NIXA, Mo. — Last year there was a huge statement on Nicholas Road in Nixa. The high school showed it’s muscle, sending two football players to FBS schools. It was the second-straight year Nixa had at least one, big-five conference football player signee.
A packed high school auditorium this year will remember 2017 for both the quality and quantity of student athletes moving onto the next level.
A record 14 Nixa seniors signed National Letters of Intent on February 1st. Twelve students heading to play NCAA, D-II sports with half of those attending Drury University. There was also a wide variety of sports on stage, with seven teams represented.
“Anytime we get a chance to sign this many athletes,” Nixa Director of Athletics, Brandon Clark said, “it just shows their hard work and dedication. As I told the parents, there’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”
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A trio of football players stayed late after the ceremony, taking pictures on stage. Nicos Oropeza, who ran for just shy of 2,900 yards in three years, signed his letter with a program on the rise, Southwest Baptist. Nicos will see his former teammate Layne Jennings every year thanks to Jennings signing with GLVC rival Missouri S&T. Ben Lambton, one of the better linemen the Ozarks produced this past season, signs with Missouri Southern to round out the football signees.
Also heading to Joplin is Gracie Gimlin who will play defense for the Lions. Gimlin is one of three Eagles soccer players to sign on Wednesday. Class-4, All Stater Alex Johnson parlayed her team high 27 goals last spring into a scholarship at Maryville. This will also be the final season for Maycie Palmer playing for her dad, head coach Evan Palmer, before she takes her game to Drury.
For coach Palmer, he sends two boys to college along with the three girls. One young man had the spotlight in one of the program’s brightest moments, while the other one is a role model for many in the community. Parker Crawford, the author of the golden goal which sent Nixa to the 2015 Final Four, signs his letter of intent to play at Drury. Teammate Kevin King, whose success over diabetes is a story courage for many, will join Crawford as a Panther.
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Also heading up north to Drury is golfer Olivia Ramsey and baseball pitcher Joey Dopp. Ramsey qualified for state this past fall, finishing in the top third of the Class-2 field. Dopp hit .273 as a junior but his real strength will be as a pitcher for the Panthers.
Another Eagle pitcher, Corey Lummis is taking the junior college route heading to Northeastern Oklahoma (NEO) in Miami. Lummis was key to Nixa’s amazing run through districts last spring, getting a four-pitch, final out against Kickapoo with the bases loaded for the save in the title clincher.
One of the most popular sports at Nixa, basketball, has a lone signee this winter. Paige Wells inks to play at Central Methodist at the NAIA level. Wells has been a leader on and off the floor for the young Eagles this year.
Finally a pair of track stand-outs also signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. Meleah Ridenour, who finished fifth at state in the triple jump, is taking her athleticism to Bolivar at Southwest Baptist. For the boys, Josiah Wilson is heading to Rolla to compete at Missouri S&T. Wilson is a Swiss Army Knife of track athletes, competing in everything from the pole vault to high jump and 4×200 relay to 300 hurdles.
“What was neat about this class,” Clark said, “in talking with the coaches that recruited them, they were looking for not just great athletes, but high academic athletes well. Many of them were being recruited for their academics and their athletics. (It’s) neat to see our teachers at Nixa High School and all of their teachers that have supported them throughout the years and helped them get to this piont.”
