The Columbia Daily Tribune is proud to announce the 2021-22 Boone County High School Sports Awards Athletes of the Year.
The Boone County High School Sports Awards is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
Overall Male Athlete, Female Athlete and Coach of the Year will be announced later this month.
Here are the Boone County Sports Awards Athletes of the Year by sport:
Fall sports
Boys cross country
Following in his brother’s footsteps, Hauser is our boys’ cross-country runner of the year. The sophomore finished first at the 2021 MSHSAA Class 5 State Championships and was named Missouri Gatorade Cross Country Distance Runner of the Year.
Girls cross country
Wilmes entered the scene as a freshman at Tolton, where she claimed the 2021 individual state title while leading the Trailblazers to the MSHSAA Class 3 Championship. At state, there was a 21-second gap between Wilmes and second place.
Girls tennis
For the 13th consecutive season, Rock Bridge girls’ tennis took a district title. See the article : Best TV Series Comes to Amazon Prime Video in July 2022. Lin played a huge part in that endeavor as she fought her way to a berth in the semifinals of the MSHSAA Class 3 singles tournament.
Volleyball
Swindle is our volleyball player of the year after leading Rock Bridge to the state’s first-ever Final Four finish. Read also : Top 10 best books of 2022 EW.com. The University of Texas deployment recorded 690 assists as a junior during the 2021 season and was named the Missouri Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year.
Girls golf
The sophomore shot spectacularly to the top of the Boone County golf scene. Rischer set an MSHSAA record when she scored a round of 60, 12 under par at the Helias Invitational. See the article : When will ‘Gotham’ leave Netflix?. She finished the season second in the MSHSAA Class 3 tournament.
Boys swimming
Ragsdell not only finished second in the 50-meter freestyle at the MSHSAA Class 2 meet. He equaled his brother’s old record in the race with a time of 21.28. Ragdsell also scored 31.5 points overall at the state.
Boys soccer
Our Boys Soccer Player of the Year was a major contributor to Hickman’s 19-4-1 season. Lehmedi was an all-state first-team squad after the 2021 season, scoring eight goals and providing 11 assists.
Softball
Hay was the leader of a Bruins team that won 27 games in the 2021 season without a senior on the roster. Our softball player of the year was named all-state first team catcher during her junior year and committed to play in Missouri.
Football offensive player
Cobb’s performance led Hallsville to an undefeated regular season, which is why he is our football striker of the year. He earned Class 2 third-team all-state honors after scoring a combined 46 touchdowns as a runner and passer. He led all Boone County players with just 2,000 rushing yards.
Football defensive player
Dunn, our Defensive Player of the Year, was one of the few players in Boone County to record multiple fumbles, interceptions and defensive touchdowns. Dunn earned Class 5 District 4 honors after his standout season in 2021.
Winter sports
Girls swimming
Hervey won gold in the 500-meter freestyle at the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships, winning by six seconds between first and second. She also placed third in the 200-meter freestyle.
Boys wrestling
There is nothing like perfection to start your high school career. Benter, a freshman, finished a perfect 41-0, winning an individual MSHSAA Class 4 state championship at Mizzou Arena with his brother, Hayden.
Girls wrestling
Stephens finished 30-6 in her senior season as she struggled her way to the MSHSAA Class 4 District 2 Championship game for the third season in a row. She finished her Bruins career with 125 wins.
Boys basketball
In his final season, Porter led Tolton to the Class 4 state championship game. His size, height and versatility made him one of the most difficult players in the state to guard. Porter led Tolton by 29 points against Vashon in the championship loss.
Girls basketball
The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 6 Co-Player of the Year, Kroenke led Rock Bridge to an astonishing 26-2 record in her senior season as a player who dominated both sides of the field. She continues her playing career with Missouri.
Spring sports
Boys golf
Christian Rischer, Father Tolton
Rischer took first overall in 2021. In 2022, he finished third, but was the key that lifted the Trailblazers to a team state championship. Rischer’s two-day score of 145 finished one stroke behind the state’s individual co-champions.
Boys tennis
TIE, Max Litton and Akhil Elangovan, Rock Bridge
In the final season of their head coach’s boys’ tennis, Elangovan and Litton sent Ben Loeb away as state champions. The duo won the Class 3 MSHSAA doubles title.
Girls track and field
Nevills showed her strength and was a dominant force in the discus throw. She claimed the class 5 state title in the discus throw with a throw of 42.03 meters.
Boys track and field
Giles helped the Bruins win the Class 5 championship by winning gold in the 100-meter dash and the 4×400-meter relay. He set a new Class 5 record in the 100-meter dash and earned the state title with a finish of 10.46 seconds.
Girls soccer
Madison Hendershott, Rock Bridge
The Bruins’ magical run-up to the state’s Final Four was not by accident. Hendershott and the 2022 team were special. As a junior, Hendershott played a part in the deep postseason run as an all-state, all-district and all-conference player.
Baseball
The Eagles’ first-ever title was the result of a team playing their best at the best time. Karotka’s bat helped Southern Boone score and his throwing arm closed games. Karotka was named winner of the Gold Glove Award in high school as one of only nine players in the country to deserve the honor.
Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, which oversees sports coverage for the University of Missouri and Boone County. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.
