Cross Country

With the 2020 spring sports season getting canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is difficult for any high school athlete to remain positive these days. However, Perryville cross country coach Shadrick Shafer explained that task isn’t as hard for junior runner Courtney Wright as it once was.

Each year the Semoball Awards recognizes outstanding high school athletes from around the region. That tradition continues this summer albeit in a different format because of lingering COVID-19 concerns and social distancing requirements.

There was no shortage of magnificent accomplishments performed by the athletic teams at Notre Dame throughout this school year. And there was not a dearth of individual achievements by the Bulldog student-athletes either.

Editor's note: Selection to the 2019 All-Southeast Missourian Team does not necessarily constitute selection to the Semoball Award finalists for boys cross country (XC). The Semoball Awards will be announced July 11 at the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University, presented by SoutheastHealth...

There is rarely a shortage of excellent athletic performances throughout Southeast Missouri by high school athletes each year and the fall season in 2019 was no exception.

The man responsible for overseeing football for the Missouri State High School Activities Association has no doubt – the game is OK for young people to play. “I truly believe that high school football is safer than ever before,” said Greg Stahl, MSHSAA assistant executive director...

Blake Morris ran his first 5K race with his mother when he was 9 years old.

POPLAR BLUFF — The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team opened the season with a defensive gem Friday night. The Mules kept Roosevelt off the scoreboard for the opening 13 minutes, 5 seconds and didn’t give up a field goal until the very last second of the opening half in a 68-11 win at the Senior High Gym...

Oak Ridge cross country runner Tanner Schamburg and Dexter cross country runner Margo Nea were voted the male and female Semoball Athletes of the Week, respectively, in balloting that concluded Wednesday night. Schamburg collected 393 votes after capturing all-state honors at the Class 1 Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Columbia, Missouri. Schamburg finished 14th in a time of 17 minutes, 29.7 seconds in helping Oak Ridge to its first ever team title...

After recently winning a fourth consecutive MSHSAA Class 1 District title, Oak Ridge boy's cross country coach Kristi Seyer was "hopeful" heading into Saturday's state finals at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo. However, every coach is cautious before big competitions.

Notre Dame senior Blake Morris did not achieve his goal of first place but did finish in the Top 10 at Saturday’s MSHSAA Class 3 Boys Cross Country State Finals at the Gans Creek Recreational Area in Columbia, Mo.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Van Buren girls cross country team placed in the top four for the first time in program history at the MSHSAA Cross Country championships on Saturday at the new 5,000-meter Gans Creek course. Poplar Bluff junior Jaden Deaton earned all-state honors with a late comeback for 22nd place to become the fifth Mules runner to place in the top 25 at state and first since 2005...

Notre Dame Regional High School never has had a boys cross country state champion. That could change Saturday. That's when Blake Morris, the Class 3 District 1 champion, will be in Columbia, Missouri, chasing history at the Missouri Boys and Girls Cross Country State Championships...

A new era of cross country in Missouri starts Saturday when the MSHSAA state championships is held for the first time at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia. It’s the first time since 1975 the race will not be held in Jefferson City’s Oak Hills Golf Course in Hough Park where Poplar Bluff’s John Meyers won the 4A title in 1986...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Kennett boys cross country team closed out its season at the Class 3, District 1 Tournament Saturday in Cape Girardeau. Kobe Patterson was the fastest Kennett runner at the district. Patterson finished 23rd with a time of 18:18.28...

In his last race on his home course, Notre Dame senior Blake Morris took top honors Saturday in the Class 3 District 1 cross country championships.

The St. Vincent cross country team had all of its members finish in the Top 30 in both gender divisions with the boys winning the title and the girls taking third place to highlight the Class 2 District 1 meet on Saturday at Notre Dame Regional High School.

JACKSON, Mo. — Jaden Deaton kept his feet under him running a muddy 3.1-mile course at Jackson City Park on Saturday as the Poplar Bluff senior won the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 race. Rain before and during the meet made conditions slippery for runners trying to advance to the sectional round...

Gracie Cook hammered 10 kills as the Meadow Heights volleyball team posted its 12th consecutive win of the season in its 25-16, 17-25, 25-10 victory over St. Paul Lutheran (Farmington) on Friday in both teams' regular-season finale...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Kennett Indians boys cross country team came up short in its bid to secure a conference title but did win a pair of medals Tuesday at the Heartland Conference Meet at Cape County North Park in Cape Girardeau. Kennett’s Kobe Patterson finished second with a time of 18:32 and Kennett’s Larry Payne placed 15th with a time of 19:57. The Top 15 finishers at the conference meet received medals...

Dexter's Carter Dorton and Clarkton's Taylor Earnheart were voted the male and female Semoball athlete of the Week, respectively, in online voting that concluded Wednesday night. Dorton, who had 498 votes, had a second-place finish at the Stoddard County Activities Association Conference cross country meet and broke the school record with a time of 17 minutes, 34 seconds with a 10th-place finish at the Farmington Invitational. ...

On a windy afternoon at Cape County Park North, Timothy Sloan and Kennedy Thies took top honors Tuesday at the 12th annual Heartland Conference (small schools) Cross Country Invitational at Cape County Park North. Sloan, 17, of Woodland, crossed the finish line first for the boys in 18 minutes, 22 seconds, more than a minute slower than his personal best of 17:12 -- recorded a week ago at a meet in Bloomfield, Missouri...

FARMINGTON, Mo. - The Kennett boys cross country team competed at the Farmington Invitational Saturday. Kennett’s Kobe Patterson finished 13th with a time of 17:48. Kennett’s Brett Bradley placed 46th with a time of 19:19, Kennett’s Alex Yates finished 62nd with a time of 20:09, and Kennett’s Larry Payne came in 73rd with a time of 20:27...

Molly Flanagan blasted a solo home run among her three hits as second-seeded St. Pius X defeated top-seeded Kelly 2-1, denying the Hawks their 32nd district title in the Class 2 District 2 Tournament championship game in Benton, Missouri. A.J. Agers went the distance on the mound to earn the win for St. Pius X (15-6). The one run she gave up was unearned and she recorded seven strikeouts and one walk...

POPLAR BLUFF — Running in a conference championship race for the second time in four days, Dexter's Margo Nea ran away from the field Thursday for a clean sweep. Nea won the SEMO Conference cross country race at Ozark Ridge Golf Course after earlier winning the SCAA title Monday...

The Jackson boys and girls claimed the team titles at the SEMO North Conference Meet on Thursday at the Ozark Ridge Golf Course in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Notre Dame senior Blake Morris successfully defended his conference in the the boys race, winning in 15 minutes, 42.94 seconds and helping the Bulldogs to a second-place team finish...

Parker Rhew was a hit this past week on and off the baseball diamond, as he easily won the Semoball.com Male Athlete of the Week honor.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. - Three Kennett runners took home medals at the Woodland cross country meet Thursday in Marble Hill, Missouri. Kennett’s Larry Payne finished 10th, Kennett’s Alex Yates placed 17th, and Kennett’s Brett Bradley took 20th. No additional information or times for the meet were available...

The Advance volleyball team avenged its only loss thus far before it sustained its second defeat of the season in a 25-21, 18-25, 21-25 loss to Lindbergh in the championship game of the Second Annual Jackson Tournament on Saturday at Jackson High School.

ELLINGTON — Ellington’s Carson McNail and East Carter’s Kennedy Thies won the Black River League Conference cross country meet Wednesday. McNail won the boys race in 18 minutes, 23 seconds and Thies won in 22:33. McNail bested Bunker’s Eli Bullock by 10 seconds for the win and the two were the only runners to break 19 minutes...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Jaden Deaton ran his fastest time of the season Saturday but finished second at the 18th annual Notre Dame Invitational. Notre Dame senior Blake Morris won the 5,000-meter race in 15 minutes, 52.18 seconds followed by Deaton in 16:31...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Kennett’s Kobe Patterson brought home another medal Saturday at the Notre Dame Invitational cross country meet in Cape Girardeau. Patterson finished 13th with a time of 17:39.64. The Top 25 finishers in the 141-runner field. Four other Kennett runners competed at the event. Kennett’s Brett Bradley (19:43.07) took 63rd, Kennett’s Jason Yates (20:10.87) placed 82nd, Kennett’s Larry Payne (20:21.57) finished 86th, and Kennett’s Carson Blansett (22:36.15) cam in 125th...

CLEARWATER 10, WOODLAND 3 Ahead 1-0 going into the fourth inning, the Tigers (9-2) scored in each of the final four innings to score 10 runs on 12 hits. Karson Fay was 3 for 3 with three runs, a double and an RBI as Clearwater’s leadoff hitter. Gage Keller tripled and was 3 for 3 with three RBIs and a run. Trey Rivas doubled and drove in two runs while Jackson Eaton scored twice...

The Notre Dame boys swimming team came way with four state qualifiers that was good enough to land the Bulldogs in second place at the 26th Annual Roger Eastman Invitational on Saturday at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Mo. Joseph Barber and Nicholas Hux were a part of three of those state cuts for the Bulldogs, including their first-place 200 medley relay team (1:44.90) and second-place 200 freestyle relay (1:34.26). ...

Kennett's Kobe Patterson and Twin Rivers' Whitney Williams were voted the Semoball.com Athletes of the Week in online voting that concluded Wednesday. Patterson, who had 413 votes in the boys balloting, finished first at the Van Buren Invitational cross country meet Sept. ...

VAN BUREN, Mo. - Kennett’s Kobe Patterson took home the top at the Van Buren Invitational cross country meet Thursday at Bis Springs State Park. Patterson posted a time of 16:51. The time was 15 seconds faster than second-place finisher Carson McNail of Ellington...

The Cape Girardeau Central boys swimming team placed first in five events to claim third place at the CoMo Invitational on Saturday at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Mo.

ARNOLD, Mo. — Poplar Bluff’s Jaden Deaton won the Ed White Warrior Invitational on Friday in Arnold, Mo. Deaton bested the competition by nearly 30 seconds, winning with a time of 16 minutes, 38.10 seconds. The Mules finished seventh as a team with 185 points...

Woodland’s Timothy Sloan took the first-place boys’ medal in Tuesday’s Oak Ridge Invitational cross country meet.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Four Kennett runners got its first taste of competitive racing in two weeks Saturday at the Cape Central Invitational. Kennett’s Kobe Patterson, Alex Yates, Brett Bradley, and Carson Blansett were among the 88 boys that competed at the event Saturday...

POPLAR BLUFF — Brylee Misner set a Poplar Bluff softball record for career home runs Monday in a 15-9 loss to Farmington at Bobby Strenfel Field. The Mules (2-12) set a season high for runs in a game after giving up five runs in the top of the first inning...

The Jackson cross country team won both gender divisions by a long mile at the Cape Girardeau Central Invitational on Saturday at Central High School.

The Notre Dame girls tennis team won the Cape Central Team Doubles Tournament on Saturday.

WILLOW SPRINGS, Mo. — Ellington’s Carson McNail won the Class 1 race in 18 minutes, 14.48 seconds at the Steve Waggoner Cross Country Invitational on Thursday at the Willow Springs Municipal Golf Course. For the girls team, Grace Lloyd took second in 24:12. Fordland’s Mia Wiley won the race in 23:33...

IRONTON, Mo. - The Kennett Indians cross country team placed fifth at the Arcadia Valley Invitational Saturday. Kennett posted a team score of 155. Potosi (65) placed first, North County (109) was second, Arcadia Valley (126) finished third, and Poplar Bluff (143) came in fourth. ...

The Cape Girardeau Central and Notre Dame boys swimming teams made quite a splash at Saturday’s Cape Rock Invitational at the Central Municipal Pool.

By BRIAN ROSENER Daily American Republic IRONTON, Mo. — Poplar Bluff’s Jaden Deaton and Dexter’s Margo Nea ran away from the pack at the Arcadia Valley XC Invitational on Saturday. Deaton won by 47 seconds, cutting 44 seconds from his second-place time last year as a sophomore. He ran the 5,000-meter course in 17 minutes 5.9 seconds...

Poplar Bluff's Jaden Deaton won his race Saturday in the season-opening cross country meet while Alexis Richardson finished in the top 10. Deaton covered the 2.35-mile course at Jackson City Park in 12 minutes 27 seconds to win the junior race at the Jackson Invitational, which features races for each grade and a shorter distance than a normal 5,000-meter meet...

The Kennett Indians boys cross country team is blessed with experience entering the fourth year of its program. All five runners out for cross country at Kennett are returning upperclassmen. “We have pretty high expectations,” Kennett senior Kobe Patterson said. “We have a group of five experienced runners. We are ready to run and make some noise.”...