the remaining vote in second as Emporia State (3), Washburn (4), and Central Oklahoma (5) rounded out the top-5.
FHSU has leaped UCM to sixth and one first-place vote while UCM dropped eight spots to 15th
UCO and ESU remain in 23rd and 24th respectively to round out the MIAA.

Leader of the Pride
Guard Chelsey Henry returns as the only senior from last year's squad and will be looked upon to make sure that all nine newcomers understand what it means to compete in what is the MIAA. She closed out last year's schedule fifth in the MIAA in scoring (17.5 ppg), fourth in free-throw percentage (86.6%), and seventh in field-goal percentage (43.0%) to earn All-MIAA honorable mention while being just 31 points shy of breaking the 1,000 career-point barrier in the green and gold after registering double-digit scoring in five of six games. 





It's not how high, but how you position yourself to possess the basketball

The Lions have quietly outrebounded every single opponent through nine games. Their willingness to find and go after a loose ball on a miss shot launching them into the NCAA Division II top-20 in four categories. They rank second in rebound margin (14.8), 11th for rebounds (47) and defensive rebounds per game (32), and 20th in total rebounds (420). A front court presence of 5'10 Chasidee Owens (76), 6'2 Jordan Schoenberger (58), and 6'3 Zoe Campbell (57) have thought for 191 of the team's rebounds overall with five double-digit stretches between the trio.

How many Transfers are we going to take before passing? FOUR!!!
With eight players departing, the coaching staff mapped out the entire college basketball landscape in order to find four transfers and they did in the shape of 6'1 forward Laure Assena (Lipscomb University), 5'10 guard Chasidee Owens (Ouachita Baptist), 5'8 guard Destiny Cozart (John A. Logan), and 6'2 center Jordan Schoenberger (Independence CC).

Up Next
The Lions continue their non-conference slate in a 2:00 pm showdown against Illinois-Springfield on Wednesday before breaking for the Holidays and then concluding their home stand versus Tabor College (Kan.) on Dec. 29 at 1:30 pm.

Alan Cockrell among those announced as Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductees

(From the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame)
Former Missouri State University standout and World Series winner Ryan Howard along with a host of the state’s most influential sports figures will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame during its Enshrinement Ceremonies presented by Killian Construction.
President and Executive Director Jerald Andrews announced the Class of 2019 on Wednesday. It also features Kansas City Chiefs receiver Carlos Carson, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan and University of Missouri tight end Chase CoffmanHeart of America Beverage Company will be bestowed the John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award, and Bryan Magers of Bryan Properties will be honored with the President’s Award.



The event is Sunday, January 27 in Springfield. Associate sponsors are Advertising Plus, Bryan Properties, Great Southern Bank, Hiland Dairy Foods and Hillyard, Inc. Festivities begin with an 11 a.m. reception presented by Reliable Toyota at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. The remainder of events are at the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, with a 4 p.m. reception followed by a 5 p.m. dinner and ceremony.
Sponsorship tables of 10 are $1,500 and include an autographed poster (a rendering by renowned artist Dayne Dudley), recognition in the printed program and at the table. Individual tickets are $150. Numerous other sponsorship opportunities are available, including congratulatory ads, trading cards and 20-month calendars. Call the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at 417-889-3100.
The Class of 2019 features:
  • Ryan Howard, a baseball star for MSU and the Phillies
  • Carlos Carson, a star receiver of the Chiefs’ 1980s teams
  • Jeff Suppan, who helped pitch the Cardinals to two World Series after pitching for the Royals
  • Chase Coffman, the most prolific pass-catching tight end in Mizzou history
  • Alan Cockrell, a Joplin native who QB’d the Tennessee Volunteers and was a big-league player and coach
  • The Drury Family, a champion of outdoors who host and produce multiple television programs
  • Cris Barnthouse, a former Head Team Physician of the Kansas City Chiefs
  • The Sandbothe Family of Washington features 7 siblings who attended college on athletic scholarships
  • Troy Major, a nationally recognized shotgun sports champion
  • Rod Smith, the longtime Sports Director of KRCG-TV 13 in Jefferson City
  • Mark Fisher, a longtime basketball coach and sports administrator
  • Joyce Mahoney, a standout in the sport of golf and a women’s sports advocate
  • Kip Janvrin, a co-head coach of the University of Central Missouri Track & Field teams and an Olympian
  • Kirk Pedersen, a co-head coach of the UCM Track & Field teams and coach of UCM cross country teams
  • Kelly Donohoe, the football coach of Blue Springs High School
  • Steve Hunter, a longtime high school basketball coach at Ozark High School
  • Ray Wageman, a record-setting triathlete from age 50 to age 83 who will be inducted posthumously
  • Berkeley/McCluer South Berkeley High School Boys and Girls Track & Field Programs
  • West Plains High School Boys and Girls Cross Country Programs
  • Heart of America Beverage Company – the John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award
  • Bryan Magers – President’s Award
Ryan Howard – Lafayette High School, Missouri State University & Philadelphia Phillies
A graduate of St. Louis’ Lafayette High School, Howard vaulted from little-known baseball recruit to a star at Missouri State University before enjoying 13 seasons in the big leagues – all with the Philadelphia Phillies. A fifth-round draft pick of the Phillies in 2001, he led the Phillies to World Series in 2008 and 2009, with the 2008 team winning it all. Along the way, Howard earned the 2005 National League Rookie of the Year and, in 2006, earned NL Most Valuable Player, the NL Hank Aaron Award, a Silver Slugger Award and was voted MVP of the 2009 NL Championship Series. Six times he finished in the Top 10 voting of NL MVP voting. Twice he led the NL in home runs (58 in 2006, 48 in 2008) and also led the circuit in runs batted in three times (149 in 2006, 146 in 2008, 141 in 2009). Overall, he finished with 1,475 hits, 382 home runs and 1,194 RBI. Howard played for MSU from 1999 to 2001, earning Missouri Valley Conference Rookie of the Year and later finishing his career among the Bears’ all-time Top 10 in seven offensive categories. MSU has since retired his No. 6 jersey.



Carlos Carson – Kansas City Chiefs
Carson was a standout receiver over 10 seasons with the Chiefs from 1980 to 1989 after being a fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana State University. He hauled in an incredible 6,360 yards receiving – fifth-most in Chiefs history – and holds the franchise record for yards per catch (18.1), plus scored 33 touchdowns. His career season came in 1983, when he caught 80 catches for 1,351 yards and seven touchdowns, all career-best numbers. Along the way, Carson was a two-time All-Pro selection by the United Press International (1983, 1987), as he finished with the second- and fourth-most yards receiving in the National Football League. Carson, who was selected as part of the Chiefs’ 40th anniversary team as chosen by then-owner Lamar Hunt, has since been inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame and is only the third receiver to be included on the team’s ring of honor at Arrowhead Stadium. At LSU, Carson caught 89 passes for 1,728 yards and 14 touchdowns in three seasons.
Jeff Suppan – St. Louis Cardinals & Kansas City Royals
Suppan pitched 17 seasons in Major League Baseball and made a significant impact for the Show-Me State’s two big-league franchises. The right-hander pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals (2004-2006, 2010), helping the Cardinals to two World Series and three consecutive NLCS. With the Cardinals, he earned 47 wins, including 16 in both the 2004 NL pennant-winning season and in 2005, when the club returned to the NLCS. Suppan also was a 12-game winner on the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series championship team. He was voted the NLCS Most Valuable Player that October as he pitched 15 innings in the series and allowed only one earned run. He previously pitched for the Kansas City Royals from 1999 to 2002, winning 39 games, including 10 in each of his first three seasons. Overall, Suppan was a second-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1993 after he graduated from Crespi Carmelite High School in California and finished his career with 140 wins. He pitched for Boston (1995-1997, 2003), Arizona Diamondbacks (1998), Pittsburgh Pirates (2003), Milwaukee Brewers (2008-2010) and San Diego Padres (2012).
Chase Coffman – Raymore-Peculiar High School, University of Missouri & NFL
A graduate of Raymore-Peculiar High School in Kansas City, Chase Coffman became the most prolific pass-catching tight end in the history of University of Missouri football from 2005 to 2008. As a senior, he earned consensus First Team All-American honors and received the John Mackey Award, given to the country’s best tight end, making Coffman the first Tiger ever to win a national individual award specific to a position. That season, he caught 90 passes for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns despite missing two games due to injury. He left as the Tigers’ career leader in catches (247) and touchdown catches (30), all while finishing with 2,659 receiving yards – third-most in program history. At the time, his 247 career receptions stood as the NCAA career record for tight ends. Coffman was also a three-time All-Big 12 conference selection, including first team honors in 2006 and 2008. He also earned First Team Freshman All-American honors in 2005. In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals took Coffman with the 98th overall pick. He played eight seasons in the NFL with the Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At Raymore-Peculiar, Coffman was a three-time All-State selection (2002, 2003, 2004) and helped the team to an undefeated, Class 5 state championship in 2004.
Alan Cockrell – Joplin High School, University of Tennessee & MLB
Cockrell quarterbacked Joplin Parkwood High School to a 1980 state championship, was a three-year starting quarterback for the University of Tennessee – where he also was an All-American baseball player – and later became a big-leaguer with the Colorado Rockies. Since 1999, he has served as a coach for MLB organizations. He recently spent three years (2015-2017) on the New York Yankees staff, including two years as hitting coach. He was previously the roving hitting coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2011-2013), hitting coach for the Rockies (2002, 2007-2008) and Seattle Mariners (2009-2010). At Tennessee, he was the first freshman ever to start at quarterback and later led the Volunteers to a Citrus Bowl victory. Cockrell, who in 2009 was named to Tennessee’s All-Century baseball team, was the ninth overall selection of the San Francisco Giants in the 1984 MLB Draft. He played in 1,414 minor league games and made his big-league debut in 1996.

Drury Family – Outdoor Television and Media Production
For 30 years, Missouri-based Drury Outdoors (DOD) has existed to bring compelling and practical knowledge and tactics to the hunting community. It started with brothers Mark and Terry Drury’s VHS turkey feature titled “King of the Spring” in 1989. The overwhelming success led them to produce a hunting library consisting of over 115 story-driven VHS and DVD features primarily showcasing whitetail and turkey, but also including other big game and predator pursuits. In the early 2000s, DOD entered television and has expanded its outreach to equip hunters through four TV shows. True to their family focus, during this phase of DOD, Terry’s son, Matt, and Mark’s daughter, Taylor, have both risen to prominence in front of and behind the camera. Today, their social media fanbase is one of the biggest in the outdoor media industry. In August 2018, DOD launched a revolutionary deer movement forecasting mobile app called DeerCast. The DOD family’s commitment to helping hunters become more proficient is in their DNA and showcases the best of Missouri’s incredible natural resources.
Dr. Cris Barnthouse – Sports Medicine
Dr. Cris Barnthouse has been one of the state’s leaders in sports medicine, with 29 years working with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. With the Chiefs, Barnthouse was an integral part of the franchise’s physicians team with longtime Head Team Physician Dr. Jon Browne (MSHOF 2017) and ultimately was promoted to Head Team Physician. A Winfield, Kansas native and graduate of University of Kansas Medical School, Dr. Barnthouse completed his orthopaedic training at the University of Kansas Medical Center in 1986 after playing for the Jayhawks basketball team and earning academic All-American honors. He completed a fellowship in sports medicine through Harvard University at Massachusetts General in 1987 and now is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is Co-Director of the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City with Dr. Browne.
Sandbothe Family of Washington
The Sandbothe Family of Washington — siblings Scott, Steve, Robin, Mark, Mike, Lori and Lisa – all went to college on athletic scholarships. Their parents, Louis and Wanda “Nellie” (Parker), were Vienna High School basketball standouts, and Louis played at the University of Central Missouri. Mike (1986-1989), Lori (1988-1990) and Lisa (1987-1991) played for the University of Missouri after earning All-State for Washington High School, with Lisa and Lori each honored as Miss Show-Me Basketball. Scott and Steve played at East Central Junior College and then Missouri S&T and Benedictine College, respectively. Robin, who set the state’s prep discus record, played basketball at several colleges. Mark earned All-State and played at East Central. At Mizzou, Mike ranks seventh all-time in steals (172), eighth in assists (380) and 10th in minutes played (3,647). He later played in the Continental Basketball Association and in Japan. Lori played at Moberly Junior College and Mizzou. Lisa was a three-time All-State selection and, at Mizzou, is No. 3 all-time in blocked shots (143) and 10th with 288 rebounds. She was a two-time All-Big Eight Conference selection (1990, 1991) and played for the WNBA’s St. Louis River Queens. Several of their children are also college standouts, and Mike’s wife, Teri (LeBlanc), is an inductee into the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame as a four-time NCAA All-American track star (1986-1989) and 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier.
Dr. Troy Major – Nationally Recognized Shotgun Sports Champion
One of the nation’s top shotgun sports champions lives right here in the Missouri Ozarks. Dr. Troy Major, a graduate of Springfield’s Parkview High School and Drury University, has risen to the top in the sport. He was named an All-American in 2001 and 2003 by the Sporting Clays Association. Additionally, he has competed for the Missouri State Open Team, which features the four best shooters in the state. Major, who has enjoyed sporting clays and skeet shooting since his youth, has turned in perfect 100 scores some 20 times at the Ozarks Shooters Complex in Walnut Shade, an elite sporting clays complex about halfway between Springfield and Branson. His family also are shooters. Son Bryan is a Master Class sporting clays shooter, while Troy Major III is experienced in pistol, rifle and shotgun shooting while Dr. Major’s wife, Jean Suzanne, also has experience with shooting.
Rod Smith – Sports Director of KRCG-TV Jefferson City
Smith has delivered sports news on KRCG-TV 13 for three decades, a career in which he has covered the St. Louis Rams’ two Super Bowls and the St. Louis Cardinals’ and Kansas City Royals’ World Series runs along with University of Missouri athletics. His Mizzou coverage includes football bowl games and Southeastern Conference and Big 12 Championship games in addition to Tigers Basketball in NCAA Tournaments. His coverage of local high school sports on KRCG’s football Friday night and basketball Tuesday and Friday nights is among the best in the Midwest, and he may be best known in the Midwest for “Rod’s Big Ol’ Fish!,” a segment dedicated to presenting the catches of anglers from across the region. Smith stays active serving as emcee of many fundraisers, including the Mid-Missouri Heart Association Heart Ball, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, United Cerebral Palsy’s “Wing Ding” and “Deal or No Deal,” along with annual YMCA and Samaritan Center benefit auctions and events supporting Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Young Life and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. A Naperville, Illinois native, he is a graduate of Oral Roberts University.
Mark Fisher – Basketball Coach & Sports Administrator
A graduate of Northwest Missouri State University, Fisher served as the athletic director of Springfield Public Schools (2003-2014) with supervision of more than 300 employees across five high schools and nine middle schools. He was also director of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, which features top basketball prospects during a January weekend tournament that draws roughly 25,000 fans. He also led a $3.5 million fundraising effort that led to facilities improvements in the 2012-2013 school year. He is now in his fourth year at Drury University, where he added wrestling and women’s bowling to Drury’s NCAA Division II sports department and welcomed shooting sports and STUNT (a cheer competition) as non-NCAA sports. The moves have grown student-athlete enrollment from 285 to 451. Fisher began as a high school boys basketball coach, first at Stanberry (1981-1986), Owensville (1986-1989) and Springfield’s Greenwood Laboratory (1989 to 2003). He guided Greenwood to a 1991 state runner-up finish, won 58 games at Owensville and guided Stanberry’s girls track and field team to a 1982 state championship. He is a 2015 Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame inductee and, in 2017, was honored by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association with the Gary Filbert Award for his lifetime of work.
Joyce Mahoney – Golf & Women’s Sports Advocate
Mahoney certainly made a name for herself in golf. Known for her short game, she won 18 Springfield Area Women’s Golf Association Championships, with her first in 1979 and her last in 2001 at age 71. That was part of a career in which Mahoney was a 1975 finalist and 1978 runner-up in the Missouri State Amateur. She also won the Missouri State Senior Championship in 1980 through 1984 and the Hickory Hills Club Championship 10 times. Other victories include the Highland Springs Country Club Championship in 1990. Mahoney also placed third in the National Senior Olympics in 1988 and has left quite a legacy, including as a founding inductee of the Ozarks Golf Hall of Fame in 2002. Just before moving to Springfield from Michigan, she won the Spring Lake State Tournament championship in 1968. Mahoney, who is a member of Hickory Hills Country Club in Springfield, also has been an advocate of women’s sports throughout her life.
Kip Janvrin & Kirk Pedersen — University of Central Missouri Co-Head Coaches of Track & Field, Cross Country
Janvrin, a U.S. Olympian, and Pedersen have coached at Central Missouri for 30 and 32 years, respectively, with enormous success and have served as UCM’s co-head coaches in track and field for 23 seasons. The pinnacle came in 2015 as they guided Central Missouri to its first NCAA Division II national championship in women’s track and field, which won both the Indoor and Outdoor ­Championships that academic year. The coaching tandem also has produced 15 MIAA men’s and five MIAA women’s indoor championships, 12 MIAA men’s outdoor titles and three Jennies outdoor conference championships. In 2002 and 2015, Janvrin and Pedersen were named United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Indoor Coaches of the Year and the 2015 National Outdoor Coaches of the Year. In the past 12 years, the duo has garnered 15 MIAA Indoor Coach of the Year awards, adding 11 more Coach of the Year honors for the outdoor season. In 2017, Pedersen won the Jimmy Carnes Distinguished Service Award from the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association, as he has coached UCM cross country. Both coaches are graduates of Simpson College (Iowa).
  • Janvrin is in his 23rd year as co-head coach and works primarily with UCM sprinters, hurdlers and multi-event athletes. Jarvin also won the 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival, the 1995 Pan Am Games and the 2001 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He earned a spot on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team and is the world record holder for most career decathlon wins (41) and the American record holder for the most career decathlons over 8,000 points (26). He is an inductee of the Drake Relays Hall of Fame.
  • Pedersen has guided the Mules’ cross country team to 11 MIAA championships in the past 24 years, with 11 consecutive To 25 finishes (from 1996-2007) at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. He also led the Jennies cross country program to three MIAA championships and has earned MIAA Cross Country Coach of the Year honors 13 times. In college, he was five-time NCAA Division III All-American and won the 800 meter indoors his senior year.
Kelly Donohoe – Blue Springs High School Football Coach
Donohoe has been one of the state’s most successful prep coaches since the turn of the century. In his 18 seasons as head coach of Blue Springs High School since the year 2000, Donohoe is 210-55 and has led the Wildcats to seven state championship games, with four state championship seasons (2001, 2003, 2012 and 2013). His 2001 and 2013 teams both finished 14-0, while the 2003 team finished 13-0, and the 2012 went 13-1. His 2009, 2016 and 2017 were state runners-up. Additionally, his teams have advanced to one other state semifinal (2018) and seven other state quarterfinal appearances (2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2015). Donohoe is a 1986 graduate of Harrisonville High School and was quarterback at the University of Kansas from 1986 to 1989. He was an assistant coach for Blue Springs South High School (1993 to 1996) before serving as head coach of Raytown South High School (1997-1999). He took over athletic director duties at Blue Springs in 2017.
Steve Hunter – Basketball Coach
Hunter was 536-254 as a high school boys basketball coach, a career covering 28 seasons and the states of Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. He took three Missouri boys basketball teams – West Plains, Hartville and Ozark – to a combined six Final Fours within a 10-year period. In 15 seasons coaching Ozark (1999 to 2013), Hunter’s Tigers earned 280 wins, including a Class 4 state championship in 2003, three other Final Four appearances (2001, 2004, 2006), six district championships and five Greenwood Blue and Gold Tournament titles. Upon his final year at Ozark, his 64 wins in the Blue and Gold were the most in the 72-year history of Springfield’s prestigious holiday event. He previously guided West Plains to a Class 4 state runner-up in 1996 and Hartville to a third-place finish in Class 2 in 1998. Hunter, who was named the Missouri Coach of the Year in 1996 and 2003, was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009. Meanwhile, the 2018-2019 basketball season marked his fifth at North Arkansas College in Harrison, where he began this season with an 85-40 (.680) record. Hunter was an all-conference basketball and baseball player at Glendale High School in Springfield before he attended John Brown University and graduated from Lubbock Christian College in Texas in 1982.
Ray Wageman – Triathlon Champion
Wageman will be inducted posthumously for a career as a triathlete. A military veteran and the longtime district manager of The Springfield News & Press, he completed 101 triathlons between ages 58 and 83, and won 397 multiple sport events from 1980 to 2005 in world, national, regional, state and local competitions. His history-making win came at the 1989 World Championships for the 65-and-older age group, as it marked the first world title in the developing sport of triathlon and helped pave the way for the sport’s inclusion into the 2000 Olympics. Among other accomplishments were the 65-and-older gold medal of the 1992 Halifax, Canada Atlantic Games and 15 records set in cycling, swimming and triathlon at the Missouri State Senior Games, plus three triathlon records at the National Senior Games Association. He also was named to the U.S. Tri-Fed Association’s All-American Team seven consecutive years and was on USA Triathlon’s list of “Notable Athletes” from 1983 to 1989. Overall, he biked almost 44,700 miles, ran 5,019 miles and swam 1,101 miles. Wageman passed away in 2014 at age 89.
Berkeley/McCluer South Berkeley Boys and Girls Track and Field Programs
The Berkeley/McCluer South Berkeley High School Track and Field Programs, also known as Relay U, have combined to win 28 state team championships between 1982 and 2017, with the teams winning it all at the same time on six occasions. They’ve combined for 106 state champions relay titles. The boys have won 16 state titles. covering 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2015. The boys program has produced 122 individual state champions, 59 state championship relay teams, 27 All-Americans and a two-time Olympian in Mike Rodgers (2012, 2016). Some 101 athletes have received college scholarships. Under coach Rod Staggs (MSHOF 2017), the team won 14 state titles and a state record 564 state medals. The girls won it all in 1982, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2017. The girls saw 94 individual state champions, 47 state title relay teams and an All-American, with Alishea Usery winning 16 gold state medals alone. Keith Rhodes helped the programs win several titles as an assistant and later the head coach.
West Plains High School Boys & Girls Cross Country Programs
The most successful high school cross country programs in Missouri belong to West Plains High School, as longtime coach Joe Bill Dixon (MSHOF 2001) has guided the boys team to 41 consecutive trips to the state meet — and won it all some 13 times along with 12 state runner-up finishes. The championships cover 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008. The 2017 team came within six points of winning it all. Meanwhile, the girls program has been right there, too, advancing to 38 state meets – 34 consecutive – and have won 12 state championships. The girls won it 1985, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008. They also placed as the state runner-up nine times, falling short of titles by only six points in 1986 and five points in 2005. State champions were Chris Zinn (1981-1983), Jon Hatley (1985), Lisa Brown, Sean Carlson (1993), Jason Sandfort (2000), Jennifer Harper (2004) and Brittani Johnson (2005, 2006).
Heart of America Beverage Company – Founders Award
The Heart of America Beverage Company will be presented the 2019 John Q. Hammons Founders Award, which is bestowed annually to a corporate entity that throws its support behind the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, a not-for-profit organization. HOA has been a corporate sponsor of both the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and lead sponsor of the PGA Web.com Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. The company’s roots date to 1978 when Jim Ferguson launched Coors of the Ozarks in Springfield and 13 surrounding counties. It remains the last original Coors distributor in Missouri, with Ferguson still its President. The company, which has greatly expanded to 225 workers and covers 26 counties, operated earlier as the Clear Creek Distributing Company, the Beer Company LLC and, in 2008, changed its name to Heart of America Beverage Company. It has won numerous awards, including 11 Excellence Awards from Coors, four President’s Awards from MillerCoors and, in 2003, the Founders Award – the highest honor Coors Brewing Company gives for its National Distributor of the Year. In 2017, Ferguson was named a MillerCoors Legend, a select group of long-time distributors who are recognized for their leadership, commitment, investment and perseverance in building the MillerCoors system.
Bryan Magers – President’s Award
The Hall of Fame will bestow its President’s Award on Bryan Magers, who as the longtime owner and founder of Springfield-based Bryan Properties has become one of the state’s most recognized entrepreneurs and certainly one of its most prolific student-housing developers. The President’s Award recognizes an individual who champions sports in the state and especially the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, a not-for-profit organization. Magers has been a member of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees. Additionally, his company is a corporate sponsor of the Hall of Fame and a lead sponsor of the PGA Web.com Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, which has gifted more than $15.5 million to Ozarks children’s charities since 1990. His support through sponsorships of golf teams and the PCCC’s Bryan Properties Nighttime Classic has been tremendous. A native of southwest Missouri, he launched his real estate career in the late 1970s and, in 1985, founded Bryan Properties, which covers numerous multifamily residences in Springfield – including a $30 million, 800-bedroom apartment complex, Bear Village, near Missouri State University.