CAST YOUR VOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. YOU MUST RANK NO. 1 TO NO. 4 WITH NO. 1 BEING YOUR TOP PICK.
Crane Girls Basketball
Simply the best. Crane’s six-player senior class led the Pirates to their fourth straight Class 2 state championship last March, putting an exclamation point on one of the greatest runs the Ozarks has ever witnessed. Despite losing all-state forward Emma Lander to an early season knee injury, Crane was dominant as ever, winning six of seven postseason games by 16 points or more. Crane took on the best of the best again this season. Among its notable wins were: Republic (Class 5 district champion), Kickapoo (Class 5 state champion), Hillcrest (Class 4 district champion), Strafford (Class 3 state champion), St. James (Class 3 state quarterfinalist), Gainesville (Class 2 quarerfinalist) and Skyline (Class 2 3rd-place).
Hartville Boys Basketball
Once they reached Columbia, the Hartville Eagles showed nothing was going to stop them from winning the program’s first state championship. Hartville dominated its two opponents at state, thumping Wellington-Napoleon 63-33 in the semifinals and then Iberia 64-37 in the Class 2 title game. Hartville was a balanced team that thrived on a defense-first mentality. At state, four of Hartville’s starters scored 10 or more in the two games. All-state senior Ryan Ward scored 26 in the semifinals (on 11-for-12 shooting from the field) and led the Eagles with 15 points in the finals. Hartville didn’t lose to a fellow Class 2 team all season. Its four losses were to Class 3 Strafford, Class 4 Lafayette (St. Joseph) and Class 5 Nixa and Republic, all by an average of four points.
Hermitage Boys XC
After winning a state title in 2014 on a tiebreaker, Hermitage left no doubt in 2015 as the Hornets were repeat Class 1 champions by a 24-point margin. The Hornets had a trio of all-state performers: sophomore Easton Sabala (6th, 17:21), junior Bailey Jones (9th, 17:30) and junior Dillon Meyer (16th, 17:42). The Hornets also won their district meet in convincing fashion, placing six runners in the Top 10 to win by 29 points. With no seniors among the 2015 state championship group, Hermitage will aim for a three-peat this fall.
Skyline Boys Track
The Tigers punctuated a great school year across all sports with their second straight Class 2 state championship in boys' track and field. Skyline posted three first-place finishes at state. Senior Madison Davis won the 400 and 200, while the Tigers’ 4×100 relay group won that event. In additional, senior and 2016 1 Awards Male Athlete of the Year nominee Dylan Mountain was 3rd in the 300 hurdles and 2nd in the 110 hurdles. Senior Tyler Swearingin was 3rd in the 100 dash, 4th in the 200 and the anchor on Skyline’s first-place 4×100 relay.
Strafford Girls Basketball
A great year for Strafford girls’ sports was highlighted by the basketball team winning the Class 3 state championship. Led by 2016 1 Awards nominee Hayley Frank, Strafford defeated St. Pius X (Kansas City) and Saxony Lutheran in Columbia to claim the school’s first state in any sport. Strafford faced a stacked non-conference schedule throughout the season; two of its three losses were to eventual state champions in Class 2 Crane and Class 5 Kickapoo. The Indians had notable wins over the likes of Lebanon, Skyline, Fair Grove, Marshfield and Branson during the regular season.
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