Sports

Monett sophomore Macey Flynt has broken her hips, back, nose, fingers and toes, but no amount of injuries have stopped the 16-year-old from standing out in the state and region as an elite-level gymnast. A recent gold medalist in vault, bronze medalist in bars and eighth-place finisher in beam at the Missouri Optional State Championship in Kansas City, Flynt is packing her bags for her final gymnastics competition ever, the Region IV Xcel Championship in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 24...

Pierce City’s Rylie O’Hara competes in high jump Tuesday at the Pierce City Hillbilly Relays.

A dozen Verona High School students are getting to do something twice per week some of their elders may very well envy — play video games in school. The Verona eSports program was launched in the fall of 2019, and this year, the roster is 12-strong and could be expanded with more equipment...

The Monett boys tennis team moved to 4-2 overall with an undefeated week on the courts, topping Reeds Spring 5-4 and Clever 8-1. “[The Reeds Spring contest] was a very close match,” said Jason Smith, Monett tennis coach. “We had really long rallies. ...

A right of passage for any baseball player is getting to swing the bat under the sandlot lights, and for the first time, Verona’s baseball team will have the chance to do so on Thursday. Seven games into the season, the Wildcats have yet to play at home, and Thursday’s contest against College Heights Christian is on the forefront of every Wildcats mind this week...

The Pierce City baseball team is 10 games into its season and picked up only its second win on Monday, but the 2-8 record does not tell the whole story. Of the Eagles’ eight losses, six opponents were state-ranked, and the other two came at the hands of a solid Stockton squad and playing up to Class 4 East Newton...

The Pierce City softball team is looking to recover from a string of losses, the latest of which came on Monday to Mt. Vernon, 8-1. The Lady Eagles (8-4) managed a pair of hits in the contest and gave up 12 to the Lady Mountaineers. Mollie Beeson went four innings on the mound with 3 strikeouts, and Olivia Stanphill went three innings, matching the K count. It’s the fourth loss in a row for Pierce City, which traveled to Diamond on Tuesday and returns home Thursday to host Lockwood at 5 p.m...

For $25, people this summer can win a 2021 Toyota Tundra or $10,000, and they can help the Barry-Lawrence County Development Center in the process. The Monett-based non-profit, which provides early intervention services to developmentally disabled children 5 and younger, will be among the nearly 50 Ozarks children’s charities of this summer’s PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper...

A 0-3 start for the Purdy baseball team may have seemed dire, but the Eagles are finding their wings this season, ripping off seven wins in a row — and many big ones. After losses to Clever, Monett and El Dorado Springs, by a combined 7 runs, Purdy has outscored its opponents 83-12 and shut out two...

Despite a rough week of conference losses at home, the Pierce City softball team has been slugging its way through opponents this season, benefitting from measured hitting and pitching that has added up to wins. Bobby Stackhouse, Pierce City softball coach, said the Lady Eagles (8-3) are off to a decent start with a few quality wins, and it’s the team’s abilities at the plate and in the circle producing them...

At the Ozark Relays on Thursday, Vayla Smith set a new eighth-grade girls 400-meter dash record, completing the sprint in 1:04.52.

The Monett boys tennis team moved to 2-2 on the season with a 9-0 loss at home to Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday. “Thomas Jefferson is a very strong team,” said Jason Smith, Monett tennis coach. “We played hard but did not end with a victory.” Results included:...

The Monett girls and boys track teams competed in the Carthage Varsity Invitational Thursday, with the 4x100 girls and 4x400 boys relay teams shining at the meet. The girls 4x100 team of Mary Martinez, Ashtyn Blakey, Jenna Herald and Londi Torres took top honors in the relay in 54.10...

The Monett baseball team is hovering around .500 after getting a pair of wins over big 8 foes to capture the Monett Invitational Championship Saturday. Michael Calhoun, Monett coach, said the team was 4-4 after the home invitational title, then fell on Monday to Seneca...

The Monett girls soccer team picked up a big road win on Thursday over Fair Grove, 8-0, but dropped a home contest to McAuley Catholic on Monday, 4-2. Against Fair Grove, Daisy Mejia led the way with four goals. Katherine Simmons, Deleny Rueda, Natalie Turner and Kandealyn Price each scored 1 goal. ...

The Monett boys tennis team is starting off the season strong, picking up a pair of dual wins, both shutouts, and won four firsts and four seconds at the Mt. Vernon Tournament. After a season-opening 9-0 win over Aurora, Monett struggled with Webb City, falling 8-1...

It may barely be April, but the Verona baseball team has a chance to win some hardware on Monday, and not in the typical tournament fashion. The Ozark 7 Conference has only five teams with baseball this year, and the Wildcats are 2-1 so far with the final conference bout in two days...

The Missouri State High School Athletics Association has released its spring sports district assignments, and while some sports grew in the number of classes, local schools remained unaffected by the changes. Spring baseball grew from five classes to six, but Monett remained in Class 4, the same as the previous year...

The Monett girls soccer team avenged an early-season loss to Aurora this week, defeating the Lady Houn’ Dawgs at Monett South Park on Tuesday, 2-1. Deisy Mejia and Sydney Parrigon scored the goals for Monett, both unassisted. Goalkeeper Ruby Rodriguez produced 11 saves on the day. The win avenged the 3-0 loss to Aurora in the Cassville Kickoff Classic. Monett is back in action on Monday, hosting McAuley Catholic at Burl Fowler Stadium at 4:30 p.m...

The Monett baseball team is looking to end a short skid in the last week by bagging some wins at its home tournament on Saturday, with Big 8 mainstays East Newton and Seneca on the schedule. The three teams are the only ones in the round-robin tournament, and Michael Calhoun, Monett coach, said he’s excited to see his Cubs (2-3) continue growing this season...

The Purdy baseball team is finding its legs in the dirt this season, starting out with three losses but winning its last two straight to take fifth place in its home tournament. Joshua Hughes, Purdy baseball coach, said the team has been shining offensively...

The Monett girls track and field team competed in the Neosho meet on Monday, winning first place in five total events. “I am really happy with the way our seniors stepped up and competed at the meet,” said Kelly George, Monett girls track coach. “Gabby won both the 100 and 300 hurdles. ...

There’s an air of excitement on the pavement at Burl Fowler this season, as the Monett boys track team is possibly its most promising in years. Jeff Piepenbrink, Cubs boys track coach, said the well-roundedness of this year’s squad is noteworthy. “We have 18 athletes, and they are probably the most well-rounded athletic group I have had since I have been head coach,” he said. ...

The Verona softball team has had a down week due to weather after coming off a second-place finish in the Verona Invitational last week. Kim Nettles, Lady Wildcats softball coach who is in her first year at the helm of the program, said the team was excited by the tourney result...

The Missouri State High School Athletics Association (MSHSAA) announced the dates of the State Track Championships in an email to coaches on Thursday. District assignments are still set to be released on Wednesday, and MSHSAA opted to stick to five classes this year, but did make a change to how the meets will be contested...

The Monett boys tennis team served up a big win on Tuesday, defeating Aurora, 9-0. In singles action, senior Dylan Lynch defeated Xane Shirley 8-1, senior Ben Hoyt defeated Angel Cruz 8-3, sophomore Ethan Kutz defeated James rogers 8-4, sophomore Derek Mayne defeated Dalton Hess 8-0, senior Angel Salas defeated Noah Pruett 8-3 and freshman Heisman Welch defeated Lorenz Junge 8-2. ...

Many athletics programs this year are suffering from a lack of experience after the cancellation of spring sports in 2020 — not Purdy softball. The Lady Eagles’ season kicked off on Friday against Pleasant Hope at home with a 10-0 victory, and they played on Monday and Tuesday in the Mt. Vernon Tournament...

Monett’s Daisy Mejia crosses a ball in for the Lady Cubs on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Cassville in the Cassville Kickoff Classic.

A dozen athletes are carting their clubs this year with the Monett golf team, and with little experience after the cancellation of the 2020 season, the team is working hard on the basics. Brian Cox, Monett golf coach, said the team has 12 total members, including three seniors, but only one with any varsity tournament experience two years ago...

The Pierce City golf team kicked off its season on Monday, and the Eagles head to Neosho Thursday for their first taste of tournament action. Chris Randolph, Pierce City boys golf coach, said he has eight boys on this year’s squad, and this is his first full year with the team after COVID canceled the 2020 season...

The Monett soccer team is still searching for its first win of the year after a tough week on the pitch. The Lady Cubs played in the Cassville Kickoff Classic Friday and Saturday, falling to Branson, 3-0, then Aurora, 3-0, and Cassville, 2-1, with Daisy Mejia scoring the weekend’s lone goal on a penalty kick in the first half. ...