Nixa High School’s John Gholson, Blue Eye’s Riley Arnold, the Springfield Catholic girls golf team and the Glendale boys swimming team walked away with the Athlete and Team of the Year Awards in Elliott Lodging’s Sports Commission Awards presented by Harry Cooper Supply.
Held Tuesday night in front of a crowd of nearly 900 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, the Springfield Sports Commission and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame recognized 222 student-athletes and 14 teams considered the best in southwest Missouri from the 2021-2022 school year.
Gholson was selected as the Boys Athlete of the Year after earning All-State in football, placing third in wrestling and providing a big bat on Nixa’s baseball team.
Arnold repeated as Girls Athlete of the Year for earning All-State in volleyball, basketball and track & field, as well as a fourth consecutive state cross country championship.
The Springfield Catholic won its third consecutive state championship, this time taking Class 3 by storm last fall. Springfield Catholic finished 37 strokes under par to win the team title by 90 strokes. Reagan Zibilski won her second consecutive state title with a two-day 139, while Lyla Louderbaugh (149) placed third and Kyleigh Pfitzner (154) placed fourth.
Glendale boys swimming captured its third consecutive Class 1 state championship with a thrilling 240-220 win against second-place Parkway West. Glendale earned three individual and one relay state title, including a pair of state titles from Lucas Chadwell in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races.
All finalists can be found at mosportshalloffame.com.
Meanwhile, the SCAs honored five for Inspiration Awards:
The Inspiration Awards were:
- Dadeville cross country runner Libby Lakey, who qualified for the Class 1 state cross country meet last fall after experiencing long-haul Covid that had wiped out her sophomore season
- Greenwood Laboratory School volleyball standout Belle Fletcher, who lost the use of her left arm and left hand to a mystery illness, missed most of the volleyball season but managed to return to club volleyball in January.
- The late Ben Holder and the Miller High School girls basketball team. The team raised $12,000 and donated it to Camp Barnabas in honor of Holder, who had cerebral palsy and passed away at age 17 in January.
- Lawrence Green and Skyline High School Athletics. The Urbana community rallied around Green, a team bus driver who battled cancer in 2021. Athletes, parents and administrators raised funds for him and his family to see a Cardinals-Cubs series at Wrigley Field, and he inspired the volleyball team’s run to the Final Four.
A complete list of winners from Tuesday’s ceremony is below:
Finalists for Sports Commission Awards
GIRLS TENNIS
Brynley Brotherton and Esther Choe, Kickapoo High School
BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING
Lucas Chadwell, Glendale High School
GIRLS GOLF
Reagan Zibilski, Springfield Catholic High School
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Brayden Kantola, West Plains High School
Jordan Kantola, West Plains High School
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Tanner Talley, New Covenant Academy
SOFTBALL
Madeline McCall, McDonald County High School
BOYS SOCCER
Alex Spence, Glendale High School
VOLLEYBALL
Syndey Golden, Nixa High School
FOOTBALL – LINEMEN
Tristan Wilson, Lebanon High School
FOOTBALL – LINEBACKERS AND DEFENSIVE BACKS
Austin Wilkerson, Lamar High School
FOOTBALL – OFFENSIVE SKILL POSITIONS
Luke Gall, Carthage High School
GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING
Ashlyn Moore, Kickapoo High School
Maggie Moore, New Covenant Academy
GIRLS WRESTLING
Quincey Glendenning, Lebanon High School
BOYS WRESTLING – LOWER WEIGHTS
Zan Fugitt, Nixa High School
BOYS WRESTLING – UPPER WEIGHTS
Eli Zar, Neosho High School
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bella Fontleroy, Kickapoo High School
BOYS BASKETBALL
Garrett Davault, Norwood High School
BOYS TENNIS
Caden Lingenfelser, Willard High School
BOYS GOLF
Aiden Asby, Bolivar High School
GIRLS FIELD EVENTS
Taylor Mayo, Kickapoo High School
GIRLS TRACK
Alanza Montez, Carl Junction High School
BOYS FIELD EVENTS
Donovyn Fowler, Joplin High School
BOYS TRACK
Daelen Ackley, El Dorado Springs High School
GIRLS SOCCER
Reilly Heman, Glendale High School
BASEBALL
Ben Smith, Springfield Catholic
BASS FISHING
Caden Kowal & Reece Waters, Camdenton High School
GIRLS PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Ashton Judd, West Plains High School
BOYS PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Greenwood High School Boys Basketball
GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR
Springfield Catholic High School Girls Golf
BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR
Glendale High School Boys Swimming
GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Riley Arnold, Blue Eye High School
BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
John Gholson, Nixa High School
