Sports

Five Stoddard County softball players were named to the coaches all-region first team. Three players from District 3 champion Bernie received honors: pitcher Alyson Marcum, catcher Taylor Anthony and utility player Cymber Arnold. Dexter’s Mekenzie Yount and Puxico’s Bailey Burns joined them on the squad...

Three individuals and two relays from Dexter will compete in the Class 3 Track and Field Championship on Friday and Saturday in Jefferson City. Austin Guy, Margo Nea and Seth Rogers and the 4x200 boys and 4x800 girls relay teams qualified for state with top four finishes Saturday at the Class 3 sectional meet at Hillsboro High School...

Athletes from Bell City and Richland competed in the Class 1 state track and field championships this weekend at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City, Bailee Hux, of Richland, finished 13th in the shot put (31 feet, 9 1/2 inches). Luke Nichols, of Bell City, placed 16th in the javelin (127-3)...

Dexter’s top two players did their part, and junior Logan Wyman nearly pulled off a come-from-behind win late to give the Bearcats a chance in the Class 1 sectional boys tennis tournament Saturday at T.S. Hill Middle School. The undefeated St. Pius X (Festus) Lancers overcame a 3-2 deficit to beat the Bearcats 5-3 and earn a spot in the quarterfinals. Only one other team — Festus High School — had won three games against the Lancers this season...

On Monday, Three Rivers guard Hailee Erickson officially signed to play basketball at Arkansas State. Erickson joins the Red Wolves after finishing last season as Three Rivers’ leading scorer at 14.3 points per game, and she led the team in assists per game with four. Erickson sits third in the program’s record books with 159 made 3-pointers...

VAN BUREN — Three Rivers signed its newest flyer to the cheer squad on Thursday. Chloe Cantrell signed her letter of intent to cheer for the Lady Raiders. “I’m really excited,” Cantrell said. “I’m kind of nervous, but I feel like being on this squad and knowing people at the college is really going to help me, and they’ve all been really welcoming.”...

VAN BUREN — The Whippets are back-to-back district champions. Ellington won its fifth district title in program history with an 8-1 victory against Greenville in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 Tournament championship on Wednesday in Van Buren. With the win, Ellington has now won 35 out of its last 36 games dating back to the fall season...

IMPERIAL, Mo. — With Poplar Bluff’s season ended five games shorter than desired, Poplar Bluff coach Steve Edwards focused on offseason work during his postgame talk. The Mules committed five errors to Seckman’s none and it cost them. Poplar Bluff’s goals of winning the baseball program’s first state championship ended Tuesday with a 6-4 loss to host Seckman in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 semifinals...

The Three Rivers Buglers chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation kicked off its third decade in style Saturday night, celebrating its 21st big game banquet with about 425 people in attendance. “I thought it went really well, and everyone had a good time,” said committee member Lenard Wagganer. “Everything just went smoothly.”...

The annual Kids Fish and Fun Day in Poplar Bluff, hosted by the Southeast Missouri Sportsman’s Association in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Mark Twain National Forest, will be held Saturday. Like the last couple years, this spring’s event will take place at the pond behind New Covenant Church, located off Highway PP just west of the city...

CORNING, Ark. — For more than a decade, trap shooters from Corning’s junior and senior high schools have been at the top of their game, reaching the state championships nearly every year and winning it once. This year, they’ve made a statement about just how strong they really are, qualifying five squads for the title event...

VAN BUREN — Greenville set the tone early against Van Buren in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 Tournament semifinals. Jason Bratton went yard with a two-run homer to right field in the first inning, and it helped propel the third-seeded Bears to a 7-3 win against the second-seeded Bulldogs. “It’s big for us because we are one of those momentum type of teams where if we start to get the momentum early … if we get that energy going early, we’re just a different team all together and it just builds confidence for the bottom of the lineup, which is key for us,” Greenville coach Jeremy Smith said.. ...

Dexter senior Eric Hahn qualified for his third straight trip to the Class 1 Boys Tennis Championship on Tuesday in Cape Girardeau. Hahn defeated Festus’ Michael Esparza 6-0, 6-0, in the sectional round of the Class 1 singles tournament at Notre Dame High School...

Dexter’s trio of state qualifiers shaved 14 strokes off their first-round scores at the Class 3 Boys Golf State Championship on Tuesday at Columbia Country Club. “It’s the state tournament, anytime you can improve the second day and move up, I thought it was great,” Dexter coach Eric Sitze said. “We really played well today. It’s a great experience for all three of them.”...

BERNIE — The second-seeded Bernie baseball team gave the Campbell Camels an opening and they sped right through it. The Mules committed a first-inning error, and third-seeded Campbell turned it into four unearned runs and upset Bernie 8-4 in the semifinals of the Class 2 District 1 tournament Tuesday at Bernie Schools...

VAN BUREN — Alton’s defense lifted it to a win over Neelyville on Monday. Cainan Heck struck out seven and pitched a complete game to lead the Comets to a 3-1 win in the quarterfinals of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 Tournament in Van Buren. Heck allowed four hits and three walks, striking out seven. With the win, fourth-seeded Alton moves on to play top-seeded Ellington in the semifinals...

Cedar Hill, Mo. — Against the top-seeded Jackson Indians, Poplar Bluff was starting five freshmen and had one available sub. Jackson scored four goals in the first half and beat the fourth-seeded Mules 7-0 in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 semifinals on Monday at Cedar Hill, Mo...

HILLSBORO, Mo. — Poplar Bluff will send 25 track and field athletes to the MSHSAA Class 5 sectional meet in Waynesville. Sixteen boys and nine girls finished in the top four at the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 meet in Hillsboro to qualify for sectionals...

IMPERIAL, Mo. — It took the Mules a good hour to wake up Monday. Second-seeded Poplar Bluff was trailing 1-0 to seventh-seeded Northwest Cedar Hill in the bottom of the fifth. The Mules had three singles on the day and had just committed back-to-back errors to start the fifth...

VAN BUREN — Van Buren’s offense was rolling against Summersville on Monday. In the third inning, the second-seeded Bulldogs batted around their order and put up seven runs on the way to an eventual 11-1 blowout win in five innings, advancing to the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 Tournament semifinals, where they’ll face third-seeded Greenville...

Cole Barker won a district championship, and 12 Dexter athletes qualified in 10 events for the sectional track and field meet this weekend at Ste. Genevieve High School. The Class 3 District 1 meet began Saturday with the completion of the running events and some field contests, and concluded Monday with the final field events...

Spencer Warren was within striking distance of winning an all-state medal after the first round of the Class 3 Boys Golf State Championship on Monday at Columbia Country Club. The junior shot a first-round 79 and was tied for 22nd. Ryan Lee, of Pembroke Hill, and Henry Mikula, of MICDS, were tied for the lead at 1-under 71...

The semifinals and championship game of the Class 2 District 1 baseball tournament will be played Tuesday. The championship game was originally scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, but the district's coaches elected to move the game to Tuesday because of a high probability of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday...

ADVANCE — The St. Vincent baseball team kept its momentum despite a roughly 51-hour break between innings. The fourth-seeded Indians took a 3-0 lead after one inning against fifth-seeded Bloomfield on Saturday in the first round of the Class 2 District 3 tournament at Westfield Park...

Athletes from Bell City and Richland qualified for the Class 1 state track and field meet Saturday. Luke Nichols, of Bell City, placed fourth in the javelin with a throw of 145 feet, 1 inch. The top four finishers in each event at the Class 1 Sectional 1 at South Calloway High School in Mokane qualified for state...

SIKESTON — The fourth inning was the turning point in the Class 4 District 1 first-round baseball game between Dexter and Sikeston. The third-seeded Bulldogs scored five runs in the fourth inning to beat sixth-seeded Dexter 7-3 Saturday at VFW Memorial Stadium.

VAN BUREN — Greenville and Thayer narrowly avoided a downpour on Saturday. Just before heavy rainfall hit Van Buren, the Bears shutout the Bobcats, 4-0, advancing to the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 Tournament semifinals. There was light rain throughout the game, but the two teams might not have avoided the bulk of it without excellent pitching from Jason Bratton...

The Class 3 District 1 track and field meet Saturday at Ste. Genevieve was suspended because of rain. The Dexter Bearcats are competing in the meet. All track events and some field events were completed. The remaining field events will resume at 4 p.m. Monday at Ste. Genevieve...

Rain has played havoc with district baseball tournaments involving Stoddard County teams. While Dexter was able to complete its game in the Class 4 District 1 tournament at Sikeston — a 7-3 loss to Sikeston — Bloomfield’s game against St. Vincent was suspended after the first inning with St. Vincent leading 3-0. The game will resume at 2 p.m. Monday in Advance...

On Feb. 14, 2014, 17-year-old Abiodun Ayetimiyi boarded a plane alone in Lagos, Nigeria, and flew to the United States. He left his home, his family and his friends to pursue a dream. The dream was a chance to play basketball in America and work toward a better future...

Three Rivers added another guard to its roster. The Raiders recently signed 6-foot-5-inch Brahm Harris out of Maumelle, Arkansas. Harris was drawn to the tradition of the program. “I liked how the coaches approached me,” Harris said. “They have a good background sending players DI. That’s my goal, to go DI. I just feel like it was a good fit, the style of play.”...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Poplar Bluff’s Ben Stewart kept his quest for a state qualification alive by winning. Stewart won the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 singles tournament Thursday at Cape Central to advance to sectionals at 4 p.m. Tuesday, also at Cape Central...

The Portageville baseball team jumped out to a 4-0 lead and finished off the Bloomfield Wildcats with five runs in fifth inning of a 12-2 victory Friday at Portageville. Bloomfield (4-11) scored one run in the third inning to cut its deficit to 4-1 and one in the fourth to slice it to 5-2...

The Dexter Bearcats will host St. Pius X in a Class 1 sectional boys tennis match at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at T.S. Hill Middle School. Bishop DuBourg and John Burroughs will square off in another sectional contest afterward with the winners of the two matches competing in a state quarterfinal later in the day...

CAPE GIRARDEAU — The Dexter Bearcats were all smiles after they defeated Notre Dame 5-2 to win the Class 1 District 1 boys tennis championship Wednesday at Notre Dame Regional High School. For Dexter, it is the second district championship win over Notre Dame in as many years and fourth in five years...

The Campbell baseball team scored six runs in the fourth inning to take control of a 10-0 victory over the Puxico Indians on Thursday at Campbell. Sky Morrison pitched a five-inning two-hitter, striking out nine and walking four for Campbell, who improved to 13-6...

The Bernie baseball team erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning and beat the Twin Rivers Royals 10-2 Wednesday at Broseley. Three of the Mules’ runs scored on passed balls, five Bernie players were hit by pitches and the Royals (7-13) committed an error in the fourth. Bernie (16-5) needed only two hits to take a 9-2 lead...

Dating back to the fall season, Ellington had won 33 consecutive games. On Wednesday, the Whippets ended their game against Kennett with an unfamiliar result: a loss. Class 4 Kennett took it to its Class 2 opponent, dominating start to finish in an 8-0 win at Roger Pattillo Field...

Poplar Bluff wanted to win every inning. It did, and only needed to play five innings to get the win. The Mules scored in each of the first four innings, and put six runs on the board in the fourth before committing an out, to beat East Carter 12-2 in five innings on Wednesday at Strenfel Memorial Field...

Four players from champion Bernie were named to the Class 1 District 3 all-district softball team. Catcher Taylor Anthony, utility player Cymber Arnold, infielder Cassidy Freed and pitcher Alyson Marcum made the team that was selected by the district’s coaches...

Poplar Bluff senior Carlton McDonald-Jordan was recently awarded the Thomas J. Hoover Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a Mules basketball player who also excels academically. McDonald-Jordan plans to attend Saint Louis University and will pursue a degree in sports medicine. ...

As the weather warms, many people may begin to think more about enjoying the outdoors. One of the biggest attractions is fishing. Crappie anglers should be aware of the new regulations for Wappapello Lake. The new regulation states that anglers can keep 30 crappie total, but only 15 can be 9 inches or longer...

The 2019 spring turkey season is now officially history and “in the books” as they say. Gross numbers statewide were up about 8% from last year, including the youth season. You can probably attribute this to slightly better weather conditions from last year overall (warmer and less rain equals better hunting) and an increase in harvest from more northern counties...

Missouri’s spring turkey hunters squeaked out a small 6-percent increase in the harvest over last year, but overall, the total for the season which ended Sunday still is the second lowest in 22 years. “What helped us this year was better weather,” said Missouri Department of Conservation Resource Scientist Jason Isabelle. “We started out stronger than last year, which had poor weather.”...

Luke Nichols pitched a three-hit shutout, leading the Bell City baseball team to a 3-0 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday at Charleston. Nichols struck out 12 and walked two in seven innings. Stephen Willis was charged with the loss, allowing one unearned run on one hit with five strikeouts and two walks in two innings...

MALDEN — Malden gave Van Buren a big break in the top of the seventh inning on Tuesday. The Bulldogs returned the favor on the next pitch. With a man on third and one out, the Green Wave — who led 5-4 — got exactly what they wanted: a pop-up into foul territory. A miscommunication between the first baseman and the right fielder allowed the ball to fall harmlessly into the grass...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Mo. — Poplar Bluff had a chance in the final 10 seconds to force overtime. After a foul just outside the 18-yard box with the clock winding down, Sophie Rowland tried to score on the free kick, but her shot went right at the keeper as time expired with Poplar Bluff losing 4-3 to Mountain View-Liberty...

BERNIE — The Bernie baseball team walked away with an SCAA victory Tuesday at Bernie Schools. The Mules took advantage of 11 walks and two hit-batsmen, and rolled to a 13-0 win over the Puxico Indians. Bernie needed only six hits to dispose of the Indians in five innings, when the game was called because of the 10-run mercy rule...

Bernie swept the top awards for SCAA softball with Alyson Marcum winning player of the year and Brad Botsch winning coach of the year. The Mules won their fifth straight SCAA tournament championship and the regular-season title, going 5-0 in league play...

The Bloomfield Wildcats advanced to the Class 1 boys golf state tournament for the fourth straight year Monday at Springfield. The Wildcats shot 374 to finish second in the sectional tournament at Bill and Payne Stewart Golf Course, 19 strokes behind champion St. Vincent’s 355. The top two teams advanced to the state tournament that begins Monday at Sedalia Country Club...