The Class 1 state champion Mercer Lady Cardinals and Class 3 fourth-place Trenton Lady Bulldogs each have placed three players on the northwest Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association All-District team, announced on Wednesday morning. In addition, Mercer coach Dan Owens (Class 1 girls) and Trenton coach Brian Upton (Class 3 girls) were named All-District Coaches of the Year.
From Trenton, named all-district Class 3 were senior forward Whitley Richman, sophomore guard Ainsley Tolson, and sophomore guard Mykah Hurley. That trio is joined on the Class 3 girls team by East Buchanan senior Josie Fortney, the Lathrop duo of Deidra Sellers and Annika Huitt, Hamilton freshman point guard Nora Ford, Lawson senior guard Malorie Rash, South Harrison junior guard Carley Wilhelm, and Maryville senior forward Abbie Greeley.
Trenton went through Hamilton (district semifinals), Lathrop (district final), and Lawson (sectional) on its way to the Show-Me Showdown in Columbia, with the Lady Bulldogs finishing 4th in their first ever trip to Missouri’s “Final Four”.
Trenton’s Spencer Harris was named Class 3 boys all-district in a loaded group of 10. Joining Harris was Hamilton’s duo of LaTroy Harper and Jaran Richman, who ended the Bulldogs season in a district semifinal second-half rally on February 23rd; Lathrop’s Conner Vanderkooi, Lawson point guard Cody Glenn, Maryville point guard John Zimmerman, Lawson’s Max Ross, Maryville’s Eli Dowis, East Buchanan’s Ethan Kilgore, and Maryville’s Jackson Golightly. Brad Smith of Lawson was named the All-District Coach of the Year.
The Mercer Lady Cardinals “Big 3”, in seniors Bailey Owens, Nicole Kost, and Lindsay Wyatt are Class 1 All-District, with the state championship trio joined by Southwest Livingston’s Kaylie Campbell and Kortlyn Rounkles, Gilman City’s Hailey Burrows, North Harrison’s Payton Craig, King City’s Brittany Walters, Grundy R-5’s Matana Munday, Norborne’s Madison Brown and Katie Wood, and Braymer’s Jasmine Taylor.
For Class 1 boys, area all-district selections include Winston’s Craig Lewis and Jacob Lewis, Mercer’s Cash Hartley and Bryer Noe, Garrett Johnson of Northwestern, Jordan Miller and Austin Hall of Braymer, Kade Allee and Drake Kinsella of Worth County, Southwest Livingston’s Mack Anderson, King City’s B.J. Eiberger, and Gilman City’s Cornelius Peery. Del Morley of North Andrew was named Class 1 boys all-district Coach of the Year.
For Class 2, Stanberry’s Madi Sager and Lily Osborn, Gallatin’s Karley Salmon, Princeton’s Jaelyn Thomas, and Polo’s Jennifer Farmer are all-district girls, joined on the boys side by Stanberry’s Brad Hailey and Cole Craig, Gallatin’s Jett Simmons, Polo’s James Fleener, and Princeton’s Calvin Berwanger.
Mid-Buchanan coaches Rod Elms (girls) and Bryce Kemper (boys) swept the Class 2 Coach of the Year district honors.
The Chillicothe Lady Hornets superb season saw the Lady Hornets put three players, all seniors, onto the Class 4 and 5 all-district team, in Whitney Clampitt, Katelyn Parkey, and Hannah Jones. Future NCMC Lady Pirate Maddie Book is one of two Lafayette players on the squad, joining Irish senior center Ashlyn Dotson. Smithville has two players on the team, in senior guard Trace Mosby and sophomore guard Lexi Moes. Smithville and Chillicothe are two of the five schools giving Trenton losses this season. The others are Lutheran North, Whitfield, and Stanberry.
In Class 4 and 5, Chillicothe’s Cade Snyder, despite having his senior season cut short by a knee injury, was one of nine boys named all-district, joining Jaxon Steele of Savannah as the only players on the squad not from the city of St. Joseph.
Smithville Lady Warrior Coach Trevor Mosby and Savannah Savages Coach Nick Kemerling were awarded the all-district Coach of the Year honors.
