AREA CLASSES AT ANDY DALTON SHOOTING RANGE AND OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER

Shotgun Basics

Saturday, March 13^th

8:30 to 11:30 am

Join us to learn the basics of shooting your shotgun for hunting and the clay target games; trap and skeet. You are welcome to bring your own unloaded shotgun to the program or you can use our equipment. This is a free program open to anyone age 11 and older.

Antler Scoring

Saturday, March 20^th

8:30 to 11:30 am

Join us to have those big antlers scored by a certified Boone and Crockett and Mo Big Bucks official. This is your only opportunity to have your antlers scored at the Range before next fall.

Handgun Basics

Saturday, March 20^th

8:30 to 11:30 am

Join us to learn the basics of safely shooting your handgun for hunting and target practice. This program is limited to adult’s age 21 and older. Please feel free to bring your own unloaded handgun to class. This does not qualify for or pertain to or fulfill the requirements for concealed carry license.

To register for classes, volunteer or get more information about programs, classes, or business hours, call 417-742-4361 or click here to visit us on the web.

SPRINGFIELD VARSITY ICE HOCKEY TEAM CAPTURES CHAMPIONSHIP

The Springfield Varsity Ice Hockey team, the Springfield Spirit, captured the Mid America High School Hockey League four-state crown in a dramatic overtime win against the Wichita Warriors in the championship game this past Sunday, Feb. 28 in Kansas City, Mo.

Overcoming a two-goal deficit in the first period, the Springfield Spirit rallied to a 5-4 victory over Wichita after a goal by Spirit Captain Eric Skibinski and forward Biran Otradovec in the first minute of overtime. Spirit Goalie, Sam Jones, sealed the win after shutting down Wichita’s league leading offensive unit by saving 30 shots on goal during the championship game.

Springfield reached the championship game after an overtime shoot-out win against St. Joseph in the preliminary round and an upset 5-4 win over number one seeded Jefferson City in the semi-final game.

The Springfield Youth Hockey Association sponsors the Springfield Spirit Varsity Hockey team. It is comprised of high school varsity players from Springfield, Greenwood, Nixa, Ozark, Fairplay and Strafford High Schools. The team competes in the Mid America High School Hockey League against high school teams from Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas and participates in the U.S. Hockey Community Olympic Development Program. The team’s home ice is the Springfield-Greene County Park Board’s Mediacom Ice Park.

For further information, contact: Jim Wherley, Spirit Head Coach, 417-861-3572, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

BEARS CLAIM WIN NO. 20 WITH MVC TOURNEY

A three-pointer by Adam Leonard with 30 seconds left in the game sealed a 52-46 win for the Missouri State Bears over Evansville in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament here late Thursday.

With the win, the Bears (20-11) reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2006-07 and the 14th time in the program's Division I era. Missouri State, the No. 7 seed, advances to play No. 2 seed Wichita State (23-8) at 6:05 p.m. Friday.

The win was not an easy one for Cuonzo Martin's squad, as it overcame a poor shooting effort and solid defense by the 10th-seeded Purple Aces. After taking a narrow 26-24 lead into the intermission, the Bears missed their first eight shots of the second half and fell behind 34-28 after a three-pointer by Ned Cox with 14:04 to go.

Evansville led until just over seven-and-a-half minutes to play when James Haarsma fouled Will Creekmore while converting a layup to put MSU on top 38-37. Creekmore missed the ensuing free throw, but the basket closed out a 10-3 run by Missouri State.

Cox made two free throws after a bump foul on Kyle Weems 15 seconds later to hand the lead back to UE briefly, and Weems avenged the call by knocking down his third three-pointer of the game moments later to give the Bears a 41-39 advantage.

Back-to-back baskets by Caleb Patterson and Jermaine Mallett built the Bears' lead to 45-39 with 5:33 on the clock, but the young Aces stormed back again. A three-pointer by Colt Ryan, short jumper by Kavon Lacey and pair of free throws by Denver Holmes helped Evansville retake a 46-45 lead two minutes later.

Weems would pick up a pair of free throws to put the Bears back on top on their next possession before Leonard's critical trey with 30 seconds left sealed the win. Weems and Mallett combined to make 3-of-4 free throws in the final 14 seconds to pad the final margin.

For Missouri State, its final field goal percentage of .333 (19-of-57) was its worst since firing at a 31.9-percent clip in an overtime loss at Arkansas on Dec. 22. The Bears were also 6-for-20 (.300) from three-point range and matched a season-low with a 50-percent effort at the free throw line (8-for-16).

Weems recorded his third double-double in four games with a team-high 12 points and game-high 11 rebounds to go with three blocks and two assists. Creekmore added 9 points, while Ricks and Patterson scored eight apiece.

The Bears enjoyed a 46-35 rebounding margin, including 16 offensive boards, which helped MSU capture 11 second-chance points.

Evansville was 16-for-50 (.320) from the field and made 4-of-13 (.308) from three-point range and 10-for-15 (.667) from the line. Holmes' 13 points led the way for Marty Simmons' squad, while Ryan had 7 rebounds.

In the first half, Missouri State survived a furious comeback by Evansville midway through the first half to take a 26-24 advantage into the locker room. The Bears jumped out to a 17-8 lead on a jumper by Patterson with 8:56 to go in the opening period. After Jerome Jones missed a pair of free throws, his first attempts of the season, moments later, Evansville reeled off the next seven points to make it a 17-15 game.

Patterson answered with a short jumper for the Bears at the 6:47 mark to push MSUs lead back to four points. However, Missouri State would not hit another field goal for the next five minutes and 36 seconds, while the Purple Aces gained their first lead on a layup by Cox with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the opening period.

Ricks would make four free throws in the Bears' dry spell to tie the game at 21 and 23, respectively, before Weems dropped a three-pointer in from the right wing with just over a minute to go to give the Bears a 26-23 advantage. Evansville, which was 5-for-6 at the foul line in the first half, added a charity shot in the final 14 seconds to make it a 26-24 game at the break.

BEARS LAND TWO ON MISSOURI VALLEY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE TEAM

Missouri State juniors Will Creekmore Ryan Jehle have both been named to the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team, the league announced Thursday in its third wave of postseason awards.

Creekmore (C, Tulsa, Okla.) had a 3.48 cumulative grade-point average in finance and was named to the first team, while Jehle (F, Overland Park, Kan.), a 3.73 post-graduate student in computer information systems, earned second-team honors. Jehle is currently pursuing is masters in business administration.

Both players are repeat performers on the MVC All-Academic squad with Creekmore landing second-team distinction in 2008-09, and Jehle claiming honorable mention laurels last season.

SBU’S MATT ROGERS AND TOMAS BROCK EARN ALL-MIAA HONORS

SBU's Matt Rogers and Tomas Brock earned All-MIAA honors, when the 2009-10 awards were announced Wednesday by the conference office. Rogers earned All-MIAA First Team for the third straight season and picked up All-Defensive Team honors for the fourth straight campaign. Brock earned All-MIAA honorable mention in his second season with the Bearcats.

Rogers, a senior center from Doniphan, Mo., had been averaging 21.8 points per game before missing the last eight games due to injury. Rogers won three MIAA Player of the Week awards this season and nine for his SBU career. He ranked fourth in the nation in blocks (3.6 per game), as well as 15th in all of Division II in points (21.8 ppg). His totals would put him near the top of the MIAA in points, rebounds (8.8), field goal percentage (52%), blocks and defensive rebounds (7.3). He also ranks among the all-time SBU leaders in points, rebounds, field goals, free throws, and blocks.

Brock, a junior point guard from Mount Vernon, Mo., has stepped up in Rogers’ absence, including a career-high 24 points against Emporia State. Brock’s 4.9 assists per game ranks third in the MIAA. He is also averaging 13.2 points per game (17th in the MIAA), while shooting 84% from the foul line (MIAA 5th). His assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.8 ranks sixth and he also ranks second in minutes played (32.8 per game).

Central Missouri forward Sanijay Watts was named MIAA Player of the Year while Northwest Missouri guard Deshaun Cooper was tabbed for Freshman of the Year. Missouri Southern's Skyler Bowlin was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Year while coaches of league's top two teams split Coach of the Year honors: Kim Anderson of Central Missouri and Mark Johnson of Fort Hays State.

The SBU Bearcats (20-10, 11-9 MIAA) will rematch with Missouri Western on Friday, March 5, in the first round of the MIAA Basketball Championships at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium. MWSU defeated SBU 86-72 last Saturday in St. Joseph. The Griffons are the fourth seed while the Bearcats are the fifth seed. The game is also a rematch of last year's first round contest that saw the Griffons upset an injury-depleted Bearcats squad.

SBU WOMEN’S TENNIS TAKES TWO OF THREE IN

The SBU women's tennis team started their 2010 season off with two road wins in Arkansas, defeating Henderson State 7-2, and Ouachita Baptist 7-2 on Friday, before falling 8-1 to Delta State on Saturday, February 27.

In the Friday afternoon opener with Henderson State, the Bearcats got singles wins from Jolee Cook (6-0, 6-1) over Meredith Massey; Johanna Olsson (6-3, 6-2) over HSU's Rebecca Staton; Jenna Hendrickson (4-6, 6-3, 10-6) over Estephanie Lau; Sarah Sentlinger (6-3, 6-0) over Theresa Nguyen; and Misti Janisch (2-6, 6-4, 6-1) over Lacey Hawkins.  Cook and Faiga Schmidt picked up a win at #1 doubles over Massey and Staton, 8-3, while Hendrickson and Crystal Guiot won at #3 doubles, 8-3 over Hawkins and Emily Eggleston.

Southwest Baptist 7, Henderson State 2

Doubles

1. Cook/Schmidt (SBU) def. Massey/Staton (HSU)  8-3

2. Schnobel/Lau (HSU) def. Olsson/Sentlinger (SBU)  5-8

3. Hendrickson/Crystal Guiot (SBU) def. Hawkins/Emily Eggleston (HSU)  8-3

Singles

1. Jolee Cook (SBU) def. Meredith Massey  (HSU)  6-0, 6-1

2. Johanna Olsson (SBU) def. Rebecca Staton  (HSU)  6-3, 6-2

3. Stephanie Schnobel  (HSU) def. Faiga Schmidt (SBU)  1-6, 7-6, 4-10

4. Jenna Hendrickson (SBU) def. Estephanie Lau  (HSU)  4-6, 6-3, 10-6

5. Sarah Sentlinger (SBU) def. Theresa Nguyen  (HSU)   6-3, 6-0

6. Misti Janisch (SBU) def. Lacey Hawkins (HSU)   2-6, 6-4, 6-1

--

In the Friday evening match with Ouachita Baptist, SBU recorded straight set wins in five of six singles matches. Olsson won both her #2 singles match (6-1, 6-1) and #2 doubles with Sentlinger (8-3). Hendrickson also won both of her matches, at #4 singles (6-2, 6-1) and #3 doubles with Guiot (9-7).

Southwest Baptist 7, Ouachita Baptist 2

Doubles

1. Divardin/Tavu Fa (OBU) def. Cook/Schmidt (SBU)  8-4

2. Olsson/Sentlinger (SBU) def. Potts/Sokolova (OBU)  8-3

3. Hendrickson/Guiot (SBU) def. Ruggles/Street (OBU) 9-7

Singles

1. Jolee Cook (SBU) def. Mariana Divardin (OBU)  6-4, 6-2

2. Johanna Olsson (SBU) def. Katie Potts  (OBU)  6-1, 6-1

3. Faiga Schmidt (SBU)  def. Lilia Sokolova (OBU) 6-1, 6-2

4. Jenna Hendrickson (SBU) def. Megan Ruggles  (OBU)  6-2, 6-1

5. Samantha Street (OBU) def. Sarah Sentlinger (SBU)  6-2, 6-4

6. Misti Janisch (SBU) def. Annie Gerber (OBU)   6-2, 6-3

--

The Bearcats' (2-1) lone win Saturday against Delta State came in #1 doubles with Jolee Cook and Faiga Schmidt winning 8-4 over Tatiana Bouchaud and Lisa Jamais. Cook also went to three sets with Jamais in #1 singles.

Delta State 8, Southwest Baptist 1

Doubles

1. Cook/Schmidt (SBU) def. Bouchaud/Jamais (DSU)  8-4

2. Benzaki/Mongin (DSU) def. Olsson/Sentlinger (SBU)  8-3

3. Laws/Gourgues (DSU) def. Hendrickson/Crystal Guiot (SBU) 8-3

Singles

1. Lisa Jamais (DSU) def. Jolee Cook (SBU)  6-1, 2-6, 3-6

2. Cecile Benzaki (DSU) def. Johanna Olsson (SBU) 6-4, 6-1

3. Lucia Laws (DSU) def. Faiga Schmidt (SBU) 6-4, 6-3

4. Laura Mongin (DSU) def. Jenna Hendrickson (SBU)  6-1, 6-2

5. Amandine Gourgues (DSU) def. Sarah Sentlinger (SBU)  6-3, 6-0

6. Tatiana Bouchaud (DSU) def. Misti Janisch (SBU) 6-4, 6-0

-  Amanda Corneilison (DSU) def. Crystal Guiot (SBU) 6-2, 7-6

SBU hosts Ferris State on March 11 beginning at 1 p.m. from the Bryant Tennis Center.

SPUD HARBOUR NAMED HAAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Evangel University men’s basketball guard Spud Harbour was named the Heart of America conference Player of the Week this week. It marks the fourth time this season the junior from Springfield-Glendale has won the award.

Harbour averaged 23.5 points and shot 55.9% from the floor in two games. He scored 27 points against William Jewell last Thursday and 20 Saturday at Avila.

Harbour wins the award for the second straight week and was also honored by the league for the weeks of Nov. 30-Dec. 6 and Dec. 7-13 in addition to last week.

The Crusaders (19-11, 15-5) open Heart of America conference tournament play Wednesday at home. Evangel, seeded second on the bracket, play seventh place Benedictine at 7 p.m. in the Ashcroft Center.

For additional information, contact:

Kevin Kennedy, Evangel University Athletics, (417) 865-2815, ext. 7260