State track medal haul, repeat medal in golf top year’s stories
1. Cassville track medals at state
Six Cassville boys and girls track and field athletes returned home in May with All-State honors. Bradan Dickinson earned a third-place finish in shot put, throwing for 16.44 meters to set a new school record. Riley Morris took seventh in discus with a throw of 33.91 meters, also setting a new school record. Finally, the eighth-place 4×800 relay team of Marianne McCrackin, Tori Mitchell, Annie Moore and Jolie Evans ran the race in 10:14.61.
2. Chappell repeats state golf medal
Despite temperatures dropping to below 50 on Oct. 17-18, the Cassville girls golf team managed a strong showing at Girls Golf State, with junior Avery Chappell turning in another medal performance. Chappell, who took 10th in 2021, finished ninth this year with a twoday 172 (85 and 87), one stroke higher than in 2021. Teammate Maci Barton finished in 78th, shooting a 236 (119 and 117).
3. Cassville installs new softball turf
The Cassville softball program christened its completed turf field on Sept. 13, with former coach Bonnie Cox ceremonially throwing the first pitch at the new facility prior to a contest with Monett. When the softball program began in 1997, players traveled to the softball fields located downtown for daily practices and weekly games. Cox said she is excited to see the support the program now has with the on-campus facility and the addition of the turf field.
4. Four medal at state wrestling
One Cassville wrestler took second at state in February and three more medaled, including two boys earning hardware for the first time. Annie Moore was the secondplace finisher at 115 pounds, and teammate Faith James, at 135, fought to a sixth-place finish. For the boys, 160-pounder Jake Anthonysz and 132-pounder Akhilleus Arguelles each finished their state campaigns with wins, taking fifth place in their brackets.
5. Lady Wildcat hoops upset run ends in ‘ship
The Cassville girls basketball team was the No. 6 seed in the Class 4, District 12 Tournament in March, but that didn’t stop the Lady Wildcats from upsetting No. 3 East Newton, 31-29, and No. 2 Mt. Vernon, 34-31, leaving only No. 1 Seneca remaining in the championship game in March. The Lady Indians proved to be too much, knocking off the underdog in a 50-22 contest. Cassville is 9-3 so far this season under a new coach.
6. Trojan relay teams make track history
The Southwest boys 4×800 and 4×400 relay teams took fourth and eighth at the Class 2 State Track Meet in May — the first relay medals in school history. The 4×800 relay team of Caden Uthe, Christian Long, Matteo Lumetta and Robert Humphries finished the 3,200-meter in 8:26.74 seconds. The 4×400 team of Uthe, Long, Lumetta and Otis Rainer did it again when the Trojans ran a 3:41.86 in the finals, earning the eighth spot on the podium.
7. ‘Cats turn in first winning season since 2009
The Cassville boys soccer program has been making strides, and the Wildcats earned an achievement this season not accomplished in the last 13 — a winning record. Cassville finished the campaign at 12-11-1, and Coach Jake Forste thinks the Wildcats could have added a few more in the win column. A highlight of the season came early on, when the Wildcats won their home tournament (shared with New Covenant) for the first time in six years.
8. 1962 Tigers headed to hall
Sixty years after winning the Class S Championship, the Exeter boys basketball team of 1963 was being recognized for the achievement with an induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. At the first varsity Exeter boys game of the season, the team was recognized in their home gym. Posting a record of 35-0 in the 19621963 season, the Tigers were the No. 1 team out of 241 Class S schools in Missouri at the time.
9. Cassville cheer competes at state
In early October, the Cassville cheer program did something it hadn’t in more than 5 years — compete in a cheer competition. At the Missouri Cheerleading Coaches Association St. Louis Regional, the Lady Wildcats took third place in the co-ed small division. At the state-level competition, Cassville finished in 10th place. The team is under new direction this year, coached by Jillian LeCompte and Abby Voris.
10. New athletics complex coming to Southwest
The Southwest school district is working on a $2 million athletics facilities project with a main goal unique to the area — a trap shooting range. The bond issue approved includes the building of new trap ranges, softball and baseball fields, press box, concessions and restrooms. The trap range will include a shot-stop curtain, and there will be walkways, viewing areas and a trap house.
